Cougar

by M. A. Foster

  “Hey!” I jerk upright. “Fuck you!” I slap him on the arm and roll out of his bed. I gather my clothes from the floor and start for the bathroom. Cam’s strong arms wrap around me from behind. “I’m sorry.” He presses his lips to my neck and I melt into him.

  “That was a shitty thing to say.”

  “I didn’t mean it. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have.” Dropping my clothes to the floor, I turn in his embrace and wrap my arms around his waist. “If we’re going to have a future together, we need to talk about these things. Cam, we haven’t been together long. My heart is still healing, yet it loves you at the same time. I don’t understand it.”

  “That’s your problem. Stop trying to understand things and just let them be what they are.”

  “What about kids?”

  “What about kids?”

  “Do you want them?” I clarify.

  “They’re overrated,” he answers.

  I laugh. “Says the guy who has a bedroom for his nephews.”

  “True,” he chuckles. “I mean… yeah, I’d like to have kids one day. I think I’d make a good dad.”

  “You’d make a great dad.” I give his waist a squeeze.

  “But…,” he hedges.

  “I can’t have kids.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says my body. It attacks my pregnancies. There’s no explanation for it. Jay isn’t an only child by choice. I’m not saying I can’t ever get pregnant, but chances of carrying a child to term are slim. And I’m almost forty-one. So there’s that.”

  Cam hums. “I love a challenge.”

  I laugh. “Can we just take this one day at a time? I’m really happy.” I lift my gaze to his. “Are you happy?”

  A sexy smile curls up one side of his mouth. “Blissfully.”

  Cam

  The smell of bacon lingers in the air as I follow Emerson into the kitchen. I stop to say hello to Grace and snag a piece of bacon from the platter as I head over to the table where Jay, Zach, and their friends are eating. They all look hungover as shit. I chuckle under my breath.

  “Well, that didn’t take long,” Emerson says as she slides her phone across the table.

  Jay picks up her phone to see the headline—Jaybird’s Mystery Guy—and below it is a picture of Zach and Jay slow dancing at a party last night.

  After receiving a text in the middle of the night from an old college acquaintance who works for a celebrity gossip website, Emerson immediately called Jay’s bodyguard, Levi. He filled her in on everything that happened at the party and assured her that other than Jay drinking, there wasn’t anything gossip-worthy.

  “There’s nothing wrong with this picture,” Jay defends as she passes the phone back to Emerson.

  “No, but I heard you were drinking. You know the rules, Jayla.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” She grimaces as her gaze flicks to me. “And I’m sorry for throwing my phone at your head.”

  I shrug and laugh. “I’ve had worse thrown at me.”

  “What happens now?” Zach asks.

  “It means no scratching your balls in public,” I reply with a smirk and Zach chuckles.

  “When you’re out in public, act as if there’s always a camera on you,” Emerson adds. “Because most likely there will be.”

  The conversation is interrupted by the sound of shouting, drawing everyone’s attention to the stairs. A few seconds later, Cole jogs down the stairs and right out the front door, slamming it behind him.

  Zach pushes back from the table and hurries after Cole.

  “What the hell is going on?” Emerson asks with raised brows.

  Jay shrugs.

  “They’re fighting about some girl with big boobs who was hitting on Cole last night,” Lexi informs us.

  Emerson rolls her eyes.

  “She was rubbing all over Cole last night like a cat in heat,” Jay adds and I snort a laugh. “Then she tried to flirt with Zach but I set her straight.”

  Emerson shakes her head. “Jay—”

  “I didn’t touch her.”

  Zach comes back to the table and shrugs. “He took off before I could catch him.”

  “We’re headed over to talk to your parents,” Emerson informs him.

  His brows jerk upward and he scoffs. “Good luck with that.”

  “What are you doing here?” my sister asks, her eyes flicking between Emerson and me.

  “We need to talk to you,” I tell her.

  “I don’t want her in my house.”

  “Too bad. This is important,” I say, pushing past her and stepping inside, dragging Emerson by the hand behind me.

