Legal Action - Box Set (22 page)

              They made love more carefully than usual, lying on their sides, her back to his front. His hand kneaded her full breasts as he kissed her smooth neck and shoulders; she pushed her firm little ass against him and used her hand to help him enter her. He groaned at the feel of her silky, wetness as his cock pushed to open her. His hand moved to her swollen clit and she pulled her knees toward her chest so he could thrust more of his incredible length into her. As she quivered on the edge of orgasm she reached behind her and took his heavy balls in her hand, he gasped, his mouth hot against her neck. He felt her begin to pulse around him and they both fell over the edge of ecstasy.

*

              On the twenty eighth of May, Charlotte had been in labor for almost twenty hours and Finn was in worse pain than she was.

              “Will someone please help her?” he shouted at the nurses and the obviously inept Dr. Hollon, “where is my brother, something’s wrong here can’t you see that?”

              Charlotte had been examined on Friday by Dr. Hollon and he announced she was nowhere near ready to give birth. He apologized for miscalculating her due date, saying next time he would call in the technician, so Jude had gone on to a medical convention in Geneva and his phone was going straight to voice mail.

              “Listen you ignorant bastard,” Finn hissed, grabbing the doctor by his lab coat, “I don’t want to hear ‘
the baby isn’t in
’ one more time,
she
is in distress and I want you to do something
NOW
you fucking imbecile!”

              “Finn, what’s going on? Dr. Hollon, how long has she been in labor?” Jude was there suddenly, and as he washed his hands and spoke to the nurses, he watched Charlotte over his shoulder. “The baby’s heartbeat?” he asked, and the nurse told him it had been steady but was now beginning to show signs of distress and Charlotte had been laboring for a day and a half with very little progress. “What are you thinking, Hollon, letting it go on like this? Are you insane?” he asked, he could tell Charlotte was in bad shape and he couldn’t believe the obstetrician had allowed her labor to continue so long.

              “I think possibly her pelvis is a bit narrow, but you know I’ve been accused of rushing to perform C-sections in the past, she’s a strong girl, I thought…” the doctor rambled until Jude cut him off.

              “Get out, you inept fool. You’re off the case, I’m taking over from here and I’ll see your license revoked if you’ve caused any damage.” Jude moved his gloved hands over Charlotte as she lay exhausted and defeated. “Alright Charlotte, we’re going to get you prepped and deliver this baby by cesarean, do you understand? It’ll all be fine shortly, you’ve been very brave and you’re about to a mother so take some deep breaths and try to relax.” He turned to Finn who looked as shell shocked as Charlotte, and said. “Wash up, little brother, and get a surgical gown on, I’ll have this baby out in a few minutes.”

              Jude held the scalpel above her abdomen and asked, “Can you feel that Charlotte, do you feel any sensation at all?”

              “No, “she whispered, “I’m just so tired.”

              Finn brushed her damp hair away from her face and held his cheek next to hers, he’d been in some rough situations but he’d never been as frightened as he was at that moment.

              “You’ll feel some pressure now, almost there, here we go, it’s a perfect little boy!” Jude said, and his voice was jubilant as he handed the baby to a nurse, “Finn, Charlotte, congratulations.”

              Finn took his swaddled son from the nurse and looked at his tiny face, the nurse said, “what a lucky boy, he has your beautiful mouth! I can’t remember when I’ve seen such a lovely newborn.”

              Finn held him for Charlotte to see, she was feeling better with the pain of labor finally gone.

              “Oh, he does have your mouth exactly!” she said, smiling at last. “A boy, oh he’s wonderful, he’s almost too pretty to be a boy!”

              Finn kissed her and looked deep into her eyes, he felt they’d arrived exactly where they were always destined to be, “congratulations Mummy,” he said, and they smiled and cuddled their brand new son.

              Days later as they prepared to leave the hospital, a nurse asked impatiently, “name please, we must have a name for the birth certificate before you can go home,” she looked from Charlotte to Finn, tapping a pen against her clipboard.

