Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I don’t know what to do,” she said.
“I do.” Liam picked her up and carried her to the bed. Stood her up beside the bed and began stripping off her clothes. She wore jeans and a T-shirt. First the shirt. He began pushing it up. Though Val helped him she said, “Don’t we need to—”
“We need to make love,” he interrupted. He finished taking off her shirt, unhooked her bra and threw it aside. Then he gathered her into his arms and took her mouth in a deep, intense kiss. He felt her melting against him, felt her excitement growing as his did. Not that he needed help. All he had to do was look at Val and he was ready.
Val spread her hands over his chest. “Have I told you how much I love your chest?”
He laughed. “Not in words.” But she had by her actions. When she trailed her hands over him as if she wanted to learn him, to sink into him, it drove him wild. He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and watched her wiggle out of them. Soon, she was naked, and he dropped his towel and pushed her gently back on the bed. He played with her breasts, with his hands and mouth, teasing and sucking her nipples until they were hard points. Then he kissed his way down her torso. At her stomach he paused, appreciating the small swell. She wasn’t showing yet, but when she was naked he could see a change in her.
“Does it bother you?”
He slid a finger inside her, appreciating her gasp of pleasure. “Does what bother me?”
“That I’m pudgy.”
“Does it feel like anything bothers me?” He pushed his finger in and out in a slow rhythm.
“Um, no.” She lifted her hips and groaned.
“You’re not pudgy. You’re pregnant. And—” he kissed her tummy “—it sounds corny but you really are glowing.”
“If I am it’s because of you. Because you make me happy.”
So, no more talk of breaking up. He wasn’t sure what he’d have to do to assuage her worries, but he’d figure out something.
“When you’re naked I can’t think of anything except getting inside you.”
“Works for me,” she said, smiling at him.
He laughed again and rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “Show me.”
She rubbed against his hard length, slick, wet and ready for him. He caressed her breasts, heavier and more lush now that she was further along in her pregnancy. She leaned down and kissed him, her tongue seeking his, darting inside his mouth and tormenting him with her kisses, with her body.
“Val, you’re killing me.” If he didn’t get inside her, sink himself into her, it was all going to be over in about thirty seconds. And then she sank down on his cock, pulled up and sank down again. Riding him slowly, her head thrown back in abandon. She looked amazing, a woman enjoying her sensuality.
He felt her shatter, heard her cry out, and let himself come, spilling inside her endlessly. Val collapsed onto his chest, her head buried between his neck and shoulder. He tugged her head back and gazed into her eyes, blue as the Montana sky, and right now glazed with the aftermath of passion. “I love you.” He waited, wanting, just once, to hear her say it.
But she didn’t.
*
The next day was Christmas Eve. Liam was in Moondance’s stall with the mare and her foal when he heard Connor calling him.
“Liam, where are you?”
“In the foaling stall. Do you have today off?” he asked as his brother appeared. As a flight paramedic Connor worked odd hours.
“Three days off, starting today,” Connor said, entering the stall.
“How’d you swing that?”
“I have no idea,” he said and they both laughed.
Liam tossed him a brush. “Here, brush Moondance for me.” Connor took it and started brushing the mare.
They worked in silence for a bit. Liam was messing with the foal, touching her, stroking her, lifting her feet, in general getting her accustomed to the things she’d need to learn and to tolerate as she got older. They’d named her Penny since she was a coppery color. Liam loved all his animals, but this little foal held a special place in his heart. She knew him and would follow him around like a puppy whenever he let her. And she was Moondance’s first foal, and Blackjack’s progeny. His broodmare and stallion he was building his business on.
Knowing his brother heard a lot of the gossip around town, he asked him, “Have you heard any rumors about Val and the baby?”
“Rumors as in…”
“As in it’s not my baby.”
“Oh, that.”
“Yeah, that. That son of a bitch Trent has been telling people he’s the baby’s father. Not sure how many people believe him.”
