Romance: The Quarterback's Touch, page 50
“You know it.” She got up with a sheet wrapped around her. “So what's your plan for today?”
“I've gotta head down to Chicago to get my mother. She's coming for Christmas.”
“Oh, well I'm not really up for the trip. I've been kinda tired.”
“That's alright. It's 6 hours round trip so we'll be back before dinner. Could you have the cook make the duck for me? It's her favorite.”
“Sure. Is she gonna like me, you think?” Marlow walked over and closed the balcony door.
“I'm sure she will. She never liked my ex, which is good for you.”
“What was Crystal like?”
“Imbalanced. She was into a lot of New Age stuff, and took it too far. She was manipulative and conceited. She was just somebody I kept around too long, and didn't get rid of.” He got up and Marlow watched his butt jiggle in his jeans.
“What's your mom's name?”
“Maryanne Casper.”
“You really are a cowboy.” Marlow laughed, walking over to the closet where she already had a place for her clothes.
“Yeah, I guess it's just a family thing. My family is originally from the Midwest, but I moved out here.”
Johnny got ready and Marlow spent her time picking up what little she needed to. The maids handled most of the cleaning, but she did her own laundry and whatever else she could. She didn't feel right leaving a mess for them to clean up. It wasn't right. Johnny seemed to do the same thing.
The day went by slow. There was the home theater and an arsenal of laptops, but other than that, she was tired. She wanted to see Johnny. It was going to be Christmas Eve soon.
She decided to get the cook to make some holiday treats. She'd been told that she could have carte Blanche, and she really wanted to get into the spirit. Then, she hunted down one of the household staff, and they helped her setup a table arrangement, with fine silver plates and sparkling snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. She remembered what it was like to live with Frank, how she found such joy in the holidays, and she was rediscovering that. It was an amazing experience, a fulfillment of a dream. When they were done, the table looked like it was set for a decadent ball with a perfectly roasted duck, pies and cookies. The food was the finest she'd ever seen with cream in the mash potatoes and fresh herbs in the stuffing. She looked down at what had been accomplished with a feeling of pure satisfaction.
There was a lavender night gown that Johnny had given to her as a gift stowed away in the closet, along with some ridiculously expensive diamond jewelry. She put them on and curled her hair so that it fell down in front. If she was going to be a billionaire's woman, she thought, she might as well look the part.
When she walked down the stairs, Hank was waiting for her with a huge smile. “Ms. Marlow,” he held out his arm. “You know, I wasn't sure what to think of you when I met you.” They walked towards the dining room. “But you're one heck of a gal, and I'm quite impressed.”
“Thanks. I can tell your opinion really matters, so it means a lot to hear that from you.”
“Of course.” He opened the double doors where Johnny was waiting. His mouth fell to the floor.
“Oh my word, is that you Marlow?” She punched him in the chest playfully.
“Come on now.” Johnny led her over to where his mother was sitting, beaming at the sight of her.
“This is my mother, June.” They hugged for a moment, and Marlow thought she saw tears in the woman's eyes.
“I'm so happy to meet you, Marlow.” The woman was moved. “He's told me a lot about you, and I really hope to see more of you.”
“You will,” Johnny added.
“I'm just glad I was able to meet the woman who gave birth to such an extraordinary man,” Marlow said.
They all chuckled and sat down at the table to eat. “I wanted a traditional spread,” Marlow said.
“It just feels like Christmas here,” June said. “You know?” She turned to Johnny.
“Marlow,” she grabbed his hand. “You make this house a home, and you will never have another Christmas alone, so long as you allow me to make that happen.”
Marlow beamed over at him, and nearly cried at the gesture. She got her wish. She knew that he'd saved her, and though she could never tell him that, she had never been more grateful in her entire life. “Christmas is about being with the ones you love, Johnny, and I couldn't imagine spending it with anyone else.”
When they were finished eating, Johnny stood up and announced, “Marlow, in accordance with Casper family tradition, we always open our presents on Christmas Eve, all except the big present we open on Christmas day.”
“Ooh,” she giggled. She felt like a child who'd just been named the owner of a candy factory.
“Come on.”
Chapter 19
Johnny grabbed Marlow's hand and walked with her into the foyer, towards the living room, where he'd had the staff build a fire. He had a 10 foot tree decorated in the traditional colors with a yellow star on top, setting the perfect scene for their Christmas Eve.
“Oh, it looks wonderful, Johnny.”
“Thank you.”
He was so mesmerized by the tree that he didn't even notice Crystal glaring at him until she screamed, “Surprise! I'm pregnant.” Johnny saw Marlow flinch and ran over to tackle the intruder.
“How did you get into my house, huh?”
