Only I hadn’t known it until this moment.
“This one is you Dani!” He pointed to the pumpkin with earrings and a big toothy smile that would look wonderful when lit up from the inside.
“I love it. I mean it’s a little orange for me, but you did well.” He smiled as I wrapped an arm around him. “And let me guess, this one is your dad?”
“Yep.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to do you,” I told him as I pulled the smaller pumpkin closer and began to draw the wavy hair that constantly fell across his eyes. “What do you think?”
“I love it, Dani. And I love you.”
My heard pinched at his sweet words. “Oh Bobby, I love you too kiddo.” Heart in my stomach, I dropped a kiss on his forehead and looked up, feeling as though all was right with the world, to find Ty scowling at the picture we made.
Okay…message received.
Ty
A full week had gone by since I’d heard from Dani. I knew she was busy this week with flu shots and school physicals for all the athletes as the winter season got under way, but that didn’t mean I had to like it, dammit. I missed her. I hadn’t expected that to happen but now that it had, I found myself regretting my reaction last weekend.
I don’t know what came over me, but after finishing up a few phone calls, I followed the laughter to the kitchen. The scene that awaited me had thrown me off kilter so badly, all I could do was scowl at her, which effectively ruined the afternoon. Dani had shut down, offering a distant type of kindness to Bobby as they finished carving pumpkins and making treats. But when Bobby asked her to stay for dinner, she’d begged off, complaining of a headache.
She promised they could do it again sometime but her eyes said it might be the last time. In the moment I thought it was for the best. The last thing I needed was for Bobby to get too attached to her, or any woman for that matter, only to have them leave. Which was exactly why I didn’t want to start anything.
With anyone.
“Hey man, what’s with the long face?” Blake strolled into my office without knocking and sat across from me. Waiting.
“Nothing. Just trying to decide if I should call Dani.”
He frowned. “You screwed it up already?”
“Why in the hell do you assume I screwed up?” It’s not like I was some ogre when it came to women.
“Because you’re the one sitting in here fuming. If she messed up you wouldn’t have anything to stress about. So, what did you do?”
I sighed, trying to figure out how to explain to him what I’d done and why it mattered. Then I told him, starting with the hayride and the stares, and finishing the story with my dark scowl.
“She said she’d be busy this week but we both know her silence is saying something.”
“Yeah that you were a jerk. What’s going on, I thought you liked her?”
“I do.”
“Then what the fuck is the problem?”
I sighed and glared at my brother. Sometimes it sucked having someone around who knew you so well. “The problem is that I’m not sure this is what I want. A full on relationship and her getting so close to Bobby.”
“Bullshit.”
My dark look took aim right at my brother. “Excuse me?”
“I’m calling bullshit.” He stood, sending that dark look right back at me. “You do what you want big brother. Chasing away an amazing woman who likes you and your kid, and who doesn’t give a damn about the money. What do I care?” He stormed out, leaving me staring at the floor and feeling more confused than ever.
Fuck this. I was in the air force, I’m a fucking pilot. No tiny little woman is going to scare me. I picked up the phone and called her.
Voicemail.
I called back. Twice.
“Hello?”
“I haven’t heard from you, Dani.” I smiled as I spoke, suddenly feeling lighter now that I’ve heard her voice.
“I would think that was a good thing.”
“Well it wasn’t.” How could she think that? “I’m calling because I missed you.” She said nothing in response. “Dani?”
“I’m here Ty. What do you want?”
“I missed you. Let’s have dinner tonight.”
Several long seconds went by before she answered. “Fine,” she said and ended the call before I could say anything else.
Still, I smiled. She might be upset with me but she’d agreed to see me which meant she wanted to see me too. I sent her a text with the details and I couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the day.
Dani
I was so happy that flu vaccinations were over that I stopped at the diner for a meatloaf and mashed potato dinner. I didn’t have the energy to cook a meal and after a long, hot shower I knew all I had the energy to do was crack open a bottle of wine.
“Sweet, sweet wine,” I groaned after a long, relaxing sip.
“Too bad you’re not offering such sweet talk to a big, strong man.”
I screamed and turned quickly, causing to wine to slosh over the top of the glass. “Aunt Amelia, you scared the hell out of me! What are you doing lurking around my house in the dark?”
She tsked and shook her head with disapproval. “Is that the way you greet your favorite aunt?”
“Only aunt,” I added with sarcasm. “What are you doing here old woman?”
“I’ll show you old,” she shook her fist at me with a grin. “I came to see how you’re doing, but obviously you’re PMS-ing,” she huffed and put on the tea kettle.
“What a sexist thing to say!”
But as I thought about it, I wondered why in the hell I wasn’t PMS-ing? I should be knee-deep in chocolate fudge ice cream and cotton candy vodka. Instead I wasn’t. I reached for my phone and pulled up my calendar app, stifling a groan because I could feel my aunt’s curious gaze. I was late. Very, very late. Irresponsibly late for a physician. But now was not the time. “Are you all ready for your cruise?”
