Chapter Seventeen
Jared was there to give her medicine and water when she woke up intermittently throughout the night. He made sure she took the pills, even when she argued against it. If the pain still had the strength to make her moan, that’s all he needed to decide to push the drugs.
Late morning sunlight was streaming through the bedroom windows when Sky struggled awake.
At first, she didn’t know what was going on.
Why was she still in bed? She almost screamed when she noticed the huge masculine hand cupping one of her breasts.
She’d never woken up surrounded by Jared. He’d always been gone when she woke up.
The pictures bombarded her brain with Jared and how he helped her through the night.
“How are you feeling, Baby?”
Sky jerked her head around at the rough morning tone of his voice and came in contact with Jared’s dark, piercing eyes. “What are you doing here? It’s probably getting close to noon.”
Jared lifted his head to see the clock. “You’re right, it is.” He chuckled when her brows snapped together.
“Jared?”
“Sky,” he murmured and then laughed.
“Please answer me.”
Jared grinned and pulled her tighter against his chest. “All right. There was no chance I was going to leave you alone to deal with those cramps.”
“But you’re missing being outside with your men.”
“Stop worrying. My men have everything under control.”
“I still think...”
“Well, don’t,” he interrupted.
“But Jared. I don’t want to be the reason for keeping you from your work.”
“Stop. I’m staying unless you can kick me out of bed.”
Sky snorted. “I probably couldn’t get your leg off, much less your whole body.”
Jared cupped her cheek and settled a kiss on her lips. “There is a lot I need to make up for.”
Sky shook her head. “No, there isn’t.”
“Yes. I let fear control me, and I ended up hurting the person who means the most to me. I hope someday you’ll forgive me.”
Sky turned toward him on her side. “I’m not sure what to say right now. There is nothing to forgive, is there?”
“Hell, yes, there is. I made you a prisoner in our house for weeks, and then at night.” He grunted in disgust. “At night, I didn’t treat you the way you should have been treated, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
A tear slid from Sky’s eye. “The way you acted ... hurt.”
Jared pressed his forehead against hers. “I know, and I am so sorry.”
Sky stared up at Jared. “There is a lot we have to learn about each other and how to make a marriage work.”
Jared kissed her forehead and then brushed the hair from her face.
“What makes my behavior worse is that I grew up around my parents, and Abby and Terry. Both marriages were solid and very loving, but watching one friend lose everything he’d worked decades for and what I perceived was his new wife’s fault threw me. ”
“Why would you blame his wife?”
“Because Todd was fine until he married Carrie. Then it looked like he spent a lot of time with her instead of trying to make his ranch work. Unfortunately, he lost everything.”
Sky studied Jared’s expressions. “So, is that what caused him to lose his ranch?”
Jared shook his head. “No, I forgot that was the year we had a terrible drought. He lost half of his herd, and I lost a lot also.”
“Where did he and his wife go?” she asked.
“They moved closer to her family. He’s got a little spread. Last time I talked to him, he sounded happy.”
Jared wiped a hand down his face. “I couldn’t even fathom the thought of losing this place. It’s my family’s legacy, and the responsibility is solely in my hands.”
Sky stroked her fingers up and down his arm. “But you won’t let that happen.” She stopped and waited for his full attention. “You work harder than anyone I’ve ever known. I can’t think of anything you would let destroy this place.”
“I can’t believe all the faith you have in me, even after the way I treated you.”
“The way you were with me is totally different from the man that keeps this place running.”
Jared caught the fatigue in her eyes and frowned. “We’re going to have a long talk when you’re up for it.”
“About what?”
“You’re going to tell me what you need from me.”
Sky pressed one of her hands against his cheek. “God, Jared. I just want you. The whole you. And for you to care about me and be affectionate. I just want a good marriage.”
“You’ve got all of that now, Baby. But there are so many other things I can do to make you happy. You just need to tell me what they are.”
“What kind of things?” Sky asked, confused.
“I don’t know. Do you want to travel anywhere? Or go to college? You’d have to do it at the nearest community college, because I can’t have you away from me. We’ll figure out the transportation issues when we need to.” He stopped when she shook her head.
“Do you know what I want?”
