I was on bed rest for a day because of the concussion I’d sustained when I’d hit my head.
Whatever the reason, the baby was still snugly in my womb, and I was happy.
I knew that this baby was Miller’s. From the bottom of my heart I knew it. So I chose to rejoice in the pregnancy, because any baby was a blessing from God.
I just hoped my parents reacted the same way that Miller’s mother was still reacting.
“Jesus, woman. We’re in the bar. Take it to the back if you want to yell about babies and bullshit,” A gruff, older man’s voice grumbled from further away.
That must’ve been ‘Micah,’ Miller’s father.
Miller yawned loudly. “Alright, ma. We’re heading to bed. It’s been a long goddamned day, and I have to be at work at four.”
“Wait!” She shouted loudly. “Are you coming down for the family reunion next weekend?”
He opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows at me in question as if to ask, ‘Well?’
I nodded.
That actually sounded like a lot of fun, and it’d be nice to get to spend more time with his family that he loved to talk so much about.
“Yeah, ma. We’ll be there,” he said gruffly.
I smiled at what she said next.
“Great, I made us cool shirts!”
With that she hung up before he could reply, and I laughed my ass off at the expression on his face.
“What,” I said in between laughs. “You don’t like wearing matching shirts?”
He shook his head. “Nope; at least not what she thinks as ‘cool shirts.’”
I pulled his hand away from his chest, and into my own, tucking my chin against his big fist as we gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I need to tell my parents tomorrow,” I said softly.
He gave my hand a squeeze and closed his eyes. “We can do that after I get off around five. We’ll have them over for dinner. Sound okay?”
I nodded, thankful that he wanted to do it with me.
“My dad’s going to be pissed, and might not understand,” I said softly, still watching his face.
He opened his eyes and smiled slowly. “Then I’ll make him understand.”***I woke in the middle of the night to Miller’s hands cupping my breasts, and his big body pushed up behind me.
His erection was poking me in the backside, and I wanted him.
Badly.
I should’ve never said ‘just once.’
I’d jinxed myself by saying it, and now I didn’t know how to tell him I wanted more.
As my eyes fell closed once again, I knew I’d have to find a way to convince him I wanted it.
He wouldn’t do anything until I gave him the greenlight.
My mind was on green. My heart was on green. However my mouth was on red. I’d never been the best with expressing my sexual desires, and even more so now.
The one time I’d told a man what I wanted, he’d used it against me.
And although I knew that Miller would never do that to me, I couldn’t make my mouth say the words.
I’d have to show him.
Hopefully he’d figure it out soon, because I couldn’t keep waking up to this. It was torture in and of itself. A special kind of torture, but still freakin’ torture.Chapter 12You don’t need to drive me crazy. I’m close enough to walk.
-Coffee Cup
Mercy
I looked out the window at my dad and Miller, biting my lip with worry.
“Just give him a chance to cool down, honey. It’ll be okay,” my mother said softly.
I turned around on my couch, staring at my mother with trepidation.
“I’ve never seen him so mad,” I whispered.
She nodded.
“Honey,” she said hesitantly. “How do you think it feels that he’s experiencing this? You’re our little girl. We never wished this for you. It never even went through our minds as a possibility when we thought about grandchildren.”
“It’s Miller’s,” I said softly.
Her worried eyes turned from the window, to me, and she smiled sadly.
“I know you want it to be…”
“It’s his,” I said firmly. “I know it with my heart and soul.”
She looked at me, and then nodded. “Okay. Then what are we going to do about damage control? Everyone else isn’t going to be as easy to convince as we are. What are we going to do then?”
I shook my head.
I honestly didn’t know how this was going to turn out. If the day in the diner was any indication, it wouldn’t go over really well.
That was the problem with living in such a small town. People thought they could butt into your business because they’ve known you since you were a baby.
They didn’t care that they were butting in where they didn’t belong. They only cared about the next tid-bit of juicy gossip.
“Well,” my mother said. “Oh, dear.”
I looked out the window to find my dad and Miller in a...hug.
“What are they doing?” I asked, standing up in alarm.
My mother stood beside me, and we watched as Miller got the shit hugged out of him.
My father had gripped him in a hug so ferocious that it was turning Miller’s face red. Not that he pulled away. He stayed there, eyes locked on me through the window, as he took the pounding on the back that my dad was giving him.
“So… do you think he’s happy?” My mother teased.
I’d been the one to tell my mother, while Miller had taken my father outside to tell him.
I’d just told my mother. I’d always felt that news, good or bad, was worth telling. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid.
Miller had obviously done a little explaining with his news, that’s why he had taken so long.
“Honey,” my mother’s voice called to me.
I turned to find her staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
She studied my face for a long second before she said what was on her mind.
“Don’t use him. I don’t know if you’re with him now because of what happened to you, or because you really want to be. No matter what the reason, you need to evaluate that before you take this relationship I see growing in his eyes, any further. Okay?” She asked softly.