by A. C. Wilson
“Thank you, Mr. Phails. My husband speaks highly of you.” Andy smiled, but her face looked rather flushed.
“Blake, please.” He smiled and Bailey moved in to speak with Andy. Bailey asked about Harper and went on a candid conversation of children in general. Blake moved towards Matt and they both put some space in between them and the table. Matt stuffed his hands inside his pockets and looked over the vacant dance floor.
“Bailey looks happy. I’m assuming things are going well.” Matt grinned as he indicated the chatter from behind them. Blake returned the smile and nodded.
“It is better, but it won’t be over until we can get her sister out of that house. That man is volatile to say the least and I don’t think he is going to take Bailey’s interference for much longer.” Blake kept his smile in place, but his eyes scanned everyone. He couldn’t help but feel anxious without Bailey beside him.
“I’ve contacted my lawyers and they are working on trying to find something we can use. The system doesn’t like to jerk the kids if they can help it. So far Bailey’s is the only complaint and Marty has made it seem like a cry for attention.” Matt shook his head in irritation at the processes that had to be followed. Sometimes things moved entirely too slow.
“Bailey got a text from her sister last night and Marty has been gone since the incident. I guess he can leave for up to a week before he returns. It isn’t always peaceful when he does come back.” Blake lowered his voice, hoping Bailey was occupied with Andy. The music started to play and the lights were dimming with the first slow song.
“I’ll make another call tomorrow. I’m not sure what else to do unless it turns ugly again. There might be no other option but to intervene. I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Matt shakes his head.
“Blake! Matt!” Bailey’s voice sounded from behind them and instantly Blake was reacting to her alarm.
“What is it?” Matt asked, coming back to the table and finding Andy gripping the table cloth with white knuckles. Blake was on his heels with Bailey rubbing Andy’s back.
“Her water broke. We have to get her to the hospital.” Bailey said as calmly as she could despite the wobble in her voice. Matt looked like he was about to pass out. Blake felt something akin to shell shock as things began to happen quickly. Bailey took charge.
“Matt help Andy up. Blake go get your truck and pull it up by the doors.” She directed them like any good drill sergeant. Blake chuckled as he stood looking at her. She cocked a brow and jerked her head towards the entrance. Reality slammed back into him and he took off at a quick pace.
When he had pulled his truck up with one tire on the curb, Matt and Bailey were helping Andy out of the building. He hopped out to run around the truck and open the passenger side door. Bailey opened the back door and got inside. Andy was shaking and breathing in quick, rhythmic bursts. With some choice words and Bailey’s directions, Matt and Blake got Andy into the truck. Blake started around the front of the truck but Matt shook his head. Clearly Matt wanted to drive so Blake crawled in the back with Bailey and they set a record speed for getting to the hospital.
The flurry of activity was enough to make his head spin. Blake was rather happy that he wasn’t the father-to-be, because Matt looked like he was about to lose his mind. The nurses were calm and pushy. No one had seen a doctor yet. Matt had forgotten to bring Andy’s overnight bag so he had to call his brother to pick it up. Of course once the phone calls were made Matt’s phone never did stop ringing so he handed it Bailey. Then it became a “You Answer It” game. Much to her irritation, Bailey was it all of the time.
“Where are they?” An older woman came rushing through the hospital doors into the waiting room. She was petite with long dark hair that was pulled up in an elegant twist.
“Mrs. Johnson, they are in a labor room. Matt hasn’t been out in a while.” Bailey stood up, showing Matt’s mother that she had her son’s phone. The woman looked worried and her blue eyes were troubled.
“Oh, I hope they are okay. I just have this bad feeling.” Matt’s mother sat heavily down into the seat next to Bailey. Blake offered her a friendly nod. Bailey held Matt’s phone a bit tighter.
“My name is Blake Phails, ma’am. I’m sure they are all doing great. They look like fighters to me.” He held out his hand and smiled. He genuinely believed everything would be fine.
