Until My Last Breath

by Tiffany Patterson

“I know. I just wanted to hear you say it again.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  His frown deepened.

  Dammit, he looked so damn irresistible when he did that.

  “You’re right and I was wrong to demand that you … get rid of our baby.”

  Our baby.

  The first time he actually acknowledged the baby in my womb.

  His jaw worked and his eyes circled the hallway as he fought to find the words to accurately apologize. I knew that’s what he was doing. I could read him better than anyone. But I wouldn’t let him off the hook before he said it himself.

  “I was scared … terrified of losing you.” Clearing his throat, he looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

  I narrowed my gaze, lifting my chin. “And what brought you to this conclusion?”

  He sighed, his jaw twitched. “I spoke with my brother.”

  “Which one?”

  “The firefighter.”

  I smirked. “And what did Carter say?”

  Aaron grunted. “He told me I was being as ass.”

  “He was right.”

  He moved closer and that was the first time I noticed my back was nearly against the wall in our hallway. Somehow he’d cornered me and I hadn’t realized it.

  His arms went up on either side of my head. “I also spoke with Father.”

  “And?”

  “He, too, told me I was fucking up. He also reminded me that the worst thing to do to my wife was make her choose between her husband and the child she carried.” His hand went to my belly, moving underneath the cotton T-shirt of his that I wore, knotted in the back.

  My eyelids drooped from his touch. His head lowered to the crook of my neck.

  “Do you forgive me?”

  I swallowed before licking my lips. “Um, I’m not sure.” My breathing increased when he pressed his pelvis against my hips, letting me feel his growing erection.

  “What do you need to forgive me?”

  I pressed the back of my head against the wall to look up at him.

  “How about one of these?”

  From behind his back he pulled out one of the vanilla Hostess cupcakes with the purple icing, my new favorites. My eyes lit up and I snatched the sugary treat from him.

  “This is a start,” I said, cheerily, opening the package up and taking out the first cupcake to bite it. I didn’t look up until the cupcake was half eaten to see a frowning Aaron. “Don’t look like that. You’re next,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

  The cutest smile ever touched his lips.

  To hell with these cupcakes.

  I tossed the remaining cupcake on the wooden desk that sat in the hallway, a split second before Aaron cupped my face and covered my lips with his own. He licked the remaining icing from my lips, then kissed me with a week’s build up of tension. Moaning into his mouth, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Just when I was ready to beg him to take me upstairs, there was a pounding on our front door.

  I jumped from the noise.

  Aaron stared in the direction of the door, his face scowling.

  We weren’t in any danger. The guards my husband had hired to keep an eye on our property twenty-four hours a day wouldn’t have let anyone who wasn’t family get passed them.

  “Aaron, open up!” Carter’s voice sounded through the door.

  “The fuck does he want?” he snapped.

  I let my hands drop from Aaron’s shoulders. “Go see.”

  His eyes narrowed on me as if he was contemplating leaving his brother standing there knocking on the door.

  “He knows the code. He’s not going anywhere until you open it.”

  He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he realized the truth in my statement. Aaron charged toward the door, and I moved closer to see the front door, but still remained a few feet back.

  “Hey,” Carter stated as he came into my line of sight.

  “Hey, Carter,” I called over Aaron’s shoulder.

  “What the hell do you want?”

  I giggled. “He means, it’s so nice to see you. What’s up?”

  Carter grinned before turning his attention back to Aaron. “You know, you really did marry up.”

  Aaron grunted. “I’m not the only one.”

  Carter nodded. “True. Anyway, I’m here to tell you again, what an ass you’re being. Look, I’ve been thinking … you know, about what we discussed.” His voice lowered on that last part, as if he didn’t want me to overhear. “And—”

  “Yes, I was being an ass.”

  “Yeah, you are, and so— Wait …” Carter paused.

  “That was my same reaction,” I said. “It takes a minute but it’ll sink in.”

  Carter’s blue eyes landed on me. “Did he just—”

  I nodded.

  Aaron looked back at me, glaring, but I just blew him a kiss. His hazel eyes glinted in that special way they only did for me.

  “Oh, so, you don’t need me to explain again what a gift having another baby is,” Carter continued.

  “No,” Aaron answered shortly.

  A mischievous grin crossed Carter’s face as he looked from Aaron to me and back to his brother again. “And you probably want me to leave so you can do what it is you did to make the baby in the first place, huh?”

  “Get out,” Aaron growled, pushing a laughing Carter back toward the doorway.

  “Night, Patience. Oh and congratulations!”

  “Goodnight, Carter. Thank you!” I waved, laughing.

  Aaron stopped shortly. “There is one more thing.”

  I stopped, hearing the seriousness Aaron’s tone had taken on, wondering what he was about to say.

  “After the accident … when we were kids and all of the years since. I owe you an explanation.” Aaron cleared his throat. “I blamed almost everyone and everything for that night, especially you. I’m …”

  “Are you actually apologizing?”

  “Go easy on my husband, Carter. It’s the second apology he’s dishing out in one night. It’s tough on him,” I said, again over Aaron’s shoulder.

