Play Me

by Kelly Elliott

  Kendall grinned. “It has been nonstop, but it was all worth it.”

  “Yes, it was,” I said and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  “How about we get undressed, crawl under the covers and... go to sleep.”

  “I like that plan. We can make love in the morning before we leave for the airport.”

  She slapped my chest before standing. “That’s a solid plan. Now get me out of this damn dress.”

  “I deserve some sort of reward for getting you out of this thing.”

  Kendall giggled as I went back to work on the dress.

  “Who helped you pick this damn dress out, anyway?”

  Peeking over her shoulder, Kendall deadpanned, “My father.”

  With a grunt, I rolled my eyes and mumbled, “That bastard was trying to cock block me on my own wedding night.”

  With another adorable chuckle, she said, “It almost worked.”

  After the last button was undone and I examined the blister forming on my finger, I pushed it off her shoulders and let it pool around her on the floor. With a soft kiss on her shoulder, I whispered, “Almost.”

  Kendall stood in the middle of the log home and stared out the window over the snow-covered countryside. “Canada?”

  I had successfully pulled off surprising her. Of course, it had meant taking one of Damien’s private planes and blindfolding Kendall on the car ride up, but I’d done it.

  Kendall spun around and stared at me, a panicked look on her face. “I let you pick the honeymoon destination, and you picked... Canada?”

  I smiled. “Yeah. It’s not just Canada. It’s a cabin in Canada, away from everything and everyone. It’s perfect!”

  With her mouth hanging open, Kendall shook her head then placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose. She started to mumble something about me never having control of family vacations.

  “Look at the view from this picture window. Is that not beautiful?”

  “Oh, it’s breathtaking, Hunter. Stunning. The only problem is I was under the impression we were going somewhere warm. You left clues it was someplace warm. I imagined I would be dressed in a bikini that you would be stripping off me every chance you got.”

  I frowned at that thought. “Hmm, I didn’t think about that.”

  “Clearly, Hunter! I packed for the beach. The. Beach.”

  I snapped my fingers and pointed to her. “See, I am one step ahead of you. I had your mom pack another suitcase that I sent up earlier! It’s full of winter clothes. It’s funny though, your dad and mom sure did laugh a lot when I told them the plan about taking you to Canada.”

  “I wonder why?”

  I jammed my hands in my pockets. “Your dad said you would love it.”

  “Of course, he did! He knew I’d be dressed from head to toe in winter clothes. Do you not remember the wedding dress from less than twenty-four hours ago?”

  I swallowed hard. “But here it’s just us. I can build us a romantic fire, and we can make love in front of it. Nothing or no one will bother us. We can’t even get internet up here. It’s just the two of us.”

  Kendall gasped. “What?”

  “I know, it’s going to be so great to unplug.”

  Kendall spun around and walked away from me. She went down the hall to the bedroom before slamming the door. And then there was silence.

  Moments later, the door opened and she walked back out. “I love you, Hunter.”

  I smiled. “I love you, too, baby. I thought for a second this was going to be our first fight as a married couple.”

  “Oh, you were right.”

  “You don’t like the cabin?”

  “The cabin is beautiful. The view is beautiful. The bedroom is filled with rose petals and wine. Everything is romantic. I just thought it was a thousand miles south on a private beach somewhere. That’s what I had in my mind. I know it’s terrible, but I just never imagined this place. It’s just... I don’t know. I feel like I was tricked.”

  I shoved my fingers through my hair and sighed. “Okay, well let me see if I can find something and we can fly out tomorrow.”

  Kendall’s eyes widened in shock. “Wh-what?”

  “Yeah, let me see what I can do to fix this.”

  I grabbed my coat and started toward the door. Kendall reached for my arm and pulled me to a stop. “Where are you going?”

  “Into town. There’s a little café there that has internet. I wanted to make sure you could at least check in once or twice while we were here. I’ll make this better.”

  Closing her eyes, Kendall whispered, “No.”

