A Valentine's Quest (The Valentine's Trilogy)

by Sam E. Kraemer

  Of course, Miri didn't yet know Cara was pregnant because Mom hadn't worked up the nerve to tell her since Cara wasn't married. I remembered Mom giving Miri shit when Quinn got Marisol pregnant in high school, so I was sure Adsila Valentine wasn’t ready to take hear the damnation speech Miriam Tucker would give her, nor was she ready to eat the crow which she was due. The pride in those women was truly unbelievable.

  I turned to Cara to see her face pale to paperwhite before she ran down the hallway to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. Gray moved closer to me. "This isn't helping as I hoped it would. I thought if she saw the babies, she'd change her mind. I think she's just solidified her decision to terminate the pregnancy," he whispered sadly.

  I wrapped him in my arms, hoping to comfort him. "Let's not give up yet, okay? I'll be back." I kissed his forehead and released him, walking down the hallway to the ladies' room where I waited for my sister to reappear.

  When she came out of the bathroom, she was still quite pale. "You okay?"

  She looked at me like I had three heads. "Yeah, I'm just fucking great. Did you hear Miri Tucker? All those hours of labor? I ain't doing that shit, Derek. I'm keeping my appointment," she snapped, referring to her date with a doctor to terminate her pregnancy.

  I looked down the hallway to see Gray with a smile on his face as he gazed into the nursery, looking at all of the beautiful little babies. "Okay, sis. If that's what you want to do, then fine. You do it," I told her as I walked her back to the window.

  When I returned with Cara following slowly behind me, I saw Quinn, the proud poppa, in the nursery window holding up two gorgeous little girls so we could see them. They were absolutely beautiful, and he wasn't ashamed of shedding the tears of joy at their safe birth as he stood there with his two new loves.

  I turned to Cara, seeing her watching Quinn. There were small tears rolling down her cheeks, so I leaned down and asked, "What's wrong, Sissy?"

  She discreetly wiped her nose on my sweatshirt sleeve, which I chose to overlook because I was worried about her and I’d likely throw it away once it was off her. "I'll never have a man cry over the baby I'm carrying." The fact she called it a baby was a miracle unto itself. She'd only called it…it. I turned to see Gray looking at her as he discreetly stepped over to us.

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder while placing his hand on my arm. He leaned to state quietly, "Cara, I'd cry over the baby you're carrying, and I'd keep it safe until you decide what you're ready to do. If you carry it to term, I'll be the baby's guardian. And if you decide you don't want it, then I'll take care of it for the rest of my life. I know I'm young, but I'm not stupid. I'd take very good care of your child," he told her honestly.

  I saw my sister touch the little bump under my big shirt and look at Gray. "Why would you do that?"

  He smiled and wiped a tear. "Because everybody deserves a chance at a happy life. I'm not anti-choice, but if you have any desire to maybe interact with your child someday, I'd welcome it, Cara. I believe everyone’s entitled to have the life they’ve worked for, and you’ve worked hard toward your future. If there is a possibility the day would ever come and you’d want to have your child in your life, I’d be more than happy to nurture it and love it for now until you decide. You could be as big or as small a part of its life as you’d like," Gray told her.

  She looked at the babies in Quinn's arms and then she looked at me. "How do you feel about this?"

  I exhaled heavily to stall for time because what I was going to say wasn't going to be anything she'd expect. I had always lived my life for me, so to sacrifice for another wasn't anything I thought she'd expect me to say. "If it's a boy, I want it named after me."

  Cara giggled. She turned to Gray and pulled him down, kissing him on the cheek. "Let me think more about it. I have a few weeks before I have to make a decision, but I'm glad to hear your thoughts. Thank you."

  We stayed at the hospital until we could see Marisol. Gray went to the gift shop and bought flowers and little, pink teddy bears for the girls, and the three of us left the third time the nurse cleared her throat at us because visiting hours were long over.

  Miriam and Tom were at the house with the four, older Tucker kids, and Quinn was set to stay at the hospital with Marisol and the girls, so the three of us left to go home, happy the mother and baby girls were sleeping comfortably.

