by Rye Hart
“Yes,” Amanda said. “I will marry you tomorrow.”
“Mommy?”
Amanda and I looked over to the hallway. Lanie was wrapped up in her blanket with tears streaming down her face. She pushed up off my chest and ran to Lanie, scooping her up in her arms as I got myself off the floor.
“Lanie? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nightmare,” Lanie said, sniffling.
“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay. It’s fine. Come here.”
I watched as Amanda scooped Lanie into her arms and carried her down the hallway. But instead of taking Lanie back into her room, she took a right and carried her into mine. I walked in and saw Amanda snuggling with Lanie underneath the covers, and I grinned as I leaned up against the doorway.
“Daddy? Come sleep?” Lanie asked.
Tears welled in my eyes as I heard that name hit my ears.
“Like one big happy family?” Amanda asked.
I was looking at my entire life, encompassed in the bodies of two beautiful girls. I approached the bed and slipped underneath the covers. Amanda cradled Lanie from one side as I cradled her from the other, and the three of us drifted off to sleep that night in one another’s arms. I had dreams of our life together. Of growing old and gray with Amanda as we watched Lanie find her way in life. I had dreams of hikes and arguments and graduations and birthdays. Dreams of lovemaking and vacations and prestigious functions at art galleries around the world. I saw Amanda succeeding and Lanie smiling. I saw Lanie getting her first job and having her first date. I saw Amanda helping Lanie get ready for prom while I talked down the boy standing at the door who was there to pick her up.
I saw the three of us as a family, and I woke up the next morning ready to marry the woman I loved.
CHAPTER 33
Amanda
I woke up the next morning with Lanie still in my arms. Brian wasn’t in bed, but I could tell he hadn’t been gone for long. His side of the bed was warm and crinkled, and I could smell the fragrance of sausage and eggs wafting down the hallway.
I was too excited to eat. Today was the day I was going to get married. I called up Sarah and told her everything that was going on, and she insisted that Brian and I stay away from each other until the courthouse ceremony. I rolled my eyes at her insistence, but Brian figured it would be fun.
So, I kissed Lanie on the cheek and hugged Brian tightly before I ventured back to my cabin.
Walking in hit me with a reality that brought tears to my eyes. My grandmother should’ve been here to see a day like this. The dress and shoes I had picked out earlier in the week for this ceremony were laid across the dusty couch. They were the only thing in the room that seemed to truly be clean, and that thought brought tears to my eyes. My grandmother should be here. She should be the one helping me get ready for something like this.
“Amanda?”
I whipped my head around to see Sarah coming into the cabin. It was the first time she saw it, and I could see the horror on her face. A tear trickled down my cheek as our eyes connected, and she ran to wrap her arms around me.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked.
“She should be here, you know.”
“She is. She’s here with you in spirit.”
“Is that shit supposed to make me feel better? Because I can’t imagine that it would,” I said.
“Hey, hey, hey. Come on. Today’s supposed to be a day of celebration. You’re getting married to your hot ass neighbor. What could be better than that?” she asked.
“My grandmother being here to give me away.”
“I could give you away,” she said.
“You will?” I asked.
“Of course. I’d be offended if you asked anyone else to.”
Then, I remembered the note on my bed surrounded by all those things.
“Could you come with me?” I asked.
“Sure. Where are we going?” Sarah asked.
“Up the stairs.”
“You mean the stairs you fell through and almost killed yourself on? No, thanks.”
“Come on. Stop being a wimp.”
I pulled her up the stairs as we slowly made our way into my room. I opened the door and found everything as I remembered it to be.
“Is that a note?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, and I can’t bring myself to open it. Would you read it to me?”
“Of course I will.”
I watched Sarah walk over to the note and take it between her fingers. She opened it up and let the envelope fall to the bed as she unfolded the piece of paper. My entire body was. trembling in its spot as her eyes scanned the note.
“Holy shit, Amanda,” Sarah said, her mouth open in shock.
“What? What does it say?”
I lunged at her and ripped the note from her hands. Sarah hovered over my shoulder as I read it, and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Tears landed on the letter as I crumpled to my knees, my best friend’s arms around me to make sure I didn’t hurt myself.
“It’s okay. It’s all right. I’ve got you,” Sarah said.
My dear Mandy-Bear,
I’ve been sick for some time now. On and off with the flu and pneumonia. That’s what happens when you get old. I’ll make this short and sweet — I was never one for sentiment anyway. This cabin hasn’t been kept up. I didn’t have the money to do it after I was put in the nursing home. So when you come home and find it, don’t be alarmed. It withered away with its owner.
That brings me to the pile of things on the bed. One of them is your favorite doll from when you were younger. I found it cleaning out the attic. But there are some other things I want you to take and sell. The first is the jewelry box. It’s an antique, passed down in my family for generations. Inside the box is all of my jewelry, and the entire thing was priced around twenty thousand dollars.
