A Forever Love

by Kelly Elliott

  She chuckled and led me back to my room. “I have a feeling you will be heading home soon, Mrs. Mathews.”

  Garrett pulled up, and we both let out a sigh of relief. “Jesus, that was the most stressful few hours of my life. Tell me why we decided to have the baby in Austin?”

  I laughed. “Because my dad insisted we have the baby at his hospital.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Em, but the next one will be born in Mason.”

  Garrett jumped out and ran around to open my door. He helped me out of the car and then took Jim in his arms. We walked up the steps with our son for the first time. We stopped right outside the door and looked at each other.

  “Garrett, are we going to be able to do this? I mean, he’s so small. What if I drop him or he slips when I give him a bath? I can’t bear the thought of hurting him.”

  He let out a chuckle as he handed Jim to me. “Em, you’re going to be the most amazing mother ever. You’re not going to drop him or hurt him. You’re going to love him and protect him always.”

  I nodded my head. “Okay. Well, let’s do this then, shall we?”

  We walked into the house, and the smell of freshly baked bread hit me almost at once.

  “Is that fresh bread?” I asked.

  Garrett turned and walked backward as he said, “I asked Margie to organize it. She, Peggy, Mama, and Lily all pitched in and made a few days’ worth of meals. Mama said she would be by in a few days, but she wanted us to get settled first.”

  I tried to hold back my tears, but I finally just let them fall. I couldn’t possibly love this man any more than I did in this very moment.

  “Garrett, you always think of every little detail,” I said.

  He reached over and kissed my nose. “Emma, I love you so much. I just want you to be happy.”

  My heart began beating harder in my chest, and I was sure it would wake up Jim. “Garrett,” I whispered, “I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now.”

  He gave me that panty-melting smile of his. “Come on, let’s put Jim down and get you into a hot bath.”

  Oh my. Yes, I could get used to this.

  After my bath, I was so relaxed. I made my way over to our bed and crawled under the covers.

  Garrett walked in with Jim. “My little guy wants something to eat. Then, I thought I would take him out for a bit of fresh air.”

  “Garrett, please don’t take him into the barn or around any animals, not yet,” I said as I reached for my little man.

  Garrett threw his head back and said, “I’m excited about teaching him about ranching, Em, but I do think I can wait a few years.”

  After I fed and burped Jim, Garrett took him from my arms. “Now, rest for a bit while we go on a short walk.”

  I smiled as I watched Garrett walk away with our son. Nothing was sexier than seeing him holding our child. I closed my eyes and wished like hell we could be together. The doctor had said six weeks and no sooner. Margie had told me how much fun she and Billy had doing other things until they had finally broken down and had sex at four weeks.

  I slid down and closed my eyes. I opened them again and turned to look at the nightstand. There was an envelope with my name on it. I sat up and reached for it. I began to open it.

  It was a letter…from Garrett. I sat back some and began reading it. The more I read, the harder I cried. I had to stop a few times since I couldn’t read through my tears. Twice, I had to put the letter down to try to control the crying. When I finally was able to finish, I folded the letter and carefully put it back into the envelope.

  I got up out of bed and quickly made my way over to my dresser. I opened up my lingerie drawer and searched for the sheer black baby doll lingerie that Margie had given me for my birthday. I had been pregnant at the time, and I had been so pissed that she gave it to me then. When she’d told me it was for after the baby was born, I’d hugged her and told her she was the best cousin and best friend in the entire world.

  I rushed into the bathroom and slipped it on. Ugh. I hated that I was bleeding so badly, but all I wanted to do was make Garrett happy. Wearing this would be just the start.

  “Em? Are you okay?” Garrett called from the other side of the bathroom door.

  I smiled and did a little hop as I looked at myself in the mirror. Just a few pinches to each cheek, and I was good to go.

  “Is Jim awake?” I asked.

  Garrett laughed. “Hell no. The country air knocked him out cold. I think he is going to take one hell of a good nap.”

