The Journey Home

I sucked in a shaky breath. “We didn’t want the same things.”

Cale took a step closer to me. “Is that right? What did he want?”

I looked Cale in the eyes. “He wanted me to look at him…like I look at you.”

Cale’s green eyes widened as he stopped in front of me. He placed his finger on my chin and lifted my face to his. He leaned down and got closer to my lips. “Why do you look at me differently, Maddie?”

I moaned a little, knowing his lips were mere inches from mine. I’d never, in all my life, wanted to be kissed as much as I wanted to be kissed in this moment, by this man I loved with all my heart.

“I look at you differently because…” My eyes searched his face like I was trying to memorize it. I stared at his mouth and I ran my tongue across my bottom lip. Finally, I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Because I love you.”

Cale closed his eyes and whispered, “Finally.” When he opened them, he pulled me closer and was about to kiss me when Lily began crying.

I let out a giggle, “So it begins.”

“Shit. Let me go check on her, Don’t move.”

I smiled softly. “I promise, I’m not going anywhere.”

As he walked backward, Cale had a huge smile on his face. I wanted to tell him to watch out, but it was too late. He fell over the ottoman and did a pretty impressive roll. I slammed my hands to my mouth to cover my laugh.

“Are you okay?” I asked

He jumped up. “Yes! I’m more than okay. Just hold on. Don’t move.” He turned and began running up stairs, but he tripped and fell. “Shit! I’ll be right back!” He yelled as he continued running to the nursery.

I dropped my head back and hugged myself, reminding myself that I needed to take this slow. I knew I shouldn’t jump into bed with him, no matter what I felt.

“Oh, God!” Cale shouted. “Oh my God. What the hell?” he continued as he walked down the stairs, his arms outstretched, holding Lily.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I started to walk toward them. Then I smelled it. I placed my hand over my nose. “Oh my God! What’s that smell?”

“Bath! Maddie get the bath out!”

That’s when I saw it. Lily had shit all the way up her back. I ran over to the cabinet and grabbed the bath before racing into the kitchen. I began frantically taking dirty dishes out of the sink.

“Jesus, Cale. When did you last do dishes?” I asked as I tossed them all on the counter.

“I’m gonna throw up. Oh God!” Cale cried out as he began to gag.

I turned on the water and looked around for the damn rubber duck thermometer Monica had insisted we buy, to make sure we got the water temperature just right. “Where’s the rubber duck? Shit! Where’s the rubber duck?”

Cale was gagging as he tried to take off Lily’s clothes. “Right. There. Oh God, I’m gonna throw up…it’s in her hair! How the hell did she get shit in her hair?”

I found the rubber ducky and pushed it under the running water. “Cale! We can’t swear in front of her.”

Perfect water temperature. I went back to the cabinet and grabbed a washcloth and baby soap, then ran back into the kitchen where I slipped on something and went down. Hard.

I jumped back up and yelled, “I’m okay! I just slipped on…” I looked down to see Lily’s shitty clothes on the floor.

Cale pushed Lily toward me. “Take her! Oh, God, take her, I’m gonna throw up.”

I took her and felt my hands touch something warm. No. Nope. I didn’t just touch shit. Nope. I didn’t. Then I looked.

“Oh God oh God oh God! Eww! Oh my God, it’s all over her.” Cale grabbed the sprayer and began spraying Lily.

“Stop! It’s spraying in my mouth! Cale, stop!”

I turned and placed Lily in the tub. When I looked at her she had the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face. My heart soared as I noticed how big my baby girl had gotten in just a month. I smiled back at her and grabbed the washcloth and poured soap on it.

“We can’t let her sit in this water,” I said. “Grab the back-up tub!”

Cale was still gagging as he jumped over the mess on the floor and ran upstairs to Lily’s room.

“You little stinker. What did you do?” I asked as I attempted to clean her off. Cale came running back into the kitchen and put three towels down. I handed Lily to him as I said, “Here, take her for right now. I think I got most of it off. Let me dump this and fill the other tub up with clean water.”

