Graceful Ashes (26 page)

Chapter Twenty Five
–
Zoey

I sat in disbelief as Hendrix pounded on the door. I couldn’t speak. My heart beat out of my chest from what I had just read. How could this be happening to us so soon? Tears rimmed my eyes and slid down my cheeks without any sign of them stopping in the near future.

“Zoey…”

The pounding intensified.

“Open the door, you’re freaking me out.”

Hendrix’s frantic voice had my heart squeezing in my chest. I felt like a robot as I stood from the floor, sat
it
on the counter and twisted the lock on the door. A split second later the door flung open and I teetered.

“Shit! I’m so sorry.” Hendrix grabbed my arms and steadied me.

His face morphed once he saw my blood shot eyes and tear streaked face.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? You’re freaking me out! You’ve been in here for almost an hour…why wouldn’t you respond to me?”

He shot off a round of questions that I didn’t answer.

“I’m pregnant.” I grabbed the stick from the counter and held it out to him.

He took the stick then gasped as he read it. I wasn’t sure if it was a happy gasp or a disappointed one. I really thought we’d been careful every time we’d had sex, but apparently not.

I pushed past him thinking the worst and made a beeline for our bedroom. We’d moved into a townhouse a little over a month ago. Since I’d spent most of my time at his place above the studio, we’d agreed that it was time to get a place of our own.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist before I could reach the bed and turned me around.

“We’re having a baby,” Hendrix said, his jaw going lax.

“Yes.” My bottom lip quivered.

“You’re not happy?”

“Are you?”

Hendrix smoothed his hand into my hair and bent down so that we were eye to eye. “Zoey, baby, I’m unbelievably happy that we’re going to have a little family.

A strangled cry ripped up my throat as I flung my arms around his neck and buried my head in the curve of it. “Thank God!” I hiccupped on a cry.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be?”

I leaned back and stared into his eyes. “I didn’t know…”

“Baby…you should’ve known better. When I say I’m in this for the long haul with you, I mean that.” Hendrix placed his hands on my stomach. “Now we have a bundle of joy to bring into this world together.”

I blinked away the tears threatening to spill over and smiled. “It must be the hormones already.”

Hendrix laugh bellowed through the room and I joined him in laughter.

“I love you…” He pressed his lips against mine.

“I love you too, but you get to tell Talon.”

His face went blank. “I just got his trust back a few months ago. He’s probably going to castrate me for getting you pregnant.”

“Okay…” I laughed. “Maybe I should tell him then.”

“We’re having a baby!” Hendrix shouted.

“We are!” I smiled widely.

He slipped his arms beneath the bend in my legs and carried me over to the bed. Hendrix lowered me onto the mattress and slid his body over mine. “I want to show you how much I fucking love you right now, but I don’t want to hurt the baby.”

“How about we wait until my first appointment for
that
.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to mine. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t show you how much I love you,” I spoke against his lips.

A growl rumbled his chest as he rolled us over so that I was seated on top of him. “Please do.” His stormy eyes swirled with anticipation of what I’d promised to do to him.

“Yes, sir.” My voice was low.

I couldn’t keep him waiting.

Epilogue
–
One Year Later

“Is she sleeping?” Hendrix whispered from the doorway.

I nodded.

He titled his head toward the room across from our little peanut’s nursery. I smiled knowingly at what he had planned. It’d been far too long since we’d had one-on-one time, so taking advantage of an unexpected nap was a must.

I’d barely pulled her door halfway shut when Hendrix lifted me over his shoulder and all but ran into the bedroom. He dropped me to my feet and quickly molded his mouth against mine. A moan rolled up my throat as his tongue entered my mouth to deepen our kiss. My hands slipped under his shirt and he quickly pulled it off to give me full access to his strong chest. His hands slipped beneath the band of my yoga pants and gripped my backside.

“No panties.” Hendrix groaned against my mouth. “If I’d known that I would’ve been a walking hard-on all day.”

His admittance caused me to giggle until his hands spread my legs and his fingertips dipped into my most sensitive area. My giggles transformed into a moan as he pumped them in and out of me a handful of times.

I quickly stepped out of my pants and Hendrix tugged my shirt over my head then tossed me onto the bed. Once I unsnapped my bra, I tossed it to the floor and Hendrix took in my slightly curvier body.

