Closing Time (30 page)

“For what?” she asked.

He turned around before he stepped through the door. “For everything.”

When we came home the next day, Scarlet was sore and still drowsy, but she was with Skye every single moment of the day. They lay on the couch together, slept in the same bed, and most of the time, Scarlet was just staring at her. I was just as infatuated with the baby that came into our lives.

“She’s hungry again,” Scarlet said with a sigh. “Our baby is going to be fat.”

“She likes your milk.”

“A little too much.” She pulled down her dress and exposed her nipple. Like a magnet, Skye’s mouth puckered around the skin.

I watched my wife feed our daughter,
mesmerized by the sight. Her breasts were twice as big as they used to be, catching my eye. They were firm and round.

Scarlet caught my look. “Do you mind?”

I smirked. “It’s beautiful.”

“Oh. I thought you were being a pervert.”

“I am,” I said honestly.

She rolled her eyes and kept feeding Skye.

I reached for the other strap of her dress and pulled it down.

Scarlet shook her head slightly. “Do you ever think of anything else?”

“No. You really thought having a baby would change that?”

“I guess it was stupid for me to assume such.” When the baby was full, she cleaned off her breasts then put Skye in the crib. “She’s ready for a nap.”

I kept eyeing her breasts, which were still hanging out. “I’m hungry.”

“What do you want for dinner?”

My meaning went right over her head. “You.”

She pulled up the straps of her dress. “I’m too sore down there.”

I yanked down her dress. “That’s not what I meant.” I leaned in and sealed my mouth over her breast then sucked, tasting the slightly sweet milk coming from her nipple. It tasted like cantaloupe juice.

Scarlet didn’t push me away. She breathed while I sucked on her nipple hard.

She was so hot that she was driving me crazy. I grabbed her hips and pulled her down the couch, her head landing on a pillow. “Sean, I’m too sore.”

“I know, baby.” I moved my hand between her legs and touched her clitoris. “I can make you come anyway.” I moved over her and sealed her lips with mine, letting her get a taste of the milk.

She moaned while I rubbed her nub. Soon, she was arching her back and scratching at my skin, loving what I was doing to her. She broke our kiss and panted while she stared at me, her knees shaking. “Hmm…”

I rubbed her harder. “Come for me.”

She stayed quiet by biting her lip, breathing hard as she spun downward in a fiery crescendo.

When she was finished, I pressed my lips to her hip and kissed her. She still had a stomach from the delivery, and I knew she didn’t feel sexy, but she was still perfect to me. I loved every inch of her. Having a baby wouldn’t change my desire for her.

“Now you.” She sat up and reached for my fly.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I just want to make you feel good.”

“I know you have a raging hard-on. I can feel it.”

“And I’ll survive.” I kissed her cheek. “When you’
re feeling better, than you can make me feel good.”

She undid my pants and pulled them down anyway. “I’m sticking your cock in my mouth and there’s
nothing you can do to stop me.”

How could I argue with that? I leaned back and let her seal her mouth around me, feeling the back of her throat. I definitely couldn’t fight her when she made me feel this good. I closed my eyes and let myself escape inside her.

Skye woke up crying every morning at 3 a.m. on the dot. Scarlet sat up but I pushed her back and took care of it. I wanted my wife to rest and recover as much as possible. I knew I couldn’t p
ush another human being between my legs.

Skye was usually hungry, so I sat in the rocking chair and fed her a bottle. Even though I hated being woken up in the middle of the night, I enjoyed the alone time I had with my daughter.

We would sit in the dark while I rocked her back and forth. The room was dark except for the glow of the moon leaking through the window. Skye would suck on her bottle with her eyes closed, and when she was finished, she would just stare at me. She wouldn’t cry, but she wouldn’t go back to sleep either. Every time I put her in the crib, her sobs broke out. So, I rocked her in the rocking chair until her eyes finally closed. But when she stared at me, I didn’t mind.

Holding her made me realize how quickly time went by. Just yesterday, Mike and I won the little league
championship. My parents catered a pizza party at the arcade and would get unlimited tokens. Now I was an adult, holding my own daughter.

