by Wyatt, Dani
My eyes flutter open and he’s there. A mixture of ecstatic relief and deep sorrow cover me.
I see him turn his head, dark shadow across one side lending him an air of mystery. The sun is giving in behind the tree line and the odd warmth of the day is falling. “Hey!” He shouts. “She’s here.” Then his eyes meet mine. “I’ve got you, Teah.”
“I don’t even know you. I don’t know what those people want, but I can’t live like that. If that’s your life, I can’t be a part. I just can’t.”
“You’re my life, Teah. That...” He motions back toward the cabin. “That’s nothing to me. I should have told you, but I wanted us to be us. I didn’t want what the world sees me as to be part of something amazing. I’ll fix this. I don’t need any of that. I just need you.”
“Who are you?” I ask, unsure any answer will wash away the doubts that feel like they are cutting into all the soft parts of me I’d already given to him.
“Lachlan Marcus.”
“I know your name.” I snap back.
“Well, Lachlan Marcus is a product. I started off in the music business. Then, I did some movies. Started some companies. I was on the cover of Time Magazine two years ago. But yesterday morning, before I met you, I walked away from it all. I knew I couldn’t live that life anymore. I bought that bus ticket and fate took it from there. Teah, baby, please. Whatever I need to do to make us work, that’s what I’ll do. I can’t promise I can do it today, but I will do it. I’ve got thousands of people that count on me for things, I can’t leave them all hanging, but if you’ll just trust me. Give me some time. I will make our life the life we want. Please baby, you are my life now. You can’t tell me what we have isn’t real. It’s crazy, I get that part. But it’s real.”
I stare at his face. There’s a desperate sadness in his eyes and the conflict tangled inside of me rages.
“I don’t know,” I say, honestly. “There are so many things we don’t know about each other. Not just about you, but about me, too. Lock, I haven’t told you the whole story about me. About my family. Things that the people we were with were planning to do...not my parents, but—”
“I hope that one day you’ll be able to tell me, that you’ll feel safe enough to share whatever burden you’re carrying, but if that day never comes, I won’t care.” He takes a deep breath, crouching down just as some other men come into view. “I love you. I’ll always love you.”
The other men surround us both, talking into walkie-talkies, reporting that they’ve found the target, to bring the vehicles right away. But I don’t care about any of that.
“Kiss me.” I surprise myself at the words. “Close your eyes and kiss me. Then tell me what you see, and I’ll tell you.”
He pauses, tips his head to the side, then leans in. Our lips come together, his tongue gliding along my bottom lip before sinking into my mouth, his hands on the sides of my head, holding me steady.
We stay connected that way for a long minute. Then two. Breathing into each other until we both pull back in the same instant.
“What did you see?” He looks at me, blinking, and I know it’s hope I see looking back at me.
“I see us. We’re old. We’re holding hands. There’s a room full of our grown children, our grandchildren running and climbing everywhere. I see us fifty years from today and it’s our anniversary.”
Tears break over his bottom lids and he drops his head. His hands come down to find mine and he brings them to his lips. I see his shoulders shake and I lean forward, pressing my forehead to his.
“That’s what I saw, Teah. I see it all. My wife. My love. I see us.”
“Then I guess.” I take a deep breath as he pulls back, meeting my eyes. “I guess it’s time to let go and see what happens. I’ll trust you Lock. I’ll trust us.”
12
Lachlan
Epilogue One – One Month Later
“I’m not ready.” Beverly sits at the breakfast table in the new house I bought in rural Kentucky the week Teah and I returned from Chaplain.
We picked Kentucky the same way we’ve been doing everything. When we closed our eyes and held hands, it came to us. When we both said the state name together after opening our eyes, we knew it was where our life would continue.
Teah is rattling around in the cabinets of the massive kitchen in the hundred-year-old farmhouse, knocking pots and pans together and singing ‘Staying Alive’ as Beverly tugs at her fingers and I rest my hand on her wrist. Teah’s taken over all the cooking, since if I was in charge we would starve or probably die of food poisoning.
She’s doing well, but I’ve eaten my share of burned casseroles while making sure I always ask for seconds, wiping the tears from her eyes.
I look at Beverly and lean back in my chair. “I’ll still be here for you. Shit, Bev, you’ve practically run everything about me for years anyway. Now it’s just time to make some of it official.”
There’s a stack of papers in front of us, waiting for her signature. I’ve divested much of my business to others but the things that mean the most to me I’m handing over to Beverly.
“It’s too much money.” She fusses and Teah stands up from behind the kitchen island and leans her hands on the counter.
“Take the money. He has too much still.” Teah winks at me and I take a breath through my nose and squeeze Beverly’s wrist.
“If you don’t take it, Teah will just make me give it away.” I wink back at my wife and she crinkles her nose at me. She’s been making charitable donations as well as just finding people and families in need for the last two weeks. She’s barely made a dent in my net worth and watching the joy it brings her helping other people is more than worth the dollars she spends.
