Wildest Dreams (Dreamers Series Book 1) (18 page)

Jeff went through the information he could share with them on the case. It helped a lot that Ridge had started the missing person report as soon as he found out she was gone. The security guard Ridge had talked to had determined one of their own had helped Reece get into the complex. He had been given a passkey a few days earlier, and the guard had disabled the cameras in the apartment complex; then he disappeared. They were still in the process of looking for him.

The clerk at the gas station called in to report a suspicious situation and had the tag number of the SUV and video that proved it was Reece who had her.

As Jeff was talking about how the clerk had seen the rope burns on Ember's wrist, Blake looked at her wrist. She could see the anger flash in his eyes, but when he caught her watching him, his expression changed to one of love. He lifted her hand to his lips and began to give her small, tender kisses softly around her wrist like he was trying to kiss the pain away. She smiled at him and was surprised that his attention was making her feel better even if it didn’t take the physical pain away.

Jeff continued explaining that Eve was running an errand in Reece’s truck. They stopped her and brought her in for questioning. She gave up all the information they asked for, hoping it would help her to get a lesser sentence. Reece and Eve had been staying at the cabin her parents had left to her, and that’s where they had Ember. Reece was planning to call Ridge later that day and demand five million dollars for the return of Ember. Eve said that Reece was so infatuated with Ember, however, that he decided after getting the money he wasn’t going to let Ember go; he wasn't going to let anyone else have her, so he made other plans for her. Eve said she didn’t want to be a part of murder; she just wanted the money, and then they were supposed to flee to somewhere with a beach. When Reece changed the deal, she started having second thoughts about it.

At the admission that Ember’s life really was in peril, Ridge and Blake both had tears running down their cheeks and fury in their eyes. Blake held her so close she thought she was going to have trouble breathing, but she readjusted a little and sank back into him, not sure she wanted to hear any more.

Todd had talked Eve into calling Reece and telling him she was having trouble with the truck so that he would come outside the cabin without Ember. When he was far enough from the house that he couldn’t run back in, Jeff had let their presence be known. The SWAT team was waiting for him and gave him a chance to give up, but Reece had no intention of being taken alive. Reece said that they would never take him alive, and he pulled his gun, pointing it at the closest cop he could find. That was all it took.

Jeff then explained that they suspected Reece of being tied up in drug-trafficking and that the feds had been watching him for almost two years, but only because of this incident were they able to search his home and find more evidence of it. His greed and obsession with Ember had been his undoing.

Ember sighed. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel about all this, but at the moment she just felt relief. For the past few weeks, she felt like she had been on a roller coaster of emotions, with it ending here. Reece couldn’t hurt her anymore. Kaylen was safe and happy. Blake loved her. And her parents let her back into the family closer than when she had left. Life was better than her wildest dreams.

Blake leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Let’s go home, baby.” Then he kissed her cheek.

EPILOGUE

The party at her parents’ house was in full swing. Blake, Ridge, Jenna, Jade and her family, Lance and Brooke were all there. It was a beautiful summer day, and the kids were having a blast in the pool, as well as some of the adults.

It had been over a year since Reece’s death, and Ember was happy to see Kaylen adjusting to life as if nothing drastic had happened. She supposed that since things ended this way, she should be glad that Kaylen had not been close to Reece. Ember didn’t miss him in the slightest, but she did feel bad for Kaylen having to grow up without a real father.

Blake was so good to both of them. She didn’t want to be ungrateful, and the more she thought about it, the more agitated she grew with herself for worrying about it. Blake had stepped up to the task of taking care of Kaylen as if she was his own, and Ember should be thankful for that. Ember never expected anything like that from him, but he always came through. The thought made Ember smile.

Walking up behind her and putting his arms around her, Blake said, “Hey, babe, what are you doing hiding in here?” She wasn’t sure if she would ever stop getting goosebumps when he touched her. She looked back at him over her shoulder, and he gave her a quick kiss before pulling back and looking at her curiously.

“I’m just getting a drink. I’m coming back outside.” She didn’t need to mention the part about Kaylen. She wasn’t about to put him on the spot with something like that.

“What are you thinking about?”

She sighed. How did he always know? She decided to share the other issue that had been weighing on her lately. “It’s nothing important. I’m just nervous about starting classes soon I guess. It’s a little overwhelming.” She twisted around to face him and smiled up at him.

“I told you that you don’t have to go to school if you don’t want to. Stay home with Kaylen, or go to school to be a nurse or take some writing classes.” He leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers as he whispered his words directly into her ear, “I want you to do whatever you want to do. Don’t do something because you feel like you have to do it, baby. You know you’re taken care of.”

She grinned and kissed his cheek. “I know that, and I appreciate it. I really do want to be a doctor, though. I’m just…I guess I’m afraid.”

He pulled back again, concerned. “Afraid of what?”

“That I’m not going to be a good one.” She blushed feeling a little embarrassed. She looked away from him.

Blake took her chin and tilted it up for her to look into his dark eyes. Once again she was swept away by the love she had for this man. “You’re going to be the best damn doctor ever. You’re incredibly smart, and you have compassion. You really will be amazing at it. I know you will.” He said it so matter-of-factly that she had no choice but to believe him, and she smiled at him again, letting him kiss her breathlessly.

Stopping, he smirked at her. “Let’s go back outside before Ridge sends a search party after us.”

Ember giggled.

They stopped outside at the pool, and Ember noticed that Blake gave Ridge a nod when he thought Ember wasn’t looking. Little did he know that Ember was always looking. She blushed at the thought. He was beyond everything she had ever dreamed.

