by Sam Crescent
She let go of his hand. “I’m not going to last much longer, and you’re going to have to be there. She’ll cry and mourn me, but in the end, she’ll be stronger for it. I need you to promise me you’ll take care of her.”
“You know I will. I love your daughter more than anything.”
Janet nodded. “Good. You’re a good man and you’ll be good for her. You all will.” He watched as she settled down, closing her eyes. Darla walked in the room with his brothers several minutes later.
“How is she?” Darla asked.
Jon stared at his woman, seeing the upset in her eyes. She was strong and she’d survive this. Her mother was right. Janet had been preparing Darla for this moment.
“She’s tired.”
Darla took a seat and they all sat down in the silence.
“What are you going to do?” Ryan asked. Jon took Darla’s hand as she whimpered.
“I’m going to give her what she wants,” Darla said. “I love my mom with all my heart. She’s been there with me through everything. Letting her go will be hard, but it’s what she wants. When the time comes, I’ll let her have what she wants.”
She blew out a breath, wiping the tears from her eyes. “God, this is so hard,” she said, holding in sobs.
“We’ll all be here for you. You’ll never have to be alone.”
They stayed until Darla stood. “We can’t sit around here forever.” He knew she wanted to. She kissed her mother, wishing her a good day. Taking hold of her hand, they all walked out of the hospice together. The doctor stopped her to sign over some paperwork.
While he watched her, Ryan and Luke brought her up to speed on what they were going to do.
He wished there was something more he could do to help. Janet had told him what to do—look after Darla.
* * * *
The following week, Ryan sat with Darla as she was reading through one of her course books when the call came in. Jon and Luke were at the bar, going through the stock ready for the weekend. The late autumn feast was coming up and the tourists were flocking to Stone Valley, with more arriving every day. The hotels were bursting and some of the locals were opening up rooms in order to place everyone.
He watched as Darla took the call. Her voice went from happy to sad within a second. Ryan saw her hands were shaking and when she hung up, she collapsed to the floor, sobbing her heart out. Holding her in his arms, he dialed his brothers, shouting down the line for them to come to him. Not moving from the floor, he held her tight.
“She’s gone. My mother’s dead.”
Refusing to let her go, he kept his grip firm and tight. Closing his eyes, he rocked her, hoping she didn’t harm herself or the baby with her sobs. They had all been planning for this moment. He’d talked with Jon and Luke about what they’d do if they got the call. The doctors were certain that Janet wouldn’t make it. Nothing short of a miracle would have helped save her.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
“She’s gone. It hurts and she’s gone.”
“I know. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He kissed her hair but kept his arms around her, refusing to let her go.
“I can’t believe she’s gone. It’s so unfair. She didn’t deserve to die,” Darla cried out.
They were still on the floor when Luke and Jon entered the house. For the next couple of hours, they consoled her. Ryan left to phone his fathers and ask them to take Nathan while they figured everything out.
Jackson and Byron told them to be careful. Ryan agreed, turning off the phone to go back to his woman. Darla had stopped crying. She was wiping the tears away as he entered.
“Are you okay, baby?” Jon asked.
She nodded. “I didn’t know what to expect. I’m so sorry.”
“Are you ready to go and see her?” Luke asked.
Ryan wanted to pummel his brother. He was surprised when Darla nodded. She asked about Nathan before they headed out. He told her he’d arranged for his fathers to pick him up. She nodded and they all headed out toward the hospice.
When they arrived, he was surprised to see Jeremy Norris waiting at the counter. “What’s going on?” Ryan asked.
“I was called with the news. In Darla’s current condition, I wanted to see how she was.” He folded the chart closed and stepped closer.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Did she, erm, did she die in peace?”
Jeremy sighed. “Your mother died happy, Darla. She told me to tell you how much she loved you. You have her blessing to be happy and to go on with your life.”
Ryan rubbed a hand down her back. “Could you wait here while I go and say good-bye?”
They all hesitated. Ryan saw his brothers were nervous about leaving her alone.
“I’ll escort you down. You’ve got no problems saying good-byes.” Jeremy took her hand, leading her down the hall to where her mother was.
Taking a seat in the waiting room, Ryan sat between his brothers. “Everything was going so well. I can’t believe she has to deal with this,” he said.
Their lives were going great. They all shared Luke’s room. He loved having Darla in his arms, and they all changed places on the bed so that none the brothers got chance to snuggle up against each other. Jon changed places with Ryan and Luke, and so did they. It worked for all of them. Their rooms were rarely slept in anymore.
If he got a choice between sleeping with Darla or alone, he’d pick Darla every step of the way.
“Janet arranged her own funeral. Darla shouldn’t have to worry about a thing,” Jon said.
“What?” Ryan turned to look at his brother.
“I came by last week alone and she told me what she wanted, and that she’d organized everything when Darla and Nathan were younger. Janet never wanted to leave anything to chance.” Jon let out a sigh. “All we need to do is show up.”
Ryan rubbed at his temple. “This is a lot to take in.”
