OnlyYou (23 page)

He leaned down and quickly nipped at her stiff, rosy
nipples, causing her to gasp as shocks of excitement coursed through her body.
His hazy, lust-filled eyes captured hers, hypnotizing her as he seemingly
staring into her very soul.

She bit her lower lip as her body began shivering with
renewed arousal. She grabbed the back of his head and brought his mouth to
hers, drinking in the sweetness of his lips.

Suddenly, she found herself in the throes of a mind-bending
orgasm. Her whole body began vibrating beneath him and she uttered a cry of
delight against his lips as her pussy began to violently contract around his
hard shaft.

An agonized groan escaped from Gabriel’s throat and he
wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she melted into him. Her head
fell back and she became lost in the sensations of his cock filling her
completely as he slammed into her furiously.

His lips dropped to her neck, leaving her skin burning with
fire. He grunted as the tips of his fingers began to dig into her back. With
one final thrust, he shuddered, spilling his seed into her.

Kaitlyn caressed his neck as he buried his face against her
shoulder, his chest heaving and lightly brushing against her still-erect
nipples. She placed tiny, light kisses all over the side of his face and hugged
him tightly, her heart feeling full and her body feeling satiated.

With one seamless motion, Gabriel withdrew from her and
scooped her up into his arms. He climbed into the bed and they shared a laugh
filled with delight as they fell against the pillows.

She snuggled against him as he pulled the blankets over
them. She sighed with contentment and traced the contours of his chest muscles
with her fingertip. His chest rose and fell heavily beneath her, his breathing
slow to return to a normal state.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of his body
and the tenderness of his embrace. If she had her way, they would never have to
leave the room and they would stay like this forever.

“I do not know how I am going to be able to go back to
sleeping alone in a tent every night after this,” he murmured into her hair.

She smiled to herself, pleased to find out that he was
reluctant to leave her. “Then stay.”

He sighed heavily and gently caressed her back with his
warm, rough palm. “I have to leave in the morning.”

Ice filled her veins and she silently paused, allowing the
shock of his sudden announcement to wear off a bit before responding.

The morning? Hot tears threatened to blind her as her mind
spun in circles. Why had he not said anything before this? Why couldn’t they
have had more than a couple of days together?

“I did not know how to tell you, Katie,” he quietly
explained as he kissed the top of her head. “You were so angry with me last
time.”

“You would be too if I kept leaving you,” she whispered,
tears blinding her eyes and choking her voice. “I don’t understand why you
can’t stay for a little while at least.”

“Because I cannot,” he replied, his voice gravelly and laced
with anguish.

He squeezed her tightly against him as deep sobs racked her
body. The bliss and contentment that had filled her moments before was now
gone, replaced with the emptiness that she had been her constant companion
during Gabriel’s absence.

“Katie, I—” he hesitantly began, his voice quickly trailing
off.

She took a deep breath to calm her body, wiping her tears
with the back of her hand. The last thing she wanted to be was a sobbing mess
during their last night together.

“What?” she asked when he did not continue.

He took a deep breath and brushed her hair away from her
face, placing a long, gentle kiss upon her forehead. “I will come back.”

She knew his voice well enough to know when he was leaving
something unsaid. What it was, she wasn’t certain but his promise to come home
eased the ache in her heart just a little bit.

At that moment, their baby ferociously kicked Gabriel’s side
through Kaitlyn’s abdomen. He chuckled softly and began caressing her swollen
stomach.

“You take care of your mother,” Gabriel commanded, his tone
reminding her of the times when she witnessed him directing his militia. “You
will be the man of the house while I am gone.”

Kaitlyn couldn’t help but laugh, despite the sadness
overwhelming her. “How much do you want to bet that it’s a girl?”

Chapter Sixteen

Kaitlyn absentmindedly rubbed her lower back as she gazed
out the window over the kitchen’s washbasin. Mary, Eileen and Elizabeth were
all bent over in the garden, busy weeding and checking on this season’s
vegetables.

