The Trouble With Coco Monroe (41 page)

He’d just lit the candle when the dogs dashed to the stairs.

He beat Jezebel to the door.

Outside, Coco just raised her eyebrows when she saw Rafe’s car.

He was home early tonight.

She was smiling as she walked, or to be accurate waddled, to the door with her laptop case in one hand, her bag in the other.

The door opened and Rafe caught her to him in a deep, demanding kiss.

Needing their own hugs and kisses, the dogs did their best to wedge between them.

‘Hello, doll face,’ Rafe said, after they’d come up for air.

‘Hi.’ She handed him the laptop, her bag, before she greeted the dogs. ‘You’re home early.’

She closed the door.

‘Yeah, I thought you’d be tired after a long day.’

He took her coat, dumped it on the chair with the laptop and the bag, and held out his hand. ‘How did it go?’

Sliding out of her low heels, she took his hand.

‘We got a lot done. Made some decisions, long term plans.’

‘Let’s go downstairs. I’ll get you a drink and you can put your feet up.’

Taking care on the steps, she held his hand as he guided her down.

‘Sounds like a good idea. Actually, there’s a couple of things I want to talk to you...’ Her words died as she stepped into the room.

Tea lights in crystal holders glittered on the kitchen surfaces, on coffee table, reflected in the walls of glass that framed the views of the lake. The heady scent of flowers, of candle wax, and a lilting melody filled the air. The log burner flickered with gentle flames.

Her hand flew to her throat, a delicately female gesture, as tears caught there. Tears from how much she loved this man an emotion so honest and true she was completely shaken by it.

Coco looked at him, and the flickering lights were reflected in her vivid eyes.

‘You’ve been busy. It’s stunning.’

Shaken himself, Rafe took her face between his hands, stared into those swimming eyes.

‘You’re beautiful. I love you.’

Her lips curved as they brushed his. ‘I love you too.’

He shifted, pulled her body against the hard length of his.

‘How about a thimbleful of champagne?’

‘Are we celebrating?’

‘We are.’

‘Okay.’

She relaxed on a couch, curled up her legs and stroked smooth circles over her swollen belly.

He lifted the bottle out of the ice bucket, showed her the label.

‘Very nice.’

‘Nothing but the best for my girl.’

He opened the bottle with a happy pop. He poured, then after handing her a glass, rang it against his. ‘To us.’

‘To us,’ she whispered, and sipped.

He sank into the couch next to her and she curled into the crook of his arm and watched the flames in the log burner.

‘What did I do to deserve this?’

‘I wanted to show you how much I care about you.’

With a smile, she pressed her lips to his strong manly jaw.

‘I know how much you care.’

Happy, he propped his feet onto the glass coffee table. And amused himself by running his fingers through her silky hair.

‘I spoke to your father today. Signed a big security deal with him. Talked about you, a lot.’

She laid her head on his shoulder and he pressed his lips to her hair, inhaled the scent of Coco. The keeper of his heart, the mother of his child.

‘He’s a changed man,’ she admitted with a happy sigh.

‘We’ve all changed, for the better. Bruce is leaving the army. He’s taking over as head of operations and security for Monroe Industries.’

‘Really?’ Sparkling eyes met his. ‘I’m glad.’

‘So is your father.’

Her face went white, then she rubbed her hand over her belly.

‘Oooooh.’

For weeks they’d been through a few twinges, Braxton Hicks they called them.

She wasn’t due for another three weeks so he wasn’t unduly alarmed.

‘Oops,’ she muttered.

‘Oops?’

Big eyes filled to the brim with a mixture of excitement, fear, stared into his.

‘My waters have broken.’

In a single heartbeat, Rafe was on his feet and on his cell phone.

‘Louise? The eagle is about to land. Her waters have broken. Calm? Of course I’m calm.’

Coco took the phone, watched with big eyes as Rafe turned in a very slow circle.

He patted his pockets muttering, ‘Keys, shoes, baby bag, hospital bag.’ Before he dashed off in the direction of their bedroom.

‘Yep,’ she told her best friend. ‘He’s calm all right. Yes, it probably will be better if you drive. Phone the hospital and tell them we’re on our way.’

She sat back and winced as her belly went too tight.

Rubbing smooth circles over the bump, Coco took a nice deep breath.

‘Now don’t you go scaring your daddy. There’s no rush. No rush at all.’

Wild-eyed, Rafe hurried back, turned in another circle before blowing out all the candles.

He crouched before her.

‘Are you okay? Want me to carry you?’

She patted his cheek.

‘I can walk. They say walking is good. It brings the baby on faster.’

He went bone white.

‘I’ll carry you.’

Three hours later.

Anyone, anyone who thought women were the weak and feeble sex needed psychiatric care.

‘I’m not sure this is a good idea,’ Rafe said.

The soft articulation was a skilful lesson of exasperation and sheer fear kept on a tight leash.

Coco was lying in a birthing pool riding yet another wave of contraction.

Her belly was the perfect shape of a very large basketball. It was a perfectly tight, stretch mark free, oval. And she’d become terribly attached to it. Or the sprog as she called their child.

‘Too late to back out now, Cavendish. Oooooh.’

‘What? What? Does it hurt?’

God, what a bloody stupid question?

Of course it bloody hurt.

How would
he
like to pass a football out of his ass?

It cost her to keep quiet, but the fear coming off him in waves was a living, breathing, entity.

She held her breath, then panted in short, sharp breaths as she came down again on the other side of yet another contraction.

‘I can’t do this,’ she sobbed.’

Rafe gripped her hand.

‘Yes, you can.’

Her eyes held his. ‘I want a priest.’

He went grey.

‘Why? No. You’re going to be fine. Millions of women, God help them, do this every day.’

