Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(49)

“I know,” she said in an exasperated tone. “And you’re bursting,” she added, her hands going to the snap on his jeans. In a second she had his jeans around his h*ps and him in her hand.

He laughed low in his throat. “My innocent little wife. Prepare to start screaming.” He lifted her up; her legs went around his h*ps and he sat down on the bench with her straddling his lap. A little maneuvering was required to seat her on him just right, but the sensation took his breath away and caused her to gasp. She held him tightly and rocked on him, with him. “God,” she said. “Luke, Luke, Luke.” All he could do was groan and pump his hips, hanging on for her. And she talked and moaned and whimpered until it happened, and it happened quickly—she shattered and spasms tightened her around him. She bit his lip, then sucked it.

He enjoyed every second of her orgasm before he cashed in. It shook him, like it always did, leaving him with a loud groan, clasping her tightly to him. In a few minutes, he realized it was actually cold in the stable. He hadn’t noticed that before, and neither had she.

She shivered and he tightened his embrace. “Feel better?” she asked him.

“You are so good to me,” he said. “Do you feel better?”

“I was faking,” she teased.

“You know what, baby? As long as you keep faking that good, I’m okay with it. And see? No straw in your hair.” He grinned at her. “You are sooo loud.”

All of a sudden her chin quivered and her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Luke,” she said softly. “What if I’m not a good mother?”

“Shelby, don’t be ridiculous. You’re the most loving person I’ve ever known. How could you not be a good mother?”

“I’m very selfish in some ways. And I like my sleep.” She sniffed and hiccuped.

“Um, we’re still attached here and you’re crying about being a mother,” he said. “I suggest we get dressed, finish up with the horses and go home. And while I build a nice warm fire, you better pee on a stick. Seriously.”

Having his mother at Luke’s, waiting so impatiently for her chance to meet Rosie, didn’t exactly make for a relaxing atmosphere for Sean. Before springing a new grandma on the little tyke, Sean had some business with the first grandma. He phoned Vivian Duncan at the family practice clinic in which she worked and asked her if he could buy her lunch. She was completely surprised by the invitation. “Sure,” she answered with some hesitation.

“Let me pick you up,” he offered. “Just give me a time and some coordinates.”

He found she was waiting outside the clinic for him at exactly twelve-thirty. He popped out of the car and held her door for her. “Thanks for doing this for me, Viv,” he said. “I haven’t said anything to Franci about us having lunch together, but I thought you and I should talk.”

“I kind of thought your mother might be with you,” she said. “Franci told me she’s at Luke’s, standing by.”

“Standing by very impatiently,” he admitted. “I wanted some time alone with you first. There’s a little Italian place right around the corner. Will that work for you?”

“Fine. That’s fine. Should I be dreading this conversation?” she asked with some trepidation.

“I hope not.” He tried to sound reassuring, but wasn’t sure he pulled it off. Then he laughed. “I should probably be the one dreading it.” He reached across the front seat for her hand. “I have a few things to say, that’s all.”

To his great relief, she let it go during their short drive, not asking any more questions. Sean settled her in the restaurant, at as quiet a table as he could find, and cajoled her into ordering something before they talked.

“All right, Sean, the suspense is killing me,” Vivian said impatiently. “What’s this about?”

“This is about me apologizing to you,” he said quickly. “Franci told me that you weren’t at all pleased with the way she handled the situation with her pregnancy. Now, I have to tell you—she did the only thing she could do. Cards on the table, Vivian—I didn’t give her an opening to trust me with that kind of news. If she had insisted on having a baby, I would have insisted on marriage. And it would have been a terrible marriage. In short, she was right about me.”

Vivian lifted a blond brow. “Was?” she queried.

He laughed, but his cheeks took on a pink stain. “I might’ve come a long way since then, but I didn’t come fast and I’m not all the way there. The truth is, I had to suffer without Franci for a long time before I realized I needed her in my life. And this whole business of suddenly being a father…It’s going to take me some time, but I’m working on it. I want you to know, I’m doing my best.” He took a breath. “You should have gotten in touch with me and told me. Then I could do my learning without a three-and-a-half-year-old watching.”

Vivian was shocked and her expression reflected it. Was he taking her to task? She let out the breath she was holding. “I thought about it,” she admitted. “At the end of the day, I couldn’t betray my daughter’s wishes.”

“Since we can’t go back, let’s let each other off the hook for any imperfections. How about that?” he suggested.

Vivian was quiet for a long moment, during which time the waitress brought iced tea for both of them. She measured her words carefully before she spoke. “Listen to me, Sean—I want my daughter to be happy, but Rosie is the beat of my heart. When Franci told me she was having a baby and having her alone, the first thing I felt was resentment—I was barely fifty! I still feel I have a lot of life left to live! And I’d already raised a child alone, so I knew firsthand how hard it would be for her. Franci was going to need a lot from me, and I didn’t really have a lot to give. But I held that baby and, within seconds, I felt she was as much mine as my daughter’s. If you think for one second I’m going to be patient with you while you try to figure out if you have what it takes to be a good father, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”