Her mention of double dipping reminded me we had ice cream in the freezer. Boy, did I have some sinful ideas about that all of a sudden. I started quickly removing my clothes and then put one foot over into the hot water before she started whining.
“That’s my side.” She was naked in a matter of seconds. Wrapping her ponytail in a bun on top of her head, she stepped into the hot water with a delightful moan. “Great idea, glad I thought of it.” She laughed until she snorted.
I pulled her back up to my chest and wrapped my arms around her. “I’m glad you did too.”
We stayed there, quietly soaking for a few minutes, while I gathered my courage. “When you have your nightmares, are they always the same?”
She let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“What are they like? Please tell me.”
“Sometimes I don’t remember them, but when I do, sometimes I’m just hearing his words, other times I’m feeling the leather straps striking me but recently…”
She couldn’t finish, and I knew this was where the game changed. “Please go on. Don’t shut me out.”
“Recently…” She started crying and dry heaving.
I spun her around to face me. “It’s not real, and when you finally get it out, you’ll feel better. Just say it.”
“He cuts my baby out of my stomach and leaves me to die.” Her cries were horrid.
I was numb. “Sweetheart, please look at me.” She uncovered her face and lifted her eyes to mine. “Were you pregnant when he beat you?”
“No.”
“Then why do you think he can reach from the grave to take your baby.”
“Because he said I was damaged, and he cursed me and said I’d never be happy in love because I was a whore.” Her words were muddled with sobs and disgust.
I thought a minute of how things had escalated from our happier times of the spring and the honeymoon, when she’d been free of the nightmares.
“I get it. Being back in the barn with Stella took you to that dark place, but in Europe, the oceans parted you from your fears. Now that we’ve gone to see Stella and Carl, you fear the curse is alive and well, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I was keeping this a secret until I knew more, but Brad was arrested and confessed to everything. He’s going away with the rest of them. No one else can reach you. It’s over.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m positive. In fact, there isn’t even going to be a trial for any of them. They’ve all pleaded guilty, including Stella. There will be a sentencing phase, but for the rest of it, it’s over.”
She laughed and cried through her tears as she kissed me.
Our kisses became deeper and full of wanting. She climbed me, and before long, my hardness was inside her sweetness, pleasuring the both of us. I couldn’t remember a moment when I hadn’t loved her and was eternally grateful she was mine.
Out of the water, I continued to love her, and when the puppy whined, Wrenn ignored her, putting me and our love first. Our time of reckoning was one I would never forget as long as I lived. I prayed our love would be the stronger power to get her through the nights without evil forces holding her hostage.
When the sun woke us for the song of the day, she was smiling. I took Layla outside, while Wrenn checked her pressure. When I returned, she was up and starting a shower.
I pulled her into my arms. “You’re stunning.”
“You’re blind.” She teased.
I stepped back to be able to see her face. “Sleep well?”
“Perfectly all night.”
“Awesome. Want to join me for a long shower?”
She coughed. “Excuse me, that’s my shower, but you can join me for a long shower if you want.”
Loving her, pleasing her, satisfying her needs, her wants, and her desires was my charge for the rest of our lives. Keeping the darkness away and giving her a lifetime of peace was my only task, and I welcomed it.
I wondered how she was going to feel about my gift.
Chapter 41
It was the weekend before the holiday, and we were preparing for Thanksgiving, baby, and celebrating a new life without Dane’s company. We had many things to be very thankful for, including Asher’s improved health. He was now getting around very well.
With the sale of the company almost finalized, Dane was returning from a very quick trip to China any second, and I wanted the party to be a great one.
All of our friends, ranch hands and their families were at the ranch along with Asher, his new female friend Evelyn, and Peggy. Instead of trying to cook for everyone myself with my big bubble belly, I took the ranch hands up on their offer to run the grill and the smoker. While I made the sides with Karina and Aaron in the kitchen and Layla followed around behind me hoping for a scrap to accidentally hit the floor, the kids swam in the heated pool.
“So, does my nephew have a name yet?”
Karina and I did a dance in the kitchen, as I headed to the refrigerator and she removed the baked beans from the oven. “Yes, it’s Peanut.”
“Still can’t agree on a name, huh? And how many people did you make beans for?”
I found the dressing for the coleslaw just in time to hear the buzzer for the gate, which meant my husband was home. “He’s here, and he makes forty-two.”
“Okay, Aaron and I are running outside with everyone else.”
We asked all of the guests to park down at the barn, and since it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we hadn’t put up a canopy. When Dane walked in, he saw all of the food in the kitchen.
He looked exhausted and not at all festive. “What’s going on?”
“Well, before you say anything, I organized a little sendoff retirement party for you and Asher. And since it’s almost Thanksgiving, we have much to celebrate with the baby almost here, and I thought we might be busy at the end of the week because they moved up my C-section for tomorrow and—”
“What?” He twirled me around. “Tomorrow? We’re having a baby tomorrow? Really?” His mood improved quickly.
“Yes, we are going in tomorrow at seven thirty, and by noon, the baby will be here.”