She shook her head and gasped over another wracking contraction.

Then she gripped his hand, her eyes wild.

‘Get me a priest,’ she screamed.

The word went out and the hospital pastor stepped into the room with two midwives and her obstetrician.

‘Marry me!’

Rafe blinked. ‘What?’

‘Not him.
You
. Marry me.’

‘Yes, but...’

‘I don’t want the baby to be a bastard.’

The priest took a step back. ‘But it won’t be legal in the eyes of the law.’

And Coco simply bared her teeth. ‘Do it!’

One hour later.

‘Isn’t she just gorgeous?’ Coco crooned as she nuzzled downy hair the colour of jet. ‘Look at her tiny fingernails and tiny eyelashes.’

In bare feet, jeans and T-shirt Rafe lay on his side in the bed next to his wife and daughter. Without shame he’d cried the first time he’d held her, tears of relief and joy that both had come through the ordeal unscathed. It might be the most natural thing in the world for a woman to give birth, but he’d never been so helplessly, wondrously terrified in his whole life.

‘She is. And so’s her mama.’

How Coco wondered could the whole world change in an instant?

How could just hearing her child’s first cry change a woman like this?

She’d give her life for her.

Hell, she’d do anything to protect her child.

And for the first time Coco understood the depth of Olivia’s love for her son. For Janine’s love for her daughter. And Bronte’s adoration for Luca and Sophia.

Last but not least, she now totally understood her father’s over-protective devotion to her.

She got it now, she truly did.

The door opened and her father and Louise entered the room.

Charles Monroe washed his hands, dried them, then made his way to the side of the bed. His eyes were misty as he kissed his daughter and saw his granddaughter for the very first time.

‘She’s beautiful. Even more beautiful than you were.’

Coco wrapped an arm around his neck, looked into his eyes.

‘I’d no idea I would feel like this, daddy. I would lay down my life for her.’

He pressed his lips to her forehead, rubbed his cheek against hers the way he’d always done to comfort her through the ups and downs of her life.

‘You are the light of my life. Can I hold her?’

Coco handed her daughter to her father and curled into Rafe’s embrace.

‘There now, and who’s a beautiful, beautiful girl then?’ Her father gently kissed the baby’s cheek, before his gaze rested on Coco and Rafe. ‘What are you going to call her?’

Coco glanced at Rafe, nodded.

‘Maria Grace. After our mothers,’ he said.

Charles Monroe simply let the tears fall unhindered down his cheeks and pressed another gentle kiss on Maria’s downy cheek. ‘Thank you, it means a great deal. Welcome to the world, Maria.’

Louise’s fingers trembled on her mouth as her eyes filled.

A knock at the door heralded Ethan who held three pink helium filled balloons followed by a nurse carting a huge basket of flowers.

His vivid eyes took in the scene, rested for the longest time on Louise before he grinned at Coco and Rafe.

‘How’s the proud mummy and daddy? No more sleep ins for you. Hehehehe.’ He peeked inside the fleece blanket holding his niece. ‘Hey, grandpa. Can I hold her?’

‘Wash your hands,’ Louise ordered him over her shoulder as she placed the flowers on a table. Then she moved to take the balloons, but didn’t meet his eyes as she tied them to the end of the bed.

Ethan’s brow creased at the tone. ‘Okay, bossy. Be nice,’ he said before he went to do as he was told.

Coco gave Rafe big what’s-up-with-them eyes, but he merely shrugged.

Charles Monroe hadn’t missed the antagonism between his eldest son and his daughter’s best friend either. And hid a wicked smile as he nuzzled his granddaughter.

He loved it when a plan came together.

THE END

Thank you so much for reading Coco’s story, which  began almost three years ago. How time flies when a person’s having fun! The Ludlow Hall Series has really captured reader's hearts. Book one 'Reckless Nights In Rome' has been a best-selling free book with many distributors, reaching number 1 in contemporary romance in some countries. The story has also been nominated for The Indie Romance Convention Readers Choice Award 2013. So thank you very much to every single reader who left a review and have voted. You guys rock!

Leaving a review, even simply a couple of sentences, helps to lift a digital book’s visibility in online stores and helps readers find the stories.

And I would like to thank the amazing author of ‘Commando Dad’, Neil Sinclair, who very kindly gave me permission to use his best selling book in 'The Trouble With Coco Monroe'. Neil and Rafael have an incredibly similar military background. It must have been karma! Here’s the link to ‘Commando Dad’: 
amazon.com
and for the UK 
amazon UK

And the story of Nico and Bronte, Josh, Janine, and Jacob, with guest appearances by Coco and Rafe continues in book five with 'The Fall of Jacob Del Garda', coming soon. Book six sees Rosie and Alexander back at Ludlow Hall in 'A Daddy for Daisy', which is the highly emotional tale of Janine Faulkner and Joshua Erichsen, due at the end of the year.  I want to thank every single reader who’s written to me for their story and appreciate the time each one of you has taken to write to me. I love hearing from readers.

But before Jacob I’m taking readers on a trip to the desert, to the small kingdom of Onnur that’s in turmoil after the death of it’s beloved king. 'Desert Orchid' is a stand-alone adventure romance with plenty of spills and thrills. The road to true love for Charisse and Khalid is not a smooth one. Both are damaged souls who’ve witnessed the worst that one human being can do to another. Together they find the inner strength to overcome their demons, to rise and find the courage to give their hearts to each other.

On the following pages are excerpts from 'Desert Orchid' and 'The Fall of Jacob Del Garda'.

CC MacKenzie.

A
DVENTURE
R
OMANCE

Desert Orchid - Excerpt - Due 2013

Think Memoirs of a Geisha meets Taken.

He didn't want a country. He didn't want a wife. He wanted whisky. And he wanted to forget.