by Shyla Colt
“You’re a goddess among women, and I need you to wear my mark, and my ring, Blanche. It’s past time. I want you to help me find another Physical Therapist so you can go back to work. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, baby. But it’s time for you to live your life.”
“J.”
“I’m ready. Are you?”
She wraps her arms around my necks and nods. “I am.”
“Set a date.”
“For which?”
“Both.”
“This weekend for the tattoo, and six months for the wedding.”
My lips twitch. “Our year deadline?”
“I’m a woman of my word.”
I allow myself a moment to rest my head on her chest. “B. I want to have babies with you. I know the chances are lowered, but If we can—”
“Yes.”
I pull back and grin. “Yeah?”
“Oh, fuck yeah. I want a family with you too.”
“Yeah?” I‘m shocked by her response.
“I been dying to ask you, but there was so much going on.” She shakes her head. “My window is closing.”
“Then you better get to the doctor, and take that Morena out so we can get started.”
“We have time to try for two.”
“Better start thinking up names,” I growl. “How about a practice run?” I ask as I slowly move off the table and back into the chair.
She slips from the table a regal queen as she glides toward me with the robe billowing out behind her, and her tight body on display. I’m not the only one who’s tightened up thanks to our workout routine.
“Let me undress my man.” She carefully removed my cut and lays it on a chair. The rest is a blur of cool fingers, heated lips, and skin as she strips me downs and I explore her lush body. She sucks on my nipples and runs her nails over my flesh, building me up. I groan as the pressure builds.
“Oh, someone likes this,” she whispers I peer down to see her pumping my cock, and I moan. It’s still just as hot as it was. She bites my hard peak, and I jerk. She eases down on me, and the sight of her body taking mine makes me groan. She finds a rhythm as she continues to tease me. I push two fingers into her mouth, and she winds her clever tongue around them. I release a shaky breath. She bobs her head, and I know I’ll be a goner soon. The way she’s bouncing up and down on my lap tells me she’s not far behind. I watch her as she quakes, and I follow behind her into blissful nothingness.
***
I massage B’s neck where a snowflake with my name, Freeze, is weaved into the design, hidden under her hair. We’re waiting along with the rest of the courtroom for the verdict.
Hearing the defense attempt to paint Elizabeth Watkins as a victim made my skin crawl. The wench knew exactly what she was doing, and why. Unfortunately, she also knew how to put on a big show. The crying, carrying on and making herself look wide-eyed and innocent.
The reporters had a field day on the way inside the courthouse, and they were waiting like vultures outside to pick clean anyone who came by. I wanted to spare B, that. She’s drawn into herself, and I hate it. My stomach flips and my body begins to heat up.
“Have you reached a verdict?” the judge asks.
The dark-haired man with a beard stands. “We have your honor. We the jury find Elizabeth Watkins guilty of two counts of attempted murder in the first degree.”
The rest of the world is static is the courtroom erupts twitch cheers, screams, and crying. She’s lucky the cops got to her first. What I had planned would’ve been far worse. I squeeze B’s neck.
She turns to me with water eyes.
“Hey, we won.”
“No. She should have worse.”
“Honey that pretty little blonde headed into a maximum is going to suffer plenty believe me. You ready to get out of here?”
“Yes, I have a surprise for you.”
I scan her frame. “Where?”
She pushes me playfully. “Stop.”
“Is this related to the wedding?” I ask thinking of the nuptials that will take place in a week on the beach.
“In a way. I just hope I know you as well as I think I do.” We wait for the courtroom to clear and head outside where the brothers have formed a human shield. Prospects, you got to love them. We make our way to the car and climb inside. When we reach the house, I frown.
“Why’s the light on?”
“Cause there’s someone inside.”
I perk up. Maybe our girl has arrived early for the wedding. We talk to Whitney weekly, but we haven’t seen her in months. I miss her bright smile and the way Bolton follows her everywhere. Their friendship is amusing to watch progress. She helped him a lot when it came time to apply to colleges. It’s hard to believe he’s a college student now. It seems like just yesterday the kid was twelve.
I park the car and remove my wheelchair from the back after she leaves the car and waits for me. The newest addition to the family was a fully loaded car with hand controls. I was nervous until I got the hang of it. It was different for the first couple of weeks, but now I’m used to it. I wheel around, and we walk up to the house together. She unlocks the door, and I move inside expecting to see Whitney.
The tall, gray-haired woman with the same hazel-colored eyes and nose steals my breath.
“Karen?”
She nods. “Blanche thought you might like to have me here for the wedding.”
I nod my head. “She was right. My goddess, you are too good to me,” I whisper, squeezing her hip. I’d resumed letters with Karen over the months, after I took up the job as Treasurer and things settled down. I like the woman she’s becoming after prison. Not being able to see her was one of my biggest regrets.
“I’m going to get dinner started and give you guys a chance to talk.”
