Chapter 17
Garrett stood between my legs, and it felt like my world came crashing down when he removed his lips from my pussy.
But that changed altogether when he started unbuttoning his shirt and revealed the most stunning sight I’d ever seen. I mean fuck me sideways, he was everything and I just wanted to run my fingers through his dark chest hair. He was pure man, and I was drooling for it.
He held my gaze as he worked on undoing his belt. Honestly, on our first night together, I should be more poised, but my fingers found my nipples as he pushed his pants down, his erection springing from the movement.
Uh, was I actively drooling? Garrett was the lumberjack version of Adonis, and I was without a doubt about to be ruined for any other man.
“Is this what you wanted, Daze?”
“Mmm, mhm,”
I nodded, clicking my teeth together as I stared at the stunning man in front of me. I released my peaked nipples and crawled to the edge of the bed, running a long finger over his erection, watching Garrett shudder at the whisper of a touch.
I peered up at him, giving him just long enough to realize what was about to happen before wrapping my lips around his length, stroking him ever so slowly with my tongue.
“Fuck, Lucy.”
His fingers wove into my hair, pulling just tight enough to verge between pain and pleasure.
I continued, spelling my name around him with my tongue, stroking the base with my hand and glanced up to find him watching me.
If I wasn’t a goner before, I certainly was now.
“Get on the bed, Lucy.”
I willfully ignored him and continued picking up my pace.
“Dammit.”
He grunted as he pulled away only to slam his lips against mine, leaning into me until I was on my back on his mattress, and he was towering over me.
“Are you on birth control?”
“I am.” I nodded.
“Good,”
was all he said before lining himself up and sliding into me, my body stretching around him.
“Fuck.”
I gasped as he began moving slowly.
His grip on my hips tightened as he dropped his forehead to mine and groaned.
“Garrett, if you don’t move, I am going to scream, and not from an orgasm.”
I gripped his arms, eyes rolling back, as he pushed all the way into me and held the position.
“I won’t last if I go faster.”
He groaned as I flexed my inner walls around him.
“Fuck me, Garrett. Don’t you dare hold back.”
Whatever notion had been holding him back completely disintegrated. Garrett’s hand found my neck while the other held my hip and he found a rhythm that was enough to send me careening off the edge and gasping for air. That hand on my hip crept its way up to my breast, fingers pinching my nipple. He continued until we were both toppling over the cliff of ecstasy and panting in the bed beside one another.
Stars. I was seeing stars, and my limbs were jelly. We laid in each other’s arms, catching our breath.
Garrett smacked my ass and said, “You stayed quiet.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Of course I did.”
“Do you want to hop in the shower?”
He rolled onto his elbow and smoothed the hair out of my eyes, smiling down at me.
“Sure, but I need to use the restroom first.”
He pointed to the door in the far-left corner. Smiling, I pressed a kiss to his cheek and went to clean myself up.
Once done, I opened the door, leaning against the frame with my arms over my chest. “You ready?”
He grinned as he took me in, pausing to stare at my breasts before returning his gaze to mine. He strode towards me, running a hand over my abdomen and guiding us into the bathroom. “You’re so beautiful, Lucy.”
I blushed, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Keep that up and we’ll be going for round two in the shower.”
“Who said that wasn’t my goal?”
He winked, bending to start the water.
I couldn’t help myself; I smacked his amazing ass…and grinned ear to ear when he turned to glare at me.
As it would turn out, round two was indeed his goal and thank goodness he had an oversized shower because that was hands down the best shower sex I’d ever had. Afterward, he took his time washing me, and I him.
I had just pulled on an oversized shirt and a pair of Garrett’s sweats when Liam woke up crying.
Garrett swatted my butt as we left the room. Walking down the hallway together, we parted ways as I went to soothe Liam, and he went to check on his mom and the girls.
Liam fell back asleep quickly, content to be tucked between pillows. I pressed a kiss to his forehead and made my way to the living room. The girls were both still asleep and Garrett was getting a drink.
“I think I’ll stay with the girls on the couch, if you don’t mind,”
I said as I took a seat on a stool.
“Are you sure?”
Garrett frowned, setting his cup on the island.
“I never got to discuss us as an item with Eve. I need to respect that. I don’t want her to wake up in a strange house and her mom be in a man’s room.”
“But you were in my room.”
He smirked, earning a swat on the arm. “Ow,”
he teased as he rubbed the spot I hit. “I understand. But if you change your mind, my door will be open.”
“Noted. Goodnight, Garrett.”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek.
He gripped my chin tenderly between his thumb and pointer finger, pressing a soft kiss on my lips. “Goodnight, Daze.”
He made his way back to his room and I sighed. Sleeping in his arms would have been the icing on top of the cake, but ultimately this was the right call. Right?
Carefully, I tiptoed into the living room and joined the girls on the couch, covering us all beneath the quilt on the back.
Eve wiggled, eyes peering up at me.
“Hey,”
I whispered as I laid my head on the arm of the sofa.
“Hey,”
she replied sleepily, studying me with those wise eyes. “Do you love him?”
