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Section 1
### Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Braelyn is a single mom whose only focus is her daughter, Phoenix. Nash is a millionaire bachelor who is instantly drawn to Braelyn. The last thing she is looking for is a man to come into their lives. However, when someone seems to target Braelyn and Phoenix due to something from their past, Braelyn is glad she doesn't have to face it alone. This story is filled with romance, drama, and, of course, cute anecdotes from Phoenix.
Complete Chapters 20 Rating 4.6 ( 22 reviews ) Age Rating 16+ {"language":"en","storyId":1652192,"genres":[{"name":"Romance","path":"/genres/romance"}],"authorName":"Michele Dixon","authorPath":"/MicheleDixon","status":"complete","lastUpdatedAt":1775320791,"chaptersCount":20,"rating":4.636363636363637,"reviewsCount":22,"ageRating":"16+"} Chapter 1 - The Easter Bunny Braelyn’s P.O.V.
I sigh as I look at the long line of people waiting to see the Easter Bunny. This is the only day they have free pictures with him, so it’s the only day I can bring my daughter, Phoenix, to see him. I look down at her and smile. She just turned five, and she’s the light of my life. She has a head full of blonde curls and bright blue eyes. Whereas I have dark brown hair and hazel eyes. My sweet angel is the only good thing he ever gave me. Even thinking his name makes me angry.
“Mommy, is it almost my turn?” Phoenix asks.
“It’s going to be a little while longer, but don’t worry, we’re not leaving until you see him.” She smiles and stands on her tiptoes to try to see the Easter Bunny.
I have brought her to see him every year since she was a baby. She has been asking me for months if it was almost time for her to talk to the Easter Bunny. When I asked her why she was so excited, all she would say was that it was between her and the Easter Bunny.
Every time I look at Phoenix, I think of how close I came to losing her. I had been dating Cole for about six months when I found out I was pregnant. We always used a condom, but one of them obviously didn’t work. I was excited when I told Cole, but he became so angry that he screamed at me that I was trying to trap him. That’s when he told me that I meant nothing to him and that he was engaged to marry someone else. I was heartbroken, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t in love with him. He tried to force me to get an abortion, but I refused. I told him I didn’t want anything from him and I would raise my child on my own. I thought that was the end of it, but I was wrong.
When I was almost nine months pregnant, I was coming home from an appointment with my doctor. I could barely drive because my belly was so big, but I lived in Kelseyville, a rural part of Northern California, where there were very few other options. As I was driving along a twisting, winding road, a car hit me from behind. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Cole in the driver’s seat. The look on his face gave me chills. I sped up, hoping to get away, but his car was faster. He hit me repeatedly, and I fought to keep my car on the road. We were going around a sharp turn, and Cole hit me just right to send my car over the cliff. I screamed and held my belly as my car went through trees and rolled onto its top. The windshield was broken, and I was able to get myself out before losing consciousness.
I don’t know how long I lay there until some hikers found me. They woke me up and called 911. I was screaming from the pain in my stomach. I was bleeding, so I thought I was losing my baby. When medics finally got to me, they had to deliver Phoenix where I was at the base of the cliff. Hearing her cries made me forget about all the pain I was in. She was perfect and unharmed. I had a broken arm, a broken leg, three broken ribs, multiple cuts and bruises, but knowing my little girl survived was all I cared about. I hadn’t chosen a name for her yet, but I decided to name her Phoenix because she was strong and lived through a horrific ordeal like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Cole was arrested for attempted murder, and he’s currently serving his time in Folsom Prison. I decided I no longer wanted to live out in the middle of nowhere, so as soon as we were released from the hospital, I began making arrangements to move. I had been working as a receptionist at a skilled nursing facility and started looking for similar jobs. The issue I was having was finding one that paid enough to cover rent, my bills, and food. I eventually found a job at an assisted living facility in Elk Grove, California, that paid decently. I could only afford a studio apartment, but it was enough for my baby and me. Unfortunately, we are still in that apartment five years later because I still can’t afford anything bigger. That’s why we come to see the Easter Bunny on the one day we don’t have to pay for a picture.
“Mommy, it’s almost my turn,” Phoenix says excitedly. There are only two kids in front of us. I smile and try to tame her wild curls.
“You wait here, mommy, because I need to tell him a secret,” she says when it’s her turn. She walks over to the bench and sits beside the Easter Bunny. After smiling for her picture, she whispers something to him, and he looks at me. Oh, no, what did she say?