He slid his thumb down her cheek. “Besides your husband’s body?”
Sky sputtered and then laughed. “Yes, besides that.”
A spark of life he hadn’t seen before leaped in her eyes, making her even more beautiful to him. “Tell me.”
“I want children. A lot of children.”
The air was sucked from his lungs. How could he be this lucky to have this woman fall into his lap? He cleared his throat.
“I think we can manage that.” He gently kissed her lips and then grinned. “We’ll have to practice a lot, of course.”
Sky giggled. “Of course. There’s more.”
He smiled gently. “Tell me.”
“I want a big garden and chickens.”
Jared tipped her head up as his gaze slid slowly over her features.
“Baby, you can absolutely have that, but are you sure there isn’t anything else?”
“No. I just want to make a family and stay on the ranch. I can finish my degree online, and the only traveling I want to do is on the ranch. I want you to teach me how to ride and then show me your ranch.”
Jared closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Sky.”
Her head jerked back. “Wh-what did you say?”
Jared looked her in the eye. “I love you,” he repeated.
Sky laughed through the tears that raced down her cheeks.
“I love you, too. Oh, Jared, I think I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you, and it hasn’t diminished even though you...” She paused.
“Were a jealous, scared asshole?”
Sky giggled. “I wasn’t going to say that.”
“You don’t have to. I will. I deserve that and much more.”
“Can’t we just move on from here? I don’t want to think about the past,” she said.
“We absolutely can, just don’t expect me to forgive myself just yet.”
Sky let Jared take her lips in a drugging kiss.
“We’d better stop, Baby. You’re not able to do what we both want right now,” he murmured huskily as he swiped his thumb over her lips. “But soon,” he promised.
“My period will last just a few days.”
Jared laughed at the hopeful, but embarrassed, blush he caught on her face. “As long as I have you and I get to hold you at night, I’m okay.”
“Jared, I need to get up and take care of a few things in the bathroom.”
Jared bit back a smile. She would burst into flames if she got any more embarrassed.
“I’ll help you.”
Sky gasped at him in horror. “Absolutely not,” she burst out.
Jared cleared his throat to hide his chuckle. “Let me finish. I’ll help you to the bathroom but wait outside if you need me.”
The tension drained from her shoulders. “Oh. Okay, thank you.”
Jared frowned as he watched Sky walk out of the bathroom, bend forward a bit, and grimace.
He curled an arm around her waist and helped her to the bed. “Baby, I thought the cramps had passed?”
Sky let Jared help her to bed. He tucked her back under the blankets before she looked up.
“They have, for the most part. Usually, after I have the severe cramps, my stomach is sensitive like I’ve been punched in the gut.”
“Dammit. What can I do?”
Sky shook her head. She tried to keep her eyes from scanning him. He was standing by the bed in just his gray boxers, so most of his body was on display, and it was impossible to tear her eyes away.
“Nothing, it will eventually go away. Go to work. The worst has passed.”
He sat down beside her hip, facing her. He loved the expression in her eyes when she looked at him. It was the same kind of hunger he felt for her. He guessed the look on his face mirrored hers.
“I don’t think I should leave you.”
“I promise. I am fine. I’m going to rest a bit and then take a shower.”
“What if you need help with that?”
“I won’t. I’ll be good as new in a few hours.” Sky pushed at his hip. “Now go.”
“It’s a fine day when a husband gets kicked out of his own bedroom,” he grumbled playfully.
Sky chuckled. “You know I’m not doing that. I just don’t want you to get behind in your work,” she stated and then grinned. “You have a family to support now,” she said and bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing.
Jared growled and gently pinned her arms to the mattress. “I will always be able to support my family and wife.”
She giggled and nodded. “Good to know.”
Jared lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. He tilted his head one way and then the other and let his tongue duel with hers for a second before he raised his head.
“We are going to have so much fun when the children start coming.”
Sky raised her hand and cupped the side of his face. “I think we’ll have a lot of fun even before they get here.”
Jared bent close to her face. “I love you.”
Sky sighed, circled his neck with her arms, and shivered at the rasp of emotion in his tone.
“I love you, too. Now and forever.”
“I like the sound of that,” Jared said and grinned.