Текст книги "Hold on tight"

Автор книги: Abbi Glines

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

staying away from her anymore. She was right—Dustin had made his own decisions, and he hadn’t

cherished what he had. I would. I’d been cherishing her from afar for so damn long.

“Stay. Eat some cake with me,” I said, not wanting her to leave. “Where’s Micah?”

“Your parents’,” she replied.

“Can you stay the night?”

Her eyes went wide, and she took a deep breath. Then she nodded. “Yes.”

I shoved away from the counter. “Sienna.”

“Yes,” she replied a little breathlessly as I closed the space between us.

“Can we eat the cake later? Much later? Like for breakfast?”

She nodded again just before my mouth captured hers.

SIENNA

He was everywhere all at once. My head was spinning, and if he hadn’t backed me up against the wall,

I would have crumpled to the ground. It was overwhelming and thrilling.

Dewayne sucked on my bottom lip before trailing kisses across my jaw, then settled in to torture

the spot behind my ear. “Wanted to do this for so long,” he whispered against my skin. “This one spot.

All over. Fuck, Sienna, I don’t know if I can go slow. I want to so much, but right now I just wanna be

inside you.”

I wanted Dewayne any way I could have him. Knowing that he wanted more with me than one night

and that he wanted this made me willing to grant his every wish. “We have all night,” I told him.

Then I was off the ground, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked me through a door

off to the side of the kitchen and straight to a king-size bed in the middle of the room. “Naked and on

my bed. Fucking want that. Now,” he said, jerking his shirt off and tossing it away. He reached for my

shirt, and I raised my hands willingly and let him pull it off me. His eyes looked like they had caught

fire when he took in the sight of me in my bra.

“Take it off. I want to watch,” he said, not looking away from my chest.

I unhooked the back clasp and let my bra fall forward. Then I pulled it off my arms and moved it

aside. I didn’t care where it ended up. I just cared about the look of hunger on Dewayne’s face, and

knowing it was me he was looking at like that.

It sounded like he muttered something like “magic tits,” but I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. His

hands were on the waistband of my shorts and tugging them down, so all thoughts of his muttering left

me. I had only been completely naked with one man, and he had been a boy. He had also never taken

his time with me like this. Or looked at me like he was in awe.

Dewayne knelt down in front of me and pushed my knees apart. I sucked in a breath as he kissed

my knee and looked up at me through hooded eyes. “I love these red curls. So fucking hot.”

Oh my.

“Lay back, Sienna. And keep these legs open for me,” he said as he stood up and unzipped his

jeans. I wanted to watch him shove those jeans down, but I did as he asked, trying hard to see him. I

had fantasized about all of him for a long time too.

“I’m gonna have to taste you first. I want inside you, baby, but I gotta kiss this,” he said as his hand

cupped me between the legs. I was exposed, and I should have felt vulnerable. But it was Dewayne. It

felt right. It was exciting.

Dewayne lowered himself to his knees and picked up my right foot, then kissed it before putting

my leg over his shoulder. Then he did the same with the left. The warmth of his breath was so close I

shivered.

“Smell like the fucking candy store,” he said just before his tongue slid against me. The sensation

was amazing. I cried out and reached for something. I ended up with handfuls of the blanket

underneath me.

With each stroke of his tongue my body bucked, and tremors of pleasure coursed through me.

“Dewayne,” I whimpered as the intensity got to be too much. I was so close to something I’d only

had with myself, alone in my room.

“You close?” he asked, lifting his head. His tongue came out to lick his lips, and nothing in my life

had ever been as sexy as that man.

“Yes,” I replied, breathless.

He bent his head, then pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot that always needed the most attention,

and I moaned, unable to keep quiet. This was all more than I had ever expected.

