Entice (37 page)

Authors: S.E. Hall

BOOK: Entice

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—Emmett—

“
A
nd then, Daddy said, ‘no way, woman. I'm your man and that is that.’”

I wake and turn my head to the sound of his voice, silently watching him talk to our baby bundled in his arms. I'm so tired, but I don't want to miss this. She lets out some whines, fussing, and he sticks his pinky finger in her mouth. “I know, I know, you're hungry. Should we wake up Mommy?”

He lifts his head and catches my gaze, smiling sweetly from ear to ear. “Looks like we already did. Mornin’, Mama, somebody wants a boobie. It’s her,” he nods down at the baby and I have to chuckle at his need to clarify, “I told her I’d share.”

“Bring her here.” I push myself up, stomach fluttering. I'd taken classes, but I don't think you can prepare for the feeling that comes when you’re to feed your child for the first time.

Sawyer laughs as I unsnap the breast flap in my gown. “Well isn't that handy? I'll be stealing that for home.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me. “You got her?” he asks, carefully placing my daughter in my arms.

I nod, eyes blurring with tears as I really look at her for first time. “Look at this hair,” I sniffle, fluffing her mop of dark fuzz. Her little head flops around, no control, as she searches for my breast. “Hold on, little piggy.” I help her, and it takes her a minute, but naturally, like a baby bird just knows to flap and leave the nest, she begins feeding.

Sawyer leans over and kisses first my head and then hers. “Beautiful,” he murmurs almost under his breath. “Have you thought about a name?”

I had, nothing that I had to name her though, and no way am I leaving him out of this, so I shrug. “A few ideas. What do you like?”

His face lights up with hope, then quickly recovers, attempting a see-through mask of nonchalance. “I mean, I had a few ideas too, here and there.”

“Sawyer,” I goad, “I can tell by the look in your eyes that you know exactly what you want to name her.”

“Well,” he fidgets, “since we’ve been calling her Alex all this time, I thought maybe Alexandra would be cool for the middle name? Too uppity for the first name, though.”

I nod encouragingly. “I love it, perfect, we keep Alex. Now what about the first name?”

“She’s our first miracle, together, so I was thinking about us, something special. Lots of things always make me think of you and me, but above all, is one song in particular.” His feet shuffle on the floor, his hand behind his neck rubbing nervously. “What do you think of Presley?”

“Presley Alexandra Beckett,” I breathe out as he sucks in a loud breath.

“Beckett?” He smiles through watering eyes. “Really?”

I’d been nervous about that last part, feeling presumptuous, but seeing his face now, that worry disappears. “Of course,” I whisper.

“Goddamn, Em,” he says, then winces. “Sorry, bad Daddy.” He kisses her sweet head and looks up at me. “You cripple me, woman. I love you.” He gulps, collecting himself. “I love you so much. And I love you, Presley Alexandra Beckett. Our girl. And just so you know,” he lifts my chin, “Beckett sounds good with Emmett Louise too.”

EPILOGUE

—Sawyer—

M
y daughter is amazababy, defying all laws of gravity, digestion…and Pampers.

“Good Lord, Princess P! You dropped a bomb on your daddy, didn’t you?”

One “P” fits all with her—Presley, Princess, Poopy Pants…

“We gotta switch diapers, baby, this is ridiculous. How do you get it down your leg?”

I swear she saves ‘em up for me. Emmett is all the time kissing her naked lil’ hiney—no way she’d do that if she’d ever gotten one of these gems! Quite proud of herself, she coos and gurgles little spit bubbles out her mouth, arms and legs flailing wildly as I wipe…and wipe…in vain.

“That’s it, shower time!”

I refasten her diaper and wrap a blanket around her, snatching her up and heading for the bathroom. Presley and I seem to take a shower every time I watch her alone. She is the cleanest baby ever, except for the few minutes of mass destruction before the shower. Today Emmett’s at her “Body after Baby” class, which puts her gone two hours round trip, and this is already our second shower today. Presley loves it, though, and it’s the easiest way I’ve found to get her clean when she surprises me with one of her “treats.”