  “No?”

  When her gaze met mine, her eyes were glossy with the tears she was trying to hold back.

  “I’m sorry I fucked this up, Kendall.”

  Throwing her arms around my neck, Kendall started to cry.

  Shit. I really messed up. She’s a bawling mess now.

  “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry I complained and didn’t appreciate all the hard work you did to make this so special. You’re right; it is perfect. Sometimes I just get something in my head, and I don’t know why I acted like that. I’m so sorry.”

  Pulling back some, I looked at her closely. “I thought you wanted somewhere warm.”

  Kendall slowly shook her head as she placed her hand on the side of my face. “The only place I want is to be in your arms.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “I can do that.”

  I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. After I gently set her on her feet, she slipped into the bathroom and I quickly built a fire in the fireplace.

  Once that was done, I turned to see Kendall standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She was dressed in white lacy lingerie and wore a sexy smile on her face. Her finger moved slowly down her neck, over her chest, and then back up to her mouth. I moaned as she lightly traced her bottom lip and smiled.

  “I want you, Hunter.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I was stunned by the beauty that was my wife, standing there in front of me and telling me she wanted me.

  “Do you want me, too?”

  I nodded.

  “Then maybe you should get undressed.”

  My boots went flying, and I quickly tugged my shirt over my head, tossed it to the side, and then worked on getting my jeans off.

  Kendall approached me slowly, her eyes taking in every inch of my naked body.

  “I can’t believe you’re my husband.”

  Still unable to speak, I placed my hands on her hips, letting my gaze roam freely over her body.

  “Make love to me, Hunter.”

  Sliding my hand around the back of her neck, I leaned close and pulled her mouth to mine. “Kendall,” I whispered before pressing my lips to hers.

  There was a soft rug in front of the fireplace, and I lowered our bodies to the floor as I kissed every inch of her body. My hands explored her like it was our first time together. Kendall was breathing heavily, whimpering for me to touch her, come inside her. When I couldn’t take not being closer to her, I slipped off her panties and tossed them to the side. Moving over her, I slowly pushed inside her until I was buried so deep we both let out a long, deep moan.

  “Hunter,” Kendall whispered, her fingers moving lightly over my back.

  “I love you so much, baby. So much.”

  As I moved in and out of her slowly, our hands touched one another, our mouths kissed deeply, and I felt as if my entire world was right there in that room.

  “I’m going to come,” Kendall gasped.

  “Yes,” I hissed, moving faster as I felt my own buildup growing.

  We called out each other’s names as we came together. When I finally stopped moving, I kept my body over Kendall’s. Our eyes met and we both smiled. My heart was filled with so many different emotions. Pure happiness, disbelief this beautiful woman was mine, and excitement for what our future held.

  “Hello, Mrs. Owens.”

  “Hello, Mr. Owens.”r />
  Kendall’s smile turned into a frown as she scrunched up her nose and asked, “Is something burning?”

  I gave a sniff and then turned to the fire. Focusing back on Kendall, I said, “I really hope you brought more panties. Yours are going up in smoke.”

  Hunter wrapped his arms around me. “How’s it going?”

  Having him hold me never got old. My love for this man only grew every day.

  I checked the gravy to make sure it was still okay. Cooking had never been my strong suit, but I’d been practicing and had greatly improved. Mom and Aubrey had given a lot of guidance the day before. But I wanted to be in charge of the turkey.

  This was the first year we were hosting Thanksgiving at our house. In years prior, we had alternated between our parents. But this year, I wanted everyone to come to our place for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

  I opened the oven and showed Hunter the turkey. “It’s a perfect golden brown. And according to the laminated timeline, everything is right on track.”

  I heard his laughter behind me and turned around to see that oh-so-familiar gleam of happiness in his eyes. “Why are you laughing?”

  “Laminated timeline?”

  “What? Thanksgiving cooking can be messy, and I figured things can go off the rails really fast. So I thought this would give me a guideline and the paper would stay neat and tidy at the same time. Win-win.”

