Lucky Baby

by Layla Valentine

  “I’ve never let my body get away from me like this,” he told me, shaking his head and rubbing his nose against mine. “Can you imagine a bounty hunter not being able to control himself? For so many years, I woke up in the morning, ate steel-cut oats, and did 100 pushups.

  “After that, I was after one gang member or criminal or the next, without room for—erm—worldly pleasures, if you know what I mean. But now, I get one sniff of how you smell, and I’m enamored.”

  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week were all the same, with Ethan and I picking Gracie up before returning to my cabin for dinner, which we began to cook together, as a kind of unit. We fell into easy patterns, with Gracie telling us silly stories from school, with Ethan touching me—my shoulder, my waist, my thigh—whenever he could, just to show that he still cared about me, even if he couldn’t be vocal about it with his daughter in our presence.

  Each night, when they left, my heart grew dull. Saturday was approaching far too quickly. I’d begun to have dreams about work, reminding me that my old life was calling me back. I’d grown accustomed to the clean, crisp air, which smelled of pine trees. I’d grown to love the mountains, cresting in the distance. Part of me wanted to abandon everything I’d ever known. But most of me knew that was just a hopeless dream.

  On Thursday evening, as Gracie jumped into the truck to leave, Ethan leaned toward me, knowing this was our quick second of privacy. He kissed me, causing my eyes to close, my body to fold into his. I reached for his elbow, wanting to cling to him. But he took a step back, breaking the kiss all too soon.

  I wanted to cry out to him. To tell him everything that I knew, in my soul. But I held back, waiting.

  “Same time tomorrow?” I finally whispered, feeling the tension between us.

  “Same time,” he said, his voice deep and dominant.

  The moment the truck crept back up the mountain and out of sight, I fell onto the back porch, placing my face in my hands. Friday was to be my final day with Ethan. I resolved to enjoy it, to mark it in my mind as special.

  But at the same time I knew—since Ethan’s situation was specific, since he had to remain in the wild—he could never chase after me. I would have to leave him behind.

  Chapter 7

  Ethan

  It had been a long time since I’d cared about what day of the week it was. If it wasn’t a school day, Gracie stayed home or went to a friend’s; if it was a weekday, Gracie went to school, then came home. For a long time, I’d resolved not to care about a single thing beyond that—making time pass along like water.

  I knew that wasn’t the way to live. It was a way to lose years of Gracie’s life. One day, I would wake up and she would be 17, 18 years old. Another day, I’d realize I was an old man, and she’d be out in the world.

  But when you chose to sleepwalk through life, these things didn’t pester you so much.

  With Serena in the mountains, time was different. Every day with her was a small infinity, and yet, every day also seemed to skate by—leaving me alone and icy cold in my bed without her. I hated wondering what she was doing without me. I hated wondering what she thought about me—whether or not she wished things were different, that we could be together.

  These were conversations we couldn’t have with one another. There was so much we couldn’t say.

  Gracie bounded toward the truck. I followed, watching her bright backpack bobbing up and down.

  Gracie had asked me several times if I thought Serena might stay in the mountains forever. Each time, I’d told her that she couldn’t, that she had this whole other life—probably men who wanted her, who would have her if she chose to be with them. She had an important career and was incredibly intelligent, even if normally, our use for each other didn’t get beyond what we did to one another’s bodies. I felt completely like myself with her, as if she could peer into the deepest, darkest depths of my soul. I’d never met a woman like her.

  “It’s Friday, Daddy,” Gracie said, leaning her head back against the truck’s seat rest, “which means show and tell.”

  “What are you showing or telling?” I asked her, taking our route back down the mountain, toward her school. I blinked away sleep.

  “I’m going to tell about Serena,” she said, her eyes bright. “We haven’t made a friend like her ever. And she lives in the city and has this amazing life! Last night, she was telling me about that prison on a rock. Alca…” She paused, pressing her lips together. When she did this, she resembled her mother, forcing memories to flash across my eyes. “What was it?”

