Torn (42 page)

“
Good.” Katie finished the
buttons on his shirt, under a watchful eye, and slid it off his
shoulders. She worked fervently to get his khaki pants off as he
lifted his hips while tracing his tongue over her ear. “You’re
rendering me useless, Mr. Stone.” She arched her back and moaned in
pleasure as he caused goose bumps to cover her body while jolts of
surging electricity soared through her.

Branson kicked off the last leg of his
pants and continued where he left off. He loved watching her body
respond to his touch, hearing her soft moans. Her body was a
wonderland to touch, taste, and enjoy. He helped her sit up so he
could slide the dress over her head and then guided her back down.
“So beautiful . . .” He softly kissed the space between her neck
and shoulder, making his way down to her breasts. “. . . and all
mine.”

Katie was overcome with need as her
hands roamed over his magnificent physique. His kiss was enough to
send her into another dimension, and his touch had her quickly
spinning out of control.

She felt him grin against her mouth
before entering her and she cried out in sheer pleasure as her body
trembled and shattered in delicious bliss. Branson gripped the
headboard with one arm and groaned into the pillow as wave after
wave erupted through his body.

He held her tightly in his arms as
they fell asleep listening to the waves gently crash onto the
shoreline and the lonely whistle of the wind coming in through the
open sliders.

Forty-Two

Christmas Eve filled Katie with an
excitement she had trouble containing. She busied herself preparing
tomorrow night’s dinner as Maggie had suggested and set the dining
room table. Her nerves had gotten the best of her and went straight
to her stomach.

“
I just can’t eat
anything, love, my stomach is in knots.”

“
You’ll make yourself
sick, if you don’t stop for a moment and nourish your body. Just
sit and have half a sandwich with me.” Branson set a plate on the
kitchen bar.

Katie took a few bites and
hurried back to the kitchen to make the brown sugar and pecan
topping for the sweet potato casserole. Her stomach felt terrible
and she headed for the bathroom.
Don’t let
me get sick now!
She silently
prayed.
What did Gram used to give me to
help? Crackers and ginger ale—I know we have crackers, maybe Sprite
will work.

“
Are you okay, babe?”
Branson asked. “It’s just our family—please relax.”

“
I’m okay, I always get a
stomach ache when I’m nervous. Crackers will help.”

“
What can I do? Give me a
task.” Branson insisted.

“
Um,” Katie thought about
what was left. “You could set out the wine glasses and a tray for
appetizers.”

“
Done. What’s
next?”

“
One last thing.” She hung
her monogrammed red plaid stocking on the mantle and hung Branson’s
matching green plaid next to it.
Three or
four more would be nice.
“I got one for
Jackson and little Rose, too. I know they’re not waking up here,
but I wanted to have something for them. I got Jackson trucks and
cars and some of those super hero characters he likes to send
flying across the room. I got Rose a doll, some fake makeup, a
plastic cell phone, and a slinky. Can’t you see her sending a
slinky down the stairs? Hmm, let’s eighty-six the slinky. I don’t
want her falling. Oh, and silly putty—remember silly
putty?”

“
They’ll love it,
babe.”

With Branson’s help Katie managed to
get everything done and decided to retire early. “Come to bed with
me—we can watch a movie together.”

“
Sounds good. I’ll get the
movie and meet you in there.”

Branson returned
with
It’s a Wonderful Life
and two cups of hot chocolate. “I don’t know if
your stomach can handle it or not?”

“
I’m feeling much better
now that everything is done. Thank you.” Katie took the cup,
sipping slowly.

Branson inserted the DVD and climbed
into bed. “This movie has always been a Christmas Eve tradition in
the Stone house.”

“
Perfect. I love
it.”

Katie was asleep twenty minutes
later.

***

Branson stroked Katie’s shoulder and
arm. “Wake up, darling. It’s Christmas.”

Katie slowly opened her eyes and
grinned. “Merry Christmas, my love.” She flung back the covers,
alive with a renewed sense of energy and excited to start ripping
into wrapping paper. “Let’s open presents!”

Branson plugged in the lights to the
tree, started coffee for himself and a cup of cocoa for his finicky
bride, and joined her in the living room. She was giddy with
happiness and it was contagious.

Katie handed him an elegantly wrapped
shirt box. “Open this one first.”

Wrapping paper was strewn all over the
living room as Katie and Branson sipped their morning mugs of
comfort and relaxed into the soft leather couch. Katie finished her
cocoa and produced a wrapped package. “I almost forgot about this
one, it must have gotten hidden under all of the paper.” She handed
the wrapped shirt box to him.

Branson ripped the paper off, opened
the box to view the third shirt she picked out for him and was
confused. “What’s this?”

Katie didn’t answer. Instead she
watched as he picked up the framed picture and stared at it. When
she realized he wasn’t going to get it, she whispered, “It’s our
baby’s first picture.”

“
Are you
serious?”

“
I wanted to tell you as
soon as I found out, but I had to be sure that . . . well, the
doctor says we have no reason to worry—everything looks good.”
Katie knelt down in front of Branson and looked into his eyes. “Are
you as happy as I am?”

Branson took Katie’s hand and helped
her to stand. He lifted her into his arms and twirled her around.
“We’re going to have a baby?”

Katie nodded her head
excitedly.

Branson set her down gently, treating
her like a china doll.

“
I’m not going to break,”
she said.

“
How do you feel?” He
looked her over. This explained why she had been so tired
lately.

“
I’m scared,” she began.
“What if I’m not a good mother?” She let her mind travel to the
past. Her first impression of a mother was a selfish drug addict
that never had a kind word for her, and the second was the cruel,
psychopath Maxine that had taken her in for purposes only God knew.
She didn’t know how to act around children, what if she screwed up
their life, like her mother had hers? Panic washed over her face
and the room spun slowly around as a wave of nausea filled
her.

“
Hey, look at me.” Branson
sat her down on the couch and knelt in front of her. “I’ve seen the
way you are around Jackson. He adores you and he’s comfortable with
you. He trusts you because you love him and you’re a good person.
You’ll be an amazing mother, Katie. Gram has had more influence
than anyone from your past, I think you’ll take her love and
compassion with you. You couldn’t be a bad mother if you
tried.”

“
I hope you’re right.” She
placed her hand over her stomach. “I already love this baby so
much.”

Branson sat down and wrapped an arm
around Katie, rubbing her belly and imaging their child growing
inside the love of his life.

Katie leaned her head on his shoulder,
savoring the moment. She felt protected, loved, and hopeful—it was
everything she’d always wanted.

About the Author:

Eleanor Green resides in
Tennessee with her husband and two children. She enjoys the things
everyone else does
—
reading, writing, cooking, gardening
—
but is also an adventure
seeker.

Terrified of cats, passionate about
hot tea, allergic to being cold.

Still left on her bucket list: getting
lost in Italy and being invited in for dinner by a sweet family,
eating a scorpion, and swimming with the dolphins.

Eleanor also writes under the name
Lisa Poston Murphy.

Email:
[email protected]

Website:
http://authoreleanorgreen.com

Facebook:
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Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorEGreen