Sweet Love (The Sweet Series Book 1) (12 page)

“Anything,” Julia says.

“Promise me…” I trail off, my breath hitching. “Promise me, if something happens to me, you will help take care of my family.” I cover my mouth as a sob explodes from me.

The three of them wrap me in their arms, holding me tight, their pain mixing with my own.

“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Kayla chokes out. “But we have you covered, Grace. We always will.”

“That’s right,” Julia whispers, “because we’re family and we always take care of our own.”

I breathe a little easier knowing that no matter what happens, from here on out, my family will always have this.

*

I sit next to Hope on her bed, tucking her in nice and tight like always. “You excited for Grandma and Grandpa to be here in the morning?”

She nods. “Yeah, but I sure am gonna miss you tomorrow when you’re gone.”

I watch her little throat bob and it rips through my wounded heart. “I’m gonna miss you too, baby, but it will only be for a couple of days. I’ll be home before you know it. In the meantime, enjoy your time with Grandma and Grandpa and think of some amazin’ creations for us, okay?”

She nods. “I already have a new one brewin’.”

I smile. “What’s it called?”

She watches me, her small hand rising to lie against my cheek. “It’s called I Love My Mama Pie and it’s gonna have the sweetest of ingredients because you’re so sweet.”

My smile brightens, love fillin’ my heart. “It sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to make it with you.”

“Me, too.”

I drop a kiss to her forehead. “Good night, Hope, I’ll see you in the mornin’.”

“Night, Mama.”

Before leaving I scoot down and press a kiss to Chuckie’s head, where his chin rests on her little feet. He always takes turns sleepin’ with each of the kids.

“Night, boy,” I whisper, earning myself a groan in response that has both Hope and me gigglin’.

Walking out, I pass Sawyer as he exits out of Parker’s room and find myself unable to make eye contact with him. I’m already too close to breaking.

“Hey,” I softly greet Parker, pasting on the best smile I can muster.

“Hey.”

I sit next to him on the bed, my arms bracing on either side of him. “So what did you think of Lucy and Piper?”

He shrugs. “They seem nice.”

“They are. And Lucy loved the flower you bought her. It brightened her spirits.”

He nods but remains quiet.

I reach out and cup his small handsome face that looks so much like his father’s. “Everything is going to be okay, Parker. I promise. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“I know,” he says but doesn’t sound convinced. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take good care of Hope while you’re gone.”

A smile curves my lips. “I know you will, because you’re just like your father.” I lean down, pressing my lips to his cheek. “Strong,” I say, moving to his forehead to lay another one. “Kind.” Then down to the tip of his nose. “And honorable.”

His small arms lock around my neck, hugging me close. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, baby. More than the moon and stars.”

“You know when I play all those jokes on you it’s only ’cause I love you, right?”

“Of course I do,” I whisper, hating for him to think otherwise. “Those jokes, Parker, are one of the many things I love about you. You might give me a heart attack but you also make me laugh, and girls love to laugh,” I tell him, remembering our conversation the other morning in the kitchen.

“Good. Then I’ll make sure to have a lot more for you when you get out of the hospital.”

“I’m counting on it,” I chuckle, giving him one more kiss. “Good night, I’ll see you in the mornin’.”

“Night, Mom.”

As I leave his room and close the door, I’m about to head to the kitchen but stop when I hear Sawyer and Hope.

“Daddy, can I tell you a secret?”

“Always.”

“Don’t tell Mama, okay?”

As a moment of silence stretches between them, I try not to let that sting.

“Okay.”

“I’m tryin’ so hard to be brave for her but I’m real scared and my heart is hurtin’ an awful lot right now,” she says, her words turning into a sob.

Pain explodes through me, knocking the breath from my lungs. I didn’t think I could hurt any more than I already did but I was so wrong.

“You don’t need to be afraid, Shortcake. Everything is going to be okay. I promise not to let anything happen to her.”

Unable to bear hearing another word, I move into my room and drop down on my bed, my face burying into the mattress as I shatter into a million pieces. I sob out all the hurt and fear ripping through me.

I have no idea how long I cry for before I feel the bed dip behind me, and Sawyer’s warmth wrap around me. His hand coasts up my shirt, his warm rough skin resting on my tummy as his lips press against my bare shoulder.

“Don’t cry, Cupcake,” he whispers, his voice sounding as sad as I feel.

It only makes me cry harder. “I’m so sorry I’m hurtin’ y’all.”

“You’re not hurting us. The whole situation fucking sucks, for you and Lucy, but it’s not on you, Grace. It’s not your fault.”

I turn over to face him, his hand now moving to my back as I stare up at him. I cup his strong jaw; his green eyes that I love so much are dark with pain. “Sawyer,” I whisper through my tears. “If something happens, I want you to—”

His hand slams down over my mouth. “Don’t!” he grinds out, his jaw locked down. “Don’t fucking say that. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” His breaths come out short and fast, each one sounding painful. “It can’t because I can’t fucking survive without you. You hear me?”

The desperation in his voice has me nodding. I swallow back my emotion, seeing how much he needs me. Removing his hand, he replaces it with his mouth, his kiss exploding through me and warming every cold, fearful place inside of me.

My hands move to his shirt, pulling it up his body. “I need you,” I plead against his lips. As he sits up to remove his shirt, I lose mine, and soon the rest of our clothes follow.

I suck in a sharp breath the moment he moves over me, his skin meeting mine, sending electricity through every nerve ending of my body.

Always. It’s always like this.

After pressing a long kiss to my forehead, his intense eyes hold mine as he enters me in one smooth motion, completing me—body and soul.

“I love you so much,” I cry, unable to stop myself.

“I love you too, baby,” he says, his voice sounding as rough as sandpaper. He drops his forehead on mine. “Promise you’ll come back to me.”