  I opened the door and leaned against the doorframe. “Good. I’m going to need time to make sure my husband has one hell of a good orgasm.”

  Garrett’s eyes traveled up and down my body, and he swallowed hard. “Em, what are you…where did you…what…what’s happening?”

  I giggled as I walked up to him. I began lifting his shirt up and over his head. “Mmm…your body drives me insane with lust, Garrett.”

  I placed my hands on his chest and began moving them up and down as I licked my lips and looked up into his eyes. They were dancing with passion, and I couldn’t help but smile, knowing I was making him feel this way.

  He closed his eyes and then opened them as he let out a long sigh. “Em, we can’t, not for six weeks.”

  I began pushing him, so he had to start walking backward.

  I slowly shook my head. “Oh, Mr. Mathews…this is all for you.”

  His legs bumped the bed, and I quickly moved my hands down to start getting his pants off. I pulled them down, and when his erection sprang free, I let out a moan. I dropped to my knees, pulling his pants down all the way. I took him into my mouth, and Garrett pushed his hands through my hair as he let out a loud moan. I began moving, barely grazing my teeth along his hard shaft.

  “Fuck,” he hissed as he looked down and into my eyes.

  I could feel him getting bigger in my mouth, and I closed my eyes as I let out a moan. I would have given anything to touch myself or have Garrett touch me. I let out another moan, and that was Garrett’s undoing.

  “Jesus, Em. I’m going to come.”

  I took every last ounce of what he gave me. When he reached down and pulled me up to him, he was panting. I quickly wiped my mouth and smiled at him.

  “Thank you, Em. That was…amazing.”

  “Garrett…thank you. Thank you so much for loving me and for treating me like a princess.”

  He kissed my nose. “You are a princess, and I do it because I love you so much. Let’s get cleaned up, and then we’ll try to get a bit of sleep while Jim is sleeping.”

  A few minutes later, I was lying next to Garrett as he held me tightly.

  “You read the letter, didn’t you?”

  I smiled even though he couldn’t see my face. I nodded and said, “Yes, I did. Garrett, that has to be the most romantic thing you’ve ever done. Thank you so much.”

  I rolled over and faced him. We both lay on our sides and looked at each other. I watched as Garrett’s eyes slowly began closing. He rolled over onto his back and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his breathing slow down. I’d never been so content in my life as I was right now.

  As I thought about our future, I couldn’t help but think about more kids. If Garrett were to ask me right now how many more kids I wanted, I would have to say one more. I thought about the ranch being filled with grandkids running all around and how I would teach them all about gardening. Garrett would teach them about cattle, horses, ranching, and so much more.

  I snuggled deeper into Garrett and drifted off to sleep. I dreamed of two little boys running around, being chased by Garrett. I dreamed of our oak tree where Garrett had made me his. I dreamed of a wedding, a beautiful country wedding, and a young couple standing under our oak tree. I couldn’t see their faces, but I could feel their love in my dream. I dreamed of kids, lots of little ones running around on the ranch. I’d never had such happy dreams in my life.

  When I woke up, I f
elt an empty space beside me. I sat up and looked around. I could hear Garrett whispering in the kitchen. I slowly got up and wrapped myself in my robe before making my way to the kitchen. I stopped just before I got there, and I listened to my husband softly singing “Love Me Tender” to our son. I placed my hand over my mouth and cried silently as I dropped my head against the wall. Garrett sang the entire song to our son as I tried to contain my sobbing. I dropped my hand from my mouth and quickly wiped away my tears. I pushed off the wall and made my way into the kitchen as Garrett started signing again.

  Garrett kept singing as I walked in. He looked over at me and smiled. When he finished singing, he looked back down at the baby and said, “Charles James Mathews, you and your mother are the two most important people in my life, and I promise you, I’ll love you both forever.”

  I walked over to Garrett, reached up, and kissed him with as much love and passion as I could. When we both pulled away, we looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

  “A forever love,” I whispered.

  Garrett pushed a piece of my hair behind my ear and nodded. “A forever love.”

