by Miley Maine
We both thanked her, and she left.
Once the nurse was gone, Ava whispered to me. “Have you talked to Jenny about rehab yet?”
“Not really, but it's time. I think she's ready.”
“I want to help her get there.”
“We can definitely do that,” I said, and then the doctor arrived. I nearly held my breath as the doctor got the ultrasound machine set up. It felt like every second was an eternity. I could tell from looking at Ava that she felt the exact same way. We were both anxious to make sure this baby was okay.
Finally, the machine buzzed to life. The doctor spread the jelly on Ava’s stomach, and then pressed the wand to her skin. Instantly, a little heartbeat was audible. “There’s your baby,” the doctor said, pointing at the blob on the screen. “The heartbeat sounds great. And the placenta looks good too. From the measurements, it looks like you’re due around June fifteenth.”
I didn’t have the words to express my gratitude. I thanked the doctor, and then I leaned forward and kissed Ava right on the mouth.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ava
“You’re free to go home,” the doctor said. “But no more adventures, okay? Both of you need to stay home for a least a week.”
“You're sure the baby’s fine?” I asked one more time.
“The baby is absolutely fine. Are you taking prenatal vitamins yet?”
“I just started, but they're over the counter.”
“That's what I recommend for everyone, unless they have a deficiency. For you, everything looks good. I'll send your blood off to the lab and we'll have someone call you later this week with the results.”
The relief that I felt was immense. I’d managed to avoid the worst consequence I could have imagined -- harming mine and Tyler’s baby.
Tyler had also spent the last thirty minutes arranging for Jenny to be admitted to the hospital overnight, and then be transferred to a rehab center. I used money from my trust fund to pay for it in full. I figured I’d better spend the money now before the FBI seized it. At least it was for a good cause. Tyler and I didn’t even want to know the location of the rehab -- he didn’t want anyone from Chicago to be able to find her.
For most of the day, I’d wondered on and off what had happened to my father. Had Christopher tried to kill him too? Had he made it to Paris? Had he been arrested?
Now that Christopher had tried to kill Tyler, the whole story was going to break wide open. If my father was still in the country, he’d be getting a visit from the FBI any day now. I didn’t call him though. I wasn’t ready to know if something had happened to him.
I resented what he’d done, but he was still my father. I still loved him. And he was still this baby’s only living grandfather, even if he wasn’t going to be babysitting.
Carl was dead, but it was almost certain Jenny would be needed as a witness in Christopher’s criminal prosecution, but the doctor here had agreed to speak with the prosecutors when the time came. By the time the trial started, she might be well into her recovery from substance abuse.
“I’m not keeping the phone you use to call me. But when you’re ready to talk, you can call the sheriff’s department or write letters there.” I saved both the number and the address to her phone. I hugged her goodbye. I hadn’t known her long, but she’d been swept up in the unfortunate side of my family’s business, and now she was trying to fix her life.
She cried on my shoulder for a few minutes. She already looked so much better. One of the social workers had gotten her some fresh clothes, and one of the nurses helped her wash her hair and brush her teeth. And then we said goodbye.
Tyler kept one hand on my elbow the whole way to the truck.
“I’m not the one who’s injured,” I said. He was the one who’d tackled Christopher to the ground. I’d heard the whole story from Thomas, who had stopped by the ER to check on both of us. We begged him to keep the pregnancy to himself, and he promised. We didn’t want Tyler’s mother and sister to hear the big news through the grapevine; we wanted to break the news ourselves.
“You are the one who’s carrying my child.”
I smiled to myself. I hadn’t expected to like the caveman attitude, but I did.
We didn’t talk much on the ride back to the farm, but we did hold hands. I could tell Tyler was frustrated that he was injured and wasn't operating at full capacity, but he didn’t seem angry, which was more than I’d hoped for.
I’d been afraid he was never going to speak to me again. Or that he’d say I was unfit, and demand full custody of the baby when he or she was born.
Tyler watched me like a hawk on the way inside.
“Okay, I appreciate the concern, but you’re the one who was stabbed today. Chill out.” Now it was my turn to take him by the elbow and guide him into the living area.
He lowered himself onto the couch gingerly.
“What can I get you? Aspirin? Tea? Beer? Some real painkillers?”
“A beer sounds good. I don’t want to take anything just yet. Maybe before bed.”
I brought him a bottle of beer and even took the cap off for him.
Obviously I couldn't drink, but I wished I could. I had the feeling this would be an uncomfortable conversation. But Tyler deserved answers, and I was going to do my best to give them to him.
I sat in the chair across from him. I wished I could snuggle next to him, but I didn’t feel like I had the right.
He took a sip of beer and studied my face. “We don’t have to talk now. I know I’m pretty demanding, but you look worn out.”
“Well, today was pretty rough. I got chased by a thug, crashed my car, and then ran through the woods. It started out great though. I loved having Thanksgiving here with your family.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“But the part where you had to leave really sucked. I was a nervous wreck the whole time.” I leaned back and rested my head against the chair. “You can ask your mom.”
