As he reached his door, another opened behind him.
“Oh, hey. You just getting in?” Trevor asked, already down to black boxers.
“Yeah. Have you seen Poppy?”
Trevor rubbed his cheek. “Actually, not since dinner. She kind of disappeared. I think she was tired. Maybe in her room?”
“Thanks.”
Instead of going to her room, Michael opened his own door. The rose quartz mother-themed necklace he’d planned to give her for Christmas would be the perfect conversation starter. He headed for his closet to find it already occupied—his wife on her hands and knees rummaging around his shoes. He cleared his throat, and a clattering erupted inside. Silence followed for so long, Michael had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing. She finally crawled out and sat up, her face red.
“Oh, hi Big Guy. I was, ah, just putting away your shoes.”
He hadn’t left any shoes out. “That’s very kind of you.”
She pushed to her feet, the shorts and T-shirt of the day replaced with gray sweat pants and a snug striped tank top. The fabric followed every curve—even the small one just below her belly button that never quite disappeared after having three kids. Now it housed their newest addition.
She wiped her palms on her sweat pants. “Can I get you anything before I head to bed?”
Michael leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. She wasn’t going to tell him. There was probably a clue in his closet for the following morning, but he couldn’t wait that long to have confirmation.
“Actually, I needed to talk to you.”
She closed the closet door before sitting on the foot of his bed “Come here.”
He’d put off telling her about the school possibilities, but now the added classes were real and so were the consequences. She deserved to know the truth, so they could make new plans.
He sat so close their thighs touched. She leaned back on her elbows, and when they both reclined, eye-to-eye, Poppy gave him a peck on his lips. “You look so serious.”
“I’ve had a bit of a setback with school. There was a small chance the previous administration made errors in my transfer, and it turned out to be the case. I’ll have to take a few more classes before I qualify to take my test.”
“How many? Still by Christmas, right?”
Anger simmered up again, but he tamped it down. “If I’m able to finish every class at a reasonable pace, I’ll be eligible next Christmas.”
“Oh Michael, I’m sorry. This is just so unfair.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “There has to be something we can do.”
“Thomas and I will get after the school on Monday. We’ll do what we can, but at this time, the December test is completely out.”
“That just sucks.”
He shrugged. “It could be worse. We’ll figure out the best strategy, and who knows? Maybe I’m thankful I’ll have a little extra time. If word on the street is correct, I’ll be breaking out my professional diapering skills before too long.”
Poppy’s eyes widened. She pushed up and landed, straddling him. “How do you know? Who told you?”
He wrapped his arms around her. “It doesn’t matter who told me. It just matters that you are, and it is the best news ever. Feeling well?”
She rested her forehead on his. “Tired mostly, but otherwise pretty good. Oh, and I tend to have impulses to make my husbands plant vegetables, so watch out for that one in the future.”
He shifted their bodies higher on his bed until it supported his full length. “You just tell this husband what you want planted.”
Everyone knew. She’d worried for no reason. Now they could start getting ready for the next chapter of their lives.
“I’m still really mad about the school screw-up. I think I’ll go along with you and Thomas and give them the evil eye,” she said.
Michael chuckled. “That’s all right with me, if you can get past Dad. This means you can count on me to be well rested and ready to help out with the baby if the other guys have to work.”
“Well, actually, it sounds like Trevor has plans to be a stay-at-home husband.”
“No shit? He finally pulled the trigger on that?”
She frowned. “Seriously? Does everyone keep secrets from me?”
“You mean like being pregnant?”
Her cheeks heated. “Okay, so maybe a few secrets are inherently going to happen, but if you have these dreams, I want to help make them a reality. You guys have taken every step to make my dreams come true. Let me do the same for you.”
“I can’t speak for Cody and Trevor, but I will try to do a better job with sharing things—especially if they affect you. Other than the school garbage, I assure you I’m very, very happy. Now, how do you feel about celebrating?”
She wanted more assurances—and would be having long talks with Cody and Trevor about unshared goals—but today, with its plethora of surprises, they’d made a start on being better communicators. “Tell me, does this celebrating include cake?”
His eyes rolled toward the headboard. “Jeez, I should have anticipated that and grabbed a snack cake.”
“Or….” She kissed his chin. “Did you have something else in mind?”
