Derick (Caveman Instinct- Gypsy Curse #6)

Chapter 4

I couldn’t believe Ruby had agreed to move into my parents’ place. I had a room here, but it wasn’t where I knew my parents would put Ruby so she would feel comfortable. I would move closer but keep enough distance to make her feel like she was safe and had her own space.

My parents are so happy right now. All their children had soulmates, and they now had a granddaughter, thanks to Ruby. I’d expected more of a fight, but Ruby surprised me with how easy she agreed, not just to moving in, but she didn’t run away when I told her about the gifts my family was given. Today had been full of surprises. I thought it would take her weeks to let me touch her, but she hadn’t pushed me away. Well, when she wanted to get to Hope she had, but she’d let me hug her for a while before she broke it off.

I was happy…no, ecstatic right now as I sat outside with my brothers and their wives as my mother and father took Ruby to show her and Hope their new accommodation. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this good. I didn’t even care about the obvious tension in the air as no one said anything for a while as we sat in peace.

Cassie broke the silence. “So, that went better than even I thought it could go, especially after meeting and getting to know her. Really, I’m surprised she let you near her.”

Smiling at Cassie, I nodded. “Me too. I expected her to be a little, well?—”

“Like me. Like Alexa,” Jade interrupted me. She was usually the quiet one who sat and took everything in and didn’t say much unless she was asked. I also knew that she and Cassie weren’t on very good terms at the moment and that was my fault.

“Yeah Jade, like her, and even how you were.” I stood and looked at both couples. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’ve caused this rift between you two.”

Cassie’s laugh was soft but held no happiness in it; it was hollow. “Oh, it has nothing to do with you. Well, that’s untrue, it kind of does, you just brought it all out. I’m angry with Jade for not sticking up for me when I did with her. For Christ’s sake, my family even took her in, and when I needed her the most, when you were yelling at me and being an arse, she did nothing. She hasn’t made the effort with me even when we half-heartily made up.”

“Cassie, stop being so sensitive,” Stephan snapped at her. “How many times does Jade have to apologize?”

Oh shit. Even I knew you didn’t call out a Silverman mate and tell her she was being sensitive, but a pregnant one? My twin was a dead man. If the killer look Dustan was giving to Stephan as he gently got up and placed Cassie on the seat he’d been on, was any indication, he should run.

Jade stayed quiet, and even I got a little annoyed at her. Dustan stomped over to Stephan and grabbed him off the seat and punched him. “If you ever speak to my wife like that again, brother or not, you will start missing body parts.” He threw Stephan, and my twin knew he’d fucked up because he didn’t fight back. Dustan turned toward Jade, and that was when I saw Stephan get up. “You,” Dustan growled at Jade, “need to stop staying quiet. I know you had it tough too, but for fuck’s sake, stop taking it out on my wife. Who I know damn well you encouraged to keep hidden away from me and thought it was hilarious.”

Tears slid down Jade’s face, and guilt assaulted me for my part in this drama, but Dustan was right, and him saying it might help give Jade the push that she needed.

“Back the fuck off, Dustan.” Stephan came to stand in front of Jade.

“Sit down, Stephan. He’s right.” Jade pushed her husband to the seat next to her and stood so she was almost toe-to-toe with Dustan. She took a deep breath and then looked around Dustan to Cassie. “I’m sorry, Cas’. I’ve been a selfish bitch. I still sometimes believe this is a fantasy, and if I cause too much trouble, I’ll lose it all.” Dustan backed up and sat on the seat next to Cassie. Jade went on her knees before Cassie. “It’s why I’ve been holding back on Stephan and I starting a family of our own. I’m terrified I’m going to wake up, or do something that will take all this away. It’s the only thing I haven’t given Stephan just to make him happy. I’ve been spending the time since you came back agreeing to everything because I didn’t want to be treated like Derick and the others did to you. I’m not strong like you.”

“Ha, what a load of bullshit.” Cassie cackled like she’d just been told the greatest joke. “You’re one of the strongest women I know. You have nothing to worry about. Stop living in fear.” Cassie wiggled forward and grabbed Jade’s hands. “Oh Jade, I’m sorry too. I thought you were over living in fear. Truth be told, I sometimes think I’m living in a dream too, and if I am, I never want to wake up. You are not alone and never will be.” They hugged each other, sobbing against one another, and that was what my parents, Ruby, and Hope came in on.

“What did we miss?” my dad asked as he took in the scene.

“Oh, nothing much, Dad.” I winked at him. “Just the wives kissing and making up.”

Cassie picked up her water bottle and threw it at me. “You wish, jerk,” she hissed.

I ducked, but the bottle hit my shoulder. Since becoming pregnant, Cassie had become even more sassy. She didn’t take any crap from any Silverman men.

