Chapter 13 Stone
Stone
Like an avenging angel, my mama storms into the kitchen where I’m pouring a cup of coffee and slaps her gloves down on the table, ripping her coat off.
“Problem, ma?” I ask mildly.
“You are an idiot,” she snaps and puts her coat up. “I can’t believe that I birthed such idiots.”
Then she slams past me and muttering to herself, storms down the hall.
“What the hell, ma? I haven’t done anything.”
She whips around and a book sails past my head. I duck and dodge, well-knowing that now is not the time to defend myself.
“You got that poor girl pregnant and then just left? How the hell can you just walk out the door and leave her with no words other than sorry?”
One word sticks in my head and I gasp, falling against the counter. “Pregnant?”
Ma’s practically quivering with righteous anger. She points a finger at me. “You are an idiot. I can’t even look at you right now.”
She storms down the hall and up the stairs, ignoring my cries to come back.
Reaching the top, she whips around and points at me.
“That girl loves you. She would never have touched you otherwise. And you left and you have barely talked to her since. You haven’t gone to town one time.
I’ve watched. I know. So you left her alone and didn’t even check up on her. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Stunned, I stagger into a wall. “I hurt her. I mean, I don’t really want to talk to you about this but I was rough.”
“Did she complain?”
“Well, no.”
“Did she holler at you to get out?”
“No. She just walked out to feed the cat. And she couldn’t look at me.”
“She was scared. She needed reassurance. And you ran.”
Running my hands through my hair, I groan, “the look on her face. I just didn’t know what to do.”
“So you ran.”
Nodding, I scuff my boots.
She comes back downstairs and leans into me. “You need to go get your girl. You need to tell her you love her.” Her hand comes up to tap my forehead. “Because you do.”
“We were only fake dating. Because you put us in a bad spot.”
She laughs. “And then you fell in love. And made my first grandchild. Sometimes life and love are strange things. But then again….sometimes it’s fate that leads you to something wonderful. Don’t fuck it up thinking about it.”
“But what am I supposed to do to let her know I love her?”
“It better be something big. Cause you fucked up big.”
Then she pats me on the shoulder and stomps out the door.
I’m left with my own thoughts. Sadly, she’s right. I’ve missed the hell out of Posy. I should be terrified to hear she’s having my baby.
But I’m not. I’m so damn giddy that I can’t think.
Mom pops back in and hollers, “She’s got her clothes and stuff packed so you might want to get your ass in gear.”
Jamming my hat on my head, I grab my coat and slip it on. Then I race out the door and straight to the barn. Honeypot whinnies when I open her stall and lead her out.
I slip her saddle on and rub her soft muzzle. “I need you to get me to Posy as fast as you can.”
She nods like she knows what the hell I’m saying.
I turn and grab a rope and slip it over the pommel, jumping up on my horse. Walking her out, I kick her sides as we clear the door. “Let’s go, Honey.”
With a leap, I’m racing like the wind as it slaps me so hard my breath stalls.
But I don’t stop. I can’t stop. Like one entity we race into town and out to Posy’s house. But her car isn’t here.
My head whips back and forth and I spot her car heading out of town.
“Yah!” I holler and Honey rears before she settles and races down the road, following my woman. My future.
Every damn second that we’ve been together flashes through my mind and I can’t bear the thought of losing her. Losing my child.
Leaning into Honey’s neck, I cheer at her as the car slows down and stops at a stop sign.
I take the chance to catch up to her and then I slap the car window and Posy jumps, her mouth falling open.
She opens the door and eyes me like I’m crazy. “What the hell are you doing out here? Did you follow me?”
I can see other people slowing down and staring but I don’t give a damn. All I care about is the woman in front of me. The one I almost lost because I’m an idiot.
Dropping to the ground, I stalk towards Posy and smile when she backs away, trapping herself on the car door.
“I suppose you saw your mother?”
“Yep.”
“So you know,” she sighs.
“Yep.”
Her head comes up and she glares at me. “Is that all you have to say? Yep?”
“I love you, Posy. I’m an idiot and I love you.”
“You’re an idiot because you love me?” Her mouth falls open and she stares at me, daggers in her stormy gray eyes.
“No. I’m an idiot because I almost let you get away from me.”
“You left me. And you wouldn’t talk to me,” she mutters under her breath, trying to pull back from me.
But I move in until I finally have her settled against me. Her heart is beating so fast. Her pretty eyes turn up to me and there are tears there. Tears that I caused.
My gut clenches. “I fucked up. I hurt you. I didn’t mean to but when we made love I hurt you. And the sound of your voice when you yelped? It almost killed me. I was so damn ashamed of what I did…how rough I was that I couldn’t even look you in the eye. I was an animal.”
She shakes her head and smiles. My heart races. “You were not. Or if you were I loved every minute of it.”
My brow lifts and I smirk at her. “Really? Because I’d be happy to show you how much better the second time can be?”
Rolling her eyes, she fingers the collar of my shirt. “I’m sorry, Sugar. I wish to god I’d just talked to you about it.”
She rolls her lips and mock-glares at me. “Me too.” Then her smile fades. “Are you sure this isn’t just some misguided sense of honor since you already know I’m pregnant?”
“Nope. Ask my family. I’ve been a bear since I left. I missed you so damn much. It broke me staying away from you but I didn’t know how to tell you how sorry I was that I hurt you.”
“Stop saying that!” She swats my shoulder and then she leans up on her toes and kisses my cheek. “I love you too, Stone. So damn much.”
“Wanna go home and I’ll show you how much I missed you?”
Her brow lifts and she eyes the rope on the saddle. “What’s the rope for?”
“I can show you that too.”
She laughs and it’s like the sun comes back out.
She turns the car around and I jump on Honey and turn her head towards Posy’s little house.
Once inside, I slam her into the door and lift her hands over her head, holding them with one hand while my other roves her soft curves.
“Meow.”
Breaking free, I stare down at the little cockblocker at my feet. Posy laughs and picks her up and tucks her into a little bed with a blanket. “You stay there. I’ll be back soon.”
“Not that soon,” I mutter under my breath, following her to her bedroom and closing the door behind us.
And suddenly I’m scared. Worried that I’ll hurt her. Again.
She comes to me and pulls at my belt, ripping me out of my thoughts and back to the present. To her.
Pulling my shirt loose, she slips a hand inside my boxer briefs and cradles my balls.
Groaning, I pull away. “You’re killing me. I need you so much, Sugar. I love you.”
She grins wickedly. “Show me, cowboy.”
Shouting a laugh, I toss her onto the bed and clamber up her body, kissing her until we’re both breathless.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too, Stone. I’ve spent all this time looking for something and as soon as I met you, I knew this place was going to be different. This place and you are my home.”
I lean down and take her lips, rolling her under me, slowly peeling our clothes off and making love to her like I should have the first time.
Like she’s the most precious, perfect thing in this world.
Like she’s mine.
My hands clasp hers over her head and I drive into her, feeling her silky walls close around me, her arms holding me tight and I’m lost. And found.
Forever.
We come apart together and it’s perfect. My body claiming hers, her body welcoming me home.
The End?