Beyond Expectations (Mended Hearts Book 3)

by Sarah Markel

  At noon, Alex poked her head into Kelly’s office. “Are you ready for lunch, Doc?” Kelly looked up at her wife with a tired smile. “Absolutely.” she said, rubbing her eyes. She had been so excited about the positive test that she hadn’t slept well the night before. After patching up Mrs. Jeffries, Kelly had immersed herself in the mountain of progress reports and medication logs she had been putting off. “But it will have to be a quick lunch though, I have the entrance physical for that new resident on the ALF floor at one-fifteen.” she added as she dropped her pen on the open file. Grabbing her purse from its place under her desk, she joined Alex at the door. “Where did you have in mind?” she asked, taking the hand that Alex offered. “I kind of have a hankering for a Kelly T at Del’s.” Alex replied, letting go of Kelly’s hand and slipping hers into the woman’s back pocket. Kelly chuckled and slid her arm around Alex’s waist. “Del’s sounds great. I’ll call him from the car and have him start the order for us. Then we won’t have to wait so long to eat.” she said as Alex held open the door of the car for her. Once Kelly was situated, Alex went around and climbed into the driver’s seat.

  Twenty minutes later, Alex and Kelly were seated at a corner table inside the busiest burger place in the whole city. About a month after Alex and Kelly’s wedding, Delbert Boone, a long-time friend of Kelly’s, had opened his fifties themed burger joint. From day one, Del’s Place had become a local favorite for the discerning burger junkie. There was always a line out the door, waiting to be seated, and today had been no different. When they had arrived, the only thing that had saved them from having to wait in line to even get in the door had been Alex’s step-sister. Aviania, the nineteen year old hostess supervisor, had seen the couple near the door and ushered them inside to the table that Del had reserved for them. Within minutes, Del had come out of the kitchen and set two plates in front of them, a wide smile across his face. “Two Kelly T’s for my two favorite ladies.” the man said happily. Before either woman could do more than thank him, Del scurried back into the kitchen.

  “Del sure has done well for himself here.” Alex remarked between mouthfuls of her lunch. Kelly nodded and nibbled on a fry. “He sure seems happy here. He’s lost quite a bit of weight over the last couple of years, too.” she said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Alex studied her wife as she finished the first half of her burger. This morning, Kelly had been her usual, vibrant, energetic self, but now she just looked exhausted. Alex also noticed that Kelly had nibbled on a few of her fries, but left her burger untouched. “I thought you were hungry.” Alex said, sipping her iced tea. When Kelly just shrugged and rested her hand on her belly, Alex reached across the table to take her other hand. “You need to eat, baby.” she said gently, unsure of the reason for the nausea. Kelly looked at her food and grimaced. “Sweetheart, I remember how hard it was to make myself eat when I was pregnant. I had morning sickness throughout my entire pregnancy with Zane, and it lasted all day. But one thing I found was that even if I couldn’t keep anything down, as long as I ate something, it wasn’t as bad as if I didn’t eat. I lived on Saltine crackers for most of my first trimester. Getting sick with an empty stomach is harder on your body, so please promise me that you will at least eat some crackers.” Alex pleaded softly. Kelly squeezed her wife’s hand and forced a smile.

  “I know, honey. It’s too early for morning sickness. I think it’s just the relief of finally being pregnant that has my system all messed up. The doctor in me knows what I should be doing, but the pregnant woman in me is having trouble figuring all this out.” Kelly said, gingerly lifting a fry to her lips with her free hand. Alex gave the woman a wry smile. “Wow babe, you got a doctor, a baby, and a pregnant woman inside you? You are awful compact for all of that, aren’t you?” Kelly glared at her and let out a forced laugh. “Ha ha ha.” she said, her voice devoid of humor. Alex laughed and stood to go pay their bill. When she passed Kelly’s chair, she leaned down and whispered “Do you think there’s still room for a horny wife inside you?” Kelly choked on her fry and whipped her head around to stare at Alex. Alex kissed her on the cheek and wiggled her eyebrows before heading off to the cashier.