Instead of getting excited and going to greet his guests, my confident and uber-lovin’ husband had a panic attack and had to sit down at the breakfast table. I rubbed his back until he appeared more rational.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered under his breath.
But then, he did the sweetest thing I shall never forget. He raised my shirt and put his hands on my belly. “Tomorrow, I will meet you and kiss you and tell you all the dreams I have for you, little Asher Dane Lawrence the third.”
“Did I hear someone say my name?” Asher asked, as Evelyn pushed him in from the den, where he’d been napping.
“Yes, Grandfather. I give, you win, and the baby will have a third generation name.” He walked to his grandfather and hugged him. “I guess I need to go outside and see who’s all partying without me.” Dane went to say hello to everyone, and Karina returned to help me with the food.
One by one, we took the large pans outside for the many to feast. The briskets on the smoker gave off an aroma that made my stomach rumble—loudly—and those around me laughed. I thought about it and realized that with all the festivities of the day, I hadn’t eaten since the day before, and I was suddenly starving.
Everyone was enjoying their food, and the kids were playing nicely with each other, which allowed me to get back to the kitchen for a moment. I’d set aside some fruit and meat that didn’t have all the salt on it since Mr. Organic had been monitoring my diet closely with all of the blood pressure problems. And, for the most part, we had been doing very well with it only slightly above normal, but not requiring a ton of solid bed rest.
With my plate in hand, I shoved a piece of cantaloupe into my mouth and rounded the bar to head outside. A sharp pain hit my lower abdomen, and I doubled over, dropping my plate. Then another sharp pain was followed by a flood of fluid down my le
gs that drenched my swollen, bare feet in my flip flops.
Layla helped herself to my food.
“Labor,” I whispered. “Whoops, this is so not good right now.”
I heard someone come in from outside. “Hey, do you have any more coleslaw or was that the last? What the hell, Wrenn?” Karina rushed to me.
“We’re having a baby. Could you go get Dane, and I need you to ask Evan and Courtney to take over, while you and Aaron drive us to the hospital. Dane’s been drinking, and I don’t think he’s going to be a calm father-in-waiting.”
“Okay.”
I went to change my clothes and called the hospital on my way.
“Wrenn, Wrenn, Wrenn!” Dane yelled, while running into our bathroom out of breath.
“Slow down, everything is fine. My blue suitcase in the closet is ready to go, and I’m going to change my clothes. Aaron is driving us.”
“Baby, we’re having a baby,” he kept mumbling as he splashed water on his face.
We met Karina and Aaron out front, along with a gathering of well-wishers, and I almost had to help Dane get in the car. His face was ghostly white.
Aaron gave him a hard time. “Dude, you deliver cattle all the time, and you can’t handle this?”
“Man, it’s not that simple. She’s been through so much with this kid. I just want everything to be perfect,” Dane told him from the front passenger seat.
Karina timed my contractions, and they were about six minutes apart. No matter how I moved or tried to get comfortable, nothing helped. I’d been having back labor off and on for a week, and when I lost the mucous plug on Thursday, the doctor had moved my surgery up to Monday because Peanut was breech, and she thought I’d go in to labor soon.
“What can I do?” Karina asked.
“Nothing. Just promise me you’ll keep Dane in line because he has no patience.”
“I can’t promise that. I don’t think it’s possible.”
We both laughed.
“I heard that,” Dane announced from the front seat.
Holy hell, it hurt. The entire pregnancy I’d kept telling myself that labor couldn’t really be that bad or women wouldn’t agree to have more children. Shit, I was wrong. It was that bad. Drugs, I wanted them.
We finally arrived at the hospital after I yelled at Aaron to speed up at least twice. If guys could have babies, I was certain they would create a mystical drug that would eliminate all pain.
The nurses got me settled and told me Dr. Bledsoe was in the next room and would be right in. Anesthesia was on their way to put in my epidural, and Dane needed to follow a nurse to change into scrubs.
“I’m not leaving her,” he groaned.
“You will if you want to see the baby born. We’ll be right back. You’re missing nothing.”
He kissed me before he left, and I laughed at him for being such the nervous Nellie. Karina passed him at the doorway.
“Where’s Aaron?”
“Watching the game in the lobby. He says have fun, and he’ll catch you on the flip side. This is not his cup of tea,” she said, pulling up a chair beside me.
“They’re both wusses. Who would’ve thought?”
Within ten minutes, Dane was back, wearing green scrubs and looking sexy as hell. I definitely wanted him to sneak those home, so we could play doctor when we were clear to do the wild thing again.
Anesthesia followed him in, and that’s when the party started. By eight thirty, our son was born, weighing nine pounds twelve ounces, and I was completely smitten with him. He had a head full of dark hair and blue eyes just like his daddy. Speaking of Daddy, I was very proud of him. He did so well in surgery, and they let him cut the cord and hold the little man as soon as he was born. Dane had even came up with a cute nickname, Trippe, for the third, and I loved it. Much better than Ointment, I would say.
By the holiday, we were home and enjoying just being a family. I’d never known such depths of love until I’d had Trippe. My life had clearly had its ups and downs, but having him made everything I’d endured worthwhile.
