Hara's Legacy (12 page)

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But Mick didn’t get back to her that night—or even the next. He ended up babysitting the very sick bull most of the night, then collapsed into the cot he kept in his office so as not to rouse the whole house when he came in. Caleb woke him with a late breakfast he’d brought over from the house and an update on the bull he’d taken over watching when Mick started to fall asleep on his feet.

Mick spent the next week between his office and the barn, with little time even to shower and eat. The animal was struggling, and he was key to their herd. Eventually, the stubborn bull took a turn for the better and it looked like he would survive given proper treatment, which Mick spent most of his time providing for the next few days.

Jane showed up at Mick’s office in the middle of the following week, to provide the samples he needed to determine if she were pregnant. He’d barely seen any of the family except when they came to take over in the barn while he grabbed a few hours sleep. Jane was a sight for sore eyes

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and she brought the sun with her when she entered his little make-shift medical office. He took the samples he needed and she left him with a soft kiss. He ran the tests quickly, eager to share good news if he had it for them.

A short while later, Mick walked into the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear. He was glad the whole family was present for his big announcement. They would all be both happy and relieved when they heard the news.

“Jane is pregnant,” he announced with a big grin.

He saw Jane’s eyes widen, then fill with tears of joy, just as Caleb reached for one of her hands, squeezing tight as he smiled. Justin smiled too, putting an arm around her shoulders and tugging her close for a quick hug as she began to laugh and cry in earnest. She stood and hugged Justin back, then Caleb, then made her way on dancing feet to Mick, grabbing him around the waist and resting her head so trustingly on his chest it made him ache.

“Thank you, Mick. Thank you so much!”

He picked her up and spun her around. “I can’t wait to meet my niece or nephew.” Mick released her and Caleb was there, his broad hand settling over her still-flat stomach, pressing gently. “This baby is going to know so much love,” he said, making Jane’s eyes fill again with happy tears.

The tears spilled over as she rested her head on Caleb’s chest, accepting his love and his warm embrace. Caleb’s eyes met Justin’s over her shoulder.

“Thank you for this, Justin.” Caleb grew serious and almost mystical. “Your children are going to reshape the world.”

Justin laughed, uncomfortable with the weight of responsibility Caleb had just placed on him, but nodded. He was choked up in a way that he hadn’t been when he thought about Mara carrying his son.

Oh, he wanted his son, there was no doubt about that, but this child would be special too, because this child would be a part of Jane.

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His heart nearly burst when he thought of sharing the coming months of her pregnancy with Jane. She was so damned special to him, so damned perfect. She was the finest woman he had ever known. And she was having his baby. Hot damn! Would wonders never cease?

Caleb released her and turned her toward Justin. She flowed into his arms and hugged him tight.

“I’m so happy!”

“No happier than I am,” Justin said. “No happier than we all are. Think of it. In nine months, we’ll all have a little rugrat to spoil rotten.”

She swatted his shoulder. “You will not call our baby a rugrat!” They all laughed as she pulled from his arms with a broad grin and shooed him to the table, where lunch was waiting. What had started out as an everyday meal turned into a celebration and the men toasted the happy event with a glass each of their hoarded liquor. Jane had learned to brew beer but they had a careful stockpile of vintage wine, whiskey and other liquors they used for only the most special occasions. Of course, Jane settled for fresh milk, but she toasted right along with them and the little house in the hidden valley rang with laughter and hope for the first time in years.

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After lunch Caleb stayed inside with his wife, making plans and reveling in the joy of the occasion. It could have been bittersweet, but Caleb had long ago come to terms with what must be. His gift was both a blessing and a curse and he was sometimes at a loss as to know which it would be and when. But for now, he was glad of the coming child and at peace with the knowledge Justin’s second child had almost as vital a role to play in the future of mankind as the first half-alien boy he had seen in his visions of the future.

He’d also seen recently—like a gift from a gentle and benevolent higher power—the faces of his own children with Jane. He knew for certain now that somehow Mick would find a way for him to have a few of his own children to raise and shower with love. The thought of them, as well as the thought of the nieces and nephews who would soon populate their home, was enough to hold him against the future. It was enough to know the happiness each of those children would bring to his sweet wife, whom he now shared with the only people in the universe he loved as much as he loved her.

