He looks distressed but nods. “I don’t want him to be worried.”
“We need to drive down the road, we can call from my phone.” I reach over and put my hand on his heart. “I can see you love your brother and just like you said Peaches is your family, Robert is mine.”
“Fair. Okay, let’s take a drive…”
Five minutes later, Vincent and Robert are on speaker and I’m trying not to cry, hearing the way Vincent’s voice cracks as they talk.
“Glad you’re okay, brother.” Robert’s voice, very similar to Vincent’s, comes through the phone. “But, they’re cutting me off. I gotta go. I have a parole meeting coming up. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck and I’m sorry I worried you.” Vincent has me on his lap, we’re sitting on a carved log bench down the road, past the gate. He pulls me closer. “Hey, I have someone here with me. Her name is Melanie, she’s the one that checked on me for you.”
“Okay. Thanks Melanie. But, I gotta go, Vince…”
“Okay, one thing…” Vincent turns his head, looking at me. “I told Melanie what happened. She’s going to be family now. I didn’t want to tell her anything without your permission, but she needed to know, it was eating her up.”
His brother laughs. “Tell her whatever you want, bro. I wouldn’t have asked you to keep it from her. You’ve become quite the chatter box, huh? Seriously, don’t sweat it. Take care. I hope to see you soon.”
With that, the phone goes dead and Vincent’s muscles relax. I stay silent as he looks up at the sky for a moment. Then he shakes his head. “I have the best two people in the world in my life.”
Epilogue One
Melanie
Six Months Later
I should be feeling uncomfortable.
This room is the same one where Raymond and I had our showdown six months ago. But he’s not here anymore, and the man and woman sitting on the other side of the desk look a lot less comfortable than I feel.
That probably has something to do with the fact I’m wearing a white silk and lace dress that cost more than this whole building. And the movie star makeup. And the limousine that I made take this detour on the way to my wedding.
“Miss Crawford, thank you for coming in today.” The gray-haired man with a neatly-trimmed beard clears his throat, searching for words. “I can see it’s…well…not a particularly good time. As I said on the phone, you didn’t need to come in right away. This could have waited a week or two if you’d said what you were… Well. You know.” He waves his hand at me, indicating the dress.
Miss Crawford.
It hits me that this is probably the last time anyone will call me that. In a few hours I’ll be Mrs. Weber. A little thrill passes through me as I answer.
“I wanted to know why you called.” In fact, it was a mixture of curiosity and dread. Why were they calling me, when I quit six months ago? All I could think was something serious had happened. Something involving Raymond Stephens. The thought that perhaps someone had been hurt, and maybe I could have stopped it, wracked me with guilt. Should I have stayed and made a complaint? “You said Raymond no longer works here.”
“That’s correct. We had to let Mr. Stephens go when…Well, when certain things came to light. You’ll understand that I can’t go into details. Suffice to say he will not be coming back. Ever.”
“I’m glad to hear that. He was a piece of…you fill in the blank. But what does this have to do with me? I quit months ago.”
“I understand from your colleagues that Mr. Stephens was the reason you left.”
The woman in the black skirt suit leans forward, and the man instantly falls silent.
“We’d like to begin a new chapter, Miss Crawford. We’ve been reviewing your personnel file and speaking to your colleagues. The work you did while you were here showed a lot of promise. In fact it was very good for someone who’s new to all this. Something I believe you never got the credit for.” She smiles. “Odd fact for you: did you know that your resignation was never filed with head office? Technically you still work for us.”
I frown at her. “I haven’t been receiving any paychecks.”
“No.” The smile drops. “Somebody altered your employee details and had the money paid directly into a bank account. We have evidence to show it was tied to Mr. Stephens.” She draws a breath through her nose, looking irritated. “Anyway, your employment was never terminated. Not officially.”
“Well if you expect me to make up for lost days, I quit. Again.”
“Actually, we’d like to offer you the manager’s position.”
“What?”
She nods, meeting my eyes. “We need someone we can trust. Your casework from when you were here is diligent. With proper support, support you clearly never received, we believe you have huge potential. And your colleagues speak highly of you.”
“Former colleagues.”
“We hope not.”
I meet her eyes. I’ve never met her before. I vaguely recognize the man as one of the big bosses from Portland.
But what about the paperwork? The manager’s position requires a lot more than I’m used to. I start to panic even at the thought of it. “I’m not sure, my dyslexia might make the job difficult for me…”
The man shakes his head. “That won’t be a problem. Proper support.” He nods at his colleague. “You’ll have a P.A. to assist and I believe in your original interview you said it’s manageable if you don’t feel pressured.”
“Yes…” I can hardly believe that Raymond actually wrote that down and didn’t just store it away to hold over me later.
“What we’re saying,” the woman adds, “is we’ll make sure you have everything you need. Will you at least consider the offer?”
“The starting salary would be exactly the same as your predecessor, with good prospects for—”
“Plus ten percent,” I interject.
He pulls up sharp. “Excuse me?”