Dr. Greer was sad to see me go, I’m sure, but my new best friend, Doc Horton, the pediatrician, says Presley and her Pooprotechnics are totally normal. I’m shopping second opinions, but in the meantime, I’ve got this down to a science.

Turning on the water to let it warm up, I turn the shower head to spray at the bench seat, then lay P down on a towel while I take off my shirt and slip on the still-wet trunks hung over the bar in the shower. Yes, Emmett laughs too, but I just don’t know the rules on that, so…. Next, I take all Presley’s poop-covered accessories off and sort into two trash bags, which I cleverly now keep a box of under the bathroom sink. I pick up the culprit and in we head to sit on the shower seat. No way do I stand and risk dropping her, so we chill on the bench while the water hits her bottom, doing its job.

Her little hands, going a mile a minute, swat around as we play the “can Daddy catch and eat your fingers game.” She gets in a good hit on my chest, right above my heart, right on my newest tattoo. “That’s right P, that’s you and your mommy, huh?”

Emmett says I’m crazy, but I think Presley’s consciously drawn to it. Over my heart is the profile of a Queen Alexandra butterfly—right where they both landed.

Endure, the final book in the Amazon Best Selling Evolve Series, Summer 2014!

Twitter: @emergeauthor

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/S.E.HallAuthorEmerge

Emerge book trailer, by Lisa at Pixel Pixie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWooZtXiQN8

Goodreads:
http://bit.ly/19xitqD

Dane facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DanefromEmerge

Evan facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evan-Mitchell-Allen/409174755862025?directed_target_id=0

Sawyer facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sawyer-Beckett/227467650737311

Emerge playlist:
http://www.pinterest.com/emergeauthor/emerge-playlist/

Embrace playlist:
http://www.pinterest.com/emergeauthor/embrace-playlist/

Other works by S.E. Hall—Emerge on Amazon
http://amzn.to/18nKceN

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Emerge-Evolve-Series-ebook/dp/B00CTYIWGO

Acknowledgements

T
his part is always harder than the book itself. A lot has changed since I wrote these for Entangled…new readers have come into my life and are now more; friends. Authors named my books in their own, blogs formed and pimped my books lovingly….so many rocked my world!!!

Again, there is NO way to name every single person, by name, who touched my heart and life, so I won’t even try, for the ONE I forget would forever haunt me. If I do my job as a person, I’ve said thank you to you, shown you in some way how much I appreciate you. If not, you have my permission to come kick my ass.

My husband, Jeff, is forever my real-life prince, my best friend and my rock. He’s the best thing that has, or will, ever happen to me. If I could marry anyone in the whole world tomorrow, I’d pick him again. I love you, babe!

My girls. Even if they weren’t my kids, I’d think they were cool- cause they are! You know your Mama loves you more than her laptop ladies…I do it for you!

My family. Again, one of those categories where you do NOT start singling people out and chance forgetting anyone. My family is crazy, loud, obnoxious, borderline psychotic and so much fun society can hardly stand it when we congregate in groups. But they’re all mine and I adore them. Cheers to floating tables! By the way…”You got grill up?”

Angela Graham, my dear friend, my CP. I couldn’t do any of this without you. It’s so wonderful to have another writer as passionate and OCD as myself to brainstorm with! Your eye for quality and detail keeps me grounded and I thank you, always. I love you, girl. Here’s to another year filled with more of this crazy journey we started together!

