Love Survives (41 page)

I caught Kat staring off into the distance. She assured me that she was only thinking about her own father, but I wondered if she was telling me truth. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think Kat had a habit of lying to me. The circumstance with Bobby rubbed me the wrong way, so if she was worried about that she’d keep it to herself. I gave her a kiss before turning all of my attention to our beautiful little girl.

She kept repeating the same words again, reminding me that she was waiting. “Put it on. Put it on.”

I scooped her up. “Let’s go get pretty and show everyone that Daddy knows how to shop.”

Her little red bikini with ruffles was the cutest thing on her. I let her wear my glasses for her big reveal. I could tell immediately that Kat was pleased with my selection. “Yook at me. I pwetty,” B announced.

My mom acted extremely excited, getting a reaction out of our sweet girl. She giggled and came running back to me, letting me scoop her back up. I brought her over to Kat. “What do you think? Is she not the cutest kid ever?”

“She is. You did good.”

I started spinning my little beauty queen around in circles. “B, let’s go out and learn how to swim.”

When I pulled out her float and began blowing it up, B seemed memorized by its growth. I held onto the nozzle and reached it over for her to try. “You blow on it.” She tried, getting more slobber than air. The slobber didn’t bother me. That DNA was mine. I placed the float attachment back in my mouth without wiping it. Even though it didn’t make me cringe, I saw Kat out of the corner of my eye scrunching up her face. Apparently she didn’t have a stomach of steel. At any rate, I wasn’t ashamed. I’d share anything with my little girl, and I wanted her to know it.

I pulled off my glasses and her flip-flops before I hopped into the pool. Then I held out my arms for her. She jumped right to me, letting out a scream when her body hit the cool water. She trusted me, and it was something I’d cherish for the rest of my days.

In less than a week’s time I had everything I wanted. It was so overwhelming at times that I had to keep reminding myself that it was real.

Enjoying my time in the pool with Brooklyn while my brother watched, only made it all more entertaining. Though I felt bad about him being sterile, a part of me wanted to rub it in his face at the family I now had, after he’d stopped at nothing to prevent it. Plus, I think a part of me was still worried he could have been the father. Doctors have been known to make mistakes. Pinpointing the exact time of conception had to be difficult. Now I knew for sure, without a single doubt, she was mine. No matter what B would always be my flesh and blood. Perhaps Branch saw it that way too. If he were to have a child the same chromosomes would have been shared.

My daughter laughing captured my train of thought. “Again, Daddy. Again.” I was spinning her around in the float, getting a kick out of how she acted when I stopped and watched her little head trying to catch up.

“How about you jump in? Do you want to do that?”

She nodded. I immediately lifted her out of the ring and stood her on the edge of the pool wall. “Okay, don’t jump until I say go, B. You got it?”

She shimmied her little body from side to side. “Otay.”

I held out my arms, appreciating the fact that she trusted me so completely. “One-two-three-go!” Like a bird taking flight for the first time, I watched my little girl jumping into my arms. I caught her easily, pulling her against my body. “You did so good. Daddy’s so proud of your bravery.”

She obviously had no clue what I was talking about, albeit I was too proud to explain it to her. I think she knew I was ecstatic.

After the first time, little bug jumped into my arms nearly thirty more times. We worked on her kicking until her short legs became too tired to keep going. While standing in the shallow end of my parent’s in ground pool, her still in my arms, she fell asleep. I kept her there, close to my heart, while talking to my brother and Melissa about their life.

They didn’t have anything that interested me. Branch worked in an office building. He had to wear suits every day. The thought made me cringe. Sure, my fatigues were uncomfortable in the summer, but at least I didn’t look like a penguin.

I was pretty sad when Kat insisted I take B inside for a nap. I could have held her all day even though I realized she was pretty pruned up from being in the water so long.

Since I was tired out myself, I decided to just lay down with my daughter. Kat helped get her in a dry diaper while I changed my own clothes. Then she gave me a kiss before I climbed in bed next to B. She stirred, looking around and then curling up against my chest. Kat gave me a sarcastic head shake. “She has you wrapped around her little finger.”

“Apparently it runs in the family. She must learn those skills from her mother,” I teased.

Her smile was contagious. “Maybe.”

“You could always come join us,” I asked in a whisper.

“I’m going to help your mom with dinner. I’ll come check on you in a bit.”

Before she could leave the room I called her name, patting B on the backside so she’d settle back to sleep. “Kat, wait. How are you doing – with all this Branch and Melissa business?”

She held onto the door when she answered. “It’s weird. I guess I need to get used to it. They probably feel the same way about us.”

“I’m sure.”

“I like seeing you so happy, Brooks. I still keep thinking about when I assumed you were dead. Sometimes this still feels like it’s a dream.”

I kept my arms around my daughter, kissing her on the head before I replied. “I’d come back from the dead for this, Kat. Nothing could keep me away.”

I saw tears in her eyes as she grinned. “That’s why I love you so much, Brooks. I know you would.”

When she left the room I took a few minutes to think about how far we’d come. The little girl in my arms was worth every bad day because it was all in order to lead me back to this. If I was dead, then this was my heaven. Only a marriage certificate with her mother could make this any sweeter.

Chapter 48

Dinner out at
the pool was pretty relaxing. Actually, every meal with my parents had been great. I wasn’t used to family sittings, but I sure did like them.

It was pretty obvious my brother was infatuated with Brooklyn. He wouldn’t stop talking to her and being playful. Even though she hadn’t admitted it, I knew Kat noticed too.

Once we were settled in for the night, with my brother right across the hall after deciding to stay, Kat seemed upset again.

