by Annie Stone
What else are you going to miss? I hope nothing, but I have no idea how to prevent it. It’s like I’m looking at a train that’s going to derail, but I don’t stand a chance of stopping it. What can I do, Hunt? What can I do?
I don’t want you to miss out on more of this, because she is such a wonderful person. You will fall in love with her when you see her. God, I almost don’t care anymore what becomes of you and me. But I do care what becomes of you and her. I want Hazel to have her dad. And I want you to have your daughter. You would be so good together. So damn good…
It’s like a dream I keep dreaming, hoping it will come true, yet feeling increasingly hopeless. Please don’t miss your chance. She is such a treasure. If you don’t want me anymore, I understand, but please don’t deprive her of her father.
Carey is great. But he’s not you…
Hunter, please, I beg you, open one of my emails! Please!
Mac
She’s making it difficult for me…What kind of a woman is she? Sacrificing her own happiness for the happiness of her daughter. I realize there’s only one word for somebody like that. Mother.
A little wistfully, I remember my own. She used to be so great. And then? Then her priorities got warped. Maybe I should call her. Get in touch somehow. After all, she’s my mom.
Not for the first time, I wonder why it was relatively easy for me to shut her out of my life. Why did Carey struggle with it for so long while I didn’t really have a problem with it? I mean, it bothered me, sure, but other things got to me way more. Mac, for instance.
Why did I never want to talk about my mom in all my therapy sessions? Only about Mac, Mac, Mac…
I have no idea.
Hunter,
Today, Hazel said Dad for the first time. She said Mom first—not Carey like he was hoping. But I would gladly have given up this little triumph if only I had you by my side.
I miss you…
I still do. Every day, every hour, every minute, and every second.
I miss you as the love of my life but also as a friend and as Hazel’s dad.
I don’t know why you never listened. Why didn’t you let me say anything? Why are you not reading my emails? Why do you hate me so much?
I never thought love could turn into hatred like this. I’m so sorry, so so sorry about everything. I would do everything different now…
Please take care and come back to us.
I love you. So much.
With all my love, Mac
I grab the phone from my bedside table. It’s late. She won’t be up, but I really want to hear her voice. Mac’s voice.
I let it ring, and finally, I hear her sleepy voice. “Hunter? What’s up?”
“Thank you, baby. Thank you for this incredible gift.”
I can hear the smile in her voice. “Our daughter is fantastic.”
“You’re fantastic, Mac. You. God, I’m so sorry.”
“About what?”
“That I didn’t give you a chance to explain things to me. I’m so incredibly sorry. I’m such a fucking idiot.”
“We both made mistakes. But the main thing is that we’re not going to make any more. At least not such fatal ones. Just minor crises for us from now on, okay?”
I have to smile. “Only minor crises, no major catastrophes.”
“Exactly.”
“I love you, Mac.”
“I love you, too, Hunt. So much!”
“Mac… My Mac…”
She sighs quietly. “Yes…”
“Our story has seen more downs than ups so far, but… Fuck, after my heart broke so many times…we’ve finally ended up here. And I can’t be mad about that.”
She scoffs. “I can.”
I laugh quietly. “Of course, I would have preferred a little less drama myself. But if I’d known that’s what it would take to end up here, I’d do it all over again.”
“With less heartache.”
“A little.”
“And definitely more singing.”
That makes me laugh again. “Have you been practicing?”
“Hello? Singing has always been my superpower.”
“Chasing away demons with your terrible singing voice?”
“No! Making people around me happy with my melodious voice.”
“You make me happy with your mouth, but not with your voice.”
She laughs. “What if I added some humming?”
“Mmm. Touché. That might be good.”
“Can’t wait to see you.”
“Same here, babe. I love you.”
She’s happy. There’s no doubt about that. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
Fuck. My girl knows exactly what to say to turn me to mush in her hands.
“I can’t wait to be your husband.”
