When You're Mine (MINE #3)(40)
“I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days, but he’s worth it. So f*ckin’ worth it.”
“Archer, mouth,” Katy called from the den.
Looking over my shoulder, I found Tabitha sitting on the sofa with Maddie and Katy flanking each side while she cradled the baby in her arms. They were all three smiling down adoringly, stroking his hands, his feet, and his tiny head. A warm, tingling sensation spread through me and I had to fight the urge to rush over, gather her in my arms and tell her how much I loved her. How much it was killing me for us to be apart and how much I wanted her back. But I couldn’t do that. Not only because she had a baby in her arms, but because I was scared. Scared of trusting her again. Scared of losing her again.
I felt a firm hand on my shoulder, bringing me back around to the table. “That bad, huh?” I nodded. “C’mon man, let’s go out back,” Holden said.
Following the two men to back yard, I quickly found myself in a game of corn hole with Holden while Archer looked on from a fold out chair nearby. “Know what you’re havin’ yet?” Archer asked.
I finished my turn and stood aside as Holden took his. “She wants it to be a surprise.”
“Well, here’s hoping for a boy,” Archer raised his glass of sweet tea.
I laughed. “Why’s that?”
“Because you only have to worry about one dick if it’s a boy. If it’s a girl, you gotta worry ‘bout hundreds. Katy wants at least two more kids. I pray like hell they’re all f*ckin’ boys.”
Damn, I never thought of that.
“Don’t listen to him. If he had a daughter, she would be a spoiled princess and she would have her daddy wrapped around her little finger.” Holden said, finishing up his turn.
“A spoiled princess with a f*ckin’ chastity belt. And guess who’s gonna own the key?” Archer said, pushing from his seat.
Chuckling, I took another sip of beer before setting it aside and taking my turn.
“What I wanna know is when you and that wife of yours are gonna give Vaughn a cousin to play with?”
“Maddie agreed we can start tryin’ in one year.” Holden didn’t look too happy about that. But then he smiled. “In the meantime, we practice.”
“Shit, that’s the fun part,” Archer said. “Just wait until she’s actually pregnant, you won’t be able to keep up.”
“Seriously?” Archer’s grin turned into a full on smile.
“Fuck yeah.”
We played two more games and moved on to more appropriate guy talk before Tabitha came outside, saying she was tired and ready to go. I’d been having such a good time with the guys, I didn’t realize I’d drank an entire six pack. While I was not feeling anything other than a real good buzz, I let Tabitha drive us to her house. She insisted I sleep on her sofa. I declined. She reminded me there could be road blocks this time of night, and that I had a baby to live for.
I stayed.
I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.
~ Mother Teresa
It had been a desperate and calculated move, but Maddie and Katy were so damn clever. It was actually working. I had Barrett in my house, on my sofa, hopefully half naked and willing to give me a second chance.
God, please let this work.
The last few months had been torture. Not only had I been confined to my home 90 percent of the time, but I’d done it all alone. You know that saying, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Yeah, well they weren’t f*cking kidding.
Of course, I’ve had the love and support of my friends. Maddie had been amazing, doing all my grocery shopping and running any errands I had, and Katy had always been a phone call away, offering advice and words of wisdom that I’ve come to rely on. I would seriously be lost without either one of them. Even Cora had stopped by a few times to check on me, sticking around to watch a movie or two and promising to get me white girl wasted after the baby is born.
Things were good.
Really good.
But they weren’t great. Barrett had refused to even step foot inside my home since the day he left four months ago. As promised, he accompanied me to every single doctor’s appointment, even carrying me out for lunch a couple of times afterwards. But he continued to remain guarded and so far out of reach I was starting to lose my faith. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to win him back, but I was beginning to think it was impossible.
The girls could sense my despair, so they devised a plan. A plan that included a night filled with good food, good friends, and enough alcohol to convince Barrett to spend the night. So here I was, at 1 am, smoothing out the silk of my night gown trimmed in lace, while my heart surged with both courage and fear.
Light from the full moon poured through the downstairs windows, bouncing off the walls and casting shadows throughout the room. I could see him there, stretched out on my sectional. The blanket I’d given him still folded at the other end. Pillow tucked comfortably beneath his head. He was still fully dressed, sans his socks and shoes, arms crossed over his stomach.
Lifting my chin, I allowed that determination to set in deep and moved slowly towards him. He was sound asleep, his heavy breathing the only sound filling the room besides my thundering heart. Hiking my gown, I put one knee between his cocked leg, crawling up and bracing myself over his body. My God, he smelled so good. My lips went straight for his mouth, eager to taste the delicious man who had stolen and returned my heart. But not without claiming it forever.