For Keeps (9 page)

He scowled and almost said no,
but for some reason, he felt the compulsion to torture himself, kick
his ego while he was already down. He pressed the ‘talk’
button and raised the receiver to his ear. “Hello?”

“
If you think I haven’t
followed you over these last months, you’re wrong. I know what
happened out there today, Tyler, and I hope you finally realize how
irresponsible it was to even think about chasing your so-called
dream. Are you done with it now? Now that your body says no?”

Anger exploded in Tyler’s
chest, whether because his father had been keeping an eye on him and
waiting for him to fail, or because the man had called to rub it in
before anyone even knew the extent of the damage, he wasn’t
sure. “I don’t expect much from you, old man, but this is
an all time low. I’m lying here not even sure what is going on
and this is all you care about? Being right? Making sure that I
finally give up? Give into what you want for me?”

He leaned back, closing his eyes
and trying to gain control of his emotions. “Look, Dad, this is
over. This whole relationship where you think you can still tell me
how to live my life. I’m a grown man now, and no longer under
your thumb. Live your life and I’ll live mine.”

There was silence at the other
end of the line except for heavy breathing. He’d really pissed
the old man off. Finally, his father told him, “If you drop
this insanity, I will still hold to the terms of our agreement. You
come back to the firm, take the bar exam and pass, and you get your
trust fund. One condition will change. You don’t have to get
married. I should have known better than to push that, especially
when it drove you into the arms of someone like that girl you are
with.”

Seething, Tyler shook his head.
“She’s better than you’ll ever be, Dad. She’s
better than the both of us.” He hung up and tossed the phone
across the locker room with a cry of rage.

* * *

Valerie stood outside the
hospital room as the doctor broke the news, having already heard it
herself and wanting to give Tyler time to absorb it before she joined
him. There was no screaming, no denial that she heard, and when the
doctor came out he nodded to her and motioned for her to go inside.
“He’s asking for you.”

“
Thank you, Doctor.”
She moved through the door, shutting it behind her, and tentatively
peeked around the corner to where Tyler lay in the hospital bed, his
leg in a brace from mid-thigh down. She smiled at him. “Well?”

His expression was dark, but she
knew it didn’t reflect on her. “I’m sure you heard
it destroyed my ACL. Even with surgery and physical therapy, my
hockey days are over.” He shook his head and reached out to
her. She hurried toward his side and took it, stroking the back of
his hand with her thumb.

Taking a deep breath, she told
him, “Listen, Tyler, I’ve been thinking…”
This time, his scowl was aimed at her, and Valerie assumed he could
sense she was going to say something he wouldn’t like. “Just
give me a minute and hear me out.” She braced herself and let
the words spill. “I think you should take your father up on his
offer. You’ll get the best medical care, the best of
everything. And lots of opportunity for the future.”

Tyler was visibly aggravated.
Maybe what had really happened on the rink was a body check that had
slammed his head around and knocked him unconscious. “What are
you talking about, Valerie? Are you telling me you don’t want
to be with me anymore, now that I’m useless?”

“
No!” Dammit, he was
taking this all the wrong way. “I’m saying that you have
better options open to you than what I can give you. And for your
happiness, I think you should consider taking those options.”
It broke her heart to tell him that. The last thing she wanted was to
lose him. But honestly, she knew it would be best for him, and in the
end, no matter how much she hurt, she just wanted him to be okay.
She’d go on, as she always had, alone.

Rage burst in Tyler’s
chest. He’d been feeling sorry for himself for a split second,
but now it was pure anger that took over his thoughts.

“
Valerie. I told you
before, I’d rather be with you and give up everything else than
lose you at any price. Why can’t you accept that?”

Valerie swallowed, trying not to
cry. “Tyler, it’s all fine and good to have good
intentions and be idealistic, but that’s not how life is. It’s
time to look at reality and know that you’ll never get anywhere
if you stay with me. I love you, so much that it’s killing me
to say this to you, but I also love you enough to let you go so you
can be happy.”

Tyler tightened his grip on
Valerie’s hand, just in case she tried to walk away. He
wouldn’t have it, not today, not ever.

“
If you leave me now, I
will never forgive you.” He reached up with his other hand and
cupped her cheek, and she instinctively leaned into his touch. “I’m
crazy in love with you, Valerie, and I’m determined to stay
with you. I won’t take what my dad offers because he doesn’t
accept you. And the only reason I didn’t ask you to marry me
months ago is because I was afraid you’d still think I was
using you to get the trust fund. I want to spend the rest of my life
with you, even if we live in a hovel with old beaters for cars.”

While she appreciated all his
words, Valerie focused on one thing. “You want to marry me?”
Her voice came out smaller and meeker than she’d intended, and
it made her blush.

With a deep, warm chuckle, Tyler
kissed the back of her hand. “Yes, Valerie, I would be honored
if you would be my wife.” He frowned. “I just wish I had
the ring on me.”

She gaped at him. “You have
a ring?”

“
I’ve had one for
quite a while. So, are you going to give me an answer?” he
teased.

Swallowing past the lump in her
throat, Valerie nodded, wishing she could stop the tears that were
about to run down her face.

“
Are you sure this is what
you want?”

He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t you get it yet? I’m in love with you,
Valerie. And that’s all that matters.” He pulled her
closer so he could reach her face and kiss her solidly. “Trust
me, you are the perfect woman for me.”