I don’t respond right away. I hardly need the money now, but that’s not the point. If I simply live on Vincent’s money then how have I done anything my mother wouldn’t have chosen for me in the first place? I’ll have taken a different route, and married a man she would never have approved of, despite his wealth, but I want to be able to stand on my own two feet, to contribute to the household finances, even if it’s only in a small way.
“I’ll work a lot harder than Raymond Stephens ever did. I also know this job, he just knew management, and wasn’t very good at that. I also won’t cause any controversy or embarrassment because I’m not a lecherous lump of worthlessness. I deserve more than he was making. Ten percent should cover it.”
“Miss Crawford, this isn’t—”
The woman tries to hide her smirk, but her eyes are glassy with amusement. “Then you’ll accept the position, Miss Crawford?”
“With the extra ten percent.”
“A bargain, in my opinion. Don’t you agree, Mr. Unwin?”
For a moment he sits there, his mouth hanging wide. Then he sets his jaw and nods, barely even looking at me. “Ten percent it is. When can you start?”
“Not for three weeks.” I lift a pleat of my wedding dress and let it fall. “I’m sure you can understand.”
The woman stands and leans over the desk, holding out her hand for me to shake. “Call me Angie. We’ll be working closely together. I’ll try to drop in on your first week if I can. Well, your first week back, anyway. Let’s not keep you any longer today.”
“Melanie,” I say, smiling back. She seems nice.
“Was that your fiancé that came in with you?”
“He’s a little protective. He didn’t want me to come here, today of all days, but I needed to know what was going on.”
“Understandable. You look beautiful, by the way. Congratulations.”
I smile and pull her in for a hug, ignoring the sharp look from the man. So it’s unprofessional. I don’t care. The place feels better now, without Raymond in it. Softer. Brig
hter. “Thank you.”
I turn and head out of the door, finding Vincent wearing a hole in the carpet with his pacing up and down.
“Well?”
“They offered me a job. Raymond’s gone. I took it.”
He frowns. “You’re sure you want that? I can look after you, baby.”
“I know, Daddy, and I want you to. But I also want to keep hold of my old self, and this job means a lot to me. Helping people means a lot to me.”
“And that’s just one of the reasons I love you.” I laugh as he gathers me up into his arms. “Can we get married now? You made me wait six months, I’m not waiting any longer.”
* * *
Our wedding is unconventional for sure.
Vincent has already seen me in my wedding dress. He rode here with me in the car. I think if I’d tried to say no I would have gotten a spanking for my trouble. In fact, he was there when I was choosing the dress, along with Lori, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Now, walking down the aisle, there’s just one nod to convention: my father is holding my arm, walking me down to where my husband-to-be is waiting. And in a few minutes, we’ll be bound together. Forever.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I whisper, leaning towards my dad.
“I wouldn’t have missed it.” His voice is low, but there’s a hint of something else and I feel his pride in me for the first time in a long time.
I’m not sure exactly what went on between my parents, but he finally stood his ground with my mom. And to my surprise, and probably theirs as well, she seems to have made some changes for herself. And for them. For the first time in so many years, they look in love again.
When I called to tell my mom about Vincent, I got the expected disappointing response. Not exactly disapproval, but nothing like the excitement I was feeling and wanted to share.
Then a few minutes later, I got a call back from my father. He told me how much he loved me, how happy he was for me and put my mom back on.
When she apologized to me, it was like some sort of bubble burst between us. We cried. We talked, honestly, and we’re on our way to becoming friends again. It’s a road, and we’re not at the end of it, but we’re moving in the right direction and that’s what matters.
I glance across to her and see my sister there too, along with her daughter and husband. Carrie and I chatted, but we’ve never been close, and there’s no way I would have wanted her as bridesmaid but I’m pleased she’s here.
That duty goes to Lori, who’s almost upstaging me in a stunning pink dress.
As for Vincent’s side of the church, it isn’t completely empty. When I met him, he told me he didn’t have friends, and that hasn’t changed. Maybe it never will. But his brother is here. He was released on parole a few weeks ago and has been staying with us ever since. From what I’ve seen of him, they’re pretty alike. More than you’d think for brothers that weren’t raised together.
As well, Robert sits next to Peaches who is in a fancy pink pet carrier, curled up and sleeping through the whole thing.
When we get to the front of the church, I feel the warmth radiating from my Vincent. He looks tense, which probably has something to do with the crowd. It might not be a lot of people, but it’s more than he’s used to. “It will be over soon, Mr. Weber,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “It’s just the beginning, Mrs. Weber.”
“Not yet.”
I grin as the Justice of the Peace starts to say his words, barely able to hear him over the drumming of my own heart.
* * *
As we walk out of the reception, heading for our truck, Vincent doesn’t look at anyone else. He doesn’t smile. He just walks steadily beside me, holding onto my arm as if I might decide to turn back and deny him what he’s been waiting for all day.
I did originally suggest having the reception back at the cabin, but he refused that right away. It would be hard for everyone to drive up the mountain, but in addition, he pointed out that if we had the reception there, we couldn’t get away and leave the guests behind. Here at O’Connell’s Bar in Lewiston, we can leave and know that all our friends and family will be well taken care of into the early hours of the morning.