Then he stood up, and the solid, muscled body covered in colorful tattoos was there on display. I

was so close to an orgasm that just seeing him like this almost sent me over the edge. Every hard line

of his body was beautiful. I wanted to touch him everywhere. Then my eyes dropped and went wide

with sudden panic. I wasn’t an expert on penis size since I had only been with a sixteen-year-old boy,

but that was big. Maybe too big. Sex had always been uncomfortable with Dustin, and sometimes hurt.

He said it was because he was too big and I was too tight, but that . . . Oh no.

“Much as I like you looking, I’m not feeling very patient right now,” he said before lowering

himself over me. “God, you’re perfect,” he said, then kissed the tip of one of my breasts.

He wasn’t going to think I was perfect when he didn’t fit inside me. Or when I was screaming in

pain and begging him to stop. This was what I had wanted for so long, and now I was positive it wasn’t

going to happen. I tensed and closed my eyes, praying that I didn’t embarrass myself and do

something like cry. If I could just suffer through the pain . . . I would do anything for Dewayne. I just

hoped I could do it quietly.

“Sienna?” Dewayne’s voice was concerned. Of course it was. I was acting like an idiot and he

hadn’t even tried to get inside me yet.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. I was so sorry. I wanted this. I wanted him. But the pain. It

had been bad at first with Dustin, and I knew once a guy got going he couldn’t stop just because you

were crying in pain. He had to finish.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he said as he brushed my hair out of my face with his thumb, then ran it

over my bottom lip. He was so sweet. Who would have thought Dewayne Falco could be this sweet?

“It always hurt . . . before. Always. And you’re bigger . . .” God, I hated this. Reminding him I’d

slept with his younger brother was a mood killer.

He frowned. “It should have only hurt a little bit the first time.”

I had to explain this. As humiliating as it was, I had to tell him. “I’m, uh . . . It always hurt. I never

enjoyed it.” There. I admitted it.

Dewayne closed his eyes and let out a hissing sound through his teeth. When he opened them, he

locked his gaze with mine. “This won’t hurt. I swear to you, Sienna, it’ll feel good, baby. I’ll make

sure you see stars.”

I almost believed him. With that fierce look in his eyes, it was easy to believe. But the fact

remained that he was much bigger than Dustin had been. “But I haven’t had sex in a long time. I was

tight then.” I had also had a kid, but that was five years ago, so any stretching that did was more than

likely all gone now.

Dewayne lowered his head until his lips brushed my ear. “You’re tight now. But you’re also so

fucking wet and ready,” he said in a whisper, just as his finger stroked the tender heat between my

legs.

I gasped and Dewayne chuckled. “That’s it, baby. Let me take care of you. I’m not ever gonna hurt

you again. In any way. I swear it.”

Even if it did hurt, I would take it. This was Dewayne. I wanted Dewayne. Deep down I had always

wanted Dewayne.

He leaned up, and I watched him reach for a small square foil wrapper, which he tore open with his

teeth. Then rolled the condom down. If I wasn’t so scared of sex, I could appreciate it more.

Then he was over me again, and his lips found mine. The gentle glide of his tongue as he took what

he wanted eased my fear just before I felt his tip nudge my entrance. “Easy, baby. I’m gonna be

gentle. But you need to relax,” he said in a husky, strained voice as he tucked his head into the curve

of my neck.

Slowly he eased inside me. With each inch that filled me there was no pain, only pleasure. Maybe I

wasn’t as tight anymore. I hoped so.

“You okay?” he asked me, holding himself up over me. I smiled in relief and nodded.

Our gazes locked as he eased in more and I lifted my hips to take him. The stretching felt good and

the fullness was incredible. But more than that . . . this was right. I knew it now. What had been wrong

all those years ago—it hadn’t been Dustin who had claimed my heart. I just loved him like you would

a friend. He was what I knew.

Dewayne, however, made me feel things no one ever had before. I had been too young to realize it

then, but now it was all very clear. This was the Falco boy I was always meant to be with.

