Cockloft Page 18

  It makes me feel all sorts of things I can’t explain. A deep sense of contentment and happiness I’ve never known. It’s killing me that I haven’t been able to tell people, especially Emily since she is pregnant again, too. Four months further along than I am. But we just found out a few days ago ourselves and we want to wait until we get the all clear from the doctor.

  Smiling, I watch as Rosa continues to tear through her presents, her excitement palpable.

  “I can’t wait until she opens ours,” I whisper.

  “She’s gonna love it, Blondie. Ryder on the other hand…” His sentence trails off on a chuckle.

  No doubt he will be grumpy at first, thinking I’m corrupting his sweet little girl, but surely once he sees the smile on her face he will appreciate it, even Emily is ecstatic.

  By the time Rosa finishes opening all of the presents, I’m practically jumping out of my skin.

  “This last one is from Auntie CeCe and Uncle Gabe,” Emily announces, handing her the large, sparkly, wrapped gift.

  Rosa’s pale blue eyes lift to mine, a hopeful smile lighting up her face. “Is it what I think it is?” she asks excitedly.

  “Guess you’ll have to open it and find out.”

  After reading the card, because it’s the polite thing to do, she begins destroying the wrapping paper.

  “Why am I so scared for this?” Ryder mumbles but nowhere near quiet enough. It earns him an elbow from his wife.

  I flash him my best smile. “Because it’s from me and you know it’s going to be amazing.”

  By his bland expression that is obviously not the case but my smile never wavers, my eyes riveted on Rosa.

  Her high-pitched squeal penetrates the air when she pulls out the pink handbag with a stuffed Chihuahua. “You did get it for me!” She rips the dog from the purse and hugs it close. “My very own Pepper and purse.”

  “Keep digging inside, there’s more,” I tell her.

  She places the dog on her lap and reaches into the handbag again, pulling out a pair of Coach sunglasses, tiny ones that match mine, lip gloss and…a set of keys. “What are these for?”

  “Why don’t you come to the garage and see,” Emily says, a knowing smile on her face.

  Ryder, however, is completely clueless, his eyes darting to me nervously. “The garage? What the hell have you done?”

  When all he gets from me is a smirk, his gaze shifts to Gabe.

  “Don’t look at me, man. This was all her idea. I just want the credit of being the cool uncle.”

  Ryder grumbles something that I can’t make out but I ignore it and follow the squealing little girl who can hardly contain herself.

  Once we reach the garage, Emily hits the button on the door, revealing the pink power wheel Volkswagen convertible.

  “You’ve got to be shittin’ me!”

  Ryder’s less than enthused reaction is overshadowed by Rosa’s scream of excitement.

  “My very own car, just like yours!” She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. And you, Uncle Gabe!” she says, giving him a hug, too.

  Gabe sweeps her up into his strong arms, bringing her in close. “You’re welcome, niña hermosa. There is just one rule.”

  “What’s that?”

  “No boys allowed in this car. Ever.”

  She laughs along with everyone else. “Deal!”

  Once Gabe places her back on her feet, she runs to the small vehicle and climbs inside, some of her friends squeezing in with her.

  “Buckle up,” she yells before reaching into her purse and slipping on her new Coach sunglasses.

  My heart stutters at how perfect she looks.

  Glancing over at me, she gives a thumbs up then directs her attention to Ryder. “See ya later, Daddy.” With the tap of her foot, the motorized car rolls forward, music blaring as she and her friends take off down the driveway.

  Smiling, I chance a look at Ryder and practically cringe at the glare directed at me.

  “A fucking car, CeCe? Seriously?”

  “So what?” I argue. “I’m the only aunt she has. I’m allowed to spoil her.”

  “She’s right,” Emily says, coming to my defense. “How can you be upset when Rosa is smiling the way she is?”

  His expression softens as he looks over at his daughter. “Fine,” he relents, his eyes meeting mine once more. “But be prepared, because one day all this shit is coming back to you.”

