Broken Vows (Domestic Discipline Romance)

by Mariella Starr

  "I'll make the appointment," Violet offered, quickly glancing in her husband's direction. "I might get her into a hot-rock massage, which would probably be the best. Let me go apologize and see what she wants. We might have some time girl time together. Today will be on me. You and Tyrell can take on Prima Cornice or Rasputin's Run."

  As Violet left the table, Tyrell leaned forward. "I nailed Violet last night for challenging Jenny. She knows better, but she is so competitive."

  "It was not Violet's fault, challenge or not. Jenny and I agreed to intermediate slopes only on this trip. It takes time to work up to the expert level again. She is a decent intermediate skier, but I have never let her go on black-diamond trails unless I was with her. She is not an aggressive skier and it takes aggression to run those trails."

  Tyrell nodded. "So what are we doing if the gals are at the salons today?"

  "Violet doesn't have to sacrifice her day. I will stick around for Jen."

  "Violet won't be comfortable herself on the lifts today," Tyrell admitted. "She has been pushing the limits lately. Last night, I pushed back."

  Josh looked across the table at his brother and their eyes met. He nodded. "Jen, too, this morning. I say we let them pamper their sore parts today. I would not mind a couple of runs down Prima Cornice, I hear it is great."

  "I also want to do Rodgers Run or Genghis Kahn while I'm here," Tyrell said.

  Josh shook his head. "Not me, those are beyond my level. I might get to a higher level again next year, but I haven't been on skis for a while. I can't punish Jen for irresponsibility if I do the same. I want to be around to raise my kids."

  Tyrell gave a nod to his head. "I guess you are right. This swank place is cool. It will give us an excuse to come more often. Not having to pay for accommodations cuts half the cost of the trip. If we save our frequent-flyer miles, we could do these trips for almost nothing. I do appreciate it, little brother."

  "You can afford to come here without being a penny-pincher," Josh teased.

  "Your wife doesn't shop at Neiman Marcus, or wear Oscar de la Renta or Armani… yet," Tyrell grumbled.

  "My wife isn't one of the top twenty female lawyers in the country, either."

  "Yeah, well she might take a break for a while," Tyrell grumbled. "She wants another kid."

  "Then she will probably get it," Josh said laughing.

  "Probably," Tyrell groaned. "Maybe she will go for the nanny idea this time. This is your fault, you know, making us come to your house and be around Adam. I have to keep her away from babies when she gets in these moods. It does something to her mommy hormones."

  Josh laughed. "Let's see what they decided. Maybe you will get lucky and have twins the next time."

  "God forbid," Tyrell groaned.

  * * *

  "Can I see?" Mila yelled impatiently from around the doorway to the kitchen.

  "No! I'll come and get you when we are ready!" Kevin shouted, "Out!" He came through the kitchen door as Mila disappeared out the front door with Buddy fast on her heels. He shook his head and went back to work.

  Mila moved as fast she could considering her girth. She went back to the guesthouse, checked on the kids, and collapsed into a chair. She could no longer lie down because it was too difficult to get up from the bed.

  Kevin would not let her into her own house. They had finalized the plans and his cousins had gutted her small kitchen in all of two hours. Kevin had refused her entry for the last day and a half. It drove her crazy not to see the progress. She had watched his cousins carry in cabinets, appliances, and mysterious boxes. They even brought in the countertop wrapped in paper so she could not peek.

  He had introduced her to his cousins, Wayne, and Lee Taylor, telling her unless she knew sign language, she would have to communicate with them through him. They were both deaf from birth and communicated with sign language, although Wayne could lip-read a bit. He proclaimed they were the best carpenters in his shop. Wayne was his second in command and in charge when Kevin worked on a site. His shop, which Mila had not seen yet, employed all three of the male cousins of his generation. Joe Gibson, his third cousin, staffed the front desk and handled orders. Kevin had six additional full-time employees along with two part-time seniors, who liked to stay busy and earn a little extra cash. Everyone in his employ was required to learn sign language.

  Josh and Jenny would only be gone one more day, and Kevin promised Mila he would complete her kitchen before their return. His crew worked late into the evening. When the trucks pulled out, he finally came over to knock on her door.