Layla was fabulous with Trippe. She loved to sniff his head, and she’d laid beside me, if I was holding him, without trying to get in my lap. However, if I wasn’t holding the baby, she made certain she got lap time.
I woke up from a nap on the couch and heard Trippe fussing in his bassinet in our room. Dane beat me to him and had him bouncing in his arms to soothe him, but that wasn’t working because he only fussed when he was hungry or had a dirty diaper. The rest of the time, he was a good boy.
“I checked him and his diaper is good,” Dane mused. “Maybe he just wants some attention?”
“He’s probably hungry.”
Dane gave me an astonished look. “He just ate a short while ago.”
“Well, he’s a growin’ boy. I have a surprise for you. Sit down in the rocker with him. I’ll be right back.”
Much to my shock, since Trippe’s birth, Dane had been jealous that I was the only one to feed him because I was nursing. So, I had Karina bring me a breast pump, so Dane could give our boy a bottle.
When I returned with the warmed milk, Dane got misty-eyed.
“You feed him while I get my camera. The novelty of this will wear off quick, so I need a photo to prove you know how to do bottles.” I laughed at my own joke, while I went to get the camera.
“He’s the most beautiful, precious baby I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe he’s here, and everything’s fine.”
“Yes, we’re very lucky. I’m the luckiest girl on the planet. I have you and Trippe and Layla, so I don’t need anything else.”
Dane rubbed his days-old beard; he hadn’t shaven in almost a week and looked up at me. “Maybe just one more thing. I bought you a push present.”
“A what?”
“A push present. I read online that the dad is supposed to buy a push present. I mean, I know you had a C-section and all, but you still deserve a push present. At least from what I read.”
I sat down on the edge of our bed. “Okay, care to tell me where it is?”
“Well…it’s in France.”
“You bought me a push present and left it in France?”
“Yes, kind of hard to fly a chateau here.”
My hands flew to my face. “You bought the chateau we saw for sale in Paris, didn’t you?”
He nodded.
I squealed, then proceeded to do a happy dance.
“It was the happiest days of our life together up to that point, and we both loved being there. We can go as soon as next week when you get your stitches out. The doctor said you and the baby need a checkup in six weeks, and you’re both free to travel. I got his birth certificate from the county clerk yesterday and arranged for a passport.”
I ran to my husband and kissed him hard on the mouth.
“Easy there, tiger. It’s been a while,” he said with a laugh.
With a slow sultry tone, I said, “Yes, it has. I can take care of that for you. I mean, after all, you did get me a great present. It’s the least I could do.” I winked.
After Trippe was asleep in his own room across the hall and Layla was laying on her doggie bed beside the bassinet, I started the shower, and it was like a calling card to my horny husband. He’d stripped off half his clothes by the time he turned the corner into the bathroom.
Standing proudly in a T-shirt, socks, and sporting an erection, I knew he intended on collecting his treat—with wiggling eyebrows to boot.
As he leaned against the tile in the shower, I sank to my knees, pleasuring him with my hands and my mouth. The guttural moan escaping his throat was enough to work me up as well.
When his breathing returned to a normal pace, he pulled me against his body, my back to his chest. With his left arm supporting me under my breast, he slid his right hand down to my hardened nub. With a circular motion, his finger found just the right spot and a delicious pace to leave my body sated in heavenly bliss.
That moment when two individuals
blended together intimately as one, no pleasure was greater, no satisfaction higher, no love ran deeper.
Chapter 42
The next morning we took the four-wheeler down to the creek, while Layla led the way. It would be Trippe’s first of many visits to our special place. He didn’t like the noise of the four-wheeler and fussed quite a bit. My body was still healing from surgery, and I didn’t like the bumps once we turned off of the little road, even though Dane was taking things very slowly. Talk about rushing things, but it was my idea, so I couldn’t hassle anyone.
Over the last few months, Dane had built a little patio with tables and chairs and an area that would become a sandbox for Trippe. It was a place for our family to enjoy the quiet, peaceful sounds of nature. We’d made a promise to each other that when we were here, it would be a place for reading books, talking, and enjoying quality time without phones or friends. It was a place for us to be organic with nature.
“I didn’t bring a book,” Dane grumbled. “I guess I can look one up on my phone.”
“That’s breaking the electronics rule that you, my love, suggested.”
“It’s still a book,” he pleaded.
We both laughed. He had a point. It was still a book, but it was also a phone—one that would ring incessantly if he didn’t turn the ringer off.
Note to self: buy us both eReaders.
I unpacked our basket and brushed away some twigs that had fallen on our shady spot. The wind began to blow, and it looked like our Thanksgiving Day quiet time was going to be interrupted by a storm brewing in the west.
I pointed to the dark clouds. “Dane, we aren’t going to have long. You know how I feel about storms.”
“I know, that’s why we’re leaving. Hold the baby and I’ll grab our things.”
No matter how fast he moved, the storm moved faster. We had to take shelter in the barn up the hill. Barns were a place I’d avoided ever since the summer’s events, but that day, I had my fears thrown at me.
I watched Dane’s face as he cautiously led us into the barn and flipped out the windows so we could see and have more air moving.
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