  Hunter just nodded and gave me that smile that I loved.

  I asked, “Where’s Alec?”

  “The grandpas took him out to see the horses.”

  There was so much pride in Hunter’s voice. When we’d found out we were having a baby, I thought Hunter might burst from happiness. Initially, I’d wanted to wait until things were more settled in our careers, but then I realized they never would be. Through it all, Hunter supported me while I came full circle. Of course, he wanted children almost right away. Originally, I had, too, but then I got scared.

  The moment Alec came into the world fourteen months ago, my life shifted. Becoming a mother was the best thing I had ever accomplished.

  Sometimes, it was hard keeping the balance, but with my dad’s guidance and sheer determination, we’d found a happy medium. In five to seven more years, Dad would officially take a step back as I continued to grow into my role.

  Hunter had taken the Tennessee Spartans for a Super Bowl win this last year with Josh McEvans as his star quarterback. The thought of Josh made me smile. Just three days ago, Josh and Amber welcomed a baby girl into their family.

  Hunter nuzzled my neck. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Just how perfect life is. I can’t wait to see Josh and Amber’s baby.”

  “I’m so proud of him.”

  “Me, too.”

  After Hunter’s weekend with Josh at the ranch, he’d been a totally different person. Even Josh’s dad had come around after a lot of time and therapy.

  Life was a beautiful thing.

  The timer went off. “Oh, I think it’s time to get all the food on the table.”

  Hunter leaned over my shoulder. “Seems we have seventeen minutes to carve the turkey and then twelve more minutes to set the table.”

  I playfully slapped his chest. “Your time is a-ticking, Mr. Owens.”

  He grabbed the carving knife and set to work. When it was about an inch or two in, the knife stopped moving. Hunter’s muscles were flexed more than what should have been required to carve the turkey.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Uhh...” He tried a little harder. “When did you defrost the turkey?”

  “This morning. I put it in water while I creamed the corn. It stayed in the hot water for about an hour. Why?” Before Hunter could answer, I gasped. “Is it... is it still frozen?”

  He pulled out the knife, and I touched the turkey. On the surface, it was the perfect temperature. Just a little deeper, it was rock solid.

  “Pretty much, baby.”

  “But it’s golden brown! And in the sink, the skin was all mushy.” I was devastated. This wasn’t going according to plan at all. How can this be happening? There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  Hunter kissed the top of my head. “We need a plan B. Wait, what is this?”

  Leaning over, he grabbed something out of the turkey and pulled it out.

  I gasped. “What is that doing in my turkey?”

  “It’s the gizzard, giblets, and heart.”

  There were no words. I was now horrified. “They leave that in the turkey?”

  “For the gravy, generally.”

  I started gagging. “Throw that away. Throw it away or I’m going to be sick.”

  As Hunter turned toward the trash can, the back door opened and Frank came racing in, chasing Nala. Suddenly, everything moved in slow motion. Our poor cat was being traumatized by Frank, the mutt we’d adopted about six months before. Nala raced into the room and climbed up the tablecloth, and the pies I had slaved over the day before came tumbling down.

  Arf. Arf. Arf.

  “Frank, get your ass out here,” Brett called from the door just outside.

  “Language!” Aubrey yelled from what sounded like the living room.

  “What?” Brett said.

  “What happened?” Aubrey asked.

  I cocked my head as Brett’s expression grew tense. “Well, there was a little mishap.”

  Alec. My heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

  Brett looked guilty. “Well, Alec wanted down.” I closed my eyes, afraid of where this was going. “And we can’t say no to the little guy.” I opened my eyes and raised my eyebrow. “He might have thought the manure bucket was fun.”

  “Oh, shit,” Hunter said, laughter obvious in his voice.

  “Exactly,” Brett responded.

  My dad came walking in, holding our baby wrapped up in a towel from the tack room. Alec was flapping his arms around and giggling. It still warmed my heart to see my dad holding our son.

