Finding Forever: Treading Water Series, Book 5

by Force, Marie

  “We love any chance to have you guys over,” Reid said.

  Maggie rested a hand on Kate’s explosive belly. “Call me—day or night. I’ll come running.”

  “I will, don’t worry. I can’t do this without you and Jill.”

  “We’ve got you covered.” Maggie and Jill had agreed to remain close by while the baby was born, but had declined Kate’s offer to be in the room. They were both afraid of seeing things that could never be forgotten. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

  “Hey, Mags?”

  Maggie turned back to face her sister.

  “If the job is too much for you, you’re not under any obligation because it’s us. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I do, and while I appreciate the out, I’m in for the long haul. No worries.”

  “If you need anything, darlin’, you know where we are,” Reid added.

  “Thank you both. Don’t worry about me. Stay focused on finishing cooking my niece or nephew.”

  Kate rested her hands on her huge belly. “That’s about all I’m good for these days.”

  Maggie laughed at the bored-senseless face Kate made and went back to the kitchen, where Jill was locked in a passionate embrace with Ashton. “Get a room, will ya? Oh wait, you live together, so why you gotta do that here?”

  “Don’t be a grouch, Maggie,” Jill said while gazing at Ashton’s face.

  “I’m outta here.”

  “Drive carefully,” Jill said.

  “Bye, Maggie,” Ashton said.

  Maggie drove home through the darkness, thinking about her sisters and the happiness they’d found with Reid and Ashton. She’d never come anywhere near finding what they had. She thought she had once… Thinking about that—about him—made her ache, so she tried to never let her mind revisit that difficult time when she was in college and thought she’d found “the one,” until he’d cheated on her and broken her heart. Sometimes, when she was with her happily-in-love sisters, it was hard not to think back to that heady first love, the one she’d thought would last forever.

  Why was she thinking about that when she had so many positive things to focus on? Her new job, new home, new niece or nephew, the upcoming visit with the family and Jill’s wedding next month… Life was good and busy and fulfilling. She had absolutely no reason to be dwelling on the past.

  As she took the turn down the long lane that led to home, she vowed to stay focused on the present and the future.

  She was done living in the past.

  “Do you think Maggie’s all right?” Kate asked Reid after he’d helped her change into a nightgown and get into bed. She was so big that she needed help with the simplest things these days. While she couldn’t wait to meet her baby, she was also looking forward to not being pregnant anymore. How pregnancy was supposedly the most natural thing in the world was beyond her comprehension.

  Wearing only boxers, he slid into bed and snuggled up to her. “She’s adjusting to her new home and job, and there’re apt to be some bumps along the way.”

  Kate had forgotten how to sleep without his arms around her, not that he could get them “around” her these days. “I worry that she wouldn’t tell us if it wasn’t working for her.”

  “She would.”

  “She wouldn’t want to let us down.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on her. Try not to worry.” He kissed her forehead. “You want me to rub your back?”

  “That’s okay.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s the matter, darlin’?”

  “I’m so tired of being fat and gross, and I want to have sex with you, but I can’t because of this ridiculous belly, and… Are you laughing? If you’re laughing, I’m going to kill you.”

  “Well, first you’d have to catch me, and that’s going to be a problem.”

  “I can’t believe you’re making fun of me when you did this to me!”

  “I’m not making fun of you.”

  “Yes, you are, and I’m going to remember this when I’m no longer fat and you’re the one who wants sex.”

  “Sweetheart, if you want sex, all you have to do is say so.”

  “We can’t! I’ll break you with this thing.”

  He shook with silent laughter.

  “If you don’t stop laughing at me, I’m going to divorce you.”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “If you divorce me, you won’t have sex tonight.”

  “Now you’re just being mean to me.”

  He cozied up even closer, running his hand over the obscene bump and down to her leg. “My sweet, sweet love, I would never be mean to you, as you well know. If my baby mama is feeling needy, all she has to do is tell me, and we’ll take care of that.”

  “The belly is massive.”

  “And your husband is endlessly creative.” From behind her, he cupped her sensitive breasts and had her quickly ready for more.

  Her body was an endless source of fascination to her as the pregnancy neared the end. Right when she would’ve thought sex would be the last thing on her mind, she found herself craving it. Kate had mostly kept that information to herself, because she feared her husband was put off by her obscenely large belly. She should’ve known better.

  His hand slid down her front, gently sliding over the baby bump.

  Kate shivered from the nearly painful need she felt for him.

  Her nightgown slid up over her legs, which moved restlessly as she sought relief.

  “Easy, sweetheart. Nice and easy.”

  She was so primed that all he had to do was slide his fingers over the tight knot of nerves between her legs to send her spiraling into an intense orgasm.

  “Mmm, I do so love pregnant Kate. We may have to do this baby-making thing again very soon.”

