by Laura Marie
He thrust into her repeatedly while he kissed her lips, her neck, then down her chest to her breast. Julianna held his head against her chest while he nibbled and sucked, teased and tormented her body until she screamed his name.
He was relentless with his mouth and his hands.
They continued to make love, and with each thrust of his hips, each chant of his love for her, Julianna knew she could never love another again.
* * * *
He slowed his pace, locked gazes with her, and she instantly felt the strong connection.
She closed her eyes, still fearful of such a commitment and acknowledgement of the power he had over her.
“Look at me,” he whispered in a husky tone that melted her insides.
She inhaled, absorbing the scents around her—Johnny’s cologne, sex, and warmth, despite the cold snowflakes tapping against the bedroom windowpane.
As she opened her eyes, she hadn’t expected the love she saw in his. No longer grey and dark, like when she first met him, his eyes glowed with desire and love. He lifted her leg higher over his shoulder while he leaned lower against her, and he held her hips and thrust deeper into her. She felt the penetration to her womb, the deepest he could possibly get, but she wiggled her hips for more.
“Ah, darlin’…you’re mine forever…forever,” he growled, speeding up his rhythm until they came together as one.
Chapter 14
Julianna‘s rumbling stomach awoke her. She was absolutely starving.
Her body was a little sore, but content and warm against Johnny’s.
She looked over to the bedside table, and she saw it was only 6:00 a.m. She should try to slip out of bed to let Johnny sleep. His arm lay sprawled across her hips, and her back was wedged against the front of him. She didn’t want to move, but the second she scooted forward towards the edge of the bed, the nauseous feeling kicked in.
She needed to get to the bathroom. She had waited too long to eat, and now her stomach was demanding food.
Johnny’s arm suddenly pulled her back towards him. She panicked. This is not how she wanted to tell him she was pregnant.
He whispered against her ear, snuggling his erection closer to her backside.
“Good mornin’, sugar.”
The palm of his hand covered her left breast and her stomach churned some more.
Oh crap!
Julianna moved his hand. “Good morning,” she whispered then covered her mouth as the nausea increased.
Apparently he could feel her body tense up.
He propped up on his elbow and she took the opportunity to jump up from the bed.
“Julianna!” he called after her, but she rushed to the bathroom, closed the door, and emptied her stomach into the toilet.
Please don’t come into the bathroom, please don’t come into the bathroom. She pleaded silently as she dry heaved some more.
“Is everything all right?” he called through the door.
“Fine,” she squeaked. Her throat felt dry and icky.
She flushed the toilet, slowly stood up, and began washing her face and rinsing her mouth out.
Her stomach rumbled with hunger pains some more. She felt dizzy and light-headed. The baby needed food. She needed food.
She hadn’t recalled being this sick with her first pregnancy. Was this normal? She would call Doc Forbes later this morning.
Once again, Johnny snuck up behind her without her knowing, and she stared at his reflection through the mirror in front of her.
Placing his hands on her shoulders, the concerned look on his face was comforting.
“You got sick?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry for jumping out of bed.”
“That’s okay, darlin’. Maybe you should go back to bed. Perhaps you caught something.”
She smiled to herself then her stomach rumbled loudly.
He squinted his eyes and raised his eyebrows at her in the mirror.
It was time. She wouldn’t lie to him, and she couldn’t hold out any longer.
Taking his hand, she led him back to the bedroom.
He had thrown his pants on, so she decided standing in front of him stark naked felt odd. The first piece of clothing she caught sight of was his shirt. Quickly, she pulled it on while Johnny watched her from the edge of the bed.
The sleeves of the shirt hung off her hands, which were nowhere to be seen. The lapels of it were past her knees, and the realization of how big of a man Johnny was got her all heated up again. She blushed when she locked gazes with him.
He attempted to pull her closer to him by the lapels of his shirt, but she took a step back.
Raising her hands, well, the sleeves of the shirt, she began rambling.
“I have something to tell you, and I need to get this out so don’t interrupt me.”
She took a deep breath and paced the room.
“Somehow, sometime between the accident and the snowstorm, I kind of…Well, what I mean to say is that…”
She quickly glanced at him, and he seemed amused at her tirade.
“Johnny, I’ll totally understand if you’re not happy about this. I don’t expect you to just…”
He grabbed the sleeve of her shirt and stopped her from pacing.
“Jules. Just spit it out. It can’t be all that bad. Unless you all got some cockamamie plan to keep away from me again. I haven’t been pushy.” He pulled her closer and caressed her backside under the shirt with the palms of his hand. “I’ve just been needy, darlin’,” he whispered, kissing her belly.
She stared at him. And he eyed her as if he were about to gobble her up. She felt her cheeks heat then heard the rumbling sound of her belly again.
Taking a deep breath, she did as he said and spit it out.
“I’m pregnant!”
* * * *
Johnny pulled her into his arms before rolling her beneath him on the bed.
“Are you serious?” he asked, laying his hips between her legs while holding her between his forearms.
