Lead Him Not Into Temptation (Redemption Book 2) (22 page)

“If,” I whisper, sliding down the wall and letting my suppressed emotions of the moment pour out of me.

Vivian

I hear the car honk and I kiss Brooks one last time good-bye. “I’ll call you when I know more,” I tell him. He nods and continues to rock our baby daughter, Joslyn, back to sleep.

Hustling down the stairs and out the entryway, I find two of my best friends in the car waiting for me.

“Hustle, Viv, we have to get all the way across town,” Carly says from the passenger seat as I climb into the back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get us there,” Campbell interjects after I close my car door. Gravel kicks up from under our wheels as she peels out of the driveway. Surprisingly there is a lack of conversation in the car as we make the thirty minute trek across town to the hospital. There’s a nervous tension in the car with hope, concern, and anxiety all mixed together in a thick ball of emotion a person could choke on.

“Has anyone heard from Casen?” I ask.

Campbell’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “Not since I called you,” she says, before directing her attention back to the road. I settle into the leather seats and watch the street lamps and lonely cars pass by as we race across the city. There are towns, which never sleep, but looking at the streets of Denver, we are a people who apparently need their rest; it’s desolate outside. Right now, though, I wouldn’t complain about that, it helps us to get to the hospital faster.

Piling out of the car, we follow the signs to the labor and delivery section of the hospital. Once the door is unlocked for us and we’re allowed through security, the three of us rush through the double doors. We only make it a few steps into the main hallway before we see Casen sitting on the ground outside a delivery room.

We all halt and my heart sinks…we’re too late.

“Casen?” Campbell says apprehensively, trying to get his attention. He looks up, his eyes bloodshot and streaks of dried tears scattered down his cheeks. “Where are they?” she asks.

His face scrunches in pain before he looks back down at the ground. He takes a deep breath before looking at us once again to respond. He then says the two words I never thought I would hear, and will never forget.

“They’re gone.”

Casen

“I wish your momma could be here, little guy,” I tell Ryker before kissing his head. He giggles and wiggles in my arms, and I’m grateful he’s been quiet during the ceremony and he hasn’t thrown up on my suit.

“Um, Dad?” A word I haven’t quite haven’t gotten used to, but I don’t get tired of hearing.

“Yes, sweetheart, what’s up?” I ask Abby.

“Blake and the girls are over there by the snacks, can I go hang out with them?” her voice meek and unsure. We’re still maneuvering through our new relationship, but we’re doing well. It’s an adjustment for everyone, but I’m glad Abby has decided to live with us full-time.

“Absolutely. Stay with the group and don’t leave the building. Deal?”

“Deal.” She leans down and lands a kiss on Ryker’s cheek and takes off toward the kids. It still amazes me how much she looks like her mother. She’s a petite little thing with the same wavy blonde hair, which she insists on having up off her neck. She prefers jeans and T-shirts to dresses and ribbons which makes life super easy on me.

Vivian’s kids have completely accepted her and included her in their world, which I’m thankful for. These people have become more than friends, they are my family…the family I’ve always wanted.

Vivian bounces down the aisle, her eyes scanning the rows, more than likely looking for her children. When her eyes land on me, she offers a gentle smile.

“They’re over at the snack table,” I tell her while standing to give her a hug, her usual greeting.

“Thank you. I should have guessed. They wandered away from their seat after my speech,” she says, directing her line of sight to the snacks and waving at the kids. “How are you guys?” she asks, taking Ryker’s hand and playing with his fingers.

“Things are good. You know Jen would have liked to have been here,” I offer.

“Oh, Casen, I know,” she smiles. “It means a lot that you and the kids are here. We’ve been working on opening this at-risk youth foundation for almost a year; I’m happy to see it finally come to fruition. I think this was the perfect way to honor my dad’s memory.”

I look around the room, the main banquet room for the foundation, which will be used for events to raise more money to keep the foundation going. It’s decorated elegantly; the whole building was put together well. I would expect nothing less from Brooks and Vivian. “Everything looks fantastic, Viv. You guys should be proud of what you’re accomplishing here. I wish something like this was available when I was a kid.”

“Thank you, Casen that means a lot.” Her eyes look past me and a huge grin breaks across her face. “I can’t believe she made it.”

I turn around toward the entrance to look at who’s caught Vivian’s attention. The second I see her, I find a smile, which matches Vivian’s. When Jen sees us, she rushes down the rows and throws her arms around Ryker and me. “Everything is done,” she whispers. “We’re legally a family now.”

She then turns to Vivian and bear hugs her as well. “I am so proud of you, Viv. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” she says, her voice breaking with emotion.

“Thank you, Jen. How are you even here? I didn’t think you would make it,” Vivian asks, breaking away from the embrace.

“Preston didn’t protest anything, he signed over all rights. My aunt was there to sign all the necessary paperwork. It’s done, Abby is legally ours,” she sighs with a smile.

