Lucy looked at Seth and noticed the light blush creeping across his cheeks. She could only imagine what her creative four year old son and manly-man, Seth Landers had come up with to surprise her. She almost feared what it might be. But she allowed Jacob to slowly lead her up the stairs and once they reached their door, he stopped her and stood between herself and the door.
“You have to close your eyes,” the little boy announced.
Seth moved up behind her and pressed his chest to her back, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“I’ll cover Mommy’s eyes and lead her at the same time, that way she won’t fall,” Seth offered and moved his left hand up to gently cover the top half of her face. He wrapped his right arm around her tiny waist and pulled her even tighter against him. Lucy’s breath caught in her throat as his scent filled her nostrils. A pool of moisture bloomed in her core and she summoned every ounce of strength to quell the urge to turn in his arms and claim his lips as her own.
Her body had never reacted to another man the way it did with Seth and it both frustrated and thrilled her. But quickly on the tail of that thought came the reminder that she didn’t have long and couldn’t wrap Seth in a relationship that was doomed from the beginning. No matter how much she loved him, she wouldn’t condemn him to that kind of pain. Sure, she knew he wanted her, but she wasn’t sure how he felt about her.
She heard keys jingling and the sound of the door opening. Seth gingerly nudged her forward, helping her keep her balance and move forward at the same time. He reminded her of the threshold, told her when to pick her feet up and such until they were well into the living room. She inhaled deeply and her body melted like butter.
Home.
She was home and surrounded by the three most important people in her life. What more could a person ask for? If she died tonight, she’d die happy.
“Ready, Mommy?” Jacob asked, his voice coming from in front of her.
Afraid her voice would betray the touching sentimentality of her mood; she merely nodded her head and giggled when Seth struggled to keep his hand over her eyes.
“She’s trying to peek,” Seth accused and laughed, his chest vibrating against her back. It felt good to be in the comfort of his arms and she could almost allow herself to dream of a lifetime of embraces like this. If only she had the time and Seth loved her like she did him.
“Okay, Uncle Seth,” Jacob said in a serious voice. “She can look now.”
Seth tentatively removed his hand and she slowly opened her eyes. Her mouth gaped open when she took in the scene before her. New furniture and a multitude of flowers and Valentine paraphernalia filled her apartment. A new sofa sat against the wall, recliners built in on both ends and a comfy looking lounge chair sat in the corner heading toward the kitchen.
A brand new wooden dining table with four fancy chairs graced her small eating area and a tiny chandelier dangled above it, little diamonds hanging like unshed teardrops. New carpeting, in a beautiful butternut squash color, covered the floor and several side tables sat against the walls.
Tall, elaborate lamps, decked with ornate carvings of angels wrapping around the post sat in most all the corners of her living room and the shades had the small teardrop diamonds to match the chandelier.
“Want to see my room?” Jacob asked his voice high in delight and Lucy couldn’t help but emit a nervous laugh. Her emotions warred between furious that he’d dared refurnish her home – probably discarding her own possessions – without her knowledge or permission and delight that her home looked so comfy and polished. She’d always dreamed of new furniture, especially when it came to her and Jacob’s bedrooms.
She wanted the best for her son, but second-hand had been all she could ever afford.
Seth must have felt her body stiffen because he released her and moved around to stand in front of her. He took a few moments to study her reaction and then immediately began apologizing.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed out. “I can have it all taken back. I had all your old stuff put in storage. I just wanted to do something nice for you and Jacob. Please don’t be upset, I can fix this,” he rambled, running his fingers through his, now, disheveled hair.
Speechless beyond reason, Lucy reached out and placed her hand on Seth’s forearm, stopping him in his tracks. Worry marred his face like a mask.
“It’s alright,” Lucy admitted. “I’m still processing, don’t panic,” she confessed. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”
“Seriously,” Seth took both her hands in his. “If you don’t like any of it, I’ll have it removed immediately. If you want something else, you name it and I’ll get it,” he offered.
“Maybe Mommy would like to sit down?” Chris looked down at Jacob and nodded toward the lounge chair. “She can always see your room after she rests a bit,” he advised when the little boy’s lower lip protruded slightly.
Lucy almost laughed at her son’s expression. Apparently he was very satisfied with his and Uncle Seth’s presentation and wanted her to take it all in – at once. She was tired but making her son happy was first on her to-do list. So, she shook her head and pulled her hands from Seth’s.
“Why don’t you show me your awesome room?” she asked, offering her son her hand. He grabbed her outstretched arm and tugged her toward his door, which she now noticed had his name painted on it in big bold letters. What she saw when she walked past the door flat stole her breath away.
The inside of his room looked like a baseball diamond had exploded. His plain little bed had been replaced by a large rectangular home plate with a wooden headboard. His comforter, pillows, sheets and floor rug were all baseball themed and a large poster adorned his far wall. She grinned as she took in the huge picture of Seth Landers in full-on pitching mode.
His color scheme was all St. Louis Cardinals.
“Look at this, Mommy,” Jacob urged and Lucy turned to take in his new chest-of-drawers. Among his normal contents, a few trophies now stood proudly among various little boy toys. Upon closer inspection, Lucy noticed they were actually Seth’s championship trophies; the newest one dated for the Cardinal’s 2011 World Series win.