“Sienna, you gotta stop lifting that sweet ass, baby. This is the fucking tightest pussy in the world,

and all I want to do is move hard and fast. But I’m taking it slow. Help me take it slow.”

He wanted to move but he wasn’t. He was being gentle for me. I didn’t know men could go slowly.

With that realization, Dewayne took another little piece of my heart. I wanted to protect myself from

getting hurt, but I trusted him. I trusted him more than I’d ever trusted anyone. Besides, I wasn’t sure

he hadn’t taken my heart years ago and not given it back. There wasn’t much left for me to protect

anymore.

“It feels good. It doesn’t hurt at all. I want you,” I assured him.

With that bit of encouragement, he sank into me completely and let out a groan of pleasure. “God,

woman, you’re squeezing the hell out of me.”

Feeling braver, I wrapped my legs around him and arched into him.

With his body that was meant to be appreciated for the sculpted perfection that it was, Dewayne

held himself over me as he began rocking in and out of me. I wrapped my hands around his bulging

biceps and held on. Each time he sank into me fully, he touched something that sent sparks of such

intense shocks through my body that I wanted to beg him to go faster. I wanted that feeling.

There was moaning and begging that I was positive was coming from me. After the fourth time he

brushed that special spot deep inside me, I became so delirious with need that I no longer knew what I

was saying. I just never wanted it to stop.

The explosion of sensation that went off in my body shocked me. All I could do was hold on to

Dewayne as I cried out his name. Trusting him not to let me go, I fell into the uncharted bliss without

fear.

Somewhere far away I heard Dewayne shout, and his body tensed over mine. I wrapped myself

tighter around him as he eased down on top of me. The ability to move had been taken from me

already. A lazy, smooth heaven enveloped me, and I wanted to share it with Dewayne in my arms.

“Magic fucking pussy,” he whispered as his forehead dropped to my collarbone. His breathing was

hard as he gasped and shuddered. “Fuck,” he said, then pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

A giggle built inside me, and I didn’t even try to hold back. I was happy. So very happy.

Dewayne lifted his head and grinned at me. “Why you laughing, Little Red?”

I pressed my lips together to control the giggles. “You called my, uh . . . you know . . . magic.”

A smirk touched his mouth, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss those full red lips. “It is magic.

Which means you’re stuck with me. Never thought I’d find magic pussy. Never wanted it, but damn, I

do now. I intend to keep you.”

I wanted to be kept, but I had only really wanted that with Dewayne.

I touched his lips with my fingers, and he pulled one of my fingers into his mouth and sucked. The

fire inside me began to stir again as I watched his mouth on my skin. He let it pop free. “I need to

make sure you’re okay. Check you out personally and see if everything feels good and I didn’t hurt

you. Then I can make you messy again.”

He hadn’t hurt me, but I liked the idea of him checking to make sure, and I wanted to get messy

again. “Do I have to get cleaned up first?” I wanted messy again now.

Dewayne chuckled. “Needy, magic pussy. Fuck me, I got lucky. But yeah, I have to take care of

what’s mine first. Then I’ll clean you up real good. But don’t worry. I intend to make you scream my

name at least once, maybe twice, in the shower.”

My eyes widened and I squirmed underneath him. I’d never taken a shower with anyone. The idea

of it excited me. “Okay. Let’s go get clean.”

DEWAYNE

I leaned against the bedroom door frame, holding a plate of chocolate cake while watching Sienna

curled up asleep in the middle of my bed. She looked so small there all alone. I didn’t intend to leave

her there long, but I knew she needed more sleep. I’d woken her up three times last night, unable to

keep my hands off her.

My need to keep her safe and protected had just found an all-new level of possessiveness. Sienna

wasn’t just Micah’s mother, she was my woman. Mine. I didn’t want her sleeping without me. I didn’t

want her waking up without me. I didn’t fucking want her bathing without me.