  “Enough, Elizabeth!” Mike snaps from the foyer. “Come in.” He leads us into the living room. Logan is kicking back on the sofa with Zoe perched on his lap.

  “What’s up, man?” I drop down on the sofa beside Logan and press a kiss to Zoe’s cheek. “Hi, pretty girl.” Zoe smiles and buries her face in Logan’s chest.

  Logan chuckles. “Someone is being shy today.”

  My attention moves to Liz standing at the edge of the living room, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes pinned on Emerson.

  Not in the least bit intimidated by my sister’s glare, Emerson—who is still standing—squares her shoulders and gets straight to the point. “I’m here because a photo of Zach and Jayla at a party last night was leaked to the media. Someone I trust, who works for one of the biggest celebrity gossip sites in the country, forwarded it to me. The photo is buried for now, but it’s only a matter of time before it resurfaces on other sites and reporters start digging. It could be today, tomorrow, or next week. I don’t know. But what I do know is money talks, and the people you think are your friends will show their true colors.”

  “Story of my life,” my sister quips, rolling her eyes.

  “Mom,” Logan chides.

  Emerson ignores Liz’s dig and goes on. “Gossip sells, and anything that has to do with Jayla is payday.”

  “How do you suggest we handle it?” Mike asks.

  “Tighten your circle. Don’t answer personal questions about your family?” She turns her attention to Liz. “Even the checkout lady at the grocery store. When she asks about your family—because she will—you respond with ‘They’re doing well. Thanks for asking’ and move on. Don’t indulge her with details. Your life and your family are not her concern. Padding her bank account is.”

  Emerson turns her attention to Logan. “If you have any social media accounts, clean them up.”

  “No worries there. I closed all my accounts when I got Zoe back,” Logan tells her, and she nods in understanding.

  “And what does this have to do with you, Cam?” Liz asks. “Why are you here with her?”

  I look over at Logan. “You should probably take her out of here.” I nod to Zoe.

  “Man, just when things are starting to get juicy.” He chuckles as he rises from the sofa and leaves the room.

  “Because we’re together,” I explain once they’re gone.

  “What do you mean, together?” she asks, her voice rising.

  “Emerson and I are a couple. We’re in a relationship.”

  Liz’s eyes widen briefly before she narrows them on Emerson once again. “First Mike and now my little brother.” She scoffs. “You’re a piece of work, Emerson.”

  Emerson shakes her head with a bored expression on her face.

  “Wait,” Liz starts, jerking her attention back to me. “I thought you were married to Jules?”

  The fuck.

  Mike’s head snaps in my sister’s direction. “Elizabeth!” he scolds.

  I jerk up from the sofa and point at Mike. “You told her?”

  “Of course not!”

  “You’re married?” Emerson chokes out.

  “No.” I shake my head. “It was a long time ago.”

  Fear grips my heart, knowing everything I’ve done to get Emerson and me to this point in our relation
ship—the love, the trust—is gone. I had every opportunity to tell her, but I wanted us to be solid before admitting that Jules and I had drunkenly eloped in Vegas.

  The marriage only lasted a few months before Jules and I both realized we’d exhausted our relationship and broke up for the last time. Mike handled our divorce discreetly, or so I thought. Jules and I remained best friends, and when I moved back to Heritage Bay, we fell back into old habits. Our physical attraction to each other had never been the problem.

  Emerson turns to Liz. “You said that to hurt me.” She sucks in a breath. “I’m done with this bullshit. All of it. You want the truth?”

  “Hello?” Rebecca’s voice calls out. “Liz?” A moment later, Rebecca walks into the living room with Chris and Chelsea. Chris takes one look at Emerson, turns to Chelsea and tells her to wait outside.

  “What are you doing here?” Mike asks.

  “I asked him to come, and to bring Rebecca,” Emerson says, and Rebecca turns to Chris with a questioning look. “I think it’s truth time.” Emerson tilts her head. “Right, Rebecca?”

  Rebecca raises her brows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Emerson.”

  Emerson huffs out a humorless laugh. “Okay, if that’s how you want to play it, let me refresh your memory.” With her arms crossed, she rocks back on her heels and locks her gaze on Liz. “That night you walked in on Mike in bed with another girl, did you see her face?”

