Love and Forgiveness Bonus Scene
Izzie
Six Months Later
Wolfe wraps me in his strong arms, holding me tightly. “It’s all over now. You don’t have to ever think about this again.”
I hope he’s right, although you never know what the future holds when it comes to criminal court cases. Jess has already warned me about this, and as a true crime reporter, she should know.
He shields me with his body as we leave the courthouse and face a wall of reporters outside, waiting for soundbites. Once we’re safely multiple blocks away and in his black dually, he pulls me into his lap, cradling me and kissing me. His big hands thread through my hair as he asks tenderly, “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Relieved. Glad it’s over.”
We’ve spent the past week testifying at the Ophir City Courthouse in Richard’s criminal trial, and I’m exhausted. Not so long ago, I loved the elaborate Gold Rush-era courtroom where the trial took place—so rich with history and beautiful architectural features.
Now, I associate it with endless hours on the witness stand while Richard’s gaze bores holes through me. He only had the nerve to do this because Wolfe sat with other witnesses in a different room. Of course, once my husband took the stand, Richard cowered, trying to make himself small and unnoticeable.
Talking about how close I came to dying or even worse, losing the love of my life, was excruciating. The day of the invasion, so much adrenaline and shock coursed through me that I couldn’t process it. In a way, that felt better. Now, with a little distance and hindsight, I realize how much I nearly lost. Thank God, we came out of it okay. Of course, I can’t think of a better person to face a home invasion with than Wolfe.
“You’re shaking,” my husband observes quietly, pulling me more tightly against him.
“I guess I am.” I couldn’t stomach food today. Coupled with excess adrenaline, I’ve given myself the jitters. I have a dull headache, too, probably from low blood sugar.
Wolfe rubs my lower back gently with his right hand, eliciting an appreciative moan from me. “You ready to eat yet?”
“I don’t know.”
He puts his left hand on my stomach, stroking it gently. “You’ve got to eat up, Mama, especially with another linebacker-sized baby on the way.”
I giggle, kissing him and reveling in the warmth and strength of his arms. No place on this Earth makes me feel safer. “Can I see it again?” I ask, and my husband nods, unbuttoning the front of his shirt. A month ago, he came home with a surprise. A new tattoo under his bullet scar: “The only forever I believe in.” Underneath the small, neat line of script are rows of numbers, one for our wedding date, and one for each of our children’s birthdays. “I love it,” I say, tracing it with my finger gently as my eyes fill with tears.
“And I love you,” he says resting his forehead on mine. “And you,” he says placing his large hand over my stomach again. His hand jumps slightly, and he laughs. “You feel that? I told you we have a soccer player on the way.”
“Maybe it’s an archaeologist or art conservator. You never know,” I reply, letting my hand run over the sexy stubble of Wolfe’s afternoon shadow. We told the sonogram tech and doctor not to reveal the baby’s gender to us. But I have it on a card and have been tempted to look every day. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off. I promised Wolfe I wouldn’t look without him. I guess we’ll see how far we get.
“I’d be happy with that, too. We can never go wrong as long as our babies have your good looks and brains.”
I add, “And your courage, athleticism, and loyalty. Of course, I’d be happy if they look like their hot daddy, too. Just so long as the girls aren’t six foot six with five o’clock shadows.”
Wolfe’s chest rumbles with laughter. “I hope all of my girls are at least six foot six with five o’clock shadows when dating age rolls around. It’ll make my life a lot easier.”
“You are so going to be that dad sitting up half the night on the front porch, holding a shotgun in your lap and waiting for Stasia to get home.”
He shakes his head, his face reddening. “Fuck that, I’ll be in full camo, staked out with five of my guys watching every move her date makes, whether it’s at a restaurant, a drive-thru movie, prom, you name it. And if I can talk him into it, I’ll have Hawk overhead in his bird for added measure.”
I laugh until I cry at the visual image his words inspire, and he kisses me gently, helping me into the passenger seat and buckling me in. “Let’s get you fed and then we’ll head back to the cabin for a long soak in the tub and a foot massage for you.”
“Honestly, I could use a full-body massage,” I reply, stretching and settling back into the seat.
“You don’t have to ask twice for that, wife. I’ll do anything and everything that makes you feel good.” Matt and Stasia are staying at Travis and Faith’s overnight, and I relish the chance to be alone with my husband.
“Oh, yeah? Well, in that case, can I get a full-body massage from a buck-naked masseuse?”
Wolfe growls in low tones. “How about a full body massage from a buck-naked masseuse who finishes by eating you out until you scream his name and claw his back?”
“Why would we finish there?” I purr seductively.
“Fuck,” my husband replies, adjusting his pants. “You have a point. That would definitely be anti-climactic. At least, for one of us.”
“And that won’t work for me. After all, I’ve been begging to taste your cum again. But you keep holding out.”
Wolfe’s face is red, and he’s panting as he replies, “I’m not holding out. I’m just a greedy motherfucker. I want to come in your mouth, in your pussy, all over your breasts, other places, too. I can’t decide which one I want most. So, yes, sometimes your mouth gets robbed. Fuck, Izzie, I’ve got a raging hard-on because of you. If you keep talking like this, we’re spending the night in Ophir City. I’ll rent a hotel room. Only I know it won’t be nearly as comfortable as our California king or massive bathtub and hearth. I want to see your skin lit up and golden in the firelight and make love to you all night, savoring every inch of your flesh and bones.”
