Cree (My Way Series - Book 1) (Volume 1) (18 page)

“You are such a good dad!”

He bent down and kissed my head.

“I could have doubled the quantity of eggs if you would have let me follow her.”

“You’re terrible. I never pictured you as the obnoxious parent who pushes down other kids.”

“Hey, anything for my girls, and you know that!”

Annie came bounding back to us with her basket overflowing with eggs. The three of us sat on the grass, cracked open each egg, and admired the treasure in each one. In typical Cree fashion, he stole all of her Snickers. We ate lunch together at the local burger joint, and then Cree kissed us goodbye and went back to the farm.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Lacey’s salon, getting our hair trimmed and our toes polished. We fixed a simple dinner that night at the house. Greyson joined us for dinner and the evening’s festivities. Willow had planned an Easter egg hunt in the dark with flashlights. She was pretty revved up about this, claiming it was something she always wanted to do when she was younger. We used our decorated hard-boiled eggs for the hunt.

I volunteered to help Cree hide eggs, but I was immediately vetoed. They all claimed that we would get distracted in the dark. They were probably right. So Cree and Greyson hid the eggs, while we strapped headlamps to our foreheads. We looked absolutely ridiculous. Willow had even bought all of us matching Easter baskets. We giggled as we all ran through the yard, chasing eggs, as Annie called it. I let Cree be the obnoxious parent this time. He had fun pushing us out of the way to snag an egg for his Annie. At one point, he tackled Willow to the ground so Annie could steal the eggs out her basket.

Annie set out a plate of carrots and a glass of orange juice, along with her letter to the Easter bunny. Cree carried her over to me, so she could pepper her kisses all over me. We whispered our, “I love yous” to each other, and then Cree hauled her little hiney upstairs to tuck her in.

“Okay, so we need to stuff all these eggs. I want to make a trail from Annie’s bed to her basket. Willow, you can put together all the baskets. And Lacey, keep our wine glasses filled, biotch.”

“You’re quite the bossy ho-bag tonight,” Lacey chirped as she went into the kitchen for more wine.

“Damn straight—head ho’s up here in the house tonight.”

Greyson and Willow just shook their heads at our smartass remarks. I spread out on the couch and started my mini assembly line of stuffing eggs. I had bought special eggs for each person. Cree returned, carrying two beers and shaking his head from side to side.

“Holy hell! Did you clear out the aisle at the grocery store, Milly?”

“Maybe. I was a little excited for this.”

Cree plopped down on the couch amongst all the candy, bubbles and toys. He started stuffing eggs with me. We stuffed eggs, drank, and drank a little more. Before I knew it, Cree was passed out in my lap snoring with Snickers wrappers all around him. Greyson was passed out in the recliner. The boys weren’t drunk—they were passed out from sheer exhaustion. Us girls were going strong; drinking our wine and giggling away, stuffing eggs and wrapping baskets. Leave it to Lacey to scheme up an evil plan.

“Let’s put makeup on the boys!”

“Not Cree! I may want to seduce him later, and I’m thinking blue eye shadow may be a mood killer.”

“Okay, Greyson then!”

Willow sprinted to get her makeup bag. We caked the makeup on poor Greyson. We glittered his eyelids with hot pink eye shadow, dabbed blush on his strong cheek bones, and traced his lips with Annie’s purple lipstick
.
Lacey begged to shave an eyebrow, but Willow drew the line. We added a hot pink flower to his hair and put a cute fluffy bunny under his arm to finish him off. Lacey took several pictures of him while we giggled so hard we nearly peed our pants. Okay, if I’m being honest, I peed a little.

“Okay, let’s get these eggs laid out around the house before we can’t walk anymore.”

“One more glass of wine,” Willow protested and we all agreed.

“Toast. We need to toast,” Lacey demanded.

“To my family that I never had, but always dreamed of. I love you now and forever, hookers!” I proclaimed.

We clanked our glasses together and chugged. We snuck up to Annie’s room and started her trail of eggs that led to her basket. Then we made one from Cree’s room, one from Willow’s room and one from the guest room. We were hoping that Greyson’s trail of eggs would come as some sort of apology in the morning.