She walks toward me in a pair of khaki shorts and a nice white t-shirt. She looks like any nice suburban mom. But she’s mine.
“Hello, Jagger.”
I wheel over and take her hand. “Thank you for coming all this way.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I’m not sure what to say,” I whisper honestly. Between the counseling I’ve resumed, and our letters, the anger is gone, leaving us with a possible place to build from.
“You look really good.”
“Thank you, so do you.”
“Being sober will do that for you.”
“I’m proud of you, Mom,” I force the words out.
She blinks back tears. “Thank you. I’m so happy to see you like this happy and healthy, with someone who loves you as much as you love her. It’s all my prayers answered.”
“You prayed for me?”
“Every night. Still, do.”
It feels good, closing the door on the worst chapter of my life before I move into my best.
“Karen, do you think we could start over from here?”
“I would really like that.”
“My Old Lady is an excellent cook, why don’t we see what she has planned for dinner tonight?”
As we return to the kitchen, I can’t help but think I love the way my life is shaping up.
***
“Whitney,” I put the brake on my chair as she bends down and hugs me tight.
“It’s so good to see you, J,” she whispers.
B walks in behind her with a huge grin. “I’m going to take your mom shopping and let Whit settle in.” She winks, and I smile. She supports what I’m about to do one-hundred, percent. I’m putting my head on the chopping block, but it feels right, so I’m going ahead with it full steam.
“Come outside with me?”
“Yeah, let me put my bags in my room, and I’ll meet you out there.”
I nod as she heads toward the room we’d allowed her to decorate however
she wanted. We’d had her in mind when we first decided to house hunt. We wanted a place where she could have her own space, privacy. It was important to both of us that she felt at home. I was marrying her mother, but in a way, I was auditioning for a future father figure. They were a package deal, and I worked hard to build my relationship up with Whit. We have our own weekly conversation, Skype sessions, and things we like to do together when she’s home.
Outside, I run over the words in my head. I’ve looked death in the face, so many times it no longer phases me, and yet I’m terrified of the response of this nineteen-year-old. She emerges with a smile, and I take in the changes that have occurred since she’s been away. Her hair is cut in a short bob that frames her face, making her appear older and more mature. The sadness that clung to her like a second skin has lifted.
Her hazel eyes sparkle with mischief and joy. It’s a beautiful sight. She’s home for summer break this time, and I welcome having her.
“I’m glad your home.”
“It’s good to be home and off school from awhile. I can’t believe that first year I stayed on for the summer session. I must’ve been insane.”
I chuckle. “No, just in need of a break from California I think.”
“Yeah.” She sits down at the patio table across from me. “I think you’re right.”
She tilts her head back and closes her eyes, soaking up the sun like a cat.
“I’m sure you picked up that I wanted to talk to you alone.”
“I do. Are you going to ask me how I feel about you marrying my mother? Because honestly, I can’t even imagine you two not together at this point. I mean you’re both disgusting together. You can’t keep your eyes, hands, or focus off one another.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing,” I say.
She laughs. “It’s not. It’s actually really cute. It makes me happy to see my mom like this. So happy and full of life.”
The thought of her as anything else pisses me off. I brush the anger aside. “So I’m getting the big thumbs up?”
“Yes. Which you knew you had already.”
She arches her brown in a move so much like her mother I can’t help but laugh.
“A guy likes to hear these things out loud.”
“Right,” she says drawing out the i.
“I’m marrying your mother tomorrow, but you know how I feel about family. The two of you are a package deal, and I’ll be honest, I been thinking of you as my kid for a while now.”
She blinks. “You have?”
I nod my head. “And I’m not sure where you stand on that.”
“Are you asking me if I see you as a Dad?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m asking if you could ever see me that way. If it’s a goal we could work toward, or something you’re just not interested in.”
She goes silent.
“It’s not a trick question. There’s no right or wrong answer, only an honest one. I’m not going to get upset about what you say.”
“In all honesty. I could. You have a very…masculine vibe. You’re already the male figure in my life. I mean, I have Pa, but he’s not up on modern problems like you are. He’s super old-fashioned, and I’m more of a liberal kind of gal.”
“To say the least,” I say thinking of the last time I’d spoken to her and she’d been high off a joint. Experimenting in college was normal. As long as she doesn’t go any harder than grass, I’m okay with it.
“Did Mom put you up to this?”
“No. Tomorrow your mom will be taking my last name, and I want you to have it too. I’d like to adopt you, Whitney.”
Her jaw drops. “You. You want to adopt me?”
I nod my head. “I want us to be a family. Your mother will have my last name, our children will have my last name, and I don’t want you to be left out.”
“You’re having a baby!” she squeals.
I laugh. “Not yet. Marriage first, baby second.”
She nods her head and all but bounces in her seat.
“Is that something you want?”
She jumps out of her chair, and launches herself into my arms, holding me tight as her shoulders shake.
