The Reckoning

by S. L. Scott

  Dalton rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

  “I love it. I really do. All of it. Thank you, Babe, for going to so much effort.” My new ring sparkles on my finger. “How’d you know about the ring?”

  “Oh Baby, I just know these things,” he replies more Johnny than Dalton.

  I eye him. “No really?”

  He wavers, but finally confesses, “I searched online for pink diamonds in Austin. There are only two stores that carry them. I looked them up and put in my price limit and two popped up. One was ugly. The other is very you. Pretty. I took a chance this was it.”

  “You did so much,” I say. “It’s stunning, but you shouldn’t have spent that much on me.”

  Surprised by my response, his eyes squint. “You do realize how much money we have, right?” I gulp, then nod. He continues, “So you might get the occasional extravagant gift. Next time, just enjoy it okay. There’s no guilt attached. I wanted you to have something that you really wanted.”

  “Thank you,” I reply quietly. “I love it.” Tilting my head up toward the colorful sky, I say, “Tonight is magical.”

  “Our love exists beyond the stars. Magic is just a small part of it. I love you, Holliday.”

  “I love you, too.”

  The party carries on into the late night. Near the bar, I spy a familiar face. I walk over and order a Perrier with a twist of lime. “Hey,” I say, resting my elbow on the high counter and turning toward Danny. “Thank you for coming. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “How could I say no? Your boy came by with a personal invite.”

  Glancing at Dalton sitting by the fire pit playing his guitar, I smile. “This was a total surprise.”

  “I think it’s time to admit defeat. The better man won.”

  “Eh, you’re not so bad,” I muse.

  “No, I’m not so bad, but I’m not the man for you. He is.”

  “You’ve changed your mind about him.”

  “I told you way back then that he loved you.”

  “You did.” Changing the topic, I ask, “Did you bring a date?”

  “Nah. I was hoping to meet someone here, but other than your mother, no one else is single.”

  My eyes go wide. “Back off my mother, buddy!”

  Chuckling, he says, “I see where you get your looks, but she’s safe.” Taking his keys out of his pocket, he leans in and kisses me on the cheek. “Congratulations, Holli, on tonight and on the baby. I’m still trying to figure out how Danny didn’t make it into his moniker, but I’ll forgive you in time.”

  “I don’t know what we were thinking. James Danny Dean Hughes Dalton just rolls off the tongue.”

  With a chuckle, he says, “That’s what I was thinking.” We stand there in silence a few seconds before he spins his key ring around his finger. “I’m gonna go. Long drive home. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you around.”

  I reach up and hug him. “Thank you for being here and thank you for being my friend.” Stepping back, I say, “See you around.”

  Later when everybody’s left except for Tommy, Dex, Rochelle, Tracy, and Adam, I sit snacking on sliders and tell Rochelle, “Look at them,” referring to Dex and Dalton. “There’s a mutual respect between them, a friendship that’s a lot deeper than either of them admits.”

  “It’s good to see,” she says. “We have to remember our roots. They’ve made history together as a band, but they’re part of each other’s personal history too. Hey.” She turns to me, placing her arm on mine. “It was crazy at the hospital, so I wanted to make sure you knew how thoughtful it was of you to use Dean in James’ name. I’m so touched by the gesture. I know Cory is too.” She glances up to the star filled night sky.

  “He was an amazing man.”

  A kind grin surfaces. Taking her champagne glass between her fingers, she sips. “He was. I miss him all the time.”

  “Dalton misses him so much. I just think there are parts of us that are left open as reminders to appreciate what we have now.” I follow her gaze back to Dex and Dalton. “It’s okay to miss him.”

  Dex and Dalton are getting louder and drunker. The ties came off hours ago. The more animated they get, the more attention from the few of us that remain they get as well. Standing, they strip off their suit jackets and shirts, leaving them in undershirts and pants. They do another shot of whiskey, then run and jump in the pool.

  “That’s hysterical,” I say, jumping from my chair. “Should we go get ‘em?”