Time had a hold on everyone, and no one could ever escape it. I remember the look on my parents’ face the day I left for college. They were brave and said they were excited, but the sa
dness was impossible to hide. My dad hugged me goodbye for a long time, saying nothing. My dad wasn’t an easy man to read, but sometimes I could read his thoughts through the expressions of his eyes. And I knew he had been dreading that day with every fiber of his being.

Now it was my turn to go through the same thing.

Skye was only a few weeks old, but she would grow quickly. Birthdays and special events would pass, marking the years as they went by. Every Christmas and every holiday were treasures, and I only had so many to enjoy with her. Before I knew it, she would be a grown woman with her own life. A man would fall in love with her, hypnotized by her personality as much as her looks. Some men would break her heart and use her. Those would be the days I hated being a father. She would get married and I would have to give her away. She would have her own children and I would be a grandfather. Everything would happen just like it had for generations. We loved those we cherished and then let them go.

But right now, I didn’t have to let go.

Because she was in my arms, just an infant, and I was at the beginning. I would treasure every day of her existence, loving her and savoring every breath and every giggle. I’d be the best father I could be, taking after my own father. I just hoped I could do her justice.

There would be days she would hate me. There would be days when I had to be her father and not her friend. And there would be days when I had to do the right thing even though it was painful. But it was my responsibility to make her turn out right, to be safe and find happiness. And I would do just that.

But sometimes it scared me.

Scarlet was a natural mother. She’d been taking care of everyone in the group since the beginning. She babied me when I was a grown adult, guided her brother down the right path, and helped everyone find
their happiness. I was never worried about her parenting skills. Our daughter would love Scarlet, love her much more than me. But I was okay with that.

I rocked her back and forth, looking at her face.

She stared at me but her eyes were growing heavy. When they finally closed, she would jerk awake and open them again, only to slowly doze off. She was fighting sleep, just wanting to look at me. The feeling was mutual.

“Go to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up, and every day after that.”

Like she understood me, she closed her eyes and didn’t open them.

I rested my head on the back of the chair and closed my eyes, falling asleep with her in my arms.

22

Scarlet

I quickly realized that I was one of those parents that obsessed over their child. All I could
think about was Skye. All I could talk about was Skye. Everything was about her. Every little thing she did was magic. I knew having a child would make me happy, but I hadn’t anticipated just how much.

She screamed at the top of her lungs whenever she cried, and she was constantly on watch 24/7, but she was such a blessing in our life. Whenever she yawned, I found myself getting teary-eyed. Even when she farted I was impressed.

Sean and I were lying in bed with Skye between us. It was the middle of the day but neither one of us felt like doing anything. We just wanted to stare at Skye all day, our muse.

“How are you
r breasts doing?” Sean asked.

“That girl has sucked them raw.”

“They still look big to me,” he said mischievously.

“Only you would notice.”

“I better be the only person who notices.”

Skye was a month old and my body was back to normal, at least down below. Sean claimed I was as tight as I used to be, that nothing had changed. I still carried some baby weight, but judging the way my husband made love to me and stared at me fondly all day, he didn’t mind.

I watched Skye stare at the ceiling, and I felt a heated gaze on me. When I looked up, Sean was staring at me, being completely blatant and obvious about it. “Yes?” I asked.

“You’re a great mom.”

I felt the warmth spread through my body. “Really?”

“Yes.”

As twisted as it sounded, I was afraid that wouldn’t be the case. My mom had beaten me violently, and abused me physically, mentally, and psychologically. One of my deepest fears was I’d become just like her, a tormentor to my own child.

Sean could read my mind like a psychic. “You’re nothing like her and you never will be.”

I felt Skye’s small fingers with my hand. “I guess I just get scared sometimes…”

“There’s no reason to be scared. You’re a terrific person, friend, wife, and mother. There’s not a doubt in my mind that you’ll be the greatest mother any child could ask for.”

“I hope so.”

“And I know so.”

“For the longest time, I didn’t want to have children because I was too scared I’d give them a life just like the one I had. I feared they would be afraid of me, scared of what I might do to them. Coming from such a dark place usually keeps you in a dark place forever. But now that Skye is here…I couldn’t imagine my life without her.”

