by Shyla Colt
Lowering my head, I inhale and release the breath slowly. I don’t have my usual enthusiasm for work lately. I haven’t seen or talked to Faye in over a week, and the wait for Warren to set things up has been torture. I start to drive to her home and turn away at the last minute at least once a day. I want to know if her back is hurting, what she’s craving now, and how much Flora has grown. Sleep eludes me until exhaustion takes me out. Rolling my shoulders, I put on my business face and walk up the hall to the entrance.
I freeze at the sight of Preston holding Monty in his arms.
“Well, hello, Dr. Bailey.” Preston smiles so wide I’m shocked his jaw doesn’t break.
I grit my teeth. He has some fucking nerve showing up here.
“Did you know he found my Monty when he ran away during Christmas?” Preston purrs, playing the part of grateful owner.
“You never told us about this,” Jen says.
I shrug. “I was just helping out a four-legged friend.”
“You’re a hero.”
“So modest, Doc. Take some credit.”
“I’m glad to see Monty is doing well.
“The whole family is.”
The fake smile freezes on my face as I fight the urge to pull him across the front desk and beat him senseless. Monty yips and struggles to get free.
“It looks like he remembers his rescuer.” Jen laughs.
Preston smiles thinly. “Looks so.”
“Hey, buddy.” I scratch him behind the ear. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
“Why don’t you walk us out, for old time’s sake.”
I tense, unsure if he’s warning me away or rubbing things in.
“Sure. Are you ladies okay here?”
“Of course. Put the sweet thing out of his misery. He’s ready to jump out of his skin to get to you,” Carole insists.
I step from behind the counter and follow Preston.
“You know it’s a matter of time until she agrees to relocate to California. You put up a good fight, but my girl is smart. She knows what’s good for her and the baby.”
“Does she?” I arch my brow and smile. The bastard has no clue what’s coming.
“Of course.”
“And that’s you?”
“Obviously.” He rolls his eyes.
“I think you actually believe that.” I shake my head, disgusted.
“It’s the truth.”
“Why? Because you have money? You think your bank account is going to make you Father of the Year?” Preston blinks dumbly. I press on. “How are you going to help her grow up and be the best version of herself? Emotionally, how will you provide? You’re bullying your way into getting what you want with Faye. Is that how you plan to control Flora? Because kids tend to rebel against that sort of thing.”
“Don’t try to twist the situation.” He sneers, hitting the alarm on his black luxury rental.
“The picture isn’t so pretty when you look in the mirror and see what’s really there, hmm?”
“And you’d know all about parenting why? Is there an ex-wife and children in the wings? Is that why you’re trying so hard to play Daddy to mine? To make up for past mistakes?”
My temper flares. I hold Monty out. “You should go.”
“Ahhh. I struck a chord.” He smirks. “I wonder if she’d see you as her hero once she knew that.”
“Good-bye, Preston.”
“I came here to tell you to stay away from Faye. She’s not yours to take.”
“The way I remember it, she’s not yours either. “
“Yettt.” Preston draws out the t.
“Keep telling yourself that.” He takes Monty, and I step back. “Bullies always meet their match eventually and find themselves alone. Because fear only gets you so far.”
“Are you threatening me?” he barks.
“I’m making you aware of how the world works. Free of charge.”
“Faye is mine. You can’t have her or my child. I’ll make her life a living hell before I let that happen.”
I spin on my heels and walk away, ignoring his shouted insults. His time is coming. I won’t jeopardize everything we’ve worked so hard to set up to make myself feel good.
Chapter Five
Faye
This must be hell. I sit on the couch beside my mother and father as Preston charms them with talk about California. How lovely the weather is, and how much he thinks I’ll enjoy it. He canceled the lawsuit, but I know he’ll push for more. I need to figure out a way to get back from under his thumb. But first, I have to give birth. Sadness sweeps over me. My coach is gone, and I’m alone again most days. Except for the one person I don’t want to see. He’s here nearly every other week, asserting some misplaced dominance, like an overgrown dog pissing on things. The sound of the lock in the door is a relief. Warren is here. He walks in, and a second later, James follows. My jaw drops.
