Meant To Be: A Malsum Pass Novel

by Kimberly Forrest

  The first thing Elizabeth wanted to hit up was the face painting. Ever since she was a little girl, she couldn’t resist having a design painted on her face. She tried to convince Conner to get something as well but he told her he had enough artwork on his body. Elizabeth looked down at his tattooed arms and grinned. So while Conner took Jeremy to meet some boys his age, she approached the booth. The rather bubbly blonde that was manning the booth grinned widely and introduced herself as Constance Tully when Elizabeth took a seat. “I have been dying to meet you since I heard about what happened in the diner.” Constance said in a conspiratorial whisper. “For Conner to publically claim you like that.” The blonde woman grinned and fanned her face. Then she turned serious and said, “Just don’t let this town influence your decisions.”

  Constance seemed to be staring at something just beyond Elizabeth’s shoulder and Elizabeth couldn’t resist turning to look. Jacob Pierce was standing over by a group of men about his age, likewise staring back at Constance. Elizabeth could practically feel the electricity between the two of them, but then Constance placed a finger under Elizabeth’s chin to turn her back and the woman was smiling brightly again. “So what would you like?”

  Elizabeth was quite happy with the bright yellow flower that now adorned her left cheekbone but was surprised when she tried to pay and was waved off. “Everything here is free.” Constance Tully said, “Just have fun.”

  They closed down the entire town and didn’t charge for this fair? Incredible, and pretty much unheard of in this day and age. Elizabeth looked around and easily spotted Conner not far away. Jeremy was beside him with three other boys who looked to be about the same age. Jeremy was smiling, laughing, and interacting. She drew in a shuddery breath and had to blink a few times to make sure she didn’t cry. Her son was making friends and it was such a wonderful sight.

  Jeremy spotted her and the boys all ran toward her, Jeremy in the lead, with Conner bringing up the rear. “Mom!” he shouted, “They’re all going out on the field to practice. Can I go?”

  Elizabeth had the overwhelming urge to hug each one of these boys for including her son, but figured Jeremy wouldn’t appreciate such an uncool mom display. She nodded and told him to have fun and then stood there and watched him run off with a lump in her throat.

  Conner’s arm came around her waist and he pulled her into his side. “He’ll be fine.” She nodded. She knew he would be, and she was so happy for him.

  Some of the events were starting up and she laughed as she witnessed a foot race where each pair of racers had to share a pair of giant underwear. In another section, some of the men were playing horseshoes using toilet seats and plungers. When they stopped to watch the tree climbing race, one of the men started yelling loudly that the winner, the supermodel looking waitress that Elizabeth recognized from the diner, had cheated.

  “How can you cheat climbing a tree?” Elizabeth asked in confusion and Conner just chuckled and said, “He’s just a sore loser and Lily’s part cat.”

  Elizabeth laughed, “She’s been climbing trees all her life, huh?”

  Conner grinned, “Something like that.”

  The smell of meat cooking drifted to Elizabeth and her stomach growled so they made their way over to the food tables. Half-way there Conner grinned and said, “My little ladies are here. Wait until you see them, you’ll love them.”

  Conner introduced her to a couple who each had a baby carrier strapped onto the front of their bodies. The male, tall with dark hair and gray eyes, was introduced as Riley Cooper, while the redheaded female that was introduced as Tara Cooper, could only be Conner’s sister, they looked so similar.

  Conner’s face transformed with a goofy grin as he stuck his head close to the carrier strapped on Riley Cooper’s chest. A small, pink, and very wet fist popped out to grasp Conner’s beard and give it a healthy yank. Nor was the baby attached to that fist in any hurry to relinquish her claim on her uncle’s beard. Elizabeth laughed as she was introduced to Marisol and Angela Cooper, the newest residents of the town.

  Once Conner was able to move again, having distracted the baby with something else to occupy her hands, he straightened, his chest puffed out proud. “Do you see all that gorgeous red hair, Elizabeth? That, right there, is some fine Pierce genetics at work.”

  Tara Cooper laughed. “Look who’s the big brave man when Riley’s holding a baby and can’t thrash you.”