  My sister’s nostrils flare. “No, but—”

  Emerson holds up her hand. “Let me finish,” she grits out.

  “It was Rebecca,” Mike blurts before Emerson can go on. All our heads turn to Mike as he drags his hands down his face, a sure sign that he’s reached his boiling point. He turns to Liz with a look of apology and regret. “It wasn’t Emerson. It was Rebecca.”

  The. Fuck.

  Rebecca’s mouth falls open and she blinks in shock.

  Chris looks at his ex-wife with pure disgust on his face. “You screwed my best friend?”

  “No,” Mike admits, “but I was drunk enough that we would’ve if Liz hadn’t walked in. I didn’t know Emerson was in my parents’ bathroom until she came out swinging. I was drunk. There was a lot of yelling, and all I heard was ‘pregnant’ and ‘baby.’” Mike turns to Liz. “Whatever exchange you saw between me and Emerson wasn’t at all what it looked like.”

  Liz’s eyes widen. “Why are you just now telling me this after all this time?”

  “I tried to tell you so many times, but every time I brought it up, you got hysterical. You were pregnant, Liz, and the last thing you needed was more stress. I made a stupid, drunken mistake, and I was afraid I’d lose you and my baby. I tried to bring it up again after Logan was born, but you were so happy and you seemed to have moved on, so I left it alone. I know I should’ve said something, so I accept full responsibility for this entire mess.”

  “No,” Chris says. “I harbor some of the blame, too. Emerson, I know we’ve already cleared the air, but after this, I feel like an apology isn’t enough.”

  At one point or another, Emerson has been betrayed by everyone in this room, including me.

  “So let me get this straight,” I interrupt. “The reason my sister lost her best friend was because you two couldn’t keep your dicks in your pants.” My eyes flick between Mike and Chris, then over to Rebecca. “And you couldn’t stay off your back?”

  Rebecca gasps.

  “Cam,” Chris warns.

  “What the fuck do you care, Chris? You’re not even married to her anymore. And why is that?”

  Chris just shakes his head.

  “Exactly.” I’ve made my point. “All three of you are at fault for tearing their friendship apart and driving a wedge between our families.”

  “We’re all at fault,” Emerson clarifies. “I could’ve waited until Elizabeth calmed down and told her the truth. But I was pissed. I let my pride win over my hurt and anger toward all of you.”

  Liz’s arms fall to her sides in defeat, and she turns to face Rebecca. “I can’t believe that all this time, it was you. You sat there while I cried over losing my best friend and said nothing,” she says softly. “Why?” Her voice cracks. “What did I ever do to you? Were you jealous of me? Is that why you’ve pretended to be my friend all these years? Did you want my life or something?”

  “No,” Emerson cuts in. “She wanted mine.” Tears spill down her cheeks. I move to wrap my arms around her, to comfort her, but she pushes me away and pins me with a glare full of anger and disdain. A glare that tells me I truly fucked up.

  “And she got what she wanted,” Emerson continues. “She got my boyfriend and my best friends.”

  Chris barks out a disbelieving laugh. “Seriously?” He looks over at Rebecca. “Is that true? You were jealous of her?”

  Rebecca shrugs. “I was young and stupid, Chris.”

  “And a whore,” Emerson adds angrily.

  I drop my head to hide the huge grin on my face. My woman is savage.

  “I’ve met my fair share of horrible people in my life, but none of them compare to you. Even after all these years, you’re still a despicable woman, and I still hate you. Not because you inserted yourself into my life and screwed my boyfriend, but because you hurt my family.”

  “What are you even whining about, Emerson?” Rebecca sneers. “You married a fucking rock star. Your life turned out just fine. If anything, I did you a favor. You should be thanking me.”

  Oh shit.

  Emerson takes a step forward, but I hook my arm around her and pull her to my chest.

  “Get out of my house,” Liz growls.

  “My pleasure.” Emerson jerks out of my hold and starts for the door.

