Autumn squealed with delight. “Oh my God, that is awesome! Congratulations!”
“Yeah but knowing that he doesn’t want any more children doesn’t make it so awesome.”
“Honey, be serious. You have two wonderful girls who Carter loves to death. Do you honestly think that after all this time he is going to throw everything away including another child and go have a fling with another woman?”
I started to laugh. “Well, since you put it that way, I guess I am being sort of silly.”
“Yes, I think so.”
Autumn grabbed her phone from the table. “You know, I think that once Hunter gets home, we should go pick up your girls, and you should meet Carter in New York. The girls can stay with us. I can use the help around here.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. You need to spend some time with Carter. So, tomorrow that is what we will do, okay? There is a straight flight I see that leaves at seven in the evening. If we can’t make that one, there is another one at ten.”
I leaned over and hugged Autumn. “Thank you so much for tonight.”
“You are welcome. Now, I must get some sleep. Morning comes early! Let me grab you a pillow and a couple blankets for the couch.”
36
Carter
I had finally landed and cleared customs. I was thrilled when I got to my car. I had just finished loading my bag in the trunk when my cell phone rang.
“Hello,” I answered, my voice cracking. Not only was I tired, but the stress had finally caught up to me. It wasn’t every day that I received a call from my brother saying my wife was going to leave me.
“Carter, it’s me. I just got back to my condo. Your wife is sound asleep on my couch. I’m going to leave the door open, so just come on in when you get here. I’m going to go make love to my wife.”
I chuckled. That was my brother; he hadn’t changed. “All right, thanks. I’ll be there shortly, and for the love of God, keep it down. I don’t want to listen to your heavy breathing or her screaming your name when I get there.”
I hung up the phone and climbed into my car, started the engine, and drove to my brother’s place. The elevator ride seemed to take forever, and I was once again reminded of our earlier days, me rushing up the elevator to get home to the girl I loved. A smile came to my lips as the door opened and I got off the elevator. I walked to his door and took a breath before opening the door slowly, poking my head in and seeing my love sound asleep on the couch, one leg on top of the covers, just how she had always slept.
I slipped out of my coat and shoes and walked over to where she lay, looking down at her angelic face. I had fallen for her so long ago and couldn’t for even one second ever imagine my life without her. I slipped out of my suit jacket, laying it on the arm of the chair, and lifted the blanket that she slept under. I crawled in behind her, pulling her against me, just like I had done countless times over the years.
I pushed my arm under her head, and as though she sensed my touch, she quietly moaned my name.
“Yeah, baby, it’s just me.”
“What...what are you doing here?” she asked, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
“Well, a little birdie told me that my love was upset, so I put everything on hold and rushed back here.”
She rolled over and looked up at me, her eyes hazy. “Who told you?”
“My brother called. What’s going on, princess?”
She buried her face in my chest, her body starting to shake as all the pent-up emotion that she had been carrying came pouring out.
I didn’t know what to do, so I just held her close to me, tears starting to flood my eyes too. I too had felt like I was losing her, and I had missed feeling her near to me. “Shhhh, baby, don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it. I feel like I’m losing you, like I’m losing us.”
“What makes you think that?” I swallowed hard.
She grew quiet, burying her face into me. “It’s her.”
“Who?”
“I saw a text from her on your phone. You were going to meet her for dinner while you were away.”
I let out the breath I was holding. I knew immediately that she was talking about Felice. From the start, that woman had been nothing but trouble for us. “Yes, I did. I was going to see her and Mike on business, not just her. It turns out she was up to her old tricks; she and Mike are divorcing. I talked to Mike. She lied, but no worries, I know that once she gets the divorce agreement with my name signed on the bottom, I can guarantee she won’t ever call me again. Not to mention, her number has been blocked.”
“You were going to see her on business?”
“Why else would I see her?” I asked, looking down into her eyes—those eyes. “I have everything I could ever want right here in my arms.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Do you realize that when I look at you every morning, it’s like I am seeing you for the first time? I know I am not perfect, and lately things haven’t been great between us, but through all the hard times and the hiccups in the road, the one thing I never ever doubted was my love for you.”
I pushed the hair out of her face, placing my hand on her cheek, and met her lips, sweeping my tongue through her mouth. “What do you say we head home? I don’t want to make love to you on my brother’s couch.”
She let out a little giggle.
After we drove home, I carried her up the stairs, placing her down on the floor inside our bedroom. I pushed her up against the wall, taking her mouth with mine, my hands busy with the buttons on her shirt. My hands ran over her breasts, cupping them, while I sucked her earlobe into my mouth. I ripped my shirt from my body and felt her small hands tug at my belt.
I kissed her deeply and then slid the cups of her bra down under her breasts. Slowly kissing my way down her neck, I bent and took one of her hardened nipples into my mouth. Then I moved over to the other, causing her to let out a loud moan. As I kneeled in front of her, I slowly kissed my way down her stomach. I looked up and took note of her watching me. I grinned up at her and flicked the button on her jeans open, inching her jeans and panties down until they were pooled at her feet.
