by Brook Wilder
“How about a beer, sis?”
She chuckles.
“It’s eleven o’clock in the morning.”
“And?”
She shakes her head.
“You’re something else.”
Amy heads into the kitchen.
I look at Abel and James.
“Thanks again. I really appreciate this.”
James wipes his sweaty face.
“No problem. I’m happy for you, man.”
He elbows Abel.
“You’re up next.”
Abel laughs.
“Very funny.”
Amy walks out and hands each of us a beer.
I kiss her on the cheek.
“Thanks, babe.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Amy heads down the hallway. I love watching her walk away. I feel like I could just stare at her all day long.
James lifts up his beer.
“Okay. Okay. How about a toast... To you and Amy, and the baby!”
I nod.
Abel holds his beer high.
“And you not being a fuck up!”
I laugh.
“I’ll drink to that!”
We toast up. I take a long swig.
James pats my back.
“How does it feel, man?”
“Feels good to be home.”
“I hear that. I know I bitched and moaned about helping you move today, but I’m glad to do it. There’s been a helluva lot going on, and you deserve to be happy.”
I nod. It feels good to be with my friends and, most of all, starting a new chapter in my life with Amy. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
After James and Abel head home, I spend the rest of the day unpacking boxes. Meanwhile, Amy is in the kitchen, whipping up something that smells delicious. She won’t tell me what it is. She wants to surprise me. I don’t mind one bit.
As soon as I’m done unpacking, I jump in the shower. I wash my hair and lather up every inch of my body. I know Amy loves it when I smell great; she can’t keep her hands off of me. I smile at the thought of it.
I step out of the shower and towel off. I get dressed in a pair of boxers, jeans and a t-shirt. I look at myself in the mirror. I’m grinning like it’s Christmas day. I can’t deny that it feels like a celebration. After all the stress and drama, I haven’t felt this happy in forever.
I walk out of the bathroom and head straight to the kitchen. Amy is stirring a pot. She grins it me.
“It’s almost ready.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nods.
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
I approach from behind and wrap my arms around her waist.
“Did I ever tell you that I’m not a patient kind of guy?”
She smiles.
I kiss her neck seductively.
She laughs.
“Stop it, Dom.”
I kiss her lips and run my fingers through her hair.
“I’m gonna burn the food messing around with you.”
“There’s this thing called ‘takeout.’”
“Sit down, you impatient man.”
“If you insist.”
I make my way to the table. I notice there are two champagne glasses. I know she can’t drink alcohol, so I wonder what gives.
A few minutes later, she puts some food on the table: chicken cacciatore, pasta, bread sticks, and a bottle of sparkling apple cider. I smile at her.
“Looks great.”
“Thanks. Hang on.”
She walks over to a cabinet and pulls out a candle. She lights it and puts it on the table. Amy looks flawless in the candlelight. She fixes our plates.
I take a bite of food. It’s an explosion of flavors in my mouth. I love it.
She looks into my eyes.
“Don’t tell me... It’s terrible.”
“No, of course it’s not terrible. It’s awful… Just kidding. This is great.”
She laughs.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“I can think of a few ideas.”
She takes a bite and chews.
“Pretty good. I found this recipe online.”
“You do work magic in the kitchen.”
“How about you? When are you gonna cook dinner for me?”
“Trust me, you don’t want that. I’m not comfortable venturing outside the breakfast zone.”
“Come on.”
“Okay. Okay. Maybe. If there’s anybody who can talk me into something, it’s you.”
She smiles wide.
“You know, this is what I had in mind before.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I had a candlelit dinner planned for the night I wanted to tell you about the baby.”
“So, you weren’t gonna keep it a secret forever?”
“Don’t be silly. I just needed time to figure everything out. We’ve been over this.”
“I know.”
“Dom, these past few years haven’t been easy for me. Opening my heart again… That’s not something I planned for. But I’m so glad it’s you.”
I take her hand.
“Amy, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
She smiles.
“I still can’t believe that we’re actually in this. If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d fall head-over-heels for you and be pregnant with your baby, I would’ve looked at them like they’re crazy.”
“That makes zero sense. You know you always had the hots for me.”
