When he was finished, he toweled off and found a terry cloth bathrobe lying on the counter. He slipped it on and ran his fingers through his hair to make it neat.
When he came into the living room, he heard noises in the kitchen. On silent feet, he approached across the tile floor.
“Meow.”
“I know, but I can’t take in a stray. You wouldn’t like it, anyway. You’d have to stay cooped up all day. I’d have to get you fixed, and you’d wind up miserable. Here you have freedom. At least until someone takes you to the pound.” Ash frowned as he heard her small sob. His brows drew together, and his heart lurched a little at the sound.
“Meow.”
“No, Ashes. You’d wind up hating me for taking away your freedom. That’s what it all comes down to. You’re better off here. At my house, there’s no one cleaning fish for you to scavenge from, like there is here.”
“I’ll take him home with me, darlin’, if you want me to.”
Ash realized he’d startled her when she shifted against the cabinet and plopped hard on her ass, wincing when she hit bottom.
He hurried to her and squatted down to help her. “Darlin’, let me help you up.”
Her eyes rose to his and then traveled down his chest and below. She turned beet red and slid back from him. She literally hissed at him and pushed against his chest. “Don’t you call me darlin’. Just don’t. I’m not your darlin’, you asshole. You go over there and sit down. Go. Then you can say anything you need to say to me.” Her chin trembled and tears overflowed her eyes, which seemed to make her even angrier. She had a lot of pride and didn’t want him to see her cry. She snatched the box of Kleenex he located and handed to her, and then he did as she asked. He drew the too-small robe closed as best as he could.
“I’ve had some dumb moments in my life. Real dumb. But yesterday, I outdid myself. I’ve been desperate to reach you since yesterday evening. My head was so far up my ass I should’ve been able to see daylight every time I opened my mouth.”
Ashes the cat meowed and rubbed against her knees then nibbled on her chin. She didn’t say a word but allowed him to continue explaining, and he noticed the tears continued to flow. It made his heart clench to see her like this, so sad and angry.
“I told you someone overheard you, but what they heard they got completely wrong. I know I should not have trusted the source, either, when compared with you. He probably enjoyed bringing me bad news. I wouldn’t let you explain because I thought it would hurt less that way. That was dumb. I’d been hoping for the day you would tell me that you loved me. When that day came, I rejected you. I was as sorry as a man can possibly be, walking fifteen miles in the rain and wind last night. I’ve got nobody but myself to blame for that or what happened yesterday.”
Ash heard a small gasp, but she said nothing, so he continued. “I thought you had come to tell me you were engaged to the man who gave you the ring in the restaurant. I thought that was your big news. And when you told me you loved me, I thought you were saying we could still have something together while you were married to him.”
She gasped again, in outrage and surprise.
“Stupid. I know. The man is your cousin, and the ring is your grandmother’s. I saw you slip it off when you came out to talk to me, and I assumed that was because you wouldn’t want me to see it until you broke the news to me. You see, I had a ring in my pocket, too. I was planning on asking you to marry me yesterday. If I’d just let you explain, trusting that there was a misunderstanding somewhere, this would have all turned out different.”
He looked up at her, but her head was in her hands. He didn’t think she was quite ready for him to go to her yet. “Teresa explained it all to me. Then my sisters damn near beat me to death.”
“Your sisters?”
“The women you saw me with at the club. If we’d been closer, you’d have seen the resemblance, not that it’s any excuse. They’d decided to come out for a visit and surprise you with a welcome to the family bridal shower.”
“Those were your sisters?”
“All you’d have to do is see them to know it. We all have the same color hair and eyes.”
She lifted her head from her hands. “So you thought I was coming to tell you I was marrying another man?”
“Yeah.”
“And when you told me we had no commitments and that I should do what I needed to do you meant get married, not that I should have an abortion.”
“God no! Oh, Lord, no! No!” He lurched from the table, not caring that he cried or that he was on his knees in front of her, begging. He cupped her cheeks in his palms. “Juliana, please tell me you didn’t.”