  "Have you finished?" Mila demanded.

  "You are worse than a kid," Kevin said with a grin. "Sometime tomorrow morning, it will be done."

  "Spoilsport," Mila griped.

  * * *

  Kevin flipped from his back to his stomach, trying to settle, and get some sleep. It was not easy on the uncomfortable and lumpy couch in Mila's place, and he was plagued with the same recurring dream. He had dreamed it so often that he remembered quite a few details. It did not take a genius to figure its meaning. The problem was there was nothing he could do about it since Mila still kept him at a distance. He couldn't blame her. The timing was lousy. It had not been long since she lost her husband, and she was only a month from her due date.

  He looked at the clock and realized it was three a.m., not a time he usually observed in his daily life. He was old school, early to bed—no later than eleven—and early to rise. He closed his eyes, but they sprang open when he heard a knock on the door.

  He jumped to his feet to find Mila standing outside in a robe, holding her stomach.

  He pulled her inside, "What is it?"

  "Something is wrong," Mila whispered, fear evident in her voice. "I'm having pains."

  "Regular? Have you been timing them?" Kevin demanded.

  She shook her head. "Intermittent, but they are getting harder. Should I go to the hospital?"

  "Yes! Has your water broken? Has there been any blood?" Kevin demanded.

  "No, and no."

  "Hold on," Kevin grabbed clothes and boots, yanking them on any which way. He took her back to the guesthouse and left her sitting on the couch while he ran upstairs to grab her suitcase and bring it down to her.

  "Let's get you dressed first, something loose, and warm. I have to wake the kids."

  "I'll be okay, get the kids, and throw some diapers into the diaper bag for Adam. Bring him down, and I will get him into his snowsuit while you get Emmie ready."

  "They can go in their pajamas."

  "You still have to change Adam's diaper," Mila yelled.

  "I know! I have twenty-three nieces and nephews, remember," Kevin said over his shoulder. "Yell, if you get another pain."

  Mila did not yell, but she did have another pain. She was scared. Something strange was happening. Her vision was blurry, her ears were ringing, and she could feel her heart beating faster.

  Kevin ran down the stairs with Adam in his arms, along with a diaper bag and several tote bags. He went back for Emmie. He dove into the refrigerator, threw bottles of water and juice, and several pieces of fruit into one of the bags. "We will take my truck, but I have to put the safety seats in the backseat for the kids."

  "We can take Jenny's Land Rover," Mila suggested.

  Kevin shook his head. "If you didn't notice, it's snowing again. The Land Rover might have four-wheel drive, but my truck is safer. Even if I have to drop the snow plow, we will get there."

  Mila nodded as he rushed outside.

  He came back a few minutes later mumbling, "Someone needs to invent a safety seat to install in seconds! Let's get you dressed." Kevin grabbed a larger coat of Josh's and put it around her. "I will help you to the edge of the decking. From there, I will carry you to the truck. I'll come back for the kids. I already started the engine to get the heater going." He called over his shoulder, "Stay, and watch the house, Buddy," then he was back out the door.

  Kevin gently sat Mila in the pass
enger seat and tucked a blanket around her. He hugged her when another pain came and she sucked in her breath. He held one hand on her shoulder, and the other on her stomach. "That was definitely a contraction. Hold on, I'll get you to the hospital."

  Once he had Adam and Emmie secured in the back seat of the double-cab truck, Kevin rolled down the long lane. There were already at least four inches of new snow; it was accumulating quickly.

  He pulled out his cell phone, but it only had one bar and he could not make a connection. Mila handed him her phone. It was a newer 4G model, and he thought it had enough reception to get through to the hospital. He gave her his phone. "Look in my contacts, the number to the hospital should be at the top of the emergency numbers."

  Mila gave him the number. He called the hospital and gave them the pertinent information. Then he made another phone call. "Mom, I need help. Can you and Dad meet me at Mercy in the emergency room? No one you know, but there are kids and I need someone to watch them."

  "You shouldn't have disturbed your parents," Mila exclaimed.

  "We need someone to watch Emmie and Adam, I don't know anyone better. My folks only live a few miles from the hospital. Trust me, they will be there."

