Secrets Behind Those Eyes (22 page)

“It’s nothing Ryder. We are just
friends and I’ve been worried about him that’s all.”

“I told you he’d be out of touch for a
little while.” Ryder says.

“I know it is just a feeling.” She
says sadly.

I sit down by her. “Annabelle are you
sure you’re okay. You’ve been acting distant from me too. You’ve
been looking so sad and kinda pale. I’m worried.”

Annabelle stands up. “Look guys I’m
fine, but I do need to get home. Santa still runs at my parents’
house you know.”

I laugh. “Give them my
love.”

She gives me a hug. “Good night you
two and Merry Christmas I’m happy for both of you.”

After Annabelle is gone Ryder looks at
me. “I’m going to talk to dad for a few minutes before
bed.”

I smile. “Well that works for me I
need to go upstairs and get your gift ready.” I wink.

He grins. “Mmm sounds like I’ve been a
good boy this year.”

I throw my arms around his neck and
kiss next to his ear. “You’ve been a very good boy.”

I run upstairs and change into the red
nighty that I bought with the Santa hat. I’m giving him his normal
gift tomorrow like we originally agreed but he decided to surprise
me tonight.

I pose myself in the bed to look as
sexy as I can with this damn cast. He whistles when he walks in the
room. “Merry Christmas to me.” As he jumps on the bed with
me.

~*~*~

I roll over this morning to find Ryder
staring at me. I chuckle. “Okay that is kinda freaky.”

He smiles. “I’m just so glad I know
I’ll be waking up next to you every day.”

I snuggle into him. “Hmm that does
sound nice.” I kiss him. “So let’s go downstairs I want you to open
your present.”

We get dressed and head downstairs.
Nana and Greer are already up and eating breakfast.

I smile at Greer when he hands me a
cup of coffee. He speaks softly. “I’m glad you are staying here
with him. He loves you and you’re good for him.”

“Thanks Greer. He’s good for me and I
love him too. Now come on you two I want to give y’all your gifts
at the same time.”

After we are around the tree I hand
them all their package. “Now open them.”

Ryder stops as he tears the paper off
his. “Baby this is- I don’t know what to say.”

“Do you like it I was nervous about
it?”

“Baby I love it. It makes me love you
even more.”

Nana looks at it. “Oh my word. It is a
beautiful picture of Lillian.” She says as she looks at the picture
of Ryder and Lillian together that I drew.

I look over to see tears on Greer’s
face. “Scarlet this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He’s hold the picture I sketched from an old wedding photo of he
and Lillian.

Ryder looks at Nana. “So Nana what did
you get?”

“She sketched a picture of me sitting
on the porch watching to sun go down and my house and it’s just
wonderful.”

Ryder pulls me into a tight embrace.
“Scarlet I love you. This is the most wonderful gift anyone
could’ve given me. You make me a happy man every day that I’m alive
knowing you.”

I smile with tears in my eyes. “Ryder
Abbott you are the most wonderful, amazing, smartass I know. I love
you forever.”

He gives me a knowing look. “Come help
me find a spot to hang this picture in my room.”

I hear Nana as we make our way up the
stairs. “There they go again. I swear Greer you better be ready to
be a grandfather.”

We both laugh as he shuts his bedroom
door and we start tearing each other’s clothes off.

He looks at me serious for a
moment.

“Scarlet, when I met you, I could see
that you had hurt hidden in those eyes. I’m so glad that when I
look there now, I don’t see so much hurt.”

I smile. “Ditto.”

Epilogue

Four Months
Later

Ryder

Living with Scarlet for the past three
months has been great. We have both been busting our asses to make
sure that the farm and the business side of it are ran good while
dad is gone.

She is a freaking whiz with numbers. I
beginning to wonder if there is anything she can’t do. She’s been
going to SCAD and she even talked me into taking a few general
business classes.

So when I knew spring break was coming
up I really wanted to do something special for her. Gable had also
confided in me he’d be in town that week and wanted to surprise
her. I called up Cade and he planned a trip for us all to go to his
wife’s beach house in Destin.

So we drove down yesterday and met
everyone at the house. She was thrilled to see Gable and Ivie.
She’s come to be a peace with whatever is going on with them. No
one actually knows, I’m not even sure if they do.

I hear the bathroom door open. “So
what do you think of my new swimsuit?”

I turn around to see her beautiful
body in a skimpy hot pink bikini.

“I think it’s still not a gorgeous as
the girl wearing it, but I don’t want other men looking at it.” I
pull her tight against me. “See it does things to me.” I grope her
ass.

“Why are you grabbing Aunt Scarlet’s
hiney like that?” Madison asks with a grossed out look on her
face.

We both look at each other lost as to
what to say. All of a sudden Daria comes to our rescue. “Come on
Madison, let’s go get bubba’s sunblock on and then we’ll get some
ice cream.”

She turns and runs. “Yay!”

Daria looks at us. “I’m sorry, we’ve
been getting on to her about just opening doors.”

Scarlet shakes her head. “It’s
okay.”

Daria smiles. “See you guys down at
the beach.”

We both can’t help but laugh when they
leave.

Scarlet smiles. “I’m so glad I take my
pill every day. I don’t think we are ready for those kind of
interruptions.”

