by Rita Hestand
"Because," she didn't bother hiding her irritation with him. "Its lunchtime and you can't even take the time to eat? Since when is that company that important."
Mitch's anger evaporated replaced by a new confusion. "It is a very important contract."
"To who, you or Claire?"
"What?"
"Don't act stupid. You've spent every minute of the day at that office. Now I'd understand it if there was a good reason, but…dammit your family at home is falling apart and you better take a good look."
"What are you talking about?" Mitch raised his voice.
"Don't take that tone with me Mitch. You might be the oldest, but I'm a grown woman now and I can hold my own. Claire has you thinking you have to practically sleep up there and you are buying into this. What I'm wondering is, did you take Sarah for a fool?"
"Sarah? What are you trying so hard not to say?"
"She thinks since the company keeps you that busy, that you don't have time for a family of your own. Mike hasn't seen you in a week. A whole week. That's a long time for a little boy. And Sarah has this suspicion that you used her to get what you wanted and now that you have, you are through with her. You haven't bothered with so much as a phone call. I don't blame her for wanting to leave."
"Wanting to leave?" Mitch's face fell. He looked like a man who just stepped out of a fog.
"I have deserted them, haven't I?" Mitch felt an unease.
"You dropped them both like a hot potato. And for what?"
"Well, this contract means a lot. Mr. Thorpe is here for a couple of weeks and I've been entertaining him every night. That's why I haven't been home."
"He's obviously more important."
"That's not true."
"Look, you say you fell in love with Sarah from the beginning. You courted her, made love to her, and then dropped her, and Mike. All I can say is you won't be elected father of the year, Mitch. It's time you decided what is important to you in your life. Maybe all of us should. That's part of the beauty of what Sarah has brought to us. To make us see what is important in life. She doesn't want your money. She's more than proved that. She doesn't want your car, your pool, your fancy clothes. She wants your love, and you to be there to share it with. That's all she wants. Personally, if this is how you are going to be for the rest of your life, she might be better off going home. And Mike too."
Mitch's fist slammed on the table, bouncing the water everywhere. "You don't mean that?"
"Yes…I do big brother and you better seriously think about it. Because you'll come home one day, and find them gone, and won't know what hit you. I've warned you. That's all I can do."
Leann got up and walked out.
"Leann," he called but she didn't turn around.
"Do you want to order now sir," The waitress asked.
"Just bring me a grilled cheese sandwich and some coffee." He barked.
"Yes sir!" The waitress walked off shaking her head.
What had he done? This merger was important. But then thinking about it, it wasn't that important. Sarah and Mike was the very reason he was working this hard. He planned on taking a couple of weeks off after they were married. Guilt from doing so kept him there almost twenty-four-seven. That and Claire's constant nagging him to stay. But what was worse, he had listened to Claire.
She'd managed to make him feel guilty for enjoying some of his life. Now, she'd managed to create a rift in his family.
He hadn't seen any of this until Leann pointed it out to him. He should have known when his little sister called him at work it was important. He should have realized that he was a walking zombie as it were.
He called Walter Thorpe on the phone.
"So let's wrap this contract up now Walter, meet me at Chili's and we'll sign the papers."
Mr. Thorpe sounded as relieved as he was. "Sounds good, I'll be there in twenty minutes, the one on Highway 75?"
"That's it."
"Great, I'll be there."
Mitch let all the tension that had built up over the past week flow away from him. Claire had drug this out with her insistent dinners every night. Mr. Thorpe was as threadbare as he was. He should have seen this. He should have seen her scheme.
In a little over two hours, they had eaten and signed the contracts.
"I'm very glad you called me. I was beginning to think you wanted out of this deal." Mr. Thorpe said.
"Not on your life. And I've been a blind man for a week, but now I see." He laughed.
"Great. Now I can fly home and see my family again. They were very angry with me for taking so long." He admitted.
"Yours too. You should have said something."
"I will next time we have something this important. Are you going back to your office?"
"No…I'm going home."
Mr. Thorpe smiled, "Me too."
When Mr. Thorpe left, he called Claire. "I won't be back in this afternoon, Claire. I'm going home."
"But what about Mr. Thorpe?"
"I just signed the contract with him. Now I'm going home."
"But…"
He hung up.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sarah was just heading out the door to pick Mike up when Mitch drove up.
He got out of the car, took his sunglasses off and walked straight up to her, kissing her as though it had been a year since he had seen her.
Caught off guard she stammered for control.
When he let her go, he smiled, "Sorry, I've missed you like crazy and I won't ever do that again….Let's go get our son."
He took the keys from her shaky hands and opened the door for her to get in.
All the way there, he held her hand.
Sarah was speechless. She didn't know how to react.
Mike saw them and climbed in the car. "Papa," he leaned over the seat to kiss him. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, kiddo. How about some ice-cream?" Mike suggested.
"Really?" Mike smiled.
"Really."
Sarah watched him closely trying to figure out what was going on with him.
After ice cream, he took them to the park. He pushed both Mike and Sarah in the swings and before the afternoon was over Sarah was smiling too, but she still didn't say much.