“And I want your waffles. So, let’s go home. I promise to quit talking dirty until the tires of our truck hit the gravel of our driveway.”
“Are you sure you can go that long without eating?” he asks, concern washing over his face.
Digging through my purse, I pull out a protein bar. “This’ll tide me over. Nothing can beat your waffles anyway, or your massages, or our California king and hearth. We haven’t even talked about the shower and the possibilities there.”
“I have a thought for that.”
“Oh, do you?” I ask, side-eyeing him intrigued.
“Well, I have a lot of thoughts for that, actually. But I don’t want to be greedy or ignore your requests. So, let’s start with you on your knees, with your hands on the back of my thighs as I hold your hair and fuck your mouth with my cock. Then, when you’ve tasted and swallowed everything you want from me, I’ll carry you to the bed and let you get relaxed and comfortable before I eat you out, making you come at least twice. After that, I’ll flip your legs to one side, and pound you until your screams drown out the sounds of the coyotes. Or I’ll get you on all fours and take you from behind until you’re a sweaty, hot, panting mess filled with my cum.”
I tremble at his words, feeling my lower core tighten painfully. Now, I’m the one ready to find a hotel room. “We’ll never get home if we don’t change the subject.”
He chuckles, taking my hand and caressing it gently. “Now, you know how I feel.” He takes a couple of deep breaths, and I try to clear my thoughts. Finally, he says, “I’ve been thinking of starting a new business venture. The museum security gig is going really well, but I’d like to get a little adventure back in our lives.”
“Adventure?”
He nods, smiling. “I’m thinking about an art conservator consultation firm with its own security detail. I know it’ll take a while to get up and running, and that’s fine because with the baby, we’re going to be very busy for a while. But that way, we can get your career back on track and do what we love together. Thoughts?”
I’ve got tears in my eyes just thinking about it. I’ve never especially liked being a museum director, and I’d love to travel with Wolfe again. But I’ve also got to think practically. “What about the kids and their schooling, though? We can’t leave for months at a time traveling like that.”
“We can,” he replies with a smile. “I’ve been researching virtual schooling and world schooling, and it’s completely doable. I’ve also talked to the Gold County School District, and they’re willing to work with us.”
I burst into tears, and Wolfe glances at me worried. “Baby girl, did I say something wrong? Do you not like the idea? If so, it’s fine. We can keep everything the way it is.”
Shaking my head, I reply, “No, I love the idea of traveling as a family. And the thought of working as an art conservator again? It honestly excites me even more than completing my PhD.”
“Well, I’m not letting you off the hook there, baby. I know you well enough to realize you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t complete your degree. But you already do most of that virtually, so I know we can find a workaround. There’s still plenty of research and planning to do, but I’d love to show our kids the world and get back to doing what we both love.”
We chat happily about our plans. About destinations we long to visit with our children and what they’ll think about them. Angkor Wat, Chichen Itza, the Great Pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu. We discuss traveling with a baby, and he explains all of the research he’s done there, too, and ways to make it easier and more convenient.
By the time we turn off on the road to the cabin, we’ve created an entire list of adventure plans, and we have ear-to-ear grins on our faces. We pull up in front of the cabin, and Wolfe leans over claiming my mouth passionately. “I love you more than any fucking thing on this planet, and I can’t wait to go exploring with you again. But first, it’s time to focus on those waffles and that foot massage—”
“Don’t forget the soak in the tub and the full body massage with the buck-naked masseuse—”
“And the shower. Wait, do we need a soak in the tub and the shower?”
I giggle, adding, “And a fire in the hearth and plenty of time set aside for the California king. We may be doing this out of order.”
“Damn the order. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy. You’re all I’ve ever needed or wanted and that will never change, baby girl, no matter where we go or what we do.” He covers my lips with his again, growling seductively as he possesses me, sending shivers of desire from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.
Jasmine Estrada takes my breath away. But the curvy twenty-two-year-old paralegal is too young, too wrapped up in a bad relationship, and too employed by me to be a love interest. At least, that’s what I think until she needs a Christmas favor I can’t refuse…
Pretend to be her fake boyfriend at a large family gathering. Only there’s plenty I don’t bargain for… Like the off-the-charts chemistry simmering between us, her Hispanic family’s very traditional expectations of me, and another little white lie she told about us… That we’re engaged.
To top it off, my sister shows up unexpectedly, leaving her 13-year-old son, Asante, on my doorstep. In twenty-four hours, I gain a fiancée and a teen. Not quite the Yuletide I envisioned…
A fake relationship with the girl of my dreams and sudden unclehood push me to my limits. As I try to make the holiday season memorable for my instant family, the question remains: Will I pull off a Christmas miracle or soon be nursing a “fake” broken heart?
Devour the next steamy installment of the Rough & Ready Country series, Love at First Relationship, about Flynn and Jasmine.
