Hold (Gentry Boys, #5)(69)

I rubbed my eyes and yawned, registering the fact that it was just me and him and we were parked in front of my apartment.

“Dropped them off already,” he explained. “Saylor even came over to the truck to say hello but there was no shaking you out of your nap.”

I yawned again and stretched, feeling like I could easily sleep for another ten hours.

“Go on now,” Creed complained. “My family’s waiting on me.”

I looked toward my apartment and noticed the light from the living room was visible around the blinds. “Mine too,” I told him.

He waited while I climbed out and walked around to the driver’s side. He had the window rolled down and one thick elbow hanging out as he waited impatiently for whatever I had to say.

“I love you, man,” I choked out.

He sucked his lower lip in and turned to the front, but not before I saw that Creed Gentry, who was usually as likely to shed a tear as he was to kiss a coyote, was all misty eyed.

I grinned. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” he said and shifted the truck into reverse. “Love you too, junior.”

I opened the door slowly, not wanting to startle Stephanie. She was curled up on the couch, dressed in her customary long t-shirt, half covered by a throw blanket as her eyelids fluttered in her sleep.

Quietly locking the door behind me, I dropped to my knees and pushed the long curls out of her face.

“Hey, princess,” I whispered when she opened her eyes.

“Chase.” She smiled and even though the day had been hideous the world was glorious again.

“You okay?” she asked, rising up on one elbow.

So I told her. I told her about the morgue and Maggie, about the horrific accident that had changed and even ended lives. I told her about Benton and watched her eyes grow wide with fear and then relax with relief when I reached the end of the story.

When I was finished talking I rested my hand on her belly and she flattened out on her back so I could cover her with my palm.

“I missed you,” she said and the sound was so sweet I almost caught a case of Creed’s tears.

“I missed you too, sweetheart.”

She squirmed underneath my hand and my fingers automatically slipped into her panties. I stroked her, so gently, saying nothing as I watched her get worked up. When she was there I slid her panties down her thighs, rolled her shirt up over her head and brought her to the bedroom so I could admire her more comfortably.

I laid her down on the bed, shed my clothes and put my mouth everywhere before I finally wrapped her legs around my waist and took her where we both needed to go.

“Tomorrow,” I told her as we relaxed and stroked each other, “I’m buying you a ring.”

She kissed my chest. “I don’t need a special ring. We’ll just get gold bands or something for the wedding.”

“No.” I kissed her hand. I was getting my way on this. “I’m putting a gaudy piece of jewelry on your finger and I’m never letting you take it off.”

She didn’t protest. She bit her lip and smiled. “Fine. I know better than to argue with the most stubborn of the Gentrys.”

“I’m not stubborn. Just insistent.”

“Whatever you are, I plan on holding onto it.”

I gathered her into my arms. “Good. Because I’m going to hold you forever.”





EPILOGUE


CORD



“Daddy!” The little girl barreled into my legs and clung to me, sobbing with abandon.

“I lost my flowers,” she wailed.

I lifted her into my arms and settled her against my hip. Tears clung to her long eyelashes and the blonde ringlets that Saylor had labored so hard to create were in tousled disarray. I kissed my daughter’s cheek and patted her back.

“Shh, we’ll find them, Cassie. We’ll find your flowers.”

Deck stood there flashing his full devilish grin, plainly enjoying the sight of me humbled by the loss of a flower girl bouquet. But I had my priorities and right now finding a limp batch of daisies was at the top. I carried Cassie around the room, trying to jog her memory of the last place she’d seen the flowers she’d been clutching for the last three hours.

I scanned the room, noting that the bride and groom still hadn’t stopped kissing. They’d been doing that since we left the courthouse. Their lips were going to be chapped if they didn’t find something else to do soon. Stephanie was radiant in a beautiful white dress that had been lovingly sewn by Truly and tailored to fit Steph’s growing belly.

Chase retracted his mouth long enough to gaze into his bride’s eyes as he rested a hand on her stomach. They shared a private smile.

“You must have felt that one,” Stephanie laughed. “That was a powerful kick.”

My other daughter elbowed her way into the middle of their embrace and held her hands up. “Can I feel? I want to feel!”

Stephanie gently pressed Cami’s ear against her belly and my little girl listened intently with a serious expression. Right behind them Creed was holding little Jacob up and making goofy faces while the baby laughed and drooled on his face.

Priceless.

Truly stood nearby, snapping pictures with her phone.

“That better not show up on Facebook,” Creed growled at his wife as he switched the baby to his right arm. He’d been utterly transformed into a goo-gooing baby worshipper since Jacob came into his life but sometimes hints of his old cranky nature poked through.