by Andrea Smith
She melted into me, like I knew she would, and I held her close to my heart. The fire in the fireplace was crackling, and my heart was full of love for her, and for Emmie. I just didn’t want any latent family drama to spoil what was quite possibly going to be the best Christmas I’d ever had in my twenty-two years of living.
“I guess,” she acquiesced. Her face nuzzled my neck. “Do you always get your way, Emmett?” she asked, blowing a soft breath into my ear.
I kissed her gently on the top of her head. “Only sometimes,” I replied. “I think maybe you’re about to get your way,” I continued. “With me.”
In a matter of minutes, we were both butt-naked on the thick carpeted floor of the living room, just a few feet away from the crackling fire. Olivia was straddling me, her arms had mine pinned above my head in a vice-like grip, as she moved up and down on my rigid cock, setting the tempo for our fucking. Her pussy was a greedy bitch, and I moaned as much as she owned me on her terms.
Yeah, love is about give and take, and my Olivia and I were learning that along the way.
Afterwards, as we lay on the floor together, catching our breaths from the exertion that was our signature love-making, she rested her arm over her brow and sighed. “That,” she said huskily, “was the best fuck ever, I swear.”
I rolled over onto my stomach, my fingers tracing a nipple slowly. “You say that every time,” I teased.
She smiled radiantly. “You only have to worry if I don’t say it, Emmett,” she warned giving me a sly glance.
“Is that so?” I countered, and I was about to go in for Round Two when my cell phone rang on the coffee table.
I reached over and grabbed it, and immediately I recognized Stacie’s cell phone number. “Fuck,” I hissed, “get ready.”
“Yeah,” I answered briskly.
“Merry Christmas Emmett!” she greeted cheerfully, which knowing Stacie now, could only mean trouble.
“What’s up?” I asked cautiously.
“I’m out of the psyche ward. I want to see Emmie for Christmas… and well, I’ve got some news regarding her and you as well.”
My heart thudded in my chest. I now sat up in guarded attention. “We’ve got plans for Christmas,” I replied. “What about tomorrow afternoon?”
“Sure that’ll work. I hear… umm… I hear you got a new place. Sounds fab. Looking forward to seeing it. How’s Emmie? I’ve missed her so much.”
I rolled my eyes and by this time, Olivia knew who was at the other end of the phone. “She’s doing great,” I said. “Uh, I have to go to the pawn shop tomorrow morning, so why don’t you stop over here around one in the afternoon?”
“That will work. I’m staying with Ace and Katie… for now. I’ll use Katie’s car. She gave me your address. See you then,” she said.
End call.
Olivia was watching me wide-eyed. “Well?” she finally asked.
“Stacie’s coming here tomorrow to see the baby. And… she wants to talk about me and Emmie.”
Olivia scooted over to where I was sitting, still naked in front of the coffee table. “Emmett,” she said softly, “you need to play this cool, okay? She has no legal ground to take this baby out of your care. And besides that, you don’t even know what she might spring on you tomorrow. Now, may I ask the reason you’re going to a pawn shop?”
I looked over at her. I didn’t want to tell her the reason, and I didn’t need to give her details either. “Oh, I just had something there I kind of let slip my mind. Just wanna pick it up. It’s all good, babe. No worries.”
After Stacie’s phone call, I needed another round more than ever with my girl. Olivia was now my anchor. She was always there when I needed her, and the thing was, she didn’t have to be.
I had to believe everything was going to work out for us, and that included Emmie.
“Come here, you,” I teased and pulled her on top of me. “You know, you’re my everything, right?”
“Yes, you and Emmie are my fucking world,” she assured me.
Our initial lovemaking went pretty fast, and I knew I could last this time.
I pushed my cock into her slowly and watched how her eyes rolled back into her head. She moaned with delight, and I loved how she made my dick wet with her tight pussy.