Kaitlyn tossed the wet dishtowel she was holding over the
back of a nearby chair so it could dry. A tiny little foot pushed up into her
rib cage and she laughed, gently pushing down on the top of her now enormous
stomach in order to dislodge the baby’s foot.

She had spent most of her pregnancy worrying herself sick
over the lack of modern medicine. However, for the last two weeks she couldn’t
care less when or how it happened—she was more than ready to go into labor and
get it over with. Her feet were killing her and her back wasn’t in much better
condition.

She had also spent a good portion of the past few months
hoping and praying that Gabriel would be home in time for the birth but, every
time he sent a letter, he simply mentioned yet another impending battle.

Kaitlyn sighed and a small, reluctant smile crossed her
face. Her life was so different from how she imagined it would be. Right now
she should be getting ready to start her first solo teaching job at a college
somewhere. She would have her PhD and hopefully a new apartment in a new city.
Never once during all her years of preparation for a career in research and
college teaching did she consider that at this age she would be ready to give
birth to her first child while washing dishes and waiting for her husband to
come home from war.

Then again, why would she have thought that? Why would she
have ever, even in her wildest dreams, considered that she would have been
thrown back in time?

Or have married a man like Gabriel.

He had begun sending her letters as soon as he arrived back
at camp. Every week he would write, regardless of whether or not the
intermittent postal service had delivered one of Kaitlyn’s letters to him.
Gabriel wasn’t one for sappiness—he never spoke of his own emotions when he
wrote. But, for the first time, she believed that he cared about her. He was
constantly questioning how she was doing and what was happening with the
pregnancy. And he always assured her that he would be coming home just as soon
as General Washington no longer needed his services.

Every time a letter arrived, Kaitlyn’s heart would pound
excitedly against her chest and her body would feel as light as a feather,
which was quite an accomplishment at this point in her life. It was definitely
the highlight of her week and she found herself missing the welcome distraction
when the mail was delayed, which it often was and had been this week.

Paul dashed by the window in a flash, catching Kaitlyn’s
eye. She looked up and saw him waving his arms around excitedly as he talked to
the women in the garden. The features on the women’s faces became strained and
Mary threw a worried look toward the house before speaking rapidly to Paul.

Something was terribly wrong. Kaitlyn’s heart seemed to
cease beating as she strained to make out the words being spoken. Her stomach
turned in fear and the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight.

She pushed herself away from the washbasin and rushed
outside, praying that it wasn’t news of Gabriel being injured once again.
“What’s happening?” she demanded, her voice shaking as she approached the
group.

All eyes turned to her and Mary reached out, placing a
comforting arm around her shoulders.

“We seem to be in the path of a retreating company of
British soldiers,” she explained, pursing her lips together. “We must leave
immediately.”

Kaitlyn’s throat started to close up as panic built within
her. She shook her head. “We can’t go. What about the house? The cattle? Your
garden?”

“All replaceable, my dear,” Mary emphatically stated as she
grabbed Kaitlyn by the shoulders and faced her squarely.

“But what about the baby?” Eileen asked, obviously
understanding what Kaitlyn’s true fear was. “You were just saying, Mama, that
the baby would come any day now.”

“That is why we must leave now. We have to get Katie to a
safe place.”

Mary released her hold on Kaitlyn and immediately began
hurling orders to everyone around her. Kaitlyn instinctively grabbed Mary’s
hand and leaned her weary head against the older woman’s shoulder, all at once
feeling like a small child as her newly built world was threatening to crumble
around her.

Mary gave Kaitlyn’s hand a tight squeeze and proceeded to
direct Elizabeth into burying their valuables in the field beside the barn.
Then she instructed Paul to turn the cattle out into the pasture and leave the
feed out for the chickens.

Kaitlyn was guided inside and sat down on a bench in the
kitchen while a flurry of activity surrounded her. Her mind whirled endlessly,
wondering where they would go and if Gabriel would know. She racked her brain,
unable to recall any incidents from her research that indicated anything
violent having happened to the civilians in this area at the hands of the
British.

