by Sam Crescent
He didn’t look at his father. Instead, he looked at his mother. “This here is because of you.”
“Drew?” Killian asked.
Jane got to her feet and walked closer.
“For someone who claimed to hate her, why did you call her?” Drew asked.
“Look, son, I don’t exactly know what’s going on here, but I don’t like your accusations here. We don’t like Tilly and there’s no way we would have made that call.”
“You didn’t,” Drew said. “She did. You know you were both right about Tilly. I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. I didn’t want to agree with you how I messed up my life. For the first time ever, I’m thinking clearly and I’m not ashamed to admit that my life with that woman was hell. I never raised my fist to her, but this, this was a regular feature.” He pointed at his eye. “Sure, it wasn’t always the eye. Sometimes it was my ribs, legs, even my dick. She’d punch me, slap me. Some left bruises. I had to defend myself once as she came at me with a saucepan, a skillet. For a year, I was away from her. I found someone else. I found Callie. The girl I bullied back in high school is the one person who has the ability to put a smile on my face. I wake up next to her and I know what real happiness is. I know why Dad is so possessive of you. He loves you. He can’t imagine life without you.” He stopped. “I guess that means I love Callie.”
He chuckled. “I haven’t told her yet. I will.” He looked at his mother. “Why did you call her here?”
His mother had tears running down her face.
“Tell me this isn’t true, Jane,” Killian said.
“I didn’t know she hurt you, son. I would never do anything to harm you. You have to believe that.”
“You called her?” Killian asked.
“I saw the way Drew looked at Callie. That girl is a sweetheart and I didn’t want that bitch to mess it up. I thought if she came to town, she’d see she was hurting my son. I thought she’d do the right thing. I had no idea this would happen.”
“Tilly doesn’t have a nice or decent bone in her body. She doesn’t know how to be good. She may try to take Meghan from me. If it wasn’t for Callum, she may have even had the power to destroy me. Not anymore. I don’t want you to come near me.”
“Drew, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
He held his hand up, not wanting to hear any more. His mother, no matter her intentions, had caused him pain and now, he didn’t want to be part of them. He needed time to recover, to accept, to forgive.
His father shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
Drew turned on his heel and left. He got back into his car and drove all the way home. Callum had insisted he not go into work that day and stay with Callie and Meghan. His daughter had a nightmare the previous night, and he ended up sleeping beside her. Callie had come with him though. Right now, her support was everything he needed. When it came to his parents, he had to take care of this himself.
Driving back into town, with everything that had gone down in the last twenty-four hours, he felt free. He was no longer carrying around a secret, nor was he lying to people. Tilly was in town and this time, she wasn’t going to win. He wouldn’t allow her to take his daughter away or to win. His time for giving in to her had come to an end. Through this, though, he’d come to one conclusion. Callie wasn’t for just a bit of fun. She was more. She was everything.
He’d fallen in love with her and now, he wasn’t going to let her go. She’d come to him as a nanny, but she’d become more than that.
Entering his home, he heard Meghan’s laughter and walked to the kitchen where he found them making cookies.
“Daddy,” Meghan said as Callie had nudged her shoulder to let her know he was here.
“Hello, my little baker.” He kissed her cheek, walking into the kitchen to kiss Callie’s cheek. “How are you?”
“We’re fine. We’re taking care of feeding us all, aren’t we, Meghan?”
“Yes. I’m going to take these cookies into school so everyone likes me.”
“School?” he asked.
“She’s got an induction tomorrow. I did tell you.”
He pressed his lips together as with everything that happened, he’d forgotten.
“You forgot, Daddy?”
“No, no, I’ll be there and I remember it all.”
Callie smiled. “White little lies,” she said for him to hear.
“Necessary. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Well, I hope I can clear it up for you.”
He stared at her, completely amazed that he’d never really looked at her. “I love you,” he said.
This caused her to freeze. “What?”
“You heard me. I’m in love with you, Callie Stewart.”
Her mouth opened.
Meghan paid them no attention at all.
He loved that he was able to shock her into silence. Reaching out, he took her hand and drew her closer. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stared into her eyes. “I’m completely and totally in love with you and when I get my divorce, I want to marry you.”
“Is this a proposal?”
“It is.”
“You have a weird way of showing it.”
“I know.” He tilted her head back and pressed his mouth against her lips. She opened up, not fighting him. He continued to kiss until he got to her ear. “Don’t think I don’t know that we need to take a pregnancy test as well.”
She tensed up.
“You’re very possibly pregnant with my child.” He pulled back to look into her eyes.
“How did you know?”
“I’ve never seen you take any protection and well, being the a-butt that I am, I didn’t either.”
Meghan was still lost in her own little world, humming to herself. He had no reason to pull her out of it.
After stroking Callie’s hair back from her face, he cupped it.
