Chapter 21 – Shane
She doesn’t even need to say the words because I can tell by the smile on her face. She’s pregnant.
“I’m pregnant,” she says, confirming what I’ve suspected for a few weeks now. Her eyes light up, and her lips curve into a beaming smile. “We’re having another baby.”
This is exactly the good news we need after the hell we’ve been through. I want to pull her into my arms. I want to wrap myself around her body. But I can’t do any of those things. Instead, I reach for her hand. “How do you feel?”
“About the same as usual, I guess. Some morning sickness. Not much of an appetite. You know, the usual.”
I press my hand to her lower belly. Our baby’s in here. “Do you know how far along you are?”
“I’m guessing about seven weeks, maybe eight. I’ll make an appointment soon to see Dr. Shaw. She’ll take measurements and give us a due date.”
My chest tightens. Andrew Morton is no longer a threat to my wife, and we’re going to welcome a new baby. I couldn’t ask for more. “Come here, sweetheart.”
She moves closer, and I lean in to kiss her, my lips gliding over her soft ones. Before the kiss gets too involved, there’s a knock on the door.
Beth jumps up and goes to open it. “It’s Tyler!” she says as she lets her brother in.
After hugging his sister, Tyler walks into the room dressed in his undertaker’s suit.
“Still pissed, I see,” I say, referring to his austere black suit.
He shrugs. “You could say that. I spent a while at the police station giving a statement.” He approaches me from the other side of the bed. “It’s good to see you on the mend.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I want to thank you for what you did. Beth told me what happened, and that you ended Andrew. I’ll never be able to repay you for what you did for us. You saved Beth when I couldn’t.”
Beth makes a sound of protest. “Shane—”
Tyler shakes his head. “You took a bullet for her—you did the hard part. I got the easy job. You saved my sister.” Tyler reaches out, and we clasp hands. “I’d say that makes us even.”
I glance at Beth. “Does he know our good news?”
Smiling, she shakes her head. “I didn’t want to tell anyone until after you knew.”
“Can I tell him?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what?” Tyler asks, his brow furrowing. “I could use some good news after the past couple of days.”
“Beth’s expecting,” I tell him. “You didn’t just save her, you saved our child, too.”
“Well, damn,” he says. “Congratulations.”
* * *
For the next two days, I work my ass off. My first achievement is getting that damn catheter out now that I’m able to walk to the bathroom on my own two legs.
Oscar visits me a couple times a day, and it’s not long before he has me walking up and down the hallway, from the nurse’s station all the way to the waiting room.
I’m in the process of walking down the hall, taking slow, shuffling steps with Beth at my side, when I encounter Dr. Markowski.
“I was just on my way to see you,” she says. “I’m glad to see you up and about.”
“I’m highly motivated. I want to go home.”
“That’s what I hear. Well, I think it’s time. Your sutures are healing nicely, and there’s still no sign of infection. I’ll write up your release orders, as well as orders to receive physical therapy at home. You need to keep building up your strength and stamina.”
“Whatever it takes,” I say.
Later that day, I’m officially released. Beth wheels me down to the exit, where Cooper is waiting with the Escalade. With their help, I’m able to climb up into the back passenger seat. Beth joins me, and Cooper drives us home.
When I walk into the house, I’m greeted by two very excited children. Luke races up to me, wraps his arms around my knees, and holds on for dear life. Ingrid is holding Ava, who bursts into tears as soon as she sees me.
“Dada!” she cries, her arms outstretched as she practically throws herself at me.
I feel like shit because I’m not strong enough to hold her yet. Instead, I reach out and cup her cheek. “Hey, baby girl. I missed you.”
“Dada,” she cries, still reaching for me. She doesn’t understand why I’m not taking her into my arms.
“Do you want to lie down?” Beth asks me.
“Not right now. I want to sit on the sofa and hold my kids.”
I slowly make my way through the kitchen to the family room and sit down carefully on the sofa, trying hard not to jar my abdomen. Luke comes to sit beside me, and Ingrid brings Ava over to see me. Ingrid sits Ava next to me, on my other side.
As soon as Ingrid releases her, Ava climbs onto my lap, leans back against me, and peers up at me. “Dada,” she says, smiling contentedly.
“It’s okay,” I say when Ingrid moves to pick Ava up. “She’s fine.”
Beth fawns over me, offering me food and drink.
Cooper and Sam join us in the family room, and suddenly, everything is right in our world.
Beth comes to sit beside me. “Mom, we have some big news for you.”
“You mean bigger than the fact Shane is home? What is it?” Ingrid asks.
I press my hand to Beth’s lower belly. “We’re expecting.”
Ingrid’s eyes light up. “Oh, my goodness! How wonderful!”
“Expecting what, Daddy?” Luke asks, gazing up at me with the innocence of a child.
“A baby.”
His eyes widen. “We’re having a baby?” He looks past me to Beth. “Are you sure? Mama’s belly isn’t very big. Not like Aunt Annie’s belly. It’s huge.”
I laugh. “Please don’t let your Aunt Annie hear you say that.”
* * *
As a welcome home present to me, Sam and Cooper grill burgers and bake some potatoes on the back patio for a late dinner. We eat outside, and I celebrate with a cold beer. I’m done with the pain meds, at least the prescription ones, so I figure one beer is allowed.
After dinner, Ingrid says goodnight to us, gives everyone a kiss, and heads across the street to her home. She is undoubtedly exhausted from taking care of the kids while we were in the hospital.
Sam and Cooper say goodnight, too, disappearing into their suite of rooms. They haven’t seen a lot of each other while Cooper stayed with Beth in the hospital, and I’m sure they have a lot of lost time to make up for.
