Cherished (Wanted) (21 page)

“Damn straight, everything has changed. You left with no good-byes or explanations, and Doc sold his practice to another person.”

Jessie let out a gasp and put her hand up to her mouth. “What?”

Drake shook his head. “Did you really think everyone would put their lives on hold while you were gone?”

Dewey let out a laugh. “Hell, Scott did. Bastard lost out on a—”

I cleared my throat and shook my head. “Dew…” I said.

Jessie glanced back and forth between Dewey and me. I saw the sadness in her eyes, and it about gutted me.

“People moved on, Jessica, and you lost out on your dream,” Drake said, his voice filled with disappointment.

Jessie looked at her father. “I have a new dream, Daddy.”

Drake let out a chuckle. “Oh, really? Did you graduate high school early and finish up college in record time for this new dream?”

I knew Jessie wanted to tell her father about the baby, but I also knew she wanted to make it special. “Jessie, baby, I don’t think now is the time to—”

“No…Scott, he’s right.” Jessie stood up straighter and squared off her shoulders. “Dad, you’re right, and I’m not going to argue with you. What I did was wrong, and I regret it more than you’ll ever know.”

She quickly looked at me and gave me a weak smile. I smiled back and winked at her. I didn’t want her stressing over what had happened between her and Trey. It was over, and we were together.

“But…it happened, and there is nothing I can do about it now. I made a mistake, Daddy, and you’ve always said that some of life’s best lessons are made through our mistakes.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Yes, I used my savings to pay for the trip to Belize.”

Drake shook his head and whispered, “Damn it.”

“But, Daddy, I don’t think I want to be a vet…at least not right now. There’s something else I’d much rather be, and I would like to do it full-time.”

She looked at me, and I smiled and nodded.

Drake folded his arms and glared at Jessie. “Oh yeah? Well, what is it, Jessica? I’m waiting with anticipation to hear about this new job.”

I saw the tears building in her eyes, so I walked up to her. I grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’d like to be a full-time mother,” Jessie practically whispered.

I saw the smile spread across Aaron’s face. I glanced over at Dewey, and he was smiling and shaking his head. When I looked at Drake, he seemed confused for a second before it hit him.

Drake dropped his arms to his side. “What? Jessica…are you…”

She nodded.

Both Aaron and Dewey let out a yell.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Dewey yelled as he walked up and grabbed Jessie. He started spinning her around.

As soon as he put her down, Aaron repeated the whole show. “Holy shit! Tiny is gonna have a baby! Our kids are going to grow up together, Jess.” Aaron kissed her on the cheeks.

Aaron set her down, and then he reached over and shook my hand. “Jesus, dude, congratulations. I couldn’t be more happy for y’all.”

Dewey walked up and shook my hand. Then, he pulled me close to him and said in my ear, “You hurt her or this baby…and I
will
kill you and bury your body in your own backyard.”

I pulled back and looked at him with a shocked look. “My own backyard? What the hell is wrong with you, Dewey?” I asked.

Aaron let out a laugh. I looked up to see Drake just staring at Jessie. I couldn’t really read his expression, and I was sure Jessie couldn’t either.

“Daddy…please say something,” Jessie said.

Drake turned and started to walk away, and Jessie’s body just slumped.

“Daddy…” Jessie whispered.

She glanced back at me, and the look in her eyes about killed me. She slowly walked into my arms, and I looked up at Drake. He was standing at the end of the porch, looking out.

In that moment, I vowed that this girl in my arms would never have that look in her eyes again.

Ever.

The moment my father turned and walked away from me, it all hit me—the hurt I caused him, my brothers, and especially Scott
.

I let everyone down.
I hurt the only people I truly love.

Scott pulled back and looked into my eyes. The love that was pouring out of him took my breath away.

“I love you,” he whispered.

My heart dropped to my stomach. After everything that I had told him about Trey, he was still standing here, making me feel so loved and so cherished.

I tried my best to smile at him, but when he put his hand on my stomach, I felt the tears building.

“Go talk to him, baby.”

I nodded and turned to see my brothers both looking at me.

“It’s okay, Tiny. He’s just probably in shock, and he was really pissed-off at you,” Dewey said with a sweet smile on his face.

I let out a small laugh and started to walk over toward my father. I stopped right behind him. I looked down at my shaking hands and closed my eyes.

“Daddy,” I said as my voice cracked.

He turned around and looked at me. He had tears in eyes, and I sucked in a breath of air.

Am I that much of a disappointment to him?

“I…I’m so sorry if I’m a disappointment to you.” I began to cry.

He looked at me with a shocked expression on his face. “
What?
Why would you ever think you were a disappointment to me?”

“You just seem…well, you walked away from me, and…”

He reached out, grabbed me, and pulled me to him. “Oh, baby girl, you could never be a disappointment to me.
Ever.
I’m really upset with you for running away like you did. You about killed me, Jessica. Don’t you ever do that to me again. You’re my girl…my baby girl.”

I slowly nodded my head. “Oh, Daddy, I promise I won’t, and if I could take it all back…”

He pulled back and smiled as he wiped away the tears from my eyes. “I’m gonna be a grandfather, huh?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

“When did you find out?”

I took a deep breath as I thought back to that night. The idea of crawling onto Trey’s lap and sleeping somehow made me feel sick to my stomach.
I should have been with Scott…not another man.

“Christmas Eve.”

My father looked up and over at Scott. I turned and saw him smiling at something Aaron was saying to him. When I turned back to my father, he seemed conflicted.

“Daddy, are you not happy about the baby?”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m very happy. It’s just…I don’t know how to ask you this…”

I looked at him, confused. “Ask me, what?”

He quickly looked at Scott and then back at me. “Is the baby, um…is the baby Scott’s?”