“Whoa. Hey. You don’t have to say yes.”
“I want too,” she sobs.
“Then why are you crying?” I ask softly. I’ve learned from her mother that tears can mean a lot of things.
“I used to think I would never have this again. That I’d be some sort of orphan. I have a father, but how could I claim him? I saw this lonely stretch of life with no one to walk me down to aisle or dote on my children. And then you showed up and took more of an interest than my father had in years. You know what my grades are, which classes I like, and which I hate. You check in on me, and it’s… It’s everything I’ve always wanted.”
I smooth my hand over her hair and kiss her temple. The girl makes me feel like I’m on top of my world. “I’m always going to be there for you, Whitney. I’m new at this Dad thing, though, so we’ll have to learn together.” I pull my head back and meet her watery gaze. “Do you think we can do that?”
“Yeah. I’d like that a lot.” She moves back to her chair swiping away her tears.
“We looked into the process, and we have all the paperwork. We just need to sign it in front of a notary.”
“You want to do it this soon?”
I nod. “When your mom and I marry, I want it to complete our family. This is my Groom’s gift to your mom.”
“Alright, then we’ll do it.”
“Yeah?” I ask with a grin.
“Yeah. Pop.” She pops her P. “Whitney Ryan. I like the sound of that.”
“I do too, kid.”
“Back to this sibling’s thing. How many are you planning on having? Are we about to turn into the Brady Bunch?”
I snicker. “Definitely not. We’re aiming for two.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to think. I’ve been an only child for so long. I just got used to the ideal.”
I stiffen. “Are you upset?” I tense. I know our news is going to be meet with less enthusiasm because of my injury.
“No. I think it’s a good thing. My mom was amazing growing up. I had so much fun with her, and I know she always wanted more. I’m glad she’s getting a second shot at this with you. I think you’ll be awesome parents.”
“Thanks, kid,” I say struggling not to grin like a mad man. Her approval means a lot. It’s something B, and I were both concerned about. It’s a huge jump to just to go from an only child for nineteen years to a future half-sister. You add the request to adopt, and it’s a whole lot going on at once. She took it all in stride, like the rock star she is. This kid is a fighter… No, My kid. My kid. I’m like the Grinch with a heart growing two sizes. These women are changing me into the kind of man I could never imagine being. It’s a good thing.
“I think we should celebrate such a momentous occasion,” she says.
“Uh huh,” I smirk. Kid knows how to get what she wants. “Any ideas on how we should do that exactly?”
“Tattoos?”
“You trying to get me killed, kid?” I ask thinking of her mother’s reaction.
“What? Mom has one,” she whines.
I laugh. “That’s different, and I had to wear her out about that, believe me.”
“So I get to be the uncool family member?”
I think of giving her a cut similar to her mother’s to let everyone know she’s my kid when we’re at family functions.
“What would you want, kid?”
“I want my own snowflake.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“You work on the design, and I’ll work on your mom.”
“Best Dad ever,” she sings.
I shake my head. “I’m not always going
to fall for your crap, you know?”
“I know, Pop. But it’s my job as your future kid to test boundaries.” She winks.
I shake my head. Life keeps getting more interesting.
***
I feel like I’m on top of the world. The wedding papers and the Adoption papers have been signed. While the wedding isn’t for a couple more days, we’re officially a family.
“You know most families would just go out to dinner,” B says as we sit around the chair where Scribble is preparing to tattoo the front of Whitney’s shoulder with a dainty looking tattoo with an F in the center.
“Like y’all were ever going to be like most families,” Jess drawls.
“You are not helping,” B replies.
“Oh, come on, the tattoo is cute, and the concept is a-damn-dorable. As her Godmother and your best friend. I got to say, I approve, “Jess says.
“Three against one, B,” I say with a shrug.
“I didn’t know you had a kid, Freeze,” Scribble says as the gun starts to buzz.
“Well, now you know.”
“Guess so. You’ve always been a real private kind of guy. Okay, I’m going to do a small line, Whitney.” He carefully draws the needle down her body.
“How does that feel?” Scribble asks.
“Much better than thought it would,” she says with a wide grin.
“I think you created a monster, Pop,” Blanche says dryly as she elbows me in the ribs.
“What? She takes after her old man. Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” I say with a grin.
“Yeah, Mom, I’m a total Daddy’s girl,” Whitney teases.
B huffs, but she can’t hide the smile pasted across her lips. We’re unconventional, but happy, and that’s all that matters to us.
The tattoo only takes an hour. Whitney sits really well. I’m proud of the way she managed her pain, and the fact she wanted that level of closeness with me. I’m not sure what I’ll get for my girls, but there needs to be something. I’m still mind blown over the way things have played out. I have a mother who opted to stay at home and let us young people go have fun, a daughter, and a wife. Over the past few days, I’ve spent enough time with Karen to know a friendship isn’t what either of us wants.