Wildest Dreams (Dreamers Series Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  https://www.facebook.com/Mercedes-Raye-Lee

  This book is dedicated to my friends and family who have helped me through this journey of writing my first book

  For your faith in me:

  My husband John

  My son Derek

  My mom LaDonna

  Alicia B.

  For cheering me on!

  My aunt Barbara

  My sister Crystal

  Tara M.

  Abby K.

  For their knowledge and input:

  Jim Y.

  Anthony D.

  My Editor:

  Ashley L.

  My cover designer:

  Theresa O.

  CHAPTER 1

  As Ember pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home, she took a deep breath and sighed. This was the last place she expected to be when she woke up yesterday morning.

  She parked her Kia in front of the three-car garage and opened the back door. As she looked in at Kaylen sleeping in her booster seat, her eyes began to tear up. She swore she was not going to start that, but looking in at her innocent daughter, she felt like such a failure all over again.

  She removed Kaylen from the booster seat and picked up the diaper bag. It was unbelievable the number of items she still carried with her for Kaylen even though she was five now.

  Living with Reece was difficult, and he was no help in taking care of their daughter. He only paid attention to Ember or Kaylen when it suited him. She felt more like his roommate than his girlfriend toward the end of their seven years together. Of course, knowing how he had changed the last couple of years, she shouldn’t have been surprised by last night, but she was.

  As she carried Kaylen up the stone steps to her parents’ house, Ember realized that although she had talked to her mother on the phone, this was the first time she had seen her parents since Kaylen was three months old. Her father had disowned her when she got pregnant during high school, so Reece didn’t have any difficulty persuading her into moving to Dallas with him. She had been so crazy about him. The fact that this gorgeous older guy was interested in her made her giddy at the time. She never expected her parents to allow her to date him, but it wasn’t long, and his undeniable charm had them wrapped around his finger too. What went wrong? She thought. But as she reached the top step she decided that path wasn’t worth going down—not after last night anyway.

  She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and hugged Kaylen close. She could smell the baby shampoo in her long blond ringlets and let the warmth from her scent spread over her. Somehow this was all going to work out. Even if her father refused to talk to her, she knew her brother, Ridge, would be there. Her mother still wanted to be a part of Kaylen’s life as well, even if her dad didn’t.

  She hesitated at the door for a moment while she gathered her thoughts and then, after taking another deep breath, she rang the doorbell. She figured Max, her parents’ butler, would answer with his customary greeting, but when he opened the door, and his smile went from small to lighting his whole face up, Ember couldn’t help but reciprocate. Max had always held a special place in Ember’s heart.

  “Miss Ember!” he cried.

  She giggled at the delight in his eyes. Kaylen heard the exchange and began to wake. She smiled shyly and ducked her head into Ember’s shoulder.

  “Kaylen, this is Max. He’s Mommy’s friend. Can you say hi?”

  “Hi.” It came out a little muffled as she spoke the word into Ember’s shoulder.

  Ember saw the tears in Max’s eyes as he opened the door to the large house, but she pretended not to notice. If nothing else came from this meeting, she would remember the feeling of love from Max and hope it was enough to get her through until she could get to Ridge.

  “Miss Ember, your parents are in the library. I’m sure they will be so excited to see you!”

  “I do hope so.” She sighed.

  Ember wondered if he had overheard recent conversations that might have taken place about her or if he was just in denial. She was sure her mother would be happy to see her and Kaylen, but not so certain that her father would be. Kamella and Ridge were never happy about her dad and grandfather treating her so badly. Her mother was unable to do anything about her dad, though, but she did send Ember money from time to time without her father knowing. Her mother’s parents were still involved in her and Kaylen’s life, but family had always been more important to them than any amount of money. However, they had also never had as much money as the other side of the family.

  She stood in the hallway outside of the library as Max entered the room. She realized how tightly she was holding Kaylen and decided it might be best to put her down.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Tatum, Ember and Kaylen are here to—” Before he could even finish the sentence her mother jumped from her chair, squealing, and ran out of the room. Kamella stood in front of Ember with her emerald-green eyes full of tears. Without a doubt, she and Kaylen had gotten their eyes from her.

  “Ember,” she gasped covering her mouth.

  She heard her father dismiss Max, but instead of getting up to come and see her or call her into the room, he went back to reading his paper. She shouldn’t be surprised. At least he hadn’t kicked her out of the house. That was a good sign, right?

  “Hi, Mom,” Ember smiled slightly, not knowing what to expect.

  “I can’t believe you’re here!” Looking down at Kaylen in awe, she simply stated, “My word, she has grown.”

