Текст книги "Cherished"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

I wasn’t even sure how long I’d been walking for. I stopped and looked out at the ocean. I closed my eyes and thought about last night. I saw the look she’d had in her eyes. She loved me, and I knew she loved me. Her eyes had looked into mine so many times last night, and they had been filled with nothing but love.

The baby…I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby.

I thought back to everything she had said.

I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time! I would have never let me touch him if I had known, I swear on my life!

I knew she had been hurting. I knew she’d thought I had cheated on her.

Can I forget that he touched her? Can I forget that she let him touch her? I had almost done the same thing in the bar, but I’d stopped myself.

“Fuck!” I yelled out. “Why? Motherfucker! Why did this happen? Why?” I put my hands on my legs and felt like I was going to get sick. I shook my head as I stood up and took a deep breath.

I loved her more than anyone on this Earth. I’ve always loved her, and I won’t let some fucking prick, who just walked into her life, take her away from me. She had come back to me last night, and there was no way I was letting her go. Ever.

As I looked one more time out over the vast ocean, a sense of calm washed over me. I turned to walk away, and that was when I saw the prick. He was walking up and stopped when he saw me.

My first instinct was to go up and pound the fuck out of him, but I slowly ran my hand through my hair and took a deep breath.

“Scott?” he asked.

I nodded.

He held out his hand. “Trey Walker.”

I just looked down at his hand.

He nodded and gave me a weak smile. “Where’s Jessie?”

“She’s not your concern. She’s mine, and so is the baby she’s carrying.” I balled up my fists and took a deep, slow breath.

He made a face, and his smile faded. “Alright. But just know that I was here for her when she needed a friend, and that’s what I was to her. I helped her for a little while, and she did the same thing for me.”

I let out a gruff laugh. “Yeah, you sure were a friend to her, weren’t you? Don’t know many people who suck on their friends’ nipples and finger-fuck them, dude.”

He looked shocked for a brief second. “She told you?”

“Yes, she told me, you fucker. That’s one of the things about our relationship—we’re honest with each other.”

He laughed. “Well, she certainly didn’t think you were honest when she thought you were fucking your ex…dude.”

Little motherfucker must want me to pound him in the ground.

“It might have taken her longer than I would have liked, but she figured it out, didn’t she?” I said.

His smile faded as he looked down toward the sand. He slowly nodded before looking back up at me. “I love her.”

“You just met her.” I felt the anger building inside me.

“I think I’ve loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her.” He let out a smile. “I only had one problem…she didn’t love me back. All she ever told me was how she just wanted to be friends. When I finally thought I had won her heart, she shut me out and told me she loved you…that she’d always loved…you. Then, when she was trying so hard to get to you the other night…hell, it about killed me to hear her tell you she loved you when she left you that voice mail. I think I knew then and there that I never stood a chance. But that didn’t mean I was just going to walk away. Then, she found out she was pregnant. When you walked up to us standing outside, she was telling me about how she’d loved you since she could remember. She was excited about telling you about the baby. Seeing the love in her eyes as she talked about you destroyed me, but I tried to be happy for her.”

I thought about walking up and seeing them. I remembered the look in her eyes. Was she talking about me when she had such love in her eyes?

“And then, right on cue, there you were, Prince Charming coming in to save her. I know she loves you, Scott. But I also know a part of her loves me as well, and I’ll always hold on to that hope.”

I wanted so badly to punch this guy. “Well, you’re going to be holding on to that hope for a very long time because I don’t ever intend on letting her go.”

He laughed and raised his eyebrows. “If she were mine, I’d be saying the same thing.”

“She’ll never be yours.”

He nodded and gave me a cocky smile before turning and walking away.

I could have sworn I heard him say, “We’ll see.”

I watched him for a few minutes before I spun around and quickly started running back to the house. The whole way there, I kept replaying everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

We just need to get off this fucking island and get back to Texas.

I stopped running and pulled out my cell phone and sent a text to Lark.

Scott: I’ll pay you double what I paid you before if you take Jessie and me back to Austin today.

Lark: Let me get rid of the girl I’ve got here, and we can leave in thirty minutes. Shit…give me an hour. She’s got strawberry-blonde hair. You know how I love blondes. Plus, she gives good head.

Scott: Dude, too much information. Forty-five minutes, and we’ll be up at the main house.

I started jogging. Shit, I really walked a long way. Jessie was probably going crazy. I’d been gone for over an hour. As I picked up my jog to a run again, I was more determined than ever to prove to her how much I loved her. I just needed to keep telling myself that she’d stopped him. She’d stopped him because she still loved me, even when she’d thought I had done the worst thing imaginable.