She blushes.
“The hots for you? Look who’s cocky now.”
I chuckle.
“Here’s the truth. I always thought you were gorgeous, I just didn’t know how to... It was always awkward, with Abel being my best friend and all.”
“Do you really think he’s okay with us being together?”
“Yeah. I think it’s growing on him.”
“Me too.”
“He said that, if we have a boy, we should name him ‘Abel.’”
She laughs.
“That sounds like something he would say.”
I take a deep breath.
“You know, Amy, to tell the truth. I really wouldn’t care what anybody thinks. I just want to be with you.”
“Well, that’s exactly what you got and then some.”
“Yeah. How does it make you feel?”
“With everything that happened...? I really didn’t think about it that much before. But now, it’s always on my mind. I haven’t really talked a whole lot about this, but before Adam was killed, we were trying to get pregnant.”
“I never knew that.”
“We were trying to keep it a secret until it happened. Except it never did. When we went to the doctor, I just assumed that I might not be able to have a baby. That was hard for me to deal with for both of us. Adam and I both loved kids so much. You should’ve seen how he was around his nieces and nephews. Make a long story short, we were on the verge of adopting and then…”
She takes a deep breath.
“Then, everything fell apart when I got that call, that Adam was on life support. The whole time I was rushing to the hospital I was afraid. And when I saw him there in that hospital bed, barely alive, all my worst fears were realized. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Being a widow in my twenties... Nobody ever plans for that.
“I carried around all this grief and resentment for the life I thought I was supposed to have. Me and Adam and a kid, even if it was through adoption. All of those dreams were gone. And I didn’t know how to pick up the pieces. I found myself swallowed up in those emotions. For a long time, I thought I was just going to end up alone. But you changed all of that. And here we are.”
I look deep into her eyes. I see her pain. All I want to do is kiss away her sadness.
“Amy, I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, and I just want to say thanks.”
“For what?”
She smiles a little.
“I know one thing, Dom. This whole thing between us has been one crazy ride.”
I touch her hand.
“I like crazy rides. Especially on my motorcycle, and when you’re on top of me.”
She blushes and takes a bite of food.
“You never know when to quit, Dominic Jones.”
That night, we toast to our love over sparkling apple cider. Amy means the world to me. To tell the truth, I feel like the luckiest guy in Tomahawk.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Amy
It’s a lazy Sunday morning. Dom lies in bed next to me, snoring. I think it’s kinda cute. He looks so handsome when he’s sleeping. I smile as I slowly climb out of bed.
I can’t move around as fast as I used to. My belly is expanding a little more every day. I’m five and a half months pregnant. I can still fit some of my old clothes, but I know I’ll be shopping for a maternity wardrobe soon.
I tiptoe to the door. I turn around and look at Dom before I walk out. He looks so sexy. I take in the paw tattoo on his muscular chest and the big bulge in his boxers.
I’m so tempted to climb on top of Dom, straddle him with my thighs and ride his cock till I climax. I can’t help it. I’m always thinking naughty thoughts around him. But I decide to save some lovin’ for later. One of the best things about us living together is that we can make love anytime we want to.
I head to the kitchen. I’m starving. A bowl of cereal or oatmeal isn’t going to cut it. I open the fridge and take out the eggs, bacon, bread, and some fresh fruit.
Within minutes, I’m scrambling eggs and frying bacon. I pop some bread into the toaster. My stomach grumbles as I cook. This whole eating-for-two thing is serious business, I think with a wide smile.
I pour myself a glass of orange juice and make a big plate for myself. I sit down at the table to eat and glance out of the window. The sun is bright. It’s a beautiful day. It matches my emotions on the inside.
I notice the morning edition of the Tomahawk Times near the doorstep. In an age where everybody reads the news on their cell phones, I still love the feel of an actual newspaper. It probably has a lot to do with me being a librarian.
I head for the front door and open it. I reach down and grab the newspaper. I am shocked to read the front-page headline: ‘Local Officer on Trial for Rape and Murder.’ There’s a big picture of Lyle in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.