Tears flowed from her eyes, and she sniffled. “We could go for the world record for most serious misunderstandings in one day, couldn’t we?” she said and smiled through her tears. “No, Ash. I was having this baby, no matter what you thought I should do. But you can see how I would’ve thought that, right?”
Ash nodded mutely, wiping the heels of his hand across his eyes before wiping her own tears. She allowed him to lift her from the floor, and he carried her into the living room to one of the huge, comfortable-looking, overstuffed chairs in the corner.
“Your cousin was ready to kick my ass,” he said, cupping her cheek in his palm, feathering in the strands of auburn hair that framed her face.
“I know. He told me when I let him know I was coming out here. I told him not to.”
“Will you forgive me for ruining your moment and not letting you tell your news? Knowing what I know now, I can’t believe I said things that would hurt you so much. I’m sorry for being such an asshole. You must have been excited and nervous, and then I shut you down like that. I hurt you when you reached out to me. You want to beat on me some more?”
“No, but I reserve the right to revisit that option later. So you drove all night?”
“Until my truck broke down in the middle of nowhere.”
“Where is Ashburn?”
“I took a shortcut through Ashburn and Wilton.”
“Oh, that’s no shortcut. You got all turned around in the highway construction, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but that wasn’t until this afternoon once I was back on the road. I realized it didn’t take any time off of the drive and cost me the rest of the night. I’d have been here at five o’clock this morning if I’d followed Allen’s directions. Nice guy, by the way. Is he the one that taught you to dance?”
“Yeah. He’s a great guy and very protective.”
“I know that now. Got a lot to thank him for. So, you’re carrying my baby, huh?” The shaky quality of his voice touched her heart.
“Yes, Ash.”
“You’re going to marry me, right?”
She scoffed and drilled him with her wolf-blue eyes. “Not if that’s the best you can do for a fricking marriage proposal.”
He lifted her out of his lap and sat her in the chair and knelt right there on one knee and took her hand.
“Juliana Meyer, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Make me the happiest man in the world and become the mother of all our babies?”
“Yes, Ash. Now, get up because when you kneel like that, I can see all your goodies dangling,” she said, then let out an unladylike, snorting laugh.
“Oh, shit! The ring!” It was in his jeans.
“Is it still in your pocket?”
“Yeah.”
He followed her to the utility room and fished the jeans from the sudsy water. He checked both front pockets and found the ring.
“Pew! Those clothes may need a few washings.”
“That’s okay. I’ll go around naked for as long as you say to. Here it is, darlin’. Will you marry me?”
He slipped the diamond engagement ring on her finger, and she smiled happily then hugged him hard. He lifted her from the floor, wrapping his arms gratefully around her curvy body and held her to him.
She sniffled and whispered, “I love you, Ash.”
“And yes, I want you to take Ashes home with you, if it’s okay. He’d make an excellent barn cat.”
“Ashes?”
“Um, yeah.”
“This I gotta hear.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
No fucking way was he wearing these god-awful things. Ash felt like he had nylon panties on. “Damn it, Juliana! They feel weird!”
“That’s because you’re used to blue jeans and underwear.”
“To hell with this! I’m wearing underwear with these.”
“No, you’re not. Come on. These are just basic swim trunks. Haven’t you ever owned a pair of these? It’ll be so much more comfortable. It will make me happy, too.”
“Shit.”
“What did you do when you went swimming back home? Didn’t you ever have swimming trunks?”
“No, like any red-blooded American boy, I wore cutoffs, with underwear!”
“Oh, brother. You’d think I was asking you to wear a man thong or something!”
“But I can feel a breeze.”
“They’ll dry faster, and you won’t chafe. You can’t wear your blue jeans to the beach. Here,” Juliana said as she cut the plastic tie-tag and handed him a pair of rubber flip-flops.
“Oh, no. Crap. I hate stuff between my toes.”
