Unscrewing the cap of the witch hazel, he poured a good amount of it onto the dry washcloth. Replacing the cap and setting the closed bottle aside, he spread the cheeks of his woman’s ass and pressed the saturated cloth to the swollen tissue of her sweet rosette and held it to the skin gently. Claire’s soft sigh made him know that she was eased by his ministrations, and he was thankful that he could help her.
She was an innocent that was willing to give him anything because of her love for him. He would do the same for her. There was nothing in this world that was more important to him that his mate and their baby. He was going to spend the rest of his life showing her exactly that.
Leaving the folded washcloth between the cheeks of her ass, he pressed it deeper against her rectum to ensure that the witch hazel would do its job. Once he was sure that the cloth wouldn’t move, he walked over to Claire’s bureau and opened the bottom drawer where she kept the sweatpants and sweatshirt that she had been sleeping in since the winter had begun.
He missed sleeping with her naked body pressed against his, but he knew that she was cold despite the way his body threw off heat. He smiled as he thought about the reason. He knew it was because she was pregnant, and that made him happy. Claire still snuggled tightly against him while they slept. He always turned onto his right side and settled his arm across her waist to tug her closer. Claire always took his hand and placed it beneath her sweatshirt to rest it intimately over her breast, not really aware that she was doing it as she was already well on her way to sleeping. It made Jake smile. He loved that she searched for him as she slept beside him.
He pulled the comforter to settle it at the bottom of the bed then quickly dressed his woman in her sweatpants, sweatshirt, and heavy socks. He covered her quickly and tucked the comforter around her securely. Walking back toward the bathroom, he took the time to take care of his own needs. Now that Claire was settled, he could take care of himself.
Washing up quickly, he returned to their bed and settled himself beside his woman. Turning onto his right side, he pulled the comforter up over the both of them and settled his left arm across Claire’s waist. He heard her soft sigh and smiled as she immediately took hold of his hand and helped to slip it beneath her sweatshirt and settle it on her right breast. Jake was careful to hold it gently, settling his hand on the underside of its soft swell. Now that he knew that Claire’s breasts were sore and sensitive because of her pregnancy, he would be very mindful of the way he touched her until the sensitivity had passed.
Claire mumbled words of love when Jake’s hand touched her skin. He smiled against her temple then kissed it tenderly.
“I love you, Claire,” he whispered as he kissed her one more time. He closed his eyes and settled comfortably with his woman in his arms. She was exactly where she belonged.
“Jake,” Claire whispered, fighting to pull herself awake.
“Sleep, angel. You and our baby need rest. I’m here to keep you safe. I always will be.”
“Okay,” Claire said, her voice heavy with the drowsiness that pulled at her. “Love you.”
She relaxed, knowing that Jake was there with her. She felt safe, protected, and loved. She could feel the same emotions coming from their child. Covering her belly with her left hand, she petted their baby gently.
“Our baby loves you, too,” she whispered before resting completely and giving in to the tiredness that she was feeling.
Jake hugged her gently, her words affecting him more than she could ever know. He was no longer a broken man with a dark side. He was whole, he was happy, and he was filled with the light of Claire’s goodness.
“I love you so damned much,” he whispered as he closed his eyes and gave in to the need to sleep.
Thoughts of Claire and their baby soothed him as he slept. It had been such a long time since he had allowed such hope to fill him so completely. He now knew that their future was set. They would be together until the Great Spirit called them home.
Chapter 30
“What do you think, Jake?” Martin Porter asked as he stood beside him on the back porch of his ranch home. “Is it worth connecting the old homestead cabin to my house, or should I just tear it down and add the second addition we were talking about?”
Jake stepped down the back stairs and measured out the distance between the back door of Martin’s home to the front door of the old cabin with his strides. It was feasible to connect the two homes with an additional room. What was more important, though, was to ascertain the soundness of the original cabin. If it was in bad shape, there really was no point in doing it.
“I’d like to take a look inside the cabin, Martin,” he said, looking over his shoulder to look at his high school friend. “The addition we built onto your home made the ranch look like it was the original plan. This might not blend as seamlessly.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Martin agreed. “I know it won’t match, but I’d like to preserve the old home if I could. I’ve had a lot of changes in my life lately. I’ve found that there’s nothing more important than family.”
Jake smiled at Martin, knowing exactly what he meant. Claire had made him realize the same thing. He also knew what had affected Martin in such a profound way.
“What the hell are you smiling at, McKade?” Martin asked, frustration and embarrassment warring within him.
“Not a damn thing, Porter,” Jake said innocently.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Nope.”
Martin stared at Jake and shook his head. “Then get your ass into that cabin and tell me what I should do. I know it will have to be updated if you think it’s worth saving.”
Jake turned and walked toward the cabin, laughing softly to himself. When you met the woman who is your destined mate, everything falls into place in your life. You realize what’s really important. You find that all you want is to make sure that your mate is safe and happy. You look forward to creating a life and a home with that destined mate. He knew that Martin had found that mate. He was glad for his friend. Every man should be happy with the woman that had been destined for him.
