Count On Me: Baytown Boys

by Maryann Jordan

  “I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him again,” Lizzie said. “Let me know as soon as you hear anything else.” Gaining Sam’s assurance, she disconnected, and for a moment thought of Joseph. Shaking her head, she had to admit that Sam had given an apt description. While she might not have called Joseph ‘grumpy’, he certainly was a bear of a man. And the sight of him standing next to the tiny veterinarian now caused her lips to curve ever-so-slightly.

  Soon afterward, Scott came through the back door, having completed a preliminary check around the barn, Rufus bounding ahead of him. Kneeling to rub the excited dog’s quivering body, she allowed him to lick her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Hey, boy, let me have some of that.”

  She looked up at Scott and placed her hand in his as he gently assisted her to stand. With his arms wrapped around her, she reveled in his embrace, deciding that her face buried against his chest was one of her favorite places to be.

  “You’ve got to be exhausted, babe,” he said. “Go upstairs and fill the bathtub. I’m going to lock up down here and get Rufus settled.” Kissing the top of her head, he added, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

  She could not think of anything she would rather do at the moment, so she nodded against his chest before leaning back, peering up, and asking, “You’ll come as soon as you can?”

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead and she closed her eyes, loving his gentle touch.

  “I promise, I’ll be right up.”

  She gave his waist a squeeze, then let him go and stepped backward. He pulled out his phone, and she knew he was checking the security cameras. No longer wanting to face the evidence of her property needing to be watched, she headed upstairs.

  At the top of the stairs, she stood for a moment and pondered the rooms. Years ago, her grandparents had renovated the two bathrooms. The one in the hall that she and her mother had used was nicely appointed with the shower and bathtub together. Papa Beau had the bathroom attached to the master bedroom enlarged, and because her grandmother so loved to take a bath at night, he had installed a large, deep garden tub as well as the shower stall that he always used.

  After Scott had helped her clean out Papa Beau’s room, she had scrubbed the master bedroom and bathroom thoroughly, keeping a few mementos of her grandparents. Clean sheets adorned the bed, and fresh towels hung in the pristine bathroom. And yet, she still had rarely gone into the room. The nights that Scott stayed, they slept in her small bed.

  Now, halted in the hallway, it struck her that the house was hers, and hers alone. Her grandparents would never need their space again, and she knew in her heart that they would want her to claim it and be happy there. Inhaling deeply, she let the air slowly leave her lungs as she turned and stalked toward the master bathroom. Turning on the water, she let the tub fill as she went back to her bathroom and gathered her toiletries.

  As soon as the tub filled, she stripped and stepped into the hot water, settling down so the water came to her neck. Enveloped in the warmth, she understood the simple indulgence her grandmother craved. Leaning back, she closed her eyes, and for the first time that day relaxed.

  She startled when a soft kiss was placed on her lips, then settled again as she remembered where she was and who she was with. Scott was sitting on the floor next to the tub, his fingertips dangling in the water, gently soothing over her shoulder.

  “I was about to head into the hall bathroom when I saw the light on in here.”

  His words may have been spoken in a statement, but she heard the unasked question. Rolling her head to the side, she held his gaze and said, “Grandma loved to soak in a tub after a hard day’s work. When Papa Beau updated the bathroom and kitchen years ago, he had this garden tub installed.”

  The water was still warm, and Scott appeared perfectly content to sit by her and listen. “I cleaned everything after you and I went through his room, but I still couldn’t bring myself to come in here. The master bedroom and this bathroom still felt like it was theirs. But tonight, it was as though they gave me permission to finally call this mine.”

  He linked fingers with her and gave a little squeeze. “I know you miss them. I know after a day like today you miss them even more.”

  She nodded and swallowed past the lump in her throat, refusing to give into tears. “Katelyn reminded me earlier that loss reminds us of past grief. She was right. Losing the goats today just made me think of losing my grandparents.”

