It was clear there wasn’t going to be any strong confessions or reckonings happening here. I think that Chance realized it, too. He stared at the floor and shook his head for a second before he spoke again.
“I haven’t been eating a lot of it lately.”
* * *
We stayed about an hour, talking about nothing momentous before he did officially fall asleep and we left the room. Chance ran a hand through his hair.
“Mr. Montgomery.” He stayed as Henley called out to him. “It’s good that you came.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I’ll be in touch with you after he passes. You and Jack will inherit half the estate each. He never did change that. Not even after you both decided to stop paying attention to him.”
I sucked in a breath. Chance went very still. When he spoke, it was with a low tone. “For years you were here with us and knew what was happening. You could have called CPS. You didn’t. I’m sure he’s left a provision for you in the will, too. I hope you don’t choke on the karma that’s going to come with that money.”
With that, we left the house. He didn’t speak in the car, and I didn’t push. Chance and I shared the need for quiet to digest things. I understood. We got to the dock and rather than go right back onto the small boat that would take us back to the yacht, he sat down on the dock, his legs dangling over. I took a seat next to him, and he leaned his head on my shoulder.
“I didn’t know you liked tomato soup.”
He linked our legs together where they hung off the dock. “It’s one of those things I liked as a kid when I was sick. I’d probably crave it if I ever got the flu or something.”
“I like grilled cheese sandwiches when I’m sick.”
He nuzzled my shoulder. “Grilled cheese and tomato soup goes really well together.”
“So if we are ever sick at the same time, we’ll be able to compatibly eat.”
Chance laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 13
“It’s almost like we’ve had a really screwed up honeymoon. I mean, we kind of said forever and then hung out in the Caribbean. It sort of works, right?” Banyan stood on his hands, like he was an eight-year-old boy in a backyard instead of twenty-two and on a yacht.
I tilted my head to the side. “Is that some sort of yoga pose?”
“No idea. I just like to stand on my hands.” He grinned. “Honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon.” I loved how Banyan thought about things. “We’ll go with that.”
Chance sipped water. “So I’m going to be even richer soon.”
I turned to look at him. “That’s right. What are you going to do with the money?”
When he’d gotten his grandmother’s money he’d bought this yacht. What would be the next thing to do?
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t need more. I have enough for a lifetime and to leave some behind. I’m going to have a job. I don’t want to just do nothing with myself.”
“Well, maybe you could use that money to form some kind of foundation. Something to help people.” I was just being hypothetical here. I hadn’t thought about this at all in any real way. “Like maybe your mom? For women in some kind of abusive relationship.”
Maven sat forward. “You’d have to be more distinct than that. But yes, Chance, if you don’t need the money, do something with it.”
Chance set down his water. “I couldn’t run it. I mean, I really legitimately want to be a doctor. I think something like that would take some time.”
Banyan still hadn’t gotten off his hands. How long could he stay like that? I looked back as Maven spoke. “I’d do it.”
“What?” Chance and I asked at the same time.
“I think I could do it. I… I’d have to learn a lot of things. I think there are schools. Right, Giovanna? Non-profit management?”
I nodded. “There are.” My years surrounded by academics had left me as sort of the degree whisperer. He was right.
“If everyone isn’t in a huge rush I could get that degree, and I could run it. You’d let me know what your goals were. Or never mind. I’m pushing myself on this and…”
Chance jumped up. “You’re hired. Do it for me, please. Run some foundation I’ll found. I mean, we can work out the details, but let’s do this, seriously.”
Banyan rolled down until he lay on his back. “Look how things work out. I made the reporter go away.”
We all stopped what we were doing and stared at him. I was finally the one who spoke. “How did you do that?”
“I called her and spoke to her. She became alerted to me through my mom and then put on my tail through my sister. But I’m not that interesting in person. I told her the absolute truth. I had a girlfriend. I loved her. She dated other people. Did she have any other questions? I guess she didn’t. When you take the whole forbidden nature of this, the whole ‘oh what are they doing,’ we’re all in love with the same girl. That’s pretty much what it comes down to. Not that interesting in the scheme of things. I didn’t deny a thing. I never would.”
