Reprise (17 page)

She opened her eyes as she heard a little noise, somewhere between a sigh and a cough, and Harlon turned from the bassinet against the wall with a pink blanket bundled in his huge arms. Immediately she pushed herself up higher on the bed. All discomfort was forgotten.

“Oh wow,” she whispered, arms coming up as Harlon placed the mass on her chest.

Harlon chuckled as he ran a finger over their daughter’s dark swatch of hair. “She’s loud. When she cries she sets off the whole ward.”

Mal smiled, eyes running over the little being in her arms with almost panic. She pushed the blanket out of the way and took one little hand in hers.

Harlon read her mind. “Ten fingers, ten toes. A girl, as you’ll notice.”

“She’s beautiful.” And she was. From the pale blue veins visible through her super-soft baby skin, to her heart-shaped mouth and wrinkled up nose. Her little lips were working like a goldfish and Mal had to laugh.

“The nurses said she’d likely want to feed soon. Should be safe by now.”

“Okay.” She let Harlon loosen the neck of her gown and she shoved it down, freeing her breast and presenting a nipple to her daughter. She pulled a face, pushing at Mal’s pale, soft skin, and starting to make terrible noises.

“What’s wrong?” Mal asked, sounding panicked.

“Don’t stress, babe. She’ll clue in.”

“They’re supposed to latch on. They’re supposed to know.” Mal’s heart started racing. “Something’s wrong.”

Harlon pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Honey, please don’t stress. She’s so perfect. Just take a breath.”

She knew she was being irrational. She remembered the talk about
her
stress could also stress the baby. Maybe he was right; maybe she was pressuring the both of them.

She relaxed her body, realizing she’d been squeezing the little bundle a bit too tight. Harlon’s fingers were at the back of her neck, applying a bit of welcome pressure. Oh, that felt lovely.

“
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train…
” she began, singing low and soft. A lullaby would likely be better but her mind was completely void of any such songs.

That’s when that miracle happened. That little mouth latched on, hands pressing into Mal’s skin as she drank.

“Wow.” Harlon breathed, and Mal finally really looked at him. He looked exhausted, and she remembered that he’d driven eight hours the day before and likely hadn’t slept since rushing back when she called in a weeping panic to tell him her water had broken. His mom had been at her side until he’d finally rushed into the delivery room. She remembered some parts, like him holding her hand, letting her squeeze as hard as she could. She’d also screamed into the side of his neck, she remembered that too because his smell had been so reassuring.

Now his eyes, with the dark bags underneath, were fixed on their daughter, mouth hanging open in amazement. He caught her studying him and grinned. “How cool is that?”

She looked down at Angelina, her thumb tracing over one tiny arm as little fingers grasped at the skin of her right breast as though it might be taken away at any moment. “This is amazing.”

He leaned over to kiss her temple. “You’re amazing, honey. Jesus, that was intense. I knew it would be but...holy shit. You had me scared.”

“Sorry.” No idea why she apologized, it just felt like it needed to be said.

“Don’t be. I have a whole new respect, that’s all.”

Mal swallowed hard. “This is scary, Harlon.”

“Yeah, it is.” His hand went over hers again, cradling their child. “That’s why we’re both doing this. Two is better than one, right?”

“Right.”

Then they both watched their daughter eat, and she continued. “
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…
”

-oOo-

Mallory jumped as Trinny cleared her throat. “Sorry, what was I saying?”

Trinny smiled. “You weren’t saying anything.  You faded out on us there.”

“I was just remembering the first time I held her.”

“What was it like?” Rose asked, hands still soothing her own stomach.

“I can’t even describe it. You spend nine months cooking up this little person, but really, your whole life is what leads up to it. Like it’s the whole point of every day that came before. That was the why.” She shook her head. “That sounds lame.”

“No, that’s what it’s like,” Gertie confirmed, her smile warm and reflective. “It’s a sudden love that almost chokes you, it’s so intense.”

Trinny held the redhead’s hand for a moment.

“When my back hurts and my ankles feel like throbbing hams I want to curse it,” Rose mumbled, head down towards the new life she was harboring. “Then he kicks. And I tell Tank. And I see my old man falling to his knees just to put his hands on my stomach and feel it. That’s what’s amazing to me right now. That even though he’s not the one carrying this baby, he’s so astounded at every development.”

“What happened to Angelina?” Gertie asked, voice small. “I’m guessing that’s where this story turns.”

It took a minute, but she’d already gone this far. “One morning I woke up, and she didn’t.” Mal swallowed and tried on a smile for the other women. “Fifteen weeks. That’s how long she lived.”

“Did they figure out what it was?” Trinny asked, eyes looking wet. Mal averted her own gaze.

“It’s crib death when they can’t find a specific reason. So...that’s what’s on the death certificate.”

“Oh my God, Mal. I’m so sorry.” One of those women that seemed to feel things for other people deeply, Gertie leaned forward and took Mal’s hand. “Oh God.”

“That explains a lot,” Trinny mumbled, elbow on the table between then, chin in hand.

Rose’s voice was quiet, too. “Explains what?”

“Tiny.” Trinny dropped her hand. “He’s always loved babies. I’ll never forget that big bear coming through the door of the hospital room, picking up Jayce Junior like he’d handled babies his entire life. Honestly, he’d barely spoken to me before JJ was born. Even after I married Jayce. Then the baby and he was...always there. And the kids loved him. They could tell he was comfortable handling them.” Trinny swallowed and tried to give Mal a smile back. “He really wanted to be a dad.”

“He loved her so much,” Mal confirmed, her eyes growing hot. She didn’t feel like crying in front of these women, but it seemed it was going to happen anyway. “He was amazing with her. He got up to check on her at night, bring her to me when she was hungry, changed her himself when it was the diaper. He’d taken leave from driving when she was born, just to be around to help.”