Amelia sighed, looking as though she wanted to say more but thankfully, she didn’t. “As a matter of fact, I’m not. That’s why I’m here, though now I have to wonder about that,” she said and turned to prepare the tea. “Artie wants to extend the cruise, starting the week before Thanksgiving until after the new year.”
“Wow, that’s a long time. You must more than like Artie by now,” I teased, ignoring the fact that I would be completely alone for the holidays. “What else do you need?”
“I need you to tell me you’ll be okay for the holidays this year.”
I nodded. “I’ll be okay for the holidays this year,” I parroted back to her.
Aunt Amelia’s shoulders fell. “Be serious.”
“I’m fine Amelia. I’ll be okay. You just worry about having fun with Artie and please, for the love of god, don’t become another senior sex statistic.” Like me.
“Oh please, I fully plan to engage of lots of safe and energetic sex. Maybe with a few toys,” she said and wiggled her eyebrows. “That’s why I want you to help me order some sexy lingerie. Online.”
“Sure. Come back the day after tomorrow and we’ll get it all done, all right? I’m too tired for anything other than food and bed.” And probably a restless night thinking about my late period and what it means.
With a quick kiss goodbye, Amelia breezed out quickly and left me alone with my thoughts. By the time I finished my dinner, I couldn’t think about it anymore. Not Ty, not the broken condom and certainly not the way he’d kissed me a few days ago after dinner. It wasn’t the kiss of a man having second thoughts. Or it was the kiss of a man looking to get laid again.
With nothing more to do other than obsess over what was starting to become an inevitability, I crawled into bed. I needed to get up early tomorrow so I could get some answers before my Halloween date with the Hawke family.
Four thirty-seven. Halloween day. That’s the time my life changed forever. The day was a long one, with a six different kids suffering from some type of stomach bug, two broken arms and a ca
se of chicken pox. First thing in the morning I’d taken a test, urine and blood, and sent the latter off with the rest of the lab samples from the clinic.
And at four thirty-seven any illusions I still had that my lack of period was about stress, vanished. Nope now I had an entire lifetime of stress to look forward to as a single—hopefully for now—mother. And I had no time to stress about any of that, because I had just over an hour to get home, get showered and get over to Ty’s house. Forty minutes later I felt clean and refreshed, but still exhausted as I completed my costume with the very famous burgundy and yellow scarf.
“Perfect,” I told my reflection as I headed out the door, hoping the words would make me feel it.
They didn’t.
When I arrived at the Hawke residence, I smiled bright at the pint-sized drill Sergeant who opened the door. “What a great costume!” I leaned down and kissed his cheeks, making him laugh.
“Thanks, I’m a Sarg! Dad, Dani’s here!” He leaned forward, “Dad is my recruit.”
And when Ty stepped up he was dressed like a recruit in a gray t-shirt that pulled tight over his well-muscled arms, chest and abs, blue sweat pants hugged his body beautifully.
“Hey, Dani.”
“Hey.” He looked damn good, but right now it hurt to look at him. He wasn’t mine and I needed to remember that. “Nice costume.”
“Thanks. You too. What are you?”
“Dad,” Bobby groaned and rolled his eyes.
“What?” He flashed that grin that made my heart speed up, but I couldn’t return it. I needed more time.
“I should probably get things started in the kitchen.” When Ty invited me to spend Halloween with them, I knew there was a good chance it would be the last time and I wanted to make the most of it. So I planned my spaghetti and giant meatballs along with Aunt Amelia’s chocolate peanut butter mousse pie.
“You’re not trick or treating with us?” Bobby’s mouth was practically a pout.
“Nope. Someone has to get dinner started, besides your dad told me he couldn’t wait to take you out tonight.”
That appeased him as I knew it would. “Okay, see you soon.”
“Hey, try to score a big candy bar for me!”
“Okay!” he yelled as his feet stomped towards the door. “Come on, Dad!”
“Gotta go,” he said with a gorgeous grin and a wave as he stepped back.
“Yeah, later,” I said quietly and when the door slammed shut behind them, I lost myself in the busy work of cooking. Making meatballs and pasta sauce from scratch wasn’t something I did often, but I knew Bobby would appreciate it. Besides I needed to eat while I could still enjoy it. I couldn’t possibly be lucky enough to bypass morning sickness altogether. “That would be a shock.”
“What would?”
“Oh my…dammit! Blake you scared me.”
He flashed a grin. “Sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry,” I told him and his grin brightened.
“I’m not, really. You’re really funny when you’re scared.” He bumped me aside with his hips and stole a chunk of bell pepper. “What are you making and more importantly, is there enough for me?”
“Only if you promise to go away and let me cook in peace.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I sighed. “I’m just tired and out of sorts.”
“Bullshit.”
I glared at him, purposely holding the knife in a menacing way. “Okay well, either way that’s the deal.”
He gave me a long, assessing look and shrugged before he reached across and grabbed the onion, making quick work of it. “What? Bobby taught me.”
“Dice it,” I answered and turned to work on the sauce. We worked in silence, me lost in my thoughts while Blake hummed a rock tune. “Off-key,” I mumbled to myself.
