Curtis (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  “Fuck, yes.” He continued to thrust, filling her, driving deeper, harder, several more times as his fingers dug into her flesh. And then he was groaning, mumbling her name over and over as he exploded inside her.

  As she stood there, trying to remember why she’d been so upset before he’d come in, she decided it didn’t matter. And if it did, she hoped he figured out the same way she had that that was a surefire way to improve her mood.

  chapter THIRTY-THREE

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1973

  I’m late. My menstrual cycle has always been regular, but now I’m late. At least a week. I’m scared to tell Curtis only because I fear by doing so I’ll jinx it, and I won’t really be pregnant. I’m going to schedule an appointment with the doctor next week to find out for sure before I tell him.

  Keeping my fingers crossed.

  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1973

  Tomorrow is my doctor’s appointment. I’m so nervous. I wonder if I should tell Curtis. I don’t want to get his hopes up, though. And this way, I can surprise him when I know for sure. More tomorrow.

  chapter THIRTY-FOUR

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1973

  I’m shaking as I write this. I’m so excited. The doctor confirmed it! We’re pregnant!

  By the time Curtis came home at the end of the day, he was exhausted, which happened to be the case most days. The only thing he wanted to do was take a shower, eat dinner, and spend some time with Lorrie before crashing for the night.

  The instant he stepped foot in the house, he knew something was different. For one, there were flowers on the kitchen table, a bright bouquet in one of the glass vases that Lorrie kept. The table was set, the heavenly scent of fried chicken wafted past his nose, but his wife was nowhere in sight.

  “Hey, darlin’?” he called out. “Where’re you at?”

  “In the bedroom,” she hollered back.

  Wanting to take a shower anyway, Curtis headed for the bedroom, only to encounter Lorrie in the hallway. She was smiling. A radiant, beautiful grin that pulled a smile from him in return.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” she said quickly. “You can take a shower. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

  Planting a kiss on her mouth, he then watched her as she practically skipped down the hall toward the kitchen. He turned to go to the bathroom, but before he made it two feet, she was calling his name.

  He spun around to see her running toward him.

  “I can’t do it! I can’t wait! We’re pregnant!” she squealed as she practically jumped into his arms.

  He processed the words, his entire body stilling.

  Pregnant.

  That meant … baby, right?

  Not sure he’d heard correctly, he cocked his head and said, “What?”

  Lorrie was nodding, her smile even wider. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

  “Baby? We’re… Holy shit. We’re gonna have a baby?” He couldn’t believe his ears.

  More nodding from her, but he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight before realizing what he was doing. “Sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to…”

  “It’s okay,” she said, giggling. “You won’t hurt me.” Her grin widened. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

  “How do you know?” he asked, still wrapping his head around the idea. They’d been trying for so long he’d started to wonder if there was a medical reason she hadn’t gotten pregnant already. For some reason, he’d thought they would’ve had kids long before now. They were going on ten years of marriage in August—although in his defense, they hadn’t been trying for that long.

  “I went to the doctor today,” she said, her words tumbling out rapidly. “I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for sure. The only way I could do that was go to the doctor.”

  Curtis cupped her face in his hands, then pressed his mouth to hers. This was the best news ever.

  “How far along?” he asked when he released her.

  “Based on my cycle, the doctor says I’m almost five weeks.”

  It dawned on him that he didn’t know exactly how long a pregnancy was even though his mother had popped out eight kids. Obviously Lorrie sensed that he was trying to figure out the timeline in his head.

  “If the doctor’s right, that means the baby’ll be born in mid-November.”

  He couldn’t resist picking her up off her feet and twirling her around. When he set her back down, she was still laughing, though tears were now dripping down her cheeks, which worried him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she answered quickly. “Nothing at all. I’m just really happy.”

  “Me, too, baby. Me, too.”

  “Now go take a shower,” she insisted. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  As though someone else was in control of his body, Curtis headed for the bathroom, stripped out of his dirty clothes along the way, and managed to make it through a five-minute shower. When he emerged, he was still in a daze.

  A baby.

  They were having a baby.

  The news was so overwhelming and so welcome he found himself sitting on the edge of their bed, his head in his hands while he cried. It probably wasn’t the manly thing to do, but his tears didn’t seem to care.

  “Curtis?” Lorrie’s voice was soft.

  He lifted his head and smiled.

  “Are you okay?” She frowned. “Are you … upset?”

  He reached for her, pulling her to him. “God, no. This is…” Unable to control his emotions, he pressed his face against her chest, his arms wrapped around her as more tears fell. “This is the best news.”

  He had never thought that there could be anything better than being Lorrie’s husband. But being the father of her children… Likely the best possible thing in the world.

  Lorrie pressed a kiss to his forehead, cradling his head in her hands. “I don’t want you to be upset.”

  “I’m not, baby.” He lifted his head to look at her. “I’m really not. It just caught me off guard a little. But it’s good. I swear it.”