“Oh,” Crystal walked over to him seductively, “you know.” She was far too close to him.
“I'm gonna kill her,” Marlow whispered to June.
“I call dibs on the face,” June said softly.
Johnny turned around to face the other two women with a sick feeling in his stomach. “Ladies, if you'll excuse me for a moment.” He could see Marlow getting ready to protest, but he couldn't find it in himself to even meet her eyes.
They left quickly, leaving him to face Crystal. When he turned around she was beaming with a perfect pouty face, accented by too much pink lipstick and collagen. “What's wrong, Johnny boy? I thought that you would be happy. I know you always wanted children.” She threw her arm around him.
All he could see was her head rolling around on the ground and his dad staring up at him from the hospital bed, telling him to cherish his children. He had to do this. He promised his father, and no matter how much he loved Marlow he had to let her go.
* * *
Marlow was pacing around the dining room, while an uncomfortable June sat at the table watching the staff bus the remnants of their holiday feast. “It's not right!”
“She's a terrible woman. I'm sure he's just getting rid of her, Marlow.”
“I'll bet the little tramp is making the whole thing up.”
“She must be,” June picked up a snowman cookie and took a huge bite out of it.
“What do I do?”
“You fight. You have to fight.” June's voice was filled with determination. “You have no idea what she's put him through. She cheats on him more than she gets in his bed, and even then she only does it to get something from him.”
“If he chooses her...”
“He won't.” Marlow sat down. She wasn't satisfied with June's answer at all, but she had no choice but to wait and see what was going to happen.
She looked around the table. This was the one chance she had. She knew what would happen if she had to go home, and it was so much more than it used to be. She loved Johnny. She didn't know whether or not she'd find love, or if it would live up to her expectations, but this was magic, and she was not letting Johnny go. She loved him, and that woman out there was trying to use him whether she was pregnant or not.
When he walked in, he was staring down at the ground. “I'm sorry for all this, both of you. Marlow,” he looked right at her, “I led you on. I don't want to be with you.” Marlow collapsed in a pile of tears. She didn't care what he would think of her after this. Not only was he hurting her, he was lying to her.
“You're lying.”
“No, Marlow. I'm not. I'm going to have a family now, and I think it's best if you would just leave.” His face was cold and emotionless. Even though he looked like he was telling her the truth, she could tell that he was just trying to make it easier on her.
“That woman is trying to use you,” June said. “You get her out of here, now. What are you doing, Johnny? She's gonna destroy you.”
“I love her, Mom.”
“Bull,” June scoffed and stormed out. Johnny left a sobbing June to wallow in her own depression. Her life was over. She couldn't be alone like this. This was the worst thing that could've possibly happened to her.
* * *
June had retired to her room, while the staff helped a hysterical Marlow collect her things.
“After you left,” Crystal began from her perch on the side of the couch next to him, “I went to the women's retreat where they helped me learn how to align my chi centers and use oils to massage my stress away.”
“It seems to have helped,” Johnny replied.
“It did help—a lot.” She reached up and pulled her shirt down a bit, while she bent over to look at him with her chest in his face. “What's this?” She picked at his shirt to pinch his nipple.
“Is that where they told you that you were pregnant?”
“Yes. I brought the test results. You wanna see?”
“No. We'll go over everything in the morning.” Johnny went to get up, and she followed him.
“Go over what?”
“Well, we'll have to do paternity testing,” she lowered her head.
“Johnny, I've always been faithful to you.”
“If you count faithful as never letting a man stick it in your nose; then, sure.” She folded her arms around her chest, pouting like a child. “Also, you will not abort this child, or cause any harm to him it any way.”
“I have my rights.”
“I can find a way to say it's not mine, whether it is or not. I will not be considered his father unless you sign this paperwork.”
“What do you mean? You are his father.” She was getting mad, pacing and stamping his feet.
“Are you going to abort him if I don't claim him?”
“No. I would never do that?” She looked offended.
“You smoked a cigarette before you came in here.” His tone was cold.
“So?”
“So, I have to think about what's best for my child. Do you want this baby, Crystal, or are you keeping it so you can get my money?” He was honoring his father by honoring his child. That woman was not family. He was looking at a pitiful mess of confused thoughts and pure desperation. “You're sick, woman. I'll make you a deal.”
Chapter 20
Marlow was sitting in the finest hotel her ex-lover could buy with a half empty bottle of wine in her hand and tears running down her face. Her lie was over. She would always be alone. She spent the entire night trying not to go over her shattered dreams in her head.
He wanted to travel with her, and have a family. She had never wanted anything more in her entire life, and she needed it. She had nothing now, and she would never have anything ever again. She would have to go back to waking up at 6 in the morning just to slave away at a phone for 12 hours. There was no future, no life, just pure solitude.
