Forever Lovers

by Suellen Smith

  CHAPTER 39

  Quinn had left Lily’s bed while it was still dark. His leg had begun to ache after the all night extracurricular activities. He was in need of some early morning medication and a hot sauna to relieve his pain. As he sat relaxed in the sauna, he thought about last night and his time with Lily. He tried not to, but he did anyway. Lily had responded to him with the abandonment that she always had. He had thought that she responded like she did only for him. In spite of his concentration, he suddenly had this image of her with another man. He felt like busting something again. If his Uncle Dawg had not owned the chateau, he probably would have done so.

  Trying to redirect his thinking, he tried to think of all the orgies that his Uncle Dawg might have had in the same sauna. That didn’t work either as the women all began to merge together into one face – his Lily. He put his head in his hands, thankful that he had taken the pain medicine and his head didn’t ache, too.

  Quinn didn’t know how long he sat in the sauna, but he must have dozed off. When he got out, the sun was coming up and he could smell coffee. He knew Lily had to be up as it was Saturday and all help took the weekends off. He grabbed some sweats and padded out to the kitchen. He was disappointed that the kitchen was empty. He poured himself a cup of coffee and looked out at turbulent sea. He could see Gunner and Lily climbing among the rock formations. Gunner struggled a bit, but he was determined to please his mistress. He decided to join them.

  CHAPTER 40

  The wind was cool and damp, blowing its usual gale. So, Lily didn’t hear Quinn come up behind her until he put his arms around her. She leaned back and felt his warmth. He spoke next to her ear.

  “Hmm, you feel so good. Let’s go back and make the most of the time you have left before you leave tomorrow – unless you think you could stay longer.”

  Lily thought about their twins, “I’d love to, but I need to get back. Why don’t you come with me?”

  Quinn stiffened thinking, And be part of a threesome. I don’t think so!

  Lily felt Quinn withdraw from her both physically and mentally. She turned to look at him trying to understand the vibes she was getting. His jaw was clenched tight and he was looking off at the horizon like he had just transported himself somewhere else. When he didn’t answer her, she didn’t pursue. To cover up the uncomfortable pregnant pause, she leaned down to grab a stick to throw to Gunner. He immediately responded with enthusiasm at his favorite game. When he began to tire of the sport, Lily called a halt. The three of them walked back to the chateau. Quinn surprised Lily by taking her hand.

  By the time they got back to the chateau, Lily was shivering. Quinn knew just the spot to warm her up. He pulled Lily into the sauna ordering Gunner to stay outside. He didn’t need an audience. As soon as he pulled her inside the warm and steamy cozy cocoon, he began to divest her of all clothing. She didn’t waste any time in helping him out of his as well. They gazed at each other hungrily in the dim lighting adsorbing all the details that they missed in the darkness last night. It wasn’t long before they, too, become warm and steamy, which could not be blamed entirely on the sauna.

  By the time they got out of the steam bath, Lily and Quinn were hungry. By the time they ate a late lunch, they were ready for a nap. After they awoke from their naps they were ready to make love again, eat again, sip some wine, and do another repeat. When they woke much later, the sun was setting. They went out on the veranda to watch with some champagne cocktails that Quinn knew were Lily’s favorite.

  When Quinn turned Lily in his arms, he noticed a few red patches on her face that weren’t there yesterday. He frowned when he realized that they were no doubt whisker burns. “Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll go fix some supper. By the way, you don’t have to wear any more to dinner than that sexy K-State t-shirt,” he grinned.

  Lily went happily into her bedroom to take a shower. When she came out, wanting to please Quinn, she dressed in her K-State t-shirt as he requested. When she padded down to the kitchen, she could smell the yummy homemade lasagna baking that had been left by the chef for the weekend. Quinn had managed to put together a salad, some garlic bread and set a table of fresh flowers that she recognized as having been on the mantle and silently applauded him for his creativeness. She was impressed.

  Quinn’s back was turned when Lily entered the spacious kitchen whose alcove overlooked looked the sea. “It smells delicious.” When he turned around, Lily started laughing her head off. He had toilet paper stuck all over his face. He looked like Santa Claus. He had shaved off his goatee. It was obvious that he had gotten a few nicks in the process.