  She lifted her hand and ran it through his thick hair, sweeping it to the side before cupping his jaw and running her thumb lightly over the scar on his upper lip. No longer wanting to talk about her own loss, she said, “Talk to me.”

  While she really wanted to know about his own loss from his time in the military, she left her command open-ended, wanting him to choose his time and place to open up to her. Holding her breath, she waited to see what he would say.

  “Because of my scores on the ASVAB, after boot camp, I became a Financial Management Technician and worked in the accounting offices. I was enlisted, not an officer, but found that I enjoyed the work, and it probably helped solidify that my parents and grandparents were right—accounting was a career I could enjoy. I even began to take college classes while in the Army.”

  “So, you never thought about making the Army your career?”

  Shaking his head, he replied, “No, not really. Don’t get me wrong, the Army was good for me. But I just wasn’t cut out for the regimented lifestyle as a career. I figured that I would do one or two tours, get out, and finish my degree.”

  His fingers continued drifting through the water, now gliding lightly over her leg. Tingles began to move throughout her, and she itched to lean forward and press her lips against his. Shifting slightly in the tub, she placed her forearms on the edge and held his gaze, fascinated with every word he was uttering. Remaining quiet, she focused her attention on him, hoping he would continue. He did not disappoint.

  “When I got the orders to serve a tour at Kandahar in Afghanistan, I wasn’t worried or afraid. The conditions were rough, but essentially, every day I worked in an office.” Snorting, he elaborated, “Sure, the office was a tent, but we had air conditioning that worked sometimes. Same with the heat. Everyone had to be battle-ready over there, but I loved the PT and weapons training. It broke up the monotony of staring at papers all day. To be honest, every time I passed by the hospital, I thought of the people inside. Sometimes I felt guilty that my job was so safe, and other times I just felt fucking thankful.”

  He grew silent, and it was now her turn to run her hand over his shoulder. The water was beginning to cool, but she did not want to move, wanting Scott to continue to tell his story, giving that part of his past to her. “So, what happened?”

  “It was actually near the end of my tour if you can believe that. I was assigned to a smaller base, agreeing to fill in for a shortage they had. I did that for a month, and then was in a convoy heading back to Kandahar.”

  She watched as his eyes drifted to the side, knowing that he was no longer with her but had shifted to a place years before. Her breath caught in her lungs as she waited.

  “Same old story, like a lot of other people,” he said, his voice now soft and raspy. “IED. I don’t remember much, other than heat and smoke and screaming. Fuck, for all I know, the screaming was coming from me. It’s all fuzzy now. I remember waking up for a few minutes in the hospital and then the next thing I remember was waking up and being told I was in Germany. It took several days for them to wean me off the major painkillers, enough for me to even be able to look down and see that there was only one foot underneath the sheet.”

  Her fingers that had been drifting over his skin clenched as her breath left her lungs in a rush. “Oh, Scott, I’m so sorry.”

  His gaze moved back to hers and his lips curved into a sad smile. “Baby, don’t feel sorry for me. I’m alive. I came back. I won’t say it was easy, but it only took a few
days in the hospital and rehab to know that I was a fuck of a lot luckier than many. Even my amputation was easier. They were able to save my knee, so I only lost my leg below the knee. Rehab was a bitch, and it took several prosthetic fittings and quite a few prostheses to get the right one. But once I had that and learned to walk again, I was good.”

  Shifting in the water so that her face was directly in front of his, she whispered, “I’d say you were a lot more than good, Scott. I think you’re amazing.”

  Closing the distance, they kissed, soft and gentle before flaming hot. As his arms banded around her, his hands dipping back into the water, he jerked away. “Jesus, baby, your water is cool!”

  “Yes, but you can keep me warm.”

  With a growl, he stood and lifted her effortlessly from the tub. Grabbing a thick towel, he dried her briskly before scooping her up and stalking toward the bedroom. Seeing that he was heading toward her room, she said, “Scott, here.”