1 Chapter 1 - The Easter Bunny 2 Chapter 2 - Nash 3 Chapter 3 - Phoenix's Question 4 Chapter 4 - Prizes 5 Chapter 5 - Lunch 6 Chapter 6 - Feel 7 Chapter 7 - Caught 8 Chapter 8 - Nice 9 Chapter 9 - Plans 10 Chapter 10 - Watching 11 Chapter 11 - Miniature Golf 12 Chapter 12 - Message 13 Chapter 13 - Nash's House 14 Chapter 14 - Dinner 15 Chapter 15 - Firsts 16 Chapter 16 - Phone Call 17 Chapter 17 - The Detective 18 Chapter 18 - Distraction 19 Chapter 19 - One Day at a Time 20 Epilogue {"language":"en","current_chapter_number":1,"chapters":[{"number":1,"name":"Chapter 1 - The Easter Bunny","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/1","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":2,"name":"Chapter 2 - Nash","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/2","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":3,"name":"Chapter 3 - Phoenix's Question","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/3","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":4,"name":"Chapter 4 - Prizes","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/4","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":5,"name":"Chapter 5 - Lunch","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/5","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":6,"name":"Chapter 6 - Feel","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/6","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":7,"name":"Chapter 7 - Caught","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/7","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":8,"name":"Chapter 8 - Nice","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/8","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":9,"name":"Chapter 9 - Plans","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/9","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":10,"name":"Chapter 10 - Watching","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/10","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":11,"name":"Chapter 11 - Miniature Golf","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/11","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":12,"name":"Chapter 12 - Message","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/12","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":13,"name":"Chapter 13 - Nash's House","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/13","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":14,"name":"Chapter 14 - Dinner","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/14","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":15,"name":"Chapter 15 - Firsts","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/15","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":16,"name":"Chapter 16 - Phone Call","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/16","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":17,"name":"Chapter 17 - The Detective","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/17","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":18,"name":"Chapter 18 - Distraction","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/18","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":19,"name":"Chapter 19 - One Day at a Time","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/19","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":20,"name":"Epilogue","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/20","patron_icon":"no_icon"}]} Read it. Hear it. Feel it.
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### Chapter 2: Chapter 2
I stare at the woman who is watching me as I take a picture with her daughter, and I can’t look away. She is so beautiful. I may be dressed like a big Easter Bunny, but I’m a man underneath the costume. The little girl looks at me and smiles.
“I’m Phoenix. Can I tell you a secret?” she asks. Is she going to tell me that her mom likes me? Oh, wait, we’re not in high school. I’m an adult despite the fact that I feel like a teenage boy right now.
“I don’t want an Easter basket for Easter this year. I just want my mommy to be happy.” I look from her to her mom again.
“Why isn’t your mommy happy?” I ask her. I wonder if she’s married or has a boyfriend who is making her unhappy.
“I don’t know, but sometimes I hear her crying at night when she’s dreaming. I don’t want her to be sad anymore. Can you help my mommy? You are the Easter Bunny.” What do I say? Before I can stop myself, I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell her while looking at her mom.
“What’s your mom’s name?” Why am I asking? What do I really think I’m going to do to make her happy?
“Braelyn, I won’t tell her what I told you because I want it to be a surprise. Bye, Easter Bunny.” Phoenix jumps off the bench and gets her picture from Lynn, the photographer, but I can’t take my eyes off of her mom. I want to make the little girl’s Easter wish come true, but how?
An hour later, I’m done playing the Easter Bunny for the day, so I go into the back of the shopping mall to change. I run my fingers through my sandy brown hair and head back out into the main part of the mall. As I’m heading for the exit, I can’t believe my eyes. Phoenix and Braelyn are only a few yards ahead of me. This is my chance, but what am I going to do or say that will make Braelyn give me the time of day? I start walking faster to catch up to them.
“Mommy, when is Easter?” I hear Phoenix ask.
“In sixteen days. Are you excited for Easter this year?” Braelyn asks as they go outside.
“Yes, because I asked the Easter Bunny for something special.” I’m so distracted listening to their conversation that I forget that I’m trying to find a reason to talk to them until Braelyn turns to look at me, and I almost run into them.
“Can I help you?” she asks, moving Phoenix away from me. Oh great. She thinks I’m a kidnapper.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” I reply. She nods and continues walking without saying anything else. Well, that didn’t go very well. How can I rectify this?
“I heard your little girl talking about Easter. I’m not sure if you know this, but there’s an Easter egg hunt at Regional Park tomorrow. It starts at 10 in the morning, and there are tons of eggs.” Braelyn looks at me with her eyes narrowed.
“Then why are you hanging out at places with lots of children?” Well damn, I walked into that one.
“I volunteer at the Easter Egg hunt every year because I live in the area. My mom used to take me there when I was a kid, and it was a lot of fun.” Her face softens, and she smiles slightly.
“How much does it cost?” she asks.
“It’s free. They have areas separated for age groups, so the older kids don’t run over the little ones. Some of the eggs have numbers in them, and after the hunt, you take the ones with numbers to the prize tent and pick out a prize.” Phoenix starts clapping her hands excitedly.
“Mommy, can we go?” she asks. Braelyn smiles and nods.
“Yes, we can go. Thank you for telling us about it.” They begin to walk away, and I try to think of a reason to continue talking, but I can’t come up with anything. Well, at least I’ll get a second chance to see them tomorrow.
