BLAIRE
I was scared of needles. I’d decided months ago that I wouldn’t be getting a long needle stuck down my back. At the moment, I was thinking that might have been a bad decision. Because I felt like my insides were being sliced open.
It didn’t help that every time I needed to scream Rush completely freaked out. He needed to calm the f*ck down. I had to scream to deal with this. Never again would I moan over menstrual cramps. Those were a walk in the park compared to this.
Another wave hit me and I grabbed handfuls of the sheets and let out another cry of pain. The last time the nurse checked I was seven centimeters dilated. I needed to get to ten, dammit.
“Do I need to go get the nurse? Can I get you some ice? Do you want to squeeze my hand?” Rush kept asking me questions. I knew he meant well but at the moment I didn’t care. I reached up and grabbed his tee shirt and jerked his face down to mine.
“Be glad I don’t have my gun because right now I’m considering the different ways I can get you to shut up. Let me scream and back off,” I snapped at him and grabbed my stomach as another contraction hit.
“Time to check you again,” the bubbly nurse with bright red hair pulled back in pigtails said as she all but bounced into the room. She needed to be glad I didn’t have my gun too. Because she’d be next on my list.
I closed my eyes hoping I didn’t have a contraction while she was down there because I might kick her in the face.
“Oh! We’re sitting on ten and ready to roll. Let me get the doctor in here. Don’t push,” she told me yet again. I’d been told not to push for the past hour. All my body wanted to do was push. The doctor needed to hurry his ass up.
Rush was being abnormally silent. I glanced up at him and his face reminded me of a little boy’s at the moment. He looked scared and nervous. I felt bad for yelling at him but the feeling didn’t last when another contraction hit me and this time it was worse. I hadn’t realized it could get worse.
The balding doctor walked in and beamed at me like this was a good thing. “Time to get that little guy out of there and into the world.” He sounded as jolly as my nurse. Bastard.
“You can either come down here and watch, as long as you aren’t queasy or you can stay up there with her while she pushes,” the doctor told Rush.
Rush stepped up to my head and reached down and took my hand in his. “I’ll stay with her,” he said and squeezed my hand gently.
The encouragement made me want to cry. He’d been trying so hard to make things easier on me and I had threatened to shoot him. I was an awful wife. I sniffed and he was instantly beside me. “Don’t cry. It’s okay. You can do this,” he said, looking determined and ready to go into battle.
“I was mean. I’m sorry,” I choked out.
He grinned and kissed my head. “You’re in a helluva lot of pain and if it makes you feel better to hit me I’d let you at me.”
I wanted to kiss him but then another contraction hit me.
“Push!” the doctor ordered and I did as I was told.
Several curse words and pushes later I heard the most beautiful sound in the world. A cry. My baby’s cry.
RUSH
He was perfect. I counted all ten toes and fingers while Blaire kissed each one. He was also so damn tiny. I hadn’t realized babies were so little.
“We have to decide on a name now,” Blaire said, looking up at me after she finally managed to get our son to latch on and nurse.
We had thrown around several ideas over the past three months but nothing had seemed right. Blaire had said it was hard to name someone you’d never seen so we agreed to wait until he was born to name him.
“I know. We’ve seen him now. We need to give him a name. What are you thinking?” I asked her hoping to God she didn’t suggest Abraham Dean again. I loved my dad but I wasn’t naming my kid after him.
“I think he looks like a Colton,” she said, smiling down at him. I wasn’t a fan of that name.
“You still against River?” I asked.
She smiled up at me. “I want to put Rush in his name but if we name him River we can’t. River Rush or Rush River sounds silly.”
I’d forgotten she was trying to use my name too. I wasn’t going to argue with her. I liked the idea of my son having my name. “What about Cash? Cash Rush!” I teased and she bit down on her lip to keep from giggling and scaring him.
“What about Nathan we could call him Nate?” she asked. He stopped sucking and let go to look up at her as if she’d called his name. I guess we’d come to a decision.