“Oh where are my manners? Forgive me, please. I am Lacey Johnson, Matt’s mother.” She shook Blake’s hand and smiled at him. She tipped her head to consider him more closely and then looked down at her lap thoughtfully. Blake thought it was to do mostly with her troubled thoughts.
“Where is Mr. Johnson? Andy mentioned you were both coming to the dance.” Bailey broke the silence and sat in between Blake and Lacey.
“My husband was on his way home when a neighbor called him and told him that a couple of the ranch’s cows were out. Travis couldn’t leave them so he said he would meet me at the dance. Garrett called me about Andy so I rushed straight here.” Lacey adjusted the skirt of her flower-print wrap dress. Her fingers trembled.
“Garrett should be on his way. Matt called him just after we got here.” Bailey said, looking at the cell phone again. It had stopped ringing for the last five minutes and Blake was grateful for the reprieve.
“I’m sure glad Harper was at the sitter’s today.” Lacey said almost to herself. Blake knew from previous conversations that Harper was Andy’s daughter from a relationship before she met Matt. Matt doted on the girl like she was his own and apparently the rest of the family felt the same.
“Soon she’s to be a big sister. I’m sure she is excited about that.” Bailey smiled, no doubt thinking about her own sister. Blake wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. Someone always there, always connected no matter what.
“Oh she really is! Harper can’t wait to help take care of a baby.” Lacey smiled, her worry easing a bit. Blake was warmed by her smile and Bailey nodded.
“My sister was so little. I couldn’t wait until she had enough hair that I could put it up in little piggy tails.” Bailey chuckled at the memory. Lacey nodded and sighed.
“I had hoped Nora would have a sister. She was always such a tomboy though that I don’t think she ever noticed. Then Matt found Andy and Garrett found Rayne. Those girls are like sisters to Nora and I think maybe that is the way it was meant to be.” Lacey looked nostalgically off into the distance towards the nurse’s station. Blake didn’t think she was actually looking at it. It was hard to explain, but he felt a pull to this woman. She was warm and caring. Matt was lucky to have a mother like her.
“Some say things happen the way they are supposed to.” Bailey smiled at Blake and he held her twinkling eyes. She was definitely someone special.
“Hey Mom! Is Garrett here yet? Where is Dad?” Matt came out into the waiting room in a surgical gown. His face was white, but his lips were curved into a smile. Blake wasn’t sure what was going on. Bailey got up from her seat along with Lacey who was already rushing into Matt’s arms.
“I haven’t seen Garrett yet. How is Andy?” Lacey squeezed her son and then backed up. Matt ran a hand through his dark hair.
“She was having a tough time. They thought they were going to have to do a C-section.” Matt hurried through his information. Bailey paled at the news. She stood only a foot away from him so Blake reached out his hand and took hers. Instantly her fingers tightened around his.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. I know you are worried about them both.” Lacey’s brow furrowed and Matt continued sharing his news.
“But Andy and the baby are doing just fine. Doctor thinks it will all be sorted soon. Andy was asking for Rayne though, but I’ll just have to tell her that she isn’t here.” Matt took a deep breath and moved back towards the hallway. Garrett came jogging through the hospital doors and they slid wide to admit him. Matt turned and shook his head at his brother.
“Sorry. We hurried as quickly as we could.” Garrett shrugged, offering the black ba
g to Matt. Rayne came into the room at a more sedate pace, but not any less worried. Blake could tell that she was afraid. The look in her golden eyes made him feel sorry for her.
“Rayne, Andy would like you to hold her hand. Doctor says it should be soon.” Matt smiled hopefully, but Rayne froze. Her stiff posture and wide eyes spoke volumes, but Blake was certain it wasn’t what Matt wanted to hear. Garrett touched Rayne’s upper arm to get her attention and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her face was shock white and Lacey shoved the poor woman into a chair.
“Head between your knees.” Lacey crouched down so that she was level with Rayne. Garrett looked at Matt and shook his head. Rayne wasn’t going in with Matt. Blake took it all in as Bailey squeezed his fingers. She hadn’t moved from her spot beside him and he was thankful for that.
