Before the Cherry Trees Page 3

  “We need to shower,” I ran my open palm down her back, and paused to cup her rear. I squeezed lightly and she rolled so she was on top of me.

  “Someone didn’t get enough last night,” she giggled as she wiggled her hips. My cock was like steel as it bobbed between her thighs. “Sure you want to take a shower right now?” she mused as her eyes fluttered open. She rested her chin on my chest, and blinked a few times as she stared up at me.

  “We can’t go to my brother’s all sticky like this,” I groaned as she shifted, causing her hips to glide over me. “Shar,” I warned. She knew she was pushing the right buttons to get what she wanted, and she knew that I was seconds away from giving in to her. I always gave in, and when she looked as sexy as she did this morning, it made me fight it less.

  “Just ten more minutes,” she offered as she rose up and sunk back down, encasing me in her heat. Her teeth clamped down on her lip as she moaned and leaned forward. Her knees worked to lift her hips as she began attacking my neck and chest with her mouth.

  “You’re a temptress, you know, that, right?” I growled as my hands went to her hips and I helped lift her.

  “I just want to thank you,” she whispered “for giving me this baby.”

  I paused in my movements as my hands went to her face. I cupped her cheeks as I stared into her big blue eyes. “You don’t need to thank me for anything. I love you, and I would do anything for you. No matter what. You got that?” I stared at her, waiting for her to acknowledge me.

  She nodded as a tear slipped from one eye. “I know. It’s just after everything, and I wanted you to know,” she sniffed and collapsed against my chest.

  “I know, baby. Trust me, I know,” I rubbed her back as I shifted my hips. She groaned as I moved us, rolling so I was on top. She’d been in charge most of last night, and now it was my turn.

  When I wrapped one leg around my hip and lifted the other to rest on my shoulder, I leaned forward and sank as deep as I could get. I watched her shiver underneath me as I rocked back and plunged deeper with each stroke. “I love you. You hear me? I love you!” I grunted as I sped up, chasing the orgasm she’d brought to the surface. My entire body shook as I spilled myself into her and watched her chase her own release.

  We stayed locked together on the couch for a few moments before we moved to get up, a sigh of satisfaction escaping our lips when I helped her stand. “Let’s get cleaned up, and then I’m going to feed you…both of you,” I grinned as I pressed a kiss to her temple and led her toward our bathroom.

  I COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time I felt this relaxed. Trevor and I had been scheduling so much lately, that the simple things in life didn’t even hold pleasure. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to do things as small as hold hands. We made love in the shower that morning as we cleaned the stickiness of the night before off our skin before dressing quickly and rushing over to my brother in-law’s. It was true what they said about time flying when you were having fun. Trev and I never had an issue with getting lost in one another until this baby making put a wrench in it, but now that I was pregnant, I hoped that things would go back to normal.

  When we reached Taylor’s, Trevor parked and rounded the car to help me out. We walked up the front steps holding hands as I tried to hide the grin that had been plastered across my face the entire morning. When Trevor lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open, and CJ filled the entry way. “It’s Uncle Trevor!” he shouted over his shoulder before turning and leaving us there.

  “Good morning to you too,” Trevor chuckled as he held the door, letting me pass in front of him. We took off our coats and boots before following in the direction CJ had gone, and when I rounded the corner, I was jerked to a stop as Trevor burst into laughter. Morgan was bustling around the kitchen as CJ and Mikey played XBOX, and Ken tapped away on his phone. Taylor was sitting cross legged on the floor with Eva, his daughter. A pink feather boa was draped around his neck and a crown set on his head. A plastic tea set was between them, and Taylor was sipping daintily as he held one of the plastic cups.

  “Bro!” Trevor cackled as he released my hand and bent at the waist. “This is priceless,” he fumbled to get his phone out of his back pocket and managed to snap a picture before Taylor could get to his feet.

  “You’re dead,” Taylor tossed the crown and boa to the ground as he lunged for Trevor.

  “Hey!” Eva shouted. “Dat mine!” she pointed at Taylor as her lip pushed out in a pout.

