Remember Love (15 page)

Brenna

It’s a new day and the sun’s shining as bright as our smiles. Yesterday’s worries are gone. We’re back to the happiness we felt before Wesley barged into our lives.

Tucker woke me up with
his hands and mouth all over me. A very good way to start the morning. When we finally get out of bed, we shower and eat breakfast. He says there was something he wants to talk to me about, but first I have a gift for him.

I run
into my bedroom and open the drawer, pulling out the box that holds his pocket watch. I remember how I felt two weeks ago when he gave me my pendant, and I hope he loves this just as much. I walk back into the living room and lean over the couch, touching his shoulder with the box.

“What’s this?” He asks
taking it out of my hand.

“Open it.”
I crawl over the back of the couch and drop down next to him to see his reaction.

Tucker
opens the box and pulls out the watch to take a closer look. He reaches up to my necklace and flips it over to see the engraving, then takes another look at his gift. I watch his face as he pushes the release button to open the lid. At first he seems surprised, but he smiles at me, his eyes full of so much happiness and love. I can feel it reaching from inside him and grabbing ahold of me.

Within seconds I’m in his arms and he’
s kissing me. I guess this to mean he likes the gift. I had the same thing engraved into the lid that he had engraved on the back of my pendant.

Forever Mine

He bre
aks the kiss long enough to say, “I love you, Brenna. This is the best gift anyone’s ever given me. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”
I respond. And suddenly, his mouth overtakes mine once again.

After our lips have become swollen
and numb, we finally talk about me moving sooner than we’d originally planned. I understand Tucker’s reasons and have no objections. Being without him is awful, and I almost screwed it up once. Lesson learned. The pain is unbearable, so I must move in with him soon.

I tell Tucker
, yes, we can start packing my stuff today, right after I call Mom. Instantly, I rush to my bedroom to speak to her in private.

I talk to
Mom a few times a week, so she knows Tucker and I are together. I’ve waited for her to say something about that fateful conversation she had with him years ago, but she never has.

She’s quiet for a few minutes before she clears her throat and tells me that she’s okay with that
, but first she wants to speak with both me and Tucker. So there it is. She then asks when’s the next time we will both be in Cave City to visit her. I tell her to hold on and mute my phone to ask Tucker. He says we can go to her house in a few hours. I guess Tucker wants to get it over with.

While I tell Mom to expect us later that evening, Tucker calls Spencer to ask if he’ll help with my move. I have a hunch the real reason is because he wants to introduce him to Lexi.

Thirty minutes later, Tucker has stolen my keys and he’s driving my baby down the road. Since he’s driving, I text Lexi to let her know what’s going on and to give her a head’s up that she could be meeting Spencer tonight. She hasn’t dated anyone seriously for a while now, so I’m hopeful that they’ll hit it off. I want Lexi to find the right guy. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll end up with Spencer. That would hopefully mean she’d move to Cave City and we could continue our friendship after graduation. It would break my heart to lose contact with her.

Tucker’s
hand rests on the gear shift. I place mine on top of his, and he spreads his fingers apart so my fingers can slip in between. Guess we’ll shift gears together.  We are quiet during most of the trip. I have to admit, I’m a little worried about what will happen at Mom’s house.

My mom is a good person and I know all she ever wanted
was the best for me. She has always been both mother and father, since my sperm donor up and left her as soon as she told him she was pregnant with me. I’ve never met him, nor do I ever want to. I don’t need to know a man like that. I’ve barely asked her any questions about him, afraid it would be painful for her to answer. I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything by not knowing him. You can’t miss what you’ve never had, right?

I respect
Mom for the sacrifices she made to raise me by herself. She could have taken the easy way out. I can’t imagine raising a kid on my own.

That reminds me…it’s possible that I could have
my own little one, sometime around the beginning of next year, if my math is correct. My hand automatically goes to my stomach. Tucker notices, and he glances over with a big smile.

I have no worries with Tucker.
I know he would be overjoyed if his baby was growing inside me.

“How long before we know?”
he asks.

“I don’t know
. A few weeks I guess.” I pull out my phone to check my calendar and realize I should have started my period yesterday.

One day late
.

I warn myself not to get my hopes up, even though I’ve never been late before.

Tucker’s voice is hesitant. “It’s okay if you’re pregnant, right?” By the way he asks the question, it sounds like he’s afraid I’ll say no.

