Loving Her (21 page)

I threw my arms in the air. “How was I to know she was behind me? Besides, I really can’t stop thinking about it.”

She giggled and then
curled up her face. “Ty, give me one hour of maturity. Just one hour to act like a gentlemen while we eat. As soon as we leave you can say whatever you want.”

I looked around the restaurant and spotted a couple walking in. At first I
thought it was a man and his granddaughter, but they sat in a booth side by side and had begun making out, like teenagers.

Miranda spotted it, too, and gave me a look. “Mature, Ty. Please don’t do what I think you’re goin’ to do.”

I folded my hands on the table and remained quiet, even though I wanted so badly to yell something across the room.

When we went out, we usually had our kids, which meant we’d end up eating whatever they got. It had been so long since we were able to order something, enjoy it, and finish it while it was still hot.

I savored every bite of my western omelet, while Miranda feasted on meatloaf that looked like it may have come from a can. Literally, it was shaped like a cylinder.

She doused it in ketchup, albeit I refused the bite she offered me. I’d do anything on a dare, but that didn’t look like meat, and it scared me. At least we already knew that the plumbing worked efficiently at the hotel.

We finished our meals around midnight and we headed to the front to pay. As we passed the odd couple, I gave the old man a thumbs up. The old bugger held up his fist and pounded mine. My wife, who’d made me promise to behave, couldn’t hold in her laughter. She was hunched over out of breath as the cashier rang us up.

Once we’d paid and finally calmed down enough to walk, we headed back to the hotel. Miranda started walking inside, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the beach. “Let’s go for a walk. Nobody’s here, so we have the beach to ourselves.”

“Are you tryin’ to get me naked already?”

I grabbed a good chunk of her ass while we walked. “If you want to get naked, I won’t stop you. I’ve gotta warn ya, though. That water is cold as shit. There’s no way I’m getting in there, on account of my dick shriveling up to nothing. It might not want to come back out ever again and then you’d be shit out of luck.”

“I’m not gettin’ in that water in the dark. You’re crazy. Sharks come into feed at night. Goin’ in there is like askin’ them to bite your ass. No thank you!”

I laughed. “Chicken?”

“When you do it first, I’ll consider it.”

She wasn’t challenging me. She was purely proving to me that it wasn’t ever going to happen. “Fine, let’s just be romantic people for a bit.”

I was being sarcastic, but as the sand hit our feet and we got further down the beach, I realized it really was romantic.

The moonlight lit the path for us, and once we were passed the sand dunes, it sparkled over the waves as they came crashing in. There was nothing like the sounds and the smell of being at the beach. An added bonus was that it was deserted. Most of the condos weren’t even lit up.

We walked for a good five blocks before plopping down in the sand. It was chilly, and I cuddled up against my wife, pressing her into the soft granules beneath us. Her hair blew in the wind, and she was so stunning from the light of the moon shining down on us.

A few clouds lingered above, but added a dramatic feel to the chill of the night. The warmth of our bodies kept us comfortable as we stared up at the sky. “This is nice.”

I had to agree. It was relaxation at its best. “It’s fantastic. We should do this every year.”

“Definitely without the kids.” Our hand
s intertwined together as Miranda leaned into my kiss.

It felt like we were kids again. Sneaking around behind everyone’s backs to be together. That had been such a long time ago, when I realized that I’d fallen for her. Nothing would have stopped me from making her mine. She still made me feel like I was the luckiest man in the world, and we’d built something that some people only dream of having. “I wonder if they’re havin’ a good time. It would suck if Bella is givin’ them a fit.”

I brought her hand up to my lips and placed small kisses over it as I spoke. “I’m sure she’s being an angel for them. It’s only us she’s pissed at.”

“True.” It hurt knowing that was the case, but it wasn’t something that was new to hear. This had been going on for too long to play stupid about it. “I hate that we did all this to protect her, to spare her from experiencing the pain of knowing who Tucker was, and it was all for nothing. It didn’t make a damn bit of difference. Instead everything’s a cluster-fuck.”

Miranda leaned up on her elbows and gave me a cross look. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t for nothin’.” She ran the back of her hand over my cheek. I closed my eyes and accepted her comfort. “It may not be today, or even tomorrow, but one day she’s goin’ to see what you did for her, what we did for her. She’s goin’ to realize that no test can prove what a real father is. Only the heart is capable of that. You may not have created her, but you helped me make her the wonderful little girl we both know she is. Don’t you dare take that away from yourself. I lost my father when I was her age, and there ain’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish I had more time with him. He was the most gentle, most caring man I ever knew until I met you.” She paused for a moment, and I could hear it in her voice that she’d begun to cry. “I just wish she would see how lucky she is, to have a man that stepped up and made a choice like you did.”

I wrapped my arms around my wife’s back and held her tightly against my chest. “Thank you. It means so much that I have you in my corner. When the whole world doubted me, you’ve always been my rock. We’ll get through this, because of that. We’re going to come out stronger than we’ve ever been before, because there won’t be a lie hanging over our heads. Whether what we did was right or wrong, we did it for the right reasons.”

“I know.”

We sat there holding each other as the cool ocean breeze blew around us. The air felt brisk but refreshing. The water glistened as we both stared out at it, enjoying the comfort of each other’s embrace. Miranda fit perfectly in my arms, and having her there was better than any therapist could help me.

Our conversation had gotten deeper than either of us had anticipated, but my mood was still pleasant. I had hope again and reassurance that one day everything would be alright. Still, I longed for one thing I didn’t know if I’d ever get again.

Izzy to call me her father.

