Family Ties (Hidden Secrets)

by Belden, P. J.

Thrusting deep and fast, I run kisses up her neck. “You feel so fucking good.” Then I pulled her earlobe between teeth.

  “Tobey, I’m close… I’m-” her hands clamp around my neck and she smashes her mouth to mine as she climaxes.

  The intensity of her orgasm kicks off mine. I moan loudly in her mouth as I slammed into her one last time, shuddering with my release. Our kiss turns lazy and sweet.

  “You have made me so happy. I love you.”

  A tear drops down her cheek. “I love you more.”

  We both pull ourselves together, I leave the room to get a wash cloth. When I come back to the kitchen, I laugh when I find Mary bleaching down the counter.

  “What? I’m not cooking here with anything on the counter.” She shudders.

  “Fair enough. Will Colleen and Carson be coming tonight?”

  Mary’s face brightens. “Yes! They promised they’d come early so I could spend some alone time with Colbie since I’m the only one who hasn’t.”

  Colbie was now three weeks old. Mary was sick when Colleen went into labor. Colbie had some problems with maintaining her temperature and was jaundiced. Mary was on the phone with either Carson or Colleen every day. I even talked to Carson a few times. He was worried about both his girls. I completely understood. He felt helpless. Colleen suffered from some minor problems that they soon had under control. Now everyone was home safe and sound. From my understanding Mary’s mom has practically been living over there.

  We started to get to work on the meal for tonight. Mary, being her normal self, was going all out. She says it’s because Jeff will be here and he would be picky, but I knew differently. Mary wanted to impress her family. I was fine with that, but I just wasn’t confident in my cooking skills, not that Mary let me do much. Before long we had everything in order. That’s when we heard a car pull up outside. Mary’s scream, I’m sure could be heard outside.

  Walking out behind Mary, who was already opening the back door of Carson’s car, I laugh at Carson shaking his head.

  “Mare. Please let me get her out.” Carson says, hurrying around the car.

  “Oh relax pops. I won’t hurt her.” Mary dismisses him.

  “Seriously, Mary.” Carson says a little firmer.

  Mary steps back. “Jeez protective much.”

  “Yes, I am. This is my baby girl. Just let me get her inside, then you can hold her.”

  I watch Carson carefully take Colbie from the car. She was so tiny. She looked even more so being held by Carson. Once we made it inside, Mary was practically jumping up and down to hold Colbie. The whole situation was hilarious.

  “Fine, but you need to sit down on the couch.” Carson says calmer than he was feeling I could tell.

  Mary rolls her eyes, but sits on the couch. “Jeez Curry you are acting like I’m a child. You know how many babies I have held over the years.”

  “Fine you may have, but this is my daughter. My newborn daughter.” He says as he puts Colbie into Mary’s eagerly awaiting arms.

  Mary’s smile about breaks her face in two. Seeing her holding little Colbie cemented it for me. We were going to have our own little one. She looks up at me and I move to sit next her. I touch Colbie’s little hand with my finger and she grabs a hold of my own. She looked like Carson in the face but had Colleen’s hair. She was absolutely beautiful.

  Mary looks to me with tears in her eyes. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I kiss her lips softly. Tears fall down her cheeks, she smiles up at Colleen and Carson.

  “She’s beautiful,” she chokes out softly.

  Colleen steps in and kneels down next to us, running her hand through her daughter’s hair. “She looks like her aunt, I think.”

  “She looks like her daddy,” she looks up at Carson. “Thank you for letting me see her.”

  Mary’s tears were falling faster now. Carson’s face changes. He takes Colbie from Mary handing her to Colleen. Then pulling Mary up into his arms.

  “You’ll have your turn sis. When you lost your baby, we all hurt with you. You’ll be an amazing mommy one day. Question is, is that amazing daddy going to be Tobey?” He says smirking at her.

  “Yes, definitely. He’s going to be a great dad. I have no doubt about that.”