  She nods. “I can borrow some clothes, right?”

  “Yep.” After taking off our shoes, we take each other’s hand. “So much for a Grammy dress.” Together we plunge into the pool. When I come up for air, Dalton’s leaning against the far wall in front of me. Hot as all get out with his eyes trained on me. He licks his lips, beckoning me to him. All wet, I swim, maneuvering my dress higher as I go. When I reach him I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

  With me in his arms, freedom is felt. He spins us around and I drop my head back in the water, letting the water soak my hair. When I lift back up, I ask, “This whole night is amazing. Thank you, but you know you didn’t have to do this to prove anything.”

  “I wasn’t proving anything. I wanted to give you the wedding you deserved the first time. Selfishly, all I wanted back then was to tie you to me as fast as I could.”

  “I was already tied to you hook, line, and sinker, Mr. Dalton. A piece of paper doesn’t change what’s imprinted on our hearts, but it does mean the world that you would do this for me.” Squeezing him even closer, I kiss him hard. “You know what I just realized?”

  “What’s that?” he asks.

  “That you’ve planned both of our weddings.”

  “Yeah, that’s weird. How about the next one, I let you plan?”

  “Sounds good, but yours will be hard to top.”

  “Not talking about weddings at all, I know something I want you to top.”

  He grows hard between my legs. Rubbing my cheek against his, I whisper, “I feel like topping you soon. Should we go to bed?”

  “I’m ready.” He swims to the edge of the pool and sets me on the side. His arms go straight as he lifts himself, pushing himself up. Every muscle defined by shadows and ridges. The white shirt clings to him, showing all the definition of countless sit-ups and pushups. Standing over me, he reaches down and helps me up. Without delay, I’m scooped up as if I weigh nothing, causing me to giggle as we head for the house. At the edge of the patio, he gives a two finger salute and says, “Thank you for coming. I’m gonna go fu— make love to my wife. Goodnight.”

  I’m whisked around and we’re inside before I can even say my own thanks. Setting me down gently, we start to tiptoe once we reach the hallway. James is sleeping in the guestroom with my mom tonight. I fed him twice during the party and rocked him to sleep, so we should have a good four hours before the next feeding. My mom said she’ll use one of the bottles in the fridge to give us extra time tonight.

  Dalton pauses just outside her bedroom, and asks, “Should we check on him?”

  My heart beats faster, wanting to hold him again, but I shouldn’t wake him. “No, let them sleep.”

  We hurry down the hall and straight into the bathroom. Turning around, he has the door locked within seconds. I start tugging at my dress to remove the soaked fabric, but it’s stuck to my body like a glove.

  After starting the bath, he says, “Turn around.” A light pressure is felt and the zipper slides down. He kisses my bare shoulder. “I like this dress on you. You look pretty.”

  “I have a feeling it’s ruined.”

  “You can buy another.”

  “I’ll save this one. It’s my wedding dress after all. By the way, you looked very sexy in that suit. We should find more occasions to dress up or maybe do a little role playing.”

  He works on removing his pants as I tug the dress down. “Like CEO and secretary? I could get into that.”

  “I didn’t know
you had fantasies of being a secretary,” I tease.

  “Ha. Ha!”

  I’m stunned when I look up, all laughter stopping. Dalton’s in front me, a man I’ve seen countless times in my life, but something about him tonight is different. The band earned another gold record, so he has a new gun tattoo on his ribs next to the others, but it’s healed. Besides that, it’s something in his eyes, something I’ve only caught rare glances of before—contentment.

  He’s with me, present in the moment and in our lives.

  I see it all through the mixture of happy and satisfaction blending together in the depths of his dark greens. I kiss him. When our lips part, I say, “What an incredible day.”

  He’s eyes crinkle at the sides and a light seems to spark from inside him. “Let’s finish it with a bang.”

  “Literally?”

  “No, figuratively,” he replies sarcastically. “Get your ass in that tub. I want to take advantage of my wife.”

  “It’s not taking advantage if I give in willingly.”

