by Eva Luxe
“Sam would appreciate it. I know it.”
I sighed and finally got out the car. Darien’s warm hand wrapped around mine while we walked in and found our way up to his room.
Mom and Dad were there. They turned around, and their mouths fell open.
“Willow, you’re here!” my mom gasped. “And you’ve… brought a friend.”
“This is Darien.” I had to wait while Darien shook their hands and murmured his condolences. Why did he have to be so charming? “Let’s just get this over with.”
“He’s not family,” Mom said. “No offense, Darien, but I only want family in the room with us.”
I was sure she probably disapproved due to our huge age difference.
“Darien’s with me,” I said coolly. “I want him there.”
My mom looked at him again. “Aren’t you the guy who hired her to babysit your daughter?” She demanded.
“I am indeed,” said Darien.
“What in the hell?” My mom demanded. “I don’t know what kind of a so-called ‘friend’ this is, Willow, but I will not put up with this.”
The doctor apparently overheard our argument, because he said, “I’m sorry but, unless he’s family, he’s not actually allowed inside.”
“Then I’m not—” I started to say.
“I’m her husband,” Darien interrupted. “Doesn’t that qualify?” Darien said to the doctor.
“Husband? Willow, you got married and didn’t tell us?” my mother cried, pressing her hand over her heart.
“Let’s focus on Sam,” my father said gruffly. I couldn’t agree more.
I squeezed Darien’s hand, grateful for what he had said. Normally I wouldn’t condone it but these were not normal circumstances, at all.
The doctor opened the room, and we filed in. We had dreaded this day, but it had to come. His injuries were just too severe. I was going to miss him. Sam was a pest sometimes, but he was my pest, my brother.
“I know some of you held onto the belief that he’d wake up. But with a heavy heart, I turn off the machine. He might continue to breathe on his own for a few minutes, or he might be unable to do even that. He won’t feel any pain, and he will be at peace soon. Any last words?”
“Wake up, Sam, it’s not too late,” I said to Sam, rubbing his hand.
The doctor looked at my mother and father.
“We love you, son” my father said, clearing his throat. My mother broke into tears, choking back loud sobs.
“Okay… here we go.”
The doctor turned a knob on the machine and the lights turned off.
Sam’s breathing became erratic, irregular after the slow rhythm of the machine. And his hand twitched!
“Sam? Doctor, his hand moved!” I exclaimed.
The doctor took out his pen light, pushed open Sam’s eyelids, and shone his light into them. “We do have some responsiveness,” he conceded. “But please, don’t read too much into it. It might just be a reflex or a spasm. It might not mean anything.”
If it were someone else, it might not, but this was Sam. He was coming back to me. I felt for sure he had heard me. He knew it was now or never, and this was it. Just like when we were little and I would threaten to leave him behind if he didn’t hurry up with his fishing pole and come to the creek with me. I grinned up at Darien, who wrapped his arms around me.
“Well, I’m not leaving now!” I declared.
I felt giddy with joy. And yes, I knew it could be days or weeks until Sam improved, but I knew for sure that he would. I also knew I was in this for the long haul. And with Darien by my side, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about money.
So, we pulled in chairs, sat, talked, paced, tried to get Sam to repeat his hand movement. Darien bought us dinner— not hospital food, but some covered dishes that I swore must have been catered. He ran to the hospital gift shop for us, bought magazines and books and silly stuffed animals that were made for kids twenty years younger than my brother.
Mrs. Thompson brought Ariel up, and I thought that if anything would persuade Sam to wake up, it would be the high, sweet little voice saying, “Please wake up, Mr. Sam. I want you to drive me in the Lambo, because Mommy is too slow, and I want to go fast.”
I saw my parents’ eyebrows raise at her use of “Mommy,” but didn’t explain. That could wait.
Still, punk that he was, Sam kept us all waiting, until finally at midnight, I turned to Mom and Dad.
“Look, we don’t know how long this is going to be,” I said. “It could be weeks, and it’s been a hell of a day. Why don’t you two get some rest in the hospitality room, and if anything changes, I’ll call you.
Darien frowned at that. “You need your rest, too” he said, looking meaningfully at my belly.
“They can relieve me at, say, five o’clock,” I suggested, “and then I’ll sleep.”
My parents finally agreed to get some rest, and now I just had to work on Darien. “You need to go home too,” I instructed him. In the back of my mind, I wondered where I got off instructing billionaire Darien Thrilling about anything, but he didn’t seem to mind. “You have the hearing tomorrow.”
He frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m staying.”
I rolled my eyes. He could be so stubborn! “Okay, then, Mr. Moneybags,” I said. “Can you make sure my parents are set up in a comfortable hospitality suite, have their phone chargers, all that? They don’t think of things like that.”
He looked at me suspiciously. “Of course,” he said, his eyes on mine. “But then I’m coming right back.”
“Fine!” I huffed in exasperation, but I also kind of loved how he took care of me.
They finally filed all out, Darien herding them without seeming to be doing it. He was great at things like that. At last, I turned to my brother.
“Sam, keep going, you’re almost there! Open your eyes!”
