“And because I love you, I swear I’ll be nice to James when I see him again. I won’t even roll my eyes if he says something dumb or tells one of those corny old-man jokes. I swear it.”
Her gleeful words made me laugh, erasing every bit of pain I felt. “Don’t be too nice,” I teased, light spreading through me. “We don’t want to spoil him.”
Jade stilled, eyes wide. “Good point.” Tapping her chin, she pretended to mull something over. Then, “Okay, don’t worry. I’ll let the sass fly. But ya know, only in small doses. Wouldn’t want to scare him away.”
I barely held back a snort. Soft-hearted and filled with nothing but kindness, Jade didn’t have the ability to scare anyone.
Chiquita either.
“Yes, I’ll behave. I have to,” she continued, speaking mostly to herself. “Because I definitely don’t want to make the guy who is going to help us run for the hills screaming.”
Her smile disappeared.
Eyes on mine, she shifted her weight between her feet. “He is going to help us, isn’t he? I mean, I saw how he looked at you that night beneath the paper mill and then that day in the alley. I guess I shouldn’t have assumed, but I thought he—”
“I’m going to be the one to save us,” I interjected, wanting her to know she could count on me, and not some man she’d only seen twice. Even if said man meant something to me. “James and a few others will have a hand in it, but it’s going to be me who frees us from El Diablo as soon as the time is right.”
I just had to wait until I could get Chiquita free of him. Whenever he was near, she was by his side. And if he wasn’t near, one of his puppets was. Their constant presence made escape almost impossible.
Keyword: almost.
“Ashley is coming too, right?”
“I won’t leave her behind. Not ever.”
“Okay,” she replied before dropping her gaze to the dress that laid on the floor next to my feet. Bending over, she snatched it up before straightening her spine.
Running the soft fabric between her fingers, she looked at me. “I think it’s time you put this on. Don’t you?”
I did think it was time.
In more ways than one.
“And just so you know,” she continued. “Faye and I have decided that you’re going to see him again come next Saturday. Ashley has a date with Ellington”—she scowled—“and if El Diablo doesn’t send me away too, then I’m spending the night with Faye.”
My lips pursed. “I—”
“No arguing,” she interrupted, before twirling a lock of my hair around her finger. “You’ve lived in hell long enough, Mama C.” Her whispered words caused my heart to skip a beat. “I think it’s time you found your own little slice of Heaven.” Blowing out a breath, she dropped her hand and stood tall. “Now, how about you get dressed? Because I’m sort of dying to see how the yellow looks on you.”
Heart beating wildly, I took the dress from her. Clutching it in my shaking hands, I grinned. “Want to help? I’m still a little weak and—”
Another roll of her eyes. “Well, duh.”
Chuckling, I turned around, facing the chipped mirror once more. “Alright, Little One,” I whispered. “Help me then.”
It was the start of a beautiful day and one that helped me heal a bit more. But unfortunately for me, in the days that followed, the very wounds that had begun to mend would be ripped back right back open, and the pain I’d harbored for over sixteen years would return.
Tenfold.
Twenty-One
James
Knock, knock, knock.
I was sitting behind my desk, buried beneath a pile of paperwork—bullshit incident reports—when someone knocked on my open office door, interrupting desk jockey duty.
“Yeah?” I barked, disgruntled as hell.
For more reasons than one.
“Don’t you take that tone with me, James Cole,” a sweet voice that I’d recognize anywhere, replied. “I’m no dog.”
I jerked my head up, finding Maddie standing in the doorway, sparkling green eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Hands on her hips, she glared at me, reminding me far too much of her nutty Grandmama.
Behind her stood my son, who wore a shit-eating grin on his face. He always found it amusing when others gave me hell, the love of his life especially.
Not that I blamed him.
If the shoe were on the other foot, I would’ve found it funny too.
Brow rising, I leaned back in my desk chair. “I’m sorry, sweet girl. If I had known it was you knocking on my door instead of one of my pain-in-the-ass men, I wouldn’t have been so hostile.”
I waited to see if she’d accept my apology or if instead, she’d throw something at my head in a temper-driven move that would’ve had the Crazy Old Biddy’s name written all over it.
“Now, having said that,” I continued after a projectile failed to be slung my way. “Let me try this again.” I smiled. “Afternoon, darlin’. What can I do for you?”
The corner of her lips tipped.
She was so pretty, always had been. I briefly wondered if the baby that grew in her belly was a girl. Right or wrong, I hoped it was. I would love my grandchild with everything I had no matter the gender, but Lucca was my boy.
I needed a girl too.
“That’s more like it.” Maddie sauntered in the office, my boy matching her step for step. He never let her out of arm’s reach when they were in the same room.
Again, I didn’t blame him.
If it were up to me, Carmen’s pretty little behind would have been at my side twenty-four seven. It didn’t matter if I was at home or at work, if the chance to have her near arose, I would’ve taken it.
Shit…
Chest aching at the thought of her, I grimaced. Missing her hurt.
A lot.
Too many days had passed since we’d last stood face to face, and I was a hairbreadth away from tearing the entire town apart
