Sully
She’s beautiful.
Long brown hair wild around her flushed face, big brown eyes shiny and alive in her reflection as her full breasts bounce each time I power inside her. She’s close, her mouth—still slick and swollen from the kisses I woke her up with—parted in anticipation.
Braced with her hands on the vanity, I notice her arms start to wobble. So, I wrap my forearm around her chest, avoiding the swell of her belly, and keep her steady while slipping my other hand between her legs.
“Let go, Honey,” I whisper with my lips against the shell of her ear, as I work her clit. “Fly apart for me.”
The moment I feel her pussy contract around my cock, I throw my head back and let the last thread of control go, emptying myself inside her.
“Let’s go, Sweetie.”
I left Pippa to finish getting ready while I take the dog for a walk.
Max, Jonas’s dog, was already roaming around the cabin, waiting for his new buddy to make an appearance. As he does most mornings, he follows along while I still keep Sweetie on a leash. I can tell she’s eager to take off with him, but she’s still learning where her boundaries are. I’m worried if I let her go before she responds to commands, she and Max are going to run off and I’ll never see her back. That would kill Pippa, who’s already bonded to this dog.
Who am I kidding? I’m as attached to Sweetie as she is.
As much as she’s already grown since we got her, she’s still very much a pup, sniffing every blade of grass or tree trunk we encounter. I’m not always the most patient man, but I’m forced to be with her. Guess it’s good training for when our daughter arrives. Less than two months to go.
The dog does her business at her preferred spots on our regular morning loop, but starts barking when we approach the rear of the ranch house. Ama is already on the back patio, issuing orders to some of the guys hauling tables and chairs from a delivery trucked parked around the side.
I couldn’t have stopped her if I tried. Ama’s determination is legendary and she is hell-bent on throwing Pippa the perfect, most elaborate baby shower ever.
But it was my wife who insisted it be a co-ed event to the loud groans of most of the guys, myself included. I’d rather have a prostate exam than have to sit through a baby shower, but when Pippa turns those big, pleading eyes on me, I give her whatever the hell she wants.
The whole thing has now turned into some kind of hybrid, baby-shower cookout, with pink fucking balloons and the smell of smoking mesquite brisket. Even the cooler of beer has a pink ribbon and is sitting beside a decorated table stacked with gifts. One glimpse at the excruciatingly pink display will eliminate any ambiguity as to the baby’s sex.
“Come on, Sweetie,” I order the dog. “Let’s go see if your mom is ready.”
“Damn, brother…” Bo claps me on the shoulder, chuckling.
I’m so distracted with the decorations I never noticed him walk up behind me.
“I watched Jonas fall,” he continues. “And Fletch succumbed not long after, but you, my friend, have blown the record in domestication.”
“Fuck off, Bo. Just you wait.”
He shakes his head before stating firmly, “Never.”
“Famous last words,” I toss at him over my shoulder before giving the dog’s leash a tug. “Let’s go, Sweetie.”
Behind me Bo echoes, “Sweetie,” and bursts out laughing.
Asshole.
An hour and a half later, I’m sitting at one of the tables with Thomas, having my first beer—I’m sure I’ll have plenty more before the day is done—when Fletch walks over with Hunter, plunking the baby in my arms before walking away.
“What the hell?” I yell after him.
“Practice,” he fires over his shoulder as he disappears inside.
I look over at Pippa, hoping she’ll rescue me, but she’s sitting with her sister, Alex, Lucy, Ama, and her daughter Una, all laughing hard at something. I don’t have the heart to interrupt them. Pippa has been seeing her therapist, who is helping her embrace joy again. She still struggles with nightmares but they don’t happen as often anymore, and she’s working on regaining some of that fearless zest for life.
Hunter squirms in my arms, clearly uncomfortable as he starts to make a cry face.
“Hold him up against your shoulder. The kid wants to look at something other than your ugly mug,” Thomas educates me.
I do as he suggests, propping the baby against my shoulder with one hand covering his diapered butt. The old man’s right, the sounds coming from the baby are happy little squeals and gurgles. I glance over at my wife again, this time catching her eyes on me, a smile on her face that makes me feel like the luckiest fucker on the face of the earth.
This is good, her enjoying time with family and friends without reservation.
Talking about family, where the hell are Sloane and Isobel? Sloane was driving to Kalispell this morning to pick her mom up from the airport. Isobel is flying in for the shower, but Steve was at some conference this weekend. Lucky bastard.
“Well, y’all can color me surprised,” I hear Thomas mumble.
When I turn to see what he’s referring to, I just catch a glimpse of my niece getting out of her car in front of the cabins. I’m not aware I jerk to my feet until Hunter starts crying at the abrupt movement, I’m too busy staring at my niece dressed in a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office uniform.
“Gimme that baby before ya drop him,” Thomas grumbles, plucking Hunter off me.
My eyes locked on her, I march over to where my sister is getting out of the passenger side.
“What the hell, Sloane?”
“That’s what I said,” Isobel agrees.