She was still secretly hoping that Ridge would ask Jenna out. They spent a little time together, but mostly when it was all of them in a group and only as friends. Jenna had grown to be Ember’s best friend, and she knew all about the crush Jenna had on Ridge, but shortly after Ember was healed and got a job he had started to travel more. He had to leave every few months, so he used that excuse to avoid starting a relationship with her. Jenna still went out with the girls from work, though, and Ember didn’t miss the fact Ridge’s jaw tensed when he overheard Jenna talking about the guys that hit on her.

Ember went to get Kaylen out of the pool and help her find her flip-flops, but as she started back toward Blake, she knew something was up. Everyone had silently gathered around the pool, and they were all watching her. She looked up at Blake curiously, but he just gave her his trademark smirk and shrugged. Glancing down toward Kaylen, he asked her, “Do you still have it, little one?”

Kaylen beamed as she let go of Ember’s hand and went over to a lounge chair where her tiny purse was. She grabbed it and walked as fast as she could to Blake. “I got it, Daddy,” she said. Opening it, she showed him something in it.

All Ember heard was “
Daddy
,” and her eyes went wide. She was horrified.
Oh no!
He’s going to panic and disappear.
This wasn’t supposed to happen!
Ember’s heart was racing so fast she wasn’t even sure what he had just said. Blake was standing in front of her and watching her intently when he finally put his hands on her shoulders to get her attention.

“Are you okay?” As calm as he was, Ember wondered if he had even heard Kaylen.

“I’m sorry.” she whispered. She was so embarrassed that her family had heard it too, and they would probably judge him for not wanting Kaylen to call him that. How could they even understand how much he was already doing. He didn’t have to have a title to have their love. She was already trying to come up with his defense when she realized Blake was still watching her curiously.

“Sorry for what?”

“You didn’t hear her?”

“I heard her.” He waited to see what Ember’s reaction was, and he was not disappointed; she was shocked. He grinned at her. “That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Ember’s expression didn’t change, nor did she say anything.

“I would like to adopt Kaylen.”

Ember’s green eyes filled with unshed tears as she glanced down at her little girl, who was standing beside Blake, holding his hand. She looked back up at him. “She knew.” It wasn’t a question. She realized he must have talked to Kaylen about it, and the thought of him considering her input in the matter made her love him even more.

He nodded.

Kaylen started jumping up and down giggling as she squealed, “Say yes, Mommy, please?”

“Yes, yes of course…” Her voice trailed off as she thought of how that would work. “Can you do that, though? I mean legally?” She looked up at Blake, concerned that Kaylen would be let down if this didn’t work out.

“I’m hoping to make all this legal.” He looked a little embarrassed. “I wasn’t expecting her to catch you off guard like that, so I missed a step.” Kneeling before Ember, he took her hand in the one that Kaylen wasn’t clinging to and looked up at her. “I love you, Ember. I’m grateful for getting to be a part of your life. I never knew how good having a family of my own could be, but this small taste of it just makes me want more. It’s not just having a family, though; it’s having you. I want you as my wife, and I want Kaylen to be my daughter. I want us to give her siblings.”

Before he could even finish, she exclaimed, “Yes!” as she went down to her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him hard. Then she felt a little arm reaching around her neck as Kaylen grabbed them both in an embrace.

“You forgot something.” Ridge was trying to act like he was not happy, but the way his mouth twitched gave him away.

Blake looked at him, confused, as Ember looked around at all the smiling and crying faces. Then she noticed Jenna rubbing her left ring finger like she was trying to give Blake a hint without saying anything aloud. Ember stifled a giggle.

“Oh, yeah.” He looked back at Ember, who was grinning so big her face was starting to hurt. “It’s a really good thing I don’t ever have to do this again. I suck.” Ember laughed, and he smiled back at her. Looking at Kaylen, he said, “Okay, it’s time.”

Looking up at him with her giant emerald eyes, she asked, “Daddy, can I do it? I wanna put it on her, please?”

He glanced at Ember and grinned. “I’m doomed. How am I ever going to be able to say no to that?” Ember smiled. He looked back at Kaylen’s expectant face and nodded.

Kaylen took the box out of her purse, and Blake helped her open it. “I need your hand, Momma.” Ember held her left hand out and blushed at how much she was shaking. Blake pointed to her ring finger and helped to hold her hand still for Kaylen to slip it on her. Ember knew the stone was huge, but she could barely see it with the tears in her eyes. Finally, after wiping them a few times, she saw that it was a huge marquise cut emerald with round diamonds down the sides set in white gold.

“I helped pick it out,” Kaylen said, sounding very proud of herself. "Daddy said this one looks like our eyes.” She pointed to the emerald.

Ember grinned at her. “It’s perfect. I love it!”

“Can I go swim now?”

“Hmm, ask your dad…” Ember grinned as Kaylen looked at him, and he shook his head and chuckled.

“Have fun,” he said and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Then speaking only loud enough for Ember to hear him, “Doomed.” She laughed.

They walked over to everyone still waiting to give congratulations. Blake had already made plans for Jade to take Kaylen home with her.

Lance was the first to leave, though. Brooke was over the whole family thing, and she was intent on making him miserable if he stayed.

Jenna was almost as excited as Ember was. “Don’t let Ridge fool you, look at him.” She nodded to where Ridge was talking to Blake, and she noticed that he did look happy. Ember smiled, knowing that he did approve of Blake because that meant a lot to her.

They walked over to where Ridge and Blake were, and Ember wrapped her arms around Blake again kissing him on the cheek. Looking at Ridge, she smiled and flashed her ring in front of her face. He raised his eyebrow and chuckled shaking his head. “Come here, brat.” He pulled her into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe he can keep you out of trouble.” She just smiled as she squeezed him back.

They said good night to everyone else, making it short and sweet, though, because she was in a hurry to celebrate.