Cale wrapped her up in a towel. “Baby girl, what are you trying to do?” he asked. “Daddy can deal with a little bit of poo…but not that much.”

I giggled as I filled up the new tub. I turned and held my hands out for Lily. Cale gave her to me and I slipped her down into the clean water to give her a proper bath.

“I’ll take all this into the laundry room,” Cale said as he started picking up the clothes on the floor.

I watched him walk out of the kitchen attempting to hold his nose as he brought the dirty clothes and tub to the laundry room. I glanced back at Lily and shook my head to get the naughty thoughts out.

“Your daddy is the hottest man ever,” I said, fanning myself. She smiled. “Yeah, you know he is, don’t you? Only he could make gagging look sexy as hell.”

Once I had her all cleaned up and wrapped in a towel, I stood and held her. I took in a deep breath and sighed. “I missed you so much.”

“Um…Maddie. You might want to give me Lily now.”

I glared at Cale. “No! I haven’t seen her in a month and she’s all clean-smelling. She’s mine.”

He walked up to me and smiled as he ran his finger along Lily’s face. His love for his daughter had my stomach clenching with desire. He looked up and placed his hand on the side of my face. “Maddie, you have shit all over your pants from where you fell on her pajamas.”

I grimaced. “Oh, gross.”

“Here, give her to me and I’ll give her a bottle and get her back to sleep. Go take a shower.”

“What should I do with my clothes?” I asked.

He gave me a look that made me take a sharp breath. “Put them in the laundry room with Lily’s. You can put on one of my T-shirts if you want.”

I bit down on my lip and slipped off my favorite pair of comfy pants. I watched Cale as his mouth opened slightly and his eyes traveled to my lacey, white thong. I pulled my shirt up and over my head, silently thanking God that I’d decided to wear the matching push-up bra. I winked at Cale as I walked out of the kitchen and into the laundry room. I grabbed Lily’s clothes and threw hers and mine into the washer and put it on hot. In the living room I glanced over my shoulder to find Cale staring at me.

“Do you mind if I use your shower?” I asked in my sexiest voice.

“Um…uh…”

I turned away from him and kept walking, making sure to swing my hips just a little bit more than necessary. “I’ll take that as a no.”

The hot water felt amazing. I must have stood under it for at least ten minutes. I grabbed the shampoo and was about to put some in my hand when I felt his touch on my shoulder. The feeling that zipped through my body was unbelievable. I spun around to find him standing in the shower with me. Naked.

I gazed down his body and then met his eyes. They were filled with desire.

“Maddie, I’m going to make love to you now.”

I smiled as I dropped the shampoo bottle and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Screw taking it slow,” I whispered. He grinned back and pulled my lips to his.

Finally.

I’D STOOD OUTSIDE the bathroom door for a couple of minutes and debated my reasons for not going in. Finally, I thought, fuck it. I stripped out of my pants and headed into the bathroom and saw her standing in my shower. I threw out the idea of taking things slow. I wanted her. I needed her.

When our lips finally connected, she pushed her hands into my hair and moaned. I pushed her back against the shower wall and kissed her like I

was never going to kiss her again.

“Cale,” she whispered. “Oh, God. I’ve missed you.”

My heart slammed in my chest. I moved my lips down her neck as I lifted her leg and she hooked it around me. My hand moved down and cupped her perfect breast. I leaned down and sucked on her nipple.

She moaned and said, “Feels. So. Good.”

I moved my lips to her other breasts as she reached down and began to stroke my dick. “Maddie, I won’t last if you keep touching me.”

She pulled her hand away and placed both hands on my shoulders. “More. Cale. Please. I’ve waited so long.”

I lightly traced my fingers down the side of her body as I moved my lips back up to her neck, along her jaw and to her ear lobe, which I began to kiss and nibble.

She sucked in a breath as my fingers made their way between her legs. She pushed into my hand and I couldn’t help but smile.