Their Miracle Baby (BWWM Romance Book 1)

by Shanade White

  Sara sat there and listened to every word that dug spikes inside her heart and she did not know what to say but she refused to apologize to David’s mother – she was not David.

  “I can’t take back what I did,” Sara told her soberly. “But I am telling you right now that it’s between David and I.”

  Sally sat there measuring the younger girl coolly, her hazel eyes considering. Sara had worn a simple cotton dress with thin straps and she looked young and vibrant. Her make-up was light and almost colorless lip gloss highlighted her full lips.

  “I wish he was twelve years old again so that I could forbid him to see you,” she said with a slight smile. “But I can’t, can I? He is a grown man and I can’t tell him what to do and who to see. He will do what he pleases; all I can do is pray for him.”

  “I am sure that is enough,” Sara told her calmly. The woman was all but telling her that she was praying for her not to be a part of David’s life and she felt as if she was barely holding on. David still had not called her and now his mother was here castigating her, it was too much. “I think you underestimate David, he can take care of himself just fine. And he is not running back into my arms like you think. Like I said; you underestimate him.”

  “I don’t hate you,” Sally stood, staring at her. “It would be unchristian for me to do so, I just hate what you did to my son and one day when you grow up and have children you will find out.”

  “I am grown up,” Sara’s voice was frosty. “And I understand. Some mothers do not like to see their children hurt.”

  “I am sorry about your mother my dear,” Sally told her. “Truly I am, but my first priority is to David and I make no apologies for that.” With that she turned around and left, leaving Sara sitting there fighting back tears. It was when several customers came in that she got up and with a determined smile she went and do her job; she was not about to let anyone get her down; least of all David’s mother.

  *****

  David balled up the paper and threw it towards the waste basket and it missed yet again. The room was strewn with paper he had discarded in his attempt to write the commentary he was supposed to be writing. He was a freelance editor for the local newspaper and had started out doing one article a week to now being asked to do four articles for the week. It was something he did aside from his work in the greenhouse and if people asked him which he preferred; he would have no idea what to tell them. But right now he was having a hard time thinking. He had not slept the night before; and her scent was all over his bed, so much so that he had changed the sheets; but putting on fresh ones did not help because her scent still lingered in his room. He should not have taken her to bed. But what else could he have done? He had thought making love with her would probably get her out of his system but that had backfired on him; what it had done was to make her dig deeper inside him and now he wanted to see her so bad he was trembling from it.

  “Damn you Sara,” he whispered brokenly; burying his head in his hands. He had spent so many years trying to get over her and when he had finally reached a place where he could go on without her; she had come back looking more achingly beautiful than before. He had not done an ounce of work since he had been up at dawn. His green house needed his attention and his article was due tomorrow.

  He stood up and went to the window to look out on his garden. It was a very hot day and the sun was blazing down on his begonias and petunias making them look wilted. He had found out from an early age that he loved to dig in the dirt and he loved to plant things. When other boys his age were playing with action figures and riding bikes, he was making a garden at the back of his parents’ house. His dad had bought him a trowel and some seeds and had told him that if he did not pay attention to plants, they end up dying. He had made sure they didn’t.

  With a sigh, he turned away from the window and went to the kitchen, maybe sustenance was what he needed but he knew what he wanted right now was Sara underneath him and him inside her. He closed his eyes as he remembered every smell and nuance of her body and how he felt inside her and his groan was potent as he felt himself hardening with desire. She was in his blood and there was no way she was getting out; he just did not know what to do about it.

  *****

  “Girl what did you expect?” Callie stirred sugar in her tea and look at Sara curiously. “You broke her only child’s heart and now you’re back and it’s not as if he has moved on from you; he’s still in hook, line and sinker.”

  “Thanks,” Sara said dryly. They had met for lunch at the restaurant close to the bookstore and she was telling Callie of her encounter with Sally Graham yesterday at the store. “And he’s not into me hook, line and sinker.”

  Callie looked at her wryly as she sipped her herbal tea. “I have a son and I would tear out a woman’s hair if he hurt my son.”

  “You’re making me feel real good right about now,” Sara bit into her burger with relish.

  “I live to please,” Callie grinned impishly. “Honey, cut her some slack. She still thinks of David as her baby and that’s not going to end anytime soon. So are you guys are back together?”

  “No we’re not!” Sara said hastily; causing Callie to raise her brows.

  “You’re protesting too much honey,” Callie told her dryly.

  “He has not called me since,” Sara shrugged carelessly. “And I don’t care.”

  “Since what?”

  “Since we were with each other on Sunday night,” Sara told her avoiding her gaze.

  “Ah,” Callie murmured. “No wonder ‘Mommy’ is protective; she probably knows or if she doesn’t, she is there thinking that it’s only a matter of time. Give him time Sara; he probably hates the fact that he’s so weak when it comes to you.”

  “I am not going to hurt him again Callie,” Sara said with determination. “I am not that person anymore.”