  “Not you, Emerson,” Liz clarifies. “You!” She points to Rebecca. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

  Rebecca stares at Liz, shocked. “Liz, it was a mistake. We were teenagers,” she pleads. “When she left, I was the one who was there for you.”

  “Out!” Liz points at the door.

  As Rebecca stomps to the door, Chris steps up to Emerson and wraps her in a hug. I clench my fists at my sides to keep from punching him in the face. He doesn’t deserve her forgiveness.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to her temple before releasing her and following Rebecca.

  “I’m sorry, too, Emerson,” Liz starts, but she’s cut off by Emerson’s sardonic laugh.

  She shakes her head, then pins me with a hateful glare. “And the truth shall set you free.” She kisses the tips of her middle fingers and throws her hands in the air, flipping us off on her way to the door.

  “I’m sorry, Cam,” Liz says, and the expression on her face tells me she genuinely means it.

  “Don’t worry about it.” I shake my head and start for the door. “It’s my fault. I should’ve told her.”

  Zach and Jay are standing on the front porch, staring after Emerson.

  “Em, wait!” I call out as I chase after her.

  “Fuck you, Cam,” she yells over her shoulder before climbing into the passenger seat of Jay’s Range Rover.

  Before she has a chance to slam the door, I block the doorway, placing my hands on the roof and leaning down to her face. “It was a long time ago, Emerson.”

  “You lied to me, Cam.” Tears pool in her eyes, and my heart drops into my stomach.

  “I didn’t lie,” I whisper. “I was going to tell you, but—”

  “No buts. Move.” She shoves me away, then grabs the door and slams it shut.

  Taking a step back, I prop my hands on my hips and drop my head as Jay slips behind the wheel and drives off.

  Emerson

  “And they lived happily ever after.”

  “Mommy, what does happily ever after mean?”

  “It means they live the rest of their lives happy.”

  “But what if something happens to one of them?”

  “That’s not how fairy tales work, baby. The prince and princess always
get their happily ever after.”

  Today marks one year since Marcus passed. A dull ache spreads across my chest, reminding me of what I lost.

  Jay climbs into my bed and snuggles up beside me. “I can’t believe it’s been a year already,” she sighs.

  “I can’t either,” I murmur as I stroke her hair.

  “Do you love Cam?”

  “Yes,” I whisper. “I’m sorry if that hurts you.”

  “It doesn’t. It’s just… do you love him more than you loved Dad?”

  I close my eyes. “Jay, I can’t ever and will never compare anyone or anything to the love I had and still have for your father. We were together for nearly twenty-two years. He was my husband, the father of my child, and the love of my life. But I also love Cam. It’s different, but it’s real.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you that he’s been with a bunch of women?”

  It shouldn’t, but jealousy is in my DNA, both as a Mackenzie and as a female.

  I snort. “No.” Yes. “Jay, I can’t be upset that he had a life before me. Just like I couldn’t be upset about the things your father did before we met.”

  “I’m scared.” Her eyes fill with tears.

  “Of what?”

  “That you’ll start a whole new life with Cam and forget about Dad. That you’ll forget about us as a family before he died.”

  “Jayla—”

  “Everything has changed. I feel like our family has been pulled apart ever since we got here. Bass is with Lisa. You’re with Cam. I’m with Zach. I’m not really sure what Grace is doing, but I hardly ever see her unless she’s in the kitchen.”

  “Honey, no one is ever going to come between you and me. You are my child, and you will always come first. And Grace is fine. She discovered Netflix.”

  She snorts. “Enough said.”

  “Okay?”

  “Okay.” She sighs. “Then you have my blessing. But if he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass.”

  He already has.

  Emerson

  “Do you have these in a six and a seven?” I ask the salesman, holding up the nude Tory Burch sandals from her latest spring collection.

  This past week has been hell not seeing Cam. I’m so pissed at him for lying after I’d given him so many chances to tell me everything about Juliette. Honestly, I find their whole friendship-relationship a bit unsettling, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay with it. He left a few days ago for spring training, but I got a text from him this morning saying he was in town and needed to see me. I replied with one telling him I had plans. A day of shopping with my mother, Jay, Harper, and their friends.