by Bianca D'Arc
“Now do you see what I meant when I said she belongs to all of us, Mick? She’s known that since she was a little girl. She nurtures us. And she always has.” Caleb stroked Jane’s hair as she pressed her cheek to Mick’s chest.
“Are you through being angry?” she asked Mick in a small voice.
“Can’t you tell?”
“You’re hard to read lately.” She tugged on his collar, meeting his eyes. “And I’m telling you right here and now, I don’t like it. But I felt your anger and your guilt and that’s got to go, Mick. If you read what I read in Caleb’s visions, you’ll know it’s true.”
“I know it, darlin’, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.”
“Don’t talk to her about swallowing unless you mean it, Mick,” Justin joked darkly, enjoying the hot flush his words brought to both Jane and Mick’s fair cheeks.
But he effectively broke the mood of the moment, as he’d hoped. Things would be okay eventually, as soon as he and Mick came to terms with the changes in all their lives. It was easier now that he’d spent the night in Jane’s loving arms, thinking hard about it all and talking over some of it with her. But Mick hadn’t had that experience yet, and his emotions were still fragile, Justin figured. He’d come around. He had to, if Caleb’s visions were true. Which reminded him that he wanted to read those notes too.
Justin walked over to the small desk and picked up the wad of papers.
“Do you mind if I read these, Caleb?”
“Be my guest.” Caleb stood, giving Jane and Mick time to recover from their embarrassment. He winked at Justin as he joined him by the desk. “You’re the only one of us who’s ever seen one of the aliens. Maybe you’ll be able to understand more of what I’ve been seeing. Personally, I’m at a loss.” He shook his head and sighed. “But, Justin, I should warn you, there’s some stuff in there that could be painful to read regarding your son.”
Justin felt his heart clench at his brother’s warning and the sympathetic look on his strong face. He nodded tightly.
“It’s better to know, Caleb. I’ve always believed your gift was given to our family for a reason.”
“I pray you’re right, Jus.”
Justin reached out to grasp his older brother’s shoulder, squeezing tight for a moment.
“I’m sure of it.” He walked toward the door with the papers in his hand. “I’m going out to my garage to read these, just in case. Keep Jane busy in the house and keep her occupied. I don’t want her to suffer needlessly.”
“You’re a good man, Justin.”
Funny how Caleb’s approval still made him feel good, just like when he’d been a kid, stomping around in his big brother’s shadow.
Jane went out to the small garage to check on Justin three hours later. She entered tentatively, afraid of what she might find, but unwilling to wait for him to return to the house any longer. Caleb was sleeping again and Mick had been placated for the moment. Now it was Justin who worried her. She’d expected him to come back long before, but he’d remained outside. She received impressions of his emotions, dimmed by the distance and his attempts to control himself, and she knew he was hurting. That was something she couldn’t live with.
“I’m keeping your dinner warm.” She pushed the door open to his garage. Justin sat in his easy chair, staring straight ahead, the look on his face breaking her heart.
“You read Caleb’s notes?” he asked before she could say more.
She nodded and approached him. She wanted to soothe him. His emotions ran high and the closer she got to him, the deeper she felt his agony.
“It’ll be okay, Jus. We’ll find a way to make it okay for him.”
“So much rests on those tiny shoulders, Janie.” His voice was rough around the edges and she climbed into his lap as he pulled her close. She held him while he wrapped her in his powerful arms, seeking the comfort she gave freely. “And so much uncertainty.”
“Caleb says we have a chance, Justin. A chance to show him we love him. A chance for him to know you. We’ve got to take that chance and make it reality somehow.”
Justin nuzzled her neck, seeking her strength.
“It’s such a slim hope, sweetheart.”
“But the alternative is unacceptable,” she said, conviction lacing her words. He looked up, as she’d intended, seeming surprised by the steel in her tone. “We’ll make this work. I promise you. I’ll do everything in my power to give your son the chance to know you.”
He kissed her then, the emotion flooding him pure and true, causing her to gasp.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Jane. I don’t deserve you, but now that I have you, I’ll make sure the four of us stay together. There’s no way I’ll let any one of us put your precious life in danger. For as long as you’ll have me, I’m yours.”
“You’ve always been mine. You just didn’t know it.”
“Now we have to work on Mick. From what I read, it’ll take all four of us to stand against the aliens.”
“I think after reading that,” she nodded toward the stack of papers at their side, “he’s beginning to understand what has to be. I don’t think he’s easy with it yet, but he’s coming to terms with it.”
“A night in your arms will remove any lingering doubts,” he said with a glint in his eye that made her warm inside. “As soon as you’re pregnant, you need to be with him, prove to him like you did to me that you’re really okay with this.”
She chuckled. “More than okay, if you’ll remember correctly.”
“How could I forget?” He nipped her playfully as he lifted her in his arms, rising to his feet. He really was incredibly strong, she realized yet again as he carried her from the small garage to the house.
He deposited her on her feet in the kitchen, finding Mick already seated at the table, just finishing up his dinner. Justin joined him, pulling the plate Jane had left for him from the still-warm oven. Jane sat between the brothers, drinking the cool glass of milk Justin poured for her before he sat.
