Now & Forever 3 - Blind love (38 page)

“Really?” Lara’s eyes got big.

“So Mac, Eliza and President Lawrence are offering the job to
me, permanently. Do you want me to take it?”

“Do you want to take it?”

“I do. I like teaching here. Our whole family could be
together. I love Willow Falls, it’s a great place to have children, don’t you
think?”

Lara nodded.

“Should I tell them yes?”

“Yes,” Lara said, kissing Peter’s smooth cheek.

Lara was so happy, she burst into tears. He kissed her,
caught Mac’s eye and nodded.

All the Caldwells smiled, including the other new Mrs.
Caldwell, Patsy. Everyone danced and the festive mood spread. When it was all
over, Lara and Peter went to the Willow Tree Inn, the local hotel, for the
night. In the morning they were leaving for the lake house for a week’s
honeymoon over spring break. Now both Sam and Peter had to make plans to go back
to South Africa, sell their houses and move their lives permanently to Willow
Falls after the semester was over.

Back at home at the Caldwell house, when the children were
safely in bed, Mac and Callie took their shoes off and lounged on the sofa with
cups of coffee. No one could have been happier about Peter and Lara staying in
Willow Falls than Callie. Her little family that started out as only Mac,
Callie, and Jason, continued to grow.

“Mac, it’s so wonderful Peter and Lara will be staying.”

“I agree. The shrimp is growing on me.”

“They’ll probably want to buy a house. Their
lease is up on the little house they’re renting soon anyway. I have someone to
take their lease,” Callie said.

“You do? Who?” Mac looked surprised.

“I didn’t want to tell you about this with the wedding and
all the good news and all, but I heard from my sister a few days ago. Her
husband Bob was killed in a car wreck and she’s looking for a place to go with
her two children for the summer. I suggested they come here. Now they can move
into Peter and Lara’s old house.”

“When were you going to tell me about this?”

“You were pretty busy and I was going to…”

“Callie! You’ve got to stop keeping things from me!”

“I wasn’t keeping this from you. I was going to tell you, but
you’ve been busy…”

“I give up. How is Sarah doing?”

“She’s upset. She and Bob had decided to get a divorce before
he was killed. So she feels guilty. The kids don’t know about that. Now she
wants to try her hand at writing and thought if she could come here, a new
place, be with family, just for the summer, then maybe she could start a novel
or something.”

“She wants to write. So you’ve decided to place her next door
to Jim Caterson, the widower, who recently lost his fiancée, who just happens
to be head of the English department. No matchmaking involved here, Callie?”
Mac smiled a knowing smile.

“I confess, that did cross my mind but only for a moment.
Sarah’s daughter is eleven. She can help me with Kitty, like an au pair. And
her son is seven, Danny can put him in Kiwanis summer camp. What do you think,
Mac?”

“I see those wheels turning in your head, baby, and you’ve
got it all figured out before anyone even gets on the plane. Should we plan for
a wedding in May?”

“Mac, don’t be silly. I don’t know Sarah and Jim Caterson are
going to hit it off.”

“No harm trying, is there?”

“None at all. Sarah needs help…so does Jim…”

“Even if he doesn’t know it?”

“Even if he doesn’t know it. Besides, Sarah would never run
off with a ballet dancer, leaving Jim high and dry,” Callie sniffed.

“Does Sarah look like you?”

“Oh no, she’s prettier.”

“Impossible! Maybe I better warn Jim a beautiful widow is
moving in next door?” Mac’s eyes twinkled with merriment.

“Don’t you dare say anything. I’m sure he’ll find out soon
enough.”

“Now that you have it all figured out, do you have a little
time for me?” Mac pulled her into his arms for a kiss.

“You’re the steam that runs my engine,” she purred in his
ear.

Mac took her by the hand.

“Time for a little matchmaking in our bedroom, Mrs.
Caldwell.”

* * * *

At The Willow Tree Inn, Peter was peeling off pieces of his
tuxedo.

“What? You’re staring at me,” he said.