  “Sorry, man, but I’m not having any girls,” Gabe says. “Only boys.”

  Ryder grunts. “Yeah, good luck with that.” He takes off after his daughter and Emily follows behind, snapping pictures along with everyone else.

  I turn to Gabe, quirking a brow at him. “Only boys, really?”

  His arms lock around my waist, pulling me in close. “Sorry, Blondie, but I decide the sex and no way in hell am I having beautiful girls who look like their mother. I’d never survive it, especially seven of them.”

  “Seven!” I screech.

  “Yep. That’s how many kids we’re having.”

  “I don’t think so, Fireboy, I am not popping seven babies out of my vagina.”

  “Fine, six.”

  “Three,” I counter.

  “Five.”

  “Four.”

  Silence ensues for only a moment before he flashes me that sexy smirk of his. “Okay, four.”

  My arms encircle his neck, body fitting snug against his. “Imagine if all four were girls?”

  His amusement vanishes. “That shit isn’t funny.”

  I find the horror on his face rather amusing. “Come on, would having princesses like me be so bad?”

  His expression softens, dark chocolate eyes penetrating my soul. “No, Bella, I’d only be so lucky.”

  Smiling, I lift to my tiptoes and brush my lips across his. “The only thing that matters is that all of our children are as amazing and honorable as you.”

  He hugs me closer, slightly lifting me off my feet. “Princes or princesses, we’re going to have a good family, Blondie. I promise you that.”

  He’s already the best husband so I have no doubt he will be an amazing father to our children. Regardless if they are all boys or girls or a mixture of both, my hope is that they are all healthy and they grow to embrace his family’s heritage as well as carry my sense of impeccable style.

  His lips seal over mine, sending my heart soaring to that special place where only he and I exist. A palace filled with love.

  This is what real life fairytales are made of.

  The End

  Thank you for reading Cockloft, I hope you enjoyed CeCe and Gabe’s story as much as I did writing it. My next release will be Justice, book one in the Creed Brothers Series. You can find out more information about it and read the prologue on my website www.authorkclynn.com.

  If you are curious about Ryder and Emily and have not yet read their story, turn the page for the first two chapters of Beautifully Insightful.

  Available now on all platforms.

  Emily Michaels lives a life of privilege and prestige. She’s been afforded luxuries that most girls dream about but it’s only attributed to her lonely existence. Due to her disability, Emily doesn’t feel like she belongs in the elusive world she’s grown up in.

  That all changes her senior year when she meets Ryder Jameson, the tattooed bad boy who takes her breath away with a simple touch. A boy her parents would never approve of due to his lack of wealth and social status, but that doesn’t stop her from being with him.

  Ryder makes her feel beautiful in a way no one else ever has. For the first time in her life, Emily finally feels like she belongs. Until the day her world comes crashing down, destroying the one chance she had at being happy.

  FBI Agent Ryder Jameson has been given the opportunity to run one of the largest undercover operations of his career. The case that gets tossed in his lap will take him back to the town he swore he would never return to and to the only
girl who has ever mattered to him.

  Ryder plans to not only bring down the corruption that has poisoned his hometown but he will also take back the one girl who was stolen from him when he was just seventeen years old.

  Ryder and Emily come from a world where politics separates them and wealth defines them, but they will not let it divide them.

  This is their story.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Emily

  My heart pounds, stomach twisting nervously as I run my hands down the front of my dress, smoothing out any possible wrinkles there might be. “Well, Summer, what do you think, do I look okay?” I ask my dog who stands close to my left side.

  She gives a low whimper and brushes against my leg.

  Smiling, I lean down and run my fingers through her soft fur. “I know, girl, I’m going to miss you, too. I’ll be back before you know it then you will be my partner once again.”

  She releases another whine and nudges my cheek with the side of her nose.