“What is he doing here?” Preston jumps up.
“Boy, sit your ass down,” my father booms.
Preston flinches.
“Now,” Warren growls.
“We have something we want to show you,” James says with a smile.
I drink in the sight of him. My heart speeds up, and Flora goes crazy. I’m not the only one who missed him.
“What is this? Why is he here, Jason?” he asks my father.
“That’ll be Mr. Ferguson from now on.” Dad turns on the television and presses play.
“Oh, God.” I immediately recognize the drug store.
Preston pales and sinks down onto the couch heavily.
“I wonder what the courts would think of this tape. Or the interviews of the customers who were literally afraid for Faye.”
“This is one instance.”
“Did I mention I have cameras taping outside the front of my office?”
I turn to Preston, furious. “You went to his job?”
“I wanted to let him know,” Preston mumbles.
“Let him know what?” I scream.
“That you’re his,” James says.
I shove Preston. “I belong to myself.”
“I don’t think any lawyer in their right mind would grant a misogynistic, raving lunatic full custody, do you?” Warren asks from where he’s leaning against the wall.
“Probably not even partial.” James shakes his head. “That’d be too bad.”
“What do you want? Money?”
“No. I want you to leave my sister alone. You will see Flora on her terms, and if you ever try to blackmail her into anything again, this will go viral.”
“N-No. We don’t have to let things come to that.” He shakes his head. “You’re not worth it.”
My hand is moving before I can think. His head snaps back. “Fuck you, Preston.”
Suddenly, James is between us. “Time for you to leave.”
Warren tugs him onto his feet and ushers him out. My mind spins as I take in the turn of events.
“Breathe, baby. It’s okay. He’s gone.”
“James,” I whisper.
“I’m right here, love.”
I bury my face into his neck, inhaling his scent, and enjoying his warmth.
“We’re so sorry, pumpkin. We had no clue what he was like.”
“But you knew what he did to me.” I turn as James supports me. “And that should’ve been enough. I know you guys worked hard to support us, but we were happy. We had a good childhood, and if that’s what Flora has, she’ll be blessed.” I grab my mother’s hands in mine. “Stop thinking you let us down when we were kids. Because you didn’t.”
“No, but we did now, and as much as I’d like to take that back, I can’t. Neither of us can,” Dad says softly. “I think it’s time we accept the fact that our baby girl is all grown up and fully capable of making her own choices. We support you and your choices, baby. We want to watch Flora for you while you work. We’re retired and ready to put our time toward something worthwhile.”
“Dad, I couldn
’t do that. You just retired last year.”
“And he’s already going crazy in this house.”
“What she’s not saying is I’m driving her crazy, too,” Dad says sheepishly.
I laugh, relieved to have them back in my corner. I won’t pretend their snubbing didn’t hurt, but they’re here now, and they’ve apologized. I need everyone in my corner.
“You did this for me?” I whisper shakily to James.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my girls.”
“I think we should let these two talk a bit,” Mom says as the room clears out.
“James, I am so sorry.”
He rests a finger over my lips. “You were doing what you felt you had to for Flora. But what I need you to know is that I love you, Faye. I can’t say what the future will hold dealing with Preston, but we’ll face it together.”
“I love you, too, James. I really do, even if it terrifies me.”
“If you trust me with your heat, I will never make sure you regret it. Things can’t always be perfect, but I know we can make this work.”
“I do, too.”
He places a chaste kiss on my lips. I pout.
“I don’t want your parents to catch us necking like a pair of horny teenagers.”
“It’s okay, James, you’re not the one who knocked up their little girl out of wedlock,” I tease.
“Girls with naughty mouths get spanked.”
“Please do.”