I sucked in a breath of air.
Oh my god. Does everyone think I was with another man?

You were with another man.

I quickly shook my head to erase the thoughts running through my head.

“Yes! Of course it is.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that your one postcard made it sound like…well, it sounded like you were with someone.”

I put my hand up to my mouth and started crying. Daddy pulled me to him and kept telling me it was okay.

“Oh god…I almost made the biggest mistake of my life, Dad. I can’t…” I started sobbing again.

He put his arm around me as we walked around the porch and started down the steps. Once we got far enough away from Scott, Aaron, and Dewey, all he had to do was look at me.

“What happened?”

I just let it all out. “I met this guy. Nothing happened, but we did…we…oh god.”

I wanted to scream every time I thought about what had happened between Trey and me.

“Stop with the guilt, Jessie. You thought something happened with Scott and Chelsea. You were hurting.”

I started shaking my head as I dropped it back and looked up. “I know, Dad…I know. But if I hadn’t run away, if I had just stayed and confronted my fear, I would have seen within five seconds that it wasn’t Scott. I think a part of me knew it wasn’t him, but I’ve always had this fear that he was going to leave me like he did the first time.”

My dad snapped his head at Scott and then over to me. “First time?”

“No, nothing like that. In high school, he kissed me, and…oh god, Dad, that was so long ago. It doesn’t matter.” I started walking back and forth. “I think the thing that kills me the most is that I was carrying Scott’s child when I let another man touch me. It almost makes my skin crawl, but at the same time, I feel something for Trey.”

“Wait—what do you mean you feel something for Trey? Jessie…you’re not in love with him, are you?”

I shook my head. “No! I mean, I care about him. He was a great friend, and we really grew close during those five weeks. I honestly don’t think I could have made it through that time without him.”

“Would you have come home sooner if you hadn’t met him?” my father asked.

I stopped walking. It hit me like a ton of bricks.
My god…did I stay away out of fear? Or did I stay away because I was enjoying my time with Trey?

“I…I don’t know. Maybe.”

My dad tilted his head and gave me a look. “Maybe?”

My heart started pounding, and I felt like it was all happening again. “I think so. I was only going to stay for two weeks.”

“And it’s over a month later,” my father said as he walked up to me. “Scott loves you, and I’ve never seen a man so destroyed as he was when you were gone.”

I felt the tears falling again. This crying thing was starting to be a pain in the ass.

“Jessie…you need to make sure you don’t have any feelings for this Trey guy. You need to make sure you are one hundred percent with Scott and not just because you are pregnant.”

All the air left my body. “Daddy…I love Scott more than anything. I only love him, and I’ll only ever love him. I called him before I knew I was pregnant, and…” I stopped talking. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I put my hands on my chest. It felt like someone was sitting on it. “Do you think Scott thinks I picked him over Trey because I’m pregnant? Oh my god…Dad, if you thought that…”

“Now, Jessie, settle down. Take a deep breath, baby girl. It’s not good to be this upset when you’re pregnant. I’m sure Scott knows how much you love him, and no, I don’t think he thinks that.”

I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself down. Then, I heard his voice.

“Jessie?”

I closed my eyes and felt the warmth take over my body just from the sound of his voice. I opened my eyes and looked into my dad’s eyes. My dad must have noticed how I’d calmed down almost instantly.

“Daddy, if y’all don’t mind, I really would like to spend some time with Scott.”

My father laughed and took a step around me. He walked up to Scott, and as I turned around, I saw him shake Scott’s hand.

“Congratulations, son. I’m very happy for you and Jessie. I still can’t believe it—a grandchild.”

The smile that spread across Scott’s face caused me to smile. He was so happy about this baby, and it just made my heart swell even more.

“Aaron and Dewey had to leave, but they said to let you know they’ll see you later, Jessie,” Scott said.

“Okay, well, that’s my sign to take off as well.” My father looked at me and winked. “Call me later?”

“Yes…I promise,” I said.

He gave me a hug. After I watched my father walk away, I turned my attention to Scott. He was just staring at me.

“I take it that he’s happy about the baby?” he asked with a smile.

I let out a giggle. “Yeah, he’s really happy.”

Scott started to walk my way with that drop-me-to-my-knees, sexy-ass look of his. I instantly felt myself longing for him.

“So, where were we?” Scott raised his eyebrows up at me.

I let out a laugh. “I do believe you mentioned something about making love to me all night long. And what else was it?” I put my index finger up to my lips and looked up, like I was thinking. I snapped my head back and looked into his eyes. “Two spankings for bad behavior, I believe,” I said as I licked my lips on purpose.

“Ah hell,” Scott said. He reached for me and threw me over his shoulder.

I let out a scream as I pushed myself up off his back. As soon as his hand hit my ass, I felt the throbbing between my legs.

My god…I’ve never been so turned-on in my life.

Scott carried me into the house and straight to his bedroom. After he walked in, he slowly let me down. As soon as my feet hit the ground, he began kissing me as he reached for my jeans and started to unbutton them. I moved my hands to his pants and did the same thing.

“My god…I want you so badly,” I practically panted.

He lifted up my T-shirt and pulled it over my head. Then, he pushed my bra up and over my breasts. He lifted it above my head. I didn’t know how he had done it, but he’d quickly used my bra to pull my hands behind my back. He gently cupped my breast, and I threw my head back and moaned. He dropped to his knees and kissed my stomach. I felt a million different sensations run through my body.

Oh yes…I love this man and only this man.

He was still holding my hands behind my back as he put his mouth up to my clit and blew through my panties.

“Scott…oh god.
Please.
”

He let go of my bra and hands. I instantly put my hands in his hair and pulled him closer to me. I needed to feel him as close to me as possible. I needed his love to pour into my body in every way possible.