Cross My Heart

by Jaime Russell

  Rhett releases me, as he goes to the door opens it and yells, “She said yes.” Quinn, Tucker, and Wes come in and congratulate me, and welcome me to the family. Rhett kicks everyone out, so we can be alone. He points to the bathroom, and I walk that way. There are lotions, bath bombs, and rose petals in the water. It’s hot, so he must have been running this, while he got the room ready for me. He strips off my clothes, and then helps me into the tub.

  “Are you joining me?” I ask.

  “I wasn’t going to. I was going to let you relax, but the tub is big enough for both of us,” he tells me, as he strips down his clothes and gets in behind me. I lean my back up against his chest, and he kisses my temple. “Soon to be Mrs. Rhett Livingston, when do you want to get married?”

  “How does yesterday sound?” I laugh. “I’d like to get through the summer programs first, and then maybe the fall. September or October. What do you think?”

  “That is too long to wait, but it’s not like I won’t see you every day.” I laugh, as he starts to wash my arms.

  “Rhett, I need something from you.” I begin to talk. He stops all movement and just waits. “Please stop apologizing and telling me that you’re going to make it up to me. You love me, and I know you regret it, so let’s just drop it. We can’t keep rehashing it all the time. We’ll need to do counseling, when we pick a church to get married in and go over it there, and that’s the last time we mention it,” I tell him. Every time it’s brought up, I see them together, and it hurts more and more. I’m tired of beating a dead horse.

  We lay in the tub entwined in each other’s arms, until the water runs cold. I wrap the towel around me to head back to the bedroom. I sit on the bed, after grabbing one of Rhett’s t-shirts. I pick up my phone to call my sister. Her phone rings, and I’m waiting for her to answer. She doesn’t answer, so I leave a voicemail for her.

  “Hey, Mads. It’s me calling. I need to talk to you, but you’re not around, so I’ll talk to you later. Love you and have some fun.”

  “I hope she’s having fun. She’s going to get pissed, if she finds out from Tucker and Wes,” I tell Rhett.

  “This weekend, why don’t we go away to celebrate our engagement?” Rhett sits down next to me. “We can see if Quinn can watch Emma for us. What do you say?”

  “I like that idea. We can go to a nice bed and breakfast area to get away for a little bit just the two of us.” I climb on top of him. “Our life is about to change. Are you ready for it?”

  “With you by my side, I can handle anything.” Leaning down to kiss him, Rhett runs his hands up my thighs, grabbing them roughly. He’s wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, and I can feel how hard he’s getting.

  I move his underwear down to expose his cock, so he can slide into me. I lift my hips slightly higher above him, letting his cock slowly slide into me. I love the burning sensation of his cock, stretching my pussy. I hiss, when he’s all the way inside me. I’m sitting straight up on him, as I start to roll my hips forward, like a belly dancer, as I start moving my hips into a circular motion. Rhett groans in pleasure.

  Moving his hands from hips, he slides them up my sides, stopping to massage my breasts. He twists my nipples, making me yelp out loud. I lean over to kiss him. “I love you,” I whisper against his lips. Rhett has now taken control of my body and guides me off of his cock to slam back down onto it. I play with my clit, as he continues to move me up and down. I feel myself starting to come, and I want my breasts to get some action, so I remove my shirt for Rhett to see. One of his favorite views of me is when I come undone because of him and his cock.

  “That ring on your finger with your breast in your hand is turning me on even more than you ever did before.” His voice is huskier than usual, and that’s my undoing. I come, body shaking and moaning his name. I open my eyes to look at Rhett, as I run my fingernails down his chest, leaving my mark on him. His hands are rough on my hips, and I feel his fingers dig deeper into my skin, which lets me know that he’s close. I stare into his eyes with this intensity. I feel him slow down with his strokes, and he grunts then groans my name. I crash onto him, as he kisses my temple.

  “I love you,” he whispers, and I smile at him. We clean ourselves up and climb into bed, as I lay in his arms. “Let’s talk wedding. I know you mentioned church wedding, but how set are you on that? I was thinking maybe having the wedding in the game room for family only, and then a big party outside. We’ll get it catered of course.”

  “Are you going to be okay with someone else’s ribs for the wedding dinner because I’m not giving them my recipe.”

