by Vera Quinn
“Good thing there is a nurse in your family now. The doctor can do a blood test. It’s a Quantitative blood test or beta hCG.” Jilly lets me know.
“Can any doctor do it?” This would clear up a lot for me.
“Dr. Reynolds can do it, and I bet I can get you in today. She owes me a favor.” Not having to worry and just knowing. Jilly has made my day.
“Will you call for me, please? I need to know. We need to know.” Jilly is always saving me.
“Of course and hold your hand through it.” Jilly hugs me.
“I owe you so much. I talked to Brody, and I was going to talk to you and Kevin about it when I got home, but I guess it is just you, now. I need to ask something first.” Jilly is looking at me like I am crazy and I guess I didn’t make much sense.
“What are you talking about, sweetie? Just ask.” Jilly is smiling.
“If I am pregnant now it is something Brody and I will face together, and we already talked, and he wants at least one more child, but I am young and healthy and what I am trying to say is I would like to be a surrogate so you can have a child. If you would like that.” Jilly’s eyes are full of tears. “I mean you know all the ins and outs of medicine so I am offering.”
“Gracie, that is so generous of you, but that is a big decision. Not only for you but me. I love you for it but can we just shelve that for a little while? We are both on emotional roller coasters right now, and this is something that is a life choice. So thank you, but not right now.” Jilly is always the one with the right decisions. “I’m going to call Dr. Reynolds’ office. Can you go today?”
“As long as it is before two or after we get back from Mr. Lemons office. I am signing the papers for Shelby’s guardianship if anything happens to me and we are starting on the adoption process. Brody is changing his will, too.” I let her know. Jilly gets her phone out of her pocket, and she points to the other room, so I know what where she is going to talk.
I look around at this house. Tonight I will be moved in with Brody. I’m nervous but excited, too. I loved waking up next to him this morning. It seems like only a few minutes, but I guess it is longer when Jilly comes back in.
“They fit you in. Let’s tell Brody where I am taking you off to.” Jilly is waiting for me to get up.
“Jilly, thank you, but I need Brody to go with me. We have decided to go every step together, so he has to be there, too.” I hope I don’t hurt her feelings.
“Of course. How about you text Brody to come get you to go to Dr. Reynolds and I will start unloading my car in the garage?” Jilly is trying to give Brody and me time to do it alone, but that is not what I meant.
“No. I meant for Brody to come with us. I want you there too for moral support.” That makes Jilly smile.
“Okay, girlie. Let’s do this.” I send Brody a text, so he knows to come over. I’m as ready as I’ll ever get. “Can I suggest to text Rebel and have him meet us there, too? That way he can’t say you are trying to hide this from him. Kaden can tag along with us to keep the peace.”
“People will think we are crazy for all of us to show up for a blood test.” I’m not sure about this.
“I understand they probably will, but this way Rebel can never say you are trying to hide anything.” Jilly is right.
“Okay. We might as well get this circus started.” I relent. I see Jilly texting Rebel. Jilly watches the screen and then her eyes bug out. “Well, Rebel seems to be busy with a couple of club girls, and he said to text him the results, and when he can pull his cock out of the cunt he is in he will get back with us. He is still pissed, and he is dealing with it the way he deals with everything in life.” Jilly is shaking her head, but I just don’t care. I dodged a bullet there. “Brody is waiting out by his truck for us. Aunt Gladys and Ms. Audie are still watching Shelby. It looks like I am going to have to kidnap that Angel if I want any time with her.” Jilly laughs. We might as well do this. My life is taking on another change.
It doesn’t take long for us to get to Dr. Reynolds’ office. I am nervous. Brody sits on one side of me holding my hand, and Jilly is speaking to people she knows who haven’t seen her in so long. I am fidgeting. I have a stack of papers to fill out and it takes a good thirty minutes, but I finally hand them back to the receptionist. It’s hard for me to sit still.
“It’s going to be okay, Gracie. It doesn’t matter one way or another if you're pregnant. I would love any child of yours just like I do Shelby. We’ll get through this. Have faith, babe.” I do have faith in Brody. Jilly is right. I have to face this like I faced everything else. Head on. I see the nurse come out one of the doors that lead to the back.