“Shit. He’s such a turd. I’ve heard rumblings, but everyone knows you’re my brother and Val is my sister-in-law. I don’t think they’d be likely to say much to me. What I did hear were conversations I overheard. Which means it’s all over the hospital.”
Probably true. Logan had probably heard things too although he hadn’t gotten around to asking him. “Val’s gotten it into her head that we need to break up. She thinks if Trent knows I’m no longer part of her life and the baby’s life, he’ll stop harassing her and leave her and the baby alone. She’s convinced he’s only doing it to spite me.”
“He probably is. So what did you say when she told you she thought you should break up?”
“What do you think I said? I said no. And then I convinced her there was no way we were breaking up. Even so, she’s still worried.”
Connor rubbed his chin. “What do you think? Does she have reason to be?”
He shrugged. “I think she could be right. The bastard hates me. He’s pretty damn irrational about it. But I’m not losing my marriage over anything that son of a bitch does or says.”
“Because you’re in love with her.”
“Duh.”
“Just checking,” Connor said with a smile. “I figured that would happen when you told me you were marrying her.”
Liam hadn’t, which he supposed wasn’t very bright of him. But now he was totally in love with Val and the baby. Truthfully, it hadn’t taken him long once they married. Even before they made love, he’d started falling for her. He wanted the life that being married to Val and being a father to her baby would give him. And even though she hadn’t said it, he believed Val wanted that too. He didn’t believe she could be so sweet and responsive to him unless she cared about him. Unless she loved him, but something was preventing her from acknowledging that. Was it all about fear of what Harvey would do or was there another reason?
“Why did Val bring this up now? It’s almost Christmas Eve, for God’s sake. She’s going to let that shit ruin Christmas?”
“Because she—we—had another run-in with Trent. Yesterday, here at the barn.” And he wasn’t sure that he’d totally wiped the idea of them breaking up out of her mind.
“What happened?”
“Son of a bitch implied—no, he basically said—we could buy him off. If we made it worth his while he’d give up his parental rights.”
“Damn. I knew he was scum but this is unbelievable even for him.” He looked at Liam carefully. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“Hell, no. The shithead would drain us dry. And almost certainly still not give up his parental rights. We can’t trust anything he says.”
Connor nodded his head in agreement. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. We told all the parents the truth, figuring it was better they hear it from us than from the inevitable gossip once Trent started running his mouth.”
“Uh-oh. How did that go?”
“Like you’d expect. Her dad is not happy, to say the least. He hasn’t forgiven Val yet. You know how strict he is. To hear that Val had sex before marriage was bad enough, but then she married a man who isn’t even the father of her child?” He shook his head. “I came down on him pretty hard when he started berating Val.”
“Bet that was fun.”
Connor knew and respected Mr. Fletcher as the whole family did. He was a good man and a good neighbor, even if he was old-fashioned. “Yeah, not so much. Her mom has been great, though, and she’s working on Val’s father. And of course, Riley is working on him too. Our mom wasn’t shocked. She’d already heard talk.”
“That’s not surprising. Either Mom or Velma hears all the gossip in Marietta. What are you going to do about Mr. Fletcher?”
“Hope that he comes around. Preferably before Christmas.” Although that didn’t leave much time. “Val tries to act like her father’s attitude doesn’t bother her, but I know it does. When she goes to the Fletcher ranch she sees her mom and Riley but her father refuses to have anything to do with her.”
Connor winced. “Damn, that’s harsh.”
“Tell me about it. But it hasn’t been that long since we told them. He loves Val so I bet he’ll come around.”
He had a Christmas present for Val. A painting of Starlight that he’d commissioned Mia Gallagher to paint. But there were two other things that would be the best presents ever. Getting Val’s father to forgive her and getting Trent to either sign over his rights, or failing that, decide he didn’t want the hassle and expense that would go with him claiming Val’s baby.
Or he would claim paternity because he knew Liam would hate that. If he did, though, they’d work it out. Because he wasn’t giving up his family. Not for any reason but sure as hell not because of anything that bastard Trent did.