“Oh, God, Emmett! Fuck me hard,” she demanded, and it was on. My account of slow lovemaking turned into a fuckfest of our groins slapping against each other as I pumped in and out of her.
“Shit, I’m gonna come already,” I groaned out hoarsely. She bit her bottom lip, pushing my ass into her, and just then, her finger slipped into my ass. This was new territory for me. I came harder than I ever had.
“Ah, fuck. What are you doing? It feels so fucking amazing, Olivia,” I breathed out, sounding almost ridiculous.
I fell over her and smiled down into her flushed-from-fucking face. “I love you, Olivia Harris.”
“Look, man, the past month just got away from me. The band’s been really busy,” I pleaded across the counter to the son of a bitch who sold my Gibson because I missed one payment.
“Hey, not my problem. That’s business. You better find that out quick, son.”
“Yeah, well, I think I just did. How much?”
“Twelve hundred,” he said.
“I can’t fucking believe this,” I snapped.
“Hey, buddy. I’m in business for only one reason: to make money.”
I was royally pissed, and this jackass was at the top of my shit list, just below Stacie. “Tell me who bought it so that I can buy my own fucking guitar back,” I said, waving the cash I’d been ready to pay him to get it out of hock.
“Now look, son, I run a pawn shop, not the yellow pages. And besides, I only take cash.” The old man took another puff on his cigar and nodded toward the door.
My Gibson was gone, Stacie was dropping her ass by, and after being shot in the chest with that DNA test, I was about to come unglued. I shoved the money down into my pocket and stormed out.
As if my day couldn’t become worse, Stacie was already there when I got home. I walked in, and she was sitting on the couch. I was surprised that Emmie wasn’t in her arms, but then again, not really. Olivia looked up at me from where she was sitting.
“Okay, Stacie, I’ve already had a shit storm of a day, so what is it you want?”
Olivia looked at me, her lips pressed together and a slight shake of her head as to signal me to let go of my bad mood.
“I thought you came by to see Emmie?” I asked, throwing my coat down onto the chair.
“I did, but she’s sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake her.”
Even after not seeing her for two months? But that was Stacie.
“Then, there’s the door,” I said and swooped my hand in the direction.
“Well, there’s more…” she said and began biting her nails. There was always more.
She looked around the place before starting her quest for whatever she wanted to ask. “Well, it looks like you two didn’t waste any time. Nice pad, you have here.”
Now would be the time the old me couldn’t wait to tell her to get her baby and leave, especially now that I had proof. But now, it was the one thing that scared the hell out of me.
“Say it and leave,” I hissed at her.
“Okay, okay. I want to move to Florida with Buck,” she blurted out. “Just until spring.”
“Who the hell is Buck?” Not that I give a shit.
“Stacie…” Olivia said, sitting up straight in her chair. I knew she was thinking the same thing: Stacie wanted to take Emmie with her.
But I didn’t give Olivia a chance to continue, because I was on a roll here. “You can do whatever you want, with whoever you want, but you’re not taking my daughter with you.” I was becoming the possessive father, and it shocked me.
&nbs
p; “No, that’s the thing. Would it be okay if Emmie stays with you and,” she gave Olivia a look, “Liv? Buck and I are… still working on our relationship and well… a new baby could cause problems.”
“You got it, sister, don’t let the door hit you in the ass,” I said and tossed my thumb up toward the front door.
“You’re such an asshole!” she yelled, grabbing her coat and stomping off toward the door.
So much for not wanting to wake the baby.
I followed behind her to make sure she didn’t slam the door on her way out. She gave me a glare before exiting. “Have a nice life,” I called after her as I shut the door.
Olivia came to my side, a frown creasing her forehead, and her teeth chewing on her bottom lip. “You were kind of rough on her, Emmett, not that she didn’t deserve it, but it’s actually good news, isn’t it?”
“Only if she stays away,” I answered grimly.
