Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (182 page)

“Mellenda insisted that I make love to her.  She feels me slipping away.”

“You don’t need to buy me some expensive present.  I was teasing you.  I don’t really care if you buy me anything.  But I would like you to take me away for my birthday.  Seneca was going to get me drunk and stoned but that can’t happen now.”

“Yes, I definitely agree that that should not happen.  There’s a very nice bed and breakfast an hour or so away.  It’s supposed to be very romantic.”

“That sounds very nice.  Ricky, would you make love to me?”

“Are you sure you’re up to it?”

Molli smiled.  “Oh, I’m always up to it when it’s with you.  Let me trying calling Jude one more time.”

“Okay.”

She tried calling Jude again, but it went straight to voicemail.  She wondered if he was just ignoring her, or if he was with someone else and ignoring everyone.  She put her phone back in her purse without bothering to leave a message.  She didn’t want to tell him she was pregnant or break up with him in a voicemail and that was all she really wanted to say to him anymore.

Ricky and Molli made love and then took a long shower.  Molli feel asleep in his arms shortly after.

The next day, they went to the mall.  Ricky insisted on putting a crib, a car seat, a stroller and five huge packages of diapers on layaway.  He bought her a few sets of looser clothing and pajamas, but told her he’d leave her to do most of her shopping with Seneca the next weekend.  They ate lunch at the mall food court and then saw a movie.

It was a nice day overall, though Ricky got a call from Mellenda that she begged him to ignore and he wouldn’t.  He talked to her for what seemed like forever to Molli.  She knew she heard him tell Mellenda that there wasn’t someone else.  It made her feel really bad but then he took her into a jewelry store and bought her a very nice necklace and she caught him looking at engagement rings.  She jokingly pointed out the most expensive one that she could to find to him and told him that she wanted that one.  He exchanged a look with the salesman.  She could see in the salesman’s eyes that he thought Ricky would be back to buy the ring.

Jude called her when they were in the movies, but her phone was on silent.  When she tried to call him back, he wouldn’t answer yet again.  They ate dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant and then went back to Ricky’s apartment and watched another movie before they went bed because he had to work the next morning.

He told her that a friend from work was picking him up so that she could use his car if she needed it.  She told him it wasn’t necessary because she certainly didn’t think she’d need to go anywhere but Ricky insisted.  She did end up driving around a little when he was at work because she missed driving so much.

He took her back to Crestview Sunday evening and took the back way into the woods.  They ended up making out for several minutes before they parted.  Ricky told her that he couldn’t wait until next weekend.  She told him that she couldn’t wait either.

Mellenda gave her a funny look when she went back to their room.  She wondered if her roommate could detect Ricky’s scent on her like she had detected it on Mellenda before, so she immediately went and took a shower.

Chapter 12

The next week seemed to pass painfully slowly for Molly.  She knew that Mellenda called Ricky every night.  She got to listen to several heated conversations from Mellenda’s end.  Jude still wouldn’t answer her calls, and had stopped calling her.  She wasn’t sure whether to be glad or pissed off that he was avoiding her.  She was tempted to show up at his house and give him the ring back, but she didn’t do it.

Friday evening, Ricky picked her up.  They ate dinner at the same Mexican restaurant they had before.  He seemed to be in a good mood, though he told her that he’d been arguing with Mellenda all week.  He said that he had brought up the idea of them taking a break from their relationship but Mellenda had refused.

They went back to Ricky’s apartment and made love for hours.  Molli almost told him that she loved him, since she was sure that he was going to tell her that he loved her because he had gotten a certain look in his eyes, but he didn’t say it, and so she didn’t either.

Molli had loaned Grant the gas money to get to Upton and Ricky had paid her back.  Seneca and Grant picked her up shortly after Ricky left for work.  She and Seneca went shopping for clothes while Grant went to the automotive store and music store.  They met for lunch and went to the movies afterwards.  When she told Seneca that Tory had pushed her down the stairs, Seneca threatened to go back to Brentwood and kick Tory’s ass, but Molli talked her out of it.

They met Ricky back at his apartment and went out to dinner at a buffet with home cooking.  Molli and Seneca both laughed at Grant because he ate so much, but he reminded them that he was a growing boy like usual.  They went out to see a movie after dinner.  Seneca and Grant made out all the way through.  Jude called Molli again while they were in the movies.  She wondered about his timing because he ignored her yet again when she called him back.