She had him. All of her dreams were sitting right in front of her, and she wasn't sure she could live with having them snatched away after seeing what could've been. How could he do this? If it was his child, the creature was doomed anyways. With that for a mother, he might as well just dump her and take the kid.
She decided that the best thing to do was to empty her wine bottle and fall down on the bed to see if she could sleep for another 12 hours. This was the worst Christmas she'd ever had in her entire life, and she wasn't going to survive another day if she allowed herself to continue feeling this way, but she didn't care. There was nothing she could do to reconcile this.
There was a knock on the door and she stayed put, letting it go on and on, until after a few minutes, she heard the door open. It must've been the maid. She looked up and saw him standing there with his arms outstretched. “I'm so sorry,” his voice broke.
She ran up and held him as close as she could, then she pulled back and slapped him in the face. “You ever pull that kinda thing with me, and I will leave you, I promise.”
“I deserved that.”
He let her get dressed and waited for her outside. When she walked out, she was a completely different woman, full of life and vitality. He saw how upset she was when he got there and it killed him. He wouldn't do that to her again.
He took her by the hand and squeezed it. “I'm sorry.”
“What happened?” She was still bitter, but clearly relieved.
“At first, I thought it would be best to get with her, honestly, but only because I promised my father to cherish my family. So I did what I did.” She had the look of somebody who'd been betrayed. “Then after a few seconds, I realized just how crazy she was. Problem was, I wanted the kid and I knew if she went into a frenzy I would never be able to get her to give him over to me, so I continued with what I was doing. She reeked of cigarettes and booze, and she had the nerve to try and seduce me. I told her that she had to agree to stay out of my life, carry the child to term and never see the child again for the sum of ten million.”
“So, you basically handed the girl a dollar and sent her on her way?”
“Yes,” he laughed.
“Oh, wait. The kid.” Marlow jumped up and down in the hotel lobby. “We're going to have a kid!?”
“Yep!”
“Oh my god! Whoo!!”
Marlow had everything she wanted. She had her man at her side, and a child on the way. Everything was going to be OK. Christmas wasn't turning out to be all that bad. In fact, she felt like it was cementing their relationship. She started out battle weary and grieving, a slave to the whims of the monster she was battling inside of her, and now she was reaching heights she never thought possible. The world is a strange place, and hope is never far away.
Stuffed by the Two Rival Cowboys
By: Erin Walsh
Stuffed by the Two Rival Cowboys
© Erin Walsh 2016 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
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Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
Chapter One
It’s been a whole month since my ex-boyfriend, John, kicked me out of the house because he had found someone else. We’ve been together ever since we were fifteen years old and his infidelity had hit me hard. Not only did he disrespect me by bringing another woman into our home, he had to up and kick me out instead of moving in with the woman. I had no family in Helena, Montana and he knew this. I also didn’t have a dime to my name because I recently just finished graduate school and hadn’t found a job yet.
“This has been the worse month of my life.” I said to no one in particular. The night air was hot and I was sweating like crazy. I only had enough money for a motel for a few more nights then I’d be homeless. “He took everything from me.” I said as tears slid down my face. John normally paid my cell phone bill and it was just turned off yesterday so even if I did want to reach out for someone for help, I couldn’t. He threw all of my clothes out of the house and it took everything in me not to strike him or that home-wrecking slut.
I quickened my steps when I came across homeless people who littered the streets. They constantly asked for money and even though I felt bad for them, I needed what little money that I had for myself. “I might end up like one of them soon.” It was a sobering thought that I hoped wouldn’t be made into a reality. I needed a miracle to happen to me soon. I made it to the run-down motel in one piece and smiled shyly at the receptionist at the desk. I made my way to room 207 and closed my door quickly. I heard the headboard from someone’s bed banging against my wall and I knew right then and there what they were doing.
“Why can’t people respect others who have to listen to them have loud sex?” To tune them out I turned on the too small television. There were only three things to watch on TV: the news, a re-run of I love Lucy, and a porno. “I love Lucy it is”. I pulled out my phone and was happy to see that I had Wi-Fi because I needed to find a job soon. I received my Master’s Degree in Addiction Studies and unfortunately there weren’t any jobs that were hiring in my area. I applied for so many other jobs outside of my degree, but I was turned away by many of them because I didn’t have enough work experience. Was it so wrong to focus on one’s studies so that they could land their dream job once they were finished with school? It’s not like I didn’t want to work but I took a full course load of classes that kept me busy day and night. So it was sad to say at twenty-four years old I didn’t have work experience.