Our love is too strong to let some little pretty boy prick tear it apart.

As I walked up the stairs to the deck, I saw Jessie sleeping in one of the chairs. I smiled, looking at her all wrapped up in a blanket. Damn…she’s so beautiful with that blonde hair. There wasn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for her, and now…now, it wasn’t just her. It’s our unborn child also.

I dropped to my knees and gently pushed her hair back. She looked like an angel while she was sleeping so peacefully. My heart began hurting when I pictured her standing here, crying, as I’d walked away from her earlier.

“I’ll never leave you, baby. I promise, I’ll never leave you. It’s me and you, always and forever.”

She moved a little and opened her eyes. She smiled. “How much do you love me?”

I let out a small laugh and kissed her nose. “To the moon and back, then back to the moon, and back again.”

“That’s a lot,” she said with a giggle.

I gave her wink. “Yeah, it is.”

“Scott…”

I shook my head and put my finger up to her lips. “I love you, Jessie, and I’ll always love you. You’re my whole world, and there is no way I’m going to let this thing come between us. I want to make love to you, baby. I just want to hold you in my arms.”

She nodded and started to get up.

“Not here though. I want to get you home. I just want to leave and go home.”

She bit down on her lower lip. “Me, too,” she whispered.

“Lark has got some girl with him, but he should be ready in about forty-five minutes or so,” I said as I rolled my eyes.

“Okay. Can we just sit here for a bit? Will you just hold me for a while, Scott?”

I stood, and she started to slide over. I crawled into the chair next to her. I pulled her close to me and silently thanked God for bringing us back together.

“Scott?”

“Yeah, baby?”

She turned and looked at me, tears filling her eyes. “I love you. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

My heart broke in two. The last thing I wanted was for her to be stressed or worried, especially with her being pregnant. I kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to me.

“I love you, too, baby, and I’m sorry for getting angry earlier. I need to be honest with you as well, baby.”

She looked up at me, and I saw the fear in her eyes.

“At the bar one night, I kissed another girl, and I touched her breasts when I was drunk, but that was all I did. I swear to you…all I could see was your face, baby, and I couldn’t do it.”

She swallowed and gave me a weak smile. “Can we just forget that the last five weeks ever happened?”

I kissed her forehead. “Let’s just get home and share our good news with everyone, okay?”

She gave me a weak smile and nodded as she snuggled in closer to me. As I looked out over the ocean, I thought about Trey and what he’d said. I was pretty sure that was not going to be the last time I ever saw him.

As we got closer to Austin, I looked down at a sleeping Jessie in my arms.

Lark had been on the radio with someone, talking about a mission or something. When I realized he was talking about a girl and not his job, I rolled my eyes. He glanced back at me and winked. I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d met Lark in college, and we had quickly become friends. I swore that we’d done everything together. Lark’s father was in the Secret Service, and Lark seemed to have followed in his footprints. Whatever Lark did for a living, it sure as hell was a secret.

I woke Jessie up when Lark said we were about fifteen minutes out.

“Are we stopping for fuel again?” Jessie asked.

“Nah, we’re fixin’ to land in Austin, baby.”

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled so big that it caused me to laugh.

“Glad to be almost home?” I asked.

She nodded her head and put her hand on her stomach. “I’ll be glad to land, too. I feel sick.”

Lark snapped his head around and looked at Jessie. “There’s a puke bag, doll, right there if ya need it,” he said with a wink.

By the time we landed and made it through customs and all that bullshit, Jessie was practically running to the restroom. I felt so bad. I watched her as she almost plowed over a poor old lady.

Lark came walking up and slapped me on the back. “Thanks for the mini vacation, dude,” he said with a grin.

“Pesh, I paid you good enough for that quick little trip.”

His crooked smiled spread across his face, and he nodded his head. “Yeah, ya did. Boss man said anytime you need the use of the helicopter again, just let him know.” Lark threw his head back and laughed.

“Dude, I paid you to go to Belize and pretty much get laid,” I said as I glanced back toward the restroom.

Lark’s smile faded. “Shit, I can get laid anywhere, dude. Perks of being single…and a pilot. Ain’t gonna lie though, the strawberry-blonde was a good fuck.”

“Lark, don’t you want to settle down? Think about a family, maybe? I mean, I get the lure of traveling, and it seems like you have a pretty good paying job,” I said as I rolled my eyes again, “but don’t you want someone to wake up to every morning? Someone to say ‘I love you’ to or have her say it back to you?”