“How soon will you know if Jane’s pregnant?” Justin asked Mick perfunctorily, causing Jane to nearly choke on her milk.
Mick shifted in his chair. “Well, I sort of knew Caleb and Jane were trying to get pregnant before we moved up here, so I stocked up on supplies to help with that. I have some test kits that will tell us pretty accurately a few days after she conceives.”
“That soon?” Justin looked over at Jane speculatively.
“I asked Jane about her, uh, cycle.” Mick shot an apologetic look at Jane as he discussed the intimate details of her body. “And now is a very opportune time, so I expect the deed will be done shortly if it’s not already.”
Justin nodded as he ate heartily. “Good.”
“What? Can’t wait to get rid of me?” she joked, knowing that wasn’t the reason behind Justin’s questions, but wanting to lighten the mood.
“Never that, sweetheart.” He took a moment to cover one of her hands with his and squeeze reassuringly. “But Mick and Caleb need you too. I don’t want to appear greedy.”
She laughed outright at that while Mick stewed in his lingering guilt. She touched his hand, wanting to feel what he felt, but he pulled away.
“None of that, Mick. You treat her right.” Justin admonished him. “If she wants to know what you’re feeling, you let her. You know she needs it.”
“Dammit, Justin. Don’t tell me how to behave. I may be younger than you, but I’m not stupid. I don’t want to hurt her any more than you do.”
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it.” Justin turned back to his meal with a shake of his head.
“Boys! This has got to stop.” Jane beseeched them both, reminding them she felt their tension and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Justin leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, sweetheart.” His eyes moved pointedly to Mick, sending a silent message.
Mick leaned over and kissed her other cheek, sighing as he followed Justin’
s silent order.
“Sorry, Jane,” he said quickly, but she whipped around to catch his face between her palms and kissed him. She ran her tongue over his lips, making him gasp, then stood, taking Mick’s hand as she tugged him to his feet.
“I believe you owe me more than just words, Mick.” Her sultry grin was making him sweat, she was happy to see. She winked at Justin as she led Mick daringly from the room.
“Jane, I don’t think this is a good idea,” he protested weakly as she walked with him down the hall toward his bedroom.
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve had all day, Mick.” She smiled at him as she opened the door and pointed him toward the bed. She made him sit while she reached for the hem of his T-shirt. But he stopped her.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to, Mick. I want to do this for you. And I want to do more than just this, but it’ll have to wait until we’re sure I’m pregnant.” She pulled the shirt over his muscled chest. Mick was more compact than his brothers, but he was golden. Sun-colored hair and a lightly furred chest, tan from the outdoor work he loved. His blue eyes sparkled and his muscles were thickly roped, solid and oh-so-touchable. She’d always admired his All-American looks, and practically drooled now as she reached for the button on his faded, work-worn jeans.
Again his hand covered hers, stilling her motion. “Jane, really.”
She met his eyes and moved her hand down over the fly of his jeans where his erection pressed so heavily, pulsing against the fabric. She squeezed gently and licked her lips as she gazed into his eyes.
“Really, Mick. I’ve always been attracted to you. Since I was a little girl. Growing up, you were my best friend, and my favorite fantasy. Didn’t you know how I lusted after your golden boy looks when we were in high school?” He’d been three years older and way out of her league, but he always spared time for her, had always been kind to her, when others weren’t so charitable to the emotionally strung-out teenager who felt things too deeply.
“Is that true?” He was breathless as she eased the zipper down.
She nodded solemnly. “You have a mirror. I’m sure you know how handsome you are.” She blushed and concentrated on what she was uncovering so she wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. “But it was your heart that drew me. Always your kind heart and the compassion in your soul.”
He nudged her face up to his with a knuckle under her chin. “Yours is the truest heart, the purest soul, Jane. You’re the center of it all and you’ve always been the woman of my dreams.”
She gasped as she felt the rush of emotion he fed her as he bent to kiss her parted lips. He took over the love play then, bringing her slowly onto the bed with him, kissing her deeply, his tongue caressing her mouth in ways that made her whimper in need and passion. He drew her up beside him, shucking his jeans and briefs, aligning himself with her warm body, still protected by her own clothes.
“Just this, Jane. Just this,” he said almost reverently, as he removed her top and the lacy bra she wore beneath it, kissing the skin as he exposed it, worshiping her with his warm mouth. He circled one nipple with his tongue, wetting the tip with due care before blowing a light puff of air across it, making it pucker in response. He pushed at the hardened tip with his tongue, playing with it, daring it to harden further. She squirmed, wanting to be closer.
“Mick, please!” She offered up her breast to him and he finally pulled the tip into his mouth for a long, hard suck that made her moan. He used his tongue, treating her other breast to the same as his hands stroked the rest of her clothes away.
Jane wasn’t a passive partner. She caught his straining erection, rubbing up and down, causing him to pause and groan as she relished his response. When he moved to plant nibbling kisses up her throat, she sidled on the bed to bring her in more direct contact with his cock. She wanted that cock. So badly.
When he would have continued his gentle kisses, she turned the tables on him, swiveling to take him in her mouth, eliciting a string of curses that were music to her ears.