Well, on the list of what I was prepared to discuss, that wasn’t it. I admired her candidness. I don’t know that I would have asked my parents that question.
The answer didn’t really require any thought. “I’ve always loved Garrett, but I think the type of love I have for him has evolved.”
She glanced down the hallway. “He seems kind.”
“He always has been.”
“He doesn’t force dumb conversations,”
she whispered.
I smirked. “No, he’s okay with comfortable silence.”
“Dad hated silence,”
Eve remembered.
I chuckled. “He really did.”
“Would Dad be mad if I said I think it’s okay if you date Garrett?”
I took her hand in mine. “I ask myself that every day. I think your dad would be happy that we were finding happiness and that he knew the man we were finding it with.”
“I think I’m okay with you dating Garrett.”
I smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you sure?”
She smiled sleepily and nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
She stretched as she yawned, Kaley still sleeping in her arms. “Can you go sleep in his with Liam or something? You’re like taking up the whole couch.”
I sputtered and gasped. “Wow, Eve.”
She smiled and blew me a kiss. “Goodnight, Mom.”
“Goodnight, goofball. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She snuggled Kaley and closed her eyes. Grinning to myself, I made my way back to Garrett’s room, pausing to check on Liam. He was out, sucking on his thumb. I closed the door and turned to knock on Garrett’s door.
“Come in.”
“May I join you?”
I asked as I stepped in the room.
“Couldn’t get enough, huh?”
He lifted the blankets as he scooted back to let me into the bed.
“I got the seal of approval to date you, and Eve kicked me off the couch,”
I said as I crawled into bed.
His arm wrapped around my waist. “Good thing. I’d have a hard time giving you up if she hadn’t approved.”
I yawned and snuggled into his warmth. “Would you have?”
He pressed a kiss to the back of my head. “No, Daze, I just would have kept playing the long game.”
I fell asleep smiling.
***
Garrett’s arms tightened around me early in the morning, just as the sun began to rise.
“Don’t get up,”
he pressed a warm sleepy kiss to my temple. “I have to see to the horses. I’ll be right back.”
I mumbled something unintelligible, rolled over and wrapped my limbs around him.
Garrett chuckled and extricated himself. “I’ll be quick.”
“You better,”
I said as I grabbed his pillow and hugged it to my chest in his absence.
“You’re adorable when you’re half asleep.”
He pulled on his clothes.
“You’d be more adorable if you took your clothes off and got back in bed with me.”
He laughed and headed out, leaving me in bed. Except, I wasn’t one to easily fall back asleep, so I stretched and shuffled my way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
Leaning against the island, I took a deep breath and glanced around the open concept home. I always loved this house, the living room that bled into the dining and kitchen area, the way you could hold conversation easily from both rooms. The soft morning light filtering in on my sleeping girls on the couch made them look so at peace. The coffee pot gurgled as it finished brewing.
My phone chimed as I searched the cupboards for a mug.
From Gran: Invite Garrett and his family to Thanksgiving dinner tonight. We can send a plate with Garrett for his dad.
I smiled and grabbed a simple blue mug and set it on the counter.
Will do.
Grabbing an insulated cup for Garrett, I filled them both and slipped my shoes and coat on to take him the drink.
The morning air was bitter cold as I crossed the gravel drive to the barn, cursing in the most unladylike fashion with every gust of wind that hit my face.
Garrett was filling Brenda’s bucket with water as I stepped into the barn.
“It’s unreasonably cold out here, Garrett,”
I said as if it was his fault while I handed him his coffee.
He glanced up at me, grinning so wide my heart decided now was a good time to begin tap dancing in my chest. “You look good in my clothes, Daze.”
He took the mug from my hand. “Thank you. You’re supposed to still be in bed.”
I shrugged and sipped from my mug. “Maybe I wanted to watch a working man.”
“Is that what does it for you?”
He winked as he grabbed the feed bucket from the ground.
“Maybe.”
I shrugged my shoulder, taking a seat on a plastic bucket. “I’ll just have to watch and find out. Is there anything I can help with?”
He kissed my cheek as he walked by. “No, I’m finishing up.”
Standing, I leaned my cheek against Herman’s as he dropped his head onto my shoulder. “Gran invited you all to our Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon.”
“Yeah?”
He put the feed away and joined me next to Herman. “How do you feel about that offer?”
“I think I’d like you to join us, if you want.”
I turned my focus toward the horse, so as not to pressure him.
“We didn’t plan a Thanksgiving this year. I don’t have anything to bring, and the store is closed.”
I smiled at him, taking his gloved hand in mine. “You don’t have to bring anything, but if you want, maybe we could see if you have the ingredients for sugar cookies.”
He thought about it for a moment. “I think I might. I’d love to come to Thanksgiving; we will have to see how Mom does today.”
The sound of the girls giggling as they ran into the barn carried through the air. Kaley burst through the door and careened towards Brenda. Eve was slightly more composed but still rushed toward Herman’s stall with a huge smile on her face. Brenda considered Kaley before lowering her head for pets.
“I love her,”
Kaley sang as she hugged Brenda’s snout.