“It’s because you’re used to wearing boots. You look awesome,” she said, admiration in her voice. “Mmm, look at this tanned chest.” Ash was only slightly mollified as she sighed happily and ran her hand over his chest. “And that wonderfully tight ass. Speaking of asses…”
“Don’t. You’re already torturing me as it is. I don’t think anal sex is a good idea while you’re pregnant. And why aren’t you in your swimsuit yet?”
“Because I’m too busy harassing you. You look yummy. I’ll go change.”
Ash looked at himself in the dresser mirror in resignation. They’d gone to the Walmart in Rockport and picked up flip-flops and a pair of swim trunks for him because the weather had warmed up again. When he’d asked Juliana what she’d like to do today, she’d told him she wanted to play in the surf and fly a kite on the beach. The water was too cold, but the sun was out, and they could play on the sand and in the shallows.
The bathroom door opened, and she came back down the hallway. He turned to her and smiled as she modeled her suit for him. It was a pretty, silver one-piece swimsuit. The part he liked best about it was that the neckline plunged, showing off every single luscious inch of her silky cleavage. He had a love-hate relationship with the swimsuit, though.
“Do you think the beach will be crowded?”
“Oh, no. Not this time of year. We may even be the only ones out there.”
“Good.”
“What do you mean, good?”
“Because, darlin’, you look really sexy in that swimsuit. I don’t want you mad at me if I cover you with a T-shirt, nor do I want to get in any fights with strange men for ogling you.”
“Oh, puh-lease!”
“No, uh-uh. I’m not exaggerating. You look amazing. Perfect. Luscious.” As he said the words, he approached, his voice growing deeper and deeper. He smiled at her rosy blush and kissed her when she offered her lips to him.
“Fine. We’ll probably be alone, anyway.”
“Good, because I don’t want you covered up. You need sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen.”
Juliana giggled and said, “You do, too, on those lily-white legs,” and scampered out of his reach.
They cruised down to the beach in his truck, and sure enough, there was hardly anybody down there. Ash removed the intricate dragon kite they’d painstakingly assembled at the house, out of the backseat. The long tails were picked up by the wind currents as they fell to the sand from the truck cab.
Juliana helped him straighten it out. “You know, I would have settled for the My Little Pony kite.”
“Uh-uh. Go big or go home, right?”
They straightened it out and had it up in the air a moment later, the red and purple dragon spinning, flying, and fluttering in an outrageous display of color. They stayed on the beach for two hours, flying the kite, looking for seashells, and building a sandcastle. Another family gravitated toward them on the lonely beach, the two preschoolers fascinated by the large, intricate, and colorful kite. The children squealed and clapped their hands when Ash maneuvered it and made it dance up and down and spin for them in different directions. When it was time to get the fair-skinned Juliana back indoors, they parted company with the family, leaving the kite in the capable hands of the children’s father. The two little boys squealed happily when Ash told them they could have the kite, and they ran up and hugged both Ash and Juliana’s legs and thanked them.
Ash walked with Juliana on the beach, their arms around each other, taking their time. He reached out a hand and slid it over her abdomen.
“I can’t even tell you’re expecting my baby. How do you feel?”
“I feel good, Ash. But this explains why I was so exhausted.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do about the store?”
She smiled happily. “Yeah. Each time I’ve had to take off, for whatever reason, I’ve come back to find the store in good shape, running like it should. There are imperfections but nothing that can’t be fixed. Leah is in a perfect place right now, and I think she’ll be ready to take over in a month or so. What would you think about me resigning from the store in May and taking a little time off, looking into the opportunity at Discretion and see how things work out? I want to focus on us and the baby.”
Feeling sappy and love-struck, Ash said, “I think that sounds perfect. You don’t have to work if you don’t want to. I can support this family. Soon we’ll have the foreman’s house, but if you want to, we can buy land and build our own place. You take all the time off you need. I want you happy, and I want to take care of you, like you deserve.”
