by Roxie Ray
“I love you.” I couldn’t say it enough.
She looked at me, her beautiful eyes framed by impossibly long eyelashes and smiled. “I love you, too.” Then she cupped the back of my head. “Kiss me.”
I probed her with my tongue again, matching the rhythm to my cock, and she gasped as her breathing became fractured. She let out a low moan as she tensed, and her fingers clenched around my arm before she throbbed around me, sending wave after wave of sensation to my balls and they tightened.
I drew a last inhale and held it as I hit the point of no return. Then all thoughts left my mind and I came in a shuddering gasp as sensation pulsed in waves over me.
As small sparks still ran through me, interrupting my ability to breathe, I nudged my still-hard cock in her, ignoring the sensitivity in it.
“Thank you,” I whispered, awe for her coloring my tone.
She grinned lazily, stretching beneath me. “No, thank you, my love.”
“I do love you.” I said it again, in case she’d forgotten and kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.
This was exactly where I was supposed to be.
17
Bethany
Sunday marked something else I’d never done before. I let Maddox spend the night so that when Tiffany woke, Maddox was already here. I woke early and made pancakes and sausage, Tiffany’s favorite. Maddox shuffled out of my bedroom in his jeans and T-shirt, looking rumpled.
Tiffany came down the hall at almost the same time. Her face went from sleepy to delighted when she spotted Maddox. “Maddoth!” She ran to give him a hug around the knees. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” he said, then looked at me for guidance.
I opted for the truth. “Maddox stayed the night,” I said.
Tiffany nodded and didn’t seem to really care. “What’s for breakfast? I’m hungry.”
At nearly four, her sentences were pretty clear, with only her slight lisp which was so cute I almost hated for her to outgrow it. “Pancakes and sausage!”
Maddox cheered with Tiffany. I gave him a quizzical look.
He shrugged. “I love pancakes and sausage.”
The rest of the day sped by so fast. Almost too fast. Maddox had to leave after lunch for the late shift at the police department.
Monday morning, I took Tiffany to my mom’s, where she ran off without even saying goodbye to find her Papaw. Mom handed me a cup of coffee. “Spill.”
After a long talk with my mom about Maddox and the Kingstons, I felt even better about how the weekend had gone. As Mom said, what was life without a few risks?
On my way back to the office to get a bit of work done, I got a call from the lawyer Maddox had recommended. He’d asked me to send over all the information I had, and I’d sent it early the week before. “Could you come down to the office?” he asked. “It shouldn’t take long.”
“Of course.” I thanked him and hung up, then immediately dialed Maddox. “Hey, the lawyer wants to meet.”
“Want me to go with you?” He offered immediately and without hesitation.
“If you’re free, I’d appreciate it so much. I just dropped Tiffany off at my parents’ house.”
“Swing by and pick me up. I’m off today.”
I promised to be there soon and hung up, then pulled back out onto the road. Maddox waited at the curb in the parking lot of his apartment complex and hopped in. “I’m sure it’s good news,” he said.
“You’re probably right, but I can’t help but be nervous.” I sighed and turned the car around toward the lawyer’s office. He worked in the next town over, which wasn’t a long drive. His office was near the hospital Charlotte worked at.
We chatted about some silly call Maddox had taken the night before. It helped calm my nerves so that by the time we got there, I was only half a basket case instead of full-blown.
We only had to wait in the receptionist’s office for a few minutes before she led us back to an inner office. “Ms. Leeds, welcome. I’m Colton Kennedy, we spoke on the phone.” A tall black man held out his hand and smiled warmly. “Maddox, nice to see you again.” He shook both our hands and gestured for us to sit down.
“Thank you for taking my case,” I said. He was the most popular lawyer in the area, according to Maddox.
“Well, I had a chance to look over your statements and everything. Your financials are in order. I got the statement from your parents and witnesses.” He spread his hands out. “They don’t have a case.” My heart soared. I hadn’t really thought they had, but it was wonderful to hear the words spoken out loud by a real lawyer.