Garrett stared in utter bewilderment. “Kaley is a horse whisperer, I swear. If I had done that, Brenda would have bit my hand off.”
I smiled as I watched the girls. “Was your brother awake?”
“Yeah, but Garrett’s mom was playing with him and told us it was okay to come outside and play,”
Eve said as she pet Herman.
“I’ll head inside. Girls, you have ten minutes. It’s too cold to be out any longer.”
“Yes, Mom,”
they said in unison.
I shook my head knowing full well that it was going to be much more difficult to bring them in than a simple ten-minute timer.
“I’ll stay with them, make sure Brenda behaves.”
Garrett took a sip of his coffee, gauging the horses for any sign of discomfort.
Deciding he had that well in hand, I went inside to find Myra rocking Liam. She looked up at me and smiled.
“Hey, Mom. Look how big my son has gotten,”
she said with a huge smile. My heart was torn between grief and happiness for her. All that lucidity from yesterday was gone.
I approached her with tenderness. “He is beautiful Myra. You’ve done a great job raising him.”
She beamed and handed me Liam when he reached for me. “I have never been so in love.”
I smiled and kissed Liam’s cheek. “Babies are such blessings.”
“They really are.”
She nodded in agreement.
“I was thinking of looking to see if we had the ingredients for sugar cookies. Would you like to help me look?”
I asked as I shifted Liam to my hip and gestured to the kitchen.
“Oh, yes. It’s perfect cookie making weather.”
By the time Garrett came in with the girls, I had put Liam in his baby carrier while Myra and I were preparing bowls and ingredients for baking. The girls instantly ran to wash their hands while Garrett turned on Christmas music. “Hi, Dad. Come help us make cookies.”
Myra waved at Garrett.
His face fell momentarily, but he quickly recovered. “Hey. I’d love to make cookies. What can I do?”
I reached out to hold his hand, his fingers instantly wrapping around mine. “We still need the butter and eggs.”
“I’ll help,”
Kaley yelled as she rounded the corner, bee-lining for the fridge.
“Not fair, Mom. She always gets to help with everything,”
Eve whined.
I shook my head, laughing at the almost predictable script they seemed to follow in these situations. “Rise above, Eve. You can help scoop the flour.”
Garrett stepped aside and let us women run the kitchen, only interjecting to ensure I did, in fact, set a timer as to avoid burnt cookies. In the five batches we made, I only remembered a timer once.
The hospital had called during our baking and informed him that his dad would be discharged soon, so we would all get to share dinner together at Gran’s. Despite not remembering who we all were, Myra was doing really well, so Garrett decided they would come to Thanksgiving. It was going to be a wonderful day.
The girls and I worked on decorating the cookies while Garrett went to get his dad.
“I’m glad we got to make cookies,”
Kaley said as she licked green icing off her fingers.
“Me too. And Garrett listened. He made sure you didn’t burn the cookies.”
Eve pointed at the lovely cookies scattered across the table.
“What do you mean?”
I straightened in my seat, setting Liam down so he could move and play.
Eve rubbed her arms nervously. “We talked about making cookies with Dad and how you’d always burn cookies if Dad wasn’t looking.”
I chuckled and held back the wave of emotion in my chest. “I do have a tendency to burn cookies.”
“Well,”
Myra stated, looking at the array of sweets. “I think you did a splendid job.”
I smiled, standing from the table to begin cleaning the kitchen. “Thank you, Myra.”
As I washed dishes, I wondered if this was just how life would be from now on, happy moments sprinkled with memories and grief. No, that was wrong. That sounded like I wasn’t grateful for the time I had with David. I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Everything was just so complex now. How did I honor the girls’ memories and mine of David, while also embracing what was transpiring between me and Garrett? Was I doing the right things?
“Mom?”
Eve whispered as she joined me at the sink.
“Yeah, Eve?”
“I love you.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist.
I hugged her back, wet hands and all. “I love you, too.”
“You had a sad look in your eyes. Did I upset you talking about Dad?”
She looked up at me, waiting for my reply.
I squeezed her tighter. “No. You didn’t upset me. Just like you and Kaley are trying to figure out your feelings on life now, I am too and sometimes I worry if I am making good choices.”
“Dr. Morgan said that feeling was normal, right? When we talked about it last month?”
I kissed the top of her head, thankful that she had been listening better than I had been. “Yeah, baby, she did.”
Kaley walked over, holding Liam’s hand as he took unsteady steps with her. “Can we go see the horses again?”
I glanced at the sink still full of dishes. “Give me ten minutes, then we can go.”
“Mrs. Williams fell asleep on the couch,”
Eve said as she peered around me into the living room.
“It’s okay. She had a big day yesterday. Why don’t you guys start putting the cookies in bags and when we are done, we’ll go see the horses.”
They quickly got to work while I tucked Liam back into the carrier, bouncing back and forth until he fell asleep on my chest. The girls and I finished our tasks together then bundled up to go back into the cold.
We stayed outside until we started shivering. Just as we were making our way inside, Garrett pulled in. We helped Mr. Williams inside and within the hour we packed up and headed to Gran’s house.