Caleb spoiled Jane that afternoon. They sat on the couch after he did the cleaning up from lunch, not allowing her to lift a finger. He twirled her pretty hair around his finger as they talked about the future—the things he’d seen as well as the things they planned. She was excited about the baby, as was he, and he reassured her again that he was okay with the fact that the baby was Justin’s biologically. The ring of truth in his emotions seemed to satisfy her that he truly was happy. He made her understand that as far as he was concerned, any child would be all of theirs, no matter which brother was the biological father.

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She liked the idea and he told her just a bit of what he’d seen of their future brood. Jane had so much love to give, she was thrilled with the idea of a big family and raising them under the umbrella of her love and the guidance of the three strong O’Hara men.

Shortly before dinner, Caleb went out to join Mick, checking on the slowly recovering bull. He’d helped Jane get everything ready for dinner. All they’d have to do is put it on the table when they came in and he made Jane promise to let the men handle it, at least for this one celebratory day.

Mick was staring at the quiet bull when Caleb found him in the barn.

“How’s he doing?”

Mick started. “He’s recovering. I’d say he’ll be fine with a bit more rest. The worst of it is over.”

“That’s good news.” Caleb walked over to the stall and settled one arm over the top rail, looking in on the huge beast. “Jane is over the moon with happiness.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. I’m pretty excited myself. And a little scared.”

“Scared?”

Mick turned toward him. “I’ve delivered my share of animals, but never a human baby. What if something goes wrong? We don’t exactly have a hospital here. And I’m not an M.D.”

“Brother,” Caleb put his big hand on Mick’s shoulder, “you’re much better than any M.D. You love her.

You won’t let anything bad happen. Trust me.”

Mick sighed. “Sometimes I wish I could see the future like you do.”

“Don’t say that, Mick. It’s a burden I wouldn’t wish on anyone.” Caleb’s thoughts darkened. “Oh, it’s easy enough when things are going well and I’m seeing happy times, but knowing bad things are about to happen and being unable to do anything about them…” It was Mick’s turn to offer comfort. “I didn’t think. I’m sorry, Caleb.”

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Caleb shrugged. “Don’t worry. Right now I only see good things where our children are concerned.

You’ll do when the time comes. Don’t worry about it.”

* * *

After a joyful dinner, the brothers cleaned up while Jane joked about the way they were treating her, but they could tell she loved the attention. Mick knew she wouldn’t show for months yet, but he also knew he and his brothers would be watching her body for changes, enjoying each of the signs of her pregnancy as they experienced it with her. But for Mick, the pregnancy was a challenge to his somewhat spotty medical training.

After all, he’d planned to be a vet, not an obstetrician. He’d purchased all the medical texts he could after Caleb had moved them here and told them to prepare for the end of the world as they knew it.

Before that, he’d never practiced medicine with anything other than animals as patients. Even then, he’d always been under supervision because he hadn’t quite finished his schooling before the cataclysm.

He never imagined he’d be the only medical help available for both animals and humans. Not until Caleb told him what was coming. Then he’d spent the precious months of warning preparing himself to treat human beings and amassing a research library he could count on when he encountered something with which he had no real experience.

Childbirth was daunting, to say the least, but he knew he had to be strong for the family…and for Jane.

He would stand by her, see her through all the changes she was sure to undergo in the next nine months, and not let on by the slightest hint that he was unsure of anything. She needed his confidence. She needed his strength. As she needed the strength of all the O’Hara brothers?each in different ways.

Caleb was her rock. He was her security in a world gone crazy, and Mick knew she loved him deeply.

Justin seemed to appeal to her wild side. That tattoo of his and the Harley spoke volumes about what his life

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had been like before the cataclysm, even if he himself was tight-lipped about his adventures.

Mick didn’t quite know what Jane saw in him. Sure, he’d been popular with the girls before the cataclysm and knew he wasn’t hard to look at, but when compared with Caleb’s steadfast bravery and Justin’s devil-may-care toughness, he didn’t think he had all that much to offer a beauty like Jane.

He’d admit she depended on him to a certain extent. The whole family did. He was the next best thing to a doctor and he tended to all the O’Haras—those on two feet and those on four. But that was no reason for her to give him the kind of love she’d shown since that fateful day they’d taken the irrevocable step into intimacy.

He tried not to focus on it too much, but every once in a while, Mick had to stop to think what in the world she saw in him. What would motivate a woman like her—with everything to give—to share herself with him? Other than the sheer goodness of her heart. He cursed inwardly as he thought again the damnable idea that he was some sort of pity fuck for her. She knew, as they all did, thanks to Caleb’s visions, that there was no woman for him. Could she really be so giving she would take him to into her body out of sympathy?