“I like looking at you…watching you undress.” Lara’s cheeks
pinked.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about.” He shot her a wicked grin.

After unfastening the back of her dress, Peter stopped to
caress her shoulders and kiss the back of her neck. Lara stepped out of her
dress and hung it up.

“I like watching you too,” Peter whispered.

He showered, returning to the room with a towel tucked around
his waist, casting a lustful eye at Lara who was sitting in a wing chair
wearing a white peignoir. She took off the robe and approached Peter. The gown
was filmy, barely hiding her slim body, with tiny straps holding up the
delicate fabric and two bows closing it in the front.

She floated toward him, more beautiful than ever. Peter’s
eyes traveled the length of her as he moved toward her, his hands reaching for
her waist, his blood beginning to heat up.

“I can’t believe we’re married,” she said, suddenly shy.

“You’re the newest Mrs. Caldwell…and the most beautiful one.”
He kissed her neck and dropped his hands to her behind to pull her closer to
him.

He pulled lightly on the bows holding her gown together. The
bows gave way easily and the gown draped open. Peter paused to look at her,
desire taking over his body, his heart beating rapidly. He pushed the tiny
straps down over her shoulders and the gown slid to the floor. She tugged the
towel from around his waist. He picked her up and laid her down on the bed
tenderly and joined her there.

They slowly began their new life together with their first
act of love as husband and wife.

Chapter
Twenty-six

Memorial Day weekend was approaching. Callie and Mac were
looking forward to getting away to the lake house. Sam and Pat, and Peter and
Lara were in South Africa. Danny and Eliza were visiting Eliza’s brother in
Pennsylvania. But before everyone went away, Lara and Peter bought a new house.
Mac and Callie secured the lease on the house next door to Jim Caterson for
Callie’s sister, Sarah, who was due next week with her son Scott and her
daughter Laura. Sam had moved into Pat’s house.

Construction to renovate and expand the lake house was about
to begin. Sam bought an adjacent lot and a new house was being built there because,
even with renovations, the lake house would be too small for this growing
family, the Caldwell clan.

Mac, Callie, Jason and Kitty had only four more days before
chaos would descend on their lives when construction began next door. Memorial
Day weekend started off very hot. The lake house had ceiling fans and a few
oscillating fans. Still, with their deck doubling as a dock the cool lake at
the end of their deck was tempting.

Mac pulled out the wildlife guides for birds, amphibians and
mammals. He liked to teach the children about the world around them by the
lake. Sam also got a kick out of bird-watching with his grandchildren. Peter had
stocked the lake house with paper, crayons and paints, encouraging the artistic
side of his niece and nephew.

Jason was nine and Kitty was five. Next year they’d both be
in school for the full day. They were happy with four peaceful days of being
together, laughing, playing, swimming, exploring, eating and loving at the lake
house.

Saturday temperatures exceeded one hundred degrees during the
day. Adults and children were tired and cranky, even Rocky and Blue, Eliza and
Danny’s lab mix and pug, who tagged along with them were overcome by the heat
and spent most of the day sleeping. They all spent as much time as possible in
the lake, even the dogs went wading with the children. Jason and Kitty went to
bed early. They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. The dogs
were passed out on the cool floor of the children’s rooms.

It was too hot to make love, even starting on the little
deck. The ceiling fan didn’t seem to do much but move around the hot air. They
tossed and turned until midnight, unable to sleep. Callie rolled over and
looked at Mac.

“Let’s have ice cream.”

“Are you crazy? It’s midnight. We’ll be wiped out tomorrow.
We need sleep.”

“But I can’t sleep and neither can you.”

“True,” he admitted sitting up on the side of the bed.

“Come on, we have chocolate chip.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” He got up.

“I’ll race you,” Callie said, getting a head start.

They raced downstairs as quietly as they could. Mac lit
candles on the deck.

“Isn’t it too hot for flames?” Callie asked, sitting down
with a container of ice cream and two spoons.

“Don’t you want me to be romantic?”

