by Colbie Kay
After about an hour, Raine finally goes back to sleep—she’s been fed, burped, and changed, so she should be good until late morning. I head back into Dex’s room, climb into his bed and settle in his arms, then quickly fall asleep.
It’s been two weeks since Dex and I got back together, and to say it’s pure bliss is an understatement. I have no words for how good we’re doing and how happy we are. I think in the end, me finding out Dex’s secret brought us closer, even if we had that time apart. Now that classes have finished, we basically spend all day and night together, making up for the two weeks we were apart. We spend the nights at his condo, and I have to say I’m quite happy he got his own place. Now, I don’t have to worry if his roommates will hear me scream as Dex takes me to orgasm heaven every night.
As for the days, he still has practice, so I spend my time with Raine at my condo. Momma has been coming to Athens a lot more, and it makes me wonder who this man is. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
“Babe, you ready?” Dex asks, pulling me out of my thoughts as he comes into my bedroom.
“Yeah, almost.” Grabbing the last of my folded-up clothes, I stuff them into my suitcase and zip it up. Dex takes it from me and heads back out of my room. I follow closely behind and meet my sisters in the living room.
“Be safe.” Cydney hugs me.
“We’ll see you tonight. Have a safe trip.” Cayden takes her turn hugging me.
“You two be safe too, and remember Momma said for you to make sure the guys are not staying at the apartment for Christmas.” I give them a stern look, but have to hold back my laughter.
They roll their eyes. “We know,” they answer in unison.
“Alright, see you later.” I give one last wave as I head out the door.
An hour and a half later we are pulling into a long, and I mean long, gravel driveway. A sign hangs from two posts on each side of the road that reads Mitchell Family Ranch. As Dex drives his truck down the road, the only thing I see for a few miles are trees, green acres of land, and some horses that are roaming around. Off in the distance, I can see one horse running, its mane blowing in the wind as a man rides the beautiful Pinto.
Finally, we reach the extravagant two-story stone home. Looking over at Dex, I ask, “This is where you grew up?”
“Well, not originally, but when I got to middle school they had it built, and the old one was torn down.” He shuts off the truck and grabs Raine out of the back as I get out of the passenger side.
I look up at the porch, and a woman is standing there, covering her mouth while sobs rack her body.
“Hey, Momma,” Dex says as we start approaching her. Not long after Dex and I got back together, he called his mom, not worrying what his father would say, and he told her that he would be coming on Christmas Eve because he had something important to tell them.
“Dex!” He hands Raine over to me so he can hug his mom. I start to get emotional just observing the reunion. Dex swings her around a few times before placing her back on her feet. “It’s good to see you.” She cups his cheeks with her hands while looking him over. “You look so grown up now, instead of that eighteen-year-old boy that left.”
“It’s good to see you too, Momma. I have two people I would like you to meet. This is my girlfriend, Callie.”
“Nice to meet you,” I tell her, and then hold my hand out for her to shake.
She takes my hand in hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Her eyes move to Raine.
“And that’s, Raine.” Dex holds his arms out and I hand over his daughter. “Your granddaughter.”
“I’m a grandma?” she questions, but I can see the regret, sorrow, and pain in her eyes. Not from being a grandma, but from everything she has missed out on in Dex’s life over the last three years. As I look at her, I can see that she’s a beautiful woman a little older than Momma; she has short dark brown hair cut in a bob style, her eyes are the same brown as Dex’s, and she is dressed in a white blouse with black slacks.
He must sense it also because he grips her hand. “It’s okay. I’ve only known about her for the last couple of months.”
His mom glances back at me with an accusatory expression. “I’m not the mother,” I assure her, addressing what she must be thinking.
“Let’s go inside and I will tell you all about it,” Dex responds.
As we walk in, I take a look around at this gorgeous home. Marble floors, and there’s a fireplace off to the left that matches the light colored stone outside. There are three steps you have to take to get in there, but when you do it is spotless, with dark blue plush carpeting, white furniture, and white walls with a big-screen TV against the farthest wall from where we stand. Passing by there, we head into the dining room, and it’s just as spotless, painted a light grey. There’s a glass and wooden cabinet that sits along one wall that is filled with knickknacks, plates, and other things saved over the years that his mom wants to hold on to. We take a seat at a table big enough for ten, and Dex goes over the entire story of how he got Raine and how we met. A woman comes out of the kitchen with glasses of tea on a tray and starts passing them out to us. They have a freaking maid?
“Wow, that’s some story,” his mom responds as Dex finishes.
“So I don’t know what will happen from here, but I’m just waiting on my lawyer and the courts,” Dex tells her as he kisses the top of Raine’s head.
“She’s beautiful, and looks just like you,” his mom says as she reaches out to touch Raine’s hand. “Can I hold her?”
He passes over his daughter to her grandmother, and Raine’s not too sure about her at first. One thing about this little girl is she takes a minute to get used to new people. She doesn’t smile or fuss, but she watches me and Dex like a hawk to make sure we don’t leave her.