“I think we should think positive about this. If she said she’ll be gone until spring then that takes a load off for a while anyway.”
“With Stacie, we just never know what’s the truth and what’s pure bullshit. Buck,” I scoffed.
Olivia gave me a smile. “Well, she did tell me some things about Buck. Apparently she met him in the mental health facility in her group therapy sessions. They became close, I guess. I’m just glad the whack job is heading south for the winter.”
“Yeah, a reprieve - at least for a bit,” I mumbled.
“Hey, let’s start Christmas just a little early. Since you seem to be having a shit storm of a day how about opening a present early?”
“But, we promised to do everything with Emmie,” I argued.
“Then, I’ll just go get her. She wasn’t sleeping. She’s in her pack-n-play listening to nursery rhymes on Alexa. I just told Stacie that because I knew she wouldn’t press the issue.”
I kissed my girl, and we both went to get Emmie. She was holding her toes, rocking back and forth, smiling as the music played. I was falling hard for this baby. She giggled when she saw me, and I scooped her up.
“Hey, princess, let’s have Christmas. You like that?” I said and poked her little tummy.
I sat down on the floor, next to the Christmas tree with Emmie on my lap. I was teaching her to paddy cake and was clapping her small hands together as I voiced the rhyme. She loved it and giggled each time we played.
“Okay, Daddy,” Olivia said, holding a big wrapped present. “This here is from Emmie. And, yes, she picked it out.”
“You did?” I said, holding her up and blowing raspberries on her tummy, which got me another long giggle.
I handed her to Olivia and took the present. “Well, if my princess picked it out, then I know I’m going to love it,” I said, looking at my sweet baby in my girl’s arms.
I tore off the wrapping and untaped the box. I lifted the cardboard, and my mouth dropped. It was my Gibson.
“I don’t believe it!” I shouted, pulling it up against me, and fingering the strings. “But how?”
“Well,” Olivia replied, smiling, “Coop told me what you had done so that you could pay my portion of the recording fees, and I just knew I had to make sure you got this little beauty back.”
I got to my feet, and stepped across the pile of wrapping paper to where she sat, holding my baby on her lap. I bent over and kissed her softly on the lips, gazing into her eyes. “I love you, Olivia. You fucking complete me, babe.”
“Right back at you, Emmett.”
Chapter 35
Olivia
Christmas was so much more exciting, spending it as a family I decided, and having a three-and-a-half-month-old baby made it even more blessed.
Emmie had been flooded with gifts, not only from Emmett and me, but from the other band members, Emmett’s dad, and stepmother, and Stacie’s folks had sent her a savings bond.
On Christmas Day, Katie and I had made dinner at our house, and Coop, Wayne, and Slade joined us. Wayne was now seeing a girl named Kristin, who was kind of shy and quiet, but seemed nice enough. Coop and Slade kept teasing her about her choice of Wayne when she could’ve had either one of them, and I think it got to the point where Wayne was about ready to go at it with them outside in the snow.
White Christmases were always special, and the snowfall was the perfect backdrop for a perfect day.
Emmett had given me a beautiful gold necklace with a teardrop diamond stone, and a new smartphone, which I so needed.
Our album had released ten days prior to Christmas. The best gift we all received was that our label rep, Gordy, had called Coop the evening before and reported retail stores and online outlets for the first week sales were just shy of thirty-thousand, which he said was incredibly good for a debut album. Coop said Gordy was confident another twenty thousand would be sold before year-end.
“Sounds promising,” Ace said, pulling Katie in for a hug. “We’re getting a bigger place. We’re under contract for a place not too far from here as a matter of fact.”
“That’s great news!” I squealed. “Now, all we need is to get going on the studio in the basement, and we can start working on the next album.”
“I’ll toast to that,” Emmett said, popping the cork on a bottle of champagne. “Hey, it’s only domestic this year. Next year? That’ll be a whole different story,” he announced.
