Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  “The paternity test proved he’s not the father,” the female guard replied, as she tried to hold Mallory down.

  The guards had their handcuffs at the ready, while the others in the room exchanged worried glances. One of the guards attempted to cuff her, but she elbowed him in the stomach before running into the hallway.

  The guards caught up with Mallory and dragged her back into the room. She screamed and struggled with them while they shackled her arms and legs to the bed. “Stop it! No!”

  “This is why we don’t tell them their due dates,” the female guard explained to the doctor and nurses. “They always try to escape.”

  “Oww,” Mallory said, as one of the nurses injected her with a sedative. She continued to struggle against the restraints, but within a few minutes, she felt as though her body had turned into jelly. She tried to cry out, but her voice was more of a whimper.

  Once she was sedated, an intravenous line was started. “She’s really out of it,” the nurse said. “And I don’t know how she’s going to push with her legs shackled.”

  The female guard crossed her arms over her chest. “If we remove them, she might try to escape again. Can’t do it.”

  The nurse shrugged her shoulders. “Okay. I guess she’ll just have to manage.” She began the Pitocin drip to induce labor.

  Over the next few hours, the Pitocin levels in Mallory’s intravenous line were increased until she was ready to give birth. As her contractions came closer together, she became more agitated, and screamed at the guards. “Get Sky. Call Sky. He needs to be here with me.”

  The nurse examined the fetal monitoring strip. She raised her eyebrows, and called out to the doctor. “The baby is in distress.”

  The doctor looked at the monitor. “You’re right. We’re going to have to do an emergency c-section. Let’s get her prepped.”

  Mallory called out. “What’s going on? Is there something wrong?”

  The nurse turned to her. “We have to do a c-section. There’s a problem, and it has to be done because the baby is in distress.”

  Mallory was in a daze as her bed was wheeled to the operating room. The bright lights hurt her eyes, and she squinted in an attempt to block some of the light while trying to watch the doctor and nurses.

  An attractive young doctor caught her attention. “We’re going to give you some anesthesia,” he said. “When you wake up, it will be all over.”

  “No,” she protested, shaking her head back and forth as the mask was placed over her face.

  “Just breathe, and you’ll be asleep in no time,” the doctor assured her.

  When Mallory woke up in the recovery room she was still handcuffed to the bedrails, and the two guards were stationed a few feet away. “Help me,” she called out. “Where’s my baby?”

  A nurse approached her bed. “He’s in the nursery.”

  Mallory tried to sit up in the bed, but was held back by the shackles on her wrists. “He? I had a boy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you bring him to me?”

  The nurse looked at the guards, who nodded their heads. The female guard spoke up, and said, “It’s okay as long as we’re here. We can release her hands, as long as her ankles are still secured.”

  The nurse returned a few minutes later with a bassinet containing a newborn. She lifted him up and waited for the guards to remove the shackles from Mallory’s wrists.

  Mallory cried as the baby was placed in her arms. “Hi, little boy. I’m your mommy.” The baby squirmed and made a whimpering noise as she clutched him to her chest. “I’m going to call you William, because that’s your daddy’s real first name.”

  She looked at the nurse and guards. “Is Sky here? Did you tell him to come to see his baby?”

  “Mallory, he isn’t the father,” the female guard said. “You’ve been told a million times that the paternity test proved he isn’t the father.”

  “No, the test was wrong. I know he’s William’s father.”

  The guards and the nurse exchanged worried glances. The male guard rolled his eyes and whispered, “She’s delusional.”

  Half an hour later, a female social worker entered the room. “Mallory, I’m Miss Taylor. I’m here to talk to you about what happens next.” She stood next to the bed, and reached for the baby. “Let’s put him in the bassinet so we can talk.”

  Once the baby was removed from the room, the social worker spoke again. “I’m here to help you with your separation from your baby. Has anyone talked to you yet about that?”

  Mallory’s eyes darted around the room. “Separation? What do you mean?”