  His brow furrowed as he looked down at her, and she quickly explained. “Everything in here is clean, right down to the new mattress pad and sheets.” Seeing him still stare in question, she added, “This bed is bigger.”

  “Lizzie, babe, I want you to be comfortable. I’m perfectly happy in your old room.”

  Shaking her head, she cupped his face and said, “I’m ready, Scott. Ready for you to be here with me. Ready to hold onto my memories of my grandparents while making this house mine. Ours, if you want.”

  His arms banded tightly as he gently laid her on the bed after whipping the covers back. “Are you sure? It’s been a crazy-ass day.”

  She clung to him and agreed, “You’re right. It has been a crazy day. But what I know with all my heart is that at the end of a crazy day, I want you and me together in every way. We can make our crazy-ass days better.”

  25

  With Lizzie already naked, Scott wasted no time in divesting himself of his clothes and sitting on the edge of the bed to slip off his prosthesis. Whirling around, he lay his heated body over hers, not wanting her to be chilled more from having been in the cool water. As his lips found hers, his hands roved freely over her soft skin, the delicate scent of her bodywash filling the air.

  She immediately opened her legs, allowing his hips to settle between her thighs, his cock eager and ready. He had no doubt she felt the same as she lifted her hips, pressing their bodies tightly.

  Not wanting their lovemaking to go too quickly, he began kissing his way downward, past her jaw to suckle at the pulse point between her neck and shoulder, grinning as her fingers dug deeper into his back. Continuing his path, he kissed between her breasts before moving back and forth, sucking her nipples deeply into his mouth. Her hips continued to undulate, and pleas slipped from her lips.

  Shimmying downward, he knelt between her legs and lifted her calves to his shoulders. He captured her gaze and offered a wicked smile before diving in to taste her essence. She was more exquisite than he could have imagined, and he had imagined a lot. His world was filled with thoughts of Lizzie, all other women falling into oblivion. Sex had become rare in recent years, but she brought back the magic of loving another being.

  Sucking on her clit, her hips bucked upward, and he pressed his hand on the slight curve of her belly to hold her in place. Inserting a finger into her warmth as he continued to suck, she cried out as her fingers grasped his head, tangling in his hair. He continued to lick, feeling her juices spread over his tongue. He felt her vibrations against his mouth, and as they slowly subsided, he lifted his head and stared down at her beauty. Her eyes were closed but her lips were curved into a wide smile, and he wanted to shout. In spite of her crazy-ass, grief-filled day, he had placed a smile on her lips.

  Crawling back up her body, kissing as he went, he finally grabbed the condom he had tossed to the bed and rolled it onto his eager cock. He held her gaze when she opened her eyes, and her hands slid from his hair to around his neck, holding him close.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered, her voice husky with need.

  “There’s nothing I’d rather do more in the world than always make love to you.”

  True to his vow, he slid the tip of his cock through her slick folds and entered her slowly. With his weight held off her by his arms propped on either side of her head, he leaned down to kiss her once more. Plunging his tongue deep inside, he shifted his hips forward inch by inch until he was balls deep into her tight channel.

  Thrusting slowly, he hastened his pace as her feet dug into his ass and her fingers clutched his shoulders. Soon he was mindless to anything but the feel of her body welcoming his. With a slight shift in his angle of penetration, his pelvis rubbed against her clit, and she cried out as her orgasm rushed over her. Quickly following, he roared his own release, feeling her inner muscles clench against his cock.

  His roar turned into a groan as he poured himself into her, slowly pumping until he was drained. Arms giving out, he shifted to the side before crashing onto the bed, pulling her body into his. Perhaps it was because they had just talked about the Army, but he wondered how he could have hiked for miles carrying a full rucksack and lifted weights on a daily basis, and yet sex with Lizzie depleted his strength.

  Barely able to breathe, much less speak, he managed to gasp, “Jesus, babe, you wear me out.”

  A light giggle slipped from her lips as she cupped his jaw. “I don’t know how. All I did was lay here.”