  Three Years Later

  I looked down and silently thanked God for the blessing in my arms. It had taken Garrett and I longer than we wanted to have our second child, and I had been about to give up when we went on vacation. Two months later, I had found out I was pregnant. Garrett had been beyond-the-moon happy.

  He’d felt even happier five weeks ago when the doctor held up our baby and said, It’s a son.

  I looked up when I heard the door to the bedroom open. Garrett walked in with a huge bouquet of white daisies. I was pretty sure my grin was from ear to ear.

  Jim came running in behind Garrett, yelling, “Is da baby up? I want to hold da baby again, Mama.”

  Garrett reached down and scooped up Jim, and he began laughing.

  I held up my finger and said, “Shh…Jack is sleeping. He needs his big brother to play quietly, so he can sleep and grow, and then he’ll be able to play with you soon.”

  Garrett chuckled as he set the flowers down on the nightstand. He carefully leaned Jim over so that he could kiss Jack. “Gentle, buddy. Remember what we talked about in the barn.”

  Jim was focused on the baby and said, “Yes, sir. I will kiss da baby verwy softly.”

  I watched as Jim kissed Jack on the forehead, and then oh-so carefully, Jim began petting Jack on the top of his head.

  Garrett laughed. “Son, he’s not a dog.”

  Garrett set Jim down and leaned over to kiss me. “How are you feeling, Em?”

  I nodded my head. “The second time around is a lot easier, that’s for sure.”

  “Daddy, pwease can we go for a walk now?” Jim asked as he looked up at Garrett with pleading eyes.

  There was nothing that child loved to do more than go walking with Garrett. My mother had said it was because Garrett had walked with him so much when he was a baby.

  Garrett rubbed the top of Jim’s head. “Yeah, buddy. Go pick out a toy to bring.”

  When Garrett looked back at me, he raised his eyebrow. “Two of them. This is going to be fun.”

  I let out a laugh and nodded my head. Garrett turned and took the old flowers out of the vase. He tossed them into the trash can and placed the fresh daisies in the vase. I glanced down at Jack, who was sound asleep in my arms with a nice full belly.

  The next thing I knew, Garrett was taking Jack from my arms. He quickly kissed me on the lips. “I’m taking Jack for a walk with Jim. Try to get a few minutes of rest, okay, Em? I have a feeling you’ll need it.”

  I chuckled. “Okay. Don’t be gone too long. It’s a bit breezy outside.”

  Garrett smiled down at Jack and mumbled something about it not being cold out and that they would be fine. I watched as he walked out of our bedroom.

  I decided I wanted to throw the quiche I had made up last night in the oven. When I threw my legs over the side of the bed, a white envelope caught my eye. I couldn’t help the butterflies that took off in the pit of my stomach.

  I placed my hand on my stomach and said, “After all these years, Garrett Mathews, you still make me feel like a young girl in love.”

  My name was written across the envelope. I reached for it, took a deep breath, and opened it. I pulled the letter out and began reading it.

  My dearest Emma,

  I watched you sleep last night for the longest time. I was so overcome with love that I wanted to wake you up and tell you how much I loved you. You have given me so much, Emma—love, happiness, two beautiful sons.

  You will never truly know how much you saved me all those years ago when you smiled at me in Mr. Horster’s drugstore. I do believe that I can honestly say that was the best moment of my life—the moment I first saw you, the second I knew that we would be together for always.

  No words will ever be able to describe that moment you told me we were expecting our second child. No words will ever be able to describe when Jack was born or the moment I saw you hold him for the first time. I will never fully be able to tell you how happy you continue to make me.

  The only thing I know to say to you is that you, Jim, and Jack are the most important people in my life, and I will spend the rest of my life loving all three of you.

  I believe you are still missing one charm, my love.

  I love you, Emma Rose Mathews. I’ll love you forever and always because our love is and always will be…

  A forever love.