“Yeah, I’m okay with it.” I
hope my answer conveys my certainty. I want him to know I mean it, and not just saying this to make him feel better. The more I think about a possible pregnancy, the more anticipation I feel. If I’m not pregnant we can keep trying. I can’t imagine how amazing it would be to share our love with a brand new person we’ve created.

* * *

Tucker

During our drive, I quietly worried about seeing Brenna’s mom. But those thoughts flew out the window when Brenna placed her hand on her belly. I have no idea how long we have to wait until we know if she’s pregnant, and it’s driving me crazy. I want to know now.

But I know one thing for sure, no matter what happens to me and
Brenna, we’ll get through it together.

I take a deep breath as we pull into her mom’s driveway
, exhaling slowly as I raise the brake and turn off the ignition. We stay in the car for a few minutes, both of us staring straight ahead in silence. I eventually unfasten my seatbelt and lean over to Brenna and say, “Everything will be okay.”

She nods
, and I kiss her.

We o
pen our doors and head for the house. I wait for Brenna to reach me, and then I take her hand in mine as we march toward whatever awaits us inside that house.

Ms. James must have heard us pull
up. She stands there waiting holding the screen door open to welcoming us inside. After we exchange our quick greetings, Brenna and I sit on the sofa in the living room and I take her hand.

We both look at Ms. James
, letting her know we’re ready when she is.

Ms. James takes a deep breath.
“First, let me say I was going to wait till after you graduated to tell you this. When you told me how things were progressing between you and Tucker, I knew we needed to have this talk.”

I
see her hands shake in her lap. She’s more nervous than I expected, so I try to help the conversation along. “Ms. James, Brenna knows my version of what happened that day when you told me I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t want her to be upset with you, and I asked her not to say anything until after she was finished with school so we could speak to you together. I understand more about it now than I did at the time. And I don’t hold it against you.”

Ms. James
gives me a glance, then her eyes wander off to the wall. She appears to be absorbing what I said and gathering her thoughts. Finally, she says, “Tucker, I must apologize to you for what I said that day. I thought I was doing the best thing for Brenna. I remember the way you used to look at her, and since you were older, I thought I needed to protect her. She needed time to grow up. What I didn’t realize was how bad it would affect her.”

T
ears well up in Brenna’s eyes. I release her hand and put my arm around her shoulders, letting her know it will be okay. It doesn’t matter what happened back then; we’re together now, and nothing’s going to change that. I kiss the top of her head, and from the corner of my eye I see Ms. James smiling at us.

Ms. James says,
“I can see you still look at her the same way. I’m sorry I took all those years away from you.” She gets out of her chair and sits beside Brenna. “I thought I was protecting you. But now I know I should’ve talked to you, and not assumed Tucker was gonna be a bad influence just because he was a little older. I was afraid he’d push you into something you weren’t ready for.”

Brenna says,
“Tucker never would’ve pushed me, Mom, but I understand why you were scared. I just wish I’d known why he disappeared all of a sudden. That’s what hurt me the most. You held me as I cried over him, and you never said a word.”

Ms. James pulls Brenna
into a hug and speaks softly. “I was afraid he’d be like your father. That he’d talk you into having sex too young and leave you if you got pregnant. Just like your father did to me.”

I understand her feelings, but after the past few days I’ve spent in joyful anticipation that Brenna could be pregnant, her comment makes me uncomfortable. No way I’d leave
Brenna, especially if she is having my baby. Not back then, and certainly not now.

I
stand, ready to head to the bathroom to have a moment alone with my thoughts, when someone grabs my hand to stop me.

It’s
Ms. James, giving me a heartfelt look. “Tucker, I can see in your eyes and hear in Brenna’s voice every time she talks about you… there’s still so much love between you both. You have my blessing, whether you want it or not. I will never come between you again, as long as you take good care of my daughter.”

Swallowing the lump that has formed in my throat
, I’m surprised by how much those words affect me. “Ms. James…” I begin, but she shakes her head, interrupting me.

“
Please start calling me Caroline,” she says. “You’ve Ms. James’d me to death over the years.”

I n
od and chuckle a little. Her comment catches me off guard, and I’m thankful for the distraction from the intense emotion. “Caroline, you have nothing to worry about. I will always take care of Brenna. I’ve never loved any other girl, and I never will. There’s no one in this world I want more than your daughter.”

Caroline smiles
, and it looks so much like Brenna’s I can’t help but smile back at her. When Brenna sees this, her face lights up with the same expression, brighter than I’ve ever seen.

I hope to make Brenna my wife soon, and it’s a wonderful feeling to know her mom’s on my side this time.

