Standing over the kitchen sink with her hands submerged, Donna stared out the kitchen window, off into the space of the high rises. With a satisfied smile on her face, she felt content.
Last night, she and Nathan had made love. It was about the best lovemaking she’d experienced in her whole life. He was tender, generous, and mind-blowing. At first, he teased and tortured her; however, he had brought Donna to repeated bliss. Then when they were joined, the way he moved his pelvis with each thrust had been heavenly. It was like they were molded to each other; he fit her, and she covered every inch of his strength.
They had woken up after cuddling themselves into a blissful sleep, and he had asked her to explain more of what happened. She never expected him to treat her with kid gloves the way he had last night. Nathan was so understanding. He refrained from losing his cool, which her brother would totally have done.
Once Donna had revealed the whole case, she knew she could never go back to her job as she had just done something against the rules, she publicized the case she was working on that resulted in tragedy. As she was telling Nathan about the shooting, she felt relieved of much guilt. She also knew that it would take weeks of therapy to dissipate the remaining guilt she felt. But with his knowing the truth and comforting her again, Donna knew she had a great man as her best friend. When it came to telling her brother, she knew Nathan would support and stand behind her.
She heard giggling coming from the living room where Josh was watching cartoons. Nathan had left for work, and she was once again going with the routine she had implemented for Joshua. He was a great little boy, and with every minute she spent with him, she was falling more and more in love with him.
When Nathan more than told her she would be moving in with them, Donna was taken aback by his order. She knew he wasn’t having her move in with them because he wanted her to be Josh’s caretaker, but because Josh had been coming little by little out of his shell. As Nathan was starting to often say, it was all partly due to her involvement in his son’s life.
She also knew that his gentle demand that she move in with them had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with what they had shared last night.
Donna didn’t want to get excited and overthink what had happened. Because her dear friend was perhaps still struggling with their newfound relationship. She would take whatever he was willing to give her, and work alongside him to raise Josh, if that was all he wanted.
Cleaning the last plate, she drained the sink and dried her hands. She was moving! Ahh... She would need to decide what she wanted to keep and move. Donna couldn’t wipe the smile off her face even if she tried. She was truly blessed to have befriended Nathan Romeo.
*****
Nathan felt like a stronger man today. He was working harder and faster, wearing the silly grin he’d woken up with. Calvin had looked him over and wanted to comment on Nathan’s smile, but refrained, which was a good thing. Nathan didn’t know what he wanted to divulge, if anything. He wasn’t normally the ‘kiss and tell’ type of man.
After all, he had spent the best night ever with his best friend! He had supported her and heard her tell him something important. Had her brother heard about it...that would have ended with her being put on security watch. Nathan had told Donna she would be moving in with them, and after they woke from their brief nap, he explained that at first the decision was based on Josh’s request, and because he wanted more of her in their lives. But after hearing the ordeal she had witnessed and gone through, her moving in with them was now a must. He also told her that he didn’t like her working that type of job. She told him that she was probably getting fired, and if not, she was planning to quit anyway.
When she had told him that she had walked in right after the ex-husband had shot his wife, Nathan’s heart stopped, and he was petrified for Donna’s safety. And when she then told him the man then shot himself after pointing the gun at her, he was relieved the man didn’t take anyone else to the grave. He understood Donna’s turmoil and anguish, which she had gotten overwhelmed with and foot deep in this case. The man had killed his own children and ex-wife.
John had killed Donna’s child and could have—if not pulled off Donna—killed her too. Hearing the end of her story was what broke his heart. She had gotten to know this woman and her children, found a soft spot for them, and then practically witnessed them be executed.
Nathan wouldn’t smother Donna like her brother most likely would after hearing all this. He would however protect her with every ounce of his body! Not that he’d brag about it, but he still had connections with some of the inmates he’d befriended while in prison.
By day’s end, he and his crew had gotten a great deal done. The house would be finished tomorrow, and ready for the final inspections. Tomorrow, he was going to work half the day on this project, and the other half at his new home.
