Loving Rowan (19 page)

S
he came running
, stumbling out towards me. I ran, catching her as she fell, holding her just as tight as I could. Nothing compared to having her in my arms again.

“Hey,” I said.

She gasped, trying to catch her breath as the tears fell, her relief clear for all to see. I had her back where she was safe. Scooping her up and into my arms, I started the walk towards the ambulance that was waiting.

The police car Andrew had ended up in drove past us. He could rot in hell for all I cared. The police would take care of him now.

My priority was Rowan. It was clear she’d been taken care of, but I was also acutely aware that not having fed Mia for several days, she was probably in a lot of pain and at risk of infection. Andrew wouldn’t have had a clue about that.

“Where’s Mia?” she whispered.

“Your father is with her. We’re just going to a little spot down the driveway a bit and you’ll see her. We have to get you looked at too, baby.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t convince him I needed my baby.”

“Does it hurt?”

She nodded again. “I feel like my boobs are about to explode.”

I growled. “Selfish asshole. I hope he goes down for a long time for this.”

Rowan buried her face in my chest, clinging tightly to me as I carried her the last few metres towards our child. Her father lit up as we approached, waving wildly.

“Is she okay?” he asked.

Rowan looked up. “I’m fine. I just need Mia.”

He grinned, turning back to the car and lifting our baby girl from the back seat. Rowan wriggled to be free, and I set her down gently as she reached for Mia.

She closed her eyes, rocking the baby in her arms. “Oh my baby girl, you don’t know how pleased I am to see you and your father.”

“She’s pleased to see you too. Little Miss Mia has been really scratchy without her mum. She knew something was wrong. Now at least we can all be settled. I had to give her formula for a few feeds, after we ran out of frozen milk. I hope you can forgive me.”

Rowan glared at me, before breaking out into a relieved smile. “I know you had to do what you had to do. The sooner we can get back to normal, the better.”

One of the paramedics was waving, and I pointed my wife towards them. Reuniting Rowan with Mia would probably solve any health issue she had.

She sat in the back of the ambulance, nursing our baby, and sighing with relief as they checked her over and declared her fit. She needed food, and we would have to keep an eye on her developing signs of infection, but at least now she was with Mia, they could find their own way back to their routine.

The local police wanted to talk to us, but understood we needed time to rest, so I found a motel nearby to stay. Rowan hadn’t eaten in three days, and we were both exhausted. Her father stayed in the room next to us, needing to be near his girl and wanting to support us through this.

We ordered room service, but by the time we were halfway through eating, Rowan was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Go and have a shower, sweetheart.” Her father said.

Rowan shook her head. “As much as I want one, I want to make sure Mia is settled first.”

While Rowan’s father and I talked, Rowan snuggled into bed with Mia. The bottle feeding of the last few days had completely changed Mia’s routine, but she fed from her mother enthusiastically and after what felt like hours, fell fast asleep.

“I’ll clear out and leave you two to it.” Rowan’s Dad stood, and offered his hand for me to shake.

“Thanks for being here,” I said.

I couldn’t be anywhere else. I’m just glad our girl is safe.” He patted me on the shoulder on his way to the door. “See you in the morning.”

I went into the bedroom, and put up the portable cot beside the bed. Rowan tucked Mia in, standing over her to watch her sleep. Wrapping my arms around Rowan’s waist, I looked over her shoulder. “She missed you so much, baby. So did I.”

“How did you know where I was?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t, not for sure. I remembered you telling me Andrew had a place out here somewhere when we were on our road trip. It wasn’t until the police confirmed that you were in there that I really knew.”

She turned, cupping my face in her hands and pressing her nose to mine. Stroking my bruised face with her gentle touch, her eyes were so sad as she took in the damage. “I’m so sorry he did this to you.”

“It’s not your fault. Now at least the authorities can deal with him, and we can get on with our lives.”

I felt her fingers run through the stubble on my chin. Shaving was the last thing I’d thought about the last few days, and I couldn’t help but grin as I knew she hated it. Her skin was so sensitive that my whiskers rubbing against her would irritate it. I’d have to get rid of it before she let me really kiss her.