  “What??” he grinned back at her.

  CHAPTER 41

  Without vocalizing it, Lily and Quinn made a fragile truce. It would be early morning soon enough, the day Lily was to leave. Neither one of them wanted to end things on an unpleasant note.

  That conversation that followed them around like a storm cloud did take place, however, in spite of their resolve to avoid it. It was early morning of the day that Lily was to depart, when they finally had a conversation while they were still lying in bed entangled in each other’s arms. Quinn did most of the talking, mainly because he didn’t want to hear about Lily’s life. He knew all he wanted to know. But, he still had some unanswered questions.

  Quinn rolled over and began to touch Lily. As his hand began to dip lower to her belly button, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you keep the ring I gave you in your navel?” Lily swallowed to gather the words ready to tell him that he was the father of twins just as his hand slipped down farther down her tummy. “I heard you had a baby.” Then, before she could comment, suddenly, he pulled away, sat on the edge of the bed, got up and threw over his shoulder as he walked out of the bedroom, “I don’t ever want any kids!”

  Quinn’s leg was hurting again. He needed some medication. His comment about not wanting kids wasn’t exactly true, but since the doctor had said he’d probably never would have any with Lily or anyone else, he lashed out. He was oblivious that his comment had just torn Lily’s heart apart. He added a couple of sleeping pills to his mix of medications and laid down in his own bed.

  When Quinn woke up, he was surprised to feel a cold nose nudging his hand. “Hello, ol’ boy, why don’t you go bother your mistress, suddenly realizing that he probably would have if she were around. He knew before he walked into Lily’s room that she was gone. It was probably just as well. It made him sad that the “Lily part” of his life was gone, leaving just her charming memories.

  It was supposed to be in all SEALS DNA and code that they were to have exceptional character. That, did not include lusting after another man’s wife. Quinn looked out to sea one last time before he let Lily go as he whispered quietly, “I will always love you.”

  CHAPTER 42

  Lily was on the plane back to Kansas. She barely remembered lying in bed for some time hugging her feather pillow as tears streamed down her face. Quinn could not have made it more crystal clear that he didn’t want her or children. After the sad tears stopped flowing, she became angry. Well, that’s just too damn bad, Mr. Quinn! she thought, as she jumped up and began throwing her belonging into her bags like the house was on fire. After that, she called a cab. She left just as the sun’s rays were peeking over the Mediterranean even though her plane didn’t leave until late morning. She’d made the decision to send Mr. Quinn an email when she got home and let him know he was a father. He could just deal with it, like it or not!

  Lily hugged and kissed Gunner mournfully, saying, “I’m so sorry I have to leave you with such a turd.” With that, she shut the door and tried to tune out Gunner whining and whimpering on the other side.

  It would have brought some satisfaction to Lily had she known that Quinn didn’t sleep very well the next night after she left or the night after that. Finally, after tossing and turning for the third night in a row, Quinn padded into Lily’s room with Gunner on his heels. He grabbed two pillows. Going back to his own bed,
he said to Gunner, “You can have one pillow, but I get the other.” Gunner slept better after that – Quinn, still not so much.

  CHAPTER 43

  Lily arrived home in Manhattan, Kansas in the middle of the night. She had slept very little on her flight across the Atlantic. She was exhausted from the trip and emotional upheaval that came from seeing Quinn again as they tried to unsuccessfully reunite.

  Because Lily was a grownup, unlike someone else she knew, she checked on her responsibilities – the twins as well as the babysitter as soon as she arrived home. Everything appeared to be normal in the household except that they were missing Gunner. Fortunately, the boys were too young to remember him or know that he was gone. Satisfied that all was well, she finally went back to her own bedroom and crawled into bed. Exhausted, she was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow in spite of the emotions that continued to circle her head like a buzzing fly that never wants to give up.