  Carter grinned at me then looked back to Aaron, shaking his head. “None needed. We were kids and you had a lot of shit to deal with. We’re brothers, that’s all that counts.” He held his hand up and Aaron grasped it. Both men pulled one another into a one arm hug and a tear escaped my eye, landing midway down my cheek.

  Before I knew it, Carter was gone and Aaron had spun me around, pressing my back to the door, his lips hovering just above mine.

  Reaching up, I pushed few strands of his dark hair away from his face. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “It’s not me.” He dipped his head, crushing his lips to mine. The kiss was relentless, powerful, and all consuming, just the way Aaron was. He moved from my lips to kissing down toward my ear. “You make me want to be better. You always have,” he whispered in my ear, before ripping the running shorts and cotton panties I wore down over my hips.

  Making quick work of undoing his own belt buckle and button of his pants, he pushed his pants and boxer briefs down. His erection sprang out, tapping my belly. Aaron bent low, lifting me below the knees to wrap my legs around his waist.

  My head fell against the door as soon as he entered me in one swift move. My hips bounced off of his as he pounded into me.

  “I haven’t been inside of you in seven fucking days!” He grunted angrily, obviously taking his frustration out on my sex.

  “I-it should’ve b-been longer!” I retorted. I was just too much of a wimp to have held out the entire three weeks I went barely speaking to him.

  In response, Aaron lowered his head and bit my earlobe as he surged forward with his hips again.

  “Don’t fucking die while having this baby,” he implored, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck.

  I nodded. “O-okay,” I moaned out.

  My orgasm overtook me just as quickly as my husband had. I dug my nails into his cloth-covered back, gripping as my orgasm ran
g out every muscle in my body. Aaron pulled my head back by my hair, slanting his lips over mine and kissing the life out of me while he came.

  Breathing became an afterthought.

  For a long while we panted loudly, still standing at our front door, struggling for much needed oxygen.

  Once our breathing regulated, we stood there, wrapped in one another’s arms, my legs still around Aaron’s waist. I had just begun to silently thank my family for taking the children when Andreas made his presence known.

  “He always knows,” Aaron growled, slowly pulling back. “He’s got a fucking sonar or something.”

  I started to giggle, but it was cut off on a moan when he pulled his still semi-erect cock from my body.

  “Hold that thought.” Taking step back, he pulled his pants up and rebuttoned them.

  I picked up the shorts and panties he’d discarded moments earlier and began to put them back on.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  His question stopped me abruptly.

  “Getting dressed,” I answered as if it should’ve been obvious.

  “Unless you want to be tied to our bed for the rest of the weekend, you won’t make another move in putting those clothes back on.” His voice was so serious. There wasn’t a glint of humor in his eyes.

  I loved a challenge.

  Slowly, while staring him right in his eyes, I pulled the clothing up my legs, redressing myself. His hazel eyes darkened considerably and he started in my direction. But Andreas would not be put off.

  His cries grew to shrieks.

  “We’re sending him over Carter and Michelle’s for the weekend.” Aaron narrowed his gaze. “Him then you.”

  The warning caused my nipples to ache with need.

  I watched Aaron as he walked up the stairs.

  Needless to say, I spent that entire weekend, mostly on my back, and all fours.

  Chapter Thirty

  Now

  Deborah

  “We did it!” I gushed as I looked around the open space of our shelter’s lobby. This was one time the shelter was closed for business, due to our grand opening event. We’d managed to gather support from local politicians, nonprofits, and businesses to come together for this special night.

  “We did,” Michelle responded, looking around at the other three women.

  “It’s been such a pleasure putting this together with you four. I couldn’t have asked for better daughters if I’d birthed you all myself.” My sons married some pretty terrific women. And the fact that all four had jumped at the chance to come together and help create this vision I’d had for years, made my heart swell.

  “You wouldn’t have known what to do with daughters,” my husband’s deep voice stated behind me.

  Smiling, I leaned back into his hold when he circled my waist with his arms. I didn’t care that I was in a floor-length, cobalt blue ball gown and that he might be wrinkling it. The night had gone extremely well. The shelter had exceeded our donation goal for the year, almost promising that we’d be around for at least another eighteen months.

  “You ladies did a hell of a job.” Joshua came up behind Kayla, holding her much the same way his father held me.

  I watched as my other three sons did the same with their wives. My smile grew as Carter’s hands went protectively to Michelle’s belly. Those two hadn’t announced it yet, but I knew another grandchild was on the way. And then, of course, there was Aaron and Patience. At six months, her belly was on full display. I still caught the worried glances Aaron threw her way whenever they were in a room together but he was there for her.

  I turned to Robert, wrapping my arms around him. “We did really good.”

  Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to my lips. “Yes we did, princess.”

  “Hey, cut that out!”

  Robert looked over my head, eyes narrowing on our youngest son.

  “What Tyler meant to say is, we’ve got a surprise for the both of you.”

  I turned to Carter, who’d made that announcement.

  He glanced between his three other brothers and their spouses, but it was Aaron who reached into the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulled out an envelope. Taking the proffered card from Aaron, Robert opened it.