  Giggling, I kiss the top of her head then hear my bedroom door open as I stand back up. I tense, worrying it’s my mother, then expel a sigh of relief when the familiar scent of warm sugar penetrates the air.

  “Oh, Emily, sweetheart, you look so pretty,” Rosa, our housekeeper, says as she steps into my room.

  I turn toward the direction of her voice. “Really? I look okay? Do I look… normal?”

  I feel her step closer before framing my face between her well-worn hands. “You look perfect, because you are perfect.”

  I smile softly and wonder why she couldn’t have been my mother. Although, I suppose she has been in every way that matters. “Thanks, Rosa, but we both know that’s because my mother wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Nonsense!” she replies, her accent thickening like it does every time she gets upset. “She can fuss with you all she wants, but she does not control what is in here.” Her voice softens as she lays her warm hand over my beating heart.

  I swallow past the sudden ache in my throat and voice my biggest fear. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m scared my parents are right and I’m going to be nothing but a joke.”

  “Oh, Emily, you must know by now that your parents’ perceptions are very misguided. We’ve talked about this.”

  “I know, and I’m trying to remember that. It’s just…going back to school after all these years? What on earth am I thinking?”

  “You’re thinking that you want to spend your senior year with society and not be locked up here like you have been for the past ten years.”

  “What happens if my parents are right and I’m not accepted by the others?”

  “Then it’s their loss, not yours.” When I don’t respond, she moves her hands to my shoulders, her touch loving and gentle. “This is going to be a good thing, Emily, I know it. You are going to shine like you always do. Besides, you will know a lot of the kids and you always have Cece.”

  I think about the one girl who is the closest person I have to a real friend. “Yeah, but a lot of the people I know are ones I wish I didn’t. I have a hard time relating to them.”

  “That’s why you are going to make new friends.”

  I shake myself out of my pity party and stand up straighter. “You’re right. Besides, I am doing this for myself, to prove that I can. It does not matter what anyone else thinks.”

  “There’s my girl.” I sense Rosa lean in and feel her press a familiar kiss to my cheek. “Now, let’s go downstairs, Cece will be here soon to pick you up.”

  I kneel down and give Summer, my guide dog, one more kiss on the head before grabbing my bag and following Rosa out of my room.

  I try to ignore the sudden emptiness I feel without her. Rosa senses it. “She will be okay, Emily. I’ll watch over her while you’re gone.”

  I nod. Leaving her is harder than I thought it would be. She’s my very best friend, and has been by my side for the last four years. If there is ever a time I misjudge something, I know I can always count on her.

  You will be fine, I reassure myself. I walked that school repeatedly over the entire summer. I probably know it better than any person who can see, and if I do need help, I will have Cece.

  My hand reaches for the wooden banister that edges the long hallway leading to the stairs, Rosa following close behind me as I start my descent. I’m just about to ask her if my mother has come down yet but I don’t need to because I can sense her as I get closer to the bottom of the stairs. Her overwhelming perfume penetrates my senses and I swear the air drops in temperature as I feel her disapproving eyes on me.

  “Good morning, Mother,” I greet her carefully, knowing she’s going to be in even more of a foul mood than usual today.

  “I guess you’re still planning to go through with this stupid idea of yours.”

  I don’t let her condescending tone deter me. “Yes. I told you I am not changing my mind.”

  She huffs then steps closer. I try not to roll my eyes as she fixes my hair and fusses with my dress; I’m clearly not up to her standards. A whiff of vodka on her breath reaches me, something that isn’t uncommon.

  “I don’t remember your dress being this snug.”

  Grinding my teeth, I restrain myself from replying back with a snide remark. I learned long ago not to waste my breath on my mother. Nothing I say will ever change who she is. Hopefully, this will be my last year in this house and all my plans will fall into place after I graduate.

  Rosa places a comforting hand on the small of my back.

