Forgiveness Creek: The Creek Series (16 page)

The note read:

It was our first, but I’m praying someday it won’t be our last.

Bubbles for baby,

Dane

That following Saturday morning, I pushed Grandfather’s wheelchair to the table and handed him the newspaper. He had this quirky thing that he wanted to read the paper first. He always fumed when I got to it before he did and “messed” it all up.

How can you mess up a newspaper?

We were such opposites at times, him—orderly and society driven, me—carefree and country.

He was deep into the business section, while I cooked breakfast for us. Out of the blue, he started getting nosy. “How’s the pursuit of love going?”

“I’m trying, but so far, I haven’t heard from her.”

“What do you call trying?”

“You want a special report or something?” I joked.

“Yes. I got her to marry me in record time with no problem.” He laughed.

I loved to hear him laugh. He could always find humor in any situation. He was a monster in the boardroom. A business shark with many talents, but people loved and respected him, and I think part of it was because he could always laugh at himself and put others at ease. He did this thing with multiple voices, which always reminded me of the comedian, Robin Williams. Grandfather always knew how to draw a crowd and craved to be the center of attention.

I gave him the rundown of the week’s events. His favorite was the pizza.

“Pregnant women have weird cravings. Have you shown up with ice cream yet?”

“No.”

“Ask her out for ice cream. She won’t turn you down. I bet you.”

“Okay, I’m calling your bet right now. What do you want to bet?”

“Hmmm, five hundred bucks and a day of fishing.”

“Fine. Deal. I’ll do five hundred bucks, and I get to drive the 65 when she says no.”

“Well, I don’t have to worry about you sportin’ around in my classic prize possession because she’s gonna say yes.”

Grandfather started whistling and picked up the paper, while I went back to the bacon on the stove.

“You chicken shit?”

“Huh? Why are you calling me names?”

“You’re chicken to call her.” He laughed and laid the paper down.

“I am not.”

“Are too.”

“Fine.” I picked up my cell from the bar and stared at her number, which she’d finally given to me reluctantly when I’d dogged her for it.

Grandfather was right. I wasn’t prepared to be told “no”. Essentially, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and if this were a business deal, it would’ve been my nature to be all in for the kill.

“Hi,” she answered the phone.

“How’s your morning going?”

“Great. Karina and I going to breakfast before graduation.”

Shit, I’d forgotten it was her graduation day. I had to make a quick recovery. “Is it possible for me to attend?”

“If you want.” Her voice was a bit aloof, but she didn’t say no.

“I’d love to, and if you’re up to it, I’d like to take you out for ice cream afterwards. I know this—”

“Oh my God, ice cream sounds so good right now. Deal. Do you want to pick me up at one and go to graduation with me?”

“Love to. See you soon.”

That was too easy, and I ended up having to tell Grandfather he was right.

“I told you so. You’ll take me fishin’ tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow. Thanks, Grandfather.”

“Boy, one of these days you’ll learn to trust an old man.”

I left Grandfather in great hands and went shopping for a graduation gift for Wrenn.

Patiently waiting wasn’t one of my strongest character traits. I paced for over an hour, waiting on the clock, so I could see her again. The drive to her place seemed to take forever, and when she came to the door wearing a simple black dress, my breath hitched. Her face was bright and her dark hair, normally in a ponytail, was flowing around her bare shoulders, now glowing with a tan.

“You’re stunning.”

“You’re blind. Come in.” Her eyes twinkled.

I followed her into the living room where Karina and Aaron were waiting, and suddenly, they started laughing. Instead of her normal snarl, Karina actually gave me a hug and a wink.

Wrenn sat down on the edge of the sofa, and I handed her the gift wrapped box. “Something to celebrate the day,” I uttered nervously. I’d never known a woman to control my emotions the way Wrenn could.

Her eyes lit up in delight. I realized that with no family it was probably the only gift she’d received. When she opened the black box to reveal the pearls, she gasped. As she studied them, I noticed a tear made its way down her cheek.

She looked up at me. “I love pearls. They’re beautiful. Will you help me put them on?”

I obliged with trembling hands.

She ran her finger over them slowly. “Mom had a set and had to sell those years ago.” Her voice broke.

They were lovely on her. She walked to the mirror in the bathroom to look at them, and I followed.

I stood behind her and admired the beautiful reflection that was her. She kept touching the choker-length graduated set, which drew my eye to her breasts. They were enlarging from the pregnancy. The sight of her and the thoughts of my child developing within her caused me to grow painfully hard against my zipper.

I reached my arm around her and pulled her against me. I could feel the enlarging baby bump underneath my fingers.

Jealous, I want to feel the baby like she does
. I swallowed hard to keep from choking up.

She darted her gaze up to mine in the mirror and smiled. “I’ll cherish them forever.”