  "They don't even know me!" Mila exclaimed.

  "They know me, and they know I wouldn't call unless I needed them," Kevin promised. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see both children sound asleep. When he looked over at Mila, she was breathing quickly and rubbing her head. She hunched over with another pain.

  "When was the last one?"

  "Seven minutes," Mila said. When he offered her a hand, she gripped it and squeezed hard, then the pressure released, and she slumped in her seat.

  "Oh, Jesus," Kevin exclaimed. He stopped in the middle of the road, ripped off his gloves, and felt her face. She was clammy. He yanked off her gloves to inspect her hands. They were swollen and damp. He took her pulse.

  "Mila! Mila." He shook her slightly.

  "What?" she asked faintly. "I'm ready to go swimming. Are we at the pool yet?"

  "Mila," Kevin repeated, shaking her again but she was confused and disoriented.

  He grabbed her cell, hit the recent-calls list, and redialed the hospital. He told them to have a gurney ready and be prepared for his arrival. Then he put a call through to the fire department telling them to get the rescue squad out and ready. He was bringing in a pregnant woman exhibiting symptoms of preeclampsia with shallow breathing. She needed oxygen.

  When he entered the town limits, a police car with flashing lights pulled out in front of him staying there until they reached the fire department. Once there, three EMTs immediately ran out, removed Mila from the truck, put her on a gurney, and hooked her to oxygen.

  "We have her," an EMT, Charlie Mason, shouted as Kevin shut the ambulance door and the driver took off with sirens blaring and all lights flashing. Kevin pulled out behind the rescue vehicle and the police car followed him in a little convoy.

  When Kevin pulled in behind the rescue squad at the emergency entrance, his parents came through the emergency room doors behind the orderlies. In their sixties, both of them wore jogging suits and snow boots. Each of them gathered a sleeping child in their arms and threw the bags over their shoulders.

  "Give me the keys," the police officer said. "I'll move your truck to the parking lot."

  "Thanks, Jim." Kevin tossed his keys at the young man and jogged to catch the gurney. As he went by, he noticed his parents already settling the children in the emergency room waiting area. A nurse was handing his mother pillows and blankets for the children. Adam had not re-awakened since Kevin had put him in his car seat and it had taken them well over an hour to make the eighteen-mile trip to town.

  * * *

  "Wow! You look fantastic," Josh said, crossing the room and kissing his wife. "Are you feeling better?"

  "I feel mellow," Jenny admitted. "Two massages, aspirin, and all-day spa treatments have produced these results."

  "Make-up isn't what makes you beautiful, Jen," Josh disagreed. "You didn't answer my question. How are the muscles?"

  "The aching is almost gone," answered Jenny. "I will be back on the slopes tomorrow, but I admit I enjoyed today. It was a perfect day, except for how my morning started."

  "You deserved the spanking," Josh said, dropping another kiss on her lips. "I have to shower and dress. Tyrell has reservations at The Left Bank tonight, and he wants to go to the Tivoli Lodge Lounge afterward."

  Jenny gave him an assessing look. "Did you two get into an argument? You don't sound as if you want to go."

  Josh sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. "No, actually we got along great. He only called me an idiot twice today. I think it's a record. I'm not much into these fancy meals lasting all evening. My taste buds don't take to fancy food. I would rather have your mac and cheese, or chili and a burger. When we get home, I want to hit the diners in town. I keep hearing how good they are, and diners have more of my kind of food."

  Jenny laughed. "I was thinking the same thing, but we only have one more day. I miss my babies, too."

  "Me too," Josh agreed. "We have officially become stick in the mud parents, and I like it."

  "I do too!" she agreed. "Come on, we can suffer through one more day of luxury."

  "It does sound stupid to complain," Josh growled. "We are in the equivalent of a five-star hotel and we want to go home to our little guesthouse with our kids."

  "We have enjoyed ourselves here. However, it would be better if we brought Emmie and Adam along the next time… with a babysitter. We are family people, not trendsetters."

  "I can live with that," Josh said, capturing her in his arms. "Do we have time for a quickie?"

