Read Online SCARRED - Part 6 (The SCARRED Series - Book 6) by Kylie Walker - Free Book Online Page B

and came around to give her a big hug. He kissed her on the cheek then and holding her back so he could see her face he said,
    “You know that we never thought this day would come. For the last twenty-five years we wished for the chance to celebrate your birthday with you just once. This day and every day since Derek brought you to us has been an answer to our prayers. Happy birthday, darling Chloe.”
    Chloe smiled through her tears. “Thank you so much. Everything is so beautiful.”
    Samantha came over then and took her into her arms. She didn’t say anything, she just held the daughter that she thought she would never know. Chloe still marveled at how safe and warm she always felt in the petite little woman’s arms. Samantha kissed her cheek too and when she reluctantly let her go she said, “Happy birthday love.”
    “Thank you.” Chloe looked around at all of the food and said, “You’ve outdone yourself again. I’m going to gain fifty pounds by the time this baby is born.”
    Samantha waved a hand at her. “I don’t think you have to worry about it. Besides, it’s all healthy food. You’re not nauseated this morning, are you?”
    Chloe thought about making love to Derek in the shower. Right before they’d gotten in, she’d felt a quick wave of nausea. Once they were naked together in the shower, she forgot all about it. Maybe she’d found the cure for morning sickness...making love to a beautiful man.
    “No, not at all,” she told her mother. They all sat down to eat and for the most part conversation was light. Derek said, “Your parents and I would like to take you out for dinner if that’s okay with you?”
    “That sounds great,” she said. “But you don’t really have to do all of that. This breakfast and just being here with all of you is enough.”
    “Oh brace yourself honey,” Trevor said, “Your mother doesn’t know how to do “good enough.” Your day will be completely overwhelming, but she’ll make it so much fun that you’ll want to do it all over again as soon as it’s over.”
    Chloe laughed. “Okay, well since this is my first real birthday celebration...” she heard Samantha suck in a breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up the past. I was just going to say that I will definitely let myself enjoy this.”
    “They didn’t celebrate your birthday?” Samantha asked with a sad face.
    “I don’t think she wants to talk about it, Sam,” Trevor told her. Derek reached over and put his hand on her leg and squeezed.
    Chloe smiled softly at her mother and said, “You do know that whatever they did or didn’t do, wasn’t any more your fault than it was mine, right?”
    Samantha nodded. “I know that rationally, but in my heart I still feel so guilty for not finding you.”
    “You didn’t know. Please don’t feel guilty. You’ve already done more for me than anyone else ever has...all of you. I’m so happy and I know that this is going to be the best birthday ever. That’s what I want to concentrate on today.”
    “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Trevor said.
    “Here, here!” Derek said, holding up his orange juice glass. “To Chloe, happy birthday and a hundred more.”
    Trevor and Samantha held theirs up to and said, “To Chloe.” After they toasted her the conversation returned to light, everyday things. Unfortunately, Chloe had let her mind go into the past and once she did that, she sometimes had a hard time pulling it back to the present. In this case, she was thinking of the last birthday she “celebrated” with Jesse. She couldn’t really say that her birthday wasn’t “celebrated” when she was him...but it never ended well. She shuddered and pushed the thoughts of Jesse back where they belonged in the far recesses of her brain. Today was going to be a good day.
    They all cleaned up together and Chloe and Derek took their morning walk. While they were out walking she told him, “I’m not sure how you feel about it, but I think if