  The social worker glared at the guards, who shrugged their shoulders. The male guard took out his handcuffs, and the female guard followed his lead as they shackled Mallory’s wrists to the bed rails.

  “Separation means that your baby will be placed in foster care when you go back to the facility. You can’t keep your baby with you there, but once you’re released, you can apply to regain custody of him.”

  She lunged forward but the restraints kept Mallory from attacking the social worker. “You can’t take my baby from me. I’m his mother,” she screamed. “Don’t take my baby away.”

  “A nice family will take care of him while he’s in foster care,” the social worker said, in an attempt to calm Mallory, but when she continued to scream and pull at the restrains, a nurse appeared and injected her with a sedative.

  As the sedative began to take effect, Mallory whimpered, “I know what’s going on. That bitch Meg is going to take my baby. She stole Sky from me, and now she’s stealing my baby too.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “So, what are we gonna do about Thanksgiving?”

  The Johnson Bishop Band’s tour was on a break for the holiday season, and Meg was catching up on all her neglected household chores. She looked up from the laundry she was folding to find Sky standing in their bedroom doorway. “What are you talking about?”

  “Thanksgiving. National holiday. Turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. It’s two weeks away. What are we gonna do about it?”

  “Aren’t you going to Dallas to be with your family?”

  “It depends. Are you going home to Southampton to be with your family?”

  “No.” Meg carried the folded laundry to the dresser, and began to put it away.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m working.”

  Sky was dumbfounded. “What? Why in the hell are you working on Thanksgiving?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, let out a sigh, and sat down on the bed. “Because I always work on the holidays.”

  “I don’t understand.” He followed her to the bed, and lay down next to where she was sitting. “Why on earth would you do that?”

  “It’s what people do who don’t have family. It’s what I’ve always done.” She lay down next to him on the bed and closed her eyes.

  “Meg, baby, come here,” he said, pulling her towards him, and kissing her on top of her head. “But you do have family. And you’ve finally started to get close to them again. When did you tell the hospital that you’d work on Thanksgiving?”

  “Months ago. Mercy asked me if I would, because her in-laws are planning to visit. I didn’t think twice about it at the time. But the truth is, now I wish I hadn’t agreed to work.”

  “And you can’t get out of it?”

  “No. I wouldn’t do that to Mercy.” She snuggled up against Sky’s chest. “Besides, they put out a nice spread in the hospital cafeteria. Turkey and all the trimmings. And I don’t have to cook or clean up. I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”

  “If I went to Dallas and left you alone here, all I’d do is worry about you. I’ll go home at Christmas instead.”

  “Sky…really, I’ll be fine alone.”

  “Not an option.” He sat up and began to dial his phone. “Hey, Mrs. B, what are you doing on Thanksgiving? Would you like to spend it with Meg and me?” He grinned and gave Meg a “thumbs
up” while he listened to Fiona. “Yeah, pumpkin and apple pies sound perfect. Meg has to work, so let’s have dinner here at my place. That way, when she gets home from the hospital, she can just relax. We’ll figure out the rest of the details this week.”

  After ending the phone call, Sky lay back down next to Meg. “I would never let you spend a holiday alone, baby. And this way, Mrs. B isn’t alone either. I’ll call my father, and tell him I’m not coming home.”

  When Sky called to make his excuses, Trey wasn’t having any of it. “No, son, Thanksgiving is meant to be spent with family. I thought we’d all go to the Cowboys game together, since Livi is spending the holiday with her boyfriend’s family in New York.”

  “Dad, I can’t leave Meg alone. I promised both her and Mrs. B that we’d spend the holiday together.”

  Trey was silent for a beat. “Fiona’s going to be there?”

  “Yes. She’s going to cook here at my house, and we’ll have a late dinner when Meg gets home from work.”

  “I see.” He took a deep breath, before continuing, “Well, your brothers are going to the game for sure, and we were just going to go out to dinner afterwards. Would you mind setting a place at your table for me? I haven’t had a real home-cooked Thanksgiving meal in a long time.”

