Cherish Her

by Johnston, Andrea

  Sighing, she contemplates my suggestion, her lips pursing and releasing. Skipping out of the room she shouts, “I’m still wearing my boots!”

  I wouldn’t have it any other way. Eying the time, I rush around my room slipping on a dress and spritzing perfume on my wrists. Before stepping into the hallway, I grab my shoes from the floor. Arizona and Cali are arguing in Cali’s room, which means I may have to intervene. Stopping in the hall, I peer around the corner to see what the issue is.

  Cali is wearing the outfit I put her in thirty minutes ago, a sensible pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Unfortunately for her, Arizona has decided they can’t match.

  “Arizona, what are you doing?”

  “I want to wear my purple shirt so Cali needs to change, but she’s being a brat.”

  “Arizona Leigh Jennings!” I snap. A response like that is unlike me but I’m tired and she’s being unreasonable. Still, she’s the child and I’m the parent. I need to get my act together.

  “Ari, we don’t say things like that. Your sister is already dressed. Either wear the purple shirt you chose or pick something else. You need to be dressed in five minutes or you won’t go fishing later.”

  Without another word, she walks out of the room and leaves me with an unfazed Cali. Scooping her up in my arms, I relish in the feeling of chubby toddler arms squeezing my neck as she giggles from my loud kisses all over her cheeks.

  Scrambling out of my arms, Cali toddles away from me, making a beeline for her toys in the corner of the living room. The polar opposite of my toddler’s attitude belongs to her older sister. Arizona is grumbling to herself about her boots, stomping around the room. As she passes me, I rest my hand on top of her head bringing her to a complete stop.

  “Thank you for changing your shirt. Your boots are by the back door, remember? You wore them yesterday when you were watering the plants.”

  Without a response, she takes off in a full run with me shouting after her, “You’re welcome!”

  We’re both saved from the topic when the doorbells rings. I rush to the door, flinging it open. “Mrs.—Grant? What are you doing here?”

  “We have a fishing date. Not that you don’t look beautiful, but why are you wearing that fishing?”

  I don’t miss the way his eyes take in my dress. It’s a simple sheath but it’s also a little snug in the hips, hugging my curves. My mouth goes dry and my skin pebbles from the pure look of desire as his gaze slides over my body. Impossible as it may be, it leaves me feeling like he’s licking my skin.

  Snapping my fingers to catch his attention, I giggle as he steps into the house and places a kiss on my lips. Without pulling away he says, “I’ve never been one to have a sexy librarian fantasy but suddenly it’s all I can think of.”

  Pushing him away, he doesn’t go far as he captures my hand. “Baby, you have to check who is at the door before you open it.”

  “I forgot. I’ll be more aware.”

  “The outfit?”

  Letting him lead me into the house, I take a moment to appreciate the view. He may refer to himself as an old man, but Grant Ellison is nothing but pure sexiness in a pair of tan cargo shorts that accentuate his firm backside and a snug navy T-shirt stretched to its limits. Lucky for me, I know what lurks under the cotton.

  “Honey?”

  “What?” Lifting my gaze, I catch the cocky smirk on his face and roll my eyes. “You’re four hours early. Mrs. Larson is on her way to watch the girls. I have a last minute showing.”

  Growling, Grant doesn’t respond right away and while I appreciate the pause, I also know he’s not going to stay silent long.

  “Dakota, I don’t like you going out by yourself. Can Doug accompany you?”

  “No. I’m a grown woman, Grant. I have the pepper spray you gave me and the scary taser you insisted on putting in my car. It’ll be fine. Besides, this is a client I’ve worked with for months.”

  The patter of boot-clad feet draws our attention to the kitchen. At the sound, Cali deserts her toys, letting out a squeal of delight at the sight of our surprise visitor. While the reason for his weeklong stay wasn’t ideal, the result was perfect. Grant bonded with both girls. Cali already adored him, well his beard anyway, but he really spent one-on-one time with Arizona. It took her a few days to warm up to him but, like her mom, she’s a goner for the handsome man currently frozen as two sets of arms circle his body in a hug.

