Life's Next Chapter (25 page)

Coming around to Luke, I curl my body into his side. “I have to call the police and then a tow truck. Why don’t you go back into the office? I don’t want you breathing in the fumes around here.”

“Luke, I’m so sorry. I know Keith did this, who else would?”

“Well, then we’re going to the police station after this and talk with his ex-supervisor because I’m over this shit. He’s messed with the wrong person.”

“You’re going to go red neck crazy on him?”

He just looks at me and laughs in confusion. “Damn, my country girl is one feisty thing. Yes, if you want, I’ll go all red neck crazy on him, you’ll just have to lead the way, baby.”

“Damn straight I will, and he’s going to be sorry when I kick his scrawny ass into the Atlantic Ocean. I hope he drowns!”

We met with an officer and file a report. The tow truck guy comes, and it was a complete mess. Since we were in a parking garage and the ceilings were only so tall, they had to drag Luke’s truck all the way out then load it on a flatbed truck. Let’s just say Luke was very distraught over seeing his pride and joy being dragged down the garage, sparks flying. The sound of metal rim scraping the concrete had him looking a little green. Brody came by and picked us up. We made a quick stop at the station and talked to Keith’s former supervisor and wrote out another report. He said he would bring him in, but since Keith has been terminated, there isn’t much they can do until we have evidence he did this. UGH! This is such a mess.

I HAVE NEVER dreaded court more than I do at this moment. Three days ago Luke’s truck was vandalized, and it’s still in the shop. Today, he’s coming with me to court.

Because of all the stress from what I’ve been going through, my amazing granddaddy recruited another doctor to help me out. He has just graduated college and is working out perfectly. Plus, once the baby comes, I will need more help. So I’m helping Erik with the paperwork and showing him today’s schedule when Luke walks into the clinic. I finish up my lecture to Erik so we can leave for court. Luke grabs my hand and we walk to my truck.

Beth calls me on the way and we briefly go over what we’re going to present. My best friend is a saint. This woman gave birth mere weeks ago, and here she is helping me fight my battles. I tell her how adamant I am about supervised visits. Keith thinks this hearing is going to be a walk in the park, but I have news for him. He is going to shit gold bricks, when he sees what I have to show the judge.

Luke, with the help of my wonderful lawyer, got a warrant to access the video cameras in the garage and low and behold, guess who is on the video. Yep, my douche ex-husband, slashing Luke’s tires and keying profanity into the side of his truck. Beth thinks he will get probation for what he did.

Once court is in session, Keith glares at me. I swear he is on drugs, I’ve never seen eyes so evil looking. The look he gives me is so full of vengeance and hate, and I would love to know why. I didn’t do anything to him. Yes, I made him become a father, but I gave him every opportunity to run. I know Beth is going to work her magic, so I just smile brightly back at him.

Beth shows the judge the parking garage video of Keith. She explains to him how traumatic this experience could have been if our daughters were present. The judge wasn’t thrilled to see this evidence.

The judge reads his verdict to Keith. He’s allowed Keith supervised visitation, but it has to be done at the social worker’s office and on scheduled days.

I left the courthouse filled with glee, happy knowing Keith got what he deserved. Maybe with some restrictions he’ll straighten up, if only for our daughters’ sakes.

THE LAST WEEK our lives have been peaceful. Kate seems a lot less stressed, which is good for her and the baby. The new guy at the clinic, Erik, seems to be helping her out tremendously, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. I keep meaning to ask him to hang out and have a drink to thank him properly for helping my girl out. I hope and pray Erik becomes a permanent doctor in her practice. I know she wanted to do this all on her own, but it’s too hard. Why put yourself through the added stress for no reason?

It’s Friday night. The twins are staying at Kate’s grandparents’ house for the weekend. Nana and Granddaddy haven’t seen the girls in a while, so they’re thrilled. I, on the other hand, am happy to finally get some one on one time with my beautiful girl. Tonight, I’m making her dinner. I have a movie for us to watch, but I’m really hoping to snuggle with my girl by the fire and end up making love to her all night. I crave the feeling of her skin against my skin. She’s my new therapy and I need her desperately. I’m busy in the kitchen making shrimp scampi when I hear her walk in.

“Hi, babe,” she says as she walks through the kitchen’s side door. “Mmmm, it smells good, what are you cooking?”

She walks over to the stove and wraps her warm arms around me. The electric feeling I get every time she touches me sends volts of energy through my body, but it isn’t enough. I need more of her.

“I’m making shrimp scampi. You hungry?”

“I’m starving.” She says as she walks to the counter and pulls a banana from the basket. She peels the banana and throws the skin away. Watching her eat the banana is already making my dick twitch. She looks over at me. “Sorry, I had to eat something. I’m really hungry, so is the baby.” She explains as she rubs her little bump. I can’t wait to see her get bigger and to feel the baby kick. She leans against the counter next to the stove. Switching the spatula in my hands, I use my left hand to rub her belly while she munches away on the banana. I quickly finish making dinner before I end up taking her on the counter and end up burning it.

We eat by candle light and talk about our day. Our conversations run so smoothly. Kate has become my best friend, and I can tell her anything. She tells me she really wants to name the baby either Luka or Lucas after me. When I tell her that my name isn’t short for Lucas, she laughs. “I thought all Luke’s were short for Lucas.”

“No, sunshine, just like Kate isn’t always short for Katherine.”