  Mom and Dad were in bed when we got home, so we said our good-nights before Cara went upstairs. Gray and I want to find food because we'd missed dinner and were starving. He retrieved a dish from the fridge and opened it, smiling. "Smells like ‘King Casserole’. Want some?" I went to the cabinet and found two plates without responding, handing them to him so he could dish it up because I was fucking starving.

  After the plates came from the microwave, Gray placed them on the table and went to the fridge, grabbing two beers and the hot sauce. He sat down across from me, and we both dug in. After a few minutes with no conversation, I decided we needed to get some things straight.

  I took a gulp of my beer and wiped my mouth. "Hey, that shit Cara said earlier? That's not at all how I feel, and I hope you know I love you and I mean…"

  "Derek, don't. I know she's not in a good place right now, and she's trying to wrap her head around what's going on in her life and inside her body, okay? I mean, she's not wrong. You're thirty, soon to be thirty-one, and I'm nineteen. Maybe you'll change your mind. It's not like it hasn't happened before," he responded as he worked at cleaning his plate.

  I dropped my fork and looked at him. "Again? What the fuck do I have to do, Gray?"

  I could see he was upset, so I calmed down. It wasn't his fault he was questioning me. It was my sister's fault because she'd fucked up her life and made the decision to take a crack at mine because misery loves company, I guessed. I wasn't going to let it happen.

  I took him into my arms and thought before I opened my mouth. "Okay, let's go with the worst case scenario. You find a young guy and you leave me. If you fell in love with someone else, I'd let you go. Well, I’d let you go unhappily, but I’d let you go. I only want you to be happy in life, baby boy. That's the only goal I have in life. I want you happy," I told him honestly.

  He looked into my eyes, and I could see the look I had hoped for…the look I expected. Cara might think she knew my Gray, but she didn't, not like me. I knew the man I loved. He was strong, and he had his mind set on what he wanted for his future, and it was me. I didn't have one doubt in my mind he wanted a life with me, and God knew I wanted him.

  "Let me go? Like that's a decision you think I'd make? Let me go? You try to get rid of me, you big jackass," Gray dared as he stomped up the stairs of my parents' home. I heard the bedroom door close a little harder than usual, so I rushed around the kitchen to clean up the mess as quickly as possible. I was trying to be as quiet as possible because I wanted to get upstairs to him and work out that little tantrum he’d just thrown in the kitchen which had my blood racing.

  Of course, my mother had a sixth sense about when someone was in her kitchen. She walked into it and saw me loading plates into the dishwasher. "You didn't rinse them," she criticized me.

  I turned to her and grinned, though it wasn’t easy because a small part of me wanted to strangle the life out of her. "I thought the sound of water would bring you down here. I'm glad Dad's not here because he tends to stick up for you, but you and me? We're gonna hammer this shit out before you ruin the best thing ever to happen to me.

  “Between you and Cara, you're bound and determined to see me living a miserable, lonely, existence, and I want to know why? It's not gonna be that way, I promise you. I don't give a shit what the family thinks about Gray and me. I love him, Addy. You have to at least respect love," I sneered.

  With that snappy rebuttal, I went upstairs to my old room and let myself in, locking the door behind me. Gray was standing at the side of the bed, and I could tell he was still pissed. God, the sex is gonna be great! It’s just not gonna be at
my parents’ home.

  "Hold onto that anger until tomorrow afternoon. We're going home in the morning, and we're going to hash all this shit out. My mother and sister have some things to think about on their own. If they get their shit together, we can come back for New Year's unless you'd like to go to a club or something," I told him as I unbraided my hair.

  I felt him gently bat my hands away, moving his fingers until my hair was freed. He gathered it up in his hands and smelled it, inhaling the shampoo I used which it seemed he liked as much as me. The scalp massage he’d given me the previous night and the sexy times after still had me reeling.

  “So, I was at the store today getting last minute stuff and I had an idea. How about we take a nice bath together and I’ll give you a scalp massage? I’ve been reading about it on the internet between classes, and I think it might help you relax,” he offered.