  “Damn it.” We laugh. “How is your dad going to feel about you, marrying me?”

  “I don’t give a fuck. This is my life not his, but I wonder if I can get my boss to give me a raise in case I need to pay for the wedding on my own.” I giggle.

  “I’m sure your boss will do whatever you want.” I yawn. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  Rhett

  Mid-September

  The summer program had a few hiccups, but we smoothed them out. Katy decided to stay in Paris a little bit longer, and Emma told her that was okay. Emma also started a new school three weeks ago, and she has already made new friends. She comes home talking about how much she loves her teachers and friends, and can’t wait to go back to school. She’s striving more and more every day. I love being a dad. Mr. Stillman has stayed away, but Mrs. Stillman comes over every Sunday for dinner, and Emma loves being able to cook with her and Charlie.

  When it comes to the wedding plans, Savannah, Madison, Dana, Quinn, and Macy have taken completely over. Charlie has cried more about the wedding being planned by them than she has about her parents being on a cruise the weekend of our wedding, before we even told them the date. I did put my foot down about her picking her own dress, and Emma getting to decide what she wore as well. Charlie and I would rather go to the courthouse to get married, but we can’t deny our family and friends, who have supported us this past year. The kids from the summer program are coming to the reception as well.

  Tara’s brother is a minister, so he’s been here doing the counseling with Charlie, myself, then the two of us, and we even included Emma in one of the sessions, since she’s here full time with us. I think Emma’s been missing her mom some and acting out towards Charlie a little bit, but now, that she was able to tell Charlie how she was feeling, they’re closer than ever.

  They worked on her room, the garden, and cooking together. Emma and I have been working on horse riding lessons, taking care of a horse, and she’s been kicking my butt in Mario Kart. Tucker and Wes are enjoying having Charlie here full-time, too. The girls feel a little guilty about being here all the time, and they’ve even talked about leaving the property, but we told them to stay. Well, begged them is more like it.

  The wedding is in three days, and everyone is very stressed out. I’m hiding out in my office.

  “Rhett Livingston, you get out there. If I have to deal with those psychos, so do you!” Charlie looks flustered, standing in the doorway. “Is it too late to take Emma to Vegas?” I laugh, as she walks over to me, sitting in my lap.

  “That bad?”

  “We’re working on favors for the tables. Why are you not out there with us? Tucker, Wes, and Mark are helping.” She puts her head on my shoulder. “Please come help me.”

  “Okay, for one kiss,” I tell her.

  She leans into me. “Get your ass out to the kitchen now.” She gets off my lap. “If you don’t get out there, then on our honeymoon, I will have a headache the entire time, and I will make sure that you have blue balls for weeks.” Charlie walks out of my office, slamming the door. Oh, boy. She’s already denying me sex, and we haven’t even walked down the aisle. I sigh heavily, before getting up and heading out to the kitchen. I hear nothing but arguing coming from there, and Charlie telling them to knock it off.

  “What in the hell is going on here?” I raise my voice above everyone else, and they all stop to look
at me. They start talking at once, as I put my hand up. “Charlie, do you want to tell me?”

  “No one can agree on how to do favors. Everyone has their own ideas of who is correct. I tried telling them that there is no right or wrong. I like all of them.”

  “The BRIDE,” I make sure to emphasize the word bride to get it through their thick skulls that it’s Charlie’s say and not theirs, “has spoken. Do them each how you want to, but only if she likes it.” I put my foot down, as I sit down next to her at the table. “Why is it so hard to listen to her?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Madison speaks up first, and I stare at her. “You know you’ve been no help whatsoever,” she snaps at me.

  “You’re right. I haven’t been helping, and the wedding is in a few days, so tell me what I can do?” I ask, as Madison passes me some of the wedding favors to work on, so I can start to work on it. Emma’s even been helping for a little bit, but it’s getting to be her bedtime, so I take her up to bed and read her two stories.

  “Alright, princess, sweet dreams.” I kiss her forehead.

  “Daddy, is Charlie going to be my mommy, when you marry her?” she asks me.

  “She will be one of your mommies. You have your mommy in Paris, and Charlie will also be your mommy, but a lot of people will call her your stepmom.”