Seneca and Grant were spending the night at Ricky’s.  Ricky jokingly warned them not to have sex on his couch, since they’d made out in the back seat of his car the whole way back to the apartment too.  Grant laughed and told Ricky they’d do it on the floor.  Seneca rolled her eyes but Molli heard them having sex almost as soon as she and Ricky went into the bedroom.

Molli rode back to Brentwood with Seneca and Grant on Sunday since Ricky had to work again.  She and Seneca talked Grant into letting them borrow his car to go to Crestview and get the promise ring so she could return it to Jude since his truck was in the driveway of his house when they pulled up to Seneca’s.  But by the time they got back, Jude’s truck was gone and he still wouldn’t answer Molli’s phone calls.

They spent the afternoon playing video games.  Molli had fun though she secretly thought that Grant acted about the same age as thirteen year old Rain when it was their turn to play.  Grant dropped her off behind the old shack.  She gave her friend’s boyfriend an impulsive hug, suddenly getting a feeling of melancholy.

He looked almost as embarrassed as Tony had when she’d hugged him.  She promised she’d never hug him again.  He laughed and said he’d make sure that Seneca gave her plenty of hugs.

It was soon the 20
th
of December.  She was waiting impatiently for Ricky to call and tell her that he had arrived to pick her up her.  Her parents were supposed to be home and she’d managed to get them to let her leave after lunch.  She wanted Ricky to meet her parents and he’d agreed.

Ricky called her half an hour later, and she met him on the road in front of the school.  They talked about a lot of different things on the drive to her house, none of them involving Mellenda or Jude.  When he pulled into her driveway both of her parents’ cars were gone.  He agreed to stay with her until they got back, but he got a call that his sister-in-law was in labor and that both her life and the life of the baby were in danger so he had to go.

He kissed her.  She was sure that he was going to tell her loved her, but the words still didn’t leave his lips.

Her parents didn’t return home, but they called on the 23
rd
and told her that they were visiting her sister and that she was welcome to join them.  Since her car was still sitting at the shop and she didn’t have anyone besides Ricky that would take her and he couldn’t with his current family situation, she told them she’d be fine at home.  They reminded her where the cash was for groceries.  She stopped herself from reminding them that she could never forget where it was, she’d had to use it so often. 

She tried calling Jude several more times but he never answered.  His phone didn’t go straight to voicemail anymore, but it certainly seemed as if he was still ignoring her.  She was tempted to break up with him in a voicemail, but decided to wait until she got back to Brentwood.  She’d camp out on his doorstep if she had to.

On the 23
rd
, she misplaced her phone charger.  She found a spare in the junk drawer in the kitchen that fit her phone though her phone didn’t hold a charge very well when it wasn’t plugged in.  She ordered pizza and debated on whether or not to ask her neighbor to take her grocery shopping, but decided against it since she’d already spent all of her allowance and half the grocery money eating out and buying Ricky’s Christmas presents.

Molli awoke from a nap on Christmas Eve afternoon to the sound of Ricky’s ringtone on her phone.  She fumbled on her night stand for her phone.  She pushed the button to answer the call and said a breathless “Hello.”

“Oh Molli.  I had to hear the sound of your voice.  I had such a terrible fight with Mellenda.  I actually left her at the mall.”

Molli held back a giggle.  “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.  We argued about our child again.  Well, hers and mine.  I still can’t believe that she aborted our child without telling me.”

“I’m sorry Ricky.  Are you going to break up with her?””

“Yes.  I have to.  I can’t pretend anymore that she’s the one I want to be with.”  Molli loved the sound of his words but she somehow felt that they lacked conviction.  “I wish I could come see you and not have to worry about spending the holidays with my family.  Have your parents returned?”

Molli sighed.  “No.  How are your sister-in-law and your nephew?”

“They’re both fine thank goodness.  My brother has decided not to file for divorce.  He saw his son and knew that it was worth giving his marriage another chance.”

“That’s so great.  Did you really leave Mellenda at the mall?”

“Yes.  We were going to see some stupid holiday movie she wanted to see but I suddenly couldn’t stand it anymore.  I couldn’t sit there with her and pretend that everything was okay when it’s not.  How are you doing?”