I pulled my shirt over my head to prepare for bed, noticing Kat staring me down again, particularly on my tattoo. I gave her a mischievous grin. “If I would have known that you’d be so into it, I would have sent pictures with my letters.” I climbed on the bed, perching my head on her thigh. “What are you in here thinking about?”

Kat peered down at her hands. “I don’t know. Life, I guess. It’s just hard to believe that I’m here, with you, in your bed. It’s surreal, you know? Us being together and everyone being okay with it?”

I laced our fingers together, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. “To be honest with you even if they had a problem it wouldn’t change us. We’d still be together, Kat.”

“I love how you just know what you want, Brooks. I want you to know that I looked up what I need to do to get a divorce. It should be easy since we don’t have children or belongings together. Bobby can walk away with his home and business while I keep my house and all of my money.”

“He doesn’t have access to those accounts?”

“No. I put them in Brooklyn’s name as soon as she was born. Only she and I will be able to draw money out of them. Bobby doesn’t even know how much I have left. He thinks I used almost all of it on the house.”

I was shocked and curious at the same time. “How much did they leave you?”

Kat seemed to get a kick out of me asking. “Eight-hundred fifty four thousand-two hundred thirty dollars and fourteen cents was how much I got when I was able to finally access the account. I memorized the amount because at the time, I was so hard up and needed it. The house cost me three hundred grand. I gave my friends that helped me twenty five grand and I bought everything new for inside the home too.”

This was hilarious to me. “You have half a million dollars hidden from your husband and he never knew?” It led me to believe that she never fully trusted him.

She flashed me a guilty look. “Yeah. I wanted Brooklyn to have the best life. I knew that after I built the house, I wouldn’t have to work to afford a mortgage. I could be home with her, where I wanted to be.”

“I can see where he wouldn’t even ask. Look, you know I don’t care about that money. Your parent’s house and the life insurance was for you anyway. That money isn’t for me or for your husband. I just have one question for you.”

“Anything.”

“When can I move in because me living on the base isn’t exactly going to work for me when my girls have that nice big house and I can’t be with them?”

“I told you already that you’re going to live with me. I thought you knew that I meant now.”

I leaned up in her face. “I’m teasing you. Do you really think I’d spend one night without the two of you? I’ve literally been to Hell. I’m in this for the long haul, woman. There’s pretty much nothing you can do about it, either. I hate to break it to you, but you’re stuck with this forever.” I motioned over my body.

Kat cackled. “I’m pretty sure I can live with that.”

I pulled her on top of me. “You sure I’m what you want? I mean, there’s no going back this time. We’re either in it together, or it can’t happen.” My face became conflicted. “I can’t lose you again, Kat, not now that I finally have you.”

“You won’t,” She assured me. “We’re in this together.”

I flipped us over, never taking my eyes off her. “I’m going to go get a shower. It’s late, so nobody would notice if we were in there together.”

“I’d love to get a shower with you.” This was pretty exciting for me. I expected her to be against it with so many people in the house.

It wasn’t until we were in the bathroom, trying to be quiet, when I got the best idea in my head. “I think it’s time to pay back my brother for all the nights I knew you two were together. What do you say? Do you feel like expressing yourself a little louder than usual?”

I picture her scolding me, not agreeing to do it right away. Her reply was
un
coached, but absolutely the best ever. “Oh, yes. Give it to me, Brooks.”

It was difficult to keep a straight face when Kat was playing along. It was also quite hard to play around when she was removing all of her clothes.

I stood still, taking in every aspect of her body. From her curvy hips, to that supple ass, I was getting turned on quickly. The only thing missing was my hands all over her skin.

She turned around and began doing the same thing to me, licking her lips and acting pleased with my stature. “You were just eyeing me up, weren’t you?” I questioned her intent.

Her hands went in the air as if I was about to arrest her. If only she was standing in front of a car because I would have bent her over and taken full advantage of it. “Guilty. Maybe you should punish me.” She cocked one leg up on the tub. “Maybe you should spank me.”

I thought I was going to choke on my own saliva. Not only was she taunting me, but Kat was speaking loud enough that my brother and Melissa, who were in the next room, could clearly hear. I didn’t know whether to laugh or go for it.

The palm of my hand made contact with her ass followed by the sound of a slap. Right away I felt bad about it, wondering if she’d be pissed. “Sorry. I always wanted to do that. Don’t be mad.”

She backhanded me on the shoulder, but not that hard. “Jerk. That hurt.” Kat stated as she rubbed her sore butt cheek. “Okay, I probably should have said I was playing around. I’m not mad at all, but you do know that you’re going to kiss every inch of that cheek until the burn goes away, and then you’re going to wash me, until you’re ready to burst from the buildup.”

I ran my lips around her face, avoiding her lips at all costs. “It will be my pleasure, but when I’m done, I’m taking you back to bed and fucking you all night long.”

I started by washing her hair. The hot soapy water fell down from her long locks, lathering up the hard erection standing behind her. While taking my time to run my slippery hands all over her appendages, Kat looked me right in the eyes. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman, and because of that I knew there was a time and a place to joke around, and another to be serious. Though the mood had changed, I intended to make good on the bedroom promise, as soon as we were done in the shower.

Kat leaned her head against the shower wall, while I kissed her, running my lips down her wet body. I spun her around, focusing on her ass and thighs. Once I was in a sitting position with her facing the opposite direction I remain focused on making this moment unforgettable. I traced my mouth against the skin where her ass and thighs met. Her body began to shake, only showing me that I was getting to her.