“Well, I thought it would be a nice surprise!” Sloane complains, throwing her hands in the air. “I thought you’d be happy I found a direction.”
“A little advance notice you not only decided to move here but secured yourself a dangerous job would’ve been nice,” my sister snaps.
“Whatever, I can’t seem to do anything right.”
“Can someone please get me up to fucking speed here?” I jump in, running out of patience.
“Fine,” Sloane says, rolling her eyes. “Sheriff Ewing stopped by at the Pit Stop last week to get an engine light on his cruiser checked out. He asked if I was interested in law enforcement, given my interest in the investigation into the murders. I told him I was, and he mentioned the sheriff’s department was looking for new recruits. I picked up my uniform this morning and training starts on Monday,” she rattles off.
“And you didn’t mention anything, because?” I prompt her.
“Because, I wanted Mom to be the first to know,” she explains, suddenly emotional.
“Oh, honey,” Isobel coos, pulling Sloane in an embrace.
I can’t keep up with these women and spin around, throwing my arms up in the air, exasperated.
Only to be faced with a smiling Pippa, who must’ve seen me come out here.
“What am I missing?”
Pippa
I bump Sully’s shoulder with mine.
“Lighten up, Eckhart. There’s gonna be cake.”
He’s still glaring at his niece, who decided to go change before we sat down to eat, but when I whisper in his ear his clear blue eyes zoom in on me.
“You’re trying to manipulate me with cake?” he asks, a half-smirk on his lips.
I shrug. “Cake always gets me in a better mood.”
“Honey, you want a guy in a better mood you offer grilled meat or sex,” Sully comments.
“Amen to that,” Thomas contributes, causing my sister to burst out laughing.
“Good God,” Ama mutters. “You old fart, you probably can’t remember what sex was like it’s been so damn long, and grilled meat is not good for your heart.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve probably forgotten more than you’ll ever know,” Thomas returns with a big grin on his face.
“Please,” Sloane pleads, her hands over her ears. “You’re traumatizing me.”
A wave of laughter breaks out in response, making her look even more mortified.
“Ignore them,” Ama and James’s daughter, Una, suggests. “They’re all delusional. Come on, let’s go check out the foals.”
She hooks an arm through Sloane’s, and drags her off in the direction of the barn. I watch them walk away; four years apart, a different ethnic background, one with blond, the other raven-black hair, but they sure have an attitude in common.
“That’s what you can look forward to,” Ama directs at Sully and me with a little too much merriment.
“You’ve got it, sister,” Isobel agrees with Ama, raising her glass before she turns to her brother with an evil smile. “And I can’t wait.”
“All right, where are those gifts?” Alex says after the girls come back from the barn.
She walks over to the table decorated in pink balloons and covered with presents. I find this part a little embarrassing, but with a wink from my sister—who had to go through the same thing only a few months ago—and Sully’s reassuring hand rubbing the small of my back, I start unwrapping gifts.
Clothes, a high chair, a Diaper Genie, books, toys, an extra base for the car seat so both Sully and I have one in our trucks, a super cool leather diaper bag from Ama, and finally a pair of pink cowboy boots and a little pink Stetson from Thomas. That man brings me to tears.
I’m about to excuse myself to splash some cold water on my face when Sully slides a small box onto the table in front of me. Suddenly my heart is hammering in my throat. Ridiculous, since we’re already married, but there’s something weighted about the way he’s looking at me.
“What’s that?”
“You were unconscious, looked like hell, weighed no more than a bag of bones, and still there was something about you that both pulled me in and scared me shitless.”
I open my mouth a few times, but never get a chance to react because Thomas jumps in for me.
“Son, I suggest you get to the good stuff ‘cause it don’t look like you’re making headway.”
“Gettin’ to it, old man,” Sully retorts.
“Wasting what little time I have left, young buck.”
Sully shakes his head but doesn’t bother firing back, giving Thomas the last word. Then he turns back to me, taking my hand and kissing the palm before he continues.
“I may have been in denial, but even while I was doing my best to avoid you, I realized the kind of impact you could have on my life. Resistance was futile.” He grins at me and shakes his head. “Fuck, Honey, you’re gonna have to stop this crying.”
I give his shoulder a shove.
“Then quit being nice to me,” I whine to everyone’s hilarity.
My sister laughs hardest—traitor—but when I glare at her I notice mine aren’t the only eyes not dry.
“Swear I’m almost done,” he says, picking up the small box. My eyes are locked to the pretty diamond band he plucks out between thumb and forefinger. “It’s a little too late for a proposal, but I’d like to think we would’ve made our way to this point regardless.” He slides it on my finger. “This is a promise I make in front of our friends and family; you own me and I’ll spend the rest of my life striving to deserve you.”
It’s not until later when we walk back to the cabin, I realize I’ve been so overwhelmed I never thanked him. I step around him and block his way, putting my hands on his chest as I tilt my head back.
“I love you, Sullivan Eckhart. You are the absolute best mistake I ever made.”