“Very serious,” she stated then gulped.
He could tell she was nervous.
He smiled wide. He was never so happy in his entire life. He was in love with a beautiful woman, and she was pregnant with his baby.
He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her tenderly.
His mind rolled with a thousand thoughts as he slowly released her lips. His hand caressed her waist as he pulled back to look into her eyes.
“I love you, darlin’, and you’ve made me the happiest man alive.”
He watched the tears escape from Julianna’s eyes. Then it hit him. She had told him the doctors in New York said she would never be able to conceive. It was a miracle.
He slid the palm of his hand under her shirt and over her belly. It was taunt and muscular now, but in a few months it would be round and beautiful.
“It’s a miracle baby.”
Julianna covered his hand with her own.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Johnny leaned down to kiss her again and her stomach growled.
He jumped up from the bed and pulled her up with him.
“We got to get you some food. That baby’s hungry.”
He placed his hands on her hips and walked her out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen.
Julianna giggled along the way as Johnny acted so loving and instantly protective.
“You sit down and I’ll make breakfast,” he stated, helping her to the chair by the kitchen table then pacing the kitchen unsure where to begin.
She had never seen him such a wreck and utterly adorable.
“Johnny!”
He turned towards her voice, and she held out her hand for him to come to her.
A moment later, he was kneeling in front of her, holding her hands on her lap.
“I’m in the early stages of this pregnancy, so there’s no need to coddle me so much. We’re in this together.”
He squeezed her hands then gave her a quick kiss
on her lips.
“Let me do this, Jules. Let me take care of ya.”
She instantly saw the sincerity in his eyes and heard the need in his tone. At that moment she knew everything was going to be just fine.
He smirked then stood up to begin preparing some breakfast.
* * * *
Johnny stood near the stable doors and watched from a distance as Julianna said good-bye to the guests. He wanted to take her back to bed after breakfast, but she already felt bad about leaving her Aunt Ellie to tend to the guests their last morning.
Everyone hugged one another goodbye, and Mr. Tomkins held Julianna a little bit long for Johnny’s liking. Although the guy seemed harmless enough after his conversation in the house Thanksgiving evening, Johnny felt jealous. Julianna belonged to him. She was gorgeous, stronger than she gave herself credit for, and she had a huge heart. Despite everything she had experienced in her past, she still remained selfless.
She was a caring person, and without even knowing it, she had the ability to touch people’s lives for the better.
Since their first night together during the storm, he hadn’t had any nightmares or trouble sleeping. On nights when they were apart, just thinking about her calmed his mind.
He wanted everything to be perfect for them and make Jules happy for the rest of their lives. She deserved so much, and he pondered over his ability to deliver that total happiness to her. On many occasions over the years, he had sensed a lack of emotion and care. Sure, he did his job a hundred percent and he took his job seriously as sheriff to Claire County, but it was still just a job. It was an obligation to make a living and a method of survival. As a recovering veteran of the war, he showed no desire for a future. The town helped him stay out of depression, but Julianna brought him back to life.
He smiled at her as she waved goodbye to the vehicles leaving the property. He had wanted to tell everyone about the baby, but Julianna wanted to wait. He asked her to marry him, but she didn’t want him to feel obligated just because she was pregnant.
He was going to have to convince her that he did love her and had wanted to marry her before the mention of the baby. He had thought about that long and hard and decided Christmas would be a memorable time to propose. It was his favorite time of the year.
He kept his sights on her as she approached. He wondered how he could convince her to marry him before the baby came.
“Well, I’d say they had a great time. What do you think?” she asked, smiling from ear to ear.
Johnny pulled her into an embrace. “I think Mr. Tomkins hugged you a little too long.”
Julianna held onto Johnny’s forearms and blushed.
“Oh, stop it. He had a wonderful time and already made reservations for New Year’s Eve.”
Johnny pulled her closer against his chest. He leaned down and gently touched his nose to her nose.
“No ‘Happy New Year’ kiss for him from you.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her breathless.
* * * *
A few days later, Julianna, Aunt Ellie, and Uncle Roy met with Brad Harris, a local builder living in Claire County. The construction process was officially on its way, and they were thrilled with the plans.
Julianna shook Brad’s hand good-bye and followed him out to his truck. He and his crew would begin work in a few weeks at the earliest, depending on the weather. For now, they would work on renovating the three extra horse stalls and expanding the building as well.
Julianna had high hopes for the horse-training business as well as the bed-and-breakfast.
“He’s a great guy. His old man was a good worker as well,” Uncle Roy stated as Brad left the ranch.
“He seems real nice, and I like how he doesn’t push his own ideas. He’s open to the possibilities,” Julianna replied as they headed back inside the house. The weather temperature was taking another plunge for the weekend. They were expecting temperatures below zero. That would mean overtime for Sammy, Rooster, and Uncle Roy to keep the horses safe and warm. The town council had postponed Winter Carnival twice because of the freezing temperatures. It didn’t help that the main pipes at the high school froze and school was cancelled for nearly a week.