  Without waiting for another invitation, I started stripping and by the time I landed in the bathroom, I was buck naked and setting the water temperature to fill the tub. Gray stepped up behind me and bit my bare ass, making me jump and laugh. “Stop that, young man,” I teased as I sprinkled in some good smelling stuff he’d brought home a few weeks prior. It fizzed, and it smelled good, and I loved it.

  I turned and stripped him as well, dumping all of our clothes into the proper laundry bags, which always made him smile, and then I started to unbraid my hair. Like every time, Gray pushed away my hands and took over, running his fingers through the strands once it was loose. I sat down in the front of the tub and he crawled in behind me. It wasn’t our usual position, but it was nice.

  I sunk down and went under to wet my hair before I slipped back between his legs and rested against his chest, my long legs crossed like a pretzel. I was grateful we had a long tub or I’d be in the fucking fetal position.

  “What did you do today?” I asked as he gently pushed water over my chest before he wrapped his arms around my neck and rested his chin on top of my head. He was quiet for a minute, but that was fine. I’d never taken a bath with anyone…well, not since I was four or so and Quinn and I would spend the night with each other. I just remember making a big mess and getting yelled at back then. It was nothing like the erotic experience of taking a bath with my Gray.

  He didn’t answer, and just when I was about to turn around and see if he was okay, he reached down and grabbed my cock, slowly stroking me as he bit my ear and whispered, “I love you, Derek Valentine.”

  The time for talking was over, and after he massaged my scalp and washed and conditioned my hair, I fucked him against the shower wall before I rinsed the conditioner from my hair. Gray braided it for me after we got into bed, and I fell into the most amazing sleep, ever.

  I felt his hard cock brush over my ass which brought me out of the memory, and I smiled before I hardened my features. "Save it, Carson. We'll get all of this shit straight at home, and then we'll have make-up sex. We can't do it here because you're too loud," I stated. His giggle lit up my heart.

  Ten minutes later, we were settled into my old double bed. I was spooned up behind him, holding him tightly to my body where he was supposed to be…for the rest of his fucking life if I had anything to say about it.

  ##

  We stopped by the hospital on our way out of town the next day. I’d decided we weren’t staying at my parents’ home to play along with Addy’s fantasy of a perfect Christmas with her brother and sister-in-law, all of us lying like rugs because of her damn pride. I was done with it.

  It was Christmas Eve, and Gray had insisted we stop at Wal-Mart to buy some food for Quinn and Mari, along with Christmas stockings for the twins so they could have their pictures taken for their baby books. We were going to drop off the things we had for the kids on our way out of town. I, for one, was actually anxious to get home.

  When we arrived at the hospital, Gray grabbed the bag of bagels and croissants he'd purchased, and we hurried inside. It was cold as a mother fucker and neither of us had brought a warm coat so we huddled together in the cold breeze.

  We arrived on the maternity floor, and quietly slipped past the nurses' station because we were too early for visiting hours. We walked into the room to see Quinn asleep in a recliner in the corner. Marisol was awake and nursing one of the twins while the other was sleeping in the plastic basket on wheels.

  "Hi, Mari," Gray whispered as he walked over to the side of the bed and kissed her forehead. I froze at the foot of the bed. Her boob was out, and I wanted nowhere near it.

  "Hola, mijo! Cómo estás?"

  "Great, mamita. How do you feel?" Gray asked.

  "Sore. I really wanted a C-section, but it all happened so fast, I didn't even get the good drugs," Mari whispered as the baby continued to do its thing.

  Gray giggled and grazed a finger over the little girl's cheek. "They're both so beautiful, Marisol. Which one's this?"

  "This hungry one is Anita Grace. She's the little piggy. The other one is Christina Valerie. She's the sleeper." Mari then pointed at me and turned to Gray. "What's his problem?"

  Gray looked at me and then looked at little Anita before he started laughing. "I believe your breast has him somewhat stymied. Did he ever date girls?" Gray asked as he took a seat in the chair next to Marisol’s bedside. He waved me over, but I declined.

  Marisol rolled her eyes and pulled the baby off her milk machine, covering herself with the gown she was wearing as she put the baby over her shoulder and gently tapped her back until we all heard a little burp. Marisol turned to Gray with a bright smile. "Ever changed a diaper, Uncle Gray?" she whispered. He shook his head and smiled in return.