“So Ruby, what did you think of your new accommodation?” Cassie asked. “I would have offered our place but…” She patted her expanded stomach. “It will be busy soon and not very quiet. I thought you’d like this place better too. Mum and Dad are gunna love having a little girl to spoil and a new daughter-in-law too. Mum already has Disney Princess tickets.” Cassie spelt out Disney Princess . “And as you can see, they got her a puppy.” She wiggled until she could try and stand. Dustan helped her, and she went over to Ruby and Hope. “Hi. I’m Cassie. I’m a friend of your mother’s. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” She opened her arms, and Hope didn’t hesitate as she let go of her mother’s hand and ran the couple of steps to Cassie, who grunted when she hit her legs.

Dustan swooped down and unhooked her from Cassie and picked Hope up so Cassie could keep her balance. “Well, aren’t you just the cutest,” he crooned.

The beaming smile Hope gave him had a matching one come over Dustan’s face, and I knew she now had him wrapped around her little finger too.

Ruby

I watched as my daughter wrapped everyone around her pinkie. Her facial expression had never looked so carefree. She’d smiled more than I could ever remember. Guilt assaulted me, and the food I’d just eaten threatened to come up. Was I a terrible mum? I tried to give Hope everything I could. She was the best thing to ever happen to me. Truthfully, I didn’t know if I’d still be alive if she wasn’t here. For a long time, she was my reason for living. She was the reason I fought for a better life.

A light touch on my arm had my gaze going to Dustan, who sat next to me. “Why the frown?” he asked.

I didn’t realize I had been frowning. My thoughts had been dark, but I didn’t know I was showing my feelings on my face. Shrugging, so he didn’t think it was a big deal, I mumbled, “Thinking.” I gave what I hoped was a smile. “She’s never s…smiled s…so much.” I jerked my head toward Hope.

Derick’s hand glided down and his fingers interlocked with mine. “I promise for as long as I live that both you and Hope will never go without. I promise you can trust me. You both deserve better.”

Squeezing his hand, I closed my eyes and basked in the comforting feeling, knowing I had him. “I don’t know if I b…believe what you told m…me about us being soulmates.” I opened my eyes. “I l…like the idea of them th…though, and I’m willing t…to see where this g…goes.

I’d never slept so well. I felt like I was on a fluffy cloud. The bedrooms that Hope and I were put in were like a little flat, but there was no kitchen. From the hall was a loungeroom that had two doors off it. One held Hope’s room, which was pink and had a white, single, four-poster princess bed. My room was the second door, and it had a solid mahogany wooden, four-poster bed, with forest animals carved into the wood. It was gorgeous. The bedsheets were high thread count and felt so good against my skin. The quilt was thick, and the pillows plump and soft.

I was wearing my own PJ’s, but with how rich everything was around me, it looked and felt like a dirty garbage bag. There were clothes in the huge walk-in closet, but I wasn’t comfortable enough to use them yet. I felt like I was taking advantage of Evelin and Lucas. I’d helped Dustan, their son, escape, but it was my family who’d taken him in the first place. So I didn’t feel like I deserved all the nice things they’d given me.

Snuggling into the covers, I didn’t want to get out of it, but I was sure Hope would barrel through the door at any minute. She was a morning girl, me not so much, but after sleeping so well, I now wondered if my situation had turned me into a deeper sleeper.

Hope had never had her own room, and last night I’d been sure she would come into mine or throw a tantrum when it came time for bed, but she didn’t protest and went down easier than she had at the halfway house we’d been staying in. There was no doubt that she loved the room she had. The sheets and quilt cover were Disney and even had Hope’s name on them. The closet had two large mirror doors, and the third door was covered in Disney princesses and castles. Most of the clothes in it were pink, lilac, yellows, and colorful rainbows. Evelin apologized for it being so sparse, and I’d laughed, thinking she was joking, but she wasn’t. She’d then gone on to say she was looking forward to shopping and getting everything we needed.

Gazing at the door, I waited for my little bundle of energy to come in and jump all over me to wake me up. That was how Hope woke me from the moment she could walk, and she was an early walker at ten and a half months.

When she didn’t come in for what felt like a long time, I reached to the bedside table and grabbed the mobile phone my brother had got me before he left, to check the time. I dropped it on the bed and jumped out when I saw I’d slept in until a little after ten in the morning. I’d never slept in this much, not even when I was younger.

Running to Hope’s room, I called her name when I saw her bed was empty. After screaming her name for what felt like hours and trashing the room looking for her, I moved on to my own room, and then rushed out and down the hall, the whole time yelling for Hope. I was an idiot. How could I let my guard down? I should have said no to moving in. They hadn’t even given me a night before they’d taken her.

I searched for Hope and cursed the house for being so large. The mansion I’d been in awe of last night was now my nightmare as I searched for my baby. Tears slid down my face, and I didn’t even wipe them away. My sole focus was on finding Hope, and then I’d get us the hell out of here.