“Nathan Rush Finlay has a good ring to it,” I agreed.
She beamed up at me happily and bent her head down to kiss his nose. “Hello Nate. Welcome to the world.”
I wanted to hold him but he looked like he had decided to go to sleep instead of socializing. Blaire lifted him up and laid him on her shoulder and patted his back softly. I stood there and watched in amazement. This was mine. My family. And they were perfect.
When Blaire was satisfied with her attempt at burping him she wrapped him up tightly in his blanket and looked over at me. “It’s your turn, Daddy. I need to rest. My eyes feel heavy.”
I reached for him and took my son from his mother’s arms. Holding him up close against my chest I inhaled his sweet baby smell. “Come on little guy. Let’s go get comfortable over there and see if we can’t find some basketball to watch on television.”
Nate slept contentedly in my arms and Blaire had gone to sleep pretty quickly after she handed him over to me. I could stay in this room with these two like this forever. Just having them close to me and knowing they were safe made everything okay.
A soft knock at the door broke into my thoughts. I turned to see the door ease open and several blue balloons enter before I saw Bethy’s head behind them. She’d stayed out as long as she could.
“Okay, Dad, I realize you’re enjoying yourself but you have to share. Both grandfathers are in the waiting room waiting patiently,” she whispered after glancing over to see Blaire sleeping.
“I don’t want to disturb Blaire. She’s exhausted. I’ll bring the baby to the nursery window. Have everyone meet me there.”
Bethy looked over at the baby longingly. I knew she wanted to hold him but I wasn’t ready yet. I wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t drop him. I wasn’t so sure I could trust anyone to hold him. Snuggling him closer against me I wondered how the hell I was supposed to just let people come to my house and hold my kid.
“The nurse said y’all named him Nathan Rush. I like it,” she said.
“We’re gonna call him Nate.”
She nodded and then headed back out to tell everyone where to go. I didn’t mind showing them Nate through the safety of a window but I wasn’t going to let them all breathe on him and touch him. Too many germs. He was too little for that shit. He needed some more meat on him before he had to deal with germs.
I stepped into the nursery and checked in with a nurse. I explained that I was there to show the baby to family members through the glass. When she turned and saw Dean standing at the window her mouth dropped open.
“Ohmygod. The Finlay baby is related to Dean Finlay? Slacker Demon’s Dean Finlay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s his grandson and I really need to show Nate here to his grandfather.”
She hurried to make a path for me and followed me to the window so she could gape at my dad. Dean, however, was completely focused on Nate. He held up his thumb and winked at me. Abe had tears in his eyes and nodded his head. Grant was right there beside my dad grinning at Nate. Bethy was was gushing over my boy and Jace was nodding his head in agreement.
Jimmy pushed his way through the crowd to get a look at him and put his hand on his hips and beamed at Nate. Then he looked at me and gave me the nod of approval. This was our extended family. We might not have siblings or mothers here with us but we had people who loved us and who would love Nate.
“Do you think I could get Dean’s autograph?” the nurse asked from beside me.
“Go on out there and ask him. You’re catching him in a really good mood,” I told her before turning and taking Nate back to his momma.
BLAIRE
I needed to get out of the house. Rush didn’t want me taking Nate anywhere and since I was Nate’s walking food source then we couldn’t be separated long. He still refused to take a bottle. I had tried pumping and feeding him but it wasn’t working. He just wanted me. Which was sweet but his daddy was so dang overprotective he got pissy if people came over and wanted to hold him.
I was worried that by the time my six weeks were up and it was okay for us to have sex again he was going to be impossible to live with. I needed to do something to take the edge off or he was going to explode.
The first week staying home was easy. I was tired and Nate didn’t sleep a lot at night so I wasn’t physically able to go out during the day. I had felt bad about not going to Mr. Kerrington’s funeral. Woods was my friend and I hated that he’d lost his father so unexpectedly. Rush assured me that Woods would be fine after I burst into tears once I heard the news. I didn’t know Mr. Kerrington so my only excuse for crying was that I was having hormonal issues called the baby blues. Or at least that is what my doctor told me.
