Closing Costs (22 page)

"She's weak and her throat probably hurts from the tube, but she stabilized quickly so I took it out to eliminate the possibility of any more infection. Once she went septic it opened up her immune system to all sorts of..." Jack glared at him.

"Already too much information, Doctor Craig, but thank you. Thank you for saving her." He took a deep breath and looked through the window. She half sat, propped up, tubes, lines and shit hanging off her arms. His ears buzzed so loudly he had a brief moment to be thankful that he was in a hospital where they could deal when he had a heart attack. A hand on his arm steadied him. His sister's deep blue eyes connected with his.

"Go in. She needs you." He nodded, and pushed the door open. Beeps and other strange sounds, and the plastic, antiseptic odor of hospital assaulted his senses. He stayed, frozen in place, watching her eyes move under eyelids that seemed thin and fragile. Huge circles darkened under her eyes.

"She's so... small." He'd never considered her that way, just Kate. Tough, with a smart mouth to match her mother's, a tomboy of the nth degree. "Dear God, please..." He heard himself croak before sitting in the chair near her head. His entire body shook.
Be strong. She needs you
. He clenched his fists, then released them and put a hand over hers. The chill emanating from her skin frightened him. He glanced at the many monitors bleeping and ringing, thought he saw one that could be a heartbeat and pulse.

"Mommy?" Her voice sounded papery thin as her eyes fluttered open.

Mine
.

Jack took a breath and touched her cheek. "No honey. It's me."

"Oh, Uncle Jack. My throat hurts; my head hurts. Can you turn the light down?" A nurse obliged, making the already dim room more so.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Jack stood, then sat again, antsy, more stressed than he'd even been. Maureen slipped in and whispered in his ear. "Craig told me to tell you to calm down. Her heartbeat's getting too fast. You need to talk to her, get her to relax. C'mon you can do it."

He gulped, swallowing a huge lump that had taken up residence in this throat. Sara. He needed her too. They need to do this together.

"Get Sara," he whispered to his sister. "Throw water on her, I don't care, but get her in here."

"Okay." She gave him a squeeze and left. Jack looked down to see the girl had started crying in earnest, her ravaged throat unable to make the sobbing noises any louder than a squeak. He looked up at Craig who watched them from the window; saw the other man's nearly imperceptible nod. Wiping his eyes to clear them, he reached deep, found a firm tone, free of the wobbly emotion coursing through him.

"Scooch over. I'm gonna stretch out here with you. That okay?" She nodded, reduced to sniffles as the nurse helped him adjust all her leads and tubes. Parking himself with one foot still on the floor, he gathered his daughter in his arms, held her close, rocking and soothing them both. By the time she'd fallen back into fitful sleep Jack's eyes burned with unshed tears. He settled her back down, took a seat and laid his aching head on the side of her bed, continuing to stroke her arm until he was startled awake by a small hand on his hair.

"Daddy?" she whispered, making the tears he'd held back for the last hours release and roll down his face as he nodded, speechless. "I knew it." She smiled and grabbed his hand, threading her fingers through his before falling into a calm, relaxed slumber. Craig gave him a thumbs-up through the glass.

Sara followed Mo across the hall. Everything in her screamed for escape, to run away, start this fucking day all over again – hell start her entire year over, no maybe the last ten, beginning when she met Jack Gordon the first time. Blake and Rob touched her arm, Mateo gave her a quick squeeze but she didn't feel any of it.

Make it stop. Please God make it stop.

Craig stood at the window of a recovery room, still in surgical scrubs before he turned and nearly ran into her. There was no mistaking the tears standing in his eyes. She clutched his arm.

"She's still okay?"

"Yeah, she'd good now. Go on, be with him." The long look he gave her sent a deeper message. One she caught but couldn't credit. She pushed the door open, saw her daughter and the man she'd loved since the moment she laid eyes on him look at each other, tears on both their faces. Heard the words: "Daddy" and "I knew it," come from Katie's lips. Then Jack, sobs racking his body as he laid his head back on the bed, holding hands with his daughter.

She trembled, but made a decision in that moment. One she'd never regret. She walked over and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, making him look up with raw agony in his eyes. She pulled him to his feet, wrapped herself around him and held him tight. "Don't let go." He whispered into her hair. "Don't ever let me go. I can't lose you both."