“Heard that,” he offered and chuckled. But Blake was a restless sort, used to constantly moving and talking. “I knew Ty was full of it,” he began, grabbing the peppers and garlic to chop. “He said he would never date, never marry again. But a guy like Ty is made to be a dad and a husband, he’s just that kind of guy. That’s why I got him the membership.”
Never marry again. That’s the only part I really heard.
“Because Bobby needs a mother. And Ty needs a wife.”
Bobby needs a mother. That’s what it had all come down to with me. Ty wasn’t interested in having a girlfriend or wife, just someone to take care of his son. And I’d fallen into the trap he laid beautifully. It had been easy, really, since Bobby was so easy to love. I hadn’t known it was a trap until this moment.
And worse, I didn’t know how to get out of it.
Or if I even wanted to.
Ty
“Ty, what are you doing here?”
To her credit, she looked genuinely surprised to see me. And not unhappy, I noticed. “I came to see you.” I pushed off her door and stepped to the side as she approached.
“Why?”
“Seriously?”
She nodded, looking like she hadn’t slept since I last saw her. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in a week. Why now?”
“Because I missed you.”
“Oh.”
She seemed so shocked, like it had never occurred to her that I might miss her. “Yeah. I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what,” she asked and unlocked the door. I considered it a small favor that she didn’t slam the door in my face considering this reception.
“About what the hell is going on lately? You don’t call or text and I can never find you online. What’s up?”
She set her bags on the counter island in the kitchen and turned to face me, exhaustion made her look pale and small. “Ty please, tell me what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Us. What’s going on?”
“Oh.” She straightened and pulled a bunch of salad fixings from one of the bags. “I’ve been busy and I think you need to think about what you want.”
“What I want? I think that’s my line sweetheart.”
She shook her head, scoffing as she put everything in the fridge. “Ty, you clearly have a problem with my relationship with your son, and I think the best thing is for us not to see each other until you figure it out.”
Yeah I knew she would figure that out, but I’d dealt with it. Mostly. I crossed my arms and leaned closer, but not too close. “I’m here now, that should tell you that I have figured it out?”
“Really? Halloween was more than a week ago and you didn’t seem to have anything figured out.”
I knew she’d bring that up, and she was right. I’d completely lost it when Bobby told her he wished she was his mom. “I know and I’m sorry. It just all caught me off guard.”
She didn’t look convinced. She looked pissed. And hurt. “You’re here because you want sex Ty, right?” She didn’t let me answer as she rounded the counter between us. “Because right now, that’s what I want too. I don’t care about anything else.”
“What’s anything el-,” she cut off my words with a kiss that started at inferno level. Her lips and her tongue worked my mouth like she owned it. She had something to prove. What, I had no fucking clue, but the way she kissed me and rubbed her sweet curves against me had me powerless to stop her. Her mouth tamed me, dominated and I enjoyed the ride because having a wildcat of a woman so hot for you, kissing and grinding like she couldn’t get enough, that was the best fucking thing ever.
Dani slid down my body, hitting all the hard parts on her way down. She didn’t give me a slow tease and I wasn’t complaining. Watching her undress so fast because she was hungry for me, did more than any striptease ever could. Then her hands were on me, yanking at the button on my jeans and pulling the zipper down. “It’s been too long,” she whispered and sank to her knees before she took me in her mouth.
“Fuck, Dani.” Her mouth was wet and hot, the suction perfect as those plump lips cushioned my cock. My hips began to move, slow at first, as she
stroked and sucked me in a slow steady pace that drove me wild. But as my hips moved faster she sank her fingers into my ass cheeks, squeezing hard and pulling me closer. Deeper. “Ah, fuck.” So deep.
She began to hum and my hips moved too fast. Too rough. But Dani didn’t complain, if anything she seemed to enjoy it. Moaning and nibbling like she was having as much fun as I was.
Not fucking possible.
“Dani, stop.” She kept up her movements, coating my cock in her slick mouth and sucking hard. “Dani,” I groaned and she responded by tugging on my sac. That was enough. I grabbed her hair and pulled her up. “I said stop.”
She grinned and licked her lips. “I didn’t hear you.” Her tone was playful, I could see that none of it reached her eyes. “So counter, or counter?”
I grinned as I lifted her onto the counter and she squealed at the cool surface. I pushed her down and grabbed her ankles, holding them far apart as I dipped in and licked her in long, slow, drugging licks.
“Ty, yes.” That moan haunted my dreams. It was deep and rich and so erotic my cock began to leak.
Eager for another moan, I licked her again. Long and slow and then I flicked my tongue over her clit so fast her juices leaked down my chin and she bucked against my mouth. “You taste so fucking good, Dani.”
She smiled and tugged hair that hadn’t been cut in months. “Come here.” She smiled and I had to close my eyes against the pain in hers, pressing my mouth to her neck as I lined our bodies up, pulling her closer until only her back rested on the counter.
“You want this cock?”
She nodded. “You know I do, Ty.”
Yeah, I knew. I slid in slow, never stopping and never looking away until I was buried so deep my eyes closed on their own. “Dani.” I could stay right here like this, forever. So warm and snug I didn’t think I’d last long.
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