The woman comes back into the formal dining room and asks, “Would you like anything else, Mrs. Mitchell?”
“Not right now, Gloria. Thank you!” Gloria returns to the kitchen once again.
“Sheila?” a rough male voice shouts.
“In the formal dining,” Dex’s mom responds just as loudly.
“Whose truck is…” I watch as his dad stops in his tracks. “Guess that explains it. Been a long time seen we seen the likes of you.” He sits at the table next to his wife. He eyes up Raine, then turns his attention back to his son. “This what you wanted to tell us?”
Dex’s anger is evident on his stone hard features. “This would be your granddaughter, and her name is Raine.”
“So, what, you need help so you come strolling back in, or have you given up that dream of baseball and ready to come back to the real world?” His dad stares him down, and I’m starting to get uncomfortable.
“No, I don’t need help, and I’m not coming back to the ranch either. I’m going pro. Is it too hard for you to have a little faith in me just once in my life?” Dex shouts, and his face starts turning red from the anger.
“Faith?” His dad gives an evil laugh and goes on. “Why the hell should I have faith when you couldn’t even do what was right for this family? No, you hightailed it out of here as fast as you could, and took your granddad’s money right along with you.” His dad stands from the table.
“The right thing? Take a look around; does it look like you’re strapped for cash? To me it doesn’t; you’re just pissed he left it all to me. If he wanted you to have it he would have given it to you.” Dex stands from the table, and I’m shocked that his mother is sitting there, not saying one word. Shaking my head, I take Raine back from her, since she’s getting super fussy from the yelling. As I hold her to my chest, she calms some, but not entirely.
“Sheila, tell me when they leave.” His dad walks out of the room.
Quietly, his mom finally opens her mouth to say, “I’m sorry, Dex.”
“Yeah, well
it’s a little too late.”
I don’t blame him one bit. He’s never had anyone on his side or to stand up for him. It’s about time someone did, and I guess that’s going to be me.
“You know what? Your son is a good man. He saved me before I even knew him and kept saving me long after I fell in love with him. He took your granddaughter in without even knowing if she was his for sure and he took care of her. At twenty-one years old, he changed his whole life for this baby; I don’t know many guys that would do that. If you and your husband can’t be proud of the accomplishments that your son has made, then fuck you both. I have enough love, pride, respect, and admiration for this man—he doesn’t need it from you. One thing I’ve noticed since we have been here is this is not a home. Where are the pictures of Dex growing up? Of either one of you holding him? His medals from baseball as he grew up? Where is all of that stuff? It’s probably packed away somewhere because you two selfish assholes can’t just love your son and stand behind your son’s decisions. And that is why he has that money—because you two are fucking selfish.”
Dex starts pulling me out of the dining room as his mother sits there stunned, mouth hanging open and all, but I’m not done yet. “Now, we are leaving to go to my Momma’s house where that’s a real home,” I shout. “She even does her own cleaning, cooking, and gets her lazy ass up and gets her own drinks.” Breathing in and out deeply, I try and try to calm myself down. Dex takes Raine from me so he can buckle her in as I jump into the passenger side and slam the door behind me.
Once Dex closes the door, I tell him, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He chuckles and I bring my eyes to his. “No one’s ever done that for me. It was sexy.” He leans over, taking my mouth with his, and kisses me hard. It’s a fury of tongue, teeth, and lip-smacking goodness—and it shows me just how much he appreciates what I did.
The next morning, Dex and I get up with Raine; I take care of her while he unloads all of the Christmas presents and brings them in, then lays them under the tree. When we got here yesterday, we told Momma and my sisters all about our visit to the Mitchell Family Ranch, and they were just as taken aback as I was. But Momma hugged Dex and told him he had a family right here and that he was welcome at her house anytime. My Momma has loved Dex like her own son since day one, and seeing the way his parents treated him it makes me appreciate my family all the more. Not once have I ever had to question their love, support, or acceptance of my decisions. We have always been there for one another, and it makes me really sad that Dex never had that.
By early afternoon, everyone has showered, gotten ready, and Momma is putting the last touches on her Christmas meal. The doorbell rings, and Momma is quick to announce that she will get it; oh, it’s time for the mystery man. We all meet in the living room, waiting to see this man, when two familiar voices ring out.
“Merry Christmas!” Mav and Zac come barreling through with presents in a big sack.
“Merry Christmas,” we all say with just a little less enthusiasm.
“Thought we’d get more of a welcome than that,” Zac jokes around.
“Sorry, but you are not as important as Momma’s new man we’ve been waiting to meet,” Cayden responds as we start heading back into the kitchen. But…right before we make it, there’s another ring.
We all turn around and go back into the living room while Momma gets the door again. When she lets the man in while holding his hand, I am more than shocked. I hear Dex mumbling next to me, “You have got to be fucking kidding me. Now we have to for sure get along.”
He stands there with a shy smile before addressing us. “Callie, Mr. Mitchell.”