  “Stepmom, why would I step on her?” Emma giggles, and the sound of her laugh makes my heart swell up. “I talked to Grandma about calling Charlie Mommy, and she said I could.” What does Mrs. Stillman know that I don’t know. I’m going to make a note to call her to speak about it.

  “If you’re comfortable with it, I know Charlie would be honored.” Emma yawns, and she turns over on her left side to face the wall to go to sleep.

  I walk downstairs to hear silence, and then see Charlie sitting in the kitchen alone, working on favors. “Did you kill them?”

  “I yelled at them, and I’m bridezilla apparently. Madison, Dana, and Macy left, and your siblings are out front.” Charlie starts to cry, as I hold her in my arms, trying to comfort her. “I think I’m done for the night.”

  “Go get a nice hot bath. I’ll be up soon.” I kiss her temple. I hate seeing her like this. I walk out to the front porch.

  “I’ve never seen her yell like that before. I can’t believe she did that,” Wes comments.

  “Madison had it coming, though,” Savannah comments.

  “What the hell happened? I take my daughter upstairs and come down to find my fiancé, crying in the kitchen all alone,” I snap at my siblings.

  “Don’t get pissy with us. Madison was telling Charlie how she’s doing it wrong, and then how this wedding is going to suck,” Savannah starts to tell me. “Charlie told her that if her wedding was going to suck, then she doesn’t need to come, and she can go on a cruise with her parents. She also told Madison to go fuck herself.”

  “Oh, boy.” I sit down on the swing next to Tucker.

  “I told Maddie to shut up, but that made it worse. It’s Charlie’s wedding, but women are nuts. No offense, Savannah.” Tuck looks at her and smiles. “Is she okay?”

  “I told her to go get a bath and go to bed. The wedding is in three days. She’s supposed to go to the spa tomorrow with all the women. If they’re arguing, how is that going to work?” Savannah starts to laugh. “What?”

  “Oh, as long as you’re paying for the spa treatment, everyone will get along. It’s a woman thing. I’ll go in and work on the favors tonight.”

  “Savannah, we’ll do it. You have the spa tomorrow. Get some rest. I think Charlie’s going to need some backup,” I tell her. “Tuck, Wes. Do you want to help me?” They nod, as Savannah heads to bed.

  We work on the favors for a few hours, until we’re finally done. I hope this eases Charlie’s stress some. I grab a beer for the three of us.

  “What happens to us?” Wes asks.

  “Nothing. You have your rooms here. I don’t want anything to change.” I look at them. I feel a panic start to settle into my chest. It’s the same way I felt, when I thought I was having a heart attack. “Are you wanting to move out?”

  “Deep slow breaths,” Tucker tells me, as he puts a hand on my shoulder, after he comes racing to my side. “That’s it. Slow breaths.” Tucker looks over his shoulder to Wes. “What’s the matter?”

  “I just realized that you’re going to move out, and I’m going to be alone in this house.” The panic is setting in again.

  “We’re not moving out,” Wes reassures me. “But you’re getting married, you have a child and you’re probably going to have more children with Charlie. We’re going to eventually be married, too. We can’t be three married couples living here with families.”

  “Why not? We never discussed any of this,” I tell them, as Tucker sits back into his seat.

  “Dude, no matter what happens in life, we are The Livingstons. We’re brothers, and we own this ranch together. We’re never going to be away from each other.”

  “I know. I guess, it’s all coming to reality that I’m getting married.” I put my head on the table, as I hear a couple of glasses hit the table. I lift my head to see Tucker has brought over the Jameson Whiskey, and he pours us each a shot.

  “To the Livingston men. May the women weep on Saturday, as one of goes off the market, because he has found that love that makes it worth it,” Tucker says, as we take the shot. I notice the time, and it’s almost two a.m. We need to be up soon to start the work. “We better crash for a few hours.”

  “Guys, I hope you know that I’d be lost without you. I know I’m the baby of the family, and you all had to sacrifice so much for me, especially Quinn to take care of me. I hope you know that I don’t appreciate it or let a day go by that I’m not reminded of how blessed I am.”

  “Did you just grow a vagina?” Tucker asks me, as I hit him in the jaw.