  Sky ran a hand through his hair. This is not the way I pictured this conversation going. “Sure, dad. We’d love to have you.”

  On Thanksgiving evening, after a long day in the trauma unit, the intoxicating aroma of the roasting turkey greeted Meg as she walked through the door of the log cabin. “Oh my God, Fiona, everything smells delicious,” she said, as she hung her jacket up.

  Sky jumped up from the sofa, poured her a glass of wine, and kissed her on the cheek. “Rough day?”

  “Yeah. Lots of burn cases. I don’t know why people don’t fully defrost their turkeys before putting them in their deep fryers.” She kissed both Fiona and Trey hello, before taking a long sip from her wine glass. “I’m going to quickly shower, and make myself human again. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

  “Take your time, dear,” Fiona called out, while stirring the gravy. “The bird has to rest for a while before we can carve it, anyway.”

  When Meg re-appeared, she had changed into jeans, a long-sleeved tee shirt, and cowboy boots. She helped Fiona carry the dishes to the table, before taking her seat.

  Sky and Trey jockeyed for the honor of carving the turkey, before Trey ceded to Sky. “It’s your home, son. You should do it,” he said, before taking a seat at the other end of the table.

  After he finished carving the turkey, Sky suggested they say a prayer. “Let’s all join hands,” he said as he sat. He held Meg and Fiona’s hands, and looked across the table at his father, before closing his eyes. “Dear Lord, thank you for the bounty of this table, for our family gathered here today, and for those we love who are not with us.” He squeezed Meg’s hand, and added, “Thank you for all the blessings in our lives. We praise your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.”

  Trey squeezed Fiona’s hand at the end of the prayer. “My mouth has been watering all day, Fiona. I can’t wait to try your cooking.”

  A deep blush rose on Fiona’s cheeks. “Well, I hope you enjoy it, Trey,” she said, as she passed the platter of turkey.

  Sky and Meg exchanged glances. When Sky opened his mouth to say something, Meg kicked him under the table and mouthed the words, “We’ll talk later.” She turned towards Fiona and Trey, who were only focused on each other. “Would you please pass the potatoes, Trey?”

  Meg piled her plate high with mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole, before smothering it all with gravy. She moaned with delight after her first mouthful. “Oh my God, Fiona, this is delicious.”

  “It sure is,” Sky chimed in. “Up until now, I thought I was the only one who could get Meg to make those sounds.”

  It was Meg’s turn to blush. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but was at a loss.

  “If I remember correctly, Meg, the word you’ve used to describe my son is ‘incorrigible’,” Trey said with a chuckle.

  Meg joined him in his laughter. “Yes, that’s right, Trey. I’m not usually at a loss for words.”

  They ate until they were as stuffed as the turkey. Fiona was true to her word, and had prepared both an apple pie and a pumpkin pie, as well as fresh whipped cream, which she heaped on top of each slice.

  Meg put down her fork after finishing her pie. “I can’t eat another morsel. That was delicious, Fiona. Thank you again for doing all the cooking today. I’ve got the clean up.” She pushed her chair back and began to clear the table.

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” Sky said, while grabbing Meg by the arm. “You and Mrs. B worked all day. My dad and I are going to clean up.”

  She looked from Sky to Trey, and back to Sky. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. You two ladies are going to go out by the fire pit, enjoy a glass of wine, and look at the stars. My dad and I will be out in a little bit,” Sky said. He handed Meg the open bottle of wine and two fresh glasses, before ushering the women out the door. When he turned around, Trey was staring at him with his arms crossed against his chest.

  “Seems to me like you were trying to get rid of them,” Trey observed.

  “Maybe. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “If I had to guess, it would be about Fiona.”

  Sky began rinsing plates before handing them to Trey, who loaded them into the dishwasher. “You guessed right. I don’t necessarily want to know what’s going on between you two, but…”

  Trey stared at his son. “But what? We’re two consenting adults.”