“I promise,” I whisper, unable to deny him, and pray that I can keep that promise.

Reaching for my hand, his fingers link with mine before moving it above my head, holding on tight as his body moves inside of me with absolute perfection.

A single tear escapes him, spilling onto my face and mixing with my own as he stares down at me. Wrapping my arms around him, I hide my face in his neck and cling to him with everything I am.

Every touch, every breath, and every kiss is achingly beautiful as he makes love to me like never before.

He makes love to me as if it will be the last time.

Sawyer

I
’ve been through a lot of shit in my life. I’ve voluntarily walked into a war zone. Slept in some of the worst places imaginable. I’ve been chained up like an animal, whipped and beaten within an inch of my life.

I’ve kissed death a thousand times.

But as I sit here in the hospital waiting room, knowing someone is slicing into my wife, I’ve never felt more fucking terrified in all my life.

There’s a silent terror locked inside of my chest, making it impossible to breathe. It claws its way through my insides and tries working up my throat.

I feel like I’m going to be sick.

I swore to my kids this morning that everything was going to be okay. I swore to Grace that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and I have yet to ever break a promise. I went as far as threatening serious harm if my wife didn’t come back to me.

Unfortunately, the rest is out of my control, and I’ve never felt more fucking helpless.

I sit with my head down, elbows resting on my knees. My hands shake and palms sweat. Piper, Barbara, and dickhead sit across from me. Other than a simple hi to the mom and Piper, I’ve ignored them. Mainly because I’m worried I’ll unleash all of this pent-up rage on the asshole next to them.

I’m so caught up in my head that I don’t register the sound of several footsteps until they’re standing in the same room as me.

“Want some company?”

My head snaps up at the sound of Kayla’s voice, and I get to my feet when I see the waiting room filled with my closest friends—family. Everyone from Kayla and Cooper, Julia and Jaxson, Cade and Faith, Nick and Katelyn…even Sarge and Mac are here.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask, hating how gruff my voice sounds.

Jaxson walks over, clapping me on the shoulder. “We’ve lived through hell together once already, we weren’t about to make you live through it again alone.”

The fucker makes me want to cry like a pussy.

Cade clasps my hand, clapping me on the back. No words needed.

Cooper follows after him.

“How are you holding up?” Julia asks, hugging me around the waist.

“Other than wanting to beat the shit out of something, not bad,” I lie.

“Well, I could go find Dr. Sissy for you,” Kayla offers. “You could beat the shit out of him and I could kick his wife’s ass. That would be fun, and a good way to release all this aggression.”

The girls snicker while Cooper looks over at her, unimpressed.

She shrugs. “It was just a suggestion.”

Probably more for her benefit than mine. She’s been dying to lay into Jenny for years. It still shocks the hell out of me that those two married, and they’re both as pathetic as their marriage.

Glancing over, I see Barbara and Piper staring at everyone and decide to introduce them, knowing Grace would want me to. “Guys, this is Barbara Weston and her daughter Piper.” I don’t need to state more than that since they know who they are.

Jaxson and Julia introduce themselves first then everyone else follows suit. Even though I didn’t introduce them to Weston, the girls say hi to him anyway.

“And I’m Mac, Grace’s father,” he says, chest puffed out as he glares at Weston.

After introductions, everyone finds a seat while we settle in for a long ass wait.

“Did they say how long?” Cade asks.

“Too fucking long,” I mutter.

Faith wraps her arms around my one, offering comfort. “Everything will be okay.”

I nod, even though I don’t have much faith at the moment. The whole situation sucks and it’s not just my wife I’m concerned about. I want Lucy coming out in better shape than how she went in, too.

Minutes turn into hours and hours turn into excruciating pain. Fear eats at me from the inside out as I get the feeling something is wrong.

I begin pacing again for the millionth time. “What the fuck is taking so long? I swear to god, if both of them don’t come out of this I’m…” I trail off at the sound of footsteps and turn around to see Dr. Schaefer walking toward us, decked out in scrubs, sweat dotting her forehead beneath her sky blue cap.

The Westons jump to their feet as she approaches. My heart thunders in my ears, icy terror rushing through my veins as I wait to hear what she’s about to tell me.

She looks between both of us, a small smile—that better be a fucking good one—forming across her mouth. “Everything went very well with both surgeries.”

All of the air leaves my lungs in one breath, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me with relief.

“Thank God.” The girls wrap their arms around my waist while the Westons share in their own celebratory hug.

“Now we wait and hope Lucy’s body does not reject the transplant. We have already started doing everything in our power to prevent that from happening.”

“Where’s Grace? I want to see her,” I demand. I can’t be away from her for another second. I need to see for myself that she’s all right.

Dr. Schaefer nods. “She’s slowly coming to in the recovery room now. I’ll bring you to her,” she says before looking at the Westons. “Give Lucy a few more minutes. I’ll come and get you as soon as we get her settled.”

“Thank you,” Barbara says.

As I look to the group, Julia waves me away. “Go on, let us know once she’s settled in a room and we can pop in quick to see her.”

With a nod I begin to follow Dr. Schaefer when Piper calls out to me. I turn around to see her walking up to me.

She surprises me by wrapping her arms around my waist. “Thank you again,” she whispers. “Please tell Grace I’ll be in to see her as soon as she can have visitors.”

I hug her back. “I will, you tell Lucy the same for me.”

She nods against my chest then steps back, leaving tear marks on my shirt.

I follow Dr. Schaefer, my legs not moving fast enough.

“She may be a little disoriented still since she’s just coming to, so be prepared for that. Usually, we would have no visitors until we move her into a room. However, I have a feeling had I said that to you my day wouldn’t have ended on a good note,” she adds with a small smile.