16
Hunter
Finally, the day has arrived. Today, I’m getting out. As I step out of the clinic, a beaming Mac welcomes me. She’s wearing a white, knee-length dress and silver sandals with small heels. But the most beautiful thing she’s wearing is her smile. My Mac.
I walk toward her, and she starts running, laughing. It’s like a fucking commercial for laundry detergent or something. She tries to stop, but I walk toward her, and she has no choice but to let herself fall into my arms. I swing her around before I kiss her. My bride.
She grabs my hand and takes me to her car. I heave my bags into the trunk before I walk around to open the door for her. But she hands me the keys and goes around to the passenger’s seat. For a moment, I’m perplexed. She knocks on the inside of the window and gives me an encouraging look.
I open the driver’s door wider.
“I researched it,” she says. “If you have a prosthetic on your left leg, you can drive just like that. Otherwise, you’d need a special permit.”
“I…” Fuck! Don’t be a pussy!
I push the seat back and get into the car, glad she no longer has the pink one. I adjust the seat and the mirror, and turn the key in the ignition. Then I drive out of the parking lot.
Wow. It’s obviously like riding a bike. Easy-peasy. I drive us to the airport, and Mac squeezes my leg. Every time I look at her, she smiles. She looks so happy.
“Everything okay, babe?” she asks once.
“Yup. This is great.”
After parking in the overnight lot, we head for the check-in desks. I’m wearing long pants and closed-toe shoes, even though it’s incredibly hot in San Diego. I’m just not ready to show the world the new me yet. It’s still an ugly prosthetic, not a cool athletic spring, though I’m not sure that would make a difference.
Mac grabs my hand, a reassuring presence. It makes me calmer. Why am I so nervous anyway? I can’t wait. To marry her… To fuck her… Tonight, I’ll finally be inside her again. When she’s Mrs. Tilman.
We check in, and I ask about my prosthetic. The woman tells me I can just walk through security, that it’s not a problem.
When we get there, I start chatting with the TSA agent.
“Iraq?” he asks me.
“Afghanistan.”
He nods slowly. “You can walk through the body scanner with that, but if you don’t want to, you can go through the old metal detectors.”
I shrug. “I don’t care.”
“Okay, this way, then.” He points to the body scanner. I let Mac go first, but it doesn’t beep.
When I step into the scanner, the TSA agent tells his colleague I’m wearing a prosthetic. She looks at the picture and doesn’t notice anything, so I have to pull up my pants for them to view it. That sucks a little bit.
Mac grabs my hand again, and we go to our gate together. I’m able to keep up pretty well now. I still couldn’t run a marathon, but that’s more because of my weakened muscle tissue than my prosthetic.
And then we’re on the plane to Vegas. We booked a suite at the Bellagio—I mean, Mac did—along with one of the many wedding chapels. I’m excited. I’m about to marry the love of my life. Hell
, yeah! I can’t wait. Does that make me a pussy?
A limo picks us up at the airport in Las Vegas and drives us to an office, where we pick up a wedding license. Mac filled out the forms online, so it’s all pretty quick. We just have to show our IDs, and they hand the license over.
Then we head to the chapel. Everything goes really fast there, too. We’ve decided to get married without much ado, just the two of us there. No best man or bridal party or anything. The chapel organizes witnesses for us and gives Mac a small bouquet. Then the wedding march comes from the speakers, and my bride walks toward me.
Even though I’ve already seen her dress and her hair, this is magical. Really. She comes toward me, beaming. I see tears of joy in her eyes. At least I’m hoping that’s what they are.
I can’t believe my girl—my Mac—is about to be my wife. Finally. I feel a tightness in my chest, because she’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. Only Hazel will be able to top her one day. For a moment, I’m sad Hazel isn’t here.
The moment I have that thought, the back doors open, and I see Carey standing there. With Hazel in his arms. He smiles at me.
Mac must have noticed my surprise because she turns around, too.