His home!
It wasn’t going to be all his since Josh would still be receiving the house when he turned twenty-one, but for now, the house would be Nathan’s. Plus, he and Josh wouldn't be the only occupants, as the lovely and devoted Donna Cullen would be moving in with them. Ahh...life couldn’t get any better.
*****
He was flipping through the channels while Donna was putting his son to bed. Since it had gone so well last night, he thought they should try it again. Figuring Josh was used to his mother putting him to bed, he thought that Donna doing the task would be the next best thing. She was always tender and loving with his son. Nathan would bathe and read to Josh before leaving Donna to sing and cuddle him.
She finally emerged from his bedroom, and walked over to him. This night had gone really well the minute Nathan came home. Dinner smelled great, and Josh was full of smiles. He made small noises and didn’t say too much, but both Nathan and Donna weren’t going to fret because Josh was making huge progress.
She sat down up against Nathan, and he wrapped an arm around her. She smelled great, and felt even better up against him. He couldn’t have asked for a better best friend. They hadn’t really talked about last night and the events that followed her confession.
She cuddled into his body, making him feel warm and affectionate. Looking anxiously at him, she said, “Nathan, I thought I should let you know I’m not on birth control.”
He could see she was worried and felt he should know. Granted, this bit of information would have been better said prior to what they had done last night. “You’re not...”
“No, I never saw a reason why I should go back on it after losing my son,” she hesitantly said while biting her lower lip.
“Oh...I’m so sorry,” he said, looking at her to see if she’d fall apart.
While they had been so consumed with their lovemaking, it never occurred to him to ask if Donna was protected, and he never thought to put a condom on. He was once again not thinking. His luck couldn’t be that bad... Could it?
Granted, sharing a child with Donna wouldn’t be that bad. She was already helping him with Josh, and they were moving in together. What did it matter?
His life had taken some pretty unexpected turns. First, with having a child he never knew about dropped into his care. The woman he had gotten pregnant, who hadn’t terminated the pregnancy like she’d threatened, had kept their baby and raised Josh alone.
Second, Donna had shown up unexpectedly with guilt from a case where she’d gotten in over her head.
Third, they’d made love when Nathan was just coming to terms with his new feelings for her, which were not family-related.
Maybe this was what he needed to do...roll with the punches and live life?
“Well, we will wait. And we will be more careful next time.” Nathan smiled, letting her know he was okay. If there was a next time, he thought. He would take the results of their unprotected affair when they came. There was no point in stressing right now.
Afterwards, Donna and Nathan sat down at the table and discussed everything they felt would be child-friendly. They also talked about the things he wanted to take with them from his place once the renovations were done to Josh’s house. He and Donna agreed that they felt renting the penthouse out might work to Nathan’s advantage. Granted, Nathan felt that maybe he should talk to Damon about selling the penthouse since he was moving out.
They spent the better part of the week packing up the belongings they wanted to bring with them into the new home. As a family, they went to Donna’s home in Chilliwack to move all the things she wanted to take with her. They put them into a room that was designated ‘moving’ for the movers, who were hired to pick up her possessions when the final moving day arrived.
Donna had taken Josh to the therapist, and also did one more session of therapy herself alone while the receptionist watched Joshua.
Since they were going to be moving into the house shortly after the renovations had been finished, everything that wasn’t immediately needed had been put into boxes. Those boxes had already been taken over and put in the garage of their new place. Nathan was leaving everything that Damon had left for him in the penthouse. They only had their suitcases for the Vegas trip, along with some clothes in the dressers of Nathan’s master suite.
Getting Josh a passport wasn’t as hard as Nathan first thought. Donna already had one, and after Nathan had finished his parole, he was able to receive a passport as well. He had been nervous that the government wouldn’t allow it, but since his reason for going to prison was considered a mild offense, they let him pass. It wasn’t as if he were a terrorist.