Damaged and the Beast (44 page)

Arms around him, I glanced around at a bedroom in need of attention. The house was like me in many ways. Having great potential, it just needed a little tender care. As Cooper rested me on my back and went about exploring from my neck to between my legs, I realized I was home. I also realized Cooper was right about oral sex. Now that I was used to it, I never wanted him to stop.

Within hours of buying the house, Cooper had guys working on it. The whole process flew by because Kirk paid cash and the guy who owned it was in a hurry to leave town. I didn’t ask why. Just like I didn’t ask what happened to Amy and Tex. Certain things didn’t interest me.

New floors, paint, and furnishings quickly turned the rundown house into a palace. Our first night with everything completed, Cooper and I christened each room including Tawny’s.

Cooper’s guy had retrieved Tawny from a shithole in nowhere Texas, but they couldn’t fly to Kentucky because she was too scared. On the phone, she sounded terrified of Cooper’s guy, Dad finding her, everything. I think those last weeks stuck in the motel had eaten away at what was left of her youth. She sounded hollowed out, but I promised I would see her soon. I told her about the house and her rooms, but she didn’t understand. Along the way, Tawny had shut down and pulled so deeply into herself that I wasn’t sure how to get her back.

The day she was expected to arrive, Cooper was in a weird mood. I think he worried I wouldn’t pay attention to him once Tawny lived with us. I reassured him with sex against the kitchen counter. That usually helped.

Later, I was tense because the sun was setting and Tawny hadn’t arrived. Cooper calmed me with sex on the couch then in the chair when the first try didn’t do the trick. I was pretty relaxed physically when Cooper got the call that they were coming up the street. Mentally, I was wired and my heart hurt at the idea of something bad happening before I could see Tawny again.

Running out to the porch, I waited for the car and prayed nothing ruined the happiness I had found in Ellsberg. Cooper stood next to me and took my hand.

“You saved her,” I said, out of breath and teary-eyed. “She would have died out there, but you saved her. You gave me back my sister.”

“It’s okay, baby.”

Even nodding, I needed to see Tawny. Building this amazing life, I lived in a beautiful house with my beautiful Cooper. I enjoyed my dream of college. I had a new car so I didn’t have to walk everywhere or bum rides. I would soon be married to a man who loved me so much that it hurt him when I was unhappy. I had everything except my best friend.

When the SUV pulled into the driveway, I took off running towards it, panicked something could still go wrong. Life might still shit on the Smith sisters. Inside the Suburban, Tawny fought to remove her seatbelt. By the time I reached her door though, she opened it and lunged into my arms.

Time stood still while we cried against each other on the driveway. Nearby, Cooper spoke with a tall dark haired guy. He had saved Tawny, but I could see why she had been anxious about him. The guy was at least a decade older than Cooper and those extra years made him harder than my sweet beast. While the men spoke, it was all background noise because life had given me everything I needed.

Tawny felt too thin and her face looked sickly, but I knew she would bounce back. Here with me and Cooper, she would be safe and happy. She would heal like I did with Cooper’s help. One day, she would be whole again.

Finally, I stood and lifted Tawny to her feet. She walked nervously towards Cooper who admittedly looked pretty intimidating standing with his arms crossed. Even with all those muscles and tattoos, I saw the softness underneath his dark expression. My gentle Cooper was underneath the beast and soon Tawny would love him too.

I officially stopped dreaming of being Mrs. Prescott and embraced being me on the day my first child was born. While I still admired Mrs. Prescott and wanted her better qualities, I realized there was power in simply being Farah Delta Johansson.

Our baby was born in the same hospital as Cooper with his family sitting in the waiting room well past visiting hours. Rules were for pussies, Kirk announced. With Tawny and Cooper at my side, I felt ready to give birth even though my therapist warned it might trigger certain memories.

Having started seeing her months earlier, I mostly talked about easy things like growing up poor and moving around a lot. Eventually, we might talk about the uglier stuff, but I wasn’t ready. The one advice my therapist gave me was to get an epidural. The less pain, the less likely memories would be triggered. So I sat comfortably for most of the ten hours I was in labor. We watched television and Cooper sang
Hair of the Dog
to the baby bump as a form of encouragement.

Later, after family and friends were gone, only Cooper, the baby, and I remained. He sat up against the headboard with me cuddled next to him. Our baby was awake, looking undaunted by the new experience.

Cooper couldn’t stop staring at his daughter. As he held her out in front of him, I’d never seen him prouder. He also didn’t seem the least bit nervous about being a dad.

As we admired Lily Delta Johansson, Cooper sighed. “With those lips, our girl will be a heartbreaker like her mom.”

Grinning, I studied my baby. “With those dark eyes, I bet our girl will be a ballbuster like her daddy.”

Cooper looked at me with the most amazing expression on his handsome face. If I hadn’t been sure he loved me, this moment sealed the deal. He glanced at Lily then back at me and smiled.

“Hell yeah, she will.”

The end.