Regan Johnson made her debut an hour later much to the surprise and delight of everyone in the waiting room. Matt brought the squalling infant out for just a minute and then took his daughter back to the nursery. Bailey got up from her spot next to him and stretched. Blake couldn’t help but look her up and down. She had been so ready to go to the dance and now they had missed a good portion of it. He would have liked to dance with her in his arms for the world to see.
“Are you ready to leave?” Blake asked Bailey as he stood from his spot. He was stiff and his backside had gone to sleep a while ago. She looked up into his face and smiled.
“Wait, please,” Lacey got up from beside Rayne and walked over to them. She smiled and continued, “Would you both come to dinner tomorrow evening? I would love for you to meet my husband, Travis and say thank you for being so supportive today.” Lacey looked from Blake to Bailey and back. Her soft blue eyes were curious. Bailey looked up at him and he nodded.
“We would like that.” Bailey answered and Blake couldn’t help but look at Garrett. Blake couldn’t read everything in the man’s face, but he thought he saw resignation. Saying their goodbyes, Blake walked Bailey to his truck. He wasn’t sure where the Johnsons’ were going to lead him, but it was now or never.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Bailey knew that something was occupying Blake’s thoughts, but she wasn’t sure if he would tell her even if she asked. She wasn’t sure if it was her place or not. Their relationship was so very odd from anything she had ever experienced in real life or read in her romance novels. She was hopelessly attracted to him as she looked appreciatively at his profile. He was handsome, athletic, and well put together.
Even with his clothes on.
She blushed at the thought. It was confusing that they had shared intimacy without physically joining. Although she would be the first to say she had been disappointed by his decision. She didn’t really even know why he had made that choice. Tipping her head back against the head rest, Bailey closed her eyes. She was tired. A replay of yesterday’s events had kept her awake last night. A couple of times she had reached out to call Blake, her phone even in her hand, but she had tucked it away.
The air conditioner blew chilled air over her bare skin and goose bumps popped up on her arms. Her eyes remained closed as she rested, but her body was increasingly aware of Blake next to her. It was almost like every nerve ending in her was reaching out for him. It was like being moved by a wave, the current shaping your path without you really knowing it.
“I’m sorry we missed the dance. I hadn’t expected our date to be spent in the hospital waiting room.” Blake said in the quiet of the truck cab. Bailey opened her eyes and righted herself. She offered him a small smile and a shrug. She really had been looking forward to the dance.
“I’m not sure anyone expected that, but the Johnsons needed us. I’m glad we could help.” Bailey decided to put a positive spin on it. It was no one’s fault and it couldn’t be helped. Blake offered her a smile and pulled into the driveway of the center. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Is everything okay?” Blake asked as he pulled up to her apartment stairs just like he had done this morning. Bailey shrugged as she undid her seatbelt and let it retract.
“Just not ready to come home yet.” She looked at him in her peripheral vision. “Not ready to say goodbye yet.”
Blake reached over and took her hand in his own. His thumb gently brushed over her knuckles. There was so much emotion in that one gesture and in all of them since they had met. Bailey didn’t know where to even begin cataloguing them all.
“Do you want to go for a ride?” She asked enthusiastically, her eyes wide with excitement. Blake’s eyes widened and he looked worried. “We don’t have to go far.” Bailey wanted to reassure him. She knew he hadn’t spent much time around horses.
“Only if you promise to be gentle.” Blake kept a straight face, but his blue eyes laughed. She loved those eyes.
“Of course. You know you can trust me, Blake.” She left the smile, but hoped that he understood the gravity in her words. She knew he couldn’t trust implicitly, but he had to know that this tether between them was beyond words.
“I do trust you.” Blake lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a warm, feathery kiss there. Bailey held his gaze with her own. This moment wouldn’t be forgotten. She would treasure it always.
Bailey watched as he rounded the truck to open her door for her. She loved that he was so old-fashioned. He helped her down and followed her to the stables. She took a deep breath as she entered, loving the smell of horses and leather.