  Riley chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to show him up in front of his woman, sweetheart. That wouldn’t be right.”

  Conner and Riley exchanged a few more good natured jibes, but Elizabeth’s attention was held by the baby as Tara Cooper stepped up beside her. She remembered when Jeremy was that small; a tiny little bundle she could hold close to her heart. Unlike the woman beside her though, Elizabeth had not had a proud papa by her side. She pushed the thought away and turned a smile on Conner’s sister. “Congratulations. Your girls are beautiful.”

  Tara beamed. “They are,” and then she crossed her eyes comically and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth before adding, “I’ll just be glad when they both decide to sleep at the same time instead of waking each other up.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “My brother and I are twins and I believe my mother had that same complaint.”

  Tara looked suddenly eager, “Do twins run in your family?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “They do, though it seemed to have skipped me since I only had one.”

  “Please don’t hate me when I say I hope you marry my brother and have twins – with your dark hair, of course – so that Riley and I can get some payback.”

  Elizabeth chuckled at the disgruntled look on Tara’s face, but the image she had conjured… She could suddenly picture herself having a baby with Conner, his face proud and perhaps a bit humbled at the life they had created. He would be with her, helping, encouraging, loving – not on the other side of the word. She had never really considered having more children, but she had to admit, the thought held some appeal.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Elizabeth was filling a plate with food when a child, who looked to be no more than five, gripped the side of the table to look over the offerings. He had a mop of black glossy curls on top of his head and big brown eyes as he looked up at Elizabeth and pointed to one of the bowls. “What’s that?”

  Looking in the bowl, Elizabeth saw the sliced potatoes and herbs. “German potato salad.” She said with a smile.

  The boy’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t like potatoes.” He grumbled before pointing to the next bowl. “What’s that?”

  “Also potato salad.”

  Another wrinkled nose, this one accompanied by a tongue out and Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh. “Why don’t you tell me what you do like and we’ll see if we can find something.”

  “Chicken nuggets.” The boy answered with a nod.

  Ah, chicken nuggets. Elizabeth remembered those days with Jeremy well. She was just about to suggest hotdogs and macaroni and cheese as an alternative when Conner scooped the little guy high up into his arms. “Geno, my man. You weren’t trying to steal my woman were you? Because you know I can’t compete with you.”

  The boy let out a giggle and squished a hand over Conner’s nose. Conner mock growled and the boy giggled louder. Conner chuckled and looked over at Elizabeth. “Elizabeth, meet Eugene. Geno, this is Elizabeth.”

  Eugene stuck out his hand and Elizabeth shook it. The sight of Conner holding this little boy made her heart kick in her chest. She decided that handsome bad boy types holding children was detrimental to a woman’s health and should come with a warning label.

  Conner set the boy down and rumpled his hair. “I see your dad over by the hotdogs and I’m pretty sure he’s fixing your plate.”

  With that said, the boy ran off with a yelled, “Bye!” for Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth watched fondly for a moment as the boy reached his father and began pointing at more dishes and peppering the adult with questions. She
chuckled again as Conner put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s grab something to eat. The game will be starting in a little over an hour and you’ll want good seats to watch J.T and I kick some butt.”

  Elizabeth did end up with good seats to watch the game, and although Jeremy and Conner were on the same team, there wasn’t much butt kicking. When Jeremy was at bat, she whooped and cheered but winced a bit inside when he struck out every time. She was so glad to hear the continued clapping and exclamations of “That’s all right!” coming from the stands. Then she winced again when he was in the outfield and a ball bounced off his glove and rolled away. She thought for sure he would be discouraged, maybe even tell her he never wanted to play again, but his teammates had continued to encourage him and by the end of the game, despite the loss, he was still in a good mood. He ran up to her, sweaty and flushed with excited, surrounded by his new friends. “Mom, can I camp out tonight?”