“Mrs. Samms, can you come back with me now?” I get up and follow her, and Brody never leaves my side. Jilly waves at me as I follow the lady through the door. “You’re here for a pregnancy test?”
“Yes, ma’am. A blood test actually.” I can barely hear my own voice. My hands are freezing. Nerves.
“I see that in your paperwork. You’re Jilly’s friend.” I nod my head. “I didn’t even know you had gotten married, Brody.” Apparently, the nurse knows Brody too.
“We’re actually newlyweds. How have you been Gina? How’s Robert and the girls?” Brody asks the nurse who is named Gina apparently. “Gina this is my wife, Gracie. Gracie, Gina went to school with Jilly and me. Her husband Robert and I have been good friends for close to twenty years.” Brody is trying to calm me down.
“It’s nice to meet you, Gracie. When you two get settled, you will have to come over for dinner. Bring Jilly too, since she is back. Ms. Gladys used to babysit me. How is your mom, Brody? I haven’t talked to her in ages. Our girls keep us running.” This conversation seems so normal. Not like the test I am going to take might change my entire life.
“That sounds nice Gina,” Brody says to her. Then I hear a knock on the door and Jilly steps in.
“Hey, Gina. I see you’ve met my friend Gracie.” Jilly says to Gina. “I’m just here for moral support.”
“You are a lucky girl Gracie, so many people concerned. I couldn’t drag Robert with me to a doctor’s appointment. This is going to be really simple, which I am sure Jilly already explained. I just want to verify some things, and then our blood technician will be in to draw some blood.” I nod my head yes. Gina looks at my chart. “It says you have no allergies. You put the date of your last cycle. Are you transferring your old medical records here?” She is glancing at the records and then waiting on my answers.
“No allergies. I did put the dates down, and yes, I signed to have my records transferred.” I answer.
“Do you know your blood type, and I just need to put this bracelet on you for the blood tech to scan.” Gina puts the bracelet around my arm.
“A positive,” I say.
“Okay then. Everything is filled out. The tech will be in a few. We will call you this afternoon or in the morning with results. It depends on how backed up they are. We do all bloodwork here, so sometimes it takes a little longer. Did you give permission for us to leave it on your voice mail in case you don’t answer? I see you did. You also gave permission to give the results to Brody. That is good then. I am finished. Congratulations you two on your marriage and I hope the results are what you are hoping for.” Gina is nice, and I know I will like her. She’s just so friendly.
“Jilly, do not be a stranger now you are back home.” She tells Jilly. Jilly is busy texting and gives her a wave.
“Thank you, Gina,” I tell her. She pats Brody on the arm as she walks past him and then she is gone. “She seems nice.”
“Gina is a sweetheart, and you have to see her and Robert’s daughters. They are beautiful.” Jilly tells me. There is a little tap at the door. Brody opens it and in steps a young man with a kit full of tubes and such.
“Hi. I’m Steven, and I am here to take some blood from Mrs. Samms.” He’s looking at his file.
“That’s me.” He comes over and sits beside me. He looks at my bracelet and then scans it with some k
ind of device. He lays my arm out on the table and slaps my veins briskly but softly. He ties something around my arm right above the crease of my elbow.
“Please, make a fist.” I do as he asks. He wipes my arm with some alcohol on a cotton ball. “Little stick.” He says and I feel the prick of the needle. He fills the tube with my blood. “All done.” He wipes the blood off my arms and places a band-aid over the spot and bends my arm up. “Thank you, Mrs. Samms.” He places a sticker on the tube of blood, and he is up and gone. That’s it. By tomorrow we will know. Jilly, Brody, and I leave, just to wait.
Chapter 19
Jilly
We finally got all of Gracie and Shelby’s things moved into their new home. I think Brody and Gracie are a good fit for each other and more than that I trust them not to screw things up too much. I see the love Brody has in his eyes for Gracie and Shelby. He will protect them with his life and spend the rest of his life trying to keep them happy.
