Colorado 03 Lady Luck (74 page)

Other than that, they were never off. Not
when she was showering, cooking, bathing the girls.

Never.

“When is this?” he asked Sam, eyes on
Carnal.

“Two weeks.”

Two weeks. They hadn’t had a real vacation
since April when they went to Ella’s for week over Easter.

He bent his neck and looked at his feet,
muttering, “I’ll talk to Lex.”

He heard Sam’s chuckle then, “All right
then, see you in two weeks.”

Then he had nothing but dead air.

He flipped his phone shut and shoved it in
his back pocket knowing Sam was right. Hawaii, a private jet, money
in the bank and diamonds, his woman would not be hard to convince
especially since this was his first game since the one he sat two
days after he met her.

He’d stuck to his vow.

Until now.

He moved through the house, seeing the
shadowed pieces on the walls.

Lex was a regular at the frame shop in
Chantelle, such a regular, they sent Christmas cards. Glitter pen
art done by Lell framed like it was executed by a master. Unusual
multi-frames holding family snapshots. Two small shadowboxes
displaying their daughter’s tiny hospital bracelets, two others
that held the first lock of their hair cut by Dominic, Lell’s tied
in a little, pale yellow ribbon, Vivie’s with a pale pink one. Down
the main hall, a double line of black-framed, cream-matted,
black-ink, tiny but slowly getting bigger handprints, five of
Lell’s, one Lexie did two days after Lella came home from the
hospital and one for each birthday; three of Vivie’s little
hand.

There’d be another row there soon or she
might branch out to the opposite wall and he liked that, he liked a
décor based in comfort and family but he loved the home his wife
made for them.

He checked the outer doors one last time to
make sure they were locked, engaged the alarm then he went to the
stairs.

But he stopped dead at the foot when he saw
the shadowed figure sitting halfway up.

Ella.

He felt her eyes in the dark and gave her
his.

She was silent.

He was too.

Then she whispered, “Love you, Ty.”

It was the first time she’d said it even
after years of her acting it and Jesus, God, it felt fucking
good.

“Same,” he rumbled, his voice rough.

He saw the shadow of her head nod then she
got up and he watched her walk up the stairs and turn right.

He sucked in breath. Then he followed
her.

As he did every night, he looked in on Lella
and Vivie who shared a room at Lexie’s demand. She wanted them to
grow up close, like Bessie and Honey did. She wanted them to have
girlie nighttime chats. She wanted them to have togetherness.

She got what she wanted. Ty didn’t argue.
There was no reason, her motives were sound.

Both his girls were out. Not a surprise.
They’d had a full day.

Then, quietly, because Ella, Bess and Roland
and Honey and Zander were staying with them, he went to his
wife.

He barely got the doors closed before she
looked at him from her place sitting cross-legged on the bed and
said, “The answer is yes.”

He stopped and stared at her.

Then he guessed, “Sam called you before he
called me.”

She threw her arms in the air and, in a
muted shout, cried, “Hawaii!”

Jesus. His wife was a goof.

He walked to the end of the bed, trying and
failing not to let the scar marring her left, dark, arched eyebrow
penetrate. He could ignore it in the day. It was the night when the
rest of the world faded and it was him and Lex in their room, their
bed, when he couldn’t. It was a constant reminder of that day where
he lived for agonizing hours with the possibility that he could
lose her, he would never have Lell or Vivie, when he couldn’t
ignore it.

It wasn’t identical to his, slightly off to
the outer edge whereas Ty’s was in the middle. He didn’t mind
matching Team Walker t-shirts (something, now, both his daughters
had, his wife and his daughters wore them often, he wore his solely
at the gym).

He did mind semi-matching scars.

This had got so deep under his skin, he’d
eventually talked about it with Tate, considering Laurie bore her
own scar after being stuck by a serial killer and Tate had to see
that shit every day. Tate had words of wisdom, they helped but not
enough.

So, in the end, he had to suck it up and
remind himself she was in their room, their bed, their daughters
down the hall and now his, hope to God, son in her belly. She’d
endured a nightmare and killed a man so she could end up breathing
and save him from the lonely, lost life Tuku had led.

And he absolutely could live with that.

But he wished like fuck one of the many
times he swept his thumb along that scar, when he was done, he’d
make a miracle and it would go away.

So far this had not happened but he didn’t
stop trying.

He made it to the end of the bed and put his
hands to his hips. She pushed forward and crawled on all fours to
him. His cock started getting hard watching her and kept doing it
when she made it to him, got up on her knees and slid her hands up
his chest as she pressed close to him.

“Nic already gave me the time off,” she told
him.

“I’m thinkin’ you chattin’ with Sam behind
my back is somethin’ I should be pissed about.”

Her head tipped to the side and her lips
twitched. “Why?”

“Uh… Lex, you and Sam are playin’ me,” he
informed her.

“Right, so you can beat the pants off stodgy
old farts that Sam heard saying the n-word,” she returned. “It’s
worth it.”