  “Alcatraz,” I told her.

  “That’s right. Anyway, that’s what I’ll do. I already showed all my toys all the other weeks, anyway.”

  What did it mean that Gracie had chosen Serena to be her “tell” of the week? I didn’t speak for the rest of the drive, caught up in my own thoughts, only half-listening to my daughter chatting away beside me. When she burst from the truck, saying, “See you after school, Daddy!” I muttered goodbye and watched her go, her blond hair flying out behind her.

  Today had to be different. I felt it. I couldn’t bring Serena to the same fisherman’s boat, do the same things, even fuck her in the same positions. I needed her to feel that this was as special, even if it wasn’t forever.

  Roaring back up the mountain, I rumbled down the driveway, watching the immediate flicker of the door. Serena had been watching for me. As I moved from the truck, she stepped out onto the back porch, wearing a short white dress which fluttered around her thighs. She gave me an anxious smile, sweeping her fingers through her hair.

  When I reached her, I wrapped my hands around her thin waist and lifted her into me. I inhaled her, body and soul, in a kiss. Her breasts were perky and braless against my chest. I twirled her, and as I did, a giggle began to grow in her throat.

  “You’re making me dizzy,” she said, the moment our kiss broke.

  “Good,” I told her, kissing the tip of her nose. I felt a swell of emotion, of lust. I wanted to thrust her against the side of the cabin, lift her skirts, and pulse into her, over and over again.

  “Are we going out on the boat?” she asked.

  “I was thinking we’d do something different today,” I said. “I wondered if you might join me for a hike.”

  “A hike?” she said, sliding her hands down my chest. “Sure. Let me change my shoes.”

  I waited as she rushed into the cabin, donning a pair of hiking boots, a flannel shirt, and a pair of jean shorts. She looked hip yet rustic—the kind of woman who belonged in the mountains.

  “You look like you’re staying for the winter,” I joked.

  “Oh, if only,” she said, her eyes growing sad.

  But we couldn’t focus on the things we couldn’t have.

  Instead, we walked hand in hand toward the private trail that snaked past the lake. The sunlight caught on the water, gleaming through the trees. As we walked, we spotted several animals: squirrels, turtles, even a deer. I watched Serena’s face light up with excitement each time, reminding me of Gracie.

  “You seem so open to the world,” I told her, squeezing her hand. “Are you always like this?”

  “Truthfully, I think I’m far more cynical when I’m in the city,” she said, her shoulders slumping. “Something about the fresh air makes me remember who I used to be. When you’re an attorney, you have to be so hard.”

  “Same when you’re a bounty hunter,” I told her, feeling a darkness pass over my eyes.

  “I can’t even imagine,” she whispered. I could feel the weight of all the questions she had for me, somewhere behind her eyes. But she held them in, not wanting to be invasive.

  I loved that about her.

  I led us up a steep incline, where the trail changed from soil to rock. Holding onto her hand, I guided Serena’s footsteps, ensuring she didn’t misstep and fall. Her eyes were fearful, yet I could sense she trusted me. We didn’t speak until we reached a flat edge, which offered another soil path, dee
per into the pine trees.

  “Damn. I would have never found this,” she said, giggling, her eyes wide. “Where on earth are you taking me?”

  “Not much farther.”

  “Oh! I think I can hear it,” she whispered.

  As if on cue, the trees broke, revealing a skinny waterfall, which eased into a glimmering pool. It was cove-like, with the green trees around the water giving it a turquoise color.

  I watched as Serena’s face changed, transitioning through the many phases of shock and awe. Reaching for my hand, she squeezed it tightly. A small tear descended down her cheek. It was a tender moment, one of incredible passion and light.

  “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” she murmured to me.

  “Neither have I,” I said.

  We were on one another, then. She tore at my clothes, revealing my hearty muscles below. Her eyes rode over me, along with her fingers, then her tongue.