Callie scraped up a spoonful of the sweet, cold confection
and put it in Mac’s mouth. He accepted it gratefully, moving closer to her. She
had on a lightweight pink cotton robe, he wore only boxers. Mac pulled the sash
and her robe opened, revealing her body awash in candlelight.

“I’m improving the view. Hope you don’t mind.” His gaze
rested on her breasts.

She smiled at him, her eyes dropping to his chest. Mac got up
to get glasses of water to wash down the ice cream. When he returned, Callie
scooped some ice cream and smeared it on her lower lip, fixing her eyes on
Mac’s. He leaned over and licked it off. Then she spooned the last of the ice
cream on his lower lip and licked it off. Mac picked her up and set her down on
his lap, pushing her robe off. He wound his arms around her, kissing her passionately.
She responded, moaning slightly. His hands moved around to her breasts.
Suddenly he broke away from her with a quizzical look on his face.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked her.

Callie blushed.

“You are always rushing this.”

“When are we due?”

“Yes, I’m pregnant. I found out only yesterday and we haven’t
had a minute alone. With any luck the baby will be here before any huge
snowfalls in January.”

“Oh, Callie,” he said, the candlelight reflecting off the
love glowing in his eyes. “I’m so happy, baby.”

“Me too,” she sighed, “now where were we?”

Mac put his hand on her belly and looked into her eyes.
Passion darkened her eyes as she moved her hands up his chest.

“Take off those boxers, mister,” she whispered, nipping his
earlobe.

Mac slid his boxers off. The heat was still oppressive. They
were both sweating and while passion was growing, the heat was doing its best
to burn it out of them.

“Let’s make love in the lake,” Mac whispered to Callie.

She turned and looked at him.

“Are you crazy? Someone might see us?”

“Every normal person has passed out because of the heat.”

“You mean in the lake?”

“Yes, or on the little dock out there,” Mac said pointing to
the floating mini-dock anchored about one hundred feet from their deck.

“It’s hard wood,” Callie said, making a face.

“So we’ll bring towels. Where’s your sense of adventure,
woman?” he said, picking her up and walking to the end of the dock.

“Oh, no, Mac. You wouldn’t!”

“It’s so hot, babe. I only want to cool you off,” he said
tossing her into the water.

Callie got enough of a grip on his arm to pull him off
balance so he fell into the water with her. She came up sputtering and
laughing. Mac swam under water and came up behind her. He was treading with one
hand while he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

“You are the most beautiful woman on earth,” he said in her
ear, as his hand traveled up from her waist to cup her breast.

“You like them big like this, don’t you?”

“I like ’em any way I can get ’em.” He ducked under water to
swim around in front of her and kiss her breasts.

“But yours are particularly spectacular.”

Callie swam out to the little dock and held on to the ladder.
Mac followed her. It felt wonderful to be wet and naked at the same time. The
swirling of the water around their totally free bodies energized and refreshed
them.

“So where are the towels?”

He swam back to their dock and dragged two towels through the
water and shoved them up on the little dock. Callie ducked under the water and
came up to get her hair off her face. Mac climbed up on the dock and spread out
the two towels, one on top of the other. They made a softer, wetter bed.

“Your bed awaits you,” he said, making a sweeping gesture
toward the towels.

Callie laughed and climbed up the ladder. She sat on the towels
and looked at the full moon. Mac sat down next to her.

Their lives had been so stressful and they would have only a
brief respite before Callie would be delivering their third child, sure to
create chaos, excitement, love and an overflowing schedule of responsibilities.
With all the family they now had, including Sarah and her children, Callie and
Mac would have very full lives this fall. For a moment, Callie felt overwhelmed
thinking about what she’d be dealing with.

“Mac, things are going to get pretty crazy for a while.”
Callie wrapped her small fingers around his thumb.

“Probably. Nothing you can’t handle.”

She smiled up at him, noticing how the moonlight highlighted
the planes of his handsome face.

Right now, this minute, they had each other and their love.
Callie stretched out on the towels, getting comfortable. Mac looked lovingly at
her body painted with the glow of the moon. He rested his hand gently on her
belly, where the new baby was growing. Then he kissed her there.