              They had talked about it for months while Charlotte was pregnant, comparing family names and popular names. They’d considered naming him John after John Paul or Henry which was Jude’s middle name. Charlotte had gotten her way, of course, being the expert at pleading her case. He would have only one name, Finn’s middle name, Atticus.

              “Atticus,” she said, peering down at her seven pound two ounce son, “a good name, after a fine lawyer in Southern literature.”

*

              It amazed her to see her son sleeping on Finn’s chest; they were in the middle of the big bed, napping. Finn came home for lunch every day, and instead of eating, he curled up with the baby and slept. Charlotte loved to open the windows to the warm summer breeze and sit cross-legged on the bed just watching them. They were so alike, looking at their plump red lips made her weak with love. She knew if they had a daughter someday she probably wouldn’t have the good fortune to inherit Finn’s gorgeous mouth, but Atticus had, and she couldn’t stop looking at her adorable son.

              Finn’s mother, Georgina, would be arriving with Jude in the afternoon and Charlotte couldn’t wait for her to see Atticus. Jude already spent all his spare time at Dovecote Cottage, rocking his nephew and instructing Finn and Charlotte in the fine art of baby washing and feeding and diapering.

              The baby stirred on Finn’s chest and began to wiggle around searching for his lunch.

              Finn handed him carefully to Charlotte, and said, “He requires his mum, I believe.”

              She rocked and comforted him as she unbuttoned her blouse and lifted him to her breast. His pretty little mouth went to it instinctively and he was happy and content.

              Finn brushed the top of the baby’s head, it was covered with fine dark hair and it seemed his wide eyes would be sapphire blue like his mother’s. “He knows what makes him happy, I’ll give him that,” Finn said watching his son at Charlotte’s breast. “It breaks my heart into a million little pieces when I see you with him like this, but in a good way, I mean. It’s like when I fell in love with you in the very beginning and I knew my heart had broken apart and your name was tattooed there, now his is, as well.

*

              When Jude drove up to the cottage, he barely had the car parked before Georgina hopped out and rushed inside.

              “Mum, come in,” Finn said, but she wasn’t interested her son, she was looking for her grandson.

              Charlotte walked down the stairs with the baby in her arms and Georgina took him and peered down at his face.

              “My heavens, it’s like looking at Finn and Jude when they were babies all over again! Oh, he’s beautiful, Charlotte, do you see that perfect red mouth, it’s a hallmark of the Hale men. Oh, you precious angel!” she said as she carried him upstairs, some kind of grandmotherly homing device leading her directly to the rocking chair.

*

              The summer passed so quickly, with the family together and everyone gaga over little Atticus. Georgina loved his name and told them, in fact she had used it as Finn’s middle name because of her love for the book To Kill a Mockingbird. JP came to stay for only a few hours, he just wanted a glimpse of his God son, he said, but he had to get back to some pressing matters. Charlotte saw a look pass between Finn and JP and goose bumps rose on her arms despite the warm August air.

              Henrietta basically kidnapped Georgina from Jude, the two women were close in age and even though they had different temperaments, they became good friends. By the close of a weekend one or both of the women would have a valid argument as to why Georgina should spend the rest of the week in Surrey. They were two hens fussing over Atticus, rocking and spoiling and pronouncing him the finest baby who ever existed.

              Jude acted hurt when his mother chose not to return to London with him on Sunday nights, but he was glad to see her so happy and he’d met someone at last, his first love interest in a very long time.

              Georgina would be leaving in a very few days, school was starting in California, and as much as she wanted to stay in England, she needed to teach for two more years to be eligible for retirement. She and Henrietta had taken Atticus for a stroll in the fresh air and Charlotte had settled on the sofa with a book, when Finn came through the front door.

              “Hey, this is a nice surprise, my husband home from the office early,” she followed him upstairs to the bedroom, “how’d you know we’d be home alone?
Mmm
, I need you right now,” she said, pressing against him.

              He stepped back from her, something he’d never done before, and he had a determined look in his eyes. “I have to go, my love, just for a while. Please don’t ask me for details I can’t give you. JP has been missing for days, that’s all I can say, I have to try and… Charlotte, just trust in me, I’d never leave you and the baby unless there was no other choice.”