If God could give me one last thing before I left the earth, I’d want that. Everything else in my life was pretty damn perfect. Having the love from my daughter would make it even better.

Chapter 28

Miranda

We’d only been at the beach for one night, and already it was obvious that Ty was feeling better. Aside from our one little talk at the beach, he kept up with his usual bantering up until I heard him snoring in bed.

I woke up as the sun rose and looked over at my sleeping husband. It had been so long since he’d been able to rest without being disturbed, so I decided to leave him there.

It was obvious that the weather outside was going to be chilly, so I grabbed my coat, my phone and a blanket off the small couch and went out on the balcony. The brisk air hit me at once, but it didn’t stop me from sitting down and watching the beautiful sun rising up over the glistening water. Seagulls flew over as the waves intricately crashed one after another.

Since it was off season, there weren’t crowds of people setting up their spots on the beach, or men with metal detectors searching for lost jewelry. In fact, in this particular location, I hadn’t even seen one person walking a dog, or taking a morning jog.  It was tranquil.

I started playing on my phone, reading emails and creeping on my family’s pages. It was nice to be able to do it without having kids disturbing me. Van had posted a million pictures that I’d never had a chance to look at. While scrolling through, I found several of Bella and Ty. They looked so happy together, like nothing could ever tear them apart. If she took a picture now, that would all be different. I hated it.

Ty wasn’t the only person who was hurting from this. It was killing me and making me feel like if it continued, it would destroy the foundation that kept us together. I couldn’t let that happen, no matter how hard it got. That man lying inside had given me the most beautiful life, children, and future. I owed him so much.

I shot my mother a message, asking her how the kids were doing. I was sure the boys already had her up. She replied back that everything was fine and they were all behaving. Either she was lying or they knew they’d be in for it when they got home and we learned that they’d been bad. At any rate, I was thankful that they were having fun and in good hands.

Van and Amy had sent me several messages about mine and Ty’s sudden getaway. After seeing the pictures, they both wanted to know if we were alright and if I was still able to move my legs. It was funny how everyone thought we were freaks. I knew for a fact that Van and Colt still had an amazing sex life. As for Amy and my brother, well, let’s just say that I didn’t want to know. Obviously they were busy having kids for a while there. Since they seemed as happy as ever, I could only assume they had no complaints in that department.

Since we’d had one heck of a night, I decided to divulge enough information to keep them guessing. I let them know that we were so exhausted from banging all night long. They’d believe it, because they expected it.

Little did they know that after a failed attempt at anal, I was left on the toilet with a throbbing ass cavity.

Just thinking about it made me laugh. I was so carried away with myself that I
didn’t hear Ty coming out on the balcony. He wrapped his arms around me and I jumped. “Oh my God, you scared me to death.”

“Sorry. I woke up and you weren’t there. Why don’t you come back to bed?”

“I was just checkin’ in on the kids. Mom says they’re good. Van and Amy think we had some kind of swingers party last night.” I was just kidding with him, but of course he took it literally.

“You should have told them we did. Colt would have given me a religious rant about being faithful. He would have offered to pay for us to go to counseling.”

We both laughed. “They think we’re freaks. I mean, sure we’ve experimented with toys, but do they really think we’d share our bodies with other couples? Would you ever consider somethin’ like that?” Suddenly I wanted to know if my husband had hidden desires. Maybe he’d told them and they’d talked to their wives about it.

Ty laughed. “Baby, do you honestly think, that after everything we’ve been through, I’d want to go out and be with someone else? You’re the only woman I need. Plus, when you get frisky, ain’t nobody going to outdo your skills.”

I kissed him on the side of his cheek, where his stubble was growing in. “Good answer.”

He sat down in the chair across from me and slid it closer. “So, what do you want to do today?” He looked out at the water and smiled. “I’m cool if you want to get back in bed and stay there for the next twenty-four hours.”

I patted him on the leg. “As nice as that sounds, I think we should at least go get some food so that we don’t starve.“

“Humans can last days without food. I can run down the hall and grab a couple bottles of water. We’ll be fine.”

“Ty, be serious. Sex makes me hungry. If you want the frisky side of me to come out, you better fill my belly first.”

He stood up and the sheet fell to the ground. Ty, wearing nothing but what he was born in, stood there looking at me. A smile formed out of the corner of his lip. He lifted his arms, like it was in slow motion and began yelling at the top of his lungs. “I’m the king of the world!”

I covered my head up with his sheet and went running back into the hotel room, locking him out there. He turned and tried to get inside, his manhood shrinking by the second.

I was laughing so hard that I fell down to the floor. Glass separated us, and he
put both of his hands over his incredible shrinking penis. I couldn’t help but hold up my phone and take a picture. It was freezing and I knew he was suffering. So naturally, I sent the photo to Conner before opening the door and allowing him to come in.

“You suck!” He ran into the bedroom and got under the covers. “My dick will never recover.”

I couldn’t respond, because I was in such hysterics that tears were falling down my cheeks.

“Keep laughing. I may have hypothermia of the genitals because of you.”

The more he spoke, the more comical it became. I couldn’t contain my amusement with the situation.  “I’m sorry. It’s…just so funny.”

He put his head under the covers and wouldn’t look at me, so I ran over and jumped on him. He wrapped his arms around me, tangling me in the blanket and flipped me over. “Now you’re going to get it.”

I screamed and flailed around until he stopped tickling me. Finally he calmed down and moved the hair away from my face. “You’re going to owe me, big time.”

Like always, I could get lost in Ty’s eyes. They were brown with little specks of different shades in them. The boys had the same colored eyes with long lashes. I brushed my hand over his face and he closed them. “You’d be a beautiful woman, you know that?”