Lyon's Heart (30 page)

“Kat, what the
fuck?”

His voice coming out of his
sleeping form had me jumping so hard I almost fell off the
bed.

“Colton…”

“You’ve been staring at me
for damn near an hour already. Usually it lasts about ten minutes
and I can get back to sleep. What the fuck are you planning
now?”

“Nothing, I’m not planning
anything I was just admiring my amazing husband.”

“My ass. Now you’ve already
racked up a hell of a list of ass whipping worthy bullshit. Take
your little ass to sleep and let me get some rest before you start
your shit again. Your daughter’s gonna be up any minute now looking
for shit to do.” He grabbed me and pulled me back down on the bed
next to him, or more like beneath him. He went back to sleep but I
wasn’t sleepy, I was wide awake the events of the last few days
replaying in my mind. Dad had told me last night that someone had
killed that girl in the hospital. I was sure it wasn’t Colt because
he hadn’t left my sight since the incident but I wasn’t sure he
hadn’t had someone else do it. If I asked him he’d just give me one
of his looks and tell me some crap story like he’d done when that
James guy burned himself up, so there was no point in asking.
Whatever, I’m just glad that it was all over and I never had to
think about it again. I do have to call Donna’s parents though and
let them know what had really happened to their daughter. They’ll
hear it soon enough from the cops I’m sure but I think I should
still call them. I wasn’t sure which was worst, thinking all this
time that she’d killed herself and being mad at her for it, or
finding out she’d been murdered? Either way, she was still gone and
there was nothing I could do about it, but it hurt. It felt new,
like she’d just been taken from me all over again. Colt wouldn’t
understand if I broke down because of my friend who’d been gone for
all this time already. Someone I’d already mourned. He’d have a
fit. I’ve come to realize that he only acts that way when it’s
something he can’t control. The man does like to boss me around,
even up to and including telling me what to think and feel. I’m
sure he knows it doesn’t work that way but that doesn’t stop him.
Like in the delivery room when he’d told me he wasn’t going to put
up with no thirty-six hours of labor and I’d better get shit done
in two hours tops. You gotta love him.

I better put it all away for
now though. Colt was right, Caitlin was going to be up soon, and it
was Xmas. If things didn’t go the way my husband saw it in his
head, I don’t want to know what was going to happen. He’s obsessed
with our daughter having the world’s most perfect Xmas. I snuggled
closer to his warmth and closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep.
Maybe I can get Colt to jump me again before the baby wakes up. It
was my last thought before I drifted off with a smile.

Lyon

It felt like I’d only just
closed my eyes when it was time to get up again. Caitlin was making
a racket and demanding attention. Her mom was asleep next to me not
moving an inch, so it was daddy time. I slid out of bed after
kissing my Angel on the head and went after my little tiger.
“Morning princess, daddy’s here. You can stop it now.” She had that
excited look in her eye like she knew today was a special day. I
told them my baby was smart. She knew what was going on. I lifted
her out of her crib and cleaned her up, before taking her back to
my bathroom so I could get a little cleaned up myself, before
heading downstairs for breakfast. Elena was taking care of Xmas
dinner this year but Kat wanted to get over there early so she
could help in the kitchen. Last year this time she was pregnant.
Now we have our little one, and if I was right, there was another
one in there already, so it was going to be all about my baby girl
this year.

I fed her some cereal while
having a cup of coffee. Each time the memory of yesterday tried to
enter my head, I pushed it aside. There was no way. Today was
Caitie bear’s day, and nothing, and no one was going to interfere
with that shit. We sat in front of the tree with the fire lit and
the music on low until her mom woke up about an hour
later.

“You two are up
early.”

“Seven o’clock on Xmas
morning is not early for a kid babe.”

“Colt, she doesn’t know what
day it is.”

“Of course she does, look at
her she’s excited. Hurry up and get your coffee…wait no coffee for
you. Get some juice and let’s get to her presents.”

“Why can’t I have
coffee?”

“The other day remember? I
nailed you.”

“So? He or she is like a
pencil dot, a little coffee isn’t gonna hurt.”

“No coffee Angel. Hit the OJ
and let’s get cracking.” I got my camera ready and set my little
terror on the floor. I was recording the first Xmas family
tradition for the Lyon family.

Caitlin was only too happy
to tear into paper wrapping and go to town. She bypassed all the
dollhouses and stuff animals in favor of the paper and the bows
that came with the gifts.

“Your turn mama
bear.”

Kat was just as excited as
the baby when I gave her her special gift. Simon had outdone
himself on her bracelet and necklace set. The stones were mine,
hers and Caitie bear’s birthstones. He had them wrapped in strands
of gold like a vine or some crap, fuck I know.

“Now, this never comes off
your wrist okay. It’s like your rings, after I put it on... it
stays on. I got one for the baby to match. Hers stays on her hand
too and I have one to match.”

She stared at that thing
with a big silly grin on her face for a good five minutes. I’m glad
she liked it, because it was going to be a part of her until death.
I couldn’t wait to try it to make sure it worked, but I wasn’t
about to do that in front of her, that’ll defeat the
purpose.

“You gonna open the rest of
your stuff babe or look at that thing all day?” I’d gotten her some
handbag that cost about a year’s mortgage because mom and Carol
swore every woman wants one, and some other female crap that she
went nuts for. She flew at me and covered my face with kisses and
the little one wanted in on the fun, so she pushed her way between
us to get in on the action.