Ashley Suzanne, my twin soul, my friend, my BBFFL. Shit, I haven’t even started typing actual stuff and I’m crying! Woman- you are my heart’s song. Forgive me if I call you sugar, or ask about David, or bark at you to “come”…but that’s just how we roll! If I felt like the world hated me- you’re the first call I’d make. And your support of my books, which even means IN THE WORDS OF YOUR OWN, yeah, people don’t do things like every day. You’re my ONE in a million! You are the chapter naming Queen, the “ohhh my God, what if we did this….” Master. Please, I beg you, keep mind fing me for the rest of my life! I DARE you to blow me away with your phone calls and grand ideas more so in 2014 than last year!

Jessica Adams- You always make my life easier and I thank you so very much! Every time you say “get out of my brain,” I know we were a match made in Heaven! Thank you for rocking out my first signing with the organization and precision of a drill sergeant, and for the gift bag, and the Diet Dew run, and….well, you already know!

The Dynamic Duo of Toski Covey Photography and Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative Covers. For loving my work enough to take it under your wings and give it a fresh, amazing face!! The two of you are so wonderful I can’t thank you enough! I am but the humble recipient of your visions…I just sit back and prepared to be awed! Once again, you guys knocked it out of the park with Entice! Your work and dedication is flawless and I’m beyond lucky to have you both!

The Erins: Gotta Have ‘Em!

Erin Roth, my editor, who has the eyes of an eagle and does the best job editing, even if she won’t let me say “awnry.” LOL. And bless her sweet heart, still holding out hope I’ll learn all those weird “dialogue tag” and “period not a comma here” rules she’s always spouting. #youlovemethewayIam

Erin Long, my formatter, who I swear hears my emails coming in even if in the middle of the night while I’m in full blown panic mode and begging her to change something right that second. She’s a speedy lil’ lifesaver!

BLOGGERS—there is NO way I am naming you off individually. Knowing me, I’d forget one and it would keep me awake at night to have possibly hurt any feelings. Collectively—YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!! You change the lives of independent authors who had a story buzzing in their head and their heart, and took a chance on it. You take a chance of them, put your own jobs and families on hold for that spot of time to read their book and give back. SO many of you supported me,
Emerge
,
Embrace, and Entangled
….and I’m proud to call you friends. Your ethics, integrity, selflessness, kindness and professionalism are recognized and appreciated!!!! And the 2013 polls, well let’s just say, every time a new one went up where I was nominated, I cried more happy tears!!!

My “Crew” aka “S.E.’s Elite” and “Dane’s Dolls and Evan’s Pretty Girls”—you know who you are and, I hope, what you mean to me!!! I should be making you feel special every chance I get and I sure hope I do just that! You’re always there when I need a quick fix, an idea, an opinion, a laugh, a cry… If I never wrote another book, I’d still need you in my life. I love you ALL! And the newcomers, Welcome, and thank you for loving the Evolve Series! And to the “founders”, my old-school girls who changed my life the night they had a group read….ladies, you ever need an alibi or bail money, you know who to call!

Sawyer’s Sensuously Sinful Betas- GREAT group of ladies who helped me every step of the way with Entice. I’d love to name by name, but if you look real close in the books…I try to do just that in “my way.” I love you all, you did a great job, and I hope you’re proud of Entice because there’s at least one piece of each of you in it!

Toski the person, not the photographer- I’ve told you before, but I’ll say it again, loud and proud. The day you fell in love with Dane and Emerge, my life, my family’s life, changed. You took it under your wing like your own book and did it proud! I can’t ever thank you enough, ever! I love you dearly!

Samantha Stettner- Always. I know that’s all I have to say and you get it, just ALWAYS.

Stacy Borel- So I start Touching Scars, and I see it- 27%- and I start to cry! THANK YOU lovely lady!!!!! Xoxo forever

Erin Noelle- the shout-out in Euphoria? Lezzz be honest, I love you!!!!!!! Can’t wait to rock Philly with ya baby girl!

***I reserve the right to amend, make excuses for, beg forgiveness on, or act clueless in general when it comes to this message
IF
I did forget anyone.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!

xoxo S.E. Hall

Entice Playlist