“I really need a shower. I don’t suppose you brought any clean clothes with you?”

“Actually I grabbed the washing basket on the way out. Though, I have no idea what’s in it. Hopefully it’s not all Mia’s clothes. You might have to go home naked if it is.”

She wrapped her arms tight around my neck. “Just hold me for a second.”

“I’ll hold you for as long as you need.”

“I haven’t slept for so long, but I don’t know if I can”

“I just want to cuddle up in bed, and I think sleep will come. Dad held the fort for a while at home while I had a sleep but I could do with just being with you.” I kissed her again, and she sighed, her shoulders slumping as she relaxed in my arms.

“I don’t suppose you brought a toothbrush, too? I’m sure kissing me isn’t fun right now.” She grinned and I kissed her again.

“It’s not too bad, though I don’t know if I’d use my tongue.”

She laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d heard in days. “If I shower, you can use your tongue elsewhere. It might just put me to sleep.”

I gaped at her in mock offence. “Are you saying you want to use me?”

“Always.” She slid her hands down my back, groping my butt and waggling her eyebrows.

“You always did know how to get what you want from me.” I laughed, nuzzling her cheek. “In answer to your question, I didn’t grab a toothbrush, but I notice that there are those kinds of things for sale at reception. I’ll go and get you one while you shower. I need to grab a razor to take care of this.”

She nodded, letting me go and turning towards the en suite. She squealed with delight as she entered the room. “There’s a bathtub. I’m going to run a bath.”

“You do that,” I said, laughing.

It wasn’t far to walk, but when I came back she was already immersed in the water, washing her hair with a little motel sample-sized shampoo.

“This feels amazing,” she said, yawning. If her head hit the pillow, I was sure she’d be asleep.

“I bet it does.”

“There’s room for you here. Come and have a bath with me.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” I grinned. “Straight after I shave this off.”

I lathered up, shaving as I watched her from the mirror. She was exhausted, but the joy of simply being able to bathe was obvious. I frowned as she scrubbed her wrists, the tape leaving behind a sticky residue that was a pain in the butt to wash off.

Now, all we needed was time together. Nothing would ever make up for what Andrew had done, but being with each other was enough for now.

She wriggled forward while I stripped off, climbing into the tub behind her, and I settled back, my arms around her, my legs either side of her.

“Comfortable?” she asked.

“No, but I’m with you. That’ll do.” I pulled her closer, resting my chin on her shoulder as I stroked her thighs. “I missed you so much, Rowan. Never want to be without you again.”

“I missed you too,” she whispered.

“I don’t know what happens to Andrew now.”

She shrugged. “After what he did, I don’t care. He tried to blame me for Charlie’s death.”

“What the hell?”

“He said he told Charlie that he loved me, that he wanted to be with me. She got upset, ran from him, had an asthma attack and died.”

I sighed. “Rowan, even if it was true, it’s not your fault.”

“I know,” she said, her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “He told me Mia nearly killed me because of the seizure. I was terrified he’d killed you with that vase.”

I hugged her tight, knowing that tone in her voice, the one that told me she had tears in her eyes.

Planting a kiss on the nape of her neck, I held her until she turned her head to look at me. I leaned forward to look into her eyes.

“If anything had happened to you, I would have hurt him,” I whispered.

“I know.”

Her soft kisses reassured me, and I hoped my presence had the same effect on her. I ran my hand up her thigh, to her belly.

“Kyle,” she whispered, and I lay back in the tub, tracing my fingers down from her navel to her clit. She gasped, and leaned back against me, tilting her hips to meet my hand.

“If you want to go and get some sleep, this can wait,” I murmured.

“I just need you.”

I kissed her shoulder and neck while picking up the pace with my fingers, stroking down either side of her clit. She guided my other hand to her breast, rubbing her nipple with the tips of my fingers.

