Egan Cassidy's Kid

by Beverly Barton

  Bent bounded into the kitchen, softball glove in hand. “The game starts in an hour and he’s not here. I told you he wouldn’t come back.”

  Maggie wiped her hands off on the towel, removed her gingham apron and laid it on the counter. “Something must have come up to delay him.”

  “Why do you keep defending him? Get it through your head, Mama, he’s not coming back.”

  “I don’t intend to argue with you.” Maggie picked up her bag from the table, hung the straps over her shoulder and then retrieved her car keys from a side pouch. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  Forty-five minutes later, Maggie sat beside Janice Deweese in the stands at the Parsons City Athletic Park. She had been so sure Egan would keep his promise and make it back to town in time for the game. If he didn’t show up, there was no way Bent would ever forgive him.

  What if he isn’t coming back? an insecure inner voice taunted her. What if Bent’s right and Egan has decided that he can’t live a quiet, simple life?

  “Bent keeps looking around for Egan,” Janice said. “He might have told you he doesn’t think his father will show up, but he’s sure hoping he will.”

  “I’m hoping he will, too,” Maggie admitted. “I keep telling myself that something unavoidable came up.”

  “But you’re having some doubts, aren’t you?”

  “It’s just my insecurity. I know that Egan cares for me and that he wants a life with Bent and me.”

  “Then why isn’t he here?” Janice asked.

  “He’ll be here. I just know he will.” Maggie had to trust her heart, even if that heart had led her astray once before—fifteen years ago. Circumstances were different. Grant Cullen no longer posed a threat. Unlike years ago, Egan had made promises this time. Promises to her and to Bent.

  The stands were filled with families. Mothers, brothers and sisters. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles. And groups of fathers and sons comprised the teams. But one father was missing. Bent’s father.

  She watched Bent as he tossed a ball back and forth with his friend Chris, whose father was present. Suddenly Bent missed the catch. The ball fell to the ground. Bent walked off the field and headed toward the entrance gates. Maggie pivoted slightly and glanced over her shoulder, following her son’s journey. That’s when she saw Egan. Wearing blue jeans and red T-shirt, identical to Bent’s outfit, Egan stood just inside the park entrance.

  Maggie’s heart leaped into her throat. Tears misted her eyes. Egan laid his hand on his son’s shoulder and together they joined the other players on the field. The coach tossed Egan a ball cap. After putting on the cap, he glanced up and scanned the crowd. When he spotted Maggie, he lifted his hand and waved. She stood up, tears streaming down her face, and blew him a kiss.

  Egan lifted the sponge and ran it over Maggie’s back. The scented bubbles dripped off the sponge onto his hand. After he scrubbed her back, he pulled her between his spread legs. Her buttocks nestled against his groin. She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. With tender caresses, he stroked her breasts, paying special attention to her nipples. When she moaned and rubbed her behind against his arousal, he slid his wet hands down over her tummy and slipped them between her thighs, separating her legs. With the fingers of one hand lifted to a breast and the fingers of the other hand occupied below, Egan teased her until she was breathless.

  “Relax, honey, and let it happen,” Egan whispered in her ear.

  Obeying his command, she allowed his talented fingers to pleasure her. When fulfillment claimed her, shudders racking her body, Maggie cried out. Once the aftershocks subsided, Egan stood, water and bubbles dripping from his big body, and got out of the Jacuzzi tub in Maggie’s bathroom. After tying a towel around his waist, he offered her his hand, then lifted her up and out of the tub. He wrapped a large, fluffy towel around her and dried her with slow, sensuous pats. Maggie grabbed her silk robe from the hook on the back of the door, slipped her arms through the sleeves and tied the belt.

  Egan led her into her bedroom and over to the bed. After loosening her belt, he spread her robe apart to reveal her beautiful body. She smiled wickedly at him and snatched away his towel.

  “Lady, you’re asking for trouble,” he said.

  “Trouble’s what I want, big boy.” She looked directly at his erection.

  “Then trouble is exactly what you’re going to get.”

  He shoved her down on the bed and stood there gazing at her. Lifting her right foot, she stroked his hip, then inched her foot around so that her toes could tap against his sex.

  “I’m glad Bent spent the night with Chris so that his parents could work off a little bottled-up tension,” Maggie said. “These past two months without making love have been the longest two months of my life.”

  Egan parted her legs and walked between them, then lifted her hips. With one fast, deep lunge, he entered her. She sighed with pleasure, then straddled his waist with her legs and opened herself completely to his plunder.

  “It’ll take me years to make up for lost time,” he told her.

  “Then we shouldn’t waste any time, should we?”

  They made love with all the passion, all the hunger, all the longing that they had been forced to deny for so many weeks. They shared simultaneous climaxes that rocked them to the core of their bodies.

  Sated and happy beyond their wildest dreams, they lay together in Maggie’s bed, the night still young and the future spread out ahead of them like a golden dream waiting to be fulfilled.

  Maggie held up her left hand and stared at the shimmering amethyst-and-diamond engagement ring Egan had bought while he’d been in Chicago. “I can’t believe you remembered that my birthstone is an amethyst.” She wriggled around, freeing her arm trapped between them, braced herself on one elbow and leaned across Egan’s chest. “I love this ring. It’s beautiful. But with all these diamonds it must have cost you a small fortune. I would have been happy with something less expensive.”

  Egan rose up and kissed her on the nose, then lifted his hand to thread his fingers through the damp, tangled mass of her hair. “I’ve got more money than I can spend in one lifetime, so let me enjoy myself and spend it on you and Bent.”

  “Hmm-mmm. I had no idea I was marrying a millionaire,” she teased.