“Uncle Seth gave them to me,” Jacob bragged. “Aren’t they cool?”
“Very,” Lucy agreed and turned to see Seth standing in the open doorway. She cocked her head and gave him a smirk and he responded with a shoulder shrug. He knew he’d gone overboard, but in the end she couldn’t deny the man had good taste.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “All of this is great, but Seth you didn’t have to do this,” she said and approached him. “You don’t owe us anything.”
Seth looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Inhaling deeply, he brought those beautiful blue eyes back to her and finally smiled.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he responded, his voice low and serious. “I owe you both everything.”
***
Seth waited with bated breath while Lucy walked the rest of her apartment. He knew he’d taken a huge risk by refurnishing her home. But he’d wanted to give her something – hell, anything – to account for all the time he’d missed. He couldn’t express how much he admired her.
She’d experienced being pregnant and childbirth on her own. Chris had told him of how her parents had disowned her upon finding out she was pregnant. He’d gotten so angry at the two people who should’ve have been there for her no matter what. But he now understood her reluctance to involve others in her life.
Chris and Amber were the only ones she really trusted and therefore, the only ones she interacted with.
Not to mention the fact that she’d raised one hell-of-an awesome four year old boy. Seth was proud to call Jacob his son and all that kept him from shouting it from the rooftop was his promise to let Lucy be the one to tell him. He just hoped she didn’t wait too long.
She praised the living room, Jacob’s room and the dining room and had been pretty excited to see new a new refrigerator
, stove, microwave and dishwasher. She’d argued that it was the landlord’s responsibility to provide those, but Seth waved her protest away. He’d already spoken with the landlord and made sure Lucy’s rent was paid up for the next year. He secretly hoped that he’d make some progress with their relationship in that length of time and prove a proper home for their new family.
She’d noticed and only slightly commented on the Valentine’s decorations, but Seth saw the pleasure she tried to hide in her eyes and her smile.
But nothing compared to the delight in her eyes when she saw her own bedroom. She stood, frozen in the doorway and simply let her eyes roam the interior of the room. He’d bought her a California King, cherry wood canopy bed, complete with all that fancy, gauzy netting that wraps around the top and each post. It was the fanciest, most expensive one he could find and Jacob agreed that his mother would, indeed, love it.
He’d chosen a deep pink comforter and dozens of matching pillows. He’d never understood women and their desire for a multitude of pillows, but he was more than happy to oblige her. A soft, shaggy rug adorned the floor and a fancy nightstand sat beside the bed; both in various colors of pink.
“It looks like a pink cloud,” Lucy admitted on a soft breath. “It’s so beautiful,” she finished and turned those doe eyes on Seth. “I love it.”
Seth felt the heat bloom across his face and wondered why the hell he was suddenly bashful. But, ultimately he remembered it was because Lucy was more important than any other woman he’d ever been with. He wanted more than just to be a great lover, he wanted to please her in ways that had nothing to do with sex.
“If ya’ll are done sight-seeing, I have dinner ready,” Chris called from the small kitchen. “What does a man have to do to get some food around here?” he added in a low mumble.
Lucy laughed at her brother’s impatient tone and moved to brush past Seth. He gave into the urge to grab her arm as she slid past and pulled her closer to his side. Leaning down so that he could whisper in her ear, he made the bold decision to lay it all out there.
“I’d love to test the comfort of that bed with you,” he rasped. “Just something for you to think about,” he finished and slowly opened his fingers, releasing her arm.
Lucy
The moment he severed their physical connection, Lucy’s skin erupted in goose pimples. She didn’t know whether it was his suggestion, her reaction to his suggestion or the fact that he’d virtually read her mind that disturbed her the most.
One look at the huge bed and all she could imagine was her and Seth, naked with limbs tangled in heated passion. Him breathing words of love and adoration and her caressing every square inch of his body.
Suddenly feeling bold, Lucy reached up and placed her hand on his chest over his heart. His eyes zeroed to hers.
“I’d like that,” she admitted and then hurried to the dining room before she could embarrass herself. Oh, she wanted him, she wanted him bad. But, her body was weak, they weren’t alone and she still questioned her bold move.
She wasn’t surprised to see new – matching – plates and silverware delicately placed around the table. Each place setting had one of those fancy napkin rings containing a real cotton towel. The placemats matched the little blue design on the plates and bowls and her inner girl squealed in glee.
“He really outdid himself,” Chris murmured, gesturing toward Seth who’d walked up beside her. “I honestly didn’t think the man had any taste at all, but looking at all this, I’m not afraid to admit I was wrong.” Her brother moved the elaborate centerpiece of daises and set a cardboard bucket of fried chicken in its place. Jacob, making multiple trips, followed with smaller containers of mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw and rolls.
Lucy’s eyebrows rose in question at their dinner choice and she couldn’t help but wonder just what Seth had been feeding her son in addition to the potato chips and cola. Chris caught her expression and smiled apologetically.