Yelling Hope’s name at the top of my lungs while I opened every door and searched every room, closet, and bathroom and nook. When I came to the stairs, I went to open a door and was met with a shirtless Derick. I froze and couldn’t help staring at the sprinkle of blond on his muscular chest. He had what the women at the club would call a six-pack. He wasn’t bulky, like a bodybuilder, but had a defined chest. His boxers didn’t leave anything for my imagination. He was…well, very endowed. I swallowed as his penis started to rise while I stared. I should look away, but as my skin heated, and it grew to a scary size, I opened and shut my mouth, trying to talk, but nothing came out.

“It will never go down if you keep staring.” His chuckle had my gaze darting up to see his smile with his perfect, white teeth and his warm brown eyes.

I shook my head like a dog shaking water off themselves and pushed past him. “Where is she?” I snarled at him. “H…how could you take h…her? You p…promised I c…could trust you.” I stormed to him and pounded on his chest, letting all my anger and pain out on him.

He tilted my head up so I was looking at him. “Take who, Ruby?”

“Don’t pr… pretend you d…don’t know what I’m talking a…about, you, y...you arse.” I poked him in the chest. I’d never talked to a man like this before. Ha, I’d never spoken to anyone like I was now.

“Babe, I don’t know wh?—”

“Don’t ev…ever call me th…that. I hate when m…men call women that. I…I’m not a baby. I h…have a baby and your f…family has stolen her.” I pounded on his chest again.

“Ruby, what on earth are you talking about?” He raised one perfect blond brow.

“D…don’t pretend this w…wasn’t your plan all al…along. Hope isn’t in her r…room. I’ve searched every…everywhere for h…her. She barely leaves my s…side.”

He wiped my tears away. “I’m sure she’s just downstairs with Mum and Dad. How about we go look there first?”

I sobbed as he grabbed my hand and thread his fingers through mine and guided me to the stairs. “I…I, I’ve been yelling for her. Why h…haven’t you heard?”

We descended the stairs. “The rooms are soundproof. That’s why I didn’t hear you and why my parents wouldn’t have either.”

My body that had felt heavy and I couldn’t breathe only a moment ago, relaxed. I took a deep breath in and out. I prayed that Hope was okay and just downstairs. She had to be. I couldn’t live with myself if anything had happened to her because I was selfish and wanted to live the life of luxury and explore the feeling I felt for Derick.

When my foot touched the bottom floor, I let go of Derick and rushed to the huge open area, crying out with relief when I saw Hope sitting on the kitchen bench, helping Evelin cook. “Hope. My baby girl. Why didn’t you come in and wake me?”

I gathered her to me without caring when the bowl filled with whatever spilt down me.

“Mummys, Iza get breackfess with Nanny and Poppy. Thens wes making lots of cookies.” She frowned and looked down. I followed her gaze to see chocolate batter on me. “Mummy, yous broked the chocy cookies.” I sat Hope back on the bench top. We were both covered in cookie dough.

“Hello, princess. What happened here?” Derick came in and stood beside me. “Oh, I see it got you too, Ruby.”

“Mummys broked the chocy cookies.” Her lips wobbled, and she gazed down at the dress now covered in dough. “It’s was pretty dress. Dirty nows.” A tear slid down her cheek, and my mood changed when Evelin, Derick, and Lucas went to her and offered her whatever she wanted to make her happy again.

I giggled, and then it turned into a full-blown laugh when Derick’s father promised he’d take her to choose not only a new pretty dress, but some shiny jewels to go with them and donuts. “Oh no,” I heave out between peals of laughter. “S…she has you all…all wrapped around her ll…little finger. She’s going t…to become spoiled.”

“No,” Evelin gasped. “My grandbaby is an angel.”

I watched, horrified, as Evelin picked up Hope covered in dough. She wore an apron. It looked like an old-fashion, fifties style, but it didn’t cover the top part that well and the white shirt she wore that probably cost more than what I used to pay for my apartment in a month.

Evelin kissed Hope’s forehead and cheeks. “Let’s get you cleaned up and go shopping.”

Hope’s crocodile tears stopped instantly, and she nodded. “I loves you soooo much, Nanny.”

A sob caught in my throat at the look of utter devotion Hope gave Evelin. “Oh, princess, I love you too.” She kissed Hope’s cheeks again.

Derick’s arms came around me. “Ruby, if you don’t want her to go, just say. You’re her mum.”

I shook my head against his chest, not caring that he was getting covered in cookie mix. “No, it’s…it’s just I’m…I’m s…scared that when you l…leave me that Hope will n…never forgive me for letting her fff…fall for you.”

“Oh, my precious, I will never leave you.” His lips brushed mine, and I froze. This was my first kiss. Well, willingly given one. His lips ran over mine, and I sighed at the tingling feeling. I opened my mouth and his tongue sought mine. The room and everything around me fell away as I sank into the most incredible feeling.

“Drrk is kissing Mummy,” Hope squealed. I eased back, but didn’t take my gaze off the warm brown ones staring at me with a look that was undeniably love? “Ares yous my daddy nows, Drrk?”

Spinning around, I looked at Hope, shocked. She’d never asked about her dad or even said she wanted one.