“You’re perfection.” His husky voice had goose bumps rising on my skin.

I crooked my finger at him in hopes that he would join me on the bed and he did. His lips pressed gentle kisses up my calf, and my thigh making me squirm. His tongue ran up the crease of my apex and my hips thrust forward.

“Hendrix…” I groaned.

“Waaaaaaahhh…”

“No, no, no…” Hendrix dropped his head against my lower abdomen and I dropped my body back against the mattress.

“We can’t let her cry like that.” I went to get up, but he stopped me.

“I’ll get her. You stay here because once she’s back to sleep I’m coming for you.”

I bit my lip and smiled from his promise. “Okay.”

Hendrix stood then padded across the hall after buttoning his jeans. I rolled over onto my stomach and glanced at the framed portrait on the nightstand. I was holding our little Rosa Quinn Vano moments after she was born with a smiling Hendrix right beside us. That photo always made me smile. I couldn’t imagine my life being any different than how it had turned out, and I was thankful for second chances and finding lost love.

When ten minutes had passed after Rosa Quinn stopped crying, I wondered where Hendrix had gone. I slipped from the bed and retrieved my clothes then went to check. I stepped into the doorway of the nursery and beamed at the sight before me. Hendrix was reclined in the rocking chair with Rosa against his chest. They were sound asleep. I grabbed a blanket and fanned it over the two of them before sitting on the loveseat. I sat there in awe of my little family.

Rosa Quinn was graced with her daddy’s skin tone but my straight dark hair. Her tiny little feet made me hope that she would take a liking to dance as much as I and her aunt Tegan had. My life was bursting with happiness and love for the people around me, especially the two before me.

Much like the phoenix in Hendrix’s artwork he created for me; our lives had risen from the ashes to create something beautiful and new. All of the heartache and struggles brought us to the moment with our little family and I couldn’t be more thankful for those graceful ashes that our phoenix had risen from.

The End.

Acknowledgements

First I want to thank
you
for picking this
book to read! I couldn
’
t do what I love without you.
Always remember that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication!

Clifton
–
Thank you for pushing me to continue when I want to throw in the towel on a story. You
’
re one of my biggest inspirations and I love you beyond words for that.

Kristen
–
Without you I don
’
t think I could
’
ve put out as many books as I have to date. You
’
re
enthusiasm
and
encouragement has
pushed me to keep reaching for my dreams and I can
’
t thank you enough for being you!

Lorrie (Flaming Pen Editing)
–
You blow my mind! I
’
m so thankful Kay sent me your way. I couldn
’
t have a better editor in my corner. Thank you for your hard work and love for story telling!

Regina (Mae I Designs)
–
When
I first laid eyes on the image I used for this cover I knew it was the one. Thank you for putting your heart and soul into the images you capture! It couldn
’
t be more perfect.

Lastly, to all of those readers who kept pushing me to give little Zoey her own journey, thank you for helping me create a story full of heartbreak, love, and learning to rebuild again.
I never thought I
’
d do a spin-off while I wrote Graceful
Scars, but when the readers speak you listen.

Sending mad love and hugs to each one of you.
‘Til
next time you!

The following is a preview
of
my Romantic Suspense novel
Dishonorable Love
,
a
vailable
n
ow!

Prologue

I clutched the folded flag in my arms as the first notes of “Taps” began. Twenty-one gun shots rang out throughout the cemetery as the sounds of people crying for the loss of Sergeant Thomas Cole echoed through the warm breezy air. I wasn’t crying for Sergeant Thomas Cole, I was crying for the loss of my other half, my best friend, my
husband
.

I cleared my throat as the overwhelming smell of his cologne filled my nostrils. I frantically looked around, thinking it was all some sick joke and that Thomas was standing off in the distance waiting for the precise moment to surprise me with his arrival and beg for my forgiveness for playing such a cruel and heartbreaking joke. I’m not sure how long I sat there scanning the cemetery for a glimpse of Thomas when a man’s voice pulled me back to reality.

“
MacKenzie
Cole?” I turned my head towards his voice and sucked in a breath from the close proximity of the man sitting beside me. I hadn’t been this close to another man’s face since the last time I was near my husband, the day he left for his last tour of duty.

“Yeah?”
I sat back in my chair, putting a little more distance between me and the stranger. He was dressed in the same uniform Thomas was buried in.

