Authors: Jennifer Foor
He looked sad at first studying the little baby in his mother’s arms. “Can I hold her?”
I looked to Savanna who just nodded. “Noah go sit in that chair with Grandma.” I waited for him to get adjusted. “Hold out your arms, but don’t squeeze her too tight.” Gently I
placed
little Christian in my son’s arms. He held her perfectly, studying her little face.
The room got real quiet.
“I think I might love her, Dad.”
And
that there was the most beautiful
thing I had ever heard in my entire life.
Epilogue
Savanna
“I can’t believe we have a daughter.” We’d been home for a week and Colt still couldn’t stop saying that. The ranch could have been falling apart and he wouldn’t have noticed. He’d spent every waking second with me and the kids.
When Colt said that he didn’t want to miss anything with Christian, he wasn’t lying. That man gave her the first diaper change she ever had, the first bath, and her first tour of the house. He begged me to pump, so that at night h
e could get up with her and give her a bottle
while I got some sleep. Several
times
I would wake up to an empty bed, only to find him rocking her in her nursery
, singing softly to her
.
As if Colt wasn’t enough, Noah followed them around like a lost puppy. The three of them stuck together, watching
television
and just generally being entertained by a week old baby. Noah had adjusted to having a sister much better than we anticipated. He no longer even spoke about having a brother. Instead he had changed his mind and was now the ‘official sister protector’.
After my parents had finally gone home, everything started to get into a good routine for us. Colt did work for a couple hours in his office at our house, but he never left us alone. If I needed a nap he would take Christian into the office with him.
I couldn’t have asked for a better father for my kids. Colt was perfect in every single way. How I ended up with him was something I will always wonder. His love for me was
indescribable
. His devotion to our family was unconditional.
Over the holidays’ we got to see the family again. It was nice having Noah home from school for so long. He was always such a helper with his sister. Her face was starting to light up when she heard her big brother talking.
In addition,
when he gave her all of his attention she would smile from ear to ear.
I remember watching the two of them interacting and feeling so
satisfied
. Colt came up behind me and witnessed what I was seeing. Noah had Christian’s little fingers in his. He was talking to her about how pretty she was. “Remember that time when he said all he wanted was a brother?” Colt’s voice vibrated off of my back.
“I remember.”
We both let out a laugh.
“So, I was wonderin’ if you meant what you said at the
hospital.
”
I turned around and wrapped my arms behind Colt’s neck. He gave me those beautiful green eyes to look right in to. “I said a lot of things at the hospital.”
“Well, it was somethin’ like you didn’t want to go through havin’ anymore children. I was kinda hopin’ that you would change your mind.
Darlin’,
I’m not askin’ for eleven, but I would like three or four.” Colt had a calm but determined look on his face. I turned back to look
at
our two kids. They were both perfect and I loved being their mother.
I brushed my lips over his and looked back into his eyes. “If they all look like that, we can have eleven.”
He smiled and kissed me full on the lips. His mouth found my ear and he kissed it with his tongue. “Sugar, you just let me know when you want to start tryin’.”
End of Book
Three
Look For Risking Fate Jan 2013
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Jennifer Foor lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with her husband and two children. She enjoys shooting pool, camping and catching up on cliché movies that
were made
in the eighties.
Check out this excerpt from Beautifully Broken by Amanda Bennett
I started to tell him the Cliffs Notes version of my life, leaving out all the bad when I heard an all
to
familiar voice announcing his presence. I slowly stood up and rounded the corner, when he came into view. He stood with both arms up, drink in one hand
like
he was some kind of God at this party. I took notice of Vince standing a little bit behind him, and then I noticed the small redhead directly underneath Gray’s arm. His arm came down gently around her shoulder and I watched as he kissed her on the top of her head.
“Someone you know?” He had just witnessed me staring, shit!
“I thought I did but that’s not him.” I turned and grabbed his hand so he would follow me back to the table where the drinks sat. I downed three more shots of vodka and then made myself a cocktail, consisting of vodka and a tiny splash of cranberry juice. I was feeling better already.
“You might want to slow down a bit there, kiddo.” He said smugly.
“I think I know what I can handle. Oh, and don’t call me kiddo.” I
spat
back and turned to find Hannah. She was still on the back patio, only now with a tanned muscular arm wrapped around her waist as she stood still talking to Leslie.
“Oh Hannah, how you?”
I could hear my words starting to slur. I inched closer to her spilling drops of the contents of my cup along the way. “I see you found a man, hmm?” Nothing was making
sense and I could feel my body getting heavy
and my lips were becoming numb.
“Oh my God Bennett, how much have you had to drink?” She grabbed the red cup from my hands, throwing it in the tall black garbage can in the corner. “Let’s get you
a water
.” She started pulling me inside when I stopped her.
“No! No! I can’t go inside.” I turned crossing my arms over my chest.
“What do you mean?” As soon as the question came out of her mouth, I saw her gaze lock on his. “Oh shit Bennett. What is he doing here, and with
her
?” I could hear the disgust in her voice.