“I’ve been having some trouble sleeping at night but other than that, I’m fine.  I wish you could come and see me too.  Maybe after Christmas?”

“I hope so.  I miss you so when you’re not by my side.”

“I miss you too.”

“Oh Molli.  Why couldn’t I have had the courage to ask you to be my girlfriend before?”

She wondered if he was finally going to ask her to be his girlfriend now.  “I don’t know Ricky.  I wish I would have asked you out.”

“I have a present for you.  I’ll give it to you as soon as we’re able to get together again.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.  But I got you something too.  Well, part of it is for you and part of it is for the baby.”

She’d gotten him a new wallet and tucked a sexy picture of herself inside.  She’d also gotten him a bottle of cologne that had just come out that she’d thought had smelled really good in the store.  She was sure it would smell even better on him since he already smelled so good anyway.  The last thing she had gotten him which was also for the baby was a sleeper that said “If you think I’m cute you should see my Daddy.”  She knew it was corny and was sure a million other babies had worn clothes that said the same thing, but she’d thought it was so cute when she saw it that she had to buy it.

“You really didn’t need to buy me anything either but thank you.  I hope you like your gift. I spent hours picking it out.”

“Does it involve you and me getting naked together?”

Ricky chuckled.  “If I’m lucky enough, you may want to me make love to you after I give it to you.”

“I’ll always want you to make love to me.”

“I hope so because I can no longer imagine not wanting to make love to you.  I would love to talk to you longer, but I really should go back and pick up Mellenda.  I can’t leave her stranded.  It seems so heartless.”

Molli wanted to remind him that Mellenda had been pretty heartless when she had aborted their baby without bothering to tell him she’d been pregnant, but decided it was best to keep her mouth shut.  “Okay.  My phone is beeping at me anyway and I can’t seem to find my charger.”

“I can pick one up for you if you need me to.  Can I still reach you at your parents’ number?”

“Yes.  Thank you for offering to get me another charger but I’m sure I’ll find it.  If my parents don’t come back here before then, I’ll probably head back to Brentwood around the 28
th
or so.”

“I don’t like to think of you being alone during the holidays.”

“I’m used to it.  I’ll be okay.  There’s plenty of food in the house and the neighbors can give me a ride if I need to go out and get something.”

“I found a very nice car for you.  I’ll show it to you when we get together again.  My phone is beeping.  I’m sure it’s Mellenda calling, wondering where I am.”

“Okay.  I can’t wait to see you again.”

“I know.  I can’t wait to see you again either.  Molli I. . .”

“Yes Ricky?”  Her heart was beating fast.  She was sure that he was going to tell her that he loved her.

“I’m sorry.  It shouldn’t be said over the phone.  Call me when you decide to go back to Brentwood and I’ll pick you up if I can okay?”

“Okay.  Goodbye Ricky.  Have a Merry Christmas.”

“You too, my darling Molli.  Goodbye.”

Molli hung up her phone and searched her room from top to bottom for her charger but she couldn’t find it anywhere. 

The charger she’d been using gave up on charging her phone completely and her phone was almost dead by the time Ricky called her on Christmas Day.

She picked up the phone and pushed the button to answer.  “Hello.”

“Hello Molli.  It’s so good to hear your voice.”

“I feel the same way about yours.  Are you having a nice Christmas?”

He sighed.  “It would be much better if I was with you.  I’m trying to break up with Mellenda, but she’s making it really hard.”

“I’m sorry Ricky.”

“It’s not your fault she’s so stubborn.  They’re releasing Sandy and Brenton from the hospital tomorrow.  They’re coming straight here since my mother is so worried about the baby, so I probably won’t be able to call you for a few days.  I should still be able to take you back to Brentwood when you’re ready to go though, so just give me a call then okay?”

A sudden feeling of foreboding swept over Molli.  “Of course.”

“I’m going to let you go now.  Oh, have you found your charger?”

“No.”  She suddenly spied a cord under the couch.  “Wait, I take that back, I think I may have found it.”

“Good.  I’ll talk to you soon.  I miss you Molli.”

“I miss you too, Ricky.”

“Goodbye Molli.”

“Bye Ricky.”

She hung up the phone and got down on her hands and knees to pull the cord out from under the couch.  It wasn’t the charger for her new phone she found, but the charger for her old phone which she hadn’t seen for six months.  She sighed and wondered if she was ever going to find her charger.