The uncontrollable need to cry went away the day I was able to fasten my pre-baby jeans with no problem. I had gone into Nate’s room and rocked him for an hour while he slept which was something his pediatrician had told me not to do. It would spoil him. It was just so hard at times. I wanted to remember these days. He would be running around the house soon enough.
When Nate turned a month old I put my foot down and told Rush it was time we went somewhere with him. Rush agreed that he had to get over it and we spent over an hour getting all his supplies together just to go eat dinner at the club. By the time we got home I was so tired I figured that maybe it wasn’t worth it. We could just stay home until he was weaned. Then at that thought I promptly burst into tears because I was an awful mother.
Rush took Nate and put him to bed for me while I went to get a shower. I was behind on sleep. I needed to stop nursing Nate at night like his pediatrician suggested but I’d been weak and kept giving in. I had to stop it.
I stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror. My hips were wider now. I was positive they would always be like this. I was wearing all my pre pregnancy clothes but I didn’t look like I used to look. My body was a mom body now.
“Damn. I’ve been trying not to look at you naked because I’m trying real hard not to resort to taking matters into my own hands but f*ck... you’re gorgeous.”
Hearing the desire in his voice did wonders for my self-esteem. I wanted to feel sexy again. I wanted sex again. We had two more weeks until my doctor’s appointment. I wasn’t sure I could last that long.
I turned around and walked over to him. Sex might be off limits but me making sure my man was happy wasn’t. I leaned up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his and then bit down on his bottom lip. I was tired of being sweet and romantic. I wanted to be bad.
I pulled his shirt off and kissed down his chest smiling to myself as his breath hitched and he grabbed a hold of my hair. I unsnapped his jeans and pushed them down around his ankles along with his boxers. His erection stood out proudly and my mouth watered. He was so gorgeous. Even this part of him was a turn on. Slipping one hand around the base of his cock I slid the tip into my mouth and pressed it in until the head hit the back of my throat.
“Holy f*cking shit, Blaire,” Rush groaned, falling against the doorframe for support. He buried both his hands in my hair and held me there. I pulled back letting his cock spring free of my mouth with a pop and then teased the head with my tongue. His curses and moans only made me hotter.
“Suck it, please God, baby, suck it deep again,” he begged, pushing my head down over him until the head once again slid into my throat. I gagged and enjoyed the groan of pleasure coming from Rush. He was enjoying hearing me gag. I was turning myself on.
I dropped my hand to slip between my legs and let Rush control how much of his cock went into my mouth with his grip on my hair. “F*cking hell, are you touching yourself?” he asked, panting as he pulled back out of my mouth.
I stuck my tongue out and let his head slide off it before nodding. Then I opened my mouth wide and stared up at him while he directed it back into my mouth. “I want to play with that p-ssy,” Rush growled. “Don’t come.”
I was very close to coming so I wasn’t sure I could promise him that. He began moving in and out of my mouth faster. His breathing quickened and his cursing got worse. I was about to explode.
“I need to come,” he said, pulling out of my mouth and I grabbed the backs of his thighs and held him there inside my mouth. “Blaire, baby, I’m gonna f*cking come in your mouth if you don’t let me go.”
I sucked down hard on him and pumped him in and out of my mouth. I felt him tighten in against my tongue and both of his hands grabbed the back of my head. I heard the roar building inside him just before the first warm burst hit the back of my throat.
“Holy shit, baby. Suck it, take it... yeah, take it... motherf*cker that’s incredible,” he chanted as his body jerked under my hands and mouth.
My thighs were soaked from my excitement. I started to slip a hand down there again when Rush pulled me off his cock and picked me up and carried me to the bed and threw me down on it. I knew we weren’t supposed to have sex yet but right now I didn’t really care. I felt healed down there. Nothing felt different.
