I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.
The struck by lightning story.
I heard Raiden’s camera going.
“I know you’re there,” Grams stated, not looking our way.
One hundred and one years old, and still the hearing of a German shepherd, and now proof she had eyes in the side of her head.
I bit my lip harder and looked down at my husband.
His head was tipped back to me and he was grinning.
Then he looked back to the sight of his camera and kept clicking.
Three hours later…
I felt Raid fit his front to my back and his arms come around me.
Then I felt his lips at the skin below my ear.
“You know, he can sleep without your help,” he whispered there.
I didn’t take my eyes off my baby boy lying asleep in his crib.
“I know,” I whispered back. “But I’m sure me standing here watching him helps him to have sweet dreams.”
His arms tensed around me and his voice was rumbling when he replied, “I’m sure too.”
There was something more in those words. Something that made me melt further into him.
Something I knew had to do with the fact Raiden hadn’t had a nightmare for years.
It wasn’t me who got rid of them. It was him working through things with Hal.
Still, Raiden gave me the credit.
We stood there for a good long while, our eyes on the tiny little living, breathing dream we created.
Raiden broke the moment.
“Could do this all night with you, honey, but we gotta talk,” he told me.
Before I could reply, he moved away, his hand curled around mine and he tugged me out of the nursery to our bedroom. He went direct to the bed, sat on the edge and started to fall back, taking me with him.
I landed on top of him and we stretched out.
I lifted up on a forearm in his chest and smiled down at him.
“How long is this talk going to take?” I asked, my free hand moving down his side.
He grinned up at me and lifted a hand to tuck my hair behind my ear. “Not long.”
“Good, because Clay’ll be up soon, and it’s my turn to feed him so I need some shuteye,” I told him, my body shifting so my hand could move over his stomach before it changed directions and started down.
His head on the pillow cocked to the side.
Hot.
Why did I love that?
It didn’t matter. I just did.
“You goin’ for shuteye, babe, or are you goin’ for my dick?”
I dipped my face closer to his and I also dipped my voice quieter. “Me having the latter makes the former better.”
My hand slid in his pajama pants and I found him hard.
His eyes flashed.
“Jesus, baby,” he growled.
His arms, having been around me, moved so his hands could cup my behind.
I stroked, a rumble hit his chest and I prompted, “You wanted to talk?”
Raiden rolled us, one of his hands slid over my belly and right into my pajama bottoms, under my panties and in.
My eyes went half-mast and I bit my lip.
Then I stroked.
Raid whirled.
Oh God.
“You going to talk?” I breathed as I lifted my hips to get more of his fingers.
He whirled again, which made me stroke again at the same time press up, feeling his hips push into my hand.
“Change of plans,” he announced.
“No talking?” I asked hopefully.
“No. No retirement at forty.”
I blinked and asked, “Sorry?”
He didn’t repeat himself. He stated, “And at least one daughter.”
“Raid—”
His face got close. His fingers whirled, my hand tensed on his cock and he declared, “Leavin’ you has always sucked. Every time, it got harder and harder. Leavin’ you when you had my boy growin’ in you, torture. Leavin’ you and our boy, it kills. Two more years then it’s done.”
I stroked, I stared and my heart did a happy bump.
“And I want a girl,” he finished.
Oh my God!
Could you die of happiness?
I certainly hoped not.
“Honey—”
His lips came to mine. “We’ll get started on our daughter later. I’ll get started on makin’ sure I can take care of my family after I quit the job now. Agreed?”
Did he think I’d say no?
“Affirmative.”
I felt his mouth smile against mine, then I saw, up close, his eyes start burning at the same time I felt his fingers move then plunge.
I gasped.
“Done talkin’,” he announced, his voice rough and commanding.
I was down with that and that was good, seeing as his head slanted and his mouth took mine in a searing kiss so I had no choice but to be.
Raid
Early afternoon the next day…
Raid was in his Jeep heading to meet Clay and Hanna for lunch at his sister’s café when his cell went.
He didn’t know the number on his display and almost didn’t take the call.
When he did, he was glad, but only because if he didn’t, they would have called his wife.
“Miller,” he answered.
“Raid?” a woman asked.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“Hi, uh, this is Judy from the visiting nurse’s program. Uh…”
She went silent and said no more.
Raid felt his gut instinctively get tight and he concentrated on driving.
When she didn’t speak, he asked, “Judy, you got something to say?”
A hesitation, then in a quiet voice, “I’m so sorry. We talked about it and thought it best to try to phone you first. I hate having to be the one to tell you, but when Fran went in to get Miss Mildred ready for the day, she found that Miss Mildred had passed away in her sleep last night.”
Raid moved the Jeep to the side of the road, put it in neutral and engaged the parking break.
“Repeat that,” he ordered.
“I’m really, really sorry, Raid. We didn’t want to call Hanna. We thought it would be better coming from you. But Miss Mildred passed last night.”
He closed his eyes, leaned forward and rested his forehead against the steering wheel.
“Are you okay?” she called in his ear.
He was not.
He lifted his head and lied, “Yeah.”
“Uh… there are things that—”
Raid cut her off, “You communicate with me, not Hanna. I’ll be there or my mother will be there. Yeah?”
“Right, okay.”
“Wait for our call. Someone will be in touch soon to deal with whatever we gotta deal with,” he went on.
“Okay, Raid.”
He pulled in a sharp breath through his nose and lied again, “Thank you for your call.”
“I’m so, so sorry.”
He was too.
Judy went on, “Please give our condolences to Hanna. ‘Bye Raid.”
He disconnected with no good-bye, went to his contacts and found the number to his sister’s café.
“Rachelle’s Café, Grand Goddess of Cuisine and All Things Gastronomical, Rachelle speaking. How can I help you?” his sister answered.
Normally this would make him laugh or at least smile.
He did neither.
“Rache, Hanna there yet?” he asked.
“And hello and how are you, too?” she answered.
“Rache. Is. Hanna. There. Yet?” he repeated.
She was silent then, with zero attitude, “Yeah.”
He put the car in gear, checked his mirrors then moved back onto the road, ordering, “Call Mom. Get her down there. After you do that, go to Hanna and find a way to get Clay from her. I’ll be there in ten.”
“What’s wrong?”