The boat bobbed in the water. We hadn’t said anything, but I knew we’d be heading back to real life soon. I’d had some time to digest what had happened, and although I was sure this wasn’t the end of having to deal with the events with Molly, I did feel steadier. Even with the water moving me along a current I couldn’t see but knew was there.
I had aches and pains I didn’t used to have. There was a scar on my body that would always be there, but I’d all but forgotten about it with everything that happened. It was funny how the things that always seemed important could suddenly seem small and far away.
“What are you thinking about, Library?” Maven put a hand on the back of my neck.
“Life, I guess.” I leaned into him. Somehow, I had stumbled into this life. It might not work for everyone, but I was going to hold onto it with both hands for as long as I could, for the rest of my life. I was young, but I knew it. The way I knew how to breathe. The way I knew how to love.
* * *
Banyan
I lay on the boat and listened to the water and the engines. Our girl was making plans, and I loved it. She’d been through hell, but gone was the look she’d sometimes get in her eyes that told me she was waiting for us to leave. She trusted us and that was what I wanted more than anything in the world.
I listened to her ideas. They were good ones, but they were limited to upcoming events. Who was going to school where, what we’d do when we got back to New York. I had a broader focus. We were going to be together forever.
There were going to be marriages. Yes, that was plural. I’d check the legalities of things, but it would probably work out best if she was married to each of us when she had our individual babies. Yes, if I spoke about this now she’d freak out. So I kept it to myself.
“Giovanna.” I held out my hand. “Come look at the sky with me.”
The world spun better when she was near me, and she hadn’t spent enough time looking at the sky since we’d been here. The blue was a different blue than back home.
She lay down on the deck next to me. “How would you feel if I dyed my hair pink?”
She was asking this because I’d freaked out over the change from red when she’d done it. “Pink would be beautiful on you.”
Chance came down and lay down on her other side, and Maven joined us by her feet. Chance spoke first. “Are we looking at something in particular?”
“Blue skies, my brother. Blue skies.”
Maven grinned. “Cheers to that.”
As long as we had her that was all we had ahead.
* * *
“This is your fault you know. You talked me into this. You got me pregnant.”
Now, I was giving birth on the floor of our still-being-renovated home. I had a book due I hadn’t finished. And I wasn’t at a
ll sure if I was going to be a good mother.
“I know.” Banyan kissed my palm, bringing it to his lips. “You can blame me for this. I’ll take the entirety of the blame for this.”
Maven groaned as Chance knelt down next to me. “That’s right. Blame him.”
“She can blame you next time.” Chance lifted his lids. He was almost a doctor. We had his graduation to look forward to soon.
They were all so handsome. Another contraction hit. I wasn’t getting seconds between them, and I pushed, harder, longer, stronger than I ever had. On the floor of our home. I was having this baby. With a random paramedic and not my sweet, open minded gynecologist who never asked me to define my circumstances.
I pushed because the baby was here. It was time. I pushed and then… she was.
Her cry sounded, and Maven covered his eyes for a second. I was briefly aware that they were talking to one another, but I only had eyes for her. I tried to sit up, but I was stopped as the baby was placed on my chest. She was covered in what had to be slime but was the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on—ever.
I knew things in that second I’d never understood before. I would die for this baby. I would do anything to keep her safe, to keep my family secure. I had terrible parents, but I was going to be a great mother.
I loved my husbands. That’s what they were, in all but legality, although I was technically Banyan’s legal wife at this point for the insurance. He was covered through his father’s empire, so was I as his wife, and now so was Brooklyn. That was right. We’d named her. This was Brooklyn Anne Iburgess. Named after where we’d been when we found out she was coming and Chance’s grandmother who had given us the house where we would raise her.
“Thank you, my love.” Banyan kissed my cheek. His face was wet. He’d been crying.
Chance grinned over at me. “Immediately in love. It really does work like that.”
Maven laughed. “Look what you did, Library.”
Look what I’d done. My mind drifted for a second. All of this had come from one day over a lonely winter break from school. I’d been so alone, but now I bathed in happiness. More than I ever could have imagined.