“Let me get Liberty saddled and then I will saddle Chap for you.” Bailey set to tacking up the horses. Both Chap and Liberty seemed happy to get out of the stables and into the fresh air. It took a bit longer to get them decked out as she was careful with her dress. Blake tossed the saddles up and she was thankful for that.
“Ready? Just put your left foot into the stirrup and pull yourself up. Chap is a good boy. He won’t go anywhere.” Bailey held the buckskin’s bridle as Blake looked at her with uncertainty. She waited patiently for him to do what she had told him to do. It wouldn’t do to push. More often than not it caused someone to pull away and that wasn’t the objective.
“Whoa, boy.” Blake said under his breath as he put his boot in the stirrup and with a fluid motion, he was in the saddle. Bailey smiled up at him. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said he sat a horse as if he had always been up there. Chap shook his head and Blake grabbed ahold of the horn.
“Take a breath. He’s not going to take off with you. You’re perfectly safe.” Bailey let him see the truth in her words. She waited until he nodded in understanding. Offering him the reins, she walked around to Liberty and swung up. It was rather challenging in her skirt, but she pulled it up around her thighs. She caught Blake’s gaze, desire burning in the depths. Suddenly she was happy she hadn’t changed into jeans.
“Now what?” Blake asked as they both sat there in the mowed grass around the buildings. He wasn’t sitting quite so stiffly now. Chap was resigned to wait on Blake for direction.
“Squeeze him with your knees and we’ll let them walk. We aren’t in any hurry.” Bailey moved Liberty easily and Blake was thinking too hard about it. She thought she even saw Chap roll his eyes. A giggle escaped her mouth and she quickly covered it with her hand. He looked slightly offended as he pressed his lips together. She watched him take a deep breath and try again. Chap started walking and Bailey urged Liberty to follow the pace.
“You did it. You trusted him.” Bailey couldn’t help but beam brilliantly at Blake. He was still stiff and wary, but he was present. It was definitely a step in the right direction.
After thirty minutes of walking their horses, Bailey indicated a huge cottonwood tree alongside a creek bank. Blake looked more than ready to get off Chap and set his feet on solid ground. The moment his boot touched the soft grass, Blake let out a long breath. She turned her face away to hide her smile. She felt more than heard him come closer. Blake’s hands settled on her hips from behind and instantly her skin came alive. Bailey wasn’t sure if she stepped
back into him or if he moved forward, but her back met his chest. His large hands still molding her hips as he pressed against her backside. Her breathing grew shallow the longer they stood there looking at the shifting ribbon of water. Tall grass adorned the edges where the water met the bank and little ripples broke the surface. The coolness of the shade on a hot August day made it every bit an oasis. There was nothing but grass for as far as the eye could see. They were truly alone together.
Then they were swaying softly, like the long grass in the breeze. Bailey closed her eyes as he rocked her from side to side. His breath brushing her ear as he pulled her even closer. She almost thought she could feel his heart beating against her back. His fingers pressed into her dress, marking her body as his. She welcomed his claim. She wanted his honor.
Blake’s voice whispered the words of Storm by Lifehouse in her ear. He continued their sway as he sang to her about being fine as long as he could see her. The words themselves painting a picture of the man she was just getting to know. The desperate hope in his voice made her tremble with emotion.
She felt every word he sang as she thought of him. He was the light to her darkness. She breathed in deeply and felt Blake shift his hands. He turned her towards him and he pulled her back into his arms. They moved as one dancing on the shore of that little creek.
Blake let her see the world through his eyes. Those blue orbs filled with fear, hope, truth, and love. She was mesmerized by the promise in his voice as it soothed the roughness of her edges. She had been waiting for him all her life.
His hand raised to her cheek, a slight tremble of his fingers as he traced her face. She felt him touch his thumb just under her eye and only then did she realize she was crying. The tears had been so silent and natural. Blake was seeing her as transparently as she was seeing him. There were no more veils or half-truths.