  "No. I am lotioned, powdered, and perfumed, and I do not want a quickie now. After dinner, and after the lounge," she trailed off.

  "What?" Josh asked, nibbling her lower lip.

  "I want a marathon," Jenny whispered. "I want it all."

  Josh sucked in his breath. "Hmm… the anticipation will certainly keep me going for the next few hours. You better not back out on me, sweetheart."

  "Oh, I don't intend to," Jenny said, sashaying away from him and bending over to put on sky-high heels. "I am going commando tonight."

  Josh was almost to her when she scurried out the bedroom door laughing. He was already at the bathroom door when she stuck her head inside. "The reservations are in thirty minutes, hurry."

  "You are so going to pay for this," Josh threatened with a smile.

  "I know," she taunted.

  * * *

  "Wow," Josh exclaimed leaning back in his chair. "Okay, I take back what I said earlier. This was the best trout I have ever eaten."

  "So was my lobster," Jenny agreed. "When I think of French food, I don't think of seafood for some reason; I only think of rich sauces. Why is that, when much of France is on the ocean?"

  "Let's face it, kiddo, we are hamburger and chicken people," Josh teased. "Violet said her lamb was the best, and Tyrell really liked his elk."

  "I cannot eat something I watch outside my kitchen window," Jenny exclaimed.

  "With the fence installed, you may not see them anymore. The contractor is supposed to sweep the area and drive them out before the property is closed in. They did say the fence may still trap some inside, which will actually protect them from hunters."

  "Do you want to share a dessert? I am stuffed."

  "Not unless you want me so stuffed we have to forego our planned activities for later," Josh teased.

  "Not a chance," she teased back. "You are… oh, here they come."

  "I'm sorry about the interruption," Tyrell exclaimed coming back to the table with Violet. "It was Mr. Ethan Travis, of Signa Intel Corp. I saved his company's ass last year in court. As a thank you, he paid the tab for our meal."

  "Which means Tyrell regrets not ordering the most expensive item on the menu," Violet laughed.

  "I have news for you, babe, I did order the most expens
ive thing on the menu. Who is ready for dancing?" Tyrell demanded.

  "We are. We were considering dessert, but we are too stuffed," Jenny said. Heads nodded in agreement all around the table.

  "Good, we are off to Tivoli Lodge Lounge," Tyrell announced, glancing over his shoulder. "Give Ethan a few minutes to pay the bill and we are out of here."

  * * *

  "How are the legs holding out?" Josh whispered later. They were dancing in a dark corner, his hands cupped around Jenny's ass.

  "I'll be back on the slopes in the morning, and Violet wants to go shopping in the afternoon. I didn't mean to spoil her vacation, so I said I would go with her. I won't buy anything, though."

  "I'll give you the credit card. I trust you will not go crazy… just be careful and keep the receipts. Vail is expensive, all ski resorts of this caliber are. However, we haven't spent anything on meals so we can afford a little spending spree."

  "Little being the operative word," Jenny said, laying her head on his shoulder. "How much longer will we stay here? This is the third club we have hit tonight. I'm tired. As you said earlier, we are family people, not barhopping people."

  "Let them have their fun," Josh whispered in her ear. "We will have ours, later."

  The band announced they were taking a break, and Josh led the way back to the table.

  "Josh? Josh Grayson?"

  Josh stopped and turned to see a man rising to his feet.

  "Mr. Whiting!" Josh exclaimed, offering his hand, "Nice to see you, it's been a while. This is my wife, Jenny."

  "This is my wife, Barbara. Please call me Bill. Join us for a few minutes," Mr. Whiting offered.

  "Sure," Josh said pulling out a chair for Jenny and sitting down beside her.

  "Would you like a drink?" Mr. Whiting asked.

  "No thanks, we have drinks at our table," Josh said.

  "I have been looking for you," Mr. Whiting said.

  "Bill, is this business?" Barbara Whiting interrupted.

  "Yes, but I won't be long."

  His wife rolled her eyes and looked over to Jenny. "Now is the time for us ladies to go the restroom. Will you join me?"

  "I will," said Jenny smiling.

  After the women had left the table, Bill Whiting looked over at the young architect. "I never figured out why women go to the John in packs."