And there it was. It was gone. Any wound he
left after tearing her apart five years ago hadn’t just healed
over. It was gone. He knew it because she didn’t blink before
playing him. No uncertainty. She knew he’d do nothing, not one
thing, to harm what they had.

But fuck, assholes said that shit all the
time.

“When did I become a crusader for black
justice?” he asked.

“You’re not. Sam is. It’s just that, this
time, Mr. Humongo is his wing-man.”

He stared down at his woman and shook his
head because, serious as fuck, she was a goof.

She pressed closer and coaxed in a soft
voice, “Come on, honey. Sam says his house is right on the ocean.
The girls’ll love the beach.”

The beach.

Hawaii had beaches.

“I’ll do it,” he stated and watched his wife
smile. Then he asked, “Can you tell me why you keep puttin’ clothes
on before you go to bed?”

“It’s November. It’s cold.”

Not in the house it wasn’t. He had three
girls to look after. He never jacked down the heat. He wanted them
to be comfortable at all times so he saw to that, including paying
a whack on heating their huge, fucking house. Something else he
spent a whack on to keep them comfortable.

“Lex, fuck you before we go to sleep,” Ty
pointed out. “You puttin’ on pajamas is a ridiculous obstacle.”

She pressed closer and her hands slid down
and around his back to hold him tight.

“I like the ways you take them off,” she
whispered.

“
That’s good, mama, but it’s
me
who’s gotta take them
off.”

She pulled back and asked, “Is it that much
of a pain in the ass?”

Ty moved and he did this quickly and
efficiently and in less than thirty seconds his wife was on her ass
and naked in their bed.

Then he answered, “No.”

She grinned. Then she found her knees again.
Then she lunged.

Fuck, his woman was a wildcat.

He let her pull him to the bed not about to
complain mostly because, seeing his wife naked in their bed, his
cock was no longer getting hard.

It was there.

* * * * *

“Good day,” she whispered into his
chest.

Ty didn’t reply but she was wrong. It wasn’t
good. It was fantastic.

“Love the way Irv is with the girls,
especially Lell,” she went on.

Ty again didn’t reply but he did too. His
father and his girl had a bond, thick as thieves. Irv loved Vivie
but he had a connection with Lell, one she’d cherish for always and
never forget, even years after he was gone. Ty did not have that.
Neither did Lexie. But his daughter would.

And he liked that.

His relationship with his father had
obviously improved significantly after his Dad saved Lexie’s life
at the same time nearly losing his and, with Irv now off the booze
entirely, it kept getting better.

His Mom never entered their lives, not
anymore. She’d had a variety of run-ins with Lexie in town
and
at the house that set Lex to
throwing some serious sass and bought his mother a visit from her
son communicating her ban. His father might catch it when he got
home after a visit but he never said. Ty didn’t ask. But when Irv
came over, which was frequently, he never acted like he did, so it
was likely he hid it. It was a little late for Irv Walker to shield
the ones he loved but it was better late than never.

Ty liked that too.

Lex gave his gut a squeeze and muttered,
“’Night, baby.”

“’Night, mama.”

She sighed.

Five minutes later he took her weight.

Five minutes after that, she rolled
away.

When she did, he rolled into her, curled his
arm around her belly that was carrying, hope to God, his son and
pulled her close.

She snuggled closer.

Then he tipped his chin and smelled her hair
and two seconds later, Ty Walker fell asleep with his wife tucked
close and the lights of the small, quiet, safe, Colorado town of
Carnal shining through their huge-ass windows.

* * * * *

Eight months later, Lady Luck was still
feeling in a generous mood.

Ty knew this because it was then, Julius
Tatum Walker was born.

* * * * *

And twenty months after that, she was still
feeling the same way.

Ty knew this because it was then, Elijah
Irving Walker was born.

* * * * *

The Colorado Mountain Series will
continue

with more adventures in Carnal

and the story of Chace and Faye.

####

About the Author

Kristen Ashley lives in the beautiful West
Country of England with her husband and her cat. She came to
England by way of Denver, where she lived for twelve years, but she
grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana. Her family and friends are loopy
(to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen’s Mom moved her and her brother and
sister in with their grandparents when she was six. Her
grandparents had a daughter much younger than her Mom so they all
lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the
heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO
Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and
love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps
getting better.

Discover
other Titles by Kristen Ashley at
Smashwords

The Rock Chick Series:

Rock Chick

Rock Chick Rescue

Rock Chick Redemption

Rock Chick Renegade

Rock Chick Revenge

The ‘Burg Series:

For You

At Peace

Golden Trail

The Colorado Mountain Series:

The Gamble

Sweet Dreams

Dream Man Series:

Mystery Man

Wild Man

Fantasyland Series:

Wildest Dreams

The Golden Dynasty

Fantastical

Other Titles by Kristen Ashley:

Lacybourne Manor

Mathilda, SuperWitch

Penmort Castle

Sommersgate House

Three Wishes

Connect with Kristen Online:

Official Website:
www.kristenashley.net

Kristen’s Blog:
www.kristenashley.net/menu/blog.html

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Cover Art by DM Ashley