Chapter 30
A shriek of laughter floated out of the house to the driveway. Apple smiled as he grabbed his bag from the back of the car. Lainey was feeling better. It had only been a few days since he’d stayed up with her to make sure she was okay, and now she was running around the house laughing.
He opened the door, and Lainey turned, her eyes wide. “Apple is home. Yippee!”
She bounded over, jumping up as he reached down to catch her. “Hey, sweetie, how are you doing today?”
“Better. I get to go back to school on Monday.”
“That's awesome. We'll hang out and relax this weekend, so we know you're better.”
Amelia wiped her hands on a towel, smiling as she came over. “It was a good day today.”
“That’s good.” He leaned in and hugged her.
They weren’t kissing in front of Lainey yet, but they were talking about letting Lainey know they were a thing.
He thought she was kind of getting it. She at least saw them hug more than once.
Also, she’d come downstairs and seen them snuggled up on the couch.
She knew Amelia was sleeping in the same room as he did.
But a four-year-old may not understand exactly what that meant.
“I have the class tomorrow morning.”
He nodded. “I remember. Lainey and I will hang out here. I’m proud of you for doing this. I think it will be great.”
Her chuckle warmed him. He liked that she had found something she seemed to like.
“Oh.” She grabbed onto his arm, her smile big. “I have an interview on Monday with a realtor whose office is about ten minutes from here.”
“That’s nice.”
“They are excited to talk to me since I've already begun the process. They told me that most people who want jobs don't want to do the classes until after they are hired. They were impressed that I've already worked through most of the class.”
“That’s great. I hope they hire you.”
“If you work, Mommy, what will I do in the afternoon?”
Apple answered before Amelia could. “I get off work at three. And if your mom is running late, I can get you. We’ll figure something out. You’ll have someone to take care of you.”
“Avery is right.”
“I’m going to take a shower real quick. I’ll be out here in a few.”
Lainey waited until Avery was in the bathroom with the door shut before she started asking questions. “Why do you call him Avery? His name is Apple.”
Amelia chuckled. “I like Avery. I knew him as Avery long before people called him Apple.”
Lainey narrowed her gaze. “How did you know him?”
Amelia wondered when the questions would really start.
She’d accepted that Avery was her father very easily.
She’d not asked too many questions when she got home from being abducted, she’d accepted them sleeping in the same room.
Lainey was smart, but she eventually asked hard hitting questions, and she guessed this was the start of the question period.
“We dated.”
“How long did you know him before you dated?”
The truth wasn’t something she wanted Lainey to really know. She and Avery had hooked up the night they met. That wasn’t when she got pregnant, though. She was his booty call, and she’d liked being the one he called when he wanted some.
They weren't serious back then. She probably got with him four or five times, and there were weeks between when they got together.
It was really casual, and when she figured out he had Tara in his life, there was no jealousy.
It was more like indifference. She figured if he wanted to be a part of her baby's life, he would come to her.
She hadn't expected Tara to keep it a secret.
She should have known better. Then everything seemed to come together for her with Dena living with her.
No, Dena wasn't Lainey's parent, but she picked up the slack and helped out.
She smiled, realizing she needed to answer her daughter. “A little while.”
Lainey narrowed her eyes again. “How did he not know about me?”
Amelia shrugged. “We weren’t that close, and then he was gone from my life.”
Lainey gave her that look that told Amelia she didn’t like the answer given. Lainey would probably ask Avery later about their relationship. Maybe they should coordinate on the information they shared.
Should she start calling him Apple? That's what he went by with his friends. Did he even like the name Avery? He still spoke with his parents, so she didn't think he had issues with his past, but maybe the name Apple fit him better now.
The shower shut off, and she smiled to herself.
Lainey would probably end up in bed closer to eight, though it was the weekend.
She knew from the other times Lainey had been sick she would probably have one day of feeling bad again.
She often did way too much once she started feeling better, but her body wasn’t ready for the level of activity and whatever illness she had hit back.
Amelia tried to keep Lainey calm when she was sick, but her daughter was a whirlwind, and she guessed Lainey needed to learn from experience. Eventually, she would figure out what worked and what didn't.