  “Wait until Ty sees this,” Trevor taunted.

  “You are so dead,” Taylor growled as his eyes pinged between his brother and his daughter. Eva looked as if she were about to cry, and Taylor’s ‘best dad in the world’ mentality overcame his anger. “I’m sorry sweetie,” he cooed at Eva as he sat back down.

  Eva nodded as she stood and moved to put the crown back on his head. “Dat otay. Daddy wooks bootiful, wite unka Ver?” she turned to stare at Trevor waiting for him to agree with her.

  “Yeah,” Trevor snickered. “He looks beautiful,” he nodded as he snapped another picture.

  “You know,” Taylor smiled a devious smile at Trevor, “the next one might be a girl, and payback can be a bitch.”

  “Language!” Morgan warned as she pointed at her husband. “Wait, next one?” her eyes darted from me to Trevor. “Are you pregnant?” she stepped closer and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I nodded vigorously as she rushed over to hug me. “Oh my god! When are you due?”

  “I don’t know yet. I go to the doctor tomorrow,” I lifted a shoulder. “Probably in late August or early September.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” she bounced on her toes before hugging me again.

  “Great. Can I stop having to sleep over at friends’ houses now,” Ken muttered as he shoved his phone into his pocket.

  “Kenneth,” Trevor warned.

  “What? It’s disgusting,” his face wrinkled as he stared at us.

  “I don’t want to think about my mom and dad doing that,” he rolled his eyes.

  “No, he wants to think about him and Beth doing that,” Mikey chimed in.

  “Shut up!” Ken growled as he shoved his brother.

  “You shut up. I’ve seen you. You kiss her like they do in the movies. Oh, Beth. I wanna be with you, Beth. Don’t you like me, Beth?” he wrapped his arms around himself and puckered his lips as he made a shuddered motion.

  “Kenneth!” my eyes widened as I watched his face redden in embarrassment. “You better be a gentleman.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. Nothing’s happened,” he sighed. “Probably never will,” he muttered as he returned to his spot on the couch.

  “Does this mean I have to share my room now?” Mikey stared at me expectantly. “I don’t think I should. Ken’s leaving for school in a year. He should share.”

  “We’ll talk about this later,” I patted his shoulder.

  “I’m not sharing my room,” Ken grumbled as he placed his earbuds in and effectively tuned us out.

  Mikey glanced over at where Eva and Taylor were still sitting and laughed. “I hope it’s a girl. I wanna see Dad look like that,” he laughed and pointed at Taylor. “Uncle Taylor has to do all sorts of things that are girlie now.”

  “Dad is never being a princess,” Trevor pointed at Mikey. “Whatever you’re cooking up in that head of yours, you can stop now. I’m not going to be your tagline.”

  “We’ll see,” Mikey grinned as Eva stood up and came to stand in front of us.

  “Come sit,” she tugged on Trevor’s hand and I couldn’t help but giggle.

  “It’ll give you practice,” I coaxed as his eyes begged me to save him.

  “Want some hot tea?” Morgan offered as I turned to follow her into the kitchen.

  “Sure, that would be great,” I laughed again as I climbed up on one of the barstools and made myself comfortable. I wasn’t feeling any of the effects of the pregnancy yet, and I was going to enjoy the smells and eating while I could. If this pregn
ancy was anything like Mikey’s, I’d be throwing up soon enough. “Smells delicious,” I groaned as Morgan placed a mug in front of me before pulling some fresh baked cinnamon rolls from the oven.

  “It’s almost ready,” she smiled. “It’s good to see you happy, although I don’t know how you kept this from me yesterday.”

  “It was hard, trust me,” I mumbled against the lip of my mug.

  “Well, if you need anything, just ask,” she smiled softly at me before going to back over to the stove.

  “I will, thanks,” I murmured as I let my hand drop to my stomach. I held it there, imagining what it would look like in a few months, excited to feel this little one kick me to alert me of its presence. I wanted to cherish every minute of this pregnancy because it would be the last one I had. Trevor and I agreed that after this baby, our family would be complete. At thirty-five, I was going to be an older mom. Things wouldn’t be as easy, and I knew I’d have to be more careful with this pregnancy. This baby was special, and I prayed that everything would be fine at the doctor’s tomorrow.