  “I think I have to agree with you,” Carson admitted.

  “Thanks man,” I said standing taking his hand.

  “I know that I was pretty pissed when I found out what you had planned to do to my sister, but you’ve more than proved yourself since then.”

  Smiling at Mary and wrapping my arm around her waist, “She’s my everything. I’ll do anything for her.”

  Mary held Colbie the majority of the time. Carson finally let up and let Mary move around with her. Though I think Colleen had a lot to do with it. I find it funny how a guy like Carson was brought to his knees by a baby. Watching him with Colbie, I wonder if that is how I will be with mine. Turning, I watch Mary talking and laughing with Colleen. Carson was right. She was going to be an amazing mother. She takes care of us boys without even batting an eye. I’m so lucky to have her love me.

  Before long everyone was here. The guys and I were setting up the table on the deck out back. Nick walked out with another set of chairs. Swallowing my nerves, I approach him.

  “Hey Nick, can I talk to you about something?”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if I could pay you to help build a house. Um, I haven’t told Mary yet. I wanted to see if you’d do the job first.”

  “Wow! Building a house, huh? Things serious between you two?”

  “Yeah, they are. She’s it for me.”

  Nick smiles. “Call me when you tell her and we’ll set up an appointment.”

  “I’m going to tell her tonight,” I said nervously.

  We talked a little bit about the area that both Mary and I would love to have a house on one day. Nick said he’d come by tomorrow to have a look at it and go over the options.

  Soon we were all sitting down to eat and conversation is flowing freely. Mary looks at me, then reaches under the table and squeezes my leg. It was time to find out what the family thought about us having a baby.

  “Thank you everyone for coming to dinner at our house tonight. It is an amazing moment to have all of us together. Plus, we have little Colbie here as well. It just feels like an amazing jump for us from not long ago. I believe our family is stronger now than it has ever been before. So many good things are coming for each of us.” She looks down at me and pulls me up from my chair.

  I stand behind her and wrap her in my arms. She’s shaking like a leaf on a windy day. Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, I whisper, “It’ll be okay.”

  “I know you guys have mixed feelings about Tobey. He isn’t like his family. He was raised right. By parents that love and respected each other and those around them. He may have started out wanting to hurt me, but I believe had that not happened we never would have met otherwise. He loves me and I love him.”

  “We know baby doll. That is why we helped get you all back together. He’s perfect for you. Brings out the best in you.” Larry says.

  “Tobey and I have been through a lot over the course of our relationship. One of the hardest things,” I felt a tear land on my hand and I held her tighter. “One of the hardest things was losing our baby. But now that I have fired Kyle and we both go to counseling, we are stronger and understand that it just wasn’t time for us.”

  “You fired Kyle?” Eli spoke.

  She smiles. “Yes. After I left Nick’s I called my lawyer and had it all done. I called Kyle too. He wasn’t happy, but we haven’t heard anything from him so…We’re pregnant.”

  Cheers and congratulations filled the air. Before Kayla stopped all of us in our tracks.

  “Looks like we can experience pregnancy together.”

  Jason’s beaming from ear to ear. I shake his hand and half hug him. “Congratulations man. Looks like we’ll have to make a club.”

  He
laughs. “Definitely.”

  Once everything starts to settle back down, it was my turn to stand. “Now that I have the agreement for this to happen, I have a gift for my girl.” I pull her into my arms again. “You know how you and I talked about building our own home someday? Well, why not start now? I’ve already talked to Nick and he’s willing to take on the project. I’ve been saving for this for years. There is more than enough to get it exactly the way you want it.”

  Before she could answer, her phone started ringing. When I felt her tense, I looked at her caller ID and saw it was Kyle calling. I was about sick of this mother fucker.

  “Answer it, but put it on speaker.” I whispered.

  She set the phone on the table after she answered it and put it on speaker.

  “Hello?” Mary answers shakily.

  “I hear congratulations are in order. Who’s the chick on the right side of Carson? Could have some fun with her.”