Nothing, of course. Because when had he ever done anything just because I asked him to?
“All right,” I said, in the most threatening voice I could manage. “You asked for it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I gently took his hand in mine and stroked it tenderly. Then, with his big hand lying there wrapped in mine, I started to sing.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray…”
And I felt his hand squeeze mine. He was responding! I should call my parents, but I needed to see what would happen.
I started singing again. “You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take, my sunshine away…”
His eyelids fluttered. Suddenly Darien was behind me, squeezing my shoulders. He looked as happy as I felt.
“I think he likes it when you sing!” he said. Now, that was some serious support.
I laughed. “You think so? Let’s see. Sam, I’m going to sing it again, okay?”
No response, so I began again. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine─”
He gasped, coughed, and I swear he tried to say something.
“Sam, you’re awake!” I shouted, leaning over him to hug him.
He didn’t open his eyes, though, and soon he fell back into his relaxed sleep.
“I don’t think so,” I said. My eyes were brimming with tears, such different tears than earlier in the day. “Second verse, same as the first! You make me happy, when skies are gray─”
“…stop.”
“He really likes it, Willow!” Darien said
Sam’s head moved from side to side. He was moving! He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but he was alert and trying to communicate something.
“I’m sorry, Sam, what was that?” I said. “Sing more? Well, if you insist. You’ll never know, dear─”
“…stop…Willow…stop…”
Stupid as it was, I burst into tears.
Darien held me, but he wasn’t sure what was happening. “Okay, so let me get this straight. Your brother, who has been in a coma for over two months after an a
trocious car accident, returns to the land of the living just to tell you to stop singing?”
“Yes!” I sobbed, clinging to his expensive shirt. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
Sam’s eyes fluttered open. “Not…coming…back…if…you…sing.”
“Deal,” I said, then I flung myself over his chest and wept some more.
I had Darien text my parents, who came barreling into the room. “Sam, you idiot!” my father said, trying to be stern. “You’re never driving a car again!”
“What? Come on!” He chuckled weakly.
Yeah. That was my brother. I knew he’d beat the odds.
“You were in a coma,” I explained. “We were unhooking you from your breathing machine. Stop talking, save your energy.”
“Mmm, fine,” he mumbled with a smile. “As long… as… you… stop… signing.”
That was the brother I knew and loved. He was back with us, and I was exuberant, even though I wasn’t allowed to express it by singing.
Chapter 30 – Willow
The next day, Sam was sitting up. It took a little longer, but soon he was up walking as well. Darien made sure he had the best medical treatment money could buy. I felt good knowing my brother was safe, it even helped ease the symptoms of my pregnancy. Less vomiting and more eating. Or maybe that was just moving into the second trimester.
Sam was also taken to a better facility with physical therapy. I hugged him hard, making sure not to crush anything.
“So, I’m beginning to remember some of it. The accident, I mean,” Sam said while he balanced on the rails, training his legs to walk again. The muscle memory was there, he just had to work them out since they were out of commission for, like, months.
I rubbed his back and looked down at his legs. “Yeah. I regret not doing something stupid so you didn’t leave.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. Hey, Darien, thanks for the help, by the way. Much appreciated.” He waved over to Darien who was sitting across the room.
“Not a problem,” he said, waving.
“So,” Sam said, grinning, “You two really getting hitched? I mean, it’s kinda obvious you’re knocked up.” Sam looked down at my stomach which was showing a baby bump now.
“Well—”
“Yes, we are,” Darien said, coming closer to us. Uh oh, did he really mean this?
“Nice. I knew you’d marry some rich dude one day, Willa.”
Old Sam, distorting my name whenever it fit him. “It’s Willow, and Darien is more than just a rich dude to me.”
“That’s good.” Sam took a few more steps using the rails to support his weight. He was showing some improvement. His therapist made sure he made all the right moves too.
For some reason that smell that came off of Morgan popped up in my mind. The name of the scent was right on the tip of my tongue.
“Sam, before we go. I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Remember that horrible smell in the mall that day we went Halloween shopping? What was that called again?”
“Marijuana.” He laughed. “Why?”
“Wait, isn’t that illegal?”
“Yeah, they haven’t passed the law for that to be used recreationally or medicinally yet. Don’t think this state will ever do that either.”
I whipped around to Darien, almost slapping my body against his. I forgot he was that close. “Darien, that’s it! When Morgan came to the house that time, that smell came off of her, it was pot!”
“What?” Darien furrowed his eyebrows. Finding out that drugs were around your daughter for so long wasn’t something nice to hear. But it was necessary. And damn, it was that final key we needed.
“I think I know how to make sure Ariel will never have to see that evil woman again.”
Darien was going to be free.
Epilogue
Willow
When the judge found out that there was suspicion of drug use, Morgan and Darien were both tested on the spot.
Darien was negative.
While Morgan? We all knew that answer. But she had more than just marijuana in her system. Hell, I wasn’t surprised; she was rich off of alimony and while that was now going to be canceled, she’d used a lot of that money to get high.
“No, this isn’t fair!” she screamed.
Her hair was disheveled and her body language was strange.