“Dammit, Jane! That feels so good!” His hand guided her head, tangling in her hair as his eyes followed her every movement.
It was a fantasy come true. Jane. Going down on him. In his bed. He was afraid to blink, lest she disappear in a puff of smoke.
She moaned around him, sending quivers of passion into him as he used his fingers to stimulate her clit and sink deep within her honeyed passage. She moved in time with him now, shuttling up and down on his cock, sucking deep, then teasing the head as he gasped. He was close now.
“Suck me hard, honey. I’m going to come!”
And with a harsh groan and a tightening of his entire body, he erupted into her mouth. For the third time. He cradled her head as she swallowed him down, taking every last drop he had to give and seeking more. She was a miracle to him.
After long moments, Mick flopped back against the bed, drained completely and eager for more, all at the same time.
“Give me a minute, honey, and I’m going to make you come so hard, you’ll scream.”
“Uh, you’re going to have to give her a raincheck on that, Mick.” Justin’s voice sounded from just beyond his apparently all-too-thin bedroom door. “The bull we were watching is down. He looks pretty bad.”
“Shit!” Mick cursed, clasping one hand over his eyes. He rubbed his face and turned to look at Jane. “I’ve got to go, honey. That bull is important and he’s been really sick.”
Jane sighed. “I know how important he is. Go tend to him, but hurry back.”
She stroked his chest and smiled, making him feel luckier than any man alive in that moment, to have this woman’s love and understanding.
“You’re more important than the damned bull, but we need him to keep this ranch running, which means keeping you safe. If not for that, I’d let him die before I left you hanging like this.” He kissed her, his lips practically begging for understanding.
She stroked his chest. “I know, Mick. And I understand. Really.”
But Mick didn’t get back to her that night—or even the next. He ended up babysitting the very sick bull most of the night, then collapsed into the cot he kept in his office so as not to rouse the whole house when he came in. Caleb woke him with a late breakfast he’d brought over from the house and an update on the bull he’d taken over watching when Mick started to fall asleep on his feet.
Mick spent the next week between his office and the barn, with little time even to shower and eat. The animal was struggling, and he was key to their herd. Eventually, the stubborn bull took a turn for the better and it looked like he would survive given proper treatment, which Mick spent most of his time providing for the next few days.
Jane showed up at Mick’s office in the middle of the following week, to provide the samples he needed to determine if she were pregnant. He’d barely seen any of the family except when they came to take over in the barn while he grabbed a few hours sleep. Jane was a sight for sore eyes and she brought the sun with her when she entered his little make-shift medical office. He took the samples he needed and she left him with a soft kiss. He ran the tests quickly, eager to share good news if he had it for them.
A short while later, Mick walked into the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear. He was glad the whole family was present for his big announcement. They would all be both happy and relieved when they heard the news.
“Jane is pregnant,” he announced with a big grin.
He saw Jane’s eyes widen, then fill with tears of joy, just as Caleb reached for one of her hands, squeezing tight as he smiled. Justin smiled too, putting an arm around her shoulders and tugging her close for a quick hug as she began to laugh and cry in earnest. She stood and hugged Justin back, then Caleb, then made her way on dancing feet to Mick, grabbing him around the waist and resting her head so trustingly on his chest it made him ache.
“Thank you, Mick. Thank you so much!”
He picked her up and spun h
er around. “I can’t wait to meet my niece or nephew.”
Mick released her and Caleb was there, his broad hand settling over her still-flat stomach, pressing gently. “This baby is going to know so much love,” he said, making Jane’s eyes fill again with happy tears.
The tears spilled over as she rested her head on Caleb’s chest, accepting his love and his warm embrace. Caleb’s eyes met Justin’s over her shoulder.
“Thank you for this, Justin.” Caleb grew serious and almost mystical. “Your children are going to reshape the world.”
Justin laughed, uncomfortable with the weight of responsibility Caleb had just placed on him, but nodded. He was choked up in a way that he hadn’t been when he thought about Mara carrying his son. Oh, he wanted his son, there was no doubt about that, but this child would be special too, because this child would be a part of Jane.
His heart nearly burst when he thought of sharing the coming months of her pregnancy with Jane. She was so damned special to him, so damned perfect. She was the finest woman he had ever known. And she was having his baby. Hot damn! Would wonders never cease?
Caleb released her and turned her toward Justin. She flowed into his arms and hugged him tight.
“I’m so happy!”
“No happier than I am,” Justin said. “No happier than we all are. Think of it. In nine months, we’ll all have a little rugrat to spoil rotten.”
She swatted his shoulder. “You will not call our baby a rugrat!”
They all laughed as she pulled from his arms with a broad grin and shooed him to the table, where lunch was waiting. What had started out as an everyday meal turned into a celebration and the men toasted the happy event with a glass each of their hoarded liquor. Jane had learned to brew beer but they had a careful stockpile of vintage wine, whiskey and other liquors they used for only the most special occasions. Of course, Jane settled for fresh milk, but she toasted right along with them and the little house in the hidden valley rang with laughter and hope for the first time in years.