“Mommy!” Hazel calls out. “Look! Dress!” She’s wearing a white dress, too.
Carey puts her on the floor and gives her a little push. She runs toward Mac. Laughing, Mac takes her hand, and my two girls come walking toward me. God, my heart is so full it’s about to burst.
Carey takes his place as best man, and I pat his shoulder. And then Mac is with me. Her eyes are shining, and I know mine are, too. She’s so amazingly beautiful. I kiss her cheek and interlace our fingers. Carey picks up Hazel and puts his finger on her lips. She nods seriously.
“We have come together today to witness and bless the coming together of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” It’s not Elvis presiding, though I kind of wish it was. I mean, why not do the full monty if you’re getting married in Vegas, right?
But, to be honest, I don’t really hear what the guy says anyway. I’m too busy looking at my breathtaking bride. I can’t look away. She is so…so…perfect.
“The couple has prepared their own vows,” the man says, breaking me out of my stupor.
I turn to Mac and look down at her. She is the bomb. Who would have thought we would end up here together?
“Hunter,” she starts, the first tear rolling down her cheek. I wipe it away, and she smiles. “When I met you, I thought you were an arrogant asshole. But with every day I got to know you more, I learned to love you more, until I could no longer imagine spending even one moment without you. And still, it’s taken us a long time to get to this point. I’m so glad we’re standing here today. With your brother and our wonderful little girl. I love you from the bottom of my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never want to be away from you again. You are the love of my life, and I thank you for never giving up. For never giving up on me.”
My eyes are shining as I say, “Mac, my Mac, you are the only woman I have ever loved, and the only one I ever will. It’s been a rocky road that led us here, but as it’s led us here today, I cannot regret walking it, no matter how tough it’s been. You, the love of my life, have given me the greatest gift a woman can give to a man. I love our perfect girl, and I love you even more because she’s part of you. You are my one true love, and I do not want to spend another day without you. I love you, Mac, and I always will. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
I wipe the tears from under her eyes and kiss her moist lips.
The presider clears his throat. “Do you, Mackenzie Hall, take Hunter Tilman to be your husband?”
“I do,” she says, her voice a bit croaky.
I have never heard anything more beautiful than those two words.
“Do you, Hunter Tilman, take Mackenzie Hall to be your wife?”
I look her in the eyes and say, “I do.”
She trembles, and I squeeze her fingers.
“You may now exchange rings.”
I’m just thinking I can’t believe what an idiot I am when Carey hands me the rings. I give him a surprised look, but he just smiles. He’s given me three rings. I put the thin, simple ring on Mac’s finger before I put the engagement ring with the diamond on top of it. She beams at me as if I remembered this most important detail of our wedding. Then she takes the last ring from my hand and slides it onto my finger. She looks me in the eyes the whole time, and I’ve never seen a woman looking happier than my bride, my future wife. It can only be seconds now.
“By the authority vested in me by the State of Nevada, I declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. Maybe my wedding kiss is a bit over the top, but I don’t care. Fuck it. I’m kissing my wife! Mackenzie Tilman.
The chapel workers take pictures, we sign the paperwork, and then my wife and I are standing in front of the chapel with our daughter and my brother, competing for the brightest smile on earth. Hazel is perched on my arm, and I’ve wrapped the other one around Mac, who’s holding Carey’s hand. My family. My three people.
“How did you know?” I ask Carey.
He shrugs. “Mac told me.”
I look at her, and she contritely chews on her lip.
“Blabbermouth!”
“Are you mad?” she asks.
I smile. “No. I love that our family is complete.”
“Fut.”
“You said it, Haze.” I grin, and Hazel leans her head against me.
I thought about a romantic dinner for the two of us, but instead we go to a child-friendly restaurant where Hazel can play as much as she wants. Carey and I take turns chasing after her. She’s such a tomboy. She reminds me a little of my brother. He couldn’t sit still as a child, either, always on his feet.
