by D Scott
She lets out a sob that has my heart feeling like it's actually breaking.
She held all of that in...she left town...she went through her pregnancy on her own...
I run my hands through my hair and down my face.
Fuck, how did we get here?
I force out a breath and try to get my thoughts straight.
She spoke with honesty and now I have to do the same.
"Olivia Santorini."
She lifts her eyes back to mine. "What?"
"That's her name — the woman you're talking about. Most people call her Liv, for short. She's a cop. We met at the police academy and we became friends, and we...fooled around from time to time. Asher mentioned her briefly when we met him and the other guys and their girls for lunch during our weekend in the city. He mentioned her as Liv, remember that?" She hesitates, thinking back for a moment, then nods slowly. "I hadn't seen her in a while but then Shane — Sheriff Forrester — came to me and asked me if I thought she'd be a good choice for an undercover gig. He told me a little bit about the raid that DPD was planning, and it made me worry for her. The guys they wanted her to get in with, that they wanted to take down, were some bad guys. So I reached out to her, just to catch up, and make sure she was certain about taking the job. I should've told you, I know, but I didn't know how to tell you that it really was a lunch related to work without telling you about the raid."
"You should've told me about the raid."
I shake my head. "Babe, it's not that simple. Telling you about the raid could've cost me my job. That's why I was trying to keep my conversations with her on the low. She had some dick high up in the drug ring that was trying to keep tabs on her and shit when she was first going in and I didn't want to put her in danger."
"So you just let the bust happen and ultimately let it break up my family, and ruin everything my brothers worked for."
"Yeah, I did. And you know what? I'd do it again if I had to."
"How can you say that? My brothers were the only family I had."
She tries to get up but I put my hands on her waist and to keep her seated.
"Let me go, Gavin."
"No, now calm down, I wasn't finished."
"It doesn't matter, you just said you'd break up my family again if you had to."
"Yeah, I would. I would anything to keep you safe. You’re mine, Gina. You and Ginny are my everything, and I know you think you’re brothers were the only family you had but you’re wrong. You have me, and our daughter, and we’re not going anywhere.” She lets out a little sniffle. “Your brothers — they made their choices. They kept you fed and kept a roof over your head, but they didn’t shield you from their lives. They involved you in their dealings then left you to fend for yourself. I’m grateful because it brought you to me, but, babe, you should never have been put in that position. I know you feel loyal to them, but they weren’t loyal to you. Protecting family shouldn’t have a price attached to it. And maybe they never said it, but I know you felt it, that’s why you tried to be so loyal to them. And I love that about you, babe, I do. But you don't have to feel that way anymore. I'm here, and my loyalty is to you. Only you. And I'm gonna protect you from everything I can — even if it's from your own brothers. But I need you to do something for me." She blinks away a tear.
"What?" She asks softly.
"I need you to promise me that you're not gonna run anymore." I slide my hands up from her waist to cup her tearstained cheeks. "You're my wife Gina, and I'll never let you go. But I need you to promise that you'll fight for me just as hard as I'll fight for you." Another tear slips from her eye. "Can you promise me that, little misfit?" She bites her lip and nods. "No, babe, you know how this works. I want the words."
She smiles. "Yes. I promise."
"Good girl. Now come here."
She pushes forwards into my lap and practically tackles me onto the coffee table. Her mouth finds mine as I hold her close and it feels like heaven having her back in my arms like this. We sit there for several minutes until she suddenly pulls back.
"Oh, wait, there's something I need to give you. Stay here."
I watch with confusion as she climbs off of me and prances down the hall. It's about a minute before she comes back with a notebook in her hands, biting her lip.
I nod towards the notebook in her hands. "What's that?"
She reaches out and hands it to me before climbing back on top of me. I open up to the first page and it looks like some kind of food journal.
"The first few days or so after I left town, I was having a hard time. All I did was sleep and cry and feel sorry for myself. And when I finally found a new doctor to check on Ginny's progress, she more or less told me that I needed to get my act together if I wanted to deliver a healthy baby. So I got this journal." I flip through it slowly, scanning the entries. "At first it was just a food diary, that's why it only mentions what I was eating each day. But then I started having days where I was feeling extremely hormonal or recognized some change in my body, so I started to write those things in there, too. And then, as the days progressed, I started writing my down thoughts and feelings until it turned into a full blown diary." She laughs softly. "It actually became really cathartic, and helped me feel better on those days when all I wanted was to hop in my car and come back to you." My heart lurches hearing that. "But I didn't. I stayed away until the last possible moment, and I'm sorry, Gavin. I'm so sorry. You should've known from the first moment that you were going to be a father and you should've gotten to see the changes my body went through carrying our daughter, but you didn't. So I made this journal. I know it doesn't make up for the fact that I was being childish and selfish when I left town, but I'm here now, and I'm giving this to you. And I promise that I will never, ever, ever do anything like that again. I'll never leave you or Ginny, I promise."
I look from the diary to her.
So much for not shedding a tear.
"You did this for me?"