  Reaching for my belt, she pushed my pants to the ground, revealing my boxers. My cock had filled them out, thrusting forward. With a gasp, she wrapped her fingers around the base of my cock: deep red, throbbing. With a cry, she dropped to her knees, lifting her lips to the tip.

  She sent her tongue around and around the tip, licking at the bit of cum that dribbled down it. And then, she thrust forward, her lips up to the hilt. I couldn’t believe the incredible feeling. I was so deep down her throat. It was dark and wet and alive.

  Reaching down, I placed my hand on top of her head, guiding her as she turned her tongue around and around my cock, feeling at the veins.

  “Get undressed,” I told her.

  She did. Pulling away from my cock, she removed her flannel, her shorts, her shoes, and I did the same. We stood like Adam and Eve, in the center of the woods. We were so far from civilization—miles and miles away from any human.

  With a flash of her smile, Serena gripped my hand and we leaped into the turquoise pool. The water was cool against our sweating bodies.

  When we swept back up to the surface, we were on one another again, with Serena bringing her legs wide. Without even trying, my cock found her perfect pussy, and I felt myself enter her. We were one unit once more.

  We spent the afternoon like that: fucking, giggling, staring up at the bright blue sky and listening to the waterfall cascade, just feet away. It was a small morsel of heaven, this area of the world. With Serena in my arms, everything felt possible. It even felt possible to imagine that she might stay.

  When the sun began to dive back down beneath the trees, we put on our clothes, without words, and began to trek back down the mountain.

  After a while, Serena began to ponder what she might make for dinner that night. I gripped her hand as we descended the more treacherous parts of the hike. I felt, in my heart, that I wanted to show her something more of myself. That I didn’t want our week together to end without giving her something bigger—a kind of gift.

  When we reached her cabin, I placed my hand on the window of the truck, exhaling deeply.

  Serena gestured toward her house, whispering, “I actually have all the supplies I need for dinner. I could get started on it now, while you pick Gracie up from school?”

  I shook my head, feeling anxious. After slipping my fingers through my drying hair, I gave her a soft smile. “Why don’t we do something a bit different this time?”

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, her eyebrows lowering. I could sense she was worried that I wanted to call the whole thing off.

  “Maybe tonight you could join Gracie and me for dinner—in our cabin,” I said, frankly surprised that I’d even allowed the words to escape my lips.

  Serena tilted her head, looking incredulous. But after a long moment, she forced the confusion to pass. Her voice was soft, gentle.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, clearly honored, knowing how big this was for me. For us.

  “Of course,” I said. “I’d love it. And Gracie would, as well.”

  “Then I’d love to,” she said, tossing her arms around my neck and hugging me tight.

  “Great. We’ll be back in about a half hour to take you up there,” I told her, remembering the small trail I’d built between the cabins, several years before. “You can’t see the place from the road. It’s a bit tricky to find.”

  “Sounds like a secret, in a magic forest,” she said, her eyes shimmering. “You are so full of surprises.”

  “You’ve been the biggest surprise I’ve had in a long time,” I told her, lifting her into me and kissing her lightly, softly. I inhaled the scent of her—somehow still flowery, despite spending the day in the turquoise waterfall. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I couldn’t help the stupid grin that found its way onto my face as I watched her skirt back into her cabin.

  Feeling jumpy, I leaped into the front of the truck and chugged it back down the mountain, anxious to be back in Serena’s presence.

  After not having another living soul at the cabin, not in the three years since I’d moved there, I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel. Would Serena find the place too rustic, too barren? Would she feel its charm? Would she feel at “home” in the only home I’d ever known?

  Chapter 8

  Serena

  I couldn’t believe he’d invited me to his cabin. I’d sensed a barrier, knowing that he didn’t allow others in his space, and thought that just having dinners at my place was easier for everyone involved. It was a neutral space. He didn’t have to reveal too much. We could just…exist.