We
spend some time discussing Brenna’s move to my house this week. I tell Caroline she’s welcome to visit anytime. She plans to stop by and help Brenna unpack.

The idea of Brenna unpacking in my house brings me to a realization; my house will finally be a home.
Our
home.

When Brenna
excuses herself to the restroom. I tell Caroline of my plans to surprise Brenna with a small family gathering next Sunday. She’s happy to give me her phone number so I can call her with details.

Brenna
returns, asking if I’m ready to head back to Louisville.

Hell yes, I am. Heading back to Louisville means it’s time to move her out of that apartment and into my house. I’ve been ready for this for years.

After saying goodbye
to Caroline, we head back out to Brenna’s “baby” as she calls her Xterra.

I
feel like a boulder’s been lifted from my shoulders. There are no more obstacles in our way. I have everything I want and need right here beside me.

Brenna

I’m glad that we
went to see Mom today instead of waiting. The dark cloud that’s been hanging over my head for the past two weeks has finally cleared. I try to act like it wasn’t there, but deep inside; I have been more worried about Mom’s approval than I wanted to admit, even to myself.

I’m not angry with Mom. She’s an am
azing mother, and I know she’d never do anything to hurt me, unless it was for my own good.

Tucker’s been smiling
since we left. He has so much joy, I swear I feel it flowing out of him and washing over me. It feels natural and perfect, like we’re sharing the same heart and mind.

As we
get closer to Spencer’s house, I realize he only lives a few minutes away from Tucker. This increases my hope that he’ll hook up with Lexi. She might be a handful at times, but I wouldn’t have her any other way.

Tucker blows the horn when we pull
up and Spencer quickly runs out to join us.

Wow, Tucker wasn’t lying. He’s hot.
Lexi will be thrilled.

I hear a growl come from Tucker
, and turn to see what’s wrong. Uh oh. I’m in trouble. I take it he doesn’t like me checking out his friend. I shrug, laughing at his expression. But he interrupts me with an unexpected kiss, his lips pressed hard against mine.

I like possessive Tucker. He reminds me who I belong to. Unfortunately, now m
y panties are wet, and I wish we were alone.

Spencer
is laughing as he climbs into the back seat. Tucker pulls away from me and tosses Spencer a cocky grin over his shoulder.

Damn that cocky grin is
sexy. Tucker makes introductions and then we are on our way again. I hear my phone beep when we’re about a mile down the road. It’s Lexi.

Lexi
: How much longer?

Brenna: just picked up Spencer on way now.

Lexi: Is he hot?

Laughing a little, I think to myself, h
ow do I respond to that? Tucker asks why I’m laughing, and I read the message aloud. He shoots me a look of warning that I better be careful how I respond. Oh I’m not going to heed that look. I have to tell her. Spencer is laughing, so I know he saw how Tucker looked at me.

“What?
” I ask. “Why’d you give me that look?”

“You know why,
” Tucker says.

Rolling my eyes at him
, I start typing a reply to Lexi.

Brenna: I can’t answer that I have a jealous male giving me the look.

Lexi: WTH? UGH! I want to know.

Brenna: think of Tucker’s little stunt he was telling the truth.

Lexi: if he’s really hot he can sleep on my couch ;)

Oh
Lord. I can’t contain the laugh that bursts out of me. I’ll bet she would let him “sleep on her couch.” Lexi has no problems in that department. She’s not the type to sleep around, but she has no problem going after it if she wants it. Tucker glances over at me, of course he has to know what I’m laughing at.

“Lexi said he could sleep on her couch if he’s hot enough.”

This gets Spencer’s attention, “What’s she look like? All Tucker would tell me was she was a spunky redhead.”

I look at Tucker.
“Seriously? A spunky redhead?”

Tucker shrugs, g
rinning a little at me. “Do you want me checking out your friend like you did mine?” 

M
y face heats up. He just had to go there. Now Spencer is laughing again, and I want the seat to open up and suck me inside. I have no reply. After my cheeks return to their normal color, I turn in my seat, facing Spencer, to give him a little info about Lexi.

“Oh
, I have a picture.” I start thumbing through the pictures in my phone and have to stop once or twice to smile at the ones of Tucker and me. When I find a good one of Lexi, I hand Spencer my phone.

I watch as the corner
s of his mouth turns up, but he doesn’t say anything. He simply hands my phone back to me.

Tucker and Spencer
change the subject, talking about work for a while. We continue to chat until we get close to Louisville. I ask if they’re hungry, and of course they are. They’re men. Stupid question.

Brenna: we’re close
wanna order some pizzas?