  Kate groaned. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was being pregnant—again. She already knew if they were going to have two, the second one would have to happen soon. Only when they discussed having children did the significant age difference between them matter. The rest of the time, she hardly ever thought about it.

  She had learned that having an older, more experienced husband had its advantages, such as when he artfully entered her from behind and had her screaming out his name before a second, even more powerful orgasm ripped through her.

  “God, yes… Kate.” He held her tight against him as he found his own pleasure, surging into her and then going still behind her.

  They were quiet for a long time as their bodies cooled and throbbed with aftershocks that she felt everywhere.

  “Feel better?” he asked in the Tennessee drawl that had gotten her motor running for him from the first time she ever met him. In all the years they’d spent apart, one of the things she’d missed the most was the melodic sound of his voice.

  “Much.” Her eyes were so heavy, she could barely keep them open.

  “Any time you need me, you know where to find me.”

  She squeezed the hand he’d placed on the swell of her abdomen. Their baby chose that moment to let them know he or she was awake.

  Reid’s low chuckle made her smile. “I’m afraid our little one is going to be a hellion.”

  “If not a hellion, perhaps a kicker on the football team.”

  “Or a star soccer player.”

  “Or a prima ballerina.”

  “Or a star gymnast, a downhill skier, a distance runner…”

  Kate drifted off to sleep to her favorite sound in the world—her husband’s voice.

  Chapter 3

  Maggie knew what it was like to wait on tenterhooks to hear if a job offer was going to materialize, so she planned to call Brayden Thomas first thing the next morning so as not to drag out the waiting for him. She’d tossed and turned all night, running the various scenarios through her mind, and had decided that while he might have committed a crime as a juvenile, she couldn’t—and wouldn’t—discount the ster
ling professional reputation he’d built for himself in the ensuing decade.

  At eight o’clock, she put through a call to him and had to leave a message on his voicemail asking him to get back to her when he could. After ending the call, she felt oddly let down that she hadn’t gotten to talk to him. “Stop being stupid,” she muttered as she turned her attention to her email while she waited for Teresa to come by with the morning report.

  Teresa came in ten minutes later with coffees for both of them. “Morning.”

  Maggie had told Teresa that she could get her own coffee, but the older woman said she enjoyed taking care of people. Working nights at Matthews House was her “retirement” job. So Maggie let Teresa take care of her. Teresa had short gray hair, warm brown eyes and an endless well of compassion that made her popular with the moms.

  “Morning. How’s Corey?”

  “I checked with the nurses’ station this morning, and they were able to stop the contractions. They’d like to keep her for another twenty-four hours, just to be sure. Her friend stayed with her, and she knows to call when she’s ready to come back.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. How’s everything else?”

  “Quiet.”

  “Quiet is good.”

  “Agreed. The McBrides had another good morning. The kids made the bus with breakfast and time to spare.”

  “Two days in a row. Is it too soon to call it a streak?”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  Maggie laughed.

  “What’s up with the hunky cowboy? The moms are talking about him.”

  For a second, Maggie didn’t know who she meant. “You mean Brayden Thomas?”

  Teresa eyed her over the top of her coffee mug. “Is that his name?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And he’s the therapeutic riding guy?”

  “Right.”

  “Are you going to hire him?”

  “I hope so. I’m waiting for him to call me back.” Maggie wanted to ask Teresa’s opinion of Brayden’s sealed juvenile record, but had to respect and protect his right to privacy. So she didn’t mention it. Sometimes, being an adult and an employer was hard. This was one of those times. She was going to have to trust her own gut—and Ashton’s input—where Brayden was concerned.

  Teresa gave a detailed report on the status of each resident. “And now I’m heading home to get some sleep.”

  “Have a good day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Bright and early. Text me if there’s any news on Corey.”

  “I will. I’ll go see her today.”

  “That’s nice of you. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. All righty, I’m out.”

  “See you.” After Teresa left, Maggie dove into the reams of paperwork that were part of running the program. On any given day, she dealt with schools, hospitals, police departments and the state Department of Children’s Services. That last one gave her the most angst. Inspectors showed up without warning to check on children who were under their auspices. Maggie lived in fear of something going wrong with one of those inspections, even if it would be no fault of hers if it did.

  Matthews House provided food, shelter, clothing, career counseling and long-term housing assistance. Upon entering the facility, parents signed a waiver Ashton had insisted on that absolved Matthews House, the Matthews family and all employees of any responsibility for the residents or their children. In other words, it was up to each parent to care for their own children within the safe, nurturing environment provided by the facility.

  Maggie had joined an online community of shelter employees in which she’d been advised not to make their facility so inviting that residents would want to stay forever. The goal was to help them get their lives stabilized by giving them a place to catch their breath and figure out next steps, but it was intended to be temporary shelter.

  One family, the Rosses, would soon be moving into an apartment of their own after a two-month stay at Matthews. They were the first of what she hoped would be many success stories of families returning to independent living. Once a family completed the Matthews House program, which also included family counseling, parenting classes when needed and financial planning, they were given a stipend to help secure an apartment.