  Chapter 2

  That evening, after the kids had been fed and bathed, Alex laid on the sofa with Kelly nestled between her legs in their favorite relaxation position. Kelly was immersed in a book and Alex was watching the eleven o’clock news, her hand resting on Kelly’s lower abdomen. When Kelly chuckled out loud, Alex diverted her attention from the TV to look down at what her wife was reading. Kelly was lying with her head on Alex’s shoulder, her hair pulled over her left shoulder to rest on the couch beside her, and had her knees bent so that her feet were flat on the couch cushion. She held her book so that it rested just below her breasts, the page between her fingers so that her thumb was pointing to the line that she was currently reading. As soon as she looked down, Alex forgot all about the book. Instead, her eyes were drawn to where the collar of Kelly’s nightshirt had gaped a bit. Through the gap, she spied Kelly’s bare breast, her nipple tenting the material above it. Alex groaned, an insistent throb beginning between her thighs. She remembered that during her pregnancy with Dej, she had been completely insatiable and was constantly horny. She wondered fleetingly if Kelly would be the same way.

  “What’s so funny, baby?” she breathed, her lips brushing against Kelly’s ear. She smiled to herself when she felt Kelly’s whole body shudder against hers. Kelly tried to ignore the flare of arousal that skittered through her and shrugged. “Jamie just put coffee in Ella’s cereal because she was trying to do too many things at once.” she explained, doing her best to focus on her book while Alex slid her hands under her shirt and caressed the underside of her breasts. “Oh really? What did Ella think of that?” Alex purred, flicking her tongue over Kelly’s ear lobe. Kelly bit back a moan, determined to stay focused on the story. Alex noticed Kelly’s reluctance and moved her hands up more, squeezing the heavy globes gently. “Honey, please. I’m not really in the mood tonight.” Kelly said, a moan escaping against her will. “Are you sure? Your body seems to be.” Alex replied, rolling the nipples that had become rock hard between her fingers. Kelly arched her back and whimpered. Despite her best efforts, she was losing the battle with her arousal. Setting her book aside, Kelly reached up and cupped the back of Alex’s head, turning her own to capture the woman’s lips. Alex inhaled deeply through her nose, loving the aroma of Kelly’s favorite perfume. “I love the way your body responds to my touch.” she whispered against Kelly’s lips, pulling gently on the stiff peaks in her fingers. Kelly whimpered when her nipples pulled from Alex’s grip. Alex looked into her wife’s lust filled eyes and smirked, “Do you still want me to stop?” Kelly caught her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head.

  Alex kissed her again slowly, content to take her time with her exploration of Kelly’s soft, supple skin. Over the past four and a half years, Alex had memorized every inch of the woman’s body, and she was confident that she would notice the changes in her wife before Kelly did. Alex eased her lips away from Kelly’s and slowly nipped her way across her jaw and down her neck, moving one hand down the woman’s abdomen to the top of her sleep pants. Alex nipped at the junction where Kelly’s neck met her shoulders and eased her hand down under the material at her fingertips. Kelly moaned louder and arched her hips, curling her fingers in Alex’s hair. When Alex stroked a finger through her moist folds, Kelly inhaled sharply before grabbing her wife’s hand. “Alex stop.” she said suddenly, bolting upright and sprinting toward the bathroom. Alex blew out a frustrated breath and ran her hand through her hair. Groaning, she lifted herself from the couch to go check on her wife.

  *****

  Two days later, on Friday afternoon, Alex poked her head into Kelly’s office to check on her. Kelly had spent the last two days running to the bathroom every ten minutes. That morning, after a particularly harsh bout of vomiting, Alex had suggested that Kelly take the day off. After an argument th
at had lasted through two more trips to the bathroom, Kelly had become irritated. “If you don’t let me ride in with you, I will just drive myself to work. I can’t just stop working because I’m nauseous. There are plenty of bathrooms at work, and I am not just going to sit at home and do nothing.” she had said with finality. Alex had conceded, but insisted on checking on her frequently throughout the day. Now as she peeked into the office, Alex smiled when she saw her wife nibbling on crackers. “How’s your stomach?” she asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

  “It’s alright now. These crackers are helping.” Kelly replied, sipping on a bottle of ginger ale. Alex smiled, remembering how many times she had resorted to the same two items during her pregnancies. Even though the couple had only received confirmation of their pregnancy four days ago, Alex felt as if it had been weeks. It was early yet, for morning sickness to start, but Alex figured that it was more stress related than baby related. Finding out that the implantation had been a success had relieved a lot of the stress that both women had been feeling, but at the same time had added new stresses for them to worry about. The new stress was nothing unusual, typical emotions that all pregnant women and their spouses feel, but it seemed to be weighing on Kelly more than it should have. If she were being honest with herself, Alex would have to admit that she was worried about her wife. Kelly was a worrier. She always stressed out over the smallest things that had to do with the children, and now that she was pregnant, Alex was determined to help reduce that stress.