Jake looked back at the main house on Porter land. The addition that Martin had commissioned McKade Construction to build for him was testament to the fact that Martin believed that he had a life with the woman who was his. The addition held a bigger master suite, three additional bedrooms, and two new bathrooms. It was obvious to Jake that Martin had made a home to share with his mate and the children that they would have together.
Jake was happy for his friend. He knew that Martin’s façade of indifference was just that—a façade. Martin was a good guy who had looked out for his younger brother Jack for many years. He was a good man, a good friend, and a caring brother. Jake knew that Martin’s mate would find that her life with him would be a good one.
Looking over his right shoulder to view the addition that had already been constructed, Jake realized that Martin had taken his future with his mate very seriously. Connecting the old cabin to the main house was Martin’s way of keeping the tradition of his family alive. Martin’s father had been a good, caring, and loving man. Jake knew that Martin would be the same with his children.
“Are you sure you want to connect this cabin, Martin?” he asked his friend.
“If you think it’s sound, I would like to attach it and maybe make a game room or something for the kids. I want the other side of the cabin to attach to Jack’s place,” Martin said, referring to his younger brother. “I want us to be able to get to each other if the weather is bad and we’re snowed in for a while. I think both of our women would appreciate being able to see each other. Sisters are like that, you know.”
Jake laughed softly. The change in Martin since he had met Amber Matthews had been astounding. It was the first time that Martin had actually committed himself to pursuing his own happiness.
Martin had always been pretty protective of his younger brother Jack. Their parents were in their forties when Jack had been bo
rn. He was a miracle baby to the older couple. Martin had been five at the time and had naturally taken over the care of his baby brother. It had continued throughout their lives. Martin had made it seem like it was no big deal that he had looked out for Jack, but Jack was aware of how much Martin cared about him as well as what his older brother had given up in order to watch over him and help raise him. The members of the McKade family and their friends were also aware of Martin’s sacrifices. He was a good man. Family meant everything to him.
Now that Jack was mated to Sandy Matthews, both men were protective of the two sisters, careful to keep them safe and happy. The Matthews sisters were alone in the world. Both Sandy and Amber were good friends with all of the McKade women, and they were watched over by the McKade men. Now that Jack and Martin Porter had come into the women’s lives, they all were relieved to see that the McKade family was expanding to include Jack, Sandy, Martin, and Amber.
Knowing that Martin was helping Jack with the additions on his own home to accommodate his growing family, Jake was determined to help them with their renovations. To have them connected by the old family cabin was symbolic of the importance that both men felt in keeping connected as a family and continuing the tradition of the old homestead. It was pretty awesome, really.
Jake and his brothers felt the same way about their land and the original family home. Every one of the brothers, their cousin Brody, as well as their friends, each had a plot of land designated to them to build their family home. Each parcel of land was within a mile of each other so that they were close enough to visit or help if the need arose.
Martin flipped up the collar of his heavy sheepskin jacket. “Damn, it’s cold.”
Jake nodded, smiling at the fact that Martin was planning for his kids. His friend had certainly come a long way from the carefree, bachelor life that he led, or so Martin had led everyone to believe. Jake knew better.
Martin craved a mate, a home, and a family just as much as the rest of them did. Martin was a protective man who lived hard, loved deep, and protected the people that he loved. Jake knew that Amber would be happy with Martin. He also knew that Martin was already thrilled to find that Amber was his and was carrying their child.
“It should be warming up soon,” Jake said, continuing with the conversation about the weather. If Martin didn’t want to talk about anything serious, Jake would honor his wishes.
“About time,” Martin muttered.
“Come on, Porter. You know you love it here,” Jake told him, watching Martin nod just slightly before he led the way to the cabin.
“I think the structure is sound,” Martin said, touching the front door and lifting the old board that kept the door closed. He pushed it open, walked inside, and opened all the wooden shutters so that the early morning sun poured into the quaint cabin.
The Colorado weather was one that Jake was used to, but he had to admit that even he was looking forward to the spring thaw and the upcoming summer. He was actually looking forward to it for a few reasons. It was going to be the rebirth of the land and its lush nature, but it was also going to bring the birth of his and Claire’s first child closer. Claire was due on the seventh of September.
It was said that women go through a nesting period before the birth of their babies, but it seemed to Jake that Martin was going through his own need to nest. Of course, he would never say that to Martin. His friend would adamantly deny it and probably take a swing at Jake in the process.
“This cabin is remarkably stable, Martin,” Jake said as he looked around the main room.
There was a sink and counter area off to the right with a black iron pump and an eating area with a homemade table and chairs still in place in the middle of the room set just before the large stone fireplace. A narrow ladder was nestled against the right side of the hearth and open spaces were on either side of the only source of heat for the cabin. The area behind the stone wall of the fireplace was originally used as the sleeping area for Martin’s grandparents.
The ladder led to a loft that ran the entire width and depth of the cabin. It had been where the children had slept. Jake loved the look and the feel of the family cabin. No wonder Martin wanted to try to preserve it.