Gracie is not quite there to the love part yet. I think she loves Brody and doesn’t even know it yet. The thing is, I think she loves Rebel, too. I recognize that look of loving two men at once. I was right where she is right now. Only difference being is I ran, and no one came after me. Life is ironic sometimes. I care about all three of the people involved.
My life with Kevin started out rocky. He was my savior. My white knight. Who can live up to that kind of hype? I have very few regrets when it comes to our memories. We had nearly seventeen years of a good life. The last year was a strain. At least we didn’t walk away hating each other.
Kevin and Sandra won’t be on my Christmas card list, but I don’t hate them. Sandra can give Kevin the family he deserves. I think I started working so many hours because I felt Kevin pulling away. He always was the extra helper with anything to do with children. I knew he wanted children. It tore him apart, so I made it easier for him. I long for a child too, but I just don’t think it is in the cards for me.
Today when Gracie brought up being a surrogate my heart leaped in my chest. I can’t get my hopes up. I got my hopes up for adoption and every time we were turned down. I know Gracie is in an emotional state right now. Maybe in a few years if she ever brings it up again.
My mind goes back to Rebel. He was in such pain. He has the hell of luck with women. Could be that charming personality. I don’t know who was more hurt by his words today, Gracie or myself. I tried not to take it personally but it’s hard. The what ifs always plague my mind with Rebel. No, Rebel I can definitely live without.
My Antonio is the boy/man I miss. That’s who my mind has always wondered back to all these years. The what ifs. His text he sent back today about being with two club girls did not surprise me at all. Sex is how he always licks his wounds. I just wish he and I could sit and talk for once. We could if just one of us would quit being so stubborn. What’s stopping me? Me. Not anymore.
I jump up off my sofa and rush to the shower. I rush through my shower trying not to think too much. I blow dry my hair and put it in a sloppy bun. I put on the minimal of makeup, get my sexiest underwear and go to my closet and get my favorite jeans that make my ass look good.
I tell myself I am not doing anything special. Sexy expensive underwear is my weakness. I have more than one drawer full, and I always wear my favorite jeans when they are clean. They are so old they are soft. I grab my snuggest fitting tank. My breasts are not overly big. But I’m not complaining. My stomach is still flat, but my hips are wider than they used to be. I finish my look off with some cute boots. I grab my keys, phone, and purse and I am out the door before I lose my nerve.
I’ve only been to Rebel’s clubhouse once so I hope I can find it. The drive to Quitman doesn’t take long, and I find the clubhouse without any problems. I see all the bikes in front of the building. I look in my mirror one more time, and it is as good as it is going to get. I’m thirty-six years old, and that is too old to be this nervous. I am going to visit my friend Rebel. Nothing more.
As soon as I enter the clubhouse, I hear the music. It’s smoky and loud. There’s some nearly naked woman dancing on the bar. The drinks are flowing, and I see some man with a woman bent over a pool table fucking her from behind. Two other men are sitting there watching, and one of them has a woman going down on him. Nope Dorothy, I’m not in Kansas anymore. I will not be deterred, though. I finally see Rebel at the bar. I make my way over, but some man grabs my arm. “You here to party, babe?” He slurs out.
“No, I’m here to see Rebel!” I yell so I can be heard over the music. I see when Rebel hears my voice. He turns to look at me, and I see the woman on her knees with his dick in her mouth. I can do this.
“Let her go.” Rebel pushes the woman away. She falls back on her ass. He zips himself up “What are you doing here, Jilly?”
“I came to see my friend. I thought we could have a drink.” I say without hesitating.
“You want to have a drink with me?” He sounds surprised.
“We’re still friends, right?” He nods his head yes. “Friends have drinks together.” I walk beside him and sit on the bar stool.
“You come here for Brody? Kaden already read me the riot act today. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He throws back the rest of his drink.
“Not here for anyone but me. Can we have a drink somewhere we can talk and not have to yell?” He looks me up and down.
“You still drink beer?” He asks.
“Two would be nice. I think I will need more than one.” He looks at me. He’s trying to get inside my head, but he will never guess what I need to say.
