One Last Time (The Stanton Brothers)

by Heather D'Agostino

  Chapter 27

  Micha

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” My brother laughed as I grabbed some fresh tomatoes from one of the bins in the stand.

  “Why is Mom the only one that thinks I can do this?” I grumbled as I stepped outside.

  “Because you don’t cook.” He grinned while I placed the bag in my truck.

  “I cook.” I scoffed.

  “You make coffee. That’s not cooking.” Max rolled his eyes. “You better have a backup plan for when this blows up in your face. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Oh ye of little faith.” I sighed. “Is there anything else you’d like to say, because I need to get to the store?”

  “Nope. I just wish I could watch this fiasco.”

  I climbed in my truck, shaking my head at him the whole time. Savannah was coming over for dinner tonight with Danny and I was going to cook. I’d asked my mom for her recipe for spaghetti and her homemade sauce. I had everything I needed minus the actual pasta. I’d stopped by the stand to grab some fresh tomatoes, and in addition to them, I’d gotten a razzing from my brother. I was going to show him. Hailey’d be asking me to teach him the recipe soon, then it wouldn’t be so funny anymore.

  When I got home, I started preparing the sauce. In order for all the flavors to be at their peak, it needed it to simmer for several hours. I cut the tomatoes, added some paste, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. When the mixture started to bubble, I turned it down to a simmer and cracked the lid. My kitchen wasn’t very big, but I loved the rest of the house. The family room was large and the backyard was perfect for entertaining. It even came with a treehouse to boot.

  I knew I needed to straighten up and I needed to keep busy. Savannah and Danny weren’t coming over until six. I wandered down the hall to check on the room I’d set up for my son. It was all decked out in Paw Patrol. I’d made the bed and set out some toys that he’d keep here. I checked the guest room that I’d prepared for Savannah. I wanted her in my bed, but I didn’t want to pressure her or assume that’s where she’d be. I’d gone with a simple farm house theme in my house. The bed was an iron bed covered in a quilt my mom had given me.

  When I opened the door to my room, that’s when I realized how much I needed to do. I’d left clothes everywhere from the week. My work boots were slumped over by the dresser and my bed was a rumpled mess. I started tossing clothes and shoes into the closet, then went to work stripping the bed. If I wanted Savannah in here, then I needed to at least give her clean sheets. I grabbed linens from the closet in the hallway and went to work.

  The afternoon went by slow, but my house smelled amazing. The scent of spaghetti sauce filled the air and the cool breeze from outside wafted through the house. With summer ending and fall fast approaching, we were at a point where the weather was near perfect. I loved the smell of fresh air and always took advantage of being able to open the windows. My parents had a screened porch and if I was being honest, it was one of the things I missed the most about home.

  ooooooooo

  “Knock! Knock!” Savannah’s sweet voice filtered through the windows in the front of the house as she leaned over to peek inside.

  “Coming!” I called back as I placed the spoon I was stirring with on the counter and wiped my hands on a towel. I shuffled to the front door, checking the room for anything out of place as I went. “Hey.” I swung it open to see them both smiling at me.

  “Daddy!” Danny bounced on his toes. He was looking so much better. We went back in a few weeks to see how things were progressing, but for now he looked healthy. His hair was back, his cheeks were pink and his energy level was through the roof.

  “Hey, buddy. I’ve got a surprise for you.” I knelt down in front of him.

  “We’s stayin’.” He grinned.

  “I know. Isn’t it great?” I glanced up to see what looked like nervousness wash over Savannah’s face. I stood back up and offered a small smile. “Come on in.” I backed up and motioned with my arm. Savannah had been over here when I moved in, but she hadn’t been back since I got settled. Danny had never seen the place. He’d been on strict orders to take it easy and Savannah made sure he followed them.

  “Wow.” Savannah glanced around. “The place looks great.”

  “Thanks. Want a tour?” I looked between the two of them.