Mike was falling asleep in the car before they got home. "Did you finish your contract?"
"Yes, we signed this afternoon. Mr. Thorpe was as glad as I was to conclude our business." He explained. "I want to apologize for coming home so late all week, and not calling you."
"I guess you were too busy…" She said sadly.
He pulled her chin up as he parked the car and kissed her. "I'll never be too busy for you or Mike again. I promise you."
She laughed now. "Leann talked to you, didn't she?"
"If you're asking me if she told me that I had deserted you and Mike, yes. She woke me up. I'm glad she did. I didn't know she had so much spunk about her." Mike laughed.
When she went quiet again he went on to explain.
"I've been on some kind of work drunk for a week now. It wasn't entirely my fault, but I won't let it happen again. She made me see what I was doing was all wrong. For all the wrong reasons, money. I don't need money that badly." Mitch admitted.
"I'll admit I was feeling guilty about taking so much time off before. And that I had plans for taking off a full two weeks for our honeymoon. One week, just for us, me and you, and one week for the three of us, me, you and Mike. You're my family. I want to do it up right. And we need to discuss how we want to get married…"
"I'd like a preacher…" she said.
"In the church?"
"Yes, with Leann and Jerry as our witnesses if they can make it. If not it will have to be Ray and Lucas."
"Sounds perfect to me." Mitch agreed.
"How soon…?"
"How soon can you take off for a honeymoon?" She asked.
"About two weeks from now."
"Sounds great…" She smiled.
"Let's go
in and relax a while." He said opening the back door to take Mike in his arms.
Mike woke up. "I'm hungry."
"Well, let's go wrestle us up something to eat then." Mitch suggested. Then he opened the car door for Sarah, and leaned to kiss her.
"The neighbors will talk." She whispered.
"Let them…."
Mike ate three hot dogs and chips, then went to change his clothes and went swimming.
"You need to wait a bit before you go in. Never go in on a full stomach." Sarah informed him.
Mike waited, telling Mitch all about joining the soccer team and how much he had learned.
Later he went into the pool.
Sarah and Mitch sat out on the patio, watching .him. He had learned to float and dive from the diving board. So he was showing off for them.
"I think I'll go play with him a while. Will you excuse me?" He asked.
"Of course…" She began but he took her chin in his hand and kissed her warmly. "I think I'm going to need another bubble bath this evening."
She looked flushed but didn't say anything.
He went inside to change into his suit then came back out and jumped in the pool with Mike.
They played all sorts of games until Mike was worn out and they had emptied half the pool water with their antics.
They both came out and Mike climbed into Sarah's lap. He was about to go to sleep, when Mitch grabbed him and took him to his room. "He needs a bath."
"He can take a shower in the morning. Let's let him rest. I think I wore him out."
"Maybe, but he enjoyed it." Sarah said as she kissed Mike's forehead and Mitch pulled the covers up on him.
As they walked back out, he took her hand. "So where's my bossy little sister?"
Sarah laughed. "She's probably out with Jerry."
"If I know her, she'll steer clear of me for a day or two. I just wanted to thank her."
"For what?"
"Opening my eyes for one thing." He admitted.
"Please don't be mad at her…she meant well."
"I know that. I'm not mad at anyone but myself. Where is everyone?"
"Ray's back on his shift. Lucas and Emily had another banquet. Of course I don't know where Daniel is. Don't you worry about him some?"
"Of course I do. I wish he'd consider coming to work for me. I don't want to see him shot or killed." Mitch explained. "But he loves the work."
"You all seem to."
"How did Lucas come out with the TV show?"
"They got second place and another chance at the big one in six months."
"Great, he deserves it."
"You should have heard him bragging on Emily. He said she did everything just right and it helped him so much."
He stopped and pulled her to him. The kiss was electrical, and revived her spirit and soul.
Mike came trudging back to them but when he crawled up in Sarah's lap to go to sleep, Mitch took him to his bed.
He came back about thirty minutes later and she was closing her eyes.
He leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes flew open.
"You always take my breath away…," she whispered.
"Let's go find that tub now…" He pulled her arm.
"But it's still light outside…" She protested.
"So…that'll give me more time…" He smiled.
"You're crazy!"
"Si." He laughed.
He waited while she ran the water.
But when she came out she was naked and she stood before him boldly. "My God, I've missed that."
"What…" her voice lowered from his totally turned on look.
"Looking at you like that." He picked her up in his arms and kissed her all the way into the bathroom. He hurriedly stripped his clothes and flung them across the bathroom, then he picked her up by the bottom, He fit her to him, and she wrapped her legs around him. He sat down with her in the water.
He kissed her again, his lips caressing her, her jaw, her ear, her eyebrow, her forehead, and down her nose, to her waiting lips.
He left her mouth to trail fiery kisses down her neck, every inch of her neck, and her ear, where he whispered sweet words of love to her. Steam seemed to surround them as she slid her body up against his. Boldly, she straddled him in the water and presented her breasts as an offering as she bent toward him.