  She looked from Jeremy’s damp, dirt streaked face to that of his eager friends, and finally to Conner, and the man with him who she knew to be Conner’s dad. The elder Pierce pointed off to where the woods butted up against the clearing where they played ball. “The boys put up tents right over there each year and camp out. It’s supervised. I, and L.J Mason who owns The Powder Keg here in town, stay with the boys.” He shrugged. “They pig out on whatever is left over from the barbecue, make s’mores, and try to outdo scaring each other with ghost stories.”

  “Can I, Mom?” Jeremy looked so hopeful. This from the boy who hadn’t wanted to go camping with the scouts. She took a breath and recalled what Conner had told her – he hadn’t wanted to go then because he didn’t have a dad to go with him.

  She swallowed, looking again to the woods. “There aren’t bears in this area are there?”

  Conner chuckled and said, “Not since before Christmas.”

  Conner’s father shot his son a look that Elizabeth couldn’t read but then turned his attention back to her. “Not this close to town. I promise, L.J and I will look after your boy. You won’t need to worry.”

  “He doesn’t have a tent, but I can head back to the camp to get his sleeping bag.” Elizabeth said and Jeremy let out a whoop of delight at her agreement.

  Conner’s father smiled indulgently at Jeremy and then shook his head. “No need. We provide everything. The boys just need to have fun.”

  Elizabeth nodded and bit her lip. She looked at Jeremy who was smiling so brightly and let out a shuddering breath. “Make sure you listen and do as you’re told.” She said and watched as Jeremy nodded, already backing away to make his escape. “Have fun!” She yelled after him as he took off running with his new friends.

  Conner wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight. He was rather sweaty, but she didn’t complain. “It’ll be good for him.” Conner said. “Those boys will be his classmates and this’ll give him a head start.”

  Elizabeth nodded, agreeing with the logic. She wanted Jeremy to make friends. She wanted her son to be happy.

  Now that the baseball game was over, the PA system resumed playing music. The first strains of George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart” filled the air and Conner took her hand. “Dance with me?”

  She nodded, and as they danced there on the field, Conner sung the lyrics, softly against her temple, “In all the world, you’ll never find, a love as true as mine…” and she wanted so badly to believe it.

  When the song ended, Conner pulled slightly away and ducked his head to look deeply in her eyes. He asked, “Stay with me tonight?”

  Elizabeth didn’t hesitate. She nodded.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mostly, the rest of the day went by in a rather giddy haze for Elizabeth. They’d held hands as they walked around watching more events. She had tried to convince Conner that he should join in the pie eating contest but he’d looked aghast at the suggestion. “Those blueberries will stain my beard.” He had said. Though he had ended up with a fair amount of cotton candy stuck in his beard when she’d pushed it at his mouth a bit too forcefully. She’d laughed. He’d dipped her backwards in retaliation and kissed her for all to witness before he had rubbed his beard all over her face while she squealed in protest as he shared the sticky sweetness with her.

  There was only one incident to dampen Elizabeth’s mood. Just before the fireworks display, which Conner was assisting with, a man approached her. He was tall and burly. He had a shock of white hair on top of his head, sticking out in all directions while his bushy eyebrows were jet black, setting low over his eyes. The man sniffed loudly as he drew closer and then growled. The sound made her spine stiffen as it raised every hair on her body. She actually wanted to look around for an angry dog because that sound couldn’t possibly have been made by a man.

  “You don’t belong here.” The man hissed, pressing closer into her personal space. Fear made Elizabeth swallow hard.

  “Porch!” Someone yelled and suddenly the older man was pushed away from her. Riley Cooper, who she’d met earlier, this time without a baby strapped to his front, stepped between her and the older man. “Have you lost your mind? You need to back off – right now.”

  The older man glared at her for a moment before spitting on the ground, turning on his heel and walking away.

  “Are you okay?” Riley asked.

  Elizabeth nodded, but it was probably more reflex than truth. She rubbed a hand briskly over the goosebumps that had raised on her arms. “Was he drunk?” It was the only thing she could think of to explain such behavior. That or just plain crazy.

  Riley put a hand to her shoulder and gave a little squeeze. “It wouldn’t surprise me, but best to keep your distance from that one, okay?”