Michael had many topics running through his mind, but only one demanded immediate attention, and she was cupping his balls. He eased her tank top up inch by inch until it reached her shoulders. Ripping away her clothing could wait for another time. She sat back and pulled it over her head, taking her bra along with it, leaving her breasts exposed.
“Looks like you’re the one with a plan.” He folded his hands behind his head to keep from reaching out when she massaged her breasts. “I’m at your service.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re so silly. But I suppose if there’s no cake, we might as well have a treat of a different kind.”
“I’ll bake you one tomorrow.”
She shook her head when he tried to position her closer to his dick. Instead, she dragged her tongue down his collarbone to his nipple. She rolled it between her teeth, making him jump, but stopping shy of actually hurting him. Always a tease. The nipping continued followed by her tongue circling and soothing the sore flesh. When she wanted to be in charge, all he could do was hope he could hold on long enough to finish with her, instead of before.
He gave up her silky hips in favor of gripping the blankets. His weaknesses made him easy prey, and the sparkle in her mischievous eyes promised sensuous torture. Patience and endurance would be his allies. He’d get her back…eventually.
His jaw locked as his dick rose enough to touch her butt. No way in hell was he going to let her know she had him on the ropes already, but the slow, sweet torture playing out between her mouth and his nipple would do him in sooner rather than later. He thrust up, her warm flesh welcoming but not enough. His tattered control threatened to snap when she shimmied her ass lower. Playtime had to be over, or their entire episode would end in embarrassment.
Her fingers stretched over his pecs as she sat up straighter and shifted until his cock kissed her pussy. When she stared into his eyes and sank her body lower, taking him inch by inch, he curled his toes to eke out the last vestiges of restraint.
The damp blanket under his palms slipped every time she moved. Keeping his hands locked on fabric instead on her helped him think. She circled her bottom, every motion taking him deeper and making him crazier. Her breasts swayed as she rocked faster, teasing him to taste, but he couldn’t split focus and hope to not come early. She flexed her fingertips on his pecs, her grip tightening with every up and down motion.
Michael gritted his teeth, striving to last a little longer. She paused, whimpering once before grinding. Taking his cue, he pressed up until she gasped. When she patted his chest again, he looked into her eyes.
“Please, please,” she cried before she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
At the end of his rope, Michael grabbed her hips, meeting her wild motions with precision thrusts. The d
esire for making the moment last evaporated as her hot pussy clenched around him. Hot cum exploded from his cock He pressed his head into the pillows as she continued to rock until her slowing motion finally stilled. She tilted her head to the side, eyelids droopy. “You’re the best.”
Sweat dripped from his forehead. “No, you’re the best.”
She rested her head on his chest. It wasn’t cake, but in his book, they’d had a hell of a celebration.
“You know, I can’t help but feel like this whole situation was a bit anticlimactic,” Poppy said as she listened to Michael’s heartbeat.
“I’m an easygoing guy, but saying stuff like that is going to bruise the hell out of my ego.”
She snickered. “Not that. You are an excellent sexual partner, and you know it. I am the luckiest woman in bed. I was talking about the pregnancy stuff. I had it built up so much in my head when I should have known you guys would be as excited as I am.”
“Yes, you should have known.”
“I let my family have another piece of me and was letting them steal my confidence in myself and our relationships. Rookie mistake.”
“Don’t be hard on yourself. You’ve been with us seven years—almost eight. You were with them much longer. There’re bound to be times you slip into old habits. As long as you remember where you are now, I think they’ll be snagging fewer pieces.”
She shifted. “I know you’re right.”
“I do have my moments.”
She pushed up, sad to leave her warm spot. “I left the slow cooker on in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”
“Huh? Why’d you leave it on?”
“It has beans in it for tomorrow. I’ll put them away and be right back.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ll be out so quickly, you won’t even realize I’m gone.”
“Will too,” he muttered, but just as she predicted, his eyelids closed.
Poppy threw his T-shirt on before hurrying to the living room where Trevor and Cody snoozed on the two large couches in front of a car auction show. She’d give each a shake before heading back to Michael. Pulling the plug on the slow cooker, she quickly transferred the hot beans to containers to cool. As she ran water into the dish, the outside light turned on. Thomas, Duane, and Paul stepped onto the patio from their side of the house and settled into chairs.
She shouldn’t eavesdrop, but the window was open just enough….
“Think she’ll tell them all tonight?” Paul asked.