Mick hated the thought, but he knew his Jane had a heart as big as the world. If anyone would do such a thing, it was her.

He retired soon after supper, assuming Jane and Caleb would want some time alone. After all, Jane had been spending every night with Justin since he’d come back from town, making damned sure she got pregnant. It only made sense she’d sleep with Caleb again, now the deed was done.

He, for one, was glad. He didn’t know if he could take another night of staring up at the ceiling while he listened to the faint sounds of pleasure coming from the room next to his. Even muted through the heavy walls, the sounds emanating from Justin’s room were enough to drive Mick crazy, lying alone in the dark, hard and wanting something he rightly shouldn’t be able to have. Neither should Justin, but that was

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almost excusable due to the need for Jane to get pregnant and Caleb’s difficulty with that particular job.

Mick could almost justify the odd sort of assistance Justin was giving Caleb and Jane. And he couldn’t help but wish circumstances had allowed him to be the brother called upon to render such assistance. But it was Justin’s destiny this time, Caleb had said. That last part made him wonder… Would there really be a time when Mick was called upon to put a baby in Jane’s womb? Would Mick get to deliver his own child of Jane’s body someday? The thought made his heart catch, so he put it away for later consideration. Right now, he had a hard enough time thinking about the blessed relief she’d given him with her mouth and hands.

Mick rolled over and let his mind wander to safer areas. He thought about the sick bull and the other various chores waiting for him in the morning. With thoughts of the vaccines he had to administer, he drifted off to sleep.

Only moments later, it seemed, he was roused by a light, feminine touch on his bare shoulder. A weight settled next to him on his wide bed, making the mattress dip just the slightest bit. Mick thought hazily that perhaps he was dreaming, but then his apparition spoke softly in his ear, her breath puffing past his sensitive skin and making him harden almost instantly.

“I’m all yours tonight, Mick. I want you to come in my pussy.” As he rolled over, his eyes opened wide and he realized that Jane was wearing only a thin nightie that she was in the process of removing. He sat up and stayed her hands with his own, holding her gently at bay.

“Jane, you don’t have to do this.”

She smiled at him. “But I want to. I’ve wanted to make love to you for a long time, Mick. Now is our time. Finally.”

She pushed forward gently then, and he allowed her to push him back down on the bed, moving over him. She settled on his chest, her lips tracing over his chin and up to his mouth.

“I dreamed of you?of this?since I was a teenager.”

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“You’re kidding right?” He couldn’t quite keep the disbelief from his voice. “You don’t have to lie to me to make this easier.”

She sat up, staring down at him, then leaned over to turn on the bedside light. Her eyes were troubled.

“I’m not lying to you, Mick.”

“Yeah, right. You always dreamed of fucking all three of us.” She flinched at his crude phrasing, but he wouldn’t let himself feel even guiltier.

“When I hit puberty and started to think about what it would be like to be kissed by a boy, it was you I wanted to kiss me. Not Caleb. Not even Justin. It was you, Mick. But you never treated me as anything more than a friend, so I tried to stop thinking of you that way. The pattern repeated itself with your brothers, one by one. I’d just about given up hope of any of the O’Hara boys seeing me as anything other than a pesky little sister when Daddy passed on and Caleb started courting me.” She hugged herself as she remembered the hard time in her young life. “My point is that I’ve wanted all of you at one time or another. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been happy to live with Caleb for the rest of our lives, but things have changed, Mick.”

“For the worse, if you ask me.” Mick crossed his arms over his chest and ground his teeth. The delicate scent of her skin wafted over him, making him even hungrier for the release he now knew he could have in her arms. It was torture of the worst kind.

She moved closer to him, touching his arm and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“Actually, I think I got the better end of the deal.” That startled a laugh out of Mick. “How do you figure?” She turned mischievous eyes up to him. “You each only get one-third of me and I get all three of you. I don’t have to choose between you anymore. I get all of you, just the way I’ve always wanted.” His eyes widened as he looked at her and her hands grew bolder, moving down to cup his hardening body.

“Don’t feel bad for me, Mick. Don’t bother feeling guilty. I’ve wanted each one of you and now I get to have

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everything I always wanted. In fact, I’m feeling kind of guilty about it all, so you needn’t bother. If anyone’s getting away with anything here, it’s definitely me.” She reached up and kissed him, stroking more boldly with one hand over his hardness and using the other to sneak up and unwind his arms, resting eventually on his pectoral muscle. Her fingers played with one nipple as he kissed her back for all he was worth.