“Now you have me curious, Jilly. Prospect, three beers.” The young man gives him three bottles of beer. He gets up and starts down a hall, and I follow. He goes in a door and holds it open for me. I go in and wait for him to close the door. He hands me an open beer and takes his and puts the other one on a desk.
“What do you want to talk to me about, Jilly?” I down my beer as fast as I can. He is just watching me. I walk up to him, and I run my hand down his face. I look into his chocolate eyes I have always loved. I can see my Antonio hidden under all the pain and the hardness of his life. I run my hand behind his neck and pull him to me, and I tip toe up to him, and I kiss him with everything I have. I taste the cigarettes he has smoked and the liquor he has consumed but I also taste the man I fell in love with so many years ago, and I want him. “Jilly what are you doing?” He says in his deep voice. I climb his body, and his hands go under my ass.
“If you can’t figure it out by now I am doing it wrong.” I take his mouth again. Our tongues fight for dominance. I am not the scared little girl I was eighteen years ago. I nip down on his bottom lip. I come up for breath. “I want you, Antonio. I came back for you.” That’s all I had to say. Antonio has me backed up against a wall. One hand is on my ass, and the other is trying to undo the button on my jeans. We are both breathing hard, but he stops, all of a sudden.
“Why now, Jilly? Is this because Kevin left you or so you can help Brody?” I rear back and slap the shit out of Antonio. Then I kiss him deeply. He pulls back. “What the hell, Jilly?”
“I’m not whoring myself out, Antonio. I want you because I have always wanted you. Do you want to talk this to death or do you want to fuck me? I’m not asking for forever. I just want right now.” Antonio stops and steps back.
“No.” I look at him like he is crazy.
“What?” I can’t believe I put myself out there and he is saying no.
“I made this mistake with Gracie. I’m not tearing my heart out for anyone else. Not even you, Jilly.” He looks like he is fighting himself over this. “If you truly want us again I am open to the idea but not until I put Gracie behind me. I have to have answers. You know I have always had feelings for you, but you left. I will not jump through hoops for anyone anymore. I am the President of the Demented Revengers MC. I will not change that. I don’t wear a suit. I don’t have manners when it comes to bullshit, and I won’t pretend to. If we start
over, I am me, and you have to accept that the same way I have to accept who you are now. You’ve changed, too. Do you understand that, Jilly? Can you live with that? I want you to go home and think about that, and you think hard. I know I shouldn’t have said those things today. I didn’t mean most of them, but I am not a man who is going to apologize for being myself anymore. You have to understand all that.”
I look at Antonio, and I know he is serious. This new man in front of me is part Antonio and part Rebel but full Demented Revenger. I want him, but I have to give him this. He has to know I am serious. Now I have tasted him I don’t want to live without him any longer, but if it is what he needs, I will give it to him.
“Ok, Antonio. I can do that. I will do that, but I am not running from us anymore. Until tonight when I got here I didn’t even know how much I wanted you. I was just coming to have a drink with a friend but the minute we were alone I wanted more. I want everything with you.” Antonio moves closer to me and kisses me softly and moves back.
“I would like nothing more than to bend you over my desk right now but we have to be sure, or we will destroy each other. That is something I will not allow.” Antonio says softly. “I’ll get a prospect to follow you home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I kiss him quickly and we leave out through the door. Tomorrow cannot get here fast enough for a lot of reasons.
Chapter 20
Brody
I’ve been watching Gracie all evening since we have been back from mom and dad’s. We had a great meal and celebrated our marriage with all our loved ones. We didn’t get a call back from Dr. Reynolds and Gracie is just on pins and needles. She’s too worried. Shelby played herself out. She has had a bath and been in bed for over an hour. Kaden’s boys kept her running tonight.
Gracie has been unpacking and running all over the house. She finally got into the shower, and I am locking everything up. It’s going to be another long night holding Gracie close but not being able to act on my feelings for her. I told her I would give her all the time she needed and I will, but my cock has not gotten the message yet. I haven’t been this horny since I was a teenager.