He throws his head back and laughs, and I know things are going to be okay. I place his hand over my belly, and he grins. “She’s moving around.”
“Both your girls missed you, James.”
“They won’t have to again.”
It’s a promise I trust in.
“Should we tell them it's okay to come back in?” he whispers.
“No. Let’s enjoy the silence before they put you through the paces.”
He laughs. “You know I’ve already been over here and met them before, right?”
“What?” I snuggle up to him. “Tell me everything.” My love grows as he recalls the way he stood up for me and won over my parents, bringing them in on the overthrow of the tyrant I’d almost been oppressed by. I didn’t lie when I said I wouldn’t keep Flora from him, but he will see her on my terms and with supervision. My life is my own again, and I’m choosing to spend it with the man willing to fight for me.
Epilogue
James
I lift my little girl into my arms and toss her high in the air and catch her. She giggles, and I pull her in for a hug.
“She’s getting too big for that,” Faye calls in a sing-song voice as she steps out of the passenger seat.
“What’s Mama talking about? Say that’s not true,”
“Na true, Mama.”
“No, you’re True.” Faye sweeps over and playfully tweaks her nose as she giggles. Flora True Ferguson came into the world fifteen months ago with me by her mother’s side and Preston in California, where he remained a majority of the time. While he had no problem sending money, his presence tended to be sporadic. I can’t say either of us minds.
At three months, she and her mom moved in with me, and now we’re meeting the rest of the family to celebrate our engagement. My family has flown in, eager to meet the tot that’s captured their hearts over the computer.
We’d opted for a long engagement to make up for the whirlwind romance. Faye tilts her head up for a kiss, and I do the same.
“Spoiled fiancée.” She kisses my lips, and I smile.
“Lucky fiancée,” I counter.
“Ditto.”
I press my forehead against her.
“I love you, James.”
“I love you, too, Faye. Ready to meet the British side of your family?”
Laughing, she nods. I wrap my hand around her waist and lead her into the airport. I used to doubt I’d ever have a family. Now I have a woman who owns my heart, a daughter I couldn’t love more if I tried, and plans to expand the Bailey family in the future. I’ve been dreaming about a Christmas baby. After all, when it comes to the holidays, ’tis the season for love when it comes to us.
The End
Tis’ The Season
Dedication
To everyone chasing your dream, it’s okay to rest, but never stop.
Prologue
Faye
I do my best to ignore my aching back and pulsing heels. Night shift can be a breeze or brutal. The E.R. hadn’t slowed down from the moment I signed in at eleven. Some days are like that. I can’t wait to get out of my filthy scrubs. This job has its disgusting moments, but someone has to do it. It’s not my usual rotation, but I swapped with Simone, who needed the night off to attend her sister’s wedding. Part of me missed nights in the E.R., but the other, saner portion of my brain enjoys the ability to live a normal life. Working nights makes you feel like a zombie.
Turning the corner, I smile at the sight that greets me. Preston hasn’t seen me yet. It’s not often our paths cross purposefully. We don’t want people to think he’s playing favorites because he’s the attending doctor with me, his fiancée working as a nurse beneath him. My heart picks up a tick as I take him in. He’s a Viking, all long, golden mane, broad shoulders, and icy blue eyes.
“Does she know about this promotion?” Dr. Stevenson asks.
I pause. They haven’t noticed me. It sounds like the news he’s holding onto is a secret. Not wanting to ruin anything, I slip into a side corridor.
“No. Faye knows who makes the big money in our relationship. Nurses are important, but their role is supportive. As my wife, her first job is me.”
My jaw drops. I’ve never heard Preston speak like this before. He always seemed so open-minded and considerate of my needs and desires.
“Does she know you feel that way? Faye doesn’t seem the type to go for that.”
Preston scoffs. “Our wedding is in three months. What’s she going to do, refuse to move to California? The money is three times better. She can be a nurse anywhere, and soon enough, we’ll have kids, so she’ll stay at home.”