"I won't." She lifted her face to his. "Ever."

Epilogue

Sara shifted on the couch, let the blanket slide to the floor and studied the dancing flames in the fireplace. From somewhere in the still not-quite decorated house Katie shrieked with delight and pounded down the hall with the scrabble of dog toenails right behind her. The two collided in a happy heap in the living room, the slobbering mostly-puppy climbing all over his beloved mistress.

"Take him outside before he pees again." Jack's voice floated out from the kitchen. "Sara, do you need more water?" She shook her head, suddenly overcome with a bout of extreme happiness. She wiped at her eyes. All she fucking did was cry lately – it sucked. He stuck his head around the doorway. They'd moved into the new house, on an acre in the Ann Arbor Hills neighborhood a week ago. A retro-sixties raised ranch, with tons of exposed wood and an old kitchen to match, it suited them all perfectly being exactly the opposite of where they came from. Jack already had the plans drawn up for the kitchen and bath remodel, plus a huge basement upgrade. The whole thing made her tired, but then again, so did breathing these days.

"I'm sick of sitting here Jack."

"Don't you dare get up. I mean it." He wandered in, clad in flannel pants and a t-shirt.

"Then sit with me, distract me or something. I'm going nuts." He plopped down beside her, handing her a glass of lemon-infused water, and put a hand on her belly. "I hate being pregnant Gordon. I blame you for my extreme bitchiness."

"Yeah? Then what's your excuse when you aren't knocked up then?" He smiled and kissed her. She stuck her tongue out but picked up the framed photo next to the couch. A montage of images from the July wedding on the Lake Michigan beach she'd chosen from the thousands of shots the photographer provided. She, Blake and Rob and Lila with the little girls in their sundresses; Jack and Maureen; Katie and her cousins all laughing at something off camera; Jack and her with her parents, who seemed relaxed and happy for a change. A small shot of Craig sitting with Katie in his lap, Suzanne in the chair next to him, all three of them wearing Ray bans and cool expressions. The middle photo, though, was her favorite; the one that got her every time: She and Jack caught in an unscripted moment, arms around each other's waists staring into each other's eyes.

She grabbed his hand, threaded her fingers though his. The heavy but simple matching platinum bands they wore made her smile. She'd refused his offer of a fancy engagement ring, citing "bad precedent" when he tried to give her one.

"That was when you told me, remember?" He put an arm around her shoulder and flipped on the television. She nodded. She'd known she was pregnant the second she was a day late, a week after Katie came home from the hospital.

She'd kept the news for the right moment though, and the look in his eyes, captured forever in that one photo with the west Michigan sun setting behind them, was one she'd carry with her forever.

"Shove over, you're like an oven," He moved his legs away, grinning at her. Katie came back in and ran down the hall to her new room with the dog.

"You know, I heard this thing about orgasm…." She whispered in her husband's ear. He raised an eyebrow and tugged her close again, running a hand up the swell of her belly to cup a breast.

"What's that? That I am the king giver of same?"

"Well no. That it can bring on labor. And I am sick of being pregnant so what do you say we try the theory?" She nibbled his ear, and put her hand over the swelling under his pants.

"Uh, well, you know I'm never one to turn down a challenge." He stood and in one motion picked her up.

"Jesus Christ, Jack, put me down you'll break your back."

He pretended to stumble, groaned then stood straight, his smile sending a bolt of happiness straight to her soul. "I'm good. And so will you be, in just a few short minutes."

She wrapped her arms around his and kissed him, ignoring Katie's protests of "Ew, gross."

"Mom and Dad need a nap," Jack called over his shoulder. "Pretend there is a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door." He grinned at the girl as she made her way out to the television. "Now, about that theory..." He nuzzled her neck, after laying her carefully on the bed.

"Tell me first." She insisted.

"No, you first." He stated to unbutton her shirt.

"Fine. I love you Jack."

He grinned before lowering his lips to her flesh. "I know baby. I know."

The End

Essence of Time (Stewart Realty Book 4)

Coming Soon to Tri Destiny Publishing's Sizzlin' Books Line

“Up and at ‘em, asshole!” Rob flicked the blanket back, revealing his roommate curled around an attractive blonde female. “We have a deadline, remember?”

