“Have you told the father?”
Presley Ann pressed trembling lips together and shook her head. “I met this really sweet guy. He was so handsome and charming, I was mesmerized. He was just passing through town and I thought it would be sexy if we just didn’t exchange names. Two ships passing in the night, you know? I was on the pill but I guess my bad habit of forgetting to take them and then doubling up when I remember finally caught up with me. Stupid I know. I don’t…don’t even know my baby’s father’s name.” She was quiet for a long time and then said, “My father is going to hate me.”
Squeezing Presley Ann’s hand so she’d look up, Grace said, “Sweetie, I know your dad. He won’t hate you. He’s a fair-minded man and while it’s obvious he loves his community, I know he loves his family even more.”
“He’ll be embarrassed.”
“It sounds like you’re taking responsibility for your actions and trying to start over, putting your baby first. Do you really think that would embarrass him?”
Presley Ann was quiet for a minute and then said, “I think the way I’ve lived my life, the way I’ve acted in the community and toward him in person was probably a bigger source of embarrassment.” Her short laugh had a bitter edge. “I was going to find a man to marry and take care of me. Basically a sugar daddy. Now I have a baby coming who’s going to depend on
me
for everything.”
Instinct told Grace to not let her drop anchor on that thought. “And look what you’re doing. You’re hustling to make sales like a good sales clerk at Stigall’s. You’re saving money. You’re sitting here with me talking, and being solution-oriented. That says a lot. You’ve got around eight months to get yourself situated, either at home or in your own place.”
“I can’t move back in with my dad. I’m a grown woman…and that seems like throwing in the towel and letting someone else take care of me. I got myself into this mess and I have to get myself out of it.”
A thought occurred to Grace. “You’re related to Marvin Kramer, the man who owns the computer service place on Main Street, right?”
“He’s my uncle…sort of.”
“He posted a sign in the shop that he has a little place for rent.”
“How little?”
“It’s a little apartment above the computer shop. It’s quiet, at least at night, and it’s in a safe area. You should talk to him. I’ll bet it would be perfect for you and the baby. If it’s reasonable, you could even afford to save some money as well.”
Presley Ann nodded and then looked up at Grace with a smile. “I’ll talk to him. Thank you for telling me.”
“It’s a good thing Doug decided to start paying his sales people commissions again. You can make a decent living if you have the skills.”
Presley Ann chuckled. “And the perfect motivation. I didn’t care before, but now I’m glad Leah talked dad into reinstituting commissioned sales.”
“And worst-case scenario, Presley Ann, your dad won’t let you go without. You know that.”
“I do but I don’t want to ask for it. I got myself into this mess, I should get myself out.”
“And you have me, and Charity and Justine. We’re friends now, after all.”
Presley Ann sat up a little straighter in the chair and this time her smile reached her eyes. “We are. Do you know I’ve never had any female friends? I have my sister but I don’t think she would tell you we’re friends and I know that’s my fault. If I could ever nail her down, I’ll tell her everything. She left the store in a big rush last night and I didn’t find out until later…”
“She’s been here at the hospital, too, I’ll bet.”
Presley Ann nodded. “I didn’t even know she was
that
sweet on Patterson Elder. She never said a word. She was right to not trust me. I probably would’ve flirted with him just to piss her off.”
Grace frowned. “Would you have really done that?”
She swiped fresh tears from her blotchy cheeks and said, “I wish I could tell you no, but before the baby, that’s probably exactly what I would’ve done. She’s going to be so upset.”
“I imagine she will,” Grace said honestly. “And she already has so much to deal with emotionally right now.” Grace’s heart lurched painfully, thinking of being forced to part with one of her men.
“She let me move in with her to help on the rent but I know it’s not because she needed the help. I imagine she’ll welcome having her space and privacy back.”
“Give her some time and just show her the steps you’ve taken to provide for yourself. You might also be able to pick up some extra hours if she’s so inclined.”
Presley Ann nodded. “I want to ask you about something.”
“Sure.”
“Like I said before, I know I’ve offended several of your friends. Lydia Carlisle in particular.” She grimaced and shook her head. “I misrepresented myself to her, and insulted her and her husbands. I know she hates me and I don’t blame her. If by chance you talk to her sometime could you maybe mention that I talked to you and I said I was sorry, and I wished I could make it…”
Grace smiled and waited quietly.
Presley Ann let out a dry chuckle and shook her head. “I can’t take the easy way out here, can I?”
Grace shook her head. “For the sake of your conscience, I’d say not. But I will tell you this. Lydia is a forgiving person and she respects people who take the bull by the horns, especially when it’s difficult. I think if you talked to her, you’d find that she has a deeper level of understanding of your situation than you realize. She had to pull herself up by her bootstraps at one point, too. She was doing just that, taking care of herself, when she met Chance and Clayton. If you take the opportunity to make things right, it might go a long way toward that harvest you say you’re reaping right now. And if it works out, I could see the two of you becoming friends. Heck, I can even picture you getting dragged onto the dance floor for a girl’s dance. Crazier things have happened.”
Presley Ann smiled. “I always kind of envied you all when you got out on the dance floor together.”
“I never would’ve guessed. And you and I are friends now, too. Go talk to her. I think for your own peace of mind you need to.”
“And probably Maizy Welsh, too. Cody used to have to peel me off of him.”
Grace waved a hand in dismissal. “Maizy is really easygoing. She understands about the guys and their chosen profession. But it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to her and Lydia—and Leah.”
Presley Ann let out a sigh. “And Lucy Owen…and Clay Cook…oh my gosh, as I think about it the list just keeps growing. I’ll reach out to all of them.” She rubbed her hands together and stood. “I’ve kept you a while and you must be tired.”