  “That’s all it takes. You naked, a bed, and sex. Best thing in the world to have.”

  He hated to move but hobbled to the bathroom to dispose of the condom before coming back to bed and pulling her close again. They lay silent for a while, and he found with her breasts pressed against his chest and his hand curved around her ass, his cock twitched in excitement.

  Lizzie pushed against his shoulders and he fell to his back, her lips landing on his. She licked his mouth before kissing the hard curve of his jaw. Now, it was her time to kiss her way down his body. Her mouth felt amazing on his heated skin, and he lay spread out for her continued ministrations. She suckled and licked each of his nipples, causing his cock to rise again.

  She slid past his hips, and he wondered what her intentions were. His heart began to pound as she continued to kiss down his thighs and then moved her lips to the tattoo near the end of his stump. The names of his friends that did not come back were inked into a pattern that appeared to be a chain. He closed his eyes as the feel of her lips skimmed over his leg, smoothing the jagged edges deep inside.

  She kissed her way back up toward his hips, and it was soon evident the direction of her mouth. She straddled his legs, bending to take his erection into her mouth.

  Wondering if he had died and gone to heaven, his fingers clenched her long hair, and he forced himself to loosen their tight grip, not wanting to cause her pain.

  She bobbed up and down, sucked and licked, fisting the base of his cock with her hand. Just when he was sure he could not last, he reached down and grabbed her under her arms, pulling her forward. She shifted her knees to his hips and settled over his cock, resting her hands on his shoulders for leverage. With her hair falling in a pale, glowing curtain around them and her tantalizing breasts bouncing just above his face, she settled downward, sheathing his cock. Rocking back and forth, they matched each other’s motions, perfectly in sync.

  He lifted his hands and palmed her breasts, rubbing his thumbs around and over her taut nipples. Feeling her inner core tightened again, he lightly pinched the rosy flesh, and she threw her head back, crying out as he mirrored her actions, pouring his own orgasm deep inside her.

  This time, she was the one who crashed down, eliciting an ‘umph’ from his chest. Mumbling, “Sorry,” she lay on top of him, both of them breathing heavily.

  “I’m not, babe.”

  Continuing to lay wordlessly for several long minutes until their bodies began to cool and their breaths evened, she slid to the side. Suddenly jerking, eyes wide, she said, “Condom! We forgot to us
e a condom!”

  Now it was his turn to throw open his eyes, and his arms banded tightly around her. “I’m clean, Lizzie. I get tested every year at my physical, and there’s been no one for a while before you. And honest to God, I’ve always used condoms.” He held her gaze, desperate for her to believe that he would never hurt her.

  “I trust you, Scott. I wasn’t even thinking about that. But please, believe me, I’m clean too. You know it’s been a long time since I was with someone before you, and I’ve been tested since then also.” She rolled her lips inward. “But I’m not on the pill.”

  A flash of Lizzie standing next to the farmhouse, a child next to her and her belly rounded while carrying another shot through Scott’s mind. Knowing he would love that to be a reality, he also did not want to scare her. Brushing the hair away from her face, he said, “Sweetheart, if you get pregnant, I can’t think of anything better than to have a child with you. So, if that happens, we’ll just move our timeline together up a little. But if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep taking precautions until we’re ready.”

  She held his gaze, her chest heaving as she breathed heavily. Her lips quivered slightly as she questioned, “Ready?”

  Smiling, he kissed her lightly and said, “Ready for us to become permanent.”

  He watched as her eyes widened, and not wanting there to be any misunderstanding, he continued, “We’ve already declared our love for each other, Lizzie. When the time is right, no matter when that is, we’ll take it to the next step. Engagement. Marriage. Babies. And if that happens to be slightly out of order, my love for you will be the same.”

  A tear slid out of the corner of her eye, landing on the pillow. Capturing her lips again, he kissed her until she smiled. Tucking her in, he felt her body give way to sleep. Exhausted, he soon followed her.