With a chuckle, he closed the folder laid out on the desk in front of him. “There’s no proof of negligence. I got a statement from Tiffany’s pediatrician’s office as well.” He shrugged. “At best, once a DNA test proves they are Tiffany’s paternal grandparents, they can file for visitation, which you can fight.”
I nodded. “I know Walter drinks and is pretty controlling with Mary, and was very controlling with Kyle when he was a child. But besides being completely cowed by Walter, Mary was a good mother to Kyle. That’s what he always told me.”
Colton nodded, and Maddox sort of stayed in the background with his fingers threaded through mine. He was mainly there for moral support, and I appreciated it. Even more that he didn’t try to interfere or make it about him. He was only here for me. “I don’t know about visitation,” I said. “They don’t know her. I wouldn’t want to drop her off with them the way I do my parents.”
“If they try for visitation, we’ll make sure it’s supervised. The state respects grandparents’ rights, but they give the mother’s opinions and statements heavy regard.”
I nodded gratefully. “Thank you so much.”
We finished up the last of his questions for me and shook his hand again. “Don’t stress. I’m confident about a positive outcome. I’ll call you with a date for mediation.”
When we got in the car, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Wow.” I looked at Maddox and shook my head. “I’m so glad to get that news.”
He laughed. “Not to be one to say I told you so, but I told you! They don’t stand a chance.”
“Thank you for being there for me.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it between both of mine. “And for the lawyer recommendation and everything.”
He put his fingertip on the bottom of my chin, so I tilted my face upward. Then, Maddox lowered his lips to mine and pressed a firm, possessive kiss there. “I told you. I’m here for you. I’d do anything for you.”
I looked deep into his eyes and saw a surprising amount of devotion there. We’d both said we were falling for each other, and I knew I meant it. But I’d figured he was just caught up in the passion and his feelings had been strong. But it wasn’t just passion. There was an intense devotion in his gaze that I couldn’t ignore.
His other hand rose to my face and he cupped my cheeks. “I love you, Bethany. I’m in love with you.”
My heart thudded in my chest so loud I was sure he could hear it, too. My mind fuzzed and all I knew was Maddox.
“You don’t have to say it,” he continued when I didn’t respond. He thought I hesitated because I didn’t feel it.
It wasn’t that. I was just overwhelmed with emotions. I swallowed the lump in my throat and mimicked Maddox by putting my hands on his face. “I love you, too,” I whispered.
I dropped Maddox back at his place to get ready for an afternoon hiking with his cousins. Apparently, they were outdoorsy. I’d planned to hike myself, but he didn’t invite me, so I figured I’d go off on the trail I liked and get some alone time. The day was shot for trying to focus on work, anyway.
After a brisk hike and picking Tiffany up, I made an easy dinner and we went to bed. Tuesday passed in a blur of texting Maddox, who had a long shift at the station and dealing with plans for the new property.
Wednesday after I dropped Tiffany off at my parents’ house, I settled in at my desk
and my cell phone rang. I checked the call log to find Kyle’s mom’s cell phone number. “Not today, Mary. The lawyer said not to talk to you.” I rejected the call and moved on with my day. Finally, it was nice to feel like I didn’t have to answer when they called. It was probably Walter on Mary’s phone, anyway, trying to fool me into picking up so he could rant at me some more.
But Colton had said any conversation with them before the mediation was a no-go. I carried on with my day with a weight off my shoulders. They couldn’t get to me anymore and the weekly calls would hopefully end soon. I’d asked Colton to make that a stipulation in the mediation. If they wanted supervised visitation, they had to stop calling me, especially when Walter was drunk.
Things were finally looking up. I felt like a million bucks as I made a to-do list for the new property.
My phone beeped the special tune for Maddox, and I picked it up eagerly. Lunch at the diner?
