An Eye for an Eye: Zach and Katie's Story (Redwood Falls) (29 page)

"So, you feel all okay to start on that project, then? I mean, everything okay with you? I mean, with us?"

Katie rolled over and put her hands on his chest and looked him steadily in the eye. "Hm-mm. It's all good."

Zach smiled and reached down and kissed her on the lips. "Go back to sleep, baby."

And she did.

Epilogue

Zach stared down into eyes so green they almost took his breath away. The eyelashes around them were dark brown and long, so long and thick they enhanced the brilliance of the bright green orbs that stared back at him. The little mouth that wrapped around the nipple was full and pink as his daughter continued to suckle the milk from the bottle. She stared into his eyes as if he were the only thing that existed in her universe, and her tiny fist wrapped around his pinky clenched in time with the motion of her mouth.

His heart clenched as well.

The room was quiet, almost too quiet, and as he held his baby daughter, Zach glanced across the room to check on his three-year-old son who'd been playing with blocks. To Zach's amusement, Joshua was sound asleep on the carpeted floor, the morning of hard play obviously having worn him out.

A deeply profound feeling of peace settled in the area of Zach's heart as he looked between the two children who'd completed his world. He'd never thought he could love anyone as much as he loved their mother, and granted, this love was different, but it was just as strong and all-consuming. His life was perfect, and he thanked God for that.

As the peace of the room soothed him, he glanced at the ornamental clock on the wall and it registered that Katie should have been home by now. He was only seconds away from getting worried, but then the front door opened and she let herself into the apartment.

His eyes met hers from across the room and his glance raked over her, and he quickly assured himself that she was all right before lifting his gaze to hers again. "Hey," he whispered.

She glanced around the room and took in the sight of the three of them before smiling back. "Hey." She dropped her purse on the sofa and moved closer to him.

Leaning down, she dropped a lingering kiss on his mouth that had Zach's guts clenching in reaction. She'd been gone for too many hours, and as this was the first time the doctor had allowed her to drive since giving birth, Zach had been more worried than usual. "Everything go okay?"

She nodded her head as her fingers touched the soft curls adorning their daughter's hair. The baby had already fallen asleep and Zach pulled the nipple from her mouth and set the bottle aside. "The new center is amazing, Zach. Thank you so much for building it."

"Well, as you said, one wasn't enough for a city of this size. Too many women were having to wait for services."

"I was wondering . . . "

Zach's eyes narrowed when Katie's words stopped. "What?"

"We still haven't found anyone to manage this one. And you know how close this subject is to my heart. I was thinking that I could be that person."

Zach understood now why Katie's tone seemed hesitant. She'd stayed home after Joshua had been born, and it had pleased him immensely for her to be in the house all the time. But giving up teaching hadn't been easy for Katie, and Zach knew she had a nourishing soul that needed an additional outlet besides the children. "It's your center, Katie. I built it because you wanted it built. If you want to run it, that's fine with me. But full-time might be a bit much for you when the kids are still so small, don't you think?"

"Definitely. I don't want to leave them that many hours out of the day. I was thinking maybe twenty hours a week or so, just until I have someone competent and patient enough to handle everything, and then I can come and go as needed." As she said the words, the baby gurgled and Katie bent and picked her up and held her to her shoulder, kissing the tiny cheek that was so close to her mouth. She swayed back and forth, rocking the child as a blissful look crossed her features.

Zach's heart constricted again as a surge of love pumped heavily through his veins. "That sounds good; whatever makes you happy, baby."

"You make me happy," she said as she smiled into his eyes.

Zach let out a quiet laugh. "That's good to know, because you're stuck with me."

Katie rolled her eyes and gave him a teasing glance. "Don't forget, we're going home tomorrow."

"How do you think I could forget that?" Zach asked and watched Katie as she shrugged.

"You're so busy."

Her words sent worry down his spine. "Am I too busy, baby?"

"No, I'm not complaining," she answered quickly and to his relief, truthfully. "I'm just trying to help you out with a friendly reminder. Everyone is expecting us, and I'm only making sure that we're still going."

Zach breathed a sigh of relief. He always tried to keep his life balanced. He had to work, but the most important things in the world to him were Katie and the kids. He reached out and put his hands on her hips and pulled her toward him.

When she was close enough to soothe him, he looked up into eyes so green he thought he'd never get tired of watching them. "I wouldn't ever forget about taking you and the kids home. I'm never more at peace than when we're together in Redwood Falls."

"Me, too." Katie watched him steadily with a look of happiness shining from her eyes that did crazy things to his insides.

"I love you," the words spilled from his mouth as his hands tightened on her hips.

"I love you, too." Her words were softly spoken, but the depth of her feelings blazed across her face for him to see.

Yeah, it couldn't be better than this.

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The End

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Redwood Falls, Book One: Josh and Hannah

Now Available

****

By special request, coming soon in the Redwood Falls series:

Ethan and Ava's story

Excerpt:

Copyright 2014 Lynda Chance 'All Rights Reserved'

Ethan sat in the passenger seat as Ty pulled his beat up car into the driveway and put the vehicle in park. From where he sat, Ethan watched the Anderson house and looked for any telltale movement from the windows while the engine idled. He felt the motion of Ty's head as his friend turned to stare at him as if he were a dumbfuck. "What?" Ethan asked.

"There's a six-pack of Coke in the fridge." Ethan heard the distracted words that shot from Ty's mouth as his buddy pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked down at it.