There was a good fucking chance I was completely obsessed with her. I didn’t get obsessed with

anything. Ever. But Sienna was different. She’d always been different. She’d found something inside

me and brought it to life when we were kids. After years of fighting it and forgetting her, I had given

in and let myself feel. And I fucking felt a lot. More than I thought possible.

The look my daddy gave my momma when she walked into a room now made complete sense to

me. When Preston kept Amanda latched at his side like he couldn’t breathe without her and Cage

growled at any man he thought looked at Eva too long, I got that. So fucking completely got that.

Hell, I was pretty damn sure I was going to become so much worse than any of them. Even Krit and

his inability to sing onstage without having Blythe near him—that made sense to me.

“You gonna eat all that by yourself?” Sienna asked, and I looked up from her long, silky legs to see

her eyes halfway open as she looked at me.

“I’m gonna feed the sexy woman in my bed,” I told her. I shoved off from my stance against the

door frame and walked over to the bed to sit down beside her.

She moved to sit up and the sheet fell, letting the most amazing set of tits in the world free. Fuck

yeah. Those were mine.

“They aren’t hungry. I am,” Sienna teased as she pulled the sheet back up to cover herself.

I jerked my gaze off her chest and rested it on her face. The sleepy, well-taken-care-of smile on her

lips and her hooded eyes made it hard to think about feeding her. I wanted to be in her. Again.

“Open up,” I told her, and took a forkful of cake and slipped it into her pretty pink mouth.

“I was thinking while you slept that it would be fun to rub this icing on several parts of your body

and lick it off. Think we might have to try that later.”

Sienna ducked her head, but I saw the smile on her face. She scooted closer to me until her front

pressed against my arm. When she looked back up at me, there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“Only if I can put some on you and lick it off.”

“Anytime you want to lick me, baby, you say the word and it’s yours. I don’t care where we are. If

there’s a chance I can have that mouth on me, then I’ll want it. I’ll always want it.”

She dropped her gaze to my lap, and my already semi-erect cock went full-blown. I reached over

and cupped her face with my hand and tilted it so that her eyes were on mine. “This thing with you and

me. It’s real. No one else. You got me. Just us. Not letting you go, Sienna. I’ve waited too damn long,

and now that I finally have you, I sure as hell ain’t leaving you.”

She didn’t respond at first, but I could see the questions in her eyes. She’d come over here to bring

me a cake and tell me how she felt about me. Then I’d taken it from that to an exclusive relationship

overnight. Literally.

“You said you don’t do this,” she said, almost in a whisper.

“I don’t. Never have. Never wanted to. But then, I’d never had you. I always thought I’d never find

this. I wasn’t looking for it. But now that I’ve got it, I won’t let it go. I’ll do whatever I have to in

order to keep you happy.”

Her big eyes filled with tears and she blinked, wetting those long eyelashes of hers. “Then we’re an

us,” she said with a sweet smile that made my heart do funny shit.

“I’m warning you now that I’m not gonna be easy to deal with. I want you by my side. In my bed. I

don’t want you away from me. I don’t want to do that space shit. I’m gonna be in your space every

fucking chance I get.”

Sienna laughed and reached over to dip her finger in the icing. “Hmm . . . Dewayne Falco doesn’t

want to be apart from me. He wants to be in my space. I guess there could be worse things in life than

that,” she said in a serious tone. “If you’re in my space, then I’ll get more chances to do things like

this.” She held up her finger and grinned. “Pull down those sweats,” she ordered.

I did as instructed and gripped the sheets beside me as Sienna coated the head of my dick with the

icing on her finger. My breathing was getting faster as she took her time. My patience was just about

to snap when she lowered her head and her tongue darted out and licked the tip in a teasing stroke.

“Mmmm,” she moaned.

I wanted to let her have her fun, but I was so close to begging it wasn’t funny. After three more

licks her mouth opened and slid down over me. The roar of triumph that tore out of me only

encouraged her more. She sucked and began sliding her mouth up and down my length.

