“Dad!” I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
“What a surprise! Hello, Worth. Marga, Mark, come give Grandpa a hug,” he said, holding out his arms. Worth held out a hand and the kids set aside their sleepy aggravation long enough to hug him. “You all hungry?” he asked, starting up out of his chair. I saw how hard it was for him to get up and it worried me.
“No, Dad, stay seated. Letty and I can throw something together if anyone wants something but otherwise, I think we’re ready for bed.”
“Okay, okay, if you don’t mind,” he answered in a tired voice and apparent relief. “My knees have been giving me a little trouble lately,” he added. I was disturbed by this. I couldn’t ever remember hearing him complain.
“Letty, in the morning, would you mind doing some shopping to the stock the kitchen? We’ll need some things for the boat too. I’d like to go out on it a night or two.”
Letty nodded. “Will do.”
“Dad, have you seen the doctor about those knees?”
“No, no… no need for that, Auggie. It’s just age. It’s been rough without Margaret, and I’m not getting out as much as I should. I just need more exercise is all.”
“Balance in all things, Dad. Don’t overdo.” He did look a little pale, and that was odd, considering this was Florida.
After a last hug, the kids headed off to their respective rooms, bickering as they went. They were both overly tired, and I knew they’d sleep until at least noon. While Letty tidied the kitchen, I sat down with Dad. Worth waved a sleepy hand and headed off to the master bedroom.
“Dad, I’ve missed you. We should have come down sooner.” I settled into the bamboo chair and breathed in the warm ocean air, leaning my head against the thick cushion.
“How are things, Auggie? I sorry Ford didn’t come with you. I was hoping to see him.”
“He goes by Hawk now, Dad. I’m sorry. I was afraid that would hurt your feelings.”
“He was young when he left us, Auggie. You can’t hold things against him. It must have been very hard on him.”
“He holds a great deal of bitterness. Well, actually, he doesn’t hold it in at all — he’s quite open about it. We invited him to come with us, but he wasn’t able to. He’s getting married, Dad. He’s met a young woman, daughter of a minister from England. She’s very well-mannered and gentle. You should have seen her touch with one of the mares having difficulty foaling. She soothed the animal like a mother humming to her baby. It was really remarkable.”
“You seem to know more about your daughter-in-law-to-be than your son,” he observed, wincing a bit as he shifted in his chair.
“Probably, she’s much more open. Hawk has been very, very closed. Mark seems almost scared of him. Worth and he hardly speak. He bought the farm west of us and put up a security fence with a huge, locked gate. I don’t know what he’s into, and I’m actually afraid to ask. He lived in Mexico, you know, and then moved to California before coming home to Kentucky. It certainly leads the mind to speculation.”
“Why would he need to get involved in anything like that, Auggie? He’s to inherit considerable wealth and surely Worth has offered him financial support in the meantime?”
“He wouldn’t take it, Dad. He’s more independent than Worth is. In fact, he seems to have inherited the worst qualities of both of us, I’m sorry to say. I hope Liane can have a good effect on him. One of the reasons we’ve come so unexpectedly is that Marga and Mark have been bickering, as have Worth and I. We’re all in a mess at the moment, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Dad shook his head in disappointment. “Auggie, surely by now you’ve learned the value of having family and the misery of being angry with them.” He pointed toward the hallway. “Go to bed with your husband now and heal this rift between the two of you. You never know when you might no longer have the chance.” His eyes drifted off to look out over the moonlit Gulf. I knew he was thinking of Margaret. I didn’t doubt that her passing had taken away a great deal of his will to be healthy and happy. He seemed defeated. I stood up and kissed him on the top of the head.
“See you in the morning, Dad.”
He nodded and patted my cheek.
I crept into the bedroom where Worth was sleeping and slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower before sliding naked beneath the covers next to him. It was a king-sized bed, and there was plenty of room for isolation, but for some reason, I wanted to lie close to him. Perhaps I was feeling vulnerable after the rejection from Hawk. Perhaps it was seeing that Dad was finally giving in to his age that had me shaken. Worth had drawn the heavy blinds and drapes so it was dark and cool in the room. That was my favorite atmosphere for sleeping.
I tried to dose but was still wide awake. I must have sighed because Worth rolled over toward me. “Can’t you sleep, either?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, didn’t mean to keep you awake. I just can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because I napped on the plane. Want me to get up and go into another room?”
“I want you to come here,” he said, pulling me against him. I felt his erection immediately and drew in my breath. It had been so long since I’d felt his muscular torso against my breasts. He stroked the side of my neck, murmuring my name and petting my hair, which had wound itself over and in between my breasts. He gently pushed it aside and slid down on the bed so his mouth could find my nipple. “God, but I never tire of these,” he whispered and his mouth fastened upon each in turn, softly nibbling and sucking. With each lick of his tongue, the fire grew within me. It had been so long and my body was starved for him. Even more so, my mind was starved for his; for a joining of what had been falling apart. I needed Worth. I needed my husband.
My hand slid beneath the blankets and found him. He was fully engorged and hard beneath my touch. Heat emanated from him, and I was desperate to feel that heat inside me. Worth tipped his face toward mine and the gentle kiss he gave me grew rough and desperate. I bit his lip ever so slightly, but it brought out the response to pain that he so loved. He reached and took my face between his hands, kissing my forehead, down my nose and to my chin. I pushed my tongue into his mouth, and he groaned. As I moved my tongue in his mouth, I mimicked the movement with my hand on his shaft. Undulating and covering each sensitive nerve with a light, flicking touch I tempted and denied alternately. He pulled me closer, wanting to feel my entire body and then pulled me until I was sitting on his chest.
“Turn around,” he ordered. “I want to taste you.”