  “Girls, go play for a second while I talk to your mom.” His voice is soft as he kneels to their height and allows them both to wrap their little arms around his neck. Without argument, they both rush off to the toys Cali abandoned. How did he do that?

  “What would you say if I stayed with the girls instead of Mrs. Larson? I’m already here and just going to hang out anyway until you get back.”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Honey, they’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, I know they’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about. They’re a lot, and you’ve only been with them when they were supervised.”

  Barking out a laugh, Grant pulls me to him. Squeezing me tightly. “If you aren’t going to take me with you, let me do this. Besides, you’ll be so concerned I bet you rush through this showing quickly.”

  Reluctantly I agree and shoot a text off to Mrs. Larson that she’s off the hook. The girls are over the moon at the prospect of hanging out with their new BFF and essentially ignore me while I gather the rest of my things and make my way to the car.

  As I settle behind the wheel, I inventory my emotions. This is something I do on a regular basis. It helps keep me centered, not falling into a hole of stress or despair. I’m not at all surprised that I feel neither emotion leaving Grant with my children. I trust him. Not only with me and my heart, but with the two most important people in my life.

  The drive to the property is relaxing. So much so, I don’t bother turning on music. I simply enjoy the silence and allow myself to daydream about a possible future. Glancing in my rearview mirror I notice a white sedan approaching rather quickly. My speedometer confirms the speed my cruise control is set at is four over the posted maximum speed limit. You’d never know it by how quickly this guy is closing in on my bumper.

  “Is this guy for real?”

  Moving my foot just above the accelerator to increase the speed, I’m relieved when he jerks to the other lane passing me like I’m standing still. What a jerk. Guys like that are why people are injured unnecessarily in accidents.

  Flicking my blinker to exit, I drive about a half mile from the interstate and onto the road leading to what I hope is Thad’s ideal investment property. A small cottage sits perfectly centered on the two-acre parcel, large trees lining the property. Pulling around the circular drive, I park my SUV and tap out a quick message to Grant that I’ve arrived.

  The crunching of gravel catches my attention as a white sedan pulls in behind my car. No way. Was Thad the jackass I encountered a few minutes ago? As he exits his car, he stretches his hands over his head before making his way toward my car.

  “Thad, were you just behind me on the interstate?” I ask as I slip from the car and close the door.

  “What? No, I was coming from the opposite direction. I stayed in Burlington last night. No offense to Lexington, but they have that new chain hotel.”

  Relief washes over me. Thad may drive me nuts, but he’s a nice guy and a bit awkward. Motioning for him to follow me, I start regaling him with every detail of the house. He hums in agreement as I rattle off specifics, but when I stop and turn, hands on my hips and repeat the price, his hum turns to a whistle.

  “Why so cheap? Did someone die here? Dakota, I can’t buy a murder house.”

  Laughing, I smack his arm. “It’s not a murder house. Well, it is the death of a marriage, but I promise no bodies were buried here. In fact, the homeowners never stayed a single night after the renovations. I guess construction was too much for their twenty-seven year marriage.”

  “Well, their lo
ss is my gain. I think you’ve done it, Dakota. I would like to put in an offer.”

  Unable to contain my excitement, I fling my arms around Thad. He chuckles and returns the awkward reaction.

  “That’s fantastic. I had a good feeling about this place. Let me call the seller’s agent and let them know. Look around a little more, and then we’ll head to the office and get the paperwork started.”

  Thad looks around sheepishly, his skin reddening but not from the sunshine. “Uh, would it be okay to do that by email? Or maybe I can come by Monday morning?”

  “I suppose, but I’d hate to have another offer come through.”

  “Offer them five grand over ask with the guarantee they won’t consider any offers until eleven on Monday. I wasn’t completely honest earlier. I found more than a chain hotel in Burlington. I’ve been seeing a woman and, well, I’m meeting her parents tonight.”

  “Oh, wow. That’s so great, Thad. The parents, huh?” With his hands in his pockets, Thad looks down at his feet, an embarrassed grin on his face. “I’ll just go make that call and hopefully it won’t be an issue.”

