by Karly Morgan
“Bonnie and Kolton saved me from that fate. The fate of being an abused wife. The fate of living in fear of saying or doing the wrong thing and what would happen if I ever did. The fate of having to be perfect at all times or risk displeasing the man who held my entire life in the palm of his hand.” My breathing became labored from the emotion building in my chest with each word I uttered. Kolton pulled me into his arms, but I pushed him away, so I could finish what I needed to say.
“When Carver made his appearance in our kitchen that night, I was terrified of what he was planning. Not just for myself but for Kolton and Caleb as well. I knew looking into his eyes that there was no way he’d just take me and leave without imparting some revenge for them having helped me escape him in the first place,” I said then paused, allowing my thoughts to catch up to me.
“You don’t have to do this,” Kolton said softly in my ear. “He’s already got your statement, as well as mine and Caleb’s.”
“We also have statements from people at the BBQ that give us a pretty good picture of how your mother and Carver hovered around the fringes, milking information from people but trying ta stay beneath yours and Kolton’s radar. I just came here ta let y’all know that we’re pressin’ charges against both of your parents and Carver Evans for trespassin’ and assault. We may only be able ta get your daddy on conspiracy, considerin’ we had him down at the station at the time of the incident in question, but that’s better than nothin’,” Sheriff Donovan spoke up, placing a hand on my elbow.
“So Kolton’s cleared of everything?” I asked, unwilling to believe it was true unless I heard it straight from the sheriff’s mouth.
“Kolton’s cleared of any wrongdoing,” Sheriff Donovan informed me with a wide smile, and I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. “It’s good ta know he’s got a woman willin’ ta fight for him if he ever needs it. And as much excitement as you’ve brought with ya, I’ll be glad when it all settles down again and things get back ta normal around here.”
“I won’t argue that,” Kolton said, all the tension gone from his body and voice.
“Mrs. Reed!” Justin called out happily from behind us, and I craned my head around Kolton’s body to see not only him but Caleb and the rest of the hands hurrying over to where the three of us were standing. “We’re so glad you’re all right.”
The men came to a stop and gathered around us, and much to my surprise, Kolton released me from his embrace when Caleb stepped up and wrapped his own arms around me in a tight hug. “Welcome home, missy.”
A chorus of welcome home’s followed as each of the ranch hands stepped forward for their chance to hug me and show their relief at my well-being. That’s when the full impact of how rich and full of love my life now was, instead of the barren wasteland of stupid material things my parents had raised me in. Silent tears of joy welled in my eyes, and I did my best to discreetly wipe them away so I didn’t worry this group of guys who cared so much about me. Apparently, my gesture didn’t escape Kolton’s notice.
“All right, all right. Back to work. All of ya,” he said as he shooed them away from me. “I need to get Carissa inside and settled so she can rest up and get back on her feet so we can put her to work too.”
I couldn’t help but laugh when he said that, because I knew then, I would always be his partner and never would he treat me as beneath him. We were equal in all things.
“I need ta get back ta work. Y’all call me if ya need anythin’, and I’ll keep ya updated on how the case is progressin’,” the sheriff said, nodding as we thanked him and then disappearing inside his pickup.
After everyone had left us, I reveled in the fact Kolton and I were finally alone without anything hanging over our heads. No worries about my parents or Carver. No fears of Kolton being arrested and charged with assault or anything else. It was just him and I.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about, darlin’?” Kolton asked as he swept me up into his arms, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“I’m thinking about how wonderful it would be if the two of us could take a nap together without a single interruption,” I whispered, kissing his neck just below his earlobe. After the way Carver had bit down on my earlobe, I had no desire to repeat the experience in any way.
“Are ya sure you’re feelin’ up for that?” Kolton asked, being his typical worrywart self.
“We are only talking about sleep, right?” I asked, playing innocent while fluttering my eyes at him suggestively.
“Darlin’, you’re playin’ a dangerous game right now,” he warned me, and my body tingled with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to reach our room and get him naked.
“I trust I’m in the best hands I could ever possibly be in,” I told him, meaning every single word. “There’s no other hands I’d rather be in than yours. And right now, I’d love to have those hands all…over…me…”
With a growl, he took off toward the stairs, carrying me as if I weighed nothing at all. I couldn’t have been happier if I’d tried.
Epilogue
Kolton ~ Five Years Later
“Kolton Reed, I sure as hell don’t wanna deliver this baby in the cab of your truck, so you’d better step on it,” Carissa snarled as she did her best to breathe through the contraction gripping her, and I desperately tried to focus on the road. We were almost to the hospital, and our doctor should be there waiting on our arrival.
“I’m goin’, darlin’. I’m goin’,” I assured her and received a look meant to put the fear of God in me. She still hadn’t been able to perfect Mama’s look, but she’d gotten better at it over the years. Her look worked on the hands and Bonita May, our three-year-old angel who had both her mama’s hair and eye colors, as well as me wrapped around her little finger as her mama still did.