“She’d better since they all know,” Duane groused.
He was the one who’d spilled. She made plans to give him heck the next time she saw him. She grabbed the footstool the girls used to reach the sink and stood on it to get a better view.
“I say we go down to San Antonio and finally talk to her father,” Thomas said. “I love Poppy too much for this kind of nonsense to pop up again.”
“Go and do what?” Duane asked. “Tell a crippled old man to stop disapproving of his daughter’s lifestyle? Or maybe we could shit kick him like we did back in the day when someone messed with Mary? Get a grip. We take care of the circumstances by taking care of Poppy and the boys. Speaking of boys, Thomas, you need to do something about Michael’s school bullshit. Someone needs to pay for that mistake.”
The three nodded, as she noticed they so often did. The twins’ closeness led to similar mannerisms, but even though Duane was a cousin, he’d picked up many of them over time. So many parallels in the older generation and younger as well. Even her daughters threaded their fingers through their hair like their grandfathers.
“Michael and I will head to the college Monday,” Thomas said. “He will most likely need to do the classes, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they don’t get another cent from him.”
“He’s worried about money,” Duane went on. “Which is bullshit, but he is, so what do you have he can do?”
“I will find him more hours,” Thomas said.
“I’ll have him audit my books,” Paul added. “I suppose it’s the baby on the way making his wallet seem empty.”
“I remember those days.” Duane crossed his ankles. “Nothing bites a man’s pride like stretching pennies to buy diapers and coming up short.”
“We didn’t mind, you know.” Thomas swatted a bug from his arm. “You made up for it and then some, later on.”
Paul saluted him with his beer. “That’s why we did this together. That’s why the boys are, too. Makes me wonder about the future though. What are the grandgirls going to look for? Men like us? A single guy? Hell, I wish the fella luck. Those three….”
The others smirked, but what would the future would be like for her daughters? They were spoiled when it came to attention, affection, and love—all the blessings Poppy had missed growing up. Would they search out more than one husband? If they did, was there any guarantee they’d find what she had?
“I’m relieved as hell I can’t predict the future.” Thomas stood, his wine glass out and waiting. “As things stand, I think I’ll take life one day at a time. One challenge, one joy, one really great glass of wine.”
Paul pushed to his feet and held up his beer bottle. “I’m good with that.”
“You two are sappy as hell,” Duane grumped but stood as well, his water bottle joining the rest.
Poppy hurried away from the window, letting them have their moment, but it meant so much she’d caught a glimpse of their world. It made her understand her husbands better—something she craved. She switched the television off and tugged on Cody’s foot.
He rolled into the sofa. She took a blanket from the chest at the foot of the couch, tucking Cody in instead of trying to wake him again. So much for their wild night of snuggling. They’d make good on that plan soon. She grabbed a second blanket and gently snuggled in Trevor. He opened his eyes when she kissed his cheek.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“You fell asleep on the couch. I was just tucking you in.”
“You’re so fucking sweet.” He closed his eyes. “Did you tell Michael?”
“He caught me in his room and already knew, so the cat’s out of the bag.”
“It’s a good cat.”
His words slurred and before he could say more, he was back asleep. Poppy turned off the lamps before heading toward Michael’s room and crawling into bed beside him. She’d slept alone enough lately. She curled up to his side and found her comfortable spot again where her neck was perfectly supported by his bicep when her head hit the pillow.
They’d have another baby soon, little diapers, tiny clothes, midnight feedings, and sleepless nights. Her heart raced even as her eyelids grew heavy. A spring baby, just in time to enjoy the sunshine with not so much threat of snow.
Another building block in making their family whole. A life to be treasured, nurtured, and loved. She couldn’t wait to pull out the rest of the baby clothes she’d left in the basement. All those sweet outfits held so many memories. The ribbons, bows, and pink sleepers with cows and trucks on them—a mix she’d happily indulged. They were set. After three Paraby newborns, she knew how the little ones operated. She closed her eyes. This was old hat, a visit to a familiar dimension of stress and late nights. Nothing to worry about.
Poppy shifted to her back and settled her hand on her stomach.
Unless it was a boy. Then all bets were off.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn't end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story. When she's not elbow deep in words, her husband and three children command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies…or squeezes in more writing.
Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at [email protected]
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Poppy's Picnic (Poppy's Place Short) Page 4
