Authors: D. T. Jones
A soft knock sounded at the bathroom door and Sandra
pushed the curtain open, looking up as Creighton cautiously opened the wooden barrier. He stepped in, carrying a glass of orange juice and a bottle of Tylenol. She couldn’t help but laugh, though it sounded slightly soggy with her tears.
“I thought you might like something cold,” he said, handing her the glass. She took it from him and looked at the ice cubes that floated to the top, through
tear filled eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, setting the glass on the side of the tub
as he handed her two pills. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do, but I don’t know if you’re in the right frame of mind to hear it.” Sandra looked up at him and frowned
as she took a drink of the juice, swallowing the pills. She brushed the tears from her cheeks as he drew a deep breath and pulled the curtain aside, sitting on the tub’s edge.
“You’ve had a very long few weeks, and everything is finally starting to catch up to you, that plus the new surge of hormones are making your body an incredibly beautiful battlefield.”
“Well, you didn’t run back to England, so I guess that says something in my favor.”
“I would never leave you over an argument,” he told her. “I’m in this for the long run.”
“But you hate running,” she teased, using the washcloth to wipe the stray tears from her cheeks again.
“I’ll run after you anywhere you want me to. I’m not going to be frightened away with a few words spoken in the heat of the moment.”
“I really am sorry,” she said again, this time leaning back in the tub. “I don’t like getting angry and I don’t like yelling at people, especially those who are only trying to make me feel good.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile. “No offen
se taken, but please promise to talk to me more often. I don’t like it when you keep things locked up inside.”
“I know, and I honestly didn’t realize that I was getting tired of eating out all the time, not until Nana’s supper. I like the stay-at-home dinners and unlike my grandmother, I love using the microwave. Sometimes, I just like to have a bowl of cereal for supper and go to bed early.”
“I like to eat cold pizza for breakfast,” he said causing her to laugh.
“Well, I like donut
s dunked in apple sauce.”
“You’ve got me on that one,” he grimaced but smiled as he watched her
relax against the back of the tub.
“Feeling better?” Sandra nodded. “Then how about you move over and let me in?
Maybe we can find some solace in being in each other’s arms.” Sandra giggled but did as he requested, watching him peel his long lean legs out of the dark blue jeans before pulling his shirt off over his head. Creighton was a vision of muscles and raw sexual power and she bit her lip to hide her eager smile as he stepped into the porcelain bowl behind her and slowly sat down to avoid the water sloshing over the sides. He pulled her back against him as the gurgling sound of the water escaping the small overflow vent filled the silence of the room.
“Will we ever learn to adjust to each other and the craziness that surrounds us?” she asked after a few moments.
“I think we’re learning a little more every day.” Silence fell between them again as they considered all that had happened in the past hour.
“Do you really think I don’t take your feelings into consideration?” he asked her
in a quiet tone.
“Sometimes,” she told him honestly. “I just feel like everything happened all at once and I haven’t had enough time to catch up myself.
Creighton I’m sorry I said all those things and I’m really sorry I hurt your feelings, it wasn’t intentional.”
“The problem with getting angry is that you often say the things your subconscious has been hiding.” Sandra sighed as she considered what he was saying. She did have issues with his wanting so many children and so quickly, but she wanted a large family as well, so why did it upset her that he suggested it?
“I’m not used to telling people how I feel
,” she said. “It’s foreign to me.”
“Then start now,” he suggested softly. “Tell me how you feel about this baby.” Sandra drew a deep breath and thought honestly about what was happening inside her. This little peanut sized something that was affecting her emotions, her sanity and shaking her world on
its axis, was a miracle.
“I’m scared I won’t be strong enough to do this,” she said honestly. “
When we found out I was pregnant, it seemed like the whole universe stopped moving. I felt confused and frightened and excited all at once.”
“You really aren’t alone in this,” he assured her. “I’m right here and I won’t leave your side. I’ll do as much or as little as you need me to.”
“I know that,” she smiled as he kissed the side of her forehead, moving slowly down to her ear. “I need you to give me time. All of this is so new and frightening, I feel lost, but I want you there once I discover myself again.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised in a hushed tone as his hands moved up her arms to her breasts, where he gently massaged the round globes.
“Please say you forgive me for all the stupid things I said,” she begged, laying her head back against his strong shoulder as he moved his mouth further down her neck.
“No,” he whispered. “There is nothing to forgive. You needed to tell me what you were thinking and I needed to hear it. I told you once
, I don’t take offense easily and I meant it. I can’t forgive you for something that I caused and I won’t allow you to take it back. Those are things I needed to hear, I’m just sorry I had to make you angry in order to tell me how you felt.”
“I’m really tired,” she said softly, closing her eyes to the day’s hectic and emotional activities. “I think the trip is catching up to me.”
“Then it’s time for you to go to bed and this time, you’ll sleep as you’re told to.”
“But what about this?” she asked, feeling the hard erection pressing into her hip from behind.
“It will wait and so will I; tomorrow is a busy day and we both need a good night’s sleep. We’ll worry about the more pleasant side of our trip once the chaos is over.” He stood up behind her and stepped out of the tub, reaching a hand down to help her stand.
Once they were dry, Creighton walked her into the bedroom and pulled the covers back
on the bed, kissing her lips for several long moments before lowering her to the mattress and waiting for her to lay down to pull the blankets up across her slender frame. He went to his own side of the bed and climbed in next to her, then reached to the bedside table and shut off the single light left glowing.