“I’m so sorry for your loss…” He choked back his own emotions and extended a hand for me to shake. His sandy brown eyes were glistening from unshed tears. “Sergeant Julian Cooper.”

As soon as his name left his lips I knew exactly who he was. He was Thomas’ right hand man during the last tour of duty. Every time I talked to Thomas he spoke about Julian and how good of a man and soldier he was. I slid my trembling hand into his.

“Nice to meet you, Julian.”
A sad smile pulled my lips up just enough to look friendly instead of completely broken.

“Thomas and I were on the same mission when…” Julian trailed off.

“It’s okay,” I placed a hand on his shoulder, still clutching the flag with my other arm. “I know what happened that day.” My voice sounded stronger than I actually was.

Julian’s eyes were full of sorrow and understanding. “He was a helluva Marine.” The strength and honor was laced thickly in his voice as he spoke of Thomas.

“That he was.” I smiled again at the memory of how much Thomas loved fighting for our country. He was brave, loving, and always believed in the mission of keeping our country safe from harm. I loved that about him.

The wind blew in my face and the smell of Thomas’ cologne hit me hard once again. I coughed a couple times as tears pricked my eyes. “Are you okay?” Julian asked, concerned from my small coughing spell.

“I’m—I’m okay,” I lied as I realized the cologne was coming from Julian. I closed my eyes and took in the familiar smell that reminded me so much of my husband. It was almost too much to bear.

“I know you have a lot on your plate, and I don’t want to keep you.” I opened my eyes to find Julian standing. “It was nice to finally meet you,
MacKenzie
.” He smiled sadly. “I’m sorry it was under these circumstances.”

I stood and placed the flag under my left arm.
“Thank you for being a good friend of Thomas’, and thank you for coming today.”
A set of tears rolled down my face and I quickly wiped them away.

He nodded. “You don’t have to thank me, ma’am. Thomas saved me on numerous occasions; I just wish I could have done the same for him.”

The thickness of my emotions was closing off my throat. A large sob ripped through my body as I took in the truth of the day. Thomas was gone, his brothers-in-arms couldn’t save him, and I was officially all alone again. The trembling in my legs was so severe that I thought I could collapse at any moment; my arm reached for the wooden chair as I slowly lowered myself back into it.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” He leaned forward and took one of my hands in his.

“It’s not you,” I managed to say through my heartache. “I just don’t know where to go from here,” I admitted.

Julian took a seat beside me again and allowed the silence to fill the air. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make me feel better; I just wished that there was a way to bring back Thomas. My life was changing and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it except move forward.

As my tears dried up I watched the leaves hanging from a tree a few yards away swaying in the light wind. Julian was still sitting beside me, taking in the silence just as I was. I shook myself out of my trance and turned away from the tree to look at him. “What are your plans while you’re in town?”

“I don’t have any.” He turned his attention to my face. “As soon as the hospital released me, I came straight here.”

“You were in the hospital?”

“I was hurt during the raid.” Julian diverted his eyes to the area where Thomas lay.

“I—I didn’t know.” Tears stung my eyes once again.

“I’ll be okay.” His grin didn’t touch his eyes. “It’s a pretty deep flesh wound, but it’ll heal.”

As awful as it sounded, I had never thought about the others that were injured that day. Was it selfish of me? I wasn’t sure. I was still learning how to cope with the news that Thomas wouldn’t be coming home ever again. Guilt twisted in my gut at hearing that Julian had been injured during the same raid that ended Thomas’ life. I wondered how many others were hurt, but I was too afraid to ask.

The sound of a phone buzzing caught both of our attention. Julian dug in his front left pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I apologize.” He typed away on the screen before placing it back in the same pocket. “I have to go.” His eyes met mine for a second before standing.

I stood as well and wrapped my arms around him tightly. “Thank you for sitting with me.”

Julian hesitated before hugging me back. “You don’t have to thank me. I would have done anything for Thomas.” He took a step back, and I picked the flag up from the chair I had been sitting in. “I’ll be in town for a few days, if you need anything.” Julian pulled a pen from his pocket and scribbled his phone number on the inside of my free hand.

“Okay, thanks,” I smiled. We said our goodbyes and I watched as the only person who was as close to my husband as I was disappeared over the hill.