  He dips down into the water and looks up at me. “Come on in. The water feels great.”

  I slip my feet into the tub on either side of him, facing him and sit down. He shifts until he’s centered exactly where I want him. “You ready for your surprise?” I ask.

  Grinning, he says, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Turning ever so slightly and with my hands on my hips, I angle my left side toward him. His hand goes to my tattoo and runs over it. “You had my name added.”

  In the swirls of colors that blend together in a figure eight on my skin, I added his name flowing on the inside, giving it the life it needed. ‘Choose the Dare’ and ‘Dare to Dream’ still encircle the free-form colors and his fingertip runs smoothly over the design. “I wanted to do it for awhile, but not while I was pregnant. So a week ago, I figured there was no time like the present.”

  “I’m part of your infinity.”

  “You are my infinity, Dalton.”

  Holding me by my waist, he pulls me forward until our mouths come together. As our kisses deepen, I lift up. Positioned, when I slide down his length I suck in a harsh breath. His hands push back my wet hair, away from my face, and he whispers, “Let’s have more babies.”

  I stop moving, staring him in the eyes. “We just had James.”

  “I want a whole band.”

  Relief escapes me. “Thank God you didn’t say team. So you want three or four kids?”

  “I want as many as you’ll have. I just want more with you.”

  Rubbing his cheek, I say, “I’m not going anywhere. We don’t have to rush.”

  “You make me want it all. You make me want more than I dreamed possible.”

  “You do that to me too. But tonight, let’s just be together. Be happy. Enjoy this moment.”

  He nods as I start to move on top of him, loving the feeling of him deep inside. Pushing off of his chest, I lift and drop back down slowly, torturously blissful. Fingertips dig into my skin as his head drops back on the tub, his mouth wide open. Leaning forward I take his lower lip between my teeth and run my tongue over it. When his hand slides over my hips and between my legs, he searches for the spot that he knows will tip me over the edge.

  I rock hard until I fall apart under his touch. The water begins to slosh around us as he thrusts up. Holding the side of the bathtub, I anchor myself as he begins to lose control. Making love becomes needy, and impulsive, deriving from a carnal desire.

  Minutes later, I lie with my back on his chest. The water is cooling around us, but neither of us is quite ready to move just yet. It’s late and been a busy day. I open my eyes and look around the bathroom. That’s when I spot them. “What are those?”

  “Hand towels,” he says, flat.

  I slowly get out, wrapping a towel around me and go in for a closer inspection. I try to hold back my laughter, but yeah, that’s not gonna happen when I see the silhouette of Princess Leia and Han Solo on the towels. Embroidered on one is, ‘I love you.’ The other reads, ‘I know.’

  “Do you like your present?”

  Still laughing, I reply, “I love them and will treasure them always.” I swat at him with my towel, but miss when he jumps out of the way.

  “Be careful. I don’t show mercy when I pop back.”

  A towel comes whipping through the air, but I move just in time. The harsh snap showing he means business. “Eek!” I run for the bed and dive in, quickly ducking under the covers.

  Dalton runs fast. I know he could’ve caught me if he tried. But he comes in slow, almost teasingly, making it clear that I got away only because he let me. With his swagger engaged, he makes his way to the bed—naked, proud, and smirking.

  Good lord, that man drives me crazy in the best of ways. Talk about God’s gift to women. I sigh, swooning.

  “Liking what you see, Angel?”

  “Loving what I see. Now get under the covers with me.” I hold the sheet and blanket up and he slips into bed next to me.

  I can tell he’s tired like me, worn out from the day and the nightcap of activity in the tub. Lying on his back, he puts his hand under his head and looks straight up at the ceiling. “I want to have a girl.”

  Making me smile, I roll onto my side and ask, “Why?”

  “Because we need more Hollidays in the world.”

  I should be able to say so much, but the waterfall of emotions that tumbles through me causes me to choke up.

  Glancing over at me, he adds, “I’m not just saying that to win brownie points either.”