“Okay.” Beverly straightens her back. Her dark hair is neat as always, tied into a bun at the base of her neck. She’s wearing a peach silk shirt with black trousers and a silver cross hangs around her neck. “But you have to promise me you’ll always take my calls. The investors and other board members aren’t that happy about all this. About me. I’ve been getting some pretty nasty e-mails—”
“From who? Send them to me I’ll make sure they understand who’s in charge here. I have zero problem setting anyone straight who doesn’t like my decision. They can get the fuck out for all I care.”
“Lock.” Teah chastises me. “You don’t have to save her. Just be there for her. Right, Beverly?”
“Right.” She nods at Teah, then looks at me. “I can do this. It’s just going to take some time before I earn everyone’s respect.”
Since we left Chaplain, our lives have fallen into place with such ease. This place I bought is in the middle of nowhere. Eight hundred acres in Kentucky. We have all the privacy we need and honestly, in the closest small town to where we live, no one seems to care all that much who I am.
Teah’s parents are coming our way as well. They wouldn’t commit to a specific date, but at least they are open to visiting and giving me a chance, thanks to Teah’s help. I’m sure I’ll be suspect in their eyes for a certain amount of time, but all I can do is try to stay true to what feels right to me and hope they in time will see I am not the enemy.
Beverly sets her signature on the papers and Teah takes her out back with a bottle of wine to play with the dogs and look out at the small lake behind the house. They’ve become fast friends, almost sisters.
Little did I know, Beverly’s life was almost as segregated at Teah’s outside of dealing with me and her work. It’s been wonderful seeing them bond and finding a friendship they were both lacking.
Me? I’m still writing music. I think that’s where my heart lies. Not in the performing. It’s in the creating. I’ve written a few songs that have been picked up by other artists and that feels more natural to me than getting out in front of thousands of people screaming my name.
I hear the beep from the security system announcing someone is buzzing the gate.
I walk over to the control panel, look at the scre
en and see a guy in a beat up pickup, one arm hanging out the open window. He’s about my age, looking like a cowboy version of Tom Hardy.
“Can I help you?” I ask, my protective instinct on high alert.
“Uh,” He pushes up the brim of his brown cowboy hat and scratches at his head, looking down at a piece of paper in his hand. “Yeah, I have a delivery for Lock Hamilton.”
I’ve adopted an official alter-identity since we moved here, but I don’t remember ordering anything for delivery.
Just as I’m about to send him away, Teah comes rushing back through the room to rest her hands on my shoulders and speak into the microphone. “Yes. Come on up.”
She reaches over and pushes the button, opening the gate.
“What are you up to?” I reach over and grab Teah’s hand, her face exploding into a smile.
“It’s a surprise. He’s early.”
“Anything to do with your ‘secret’ project out back?”
“Maybe.”
I give Teah a lot of freedom to do things here at the new place. She’s made me promise I wouldn’t venture back onto the rear of the property as she’s been working with some contractors building something. It’s taken a lot of willpower not to go back there but I don’t want to ruin her surprise. The only thing I did, was when the contractors came I made sure they understood they better keep their eyes or anything else off of my wife and give her all the respect she deserves, otherwise they would quickly have to deal with me.
So, for three weeks I’ve kept my promise and stayed away from whatever it is she has going on back there. But I’m getting the feeling today I’m going to find out what my sweet wife has been up to.
“Come on.” She tugs at my hand as Beverly comes in the back door, chuckling.
“You in on this?” I point my finger at her as I follow Teah toward the front door.
Beverly puts her hands up. “I know nothing,” she says, but her face tells me otherwise.
Teah pulls me down the front steps of the house as the pickup crunches down the drive with what looks like a horse trailer attached. Cowboy Tom Hardy slows and parks, exiting out the driver’s door as we come up to the pickup.
“Lock.” Teah looks to me, then the man. “This is Gruber. Gruber, my husband Lock.”
He reaches out and I shake his hand.
“Ah, you’re Lock. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Can’t say the same.”
He laughs. “Ah, I see. All very secretive. Well, your lovely wife has done some great work to accommodate what I’ve brought you today. It will be a pleasure working with you both.”
“Working with us?” I draw my brows together, trying to get this all straight in my mind.
“Yes, sir.” He nods, whisking his fingers along the brim of his hat. “You’ll need help, at least for a while until you feel comfortable.”
“Okay.” I look at Teah. “Time to spill, what’s all this?”
“Come here.” She grabs both of my hands, then looks toward Gruber. “Is it okay? Can we look in?”
“Sure can. They’re a little scared right now, so just be mindful.”
We walk to the back of the horse trailer and Teah climbs onto the bumper and nods for me to stand next to her.
“Look, Lock. Aren’t they so cute.”
In the back of the trailer, I see two gray furry creatures curled up in some blankets in the front corner of the trailer.
“Dogs?” I look at Teah. “We have three already, why did you make this such a big surprise? You usually just come home with them.”
“These aren’t dogs. Look closer.”
As I stare into the trailer, one of the little fur babies raises his nose and takes a long sniff of the air.
As he does, he turns to lock eyes with me, the other one lifting its nose and doing the same, then looking right at Teah. My heart leaps in my chest as they both wiggle out of the blankets and stand to look right at us.
Teah and I look at each other, then back at the pups.