“Neither could I,” he whispered.

“I think this is better for me than it is for her.” I never said this out loud but I was going to now. “It’s therapeutic for me. Perhaps I didn’t have a mom who loved me or took care of me. Ryan did a wonderful job, but he can’t erase the pain I feel, the feeling that I’m not good enough. But, through Skye, I can be the mother I wished I had, to rewrite history in the only way possible. If I can be that to her, then maybe she can be that to me.”

He stared at me for a long time, his gaze unreadable. “That makes perfect sense. And I know you’ll succeed.”

“Sean?”

“Hmm?”

“I never want to mention my mother to Skye or any other children we have.”

“Which will be plenty more,” he said with a smile.

“I’m being serious.”

He dropped the joking manner. “I understand, Scarlet.”

“If they ask, just tell them I was never close with them. They don’t need to know the truth.”

“Whatever you want.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, you want to get started on the next one?”

I smirked. “You’re joking, right?”

“No. You want to have them close in age, right?”

“But…I just had Skye.”

‘The doctor said we can start trying three months after Skye’s birth.”

“You’re being serious?”

“Dead serious.” He looked down at Skye. “I want to have another one. Mike and I are close in age an
d we’ve been close because of our age.”

“Ryan and I are years apart but we were fine.”

“Well, you had different circumstances….”

“I guess we
could try.”

“Good. Because I want to.”

“At least we can get the terrible twos out of the way at the same time,” I said with a laugh.

“Yeah. But remember I’ll always be here to help you. We’re a team.”

“I know, Sean.”

Sean played with her feet and watched her kick gently. “She’s going to be a soccer player.”

“No, a dancer.”

“Maybe a runner.”

“Ballet.”

“Are we talking about the same child?” he asked with a laugh.

“Let’s let her decide.”

“That would probably be best.”

He continued to play with her feet, and then his eyes grew heavy.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“My mom’s surgery is this week.”

“Oh…” I hated to admit that I totally forgot. Being an obsessive mother tends to make me forget that the world is still turning.

“Mike and I are leaving in a few days. You’ll be okay by yourself?”

Wait. What?
“Sorry?”

“You can stay with Cortland or Ryan.”

“Um…we’re coming. You think I’d let you do this alone?”

He shrugged. “You’re still recovering and bring
ing a newborn on a plane would be a lot of work for you. You can stay home and take care of Skye.”

“No,” I snapped. “This is important. I’m going to be there for my mother-in-law.”

“She’ll understand, baby.”

“No, Skye and I are coming. You need your family, Sean.”

“Baby, I can’t ask you to do that. Really, it’s fine.”

I gave him a firm look. “We’re coming. End of story.”

He smirked. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. This is hard for your mother. She needs all the support, and I know having her grandchildren there will give her strength. And I’m sure Cassandra is coming too. I doubt Mike could persuade her to stay home.”

“You two are both stubborn like mules.”

“But you love us that way.”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “I just love you anyway.”

Sean was napping upstairs when Ryan came over.

“Where’s the hubby?” he asked.

“He’s tired. He stayed up all night with Skye.”

He picked her up and held her like he’d done it a hundred times. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. She just loves getting attention from him.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“She’s odd in that way.” I smiled while I watched my brother hold her, loving her as much as I did.

He sat on the couch beside me, cradling her to his chest. “Janice had to work late tonight. But believe me, she’s pissed she’s not here to see Skye.”

“Everyone is pissed when they don’t see her,” I said with a smirk.

“She’s so cute,” Ryan said fondly. “Seriously, how did you guys make her? Sean is a douche and you look like a troll.”

“I don’t look like a troll,” I snapped.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” He smiled at me, knowing I wouldn’t hit him because he was holding my newborn baby.

“Well, I had a baby a month ago. I’m not going to look exactly how I used to.”

“Used to?” He laughed. “You looked worse then.”

“Give me back my baby so I can punch you.”

Sean came down the
stairs, his sweatpants low on his hips and his hair damp. He was shirtless, so he looked delicious and appetizing right now. He obviously didn’t expect company. “There will be no punching around my daughter.”

“Dude, put on a shirt,” Ryan said. “You’re no Ryan Gosling.”