  Her smile returned instantly. “You ready for dinner?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, reaching for the hem of her dress. “Not yet.”

  Her eyes clouded as she watched him, not trying to stop him as he lifted her dress over her head and tossed it to the floor.

  “This is okay, right?” he asked, suddenly realizing he didn’t even know if they could make love. He was going to have to find a way to get some information on pregnancies. Did they make books for that?

  Lorrie nodded. “Yes, it’s okay.”

  He’d worry about reading material later. At the moment, the only thing that mattered was the beautiful woman standing before him. He unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor before cupping her breasts in his hands, lifting them to his mouth, her hands sliding over his shoulders.

  He laved her with his tongue while working her panties down her hips, then pulling her onto the bed with him. Without much fanfare, he crawled between her legs, aligned their bodies, and sank into her. Her warmth consumed him, and as was always the case, he felt whole once again.

  He needed to be one with her right now. He needed to feel every part of her against every part of him. She was what held him together, and when he felt as though he might fly apart in a million pieces, he needed her to anchor him.

  Lorrie held on to Curtis while he made love to her slowly, his hips rolling as he screwed into her deep. He was being so gentle, so sweet, it made her eyes sting. The love she felt emanating from him stole her breath.

  She loved this man.

  More so, she loved that this man could get so emotional because they were having a baby together. She hadn’t considered the fact that she’d had some time to process the information and she’d simply thrown the news at him without warning.

  “God, I love you,” he whispered, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you so damn much.”

  “I love you, too.” More than he would ev
er know.

  Cradling his hips with her thighs, Lorrie kept a tight grip on him as he continued to penetrate her over and over. She didn’t know how long it lasted, nor did she care. He seemed content to be making love to her, and she didn’t want him to stop. This connection between them… It had never been more prevalent than right then.

  Curtis lifted his head, peered down at her, then crushed his mouth to hers. She kissed him deeply, holding him to her, meeting him thrust for thrust. She willed him to feel how deep her love for him was. This was a new beginning for them, the next chapter.

  And she was looking forward to every single second spent with this man.

  chapter THIRTY-FIVE

  FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1973

  I don’t know what it is about being pregnant, but I feel fantastic. Maybe it’s that all my dreams seem to be coming true. Curtis is here with me every single day and we’re going to be parents. I feel like the wait has been worth it.

  SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1973

  Today, Curtis and I went to Mitch and Janice’s house. I helped Janice cook dinner, and we all enjoyed a fantastic meal. Before we went over there, Curtis and I decided we would keep the news about the baby to ourselves for now. We decided that we would have a party to celebrate when we’re ready for everyone to know. Right now, the only person who knows other than us is Mrs. Walker. I’m ready for the world to know, but I know it’s early and we have many weeks ahead of us. I’m just so excited.

  THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1973

  I stayed in bed a little longer than usual today. I’m not feeling well. I’m wondering if I’m coming down with something. I know the pregnancy will make me tired, but my stomach has been hurting a little. Maybe it was something I ate. I’ll have to be more careful about that in the future.

  MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1973

  I haven’t been feeling well and I’m scared to tell Curtis. My insides are cramping and I’ve been spotting a little. I don’t think this is normal, and I definitely don’t think it’s from something I ate. I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.

  chapter THIRTY-SIX

  TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1973

  Curtis came home for lunch the same as he did every day. Not only because he had to eat but also because he couldn’t go an entire day without seeing his wife. He enjoyed checking up on her, making sure she was doing okay. For the past couple of weeks, he would usually find her moving around the house, cleaning, and doing far more than he thought she should be doing. Her excuse was always that she was so full of energy and excitement that she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. Sometimes he would simply watch her, but there were times she’d send him right back out the door with a sandwich, telling him that he worried too much, but he couldn’t help it.

  “Baby? Where’re you at?” he called when he stepped into the house and closed the front door behind him.

  She clearly wasn’t in the living room, so he checked the kitchen, stopping to put his cigarette out in the ashtray on the kitchen table. No Lorrie.

  There was a strange sensation in his gut as he moved down the hall toward the bedroom. He tried to shake off the eerie feeling, but he couldn’t. Pushing open the door, he found Lorrie lying on the bed. She was facing away from the door, her legs curled up, and she was moaning faintly, the soft sound drifting across the room.

  “Honey?” he asked, moving closer.

  She didn’t budge.

  Placing a hand on her shoulder, he leaned over to see if she was asleep. Sweat dotted her forehead and her eyes were open.

  “Oh, my God, baby.” He didn’t need to be a fucking doctor to know something was horribly wrong. Rather than ask unnecessary questions, he picked her up in his arms and carried her right out to his truck. Not a single argument came from her, which he knew was a bad sign.

  Being as gentle as he could, he set her on the passenger seat, then rushed around and climbed in. The keys were in the ignition like always, so he turned the engine over and kicked gravel behind him as he sped down the dirt drive that led to the road into town.