  “You’re not? Cuz I’d totally give you all the brownie points for saying that. Now kiss me, you big charmer.”

  He does and I do, willing to do it anytime and every day. My eyes drop closed and his hand finds my hip. Just a whisper between us, “Sleep, pretty girl.”

  The red dress shrunk from being in the pool and there was no saving it. But I found the best sparkly black dress for the Grammy’s. I wasn’t back to my pre-baby size, but somehow it didn’t matter. I felt good about the progress I had made getting back in shape and I kind of enjoyed having a little more curve for the time being.

  The reporter standing in front of me asks, “Your husband has four nominations tonight. How do you feel about his continued success?”

  “I’m so proud of him and the band. They’ve worked hard.”

  “It takes a strong woman to find her own success in life, be married to one of the biggest stars in the world, and juggle being a new mother, but you seem to handle it so well.”

  “Thank you. I’m here to support his dreams however big or small they may be. He makes it easy for me to succeed as well.”

  “How’s the baby? Are you ready to share the name with the world?”

  “No, we’re gonna hold onto that a little longer, but the baby’s doing amazing. Our lives have changed for the better. Our love has grown in ways that we didn’t know it could. It’s incredible how your heart just opens up bigger than the universe for our children.”

  She catches me off guard when she asks, “Did you send well wishes to Sebastian Lassiter?”

  Having no idea what she’s talking about, I shake my head confused and ask, “What happened?”

  Leaning in as if to tell me a secret, she says, “He was caught sleeping with a married woman. Apparently the heir to the Caslo Department stores walked in on him and broke his nose.”

  I look down, wanting to laugh because this news does not surprise me at all. “I didn’t know. I haven’t seen him since we shot the last campaign.”

  Dalton is next to me, his fingers touching my lower back as he wraps up an interview next to me. He turns to the reporter talking to me, fortunately not hearing the news that I know would make him a little too happy. “My wife looks amazing, right? How lucky am I?”

  She smiles, blushing under his attention. “Very lucky. What are you most excited about tonight?”

  “Celebrating the album with the band and all of the musicians I respect so mu
ch. It’s mind-blowing that we’re nominated with such legends and popular bands.”

  When he’s tapped on the shoulder, he thanks the interviewer before turning. To me, he asks, “They just said we need to go in. You ready?”

  “Yes,” I reply, still uncomfortable with all of this attention.

  The band wins two Grammy’s before their performance. Dalton takes to the mic with the guys behind him when they win Album of the Year. “This is dedicated to the fans. You’ve stuck by us when we struggled to find our place in this world. And you made us believe that we could carry on after the death of one of our own.” He looks down in contemplation. When he looks back up his gaze lands on me. “For me, I owe this and more to my amazing wife who has given me a beautiful life. I owe her everything. Thank you, Holliday.” He steps back and the guys all hug while Dex steps up.

  Dex says, “Thank you to our label, our producer, our tour manager, our roadies, our families, every radio station that plays us, and I want take a quick moment to thank Rochelle Floros. When Cory Dean died, she stepped in and played guitar on the album despite her grief. She’s always been an unsung hero in The Resistance and without her, we wouldn’t be here at all. So here’s to you, Rochelle.”

  The guys walk off the stage and I start searching for anything to wipe away the tears both of them have evoked.

  By the time I pull myself together, the lights go down and the spotlight lands on Dex behind his drum kit. I wait like everybody else, my anticipation building with every second that passes, to see the great Johnny Outlaw himself. When the song kicks in and the spotlight hits Dalton, I’m drawn to the man center stage, my pride for him and love making my heart swell with pride as I sing along to the hit song.

  Captivating.

  Magnetic.

  Charismatic.

  He’s all of those things whether he’s Dalton or Johnny. I watch the man who came into my life unexpectedly and shifted my world on its axis. Things have changed so much over the years since we’ve been together. We’ve changed so much. The biggest difference being that I used to think Johnny Outlaw was for everyone else. He’s not. Just like Jack Dalton, Johnny Outlaw is all mine.