Back inside the kitchen, Julianna helped her aunt clean up the coffee cups from the table and straighten out the chairs.
It was awfully quiet in the kitchen, and Julianna could hear whispering between her aunt and uncle. Julianna looked at them, and they appeared kind of nervous to her. Perhaps they were getting cold feet about the additions and the monetary investment.
“What’s wrong? Are you guys nervous? Do you have second thoughts?”
“No. Not at all. We’re excited about the construction.”
Julianna could sense the “but” in her uncle’s tone.
“But?” she challenged.
“We don’t want you overdoing it with the baby and all. This is supposed to be an excitin’ and memorable time in your life, and too much stress won’t do that there baby any good,” Aunt Ellie stated.
Julianna smiled.
“Aunt Ellie, Uncle Roy, I am thrilled about this baby, and most importantly, I am so excited to know that I have my family around to support me and help me. Palmer Place is the perfect home for us.” Julianna rubbed her stomach and the small mound that was barely visible to anyone but her.
“We know that, Jules. We want the best for ya, that’s all.” Roy spoke as he walked closer to Julianna and took her hand into his own. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
“What about Johnny?” he cautiously asked.
“Johnny is the father, of course he’ll be a major part of the baby’s life.”
“What about his proposal?” Aunt Ellie asked.
Julianna sighed. This was all she needed. Her aunt and uncle pushing marriage besides Johnny’s continuous insistence.
“I need some time on that one. Johnny understands.”
“But people are talking, Jules!” Uncle Roy stated.
“They think you’re crazy for turnin’ him down,” Aunt Ellie added.
Julianna cringed a second inside then recovered. The old Jules would be weakened by such talk or disapproval. Not this one.
“Wasn’t it you all who told me to not mind those people when they were claiming things about Johnny?” Julianna raised her eyebrows at her aunt in challenge.
Aunt Ellie released an exasperated breath.
Tossing the dish towel onto the counter before crossing her arms in front of her, she replied, “The man loves you, you love him, and you’re having a baby. What’s the reason for saying no?”
Julianna walked closer to her aunt and took her hand before leading her to sit down at the kitchen table. Roy took a standing position behind Ellie’s chair.
Julianna looked her aunt in the eyes.
“I need to be sure. I need to know that I can take care of myself, my life, and this baby without a man.”
“But that’s foolish, honey,” Ellie began to say, but Julianna released a sigh and gently squeezed her aunt’s hand.
“It may sound foolish to you, but I need to do this. I need to know that I am strong enough, determined enough, and woman enough to take care of me. You have to understand that Lawrence…” Julianna instantly felt the pain in her chest and the sting to her gut just by saying his name. She took a deep breath as the tears flooded her eyes.
“You have to understand that Lawrence controlled me in every sense of the word. He ruled my life, he dictated my every decision, and almost dictated my future. He was evil, manipulating, and deceitful, and he nearly destroyed me completely.”
“This is my second chance at life. A new life, a true love, and the opportunity to live my dream. I’m going to make Palmer Place the most famous bed-and-breakfast in the United States. I’m going to protect and love this baby, and I love Johnny with all my heart. He may not like waiting, but he knows I love him and I am going to marry him.”
“Oh, honey. We were so worried that you all would
n’t marry Johnny out of fear. I’m glad to hear that you all plan on gettin' married.”
“I love him. This is his baby, and he loves me. When the time is right, we’ll get married.”
Chapter 15
Catherine was trying to unpack the groceries from the shopping bags. The lines at the store were long, the cashier new, and getting all the packages upstairs to her apartment was exhausting. “Now I have to unpack it all,” she stated aloud as she fought between unloading the bags or taking a seat for a few minutes. Her legs were tired.
Having no choice but to put the groceries away now that she purchased them, she began emptying the bags.
Just a few more items and she could make a sandwich and relax a bit. There was nothing on the schedule for today. The weekend was free and clear.
She filled the kettle with water, opened a package of raspberry tea, and added it to her favorite mug. She refolded the bags to use the next time she went shopping then placed them into the hallway closet. Catherine was about to sit down when the phone rang.
Sighing, she reluctantly put off resting her legs to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Catherine, it’s Jeremy.”
“Hey! What’s going on?” She walked toward the stove, seeing the steam begin to release from the spout.
“There’s a situation.”
Catherine paused, gripping the phone tighter.
“Julianna? Is she okay?”
“Yes. It’s Kate.”
Catherine instantly felt angry at the mention of Kate’s name.
“She’s in trouble.”
“Good! That two-bit”
“Catherine, she was badly beaten by Lawrence.”
“She made her bed—she needs to sleep in it.”
“Catherine. She came to the police department. She came to me for help. She has evidence that can prove Lawrence killed the baby.”
The kettle began to whistle, and Catherine jumped at the surprise interruption. Quickly, she turned off the kettle.
“She’s a lying, manipulating bitch! What evidence could she possibly have?”