Willow woke up Greyson and led him to the guest room. If I was a betting woman, I would bet she may have forgotten to make it to her own room. I waltzed my way over to the couch, giggling from the sweetness of the wine buzzing in my body. I crawled up on Cree, rubbing on him everywhere.

“Captain, it’s time to go to bed. The bunny won’t come if you stay out here.”

“Mmmm…Milly.”

“C’mon, Captain.”

I started kissing his neck and grinding my crotch down on his, trying to wake him up.

“If you can make it up to the bedroom, I’ll give you a surprise.”

“Give it to me here.”

Cree was playing hard to get. I sat back up on his thighs and started doing a little strip tease, and then stopped before I pulled my top off over my head. He popped open one eye to peek and then snapped his eye closed, pretending to sleep. I slid my hand down beneath my boy shorts, throwing my head back moaning when my fingers hit my lady bits. I won! The boy was wide awake now!

“Let me touch.”

“Nope. Not until you get your ass up to your bed.”

I started grinding against my hand, bumping into Cree’s erection that was hidden under his jeans. He gripped my hips and started helping me ride him.

“You are such a naughty little pirate.”

“Oh, honey, you are so drunk and I’m so going to take advantage of you tonight.”

He was right. I would never be straddled on top of him playing with myself sober. God bless liquid courage! I kept grinding against my hand, sitting on top of Cree. He kept his hands on each one of my hips guiding me to my release. The only sounds that could be heard were my moans, his naughty encouragements and the rain pounding the house when I finally let go.

“Dolly, let’s go out on the porch. I want you out there.”

“Who am I to argue?”

We did all kinds of naughty things on the porch while the rain poured down. He carried me back to the bedroom two hours later, crunching plastic eggs on the way.

Cree and I woke up before anyone else and started cooking breakfast together. We haven’t had much time to just be together without worrying about our jobs or our girl. This morning was perfect because it was just us in his kitchen. I was sitting on the counter flipping pancakes and Cree was busy frying bacon shirtless upon my request. When we heard Annie rustling around upstairs, we crept out into the hall to peer up the stairs.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! The bunny left eggs in my room!”

We watched her gather up all her eggs as she made her way down the stairs. Her eyes lit up when she saw the huge basket waiting for her by her toy box in the living room. I made plates for both of them as Cree sorted through Annie’s basket with her. Lacey was up and joined them in the living room, snapping pictures of the duo.

When I entered the living room with full plates, Cree was wearing bunny ears and putting together a dollhouse. I really need to make a calendar filled with shots of just him. We all sat in the living room eating our breakfast. Thirty minutes later, Willow woke up with a major hangover look. I was thankful that Cree had rode away my drunkenness last night. Then Greyson, who was oblivious to his makeup, came strolling out into the living room. All of us adults gasped and covered our mouths.

“Unky Grey!”

“What, princess?”

“You is wearing makeup like a girl!”

“That could have been you,” I whispered into Cree’s ear.

Greyson rushed into the bathroom and started laughing. He was so well-natured and loveable.

“Payback sucks, ladies!” he yelled.

“Milly, the bunny left you a great big golden, shiny egg.”

“He did? Are you sure it’s mine?”

“Yep, see your name?”

Annie plopped down into my lap and handed me the egg, with her cute little grin plastered on her face.

“Annie, where did you get this?”

“My daddy.”

Cree just shook his head at Annie. I popped open the golden egg to find two silver bands nestled in tissue paper. A solid silver ring my size was in the tissue paper. It had Cree and Annie’s name stamped on it. I slid it onto my finger and picked up the other ring. It was tiny and obviously for Annie. It read, “Princess.”

“Annie Bug, this one is for you. Look!”

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Cree and I both giggled at her reaction.

“It’s beautiful. What does it say?” she asked.

“Princess. Let me put it on for you!”

“Milly, these are like those best friend necklaces those big girls have at dance.”

“Yep. But these are better, because they’re ours!”