Lexi
: how many & with what?

Brenna: 4 & normal order

Lexi: gotcha c u soon.

Forty five minutes later we
’re pulling into the parking lot. Lexi must have been watching for us because her door flies open. Tucker and I are already out and unlocking my apartment when I hear Lexi’s gasp as Spencer steps out of the SUV. I pull her inside and into my room.

“Holy hell
, he’s hot,” she whispers to me.

“I know
. I thought Tucker would choke me for looking at him.”

“Do I look okay?”

I raise my brow at her. Lexi is never self-conscious. She always seems so confident, and has an “I don’t give a fuck what you think of me” attitude.

“You look gorgeous as always
, Lexi.”

“Thanks B
. Okay, come on.”

We
go back into the living room and Tucker and Spencer stop talking as soon as they see us. Since I only have a couch, it looks like we will all be getting up close and personal with each other. I start to sit beside Tucker when he pulls me onto his lap, leaving enough room for Lexi to sit comfortably between him and Spencer.

Tucker commences with the introductions.
“Lexi, that’s Spencer. Spencer, that’s Lexi. Now we all know each other. How ‘bout some drinks? Food should be here anytime and we can watch a movie or something.”

Lexi and Spencer haven’t said more than
, “Hello, nice to meet ya.” They look at each other, though, so that’s a good sign. Right?

I get up to go into the kitchen
, pulling Tucker with me. When we are out of their sight, I spin around and rise up on my toes to hug his neck. He wastes no time pressing his lips to mine.

“What do you think the chances are she will offer her couch to Spence?” Tucker whispers against my mouth.

“I’d say they’re pretty good.”

I tell him
what she said to me in my room, which makes him raise a brow. He then tells me Spencer had pretty much the same reaction to Lexi.

We hear
a knock at the door just as we get back into the living room and sit back down on the couch.

Lexi jumps up to get the door and takes the pizzas from the delivery driver’s hands when Spencer walks over to take them from her. We watch as they stand there staring at each other
, caught in each other’s eyes, before laughing at them and breaking the spell.

Tucker
flips through the channels apparently not finding anything worth watching, if his grunt is anything to go by. He tells me to get up from his lap so he can go look at my movies. Guess he doesn’t want me or Lexi to pick. A few minutes later I see the logo for
Happy Madison
films pop up on the screen and know we are about to watch a movie starring Adam Sandler.

A few minutes into the movie,
Lexi gets her groove back and starts singing the gum song right along with them, and of course I’m right there with her. The guys laugh as much at us as they do at the movie. You can never go wrong with
Billy Madison
.

As the credits roll
, I hide a yawn behind my hand.

“Sleepy?”
Tucker whispers in my ear.

I can tell by the sound of hi
s voice that sleep isn’t what I’ll be getting when we go to bed.

Lexi and Spencer talk quietly
to each other before Lexi tells us that they are going to her place to watch more movies, and let us lovebirds have some privacy. Yeah, like that excuse really fools either of us. We all make plans to have breakfast around nine the next morning. After that, we’ll go get boxes and start packing.

* * *

Tucker

As soon as Lexi and Spencer leave, I turn Brenna to face me, and crash my mouth down on hers. Between the jealously I felt when she was staring at Spence, and her sitting on my lap for the past two hours, I’m so hard it hurts. Thank the heavens she’s wearing a dress tonight. I waste no time pushing it up around her waist as her hands start working on the button of my jeans. She lifts up enough for me to pull them down past my hips.

I push
her panties aside. Brenna’s hand wraps around the hard length of my cock and guides it into position. Wasting no time, she sinks down to sheath me fully inside of her moist heat. She rolls her hips and mu head falls back on the couch. My grip tightens on her hops as she moves slowly to get her rhythm. All rational thought leaves me as she takes control. I can’t think clearly enough to form a coherent sentence, but only of sensations from Brenna’s sweet torture.

I open my eyes to watch her as she rides me
. The look of bliss and her little moans almost make me explode too soon. At first, I let her control our pace, but that’s about to change. Tightening my fingers on her hips, I thrust into her until we come together and our ecstatic groans fill the room.

She collapses against my chest
and I hold her tight.

If we keep going at this rate
, she’ll definitely be pregnant soon… if she’s not already.

I carry Brenna to
the bedroom and after removing our clothes, we crawl into bed.

As Brenna falls asleep in my arms, I think of something I need to buy for her tomorrow. No reason to wait any longer.

She has always held my heart in her hand and now it’s time to make her mine in every way.