Rush pushed my legs apart and then his head lowered and his tongue darted out to lick the wetness on the inside of my legs. I trembled, as he got closer to my heat. “I’m gonna eat this sweet p-ssy until you’re begging me to stop,” he threatened just before he slid his tongue between my folds and then flicked his piercing over my *. I loved the way he did that. It had been awhile. I grabbed at his hair and held him over my *. He chuckled and the vibration made me cry out in pleasure.
“My greedy little girl,” he murmured pressing kisses near my entrance before sliding his tongue inside me and rubbing my * with the pad of his thumb. My first orgasm hit me hard and I pulled at his hair, which made him growl hungrily and continue to lap at me.
“I want more,” he whispered, grinning up at me wickedly. My legs felt like noodles as I let them fall open. “That’s it. Open up,” he praised me. God, I would do anything this man wanted.
In my pleased, relaxed state his thumb slid inside of me and out. Then he let it run back until he found another hole. One I wasn’t sure I wanted touched.
“Don’t tense up. I won’t hurt you. Just let me make it feel good,” he promised. I relaxed, trusting him as he slid the tip of his thumb inside me while teasing my * with his tongue. I caught myself pushing back on his thumb trying to get it deeper and Rush groaned in approval as he kept working his thumb in and out of my ass while he made love to me with his tongue.
There was a new kind of orgasm building. I didn’t understand it but it was stronger. I wanted it. “Rush, I need,” I begged, not sure what I needed.
He slipped his thumb back into my wet warmth then slid it backwards again to tuck it into the tight hole that was driving me crazy. “I know what you need, sweet Blaire and I’m gonna give it to you,” he said before licking me from my * back to the small hole he was so intent to play with. His tongue circled the hole before going back to my * and pulling it into his mouth while slipping his thumb inside me.
I shot off. Fireworks exploded inside me and I screamed Rush’s name over and over while my body spasmed from the pure pleasure coursing through me. I’d never felt anything like it. There were no words to describe it.
When I finally came back down to earth and managed to open my eyes Rush was crawling back over my body to lie beside me and pull me against him. “I need to f*ck you, Blaire. I need in so damn bad,” he whispered.
I wanted him inside me. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted him inside me... back there. His thumb was much smaller than his cock.
“I want in your p-ssy, baby. Stop worrying over the other. That was just for you. I knew it would feel good,” he assured me, then covered us both up with the quilt and I quickly fell asleep against his warm body.
RUSH
I reached over and turned off the monitor the minute I heard Nate start to stir. Tonight Blaire was going to get to sleep if I had to stay up all damn night walking the house with the little guy to keep his mind off eating.
I eased out of the bed and slipped on a pair of boxers and a tee shirt and hurried downstairs before the crying started. Even with the monitor off Blaire would be able to hear him cry. I was hoping I’d exhausted her to the point that she slept through his noise tonight.
I turned on the crib mobile when I walked into the room and his fussing stopped. He liked hearing me sing. Blaire said he always stopped sucking when he heard me talk and got real still to listen. I liked that.
Walking over to the crib his little eyes locked on me and even though he wasn’t exactly smiling yet you could see it in his eyes when he was excited about something. Normally Blaire’s tits got him excited but then they got me excited too so I couldn’t blame him for that.
“Hey buddy, when are you going to figure out that when it’s dark out you’re supposed to sleep?” I asked him, leaning over the crib to pick him up.
He wiggled in my arms and then moved his head so he could see my face. “You’re stuck with me tonight. Mommy needs sleep even if you don’t. You’re wearing her out.”
I left the mobile lights on and went to sit down with him in the rocker. “We’re gonna look at the moonlight over the water and rock until you decide it’s time to sleep again.”