“Oh wow.” Gertie shook her head. “If I hadn’t seen him with Davie I never would have guessed.”

There was a knock at the door, and Trinny got up to answer. After checking the peep hole she unfastened the motel security latch and admitted Jayce and Harlon.

On instinct Mal stood.

“Be ready to leave early tomorrow,” Jayce said, but mostly he was speaking to Trinny. 

“I’ll take you to the house,” Harlon said, and that was meant for
her
. “You’re staying with me tonight.”

“Is everything okay?” Mal asked as he took her arm and steered her to the door.

He didn’t answer her, not that she’d expected it. Instead they left the room with the other women waving farewell. Mal wondered if she’d actually ever see them again.

-oOo-

Upon waking, she was too hot. It occurred to her to toss a blanket off, but as she became more alert Mal realized it wasn’t just a blanket and sheet keeping her so warm. There was a heavy arm over her waist, a thick leg shoved between her own, and a hard chest supporting her back.

Harlon Gray was a cuddle-sleeper, even after all these years.

It was amazing she
had
slept. She was mostly used to being alone in bed, but this was familiar. As was the hard length currently pressing against her ass cheek.

She tried to raise her head to look for a clock. The room was in that milky state of brightness that meant it was cloudy, but at this time of year it could be as late as ten in the morning. But there was no clock. The house was being emptied and alarm clocks were not a necessity, apparently.

The chest behind her rumbled with a growl, and the erection rubbed against her skin as Harlon woke. She closed her eyes, wondering how in the hell she could get out of here without committing another stupid mistake.

His hand cupped her breast, and to show her body’s betrayal of common sense she whimpered, her nipple peaking before his thumb ran over it. At that she moaned as Harlon growled again, his breath hot against the side of her face as his lips caressed her ear, teeth nipping at it lightly.

“Harlon,” she breathed, but he was already moving her, hand leaving her breast to raise her leg upwards and back to him before sliding between her legs to where she’d already grown wet. At her whimper he just groaned again, wetting his fingertips before dragging them over her clit with agonizing intensity.

His mouth found the side of her neck, kissing, sucking, and biting at her as she fought to keep breathing. One arm had been supporting her head, and without effort he moved it under her side to a spot under her trapped arm, winding around to clamp around her chest, arm resting between her breasts.

When he wanted her in position, he got her there and held her there. And she’d always loved that. Trapped as she was, all she could do was suffer through the torture of his hand not quite seeing her orgasm through to completion. His erection moved the slightest bit against her, and as she squirmed she made sure he felt it.

Another growl before she was released suddenly. She caught her breath, not moving, knowing this was how he wanted her, and he knew damn well this was how she wanted to be taken. He moved around then he was on her again, binding her up in massive biceps and his wall of a chest. The arm between her breasts ended with his hand clutching her shoulder tightly, the other hand holding her leg up and latching it around his leg as he drove into her brutally.

She cried out, remembering they weren’t alone at the last minute. Part of the sound was caught in the pillow. He moved into her over and over, not rough, but each thrust ended with her almost losing him completely. Every shove was delivered wonderfully slow, still filling her completely. She was aware of every inch, every ounce of his desire. She’d always loved that about sex with Harlon. He didn’t hold back on how much he wanted her.

Her eyes were clenched closed, all she could focus on was the slide of his body in hers. When his hand returned to her clit it was enough to send her over the edge, mouth open as she bit into the pillow next to her face. The sounds were almost pitiful, not violent. It just felt so fucking good.

He gave another grunt before increasing his pace. As his lust took over he angled himself onto her, nearly pushing her onto her stomach but not quite. Now she was truly at the mercy of him, the relentless movement enough to turn her mind off completely. She was nothing but sensation and pleasure.

As she cried out into her the bedding for the second time Harlon’s body seized, and his groan was long and low, the kind of sound that same from low in the belly. She had to smile as he grunted and caught his breath. Then his breath hitched and he started coughing.

He pulled free of her, rolling to sit on the edge of the bed. Mal was content to stay in place, the flutters of her orgasm still teasing at her nerves. But the coughing only seemed to get worse. Alarmed, she sat up, scooting close enough to rub his broad back.

“Are you okay?”

He brushed her hand off and stood. “I’m fine,” he wheezed, stooping to pick up his jeans from the floor. As another bout racked his body she sat up, clutching a sheet to her chest.

“That sounds like a bad cough.”

“Said I’m fine,” he barked back, doing up his jeans and yanking the bedroom door open. “I don’t need another mother, Mal.” He even left the door standing open as he left the room, his own bedroom right across the hall. The room Knuckles was staying in.

With a huff she stood with the sheet covering her naked bits, her ankle feeling stiff from the twist the day before. Nowhere near as painful, though. Which was good because she needed the extra leverage to stalk to the door and slam it so she could get dressed again without flashing Harlon’s friend.

She grabbed her clothes off the floor and yanked them all on a bit violently. Whatever the fuck was wrong with him could just fuck right off with the rest of him. They were leaving that day, he’d told her so. Well, good.

When she was dressed she left the room the mess they’d made it. By now Knuckles was up, leaving Harlon’s old room in his jeans with a T-shirt in hand. His smile was real but tired.

“Morning, Mal.”

“Whatever,” she muttered, heading for the front door.

“Wait, what’s wrong?”

She had no answer. All she knew was Tiny Gray was done with her, so she was apparently dismissed.

“Mal, what happened?”

She jerked her arm away from Knuckles as the bathroom door opened. Tiny walked out and headed for the kitchen, not giving them another look.