  All color drained from Sky’s face, and he turned to face his father. “Jeez…don’t tell me the two of you have…”

  “No, we haven’t. Not that it’s any of your business. But I like her. I enjoy her company. We’ve spoken once or twice a week since we were all together in New York. She’s a good woman.” He met his son’s eyes. “Is it wrong of me to want some female companionship after all these years?”

  Sky closed his eyes and shook his head. “No…not at all.” He opened his eyes and stared at his father. “Just promise me you won’t do anything to hurt her. She’s a huge part of Meg’s and my life.”

  “Cross my heart,” Trey said, while making an “x” across his chest.

  Later that evening, Trey accompanied Fiona home. “I don’t want her to walk into a dark house alone,” he explained when he borrowed the keys to Sky’s Tahoe. “I’ll be back in a little while. You don’t have to wait up – I’ve got a key.”

  Once Fiona and Trey were gone, Sky turned to Meg. “This was one of the weirdest Thanksgivings I’ve ever had.”

  “Because of your dad and Fiona?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Yeah, a little.” Sky took Meg by the hand, and they walked towards their bedroom. “I made him promise me that he wouldn’t hurt her. It was a strange sort of role reversal.”

  Meg changed into a pair of plaid flannel pajamas, and climbed under the covers. “I understand. If it was my father and Fiona, I’d feel the same way.”

  Sky joined her under the covers, and they snuggled together. “Has your father dated anyone since your mom passed?”

  “I don’t know. It’s been twenty eight years, so I’m sure he has, but he’s never shared that information with me.”

  “It’s weird to think of our parents having sexual needs,” he said, as he slipped a hand underneath her pajama top.

  Meg’s pulse quickened as Sky massaged her breasts with one hand, and unbuttoned her pajama top with the other hand. Her voice was strained as she agreed. “Yeah, I can’t picture either of our fathers…”

  “At the same time, I’m sure they don’t want to picture us…” His voice trailed off as he pushed the pajama top off Meg and took a breast into his mouth. “We need to be quick, before my father gets back. I don�
�t want him hearing us.”

  Sky stripped Meg of her pajamas, before removing his own. When he reached between her legs, he found her slick with desire. He teased her with his fingers, bringing her to the brink time and again. “Oh, baby, I want to hear you moan the way you did when you tasted those mashed potatoes earlier.”

  “This is way better than the mashed potatoes,” she said with a wicked grin. She pulled him in close and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  He slipped inside her, filling her completely. “Nothing in the world feels as good as this,” he said. He began to move within her, while using his thumb to stimulate her sweet spot, applying greater pressure as he reached his breaking point. “Meg, baby, I need you to…,” he said, just before he felt her body convulse and her insides contract around him. His body stiffened, and he erupted inside her while crying out, “Oh my God, Meg.”

  He collapsed on top of her, and they held each other while catching their breath. He whispered in her ear, “Where would I be without you, Meghan Marie Novak?”

  “I don’t know where I’d be without you, either, William Skyler Johnson.”

  “We fit together.”

  “Like two peas in a pod,” she agreed. “I’m so thankful for you.”

  “Likewise,” he said, brushing the hair away from her face so he could look into her eyes. “I’m thankful for you, too. At Thanksgiving, and every day.”

  “Meg,” Sky whispered the next morning while he gently shook her sleeping body. “Meg, baby, wake up. We’ve got a problem.”

  Meg groaned and rolled over. “What? What are you talking about? And what time is it?”

  Sky pulled back the covers and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “It’s just after six o’clock.”

  “Why are you waking me up so early on my day off?”

  “My father didn’t come home last night, which has me all kinds of creeped out. But, also, I’m worried. What should we do? Should we go over to Mrs. B’s and see if the Tahoe is still there?”

  “Did it ever occur to you that going over to Fiona’s at six in the morning would be creepy?”

  He gave her a blank stare. “No.”