  AS I SAT in the waiting room at my doctor’s office, I couldn’t help but be nervous. It had been eleven years since I’d been here in this condition. We’d been trying for a year to get pregnant and now that it had finally happened, I was praying that it was all real. I’d heard of false positives before and I wasn’t feeling pregnant yet. My knee bounced as I tried valiantly to read the magazine in my hands. The office was rather empty, and when I’d glance at the soft green walls they seemed to be closing in on me. I’d asked Trevor to come with me today, but he couldn’t. He’d given two of his deputies the day off, so he had to cover and then he had a court appearance in the afternoon. I was used to doing things on my own, but it still stung a little.

  When I was pregnant with Ken, Trevor came to everything. He was at every appointment, and once Ken was born he came to his check-ups with the pediatrician too. Once Mikey came along, things changed. Trevor’s always been a great dad, but he was less involved with Mikey.

  “Sharron?” the door that led to the examine rooms opened and a nurse peeked out. I set the magazine aside, took a few deep breaths, and stood to follow her. When I stepped through the door, a cool breeze blew over me, causing me to shiver. I didn’t know what it was about doctors’ offices, but they were always freezing. “Right in here,” she motioned to the bathroom. “There are cups on the counter. Just place it in the window when you’re finished and then meet me in room two.” She turned the light on, and then closed the door, leaving me in the bathroom.

  After taking care of business, I washed my hands and met her around the corner. She was hunched over the counter writing something in my file, but smiled and glanced up when I entered. “You can leave your purse right there. We’re going to step over here and get a weight.” My shoulders dropped as I followed her. Nervous energy zinged through me. I wanted them to do the test. I didn’t want to wait, and knowing that I’d have answers soon made it worse.

  “So, how have you been feeling,” she smiled as she maneuvered the slides on the scale.

  “Ok, I guess,” I murmured as I attempted to stand still. I’d been fidgeting so much today that standing still was a chore.

  “Any morning sickness yet?” she jotted down my weight and then stepped back to let me pass her on our way back to the room.

  “Nope. I think I’m pretty early. It’s just that, well, we’ve been trying so hard and I hope that the home test was right,” I twisted my fingers together as she closed the door to the room.

  “Relax,” she soothed. “The doctor will be in soon.” She smiled at me before gathering the folder and stepping out of the room.

  I took another deep breath as I climbed up on the examining table. I stared at the wall for a few minutes, then began scanning all the signs and posters hanging around the room. It was a nervous habit that I used to pass the time. Anytime I had to wait anywhere, I would read… anything. I found myself reading labels sometimes just to pass the time. Diagrams of childbirth and pregnancy littered the walls and cabinets, and then lists of tests that could be performed during pregnancy covered the back of the door. I should have ignored those, but I couldn’t. The idea that something could go wrong filled my head, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach, already ready to protect my baby.

  A light knock on the door caused me to jump slightly as it slowly opened and Dr. Andrews stuck his head in. “Good morning, Sharron,” he smiled as he slipped into the room with the same nurse behind him. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m good,” I bit my lip as my legs began to subconsciously swing from the table.

  “Eating ok, sleep?” he lowered himself onto the stool as the nurse stood beside him and handed over the small dial used to calculate due dates. My eyes lit up as I watched him. “Well, congratulations. You’re gonna have a baby,” he smiled as he took the dial and began spinning it in his hand. “This little peanut is going to make his appearance around September fifteenth based on my calculations.”

  “Really? So the test was right?” I placed my hands on the edge of the table by my thighs and gripped the edge so tightly my knuckles turned white.

  “Really,” he nodded. “The baby’s fine. We do need to set up some bloodwork, and an appointment for a full physical, but otherwise you’re doing great.” He slowly stood and came over to shake my hand. “Congrats. Suzie here can set you up on the schedule. I’ll see you back in a week or so,” he moved over to the door and stepped out, leaving me there alone once again.

