by Linda Warren
He knelt at her feet and she wanted to cry at the action. While he gazed at her left leg, she held her breath, resisting the urge to turn away. That moment was over. With one long finger, he trailed the scars from her hip down to below her knee. His hand felt like a velvet glove.
Leaning back on his heels, he said, “What’s the big deal? It’s a scar—several scars and a burned area. People have seen scars before.” He pointed to the calf of his right leg. “A bull gored me there and left a scar. I don’t even think about it being there anymore, nor do I care.”
“It’s different for a woman and I wanted to be perfect for you.”
“I’m not perfect, Remi. I don’t require the girls I date to be perfect, either.”
She titled her head with a mischievous grin. “You’re making me crazy, do you know that?”
The corners of his mouth turned up a notch. “Then let’s stop talking.” In one movement he scooped her up and slid into the bed with her. His hard, firm body was touching all the right places and rational thought was floating away quickly.
“Paxton,” she murmured as his lips trailed from her cheek to her neck.
He raised his head to look into her eyes. “Don’t say a word. I want us to go with this moment because it’s what we both want.”
He took her lips in a passionate kiss and all thoughts disappeared like tiny puffs of smoke. All that mattered was his hand, his lips and his body taking hers on a journey she’d long forgotten. Paxton awoke every nerve she had in her body and she moaned as he touched her intimately. Her hands reached for him and her fingertips greedily caressed his hard muscles. He had to be the most perfect man alive.
She forgot about her leg. She forgot about everything but the touch of him. When he entered her, she gasped from the sheer pleasure of it and everything she’d been missing. It was clear that Paxton knew what he was doing and took care to be gentle while still arousing her to fever pitch. The journey ended in the deepest pleasure of all as her body trembled.
Paxton’s body shook and she held on as the remnants of pleasure began to fade away. He raised his head to look at her. His hair fell across his forehead and his eyes were as dark as midnight. “I love you, Remi. Really. Really. Really.”
“I really love you, too.” She didn’t even hesitate in responding. For now the fairy tale was real.
He laughed softly, tucking her into the side of his sweat-bathed body. As he kissed her forehead, the world tilted the right way for the first time in months.
Chapter Eleven
Paxton got up and turned off the light. They’d been so enthralled with each other they hadn’t even noticed it was still on. He took note of the crib and baby things. She was ready to become a mother and he hoped he was ready to be a part of it. There was still a worry in his mind about fatherhood.
He crawled back into bed and reached for the sheet and comforter to pull over them. Remi was sound asleep. He carefully gathered her into his arms and felt complete in a way he never had before. And it was very clear to him why. He’d just made love to a woman he loved and it was an awakening to a whole new world of emotions. All the girls before her were just mindless sex. Maybe he was the scoundrel he’d been called.
He wished he could make Remi believe how beautiful she was, scars and all. Her skin was the softest thing he’d ever touched, smooth and silky. He would never get tired of touching her. When he’d cupped her breasts, his world had rocked a little. They were perfect.
For a man who was known for choosing beautiful women, he found it refreshing that he had chosen the most beautiful one of all. Not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she had an inner beauty, too. And he vowed to spend the rest of his life making her happy.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, he couldn’t even imagine the pain and suffering she’d been through. Whatever she had to go through in the future he would be there to help her. There was something to be said about change. It made a man think and tonight as he held her close he felt good about himself. He felt good about the future.
* * *
THE BUZZ OF a cell phone woke them. Paxton groaned, and Remi sat up. “Where’s my phone?”
Paxton reached to the nightstand and handed it to her. “Oh, no. What time is it? I missed my therapy session.” She hurriedly clicked on. “Hi, Chad. I’m sorry—” she glanced at Paxton “—I had a friend over and went to bed late and overslept.”
Paxton cupped a breast and ran a finger over her nipple just to watch her face.
She caught his hand. “Stop it,” she mouthed.
“Okay. Two o’clock will be fine. I’ll see you then.” She looked at Paxton. “You’re in big trouble, mister.”
Paxton’s attention was on Remi’s closet. The doors were open and the racks on the doors were stacked with shoes. Shoes were everywhere on the floor. Every height of high heels imaginable were there and flats and other shoes, too.
“Do you house shoes for women?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
She slapped his arm. “Of course not. Those are my shoes, but... I’ll never be able to wear them again. I have to give them away soon. I love to wear my boots in the winter with long skirts. The doctor said a half inch is probably all I should wear. So goodbye shoes. And I need more room for Annie’s stuff, too.”
At the sadness in her voice, he pulled her down on top of him, the cell phone falling to the bed. Every girl should have boots and he was going to make sure Remi had a good pair. He had a rodeo friend who owned a boot-making company and Paxton was certain the man could make something perfect for Remi. He would keep it as a surprise for her birthday, which was coming up soon. He’d heard Miss Bertie talking about it.
“Paxton, we have to go. It’s almost eleven in the morning,” she breathed in between breathless kisses.
“Do you really want to stop?” he asked, staring into the glow of her green eyes.