Gray had only ever dated one person, well besides Hannah. Bobby Jo
Levingston
, the red headed firecracker who was a bitch to everyone imaginable, especially me. Gray’s friendship and mine was their final undoing. He dated her for six months before she started making my life a living hell, and in
return
Gray made hers one. Apparently, she had forgiven him. I
couldn’t
help but watch as his blue eyes looked into hers while they stood grinding together on the makeshift dance floor. As quick as I went to turn away, his gaze caught mine. I could see the sadness and apologetic look in his eyes, but I was pissed and I
wasn’t
giving in that easily.
His hand was on my arm before I could make it past the small doorway into one of the rooms. I held my face away from him, not wanting to cry. I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes, but I was damn sure not going to let him see that.
“Bennett, look at me. I didn’t know you would be-” his voice cut off.
I snapped my head around quickly sending me off kilter. After regaining my sense of balance, I stared deep into his ice blue eyes. “YOU’RE SORRY? You
didn’t
know I was going to be here, right?
That’s
what you were going to say. You made me feel like a complete asshole for blowing you off today and then you come here, with HER?” I pointed in the general direction of where Bobby Jo was standing. “How dare you. How dare you Gray. She treated me, your best friend, like absolute shit the entire time you
guys
were together and now you’re just going to what?
Take her home?
Get her drunk and then sleep with her?” I unleashed years of frustration on him. I
couldn’t
stop myself. It was something he had to hear.
“Bennett, please just talk to me. Not like this,
let’s
go home and talk. Please!” He had me wrapped in his arms so tightly; I
couldn’t
squirm out of their hold. I tried to push against his chest but nothing happened. “Bennett you have to talk to me,” he whispered.
I was about to give in when I heard
his
voice. “I believe she asked you to let her go.” His voice was powerful and in a
second
Gray’s arms dropped to his sides with his hands balled into fists. I knew what was about to happen. I positioned myself between the two of them and tried to calm Gray down.
“Who the Hell are you?” Gray puffed.
“I’m the guy whose house you’re in. I’m also the guy who is going to have to hurt you, if you try to man handle her again.”
“ What
the Fu-, oh I remember you.
You’re
the guy who ran into her at school. I knew you were going to be trouble. This has nothing to do with you, so butt the fuck out.” Gray reached for my hand but I
was instantly pulled
behind
Raylon’s
muscular frame.
“I told you not to touch her.”
Raylon
poked his finger into Gray’s chest.
“STOP BOTH OF YOU!” I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow. I put a hand on each of their chests trying to separate them. “
Raylon
you need to back off. You don’t understand enough to get in the middle of this.” I looked up at him with a sympathetic look in my eyes, hoping he would see that I was sorry that I had to choose. “As for you,” I pushed Gray towards the front door, “you don’t get to come up in here with another girl around your arm, and then try to protect me. It
doesn’t
work that way Gray. You
can’t
want all of me one minute and then only some of me another. It’s not fair.” I looked into his eyes and I could see that my words were breaking his heart.
He hung his head before he finally spoke back. “I was upset Bennett. I wanted to bring you here with me but you blew me off,
all
day. I thought we had an amazing night together. I was so excited to
get
done with testing this morning and get back to you. I had a whole day planned out. Then you just brushed me off,
like
nothing happened. I know you feel it Bennett. I’m not
stupid,
I can see it in your face.” His hands clutched onto the sides of my face as he stared into my eyes.
“Nothing was going to happen with Bobby Jo, I swear it. I was just trying to make it so every waking thought, in my God damned head wasn’t consumed with you.” He threw his hands up in the air exasperated. “Fuck Bennett, what am I supposed to do?” His hands fell to his sides in defeat.
I reached for his shoulder to turn him towards me, but he evaded my touch and started walking towards the stairs. “Tell Vince I’m going home.
I’ll
get a hold of you tomorrow. Good night Button.” He was down the stairs before I could even catch my breath enough to speak. Why did things have to be so complicated between us?
I made my way back in to find Hannah, when
Raylon
stopped me in the small hallway leading to the common room. “Are you okay?” He
sounded truly concerned, but I just
didn’t
have the patience to deal with this kind of situation tonight.
“I’m fine, but I need to find Hannah. I’m sorry.”
I moved around him and Hannah was standing waiting for me by the first bedroom on the right. “You ready to go Calamity Jane?” She was joking, but I
couldn’t
help but swallow back the lump starting to form in my throat.
“Just get me out of here, please?” She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pushed our way to the front door. I
didn’t
look back to see if
Raylon
was looking my way. Honestly, I
didn’t
care.
The car ride was eerily silent. I
couldn’t
process what had happened through my drunken haze to have a coherent thought. Hannah knew not to push it; she just kept the radio up enough for some background noise. A little bit
later
we pulled into my driveway and I couldn’t help but notice that Gray’s truck wasn’t in the drive.