  “You’re marrying a man who loves you more than anything in this world and is grateful that you’re giving him a chance to spend the rest of his life proving it to you.”

  “So while you’re proving your love to me, what do you intend to do to keep yourself occupied when I’m working? You could always be a househusband.”

  “I’m going to write more Nage Styon poetry and I just might try my hand at writing a novel. Maybe a murder mystery.”

  “Hmm-mmm. Uh, Egan?”

  “Huh?” He idly caressed her naked hip.

  She snuggled as close to him as possible, then forked her fingers through his chest hair. “Let’s get married next week.”

  “Suits me just fine, but why the big hurry? I thought you women liked months to plan these big shindigs.”

  “I don’t want a big wedding. I’d like something simple. Just you, me, Bent and Janice.”

  “I want whatever you want, honey. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Uh-huh. Does that total acceptance extend to anything I want?” She looked at him coyly and smiled.

  “I’d give you anything in the world you wanted, if I could.”

  “How about another child?” She nuzzled his chin with her nose.

  “You want a baby?”

  “I want your baby. And this time, I want you to be with me, every step of the way.”

  “I can’t believe…” As Egan rose into a sitting position, he eased Maggie up with him until she sat on his lap. “I’d be more than happy to oblige and feel blessed if you were to get pregnant. But honey, I’m forty-seven. The equipment still works, but I can’t guarantee—”

  She pressed her in
dex finger against his lips. “Your equipment works just fine. As a matter of fact…I’m pretty sure that I’m already pregnant.”

  “What?”

  “A little over two months pregnant,” she admitted. “I took a home pregnancy test this morning and it came out positive.”

  “Oh, Maggie, honey. How the hell did I get so lucky?” He smothered her with kisses, then suddenly stopped. His mouth fell open; his jaw went slack. “What are you going to say to Bent? Do you think he’ll be upset?”

  “I’m going to say, ‘You know that baby sister you always wanted when you were a little boy…”’

  Egan laughed as he pulled Maggie down on top of him. “I love you, Maggie mine.”

  “And I love you, Egan.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas at the Cassidy home was an incomparable event. The aroma of cinnamon wafted from the kitchen mingling with the scent of fresh evergreen throughout the house. Twinkling white lights adorned the eight-foot tree, draped the mantels in the living and dining rooms and set aflame the small shrubbery that lined the brick walkway. Red-and-green plaid ribbon laced over and under windows and doors, and huge bows graced every present stacked under the tree.

  Shrill squeals and the sound of little feet bouncing up and down alerted Maggie that Bentley Tyson Cassidy had arrived. She checked the sugar cookies in the oven, wiped her hands on the towel and then rushed out of the kitchen and down the hallway. There in the foyer stood her eighteen-year-old son, home from the University of Alabama.

  Red-haired, three-year-old Melanie clung to one of Bent’s legs and her identical twin sister, Melinda, clung to the other. Egan reached down and lifted first one and then the other daughter away from their beloved big brother. Father and son stood side by side, each six-three and broad-shouldered, although Egan possessed the bulk of a mature man while Bent still retained the lankiness of youth.

  “Mama!” Bent hurried toward Maggie, lifted her off her feet and whirled her around and around, then set her back on the floor. “The house looks wonderful and boy, something sure smells good.”

  “Cookies,” Melinda said.

  “Sugar cookies,” Melanie clarified.

  “Come on you two little demons. Y’all can help Mommy in the kitchen.” Maggie gathered up the twins and herded them down the hallway. “Lunch will be ready soon,” she called back to her men. “Put your bag in your room, Bent, then by the time you and your father wash up, I’ll have chicken and dumplings on the table.”

  After picking up Bent’s suitcase, Egan draped his arm around his son’s shoulder. “It’s good to have you here. Your mama’s had a difficult time adjusting to your living away from home.”

  “Mama has, huh?” Bent grinned. “And you haven’t missed me, have you, Dad?”

  Egan chuckled. “Actually, Maggie’s been handling your being gone better than I have. I guess I’ll never feel as if I’ve had enough time with you.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Bent said. “My little sisters are lucky that you’ve had the chance to be a part of their lives from the beginning.” Bent hugged his father. “But I’m lucky that you didn’t give up on me, considering what a stubborn mule I was before you and Mama got married.”

  “I would never have given up on you,” Egan said. “And I’m the lucky one to have you and the girls and Maggie. She’s given me a life I never thought I could have.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the Cassidy family gathered around the kitchen table for their noontime meal. After the twins said a prayer of thanks simultaneously, Maggie glanced across the table at her husband. Egan smiled at her and her stomach did a quivering little flip-flop. She mouthed the words “I love you” and he returned the silent gesture.

  “What ya doing, Mama?” Melanie asked, her mouth half-full of dumplings.

  “She and Daddy are making faces at each other,” Melinda said. “They’re always making kissie faces.”

  “That’s because our mother and father love each other,” Bent told his little sisters, then spread out both arms, reached over from where he sat between them and ruffled their silky red curls.

  “And they love us, too,” Melanie added. “Me and her—” she pointed to her sister “—and you.” She pointed at Bent.

  Everyone laughed. Joy in abundance filled Maggie’s heart. She had everything she’d ever wanted—and more. So much more. Three beautiful, healthy children. A happy, contented husband who worshiped the ground she walked on. And the life she’d dreamed of since the first moment Egan Cassidy had walked into her life. *****

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-1735-5

  EGAN CASSIDY’S KID

  Copyright © 2000 by Beverly Beaver

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  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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  * The Protectors

  † 3 Babies for 3 Brothers