Daddy has a point.
As we get to the truck, I turn and look back at the smiling faces. People I love, people I’m glad I have in my life. But nobody as important as the man I’m going home with.
Scanning the crowd, I start to frown. “Have you seen Lori?”
Vincent shakes his head. “Haven’t seen her. Let’s go.”
“Hmm. I wanted to just make sure she knows what she’s doing with Bear and Peaches, especially with the medicine for Peaches.”
“She’ll be fine, baby. You gave her four pages of instructions and grilled her on it like a final exam for her medical degree.”
“But we’re going to be away for two and a half weeks.”
Everyone is here. Mom, Dad, Carrie, Nick and John. But not Lori and not…
“I haven’t seen Robert either,” I say.
Vincent shrugs. “He’s fine. He’s only been out of prison for a couple of weeks, probably just needs to blow off some steam. Let’s go.”
“Strange they’re both not here though. You don’t think…” I bob my eyebrows and Vincent cracks a rare smile.
“No, baby. Stop letting your imagination run wild.”
“You never know.”
“One thing I do know is I want you in our wedding bed. Right now. Otherwise I might just have to pull the truck over on the way and force myself on you.”
“In this dress? You wouldn’t dare!”
We both climb into the front of the truck, and as he starts the engine, our friends shouting congratulations, his hand slides over to my leg, pulling at the wedding dress, his fingers dangerously close to the special spot between my legs. “You don’t know what I’d dare, baby girl.”
“Vincent…” I spot the look on his face and hesitate, then lower my voice. “Daddy, please…”
“I like it when you beg.”
“Let’s at least get home first.”
He grins as he starts the truck moving forward, then glances my way. “We’ll see, baby. We’ll see.”
Epilogue Two
Vincent
Ten Years Later
I slam Melanie against the wall, loving the way her body shakes as it hits the plaster, loving the little grunts and moans my wife lets loose as my cock thrusts inside her, again and again.
We make love in our bed, of course, but we also fuck anywhere in the house, wherever and whenever there’s an opportunity. Right now, we’re in the long corridor that holds so many memories. Ten years ago, I had my shrine to her in the room at the end. But it’s a long time since I’ve needed that.
I have the real thing, and it’s so much better than pictures and a few pilfered items that sustained me until she finally fell into my life.
Literally.
The oak table, however, is still just as good for fucking on as it ever was.
“Daddy, I feel funny. It feels so good, tingly and warm.”
“That’s the special feeling Daddy wants you to have, baby.”
I grin at the game. I may have taken her multiple times a day, every day since that first time, but she still loves to pretend that I’m teaching her. Sometimes that I’m forcing her. Sometimes she begs me not to, and it makes me harder than ever as I thrust into her, making her scream and buck and cry out.
We’ve worked out a language of our own, and I know when she’s genuinely had too much, and I need to back off. Now is not one of those times.
“Just let it go, baby girl. Daddy’s here. I won’t let anything bad happen.”
“Your cock is too big, it feels like it’s going into my tummy.”
I lean forward and take one of her nipples into my mouth. Her tits are bigger now. When I first met her, she was petite, but she’s filled out over the years, and I love every inch. I’ve kept up the carvings, es
pecially the ones of her, creating a new homage to the love of my life each and every year, recording the way she’s changed, grown and become even more beautiful with the passage of time.
When I first showed them to her, after our wedding day, she was embarrassed to see herself like that. But now it’s our favorite part of the land, planted with a carpet of wildflowers under the canopy of trees.
Each time she had the kids—Sam, who’s nine, and his little sister Anita, who’s now five—her tits swelled with milk and I loved to share it. It’s been five years now and I’m feeling broody again. Melanie hasn’t said no to the idea, she’s just said to let nature take its course. Getting pregnant hasn’t been easy for some reason, Melanie said she didn’t need to know why, just let things happen as they should.
I know my wife. I know she’d love to have another child before we stop, and maybe today is the day we make one.
“Baby, you’re so tight. Such a tight little girl. It feels like my cock is going to be torn off by this tiny little pussy of yours.”
“Daddy, I’m scared. What if we make a baby?”
“Everyone would know your Daddy fucks you. They wouldn’t say anything, but they’d know.” I kiss her lips, slamming into her again, hard, loving the sound of her grunting as she wraps her legs tight around my waist. “My cum is going inside you, little girl. You’ll take it all. It’s going to try to find its way deep, deep inside, and if it does, then we’ll have a baby. Do you want that?”
“Yes, Daddy. Please. I’m so close.”
“Let it go, baby girl. Don’t hold back.”
She lets out a cry and grips tight to me as she creams all over my cock. And I slam into her once, twice, three times more before I empty my load. I kiss her all over, loving the way her platinum hair is plastered to her face with sweat, loving the searching look in her honey-gold eyes.
As I slide out from inside her, I kiss her lips, then lower myself down and kiss her other lips as I pull her dress from the floor, putting it back in place around her shoulders.
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