  The next day, Lily played with her babies and tried not to think of Quinn. The twins were especially good at making her forget him as they seemed to love the attention and frolicking every bit of as much as she did. It was comforting and therapeutic to be near them again. It was a little difficult to see how everyday they looked more and more like Quinn. It was so obvious to her, she was a little surprised that her family hadn’t ask her about it.

  It wasn’t until the next day that Lily began to unpack her things from the trip. The first thing she pulled out was her K-State t-shirt. She noticed drops of smeared blood scattered about the shirt. It was obviously Quinn’s blood from his mishap with the razor. It made her smile when she remembered his comment, The razor just seemed to have a life of its own. For some reason, she threw the shirt in the back of her closet rather than the wash and forgot about it until several few weeks later.

  CHAPTER 44

  Lily tried to reject Quinn from her mind like she would a DVD. She got into a routine and for the most part was able to dismiss him from her mind. If the DVD would just quit rewinding and playing over again. It had been five weeks since she left the villa in Italy. She was counting the weeks since she had left because the twins would be a year old next month. She knew it would be better to call him rather than to email him. She owed him that.

  So, that night, after she had gotten out of the shower and was drying off, she was getting herself psyched up for the conversation in the full length mirror in her bathroom when she looked over her body. She looked like she had gained a little weight. She was fuller in her tummy. Then, she frowned and started counting back to when she had last had a period. She gasped. It couldn’t be, she thought as she shook her head in denial.

  Since the babysitter was still there, Lily threw on her jeans and jumped in the car to pick up a pregnancy test at the drugstore that was fortunately still open. Shaking, she immediately drove home and went directly into the bathroom to test for that possibility. Ten minutes later, she threw up in the toilet.

  Lily had stewed and called Quinn every name she’d ever heard on the rodeo circuit for the next three days. Now, she had just crawled up in her bed with her cell phone. She sat there staring at it for at least fifteen minutes before she finally dialed Quinn. He answered on the first ring. By this time, Lily had herself worked up and was as mad as a hornet. If he didn’t want children, maybe he should try using a condom!

  Quinn saw on caller ID that it was Lily, he assumed she was calling about Gunner to see how he was adjusting. The bomb she dumped in his lap, he didn’t see coming.

  “Hi.”

  Lily cut right to the chase. She was in no mood for niceties. “Damn you, Quinn. I’m pregnant!”

  He said nothing for a moment trying to absorb the news. According to the doctor, he’d probably always be shooting blanks. For that reason, he couldn’t get too excited about the announcement even though a part of him wished that it could be true. “So, what does your husband think of that, assuming it isn’t his?”

  “You turd! I don’t have a husband!”

  “Well, I’ll assure you it isn’t mine, “he replied calmly.

  An emotional Lily snapped back, “Is that so! Well, let me give you a flow chart that you can follow – Guy screws girl, girl gets pregnant, girl has babies, guy screws girl A-GAIN, girl gets pregnant A-GAIN, SCREW the guy!!!!” Lily disconnected.

  Quinn didn’t know how long he sat there holding his silent phone, trying to process the information that she had just given to him. Did he hear right? Did he have a baby? (With Lily’s emotional words flying like arrows, he missed the “ies” on baby.) Lily was pregnant again? She didn’t have a husband?!

  Quinn hit redial to confirm the conversation that was still echoing in his ears. It went directly to her mailbox. “Damn it, Lily, Pick up!!” He waited for an hour with his phone still in the palm of his hand, when he finally realized, idiot that he was, that he probably wouldn’t hear from Lily again by phone. He immediately started making arrangements to fly to Kansas. He couldn’t get a flight out of Rome until two days later. He might have gotten out sooner, except, he was bringing Gunner with him. He couldn’t leave him behind. If he had a family waiting for him in the Little Apple, he didn’t know when he’d return to the condo, if ever.

  CHAPTER 45

  The next day, Lily stood on her head and dug her K-State t-shirt out of the back of her closet. Shaking out the wrinkles, she looked to see if she could get a blood sample from any of Quinn’s drops of blood. As it turned out, there was a suspicious stain on the edge that looked like it was probably semen. Like Monica Lewinsky’s blue dress, there was no denying the consequences of Bill or Quinn’s sexual activity. She jumped in the car and took them to her lab to test them for “daddy hood” since he seemed to think he needed proof – the jerk! Having confirmed Quinn’s fatherhood on official paper, she immediately sent the results to him by Air Federal Express overnight to Europe.