“Hi, Professor Bryant.” I do a little wave with a cheesy grin on my face. Momma’s new man is the hot professor—go Momma! Hearts are breaking all over the world now that he’s taken. I inwardly cheer her on.
The others introduce themselves, and we sit down to eat. Professor Bryant addresses me directly. “Callie, I hope this isn’t too weird for you. I asked your mom to keep us a secret until the semester was over because I didn’t want it to affect our student-teacher relationship. She agreed, and it was her decision to wait until Christmas.” He smiles as he looks at my mom, and I realize in that moment the look she was telling me about. She is his whole world.
Smiling back, I reply, “As long as my momma is happy, I’m happy.”
“Yep, or we will get the weed whacker out. Ain’t that right, Dex?” Cayden and Cydney laugh, but Dex is giving them both a go to hell look.
I know my sisters, and have no doubt that they threatened Dex when we first started dating. The look on his face confirms it, and I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from laughing.
We finish our food, and Momma says it’s time to open presents. Everyone passes out the ones that they brought, and Momma hands hers out that were already under the tree when we got here. Dex and I help Raine open hers as everyone watches. We all ooh and aww at her new toys, clothes, and bows.
Cydney opens the one from Maverick first; he got her a brand-new set of coveralls for her job. She looks up at him in surprise, barely managing to utter, “Thank you!” She smiles and it’s real. No anger, no rude comment, just a simple, nice reply.
Cayden opens hers from Zac, and her face morphs into an expression of pleased disbelief; he got her a lab coat for when she becomes a veterinarian. She also tells him thank you.
Momma opens hers from Professor Bryant; it’s a new pair of diamond earrings. “They’re beautiful. Thank you!” He kisses her like it’s nobody’s business.
It’s my turn to open Dex’s, and when I open the box I see a gold chain with a shooting star made out of diamonds. “Dex!”
He takes the necklace out of the box and we both stand so he can help put it on me. “I saw it, and thought it was perfect, because you’re my shooting star, Callie.” Tears threaten to fall, but I blink them away and turn, giving him a kiss much like Momma’s was.
Dex loved the new glove I got him, and it’s no regular glove—it’s actually signed by one of the greats, Babe Ruth. I saved up a month of tips and paychecks to get it for him. We continue opening presents until the very last one. We all stand, getting ready to clean up the mess of wrapping paper, but Raine has us all freezing. She’s in Dex’s arms with her little hand on his chest.
“Did she…” Dex meets my eyes in half wonder, half excitement.
“I think she did.” Emotion fills those brown eyes at my response, but his smile is priceless at hearing, “Da Da,” for the first time.
“Best Christmas present I could ever ask for.” He laughs while kissing all over Raine’s face as she giggles.
“Best Christmas ever.” I watch the man I love with his little girl and my heart is filled with all the love in the world for them. We came together because fate had our story written before we even knew it. Our lives crossed paths on one fateful night. We came together when we needed it the most, and this little girl was brought into our lives because she is the brightest star of all—the star that guides you home. This is just what was aligned for us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dex walks over to me. “I love you, Callie.”
I put my arm around his waist, and he kisses my forehead as I look into his eyes. “I love you too, Dex.”
Epilogue
Over the last couple of months, things have only gotten better with Dex, and each day I fall more in love with him—which I didn’t think was possible, but it is. I’m so glad I gave up on that pact with my sisters, because having him in my life is so much more fulfilling than some random guy I’d never allow myself to have feelings for. One day, I hope that my sisters can experience half of what I have with Dex, because if not, they’ll miss out on a love that only comes once in a lifetime. Most never even find it, like Momma said, and I hope they find their guys to make it happen.
Speaking of Momma, she is happier than I have ever seen her—and Professor Bryant is the cause for that. Momma finally found her guy and has the love she always wanted but never had with my scumbag father.
Dex told me to meet him at his condo at ten pm. We already went out for Valentine’s Day, but he made me go to my condo because he said he had one more surprise for me. When I arrive at his place, I knock on the door and wait for him to answer.
“Come in, babe,” he says as he opens the door for me. The cheesy smile he’s wearing makes me want to laugh, but something tells me he’s trying to be romantic.
Sure enough, as I walk in, I see that he has rose petals thrown on the hardwood floor leading to his balcony. His hand goes to my lower back as he guides me to the doors, then he opens them for me. The air is chilly, but not cold enough that we would be freezing standing out here. You can see the lights of the campus, and I still think it’s one of the prettiest sights you could ever see.
“You have to stand right here.” Dex stands behind me with his hands on my hips, and positons me where he wants. I feel him bend down, and then he straightens up and says, “Here’s the telescope.” He hands me the telescope he made and I take it carefully. “Now look up.”
I do as he asks with the telescope at my eye. “What am I looking for?”
“Look to the left.” I do and start moving the focus in and out. “Look just a little higher.” Once again I do and I’m beginning to wonder if he is crazy. “Do you see that bright star? The one that is brighter than the rest?”