The next is the vase. Be careful, though. It was a gift from a gentleman friend of mine. It’s laced with specks of gold and the silver lining on the inside is actually white gold. That alone is worth thirty thousand.
The rolled-up item within the vase is a hand-stitched silk table runner. Again, one of those things I am glad my family decided to pass down. I had it quoted at fifteen thousand dollars. Why on earth a table runner would be that much is beyond me.
The folder underneath everything has all of the official documentation on the items. Sell them, Amanda. Fix up the cabin. Buy your art gallery. Breathe life back into this place. You are the owner of it now, and a house should reflect the life of its owner. It’s the only thing I have to give you, but I hope it will push you into the life I know you deserve.
I love you, Mandy-Bear. You kept me young. And now, it’s time for you to claim the life you deserve.
Love You To The Moon And Back,
Grandma Scott
I held the note close to my chest as I sobbed into Sarah’s shoulder. I was shaking uncontrollably, trying to digest everything that was in the letter. I gripped tightly onto Sarah’s clothes and pulled her as close to me as I could get her, feeling her hands running through my tangled hair.
“We should get you ready for your wedding,” Sarah said. “We can deal with the rest of this later.”
“Oh, my gosh,” I said breathlessly.
“Come on,” Sarah said as she helped me up. “Let’s get you a shower.”
Sarah helped me to piece myself together enough to get me to the courthouse. I stood there with a small bouquet of flowers in my hand, ready to walk into the magistrate’s room. The ceremony was quick but perfect for everyone involved. Lanie was anxious to eat, Jack was there ready to treat us all to dinner, and I was itching to tell Brian about the note.
Deep down inside, I knew he was the man of my dreams. He was strong, secure, intelligent, caring, and sexy as hell. Just looking at him made me weak in the knees and being wrapped up in his arms made me feel protected. While we still needed to work on our communication, I never once doubted the sincerity of his words when he spok
e to me. He spoke to me as an equal. As his partner. As someone he held in high regard.
I’d never had that before.
After the ceremony, Jack took us all out for lunch. Looking around the table at our new little family and our two best friends, I couldn’t contain my happiness any longer.
I leaned over to Brian beside me at the table, and I pressed my lips to his.
Once we all got back to the cabin, it was time for Jack and Sarah to leave. I wrapped my arms around my best friend before I hugged Jack close, then we all stood there as the two of them drove off to the airport. I was going to miss my best friend, and I knew Brian was going to miss Jack, but it gave me an idea for the cabin as we headed into the house.
The cabin on top of the mountain I was now going to call home.
“Brian, could I talk with you?” I asked.
“Sure. Let me just lay down Lanie for a nap first.”
I paced the room, trying to figure out how to start this conversation with Brian. I could hear him talking with Lanie, trying to reason with her as to why she couldn’t stay up longer. But my heart jumped to the back of my throat when I heard him padding back down the hallway.
“Amanda, are you all right? You seem anxious,” he said.
“It’s been a hell of a day,” I said breathlessly.
“All good, I hope?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. But I was thinking about my grandmother’s cabin.”
“You know I’ll help you fix that up,” he said as he came toward me. “Amanda, you’re shaking.”
“Sorry.”
“Come here. Sit down.”
Brian led me to the couch and pulled me into his lap. I curled into him, sinking into the strength of his muscles as he wrapped his arms around me. I drew deep breaths through my nose, trying to calm myself down as he repeatedly kissed the side of my head.
“Talk to me,” Brian said. “What’s going on?”
I told him about the note. I told him about the antiques and the family heirlooms and all the other gifts my grandmother left for me to sell. I told him about the money they were worth and how I could use it to completely fix up the cabin, and I told him about how she should’ve been here today. About how this day was so special, yet it had this cloud looming over all of us.
“I’m not saying that I would change anything about today. I got to marry the man I love, and become a true family with you and Lanie. I just wish my grandmother had been here to see it herself.”
Brian looked at me and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I understand. I wish my sister could have been here too.”
We snuggled into one another and sat in silence for a few moments, reflecting on our life.
Then, he brought his lips down to mine, and I shivered at his warmth.
“What do you want to do?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“With the cabin,” he said, chuckling. “What would you like to do with it?”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to do anything with it right now. The idea of selling my grandmother’s things to pay for overhauling it hurts.”
“Then we don’t have to sell them. I can work on it,” he said.
“But, when we did get it up and running, we could rent it out maybe,” I said.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll support you in it.”
“It’ll be a decent side income. There are lots of people who would enjoy a mountain vacation getaway or something. And when someone isn’t renting it, Jack or Sarah could use it to come stay and see us.”
“Seeing our friends while still keeping our space. I like it,” he said.
“And when Lanie gets older, we could pass it on to her, if she wants it,” I said.
“I like the way you think, Mrs. Murphy.”
I grinned at that name as my lips sought out his again.