This was everything. This was life. Forever.
* * *
Afterword
Wow! Thank you guys so much for reading Giovanna, Maven, Chance, and Banyan. It has meant so much to me that you embraced them the way that you did. If you have a second, I’d very much appreciate a review of this book. Reviews help authors reach readers who might enjoy our books! If you’d like to be in touch there are a couple of ways to stay in touch with me to find out what I’m writing. (For example right now I’m writing another contemporary series that will be announced soon.) Please come and join my reader group on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2MzxhTJ or sign up for my newsletter on my website at www.rebeccaroyce.com
Please turn the page for a complete list of my 80 (or maybe more by the time you’re reading this) books. In the meantime, you might enjoy some of my other series.
You could try:
Wings of Artemis: https://amzn.to/2QAU147
Last Hope: https://amzn.to/2Ou3Sr0
Westervelt Wolves: https://amzn.to/2MEbMfG
Or any number of my 80 books…
Please turn the page for a complete list of my books and to find out more about me.
Regards and Thanks
Rebecca Royce
About the Author
As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.
I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. I live in Austin Texas where I am determined to eat all the barbecue in town.
I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing. I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.
In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.
I'd love to hear from you! Please visit my website at www.rebeccaroyce.com to sign up for my newsletter and learn about my books!
Here’s where you can find me online:
www.rebeccaroyce.com
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Cheers!!
Rebecca
Other books by Rebecca Royce…
Wings of Artemis
Kidnapped By Her Husbands
Rescued by Their Wife
Crashing Into Destiny
Meeting Them
Reclaiming Their Love
Loving Them
Ship Called Malice
Saving Them
Dark Demise
Light Unfolding
Still Waters (coming soon)
Last Hope (completed series)
Tradition Be Damned
Past Be Damned
Destiny Be Damned
Compassion Be Damned
Future Be Damned
Dragon Wars (completed series)
Forever
Eternal
Always
Evermore
Endless
Wards and Wands
Hexed and Vexed
Curse Reversed
Meow, Baby (novella, Coming Soon in Petting Them antho written with Ripley Proserpina)
Tragic Magic (Coming Soon)
Safe Haven
Everywhere and Nowhere
Dimension X (coming soon)
More coming soon….
Soul Bound
Prisoner of the Dragons
More coming soon….
Shadow Promised
Strange Days
Weird Nights
Bizarre Years
More coming soon…
The Warrior (completed series)
Initiation
Driven
Subversive
Redemption
Justice
Warrior World (spin off of The Warrior, completed series)
Deacon
Micah
Jason
The Westervelt Wolves (completed series)
Her Wolf
Summer’s Wolf
Wolf Reborn
Wolf’s Valentine
Wolf’s Magic
Alpha Wolf
Angel’s Wolf
Darkest Wolf
Lone Wolf
Fallen Alpha
Alpha Rising
Alpha’s Strength
Alpha’s Sacrifice
Alpha’s Truth
Alpha Enticing
Hidden Alpha (coming soon)
The Capes (completed series)
Seductive Powers
Adrenaline Rush
Last Ascension
The Conditioned
Eye Contact
Embraced
Unlawful (coming soon…)
The Outsiders
Love Beyond Time
Love Beyond Sanity
Love Beyond Loyalty
Love Beyond Sight
Love Beyond Expectations
Love Beyond Oceans
Love Beyond Flames
Love Beyond Lies (coming soon)
Cascade (completed series)
Haunted Redemption
Phoenix Everlasting
Fragility Unearthed
Persuasion Enraptured
Reverse Harem Story (completed series)
Unconventional
Unexpected
Undeniable
Kiss Her Goodbye
; Sacrificial Lamb (coming soon)
Martyrs
Saints
Stand Alone Titles
Planet Bear
Under The Lights
No Quitting Allowed
Mr. Wrong
Bite Marks
Bitten Surrender
The Vampire and The Virgin
Demon Within
Crimson Lust
Call Me Crazy (coming soon)
Writing with Ripley Proserpina
The Storm
Lightning Strikes (coming soon)
Thunder Rolling