“I love you.” My declaration simply slipped out.
Shit
. Putting pressure on her wasn’t my intent.

“I know,” she replied, sadness gripped her voice, and her face visibly strained with some kind of invisible turmoil.

I needed to make some kind of quick recovery. “Hey, what kind of ice cream are you craving? Because I’ve been thinking about it since this morning.”

“Me too! I love Baskin-Robbins Pralines ’N Cream.”

“I may try a dip of yours along with my favorite, Mint Chocolate Chip.”

“Oooh, love that one too, maybe we can share.”

Jubilation returned to her spirit, and I was extremely grateful.
Thank you, Grandfather.

My seat at graduation was reserved and adjoined Aaron and Karina’s family in the same row. The seat to my left on the aisle was empty. A knot came into my throat. I wondered if Wrenn had reserved that seat for her mother.

Right before the ceremony was to start, Aaron and I were talking, and I caught a glimpse of movement to my left. I turned to find Grandfather in his wheelchair and Peggy helping him get in the seat next to me.

“Grandfather, what are you doing here?”

“I was invited. What took you so long to get your invitation, huh?” He gloated.

I thought for a moment about what he’d said. Then it occurred to me that perhaps I’d been played. “You knew this whole time?”

“I talk to her every day. We have plans for dinner afterward with Karina and the rest of the family.”

“I should know better.” I shook my head.

I was beyond dumbfounded. I supposed lately I’d had my head up my ass.

Aaron got a kick out of it and leaned toward me. “Dude, Karina let the cat out of the bag when you walked in. That’s what we were laughing about.”

“Man, I totally missed it.”

After graduation, Grandfather showed us all a great time at his home with a classic barbeque, but as his energy faded, he left to retire in his room with me in charge as host. That was when everything changed.

“Can I help you with something?” the soft, familiar voice behind me asked.

I turned to her and stumbled over my two feet, dropping the tray of dirty dishes.

“No, I think I’m doing a great job of making a mess on my own. You might want to stay clear. I’m a hazard to myself.” I joked.

“Here, let me help you.”

We both knelt down at the same time to pick up the dishes, but all I wanted was to touch her. There was no turning back.

Quickly, I laid the tray on the floor and took her face in my hands. I crushed her lips with mine. I couldn’t get enough of her.

She responded with eager need, leaning in to me and opening her lips for my tongue’s entrance. My weight shifted, and her movements caused me to lose my footing. We tumbled to the floor and rolled around in the kitchen, pawing, grinding, and practically making love with our clothes on.

“Do you two need help or privacy?” Karina asked with a laugh.

Wrenn and I broke our embrace and looked at one another and over to Karina and Aaron, who were standing on the other side of the counter, bearing amused grins.

“Privacy,” I answered with grin.

“Privacy,” Wrenn echoed.

Thank God!

Karina and Aaron quickly disappeared.

I helped Wrenn up from the floor. “I want you and need you to myself. How soon can we get away?”

She winked. “I’ll get Karina’s help. She’ll get everyone to head home.”

Wrenn and I changed our clothes at her house and were driving down the highway to get ice cream, my hand gripping hers as if the end of time was coming.

“Grandfather never said a word about coming today, nor did he mention talking to you every day, until he finally spilled the beans when I questioned him at graduation.”

“I didn’t ask him not to. I’m sorry, Dane. I’ve been a basket case. Besides the news about the baby, I needed time to grieve the loss of my mom, study for school, and really process what I wanted to do. I’ve got two homes and lots of land that need someone looking after them in Arkansas, and quite frankly, I’m homesick.”

“Baby, I’m sorry. Sorry for everything you’re going through, sorry I wasn’t there for you, and sorry I put pressure on you. I shouldn’t have sent all those things. Instead, I should have given you the peace and space you asked for, but I simply couldn’t help myself. I had to be connected to you in some way.”

“It’s more than okay,” she ran her fingers across her new pearls, “and the pizza was delicious. I appreciate the research. I’ve been back in there twice to get it again.” She giggled, and then she snorted. It was cute.

“That’s news to me. What’s going on? Is there a revolt against me?” I teased.

She looked ahead at the road. “How far do we have to go to get ice cream?”

“We’re almost there.”

We pulled into the parking lot, and she all but bolted out of the car, giggling.

As we ate, she even moaned a time or two. “This is so good.”

We shared bites of each other’s selections and also had quite a few PDA moments. I looked at my bowl of ice cream and sinful thoughts filtered through my brain. When I trailed my eyes from her bowl to find her face, her eyes were bright and sparkly as if she had a secret, but I’d learned my lesson about pushing her.

On the way home, I noticed she had her right hand over her stomach in a protective pose. My heart skipped a few beats. She was going to be a great mom, of that I was certain, but would we be parenting together or sharing custody?