“Wolves.” A voice comes from behind us. “Orphaned wolf pups. Your wife here has been kind enough to set up a rehabilitation home of sorts for my group.”
I turn to see Gruber standing with his hands in his pockets and I step down from the trailer and help Teah do the same, draping my arm over her shoulders.
She looks at Gruber, then at me. “I hope you’re not upset. I wanted it to be a surprise. I had a building and fencing built. Gruber has been supervising and there are lots of wolves and wolf pups that need help. The goal will be to release them back into the wild, but some will need to stay. If they are injured or old. So, we will have some here all the time. He’s going to teach us how to care for them. Handle them. We will have help too.”
“Wow, baby.” I lean in to kiss the side of her hair. “This is amazing.”
“So, you’re happy? You’re not upset?”
“Upset?” I shake my head and squeeze her into me. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect. We’re perfect.”
Just then, Beverly comes around the back of the trailer and smiles.
“So?” She looks at Teah, then Gruber, and I see a blush on her cheeks.
“Ma’am.” He tips his hat at Beverly and she fights off a smile.
“Gruber, I told you my name is Beverly.”
I look at the two women in my life and shrug. “You were in on this?”
“Of course.” Beverly smiles and I see Gruber can’t take his eyes off of her.
“Well, you girls do know how to keep secrets.”
“Beverly’s been helping a lot.” Teah bobs her eyebrows at me with a nudge, then turns to wrap her arms around my neck as Gruber smiles and walks toward the front of his truck, calling behind him.
“Well, let’s go then. These two babies need a home. You two hop in the back of the truck.” He looks over at Beverly. “Ma’am.” He outstretches his hand for her to follow him.
He takes her around and puts her in the passenger seat of the truck as Teah and I follow behind. As we walk away from the trailer the two pups start howling and barking.
I turn to look at my own Little Wolf and see that smile that lights up my days.
She looks up at me as we go to get into the bed of Gruber’s pick up. “Sometimes, we just need to let go of who we thought we were to make room for who we are supposed to be.”
I lift her into the truck and climb in behind her, tapping on the back window of the cab to signal for Gruber to go ahead.
“I’m glad you let go, Little Wolf. I’m glad we let go.”
13
Teah
EPILOGUE TWO – EIGHT Years Later
“You like teasing me, don’t you? You like running around here in your see-through dress with no panties, torturing me.” Lock stomps through the living room with fire in his eyes. “Get over here.”
I stay put, half frozen and half playing into the little fantasy. Lock tears his sweat soaked white T-shirt from his torso, exposing his massive and magnificent chiseled body. I’m in agony, wanting him to touch me as I sit cross legged on the floor. But instead I just stick my tongue out at him.
“I wasn’t teasing you.” I banter back as Lock comes closer, his hands on the buckle of his belt. The mere sight of him has desire twitching and tingling right down in my center.
“We both know that’s not the truth. You know what you’re doing, Little Wolf. Now, you’re going to have to pay the piper.” His words cut hard through the space left between us and my belly flips at the intensity in his eyes.
He’s playing along, but the parts we settle into like this sometimes feel as real as our other identities. They’ve developed over time, as did our relationship in general. When you marry someone within the first twenty-four hours of meeting them, it’s all about evolution and finding your way.
We’ve managed to do that very well. Even after all these years, and four children later, we continue to do it very well.
“I’m sorry.” I pout as Lock steps in front o
f me, a heavy hand resting on top of my head, pushing me back until I’m gazing up.
“Take my cock out. You made it hard, it’s your responsibility to take care of it.” He licks his lips on a snarl. “Get your mouth ready, princess.”
The anticipation has me holding my breath as I bring my shaking fingers up to the button of his jeans where his belt already hangs open.
“Yes, Sir.” I answer and he gives me an approving nod as my fingers work slowly.
“That’s it. You know what you are here for. You know your purpose.” His jaw tightens before he continues. “That’s why you walk around dressed like that, isn’t it?”
I nod as I work open the fly of his pants and tug down his loose boxers.
As I free his erection, it practically hits me in the nose as it escapes the confining fabric. Lock’s other hand comes to the other side of my head, holding me in place.
“Open. I’m going to fuck that sweet mouth of yours as hard as I like, for as long as I like. Next time you tease me, you’ll remember.
I reach up to stroke him with both hands and I see his eyes flutter as I open my mouth and he drives the tip over my tongue making me swallow half his length in a single motion that leaves me breathless.
The slippery pre-cum dances on my tongue as his hips move back and forth and spit begins to drip down my chin.
“That’s my Little Wolf. Make me feel good. Then I’m going to give you what you need.”
I devour him, knowing what he wants, what he needs from me, and it fulfills me in so many ways to be able to give it to him. I run my tongue up and down the bottom of his thick shaft, sucking while he slips in and out between my hungry lips.
He grunts and fucks my mouth without apology, in and out, down my throat as I choke and gag giving him the ability to decide when I breathe.
Between my legs I’m soaking. Taking him like this, or I should say him taking me like this, always pushes me close to the edge.
“God, your mouth is fucking amazing.” He growls, looking down as he holds nearly his entire length down my throat. “Swallow, baby. I like to feel that throat close around my cock.”