  “Are you ready to go?” Alex asked, easing her hip onto the corner of the desk nearest Kelly’s chair. Normally, it was Kelly who was perched on Alex’s desk in this manner. Kelly smiled and packed the crackers into her purse. “Boy am I ever.” she said, closing the open resident file that was on her desk. When she stood and felt her stomach roil, she pressed her hand to her middle and stood still until the wave passed. Alex stood and pulled Kelly into her arms. Pressing a kiss to her wife’s temple, she whispered “Are you going to be up for trick or treating tonight, sweetheart? If not, I promise you, Judy and Lauren will understand. Angie is taking Dej, and Zane is going to the party at Willow’s house, so if you just want to stay home we can.” Kelly looked up at Alex and offered a wan smile. “Actually honey, I called Dr. Gilbert this morning. She called in some Zofran for me. I just need to stop and pick it up on the way home, and I will be good to go. Besides, I wouldn’t want my costume to go to waste.” she added, kissing Alex gently on the lips. Alex groaned into the kiss. “You’re not going to tell me what it is, are you?” she asked, resting her forehead against her wife’s. Kelly chuckled and shook her head. “Oh no, just because I am pregnant doesn’t mean I am going to break with tradition.” she said, taking Alex’s hand and leading her toward the door as Alex whined petulantly in protest.

  *****

  At six-thirty that evening, Alex stood in her living room with Angie, Steve, Judy, Lauren, and the kids. She helped the others with making sure the kids were all set, trying to keep her mind off of the anticipation coursing through her. Since their first Halloween together, Kelly had always kept her costume a secret. Alex adjusted her tie and fitted her grey fedora on her head. Every year, Judy and Lauren threw a Halloween party for the adults in the neighborhood. Steve and Angie were always invited, but because of the kids they rarely went. This year was no different, and they had offered to take Dej and Carrie with them so that Alex and Kelly could enjoy the party. Since Zane and Colton were “too old” to go trick or treating, they had decided to go to a chaperoned party at Zane’s girlfriend’s house instead. Alex trusted Willow Coleman’s father implicitly and knew that her teenage son would be safe and out of trouble for the night. Looking at her watch, she frowned and turned to her family. “Should I go up and check on her?” she asked, concerned that the anti-nausea medicine hadn’t worked. “No! I’ll do it.” Angie said, running up the stairs before her twin could do so. Alex looked up the stairs after her sister before turning on the other adults. “You all know, don’t you?” she accused, placing her hands impatiently on her hips. The other adults just smiled at her, and when the doorbell rang, she huffed out a breath and opened the door. “Did we miss the reveal?” Tabitha asked, joining the others in the living room. “She was so worried that we would miss it.” Robby said, admiring Alex’s costume. “Dillinger?” he asked, indicating her grey and white pinstriped suit. Alex smiled and nodded. The two friends chatted amicably about their costume choices, Robby had chosen to dress up as Hulk Hogan, while the others conversed amongst themselves. After a few moments, Dej got everyone’s attention by letting out a long wolf whistle.