  “It’s not me that needs convincing girl,” Callie told her shrewdly. “It’s David.”

  They ate the rest of the meal in relative silence with Callie filling her in on some of the escapades of Benjamin. She went back to the store thoughtfully. She had not told her father of her encounter with Sally Graham and had no intention of doing so; the less people knew the better.

  *****

  Sara did not see David until Wednesday night at church when they had Bible study and she was careful to sit as far away from him as possible. He had not called her and she had made up her mind not to call him either. She was not going to risk getting rejected. Her father had stayed at the store to do some stocktaking and had urged her to go.

  When Bible study was finished, she hurried out to the parking lot. She had to get out of there before he came out. But as she opened her door she heard his voice behind her. “Running away?” he drawled. Sara closed her eyes briefly and slowly turned around to face him. He looked so damned good and she ached for him.

  “I need to get home, I have something to do.” She told him stiffly.

  “I am sure you do,” he smiled wryly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants. His yellow shirt was unbuttoned at the top and she saw just a glimpse of his chest hair.

  “I have to leave,” she told him abruptly, turning around to enter her car.

  “I wanted to call you,” he told her huskily; his voice stopping her. “I did not know what to say to you or what to do about what I am feeling Sara. I am constantly thinking about you and I don’t know what to do, I needed some space.”

  “You got it,” her back was still turned towards him and she stiffened when she felt his touch on her shoulder.

  “I am up and down when it comes to you Sara,” he told her wearily. He turned her around to face him. There was a slight breeze and it stirred the hair on her forehead. He pushed it away gently and Sara quivered. “I kid myself that I was over you and I had moved on,” he gave a self-deprecating smile. “But I am not and I don’t know what to do about it; about you.”

  “Your mother seems to think I am going to be
the death of you,” she told him; her expression sober.

  “My mother?” he stared at her puzzled. “What does she have to do with us?”

  “She came to the store and told me what she thought of me.” Sara said grimly.

  “Oh Jesus,” David muttered, running fingers through his hair. “What did you say to her?”

  “I just told her that it’s between us,” Sara shrugged. “But I am sure she does not have anything to worry about, does she David?”

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked her, his gaze narrowing.

  “It means that you don’t want to have anything to do with me.” She told him heatedly. “It means that you probably think I am going to hurt you again and you would not want to make the same mistake twice.”

  “Sara stop it,” he told her harshly. “Can you blame me for being cautious?” He gripped her arms; exercising restraint as he saw that there were several members coming outside. “I can’t do this here,” he muttered releasing her. “Come home with me.”

  “No,” Sara said firmly, pulling her door open. “I am giving you time and space.” She got in and slammed her door shut, putting the car in reverse and driving away without waiting for his response.

  When she got home she switched off the car and sat there. She could not face her father yet and she knew he was waiting up for her; she needed time to think. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest.

  She remembered a particularly difficult time in her teen years when she had told her father she did not want to go to school and she wished she could stay home. He had told her that staying away from school was not an option and whatever it was that was bothering her she should discuss it with him and he would try to work it out. That morning she had slammed out of the house and had told him that she hated him and she wished it was him who had gone and not her mom. She had refused to feel guilty about the painful look on his face and had gone off to school in a huff; mad with the world.

  She had been sitting outside on one of the school benches during lunch; Callie had gone off in search of Kevin; her current boyfriend so she had sat there just brooding. “What’s wrong?” he'd came and sat beside her, tucking in his long, lanky legs under the bench.

  “What makes you think something is wrong?” she had asked him coolly, lifting her pointed chin as she looked at him.

  “Because you look like you’re about to explode and you’re sitting out here all by yourself,” he pointed out; a lock of hair falling down on his forehead, giving him an endearing look. He was fifteen and she was fourteen and even though they went to the same church; she had never spared him more than a passing glance. She had no interest in boys at that time.

  She had shrugged and looked away; her interest caught by a boy and a girl in a passionate embrace.

  “Your mother leaving was not your fault,” he told her quietly causing Sara’s head to whip around sharply, her eyes blazing as she stared at him.

  “How dare you talk about my mother? It’s none of your damn business,” Her voice had gone hoarse as she fought back tears.

  “It’s okay to cry,” he had told her, completely unfazed by her outburst. And Sara had cried. She remembered him pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly until she was spent. She had tried to pull away when she was done but he wouldn't let her and she had stayed that way for a while before she pulled away.

  “Feeling better?” he had asked her, not in the least bit embarrassed that a girl had cried buckets on his shoulder. She had nodded and used the back of her hands to wipe her wet cheeks. And then she had told him what she had said to her father. He had told her to go home and apologize and explain what she was feeling and he was sure her father would understand and forgive her.

  She had done just that and her father had told her gently that there was nothing she could ever do or say to him for him to hate her.

  She and David had become friends from then and later in years had become a couple. He had always been there for her and she had taken him for granted and broke his heart because she had thought about only herself. His mother was right; it was up to her to prove to him that she would never do that to him. If time was what he needed; she would give him that; even though it killed her to be away from him.