  Elizabeth nodded. She certainly didn’t have to be given that warning twice. That was one man she would definitely avoid in the future.

  “Porch is already on Vahl’s shit list, so I’ll let him know and he’ll handle it. You shouldn’t have any more problems. Why don’t you come watch the show with Tara and me?”

  The fireworks display was small but beautiful. Much more than Elizabeth would have expected for such a small town. And she was pleasantly surprised to find out that they didn’t have the loud booms which always made her jump. Curious, she had asked about it, Tara had leaned over and told her that they bothered too many people in town so they didn’t include them.

  As soon as the show was over, Conner joined her and pulled her into a hug. “Are you all right?” he had whispered in her ear, then his voice turned snarly, almost scary, “If that crazy bastard comes near you again, I’ll kill the son of a bitch.” Obviously, he had heard about the incident with Mister Porch. Malsum Pass certainly had a speedy grapevine.

  Once she had reassured Conner that she would suffer no lasting effects from being growled at, they’d checked in one last time on Jeremy to make sure he was well set up in the circle of tents. Seeing her son still happy and enjoying himself, she and Conner had walked hand in hand back to The Stag, and Conner’s apartment.

  That was when Elizabeth started to get nervous. It was well and good to plan to have sex, but now that the moment was upon her, her brain was starting to fill with worries. She had sweat from the heat of the day – was her deodorant working? Did she stink? What if she tasted too salty? Did she put on matching bra and panties that morning? What if Conner was repulsed by her stretch marks? It had been so long since she had had sex did she even remember how to do it correctly? Had things changed? Would Conner be into some kind of kink that would turn her off? Would he find her too vanilla?

  She was about to have a full blown panic attack. Maybe Conner somehow sensed it and instinctively knew how to diffuse it, because as soon as they were through the door into his apartment, he was kissing her, and all thoughts stopped as her brain short-circuited.

  She felt the cool, smooth surface of the wall against her back as Conner leaned into her, his mouth moving over hers. His body was hard, but fit perfectly against her. Her
hands plucked at his T-shirt, trying to reach bare skin and he yanked it swiftly over his head before returning his mouth to hers. All that glorious flesh at her fingertips. She smoothed her hands over it, felt goosebumps rise on his skin when she encountered sensitive areas while in other areas, muscles clenched in appreciation of her ministrations.

  Her clothes suddenly felt too confining, she broke away from Conner’s kiss and pulled her shirt off, needing to press naked skin against his. Conner looked her over, but his eyes only showed appreciation and arousal as they moved over her, stretch marks and all. “You’re so gorgeous, Elizabeth.” His voice broke slightly, as if he was overcome by what he saw, and she actually felt gorgeous. She felt powerful. With a confidence she hadn’t realized she possessed, she stroked the front of his jeans where his erection strained against the zipper. She had done that to him and the knowledge was heady.

  He hissed out a breath as she continued to stroke his length before he tugged her bra cup down to release her breast. The nipple was hard, eager, and she gasped as he took it into his mouth. Every pull of his lips on her breast sent an answering throb between her legs. She cried out in approval as he scraped his teeth across that hardened tip and clenched handfuls of his dark red hair to pull him closer. She wanted him desperately.

  With that thought, her fingers worked frantically at the button of his pants, wanting to get him naked; wanting him inside. Conner’s hands moved down to her backside and he stroked over ass before squeezing and then boosting her up so that she could wrap her legs around him. The press between her legs felt so incredible, yet at the same time, not enough. She gasped and Conner’s mouth returned to hers as he began walking them through the living room and down the hallway to his bedroom.

  Beside the bed, he set her down, his mouth moving to her jaw, kissing and licking down her neck, before he removed her bra completely and zeroed in on the breast he had previously neglected. Elizabeth’s knees nearly gave out on her, and he lowered her carefully to the bed, his mouth moving down her rib cage to her belly. He unbuttoned her shorts and tugged them, with her panties, down her legs. “I love these legs.” He growled low as he kissed the inside of one knee and then the other. “I’ve dreamt of having them wrapped around me.”