The money Gabriel had given to her for emergency purposes
suddenly entered her mind and she ran upstairs, dashing toward her bedroom. By
the time she flung open the door, her lungs were burning from the exertion. She
grabbed the door handle and inhaled deeply, her eyes blurring from dizziness.
Once she finally caught her breath, she ripped open the top drawer of her
bureau and reached into the back, withdrawing the small pouch she kept the
coins in.

Opening it, she peered inside and saw the note James Clark
had given to her. She had forgotten all about the money he loaned her. She
pulled out the paper and unfolded it, staring blankly at the various addresses
written upon its surface. She made a movement to toss the paper aside but then
thought better of it. Quickly refolding it, she stuffed the paper back inside
the pouch and proceeded to hide it just inside the hem of her skirt.

“Katie!” Eileen’s voice called from the bottom of the
stairs. “Are you up there?”

Kaitlyn called back and grabbed her black cloak from the
wardrobe. She quickly walked down the hallway, her heart threatening to leap
from her throat out of fear.

Eileen met her halfway and helped her to tie the cloak
around her neck. She then handed Kaitlyn a bundle of food and led her outside
where Paul had George saddled up and waiting for her.

George’s eyes were wide and he snorted impatiently, almost
as though he understood what was happening. Eileen and Paul helped Kaitlyn onto
George’s back. She hadn’t ridden George in months at the express request of
Mary who had nearly been beside herself with worry that Kaitlyn could get
thrown off the horse.

As Kaitlyn was settling herself on top of George, her
stomach tightened, causing it to look as though she had stuck a basketball
underneath her skirts. She gasped in surprise, her hands immediately clasping
the sides of her abdomen and feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath. As
quickly as it came, it faded, leaving her with a strange sense of foreboding
deep in the pit of her stomach.

Mary coaxed her horse over to Kaitlyn and worriedly placed a
hand on her abdomen. “Was it a pain?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Kaitlyn glanced up at her, seeing the worry knitting Mary’s
brow. Kaitlyn shook her head. “No, it didn’t hurt. It just surprised me is
all.”

Mary nodded, gently rubbing the front of Kaitlyn’s belly.
“The time is drawing near. We must get you to safety.”

Kaitlyn’s eyes widened as Paul handed a pistol up to Mary.
The matriarch nodded her thanks and laid the weapon across her lap, telling
Paul to leave for home so he could warn his parents.

Kaitlyn brought George into line behind Mary and took one
last look at the place she had come to call home over the past few months. It
was difficult for her to think that all of it might be gone by the time they
came back, burnt to the ground or abused by looters. The house, which Gabriel
had built with his own two hands, seemed so desolate and silent, as though it
was determined to wait for as long as it could possibly stand for all of them
to return home.

She hadn’t ever thought she could become attached to a house
but she found that she was to this one. It had nearly come to represent Gabriel
himself—strong and noble. She felt safe under its roof and now that roof’s fate
was being left to chance.

Eileen pulled her horse up next to George and reached out to
squeeze Kaitlyn’s hand. “We will be all right. We made it here by ourselves,
remember?”

Kaitlyn smiled weakly and nodded, the memories of traveling
here with Eileen still burned into her memory as though it were just yesterday.

“We will come back,” Eileen assured her with a wisdom that
far exceeded her years. “No matter what happens, we will return.”

* * * * *

After staying the night at a safe house Eileen had used on
more than one occasion, the women set off once again. As they reached the main
road leading to Philadelphia, they joined a long line of refugees all heading
toward the city for shelter from the retreating British troops.

When Kaitlyn first laid her weary eyes upon the disheveled
mass of mostly women and children, her heart nearly broke in two. Most of them
had fled on foot, carrying what worldly possessions they could in knapsacks
that they threw over their shoulders. Food was somewhat difficult to come by
and it showed on the hollow cheeks of the refugees’ faces. Even the children,
who would normally be expected to see this journey as a great adventure, were
quiet and subdued, probably due to hunger and lack of proper sleep.