When he took one breasts in his hand, his lips took her nipple gently between his teeth, as his tongue laved slowly the pert nipple. She leaned her head back and pushed her breasts forward so he might have complete access to her. The way her hair fell back, her neck stretched and her breast stared at him, he found her more than provocative. He enjoyed just looking at her.
He moaned the pleasure, as he watched her. "You are so provocative…so sexy…there are no words for the way you make love."
"I'm a complete sacrifice tonight; you may have anything you desire."
He rolled her over so that her face was away from him, and he sunk down low in the water, pulling her bottom on top of him, he entered her there, and then he laid her back against him and continued to caress her breasts. The way he made love to her breasts made her so hot she was climbing him. She fell back against him in total abandon. The new experience both shocked and pleased her. He was so gentle with her, and yet, his ardor had her moving her hips against him, wanting him to crawl inside her deeper.
He kissed her neck, and again the love words flowed between them. Words meant only for lovers.
Her breasts bounced about, but he kept soaping them and massaging them and her nipples were erotically erect against the palm of his hand as he continued to soap her slowly. "Holding you like this is heaven, touching, caressing, kissing. I'll never tire of it."
"Me either," she purred, and kissed his chin.
They stayed that way for some time, kissing, loving. Finally, he rolled her over and entered her. She held on to him tightly, her fingernails gently clawing him. Her fingernails raked his buttocks and he went deeper inside her. She moaned the pleasure of their union.
They climaxed together and collapsed in each other's arms after the moments of rapture. She cuddled into him then and they slept until the water got cold.
He wrapped her in a towel, dried every inch of her slowly, pulling the material across her breasts in slow pats, and then massaging her again with his hands.
They went to bed and this time he stayed, all night, cuddling with her against him, naked and free. The soft feel of her would have his hand moving against her every now and then and he kissed her many times before dawn.
He watched her get her clothes out to wear, and he helped her dress, enjoying every moment of it. He put his hand on her naked hips and measured them.
"What are you doing?" She giggled.
"Seeing how easily you will have my children. Your shape is good, so you should be able to have many children, if you want them."
"Do you want me pregnant all the time?"
"Pregnant women are sexy…" He murmured.
"Then I shall stay pregnant for you as often as you like…" she smiled. "A woman likes to stay sexy for her man."
"Honey you don't have to try. The first day I met you, I thought you sexy as hell."
"You didn't say anything."
"Didn't want to scare you off." He laughed.
"I'll admit, I looked at you too."
"Yes, and what did you think."
"That I'd never met a sexy plumber before."
He shook his head and kissed her.
"We better go, Mike will be up."
"You are right. I love you Sarah, and don't you ever forget it, or how much…"
She tiptoed to kiss him.
She was barefoot and as she was about to slip into her flip-flops, he helped her.
"Remind me to tell you next time about my foot fetish."
"Save it for the honeymoon," She laughed.
They walked out together, hand in hand. Leann spotted them as they came in the kitchen. "Sit down and try my pancakes."
"Of course," Sarah agreed.
"Good to see you brother…" Leann winked.
"Thanks…" he said, his eyes sending her a private message of thanks.
She nodded. "Well, what do you think of them?" She asked Sarah.
"Wonderful…absolutely wonderful." Sarah smiled.
Mike came dragging in, he was dressed and had brushed his teeth, but he looked a little sheepish.
"Something wrong, peanut?" Sarah asked him.
"I don't feel too good." He said. "I think the pool made me sick."
She touched his forehead, "You are running a fever. You better get back in the bed after you eat. I'll call the school…"
"Okay…"
He ate a few bites and then he got up and went back to his room.
"Is he okay?"
"I don't know. I'll watch him for a while." Sarah said.
"These pancakes are great Leann. You might make a good cook after all."
Leann stuck her tongue out at him.
"I've got to get back to work. I promise I'll be home as early as I can though." Mitch leaned over the chair to kiss Sarah. Then seeing Leann's mouth hanging open; he kissed her on the forehead.
Leann turned to look at her brother who went to change his clothes. "He's in a good mood."
"Si…" Sarah smiled.
"Oh…no wonder." Leann chuckled.
"Is anything going around at school?" Sarah asked.
"The chicken pox…"
"Oh I hope not…" Sarah fretted.
"Call me later if you need anything for him. I can get him a doctor appointment if you need to."
"If he breaks out, I know what to do. We'll wait and see how he feels later. I will call you though."
"Great. I better run. Hate to leave the dishes, but I got to be there early today."
"No problem." Sarah smiled.
When Mitch left, he planted a more than amorous kiss on her lips. "Call me if Mike gets worse or you need me."
"I will…"
She cleaned the kitchen and went to check on Mike. He was in bed, asleep. However, she already saw several spots breaking out on him.
She went to check and see if she had an oatmeal bath in her things. She had one package. She'd call Mitch later to bring some more home.
As she cleaned the house a little, she reflected on the night. She was sure Mitch loved her, and he loved his son. She had to trust that all would be well from here on out. Because she loved the man to distraction and she secretly couldn't wait until she was his wife.