In silence, we sat, with just the gentle sound of the water moving as I felt her body tense. She moaned, rubbing hard against my fingers as she found her release, reaching for my hand under the water and stroking the back of it.

“I love you,” she whispered, raising my hand from the water and gripping it in hers.

“I love you too. More than anything.”

“Let’s go to bed.”

Falling asleep was easy, my arms around her, feeling her soft body beside me, listening to her breathing get slower as she fell asleep. Despite the sleep I’d had at home, exhaustion overtook me.

She was safe.

M
ia slept
for most of the night, stirring in the small hours just before the sunrise. Before I could react, Kyle sprang up, picking her up out of the cot, and changing her nappy before bringing her back to bed. I smiled as he cooed to calm her. Only a few months old, but she knew exactly who she belonged to as she let out a big grin for Daddy.

She yawned sleepily, and I nuzzled her face as he passed her to me, breathing in the milky, baby smell of my daughter. I never wanted to be away from her again.

“Hey,” I heard Kyle whisper, slipping his arm around my waist. He sat beside me in the bed, his eyes filled with concern for the tears that had started inexplicably falling from my eyes. I didn’t know why I was crying, but with the release of the tears, anxiety flowed out of me. I was still so wound up over the events over the last few days, but I was so happy to be reunited with my family. Still, just a little part of me mourned for the friendship that would be forever lost.

Nothing would ever heal the wound in my heart from Charlie’s death. Despite our differences, I had loved her for so long, and the thought of a world without her still tore me apart when I thought about it. Where Andrew was concerned, I felt numb, and I wondered what my life would have been without him in it.

Kyle kissed my cheek, wiping my tears with his thumb and pressing his nose to mine as I turned toward him. I laughed as Mia let out a hungry wail. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I hadn’t forgotten you.” Lifting her to my breast, I closed my eyes as she fed, gulping the milk down as if it were the last feed she would ever have. I looked down at her, stroking her head with my fingers. Poor little mite, she probably thought it would be the last feed.

“Mummy’s not going anywhere, again,” I whispered, feeling Kyle’s chin resting on my shoulder. I leaned my head towards him. Just the contact was enough to soothe my aching soul. Sitting here with Kyle and Mia, I felt safe and loved.

We watched the sun come up as Mia continued to feed, and my eyes were trying desperately to close as she drew closer to filling her stomach.

“Here,” Kyle whispered, taking her in his arms. Her little eyes were already closed, and he kissed her forehead as he turned to place her back in the cot. “She’s as exhausted from all this as we are.”

“I can’t wait to go home.”

He climbed back into bed. “Neither can I.”

“When are the police coming to talk to us again?”

“In a few hours. Get some more sleep, Rowan. I’ll be right here.”

I nodded, sinking into the softness of the pillows. My own bed would be preferable, but this one would do quite nicely right now. The world closed in around me as I sunk into the oblivion of sleep, safe in the knowledge my family was with me, and we would be okay.

I
had never been so
glad to see our house in all my life. Kyle’s dad was there to greet us, and he hugged me and Mia, welcoming us home.

Home. This place felt more like home than ever. I’d fallen in love when we’d found it, but now it meant so much more to me. This was where Kyle and I would raise our children. Mia would play with her siblings in the backyard, which wasn’t like the orchard, but it was still perfection.

The events of the last few days felt distant now, even though it was only yesterday when the whole thing had ended. My earlier fierce loyalty to Andrew had dwindled to the point where I felt nothing. Separating me from Mia had been the last straw. Nothing mattered to me more than Kyle and Mia; there was simply no competition.

My only worry was going to court with Andrew. The thought of seeing him again turned my stomach, but then he confessed to everything and pleaded guilty, removing the need for me to see him. There would be jail time, though this was reduced in part by his lawyer bringing up the death of Charlie. Despite my disgust at him, I understood

Kyle was by my side through it all, never judging me when the memories of Charlie’s death came to the surface and I cried for all three of us. He knew that Andrew spending time in prison saddened me, but also knew that my family came before anything else.

And then we got on with our lives.