“She’s not alone, Ryan. Darla has all of us and we’ll make sure she gets all the support she needs.” Luke tapped his leg and they sat in the waiting area for a long time. None of them wanted to interrupt the moment.
The hours passed and Ryan left to get coffee for all three of them. When Darla was ready, he saw her walking down the hallway with Jeremy Norris. Her eyes were puffy and red, but she seemed to be completely together.
“Mom has done everything. There’s not a thing I have to do,” Darla said.
“Yeah, there is,” Luke said. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her back. “You’ve got to make sure everyone at Stone Valley attends. They’ll be there to support you and Janet. You’re not alone, Darla. You’ll never be alone again.”
Ryan helped her out into the truck and they set off back home. He made sure to thank Jeremy before they left. Part of him felt bad for leaving the doctor behind, but this was about their woman, and Darla would always come first.
Once back inside the house, Darla walked straight through to the back yard. The chill was in the air and she wrapped her arms around her body, looking up at the sky. He walked up behind her. Luke and Jon stepped beside her, looking up at the stars.
“Everything is always so bright,” she said. “How am I going to continue? She was my rock.”
Wrapping his arms around her, Ryan settled his head on her shoulder. “You’ve got us to be your rocks, and there’s Nathan to think about.” He stroked a hand over her stomach. “Janet wouldn’t want you to be hurting like this. She’d want you to love and be happy.”
Darla was silent for a long time. “Okay, I can do this. This is something I can do.” She turned around in his arms. “Take me upstairs and make love to me. I want you all to make love to me.”
Picking her up in his arms, Ryan took her to his room, laid her down on Luke’s bed and slowly made love to her. They took it in turns to show Darla how much they loved her. Ryan stood aside while Luke loved her with a burning passion, as did Jon.
By the end of the night, Darla wouldn’t question their love. It was
* * * *
The funeral service went by without a hitch, and a week after putting her mother to rest, Darla was starting to be her old self. Luke kept a watchful eye on her. The night of the funeral, he’d woken up to find her not on the bed but in Nathan’s bedroom, crying. Their son hadn’t woken to Darla crying, but he didn’t want to take any chances for either of them. He’d picked her up and taken her back to her bedroom, not wanting to wake his brothers up.
Rocking her in his arms, Luke had finally gotten her to talk about her feelings. He hated seeing her like this and wished there was something he could do to take the pain away. When he found out that his mother was murdered, he hadn’t felt like this. He watched as she was stirring a sauce at the stove while Nathan was playing with his trucks on the table. Jackson and Byron were sitting and looking over details for a new house. He heard Ryan and Jon cheering in the sitting room as they were watching a football game.
Stroking his son’s head, he walked behind his woman. She settled against him and he inhaled her sweet scent, looking over her shoulder at the sauce she was cooking.
“How are you doing, baby?” he asked.
“I’m doing okay. I’ll be fine in no time, you’ll see,” she said.
He nodded and caressed her stomach. She was starting to show, with a slight rounding to her stomach. They were going for an ultrasound very soon. He was excited about seeing his kid, and so were his brothers.
“How is the little guy?” he asked, kissing her cheek.
“She’s doing fine.”
“You think it’s going to be a girl?”
“I know it is.”
He chuckled. They were all arguing over what to buy for the baby. Darla wouldn’t buy anything. She thought it was bad luck to buy something for a baby that hadn’t been born. “What do you need me to do?”
“You could drain those potatoes and dress them.”
Luke helped her finish dinner. It was nice to sit at the table, talking with his family. The tension from the attacks had disappeared. There hadn’t been any cause for them to worry about a fresh attack and Luke had stopped activating the security system in the home. They were free, and he felt it down to his core. After dinner, he said good-bye to his dads and it was his turn to put Nathan to bed.
He bathed his son, dressed him, and then settled him down to read a bedtime story. Nathan had to be the easiest child in the world to work with. He was always so happy and he went to sleep on time without any fuss.
Closing the door, he shut the gate he’d installed at the top of the stairs and made his way down to the sitting room. He paused when he caught sight of what was happening. Darla was completely naked and straddled over Jon’s legs. She was kissing his lips and moving down to suck on his neck.
His cock went instantly hard at the sight.
Entering the room, he took a seat on the sofa beside Ryan. His brother was rubbing himself and watching their woman.
“She’s so fucking sexy when she’s horny. Is it the pregnancy that’s making her this horny?” Ryan asked.
Luke shrugged.
He’d noticed Darla was becoming more adventurous and he hoped it was her comfort being around them rather than her avoiding conversation.
She looked at them over her shoulder, giving them a smile. “Are you going to join in?” she asked.
Ryan moaned, standing up and making his way over to her.
Luke shook his head. “I’m going to watch you in action, baby.”
In a matter of moments, they had her spread out on the floor between them. Jon was between her thighs, sucking her clit into his mouth and slamming three fingers inside her tight cunt.
She moaned, and reached behind her for Ryan. His youngest brother presented his cock to her waiting lips. Darla sucked Ryan’s cock into her mouth, her nails sinking into his thighs.