I turned back to Derick, terrified at what his answer would be. I didn’t know if I was ready for him to take on the role, but then I didn’t want him to deny it and not really want her, and if I really was his soulmate as he said, I prayed that made Hope something special too. I nibbled on my bottom lip and tried not to cry as I silently pleaded with Derick not to break my baby’s heart.

“Princess, I would love to be your daddy. If your mummy says it’s okay.” The desire in his gaze was hard to miss. His eyes showed every emotion, it was one of the things I was coming to love about him.

I looked back at my daughter, and I just knew I couldn’t say no to either of them. What could it hurt for her to have something I never thought she would? Derick and his family had been nothing but nice to me.

“Yes, if that’s what you want, baby,” I said. Her squeal of joy had my heart soaring. I knew I’d made the right decision, even if it was just for a short time.

She put her arms out to Derick, and he stepped away from me and grabbed Hope. “Iza loves you, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek. “You’s keep bads men aways toos.” My heart skipped a beat when Derick breathed her sweet baby scent in, kissed her forehead, and sighed.

“That, my baby girl, I can promise.” He caressed her hair and hugged her against him. I felt the wetness slip down my cheeks as I tried not to choke on a sob. I hope he kept his promise. He caught my gaze and mouthed thank you .

I nodded, not sure what to do. One thing I did know was that the Silvermans had fallen in love with Hope, and truthfully, I couldn’t blame them; she was damn easy to love. I would let her have this and even take what I could for myself.

Derick

Watching my mother as she baked cookies with Hope, I looked over at Ruby, who I’d set up on a laptop to look through emails and start sorting out the change of address. I had been given a gift that I would do everything in my power to love and protect. Ruby had just shown me that she not only trusted me, but that she wanted us together. She wanted everything that came with being my soulmate. My one. I knew she wouldn’t have let Hope call me dad otherwise.

I was selfish. I had what most people only dreamed of. I had a family that loved me unconditionally. We had our own issues to sort out—what family didn’t?—but for some reason the universe had given me the gift of expanding my family and brought in two people that appreciate what I had been taking for granted. The universe was showing me what a selfish, spoiled idiot I’d been.

I gazed at the amazing woman I’d been gifted and the biggest wonder ever, another Silverman daughter, this one hadn’t been born a Silverman, but she would be spoiled like Angelica was. Hope deserved to be treated like the princess she was. Hope would never be scared and worry about her mother or bad men ever again. I would treat them like the rare gems they were. I vowed my daughter would never feel the worry I’d felt when my family had been hurt.

My goal now was to keep everything progressing forward with my family. Hope seemed to be settled, like she’d always been a part of this family, but I knew it would take a lot longer for Ruby to be close to where her daughter was. I’d get her there and have her fall for me just like I wanted, no, needed her to. Love. Ruby deserved to be surrounded by it. I would give it to her. I would give her the world.

I was sure Ruby wouldn’t have let Hope out of her sight. Not after her scare this morning. But to my surprise, she let my parents take Hope shopping. I knew my mother wanted to take Hope to all the things she had been craving, the girl’s section of the toy store for one. We had always been into sports, soccer, swimming, football, cricket, and the toys we liked had been transformers, cars, Lego, and Nerf guns. Sure, our mum had tried to give us dolls, my little ponies, and others that some called girls’ toys, but we wouldn’t have them.

I knew before my brother and I had been kidnapped that my parents had almost adopted a little girl, but the whole ordeal had put it off. I always wondered why they never tried again. But my mum now had the little girl to spoil with all the things she wanted to secretly play with.

Ruby surprised me with how trusting she was with my parents with Hope. From the investigation, I’d learned that she barely let Hope out of her sight. Some of the people we’d talked to hadn’t even known about Hope, she’d kept her hidden so well. The only giveaway that she was anxious without her was Ruby kept gazing at her phone and looking toward the door that Hope and my parents had left through.

“Do you want to give my mum a call? I’m sure she won’t mind you checking up on Hope.” I went to her and gently touched her shoulder as she gazed at her phone again.

Ruby nibbled on her bottom lip as she darted her eyes up to me before she sighed and then nodded. I used my phone and called my mother, who picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello, honey. I wondered how long she’d last,” Mum said.

“Mum, you’re on speaker.” I smiled at Ruby and nodded at her to talk.

“H…hi, Mrs. Silverman, is my b…baby there?”

“Hope, honey. Come talk to Mummy.” The noise in the background almost drowned her out.

I stroked Ruby’s arm as she gripped my phone so tight her hands looked white while she waited for her daughter. Even I sighed when the little girl’s voice came over the line. “Mummmys, wes at a bigs playground and its insides. I’da swimmed in balls.” The excitement in the toddler’s voice had Ruby relaxing back into the chair, and a smile spread across her face.

“I’m glad you’re having fun, baby. Make sure you use your manners and be a good girl for Mr. and Mrs. Silverman.”

“Aha, Mummy, byes.” And she hung up the phone.