  It only fuels my mother’s anger. “Rosa, leave us while I talk to Emily.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Michaels.” She leans in and kisses my cheek. “Bye, Miss Emily,” she says softly, adding the ‘miss’ for my mother’s sake. “Have a fabulous first day. I know you will shine like you always do.”

  “Bye, Rosa.”

  I hear her walk away before my mother starts in on me. “That woman babies you too much.”

  “She doesn’t baby me, she is kind to me.” Something my mother knows nothing about. Sometimes I wonder why she and my father bothered to have a child, but then I remember it’s all about image.

  “Would you stop looking at me like that?” she chides, disgust evident in her tone. “Where are your glasses and why are you not wearing them?”

  Reaching into my bag, I pull out my designer aviators. “They’re right here.” I sigh softly, knowing I should have put them on before I came down.

  “Then put them on. You know the deal, Emily. This is embarrassing enough for your father and me. If I hear of you taking them off while you’re at school, I will pull you out so fast your head will spin. Got it?”

  Tears sting my eyes as I swallow past the hurt clogging my throat. I slip them on, shielding my pain from her. “Don’t you think I will look more ridiculous wearing them inside?”

  “No, I don’t, and you know that!”

  She’s right, I do. For some reason, my mother has never liked the color of my eyes; she says they stand out too much. After I lost my vision, she made me keep them covered as often as possible. She says they wander and frighten people. Rosa says she’s crazy and that my eyes are beautiful. I don’t remember much about them, since I was so young when I lost my sight. But Rosa tells me they are very unique, a pale blue that reminds her of a snow princess.

  When I don’t wear my glasses, I always try my hardest to focus, but I guess I didn’t do a very good job this morning. That, and my mother is in an even more hateful mood than usual, which I expected.

  “I’ll keep them on,” I promise quietly.

  Before she can say anything else nasty, my father walks in. “Emily, good, you’re still here.”

  I turn to my left at where I hear his voice and get a whiff of his expensive cologne.

  “I wanted to let you know I was at the Prescott’s last night, and Kyle has graciously said he would watch out for you at school.”

  I tense, my stomach recoiling at the mention of the jerk’s name. “I told y
ou I don’t need him to watch out for me. I don’t want anything to do with him.”

  “Stop being a brat,” my mother cuts in. “You are lucky someone like him is willing to include you, and—”

  “How am I lucky? You do remember me telling you he tried to force himself on me at the charity dinner, right?”

  “He didn’t try to force himself on you,” my father replies, annoyed. “We talked about this. His father and I think it would be good for you two to see each other, especially with the upcoming campaign. And—”

  “Good for you, but not for me. The jerk shoved his tongue down my throat after I said no.”

  “Oh stop being such a drama queen,” my mother chimes back in. “And if you ask me, it’s good for you. I mean, really, Emily, if someone like him is willing to date you, with your…disability then I wouldn’t be rejecting it. The chance of you getting another opportunity with someone like him is slim to none.”

  My teeth grind so hard I’m surprised my jaw doesn’t snap. Tears begin to slip down my cheeks, which only makes me more angry that I let her get to me.

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t ask you, and I would rather have no opportunity than to have one with him.” Not wanting to stick around a second longer, I step past my mother and head to the front door. I try to push down my anger and concentrate on my direction.

  Just as I touch the door handle, she delivers one last blow. “Don’t come crying to me, Emily, when this all blows up in your face like I know it will.”

  I don’t bother to tell her that I would never come crying to her, because I know better. I’ve always known better.

  Opening the door, I walk out and make sure to slam it behind me. I take a moment and inhale a deep breath of fresh air, hoping to calm my angry heartbeat and the hurt trying to suffocate me.

  Thankfully, it isn’t long before I hear the familiar sound of Cece’s high-pitched horn as she does her usual double honk while driving up the long road to my house. I walk across my porch and down the three steps just as she pulls up.

  “Well hello, beautiful,” she greets me brightly. “Look at you, eagerly awaiting my arrival. Are you that excited for your first day of school?”