“Well, I know that. I just assumed your full name was Lucas. My legal name is Katherine Mary. I don’t think I’ve ever gone by my legal name. As long as I can remember, I’ve always been Kate. My mom’s name is Mary Katherine, and so is my great grandmother, so my mom switched our names around. Then, they shortened it to Kate or Katie, depending on who uses it. To be honest, I think you are the only one besides family and Beth that knows my legal name. Now don’t tell anyone, or I might have to kill ya,” she says with a wink

“Alright, my ‘Katherine the great’.

“I love you, just Luke Ashton.”

Grabbing her hand. “I like those names for the baby,” I mumble to her as I bring her hand to my mouth to kiss.

We have dessert in the living room on the floor by the fire. Our dessert consists of passionate kissing, us getting naked, me devouring her body, and slow love making. We lay on the floor under a throw for what seems like hours, listening to the rain come down in buckets. Our winter has been pretty mild, but the weather that’s coming in is going to bring us some harsh rain and even colder temperatures.

Round two of dessert takes place upstairs in bed. She comes out of the bathroom and slides under the blankets. I pull them back because I want to look at her. She’s beyond beautiful. I’m so fortunate to have this amazing, talented, beautiful woman in my life. It took the good Lord a while to answer my prayers, but when he did, he gave me a perfect angel. I just look at her in the candlelight, with her long blond hair splayed across the pillows. She’s still flushed from the two orgasms I gave her downstairs, and her body is golden in the light. Her nipples are hard, and I see goose bumps appearing on her skin. I gently skim my fingertips across her breast, down her abdomen, across her baby bump. I lean down a pepper kisses to our unborn child. To know a part of each of us is growing inside of her makes my dick turn to granite. It’s the sexiest thing to see her pregnant.

The rain pounds against the window, the thunder roars across the sky, and the lighting lights up the room. I can’t think of anything more romantic than making love to Kate in this weather. To see the different expressions appear on her face every time the lighting brightens the room makes me want to drag this out all night.

“Luke, I need more baby…please.”

“Sunshine, I want to take this slow. Just feel me, baby. Feel how much I love you.”

“Oh God…Luke…Luke, I love you so…much”

I can feel her body tighten. Her legs tense against my hips and she’s starting to arch her body. “Come, baby…I’m right there with you.”

“LUKE…YES…YES,” she screams out her orgasm as I release myself into her. After we slowly drift back down, I drag myself to her side, holding onto her tightly. We fall asleep listening to the rain on the windows.

Hours later, Kate wakes me up by jumping out of my arms. The thunder is loud and booms into the echoing sky. “Luke, did you hear that?”

I slowly try to wake up. “Hear what?” I mumble to her.

“The stables, I hear a horse screeching,” she says as she rolls out of bed.

“Baby, it’s just the rainstorm, maybe they are freaked out.”

“No, that sound is a horse in pain. Something’s wrong.”

I open my eyes to find her getting dressed. “What the hell are you doing?” I ask as I lean up on my elbow.

“I’m going to the stable to see what is going on, they might be hurt.”

I fly out of the bed and get dressed along with her. I cross to her desk and boot up the laptop. “Let me look at the cameras and see if I can see anything before you run across the yard to the stables in this weather.” I wait for the website to load, but sure enough, the cameras went out. As I turn around, Kate is already gone. Damn it!

I run down the stairs, not even bothering with a shirt or jacket. I slide my feet into my boots and chase after Kate in the God forsaken storm. I can hear her freaking out when I make it to the stables. She’s in the stall trying to calm down the horse that keeps rearing up on its hind legs.

“Kate, get the fuck out of there! That horse is going to hurt you!”

“Luke, call the police, someone has slashed her up, and I think she might be drugged. Kara is scared.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about Kara, get the fuck out of there, now!”

Kate continues to try and calm her down, and when I see the horse, my jaw hits the floor. Someone has cut her. Kara’s eyes are bulging and are pure black, as if she is high on something. I walk into the stall to get Kate out, my gut screaming at me that this horse is putting her in danger. As I walk in, Kate leaves Kara’s face and rubs along her side where she is cut. She is trying to stop the bleeding. The horse swings around and slams her into the wall.

“KATE!” I yell at her. The horse screeches and starts bucking all over the place. I’m about to open the stall door and let the damn horse run.

“I’m fine, Luke.” I hear and I look under the horse to see Kate get up. I try to make my way to the back of the stall where Kate is, but when I walk past the horse, she freaks out. At that moment, the horse rears up on her hind legs, comes down then kicks back at Kate. All I see is Kate’s small body being thrown into the wall, sliding down, and slamming face first into the floor of the stall.

“KATE!” I scream. I open the stall door and push with all my might to get the damn horse out of here. The horse finally runs out, and when I get to Kate’s side, she is out cold. I pick her up, and run her back to the house.

She moans as the cold rain wakes her up. “Luke,” is all she whispers against my neck. Once we’re in the house, I lay her down on the couch and run for the phone to call 911.

As I am telling the dispatcher what is going on, I hear Kate frantically screaming. I drop the phone and run to her. “LUKE! OH MY GOD…LUKE…the baby.” As I get closer and look down at her, she’s sitting in a pool of blood. I don’t know what comes over me, but I feel completely and utterly helpless. I look at my beautiful woman and watch her as she holds onto her belly and screams in pain and agony. I’m no fool; I know that much blood means we’ve lost our child. I sit on the couch next to her, pull her into my lap, and we cry together.