“I … I love you as well,” she said. Her face was bright red.
“Does that make you embarrassed?”
“A little bit.”
“Don’t be, because I love you and finally saying the words to you it feels amazing.” He kissed her again and she moaned, wrapping his arms around him.
“You still need to get that divorce.”
“I’ll work on it. In the meantime, we need to figure out if I’m right or not about you being pregnant.”
“I’m probably not,” she said.
He ran his hand down her back, going to her stomach, to cup her low. “We’ll see.”
“Callie, how does this look?” Meghan asked, pulling her attention away.
He let her go, but he stayed in the kitchen. It looked like Meghan had scribbled all over a cookie.
“It looks beautiful. I think next time, we need to outline though.” Callie kissed Meghan’s cheek.
He couldn’t help but watch her. She was a natural. Meghan thrived around her and he’d finally known what it meant to fall in love.
“I’m going to head out. I’ll be back in a little bit.” He was going to get that pregnancy test because tonight he wanted to know if he’d finally claimed Callie as his own.
****
“I’ve never done one of these,” Callie said later that same night.
She held the pregnancy test in her grip with Drew beside her. “It’s pretty simple. You pee on a stick, and all will be well.”
“And what if it isn’t?” she asked. “What if this is negative?”
“Then we keep trying until you’re pregnant.”
“And if it’s positive?”
“I’ll marry you.”
“You’re still married.”
“It’s a technicality. I’m working at having my freedom.”
“Are you sure you won’t miss her? You did marry her. Didn’t you love her?”
“No, I didn’t love her. I married her for Meghan. I did the right thing by her.”
“That means you’ll be doing the right thing by me?”
He shook his h
ead. “I’ll marry you because I’m in love with you and I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone else. I’ve never felt this way before.” He took her hand, locking their fingers together. “You have to believe me.”
“I do. I do believe you.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m going to go and do this.”
Leaving his bedroom, she made to go to the bathroom she shared with Meghan but Drew cleared his throat. “There’s a perfectly working bathroom through there.”
“Right, of course.” She chuckled. “Force of habit.”
“It’s one I’m going to get you out of.”
She no longer slept in the room he’d given to her. All of her nights were in his bed, loving him. After stepping into the bathroom, she put the test down on the counter and took several deep breaths. “I can do this.”
Opening up the box, her hand shook, but she didn’t care. She sat on the toilet, and waited and waited.
After at least five minutes, Drew came to the door, leaning up against it. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just, you know, waiting.”
He chuckled.
“I don’t think you watching me is going to help.”
“It’s kinky.”
“Please, let me do this.”
He nodded and stepped away. She had no doubt he was close.
Taking a deep breath, she peed on the stick. It was done. Her fate was now in the hands of the pregnancy test. After putting the test on the counter, she washed her hands and flushed the toilet. The moment the toilet went, Drew came to her side. He slid his fingers into her hair and started to massage her temples. “You okay?”
“Yeah, you know me, I’m fine. Totally can handle being pregnant.”
“You’ve never taken one?”
“Never needed to. My body is like clockwork.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Nervous. I don’t know if I want it to be positive or negative. It’s kind of scary.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “What if it’s positive and Meghan hates me?”
“Meghan could never hate you. When she’s a teenager possibly. She could be cranky.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “You’re going to keep me around to see it?”
“Callie, when I get my divorce from Tilly and marry you, I have no intention of ever divorcing you. You’re the right woman for me, and I’m hoping that test tells me what I need to hear.” He kissed her lips.
“I think it’s time.”
“I’ll look,” he said.
She stood back as he moved forward. He picked up the box, reading the side of the packet and then picking up the test. He gave nothing away. He was a lawyer ’til the end.
“What does it say?”
“It says you’re all mine.”
She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m pregnant?”
“Yes. You’re pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.” He rushed toward her, picked her up in his arms, and spun her around. She couldn’t stop laughing. The happiness consumed her.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she kissed him hard.
“I’ve got to make love to you,” he said, marching her back against the bed. Before she could even get a single word out, he had her clothes up and over her head, tossing them to the side. He tore at her jeans until she was completely naked before him. He pressed a kiss to her stomach then stood back. She watched as he rid his body of all of his clothing. He was a sexy, beautiful man.
While she moved back so she lay against the pillows, he joined her, spreading her legs open as he settled between them. He kissed her pussy and she cried out, arching against him, wanting more, so much more.
“I’m going to spend years loving this body, making up for lost time.”
“Lost time?”
“I could have had you back in high school if only I’d opened my eyes. I won’t ever make that mistake again. You’re mine, Callie, for now, forever, and I will make sure you feel my love every single day.” He kissed all the way up her body, taking his time on each of her breasts, sucking on her nipples then taking the kiss from her lips.
He pressed his pelvis against her. The heat of him settled between her slit as he began to bump her clit. There was no rush.