              Charlotte stood staring as he packed a duffel bag, he stuffed it with warm clothes and boots and a parka. He stood on a chair and tapped open a panel in the ceiling and pulled out a long black case, she shuddered to think what it contained, weapons for sure, and she felt sick.

              “Where’s the baby?” he asked, he moved past her and stood for a moment at the door of the nursery.

              “Your mother took him for a stroll,” she said, still trying to comprehend that he was leaving.

              “I can’t wait, my love, kiss him for me, we’ll have his baptism in the village church when I come back. I’m coming back, Charlotte, say you believe me.” He said, pulling her to him at last.

              She began to cry as he kissed her, soundlessly, but her tears were in their mouths and still he couldn’t stop kissing her.

              Finally he buried his face in her soft hair for just a moment, then whispered, “My love, my truest love,” and before she could say a word to stop him, he was gone.

              Charlotte stood at the front gate for the longest time, unmoving, and Georgina and Henrietta, who’d been strolling her baby, found her there when they returned.

*

              “Your son wants his breakfast,” Georgina said, placing Atticus in bed with Charlotte. “I’ve changed my flight, dear, I’m going to stay with you and the baby until Finn comes home. I’m sure it will only be a matter of days. Now sit up, this boy is getting fussy and I’ll get you’re tea and toast while you feed him.”

              Charlotte watched her son nursing greedily; his little fist beat softly against her breast. She smoothed her hand over his downy head and watched his perfect red mouth working hard to satisfy his morning hunger. Georgina was right, he was a tiny version of Finn and Jude, and she thanked God for that. She closed her eyes and prayed then, which she wasn’t very good at. She remembered Sunday school classes from her childhood in Mississippi and she still believed God heard and answered prayers.

              Days passed and Georgina didn’t mention going back to California, she took care of Charlotte and the baby and ran the house efficiently. Charlotte felt like a sleep walker through her days, and worry settled in as her constant companion. She cuddled and fed and spent time with her son, but she could only think of Finn, so she did just what was necessary, and nothing more.

              Georgina and Henrietta sat with Charlotte in the back garden one morning, they laid the baby on a quilt and he cooed and played happily with his feet. Henrietta was chatting away about needing to weed the flower garden and planting a patch of vegetables. Perhaps they should try their luck at beekeeping, she said, wouldn’t it be nice to gather their own honey, but then again, it might not be a good idea to have bees around the baby…

              “You’re not the same girl I once knew,” Georgina said.

              “Do you mean me?” Charlotte asked, surprised out of her silence.

              “I certainly do, the young woman I knew never lost hope and never gave up, she defeated powerful men in the courtroom. She was fearsome and found a way around any obstacle. She was courageous in spite of what life handed her, starting with a terrible childhood spent mostly on her own in ghastly foster homes. You, Charlotte, you did amazing things, you put yourself through college and law school and you didn’t let anything stand in your way. I came to watch you in the courtroom several times, I suppose you didn’t know that, Finn urged me to go watch you at work when I could; he said it was a wonder to behold. He was right, of course, you were brave and brilliant and then you had the courage to walk out on a billionaire to be with the man you love. So, either pull yourself out of this funk you’re in or you won’t just be letting me down. Your son might not ever know what an incredible woman his mother is and Finn won’t be happy to see that you’ve given up and given in to pity.”

              “I can’t live without him, he’s part of everything I am, how can I go on?” Charlotte asked, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

              “Charlotte Christiansen? Mrs. Hunter,
are you
Charlotte Christiansen?” the postman’s little truck was idling by the gate and he stood holding a letter, then he thrust it toward her as she nodded her head.

              Charlotte didn’t want to touch it and she heard Georgina and Henrietta each draw in their breath in fear. It was bad news, she thought, the worst news, what else could it be? But then, surely someone would come in person if it was about Finn, if anything unthinkable had happened, so she took the letter and slowly looked down at it.