My heart pounds in my chest. Nursing is my purpose in life. I never had any plans of being a stay-at-home mother. My gut clenches. Suddenly, our entire courtship becomes a lie. He’d put up a front for over a year and a half. The blood rushes to my head. Slumping against the wall, I close my eyes. My breathing increases. A life I hate stretches before me—glittering and gold from the outside, and hell on the inside.
He wants to take me away from a job I love, isolate me from my family and friends, and force me into a mold he thinks is perfect. Not only did he neglect to tell me he was applying for this, he didn’t even ask my opinion on a move. How long has he hidden this? When does he need to report to his new job? A million questions rise up in my head.
“No.” My hands ball into fists as indignation fuels me. I push off the wall, abandoning my habit of being non-confrontational. Damn the money we’ll lose. This is my life.
I march out toward him, furious. Anger has my eyes filling with tears as my chest tightens painfully. Breathing heavily, I know I must look like an extra from a horror movie.
Dr. Stevenson’s eyes widen.
Preston turns and peers at me. “Sweetheart.”
“How dare you?”
“We should really take this somewhere else.” He grabs my wrist, and I pull away, not about to be silenced to keep his reputation intact.
“You had your time to talk about this in private. Now you get to listen. We are done.” I remove the two-karat, princess cut diamond from my ring finger.
“What are you doing?”
“Escaping while I can.” I shove the ring into his pocket and stalk toward the nurses’ locker room.
“What? That’s ridiculous! The wedding is in three months. You can’t just call it off.”
Ignoring him, I quicken my steps. He grabs my wrist, and I spin around. Desperate to flee, I grab the only non-lethal weapon I have. I remove the
packaged square from my lab coat and fling the sanitary napkin in his face. He releases my hand to bat it away, and I throw two more like ninja stars before I run. My rubber soles slap the linoleum as the tears fall, splattering onto my work clothes as my dreams for the future shatter.
Chapter One
Faye
I nurse the one mug of coffee I’m allowed every day as my daughter swims happily inside of my belly. The faint flutters have turned to something more substantial as I move toward my sixth month.
“I know, this is the highlight of my morning, too,” I agree.
Leaning against the counter, I take in the open plan of the condo. The velvet, blue couch and matching chair with a footstool is a splash of brightness that stands out against the walls’ standard beige. The only room I bothered to have painted was the baby’s. I’d opted for a soft sage green that worked for either sex because I’d only been a few months along. I was on a tight budget and determined not to depend on Preston for funds. Because I knew the pompous bastard would use it against me. I grimace as thoughts of my ex float to the surface of my sleep-addled brain. How had I been so blind to his serious faults?
The condo is finally beginning to feel like home. After packing up my things with Preston protesting and calling me silly every step of the way, I moved in with my big brother, Warren, while I weighed out my options. My missed period sped up my timetable and snapped me out of my funk. It’s incredible what knowing you’re responsible for another living soul’s future will do. I twiddle my feet in the soft, fleece-lined house shoes, and trail my fingers down the soft material of my pink robe covered in coffee mugs. The sensation grounds me as I stop the negative thoughts trying to form like a storm cloud. Browbeating myself won’t change my past.
Ding. The bagel pops up from the toaster. After setting down my mug, I pluck the crusty, warm pieces from their slots and slather them with the brown sugar cream cheese waiting on the counter. Adding the pre-sliced strawberries, I satisfy my recently developed sweet tooth while staying healthy. Closing my eyes as the flavors explode on my taste buds, I groan. Have I ever tasted food the way I do now? It’s like the hormones have expanded my senses. Or perhaps, it slowed me down enough to fully enjoy them. Except for my libido. Heat floods my cheeks. If anything, it’d cranked my horniness up to eleven. I expected my B.O.B. to break down any minute. Lord knew I went through enough batteries to personally fund Duracell.