"You want me to go get it?" Ethan asked as Ty sat behind the wheel with his attention centered on the cell phone in his hand.

"Yeah," Ty said distractedly.

"It's your house," Ethan complained mildly.
He didn't want to go in that house
. Hell. Fucking. No.

"Get your lazy ass out of the car and get the damn Cokes. It's going to be hot at the lake, we'll need 'em," Ty shot off his mouth.

Ethan didn't want to make a big deal out of this, but he didn't want to run into Ty's little sister, either. The girl packed a punch already and she'd been fucking with his equilibrium for longer than he cared to think about. "There's no one home?" Ethan asked hopefully.

"You know damn good and well my parents are at work."

"What about your sister?"
Jesus
. Ethan knew he sounded like an idiot.

Ty looked up from texting with an immediate scowl on his face. "What about her?"

"Is she home?"

"How the hell should I know? Who cares? Hurry up." Ty glowered at him before his concentration dropped to his phone again.

Ethan steeled his guts to go ahead and go inside before he said something stupid that would tip Ty off to the fact that he wanted to screw Ava, big time. Without wasting any more time, he climbed out of the car and went through the back door, which was rarely locked. He'd been friends with Ty since elementary school, and Ethan knew this house like the palm of his hand.

He walked straight into the kitchen and was about to open the refrigerator door when he heard the noise. He stood with his hand on the door for how long, he had no idea. The noise was low and humming, and he tried like hell not to walk farther into the house to investigate. But he literally couldn't stop himself. The possibility of what he might find was like crack to a drug addict. Continuing to fight himself, he was drawn like steel to a magnet and began walking through the small house toward the bedrooms to investigate.

As he walked through the living room and came closer to the bedrooms, he recognized the noise as a blow dryer.
Shit.
What the hell was he doing? It had to be Ava. She had to be in her bedroom drying her hair.

So just turn around and leave
. Like a robot, ignoring the brain screaming in his head, Ethan walked into the hallway and looked toward her bedroom door, which was closed.
Turn the fuck around and leave.
Even as he ordered himself to do that, he took two more steps into the hallway and froze when he realized the humming sound was coming from the bathroom, and that the door stood completely open.

As if in slow motion, he turned to look in that direction and what he saw immediately hit him like a sucker-punch to the stomach as lust hit him hard and heavy.

Shit a fucking brick. Oh my God.

His chest literally constricted and he thought for a second he might have a heart attack.

Ava was damn near naked, and at the sight, a rush of blood left Ethan's brain and flooded to his groin, bring his cock to attention in two seconds flat. She stood in front of the bathroom vanity, dressed only in a bra and underwear, and her arms were lifted over her head as she held the dryer with one hand and a brush with the other. Her skin was lightly tanned from the sun, and the way she was stretching up to reach above her head lengthened her torso and pushed her breasts out.

And they weren't small breasts.
Jesus Christ
, no. Her breasts were full and bouncy and he was sure he was going to have a heart attack right then and there from the visual in front of his face. He couldn't be more aroused; his cock was pushing painfully against the zipper of his cargo shorts and there wasn't anything else he wanted more than to walk over and touch her. He wanted to do that, this very instant.

He wanted to kiss her, yeah. He wanted to touch her lips and taste her and fill his hands with those bouncy tits.

Shit, he wanted it
so bad
. But he wanted more than that. He wanted to
do
her. He'd been wanting to fuck her for at least a couple of years now, and what the hell kind of life would he have if he never got to have that? What the shit was he supposed to do? Start dating some random chick just to take his mind away from Ava? And then what? End up married to someone else and never, ever get to know what it felt like to sink inside of the girl he really wanted?

That would suck pure shit. He'd regret it for the rest of his life if he never got to sink inside of Ava and hold those naked tits in his hands.

He didn't know how long he silently stood there staring at her and fantasizing, but it was long enough that she must have felt his eyes roaming all over her.

She swiveled as she looked his way. A touch of panic lit her eyes and the color drained from her face. Her arms came down, and she switched the blow dryer off as she continued to watch him as if she were a deer caught in headlights. As if he were a wild animal about to attack.

Yeah, he felt like a fucking predator. He wanted to
eat
her. He could taste her already.

Was she a virgin?

He'd bet good money that she was. Redwood Falls was a small town; there would be gossip if she'd been sleeping with someone. And damn if her being untouched didn't please him. Just the thought of someone getting a hold of her was pissing him off.

Ty wouldn't stand for that shit anyway. He'd probably kill somebody who looked at his little sister the wrong way.

Shit, Ty would kill
him
. Ethan had known it all along.

Ty would want to murder him in cold blood just for the thoughts that had been blasting through his head.

Ethan's eyes dropped from the troubled look in Ava's eyes down to the smooth softness of the lips he wanted to drag between his teeth. He followed the line of her neck and could barely make out the small quiver of her pulse there. He stepped closer and her chest lifted as she inhaled sharply in obvious alarm.

Ethan stopped. He felt the involuntary fisting of his fingers as he tried to gain control. His abdominals tightened with the attempt as his cocked jerked against his underwear.
He was itching to touch her
.

He stepped closer again and her eyes widened. A blush stole over her cheeks and a mortified expression crossed her features.

Ethan wanted to feel sorry for her, he really did. He was sure it was embarrassing the shit out of her to be caught like this in her underwear. He should be a gentleman and turn around and leave.