Nate laid his head back on my chest when I turned him in my lap and I rocked us. I wondered what his little mind thought about the view. Did he want to go out there and touch the sand or feel the water? I couldn’t wait until he could talk to me and tell me what he was thinking.
We rocked for almost an hour and I kept waiting on him to fuss for Blaire but he never did. I looked down to see his little eyelids closed and his breathing was slow and even. We’d gotten through this wakeup without mommy. I felt like I’d accomplished something.
I walked softly and slowly over to he crib and laid him back down. When I was sure he was going to stay asleep I headed back up to bed. Daddy had succeeded.
The next time Nate decided he wanted attention it was after seven in the morning. Blaire sat straight up in bed when she heard his cries and looked at the clock. “Ohmygod! Is he just now crying?” she asked, scrambling out of bed naked. I crossed my arms under my head and watched the view as she ran around the room looking for something to put on. I was really enjoying her new hips. They curved so damn sexy it was hard to think straight when she walked by me and they swayed.
“Actually no. He and I had bonding time last night. I explained to him you needed some rest and he was good with it. I think he understood.”
Blaire stopped searching for clothes and looked at me with her mouth hanging open slightly. “You got up with him and got him back to sleep without me feeding him? He was okay with that?”
I shrugged. “He agreed you were grumpy and needed to sleep some more.”
A small smile tugged on her lips and she put her hands on those hips I was so fond of. “Y’all think I’m grumpy, huh? Last night I didn’t seem very grumpy, did I? When I had your cock halfway down my throat?”
Holy hell. “Damn woman. You have to go feed our son. Don’t talk like that. I’m gonna end up losing my mind before I’m given the green light from that doctor.”
Blaire giggled and bent over to pick up a nightgown she’d been going to wear last night but had never gotten around to putting on. Her ass stuck up in the air and I had to squeeze myself before I pounced on her.
The silky material slid down over her body and stopped mid-thigh. She flashed me a knowing smile and turned to head toward the stairs. “I’ll just take my grumpy self downstairs now,” she replied.
I watched her hips sway and the nightgown clung to them with each step she took. When she had finally gotten out of eyesight I jumped out of bed and headed for the shower. I needed the coldest motherf*cking shower I could stand.
BLAIRE
I put Nate down for a nap and decided to take the free time to use the yoga video I’d bought on iTunes. I needed to tighten some things up on my post-baby body. Bethy had told me to try yoga. Finding time to do yoga was another thing. The last time Nate took a nap and I’d tried to do yoga Rush had walked in and we’d ended up naked and on the sofa again. We had become pros at oral sex. Not that Rush needed to get any better but it was safe to say I had learned to give a killer blowjob.
The doorbell rang before the video started so I pressed pause and went to see who it was. Rush wasn’t here so it couldn’t be Grant. They were together. Opening the door I thought as my eyes took in Nan that maybe I should start looking out the peephole first. My heart rate picked up and I cursed myself because I’d left my phone lying on the floor in the game room. There were no pockets in my yoga pants.
“Is Rush here?” she snapped. I mentally cringed. He wasn’t here and I wasn’t sure I should let her inside. But then how could I not let her in? She was Rush’s sister.
“He left with Grant a couple of hours ago. Something to do with Woods.” I was talking too much. That wasn’t her business.
“Are you gonna let me in? Or should I come back later?” The disgusted tone of her voice at the idea that I had the power to not let her inside what was now my house was obvious. I didn’t want to let her in but then Rush would want to see her. He’d just mentioned her a few nights ago. He was wondering how she was and telling me his mother said she was out of the clinic and doing better.
Going against my better judgment I stepped back to let her inside. “Come on in,” I said, hating the idea of being alone with her. My gun was in the car although I really didn’t think I’d need that. She wasn’t that kind of dangerous... I didn’t think.
“So how’s it feel being Mrs. Finlay?” she asked. Her tone indicated that she wasn’t happy about it and that this was not a friendly question.
“Wonderful. I love your brother,” I replied.
