Everlasting (Unrestrained 6)

"You should go to your supervisor and let him know what she said."

I shook my head. "I think it's best to lay low.

"You're too good," she said and kissed my chin. "If it were me, I'd have told her off. What nerve! To follow you in the parking lot and insinuate that she was warning the nursing staff about you? What does she think you are? A stalker?"

"She thinks I'm Christian Grey and that I'm going to tie up and whip the nursing staff in the broom closet."

"She wishes," Kate said with a laugh. "She's probably fantasizing about you tying her up."

"I think she hates me," I said, smiling at Kate's defense of me. "She was Maureen's friend so that's pretty much guaranteed."

"Well, she's wrong. Maureen cheated on you. If anyone deserves to feel bad, it's Maureen for cheating on her husband and never telling you that she was pregnant with your child. She had your baby for years and didn't tell you until she needed you to save your child's life. That's what people don't know about Maureen."

"Did I tell you that I love you?" I said, my throat choked up from the passion in Kate's voice.

"You did, but you can do it again as many times as you want."

Then I kissed her and my heart swelled with love for her, my fierce defender. I would have liked to make love to her at that moment, but Sophie snuffled beside us on the bed and Kate turned over, slipping out of my arms so she could put Sophie's pacifier back in her mouth.

"Tomorrow night I'm going to fuck your brains out, Mrs. Morgan, and make you orgasm at least two times," I whispered, slipping my arm around her waist, snuggling against her. "You can count on it."

"Only two?" she replied, a saucy note in her voice.

"Don't get too greedy," I said with a laugh. I squeezed her, and then closed my eyes, smiling, happy to be back where I belonged with my beautiful loving wife and cherub of a baby.

I slept through the morning, barely opening my eyes when Kate and Sophie got up and left me alone in the warm bed, a pillow over my head to blot out the light. The house was so filled with sunlight from every angle that I needed a pillow to be able to fall back to sleep. I'd sleep through breakfast and have lunch with them, because I'd be able to spend the next couple of glorious days with the two of them non-stop.

When I finally woke up for good, I smelled coffee brewing in the kitchen and heard the television, tuned to CNN and whatever passed for breaking news. It was just audible over the sound of water running in the laundry room. Kate had been busy. I rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to have a quick shower. I needed to feel the hot stream of water to wake me up completely. Five days of consecutive twelve-hour shifts had worn me out. I'd need a day or two of solid sleep to catch up.

I dressed in a pair of shorts and light t-shirt and went to the kitchen to fix myself a cup of coffee. In the distance, I saw Kate and Sophie on the beach below our house. Kate was standing beside Sophie, her hands on her hips, watching the ocean. Sophie played in the sand with her toys, her little floppy brimmed hat on to shade her face from the sun.

It was a peaceful domestic scene and made me feel it was all worth it. The long hours at the ER, the lack of sleep, even the hassles of trying to fit into a new environment and learn new procedures and rules. Not even Christy and her busy-body-in-my-business warning could ruin my mood when I saw what waited for me on the beach.

I took my cup of coffee, slipped on my sunglasses and joined Kate and Sophie on the beach. When I reached her side, I pulled Kate into my arms and kissed her on the mouth.

"How are you today, Mrs. Morgan?"

She smiled and squeezed me. "Wonderful, as usual. How did you sleep?"

"As well as can be expected. How's my little Sophie?"

"She's good. We're so lucky to have such a good baby."

"We are."

I knelt and watched Sophie play. She had a shovel in her hand and was flapping it against the sand. She smiled up at me around her pacifier and that smile made me smile even larger. For the next fifteen minutes, we built a sand castle, or should I say, I built one and Sophie smacked it with her shovel.

"Are you hungry?" Kate asked. "I was going to make us some lunch if you are. What do you feel like?"

I sat back and glanced up at her. "Anything you want."

"I have some leftover chicken curry and rice if you want me to heat it up."

"Like I say, whatever you feel like. I'm used to cafeteria food so I'll eat anything if it's homemade."

Kate left the two of us on the beach and went back to the house to fix lunch. For the next ten minutes or so, I stayed and played with Sophie, taking her down to the water and letting her stand in the surf, our feet wet while I walked her around, her little hands clasped tightly in mine.

I gathered up the toys and then carried Sophie back up to the house, glad to be able to spend lunch with them instead of sleeping. The rest of the day was ours and I wanted to soak up the family life while I could.