I moved her hair back so I could watch her mouth take me deep. “So fucking gorgeous,” I said as

she looked up at me.

I knew in that moment that if this woman asked me to walk on water, I’d find a fucking way.

SIENNA

Dewayne had agreed to stay over at his parents’ while I talked to Micah this morning. He had wanted

to be there with me, but for five years it had been just me and Micah. No one else got my attention.

Just him. I didn’t doubt he’d love having Dewayne in our lives more than he already was, but I also

wanted to make sure he felt secure in where he stood.

Micah had talked about his night the whole walk over from the Falcos’ to our house. Apparently,

Dave had watched not one but two of the Star Wars movies with Micah. And they’d eaten popcorn and

cookies. Mama T had said she might get a swimming pool in the backyard when Micah told her he

liked to swim. She and Dave were going to look into it. Those two were going to spoil my kid, and I

loved it.

The five-year-old didn’t notice the goofy smile on my face. But I knew it was there. I couldn’t stop

thinking about last night and this morning. Dewayne had been everything I’d dreamed about and more.

I was ready to give him everything.

“Uncle Dewayne said he would see me in a little bit. Is he coming to play with me today?” Micah

asked hopefully. That was a good thing. Micah wanted his uncle around. Dewayne wouldn’t be

someone Micah might worry would take me away from him. He fit perfectly into our lives.

“Yes. If he said he’s coming over, then he will be here. You can trust Uncle Dewayne to do what he

says he’ll do. He loves you.”

Micah beamed. He liked feeling loved. He’d always had my love, but this extra love was something

he soaked up.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Uncle Dewayne before he comes over here,” I told him as

we walked into the house.

“About what?”

I led him over to the sofa and pulled him into my lap. “You’re my number one. You know that,

right?”

Micah nodded.

“And you love your Uncle Dewayne as much as he loves you.”

Micah nodded again.

“Well, I love your Uncle Dewayne too.” I did? I loved him. I did. Oh wow. I did.

Micah smiled. “Because he’s family.”

Uh-oh. I’d forgotten about that conversation. I had to explain this. “Well, actually, Uncle Dewayne

is your dad’s family. Not exactly mine. But he’s yours, so I called him mine too.”

Micah scrunched up his nose. “So we don’t have the same family?”

This is what I get for lying to the kid. I wasn’t ever doing that again. Lesson learned.

“No, we do. . . . It’s just that you’re actually related to Uncle Dewayne. I’m not. He is the brother of

your daddy, but he’s not related to me. I wasn’t married to your daddy. We never got a chance to do

that. Remember? I explained that to you.”

Micah nodded, but his nose was still scrunched up. “Okay, so can Uncle Dewayne take you on

dates, then?”

Sighing in relief, I nodded. “Yes. He can. And he wants to, but we want it to be okay with you.”

Micah grinned and made a whooping sound.

“I take that as a yes.”

He nodded vigorously. “Can he sleep over in my room?”

Oh my.

“Well, he will be here more often. He wants to spend more time with us. But if he sleeps over, your

bed isn’t big enough for him. He’s a big guy.”

Micah’s expression got really serious. “We need to get him a big bed so he can sleep over.”

Okay, this was getting way off track. Right now we needed to focus on the topic of Dewayne being

around more often. Not having sleepovers.

Micah jumped down, walked over to the door, and looked out. “When is he coming over?”

“As soon as I text him and tell him you’re ready for him.”

Micah turned and ran toward his room. “Text him. I’m getting my football.”

That was way too easy.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly sent Dewayne a text that Micah and his football

were waiting on him.

I hadn’t even set my phone down when the front door of the Falcos’ opened up and Dewayne

stepped out. He must have been waiting anxiously for that text. He was so big and tough, but the little

boy inside him that he never let others see owned me.

“Looks like he’s on his way over,” I called to Micah.