I shudder at the sight of the article. These past few weeks, I’ve tried my best not to think about it, but now all my memories come flooding back to me. That night on the dead-end highway, I thought I might die.
I risked it all to clear Dom’s name and help get justice for Adam and Beth, not to mention Holly and the other girls. But the whole time when I was alone with Lyle, I was afraid the worst would happen to me and my unborn child. Even when Dom showed up on his motorcycle, my fear escalated. I thought Lyle was going to kill both of us.
A lot of time has passed since that night, but I can still remember everything that happened like it was yesterday. I look down again at the newspaper. In the picture, Lyle has a smug expression on his face, like a man on the verge of getting away with murder.
What if that’s exactly what happens? A not-guilty verdict would tear this town apart. And Dom and I would have no choice but to move, not just for us, but for the sake of our child’s safety. There’s no telling what Lyle might do.
My hands shake a little as I read the article:
‘Lyle Johnson has been indicted on two counts of murder and several counts of statutory rape. Two locals, Dominic Jones and Amy Miller, played a big part in gathering evidence for this case. Ms. Miller, a librarian, managed to get an audio tape confession from Johnson. Prosecutors are confident that they have a solid case and Johnson will spend the rest of his life behind bars.’
I smile at the thought of Lyle dying in prison. That’s exactly what he deserves. I don’t have shit to be afraid of anymore. There’s no way a jury will let him walk free.
I take a deep breath and head back into the kitchen. I sit down to eat. My breakfast is at room temperature now, but it still tastes great and I’m hungry. I dig in.
Dom walks into the kitchen, wearing nothing but his boxers. He kisses my lips and smiles wide.
“Hey, beautiful. That smells good.”
I chew and swallow.
“Thanks. I hope you’re hungry.”
He makes his plate and sits down across from me. Just before he takes a bite of bacon he looks down and notices the newspaper. His expression changes.
“Shit!”
“I know. Don’t worry. The article says they have all the evidence they need.”
“That’s thanks to you.”
“No. Thanks to us.”
“You did all the heavy lifting, Amy.”
“I just did what I thought was right. That’s all. But after this... I don’t think Tomahawk will ever be the same. It’s gonna take a long time before folks around here trust law enforcement.”
“You got a point, but Abel is gonna do his part to right the ship.”
“True. How does it make you feel, Lyle finally getting his day in court?”
“Every time I see that bastard’s face, I think about what he did to Beth and Adam, and to you and…”
“I know. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you.”
“I really hope the prosecution has enough on him. He should never see the light of day.”
“I don’t think he will.”
I take a deep breath.
“Dom, I never told you about…”
“What?”
“One day when I was at the library, there was a girl named Holly; she’s only in the tenth grade... Make a long story short, she was looking out the window. It was weird. I asked her what was wrong, and she was standoffish. I finally got her to open up. It turns out she thought Lyle was stalking her.”
“That motherfucker.”
“I know. I talked to her some more about it, and she said he was always hanging around the high school girls, flirting with them.”
Dom shakes his head.
“He even started sleeping with some of them.”
“Lyle is sick.”
“There’s no doubt about that. I read in the article that Holly is going to testify against him. It takes so much bravery to take the stand. I’m proud she’s doing that.”
“And what you did took a lot of bravery too.”
“I try not to think about it like that. Like I said, I was just doing what I thought was right.”
“You’re amazing in every way, Amy.”
I smile, and the blood rushes to my cheeks. Dom always has that effect on me.
“I’m serious. I know you’re gonna be a great mom.”
“I guess we’ll be finding out real soon.” I pat my belly. “I feel like I’m turning into a cow.”
“Not at all. You’ve never been sexier.”
I shrug.
“That’s not how I feel most of times. My body is changing constantly.”
“I like it…”
He inches his chair closer to me and stares down at my cleavage.
“And I love those.”
I laugh.
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, your tits look amazing, Amy.”
It’s true. There are two things happening to me: my belly is growing, and, at the same time, my breasts are getting huge. They have grown a full cup size. My nipples are bigger too! It almost looks like I have implants.
Dom caresses my face and works his hand down my neck to my tits. My nipples are hard in an instant. He grins.
“I love all of this.”