  “Your dad and I have got this. We’ll get Alec changed in time for dinner.”

  Frank came running out after Nala again.

  “Oh no,” my mom called from the kitchen.

  Everyone rushed in, and I sighed. This was turning into more of a disaster than I ever dreamed. The pies were all over the floor, the turkey wasn’t cooked, it appeared the creamed corn had been burning before Aubrey could grab it off the stove.

  Stupid laminated schedule.

  I heard Alec laugh, and I closed my eyes, focusing on the sound of his precious voice. That was what mattered. Being together. When I opened them again, Hunter was staring at me. “I’m so sorry, baby. I know how much you were looking forward to this.”

  “I was, but just like our honeymoon, all I ever need is you, Hunter. This life, whatever it brings us, is all I need.”

  “I love you, Kendall.”

  My world was complete.

  Mom and Aubrey were picking up the dessert mess. “I’m so sorry, Kendall.”

  I hugged my mom and said, “Time for plan B.”

  Everyone stared at me. “Hunter, grab the sandwich meat from the fridge. Mom, Aubrey, there are Twinkies in the pantry—hidden in the back. We also have Zebra Cakes.”

  Hunter stopped and stared at me. “We have Twinkies and Zebra Cakes?”

  Oh no. I’d stashed those in the back, hoping Hunter wouldn’t find them. Tonight, after Thanksgiving dinner, I had planned to surprise Hunter with our news. When I’d been pregnant with Alec, I’d craved those two things the entire nine months.

  I froze. Think. Think. Think. “Yeah, Alec pointed to them in the store, so I got them.”

  He set the sandwich meat down, the smile huge on his face as he walked toward me. He knew. I giggled and nodded. In one swift movement, Hunter picked me up and spun me around before he crushed his lips to mine. When he finally put me down, he cradled my face. “Is it true? Tell me it’s true.”

  “It is.”

  The dads joined us, carrying
Alec, who was dressed in a Lion’s jersey. Dad loved putting Alec in his original team colors since Hunter was a Tennessee man.

  “What did we miss?” Brett asked.

  Aubrey said, “I’m not sure. Something about Twinkies and Zebra Cakes.”

  It was then my mom gasped and tears filled her eyes. Dad asked, “What is going on? Is Kendall okay?”

  I nodded. “I am, Daddy. I’m more than okay.”

  Hunter gave me a look that silently asked if he could tell, and I nodded. “We’re pregnant!” he shouted.

  The room erupted in cheers.

  I walked over to Alec, and Dad had a huge grin on his face. “So I’m going to be a grandpa again?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  Alec kicked and giggled like what we were saying was the funniest thing in the world. He reached for me. “Momma.”

  I took him and held him to me, treasuring this moment. I kissed the top of his head. “You’re going to be a big brother.”

  Hunter put his arms around us. “My world. My family.”

  “It’s time for a toast,” Brett announced.

  The parents were abuzz with excitement.

  I never imagined when I drove out to this ranch to ask Hunter Owens to be a consultant to the minor league team, I would have been able to have everything I ever wanted and more.

  Alec was asleep in the house with my mom. They’d flown in for the weekend to spend some time with their grandson. Hunter and I lay on a blanket in a field, my head on his biceps while his hand rested gently on my stomach.

  “I love feeling our child move.”

  “She’s been really active today.”

  A few weeks before, we’d found out we were having a little girl. My world was complete. Life was more laid back than I imagined it could be. Yes, I was busy with work, but my family was my focus. I never imagined I would be able to have this sort of life. And with Hunter consulting, it helped tremendously. We were a team.

  I let out a contented sigh.

  Hunter asked, “You happy, baby?”

  “Very. I can’t wait to meet this little girl.”

  Our child kept kicking, and we smiled at each other. Hunter and I had made it a point to get away once a week for a few hours just to spend time with each other. This week, we were having a picnic in the same spot where we’d had our first date.