  Robert’s lips formed into a bright smile as he read. When he glanced up there was a sheen that covered his eyes. I looked back at our sons and then to Robert again.

  “Princess, it seems that, in honor of you, our boys have donated more than a million dollars to fund a soup kitchen, women’s shelter, and rehab facility in Beattyville, Kentucky.”

  I was floored. Part of our shelter in Williamsport’s mission was to also eventually provide these types of services to women in the remote region of Kentucky where I grew up.

  “Boys—”

  “Wait, there’s more,” Destiny stated.

  This time, Tyler stepped forward, handing me a large folder.

  I looked around the semi-circle. Everyone stared at me with anticipation in their eyes. I turned back at Robert, who clearly was trying to figure out what was going on, as was I.

  As I opened the blue folder, I first came across reservations at one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Located on a private island, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

  “There are over eight rooms booked,” I said in confusion, looking at all of our children.

  “Because it’s a family trip. For your fortieth anniversary,” Patience and Kayla gushed at the same time.

  “Why do you think we’ve spent the last few weeks prying you two about your courtship?” Carter quipped, causing everyone to laugh.

  I felt Robert move in closer behind me, reading over my shoulder.

  “I knew you all were up to something,” he stated. His voice was low but I heard the excitement wrapped up in it. What could be better than going on a family vacation to celebrate the forty years I’d spent with this man?

  I turned to him. “Do you see this?”

  He nodded, smiling.

  “You were right.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Say that again.”

  I sighed. “Hell no!”

  The ladies all laughed.

  “I hope we’re not interrupting.”

  My eyes widened, and I was pulled behind Robert as his face turned serious. I watched as all four of my boys did the same, protectively moving in front of their wives as our attention was pulled toward the male voice that had interrupted us.

  My eyes squinted as I recalled the familiar man, although it’d been years since I’d last seen him. How could I not remember him when he looked so much like my husband?

  “You’re fucking late,” Robert growled.

  “Who the hell is this?” Aaron demanded.

  “And how the hell did they get in here, Brutus?” Joshua demanded, turning to Townsend’s current head of security.

  Brutus parted his lips to respond, but was cut off by another male voice. “Robert, tell your son to leave my boy alone. He’s damn good at his job. I taught him everything he knows,” Rick Kennedy, our former head of security, and father of Brutus, implored.

  Yes, that’s right. Rick, Robert’s former head of security, the man who said he’d never have kids, was actually Brutus, our current head of security’s father. There’s a story behind all of that, but it’s not mine to tell.

  “They’re all on the list at the request of your father,” Brutus casually replied to Joshua.

  All of our sons’ heads swung in our direction, silently demanding answers.

  For my part, I glanced across the room at the new entrants. There were four men in total.

  “This,” Robert started, “is Lewis Greene.”

  The man frowned as he stared at Robert. “Are we still using that fucking name?”

  “Lewis Greene? Isn’t that …” Michelle trailed off, her gaze bouncing between myself, Robert, and the man who moved closer.

  “My illegitimate brother? Yes, but Lewis Greene isn’t his real nam
e. It’s Joel. Joel Townsend, and, as usual, he’s fucking late,” Robert growled.

  “Sorry, Robert, the boys and I ran into some trouble on the way into town. No big deal.”

  “Boys?” I questioned, looking at Lewis. It’d been over a decade since I’d last seen him.

  “Deborah,” he waved, “good to see you again. You remember your nephews, right? Micah, Ace, and Gabriel.”

  His three sons emerged from behind their father.

  “Townsend’s the last name, as you might’ve guessed.”

  There was a gasp. “There’s more of them?” Michelle queried.

  Turning to her, Joel tipped his head as if wearing a cowboy hat. “The Townsends of Texas. The pleasure is all ours.”

  Epilogue

  Deborah

  Eight Months Later …

  “It’s okay, baby girl.” I bounced my second youngest granddaughter on my hip to quiet her cries. At just five months old, little Miss Anastasia liked to make her presence known when she wasn’t happy.

  “I’ve got her bottle,” Aaron said loudly as he charged into the room, practically ripping her from my hands. She quieted as soon as she was in her father’s arms.

  I shook my head. “It’s such a shame her mother isn’t here to see this,” I mumbled. She was adorable in the outfit her father had dressed her in.

  Aaron gave me a look before returning his attention to his youngest daughter.

  I smiled at the pastel pink dress she wore for today’s occasion.

  “Are they almost ready out there?” Destiny asked as she straightened out the bow she wore in her hair, which matched her plum-colored dress.

  “I think so, Robert just went to go check with Joel.”

  “Can you believe how far we’ve come in eight months?” Kayla asked, moving over to us.

  Aaron grunted and moved for the doorway, cradling Anastasia in his arms.

  “Some things will never change, however,” I stated as I watched Aaron walk away.

  “But some things do change.”

  I laughed as I took Michelle and Carter’s two-month-old daughter, Taylor, from Michelle’s arms. Our family just kept growing and I couldn’t be happier about it.

  “Like the fact that they all grew up not knowing their cousins, and now, today, we’re preparing to watch one of them get married,” Destiny added.