  Three days later after his conversation with Lily, Quinn was just getting ready to go out the door of Uncle Dawg’s chateau. He was packed with Gunner’s leash in one hand and his traveling bag in the other headed for Kansas, when a special delivery guy arrived at his front door asking for his signature. He handed him a manila envelope, which Quinn promptly stuck under his arm as he and Gunner climbed in the back seat of the patiently waiting limo that stood at his front door. It wasn’t until they were well on their way did he take the time to look inside it. It was genetic testing confirming that he was the father of the babies. He knew Lily wouldn’t deliberately lie to him. The only note she wrote at the bottom was: Feel free to tattoo this on your forehead!!

  Quinn was not surprised with the results. What did surprise him, however, was the Babe Ruth candy bar in the bottom of the envelope. Since, she had called him a turd, it wasn’t terribly difficult to understand its symbolization. As he unwrapped the candy bar of chocolate and peanuts, he began to devour it with the hot coffee latte waiting for him in the back of the limo. He chuckled all the way to the airport. Lily, my little nutcracker, you light up my heart.

  CHAPTER 46

  The next day, Lily’s doorbell rang. When she opened it, a man was standing there with balloons

  and a huge bouquet of lilies in a multitude of spring colors – purple, orange, yellow, pink, and white.

  “Flowers for Miss McCain.”

  Recognizing the voice behind the arrangement of flowers, Lily almost shut the door in Quinn’s face, but she was too excited to see Gunner who jumped all over her and then began running through the house in circles until he found the twins playing in their toy room.

  Quinn’s head popped out among the flowers. “May I come in?” he asked sheepishly.

  He was wearing a piece of masking tape across his forehead on which was written in black magic marker, I’m a daddy.

  Lily tried to bite her lips to keep from smiling, thinking it was a rather creative last minute tattoo, but she couldn’t help herself as she relented and opened the door wide enough for him to enter. It instantly broke the tensio
n.

  Quinn immediately set down the flowers. Before Lily could protest, he grabbed her around the waist and gave her a really mushy kiss. She tried to pretend that she was unaffected, but she couldn’t help but respond at least a little, even though she had sworn that she’d never swoon over him ever again in this lifetime. But, here she was like a true idiot savoring his feel, his smell, his touch like she was sixteen again. An inferno began to rage on its own accord, but before things really got out of control Quinn shakily pulled away, but by only a half an inch. Still holding her and putting his forehead next to hers, Quinn said, “We need to talk.”

  Just then, a little squeal suddenly commanded Quinn’s attention as his head jerked up and he zeroed in on a miniature size of himself that came crawling around the corner followed by a second look alike. Quinn couldn’t help but suck in his breath, followed by delightful surprise. He looked at Lily, “Twin boys?!” He was amazed and dazed all at the same time. He could hardly believe it!

  Lily watched the mirage of emotions that fleeted across Quinn’s face at seeing his children for the first time, which seemed to reflect nothing but pure joy and happiness. It was reassuring to know that Quinn was pleased and excited about fatherhood; especially, after his last words to her before she left were, “I never want any kids!” She needed him to explain that remark before she let him into their little family circle for the twin’s emotional protection. But, somehow, she knew everything was going to be all right. He looked at her and grinned, “They look just like me,” he boosted. “I did good, didn’t I?” Which made Lily laugh as it was supposed to do.

  Quinn immediately sat down on the floor and picked up Dominic and then Tyrone. That was when Lily notice what it said on the front of his t-shirt, I’m a proud daddy of?! It made Lily laugh some more as it reminded her of Hester Payne who was forced to wear the letter “A” for adulteress on her chest in the Scarlet Letter. As far as she was concerned, this fit the situation perfectly; especially, when she saw the back that said, I’m sorry. That was the kicker. She melted into a puddle right there and all was forgiven.