  Ember could see she wanted to hold Kaylen but was afraid to ask. She wasn’t sure how Kaylen would feel about that though since the only person who had shown Kaylen any affection her whole life had been Ember. With no family near and Reece ignoring her, all she had was Ember, the daycare, and school. She was treated well at both places—you couldn’t help but love her—but it wasn’t the same as a loving family.

  “Kaylen, can you say hi to your Nana? You remember me telling you about her, right?”

  Ember assumed that Kaylen had felt Kamella's love for them because she nodded, and stepping forward with her arms out, she said, "Hi Nana."

  When Kamella finally stopped crying Ember could see the concern in her eyes. Her forehead creased, and it was just a matter of time before she would start hammering out the questions. Ember cut her off before she could start.

  “I know you’re wondering why we’re here.” She quickly glanced at Kaylen resting her head on Kamella’s shoulder, still tired from the long trip. “I promise to tell you everything, but first, I would really like to talk to Ridge.”

  Their conversation needed to be a face-to-face. Besides, she missed Ridge and didn’t want to go without seeing him for much longer. She needed him to tell her that everything was going to be all right.

  Her mother continued looking at her as if she was hoping to find some hint of the situation there. Ember thought she might protest to her leaving so soon after ju
st getting home, but instead, she just sighed.

  Quietly so she would not disturb Kaylen she asked, “Does he know you’re here?”

  “No. I want to surprise him.” Ember answered.

  “I was going to call him later to invite him and Jade over for dinner tonight. I can call now and find out his schedule for you.”

  Ember smiled as her mother, with her designer clothes, perfect makeup, and beautiful long blond hair, showed a mischievous glint in her eyes. If she looked even half that good at her mother’s age, she’d take it. Kamella looked more like her older sister than her mother.

  They walked back into the library so her mother could call Ridge. The library had always been one of Ember’s favorite rooms. Dark walnut-stained bookshelves that were full of every kind of book you could imagine lined the three opposite walls. Behind the door sat a small writing desk. A large skylight was the only natural light making this the coziest room in the large house. With Ember’s love of reading, it was easy to get lost in here for hours when she was younger. She had often thought her dream home would have a large library in it, but now that dream home was so far away she decided to push that thought back as well.

  Her father sat reading his paper in his white leather recliner in the corner of the room. As Kamella carried Kaylen into the room and headed for the phone, Ember caught her dad watching the two of them with a look in his eyes she had never remembered seeing. However, it was gone as quickly as it was there. The next thing she noticed were his steely blue eyes penetrating her with an expression that could have bore a hole right through her. She sighed. This was not going to be easy.

  Finally getting up the courage, she said, “Hi, Dad.”

  “Where’s Reece?” he asked in what she considered his "every day" condescending tone.

  Shocked by his question, she stood there a couple of seconds while she wondered what his motives were for asking. He hated Reece for getting his youngest daughter pregnant and bringing shame to his family. He wanted nothing to do with the man and made that very clear as she was leaving all those years ago. Now that she was back without him, she could only imagine that he would be upset that she needed help to get back on her feet while carrying along his baggage.

  “He’s still in Dallas,” she finally answered in a whisper.

  He nodded, stole a glance at Kaylen again and then returned to his paper. Still shocked that he didn’t have anything else to say, Ember stood there for a moment longer staring at him. When she realized he was not going to drill her with more questions or berate her about the past five years, she finally began to relax.

  Kamella hung up the phone and walked over to Ember. She had so much love and warmth in her eyes that Ember imagined it must have been torture for her not to be able to see Ember and Kaylen. Phone calls were never the same.

  She could tell her mother was excited to keep her secret and surprise Ridge. “He will be in his office all day today. Oh, and by the way, he will be attending dinner. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, but it can go on the back burner for one evening. Be here at six.” Kamella switched Kaylen to her other hip and continued, "I'm sure you would like to speak with Ridge alone, and I would love to spend some time with Kaylen, so you’re welcome to leave her with me."

  Ember smiled, “Thank you, mom.”

  CHAPTER 2

  The drive from Ember’s parents’ house to Ridge’s office took close to forty-five minutes. She was glad for the time so she could figure out how to voice her problem without sounding too needy. After Ridge had finished school and he got his company started, he began sending Ember money. Ember hated to take it, but she did need it. Reece always had some reason for needing extra money. This time, she wasn’t just asking for money, she was hoping for a place to stay until she got a job and was able to make it on her own.

  She had never been to Ridge’s office and had only spoken to him on the phone on a few occasions while he was at work, so she wasn’t sure if this would even be a good time to show up. Her mother made it sound like it wouldn’t be a problem, but she knew their mother could show up day or night and be welcomed by any of her three kids. All of a sudden she began to get butterflies in the pit of her stomach. What if he gets upset with me showing up unannounced? What if I’m asking for too much? Maybe her mom and dad would be willing to let her stay with them while she looked, but her relationship with her father was still so fragile she didn’t want to push that.