“I love you, Ash.”
“I love you, darlin’,” he murmured and brushed her hair away as it fluttered against her cheek and kissed her.
Epilogue
Ash sat beside his very pregnant wife on the couch, lifted her swollen feet into his lap, and rubbed them soothingly. His mom and sisters had warned him about pregnancy hormones early on. He was an A-plus student at mastering the two key phrases for solving all problems and getting out of trouble, “I’m sorry” and “You’re right,” and he employed them liberally.
Truth be told, apart from a few crying spells, which he really couldn’t blame her for, she did pretty well. Besides pain and stiffness in her lower back, her worst complaint had been her appearance. She felt like a whale, and she was self-conscious of her body, especially when she was naked.
Ash figured he was better off putting his feelings to work to show her how he felt about her appearance. He looked upon her expanding midsection with admiration and amazement, not with alarm like a lot of men did. It blew him away that she was willing to go through this for his son. Ash could stare at her shifting belly for hours, and his hands never strayed far from her when he was near. The first time the baby had pushed a little foot against his palm, he’d cried sappy tears.
“Look at these pretty little toenails. How was the morning at the spa?”
“It was awesome. Kerry got me all relaxed and worked out all my sore and stiff spots,” she murmured with a sigh as he lifted a foot and sucked a cute little toe into his mouth and suckled on it, making her moan in pleasure. “Baby.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured in a sexy, assenting tone as he moved to the next toe. He loved being able to help her relax and feel good. Allowing it to pop from his lips, he asked, “What did the doctor tell you?”
“Mmmm, to be patient for a few more days. Emma told me there was something we could do that was safe and effective and might encourage Will to get the show on the road.”
“What’s that?” he asked as he nuzzled he
r instep with his lips, making her shiver and giggle in response.
“Sex, lots of sex. Orgasms and semen both can bring on contractions. We won’t be able to have sex until six weeks after he arrives, and so she says that we should have lots of sex.”
“That’s her professional diagnosis? Lots of sex?” His dick hardened enthusiastically at the thought.
“Yep.”
“I think we should follow doctor’s orders. You feel up to this?”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I’m more than ready. I’m practically horny.” She giggled as he helped her rise from the couch and put his arm around her and helped her back to the bedroom. Though Juliana had struggled with feeling unsexy and had been downright uncomfortable the last few weeks, it hadn’t stopped her from getting creative with him.
He helped her undress, one article of clothing at a time, starting with her pants. She hated the way she looked in them, so he got them out of the way fast. Then he undid the buttons of her top. He kissed her belly as he moved higher and higher then hummed in appreciation as he nuzzled her fragrant cleavage. He slipped her panties from her hips and unclasped her bra, then spent a minute tonguing the velvety undersides of her now fuller, lush breasts. He grinned as he felt his son kick against his cheek where it lay on top of her belly. She smiled lovingly at him, and he nuzzled her belly with his lips on the spot that moved.
As he unbuttoned his shirt and toed his boots off, he kissed her tenderly, careful to not to bump her belly. She pushed his shirt from his shoulders as he unbuckled his belt, removed his blue jeans and his boxers. Soon he was as naked as she was, and they stood kissing in the dim lamplight, their bodies pressed against each other.
Her doubts about her beauty had grown with each new pound and every new inch, and she wondered what she’d be like after the baby came. He reassured her every chance he got, but he felt the best way was to show her with the way he loved her. Ash had become a foreplay connoisseur, doing research and trying it all out on her to see what she liked best. Juliana promised him his instincts were great. He knew what she liked and for how long and where, and in the process, he’d developed an even greater love for her incredible body. She’d told him several times that it was hard to feel unbeautiful and unsexy in the face of such love and devotion.
Box Set: The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 2 [Book 4 - Rosemary's Double Delight (MFM), Book 5 - Spurs and Heels (MF)] (Siren Publishing Romance Collection) Page 40