Avery came out of the bedroom dressed in a blue t-shirt and shorts that hit him about mid-thigh. He looked good and heat slid through her. She had to look away because they couldn’t do anything until Lainey was in bed.
“I cut up vegetables for tacos. I just need to heat the meat. I cooked it earlier today.”
“Ah, I was wondering why it smelled so good in here. I’m hungry. Can we eat some now?”
“Sure. Lainey, would you like some taco meat?”
“Yes.”
She heated the meat and set out the vegetables and sauces then heated the tortillas while Avery listened to Lainey talk about her day.
Her daughter didn’t like to eat tacos that were put together, but she enjoyed eating everything in a bowl.
Eating tacos was difficult to master, and Lainey didn’t like the mess.
Amelia didn’t mind since it meant she had less to clean up.
Avery lifted an eyebrow when he saw the two bowls Amelia brought over but didn't say anything. He'd picked up on the fact that Lainey had quirks and hadn't made fun of her. It would be easy to make fun of her, but she appreciated how he just rolled with the flow and didn't say anything.
When she’d been pregnant she’d read up on how kids had quirks and didn’t like to be made fun of because of them.
It made sense. She still remembered her parents making fun of her dislike of potato salad when she was a kid.
Of course now she liked potato salad, but the teasing had stuck with her for so long that she didn’t want to repeat that with her child.
“We’re ready to eat,” Amelia said.
Avery came over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for making dinner.”
“It wasn't difficult, and I enjoy cooking.”
“So do I. I want to make dinner this weekend. Maybe lasagna.”
“Oh, that’s ambitious.”
He flashed a disarming smile. “I like the intricacies of making the dish. It’s fun.”
“Do I like lasagna?” Lainey asked.
Amelia nodded. “I think you will. It has tomato sauce, noodles, cheese, and meat.”
“I think you’ll like it,” Avery said.
Lainey nodded. “Okay. I’ll try hard to like it.”
Avery shrugged. “You don’t have to. If you don’t like it, you don’t.”
“I like the eggs you make. I’ll probably like this.”
“Good. I can’t wait to make it for you.”
They sat around the table, eating tacos.
Apple watched how Lainey took a bite from one bowl, then a bite from the other.
He wasn't going to say anything about her not putting the taco together.
He loved his parents, but his dad had been rude about food.
He had to eat exactly what his mother made, and if he said one word of complaint, he would be punished.
Punishments ranged from no food that night to cleaning the entire house.
It just depended on how bad of a day his father had.
He'd learned quickly to never complain about food.
Though that attitude got him through training, and served him well as a SEAL, it also made him not trust his parents with how he really felt about things.
He hadn’t told them he was joining the Navy.
He hadn’t said anything to them about doing BUDs.
He kept the truth about his life from them.
Heck, he hadn’t told them about Amelia and Lainey for any reason other than he didn’t trust them.
He didn't want that with Lainey. If she had a kid, he would want to know about it. How would his parents react? Since he didn't know, he wasn't keen on telling them yet. Maybe in a few months, he would call them and tell them about his kid.
Lainey grew tired early, and Amelia had her bathe early before putting her to bed. When Amelia came downstairs, her gaze locked onto his. The heat in her gaze was obvious, and he had to adjust a little so his hard-on wasn't so visible as she came over.
“Hey,” Amelia said as she sat next to him, her hand on his leg.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Want to fool around?”
Her words were so suggestive his cock grew harder. “Oh yeah.”
“Good. Lainey shouldn’t wake up, but we should still go to your room.”
He stood and scooped her up. Her laughter felt just right. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed before turning to shut the door. When he turned back around, she was right in front of him, her hands on the waistband of his pants.
He wanted to ask if she was sure, but he said nothing. Part of her healing was not questioning her every move. Making it seem as normal as possible for her to be doing what she wanted.
When she wrapped her fingers around his cock, he moaned as his head dropped back. When her lips landed on the tip of his cock, his whole body jerked. If she had just been some hookup, he would probably have been rougher, but he let Amelia set the pace.