  All of our attention is brought to Colleen. “You lay one fucking finger on her and I’ll kill you!” Carson hisses.

  “How did you-” Mary started.

  “You are really stupid sometimes. If you think I was just going to let you screw me over like you did without coming after you, you’re dead fucking wrong!” He yells.

  “Where are you?”

  “Turn around.” We all did and saw a flash light shine three times. “Come to me or I get the new girl.”

  “You will not touch a hair on her head! It’s me you want and it’s me you’ll get. I will be there in a minute. I’m not kidding, Kyle. You touch her at any moment in time and I’ll make sure you do not live to touch anyone else.”

  “You are awfully protective of your brother’s girlfriend. What it must be like-”

  “When you’re with a family member you’re treated as part of the family. She is family Kyle. Leave her alone!”

  “Get to me now! No one follows and no one comes after you. Do you understand? Or I will make sure you don’t have this baby or any other if you disobey me again!”

  Her hand immediately fell to her stomach and tears welled up in her eyes. He already took one child from us. I’ll be damned if he takes another. Though what scared me the most is I could see her decision before she even spoke them out loud.

  “Fine, but I want your word you won’t hurt my baby if I come there. If you’re going to kill it when I get to you then I might as well take my chances and stay here. I, also, want you to leave my family alone and Tobey too. They don’t get hurt or I’ll push those charges.”

  “You don’t get demands! Get to me now! Or everyone will die! Can you handle knowing you killed your family?”

  “Fine, I’m coming.” She hung up the phone. I watched as she struggled with her composure. “I’m going to go to him. No one is to follow or he will make sure I don’t have this baby or any others.”

  I grabbed her shoulders, “You’re not going out there! He will kill you Mary. I’m not losing both of you.” She began to cry and I held her tight to my chest. There was no way I was going to let her do this. I couldn’t lose her or our child. If I did, there’s no way I’d survive. They were what I needed to live.

  “I have to go or he is going to kill all of you. I can’t let him hurt you guys because of me. I mean he’s already wanting Colleen. Carson you protect her. I’m not kidding! You all came here because I wanted to have a family meal and look what I brought you guys into.”

  A twig snapped behind us and we all turned. “You’re taking too long, Mary. I’ve come to collect my collateral.”

  “Carson, get her inside.” Immediately Carson grabbed Colleen and Colbie, hurrying them inside. I wanted to strangle this man if he thought he was getting his hands on my family.

  “I think that you need to get your ass off my property and away from my family before you’re sorry. You’re not getting your hands on anyone today. This is my family and my property. You have no idea what you just stepped yourself into.”

  “Do I look like I am scared?”

  “You should be. Do you understand the length a rancher has to go to protect their livelihood? No, I don’t suppose a man of your career, as you put it, would know. First, there’s this…” With one step on a hidden ledge I grab a gun and point it at Kyle.

  In return, Kyle points his gun at me. Knowing that I need to get everyone out of harm’s way. It was time to take care of this or die trying. No way was he going to get a hold of Mary and my child or anyone else for that matter. Turning to the one guy I knew could get her inside. “Colt, take Mary and get everyone inside now. Please” Colt grabbed Mary and she started fighting him right away. “Mary please go inside. We have to protect our child and I have to make sure you’re safe. I love you, now go.”

  Within a minute everyone was inside and out of the way. It was left to just me and Kyle. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end, but I knew that it was going to be bad one way or the other.

  “You think that just because they’re inside that house they’re safe from me. I’ll kill you and then get them.”

  “You can try. See this gun here is only one step to protecting our livelihood. There are other phases to be considered as well. One of those has already been enforced the minute you came on my property without being invited. The next is-”

  “You talk a lot for someone who is about to die. Such a brave one you think you are. You think I came here alone?”

  “I know you did. You think you’re tough enough to out beat seventeen other people. You thrive on power. This is a major power trip having eighteen people worried about what is going to happen next.”

