God, I almost lost you.
“Wait! Before you come to bed, I need to give you your presents!”
Her and her damned reminders that he was another year older. “They can wait.”
“No! They can’t! Really!” She started to sit up.
“Lie down.” She obeyed, her eyes dilating at his command. He reached out to stroke her cheek. “God, I’ve missed that look on your face.”
“I’ve missed everything about you, Sir.” She leaned into his hand and kissed it before glancing at the dresser beside him. “Now, I want you to find your presents. The first one’s in the top drawer under my panties.”
More than one? Curious, and a little surprised that she’d found time to shop before going into labor, he stood. Whatever it was, she wanted to please him with it, and he should accept her gifts with gratitude.
He opened the drawer and saw a jumbled mess of lacy panties and her equally sexy boxer briefs. The woman had never had to pass inspection, apparently. He pushed them to the side. Nothing. Then he shoved them to the other side and saw a flat red package wrapped in a black bow. He pulled it out and set it on the bed.
“The other is at the back of the bottom drawer.”
He hunkered down to open the drawer. He encountered the red bustier she’d worn the first time he’d ever done Shibari on her, right upstairs in Marc’s playroom.
Their playroom now, not that he had given any thought to how he would set it up. They’d be pretty darned busy in the coming months. He doubted there’d be time for much personal play, although she seemed anxious to resume singing at the club.
Still no present in sight, he pulled a latex mini-skirt out of the way and then saw it. This box, wrapped in the same paper, was bigger than the first, more square than flat. He pulled it out.
“Open the flat one first.” Karla scooted slowly toward the middle of the bed to give him some room. He hadn’t opened a present from her since Christmas Day while they were on their honeymoon.
Don’t think about what happened after you played the song she sang to you on that CD. But this gift was too big to be a CD. She’d attached a full-blown red silk rose to the black ribbon on top as well as two unopened rosebuds.
“When I wrapped it, I didn’t know about the third baby. But the open rose is supposed to be me because I’ve blossomed under your watch, Sir.”
“You bloom more beautifully every day, Kitten.” He bent over and placed a quick kiss on her lips before sitting up and tugging at the ribbon. He pulled it off and tore into the paper like a kid at Christmas. He never understood why people opened packages delicately. It wasn’t like they’d ever use the paper again.
Besides, he was anxious to see what she’d given him.
He’d keep the ribbon, though. Might use it sometime when they could play again, or maybe in Kate or Rori’s hair. He set it on the bed beside him so it wouldn’t be tossed out with the trash.
“If you’re going to save the ribbon and roses, I’ll see if I can add a third rosebud for you.”
“That would be great, but don’t go to any trouble. One can stand for our two daughters and the other our son.”
With the paper removed, he found a flat box and opened the lid. Pushing the tissue paper aside, he found himself staring into the faces of his parents and him back in South Dakota the summer they had camped out at the cabin.
Smiles on all three faces. Everyone—including Adam. He remembered that summer as if it were yesterday. One of the best times of his childhood. Dad had stayed sober. The two of them had fished, cooked out, and swam in the lake.
“Megan and your mother helped me with it.”
He glanced up, pulled back from the past. He mouthed a thank you when the words wouldn’t go past the knot in his throat.
She blinked away tears. “At our wedding, I asked them if there were any photos of your childhood. When we were in California for Damián’s wedding, I met with Megan.”
He didn’t remember her being out of his sight much and quirked an eyebrow.
“I told Savannah, and she excused me from being at the bachelorette party. But Megan floored me. She spent months working on this! I had no idea there were so many photos your mother had saved, even though I’d seen a number of them in e-mailed scans from Megan and your mother over the winter. Then Megan worked her magic on the album.” Karla lifted the book out of the box. “Go on. Open it. There’s more!”
He blinked back tears but didn’t try to hide them. Family was everything. If he couldn’t be sentimental about his family, then he’d be one sorry soul.
So much of what he remembered of his childhood had been the bad times. Now here he was confronted with some of the best days ever. He couldn’t stop staring at the ones from that summer when he was eleven. His dad’s face was bloated from years of heavy drinking. His mother’s face weary. She’d only remembered that this trip had been a lot of work for her.
But Adam remembered that summer with his parents as the best time in his childhood. They’d been evicted from their home after Dad had been fired from another job.
He lifted the album cover and saw photos of him as a baby being held by not only his mother, but his dad, as well. His dad’s face had been thinner then. Healthier. The one of baby Adam sleeping on his dad’s chest made him long to have a photo taken of each of his own babies in a similar pose. Maybe all three at the same time, only he’d better stay awake for his.
He turned page after page of photos in the scrapbook, all depicting happy occasions. Hell, who brought out the camera to record the bad times? He glanced up at Karla, who watched him with an anxious expression on her face.
Adam had to clear his throat before he could speak.
“Oh, Adam, I’m so glad you like it. I was worried it might stir up things from the past.”
“It’s only bringing up good stuff. Things I’d forgotten about.”
“Megan and your mother did all the work, sorting through everything.”