Ruby groaned. “She’s only t…two and knows how t…to use a phone.”

Gathering her up from the chair, I hugged her to me. “She’s a very clever little girl.”

“Mmmm,” she sighed against my chest.

For a moment I held her close and basked in her letting me embrace her. This was just what I needed. Progress.

It had been over a week since Ruby and Hope had moved in. I’d finally convinced Ruby to go to the mall to get some things with me. She’d been spending her days on the laptop, fixing what needed to be set up to live with us, and then she read or played with Hope. Ruby had told me she loved to read, because before she had Hope it had been her escape from her shitty life. She loved the hammock outside, and I had even found her asleep on it twice now when Hope had been off on an adventure with my parents. She’d wake up when Hope came home telling her about everything she got and what she ate and did.

I was seeing Ruby getting comfortable. She felt safe, and from what I’d learned, that wasn’t a common thing for her. I knew she only trusted her brother, and even then, she didn’t leave Hope alone with him for very long, or at least not without checking on her every hour or so. With my parents, she rang once.

Since Ruby told Hope she could call me Dad, the child had barely left my side if she wasn’t with her mother or my parents. Everyone adored her. Today had been no different either. She’d even wanted me to take her to the toilet, so I’d gone into a parents’ changeroom for the first time. It was better than I expected. There were rows of changing spots, two toilets, and breastfeeding rooms, and a small, fenced-off play area. I hadn’t expected that. Hope called me daddy at every chance.

She was a great kid. She hadn’t complained once when Ruby had gotten some shoes, and we’d spent almost an hour trying on shoes, or when we’d gone to Target and Big W for some clothes and other essentials. I’d never been into these stores before. I had a personal shopper, and anything I had wanted my parents got for me, so there had never really been a reason for me to go into these stores. I admit, if only to myself, I was intrigued by all the stuff. A lot of it looked like…well, basically just crap, or as my grandmother would say, cheap and nasty. But I knew a lot of people weren’t as lucky as me in the financial department to be able to afford top-of-the-line for everything. Again, I knew my privilege was showing, and I bit my tongue to stop voicing that I’d take them to get better quality and I’d pay for it. I had a feeling Ruby may not appreciate it.

I’d been saddened when we’d gotten all Ruby’s things from the halfway recovery house. She had two pairs of shoes. Well, one was flip-flops and the others were joggers that had seen better days. They had gone in the bin last night, along with some other items that were well past needing to be replaced, and I’d convinced Ruby to go shopping.

“I, well, I…I don’t have m…money for these things. I need m…my savings. What if…if Hope needs?—”

I cut her off before she could make another excuse for us not to get the things she needed. “Hope has everything she needs, and if she doesn’t, either my parents or I will happily get them.”

Hope was asleep in the pram I’d bought earlier when she started drifting off on my shoulder. Ruby hadn’t wanted me to buy one, because she already had one, what she didn’t know yet was I’d had it thrown away. I’d been sent photos of her things, and they were all clean, but I knew most were second-hand. I wanted my daughter to have a new, soft, comfortable pram.

Ruby shook her head. “N…no, she’s m…my daug?—”

“She’s ours now. I told you, you’re mine. Which means Hope is mine too. And you’ve seen how much my family adores her.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her into Myers store.

“No. I don’t know if I believe w…what you told me about your family. I’ve been thinking over it f…for days now, and it sounds crazy. Like a fantasy or something cooked up in a b…book. I’m your soulmate?” She pointed at herself. “Even if, by some m…miracle, that was true, it doesn’t say how you feel about m…me.” She tugged her hand, but I wasn’t letting her go.

“I’m falling for you. I’ve never met a woman as brave, strong, and caring as you. Since meeting you, I like myself again. I’ve been a bit of an arsehole lately. I’ve been miserable and felt sorry for myself, but once I learned about you, and all you went through, I’ve been in awe of you and how you’ve survived and protected Hope.”

She stopped pulling on her arm and stared up at me like I had more than one head. “I…I you know ev...everything?”

I promised she could trust me, so I wouldn’t lie to her. “Precious, you know I investigated you. It’s why I knew you were different from your family.”

“Do y…you know how I…I got Hope?”

I nodded, and tears slid down her cheeks. I stopped in the aisle across from women’s underwear and wiped her tears. She backed away from me.

“You’re tt…too good for m…me. I’m not clean,” she moaned.

My heart broke into a million pieces. How could she ever think that? What she endured and went through and the person she was amazed me. I really was in total awe of her.

“Ruby, you are out of my league. I’m the lucky one, to have been blessed with such a strong, courageous woman. I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want this, say something now or forever hold your peace.”

She rose on her tiptoes. “I like that saying.” She beamed at me, and her eyes shone bright.

I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers a couple of times before I devoured her. Ruby tasted like pure sunshine. Her lips were eager against mine, and she followed my lead. Her tongue tangled with mine, and her hands slowly rose to run over my chest.