She reached behind her, unhooking her bra. She went to step around me, but I placed my hand on the flat of her stomach and pushed her back against the wall. I pulled one of her legs up and placed it on my shoulder. I buried my face between her legs, first running my tongue through her wetness and then sucking her clit into my mouth. I felt her hands grip my hair as I continued licking and sucking her. I could feel her starting to tremble.
“Carter, stop. I’m going to come,” she moaned, gripping my hair tighter.
There was no way I was stopping. “No, baby, I got you. Let yourself go.”
I continued flicking my tongue over her swollen clit until she was trembling so much, I was afraid she might fall, so I grabbed her and carried her over to the bed, laying her down. “On your hands and knees now,” I growled in her ear.
She looked at me and bit her lip, shaking her head no.
“Now, princess. You’re going to feel all of me pounding into you.”
She placed her hand on my chest, kissing me. “Make love to me, Carter,” she cried in between kisses. “Let me know I’m yours.”
“You are mine, always.” I pulled her into my arms, kissing her deeply. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I slid into her, thrusting slowly but deeply.
Hope
There was something about the way it felt to be held by him as he thrust inside of me that made me know he was mine. I loved listening to his harsh breath in my ear as he got closer to the edge. I could feel his love in everything he did: the way his hands caressed my body, the sweet words he whispered into my ear, the way he kissed me. I never should have doubted anything. There was no possible way anyone could fake that.
After we climaxed, we lay together, my body perfectly molded to his, another indication that we were meant to be together. His fingers danced along my shoul
der. When I looked up into his face, I saw that he had his eyes closed. He was gently breathing as I traced tiny circles on his chest.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Don’t ever forget that.”
“Deep down, I know that. I guess I just got scared,” I whispered.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms; it was the most comfort I had felt with him in months.
37
Hope
We dropped the girls off at Hunter and Autumn’s for the two days we would be gone, and I called them as soon as we were settled into the hotel. I had spent the day shopping and was now on my way to meet Carter in Central Park. He requested that I meet him at Bethesda Fountain. I watched the buildings pass by as the cab drove down the road. I glanced at my watch when finally, the driver pulled to the side of the road. “Miss, your stop.” I paid the fare and climbed out of the back seat.
I made my way into the park and over to Bethesda Fountain and started looking for Carter amongst the groups of people that were there. When I didn’t see him, I took a seat on a park bench and listened to the sounds of the people surrounding me. I heard my cell phone ping. A message from Carter populated on my screen, letting me know he should be here shortly; he was stuck in traffic.
I smiled and quickly texted a response, letting him know where I was sitting.
While waiting, I watched some performers around the fountain entertaining some people. I took in the pretty colors of fall that were surrounding me. The fact that this little piece of heaven could exist in such a busy city always amazed me. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see these three musicians standing behind me holding their instruments. “May we play for you, miss?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I thought it was a little strange that out of all the people here, they chose me. I looked around the park for Carter. When I didn’t see him, I smiled and nodded. “Sure.”
“Do you have any requests, miss?”
“No. Play whatever you would like.” I smiled.
As they started to play, I realized the song sounded very familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember where I had heard it. I sat and listened, letting the music flow through me just like I used to do. I felt a strong hand grip my shoulder. It was a touch that I would know anywhere, and I looked up only to see his handsome, chiseled face looking down on me.
“Good evening, princess.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “Not sure if you remember this song or not. I watched you sway to this song that night in Joe’s, the night you came back to me for good.”
I listened harder and realized it was that Nick Santino song. I hadn’t heard it in years.
“You don’t know this, but this song holds a very special place in my heart, Hope, because the words are exactly how I felt for those dreaded three years that you weren’t with me.” He kneeled onto one knee in front of me and pulled my hands into his. “I never want to feel that way ever again.”
“Me neither.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little black box, popping it open. Inside, nestled between two little black velvet cushions, sat a beautiful princess-cut diamond solitaire.
“I couldn’t afford this when we got engaged the first time, but thirteen years later I can, so I was hoping you would do me the honor of renewing our vows.”
I felt the tears slip from my eyes and trail down my cheeks. He reached up and ran the pad of his thumb over my cheek as the music continued to play in the background. “No more tears.”
“Yes,” I cried, wrapping my arms around him. He stood up, pulling me with him, holding me against him. In front of all the people in the park, we started dancing together to the same song we danced to that night years ago.
38
Hope
We had been back from New York for a month, and things between Carter and I couldn’t have been better. Having decided to wait to tell Carter the news until I had received confirmation, I visited my doctor’s office.
I checked the clock—it was almost eight. Carter was working late and had called earlier to let me know he would be home around nine.