  Alex looked up the stairs and mimicked her daughter’s reaction. Kelly came down the stairs slowly, her hand on the railing, and stood in front of her wife with a smile. Alex reached out and placed her hands on the woman’s hips, holding her at arms-length while she inspected the costume. Alex let her gaze travel slowly over the tight, black leather of the short corset style zip-up top that stopped mid-abdomen. The zipper stopped midway between Kelly’s forty-two double Ds, providing an unrestricted view of her perfect cleavage. “Oh wow, baby.” Alex breathed, her eyes traveling lower to take in the matching mini-skirt that hugged Kelly’s curvaceous hips and ended an inch below her fantastic ass. A pair of knee-high, shiny leather stiletto boots adorned her feet and calves, leaving her thighs gloriously bare. “Do you like it, Mrs. Dillinger?” Kelly purred softly, affixing a peaked police hat on top of her head. “Please officer, arrest me.” Alex replied, her gaze resting on Kelly’s bosom. The laughter of her friends brought Alex back to reality, and she turned to stick her tongue out at them. Chuckling, Kelly pulled on fingerless black leather gloves and hooked a pair of handcuffs into the thin utility belt at her waist. At Alex’s raised eyebrow, she shrugged and replied with a smoldering smile “Steve let me borrow them.” As the group readied themselves to leave, Alex thanked her brother-in-law with a wink and clap on the back. “Just make sure I get them back.” Steve said, making Alex laugh.

  *****

  “I can’t believe you let her wander so far away,” Jessie McGowan said to Alex, plopping down on the chair next to her friend. “If Chrissy was dressed like that, I wouldn’t let her leave my side.” she finished, referring to her girlfriend. Alex chuckled and sipped her margarita. “I trust her, if someone gets too aggressive she will come back over. I want her to have as much fun as she can tonight.” The party had only been going for an hour, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Robby was talking with Brett Betancourt and some of the other men, and Tabitha was enjoying herself with Judy and some other women at the ping-pong table. Alex had made the rounds, greeting her friends and neighbors, when they had first arrived. Now she sat on the deck with her drink, watching happily as her wife mingled. Jessie smiled at her friend and gestured with her drink, “You’re a lucky woman, Dillinger. You’ve got a stunning woman willing to put up with your shit, two beautiful kids, and a baby on the way. I have to admit, I’m kind of jealous.” she said as she glanced out at the yard, a smile playing over her lips as she caught sight of her girlfriend. “You know, I think femme’s are definitely a better choice for me.” Alex smiled as she considered her friend for moment.

  Jessie McGowan was a relatively attractive woman; energetic and kind beyond words. She had held the staff physician title at Serenity Home several years ago, before leaving to work in private practice. Alex had enjoyed a friendly relationship with the woman, but despite Jessie’s attempts, the pair had never been intimate. Jessie had gone through several women during her time at the facility, always dating women who were butch or dominant. She herself didn’t really fit into a label; her appearance was somewhat boyish, but she also enjoyed the more feminine aspects of womanhood. After leaving the facility, Jessie had met and married Judy’s sister, Rachel. Their one-year marriage had ended when Rachel had been arrested for domestic abuse, after breaking a restraining order and attacking Jessie. In the two years since, Jessie had de
cided to change the kind of women she dated, which seemed to be working well for her. Chrissy was a very attractive hazel-eyed blonde, who seemed to worship the ground that Jessie walked on. “You’re pretty lucky yourself, Jess. Chrissy is quite the looker.” Alex praised. Jessie flashed her a brilliant smile and nodded. “Come on Dillinger, let’s go reclaim our women.” she said, slapping Alex on the knee.

  Alex sauntered quietly up behind her favorite cop, slipping her hands possessively around the woman’s waist. “Having fun?” she asked, placing a kiss on Kelly’s temple. Kelly nodded and pressed herself back against Alex, her hand moving to cover the hands at her waist. “Yes ma’am, I’ve had five dinner invitations so far, only three of them from other women.” Kelly chuckled to herself and squeezed the hands that held her. “Relax, honey. I turned them all down and informed them that I am a happily married woman.” she said when she felt Alex stiffen against her back. Alex forced herself to relax and smiled at the women that Kelly was chatting with. When she felt Kelly’s stomach growl, Alex politely excused them from the group. She guided Kelly into the kitchen where Lauren was filling trays with party snacks. “Excuse me Dr. Who, this stunning young civil servant is in need of some soda crackers.” Alex said, leaning over the bar and reaching for the box on the counter. Lauren laughed and scooted the box toward Alex’s hand. “Help yourself, Officer.” she said, putting the finishing touches on the finger sandwiches in front of her. Kelly thanked the woman and took the crackers that Alex offered. Both women sat in silence as Lauren hefted the trays and headed out to the party tables.