Snapdragon: Tiny Threads Part 28

I stared to sit up, but remembered I wasn't dressed. "Can one of you grab my robe? I wanted to talk to you girls for a minute."

Macy grabbed my ratty old pink robe, and I swung it around my shoulders and pulled it on.

"So, girls," I cleared my throat and wiped my hands on the napkin. "Daddy and I have decided that it's best if he moves back home."

Macy snorted, and my eyes snapped to her. "What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Are you back together?" Skylar asked quietly.

"Obviously," Macy quipped.

Macy got up and started toward the door. "What's wrong, Mace? Talk to us. There has to be more talking in this house."

Skylar and Laney giggled and Macy glared at them both. "Shut up!" she hissed.

She slipped out of the room, and the girls fell into a fit of laughter. Royal and I shared a questioning look.

"What's going on?" Royal asked.

"She's embarra.s.sed. She, um, she heard you guys last night-you know." She blushed and looked down at her lap.

I gasped, and Royal groaned. I had no idea she was home, and we'd been, well, we'd gotten a little out of hand and a lot loud. G.o.d only knew what she'd heard or seen.

"I can't believe-s.h.i.+t."

"Mom, we know you and Daddy have s.e.x," she whispered. Her cheeks lit up bright red.

"Skylar," I gasped. "That's just, well," I sighed. What was I supposed to say?

"When we used to share a room, we could hear you sometimes. You know-the mattress sounds."

Royal barked out a laugh, and I glared at him. "This is not funny, and it's all your fault."

"What'd I do?" He fell back on the pillow and put his hands behind his head, grinning.

"It's okay, Mom, like you told us when we had the talk, it's beautiful when you're in love."

Royal stopped laughing and sat up. "No. It's only beautiful if it's me and Mom. You'll lose all your hair and get fat if you do it."

I rolled my eyes. "Girls, can you go on downstairs? I just want to spend a few minutes with Daddy and eat."

Once they were out of the room, Royal leaned over and tried to kiss me.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Jenna. I mean, yeah, we were pretty loud, but don't stress."

"Ick," I said, waving him off. "I have yuck mouth. Don't kiss me yet."

He shook his head. "I've seen you worse, cookie, and I've never wanted you more. Kiss me."

I brushed a hand over his cheek, overwhelmed having him next to me again. Tears fell, but for once, they were happy ones.

"No more tears. Not today. We're going to be happy today even if it kills us all."

I laughed. "Okay. I love you, Royal."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

Chapter 20.

Two Months later.

After a hectic morning of grumpy kids and a very tired and equally cranky Royal, I dropped Ben off at school and then headed to the cemetery. I'd stopped to pick up a Snapdragon plant, having forgotten to pick some from the garden before I left. I grabbed it off the seat, along with his little cars from Benji, and started my trudge toward his grave.

My steps faltered when I saw the figure sitting in the damp gra.s.s, head hung and knees bent. I pressed a hand against my mouth to stifle my cries. I'd never, not once, seen Royal visit Teddy's grave, and it hit me much harder than I expected.

As I got closer, I realized he was crying. Hard, sloppy sobs and it broke my heart. I dropped the flowers and kneeled beside him, my own tears coating my face.

"What are you doing?"

I could see in his eyes why he never came with me. He didn't want me to see that weakness, or what he presumed to be weakness. What I saw was the same thing I felt, the loss and the ache for something we'd never get over.

He cleared his throat, and I rubbed his shoulder, encouraging him to open up to me.

"I come here, too, sometimes. Alone. Not all the time, but sometimes," he explained. I nodded and sat down next to him. "He wasn't supposed to die, Jenna. I couldn't do anything to stop what happened. I am so f.u.c.king sorry that you had to go through all of that. G.o.d, I would take it all back if I could. Why? What I don't understand is why?"

I gasped and wrapped myself around him tighter. The anguish was too much, and I could hear in his voice all the pain he'd held on to for so long.

"I went to my father," he said quietly. I held my breath and waited. He almost never talked about his father, and when he did, it was never good.

"I was scared, and I wanted to show your dad I was worthy enough to hold on to you. I told him about Teddy." He took a shaky breath and shook his head. "I asked him for a loan. He laughed at me." The look on his face told me the memory was still so fresh and hurtful that it made my stomach churned.

That b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"He told me I was lucky, that I'd dodged a bullet. He said if I stayed, I was a f.u.c.king fool. That I was ruining my life-like he had."

I gasped. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

He gave me a sad smile. "I was ashamed and embarra.s.sed that I had to go to him in the first place. I felt like such a failure-I didn't even have enough money to bury my son! Do you have any idea what it felt like to let your parents pay for his funeral? For his tiny coffin... the f.u.c.king thing..." he choked, placing his fist against his mouth to cover the sob. "The tiny f.u.c.king box we had to put him in-he deserved so much better. If I hadn't been such a piece of s.h.i.+t, I could have done more."

"Oh G.o.d," I cried, climbing into his lap and wrapping myself around him like a coat. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry. He was wrong. He was so wrong."