  “You’re such an ass. I’m trying to be nice to you but forget that mother fucker.” I laugh, as I head upstairs. “You can shut off the lights.” I check on Emma one last time, before going into my room to see the blonde goddess, sleeping naked on her stomach. Her hair is laying down her back off her shoulder, so the sunlight from the window will hit her face just so that she looks like an angel sleeping. I sit down in the chair across the bed to take off my sneakers and watch her sleep.

  I see the wedding picture of my mom and dad, sitting on my dresser, so I grab it and hold it in my hands, “Mom, Dad. I know that I didn’t know you that long, but I hope you’re watching me. Have you seen your granddaughter, Emma? She’s beautiful, isn’t she? And smart, too! Tucker jokes that she can’t be mine. Quinn and Tucker talk a lot about you and think that you would’ve loved Charlie. I wish you were here to see me get married and meet your grandchildren.” I put the picture back up on my dresser.

  I don’t know what has me so emotional right now, but it’s just like high school and college graduation without my parents. It’s a punch to the gut that it’s another thing that they’re missing out on. Losing my parents, at such a young age, was hard on my siblings, because they had a relationship with them, but I didn’t know them. I saw my friends and their parents at graduation and award ceremonies, but I never got to experience that with my parents. Don’t get me wrong my brothers and sisters supported me better than I could ever ask, but there are some things that I wish they were here for.

  Charlie

  “Rhett,” I lightly shake him. “Wake up.” I stand above him in my silk robe. His alarm has been going off, since four-thirty. He’s sitting in the chair, and I tried waiting up for him, but by midnight, I crashed. He starts to stir a little bit, as he opens his eyes. The only light shining in our bedroom is the moonlight.

  “What time is it?” he asks, grabbing my waist and pulling me down to him. He opens my robe slightly to expose my naked chest.

  “It’s almost five a.m.” Rhett moves to my nipple, and he takes his tongue to swirl around it, before sucking on it. I moan, as his thumb presses on my clit and
moves in a circular motion. “God, yes.” His hands on me anytime has my nerves on edge, but this morning, it’s even more exciting. “Don’t stop.” My breath comes out fast.

  “I’m not going to, baby.” He tells me with my nipple still in his teeth. He sucks on the other nipple, while pushing harder on my clit, and I push into his finger.

  “Harder. I’m so close,” I pant, as Rhett releases my nipple with a pop. He kisses me hard, as he spreads my legs apart more, sliding three of his fingers into my pussy. I’m soaking wet and feel him moving his fingers roughly in and out me. His teeth pull on my nipple lower, biting down on it. As he releases it, I lick my lips. I feel the blood on my tongue. “God, yes.” Rhett moves in and out of me with his fingers, and I move my hips in rhythm, as I fuck his fingers. I close my eyes to ride off to the land of ecstasy, as I feel myself, coating Rhett’s fingers with my come. I moan his name, and once I come down from my orgasm, I lay my head down on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck and breathing heavy.

  “Baby, you keep doing that, and I’m going to caveman you to the bed and fuck you hard.” Rhett’s voice is deep.

  “Then, I better up my breathing,” I whisper into his ear, as I start to kiss it and nibble on his earlobe, moving my way down his neck. “I can feel that you are hard, and I want you inside me,” I whisper. “It’s a little after five. We should have time for a quick fuck on the bed.” I kiss his jawline. “Charlie wants Rhett to fuck her. What Charlie wants Charlie gets.” My voice is low, as he laughs.

  “Not today, baby. There’s too much work to do, and we still have a lot of wedding things to do,” Rhett tells me, as I get off of his lap, dropping my robe.

  “You don’t want this?” I toss my hair off my shoulders.

  “Oh, I want all of that every minute of every day, but someone came into my life who turned my world upside down. I’m getting married in two days, and every minute is planned. If I mess up the schedule, my bride to be sister is a bridezilla.” I laugh, when Rhett’s eyes go big, as I pick up my robe. I know he’s right. Maddie wants me to stay with them for the next two nights. Tonight, we decided not to have a party, since we go out together most of the time anyway, so we’re staying home, pigging out on food, watching movies, and doing makeovers. Emma’s been so excited about it. Rhett said could take Friday off from school.