I replied as fast as I could. Be right there.
Then, I let Kara know when I’d be back. We were supposed to meet up soon to go over plans.
Lunch at the diner with Maddox was a dream. I couldn’t have said afterward what I ate. All I remembered was sitting down across from him and the feel of his thumb stroking across my knuckles as we ate and stared at each other. We talked about little nonsense, like favorite colors and our least favorite movies.
The kind of conversations new relationships were full of. The wonderful, getting-to-know each other sort. The short date put a smile on my face I couldn’t shake. It stayed with me until I saw Mom when I picked up Tiffany. Her face was like a storm cloud.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Something definitely was, I just didn’t know what.
“Since when do Kyle’s parents call here?” she asked.
My blood boiled. “They’re probably freaking out because they realize they don’t have a case and they aren’t going to do anything with this suit but waste their money.”
“I thought you said it was all handled?” Mom asked. “I’m not upset with you, honey, but I’m upset that they’d go to such lengths to get in touch with you.”
They’d never bothered my parents before. Why now? I wanted to call and tell them where they could shove it, but the lawyer wouldn’t like that one bit, I was sure. “If they call again, make a note. Write down the date and time and anything they say. I’ll give it to the lawyer, and it’ll help our case.” I gave Mom a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”
It had to be because I didn’t answer. I’d never told my mom or dad that Walter and Mary called me so frequently about Kyle’s death. It would’ve worried them when I understood why they did it. They’d lost a child. Could I really blame them for needing someone to blame? “I’ll handle it, okay?”
“Is this normal?” Mom asked. “Have they called you before?”
I evaded the question by walking toward the living room when I heard Tiffany. “How’s Tiff? Have a good day?”
“Yes. You didn’t answer my question.”
I sighed and turned back to my mother. “Mary calls me occasionally, but she only wants to reminisce and talk about Kyle. Walter calls about once a week. He’s usually drunk, and he blames me for everything, repeatedly.”
Mom’s face fell. “Oh, Bethany. Honey.” She wrapped her arms around me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” My dad came out of the living room with a concerned look on his face. “What’s wrong?”
I repeated what I’d told mom. Dad’s face turned into a thundercloud. “I ought to go show Walter what for.”
“Dad, come on, no. They lost their son. They didn’t handle it well, but I try to be sympathetic. They’re hurting.”
“It’s been years. It’s time to place blame where blame is due, and that’s squarely at Kyle’s feet,” Mom said.
I shushed her and nodded my head toward Tiffany, who was on the couch doing a puzzle.
Mom nodded and lowered her voice. “They are wrong for calling and blaming you. Kyle made the choice to drive the way he did. He made the choice to try to pressure you into a relationship you didn’t want.”
“I know, Mom. And that’s why I put it into the mediation.” I explained my clause. They seemed to look a bit mollified at that news.
Mom stepped forward again and put her hands on my shoulders. “Honey, you should’ve told us years ago. You’re not alone in this world. We’re here for you.”
My dad put his arm around my shoulders. “Bethany, Tiffany is about to turn four. In the last four years, nearly five since you got pregnant, you’ve been a superwoman. You need to allow others to help you. Let us do more.”
“I already bring Tiffany here all the time for you to keep,” I pointed out. “What more?”
“Let Maddox keep helping,” Mom suggested. “I’m so glad you let him give you advice about the lawyer and let him go with you. It’s so unlike you.” She was right. It was very unlike me, but like she was, I was so thankful that I had.
“We’ll report any more calls we get, okay?” Mom said. “Keep us posted if you get any, as well.”
I promised, and Tiffany and I managed to get on our way.
“Mommy?” Tiffany said in the car.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can we have pasketti for dinner?”
I thought about what I had in the cabinets. “We don’t have everything we need for spaghetti; would you settle for lasagna?” I was pretty sure I had a frozen lasagna.
She sniffled, but said, “Yes.”