“Well, go faster. This baby ain’t got the patience of a saint. He or she is rarin’ to make their appearance in this world,” Carissa bit out, gripping both my thigh and the door handle with white-knuckled grips. We’d opted to forgo finding out the sex of either of our children. To us, all that mattered was their overall health and the fact they were loved beyond belief the way we loved each other.
“Well, then it’s a good thing we’re here,” I told her as I pulled up to the entrance of the hospital. I didn’t bother with finding a parking spot, and if they towed my truck, I’d deal with it later. Carissa and our baby were my first priorities as I hopped out, ran around the truck, and pulled her into my arms, even against her protests of weighing too much for me to carry. What she didn’t seem to understand was I absolutely adored the weight and feel of having her in my arms, and there would never be a day that went by that I wouldn’t cherish that feeling.
“Put me down. I’m in labor, not dyin’,” she protested, swatting at me until another contraction hit her hard and her swats became her fingernails digging into my flesh as if she were trying to remove a chunk.
I hurried her inside and told the nurse at the front desk her name. Another nurse immediately appeared with a wheelchair, demanding I place her in it against all of my natural instincts.
“Ya wanna risk droppin’ her?” the nurse asked finally, irritation flashing in her eyes.
“I would never do that,” I stated, horrified this woman could possibly think I’d ever harm my wife and child, even accidentally. I didn’t know what I’d done to become so lucky, but I’d never endanger those I cherished with all of my heart and soul.
“Kolton! Carissa! Good ta see ya,” Cade, the orderly who’d ended up caring for Carissa during both of her ER trips and her last delivery, rounded the corner. “Back ta deliver another one huh?”
“Sure are,” I called back, pride bursting out of me.
“Not if we don’t get upstairs. I’ll be damned if I have our child in the hospital lobby. Stop runnin’ your trap and getting’ your pride wounded and put me in the stupid chair,” Carissa bit out, jarring me back to the matter at hand.
“She’ll be okay. I’ll take good care of her, and ya
can stay with us the whole time like ya did last time,” Cade assured me, and reluctantly, I set Carissa carefully in the chair the older man had moved behind.
“Thank God,” Carissa muttered as Cade stepped forward, pushing her toward the elevator. “Stupid caveman.”
“Sorry, darlin’. Ya know I have a hard time trustin’ anyone else to carin’ for ya,” I replied, not feeling the slightest ounce of remorse for my behavior. I didn’t know what I’d do if I ever lost this beautiful woman, and I had no intentions of ever finding out.
“Cade, tell the doctor I want an epidural as soon as ya leave my room,” Carissa ordered, her knuckles white once again as she gripped the arm rails of the wheelchair tightly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cade replied, nodding his head, even though she couldn’t see him as the elevator dinged its arrival on the appropriate floor and he steered her out.
“And tell him it had better happen fast or I’ll rip his balls off and wear them as a necklace,” she ground out between her clenched teeth.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cade replied again as I felt myself cringe and saw a mirroring expression on Cade’s face at the violence of her words.
“Kolton, I swear if you ever come near me again, I’ll be wearin’ your balls alongside the doctor’s on that same necklace. How could I let ya do this to me again?” Carissa continued as if Cade hadn’t said a word.
“I’m sorry, darlin’,” I told her contritely, wishing I could take her pain from her. I knew she didn’t mean a word coming out of her mouth; it was just the pain of the contractions speaking for her, but it still made me want to hide in a janitor’s closet somewhere until the baby was born and it was safe for me and my manly parts to come out of hiding. Cade gave me a sympathetic look.
“Mrs. Carissa Reed,” Cade said to the nurse who approached us from the desk.
“Put her in room 415. The doctor will be in with her within the next few minutes,” the nurse replied, pointing in the direction of the room.
“Tell her,” Carissa ordered Cade.
“Uh, Mrs. Reed asked me ta let the doctor know she wants an epidural, stat,” Cade said sheepishly, leaving off her threat.
“I’ll make sure he knows,” she replied, and Cade pushed Carissa away before she could tell the nurse what she’d told us in the elevator.
We didn’t need Carissa arrested for threats of violence against the staff, although I was pretty sure they’d heard all of it many, many times before.
Cade quickly got Carissa into the room and handed the standard hospital gown to me so I could help her into it before disappearing as fast as he could. Normally, he’d stay a few minutes and chat, but this time he was wise enough to realize it wasn’t in his best interests to do so.
Carissa spewed threats and cursed the doctor and anesthesiologist for taking so long in the short time it took me to strip her of her clothes and help her into both the gown and bed to wait for their arrivals.
Dr. Moore entered almost as soon as I’d tucked the covers around Carissa’s waist, and I internally gave a sigh of relief. If anyone could calm her down, it would probably be him.