Micah came running around the corner with his football tucked under his arm. “We’re gonna play

some ball,” he told me before letting the screen door slam behind him.

I walked over to the door and watched as Micah ran straight for Dewayne and held up the football.

The smile on Dewayne’s face as he looked at my son made right everything that had been wrong.

His eyes lifted from Micah and found me, and then he winked before looking back at Micah.

I stood there and watched them toss the ball back and forth. Dewayne showed Micah how to

improve his throw, and I watched as Micah worked hard to get it right. I finally let myself accept

something I’d been fighting since I was fourteen years old. I had always loved Dewayne. It had always

been him. Dustin had been my best friend and I’d been his. But my heart . . . Dewayne had stolen that

in front of a locker on my first day of high school.

Six years ago . . .

SIENNA

They hadn’t let me out of my bedroom since my doctor’s visit. I had been throwing up so bad for two

mornings in a row that my mother had taken me to the doctor. She’d thought I had a stomach virus.

But we had both been surprised when the doctor informed us that I was pregnant. Not sick.

Pregnant.

Mother hadn’t spoken to me the whole way home, and then she’d sent me to my room and ordered

me to stay. My dad never once came to see me. Mother showed up with food at my door three times a

day. I even had to open the door and ask to go to the bathroom.

I knew they were upset. I was terrified. Dustin was gone, and I had no one I could tell. No one to

share this with, and now my parents were shutting me out. That scared me more than anything. The

one thing I could be sure of was that this baby was safe. My father was too religious to make me have

an abortion. For once I was thankful for his strict beliefs.

But I had questions, and I had no one to ask. My mother refused to speak to me when she brought

me my meals. I didn’t have a phone in my room, and no one had stopped by to see me. That wasn’t too

surprising. Dustin’s friends had accepted me, but they had never really been my friends.

So I sat here in my window seat and watched the world outside. I watched the people who came and

visited the Falcos. People were still bringing them food. It was what we did here in the South. If

someone died, you took their family food. I never understood that. I hadn’t been able to eat for days

after Dustin’s death. I had cried and slept. That had been all I could manage.

At his funeral, what little strength I had to keep it together was gone the second I saw Dewayne

Falco’s shoulders slumped, jerking harshly from crying. I never even imagined that Dewayne could

cry. He was so tough and larger than life. But in that moment, seeing him broken, I lost it all over

again. I hated seeing him in so much pain. He loved his brother, and Dustin had worshiped Dewayne.

At night whenever I closed my eyes, the image of Dewayne sobbing over his brother’s grave

haunted me. I had wanted to hold him even though I knew he wouldn’t welcome it. No one could

console him. No one could bring back Dustin.

We had all lost him.

Including the little life inside me.

I touched my stomach reverently, closed my eyes, and dreamed of the child inside. What would he

or she look like? I wondered if it would have its father’s smile and charm. If it would grow up a Falco

or a Roy. If the Falcos would accept this baby. I knew my parents were upset, but surely Tabby would

love this baby.

I opened my eyes just as Dewayne walked across the street toward my house. Quickly I moved back

behind the curtains and watched as he stepped up onto my porch. The doorbell rang, and I hurried over

to my bedroom door to crack it open so I could hear him. Why was he here? I hadn’t seen him leave

his parents’ house much over the past few weeks.

“Hello, Dewayne,” my mother said in a gentler tone than I’d expected. At least she respected the

fact that he’d lost his brother. She didn’t have to be angry at him because I was pregnant. I was just

glad my dad was at work.

“Is Sienna here?” he asked.

He was here to see me. Someone to talk to. Someone else who was hurting and lost without Dustin.

Someone I trusted above anyone else.

“No. She isn’t here any longer. She’s been sent to a . . . facility up North. She had issues dealing

with everything, and she wasn’t right emotionally.”

What?

“Oh. Uh, I didn’t realize she’d left. I . . . When is she coming back?”