Jack groaned and groped for the cover. His bedmate squealed as lights flooded the early morning gloom of their room. “Dude. Go the fuck away.” He tugged the tee shirt clad woman towards him. Rob smirked at the girl, whose eyes flickered open. She smiled at the sight of him.

“Where’d you go?” she stretched, and Rob couldn’t help but admire the long line of her tanned legs and the sight of that sweet, pink…he shook his head. The girl made a pouty face and turned over to drape one of her legs over Jack’s.

“Rob doesn’t do sleepovers sweetheart.” He kissed her hair and made a pleased sound as her hand disappeared under the sheet.

“Nope. Sorry doll. Mr. Gordon and I have to get the fuck out of dodge. We have reservations and I refuse to miss as second on the slopes.
Vamos
. Time for the walk of shame.” He smacked the smooth skin of her ass, biting back the urge to dive into the bed and sandwich her like they’d done not too many hours before. But the humming energy in his ears kept him standing. Despite the distinct sounds of unhappiness coming from his friend’s side of the bed.  He clutched the paper in his pocket, the one that spurred him one once again to jump into life’s fray. To grip it hard by the throat and not let go lest he risk the wrath of fate. And at this moment he needed more than a place for his cock. He needed action, required forward motion, immediately.

“Sorry my love,” Jack sat and shot Rob a hot glance. “But my friend here is right. We gotta hit the road.” The girl slid off the huge bed, wrapped the sheet around her thin frame and flounced into the bathroom without another word.

“You fucking owe me for that,” Jack grumbled, as he stood and stretched before stumbling into the tiny kitchenette for coffee.  “Jesus.” He sipped, leaning against the counter as they both watched the woman emerge, dressed, her long hair scraped back into a pony tail. She sauntered over to Rob and put a hand right on the undeniable mound under his zipper.  He grinned and leaned in to to kiss her.

The temptation mounted as she thrust her tongue into his mouth and molded her body to his, keeping the pressure on him until his erection took on a life of its own. “Mmm…” the girl’s throaty voice made the room darken. Suddenly he needed to fuck something so bad it actually hurt.

He gripped her arms. Tore his mouth from hers. “Okay, you convinced me.” She grinned, unzipped him, and slipped to her knees. “Nope.” Rob gripped her arm and pulled her back up, turned her around to his roommate, his friend and partner in female defilement.  Jack raised an eyebrow over his coffee cup at the sight. Then he cupped the back of the girl's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. “Suck his cock baby. Like you mean it.” Rob growled. She grinned over her shoulder at him.

“You guys are so bad.” Rob laughed as he put a hand on her shoulder. But she needed none of his encouragement.  She was on her knees; Jack’s cock out and down her throat in the blink of an eye.

“Holy shit.” Rob smiled as the other man fisted his hands in the girl’s hair, spread his legs and fucked her mouth. It was quite a sight. Rob ran a hand up and down his own shaft watching her wet lips cover Jack’s thickness, lick her way around his swollen head, lap at the cum beaded at the tip of him. “Yeah baby, now swallow it, that’s it, all the way down. Yesss..” his voice ended with a breathy hiss. The girl’s hand disappeared under Jack’s balls, and his hips took on a more meaningful rhythm.  “God!” Jack cried out as his face reddened and the girl moaned, and creamy fluid leaked out of the corner of her mouth. She released him with a last lick, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Rob gripped the girl's arms, then dove into her mouth with his tongue, tasting the salty tang of what Jack gave her, before propping her up against the wall, grinding his own need against her. “You okay?” He gasped, meaning it. He was not into forcing himself on anyone. Then again, he'd never had to really. She nodded, reached down and slipped her lacey excuse for panties down and off as Jack handed him a condom. Rob grinned, handing her the latex and sighing as she rolled it down his length.

“More than okay,” she whispered, biting on his earlobe. “But I’m about to be much better, I think.” Rob nodded, lifted her up and held her with his arms as she wrapped lean legs around him. He slid into her with one long wet stroke, making them both moan. It didn’t take long. Whenever he was in this frame of mind he came fast and could do it five or six times a day.