She gave me some new
embossed Harley leather with my name across the back and boots and
a kickass helmet. I made out like a lark. The rest of her gifts
were just more jewelry and shit that was under mom’s tree. I got
her a spa date for her and her girls and some other shit that women
like so much because her mom and mine swore it was the way to go.
It turned out to be a pretty decent morning after all, no lingering
feelings from the day before, just what I’d wanted.

“Colt, I’m
sorry…”

“It’s dead babe, leave it.
Today, we don’t let anyone or anything in that we don’t want. It’s
all about us and this moment and the ones we’re going to have from
now on. We spent way too much time on her already. I don’t want to
even hear her fu…uh name again.”

“Okay.” She gave me one of
her sweet smiles and we went back to watching our kid try to stick
the bows to her head.

We were on the road an hour
later headed for moms and the pothead’s. It was going to be a long
day. Elena had invited everybody and their mama, literally. I just
hoped there weren’t any last minute runs to be made because my ass
is dragging and chances are Daniel will be too high to go take care
of his wife’s last minute pickups.

ELENA

“Daniel, we have to get up.
We’re going to have a houseful of people in a few hours and I need
to get started cooking.”

“Just one more and I’ll let
you go down.”

“Okay, but just one more and
then we really have to go.”

I rolled around the bed with
my horny husband for another thirty minutes before we headed for
the showers together where he got frisky again. He’s still got
it.

I had a smile on my face the
rest of the morning as I got ready for the day and night to come.
It was going to be a great day. We were going to have all the
family and some friends over for the holiday and my daughters and
daughter in law were going to be helping me cook for forty
people.

Tina was coming over in a
while to lend a hand as well. She was turning into a really good
friend, which was good since my son was totally gone over her
daughter. It helps that we all get along so nicely. Drake and
Daniel were as close as two men their age could be, and then we
have Cy. I’m so proud of my little family and how great everyone
was turning out. Aside from the little trouble here just lately,
things have been just swell. I got my new daughter in law and
granddaughter in one year thank you very much, and all was right in
my world. Colt was a little nuts but he was cute with it. He was so
gone over his family, it did a mother’s heart good to see. After
years of despairing that the boy would ever settle down, it did me
proud to see the man he’d become. I don’t think he sees himself
though, and it was fun listening to his father tease him, but he
himself hadn’t been much better. Like father like son, but I wasn’t
going to be the one to tell them. The tree was overcrowded with
gifts, half of them for the baby. I admit I might’ve gone a little
overboard with that one but who can blame me? She was my very first
grandbaby and I don’t know how long it was going to be before I got
another one.

I got breakfast ready for
Carol and Daniel before I set about getting things ready for the
big dinner. I had goose, duck and turkey, along with tenderloin and
some Cornish hens. Everybody had different tastes, and when you
invited a whole host of people over for such an important occasion,
you have to cater to their needs.

“El baby, what you got going
on here?” Daniel came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my
middle. It still gives me butterflies to be held in his arms after
all these years. This is what I want for my kids, that love and joy
that transcends everything. Char had given me an early Xmas gift
when she told me the night before while at Colt and Kat’s house for
the impromptu party, that those two were going to be happy for a
long, long time. I couldn’t ask for more than that.

LYON

“Mom, we’re
here.”

“Ooh, where’s my sweet girl?
Come give nana some sugar.”

She came running, the baby
hog with apron on at the ready. I walked into the house where she
had the Xmas music on low. The lights on the tree were blinking and
there was a mountain of gifts that came into the middle of the
room. I didn’t have to look to know that more than half of them
were for my little girl. The women were already gabbing away about
something or the other when dad came into the room.

“Hey son, merry
Xmas.”

“Merry Xmas, dad.” We
exchanged a hug before heading for the couch. Unless mom needed
something from outside, that was pretty much our spot until dinner.
We weren’t allowed in the kitchen during prep, which was fine by
me. Apparently, we only got underfoot and our services were only
needed for heavy lifting and fetching.

“You want some coffee
boy?”

“Nah, I’ve had enough.
Where’s Carol?”

“She hasn’t come down yet,
as far as I know. Stacey and Emory should be here any minute. I
think Drake and Tina are coming early too. Did you see what your
mother the sneak did?” He pointed to the rocking horse in the
corner that hadn’t been there the last time I came.

“She’s trying to outdo my
gingerbread house.”

“You two need to stop. I’m
not putting my kid on that thing anytime soon. What if she falls
off and breaks her neck? What; why are you looking at me like
that?”

“Boy, you’ve got to get some
control. What are you going to do when she starts walking? You do
know kids fall a lot right?”

“I’ll deal with that when
the time comes but she’s not getting on that thing until she’s at
least five or six years old.” What the fuck was Elena thinking? I’m
going to have to keep a close eye on these freaks before they kill
my daughter with their competition bullshit.

“Why can’t you two be more
like Drake and Tina? You don’t see them competing against each
other do you?”

“That’s what you think. I
don’t trust the copper one bit.”

Great, another day in
crazytown.

“Where’s Cy? I thought for
sure Elena would’ve dragged him over here by now.”

“I’m sure that’s next on her
list. You know she has half your crew coming here today
right?”

“Yep, single mothers and
fathers. I think she’s up to something but I’m staying out of it. I
gave up asking for you two to be normal a long time ago. I just sit
back and watch the show as long as you don’t try dragging me into
whatever the hell it is you’re doing.”

“Uh huh, so son I gotta ask.
Did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“The chick in the hospital.
I spoke to security late last night and they’ve got nothing.
Somehow the tape doesn’t show anyone going in or out and there’re
no glitches that they can see on there. What gives?”

“What’s with you people and
thinking I’m running around offing people? I was at the house when
you got there, remember?”