She wrapped her lips around him and sucked him deep into her mouth so the tip hit the back of her throat. It didn’t surprise him that she pulled off and focused on licking his dick instead of sucking him. It all felt good.
If she kept this up, he would blow. Maybe that’s what she wanted. A moan escaped his lips, and he felt her lips spread into a smile.
“If you keep this up, I’m going to come.”
She moaned against his cock. “We don’t want that yet.” She stood and pulled him close. “I want you inside me.”
“That’s where I want to be.”
She pulled off her shirt and bra as he pushed her shorts and underwear low. She’d gained back some of the weight she’d lost and looked good. She always looked good.
He crawled onto the bed with her and let her settle on top of him. She sat back slowly, his cock brushing over her entrance. He liked that she wanted to take the lead. It was different from what he was used to, but he really liked watching her boobs jiggle as she bounced on top of him.
“I’m so close,” he moaned as she slowly rode him.
She didn't let up. Instead, she kept moving, her body writhing above him, looking incredibly sexy as she moved. The pace was driving him crazy, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up.
He moved his hand so his thumb was on her clit. Her eyes closed, and she threw her head back. He loved seeing the blush of desire travel up her neck to her face. He flicked his thumb over her clit again, and she gasped. He did it again as her mouth felt open.
She stopped moving as her pussy pulsed around him. He couldn’t hold back and came. After they came, she dropped to the mattress beside him.
“That felt good,” Amelia whispered.
“It really did.”
Amelia liked being with Avery. She hadn't known him well before she'd gotten pregnant, but he was a good guy.
Being with him was fun. She liked his laid-back view of life and how he enjoyed just being with her.
Maybe if she'd gotten to know him better, she would have done more to tell him about Lainey.
“Do you want to have more kids?” she asked, unsure what she wanted his response to be.
He shrugged. “I don't know. Kids are expensive. I like Lainey, but that doesn't mean I want another one.”
She nodded, understanding his answer. One kid was great. Two would mean twice the problems. They might not get along, and Lainey needed attention. If she had another kid, that child would take her attention. “I don't know that I want to have more kids.”
Avery nodded. “I think that’s my answer then. Since you have to carry the baby, I think you have a bigger say in us having one.”
“Us. I like that thought.”
He rolled to his side and went up on his elbow so he could look down at her. “I want there to be an us.”
Amelia studied his face. She lifted her hand and traced a finger over his cheek. “You’re so beautiful.”
His lips tipped up in a smile. “Thank you.”
“Not too feminine, is it?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m secure enough for you to call me beautiful. Makes me feel good that you like how I look.”
“I do like how you look, but that’s not all I like about you.”
“I like how kind you are. You are so good with Lainey, and you’re nice to me.”
She shrugged. “It’s easier to be nice.”
“Not everyone thinks that way. Some people are just mean.”
Thoughts of being abducted took hold, and a shiver snaked through her. “I’ve met a few of those.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “You’re an amazing person.”
She sat up. “I should at least pull on a shirt and underwear just in case Lainey comes down here looking for me.”
His chuckle warmed her. “Yeah. I don’t want to scare her.”
She held out her hand and reached for him. He grabbed on and sat up, standing without actually pulling on her hand. She marveled at how strong he was. His body moved like a machine, and it was incredibly sexy, but she needed to focus on getting dressed instead of getting him back into bed.
Being with Avery was better than she’d expected.
She should have done more when she got pregnant.
At first, she’d contemplated not keeping Lainey.
Being a single mom was hard like she’d known it would be.
She was glad she’d made the decision she had.
Having Lainey in her life was worth it all.
If she had to do it all over again, she would do the same thing.
Maybe if she could go back, she would have gone to Avery and made sure he knew about her pregnancy, but maybe not.
Would they have stayed together? She had grown in the last few years and become a different person, and so had he.
Back then, they'd only wanted to get off; now, they wanted to get together.
Her life was moving in the right direction.
Everything seemed to be falling into place.
Nothing bad would happen now, not with Avery by her side.