“Enough. If not for you, I wouldn’t have found my mother or known about my siblings, Patrick and Megan. You also spearheaded this project. I doubt they’d have dug through all the boxes of photos and memories without a nudge from you. Then you helped choose which ones to include. All I can say is thank you. Just thank you.”
“Adam, I’m so glad you have your family again.”
“My family keeps growing. You’ve given me a reason to live again.” She smiled, and tears trickled down her cheeks. He started to set the album on the nightstand.
“Keep going. There’s more.”
He flipped a few blank pages and saw photos of their wedding day, the honeymoon, and—
Holy fuck.
The last photo was one of Karla suspended in water. A red gown billowed out from her very pregnant body as her long, black hair fanned out around her head. The photo was the sexiest one he’d ever seen.
“Where? When?” The photo left him almost speechless.
“Over Easter, when your family came to Denver. Megan and I told you we were going shopping for the nursery, but instead, she had lined up a photo shoot at the local Y during their off hours. I’d been swimming there for months. It was the only place where I didn’t feel the pull of gravity and the weight of what we now know were three, not two babies. You can’t imagine how good it felt to be weightless in that pool.”
“I imagine.” His three babies had been growing inside her. He cleared his throat before attempting to speak again. “You’ve never looked more beautiful—until now, maybe.”
“Oh, I look like a frumpy housewife. All I need are curlers in my hair—”
“Don’t go there. You’ve been to hell and back. And still you’re gorgeous.” He would have a hard-on every time he looked at that photo. Not that he wanted to see her pregnant again—ever. He couldn’t risk losing her. Their family was complete.
“I owe your sister huge thanks for pulling this off. Megan’s photography skills are phenomenal. She’ll be the official Montague family
photographer for all the babies’ milestones—whenever she can be here, at least.”
“Oh, yeah, Megan texted me this morning. Said she’d arrive in time for the baby shower. Has a surprise for us.” He wondered what it could be, but would have to wait a couple of weeks. They’d postponed the shower after Karla had been hospitalized.
Megan had asked about coming up ever since Karla had been taken back to the hospital, but he’d had all the help he needed then. Better to wait until everyone else had to return to their lives.
Now he placed the album on the nightstand and removed his T-shirt, wanting to be pressed against Karla. “I’m going to go through these again after we get some shuteye.” He’d probably go back to the album thousands of times before he tired of it.
“You still have one more present.” Adam followed her gaze to the square box on the bed beside him. What more could she possibly have gotten him? She smiled enigmatically.
“You’ll see why I wanted you to open this one privately.”
He lifted this much lighter present and opened it the same way he had the other. Lifting off the lid, he peeked inside at something with golden-yellow and white stripes. He reached in and pulled it out. A stuffed baby tiger? His first thought was a toy for the babies, but it had been trussed up in a red bra and panties made of paracord. Were those wooden dowels simulating a St. Andrew’s cross?
Clearly, this wasn’t a present for the babies. He glanced up at Karla.
“Your baby tiger just wants to make sure you know she’s waiting patiently for you to continue her journey into submission whenever you’re ready.”
Adam grinned. “Where’d you learn to tie rope like that?”
“Nowhere. Luke did it for me. You taught him well, Sir.”
Adam shook his head. That boy sure had learned fast. He hoped he found a special subbie someday to practice his rope skills on.
Chapter Twelve
Luke stowed his gear in the truck and said goodbye to his SAR team members before heading for home. The team had managed to rescue a family caught unaware by a rapidly spreading wildfire south of Breckenridge.
Too close. Cassie lived on the next mountain. If the firefighters weren’t able to control the spread of this one, would it reach her? Over the past two weeks, there’d been fires all over the state of Colorado. Some had been caused by lightning in the dry conditions, but too many had been started by negligent dumbasses or outright arsonists. Warnings were posted on all the highways. How could anyone claim to be unaware of the extreme fire danger?
No question about it, though, there would be more.
After parking the truck and trailer at the side of the house, he stared up at Cassie’s pass, halfway between him and Breckenridge. He worried about her up there all alone. If fire broke out on her mountain, could she escape in time? He wished there was more than one access road out to her isolated cabin.
Of course, Eduardo had managed to find another way in. Not easy to reach, but do-able and might be used as another escape, but it was to the north and in the direction of the current raging fire.
Nothing would keep Luke from her if she needed him. Problem was, he hadn’t seen her since he’d taken her alpacas home last week. They had dinner and talked a while, and he agreed to pick them up again in a few days before she headed to Denver for the baby shower and gallery opening. At least between helping with the alpacas and running into her at Adam’s when he delivered the baby bed, he got to see her.
He’d actually run into her a couple of times in Denver and even coaxed her out for a few dates, but they both stayed so busy with everything going on that time together was minimal. The longer they were apart, the greater the chance of her rebuilding those walls that had started to come down.
When they were together, he saw glimpses of the woman she tried to hide from the world. Anyone who would open her heart up to a friend and her babies the way Cassie did wasn’t the unfeeling hermit she portrayed herself to be.
Who had hurt her so badly she would hide away from the world like that? Clearly she had friendships. But as far as he could tell, he was her only male friend, although she seemed to be getting along better with Adam since the triplets came along. Maybe he should ask Adam what he’d done to get her to let her guard down around him.
