Deliciously Erotic Romance Collection (The Blue Room, Frosted Midnight, Haunted Halloween, Frosted Midnight) by Breena Wilde
Authors: Breena Wilde
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pushed his way-too-sexy chest. He didn’t move, so I slammed a fist into his arm. I totally hit like a girl, but I didn’t care. Angry tears fell from my face. “You don’t get to be mad, you son-of-a-bitch. You don’t get to see your daughter and you don’t get to see me. You get to leave. So go.” I pushed at him again. “Go. Get out. Damn you.”
Austin grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug. “I can’t. I won’t ever leave you again. I know I’m an asshole, but I swear I’m here. I’m staying. I—”
“I have cancer, Austin. The doctor’s giving me a fifty-fifty shot at survival.” I was doing the ugly cry, the kind where you don’t care what you look like and, even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to stop it. “So shut up and leave.” I was out of control, hitting him without force, but still hitting.
Austin froze. I felt his body go stiff, and I momentarily felt bad. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and looked at him through my tears. “What kind?” he whispered.
“It’s on my spine,” I said and sat on the couch. I hadn’t wanted to tell him like that, but I was glad it was out. All the cards on the table.
“What’s your treatment plan?” he asked, so soft I almost didn’t hear him.
“I start chemo the middle of January. At the moment I’m on several different drugs to help slow it down. So far they haven’t helped much.”
Austin sat beside me and put his head in his hands. Now I really felt bad.
“You don’t have to stay. You don’t have to go through this.” I shrugged. “If, you know, you could come and visit Emma sometimes, I’d really appreciate that, though.”
“You mean after you’re dead?” he asked and looked up. He was angry again.
I nodded slowly. “If something were to happen, it’d be nice if she could see her dad.”
Austin turned and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Don’t you fucking talk like that.” He stood up and walked to the door. “I’m leaving, but I’m not leaving-leaving. I need to make a couple of phone calls, move around a few things, and cancel a couple of others. I will be back later today and I will meet my daughter. Got it?”
I nodded numbly, afraid if I said anything he might change his mind.
When the door closed my mom came out holding Emma. “That was intense.”
I sniffled and smiled. “Hi baby-girl.” I took Emma from my mom and snuggled her close. I’d given up a lot for her, but I’d do it again in a second.
“Do you believe him? You think he’s coming back?”
I shrugged. “His track record isn’t great.” I placed Emma in her bouncy chair, buckled her in, and busied myself making her bottle.
My mom poured two glasses of orange juice and flipped on the coffee pot. “Why don’t you let me feed her while you shower. You smell like you bathed in vodka.”
I sipped the orange juice and brought the bottle over. “That reminds me, he said I sent him pictures.” I flipped open the laptop and scanned my sent email. Sure enough, there was an email to Austin Merrick. “Holy shit.” I opened it. My mom leaned in and we looked at it together.
My mom covered her mouth. “No wonder he showed up here this morning frantic. But you’re right, Emma looks just like him.”
“Yeah, she does.” I smiled at my daughter, picked her up. “You sure you don’t mind feeding her?”
My mom took her. “Not at all. Go shower.” I walked out of the kitchen. “You just may get your Christmas miracle, Willow.”
I turned back. “I don’t need a miracle. I have much more than most.” I walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, mom.”
While I was in the shower my mom called my sisters. When I got out they were sitting in the kitchen. It smelled like freshly cooked bacon and coffee. They were eating and laughing.
“Hey, party animal. Next time you drink a bottle of vodka, invite me over. I want to have fun too,” Liv said, and I blushed.
“What, no makeup?” Heather
Austin grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug. “I can’t. I won’t ever leave you again. I know I’m an asshole, but I swear I’m here. I’m staying. I—”
“I have cancer, Austin. The doctor’s giving me a fifty-fifty shot at survival.” I was doing the ugly cry, the kind where you don’t care what you look like and, even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to stop it. “So shut up and leave.” I was out of control, hitting him without force, but still hitting.
Austin froze. I felt his body go stiff, and I momentarily felt bad. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and looked at him through my tears. “What kind?” he whispered.
“It’s on my spine,” I said and sat on the couch. I hadn’t wanted to tell him like that, but I was glad it was out. All the cards on the table.
“What’s your treatment plan?” he asked, so soft I almost didn’t hear him.
“I start chemo the middle of January. At the moment I’m on several different drugs to help slow it down. So far they haven’t helped much.”
Austin sat beside me and put his head in his hands. Now I really felt bad.
“You don’t have to stay. You don’t have to go through this.” I shrugged. “If, you know, you could come and visit Emma sometimes, I’d really appreciate that, though.”
“You mean after you’re dead?” he asked and looked up. He was angry again.
I nodded slowly. “If something were to happen, it’d be nice if she could see her dad.”
Austin turned and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Don’t you fucking talk like that.” He stood up and walked to the door. “I’m leaving, but I’m not leaving-leaving. I need to make a couple of phone calls, move around a few things, and cancel a couple of others. I will be back later today and I will meet my daughter. Got it?”
I nodded numbly, afraid if I said anything he might change his mind.
When the door closed my mom came out holding Emma. “That was intense.”
I sniffled and smiled. “Hi baby-girl.” I took Emma from my mom and snuggled her close. I’d given up a lot for her, but I’d do it again in a second.
“Do you believe him? You think he’s coming back?”
I shrugged. “His track record isn’t great.” I placed Emma in her bouncy chair, buckled her in, and busied myself making her bottle.
My mom poured two glasses of orange juice and flipped on the coffee pot. “Why don’t you let me feed her while you shower. You smell like you bathed in vodka.”
I sipped the orange juice and brought the bottle over. “That reminds me, he said I sent him pictures.” I flipped open the laptop and scanned my sent email. Sure enough, there was an email to Austin Merrick. “Holy shit.” I opened it. My mom leaned in and we looked at it together.
My mom covered her mouth. “No wonder he showed up here this morning frantic. But you’re right, Emma looks just like him.”
“Yeah, she does.” I smiled at my daughter, picked her up. “You sure you don’t mind feeding her?”
My mom took her. “Not at all. Go shower.” I walked out of the kitchen. “You just may get your Christmas miracle, Willow.”
I turned back. “I don’t need a miracle. I have much more than most.” I walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, mom.”
While I was in the shower my mom called my sisters. When I got out they were sitting in the kitchen. It smelled like freshly cooked bacon and coffee. They were eating and laughing.
“Hey, party animal. Next time you drink a bottle of vodka, invite me over. I want to have fun too,” Liv said, and I blushed.
“What, no makeup?” Heather
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