Luke released his shaft from the confines of his jeans. He stroked his palm through his pre-cum and spread it around the tip of his cock.
While Jon feasted on her pussy, she feasted on Ryan’s dick. Luke sat back in his seat, palming his shaft and watching the show play out before him.
Once Jon had brought her to orgasm, he slid deep inside her, making her moan. Ryan cursed, slamming his fist down on the chair closest to him in an attempt to control his lust. Jon fucked her hard, holding onto her hips as he pounded inside her body.
Fisting his erection, Luke didn’t look away, even as her gaze was on him. Ryan pumped into her mouth slowly, giving her time to accommodate him.
He watched as Jon pinched her nipples, running his hand down her body to settle on her slit. Jon stroked her clit and Darla shattered around them. She took more of Ryan’s cock into her mouth until he hit the back of her throat.
Luke knew what it was like to be inside her heat when an orgasm hit her. Jon looked to be losing control. His thrusts were no longer smooth, but erratic.
All too soon, Jon was growling as he thrust inside her a final time. The rapture on his face made it hard for Luke to focus. He waited until Jon cleaned her pussy before getting up from his seat. Ryan had also finished inside her mouth, and she’s swallowed every drop.
Settling between her thighs, Luke stared into her eyes. “I need to know if you’re avoiding something else, or if this is what you want.”
She smiled up at him. “I’ve been sad, and it has hurt to lose my mom, but this is not about that. She would have wanted me to live my life to the fullest. This is what I’m doing. I’m not going to waste another moment crying. I’m going to love you guys how I’ve wanted to love you for a long time.”
He didn’t look away until he was satisfied with her answer. “I love you, Darla. I’ll give you everything your heart desires.”
“Then make love to me. There’s nothing else in the world I want than to be happy with you.”
Gripping his cock, he eased inside her tight body. She was wet with arousal, but he seated himself to the hilt inside her. Slowly, taking his time, Luke made love to her. He didn’t give her a chance to hide as he thrust into her.
With Ryan and Jon, he made love to her deep into the night until she collapsed between them, sated. His woman was back, and he wasn’t going to let anything take her from him.
* * * *
He was losing patience. Derek slammed his fist through the door of his bathroom. Screaming, he looked at the photos on the wall. The bitch was fucking pregnant with another Willis bastard. They were multiplying while he was taking his time to make his move.
Keep calm. Your time will come.
The town was busy and he’d be able to get through without a problem. If he could take out the three men and the pregnant bitch, then he’d be happy. Tearing down all of his plans, he started to think of a new plan to rid his life of the Willis family. They’d fucked his life over and now they were going to pay.
Chapter Thirteen
“So you’ve got to bring a casserole or something,” Tate said. Darla opened the oven to check on the chicken casserole she’d been cooking. The diner was opening its doors for everyone to bring along something special. Tate was taking in some kind of cake while she’d settled for something warm and comforting.
It was fall, with winter just around the corner. She loved the traditions Stone Valley had taken up over the years. The fall festival was always the one she loved.
“I’ve got a chicken casserole, which should be done within the next thirty minutes. Has Bessie really stopped cooking?” Darla asked. She’d not been working at the Flippin’ Tasty for some time now, but she knew the owner loved to cook. The diner always had some of the best food to offer the customers.
“She’s bringing her meatloaf and a couple of other offerings. This is going to be fun. I think she’s doing this for a chance to offer the winning recipe a place on the menu.”
“Whatever the reason, I’m in.” Darla opened the fridge looking at the pumpkin pie she’d made the other day. Most of it was gone and it tasted wonderful when she first pulled it out of the oven.
“I’ve got to go. My timer is going off on my chili. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Sure. Jackson and Byron are taking Nathan. I’ve got to stop off at the Dancin’ Donkey with my men to check on something. They’ve got a surprise for me, I think. They’re being awfully secretive,” Darla said. She was so excited about what they had in store. Last night, she’d caught them whispering and they had gone silent when she entered the room.
They were planning something, and she didn’t know what.
“Was that Tate on the phone?” Jon asked, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close against him.
“Yeah, she’s waiting for us.”
“It’s going to be a fun night. Lots of fireworks and food.”
“Are you going to tell me why we’re going to the bar?” she asked, leaning against him.
“What, and spoil the surprise? No, not on your life.” He kissed her neck, making her shiver.
“You’re not being fair.”
“He’s being perfectly fair,” Luke said, entering the room. They were all dressed, ready to leave. Darla glanced at her watch and knew they were waiting for her. All three of her men had kept her busy this morning with attending to their needs rather than letting her finish her casserole.
Pulling out of Jon’s arms, she went to look through her course books while she waited. She listened to their conversations but they were talking about football or work. Surprises were not something she enjoyed all that much. When the timer went off, she pulled the casserole out of the oven, covered it with foil and placed it in a box so she wouldn’t burn herself.
She quickly put her coat on and walked out toward the waiting truck. They were travelling in two separate trucks to get to the bar, then on to the town for the celebration. She was in the truck with Luke, heading toward the bar. He kept looking over at her, making her nervous with his gazes.
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