“What do you think, Jake?” Martin asked quietly. “Do you think I’ll be able to save this cabin?”
“I do,” Jake told him without hesitation.
“Really?”
“Yeah. The walls are sound. We need to install permanent flooring,” he said, indicating the dirt floor of the cabin. “I would also want to be sure that the fireplace is safe, modernize the plumping, and create a better access to the loft, but I think what’s here already will be a good frame for what you want this place to be. It will be a nice addition to your ranch home that will keep your family history preserved.”
He turned to face Martin and couldn’t help but smile at the relief and happiness he saw on Martin’s face. Jake was glad that it had worked out for him.
“Let me look at the loft area,” Jake said, turning and walking toward the narrow ladder. “We’ll probably have to put a new roof on the cabin, but that would be best anyway. You want the cabin to blend with the main house seamlessly.”
“Careful of the ladder, Jake,” Martin warned him, stepping closer as Jake started his climb up the narrow and steep ladder. “You can see that the construction of it isn’t very good. It was made to hold a child’s weight. My brother and I used to climb it all the time, but my father made us stop once we hit our teens.”
Jake nodded in agreement. He could feel the weakness of the ladder under his weight. He knew it would only be a matter of minutes before it cracked under the stress of it.
“I’ll just take a quick look,” he said, standing on the second rung from the top and resting his hand on the floor of the loft to steady himself while he looked around. It looked sound. His men would have to look it over in more detail to make sure that it didn’t need to be reconstructed. “It looks pretty good, Martin. I do think that the ceiling needs work. We’ll care of that when we replace the roof.”
Releasing his hold on the loft floor, Jake grabbed for the part of the ladder that extended above the level of the floor and started to climb down the remaining five rungs. There was a crack and a snap as the thin wood broke beneath his right foot.
Jake tried to jump free but the bottom of the right leg of his jeans hooked on the splintered wood. He tried to pull free so he could land on his two feet, but he couldn’t. His body was wrenched sideways, and he plummeted to the floor.
Martin called out for him as he fell. Jake even felt Martin’s hands grabbing for him, but he was falling too fast and at such an awkward angle that Martin wasn’t able to help him. Jake hit the floor with a resounding thud, landing on his right side and shoulder.
“Hell!” Martin yelled, grabbing for Jake and holding his friend’s head so that it wouldn’t smash against the floor. “Jake! Buddy! Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better,” Jake muttered. He tried to stand but his body wasn’t cooperating.
“Stay there, Jake,” Martin told him firmly as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. “I’m calling for help.”
“I’m not going to the damned hospital, Marty!” Jake told him angrily.
“The hell you’re not,” Martin snapped back at him. “You’re going to go and get checked out.”
“Martin!”
“Jake, shut the hell up!”
Jake growled in pain and frustration, but he did stop his protests. His shoulder and his side were throbbing with pain. His back was twisted and screaming at him. He didn’t think anything was broken, but he knew he had pulled the muscles in his back, side, and shoulder. He knew that this was going to be an injury with a long road of soreness ahead of him.
For the first time ever, he sighed and accepted that he would need some help. He smiled at the thought of Claire taking care of him. Okay. Maybe he could be the dutiful patient for a while. He would accept Claire’s fussing
and massages.
Massages were good. Claire would help him feel better, and then it would be his turn to help Claire feel better. He knew exactly how he was going to do that.
Chapter 31
Claire walked out of the private area where she had just finished working on her client Marnie Archer. She was a sweet young woman who was having issues with the muscles of her lower back due to the fact that she was pregnant with twins. Claire loved seeing her and helping her. She had a specially designed chair for Marnie to sit in. Marnie could lean forward and rest her forehead and shoulders against the cushions of the chair and relax while Claire massaged her back, hips, and upper thighs. Marnie’s groans of pleasure made her smile. Claire was glad she could make the woman feel better each time she came for her session.
“See you next Tuesday, Claire,” Marnie said as she walked to the main counter of the office.
“Take care of yourself, Marnie,” Claire said, smiling. “Make sure you rest like you’re supposed to.”
“I will,” Marnie promised. She pushed back her short blonde hair and tucked it behind her ears as she sighed happily. “I’ll have to tell Steve that it’s doctor’s orders to get me Chinese takeout tonight so I can kick back and rest on the couch.”
Claire couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I don’t know about having Chinese takeout, but you should rest on the couch, Marnie,” she told her, winking. “Maybe you can get Steve to give you a massage later.”
“That will lead to other things, Claire,” Marnie whispered as she leaned into her.
“Do you want it to lead to other things?” Claire whispered back, doing her best to remain serious.
Marnie nodded, blushing lightly as she looked around the waiting room. It was empty, much to her relief. “Claire, you make me admit to things that no one else does,” she said, reaching out and pulling on Claire’s ponytail as it hung across her shoulder, her pretty blue eyes twinkling with mischief. She waved a little wave then slowly walked out of the office.
Jake's Angel [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 33