“Come on, girls. It’s time for bed,” I said, shutting off the TV.
“Ah, Mom, we want to wait up for Daddy.”
“Not tonight, girls. You both have school in the morning. Now let’s go upstairs and brush our teeth.”
I walked behind them both as they slowly made the climb to the second floor and went to the bathroom. It took ten minutes before they were both ready to climb into bed. I sat down on Mackenzie’s bed, pulling the covers up and over her and kissing her good night on the cheek. Then I made my way to Kendall’s bed. Picking up and placing her favorite teddy bear in her arms, I kissed her good night.
I walked over to the door, shut the light off, and stood and watched them. They were both almost asleep by the time I left. I had just shut the door to their room when I heard the door open and close downstairs.
I ran into our bathroom and ran a brush through my hair before making my way downstairs. “Welcome home,” I said as I stepped off the last step. “You hungry?”
“Starving. I’ll be right there, just going to drop this stuff in my office.”
I nodded and made my way to the kitchen to heat up his dinner. My stomach rolled with nerves as I waited for him, the smell of roast beef upsetting my stomach as I set the hot plate on the table.
“Smells great.” He walked into the kitchen and sat down. I watched as he removed his tie and set it on the table beside his plate. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, why?” I set the glass I had been sipping water from on the counter and turned to look at him.
“Last time you had that look on your face around roast beef you were pregnant with Mackenzie and Kendall,” he chuckled to himself and stabbed into the meal that sat before him.
I turned away to hide the look on my face and then I heard the clink of the fork on the edge of the plate. “Hope?”
“Yeah,” I said, turning around to face him.
“Are...Are you pregnant?”
I shook my head in a yes motion, unsure of what he was going to say. “I know you didn’t want to have any more kids, but I did make sure. I checked with the doctor today, and I am a little over two months.”
Instead of the reaction that I expected, a smile floated to his lips, and he stood up from his chair and walked over, taking me in his arms. “Over all the years we’ve been together, you’ve given me the most fulfilling relationship, two beautiful girls who I love with all my heart, and now this.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Why would I be angry? Hope, I am over the moon with this news, and I can’t wait for the next few months to be over so that we can hold this little guy in our arms.”
Epilogue
Hope
“And one more push, Hope.”
I felt Carter grab my hand tighter as I gave one final push. I heard the cry of a newborn baby fill the room.
“And we have a boy,” the doctor sang out as he placed the warm body on my belly.
Carter sat at the head of the bed, holding my hand, his other arm wrapped around me. “You did it, baby. You did it—another healthy baby.” He placed a kiss on my forehead.
A few hours later I was dosing peacefully in the quiet hospital room. The door opened and Kendall and Mackenzie came running in, Carter walking in behind them.
“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
“Girls, I explained to you both, you need to be quiet,” Carter sternly scolded.
Kendall looked to Carter and started whispering, calling for me. I smiled as they both climbed onto the bed beside me.
“Hello, my lovelies. Please tell me you were good for Uncle Hunter and Aunt Autumn today.”
Mackenzie nodded. “Kendall was bad, Mommy. Uncle Hunter got angry.” I laughed. Hunter’s equivalent of getting angry generally involved apologizing to the girls first and then giving them ice cream.
“No. I was good, I swear. It was M
ackenzie.”
“Okay, girls, that’s enough now. Mommy needs her rest.”
The nurse returned to the room, pushing a bassinet carrying our newest member of the family. Both the girls smiled to each other and looked over the edge of the bassinet at the sleeping baby.
“Girls, this is your baby brother, Carl.”
We had chosen the name after Carter’s father, who had passed away shortly after we had gotten married. Carter sat the girls down in a chair beside me and picked up the baby, first setting him in Mackenzie’s lap. She looked down into his sleeping face.
“Mommy, he is sleeping.”
I smiled as I watched the amazement on their little faces. Carter then placed Carl onto Kendall’s lap.
“He’s so little. Were we ever this little, Daddy?” Kendall asked.
“You were, maybe even a bit smaller,” Carter whispered.
Carter brought Carl over to me and placed him in my arms, leaning down and kissing me on the forehead. “I’ll be right back, princess. I am just going to take the girls out to your parents.”
Once they were gone, I looked down into Carl’s face. I could see Carter in him. He had a lot of Carter’s features.
Carter walked back into the room and shut the door behind him quietly. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me into him. I could feel the panic rising in me at the sheer thought of ever doubting him.
“Hope, you have made me happier than I ever imagined. Look at all we have accomplished and brought into this world. Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For not marrying Trent King, and coming back to me.”
“Thank you for leaving Felice that night and coming back to me.”
He leaned down and kissed me deeply, sweeping his tongue through my mouth. He crawled in the bed beside me and rested against the mattress, pulling me against him. Carl lay in my lap, looking back at both of us.
The Malone Brothers Boxed Set Page 32