  Love always,

  Garrett

  I picked up the small blue velvet bag and slowly opened it. I turned it over and let the charm fall into my hand. It was a round charm with a baby footprint in the middle. On either side of the footprint was each boy’s birthstone. I instantly began crying. I quickly got up and made my way over to my dresser. I opened my jewelry box. I pulled out my charm bracelet and laid it across the dresser. I was going to have Garrett go to the jeweler first thing in the morning to have the charm added to my bracelet.

  I made my way into the kitchen and pulled the quiche out from the refrigerator. I turned on the oven. I didn’t even wait for it to heat up before I placed the quiche inside the oven and started the timer. I walked over to the phone and picked it up. I dialed Margie’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Marg?”

  “Ah hell…he wrote you a letter, didn’t he? That overly romantic bastard.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “Yes, he did, and I need to call in a favor.”

  She let out a sigh. “Billy will be over in a few minutes to pick up my precious little nephew. Make sure to pack up a bag. I’m sure Jim will want to spend the night with us.”

  I did a little jump. “Margie, I swear to you, I owe you big time.”

  “Hell yeah, you do. I’m going to be calling it in soon, too. I can’t even remember the last time Billy and I had a good fucking.”

  I placed my hand over my mouth and laughed. “I’ve got to go, so I can get Jim’s stuff ready.” I started making a mental note of everything he would need.

  Margie laughed. “I’ll send Billy right now.”

  “Perfect. Love you!” I said.

  “Love you back.”

  I rushed around the house to get everything ready.

  Billy and Margie had moved back to Mason two years ago, and it had been a blessing for both of us. I’d missed her so much, and now, with her teaching here in Mason and Billy working for Garrett, we got to see each other all the time.

  I heard Garrett and Jim talking on the front porch.

  “Well, did you go poo in your diapers, Daddy?”

  Garrett chuckled. “Yes, son, everyone starts off going potty in their diapers.”

  Garrett opened the door, and I was standing there, holding a bag. He looked around and then glanced back at me, confused. Jack was fussing, so I set the bag down and walked up to Garrett. I took Jack from Garrett’s arms and sat down on the sofa.

  “Jim, Uncle Billy and Aun
t Margie wanted to know if you would like to spend the night with them tonight.”

  Jim let out a small scream and said, “Oh, pwease, Mama. Pwease can I go over and play?”

  Garrett and I both laughed.

  I said, “Of course you can. I packed you a bag and put your favorite toys in there. Mommy and Daddy will be over first thing in the morning to pick you up.”

  Jim ran over and grabbed his bag. He started heading to the door.

  Garrett bent down and stopped him. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

  Jim looked at him with a serious face. “To Uncle Billy’s to play, Daddy.”

  There was a knock on the door, and Billy came walking in. Jim ran up to him. Billy quickly dropped down and took Jim into his arms.

  He looked at Garrett and then at me as he smiled. “Well, I’m going to safely say the little guy wants to play.”

  I was sitting on the sofa, feeding Jack, as I nodded my head. “Just a little.”

  Garrett clapped his hands. “Well, not to rush you out the door, brother, but…”

  Billy laughed and scooped up Jim as he grabbed the bag. “Well, hell, if that isn’t a hint, I don’t know what is.”

  Garrett slapped Billy on the back. “Make plans to take your wife somewhere romantic in a few weeks. Between us and Mom and Dad, we’ve got you covered. Y’all deserve it.”

  Billy stopped and looked at Garrett. “Oh, man, that would be awesome. If you’re serious, I know Margie has been talking about going to the coast. I’d love to take her there, just us two.”

  Garrett nodded his head. “Consider it done. Make the plans, and I’ll talk to Mom tomorrow. I’m sure Lily would love to spend some time with the kids.”

  Billy thanked Garrett again and headed out with Jim.

  “Thanks again, bro!” Garrett called out.

  When he turned around and shut the door, I saw the look in his eyes. He walked up and peered down at me.

  I swallowed hard and stood up, holding a sleeping Jack. “I think he’s out.”

  “Oh, he is out. He’s my son, and he knows when Daddy needs alone time with Mommy.”