My whole body came alive, and my dick became painfully hard, and I knew I had to stop this before I did something that she wasn’t ready for, so I eased back. “Now, come on and let’s choose some much-needed new things for you or…” I wiggled my brows and reached over for a red, lacey g-string. “I’ll pick it all.”

Her giggle and swat of my hand with the g-string in it had me putting it back and circling her waist as I guided her further into the underwear section.

I’d never been a guy that enjoyed shopping, but today I’d had fun. I also realized how I took things for granted. I’d never had less than ten or so pairs of shoes. I had an abundance of underwear, socks, and clothes, and I’d always had everything I asked for. I knew I was privileged, but I never really thought that people could be in so much poverty in Australia. I’d learned how a lot of people lived when Jade, my brother’s wife, had come into our lives, and my cousin’s woman too, but Ruby had been worse than most of them.

Getting Ruby to agree to buy herself things was hard. I argued with her that she needed more than two bras and seven panties. She chose new joggers, but when I tried to get her some sandals, boots, and Uggs, she refused. When we went to the clothes, she picked the cheapest items. It wasn’t that I wanted her to buy the expensive, name-brand things, but she wouldn’t even try them on. I was going to have to get her used to spoiling herself. Everyone deserved to do that occasionally.

Maybe next time, if my mother was with her, she might agree to more. She hadn’t protested when we’d bought Hope clothes, shoes, toys, and bathing wear. We had a pool at the house. All my family had pools and spas, so Hope would need swimwear and to know how to swim.

“Can Hope swim?” I’d learned a lot, but that was something I hadn’t found out. I had a feeling with how tight money had been for Ruby, that Hope wouldn’t be able to swim.

Ruby turned from the TV we were sitting in front of relaxing, and sighed. “My b…brother Toby had started teaching her, bb…but no, not really.”

“Do you mind if I book her in for lessons?” I stared at her and watched as two blue, thick strands of hair fell forward over her eyes, and I threaded my fingers together to keep myself from reaching out and brushing them away.

The smile that spread over her face turned her eyes into a dandelion color that was so unique, it showed how delighted she was. “She would l…love that. I h…have some money saved. How much?”

I waved her money worries away and chuckled; she’d never have to worry about that again. I had a feeling it was going to take a while for Ruby to get used to that. I would never take money from her, and not because of who she was, but because she was my woman. I had plenty, more than I could spend in my lifetime. She could keep her own money. I didn’t need it, and if it helped her to know she always had it, I’d never, ever take a cent.

“How about it be Hope and my special activity. I heard they have daddy-daughter classes, or it may be better to have the teacher come here.”

“You c…can’t teach her?” She pressed pause on the show.

“I could, but I think it would be best if she learned from a professional. My brothers and I did, and I think it’s safer.”

I zoned in as she nibbled on her bottom lip. She was so beautiful. “I feel bad you are p…paying for everything. What can I do to h…help?”

“Nothing.” I leaned over quickly and brushed my lips over her smooth skin as I kissed her cheek. “I want you to relax and enjoy your new life.”

She touched her cheek where my lips had touched and caressed it for a moment. “What is it about you that makes m…me instantly trust you with the most important th…thing in my life? I have no worry you would ev…ever hurt Hope, and with the men I’ve b…been around, I sh…should be. With you though, I…I don’t get any feeling that I need to worry.”

She crossed her arms under her chest, enhancing it. She didn’t have big breasts, but they were a good handful. I dreamed about those perky, round globes of perfection, and wondered if her nipples were large and pink, or small, pointy ones. I barely fought the urge to drool as I stared at her now thrust high tits.

I went over what she said, resisting the urge to lean down and kiss the rise and fall of her chest. “It’s the gift I told you about a little bit, but I think it’s you too. You’ve learned to trust your instinct. You’ve kept Hope safe when your world was surrounded by danger. I’m more than just impressed.”

She shook her head frantically. “No, if y…you onl?—”

I placed a finger over her lips, stopping what she was saying. I wasn’t going to let her put herself down. “From what I’ve learned, you’ve done an amazing Job. Hope is a beautiful child. You’ve done fantastically with the cards you were dealt. I have no doubt I will be impressed with everything else I learn.” I gathered her so she straddled my lap. Her shriek of surprise and push on my chest had me raising my hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I’m so eager to touch you and feel our bodies together. I shouldn’t push you. I just can’t wait to know you and learn everything I can.”

I lowered my hands and liked that she didn’t pull away or get off me. We were taking this slow, or I was trying, because of her history, but she was my kryptonite, and my body was in a constant ache for her. I wanted to take my time with her. She deserved that. But I wanted—no, I needed to move our relationship on too.

“I thought you learned ev…everything you could about m…me?” Her left brow rose, and I stared into her dandelion gaze. She turned me breathless. I hated that I sounded like a fucking sappy girl, but she had me coming undone. Ruby sighed, loud and long. “You investigated m…me, but I only kn…know what there is out there through the m…media about you and what my brother t…told me. So, I feel like I don’t kn…know much about you at all.”