She nods. "Do you forgive me?"
I turn her so she's straddling my lap. "You're my wife. Of course, I forgive you."
She smiles and then throws her arms around my neck.
"Thank you for this," I whisper, "I love you so damn much."
"I'm so sorry, Gavin," she whispers back.
"Hey, look at me." She pulls back. "We're gonna work on communicating with each other. We're gonna talk more and we're not gonna hold anything back, no matter what it is." She nods before I even finish. "And next time we're gonna get it right," I smile, "and the time after that, and the time after that." She laughs. "Okay?"
She nods again. "Okay."
And then her lips find mine.
Gavin
Sunday
"I love spending quality time with our daughter — but I have to admit — I love having mommy and daddy time, too."
I watch as she drops her robe and climbs onto the bed. She's got on another nightgown and damn if it doesn't fit her like a glove. She crawls her way up the bed and comes to rest on my chest. She throws her leg over mine as I wrap my arms around her.
"Mmm, me too," I say and we share a sideways kiss. "I like it a lot."
She rubs my chest, letting her fingers tangle with the chain holding my ring.
"You ever gonna put this back where it belongs?"
I look down at her. "What — you don't like it? I figured if I kept it on a chain, it'd be close to my heart." I barely get the words out with a straight face.
She rolls her eyes and climbs on top of me. "You are so full it," she laughs.
"But to answer your question, no. I would much prefer it on your ring finger, where it belongs." She flashes her own ring finger at me, "You know, like mine."
I lift my brow. "Like yours, huh?"
She nods. "I mean, how would you feel if I walked around without my ring on?"
She makes a pouty face as I take her hand.
I bring it to my lips and gently
kiss her finger adorned with her wedding ring.
"This," I give her finger another kiss, "never comes off."
"See? I knew you'd say that."
I chuckle as I pull her down to me.
I take her mouth with mine, and the moment our tongues meet my girl lets out a sexy moan. I run my hands all over her backside while she rubs herself on me, making my cock jerk to life. When she pulls away for air I slide my lips down to kiss and suck on her neck. She moans again and the sound goes straight to my cock.
"I'm gonna ask the doctor about birth control at my next appointment." Hearing that makes me pause. "It's in a couple weeks, and I wanna get it taken care of then, so that when we get the okay to be intimate again, we won't have to worry about it."
"Yeah, I think that's a good plan. Are you sure that's what you want?"
She nods. "Yeah. I wanna make sure I have a handle on taking care of Ginny before we add another baby. Plus, I haven't decided if I wanna be a stay-at-home mom."
I nod. "I'll go with whatever you decide." She smiles. "But, wait, you're still nursing. Isn't there some fact that you can't get pregnant when you're still doing that."
"No, silly that's just an old wives' tale,” she laughs. “Besides, I can take birth control now, just as long as it doesn’t affect certain hormones or something."
I nod again.
Makes sense.
I shift my attention back to her kissing her neck. She wraps her arms around my neck and I give her ass a squeeze, only to have her get sidetracked again.
"So, I've also been thinking, and I might get a part-time job or something. Maybe at Lone Star — or the diner — I don’t know. Maybe I'll try a couple of places, just to see if I can get a couple hours here and there. But, like, in a few weeks though, once Ginny is a little bigger." I try to follow what she's saying — I really do — but she didn't exactly pick the best time for this conversation. "So, what do you think?"
I pull back. "Do you really wanna have this conversation right now?"
"Hey, you're the one that said we need to communicate and that I need to tell you when something is on my mind." She lifts her brow.
She's right, I did say that.
But I didn't think she'd wanna talk in the middle of making my dick hard.
I sigh. "Fine, yeah, you're right. But are you sure wanna take back your old job or work at the diner?"
"Mmm, yeah, I think so. I have my diploma, so working part-time will keep me busy until I figure out what I wanna do for a career, or if I actually do wanna stay at home. Plus, it'll get me outta the house for a couple hours here and there, and I can bring Ginny to that new daycare in town so she can make some baby-friends."
I chuckle.
Only my girl would come up with something like 'baby-friends' and use it during a normal conversation.
"So?"
I nod. "So, yeah, I think you've come up with a plan. And I'm gonna support you no matter what you decide — I just don't want you to rush anything. We're both still adjusting to Ginny's schedule and I don't want you taking on too much too soon."
She nods. "I won't, I promise."
"Good." I grip her waist and roll until she's underneath me. "And as long as you make time to be my little misfit, then you won't hear any complaints from me."
"Hmm...is that right?"
"Yeah, it is."
She bites her lip. "Well, then, I'm sure I can make that happen."
She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to her. Our mouths meet in a gentle kiss that quickly heats up. My semi-hard cock jerks in my shorts and Gina whimpers at the feel of it. I stroke my tongue in and out of her mouth, mimicking what I'll be doing between her thighs the moment she's cleared. She wiggles her soft curves against my hard length, pulling a groan from me.
Without even thinking my hand slips down between her thighs.