“You can’t lie to me. I’m not fooled by the innocent look. You got knocked up so you could snag him. He wasn’t gonna ignore his kid. You figured that out and used it. I just hope the kid’s his.” The hate laced in her words made me wince.
I really wanted to call Rush and get him home. I didn’t want to talk to her. Not if this was going to be a Blaire-bashing conversation.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. When you see Nate you’ll see there is no doubt who he belongs too. He is Rush’s mini-me,” I was mad at myself for taking her bait and defending myself.
At the mention of Nate I could see Nan wince. She either hated the idea that we had a child or she hated that it was also my kid and she didn’t want to feel connected to it. I wasn’t sure. “I’m going to go grab my phone and call Rush to let him know you’re here. Please help yourself to something to drink or eat if you want it. You know where everything is.”
I started for the stairs.
“Wait. I don’t want to see Grant. Tell him not to bring Grant,” she said in a tight voice.
“Okay. I will,” I replied. I was pretty sure Grant didn’t want to see her either but I wasn’t about to let her know I knew all about that. I wasn’t touching that issue.
I hurried up the steps and went to get my phone. I would call Rush then go check on Nate... maybe I could kill all the time alone with her up here hiding. Picking up the phone I dialed Rush’s number.
“Hey baby, everything okay?” he asked when he answered.
“Um... depends on what you consider okay,” I said. “Your sister is here.”
“Turn around man. I need to go home now,” Rush said to Grant. “I’m on my way. Is she okay? Is she being nice? Did you let her in?”
“Yes, not really, and yes,” I replied.
“She’s not being nice. Shit, Blaire. I’m sorry. Why’d you let her in?”
“Well, because Rush, she’s your sister. I wasn’t going to refuse to let your family in your house.”
Rush took a deep breath. I knew what that meant. He was frustrated. “Blaire. If I ever hear you call it my house again I am going to go apeshit. That is our house. Our f*cking house. If you don’t want to let someone in then don’t. Call me and they can wait on the damn steps until I can get there. I just want you comfortable in your home.”
“Okay. Well, I let her in because you love her and I love you. How’s that for a reason?”
Rush let out a low chuckle. “Nan is, and will probably forever be, the one person I love who I don’t expect you to be nice to. She needs to earn that shit. She hasn’t. You blow her off, kick her ass out, whatever you want to. Don’t you put up with her mouth spewing bullshit.”
I decided I wouldn’t tell him about her accusation that Nate might not be his. He’d lose it. “Just hurry,” I begged.
“Five minutes away,” he promised.
I hung up and slipped the phone into my sports bra before going to check on Nate. Opening the door, I peeked in to find him kicking and gurgling at the sea creatures hanging from the mobile. Smiling, I walked over and his little eyes shifted until they locked on me. He kicked harder at the sight of me and my heart squeezed.
“That was not a very good nap,” I told him, leaning over to pick him up. “I didn’t even get to do any yoga and mommy’s bottom needs some yoga.”
His little head tried to burrow in my chest. It wasn’t time for him to eat but when he woke up he wanted in my shirt. Just like his dad. Grinning I walked him over to the changing table and put a fresh diaper on him while he fussed. He hated having his diaper changed.
I picked him up and kissed his puckered up lips. The tears stopped and he opened his mouth trying to get something to eat again. “Not now mister. You just ate an hour ago,” I told him before heading out the door.
I didn’t want to take him downstairs. I was afraid of what Nan would say about him. I didn’t think I could deal with it if she was mean to my baby. The front door chimed and I let out a sigh of relief. Rush was home.
“Daddy’s home,” I whispered.
I carried Nate downstairs and listened for Rush and Nan’s voices. It wasn’t hard. She was already raising her voice. Rush must have come in correcting her for making me feel uncomfortable. I decided against taking Nate into the kitchen to hear his dad yelling at Nan. We went out the front door. Nate loved going outside and watching the waves. The sea breeze would drown out all Nan’s angry words.