  “You know, you may not be a stupid cowboy. You are right, I am alone, but I did plan ahead. How safe do you think that house is? Do you think I didn’t plan on the house for shelter?”

  A chill ran up my spine and I began to panic, but I tried not to let it show on my face. He rigged the house somehow. Was that even possible? Or is my mind going crazy? I had to figure out how to get everyone out of the house and somewhere safe. God, how was I going to save everyone when I had no clue what this guy had planned to do?

  “Yes, I can see by the look on your face you now understand what lies before you. I’m not a stupid man, Mr. Young. You’ve pissed me off by taking what is mine and compromising her further by getting her pregnant. You see I had her long before you did. She belongs to me. I will have her even I have to kill everyone in the process I don’t care but she will not be with you or have that abomination she carries.”

  “Here’s the thing. You’re going to have to get through me in order to get to her or anyone else. The only way that is going to happen is if you kill me. I tell you what, Kyle, if you are going to shoot you better kill me because my shot will not miss!”

  The next few moments happened in a blur but seemed to go in slow motion all at the same time. It was like I was looking at the situation from the outside; like I really wasn’t in my body. First came Kyle’s shot and then a shooting pain in my body. Next came Mary’s scream and then my shot and a thud. I staggered backwards and collapsed against the house. Scott was the one to come out. He had his gun drawn and went to the railing first to check on Kyle. He motioned to Joel, who jumped over the rail and down to the ground. Then the lights dimmed, everything blurred, then went black.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Mary

  BANG!

  The gunshot echoed in my head and I watched as Tobey stumbled backwards. I screamed. Colt held me tighter.

  “Let me go! He’s hurt! TOBEY!” I watched in horror as he shot and then stumbled backwards more before he fell against the house. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!”

  “Let me and Joel out to check. We have our guns on us.” Scott said as he pushed through everyone.

  Scott and Joel headed out and Joel jumped over the rail. Scott knelt down next to Tobey.

  “He’s dead. Tobey’s shot hit him in the head. It’s safe.” Joel called from below.

  I elbowed my brother in his
stomach, causing him to wince and loosen his grip long enough for me to get out and run to Tobey.

  “Tobey, honey, can you hear me? Tobey? Tobey?” Faintly I could hear sirens and see lights almost to the house. “Hang on Tobey. Hang on. You’re going to be okay.”

  When the paramedics got there, someone pulled me back out of the way. I was shaking and crying. Scott looked so grim, but he wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. We were going to have a baby. One day we were going to get married. He couldn’t die.

  Frantically I searched the crowd of my family for Jack. “Jack, he’s going to be fine right? He’s going to be here to share our baby’s birth right and build our home? He’s going to be fine, right?” Jack just looked at me not saying anything. “Right, Jack? He’s going to be fine. DAMN IT Jack!” I started crying and he pulled me into a hug. “He has to be okay. He has to be. He said we were going to build our dream house. We’re going to have a baby. He can’t leave me. He can’t. Why did he have to go out there, Jack? Why did he have to be out there alone?”

  ** *** ** *** **

  The ride to the hospital was a blur. I rode in the back of the ambulance and watched them frantically working on Tobey. He was so pale looking. My family was following and would meet me at the hospital. God, I can’t lose him. He was everything to me. As I held my hand over my belly I whispered softly, “Daddy will be okay little one. He won’t leave us.”

  They rushed him into the hospital and before I knew it, I was away from him.

  “Ma’am, you are going to have to wait in the waiting room. A doctor will be in to tell you everything when they know more.”

  The nurse ushered me into a waiting room. There were several other people there. All of them looked at me with smiles on their faces. No, today I was not going to deal with it. Today, I wanted to be left alone. A man approached me.

  “Are you Mary Williams?” I just stared at him. “Wow, can I have your-”

  It was the last straw, I’d had all that I could handle for the day. For crying out loud, I may have lost the man I loved most in the world and this guy wants a freaking autograph? I exploded.