When the grandfather clock in the family room chimes eight times, Luke asks me if I’m going to put him in bed and read stories to him.
“I’m sorry, buddy, but I don’t think I’m up for that quite yet.”
Luke frowns, clearly disappointed.
“How about I help you get ready for bed,” Beth suggests, “and Daddy can read your stories to you right here on the sofa?”
“Yeah!” Luke cries as he races to his room. “I’ll get my PJs.”
We manage to make do, between the two of us.
Beth gets the kids washed up and ready for bed.
I sit with them on the sofa afterward and read them stories.
As Ava starts to get sleepy, Beth picks her up and settles with her on the rocking chair so she can nurse her.
It’s the first time Ava has nursed from her mother in a couple of days.
After the kids are asleep, Beth helps me walk to our bedroom. I’ve still got bandages around my torso, so a shower is out of the question. I’d give anything for a long, hot shower right now.
Instead, Beth directs me to sit on the edge of the big garden tub, which she fills with warm, soapy water. She grabs a washcloth, wets it, and gives me a sponge bath. She even manages to wash my hair.
Feeling her hands on me stirs a part of my body I didn’t know was up for it.
“How does that feel?” she asks when she’s done.
“That felt wonderful, but do you know what I’d like even more?”
She seems confused. “What?”
“I’d like to watch you climb into that tub and take a bath, nice and slow.”
Beth grins. “I think you’ve been out of bed long enough. I think you need to lie down and relax while I take a quick shower—alone.”
I frown. “Now you’re just being cruel.”
She steps closer and cups my face before she kisses me. “I want you to rest so you can get well.”
After she helps me do all the things I need to do before getting in bed, I do as she suggested, lying in bed, listening to the water running as she takes her shower.
When she comes out of the bathroom, her beautiful blonde hair is hanging loosely past her shoulders.
She’s wearing a Kingston Medical School T-shirt that doesn’t quite reach her ass, and nothing else.
That T-shirt never looked better.
She turns off the lights and climbs into bed, lying on her side to face me. She rests her hand high up on my chest, north of the bandages. I try to roll onto my side so I can face her, but the movement brings a grimace to my face, the pain making me wince.
“Lie on your back,” she says, going up on her elbow to face me. “I think you’re rushing things, Shane. Give your body a chance to heal. Abdominal surgery is serious.”
“I haven’t been able to touch you in days,” I complain.
When she starts running her fingers gently across my upper chest, over my clavicles and shoulders, I sigh and close my eyes, enjoying her touch. Soon, her fingertips move up to my face, and she strokes my cheeks and forehead. She traces the line of my brow, the bridge of my nose, and my lips.
“I touched your face like this when you were sedated,” she says quietly.
“I was desperate for you to wake up and talk to me.” She’s quiet a moment, and when she resumes talking, I can hear the pain in her voice.
“I was so afraid I lost you. When Tyler was driving us to the hospital, and you were in the ambulance, it broke my heart to think you might die without me there to hold you and tell you how much I love you.”
Her voice breaks, and when I turn my head to face her, I see tears pooling in her eyes.
“I was so scared I could hardly breathe,” she says as tears spill over her lids.
“Come here,” I say.
Beth leans closer. She tastes like peppermint and sunshine when she presses her lips to mine. I nudge her lips apart and slip my tongue inside. We kiss slowly, deeply, for a good while, both of us wanting this reconnection. Needing it.
She surprises me when she slips her hand beneath the sheet and gently strokes my penis from root to tip. My body responds instantly, my dick hardening at her touch.
When I attempt to reach for her, she says, “Just lie back.”
“Beth—”
“Relax and lie still, or I’ll stop, and we can just go to sleep.”
“Fine,” I say as my frustration builds. I want to touch her, damn it. I want to make love to my wife.
She moves her hand slowly up and down my length. Instantly, I’m hard. My body might be fucked up right now, but my dick still knows what to do.
Her movements are slow as she drives up my arousal. When her fingertips capture a bit of precum at the tip, she uses that to lubricate her palm.
I groan.
When she leans down to kiss my right nipple, a jolt of electricity shoots down my spine straight to my balls.
My gaze is locked on the sight of her hand on my cock. When she releases me and reaches between her legs, I about lose my fucking mind. She dips her fingers between her legs, coating them in her silky wetness, and returns to stroking me.
She’s using her own arousal as lubricant.
I groan. “You’re killing me,” I mutter roughly.
She chuckles, well aware of the effect she’s having on me. “Shh. No talking. Just relax, remember? Lie back and close your eyes.”
She’s killing me.
Her hand glides easily up and down my erection now, thanks to her own personal brand of lubrication. That alone is such a turn-on it’s enough to make me come. My cock is engorged, thick and throbbing, and I’m desperate for release. My sac tightens as it draws up, signaling my climax is coming.
Pressure wells up in my balls, and I groan. I’m so close!
Right before I come, she draws me deep into her hot, wet mouth.
“Beth, fuck!” I cry out roughly as my cock hits the back of her throat.
Gripping her hair tightly with one hand, I come in her mouth, and she swallows it down.
My dick spasms over and over, pulsing as I spurt repeatedly into her.
Her hand gently strokes up and down the length of my erection, drawing out my pleasure.
I’m breathing so hard I can barely speak. “Sweetheart, I—”
“Shh,” she says, chuckling softly. “Sleep.”
I’m so sexually sated, I can’t keep my eyes open. I want to return the favor. I want to make her come, too. As I fall asleep with her head on my shoulder, I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive.
I survived a shooting, and I’ll get another chance to live my life alongside the woman who owns my heart and soul.