  Leaving my client alone, my heart fills at the idea that I’m not the only one finding happiness these days. Maybe February isn’t the only month for love.

  After a quick call with the selling agent, Thad and I say our goodbyes. I follow him to the interstate and wave as he turns the opposite direction of Lexington. Hopefully, my drive back home will be less eventful than the drive here.

  Chapter 33

  Dakota

  “These fish are not doing good, Grant.”

  I quietly pad out onto the deck and peer over the railing to see what Arizona is talking about. The sight before me brings a fit of giggles to the surface. I’m not quick enough to stifle them and the trio below look up at me.

  Sitting on buckets and . . . Is that my stock pot? I don’t want to know why Ari is sitting on that or how many washes it’s going to take to get the dirt off of it. Grant and the girls are sitting around a small kiddie pool, fishing poles in their hands, and looking at me like I’m the crazy one.

  “Mama, look at what Grant did. He made us our own fishin’ hole.”

  “I see that. Catch anything?”

  “No, these fish aren’t very good.”

  Excusing himself and instructing the girls not to mess with their poles, Grant meets me on the deck, a huge grin on his face.

  “How’d it go?”

  “Great. He put in an offer. Well, he’ll put one in on Monday. He had a date tonight, so I’ll go into the office early Monday and get everything going. Are we not going fishing to an actual pond?”

  Shrugging, he smiles, looking back at the girls as Arizona helps her little sister with her pole. “I thought we’d stay home. Just hang out a bit. They were having so much fun setting this up I didn’t want to ruin it for them.”

  Home.

  He means my house. But, as his words settle around us, I realize this is what home really is. Family, laughter, and simple moments. In love with the person who has quickly become your best friend.

  I owe Grant big for agreeing to stay home for fishing today. Who knew fishing was so boring? Not me, that’s for sure. At least the three hours they spent sitting around the kiddie pool fishing for socks seemed to drag on forever. Sure, he told the girls to use their imaginations and pretend the socks were fish but still, they were the discarded lone socks that lost their mate in the wash.

  Regardless, my girls had a ball, I finished the book I had been ignoring for weeks, and Grant settled into our little family seamlessly. Now, my little angels are fresh from the bath, hair damp as they curl up on either side of my boyfriend and he reads them a book about princesses and unicorns. It may be selfish of me, but I’m grateful for every woman who has let this man slip away. He’s not perfect by any means but for me, for us, he is everything we could ever need.

  “When mommy reads that—” Ari begins before yawning. “When mommy reads that story, the princess meets a prince. How come your princess gets a job?”

  Coughing to cover the laugh that bubbles out of me, I wait for Grant’s explanation. Setting the book down on the table, he lifts Cali onto his lap and shifts to face Arizona. “Because, you don’t need a prince to save you from anything. Your mommy is raising you two young ladies to be strong independent women like her. I have no doubt like you, that princess can slay her own dragon.”

  Eyes wide, Ari gasps, her hand covering her mouth. “There are dragons?” Her voice is a whisper.

  “And on that note, girls time for bed. Say goodnight to Grant.”

  “Mom, do we have a sword? I need it to protect us from dragons.”

  Looking to Grant, he mouths, “sorry” to which I just shake my head. “Off we go, come on. Say goodnight.”

  Tonight, the girls want to sleep together. I love the idea of them snuggled up together, protecting one another. Tucking them in and placing kisses to their foreheads, I pinky promise no dragons are in Lexington. Seemingly satisfied, the girls each turn to their sides facing one another and close their eyes. My heart is full tonight. Sleeping princesses tucked in tightly and my prince waiting in the living room.

  Leaving the door slightly ajar, I pad my way to where Grant is on the couch. He hasn’t moved other than resting his head on the back with his eyes closed. Something feels different tonight. I feel settled, like this is how every evening could be. Sure, we live in separate homes, but I know my sister would have the girls for sleepovers if I wanted to stay at Grant’s and if we handle this correctly, his presence here overnight won’t be so strange to my daughters.

  Am I ready to have sex? Maybe.