I held him and we rocked in each other's arms and wept. We were each other's strength. We'd lived on the love we had for each other for so long. It had always been all we needed; it would get us through anything. It had to.

"All I've ever wanted was you and those kids. All I ever wanted was for us to be happy. I'm so sorry I f.u.c.k up all the time, baby. Please, you can't ever leave me. I can't do it alone, cookie. You're all I have."

He'd been through more than enough-beaten himself up over things I couldn't, and wouldn't change. From the very moment we'd found out about the baby, down to the day we had to tell our parents, he'd held my hand and stood next to me, fierce and determined to do the right thing.

I could still feel the grip of his hand on my fingers when he'd announced to my father what he'd intended to do. How brave he was, and how frightened I was. He was my strength; he'd never let me down.

The memory was bittersweet, but we'd lived through it, and we'd continued to live. We'd built a family more beautiful than anything either of us could ever imagine. We'd come through a time I never thought we'd have to face, and came out stronger, better, and more in love.

I held him a little while longer and then decided it was time for us to go. I pushed his hair away from his face and kissed both of his cheeks, his eyelids, and then his lips. "Let me take you home."

Special Thanks.

I have many people to thanks, and each one of these women are so much more than beta readers, editors, proofreaders and pre-readers. I could call each and every one of these gals my co-authors. Without them, this would not be.

Misty, this story brought you to me. I will forever and ever be grateful that a dumb story about a dumb jerk brought my missing piece to me. What in the world would I do without you. From my daily flailing to b.i.t.c.hing and moaning and laughing and crying, I can't imagine my days without you. Thank you for every nitpicky task I gave you, all the picture hunting, t.i.tle thinking, plot twisties, and character naming. You're just precious to me. This is yours girl.

Erin, thank you for just about every single thing ever. My soul sister, partner in crime, my best friend. Thank you for trusting me when I can't trust myself. I couldn't go without your hugs and your smiles and your gentle-and not so gentle-nudges. I love you more.

Beth, Kennedy (Nic), Mair, Crissy, Anna, Vera, Jackie, Deb, Branson, Jamie, Wendy, Sarah You girls, were my special group, and by special I mean invaluable. Thank you for your input, your ideas, your support, your friends.h.i.+p, and most of all, just for being there for me. You guys were there with me when it started six, almost seven years ago, and you've seen it through to the end with me. I'm such a lucky b.i.t.c.h to have such amazing women in my life.

Nic, thank you for taking the chance on this the first go, and even though you read between your fingers with one eye closed, you trusted me and shared your love with the ma.s.ses. Your big ol' heart is just beautiful and so are you. Thank you my friend.

Maryann, My cheerleader, my friend, my rockin sister. You don't even know how much you mean to me. Thank you for all your words, the smile in your voice and for picking my a.s.s up when I need it. You always know and I love you for it.

My editor, Lia Fairchild, thank you for being you. The awesome friend, dynamic author, and kick a.s.s editor. I'm so grateful for meeting you at my very first book signing, and for the friends.h.i.+p that has evolved.

A very special super thanks to D J S White for picking the t.i.tle for Tiny Threads. You're so right-it's perfect. Also, thank you for being my second set of eyes and putting my b.u.t.t straight and editing this story so pretty. I adore you always!

And as always, thank you to all you readers and bloggers that give authors like me a shot, to read our words, share your time and your thoughts and help us make our dreams come true. A special hug to all my fandom sisters for your friends.h.i.+ps and support all these years.

And last but never least, thank you to LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations for my beautifully perfect cover. You never let me down and I love you to death.

Next in the Snapdragon Series.

Coming 2017.

Broken Ties.

Roped In.

Entwined.

Wrapped Up.

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Did you love Tiny Threads? Then you should read d.a.m.ned Sinner by Jami Denise!.

Vince Donovan has lost a lot in his life. He has lived life under a code of greed, lies and crime - never allowing anyone to get too close. After losing the empire he fought to build at the hands of a psychotic man in pursuit of revenge, Vince vows to rebuild what he once had. Along with his once protege and now partner, Jayne King, he sets out to create an empire that is based on beautiful women, s.e.x and sin.

Kelsey Franklin is young, beautiful, s.e.xy and should be forbidden. Kelsey is also the one woman that Vince has vowed never to have and yet is the one woman he wants and needs.

When love happens in the unlikeliest of circ.u.mstances Vince must ask himself - Is love fit for the d.a.m.ned and the sinner?

Read more at Jami Denise's site.

Also by Jami Denise.

Snapdragon.

Tiny Threads.

Watch for more at Jami Denise's site.

About the Author.

Jami Denise is an up and coming writer from Southern California.

She writes Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Erotica.

She's always had a strong desire to write. She fell in love with books at a very young age. She loves the freedom to express herself through her stories and share them with others.

Her books are always on the spicy side with a little bit of sweet to make you swoon. Her feisty kittens always give the bad boys a run for their money. She likes taking risks, pus.h.i.+ng her characters into directions that challenge the reader and take them out of their element. You'll usually find the unexpected to happen in her stories. Life isn't always pretty, and she likes to layer her words with true grit.