“I don’t often get stabbed as the sheriff, but I do have to leave unexpectedly quite a bit.”
I nodded. It was part of the job, but he wasn’t usually called out on a case because of me. “You got stabbed because I’m here.” I tried, but I couldn't quite keep my voice steady.
“Come here,” he said, patting the cushion beside him.
I got up and joined him on the couch, where he wrapped his arms around me. “I get that you feel guilty, but stop beating yourself up. It’s not healthy.”
I scooted away when I saw him wincing. “I know. It’s not good for that baby.”
He looked into my eyes. “It’s not good for you either.” He brushed his hand over my cheek. “I want the baby to be safe, but I want you healthy too.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what to do with all his protective concern.
“Ava. I love you,” he said.
Relief washed over me. Finally. I could say it back. “I love you too.”
“I liked the way that sounded.” He kissed my nose. “I don’t want any more apologies. Yes, you misled me, but I understand the reasoning behind it. But I need you to promise me that you won’t do it again. If we’re going to raise a child together, then we have to be honest with each other.”
“I knew I needed to be honest with you about Jenny. But I still have the mindset of trying to keep stuff to myself and deal with it alone. It’s definitely hardwired into my brain.”
“Mine too. So we’ll just have to go out of our way to avoid that.”
He kissed me again, this time on the lips.
“What about your stitches?”
“They’ll be fine,” he said, deepening the kiss.
I wasn’t sure about that, but I was not going to shy away from the chance to be close to him after today’s events.
Then he stopped abruptly and put his hand over my stomach. “Wait. Is this okay while you’re pregnant?”
I laughed quietly. “I wondered the same thing, so I looked it up online, an
d I read a few baby books while I was at the library. Unless there’s a problem, it’s fine for the entire nine months.”
“I’m glad you looked into it then.”
He went back to kissing me. I was secretly glad he was still turned on. In a few online forums, I’d seen women complain that their partners weren’t turned on once they were pregnant. It didn’t look like that would be a problem with Tyler.
He kissed down my neck. “What are you in the mood for?”
“I'm always in the mood for your cock.” I thought for a minute, trying to figure out the best logistics for his stitches. “If you lie down on your back, maybe we can make this work.”
“So you're going to ride me. I like the sound of that.”
I helped him get his clothes off. But he would not let me help him lie down on the bed, even though I assured him it did not make him any less manly to accept my help.
“A man's got to have some pride,” he said with a laugh.
He grabbed a pillow and propped it up under his head. Despite all the trauma of the day, his cock was rock hard.
“Undress for me,” he said. I want to watch.”
I had on a mustard colored sweater, paired with black skinny jeans with rips in the knees. It had seemed like an appropriate combination for Thanksgiving. Now it was a little mud splattered. But it was still a cute outfit.
With slow movements, I grabbed the hem of the sweater, and inched it up over my head, finally letting it fall off my arms to the floor. Underneath the sweater, I wore a lacy black push-up bra. My stomach was still flat. But that would not be the case much longer.
Once my black bra was revealed, Tyler whistled.
I unbuttoned my skinny jeans. Inspired, I turned around, leaving my backside to him. I tilted my hips, wiggling out of my jeans, revealing my high-cut black panties. They were cut so high, they showed off most of my ass cheeks.
When I glanced over my shoulder, his hand was on his cock. He began to stroke his cock while he watched me strip. I liked watching him touch himself too. Looking at his masculine body on display turned me on.
Heat surged in my belly, pooling between my legs until my panties were wet.
I kept my back turned. I shook my long hair out, knowing the dark color nearly matched my bra and panties.
“God, you look amazing,” I heard him say.
I stepped out of my jeans, and faced him. I took slow steps to the bed, and when I got there, I hooked my fingers in my panties and peeled them off. Leaving my push-up bra on, I crawled onto the bed and knee-walked over to him.
He reached out, skimming his hands up and down my thighs. “I can’t wait to have you straddling me.” He tugged on me, pulling me closer until I lifted one leg and straddled him like he wanted, right over his cock.
He let go of his cock and pulled on me a little, forcing me forward. “I want you to straddle my face first. I need to taste you.”
I moaned. I hadn’t expected that. I ran my hand over his face. His eyes were dark with desire. I was impressed that he’d managed to overcome the pain with arousal. Once my clit was right over his mouth he licked it, and then went for his favorite technique, which also drove me absolutely wild -- sucking my clit.
I rocked my hips back forth, seeking friction. He pushed one finger into my pussy as he sucked my clit. I could tell that he was being more careful than usual. I rolled my hips in a circle, enjoying the sensation as he pushed a second finger inside my body.
After a few minutes, he withdrew his finger. “Jesus. I won’t last. I’m about to come without even touching my cock.”
I grinned down at him, and backed up, lining myself up with his cock. “We don’t need condoms now,” I said.
“That’s a good point. I’ll be able to feel your sweet pussy with nothing between us everytime now.”
I was looking forward to that too. He grabbed his cock and got it in position, while I lowered myself onto it.
I closed my eyes in bliss as he filled me up, with no barrier between us. I kept sliding down, sinking until I was fully seated on his big rock.