After he’d ravished her lips, down he went, kissing all the way to her pussy. He cupped her ass, and his lips were on her, licking and sucking at her. He groaned her name as he bit down on her, flicking her clit before sucking it between his teeth.
“Yes,” she said.
“I want you to come on my face and then I’m going to fuck you, Callie.”
He continued to lick her pussy and it wasn’t long before she felt the first spirals of release. Each one building to a fever pitch as he hurtled her into bliss. She screamed his name, muffling the sound by grabbing a pillow and placing it over her head.
Drew pulled it off her face as he moved between her thighs. He spread her open and his cock teased her entrance. She opened for him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he started to slowly thrust within her. He built up the pace, going deeper and pulling out, then a little deeper. All the while he teased her tits as she still felt the aftershocks of her own release.
Biting her lip, she moaned his name, desperate and hungry for more.
He gave it to her. She gasped as he surged in deep, pounding within her walls, making her ache. She was hungry for him, for all of him.
“Please, please,” she said.
“I know. I feel you, Callie. You’re fucking incredible. I can’t get enough of you.” He swallowed her cries and moans as he continued to make love to her.
He’d slow down, speed up, and when he captured her hands, holding her to the bed, she knew he was going to find his release. She watched him as he did as he found that peak and threw himself over the edge before collapsing over her.
His head nestled between her breasts. She stroked his hair back, content, sated, and in love. She kissed him.
“I’m sorry, Callie, and I’m going to make it up to you.”
She smiled. “You need to stop apologizing. I love you and I forgive you. I wouldn’t have said yes to your proposal if I didn’t mean it.”
He lifted his head up. “You said yes?”
“Didn’t I tell you that?”
He shook his head.
“My bad. Yes, Drew Gold, I will marry you.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Drew asked. This was the first time he’d left Meghan. For the first hour, he’d stayed with her, but then teachers had asked for parents to give the children a chance to explore. It was lunchtime and Callie had packed Meghan a lunch.
“We’ve only got another hour to wait and then we can go and pick her up.” Callie held his hand.
“You’re nervous?” Drew asked.
“Only for Meghan. I know she’s in good hands.”
“You saw the bully there, didn’t you?”
“He was there in the same class, but it’ll be fine,” she said.
“It’s not good. I want to throttle a kid I don’t even know because he hurt my kid.”
“It’s not good but you’re not going to do it. He’s four and you never saw my parents coming to hurt you,” she said.
“That’s different. You never told your parents about how horrible I was.”
“That’s true. Let’s forget about this.” She shoved another fry into her mouth and he rolled his hands.
He wasn’t hiding his feelings from her. The engagement ring he’d found for her was already in his pocket, and he was waiting for the right moment to finally ask her and make her his. Right now, they were sitting together, enjoying lunch while waiting to collect Meghan.
“She’s going to be okay?”
“Meghan’s amazing. She’s going to be such a strong fighter. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to her and her abilities. I promise.”
“You’re right.” He picked up another fry. He couldn’t really taste his food.
“Fuck no, it was that long ago. Do you?”
“Not really? I remember coloring a lot, I think. We’re here now and we got through it. Meghan’s a fighter. She’s strong. It’s just the first induction day. Come September, we’re going to have to accept she’s going to be there full-time.” She pressed her head against his and he cupped her cheek, kissing her right there in the diner.
He pulled away as someone slammed something down on the table. Tilly had gotten into the diner and looked murderous.
Silence fell in the room.
He looked down to see it was a restraining order. “You’re breaking the law.”
“Is this some kind of joke? I’m being investigated for domestic abuse. Are you that much of a fucking wimp you can’t even handle a punch?”
Callie’s hand tightened around him.
“I suggest you leave. You’re breaking the law right now, Tilly.”
She grabbed his drink, threw it in his face, and went to launch the glass right at his face. Callie somehow grabbed her wrist once again. His woman had shocking reflexes. Was it all the years of taking care of kids, stopping them from falling?
She held Tilly’s wrist and took the glass from her. “That’s not very nice.”
“Get off me, you fat whore. You’re a homewrecker is what you are.”
Callie remained standing.
“Tilly, leave here and sign the damn divorce papers, or I will make sure the charges stick,” he said.
“Charges. Please, no one’s ever going to charge a woman for hitting a man. We’re weaker than you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He stood up. He wasn’t going to let her attack him, not now. This woman had drained the last bit of happiness from his life and he’d never allow her to take another shred of his dignity away. What he lived with was wrong, he knew that now, and he wasn’t ever going to let her take anything from him again.
“Michael knows everything.”
“I’ll get Meghan.”
“No, you won’t. You’re not going to win here, Tilly.”
“You mean you’re really picking this fat bitch over me?”
“I’m picking the woman I love. I’m going to marry Callie, and you, you were the biggest mistake of my life.”