Backing Pic out of the trailer and down the ramp, he led him into his stall in the barn. Cassie encouraged him to stop by anytime he wanted to see Millie. At least they shared a bond as parents to the cria. Maybe he’d stop by tomorrow and visit his family.
The other horses seemed agitated when he came near their stalls, and he realized he must smell like a smokestack. Luke promised Picasso he’d be right back and trudged inside the house where he began stripping off his clothes on the way to the bathroom. A shower would remove the day’s grime and soot from his skin. Then he’d attend to Pic’s needs. He’d done a great job today locating a four-year-old boy who had strayed from the family’s home.
He removed the leather wristband and placed it on the sink.
Thank God this one had a happy ending.
Tonight, he’d work with O’Keeffe a while. She’d made a lot more progress these past weeks, but he didn’t want to slack off. While Picasso was nearly ready for some high-country SAR missions, he eventually wanted to train an elite equestrian SAR team that could access terrain too difficult to reach by vehicle or on foot.
Places like Cassie’s cabin.
Funding a team like that would be a financial challenge, but he might be able to apply for grants. Marc said they could possibly do a fundraiser in Aspen at his family’s resort sometime to infuse some money into the operation, if he decided to go that route. One thing he knew, while he wanted to bring in new rescues, he couldn’t send O’Keeffe, Fontana, and Cassatt off to someone else’s care. They were his now.
The lukewarm spray slowly made him feel human again and cooled him off. The smoky smell faded with liberal use of the deodorant bar. He shampooed his hair and removed the last remnants of the day’s dirt. At least this fire had been easily contained thanks to some observant locals.
He shut off the faucet, reached for the towel on the shower rod, and rubbed himself dry. Damn, Cassie had no neighbors to report a fire early on. Maybe he’d call and check on her after he settled the horses for the night. Make sure she knew to keep a watch on the conditions up there in case she needed to evacuate fast or even in the middle of the night.
Out in the barn again, a quick check of Cassatt and Fontana told him they were fine, so he gave them their oats and water and moved on outside. O’Keeffe avoided him in the corral, and despite trying to engage the skittish animal, he realized he was the problem. He just couldn’t keep his focus on her. After twenty minutes or so, he called it a night and filled her feed and water containers.
Inside the barn aisle again, he went to the tack room and grabbed a currycomb. He’d spend some extra time with Pic tonight. The horse helped calm him down. After thirty minutes brushing and talking with the gelding—okay, and singing a song or two—Luke relaxed some.
Unfortunately, the palomino had no answers for him concerning his bride.
Horses taken care of, Luke went into the house and put a TV dinner in the microwave. Man, he’d kill for some of Cassie’s home cooking right now. Hell, he even stocked amaranth now for his bread machine. But he was too tired to venture into the pantry tonight to dig out the ingredients to make something just for himself.
Thoughts of Cassie hit again when he sat at the table to glance at the morning’s Denver newspaper, coverage of the wildfires dominating the front page. He flipped the paper over, needing a break from bad news.
Cassie, I miss talking with you.
Luke glanced at his cell phone. Would she answer if he called her? Only one way to find out. He picked up the phone and hit her name in his contacts. He listened while it rang. And rang and rang.
No answer. Damn.
Just as he went to end the call, a breathless Cassie picked up. “Hello? Lucas
? Are you all right?”
He wished she didn’t think he’d only call because something was wrong. Still, he grew hard hearing the breathlessness in her voice. He grinned. “Hey, darlin’. Everything’s fine here. Good to hear your voice.”
Jeezus, I miss you.
“I just returned from shopping and errands.”
“Just checking to see how things are going up there.” Are you working too hard?
More loud breathing and then, “We are okay. How about you and the horses?”
“Keeping busy.”
He took a bite of his dinner and closed his eyes to pretend she was sitting across from him while he ate.
“What are Millie, Gracie, and the other girls up to?”
“You will not believe what Milagrosa did today.” The joy in her voice made him happy, too.
After a few minutes, a lull in the conversation followed before she filled the space. “I heard about the rescue of the lost little boy. Were you one of the SAR workers?”
Good girl for paying attention to the fires raging near you.
“Yeah. Pic helped, too.”
“Pic?”
“Picasso.”
“Oh, your SAR horse! I did not know his nickname.” He was surprised she remembered their conversations about the horse at all, but Cassie loved animals as much as he did.
“Yeah. This was his first mission, but he picked right up where he left off, it seems.” He reminded her of Pic’s history of neglect.
“I am so glad you found him and have a place to raise and train him. You are a good man to work so hard with them.” She spoke her last words through a yawn.
“You aren’t overdoing it, are you, Sweet Pea?”
“No, not at all. Had a sleepless night, and it has been a busy day with the alpacas and errands.”
Another awkward pause ensued. Luke wondered if she lay awake at night thinking about him as much as he did her.
“Oh, I will be shearing the alpacas soon.”
“Takes two to do that. Let me know when and I’ll come up.”
Silence.
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 29