C
HAPTER 25

Mother’s Day

Milly,

I’m so hapy that you are my mommy. You are the cheerio to my milk. The sauce to my sgetti and the choklate chip to my kookies. I lov you and want you to come to the Muther’s Day breakfast at school wif me. I lov you.

You dotter,

Annie

“Cree you have to look at what Annie gave me when I picked her up from school today.”

“That is too funny! Did she write one for me?”

“It’s for Mother’s Day, you dork!”

“Well…”

“Would you like to be my date for the breakfast?”

“You know it!”

***

Annie’s classroom was decorated with all kinds of art projects. The tables had been pushed together and covered with red and pink paper. Annie met us at the door and pinned a rose to my shirt. Cree scooped her up and kissed her. Then he started eyeballing the room for the little boy he knew had a crush on his little Annie.

We both took a seat at Annie’s table and introduced ourselves to the other moms. Cree was the only father there, but it didn’t bother him in the least. That’s what I loved about him—he threw out the normal and typical parameters of life, lived in his own little bubble and enjoyed the hell out of it. He was also some damn fine arm candy for all the other mothers to ogle over.

Each student had to introduce their mom. I was getting nervous for Annie because I wasn’t sure how she was going to react. She has never called me the M word. She has referred to me as being in the position of her mom, but never actually used the words. Which was fine with me—I would be her Milly for eternity. When it was her turn, she grabbed me by the hand and marched me right up to the front of the room.

“This is Milly, and she is my mommy. My mommy has The Shop in town. I like to go there with her because she squirts cream in my mouth and lets me play dress up. My mommy’s favorite food is mac n’ cheese, and she likes it when my daddy cooks bacon. I’ve never had a mommy before Milly. I know she loves me because she smiles a lot at me. This is my mommy.”

Annie then handed me the little hand print card she made me, and her class applauded her speech. We sat down and the next student tugged their mom up to the front to introduce them. Annie crawled up into my lap and Cree squeezed my hand. He could see the absolute joy and contentment on my face. I didn’t want this moment to end. I wanted to rewind the last three minutes and relive them for the rest of my life.

Annie had just accepted me into her life as her mom. The feeling of being someone’s mom was so overwhelming and gratifying at the same time, I wanted to scream with joy. Annie wasn’t genetically mine—I didn’t get to carry her in my womb for nine months and give birth to her, but she was mine. She had planted a seed in my heart that I would carry with me now and forever. She was mine.

Then it happened like it always happened when the M word was being used. My mind reeled back to my own mother and remembered how easily she let me go and never came back for me. How cruel must one person be to leave their own flesh and blood in a corner to rot? She left me, not worrying where I would get my next meal or if I would live. She left me in a cockroach infested trailer with cocaine pipes scattered everywhere. She left me in a trailer with no food or running water. She left me bruised and scared.

She did all this when I was only five, the same age as my sweet Annie. She was a cold, heartless bitch. It wasn’t me—it was her and her cruel, heartless soul. It wasn’t my fault she left. I couldn’t have done anything to stop her from choosing my dad. It was her to blame, not me. She lost my trust and my love.

I had to let her memory go. I had to let the sensation of her kicking my stomach go. I had to let the word abortion go. I had to let my fears go. I had to let my mommy go, so I wouldn’t think of her angry face the day she pushed me down, every time someone says the word “mommy.”

I’m letting her go, so I can be a mom. My mom couldn’t make me bleed anymore. Her power over me had run dry. Annie fixed my bleed with her carefree and gentle love. I felt a tug on my hand that pulled me from my thoughts.

“Mommy, we have to get in line for our food.”

With those sweet words, there was no longer an M word in my vocabulary.

***

I woke up to Annie and Cree’s faces smiling brightly at me.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” they sang in unison, setting a platter of food in front of me.

“Annie, you already gave me my gift, silly girl. But thanks for this beautiful breakfast!”

“Yep! Daddy cooked you bacon, and I poured the juice and washed them strawberries.”

“Well, let’s dig in!”

There was only one platter of food, but we all ate off of it together. Cree tried to snag the last strip of bacon, so I growled at him, then gave him an old fashioned titty-twister!