  "Well, let's give you a lesson. I expect her godfather to be able to change her diaper when he comes over to see her." Gray's breath hitched. "Godfather? Me?"

  Marisol grinned sweetly. "Of course, you silly man. Her middle name is a take on your name…Gray…Grace. Just like Valerie is a take on that idiot's…Valentine…Valerie. We want you guys to be the godfathers for these two.

  “My sisters, Juanita and Rosa, are going to be the godmothers, God help us. They're eighteen and twenty, and they don't like kids at all. My parents are forcing me to include someone from my side, so I chose the two who wouldn't ever give you problems if something happened to us."

  "Derek, pull your head out and reach under the bassinette for a diaper and the wipes," Marisol told me.

  I looked around, and when she pointed to the clear basket, I walked over and grabbed the items she'd requested. I handed them to her and leaned forward, kissing her forehead and then the little girl's. "Hello, Mari. Hello, Gorgeous."

  Marisol turned and kissed my cheek. "Hello, Uncle Derek. Were you listening when I was explaining to Gray about wanting the two of you to be godfathers?"

  "Of course I was listening. I'd be honored. When's the christening?" I asked as I looked at the baby in her arms. The child was God’s love on earth, I was certain. She looked exactly like the other sleeping baby, and I wondered how they could tell them apart.

  Gray and Mari spoke quietly while he changed the baby's…Anita's…diaper. I pretended not to watch, but I did watch and pay attention. With all the talk of babies in our life, I was certain it was something I'd need to know in the future. If we ended up raising Cara's child, I'd be sharing the load with Gray. I'd take any instruction Mari could give because neither of us knew shit about raising a kid. I prayed we had a guardian angel because it was going to be a long road. At least I'd walk it with Gray.

  Sixteen

  Gray

  "What’cha makin' Gray?" Cody asked as I was at the stove. He was quite a handsome young man, just like his father, and I smiled at him, happy he felt comfortable to speak to me directly. He was always quiet, but it seemed he felt okay to talk to me and I was grateful. We were at the Tucker’s for Christmas, and I was excited.

  Derek and I didn't go home for our private Christmas as we’d planned. After Quinn woke from his spot in the recliner, he called home to check on t
he other kids. We heard a lot of ‘uh-huh’s’ and ‘I know, but’s’, and when he hung up and explained the situation to Derek and me, we didn’t even discuss it between us, out loud.

  We volunteered to take care of Quinn and Marisol's four kids because it seemed Miriam and Tom were overwhelmed with taking care of all of the kids at once, for the holiday. Derek said he didn't think Miriam actually understood children, based on the way she was treating them after Quinn explained the complaints each kid had voiced.

  Marie, crying to her dad about all Grandma Miri would allow them to do was watch an old Christmas movie, was all it took. I knew we were both suckers, but Derek would try to hold out for going back to Houston to offer me the Christmas he’d promised, so I looked at my man with my most pathetic face, hoping to garner sympathy.

  The man I loved, well, he knew the look and smiled. "How about we go take care of the kids until you guys come home? We can give Miri and Tom a break, and Gray and I can keep the other four occupied. I’m sure your mom’s probably better with newborns than she is with older kids because she has a different take on what's fun, just like Addy.

  “We don't mind staying with them, Quinn. In fact, we’d be happy to stay at your house instead of Addy’s," Derek offered, looking at me as I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

  "Really? It might be a few days before we can bring the girls home," Quinn told us.

  "Why the hell not! They don't have access to matches or dynamite, right?" Derek teased. The four of us laughed, and when we left the hospital after Derek and I had each learned to diaper a baby, we went to the Tucker house.

  Thankfully, Quinn had called his mother and told her we'd relieve her so she could come to the hospital to gush over the babies. After a discussion between us, Derek relented and called Addy to tell her we were staying in town to take care of Quinn and Mari's kids until they brought the girls home.

  Addy, in turn, told him she was moving Christmas dinner from the Valentine home to Quinn and Marisol's, sans Addy’s brother and sister-in-law. She further instructed I should clean their house and make some sides for the meal. She was bringing a ham, and I should call her if I needed anything.