  “Yes!” Danny jumped into the air and fist pumped. I’d never seen him this excited.

  “Let me stir the sauce so it doesn’t burn and then I’ll give you the grand tour.” I rushed around the corner to the kitchen to stir the sauce. I was worried it would scorch if I let it sit for too long. I could hear Savannah talking to Danny in a hushed whisper, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Ok.” I stepped back out to where they were. “This way.”

  I led them down the hallway and stopped at Danny’s door. “Close your eyes, buddy.” I waited for him to comply and then opened the door. “Keep them closed.” I put a hand on his shoulders and guided him inside and then released him. “All right. Open them.” I stepped back so I wouldn’t block his view.

  Danny’s eyes went wide as he glanced around at everything. “Is this mine?” He gasped.

  “Yeah. You like it?” I grinned at his expression. The kid had suffered so much in his young three years. How could I not want to give him the world?

  “Is this for my birfday?” He turned his eyes toward his mom. Danny was turning four in just a few weeks.

  “No, buddy, this is for when you sleep here. You have a room with all your favorites.” I ruffled his hair and he took off running for the bed. He launched himself on it and then turned a megawatt smile on me.

  “Tanks, Daddy! I loves it.” He flopped back on the pile of stuffed animals behind him and giggled in delight.

  “You’re welcome. You can hang here if you want. I’m going to show Mommy the rest of the house.” I stepped back in the hallway to wait for Savannah.

  “You didn’t have to do all that,” she whispered as she wiped at her eyes. I’d made her cry; great.

  “He’s my son. I’d do anything for him. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” I stopped in front of the door to the guest room.

  “I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “I’m just not used to all of this.”

  “Well, get used to it.” I opened the door. “This is the guest room. You can sleep in here tonight if you’d like.” Savannah stuck her head inside the door and nodded.

  “It’s nice.” Her voice sounded slightly disappointed.

  “What’s wrong?” I reached for her hand, but she recoiled.

  “Nothing,” she snapped as we turned to move to the end of the hallway.

  “This is my room.” I opened the door to my sanctuary.

  “It’s nice.” She nodded again, barely looking inside. Something was wrong and I needed to find out what it was before this night went down the toilet.

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that.” I grabbed her gently by the elbow. “Come here.” I tugged her into my room and then pushed the door to a crack. When Savannah looked panicked, I reassured her that Danny was fine and we could hear him if he called for us. “What did I do wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She pulled away from my grip and stared at the floor.

  “I did something because you were all excited when we talked on the phone the other night. Now you act like I’ve cheated or something.” I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and yanked a few times.

  “I thought…” She shook her head.

  “What? You thought what?” I stepped closer and she stepped back.

  “I thought tonight was about us moving forward.” She shook her head at me. “I don’t understand you.”

  “We are moving forward. You’re staying over.” I waved my hands out to the side.

  “In the guest room.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Is that what this is about? You’re upset I offered you the guest room?” I took another step forward, causing
her back to bump against my dresser when she stepped back. “I wanted to give you an out, Savannah. I wanted you to feel like you didn’t have to be in here with me. I wanted you to want to be here.” I pressed my hips flush with hers. “I’d be lying if I said the idea of you sleeping anywhere but here was ok with me, but I want you to want to be here too.” I ran the tip of my nose up the column of her neck. “I want to spread you out in the middle of that bed and fuck you seven ways to Sunday, but I’m not doing that unless you want it too.”

  I watched as her neck bobbed with a tight swallow. “I don’t want to sleep in the guest room tonight.” It came out in a whisper and if my jeans didn’t feel tight already, they sure were tight now.

  “You don’t have to then.” I stepped back and adjusted myself. “You have the power here, Savannah. Not me. I wish you understood that.” I sighed as I turned and made my way back to the kitchen. I needed some space before I let dinner burn and I fucked her right there.

  ooooooooo

  Savannah

  Why did I leave him all those years ago? Oh yeah, because I was young and stupid. Micha has always known what to say or do to get under my skin in a good way. We were friends long before we were lovers and not much has changed. Dinner was amazing. Micha made homemade spaghetti and meatballs, Danny’s favorite besides pizza. We sat at the table discussing possible family activities for the following day until Danny asked to go play in his room.