“Well, let’s start. I don’t know your favorite color, food, music, and so many other little, important things.” I could have learned them, but those were the things that were better talked about together.

“Blue.” She closed her eyes. “The clear, blue-sky kind is…is my favorite color.” Her eyes snapped open. “What’s yours?”

“I don’t really have a color that I like more than any other, but I wear a lot of black lately, but that’s not a color, so green.” I wasn’t sure if that was it either, I was becoming inclined to a green with a yellow tinge that looked almost like lightning. I always thought dandelions were weeds, but now I thought they were the best and most stunning flowers out there. Ruby’s eyes were so unique. I loved that she’d given the feature to her, I mean our daughter. “Okay, so what about food. What do you like?”

“Well, that depends. Are w…we talking dinner, dessert, breakfast, snacks or…or l…lunch?”

Her hands came to rest on my chest. I held my breath, not wanting to scare her or move in case she stopped what she was doing. “Tell me all,” I said. Her fingers started drawing aimlessly against my sensitive skin. I’d dreamed of this since the moment I’d laid eyes on her.

“Truthfully, a lot of my favorites are n…new as I’d never had them before because they were out of…of m…my price range.”

A dreamy look came over her, and my cock jumped in my pants. Fuck, her lips were curled in a secret grin, her cheeks turned a rosy red, and her eyes flashed like lightning. I’d never seen a sight so hot, so full of passion.

“Breakfast—well, that’s easy,” she said. “Coco Pops. S…sure, I’ve had the no-name stuff, but the real Kellogg’s stuff…” Ruby shook her head. “So good. I’ll never be able to eat the n…no-name brand ever again. Next, snacks. Well, th…that’s easy too, dried mango slices and just mango the fruit. It’s always b…been way out of my price range, so I love finding it here in almost every fruit b…bowl and eating it until my heart’s content. I know Hope loves it too. Lunch is easy too. C…croissant filled with melted cheese and chicken. Dinner—there are so many choices, but I’d n…never tried asparagus, and it was delicious with everything, but I can’t get enough wh…when it’s paired with cr…creamy potatoes, and another item I could never afford to buy before is salmon. Dessert.” Ruby drew the word out and wiped imaginary drool from her lip. “Donuts. Mmmm,” she moaned. “They’ve always been a weakness of m…mine. My brother would get them for me to cheer me up.”

Her hands came up, and she surprised me when she brushed my shaggy, blond hair out of my eyes. I was due for a haircut. This was a big step for her: touching me, straddling my lap.

“What about yours?” she asked.

“Date me. Be mine. Let me take you out?” I meant to tell her what I liked, but what she was doing to me felt like torture, and my brain and mouth didn’t want to cooperate.

“I want you. I want what we’re doing now to be positive. I want to go out with you. I want a relationship, but first I want to talk to Hope before we go on an official date.” She ran her fingers through her hair, showing she needed to re-do the blue in some spots. “Hope’s become so attached to you and your family, and if things didn’t work out between you and I, she would be devastated. If she didn’t get to have you in her life again because of me, I’d never forgive myself. I may want you and feel things I never felt, but Hope is my whole world.”

She hadn’t stuttered once the whole time she spoke just then, and I wanted so bad to taste her. “I’m going to kiss you now. Speak now or forever hold your peace.” She had said she liked that saying, and her giggle gave me my answer. I took her lips to my own, and I knew my world felt like it had been chaotic, but it was slowly falling into place.

Ruby

The last couple of weeks I didn’t freak out when Hope hadn’t woken me or been in her room. If she wasn’t with Derick, she was with his parents. They all spoiled her. She now had more toys than I could ever remember or had ever seen any child have or need. She had a playroom filled. She could wear a new outfit every day with the amount of clothes she now had. Everything was new and all the popular brands, and they were all the prettiest, cutest clothes. Hope had more shoes than what we had combined a couple of months ago.

Today was my therapist appointment. The Silvermans had hired my favorite therapist, Dr. Heather, as my sole one. She’d been the one at the house that I was most comfortable with. I hated that there had been three, and it felt like I repeated myself a great deal. I knew I needed help. I had gone through a lot in my short lifetime, and even though I always tried to see the bright side to everything, some things hit me hard and I’d have to fight myself so I didn’t retreat or hide from not just the people around me, but the whole world in general. Since moving into the Silvermans’ house, I had a lot of things to be grateful about and to keep my spirits high, but I still had my low days.

I was taking Hope to the beach today before my afternoon was taken up with Dr. Heather. I wanted to talk about how she felt about everything that had gone on and the Silverman family. She was only two, but I knew after the life we’d endured, that even at her young age, I would never do anything that could potentially hurt her without at least trying to talk and see how she felt.