  “It hurts,” Lorrie said, her hands on her stomach. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  Curtis didn’t say anything. He was no expert, but since the day Lorrie had told him she was pregnant, he’d started reading, and this was one of those things he’d prayed he would never need to know about. He wouldn’t have jumped to conclusions so fast, except he’d seen the blood on the sheet when he’d picked her up. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.

  Rather than drive all the way to the hospital, which was a good half-hour away, Curtis stopped at the doctor in town, knowing Lorrie needed help now. Not later.

  When he saw the sign that read Family Practitioner, Dr. Edward Davids, M.D., he pulled into the parking lot and right up to the front door of the small building. Doing his best not to send her through the dashboard, he parked the truck, then bolted out and around to her side, pulling her into his arms and carrying her inside.

  “Can I help you?” the woman at the desk asked, her eyes wide.

  “We need the doctor to see her,” he told her. “Now.”

  “Sir, the doctor’s in with a—”

  “I don’t fucking care,” he snarled. “Show me to a room and get the damn doctor.”

  Without waiting for her to instruct him, Curtis turned to the only door in the waiting area. He’d been here before, but not since Dr. Davids had taken over the practice. He managed to heave it open, even with Lorrie still in his arms. She had her head buried in his neck, her arms wrapped around him, and she was sobbing hysterically.

  There were only two doors, and one was open, so he went there. It was a patient room, so he deposited Lorrie on the small padded table, then turned and headed right back out. He ran smack into the doctor just outside the door.

  “Mr. Walker? Can I help you?”

  Curtis looked at the doctor, recognizing him from church. He’d never been to see the man, wasn’t even sure if a family practitioner could help her, but at the moment, he was the only option they had.

  “Not me. My wife. She’s pregnant. And she’s … bleeding.” Curtis helped the man along, pushing him into the room.

  A nurse soon joined them.

  “Mr. Walker, I need you to step outside,” the doctor said firmly.

  “I’m not goin’ any-goddamn-where,” he growled.

  “It’s okay, Curtis,” Lorrie said, her voice choppy. “I just… Please.”

  He swallowed hard but nodded his head. “I’ll be in the hall.”

  Turning, he managed to make it out the door before he realized he was shaking uncontrollably.

  The pain in her abdomen was unbearable, but not nearly as overwhelming as the fear consuming her. When she’d woken up that morning, she had started cramping, which was the reason she’d gotten back in bed, hoping that she could sleep it off and everything would be all right.

  “Lorrie, I’m Dr. Davids. Remember me?”

  Lorrie recognized the name. She went to church with his family, and she’d even gone to school with one of his sons. “Yes,” she managed to squeak.

  “Good. Now, I need you to tell me how far along you are.”

  “Eight weeks,” she rasped, her eyes closed.

  “Is this your first pregnancy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you been seen by a doctor?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long have you been bleeding?”

  “Since yesterday,” she said, feeling ashamed. She should’ve gone to the doctor before now, but she’d been too scared. She knew in her heart what they were going to tell her, and that was the last thing she wanted to hear.

  “I’m not an obstetrician,” he told her, then his voice faded as though he was facing away from her. “I don’t have any equipment here, but I can do an examination of the cervix.”

  Lorrie nodded, keeping her eyes squeezed shut, not even caring what he had to do or who he was talking to. She just wanted him to save her baby.

  “Has the bleeding
gotten worse?” the doctor asked, his voice closer now.

  Lorrie nodded again.

  “I need to do a pelvic examination. Is this okay with you?”

  “Yes,” she said, now crying violently.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as the nurse touched her arm. “We need to get you into a gown, Lorrie.”

  Another nod and a lot more tears were all she had to offer.

  Curtis remained outside Lorrie’s door, leaning against the wall, his fingers tapping against his thighs as he nervously waited. He could only hear the deep rumble of the doctor’s voice but not what he was saying. Part of him was grateful he didn’t have to hear, but the other part needed to be in that room with his wife, holding her, consoling her.

  God, please don’t let Lorrie lose this baby. We’ll be good parents, I swear it.

  While he sent up silent prayers, he closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

  I’ll quit smoking, I’ll stop cursing, I’ll do anything at all. Just please, don’t take this baby from us. We’ve waited so long for this. Please don’t…

  He heard Lorrie’s muted moan through the door, and he knew she was in pain. They’d been in the room for nearly twenty minutes, and he wanted to know what they were saying, what was going on, but he was terrified to find out.

  Just a couple of days ago, he and Lorrie had been talking about the house and how they needed a bigger one. One with more bedrooms, a bigger kitchen, another bathroom, extra space for all the toys they would eventually have. Curtis had even mentioned that his mother was tossing around the idea of moving out of the big house because it was too much space now that Maryanne and Lisa were the only two still living at home. Hell, Curtis had even envisioned which room would’ve been the baby’s.

  There was more deep rumbling as the doctor spoke, followed by an ear-splitting cry. This one he knew wasn’t due to physical pain, but the emotional pain that came along with the devastating news.