  I helped Micha clean up the dishes and then we settled on the couch together to watch TV. It was a quiet night and gave me a glimpse of what my future could look like. “You wanna tuck him in?” I nudged Micha in the shoulder. He was starting to nod off and it was past Danny’s bedtime.

  “Sure.” He pushed himself to a standing position. He stretched his arms over his head, causing his shirt to ride up and exposing his abs. I blinked as I watched the tan skin disappear when he lowered his arms. He’d done that on purpose; I knew it. He shuffled barefoot down the hall toward Danny’s room and I set myself in motion. I turned out the lights, grabbed my bag that I’d left by the door, and made a beeline for his bedroom.

  ooooooooo

  After closing the door, I rushed around changing into the green, silk nightie I’d brought. I had ‘mom bod’ now. I wasn’t the tight little seventeen-year-old that I was the last time he saw me. I had stretch marks and saggy skin. What would he think?

  I dug through my bag and set out the candles I’d packed. They were green too and smelled like apples. Just as I finished lighting the last one, I could hear footsteps coming down the hall.

  “You better not be sleeping in there.” His voice was low and muffled as if he’d stopped just on the other side of the closed door. I stayed silent as my nerves returned full force. This was Micha. Why did I feel like this and better yet, how did I make it stop? “Savannah?” The door creaked as it slowly opened and I turned to face him. “Oh, fuck me.” He groaned as his eyes raked over me.

  “That was the plan,” I whispered as I twisted my fingers together nervously.

  Chapter 28

  Savannah

  It took a moment for my brain to catch up with my eyes. I saw him moving closer, but it just didn’t seem real. It’s been months since I’ve been with anyone and Tim used to complain about the fact that I didn’t keep myself in shape.

  “Can we turn the lights off? I have candles.” I motioned to the flickering flames I’d placed around the room. Micha’s hand swiped at the wall where the light switch was. The room grew darker and I relaxed slightly.

  “Is this new?” Micha ran his fingers lightly over the green silk as it fluttered around my thighs.

  “Yes.” It came out in a breathy whisper. “I know you like me in green.”

  “I like you in anything.” He chuckled. “Or nothing at all. Doesn’t really matter to me.”

  “How romantic.” I laughed lightly, trying to break some of the tension.

  “It’s the truth.” He shrugged as he reached behind his head and yanked his shirt off, tossing it to the side. His tan shoulders glistened in the low light and I was dying to touch them.

  “These are new.” I ran my palms down his abs, causing them to jump under my touch. I’d seen him in trunks when we went to the beach, but I hadn’t allowed myself to touch him then.

  “Comes with the job,” he mused.

  “You’re so toned.” I ran my hands over his chest as I stared at the deep V coming out of his jeans. I’d imagined many times what grown up Micha looked like.

  “Thought you might like it.” He flicked the button on his jean open and wiggled his hips, causing them to begin to slide down his thighs. They were more like tree trunks than legs. “You need to catch up.” He reached for the hem of the nightie, but I backed away slightly out of his reach.

  “I’ve changed too. I don’t look like I used to,” I warned as I chewed my lower lip.

  “I know.” He nodded.

  “No, you don’t. I had a baby. That changes things. I don’t have the tight little body of a teenager.” I crossed my arms over my middle, thinking I was probably ruining the night more by every word that passed my lips. Here I was worried about the way I looked and Micha was almost naked with a pretty impressive erection happening.

  “Savannah.” He moved closer and grabbed my hands, kicking his jeans away in the process. “You are perfect. I don’t care about that stuff. I’m attracted to more than what you look like. I’m in love with what’s in here.” He tapped his finger on my chest. “And in here.” He tapped my forehead. “You’re smart, a great mom and you love with everything you’ve got. I hope to be a fraction of what you are someday.”