That night as I lay in Emmett’s arms, I broached the subject of Janet again. “Emmett,” I said softly, “can we plan a trip to Michigan after New Year’s to meet with Janet? I really need to know exactly what kind of information she can provide me with. If she has a piece of my past to share, I can’t ignore it.”
He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. “I get it, babe,” he replied, “I just wanted to make sure I went along. I’m protective like that. You make the arrangements, and we’ll make it happen.”
I turned and kissed his chest and squeezed him. The snow outside was still coming down, and somehow, it gave the room a soft glow of light. I looked at the artwork that covered his arm and traced along the design with my finger.
“Maybe I should get a tattoo,” I whispered.
“Oh yeah? What were you thinking of getting? Babe, you would look hot with a tattoo. Not that you aren’t already,” Emmett said and kissed the top of my head.
“Well, it will be something that relates to you and Emmie.” He pulled me in closer, and no words were spoken. I wasn’t sure of his intent. Was he overwhelmed at my suggestion? Or, maybe having second thoughts of making something permanent?
The rest of the night, I lay awake, rolling the diamond pendant of the necklace Emmett gave me for Christmas between my fingers and I thought about Janet. What did she have to tell me? Emmett’s breathing slowed, and I listened as he slept.
The more and more I thought about it, the more I thought I should just let it go. I was in a family now, and Emmett and Emmie were my world. What if it was a hoax? A trick to get in on some of our money, since the band was up and coming?
Then, I thought about all the cash I found in that little box purse. Maybe Janet did know something. Some crime my mother had committed.
In the past, I was eager to know where I came from, now, it was scaring the hell out of me. Was it even fair to the family I had now? I also had to consider the band. What if there was some big controversy… something that could taint the band’s image?
I heard Emmie down the hall and slowly crept out of bed to check on her. She wasn’t crying but cooing. She loved her nursery rhymes, and so, I quietly told Alexa to play them. She instantly smiled at me. My heart melted. Did Stacie even know what she was missing? I hoped not because I knew Emmie was better with us.
I thought again about the DNA test and how it broke Emmett’s heart, but we both vowed it would be our secret we took to the grave. Not even Ace or Katie knew the truth. It had to be that way, to p
rotect Emmie.
“Hey there, little princess. I love you,” I whispered and bent down to kiss her cheek. She cooed and rolled over. She was such a good baby, and I knew she would go right to sleep. Her first Christmas had worn her out.
I tiptoed back to bed and crawled in next to Emmett. “I love you,” I whispered next to his cheek, and I watched his eyelashes flutter from the glow outside.
It was now the last day of the year, and Gordy was right. The album sold another twenty grand. We were all on cloud nine, whatever cloud nine was, but it felt fucking amazing.
“Wowzah!” Emmett shouted as he was changing Emmie. He fastened the tabs on her clean diaper, and then blew raspberries on her bare belly, which resulted in a stream of baby giggles. “Your old man is finally making something of himself,” he said and then kissed Emmie in her ticklish spot–her neck.
“This is the best news ever. Now Katie and Ace will get their new home–soon,” I joined into Emmett and Emmie’s celebration.
The more success the band was getting, the more I re-thought meeting with Janet. She hadn’t messaged me since that day we moved into our new home, and things were only getting better for us. Plus, Stacie was gone–for how long, we didn’t know.
As I watched Emmett with Emmie, I wondered if I could have been a similar situation. An innocent baby whose life was taken from her. What if Emmett never stood up and took the responsibility? What would have happened to Emmie? The thought of her being in some foster home when Stacie tried to kill herself ran chills down my spine.
“Hey baby, you look a million miles away. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he asked, play biting Emmie’s fingers. Her sweet laughter followed.
“Watching you with Emmie just now, sort of brought back some memories I forgot.”
“Like what? Your father?”
“Not exactly. I was thinking, if you hadn’t been the amazing guy you are, stepping up and taking Emmie, where would she be now?”