Torn (29 page)

Even though it was only supposed to be three
days a week, Sierra was here more than not. She, Barb, and I had
quickly become like the three musketeers. Sierra was so wonderful
with the baby that when Jaxon and I needed a night out she would
damn near fight Brody for the chance to keep the baby. Sierra loved
my daughter and I loved her for that. This worked out well with
Brody’s travel schedule, and I was grateful he was home more since
Lillian was born.

As we exchanged presents, Doug was taking
pictures like he was the paparazzi and Lillian was a Kardashian.
She was still too young to understand, but loved the toys that made
noise.

“Brody, those are all going to your house,
man,” Jaxon threatened.

“Not a chance, that’s why I brought them for
her to open here.” He laughed. It warmed my heart to see these two
finally getting along.

“Lei.” Brody handed me a thick, white
envelope.

“What did you do? We said no presents,” I
fussed.

“Just open it.” He rolled his eyes.

The contents of the envelope left me
astonished. The first set of documents was for a trust that Brody
set up for Lil. Payable on her eighteenth, twenty-first, and
twenty-fifth birthdays the sum of $100,000. On her thirtieth she
would receive $500,000 and fortieth $1,000,000. The next set of
legal papers was a college savings fund receipt for Lillian in the
amount of $500,000.

Those all made sense. What did not make sense
was the last document, his last will and testament. I glanced up at
Brody, who was watching Lillian play with a bow that was stuck to
the palm of her hand. He was leaving everything to Lillian, with
the exception of the Parrot Cay beach house and $5,000,000, which
were bequeathed to me. The Johns Island property and $5,000,000
would go to Jane. Lillian would inherit close to $50,000,000 as it
currently stood.

“Brody, you can’t—” I started when he pulled
me aside.

“Leila, you are the mother of my child.
Regardless of who you married, I will make sure you are taken care
of for the rest of your life. It makes sense that everything else
would go to my only child,” he said matter-of-factly. “Now, let’s
go finish watching our daughter open her presents.”

“Are you sick?” I could not wrap my head
around why he was doing this now.

“No, I’m not.” He tilted his head back to
where everyone else was.

“Then what prompted this? I feel like there
is something you’re not saying, Brody.” I looked down at the papers
again to see the date they were drawn up. December 12. The day his
parents died. “You went on the anniversary?”

“It’s the day that reminds me every year that
tomorrow is not promised.” With that, he turned and walked back up
the hallway to the living room, leaving me stunned.

“Babe,” Jaxon called. “Come on, I’m gettin’
ready to open your present.”

I tried to shake off the overwhelming
information inside the envelope, deciding to get back to enjoy our
Christmas. But I hated the thought that Brody was planning for our
future. A future without him.

Jaxon sat on the floor next to Lil as he
unwrapped the box and lifted the lid.

“What is it, dear?” Ashley asked curiously,
as everyone looked on.

“Uh, looks like a shirt that says be nice to
me….” His eyes shot to me in disbelief. “Are you kidding?”

I just beamed. “Keep looking. Because this is
how well I know you, my loving husband.”

He picked the shirt up and sitting in the
bottom of the box was an EPT pregnancy test. He picked up the stick
and immediately dropped everything and crossed the room in three
massive strides. He scooped me up, spun me around, and kissed me
like crazy.

“Well, what is it?” Jane asked, looking over
at a knowing Barb.

Ashley reached over and picked up the shirt
and read it out loud. “Be nice to me my wife is pregnant. Oh my
goodness. We’re havin’ another baby.”

Jaxon finally set me down. “How far
along?”

“About seven to eight weeks. Are you happy
about this?” I started to tear up.

“Babe.” He gave me the look.

*****

Seven months later, we welcomed Logan Jaxon
Coleman into the world. He was as handsome as his daddy and had the
blond hair to match. I would have my hands full with this one.

The End

Jaxon and Leila finally got their
happily ever after.

But what about Brody?

The next book in the Torn series is
coming soon….

A.F.
Crowell’s love of books did not start until her husband forced her
to watch
Twilight
one weekend when they
were snowed in. From there her love only grew. Contemporary
romance, paranormal, YA, and dystopian are her preferred reads, but
she also loves Patricia Cornwell novels.
Pushed
is her debut and the first book in the Torn
Series. It will be followed by
Pulled
, book
two, and
Torn
, book three.

Crowell lives in Charleston, SC, with her
husband and also her two boys, who at seven and eleven share her
love of reading. The family has two dogs, Diesel, a German Shepherd
rescue, and Dez, a black Labrador Retriever.

For more information on release dates and upcoming
work, please visit:

www.facebook.com/authorafcrowell

twitter.com/AuthorAFCrowell

boroughspublishinggroup.com/authors/af-crowell

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