  As everything slowly sunk in, I stood and made my way out to the sign-in desk to schedule my next appointment. My smile was so big my face hurt. I’d already gone through the news of being pregnant, but this made it real. This was when everything really clicked, and I could breathe a sigh of relief. Suzie was waiting for me when I approached and handed me the card before letting me know that I could go to the office directly above them to have my blood drawn. Even though that wasn’t something that I really wanted to do at the moment, I nodded in agreement. You see, Cherryville is such a small town that I have to drive a half hour to the neighboring city to see my doctor, and I didn’t want to have to come back the next day when I could get this taken care of now.

  It took only a short while to have my bloodwork done, and then I was on my way home. Snow was coming down heavy today, and the drive seemed to take twice as long as it should have. When I finally got there, Mikey was in his usual spot doing his homework, with no sign of Ken. “Where’s your brother?” I hung my coat on the hook by the door, and began pulling my boots off.

  “Studying with Beth,” his face twisted in disgust.

  “Oh really?” I laughed.

  “Yeah. They’re not studying though, Mom. Not unless he’s trying to figure out how long he can go without breathing. It’s disgusting,” he shuddered before going back to the paper he was working on.

  “That’s good to know,” I mused as I made a mental note to talk to Trevor about having a talk with our oldest. Ken knew the ins and outs of sex. He was sixteen after all, but that didn’t mean that I was ok with him trying to have it. I knew meeting a girl and wanting to explore things was only natural, but if Beth was my daughter I wouldn’t be ok with a boy mauling her. As if he knew we were talking about him, in walked Ken with Beth trailing behind him.

  “We can study in my room,” he muttered over his shoulder when he saw Mikey sitting at the table.

  “You most certainly cannot,” I narrowed my eyes on him. “No girls in your room. You know the rules. You can go in the family room if you don’t want to be in here,” I suggested.

  “Mom!” Ken rolled his eyes as his cheeks began to turn red. “We need it to be quiet.”

  “Your father’s at work, I’m in here and so is Mikey. No one will bother you,” I tipped my head toward the door. You can go to the library if this is a problem.”

  “Fine,” he grumbled as he turned toward the family room. “Come on, Beth. We’ll study in here I guess,�
�� he sighed as he slung his backpack higher and shuffled out of the room. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that Ken was perfect, or that nothing was happening here, but I had no plan to help him out.

  I remember the days when Trevor and I would sneak down to the creek, or he’d come over when my parents weren’t home. On warm nights we’d go to the orchard or one of the many fields in the area. Cherryville had a lot of farmland around it. It was easy to find privacy when the weather was nice. Once winter came, all that changed. Snow blanketed the area, and if you went too far out into the countryside, you ran the risk of getting stuck somewhere. If you had to call someone to pull you out, they knew exactly what you were doing when they got there. I should know. It happened to me.

  “This isn’t gonna work. Just call your dad,” I sighed as I stood there in the freezing cold, arms wrapped around me, holding the flashlight as Trevor fumbled around under the hood of his car. It was winter break, and we’d gone to the movies as an escape to be alone. At seventeen you didn’t get much privacy, and Trevor and I had been fighting for alone time ever since his parents caught us making out in the driveway at his house.

  After the movie had finished, he’d brought me to this little spot we’d found over the summer. We were making out, steaming up the windows and using our body heat to keep warm, but as time got later I knew we needed to head back. “I’m not calling my dad. He’s gonna know what we were doing,” Trevor grumbled.

  “We’re going to college next year, Trev. I’m sure they know what we’re doing,” I shivered as I pulled my coat tighter around me.

  “Well, I don’t think they want it thrown in their faces,” he fiddled with something else before pointing to the door. “Try to crank it now,” he motioned to me. I trudged around and climbed in, squeaking when the cold vinyl singed through my jeans before turning the key. The car made a clicking sound before the engine fought to turn over, but nothing happened.

  “Damn it!” Trevor pushed his hands through his hair.