Thirty minutes later they were rushing for the shower. Remi had to feed Sadie. Paxton had to shave. He got a glimpse of what it would be like living with a woman. The bathroom smelled like perfume and he wasn’t complaining. It was just different. It was twelve thirty when they stepped out of the apartment. After a late breakfast, they drove to Chad’s clinic, which was near the Houston Medical Center.
At the center, Paxton met Chad, Remi’s therapist. Paxton thought he was just a little too young and had too many muscles. But he seemed nice.
After the introduction, Paxton said, “Remi is doing better and better.”
Chad glanced at Remi. “Yes, she is, but she still has a ways to go.” He took Remi’s elbow and made to walk off to a hall to the right.
“Do you mind if I tag along?”
Chad looked perplexed until Remi spoke up. “Please let him sit in,” she said. “He pushes me just like you do.” She held up the cane. “See, he has me using this.”
“I guess it would be okay. Just don’t interfere.”
Paxton sat in a chair with Sadie beside him while Remi worked out with weights and on an elliptical machine with Chad giving her orders. Then they went to a workout table where she did stretches and more weights. They did exercises for balance and just about a little bit of everything. He couldn’t fault Chad for his technique. Then Chad had Remi kneel on the padded table. Her face scrunched into a painful mask. Paxton was instantly on his feet, but he held his tongue.
“Breathe in and out,” Chad was saying. “The pain will get better. Slowly, try to lean back on your heels.”
Sweat broke out on Remi’s forehead.
Paxton bit his tongue. He’d promised not to interfere, but clearly Remi was in pain.
“It hurts,” Remi said in a low voice.
Paxton couldn’t take it anymore. He walked over and sat on the mat with Remi. A cold stare from Chad was his reward.
“You can do it,” Paxton said to Re
mi. “I’m right here.” The scars on her left leg were now red and she was breathing heavily. He stroked her tight calf and she leaned back with a scream that came out muffled.
“Great!” Chad clapped.
Remi fell forward on the mat and just lay there. Paxton stroked her wet hair. “You did it. The pain will get better just as Chad said.”
She opened one eye to look at him. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d really be mad.”
The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. They went back to the apartment so Remi could shower and change. A nurse that Remi knew agreed to let them see Annie.
Hand in hand they walked down the hall at Texas Children’s Hospital. It was at the Houston Medical Center and devoted to the care and healing of children. Annie’s room was right across from the nurse’s station.
“A lot of the children have parents or family who stay with them, but Annie has no one, so the nurses take care of her,” Remi told him.
They’d passed a playroom and he’d noticed some children playing with brightly colored toys in the room. Some were in wheelchairs. It was heartbreaking and it touched him. This was part of the life he’d been isolated from and it brought home just what a selfish way he’d been living.
A nurse in scrubs came down the hall to meet them. Remi hugged her. “Thank you for letting us see Annie.” She turned to Paxton. “This is Paxton Rebel.”
Paxton shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” the nurse said with a smile. They followed her into a room. A little girl about three months old lay inside of a large baby bed. A big pink bow adorned her blond hair, which had a slight curl. Lying on her back, she kicked out with her arms and legs.
Remi immediately went to the bed. “Hi, precious.”
The little girl kicked that much faster, looking at Remi. A smile split her face and Remi reached down and picked her up. Paxton stood beside Remi in case she needed help. “How are you?” She kissed Annie’s cheek.
Annie laid her head on Remi’s shoulder and the affectionate response caused tears to well up in Remi’s eyes. He put his arm around her waist until Annie raised her head to look at him.
“This is Paxton,” Remi said to Annie.
Annie reached out for him and he caught her hand. She wrapped her fingers around his, and he fell in love all over again. The one thing he noticed through all the emotions that swelled inside him was Annie’s eyes were green, almost like Remi’s.
“She’s getting so big,” Remi said.
“What?” Annie was tiny to him, but this was his first time meeting her.
“I told you she was so small at birth and then she lost some weight after the surgery. I’m happy to see her gaining weight now.”
“Does she have special medical needs?” he asked, wanting to know everything about the little girl.
“She has to have regular heart checkups, but she’s fine now, the doctors say. She can even play sports if she wants.”
“She seems happy.”
“She always perks up when Remi comes,” Sandy said. “I told Ms. Connors from CPS about that. I’m in your corner on this. All the nurses are.”
“Thank you, Sandy.”
Remi sat with Annie in a rocker and they stayed until Annie fell asleep. Remi would make a good mother and he could see how much she loved that little girl. CPS had to see it, too. Paxton put the sleeping baby back into the crib because Remi was afraid to stand up with the baby in her arms. He looked into her sea-green eyes and all of his worries and doubts about loving Annie disappeared. He could do this. He could be a father to this little girl.
Remi was quiet on the way home. He reached out and took her hand. “Stop worrying. Everyone at the hospital knows who Annie belongs with and soon CPS will, too.” He squeezed her hand. “Do you have a lawyer?”
“Yes. She said my chances are good because I was Holly’s best friend and Annie and I have bonded. But my health will be a concern.”