  “You love me?” I lifted my chin so I could look him in the eyes. Micha had told me years ago that he loved me, but we hadn’t exchanged those words recently.

  “I do. I’m hopelessly in love with you. I have been since I was seventeen.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

  “What about when you were with all those other girls?” I pulled back and stared disbelieving.

  “Even then. They weren’t you. No one can replace you. I tried and I failed. I gave you my heart all those years ago and I just hope that you’ll give me yours someday.” His hands skimmed down my sides, stopping at my hips. As his fingers bunched the fabric, pulling it up, I didn’t stop him. When he reached my chest, I lifted my arms, letting him remove the garment all together.

  We didn’t speak. He didn’t try to scrutinize my figure. Micha was always good at reading my feelings. I think he knew that I was on the edge already and didn’t want to push me.

  He lifted me into his arms and began striding toward the bed. As the soft mattress hit my back, I began to relax somewhat. Micha’s body hovered over me, close enough to feel, but far enough as to not squish me. His hands made slow passes up and down my sides as his lips pressed light kisses to the column of my neck and my shoulders.

  “You’re beautiful, Savannah. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” His nose skimmed my neck much like he’d done earlier. When he reached my lips, he paused. “I love you.” His eyes radiated tenderness and were the most serious I’d ever seen. When he connected his mouth with mine it was like nothing I’d ever felt before. He was insistent, but not pushy. He moved at a slow pace, making sure I could stop him if I wanted. His tongue ran along my lips before diving in and tangling with mine.

  I arched against him. I missed this so much. I couldn’t tell you the last time a man worshiped me the way he was doing. A knee went between my legs, slowly pushing them apart before a hand followed. He toyed with my clit, pinching and twisting, causing me to groan in pleasure. “Are we covered on the birth control?” he murmured into my ear. “I’ve never gone without, but you’re different. That is, if you’re ok with it.”

  “We’re good.” I sighed as he pulled away. I glanced over to see him wiggling out of his boxers and tossing them to the floor. His erection bounced slightly as he crawled back toward me.

  “I’m go
nna go slow. Tell me if I’m hurting you.” I must have had the look of terror on my face because Micha was suddenly treating me like a delicate flower of sorts. He moved between my thighs and leaned forward, positioning himself. His mouth covered mine as his hips began to slowly thrust forward. He was big and it burned as he worked himself inside me. “You good?” He panted as he loomed over me. His arms were quivering and I could see the restraint all over his face.

  “You can move.” I lifted one of my feet up and pressed it against his ass. “I’m not made of glass.” Those must have been the magic words because Micha began thrusting faster and faster. He slid an arm under me, holding me to him as we climbed together. It was nothing like what I remembered. He played my body like an expert, and as we crested over the top, I knew that he had ruined me. I’d never be able to be with anyone else, but why would I want to? I loved him. I finally realized it. I loved him and I wanted a future with him.

  ooooooooo

  Micha

  When the sun began to filter through the blinds of my room, I rolled over and rubbed my eyes. Had last night been real? Savannah was still out cold. Her hands were tucked under her pillow as she laid curled on her side. I watched her for a few minutes until I heard the pitter patter of feet coming down the hall. Danny was up and we were naked with the door unlocked. I wasn’t prepared for this and my lack of parental skills was shining bright at the moment.

  I jumped out of bed much quicker than I’d wanted to and yanked on a pair of pj pants just as the knob began to turn. I made sure Savannah was still asleep before rushing to the door to stop him.

  “Morning.” I smiled as I blocked Danny’s path from our room. “You hungry?”

  He blinked up at me, his hair sticking up in every direction, as his mouth twisted. “Mommy fwixes bweakfast.”

  “Mommy’s sleeping. Let’s make breakfast for her today.” I shuffled forward, causing him to step back as I closed the door behind me.