We walked under the house and out toward the beach.
“Blaire, could you bring Nate up here?” Rush asked me looking down at me from the porch. Apparently, he wanted Nate around Nan. I understood him wanting his sister to meet his kid but she hated the momma so this might not be wise. I paused and looked down at Nate.
The mommy in me wanted to take him and run back upstairs and lock ourselves safely inside his room. But he was Rush’s child too. I pressed a kiss to his temple. “Daddy’s sister Nan isn’t very nice. You’re going to have to learn to overlook her,” I whispered in his ear, more for my sake than his since he had no idea what I was saying.
When I reached the top step Rush was waiting on me. “If you want me to take him and you not go in there I will. But if you want to go in there I swear to you that she will behave or I’ll throw her out of this house.”
I wasn’t about to send my baby to see the big bad wolf and not go with him. If he had to face Nan so did I. I held him tighter to me and shook my head. “I want to be with him.”
Rush nodded. I could see by the look on his face that he understood. He opened the door for us and stepped back so I could walk inside with Nate.
Nan was sitting on a barstool with a pissed off snarl on her face. She spun around and her eyes went to Nate. I could see the moment she realized that each small feature was Rush’s. He didn’t even have my eyes. He was all Rush.
“Guess he is yours after all,” she said. I stopped and took a step back bumping into Rush’s chest. His arm came around me and he held me there.
“You wanted to see him. Be careful what you say to his mother. Apologize for that last stupid ass remark or I’m going to walk you to the door.”
Nan’s eyes flared with fury and I had a feeling Rush had just started something we really didn’t need in our home. But she took a deep breath and lifted her hate filled eyes to me. “I’m sorry,” she snapped. She didn’t mean it but the fact Rush had made her say it was worth it.
“Can I hold him?” Nan asked, lifting her gaze to Rush’s.
I went stiff as a board. If he told her yes I was making a run for it with Nate. There was only so much he could ask of me.
“Probably not a good idea. With you glaring at his momma like that I don’t think she’s gonna feel safe handing him over.”
Nan scowled. “He’s your kid too.”
“He is. But Blaire is his mother. I don’t let anything happen that she isn’t comfortable with.”
“God, Rush where did your balls go?”
“That’s strike two, sis.”
Nan rolled her eyes and stood up from the stool. She looked back at Nate and her eyes softened a little. He was hard not to love. He was as beautiful as his father. “Mom would love to meet him,” Nan said, pulling her purse strap up on her arm. “You should at least send her a photo.”
“Mom didn’t give a shit about her own babies, Nan. You know that. Why would she care about mine?”
Nan didn’t flinch. She only shrugged. “Good point.”
Nate started to fuss in my arms. He was trying to get to the goods again. I shifted him in my arms and Rush reached for him. “Give him to me. He won’t be thinking about milk when I’ve got him.”
I handed Nate to him and he instantly calmed down and stared up at Rush. He was fascinated with his father.
“You’re good with him. I’m not surprised. You’ve been playing dad for as long as I can remember,” Nan said. It was the first nice thing she’d said since she’d gotten here.
“I’m only good at it because I’ve watched Blaire. She’s taught me everything.”
Nan didn’t like that answer and it wasn’t true. He’d been a natural from day one. I started to argue when Nan pushed her stool back scraping it across the floor. “I just wanted to see the kid and let you know I’m doing better. If you want to see me I’m in town for a few days. I’m not up for anymore bonding with your little family here so keep that in mind.”
I watched as she stalked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the front door without another word. Rush didn’t respond.
“And she’s still a bitch,” Rush muttered.
I turned to look up at him and he was frowning. “I’m sorry that she talked to you like that,” he said.
“I ignore everything she says. She wants me to be the villain and I’m afraid she always will. It’s okay. I didn’t marry her,” I replied.
Nate heard my voice and he moved his head to look at me before he started crying. He wanted me for my boobs. I smiled and reached out to take him. “I’m going to have to feed him again. He must not have gotten full last time. He’s determined to eat again.”