“Iza ready.” Hope trotted down the stairs in fluro pink gumboots with unicorns on them. A purple tutu, rainbow cardigan, and a huge, colorful ribbon in her hair added to the cuteness overload. I couldn’t help laughing when she stopped halfway down the stairs and gasped, spun, and ran back up the stairs. She was gone for maybe ten minutes, and then she came back down again with her hands clutching a Barbie purse. “Now Iza ready.” I burst into laughter at my little diva.

“Oh, baby girl, I love you so much.” I grabbed her and hugged her tight before she could jump off the last step. “Let’s go discover the beach.”

Her arms tightened around my neck, and at that moment, my life was perfect. If only it could stay this way forever.

Hope and I walked hand in hand along the almost-private beach. It was hard to conceal our guards. That was new. Not only did I have guards, but my daughter had ones assigned to her too. She already had them wrapped around her little fingers. Everybody who met her fell in love. She was easy to love. She always brought out the best in people.

“Let’s see who can find the biggest seashell?” I thought a game might help before I went with a heavy conversation,

“Mes, Mummy. I wills.” She let go of my hand and started searching.

We spent a good half an hour searching for seashells until she squealed in excitement and ran straight for the water. My heart stopped beating, and my voice disappeared. I gasped for breath and willed my body to move. I needed to get my baby. My body jolted, and I screamed as she neared the water. I chased after her, but her bodyguard Dean caught her before a wave met her. Hope was super-fast when she wanted to be, and I wasn’t used to running in the sand.

When I reached Dean, he was making his way to me and berating Hope. Well, it would be a berate if he wasn’t looking at her like she was the cutest thing in the world and trying to hide his smile. When I reached them, I ran my fingers over her, checking for any damage. Thankfully, I didn’t see any, and I hugged her to me, and Dean let her go.

“You can’t run off like that,” I said. “You scared Mummy so much. You could have been hurt, or the water could have taken you. I love you more than anything, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

I kissed her all over, and she groaned, “Mummmy.” She pushed against me and wiggled, trying to get down. I didn’t let her down. If I could, I never would. She tapped my cheek, and I stared into eyes just like mine. “Cans Iza do dancing, Mummy? Nanny says I’d besd the best and so pretties.”

She tapped my cheeks again before she kissed them and blinked at me, using her lashes to suck me in, and when her bottom lip wobbled, I moaned and nodded. She had just been told off and I’d had a scare, and she was fine and ready for the next activity, not even bothered. Argh, I was a sucker.

“Okay, I think I can find some money.” I stroked her hair and hugged her tight and reluctantly let her down.

“I’ll stay close, Miss Ruby,” Dean muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

I smiled at him as I guided Hope up the beach, away from the water. Dean had called me my last name the first couple of times, and I’d cringed and asked—no, begged him to call me Ruby. He wouldn’t, so we compromised on Miss Ruby.

This beach trip wasn’t just for a walk with Hope on the beach. It was for some much-needed girls’ time, just me and my daughter. I wanted to talk to her about all the new things that were going on.

We reached a spot between the wet and dry sand, and I sat on the dry sand, and one of the other bodyguards handed Hope a bucket, spade, and sand sifter. She sat on the wet side, and I slid down to play with her. I was going to have a wet patch, but I didn’t care.

We played for a couple of minutes before I started the talk I’d been wanting to have for days. “Hope, how do you feel about Derick?”

“Iza loves Drrk.”

“I’m happy you like him. How would you feel if Derick and Mummy started dating?”

“What’s dating?” Hope cocked her head.

I had read books and asked advice in my online mothers’ group on how to explain things to Hope. “Dating is when a couple decides to see if they like each other. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and they part ways and you don’t really see them after. But sometimes they really like each other and they become boyfriend and girlfriend, and then some even get married.”

She patted the sandcastle we’d built. “Likeded if I wanna marry Drrk.”

“Oh honey, you can’t marry Derick if he’s your daddy.”

“Why?” She stood and placed her little hands on her hips and stared down at me, waiting. But before I could answer, she cried out then sit down again. “Iza loves him.” Her bottom lip trembled, and I knew she was close to crying.

“I know you do, sweetheart, and there is no doubt that he loves you too, but his love for you is like a daddy to their daughter, a child. It’s how Nanny loves Derick. How I love you. I’m talking about me dating Derick. I like him. He’s nice to me and you like him too.”

She jumped up and did a little dance. “Yes. Yes, Mummy. I loves yous and Drrk. Iza have a mummy and a daddy now.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to think of a better way to explain things. I didn’t want to get her hope up. “Baby, I like Derick and the Silverman family, but you need to know that sometimes dating doesn’t work. I wanted to tell you, so you know that if anything happens between Derick and I and our dating doesn’t work, I don’t want you to get sad and think you had anything to do with it. It will be a grown-up thing. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you, and the Silverman family will be there for you too.” I really hoped that Derick and his family kept their promise about Hope always being a part of their family.

She was quiet for a long time, and then she smiled. “Oktay. I loves yous soo much.” She kissed my cheek and hugged me, and I knew that I’d done it right. At the very least, I’d eased my own worry.