“I don’t know. Not anytime soon,” my mother replied.

What? Was she serious? I was right here in my bedroom like I had been for a week now. Did she

honestly plan to keep me locked up like this? Wasn’t that illegal? I had to see a doctor at some point.

“Is there a number where I can reach her?”

“No. She can’t communicate with anyone here. It upsets her. Talking to you will upset her. She

needs time and medication.”

Holy crap! My mother was making me out to be a crazy person.

“Well, when she’s ready to talk to someone again, can you please have her call me? I can leave my

number. I’d like to check on her. See if she’s doing well. I don’t want her to think we don’t care. We

know she lost him too.”

I got a funny tightening in my chest that only Dewayne Falco managed to inspire. How could

someone like Dewayne, with his party-boy ways, be so incredibly sweet? He’d been like that my

freshman year. He always seemed to be there when I needed him.

“Sure. I’ll give her your number,” Mother said in a clipped voice. I’d never see Dewayne’s number.

She’d burn it first.

“Thanks. Tell her that I came by and that I’m thinking about her.”

“Okay. Thank you, Dewayne. Tell your parents they are in our prayers. You all are.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

I closed my door quietly, then ran back over to my window and watched as Dewayne walked away.

I would find a way to see him and talk to him. He’d made the first move, and now it was my turn to

make a move. He would love this baby. It was part of Dustin. If my parents wanted to lock me up, he

could help me escape. He was older. He would know what to do. I just had to find a way to get to him.

* * *

The next morning before the sun came up, my mother woke me and hurried me out to my father’s

station wagon, then handed me a suitcase before she climbed into the passenger seat. My father was

already in the driver’s seat. I looked over at him, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t even turn to look

at me.

“Where are we going?” I asked, almost afraid she was about to make good on that story she’d told

Dewayne. I wasn’t crazy. Surely they couldn’t get doctors to keep me if I was perfectly sane.

“Your aunt Cathy’s. She’s agreed to take you in until you’ve had the baby.”

That was the last thing my mother said to me. We rode in silence the eleven hours it took to drive

to Fort Worth, Texas. My father never once acknowledged my existence. When we arrived, they

unloaded me and handed me my suitcase. Spoke in whispered voices with my aunt Cathy, who I had

never met before, then drove away without a good-bye.

Present day . . .

DEWAYNE

Micah lay sprawled out over me, fast asleep while Darth Vader kicked ass and took names on the

television. The original plan had been to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. But then Micah said his

mother liked Captain Jack and that we had to wait on her to start the movie.

Hell no was Sienna going to sit here and look at Johnny Fucking Depp. I had ejected that DVD

really damn fast and stuck in one of the Star Wars discs. I didn’t even care which one it was. Just so

Sienna wasn’t thinking about some other man.

Sienna walked into the room with that silky little wrap around her and her hair in damp curls, her

face scrubbed free of makeup. “Is he asleep?” she asked, moving toward us.

“Yeah,” I said, wondering if she had anything on under that wrap.

“Let’s get him into bed,” she said, bending down to scoop him up.

“I got him,” I told her.

“Okay.” She stepped back and let me stand up with him, and then she led the way back to his room

and pulled his covers back so I could tuck him in. Tonight we’d made sure he was bathed and in his

pajamas before movie time.

She bent down and kissed his little cheek.

“Love you, Momma,” he muttered with his eyes closed.

“Love you more,” she replied.

When she turned to leave the room, I bent down and ruffled his hair. He was such a little thing. So

much like his daddy at that age.

“Love you, Uncle Dewayne,” he said in that same little groggy voice.

My throat closed up, and I had to swallow hard to loosen it up before I could speak. “Love you,

kiddo,” I told him.

He pulled the covers under his chin and snuggled deeper into his bed.

This moment was all because of Sienna. She’d made this possible.

I fucking loved her. Not just because she’d given me this kid to help heal what I’d lost, but because