Things felt right for the first time in my life. The little girl I adored was snoring lightly in her bed, the man I loved was holding me in his arms, and we were talking about our future together as if it should’ve been this easy. We were making plans and cracking jokes. We were stifling our laughter and allowing our hands to explore one another. We were stealing kisses and talking about when we should move all my stuff in, and I quickly found a home within the rhythm I’d already carved out in their house.
In their home.
In our home.
I looked up into Brian’s eyes and saw the perfect man for me. I felt my soul being bound to his, for better or for worse. I sat up in his lap, allowing my legs to straddle him as my hands ran through his hair.
“You look pretty damn hot in this suit,” I said, grinning. “But you’d look even better out of it.”
CHAPTER 34
Brian
I picked Amanda up from the couch as her lips smothered mine. I was ready to consummate our marriage. I could feel that Amanda was ready too, as her tongue slid into the depths of my mouth. She was eager for me, tugging at my tie as I walked us into my bedroom.
I kicked the door closed behind me before I dropped us onto the bed.
Our hands were everywhere, tearing off each other’s clothes and running over each other’s peaks and valleys. Our teeth clattered together, and our lips nipped at each other’s necks. I could feel Amanda’s nipples rising to attention against my skin, begging for my lips to be around them.
I could smell her scent. I knew she was dripping for me. My fingers danced down her body, exploring her folds as I felt her wetness pour onto my skin. She was so ready for me. So ready for my cock to slide within her. I wrapped my lips around her pert nipple as she arched into me, my fingers sliding into her warmth effortlessly.
She bucked into my hand as my thumb swirled around her clit. She pressed my face into her bosom, holding back her groans of pleasure. There wasn’t a single thing about her I didn’t love. Not a single thing about her I didn’t enjoy. I ravaged her tits, marking her breasts and sucking her nipples dry as her pussy clamped down on my fingers.
“Come for me,” I said. “Come for me, and tell me you love me.”
“I love you, Brian. Shit. I’m so close. Please, don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. I’m coming. I’m coming. Oh, shit.”
I crooked my fingers within her, and she sprayed me with her juices. My head rushed down between her legs, lapping up the creaminess her body made for me. I inched my fingers from within her as our eyes connected, and she watched as I licked her off my skin.
“Oh, fuck,” she said, whimpering.
I dipped between her legs and slid into her before she could catch her breath. Her hands were reaching for me, wanting something to cling to as I fucked her. I threw her legs over my shoulders and bent her in half, watching her from my perch as she gasped for air. My lips swallowed her moans as I kissed her furiously, slamming myself into her wet pussy as she trembled in my wake.
She felt like fire and ice. Her juices were dripping down my balls. Her body was marking me as its own, claiming its territory just like I was with her. I could feel my body slipping, my movements already stuttering as her pussy readied for another climax. Amanda’s jaw was unhinged in silent pleasure as her nails dug into my skin, her body pinned underneath me as a wave of pleasure came crashing down onto her body.
She couldn’t even speak as she milked my cock.
I rolled us over just in time for Amanda to catch her breath. Her eyes were hazed over with orgasmic lust as I massaged her thighs. I helped her to roll her hips, encouraging her to move for me as the strength came back to her body. But then I felt her move, twisting herself around as my legs shivered at the sensation.
I had the perfect view of her ass as she rose herself up.
She slammed down onto me, and it pulled a growl from my throat. Her ass bounced perfectly, beckoning to my fingertips. I dug into the meat of her cheeks, holding onto her as her hips rolled into my body. I met her with each thrust, feeling my balls pulling into my body as her head threw itself back. I reached up and grabbed her hair, liste
ning to her moan my name as my cock twitched deep within her.
I pounded into her relentlessly as her ass danced for me.
“Fuck me, Amanda. Fuck me good. I love you so much. Oh, shit. You’re incredible.”
She rode my cock, her pussy swallowing me whole as I lost myself in her. We bucked against one another as our scent filled the bedroom. The bed was banging against the wall, and her body was trembling on top of mine. I could feel my toes curling as my balls finally released, pumping her full of my hot cum as my entire body stilled.
We came together as one, our bodies shaking with pleasure as I filled her to the brim. I could feel our juices trickling down my balls, spilling onto my thighs as she collapsed on top of me. I held her close, my cock sliding from between her legs as we breathed each other’s air. I pulled her close to me as she came down from her high, her eyes dazed and alight with passion as I pressed kisses to her forehead.
“I love you,” I said into her skin.
“I love you, too,” she said, panting.
The smell of our sex swirled around our heads as I pulled the covers over our bodies.
“Could I ask you something?” Amanda asked.
“You can ask me anything,” I said.
“Have you ever thought about having another child?”
I looked over at her, my eyes catching hers as she curled into my body.
“It hasn’t crossed my mind, why?” I asked.
“Just wondering,” she said.
“Do you want children?” I asked.
“I feel like this is a conversation we should’ve had before we did all this,” she said, grinning.
“I’m serious, Amanda. Do you want kids?” I asked.