Creighton pulled her against him as he cuddled up behind her, kissing her cheek and resting
his head comfortably against the pillow. It only took a few seconds for her breathing to become rhythmic, slowly and evenly assuring him that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He lay there behind her for a long time, thinking about all that had happened and all she had said to him.
He didn’t mean to make her feel bullied into marrying him and it was never his intention to get her pregnant this soon. If he had it all to do again, he would definitely
have taken precautions and made certain she was comfortable with him before moving forward. But they weren’t afforded that luxury; he had planned out their time together with meticulous care, everything from their first dinner together to their last. He had wanted to show her France in a slow, leisurely manner, but then Aryana and her father interrupted his plants.
When
Sandra told him she wanted adventure, the thought of taking her along with him to Milan was just a natural twist of fate; he could deal with his problem of taking his partner’s daughter home while showing the woman he loved the adventure she craved. He never once assumed that she would feel trapped; he had been allowed two years to fall in love with her and yet he wasn’t allowing her any time at all to adjust to him.
With a heavy sigh, Creighton decided that he would
slow down and give her the time she needed. He would let her set the pace and see if she really wanted to be with him. As much as it hurt to think of losing her, bringing her back to Kansas may be fate intervening again. Here she had family, the life she was accustomed to and everything she knew was within these few short miles.
If she couldn’t find it in her heart to love him without his interference, then here is where she would stay. He would make certain she and their child had everything they would ever need, but he would stay as far away as he could to allow her to regain some sense of normality to her life. If she wasn’t willing to love him as he loved her, then as much as it would kill him, he would turn away and leave her to restart her life without him.
“I’m meeting with your grandfather in an hour,” Creighton said when she looked up from her plate of eggs, sausage and fried potatoes. “Would you like to go with me, or do you want to stay here?”
Sandra looked at him trying to read his expression, though it was difficult. He had been acting rather strange all morning, almost as though he was trying to keep his distance from her. They had showered together, made love – vanilla style and walked together hand-in-hand down to the restaurant. Yet he seemed at odds with her, distracted, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her stupid outburst the night before had anything to do with it.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d really rather not know the details to your contract with him,” she said softly. “Would you mind if I went to the library? I have some personal things I’d like to pick up from my old office and see how Ray is enjoying his new position.”
“Sure, I’ll drop you off on the way.”
“Will you be long?”
“Only about an hour at the most. Once your grandfather has agreed to the contract and the changes I made, then we’ll have to get it notarized. I’ll fax everything to my solicitor and have the money wired into his account by end of business.”
“The library notarizes, so you can pick me up there when you’re finished. You can even fax the papers from there if you’d like. We can come back here together and maybe catch a quick nap - or something - before we have to meet Nelson.”
“Sounds good,” he said with a half grin as he took a drink of his coffee, his mind thinking of the type of
something
she had in mind. “I’m just glad your mayor agreed to meet us later. I really want your grandfather to feel comfortable with the sale before I have to deal with city hall.”
“Papa would be happy with a plug nickel, so long as it came from you,” she teased, smiling as he nearly spit his coffee across the table.
“What, pray tell, is a plug nickel?” Sandra smiled at the shocked expression on his face as he wiped his mouth on the paper napkin. It was the first time all morning the old Creighton she loved so dearly made an appearance.
“A plug nickel is an old term, mainly meaning something was worthless, though it is also a phrase that means cheap. I know my grandfather would be willing to practically give you his land, just because he likes you and he trusts you.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” he frowned.
“It’s a compliment, trust me. Papa has three sons, and as much as he loves all of his family, I don’t think he has as much admiration for any of them the way he does you. You’ve won him over quite easily.”
“How?”
“Because you are an honest man,” she smiled. “And because he’s seen the way you deal with problems; logically and rationally. Plus he knows I love you beyond reason and he knows you would never do anything to hurt me. That means a lot to a man like my grandfather.” Creighton was silent for several minutes as he stared into his coffee.
“Creighton, what’s the matter?” she asked softly, her hand covering his, her voice low to keep the curious from overhearing them. “You’ve seemed…odd all morning. Have I done something wrong?” He looked up at her and sighed; maybe it was best to talk to her and see how much of last night she truly meant, he thought, but before he had a chance to say anything, a loud commotion from the front of the restaurant caught their attention.
Standing inside the doorway, being held back by a waiter and the manager were two newspaper reporters and three photographers. The waitress who had been serving them hurried to their table, her round face red as she wiped her hands on her apron.
“I think ya two need ta hustle out the back way,” she said softly.
“What’s going on?” Creighton asked with a frown.
“That there is reporters,” she explained, nodding her head across her shoulder to the noise from the front of the building. “They came ta get yer interview fer the papers. That dumb-ass mayor’s gone told everyone in town that yer here ta build yer factory and that Sandy is the one helpin’ set the deal.”
“I’d like to have a word or two with that son of a…” Sandra started with an angry glare, but stopped short by the look of shock and amazement on her husband’s face.
“No need,” he interrupted quickly to save her from disgracing herself. “I’ll deal with Nelson, but I have no intention of leaving through the back door. Will you do me a favor and tell the reporters I promise an interview later and I will fill them in on everything in time for them to make print.” The waitress accepted the fifty dollar bill he handed her and smiled brightly, nodding her head.