"Baby, we have to wait, remember?"
I move my lips to her neck, gently nipping at her flesh, before pulling back.
"I know, I know. I've got it."
She lifts her brow. "You sure? You're not exactly a pillar of self-control."
She snorts at her own joke, but I know she's right.
Hell, the reason I have to wait six weeks to touch her is because I was cumming inside her just as often as I was pulling out of her.
"You're probably right," I say and start to move off of her.
"Wait — where are you going?"
"Pretty sure we just established that I don't have the best self-control when it comes to you."
She nods. "True, but I never said anything about me."
I lift a brow.
She pulls me back down for another kiss, then I feel her hand brush my cock.
"Babe," I groan against her lips.
"Shh...let mommy do all the work."
She lifts her mouth to mine as her hand tugs at my shorts. I brace myself on the bed as she works my shorts down, freeing my dick. She gives him a few soft strokes as he leaks all over her. She uses my pre-cum to wet her hand then she takes hold of my cock and starts stroking him firmly. We fall into a rhythm as I thrust into her hand and she strokes me from root to tip. She tightens her grip and the groan that escapes me can't be contained.
This is the first action my cock has had since she left and even though I want to be inside her pink warmth, her hand is more than getting the job done right now.
I can feel my control starting to slip and I know it won't be long before I give her my cum.
"Cum, baby,” she whispers, and in the next moment I let go.
She swallows down my groan as I cum between her spread legs, coating her inner thighs and her cotton covered pussy with rope after rope of my cum.
I tighten my grip on the bed as she draws out every drop of cum from me.
When my cock is spent, she gives me a cute smile and I press a kiss to her lips.
"The moment you're cleared, you're mine."
She giggles. "Sir, yes, sir."
I roll my eyes and chuckle.
It feels so damn good having her back, she lights up my entire world.
"I love you, Gina," I tell her earnestly.
She smiles. "I know. I love you, too, Gavin."
And then the sound of our daughter starting to fuss comes over the monitor.
Gina laughs and taps me on the chest. "Time to get up, deputy. Duty calls."
She's right, and catering to our baby girl is the best job I could ever ask for.
Epilogue
Gavin
Four Weeks Later — Tuesday
I pull my truck into the garage and notice that Gina's car is gone.
I know I had a long day at work but I don't remember her telling me that she had any errands she had to run today.
I park my truck then reach over and pull my phone out of my bag. I don't have any missed messages from her, which is strange because she always lets me know when she and Ginny are headed out anywhere. I dial her number and tap the call button, feeling better when she answers on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Babe, where are you?"
"Oh, hi, baby. I'm in the neighborhood. I'll be home in about three minutes."
I open my mouth to say more but she ends the call before I can. I lift my brow and look down at my phone, feeling very confused. I think that's the first time she's ever hung up on me when she's not even mad at me.
I sigh.
Women.
I climb out of my truck and walk around to the passenger side to grab my bag and take it inside to the laundry room. Gina hates it when I leave it on the kitchen table, and it's a argument I do not care to win — especially when she works so hard to keep the house in order. Not that I'm a slob or anything, but now that she's a mother, my little misfit takes clean to another level.
I drop my bag on the floor in the mud room then head into the kitchen to grab some water. I hear the garage open just as I take a sip,
and I head back out as my little misfit pulls her car in. She turns to look at me through her window once she parks the car and gives me a wave. I return the gesture by lifting my brow to which she smiles and rolls her eyes before exiting the car. I walk down the stairs towards her, eyeing her body in the white dress she's wearing that hugs her curves perfectly.
When she shuts her door and doesn't make any move towards the back seat, I wonder what the hell is going on.
"Where's our daughter?"
She turns and crosses her arms. "Well hello to you, too, husband."
My brow lifts. "Hello, wife. How was your day?"
She smiles brightly. "It was good. I went to the diner to see if I could pick up a couple shifts here and there, and Bert said he could work something out. And then I ran into Vanessa, who was finishing up her shift, and she was gushing over how adorable Ginny is. I was telling her that I had a couple more errand's to run so she offered to watch her for a couple hours. By the way, did you know she and Sheriff Forrester are a couple?" I nod. "So anyways, I followed Vanessa to their house and dropped Ginny off there. And before you freak out, she told me that she used to work at a daycare so she has experience with babies. Besides, you're gonna thank me once you hear where I went after."
"By all means, please, enlighten me."
She narrows her eyes. "I know you're being sarcastic but lucky for you, I'm in a good mood so I'm gonna tell you anyways. So after I left Vanessa and Shane's place I went to Lone Star to see if they could give me some hours, and Brett said he's always looking for extra bodies, so I’ll probably be able to help out there from time to time, too. Then while I was there, I got a call from my doctor saying they had a cancellation and could see me today instead of waiting until Friday..."
My brow lifts when she trails off. "And?"
"And they told me I'm cleared for all 'physical activities.' So now I'm here," she continues on, "and you're here...and I'm cleared...and Ginny is with Vanessa — eep!"