“Well, hello, Carissa. Kolton,” Dr. Moore said as he moved over to Carissa’s bedside after grabbing a pair of latex gloves from a box on the wall. He pulled them on as he used his knee to move the rolling stool in place at the end of her bed. “Let’s check to see how dilated you are, shall we?”
“Drugs. I need drugs now,” Carissa demanded, and the doctor gave her a patient smile.
“One step at a time. How far apart are the contractions?” he asked me as he placed each of Carissa’s feet in a stirrup, spreading her wide for his inspection. The husband in me wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, while the father in me urged him to hurry the hell up and deliver my baby safely without harm coming to my wife.
“Roughly two to three minutes,” I told him as he eased his fingers inside of her, and I had to move closer to her head to prevent myself from turning into the caveman she’d accused me of being just a few minutes earlier.
“I don’t think an epidural is gonna be an option. You’re already dilated to nine and a half centimeters. Ya should already be ready ta push before Dr. Ash could even get here,” he informed us, and my legs gave out from under me. Thankfully, I’d been standing in front of the chair meant for the fathers and landed in that instead of a heaping pile on the floor.
“I will hold this child in until he gets here,” Carissa promised, glaring at Dr. Moore.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. The nurse will be in in just a moment to get your monitors connected, and I’ll check back with ya soon. If ya get the urge to push, push the call button, but refrain from pushing until I can get in here,” Dr. Moore instructed, removing the latex gloves and moving toward the door.
As he exited, the nurse entered and immediately went to work getting Carissa all set up. Just as she finished and offered Carissa a glass of water, Carissa screamed out in agony that she needed to push.
“Damn you, Kolton Reed! I’m gonna rip your dick off and chop into tiny little pieces for doing this to me again,” Carissa ground out between clenched teeth as she dug her nails into the back of my hand and shot daggers at me. She finally found the intimidating look she’d tried many times for, and all it took was hard labor with no meds. My cock literally tried to find somewhere safe to hide from her wrath.
Without hesitation, the nurse pushed the call button herself and went into a flurry of motion. All I could focus on was my beautiful, amazingly courageous wife. I cooed soothing words into her ear while holding her hand and taking all the abuse she threw my way as she did the one thing I never could: brought a life into this world.
“You’re an asshole. I thought you loved me!” she screamed as another contraction ripped through her, and I wished desperately I could take the pain from her.
“I do love ya, darlin’,” I promised her as I stroked her hair back from her sweaty forehead.
“The hell ya do. If ya loved me, ya wouldn’t have done this to me,” she argued, her breaths labored between words.
Where the hell was Dr. Moore? He should’ve been in here by now, I thought to myself as my wife endured pain I could never possibly imagine experiencing.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and I admire ya so much more than I could ever tell ya,” I told her, praying the doctor would arrive soon.
“Take your sweet talkin’ and shove it up your ass, Kolton Reed. You ain’t gettin’ anywhere near me after this baby comes out. I’m not goin’ through this ever again,” she hollered, her eyes glazed with the pain she was experiencing.
I knew she didn’t mean it. She’d threatened that and worse when she’d been in labor with our little Bonnie. Once it was all over with, she’d gone back to being my loving wife.
Dr. Moore finally entered the room, and I heaved a huge sigh of relief.
“Told ya we wouldn’t have time ta get ya an epidural,” he told Carissa as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves and moved into position to catch our baby.
“Go. To. Hell,” Carissa bit out as she sent a death glare his way.
“Baby’s head has crowned and everythin’s lookin’ good. Go ahead and push for me the next time ya get a contraction,” Dr. Moore instructed as if Carissa hadn’t just cursed at him.
It wasn’t long before she was being handed a bouncing baby boy, swaddled up in blue blankets. Never in my life had I ever felt so blessed as I did when I watched her arms wrap around the little human being we’d created and hold him close to her chest.
“Caleb Anthony Reed,” Carissa cooed at the baby. “You’re just the handsomest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
When she lifted her eyes and met mine, we both had tears shimmering in them. We knew without words that both of us would do everything in our power to make sure he was loved and well taken care of.
A short while later, Carissa and Caleb were moved to their maternity room and Caleb, our son’s namesake, joined u
s with Bonita and the rest of the ranch hands.
“Can I hold him?” Caleb tentatively asked as he moved next to where we were cuddled up on the bed as a family.
“Of course you can,” Carissa said with a warm smile, carefully transferring him over to his care.
“I wanna hold him too, Mama!” Bonita declared, puffing up angrily at not being allowed to do so yet.
“After Grampa Caleb, sweetie,” I assured her, grateful for everything and everyone surrounding me.
“Why don’t ya come tell old Uncle Justin a story?” Justin invited Bonita, and she immediately hopped from my lap into his arms. Having a moment without either child, I looked down at Carissa and found her already gazing up at me with all the love she felt in her heart for our entire family.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“And I love you,” I replied before covering her lips with mine and pouring all of my feelings into that kiss.
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