“Mrs. Thrilling— no, Ms. Wright, since you’re now divorced, the tests show that not only do you have it in your system, but that you’re currently high. The amount of cocaine in your system right now is that of someone who’s currently high. Your alimony is hereby canceled, the divorce is granted, and,” the judge turned to Darien, “Mr. Thrilling has full custody of Ariel Thrilling.”
“Thank you, your honor.”
“Don’t forget to disable cameras in your bedrooms that are being used, by the way,” the judge laughed while slamming down his gavel.
We’d found out that the baby was going to be a girl. Yes, I was going to be able to deck both of my little girls out in the cutest matching outfits. For as long as they would let me.
I held my belly as Darien, Jerry, and I walked out of the courtroom victorious.
“Glad that shit storm is over. What else do you have planned, Darien?” Jerry asked him.
“This.”
He got down on one knee in front of me on the top of the court steps. Morgan happened to come out on the other side and saw us.
“Willow Reign…”
I clasped my hands over my mouth. This was really happening.
“Will you marry me?” Darien asked, opening the small dark blue velvet box. The biggest diamond ring framed with opals was nestled inside.
“Darien! Yes, oh yes!”
He got up and slid the ring onto my finger.
“Wow, talk about a quick comeback,” Jerry laughed. “You look like a fine girl, Willow. Take care of this one.”
“You know I will!” I said, kissing my fiancé.
I placed Darien’s hand on my belly, and right as we kissed, our baby girl kicked my tummy.
We gasped.
“You felt that? Even our daughter agrees!” I said, tears running down my cheeks. I loved this. The view of a new life with all my family was before me. Talk about a happy ending.
Damien
Our story wasn’t over yet. Because when we got home, that’s when the real magic happened. I carried Willow to our bedroom, despite her protests that she was pregnant.
“I’m not going to drop you,” I told her, holding her close in my arms. “But I am going to make love to my amazing fiancée.”
I spun her around while taking off her clothes. Then I grabbed a hold of her perfect ass cheeks and spread her pussy and ass wide open.
“This is exactly how I wanted to see you the first time I saw you,” I told her.
“Really?” she asked. “At the strip club?”
“Really. I went home and thought about you giving me a lap dance.”
“We never even got to do that,” she said.
“Oh, we will. There’s a whole lot of things we still need to do yet together, you and I.”
I stuck my finger into her pussy, which was dripping wet for me, like always.
“Let me put my cock in here,” I told her.
“Yes, Sir.”
She leaned over, with her hands on the bed. I quickly undressed and then put the tip of my cock at the entrance to her quivering pussy.
“Do you remember when I took your virginity?” I asked her.
“Of course,” she answered.
I slid my dick slowly into her, reliving that day all over again.
“I love you,” I told her, as I reached around to play with her clit while I pushed myself further into her. “I’m so glad I met you.”
“I love you too.”
She let out a soft moan and I grabbed her hips with my free hand while continuing to massage her clit with the other one. Our relationship thus far had been cent
ered around everyone else’s drama. I was so glad it could be just us now, enjoying each other.
My cock began to throb as I thrust it in and out of her. She leaned back onto my tattooed chest.
“I’m going to come,” she said, gasping.
I grabbed ahold of her nipples— still as pink and perfect as the day I met her, although more pronounced now with pregnancy, highlighting her larger breasts very nicely— and pinched them in my fingers.
She gyrated and bounced around on my cock while coming all over it. The sensation was amazing and again sparked memories of that first time she sat on my lap, and all the things I wanted to do to her while giving me a lap dance.
I gently grabbed ahold of her hair and bit her neck while I felt the base of my balls tighten.
“I’ve claimed you as mine, Willow,” I told her, pushing in and out of her a few more times while she moaned, coming over and over again. “And I’m never going to let you go.”
She managed to say, “Good,” in between orgasms, while I shot my cum into her wet, naked pussy.
Finally, I held onto her as we collapsed on the bed, my arm encircling her belly. This was exactly the way things were meant to be: Willow and I together for good, sleeping soundly with our baby in her womb and our daughter waiting to see her Mommy and Daddy— and soon to be little sister— every day.
Willow
As a child, I wanted many things. To play with dolls, make cookies with my mother and to have my hair brushed. I loved having my hair brushed. But as I grew older, the things I wanted evolved along with my age.
Now, as a young woman, I no longer wanted to play with dolls or make cookies with my mother or have my hair brushed. Instead, I wanted to do all of those things with my own daughter. But there would be plenty of time for that. For in this very moment, what I wanted most was to walk down the aisle and marry the man I loved.
I stood facing the mirror in the powder room of the Atlantic View B&B in County Clare, Ireland. One of the perks of marrying a billionaire was that I could choose any location I wanted for my wedding venue. I had always wanted to visit Ireland, since my ancestors were Irish.
It had seemed rather random but I wanted to get married somewhere that neither Darien nor I had ever been. It seemed symbolic to me, representing not only a new life for us together, but also a new place for it to start. And now that I was here, I didn’t regret my decision one bit. I was very happy I’d chosen to get married here among the green rolling hills and under the baby blue sky.