  Chapter 6

  She was ill. She had woken up Friday morning with a raging headache and an itchy throat and she was running a temperature. It was five o’clock in the morning and she hated to wake her father; besides she felt too weak to even get off the bed.

  She scrambled off and went to the bathroom to get a glass of water to wet her parched throat. She was so dizzy she had to hold on to the counter. She never got sick, she thought irritably and because of that she didn't have even an aspirin in the bathroom cupboard. She dug around and found some Nyquil which she swallowed with slight distaste.

  It took her a little while to get back into her bedroom and into bed. By that time she was washed with sweat. She settled back against her pillows with a sigh of relief and went straight back to sleep.

  It was when her father called her name several times that she woke up with a start.” Honey are you ill?” he asked in concern, using the back of his hand to rest on her forehead. “Darling you are burning up!” he exclaimed.

  “I’m sorry dad,” she told him miserably. “I feel awful.”

  “I am going to get you some tea and a cold rag for your face,” he told her, leaving the room hurriedly.

  Sara sank back on the pillow, her energy spent. He came back into the room shortly after with a tray of tea and a slice of plain toast and a glass of water. He put the tray on the bed and eased her up against the pillow and set the tray on her lap. “I want you to try and eat this and drink the liquid, your body needs it and I am going to bring up a bottle of orange juice for you to drink as well. You need the vitamin C. Don’t worry about the store, I’ll manage.” He made her promise to get some rest; then he left.

  Sara nibbled on a piece of bread and drank down the tea and water; quenching her parched throat before putting the tray on the side table. She slept and woke up feeling a little better; at least she was not feeling as weak as before. “Glad to see that you are still in the land of the living.” The soft voice beside her bed, almost had her screaming. What on earth was he doing here?

  Her hand automatically went up to her hair which must be a sight.

  “You could never look anything less than beautiful even if you tried,” David said dryly, leaning over to put a hand on her forehead. It was as if he had scalded her; his touch affected her more than the fever had.

  “What are you doing here?” she croaked.

  “I went to the store to see you and your father told me you were holed up in bed with the flu.” He told her. He was sitting on the side of her bed and was the epitome of good health, with his tanned skin, glowing with perfection and he smelled enticingly of sun and plants.

  “You didn’t have to come,” she told him, her throat was parched again and her head felt dizzy.

  “I didn’t have to but I wanted to,” he got up and poured some orange juice in a glass and handed it to her. Sara accepted it gratefully and downed the glass thirstily.

  “I will be okay now so you don’t have to stay,” she handed the glass to him.

  “I am not going anywhere,” he told her mildly, kicking off his shoes and climbing into the bed; pulling her surprised body against his.

  “David,” she murmured halfheartedly, welcoming his warmth and solidness.

  “Shh,” he murmured, rubbing her back. “Go to sleep, I will be right here.” She drifted off to sleep in his arms, her head on his chest. David held her to him with a tenderness that exposed his feelings and his heart constricting with the depths of it.

  She woke up an hour later disoriented; not knowing where she was and it took her a minute to realize she was in David’s arms. She lay there savoring his closeness and hoping fervently that she could stay that way forever.

  “Feeling better?”
his deep voice rumbled in his chest and vibrated against her face.

  She shook her head yes; twisting to look up at him. He was staring down at her with a look that had her heart inside her throat. It was unbelievably tender.

  “How about something substantial to eat?” he asked her lightly. “Hungry?”

  “Starving,” she told him hoarsely, her eyes locked with his; her meaning clear. He held her gaze for a moment then with a strangled groan he put her away from him; climbing out of bed.

  “When I make love to you again Sara, it’s not going to be when you’re weak with a virus but when you’re strong enough to match me move for move,” he told her through clenched teeth before leaving her to go to the kitchen.

  Sara sank back against the pillows, a gloating smile playing around her lips. Suddenly, being so ill was not too bad after all.

  He had made her chicken soup and not the one from the can but chicken soup made with his own two hands and a slice of whole wheat bread. She took a sip and her eyes widened appreciatively. “This is good,” she told him. He was sitting at the edge of the bed.

  “Chicken soup for the physical being,” he grinned teasingly.

  “Your cooking skills have improved drastically,” she told him with a shake of her head. She was indeed starving and she found herself drinking down the soup rapidly. He watched her until she finished eating and took the tray away from her. “How do you feel now?”

  “As if I'm a new person,” she told him gratefully. He came around, propped her pillow for her and she captured his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips.

  “Sara,” he groaned. “Don’t please. I can’t do this when you’re in a weakened state and you’re making it extremely difficult for me.”

  She placed an open mouth kiss in his palm and released his hand. He stood there looking at her, his eyes clouded over. “I’ll behave,” she told him impishly, settling back against the pillow.

  He sent her a wry glance before sitting back on the edge of the bed.

  “I am glad you came,” she told him sincerely. She was starting to feel like her old self again and it was mostly due to him.