Rush handed him to me. “Lucky little shit.”
I kicked him and he laughed that full belly laugh that I loved.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Yes. Starving. Can you make me a sandwich?” I asked him before walking to the living room to get comfortable in the recliner.
“Anything for you,” he replied.
RUSH
Woods was standing outside of the clubhouse arguing with that Angie or Angel or Angelina... Hell I couldn’t remember her name. She’d been around off and on through the years. I was pretty sure she was a summer f*ck for Woods when we were in high school. Her daddy was in the same business as the Kerringtons and Grant had thought that Woods was going to marry her.
Then this Della chick had shown up and my guess was things had changed. Or not. I couldn’t tell. Last I’d heard Della hadn’t gone to jail and it had been a misunderstanding. Woods had raised some hell at the police station though. The girl had her hands on Woods’ arms and it looked like she was begging him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk up on that conversation but the dude looked like he needed help.
He had enough shit to deal with now that his dad was dead. No one had been prepared for it and Woods had it all thrust at him overnight.
“Get off me Angelina. I swear to God, if you don’t leave me the f*ck alone I’m going to have a restraining order on your ass,” Woods said as he shoved her hands off him. He turned to see me walking up and the relief in his eyes was obvious. “Rush. Hey, you here for that meeting?” he asked.
I had no idea what he was talking about and I was willing to bet he’d just made that shit up. “Yep,” I replied.
“This isn’t over, Woods. I swear to you it isn’t. You’re making a huge mistake,” she cried out as Woods broke free from her and started toward me.
“Get me the hell away from her. Fast,” he muttered as he walked past me. I turned and followed him. I’d been here to talk to Bethy about babysitting tomorrow night so I could take Blaire out on a date. But it looked like I was going to get to chat with Woods first.
He opened the door to the club and went inside not waiting to see if I followed him. “Craziest f*cking bitch I’ve ever met,” he swore once we were both safely inside. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a frustrated growl. “I was running. I was. I was gonna pull a f*cking Tripp. I was taking Della and we were going to leave this shit behind. My dad had pushed me too far and I was done. Then he had to up and die. Come to find out Dad’s will stated that on my twenty-fifth birthday, which is in two months, that this place became mine. My grandfather had made it very f*cking clear in his will and it was so locked up my dad couldn’t budge it. I can’t run now, can I? It’s all mine. The grandfather I loved and admired hadn’t screwed me over after all. But God, it’s all so screwed up now. I just need to focus on getting Della better. I don’t have time to handle all this. I know nothing, Rush. Motherf*cking NOTHING. My dad didn’t let me into the business side of it. He said I had to earn my place.” Woods let out another frustrated sigh and started pacing the floor.
I wasn’t sure what all he was talking about but the dude had problems. Grant was the guy he needed, not me. I wasn’t someone to share your shit with. I didn’t do heart to hearts.
“Woods?” A petite brunette with big blue eyes walked inside the door looking right at Woods with a concerned frown. “What’s wrong?”
The man morphed right in front of me. He took two long strides and pulled her into his arms like someone was about to touch her and he needed to make sure she stayed safe. “I’m fine. Did you get to sleep late?” he asked in a tender voice that I swear to God I’d never heard the dude use.
She nodded and slipped her arms around him. “Yes. Everything was fine this morning. Stop worrying,” she told him. She turned her head and looked over at me.
“Della, this is Rush Finlay. You met his wife, Blaire. Rush, this is my Della.”
His Della. Oh man, that was what was wrong. He’d been sunk. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. I understood that feeling completely. And damned if it didn’t make me happy that Woods was wrapped up in another woman and wasn’t sniffing after mine anymore. Thank you, Della.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
“Nice to meet you too,” I replied. She had no idea just how nice. Good ole Woods Kerrington was in love. Funniest shit I’d heard all week.