He gasped.
“Are you okay? Is it your stitches?”
“No. It just feels so fucking good to have your pussy wrapped around my bare cock.”
I sighed in relief as I rolled my hips. “Good. I wouldn’t look forward to going back to the ER for a third time today, and explaining to them why you busted your side open yet again.”
His hands came up to rest on my hip bones, as he guided my hips in small circles. On each rotation, his cock bumped into my G-spot, and I cried out. Once I got into a pattern of rocking myself up and down on his cock, he lifted his hands to my breasts and cupped them. He kneaded and squeezed, and then began to pinch my nipples.
I arched my back, bowing my spine as my entire body shivered. My pussy throbbed. I leaned forward, letting my hands rest lightly on his chest. I didn’t want to push too hard when he’d so recently been injured, but I relished the feel of his defined pecs under my hands.
He moved one hand down to my clit, and began to rub it in circles as well. I got my knees under my body just right, and I was able to thrust my entire body up and down on his cock.
I put my own hands on my nipples, while he guided my hips and rubbed my clit.
Within minutes, I was close. I always told him, and waited for him to tell me to come. Him giving me permission fucking turned me on like nothing else.
“I’m almost there,” I shouted.
“Don’t wait. Come now. Come on my cock,” he said.
And I did. I collapsed forward, putting my hands on the mattress on either side of his head. My hair fell into his face while my pussy continued to throb with my release.
Seconds later, he grabbed my hips again, and ground his own hips up in a few hasty thrusts. Then he was crying out, and coming too. After he’d emptied his cock inside me, I rolled off of him.
I lay sprawled on his bed. “That wasn’t too bad for the day we’ve had.”
He tugged me over until he could kiss me. “No. It wasn’t bad at all. It was fucking fantastic.” He turned his head to look at me. “Will you stay? And sleep in here?” he asked.
“Do you want me to?”
He brushed a lock of hair away from my eyes. “Yes.”
“Then I will.”
“I never wanted you to leave,” he said.
“That first time we slept together, I picked up on something,” I explained. “You got up and put your jeans on, so I assumed you needed some space. That’s why I never stayed.”
His green eyes clouded over. “I hope I didn’t make you feel unwelcome.”
“No. It didn’t seem like it had anything to do with me.”
“You’re right. It’s because I had nightmares.”
“About your time with the SEALs.” I couldn’t believe he was finally going to talk to me about this. I was grateful, but surprised.
“Yes,” he said. “When I first got back, I had nightmares every night. I also had insomnia and Sadie helped with that some. As soon as I got the sheriff’s job and got busy, the insomnia disappeared. But I still had nightmares.”
“How often?”
“At first, every night. Then they tapered off. Now they're about once a week. I’ve thought about going back to counseling at the VA. Now that I’m going to be a father, I think I’m going to make it a priority to handle this before the baby’s born. I figure we're going to need all the sleep we can get then.”
“That's a good point.” I rubbed his arm. “Thank you for telling me. It must be awful; I can’t imagine.”
“I don't want them to wake you up. I've never had one with someone else in the room before. But I imagine it might be pretty disturbing.”
“Don't worry about me. I can handle disrupted sleep once a week.”
He frowned. “It's not just the disrupted sleep. I'm afraid I might be violent if you tried to touch me.” He took my face in his hands. “Promise me if I ever wake you up, that you'll get
out of bed and not touch me. Not even if I'm screaming.”
That would be difficult, but I could do it. I didn't want him worrying that I wouldn't listen to him or take his request seriously. I put my hands on top of his where they rested on my face. “I promise. I won't touch you at all.”
He exhaled. “Good.” He ran his hand over my jawline. “Hey, I’m assuming today was the first time you ever saw anyone get shot?”
“Yes,” I said, wondering where he was going with that question.
“How are you feeling about it?” he asked.
“Well, I haven’t really spent much time thinking about it.”
“You know, you might have nightmares about it. That would be pretty typical.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sad that he’s dead.” In fact, I wouldn’t mind if Christopher had died too. It might sound callous, but now that I was protecting a life besides just my own, I had far less compassion for someone who would harm me, Tyler, or our baby.
“He was your father’s associate. You knew him your entire life. Even if he was lower than scum, watching someone die suddenly is a difficult thing to process.”
“I promise if I have nightmares, I’ll let you know. I’m open to seeing a counselor anytime too.”
“Good. That’s all I wanted to say.” He kissed me on the nose. “I better go let Sadie in before she thinks we’ve replaced her.” Tyler groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position and then heaved himself up.
I laughed. “She’ll be a good big sibling dog.”
He paused to kiss me. “She will. And you’re going to be an amazing mother. I love you.”
I crawled off the bed and kissed him back. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tyler
The next day, we were sitting on the porch swing when I finally had to speak up. I needed some answers about how Ava was feeling. “We haven't talked about what we're going to do yet.”
“About?” she asked. She scooted over and lay down with her head pillowed in my lap.
I brushed my fingers through the long strands of her silky hair. “The future. I’m not prepared to only see my child in the summer or during the Christmas break.”