I head to my car and drive home. I would like to say I work hard for a living, but I don’t. I’m twenty-seven and a millionaire, but all of my money came from making good investments. I went to college and got a degree in business. My plan was to open my own company, but I had no idea what kind of company I wanted. Two weeks after I graduated, my mom died from a brain tumor. She had suffered from migraines and tension headaches her whole life, so she ignored the pain, thinking it was just one of her headaches. A week before she died, she saw her neurologist, who had her do some imaging, and they found the tumor. She was scheduled for surgery for them to attempt to remove it, but she died two days before her surgery was scheduled. My dad had died when I was a baby, so she was all I had. I was devastated when I lost her.
She left me a little money from a life insurance policy I didn’t even know she had. I thought about saving it, but I decided to take a chance and invest it instead. I invested in the right thing and ended up tripling the money. I just kept buying and selling stocks until eventually I was up to well over fifty million. I’ve never had a regular job because I haven’t needed one. However, I volunteer a lot. My mom was really into volunteering, and I would go with her. I felt like I owed it to her to continue even after she was gone. So I volunteer at soup kitchens, shelters, and the local children’s hospital. I dress up as the Easter Bunny and Santa every year, and I donate the checks they give me to charity. I also volunteer at the Easter egg hunt, and at Christmas, I do horse-and-carriage rides. It doesn’t snow in this part of California, but people like riding in the carriage, looking at the decorated houses, and drinking hot cocoa.
I sit down at my computer and type “Braelyn in California” into the search bar to see if I can find out anything about her. There are more Braelyns than I expected. I scroll through the images and find one that looks like Phoenix’s mom, but it’s from several years ago. It’s a news article about a man trying to kill his mistress and unborn child. I read what this Cole person did, and my body fills with anger. If he weren’t already locked up in prison, I would kill him myself. From the looks of the car, she and Phoenix are lucky to be alive.
After I’m done reading, I sit back in my chair and think as I look out my office window. I have a nice house, but it’s not overly big. I’m not one for wasting money on unnecessary things. I think back to my brief encounter with Braelyn. She asked how much the easter egg hunt costs. She is probably like most people, living paycheck to paycheck. I wonder if I can convince her to let me take her and Phoenix out to lunch tomorrow after the Easter egg hunt.
I’ve gone out with women, but after the first or second date, they all seem to be only interested in how much money they can get from me. I don’t flaunt my wealth, but I wear nice clothes and drive a nice car. Those seem to be a beacon for the vultures. I want to find a woman who wants me for who I am. Is that so much to ask? I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling that Braelyn is exactly the woman I have been looking for. Now I just have to convince her that I’m the man of her dreams.
1 Chapter 1 - The Easter Bunny 2 Chapter 2 - Nash 3 Chapter 3 - Phoenix's Question 4 Chapter 4 - Prizes 5 Chapter 5 - Lunch 6 Chapter 6 - Feel 7 Chapter 7 - Caught 8 Chapter 8 - Nice 9 Chapter 9 - Plans 10 Chapter 10 - Watching 11 Chapter 11 - Miniature Golf 12 Chapter 12 - Message 13 Chapter 13 - Nash's House 14 Chapter 14 - Dinner 15 Chapter 15 - Firsts 16 Chapter 16 - Phone Call 17 Chapter 17 - The Detective 18 Chapter 18 - Distraction 19 Chapter 19 - One Day at a Time 20 Epilogue {"language":"en","current_chapter_number":2,"chapters":[{"number":1,"name":"Chapter 1 - The Easter Bunny","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/1","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":2,"name":"Chapter 2 - Nash","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/2","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":3,"name":"Chapter 3 - Phoenix's Question","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/3","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":4,"name":"Chapter 4 - Prizes","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/4","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":5,"name":"Chapter 5 - Lunch","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/5","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":6,"name":"Chapter 6 - Feel","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/6","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":7,"name":"Chapter 7 - Caught","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/7","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":8,"name":"Chapter 8 - Nice","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/8","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":9,"name":"Chapter 9 - Plans","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/9","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":10,"name":"Chapter 10 - Watching","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/10","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":11,"name":"Chapter 11 - Miniature Golf","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/11","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":12,"name":"Chapter 12 - Message","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/12","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":13,"name":"Chapter 13 - Nash's House","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/13","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":14,"name":"Chapter 14 - Dinner","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/14","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":15,"name":"Chapter 15 - Firsts","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/15","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":16,"name":"Chapter 16 - Phone Call","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/16","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":17,"name":"Chapter 17 - The Detective","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/17","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":18,"name":"Chapter 18 - Distraction","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/18","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":19,"name":"Chapter 19 - One Day at a Time","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/19","patron_icon":"no_icon"},{"number":20,"name":"Epilogue","path":"/stories/1652192/chapters/20","patron_icon":"no_icon"}]} Read it. Hear it. Feel it.
Experience this story in a whole new way. Available on the Inkitt app.
Authors can write and upload their manuscripts on Inkit for free and writers retain 100% of their copyrights while writing on Inkitt
Readers can read all books for free, without any ads and give the authors feedback.
Books that perform well based on their reader engagement are published on our Galatea app.
--------------------------------------------------