His eyes filled with sadness before he quickly snapped out of it. He watched a girl in a pair of tight jeans and cowboy boots walk by. “Are you fucking kidding me? No, thanks. I know what being in love brings—heartache. No, thank you, I’ll pass. I like my life, Scott. I wouldn’t change one goddamn thing about it.”

I let out a sigh. “Are you going to be in town for New Year’s?”

He looked around and then back at me. “Probably.”

“Come on out to Mason for a few days, dude. Take in the country air. My parents would love to see you. Plus, you can celebrate with Jessie and me—new year, new baby, new beginnings.”

He stood there, thinking for a minute, before he nodded his head. “Alright, I think some fresh country air might be just what I need. Since I’m not heading home to the ranch, I think it would do me some good.”

I smiled and hit him on the back as I watched Jessie coming out of the restroom. “Perfect. It will do you good, buddy.”

Jessie walked right into my arms, and I held her for a second before she pulled back and smiled.

“Can we stop and buy me a new cell phone? Mine is in a field somewhere in Mason.” She scrunched up her nose.

We made plans with Lark to come out and stay with us for a few days, and then we said our good-byes.

Jessie and I headed out of the airport and to my truck. The cool December evening felt amazing.

After a quick stop for a new cell phone, we were on our way to Mason. Jessie was asleep before we were even out of the Austin city limits. I grabbed my cell phone and hit Gunner’s number. After giving him a quick rundown, I asked him to let everyone know we were back in Texas, and we would probably be locking ourselves away for a few days.

I hit End and then peeked over at my sleeping beauty.

A father—I can’t believe I’m going to be a father.

For the first time in the last five weeks, I finally felt happy. I turned and glanced at my bag in the backseat, knowing that I had Jessie’s engagement ring in there. My heart started pounding in my chest. I was so glad I hadn’t asked her to marry me last night in Belize.

As we drove down the driveway, Jessie woke up. She stretched and made the cutest noise. I couldn’t wait to get her in the house and strip off her clothes. I wanted to do nothing but make love to her.

She looked over at me, and the passion in her eyes told me she was thinking the same thing. “I’m so glad to be home!”

“Me, too, baby. I’m gonna make love to you all night long.”

She smiled and nodded her head. “I like that plan—a lot. Maybe I should start undressing now.”

My dick jumped in my pants, and I laughed as I watched her pull her T-shirt over her head. I looked back ahead and slammed on the brakes.

“Shit! Jesus, Scott, why did you—” Jessie quickly put her shirt back on and started laughing. “Oh my god! Are you kidding me?”

I pulled up next to Drake’s truck and took a deep breath. I looked at Jessie. “Looks like you’re in trouble.”

She slowly smiled and gave me the sexiest look I’d ever seen. “I guess you might have to spank me then after they leave.” She opened the door and jumped out of the truck.

“Wait! What?” I yelled out after her.

I instantly imagined Jessie naked with me spanking her. Holy fuck. Talk about an instant hard-on.

I opened the truck door and jumped out. I tried to adjust my dick. As I walked around and grabbed her hand, she looked up at me and giggled.

“For that, I think you maybe deserve two spankings,” I said with a wink.

Her eyes filled with lust, and she bit down on her lower lip.

“You ready for the wrath of your father and brothers?” I said as I glanced over at Drake, Aaron, and Dewey all standing on my porch.

I guess I should have told Gunner not to call Drake.

As we got closer, Jessie began squeezing the hell out of my hand.

I leaned over and said, “Baby, I need that hand for later.”

She snapped her head over and looked at me. A blush quickly swept over her cheeks, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s gonna be fine. Don’t worry,” I said.

When we reached the top of the porch, Aaron walked up and hugged Jessie. “Jesus, don’t ever do that to us again, you little brat,” Aaron said as he pushed Jessie back and gave her a quick once-over.

He stepped aside and Dewey strolled up to her. His eyes were filled with tears.

“Dew, are you about to cry, dude?” I asked with a laugh.

He shot me a look that made me instantly stop laughing.

“I can still kick your damn ass, pretty boy,” Dewey said as he grabbed Jessie and pulled him to her. “My god, Tiny…don’t ever leave like that again without calling one of us. We were going crazy.”

Jessie wiped a tear away. She leaned back and gave Dewey a weak smile. “I’m so sorry I worried you. I really am.”

Dewey put his arm around her and turned her to face Drake. I had noticed the small smile on Drake’s face when his sons were hugging their sister, but the moment Dewey moved, Drake’s smile was replaced with a look of anger.

“You think you can just run away like that with no word to anyone, and then just walk back in like nothing ever happened?”