This has been a long road, one that led both her and Abby to counseling to come to grips with the past and their current relationship. After paternity tests were completed and it was established that Preston was in fact Abby’s father, we petitioned to have his paternity rights revoked. Thankfully, it didn’t require a legal fight, since he willingly signed whatever was needed to silence what he had done to Jen. The statute of limitations on the rape expired, but the courtroom of public opinion can be just as brutal; Preston is smart enough to know that.

“Did your mother show up?” I inquire. I’m not sure whether now is the time to address it or not, but I can’t help but ask. Her mother and this court hearing have been weighing on her. Since Jen’s parent’s divorce was finalized, the two have slowly been working on rebuilding their relationship, but this hearing was like facing all of those demons again for her.

Jen’s eyes cast down to the floor. Immediately, I reach out and grasp her hand to give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. My touch draws her attention back to me and her eyes meet mine.

“I didn’t invite her. I just couldn’t,” she explains. “I asked her to go to dinner with us tomorrow to celebrate, but I just couldn’t have her there. It would have been too much.”

Seeing the emotion build in her eyes, I pull her close and wrap my arm her. “It’s alright, sparky. You don’t have to explain,” I murmur. Jen nods into my chest and relaxes into me. Our moment is short lived though, as Ryker begins to whine from being smashed between us.

“Sorry little man,” Jen chuckles as we pull away from one another. “I’m going to go let Abby know,” she adds, kissing me and Ryker before running over to the kids and gathering Abby in her arms.

It’s hard to believe a few months ago I almost lost her. When they wheeled her away to the operating room, I thought it was over. Seeing her open her eyes after surgery in the recovery room gave me a relief I don’t think I’ll ever find a comparison for. It was the worst and best day of my life.

Noticing Jen’s departure from the conversation, Carly and Campbell hustle to mine and Vivian’s side.

“Give me that baby,” Carly says, taking Ryker from my arms and snuggling him against her shoulder. “Ah, I love that smell,” she adds, inhaling deeply.

“What? Has he pooped?” I ask.

“No,” she laughs. “Baby smell. I think you need to let me babysit more often.”

“Anytime.”

“Enough baby talk, she’ll be back any minute. Let me see it,” Campbell interrupts.

“Did Lakin get the camper all ready for us?” I ask her.

“Everything is good to go,” she answers quickly. “We got back this morning.”

“We?” I question, but she ignores me and gestures to move it along.

I grab the diaper bag and unzip the inside pocket where I had stashed the ring. I knew the girls would want to put their seal of approval on it, so I brought it just in case. The three of them circle around me to shield any viewing eyes.

“Really? The diaper bag?” Vivian asks disapprovingly.

“What? It’s the one place Jen wouldn’t look,” I explain. “I love her, but when is the last time she changed a diaper? Seriously, girls.”

They giggle and agree, but once again Campbell pushes us along by grabbing the black velvet box from my hand and snapping it open. The shimmer from the diamond prompts them all to sharply inhale.

Vivian and Campbell both squeal.

“Gorgeous.”

“It really is, good job, Casen.”

“It’s yellow,” Carly says confused. “You know it’s supposed to be an engagement ring, right?”

“It’s a canary diamond…the color of dandelions,” I explain.

“I don’t get it,” she says.

I take the ring from Campbell and run my fingers around the yellow stone and the two white diamonds, which sit on either side, signifying our children. Looking across the room, I find Jen looking right back at me. Her playful smile makes me smile as well, our love silently being expressed. She is what I’ve been waiting for…the weed amongst the flowers, the dandelion amongst the roses.

My eyes follow her as she moves in our direction. “Don’t worry, girls,” I say keeping my eyes glued to my future bride. “She’ll understand.”

The End

LOOK FOR CAMPBELL AND CARLY’S STORIES EARLY 2015.

REVIEWS MAKE THE INDIE BOOK WORLD GO AROUND. PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK ON AMAZON.

Jen Andrews

The Reason (Book One of the Just Say Yes Series)

This is book one of three for characters Zoey and Andy.

Zoey James is in a funk. She has been through more in her twenty-three years than most people have experienced in their entire lives. After her ex-husband tries to take everything she’s worked so hard for, she makes one rule: Never date someone she works with.

When her father’s newly hired mechanic moves into the apartment above their family-run business, Zoey’s lonely life is flipped upside down.

As a teenager, New Zealand native, Andy Tate’s family is tragically killed in an accident, and he is taken in by his aunt and uncle. Andy is pulled away from the only place he’s ever known as home, and moved halfway around the world to Northern California.

Ten years and one failed marriage later, Andy finds himself living in a new city, with a new job at James Racing, and living in an apartment next door to Zoey, his new boss’s beautiful and damaged daughter.

After an interesting chain of events over one weekend, Andy and Zoey form an unexpected bond. Even though he’s the only one who can get through to her, she will do all that she can to keep him at a distance and not break her one rule.