I laugh. “Yes please keep taking that
pill for a little longer anyway. Now come on I want to show you
something.”

As we make our way down to the beach
I’ve made a picnic for us. We sit down and I pull a small box out
of my pocket.

“Scarlet Leigh Johnson, will you marry
me?”

She looks at me with huge eyes like
I’ve grown another head. She covers her mouth and screams. “Oh My
GOD! Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh My God!”

I stand up and pull her up with me
hugging her, she wraps her legs around me as we spin in pure
bliss.

Acknowledgements

First I want to say Thank
You to my readers. Without you I would not be having this awesome
adventure. You have helped make my dreams come true and for that
I’m truly blessed and grateful.

To my husband thank you
for standing behind me for all of years and always pushing me in
your own way.

To my Mom and sisters
thank you for always supporting me. You guys always have my
back.

Daddy I miss you every day
and I know you’re watching over me.

To Stephanie Thanks for
all of the material.

To my BETA reader
Taneesha. You are awesome and I love you.

Thanks to my Blog Tour
Queens Casey D. Peeler and Chelly Peeler @ Hardcover
Therapy.

Thanks to all of the book
bloggers out there who spend so much time helping us promote books
and everyone who leaves a review you are all awesome.

To my Author friends thank
you for being supportive and inspirational all at the same time.
Casey D. Peeler, R.L. Dodson, Kasey Millstead , Jasinda Wilder,
Tessa Teevan, Brooke Cumberland, Harper Sloan, Dawn Robertson,
Tabatha Vargo, Melanie Codina and so many more.

About the Author

Photo by Shelly
Sale

S.M. Donaldson is a wife
and mother based on the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle. She’s
funny, sarcastic and has been known to have a potty mouth. She’s
worked in many different fields in her life but, she has always
dreamed of writing short stories and books. She is the author of
the Amazon Bestselling
Temptation
Series
.

To learn more about S.M. Donaldson
visit her at:

www.smdonaldson.com

www.facebook.com/S.M.Donaldson.Author

Twitter: @
SMDonaldson1

Keep Reading for a Sneak
Peek

At The
2
^nd
book in the

Secrets of Savannah
Series

Secrets in the
Lyrics

(Ivie and Gable’s
Story)

Other titles by S.M.
Donaldson

The Sam Series

Sam’s Choice

Sam’s Fight for
Freedom

The Temptation
Series

Lying with
Temptation

Acting on
Temptation

Fighting
Temptation

Novellas

Just the Other Sister
Series

(e-book only)

Here’s a Sneak Peak at the
next book in series:

Secrets of
Savannah

This is unedited and is
subject to change before publishing
.

Copyright © 2014, SM
Donaldson

Secrets in the
Lyrics

Prologue

Ivie

Eight Years Old…

I hope my mom made macaroni and cheese
tonight. She and my dad have been fighting a lot lately about her
going out of town so much. I hear all the girls at school talking
about how their mom’s fix supper and they pack them lunch every
day. I’m lucky if my mom remembers what time I get home off the
bus. My dad is always in his office talking business.

I walk in from school and start to panic our
living room is a mess. I’m scared someone broke in so I run and
hide in my closet. I stay here until I don’t hear anyone but my
dad. My tummy is growling. “Daddy? Daddy?”

“What Ivie? Where have you been?”

“I came in from school and it was a mess. I
got. I was scared so I hid. I’m really hungry.”

“Fine, I’ll go fix you something quick then
you need to get ready for bed. I have business partners coming over
and I can’t have you in the way.”

When we sit down to the table to eat I look
up. “Where’s mommy?”

“Your mother is nothing but a two-bit whore
who just ran-off with a loan shark from Biloxi.”

I stutter. “Is- Is she- c-c-coming
back?”

“No and we are better off without her.”

I nod. “Okay Daddy, but what about
Christmas? She said she’d tell Santa that I want a Holiday
Barbie.”

He looks at me with sadness. “I’ll make sure
he knows. Now eat up.”

Fifteen Years Old…

I sit down on my side of the visitation
glass. “Hey Dad.”

“Hey sweetheart. How are things going at
your Aunt Stella’s?”

I shrug. “They are going. I’m pretty sure
she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you. You’re her sister’s
kid.”

“Well hell Dad I mean her sister didn’t
stick around for me so why should she?”

“Ivie, your mother. Look I only have a few
minutes to talk to you and I don’t want to waste it talking about
Jenna.”

“Fine. So how come you thought criminal life
was more important than your only child?”

“Ivie-.” He looks defeated. “I was trying to
provide a good life for you. Now do me a favor get better grades go
to college make something of yourself.”

I stand up. I have had wonderful grades, I
couldn’t get any higher. But he wouldn’t know that, he’s always
been too busy with is ‘business deals’ to pay attention. “You know
what dad if you knew me you’d know that I have colleges already
asking about me. You know what would have made me have a good life?
Having two parents that gave a shit.” I turn and walk out.

Seventeen Years Old…

“Ivie Butonelli get your ass in this house.
Where have you been all day?”

“I was at school.”

She smack me across the face. “You’re lying
the school called me. Don’t think I don’t know that you were at
that thug boyfriend of yours house. Smoking your wacky weed and
playing on your little guitars.”