“How do you even know who that is?” Sean countered.

Ryan’s cheeks tinted slightly. “Janice thinks he’s hot.”

“Sure…” Sean sat next to me on the couch.

“She made me watch some stupid chick flick he was in,” Ryan argued. “I’m not lying.”

“Whatever.” Sean shrugged. “You’re awfully defensive about it.”

Ryan glared at him. “I could take my niece and never come back.”

Sean gave him a look so frightening that even I flinched.

“Kidding…” Ryan rocked Skye back and forth.

“Why don’t you go stand in a shadow so we can’t see you?” Sean jabbed at his absurd tan.

Ryan sighed. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”

“No,” we both said.

Ryan rested Skye on his legs then handed her a plastic toy that looked like keys. She wrapped her hands around it and shook it slightly. “She gets more adorable every time I see her.”

“You and Janice going to have kids?”

“I think so,” Ryan said. “My wife has been pressuring me since Trinity and Skye came around. I have a feeling she’s going to stop taking her birth control and trick me into it.”

“Why would she need to trick you?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I guess having kids scares me sometimes…as you already know.”

I knew he was referring to his own insecurities. “Everyone is scared their first time. You just do your best and hope for the best.”

“Since you’ve only been a mother for a month, I’m not sure how good your advice is,” Ryan said sarcastically.

“I’ve always been a mother,” I said honestly. She may not have been born until recently, but now I felt a connection to her soul. It was like she’d always been there, just waiting to come out.

Ryan dropped his jokes. “When are you going back to work, Sean?”

He sighed. “Soon. Probably next week.”

I felt bad for ke
eping him away as long as I did. “I’m sure Mike would appreciate it.”

“We should just sell the company and retire,” Sean said. “I want to stay home with you and Skye.”

“You’ll be bored,” I said immediately. “Really quickly.”

“Well, maybe we should hire someone to run it for a few years. We can stay home and be with our families.”

“No,” I said. “That business is your father’s legacy. You need to be in charge. Our daughter is going to be the CEO of it someday.”

“No, our son will be,”
Sean said. “When he gets here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped.

“Nothing,” he said quickly. “I just can’t see a woman having any interest in running a software company. Geez, it makes me and Mike bored.”

“Geez?” Ryan cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m trying not to curse,” Sean explained.

“Oh.” Ryan nodded. “Right.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “So, if Skye wants it, you aren’t going to pull some sexist bull-crap, right?”

“Of course not,” Sean said firmly.

“Anyway…” Ryan was clearly uncomfortable by the domestic dispute. “What are you guys doing for the rest of the week? Because Janice and I want a play date with Skye.”

“You can’t just schedule tim
e with our daughter,” Sean said.

“Don’t you guys need some alone time?” Ryan asked. “You’ve been taking care of her non-stop for thirty days.”

“But we like it,” I said.

“Yeah,” Sean agreed.

“Wow…I can’t believe you just turned down a free babysitter,” Ryan said.

“If we need someone, you’ll be the first person we call,” I said. “But you are welcome to come over here any time you want if you want to spend time with her.”

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Sean said.

‘Then Janice and I will be here every day,” Ryan said while he rubbed his nose against Skye’s.

“Damn…” Sean shook his head.

“We’re actually going to San Francisco tomorrow,” I said.

Ryan turned to me, surprise on his face. “Why?”

“My mom is having surgery,” Sean said sadly. “Mike is bringing Cassandra and the baby, and Scarlet insisted on bringing Skye.”

“Because we’re a family, and we’ll get through this as a family,” I said while I held his hand.

Ryan held Skye while he pulled out his phone. “When is your flight?”

“We already have someone driving us,” Sean answered.

“I meant so I can book the same one,” Ryan said.

“Why?” I asked.

“I’m coming too, right?” he asked like it was obvious. “I’ll let Cortland and Flynn know.”

“You don’t have to come,” Sean said. “And we’re going to Seattle, not San Francisco.”

“What?” I asked. “Why did it change?”

“Dr. Youseff is performing the surgery with another neurologist. They agreed to do it at the Seattle hospital,” Sean explained.

“Oh.” I guess it would be nice to be in Seattle again.