That little sniffle was more than I could take. “I guess we can stop in the grocery store and get spaghetti noodles.”
I looked at her little face in the rearview mirror. She lit up when I told her we’d go to the grocery store. Mostly because I almost always let her pick out a treat while we were there.
She made it through most of the store before spotting a pack of snack cakes she loved. I let her get them. Of course.
On the way out the door, I looked up and spotted Maddox’s mom walking in. “Hello, Ava,” I said warmly. She’d been so lovely at the cookout.
“Bethany and Tiffany!” Ava looked truly happy to see us. “How are you?”
“I got cakes!” Tiffany exclaimed. She held out her grocery bag. She’d had to have one just for her cakes, of course.
“Those look so good.” Ava tweaked her on the nose and stood. “I’m glad to run into you. I’d like to invite the two of you to have dinner with us. Saturday night. Bring Tiffany, please. Hailey has been bugging me to have her over since the moment you left the manor.”
Ava’s approval was important to me, and the way she spoke to me told me she was genuinely happy to see me. It made my heart glow. “We would love to come,” I said. “Please, let us bring something. The salad or the dessert?”
She waved her hand. “My Nana would roll over in her grave if I let my guest bring food. How about a bottle of wine?”
I clasped my hands together and beamed. “Perfect.” I didn’t know jack diddly about how to pick out a wine, but I trusted the clerk at the liquor store to help me.
After getting home, as I finished the spaghetti dishes, Maddox’s voice rang across the living room. “Hello?”
Tiffany ran screaming out of her room and launched herself into Maddox’s arms. “We’re going to eat dinner at your mommy’s house!”
Maddox looked at me quizzically over her head. “We ran into your mom at the grocery store and she invited us to dinner Saturday night.”
His face broke into a big grin. “That means she likes you. She only feeds the people she likes.”
I sighed in relief. “I’m glad to hear that. She’s such a nice person.”
He snorted. “She’s had her moments. But I’m glad she likes you, because I’m planning to keep you around for a while, and it’ll be much easier if you two get along.”
Tiffany wiggled in his arms, so he set her down. She ran back to her room, already over the thrill of her Maddoth coming over.
> “Besides.” He held out his arms, and I gladly stepped into his embrace. “There’s something I want to tell you. Saturday, after dinner. If we’re going to continue with this relationship, I want to be perfectly honest with you about me and my life.”
My heart instantly squeezed with worry. What had he kept from me? Was he married? Used to be a woman? I could deal with that, but it would’ve been a shock. Married was a no-go, of course.
“No, don’t look worried,” he said, speaking quickly. “It’s okay. I just want us to start our relationship on an open, honest plane.”
That didn’t do much to quell my fears. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Really. It’s all going to be fine.”
I opted to believe him since he’d never given me a reason to doubt him. But it didn’t make me less nervous.
18
Maddox
As soon as I walked into Bethany’s house on Saturday evening, I knew something was wrong. She was visibly upset. “What’s wrong?”
Artemis went on high alert. We’d been worried about telling her our secret, but something else was going on. I had to figure out what and fix it if possible.
She rolled her eyes. “More calls from Kyle’s parents.”
They must be stopped.
Artemis was right. “You need to let me serve them with a restraining order,” I suggested. “Have you been reporting the calls to your lawyer?”
Bethany gave me a flat look. “Of course. And they are harmless, if persistent. I don’t need a restraining order.”
I didn’t want to argue with her, so I tried to let it go. “Okay. You ready?”
She nodded. “Almost. I just need to grab Tiffany’s shoes.”
Tiffany followed Bethany out of the room. I waited patiently, or at least I tried to. Artemis kept bugging me to protect Bethany and Tiffany.
“You could change your number,” I said.
Bethany stopped in her tracks with Tiff’s shoes in her hand. “Maddox, stop. I don’t need you to constantly suggest what I should and shouldn’t do.”