I look at Mac, who seems happy. Beyond happy. She jokes around with Carey, takes care of Hazel, and gives me loving looks that make me wish Carey and Hazel would leave.
When they finally do—I’m such a crappy dad!—my wife and I take a cab to the Bellagio. My wife. My cock gets hard just thinking the word. Calm down, boy.
When we step off the elevator, I pick her up and carry her to our suite.
“Am I not too heavy?”
“I’m going to shoot whoever told you that bullshit.”
She laughs quietly and swipes the key card to our room. I carry her across the threshold, kick the door shut, and immediately take her to the bedroom, which makes her laugh again.
I put her down on the bed and—because I can’t wait any longer—lie down on top of her. She wraps her arms around me, and her lips find mine. I kiss her. Fuck gentle! My kiss is so hungry, she moans loudly.
My fingers find her cleavage and get caught in the seam of her dress. Impatiently, I start pulling, ripping the fabric off her. She gasps and moans but doesn’t try to stop me.
“Pill?” I mumble against her lips.
She shakes her head. “Implant.”
I give her a questioning look.
“You said we couldn’t have kids for the next four years, so I got an implant.”
I smile, lift up her body, free her of any fabric still on her, open her legs, release the zipper on my pants, pull them down, grab my dick, and penetrate her. She’s so wet already that it goes in easy.
She moans so fucking loudly I nearly squirt right away. Cockroaches. Crap. Crack whore. Nothing like a good alliteration to keep yourself from cumming.
When I’m all the way inside her, I stop for a moment, look her in the eyes, and kiss her for a long time. And then I thrust into her forcefully. She lifts her body, arches off the mattress, and quietly screams. Her fingers bury into my clothes, her head thrown back, her eyes closed. The harder I fuck her, the louder she screams.
“Yes, Mac, come on. Scream my name,” I groan hoarsely.
“Oh, Hunter, Hunter,” her lips say.
I bend down, take one nipple
into my mouth, and suck it hard.
“Yes, Hunter, yes!”
I put my elbows down on either side of her head and grab her face with my hands, looking her in the eyes as I thrust harder. Her legs close around my hips, and she moves with me. With every driving thrust, her hips move back and forth, taking me in, taking me in as deep as possible. I turn my hips with every move so I’m rubbing across her clit. She moans so loudly my eardrums are about to burst.
“Fuck, Mac! I love fucking you. My cock feels so good inside your pussy. You were made for me.” My breath comes haltingly. “You are so perfect. And so horny. You really need it.”
“Yes, God, yes! But only from you!”
“Of course. Only from me. This is my pussy. You are mine, Mac! Say it.”
“I am yours, Hunter, only yours,” she gasps, while she tries to keep up with my accelerating rhythm.
“Yes, cum, Mac! Take what I’m giving you! Do it for me.”
“Oh God, Hunter!” she gasps.
Every time I say dirty words to her, her pussy cramps around my cock. She loves it. She needs it.
I grab her tits, squeeze them with my fingers, pinch her nipples. She pushes her breast into my hand. “Hot tits, Mac. So hot. Say it.”
“Your tits, yours,” she mutters.
I increase my speed, and she screams. It is pure lust pouring from her mouth. She makes me so horny, so goddamn horny. “Flex your pussy around me tighter, Mac. I want you to work your muscles.”
She does, tensing her muscles. She keeps it up as I grit my teeth and ram into her. I lift her hips with one hand so I’m getting a better angle, thrusting deeper into her.
Sweat spreads everywhere. Dripping from my chest onto her. I watch liquid gather in the valley between her tits. I kiss her again, bite her lips, her tongue, kissing her throat, her neck, marking every inch of her as my property, and with every hickey, she moans harder and harder. Yes, she loves the fact that I own her.
“Fuck, baby, the nickname I gave you was perfect.”
She gives me a questioning look, but I can see her lust tripling. I can tell her anything while we fuck. She loves it.