  What I do know, is I’ve thought of the topic enough that I could be. With the right person. As I stand here and watch his chest rise, the T-shirt stretching across his chest, pushing the limits of the cotton threads, I want to be ready. I want to give Grant the last piece of me. It’s been so long, I wonder if I’ll remember. Jeff and I had a good sex life. Active until the last few weeks of my pregnancy when the idea of doing anything except sleeping and getting a foot massage seemed daunting.

  Quietly, I move to stand in front of Grant. Bending over, I cup his cheek and place my lips on his. Smiling while returning the gesture, he tugs me to his lap, catching me off balance so I fall awkwardly.

  “You look exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”

  Seemingly startled by my suggestion, he whips his head to look at me. “The girls are home and could wake up.”

  “I have a lock on my door.”

  “Dakota Jennings, are you inviting me to your bed for more than cuddling and sleep?”

  “Don’t make a bigger deal out of this than it is. I could freak out at any moment and lock myself in the bathroom.”

  Barking out a laugh, he rises from the couch, almost dumping me on the floor. Righting myself, I’m the one startled when he bends slightly and lifts my feet off the ground. Carrying me down the hall, he begins kissing me, sending chills across my skin. We’ve kissed plenty, shared long passionate kisses and sweet chaste pecks on the lips. But this feels different. It’s fueled by desire. Unspoken promises of what’s to come.

  When we make it to my room, he pauses just inside the door. Looking from the bed to the hallway, he . . . leaves? Poking my head out into the hallway, I watch as he walks to the slightly open door to Ari’s room, pushing it aside just enough to look inside the room.

  He’s checking on my girls. Whether it’s to make sure the coast is clear or to ensure their safety, my heart bursts. I’ve known my feelings for Grant were growing, that I want a future with him. But, in this moment, I know there is no other future for us than building a life with Grant Ellison. He’s the man who will take them to father-daughter dances. The father figure who will meet the boys they date. The man who I sit next to at their weddings.

  He catches me watching him and smiles while approaching my room. Stepping back inside, he closes the door quietly, turning the lock. Cupping my cheek,
he moves eye level with me. “We don’t have to—”

  I cut him off with my lips. It’s not my best work but still gets the job done because he isn’t giving me an out or trying to talk me out of this. Instead, he guides me to the bed, his hands slipping under the hem of my shirt. His calloused fingers feel amazing on my skin.

  Pulling away from his grip, I tug my shirt off, tossing it to the side. His eyes skirt across my chest. My breasts heavy, straining against the pink lace of my bra. Maybe I spent a little more time choosing my undergarments this afternoon when I changed. As quickly as my shirt was discarded, I pop the buttons of my shorts shimmying them across my hips to the floor.

  “Fuck.”

  Gone are the pretenses of giving me an out. Grant’s low voice and hooded eyes reflect pure longing. My heart skips a beat when he captures my lips, his tongue slipping in my mouth, dancing with my own.

  My mind spins as he moves us to the bed. Pushing the covers aside, I watch as Grant stretches his arm behind his neck, gripping the collar of his shirt and pulling it over his head. The warmth of his skin on mine heats me to my core.

  We touch and caress. Hands wandering, feeling, and exploring. His lips move across my body like a pirate searching for buried treasure. Long gone are any pieces of fabric between us. The weight of Grant’s body on me is almost too much but the thought of losing that pressure is distressing. I want to crawl inside of him, beg him to make me his in every sense of the word.

  As he dips his head, lapping at my hardened nipple, I slide my fingers across his short cropped hair. I’m wet for him. So wet, it’s almost embarrassing but it’s perfect as he slips a finger between my folds. A place only my vibrator has visited in years.

  Moaning as he slips it in and out, his thumb sliding across my hardened nub. Building inside of me is a volcano of lust. A rush of words spill from my lips. His name, a prayer to God, and a simple “yes” all running together.

  “I need you, Grant.” I’m begging. A wanton woman asking for it all. Shifting his weight, I’m left abandoned as he scrambles to his shorts. Protection. Of course. I’m glad he’s prepared because I’m not.