“No, actually, you took my mind off of my own problems.” Such as the fact that she needed help getting to the bathroom again. The baby had been using her bladder for a punching bag for the last couple of minutes. Because she was still having some dizziness, they didn’t want her getting up on her own.
After a brief hesitation, Presley Ann said, “Could…could I hug you. I promise to be gentle. I just really appreciate you for talking to me.”
“Of course.”
After Presley Ann had departed and the nurse had helped her in and out of bed, Grace settled back, trying to not worry about everything she had left undone at home and at work.
She wondered how Jack would feel when he found out she was likely carrying Ethan’s baby. She knew he wouldn’t be upset but she worried that he might be disappointed. She pictured his handsome face, his black hair and ocean blue eyes and she couldn’t help but smile.
She peeked inside the silver and white box at the cupcake Ethan had brought her while she admired the picture Rose Marie had created for her. Her journey had led her through to this moment and all her own worries would keep while she recuperated. She let out a breath and tried to relax, wondering how Presley Ann would do in her journey.
Charity woke to the sensation of encompassing warmth and pleasure. She stretched, anticipating the soreness she’d awakened to every morning in the last several days since the accident. In the next second she gasped as the source of her pleasure made his presence known.
“Mmm, mornin’, Charity,” Val whispered as his lips created a heated damp trail down her torso. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied through a yawn. Looking outside, she could see it was well past the time she normally woke up and then was distracted as his lips found the sensitive flesh in the dip where the top of her thigh met her pelvis.
“How’re you feeling?”
With a giggle, she threaded her fingers through his long, silky hair and gave him her nonverbal answer, applying slight pressure to the back of his head, encouraging his exploration as his lips made contact with her pussy. The tension spiraled a little tighter as his warm breath blew over her and he made a sound of approval.
She purred back at him as she arched her back and took a long slow stretch. Slight pain lingered in her back and neck but it was significantly less than it had been.
He lifted his head and looked up at her. “Are you hurting? I’ll stop if it’s too soon.”
She lifted her heavy eyelids and smiled at him. “The hot bath last night helped a lot. I don’t want you to stop.”
With a grin, he whispered, “Good,” and lowered his lips to her again. “I’ve been needing to cash in that rain check but didn’t want you to think I was a horndog with no regard for your feelings.”
“I love that you’re a horndog, baby. And the position you’re in right now tells me you have quite a bit of regard for my feelings.” She parted her thighs to give him greater access and moaned when he slowly slid his tongue against her clit. She arched her back and reveled in his unhurried strokes, tasting her and loving her. She was lucky to have men who didn’t approach going down on her as a chore to be quickly gotten over with. No attacking her with rapid tongue action.
She rolled her hips, giving him greater contact, and purred as he tightened his grip on her hips and tilted his head to stroke her at a different angle along the sides of her clit.
“That’s it, baby,” she murmured. Her heart rate increased gradually as his touch stoked dormant fires inside her, fires that never really went out for her men.
“So hot and wet for me, baby,” he murmured in a rough voice. “Love you so much. Love your sweet, soft pussy.” She groaned and her cunt clenched when he slid two fingers into her entrance and began teasing her.
“I love it when you do that,” she said as he teased her with just the tips of his fingers, adding a third to part and stretch her but not enough to satisfy her craving for being filled. Her nipples tingled as she moved with him, her breasts swaying with her movements, inciting greater sensitivity there and in her clit.
Through half-shut eyelids she watched him and smiled when he looked up at her with sleepy chocolate brown eyes, eyes that reflected how much pleasure he took in making love to her. The muscles in his broad shoulders rippled and she slid one leg over his shoulder to get closer to him and heard his deep chuckle as she bent her knee and drew him even closer. He responded by sucking her clit and the surrounding flesh into his mouth, tugging gently and increasing her need with each slow lick on the sensitive bundle of nerves.
“Yes, don’t stop,” she whimpered as he began thrusting gently with his fingers, giving her the rhythm she needed. “Don’t stop!”
His gentle strokes increased until she was moving in counterpoint against him, her body humming with rising need. Her nipples tightened to hard, sensitive points as she took her pleasure, urged on by his soft growl.
“Yes, yes!” She gripped his shoulder with one hand and the bed covers with the other. Heat radiated from her entire body as she trembled on the verge. “More!”
He shifted and sucked her clit harder and plunged his fingers deeper, harder. Her pleasure crested in sharp, hot waves as she writhed beneath him.
When she was finished, Val released her clit and left a trail of wet, hot kisses as he moved up her body, stopping to suck ravenously at her breasts. She urged him on with breathless encouragement as her orgasmic contractions receded. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he fit the thick head of his cock to her pussy and thrust hard.
“Fuck, yes!” He pinned her to the bed and buried his face in her neck as he thrust with animalistic fervor. Her climax crested again and she bucked against him, glorying in that captured feeling that being trapped under him created. Her orgasms came one after another as she moved with him, sinking her nails into his shoulders as she tightened her legs around his hips.
After the fifth orgasm, she rolled her hips and pulled her knees back, changing the angle and wringing a deep, pleasured-sounding groan from him. He shifted to his knees and rose up over her and lifted her hips slightly off the bed.
His face was flushed and tense with pleasure as he locked his gaze with hers and fucked her so hard it shook the bed and beat the headboard against the wall. Each vibration echoed inside her and she urged him on until their orgasms burst at the same time.
He looked like a sex god, with every muscle standing out in rigid relief as he threw his head back and groaned deep and loud. His cock pulsed inside her and she held tight to his hands gripping her hips as each wave of pleasure washed over her, leaving her a breathless wreck.