She deftly freed him and started stroking. Kissing him deeply, she captured his groan in her mouth, answering with a moan of her own when his hands came up to push aside her nightie and gain access to her breasts.

“Mmm, more…” She sighed as his hand swept slowly up the inside of her leg. He pressed gently on her bud, already tight and wet for him. She kissed his throat as he bent his neck to lave the smooth skin above her breasts, working his way down slowly but surely.

He didn’t speak as he moved with quiet urgency, reversing their positions so he was on top. He moved gently, but with a definite goal in mind as he removed his boxers, crowding her bare body with his and touching her from head to toe. He rubbed his chest over her nipples, back and forth, making her gasp as he found his place at the juncture of her thighs.

“Jane!” he whispered, his strangled voice raising her temperature even higher.

She spread her legs at his urging, knowing without being told that he needed to come inside her quickly, before he lost it completely. She was more than ready.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” she said at his ear, making him shiver as he positioned himself at the mouth of her womb. “Come to me now, Mick. Make me yours forever.” He pushed forward, sheathing himself in her with one strong glide as she gasped. His invasion was total and complete and she marveled at the feeling of having him inside her at last. He felt so right. Just as his

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brothers felt, each in their own special way. Mick felt thick and full, and the small curve of him touched an incredibly sensitive place inside her the other men didn’t hit with such intensity. As he began to move, she felt the bundle of nerves inside her become more and more inflamed. She’d never had it like this before!

“I love you so much, Jane!” Mick gasped as he moved.

She felt his muscles clench as he fought off the orgasm that was so very close, but it didn’t matter. She was panting, writhing beneath him now with every stroke as he hit her G-spot just right. She’d never felt such stimulation there before. It was almost too intense.

“Mick! I’m coming!” Her voice was nearly unrecognizable to her own ears. Who was that sobbing woman, so close to the pinnacle, her voice was ragged with passion?

“I can’t hold on much longer, love. Come now!”

She obeyed him with a cry as she came apart in his arms. It was the most mindless orgasm of her life and it went on as he continued to push inside her, hitting that magical spot with every long stroke. He rammed into her once, twice, then a third time before he tensed and the hot jets of sperm shot into her core. Her orgasm was fueled anew by the heat of his release beating against the tight bundle of nerves inside her.

Tears ran down her face at the intensity of their joining, but they were tears of incredible joy. Mick’s body bowed above her, still caught in the throes of his own passion as he finally collapsed on top of her, utterly worn out. She stroked down the length of his legs with her own, holding him tight within her depths as he breathed raggedly, his heart pounding in unison against hers.

“I love you, Mick.” She kissed his shoulder as he rested above her, totally drained.

Mick rose just a bit to look deeply into her eyes.

“I guess you do at that.” His quiet wonder communicated through her empathic senses.

She felt he was coming to terms with this in his own way. It would probably take time, but this first complete joining had gone a long way

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toward making him more comfortable with the new arrangement. Inwardly, she was relieved. She loved him and she would do anything to keep him and their family safe from harm. And heck, if it meant more of these mind-blowing orgasms, she wouldn’t mind a bit!

She smiled as he kissed her lips gently, almost like a benediction. Below, his body stiffened again, getting ready for another round. She clenched her inner muscles around him and was rewarded with a groan and a quick tickle as he moved his heavy weight off her. She was reassured by the smile in his gorgeous blue eyes as he caressed every inch of her.

“You are a miracle, Jane.”

They made love long into the night. Mick hadn’t had a woman since before the cataclysm and finally having Jane?a woman he loved dearly?made him extra potent. He let her sleep after the third time they made love, doggy-style this time, then woke her a few hours later to start all over again. She met him with an eager abandon that did more to convince him this was the right thing than all the words up to this point. He decided somewhere along the line to leave thinking for later. This night was for enjoying. And he enjoyed Jane’s body in every way he could imagine.

Early the next morning, Jane slipped out of bed before Mick woke to start breakfast for the family. They took turns doing most of the chores but she claimed to enjoy cooking for the men who were always appreciative of the dishes she came up with for their various meals. Mick was a little stiff with his brothers, especially Caleb, when he first entered the big kitchen, but Caleb and Jane soon put him at ease. Still, he was looking at Jane with new eyes as she bustled around setting breakfast on the table with a glow he knew he’d put in her cheeks.