  But something had changed during the afternoon at the waterfall. Our bodies and minds had come together so completely, so totally, that I knew I could no longer pretend I wasn’t falling completely in love with him. I sensed the swell in me, making butterflies swirl in my stomach. I wasn’t conscious of anything else but this. I was alive, awake, happy.

  I changed back into the white dress I’d been wearing earlier, and waited at the doorway, knowing that Ethan and Gracie would arrive soon. When they did, they did so on foot, darting through the trees, hand in hand. Ethan gave me a firm wave, almost like a command. I fell into the outdoors once more, my body sizzling with excitement.

  “Where’s the truck?” I asked them, patting Gracie’s back as she hugged my legs close.

  “Parked it already, so I could show you the path back to the cabin,” Ethan said. He placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward a large oak, where I saw a small trail had been formed between the weeds.

  “I’m so excited to show you our house!” Gracie cried. “No one’s ever seen it before!”

  I blinked up at Ethan, giving him a meaningful smile.

  “I can’t wait.”

  We walked through the trees, following a sparse yet certain path. Gracie held onto my hand, chattering quietly about her “show and tell” from the day. She’d apparently spoken of me, about my career “in the big city,” and about how she wanted to be like me when she “got old.”

  “Old?” I asked, chuckling slightly.

  “Well, how old are you?” she asked.

  “Twenty-eight,” I said, with a heavy sigh. “Pretty old, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe you’ll be a mom soon,” Gracie said, giving me an even shrug.

  My eyes flickered toward Ethan, unable to read him. He’d retreated into himself once more, becoming darker, perhaps anxious that I was, indeed, nearing his home. My fingers flickered across my thighs as I walked. I wanted to hold onto his hand, but I held back, sensing the growing brevity of the moment.

  The cabin was tucked in the trees, completely invisible to the untrained eye. We cut through a small garden, which held bright tulips, daisies, even a rose bush, and then swept through a willow tree and several pines.

  The steps up to the cabin seemed to appear out of nowhere. Gracie leaped up on the first one, saying, “We’re here!” Her voice echoed across the lake.

  Ethan reached for his key and unlocked the front door, which was burly and thick. He shoved it open and turne
d, beckoning for me to approach. As I did, I felt my heart hammering in my chest. He placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me inside.

  The place was absolutely extraordinary. Inside, the cabin was transformed, with fairy lights adorning the walls and ceilings. The windows were lined with soft curtains, which gave the interior a cozy feeling, and a fireplace along the wall was lined with large stones—all of which, I knew without asking, Ethan had picked up himself.

  The first room was a combination of living and dining room. A large, wooden dining table stood next to the window, which offered an incredible view of the shimmering lake as the sun dropped lower in the sky.

  As we walked forward, the dining room paved the way for the kitchen, which was rustic, but lined with more fairy lights. On the refrigerator, Gracie had hung several crayon drawings, one of which was of her father, chopping wood.

  “Wow,” I exhaled, feeling breathless. “This is unbelievable.”

  At first, I thought the walls were lined with artwork. But as I crept closer, I realized that each of the frames held within them polaroid photos of the metamorphosis of the cabin: from a rustic, basic shelter, to the cozy safe haven it was now.

  Other photos were of Gracie as she’d grown older, wearing footie pajamas, giggling with her head tossed back, on Christmas morning.

  I felt tears forming as I took in the images. The recording of their beautiful life together. The recording of the life Ethan had taken on when he’d been called to be a father.

  “I took these ones!” Gracie said, pointing to a lower frame, which held several pictures of the cabin and the lake. They were shaky, blurry, showing spots of light. But I could feel her intense pride emanating from her smile.

  “You really are an artist,” I told her, bringing my hand to her shoulder. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful place.”

  As Gracie scampered off to her bedroom to drop off her backpack, Ethan leaned across, kissing me lightly on the lips. I felt a jolt of excitement, knowing we were hiding our feelings from his daughter.