“Apparently Seth’s culinary skills only include ordering takeout and you know I don’t cook,” he explained and lifted the thin lid from the bucket. Her stomach rumbled in response to the delicious aroma of food. She’d been eating bland hospital food for weeks; perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to eat a little fast food – for now.
They all sat down, Chris loaded her plate first and then the boys filled their own. They dug in with a flourish and Lucy moaned as her taste buds exploded with each bite. It put the tasteless food she’d been eating to shame.
The boys settled into a witty banter and she couldn’t help but watch in fascination as Seth and Jacob teased each other mercilessly. She was shocked at how much her little boy had come out of his shell since Seth had been around. It warmed her heart to see the ease in which they got along during an everyday activity.
“Lucy, I was thinking about taking Jacob to a movie after dinner,” Chris offered as they cleared the table, carting the leftovers back into the kitchen. Lucy stood at the refrigerator door, polishing off her bottle of water. “That new cartoon is showing and it’ll give you some time to relax and settle in. I’m sure you’re tired,” he explained but slid a salacious grin at Seth. It didn’t take much imagination for her to realize that Seth had finagled a way for them to spend some ‘alone’ time together.
Her stomach hitched at the mere thought of being alone with the man, but at the same time, she felt excited.
“Please, Mommy?” Jacob tugged on her leg and smiled up at her. His blue eyes twinkled with such innocence. It was a smile she couldn’t say ‘no’ to.
“Alright,” she relented and reached down to tousle his dark hair.
“Perhaps Mommy would like to soak in a nice, hot bubble bath for a while?” Seth offered softly. “It’ll help you relax,” he added with a smirk.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Lucy agreed all too quickly and turned to flee through her bedroom into the safe confines of her private bathroom. She closed the door and leaned back against it with her chest heaving. But before she could so much as catch her breath, she took in the room before her.
Candles in all shades of red and pink were spread throughout the small room and bottles of scented bath stuff littered the side and back corner of her tub. On top of the toilet tank sat a huge vase of red roses and a small white card sat beside it. Reaching for it, she took it in her hand and opened it.
“I hope this makes you feel as special are you truly are.” The words were scrawled in a chicken-scratchy style and it was simply signed, “S.”
Smiling like a teenager, she quickly stripped out of the pajama set and turned on the hot water tap. Slightly adjusting the cold to suit her comfort, she lowered herself into the filling tub and studied the selection of soaps, gels and creams.
“A girl could definitely get used to this,” she mumbled to herself and poured a dollop of jasmine scented gel under the running water. Once the tub was full, she turned both taps off and lowered herself down to the nose in the hot, bubbly water.
She needed to do some serious landscaping, but for now, she merely indulged in the hot, blissfully scented water. After being in the hospital for so long and only able to shower, she’d had no strength for shaving and refused to ask the nurses for help. So, once she soaked a little while, she’d take her razor and shave the cavewoman from her body.
Seth
Chris urged Jacob into wearing his thick coat and the two of them headed out. The little boy was so excited to be going to the theater that Seth couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. He couldn’t imagine all the comforts Lucy and Jacob had done without all these years. All while he’d been living it up. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he sighed heavily and reminded himself that he couldn’t do anything about the past, but he could and he would make their future the best he could.
He’d move heaven and earth to make sure they were happy. He raced back into the kitchen and tossed all the dirty dishes into the new dishwasher. He grabbed the bottle of detergent and read the instructions before shrugging h
is shoulders and squeezing a hefty dollop into the designated cup.
He lifted the door, slid the latch to lock it and hit the ‘start’ button. The little machine roared to life in a whisper soft hum and Seth congratulated himself on a job well done. He gave the rest of the apartment one last glance-over and when he was satisfied that everything was still neat and tidy, he eased into the bedroom and began lighting candles.
He heard water lightly sloshing in the bathroom and smiled to himself, happy that Lucy was enjoying her bath. Looking down at himself, he realized he needed to tidy himself up as well.
He headed toward the little bathroom just to the left of Jacob’s bedroom and quickly undressed, tossing his clothes carelessly in the corner. He squeezed his large body into the crowded shower and bathed in record time. He wanted to be in bed, waiting, when Lucy emerged from the bathroom. The mere thought of her skin, moist, hot and pink from her soak, had him hurrying even faster.
He cringed when he got shampoo into his eyes and vigorously scrubbed his eyes until they didn’t burn any longer. He hit his elbow a couple of times and cursed the small confines of the shower, but put that out of his mind in lieu of a more important task.
He barely had time to dry off, toss the towel and race across the apartment, sliding between the covers before her bathroom door eased open and Lucy emerged with an oversized towel wrapped around her petite body. Seth inhaled sharply when he noticed just how much weight she’d lost.
“I must look hideous,” Lucy murmured self-consciously and ran her hands down over the towel, smoothing the overlapping cotton.
Seth rose on his left elbow and extended his right hand, beckoning her toward him with a deft crook of his fingers.
“You’re beautiful,” he hurried to encourage her. “You just need to let me spoil you with the best meals possible. That will help you get your strength back.” He smirked when she narrowed her dark, chocolate colored eyes at him.
“Fried chicken is neither a healthy nor proper meal,” she scolded him but smiled anyway.
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