His Curvy Woman (Curvy Women Wanted Book 5)(16)

“I’m really proud of you, and everything that you’ve achieved, Ace.”

“I know you are, Mom.”

She reached out, and took his hand. “To think of all those times I wasn’t there for you, and you had to fend for yourself. I was such a selfish person.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ve forgiven you, Mom. You need to learn to do that yourself. I’m a big boy, and I’m going to get married to the woman I have always loved. You have nothing to be ashamed of. One day, you’ll be a grandma.”

His mother put a hand to his chest, and he watched tears fill her eyes. “Is she pregnant?”

“No. We’re not pregnant. Not yet anyway, but I’m hoping one day soon I can convince her to have my babies.”

****

Trixie stepped in front of her mother, and instead of fearing the shame and ridicule that her mother had often given her, she felt … nothing. All of her life this woman had dictated everything to her. Where she should go, what she should do, whom she should love. The list went on and on, and now standing in front of her, having taken all of her power from her, Trixie felt nothing.

“You never come to the park,” Trixie said, shoving her hands into her jeans.

Her mother looked like she was going to say something, but then silence fell between them. “I like the fresh air, and since the park has been taken care of, my friends come to visit it as well. I didn’t come here to speak to the likes of you. Your father still can’t bring himself to speak about you. Just looking at you, you’ve fallen so far.”

“That’s fine. I understand. You told me that I was no longer your daughter, and I was dead to you. At first I had never felt pain like it, but now, I don’t care. You see, Mom, I’m happy. For the first time ever I am happy. That man over there, Ace Heart, he has made me the happiest woman in the world, and I’m going to marry him. I finally know what love is, and even if I never see you again, I know it’s going to be okay.”

“Is that what you’ve come to say? That you are going to give everything up to become some slut in a tattoo parlor?”

Trixie smiled. The voice her mother used, it was filled with so much loathing and disgust, and it drifted off her like water.

“I guess I am, Mom, and I’m going to be happy doing it.” She stepped forward, and embraced her mother even as she tensed. “You have no more power over me. You and I, we’re done.”

She turned on her heel and walked away. Ace stood, and she stepped into his arms.

“Are you okay, babe?” he asked.

“Me, yes, I’m totally okay.” He looked over her shoulder, and she cupped his face, shaking her head. “Don’t even give her the time of looking over at her. She made her choice.”

“It didn’t go well?”

“It went exactly as I expected, and you don’t need to worry about her, or even care what she thinks. I don’t. She’s nothing.”

Pressing her lips against his, she smiled. This man was her life, her future, and her everything.

He held her close, and just staring into his eyes, she knew she’d be more than happy.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you even more.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

Sitting down between his thighs, she ignored the woman who had nearly ruined her life, and instead enjoyed lunch with her soon to be husband, and his mother. Ace kept her hand locked firmly in his grip. So long as they were together, anything was possible.





Epilogue



Five years later

“Reese, get your butt down here right now. I told you not to draw on your sister,” Ace said. His arms were folded, and he was glaring upstairs. His five-year-old son had yet to make an appearance. All the books had said he needed to be firm and fair.

This was what looked firm to him, arms folded, and ready to tell his son off for, once again, drawing a butterfly on Izzy’s forehead.

“I like it, Daddy. It pretty,” Izzy said, standing beside him. At three years old she was a little fighter, and most of the time, she bested Reese.

“She wanted a butterfly, Dad. So I gave her one.”

“Your mother is due back from the store any minute and what did she say to you?” Ace asked. His son’s head popped around the banister, his red hair spiking all over the place. No matter how much gel he used to tame that hair, it did whatever the hell it wanted.

“She said I wasn’t allowed to draw on Izzy because I’ve got coloring books to do that inside.”

“And?”

“And it’s not fair that she has to clean it off Izzy’s head.” Reese hugged the banister.