  Ember hadn’t seen her brother in years. He had left for Stanford University when she was twelve. He came home during the summers but never got to spend as much time with her as he did before he left. He had always done anything for Ember, even though she was seven years younger than him. He was her best friend, and in his eyes she could do no wrong, even getting pregnant at eighteen. Most of the family felt that way about her older sister, Jade, and looking back that may have been what brought her and Ridge so close together, but whatever the reason was, she was very appreciative of it. Ember knew that even if he couldn’t take her and Kaylen in he would come up with some plan to help her and that made her feel better.

  When Ridge left for college, she felt like her whole world had closed in around her. She didn’t have many friends in school because most of the girls only wanted to hang out with her for her money. They were so mean and hateful that Ember didn’t want anything to do with them.

  The day she turned sixteen, her parents took her to the car dealership to pick out her present. That was where she met Reece, who was twenty years old and all trouble. With his bronze skin, muscles and honey colored eyes that captivated her, he had her under his spell from the beginning. His dark blond hair had been shoulder length at the time. However, he was also a silver-tongued devil, able to mesmerize anyone he desired, so it was no surprise that when they met him, her parents had no idea just how wrong he was for her.

  The thought almost made Ember laugh out loud. How could she have been so blind all those years? She turned eighteen a few months before graduating high school and then had Kaylen two months later. Until then he had always made her feel special, always telling her how much he loved her and his life wouldn’t be complete without her, but after she got pregnant he stopped saying things like that. Eventually, he seemed more interested in what she could do for him than in actually being with her. Even though he stopped telling her that he loved her, he was still a very jealous man and was reluctant to let her out of his sight. It made it difficult for Ember to work and further her education. Her dream was to become a doctor, but she knew he would never allow her to go to school that long. She did eventually convince him to let her go to nursing school since she could do it in two years. He grew more agitated with her as the course took longer and longer to complete, though. She was so exhausted working a full-time job and going to school part-time and then coming home to take care of Kaylen that each year she would end up taking fewer classes so that four years later she was still working on the two-year degree.

  The navigation system told her to turn off of the highway as she got closer to downtown. She was able to find a parking space close to the entrance of the garage and pulled in. As she drew closer to the front door of the tower, she caught her reflection in the glass of the door. She stopped and looked down at her clothes and groaned.

  When Ember had left the apartment, all she had time to do was grab Kaylen and go. She didn’t pack, and unfortunately, it was still a few days from payday. She did go to the local superstore to grab some comfortable sweats and t-shirts for them to wear on the trip back home and some snacks to keep Kaylen happy.

  She pulled her long, wavy, black-cherry hair out of a messy ponytail and let it fall loosely around her face and down her back as she opened the door and slowly stepped inside. Just as luck would have it, a gust of wind blew her hair over her face, causing her to trip. She caught herself and stopped to push her hair back and brush her fingers through it again. She felt out-of-place as she walked into the lobby, but it was too late to turn back now. There
was probably not one person in the room who was in a suit or dress that cost less than one hundred dollars.

  The receptionist looked uncomfortable even acknowledging Ember, let alone answering a question from her. It was probably a good thing then that Kamella had told her where Ridge’s office was. She headed straight toward the elevator. She had made it about halfway across the lobby when she heard someone calling out.

  “Excuse me! Hey you!” The security guard wasn’t even trying to be discreet.

  Ember looked over her shoulder to see the large muscular man coming up quickly behind her. How was she ever going to get this guy to believe she was the sister of the president of TTO Oil dressed like this!

  “Excuse me, miss, but you can’t be in here. There are strict rules that only employees and their visitors are allowed to go up in the tower.”

  Taking offense at the man’s harsh tone, she said the first thing that popped into her head: “How do you know I’m not an employee?” She glared at him accusingly. After she said it, she could have laughed at his expression. He was obviously bewildered, but it didn’t take him long to regain his composure.

  “Ma’am, if you’re an employee, please produce your badge. You should also be aware that you probably won’t be an employee long wearing sweats into work, just sayin’.”

  Ember sighed. “Okay, I realize that I don’t look like I should be here, but I promise my brother is an employee here, and I’m here to see him. It’s important.”

  “If your brother is an employee here, then we can call him, and he can give me permission for you to use the elevator. What’s your brother’s name?”

  Here goes nothing, Ember thought. “Ridge Tatum.” She stood up straight and looked the man in the eyes without flinching.

  “Pardon?” She could tell by the way he raised his eyebrow he wasn’t buying it.

  Ember let out another quieter sigh. “Look, I’m here to see my brother, Ridge. He doesn’t know I’m here because it’s a surprise. I really need to talk to him.”