  In planning for the opening of Matthews House, Reid and Kate had consulted with numerous experts and tried to think of everything needed to help families in crisis. They had a wide variety of resources available to Maggie and the staff, as needed, including substance abuse and domestic violence counseling.

  As she checked the ever-evolving program website and made a list of needed updates, she had the feeling she was being watched. “Good morning, Travis.”

  “Good morning, Ms. Maggie. Can we go see the horses today?”

  She glanced at the adorable four-year-old boy. He had light-brown skin, curly dark hair and chubby cheeks that gave him the look of a cherubic elf. When he and his mother, Kelsey, first arrived, his little face had been covered with bruises and his brown eyes had been dull and lifeless. Watching him—and his mom—learn to smile and trust again had been among the most rewarding experiences of Maggie’s life. “We absolutely can go see the horses. Does your mom know where you are?”

  “I told her I was coming to see you and the horses.”

  “Then that’s what we must do. Let’s get them some treats.” Maggie followed Travis into the kitchen, where he went straight to the fridge to get the bag of carrots while Maggie cut some apples. She loved how comfortable the child was in his temporary home and enjoyed the time she spent with him while the older kids were at school.

  “You’re sure you told your mom where you were going, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As they were leaving the kitchen, one of the other moms was coming in. “Travis and I are heading to the stables if Kelsey is looking for him.”

  “I told her this time, Ms. Maggie. I promise.”

  Smiling, Maggie held out her hand to him.

  He took her hand and half dragged her out the door.

  When she’d conceived of the therapeutic riding program, it had been with children like Travis in mind, children who’d seen and experienced traumatic events and needed to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence. In the stables, they encountered Derek, the elderly groom who’d worked for the Matthews family for years overseeing the horses and stables. He had white hair and the leathery complexion of a man who’d spent his life working outdoors. For years, Reid had tried to talk him into retiring with a full pension, but Derek had said he’d die of boredom.

  Derek shook hands with Travis. “I was wondering when you were going to come visit.”

  Travis lit up at the sight of Derek, who was very good with the children.

  “Did you bring treats?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The child’s manners were, as always, delightful. “I’ve got a stall I need you to help me clean. Are you up for the job?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “Let’s get to it, then.”

  While listening to Derek guide Travis through the cleaning of stalls, Maggie visited each of the horses, gave them carrots and attention and an extra snuggle for Thunder, who was missing Kate. “We’ll get out for a ride this week,” Maggie promised him.

  Thunder responded with a nicker that made Maggie laugh. They had no doubt a human was trapped inside the horse’s gorgeous body.

  Her cell phone rang, and when she saw the number on the screen, an odd zing of adrenaline went through her, making her heart beat faster. Before she could take the time to process what the hell that was about, the phone quit ringing. Maggie was about to call back when it rang again. She jumped on it.

  “Maggie Harrington.”

  “Hey, this is Brayden Thomas. Sorry about the first call. I’m driving and hit a dead zone.”

  “No problem.”

  “I’m returning your call.”

  “Right, well, I’m hoping you’re still interested in the job at
Matthews House.”

  “I am.”

  “Excellent.” Maggie ran through the salary that would be paid through the grant, not that he needed to know about those details, as well as the benefits Reid and Kate offered to all their employees.

  “That sounds great. I should mention that I have a weeklong trip planned with some friends at the end of this week. I can either start before that or after it. Whichever you prefer.”

  “Before is fine with me. The other apartment over the stables is available for your use.”

  “That’d be great. I have my own horse, too. I assume I can bring him and board him on the property?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll mention that to Derek, our stable manager, who lives in the other apartment.”

  “Great. I’ll head there later today, then.”

  Like today? “Great.”

  “I’m looking forward to working with you and the residents.”

  “Likewise. I’ll look for you later.”

  “I’ll text you my ETA when I have it.” He was relocating from the Chattanooga area, where he’d worked for a horse farm.

  “Sounds good. Safe travels.” Maggie stashed her phone in her back pocket and went to find Derek and Travis.

  “He’s a heck of a hard worker,” Derek said of Travis, who was raking the stall with fierce determination.

  “I can see that. We’ll have to put him on the payroll at this rate.”

  “What’s a payroll?” Travis asked.

  “It’s the word businesses use to describe how they pay their employees,” Maggie explained.

  “So it’s like money?”

  “It is money.”

  “I like money.”

  Maggie and Derek laughed.

  “You keep up the good work, and I’ll make sure you get a little green stuff,” Derek said.

  Travis gave Derek a high five. “Yes!”

  Maggie made a mental note to spot Derek some petty cash to pay for Travis’s help. “Are you guys set for the next little while?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Derek said. “I’ll bring him back in when he’s done.”

  “Have fun.”