He pulled into the parking lot of an office building so he could talk to her. “I had my doubts about Annie. Well, not about her, but about me being a father to her.”
Remi’s eyes opened wide.
“I’m in this forever. I want us to get married and be a family.”
“What?”
“That’s what I’m thinking. What are you thinking?”
She reached across the console and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think you’re the most amazing man ever.”
Thirty minutes later they sat in Remi’s lawyer’s office, but they didn’t get the news they were hoping for.
“I think it’s a good thing you’ve found someone, Remi,” Constance Baxter said. A woman in her midfifties with graying blond hair, Ms. Baxter was all business. “But it’s not going to help the custody hearing at this late date. It’s like pulling a rabbit out of a hat sort of thing and the judge is not going to go for it. She’ll think the marriage is phony. I will let the court know you’re in a committed relationship, though. It will be good to show you’re moving on with your life and your therapy. That’s the most important thing, Remi. You have to be able to pick Annie up from the floor and carry her around confidently. So far, you haven’t been able to do that. I send over weekly health reports and have affidavits from all your teacher friends at the school saying Holly would have wanted you to have Annie. None of that matters unless you can physically take care of the baby on your own.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Paxton asked.
“Just stay positive. This all takes time, so hang in there.” She smiled at Paxton. “And congratulations. You’re good for Remi. She’s positively glowing.”
On the way home Remi was quiet again and it tore at his heart. “I’m starving,” he said as a way to get her attention off Annie.
She smiled at him and everything was right in his world. “How about pizza?”
He winked at her, and she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Paxton drove on, hating that Wednesday would come sooner than he wanted. How was he going to leave her and go back to the rodeo circuit?
* * *
THE NEXT FEW days were the happiest of Remi’s life. She spent every moment with Paxton, whom she’d come to love more than life itself. They talked about marriage and, since it wouldn’t help with the adoption, decided to wait until rodeo season was over. And they also decided not to tell anyone, especially Remi’s parents. Her mother would go bonkers with excitement and she wanted time with Paxton to be just the two of them. And Annie.
Sandy set up two more visits with Annie, and Paxton was enthralled with the baby. Remi had no doubts they could make the relationship work. Her deepest fears disappeared and she lived in her fairy tale wholeheartedly.
They spent a lot of time in the apartment, but they did go out a couple of times. Paxton bought a kite and they flew it in a park, but it got caught in a tree and she laughed as he climbed up to get it. They laughed a lot, something she hadn’t done in months, but Wednesday soon arrived and they would have to let go for now. They went out to lunch and then decided to spend the rest of the day in the apartment.
After a rigorous afternoon of lovemaking, they sat on the sofa, holding each other. The doorbell sounded, jarring both of them. Paxton hurried to the door to look through the peephole.
“It’s a man and a woman. I think it might be your parents.”
“Oh, no.” Remi went as fast as she could to the bedroom for jogging pants and a tank top while Paxton slipped into his jeans.
“Coming!” she called loudly.
She looked back at Paxton, who was buttoning his shirt. “Ready?”
He nodded and she opened the door. Her parents stood there, looking surprised. They were dressed as usual. Her dad had on his suit pants and dress shirt. Her mom wore a blue print dress with heels. Each had something in
their hands.
“Hi, sweetheart,” her mother said. “I made chicken spaghetti with garlic bread.” She held up the bread wrapped in tinfoil and her dad held up a covered dish.
“Aren’t you going to ask us in?” her dad asked as Remi continued to block the doorway.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” She stood aside for her parents to enter the apartment. She wasn’t embarrassed; she was still in shock.
“Oh.” Her mother paused as she noticed Paxton. “We didn’t know you had company. I called and you didn’t answer your phone and that had me worried.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” She held a hand toward Paxton. “This is Paxton Rebel. He stopped by for a visit.”
Her mother gave Paxton the once-over. “I’d forgotten how handsome Kate’s sons were.”
“Ava, really,” her dad teased, and took the food into the kitchen. In a second he was back and held out his hand to Paxton. “I’m Nathan, Remi’s father, and it’s nice to meet you.”
Paxton shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too, sir.”
Her dad took her mother’s arm. “And now we’ll leave you young people to enjoy your evening.”
Ava pulled her arm away. “Just a minute, Nathan. I want to meet this young man our daughter is dating.” Her eyes narrowed on Paxton. “Don’t you feel strange dating my daughter, a McCray?”
“No, ma’am, I don’t. Remi and I discussed the past and decided to let it go.”
“How does your mother feel about this?”
Remi had had enough. “Mom, you’re sticking your nose in again, and I would appreciate it if you would stop the grilling.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” her mother said, and held out her hand to Paxton. “I tend to go overboard when it concerns my daughter.”
Paxton took her hand and said, “I would never hurt Remi.”
“I will hold you to that.” Before her mother could say anything else, her father took her arm once again and led her from the apartment.
Remi and Paxton fell onto the sofa laughing. After a moment, they sobered up and Remi said, “Did you feel as if you were in a police station?”