“Daddy, I—”

“No. You don’t get to Daddy me. You left the goddamn country, Jessie. You didn’t tell anyone. Then, you were holed up with some stranger while we all went insane.”

Jessie sucked in a breath of air and quickly wiped her tears away.

“Drake, I think maybe you need to calm down before you—”

“No, Scott. I don’t need to calm down, and if I were you, I’d be so pissed-off at this girl right now that I don’t think I’d be walking up, holding her hand. You left him without so much as a reason why.”

“I thought he—”

“Well, he didn’t cheat on you, Jessie. You would have known that if you hadn’t run away. How in the hell did you pay for this little trip to Belize?”

I saw her as she started wringing her hands together. She looked down at the ground and then up at her father.

“Oh my god. You didn’t use your savings for the vet clinic, did you?”

Savings? What savings? I hadn’t wanted to ask Jessie, but I was wondering how she’d paid to stay in Belize for so long. When I’d checked her out of the hotel, they had said she didn’t have a balance due. She had paid in full through the end of the month…in cash.

“At the time, I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly. Daddy, everything has changed, and I don’t think I want to buy the clinic anymore.”

“Damn straight, everything has changed. You left with no good-byes or explanations, and Doc sold his practice to another person.”

Jessie let out a gasp and put her hand up to her mouth. “What?”

Drake shook his head. “Did you really think everyone would put their lives on hold while you were gone?”

Dewey let out a laugh. “Hell, Scott did. Bastard lost out on a—”

I cleared my throat and shook my head. “Dew…” I said.

Jessie glanced back and forth between Dewey and me. I saw the sadness in her eyes, and it about gutted me.

“People moved on, Jessica, and you lost out on your dream,” Drake said, his voice filled with disappointment.

Jessie looked at her father. “I have a new dream, Daddy.”

Drake let out a chuckle. “Oh, really? Did you graduate high school early and finish up college in record time for this new dream?”

I knew Jessie wanted to tell her father about the baby, but I also knew she wanted to make it special. “Jessie, baby, I don’t think now is the time to—”

“No…Scott, he’s right.” Jessie stood up straighter and squared off her shoulders. “Dad, you’re right, and I’m not going to argue with you. What I did was wrong, and I regret it more than you’ll ever know.”

She quickly looked at me and gave me a weak smile. I smiled back and winked at her. I didn’t want her stressing over what had happened between her and Trey. It was over, and we were together.

“But…it happened, and there is nothing I can do about it now. I made a mistake, Daddy, and you’ve always said that some of life’s best lessons are made through our mistakes.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Yes, I used my savings to pay for the trip to Belize.”

Drake shook his head and whispered, “Damn it.”

“But, Daddy, I don’t think I want to be a vet…at least not right now. There’s something else I’d much rather be, and I would like to do it full-time.”

She looked at me, and I smiled and nodded.

Drake folded his arms and glared at Jessie. “Oh yeah? Well, what is it, Jessica? I’m waiting with anticipation to hear about this new job.”

I saw the tears building in her eyes, so I walked up to her. I grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’d like to be a full-time mother,” Jessie practically whispered.

I saw the smile spread across Aaron’s face. I glanced over at Dewey, and he was smiling and shaking his head. When I looked at Drake, he seemed confused for a second before it hit him.

Drake dropped his arms to his side. “What? Jessica…are you…”

She nodded.

Both Aaron and Dewey let out a yell.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Dewey yelled as he walked up and grabbed Jessie. He started spinning her around.

As soon as he put her down, Aaron repeated the whole show. “Holy shit! Tiny is gonna have a baby! Our kids are going to grow up together, Jess.” Aaron kissed her on the cheeks.

Aaron set her down, and then he reached over and shook my hand. “Jesus, dude, congratulations. I couldn’t be more happy for y’all.”

Dewey walked up and shook my hand. Then, he pulled me close to him and said in my ear, “You hurt her or this baby…and I will kill you and bury your body in your own backyard.”

I pulled back and looked at him with a shocked look. “My own backyard? What the hell is wrong with you, Dewey?” I asked.

Aaron let out a laugh. I looked up to see Drake just staring at Jessie. I couldn’t really read his expression, and I was sure Jessie couldn’t either.

“Daddy…please say something,” Jessie said.

Drake turned and started to walk away, and Jessie’s body just slumped.

“Daddy…” Jessie whispered.

She glanced back at me, and the look in her eyes about killed me. She slowly walked into my arms, and I looked up at Drake. He was standing at the end of the porch, looking out.

In that moment, I vowed that this girl in my arms would never have that look in her eyes again.

Ever.