* * *

The next few weeks proved
difficult, with Tyler completely out of commission, having surgery
and going into his first physical therapy sessions. Valerie was
exhausted, going to work and running him back and forth to the
therapist’s office as well as checkups and still trying to
maintain the house. She couldn’t even begin to think about a
wedding or getting married, though she absolutely adored the ring.
And it was making it hard on her to appreciate her relationship.
There had been no sex for a few weeks while they worked on Tyler’s
recovery. One night she found him waiting for her in the dimly lit
foyer when she arrived home from work, a devilish grin planted on his
face.

His touch went a long way, and
Valerie couldn’t even think about how long it had been since
they’d been this intimate. Their relationship, like any that
are worth keeping, was going to take some work, but she certainly
didn’t want to lose what they’d built together before
Tyler had been injured. It was too good to let it slip away.

Leaning back she reached for his
face and kissed him, deep and with all the longing she’d put
aside as she’d run herself ragged for the last several weeks.
She wanted to jump into his arms but knew his knee wouldn’t
support her weight so, rather, pulled out of his arms, grabbed his
hand, and led him to the bedroom. She undressed him while he kissed
her neck and shoulders, making it hard for her to undo the buttons on
his shirt. His cock was ready and waiting as she pulled her own
clothes off and threw them on the floor next to his.

With urgency, she crawled on top
of him and rubbed herself over the full length of his shaft, watching
him shiver at the sensation. He reached up and grabbed her hair,
pulling her into a fierce kiss as he massaged her breast with his
free hand and rolled her nipple between his fingers. Valerie moaned
and couldn’t wait any longer. With a smug smile and a wave of
pleasure, she lowered herself onto him, sheathing him completely
inside of her and reveling in the incredible slippery friction of the
motion of her body heaving against his broad, muscular frame.

Tyler reached for her hips and
began to lift her, rocking her on him in quick thrust movements. She
let him control her body, to move her however he wished as her orgasm
built and crested into a screaming wave of ecstasy. And just when she
thought she couldn’t take anymore, he released his hold on her,
reaching down to tease her clit with lingering circles that drew a
completely different cry of desire from her.

Tyler gritted his teeth, barely
able to contain himself, but he wanted to bring her to orgasm one
more time, and he fondled her cleft with quicker, sharper motions
until her whole body shivered and she nearly collapsed on him. Only
then did he drive deep inside her with an animalistic cry and knowing
she was sated, he allowed himself to ride the wave of desire, his
hunger spilling inside of her within seconds.

They lay together for a long
time, their sweat-soaked bodies spent and sated as they breathed in
rhythm with one another.

* * *

Tyler was back at the law firm
where he and Valerie had worked within a week, and it went a long way
in helping him regain his confidence. Getting to the therapist wasn’t
nearly as much of a race against time, since they could go straight
from the office, and that also meant more time together, just to talk
and enjoy each other’s company.

On weekends, Valerie helped Tyler
finish studying for the bar, and as his limp subsided, he started
racing again. The income was better, and when he passed the bar exam,
they celebrated with a weekend away in the mountains.

There were several times when
Tyler wanted to bring up the fact that they had yet to even start
planning the wedding, but he felt maybe, with all that they had to
deal with, that he probably shouldn’t say anything to push
Valerie just yet.

Valerie could see the positive
change in Tyler, and he only glowed more when the law firm offered
him a position as a court attorney. He quickly accepted, and Valerie
wanted to jump for joy. However, she had something else on her mind,
something that she’d been waiting for the right moment to talk
about. So, as they sat at dinner, eating steaks and baked potatoes as
a small celebration of what they were calling a promotion, she
steeled herself for the conversation and looked at Tyler.

“
How are you feeling now?”
she asked hesitantly.

But Tyler obviously saw right
through it, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at her.

“
I’m doing great. Is
something wrong?”

She shrugged. “No, no.
Nothing’s wrong. I just wondered what you were thinking about
in terms of this whole marriage thing. Are we ready to set a date or
talk about it, or are you feeling hesitant about it now, after
everything?”

With a laugh of pure happiness,
he shook his head. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you
about it for awhile, I just thought it was never the right time –
with so much going on. If you’re ready though, I’m
definitely ready.”

Valerie smiled, feeling
encouraged. But she had more to say. “I’m glad to hear
that. I was really sort of nervous that maybe you’d decided you
didn’t want to be with me, or tie yourself down, or have a
family?” She put emphasis on the last word, waiting for his
reaction, but he looked confused.

“
We hadn’t talked
about family yet, but Valerie, I want to spend the rest of my life
with you, so of course I want to start a family with you one day.”

Tyler sliced off another bite of
his steak, wondering why Valerie was being so insecure tonight.
Something was obviously on her mind but he knew not to push her, to
just let her open up on her own.

“
Well, what if that family
started now?”

Tyler looked up at Valerie, not
raising his head, just lifting his chin and meeting her gaze with the
wide-eyed deer in headlights look.

“
Valerie? … What are
you saying?”

With a giggle, she looked over to
him, her eyes lit up in a blue swirl of excitement mixed with
something else and he finally identified what it was -
fear.

“
I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

“
You’re pregnant…”
The muscles in his jaw started to twitch, and Valerie sat, prepared
for him to be angry or upset. But within seconds, he was around the
table, pulling Valerie to her feet and hugging her so tightly she
could barely breathe.

“
Oh my God, Valerie!”
He kissed her softly, his hands cupping her face before dropping to
her stomach in a protective stance. “You’re having my
baby?”

Valerie nodded. “Yes…
I am.”

Tyler leaned down to nuzzle her
neck, and Valerie felt her heart leap and the butterflies in her
stomach fluttered in a melody of relief and joy. Finally Tyler lifted
his head and Valerie saw that his eyes were glistening in a stain
that she recognized as pure love and it nearly took her breath away.