Cherished

  “Holy hell, I’m impressed,” Gunner said.

  Lark smiled as he put his gun back in the case. He closed it and stood up. “I was also in the MSOR, Marine Special Operations Regiment.”

  Jeff quickly looked at me. “You motherfucker, you set me up.”

  I laughed and held up my hands. “Hey, you were the one talking shit.”

  Jeff just shook his head. “Fucker.”

  Lark laughed as he turned and headed back to my truck to put his gun away.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon setting up for the party and just having a good time while hanging out. Ellie brought out a few beers and set them down before going back in. We took them to the barn and talked for another hour.

  I looked around at my friends. I’d be lost without them. They were more like brothers than friends.

  I finished off my beer and stood up. “Alright, I guess I better get back.”

  Gunner stood and reached out for Lark’s hand. “You’re staying for tomorrow night, right?”

  “Hell yeah. It’s the only reason I’m here. Scott went on and on about the New Year’s Eve parties y’all throw. I’m not due to go back to work until the fourth, so I’ll probably be leaving on the third.”

  Josh and Jeff both stood and shook Lark’s hand and then mine.

  “It was great meeting you, Lark. You’ll have to come out more often to target shoot,” Jeff said with a smile.

  “Damn, I wish I could. I travel a lot for my job,” Lark said.

  “You still in the Marines?” Josh asked.

  Lark shook his head. “Nah, medical discharge.”

  Gunner looked at me and then back at Lark. “What do you do?”

  Lark smirked. “Contract work for the government among other things. My boss dabbles in a few different things—all legal.” He glanced at me and winked.

  Gunner laughed. “Fair enough.”

  Lark hadn’t uttered a word ever since we left Gunner’s place.

  “What’s on your mind, Lark?” I asked.

  He smiled. “I like your friends. They are a good group of guys. They seem really happy.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, they are a good bunch, and yeah, they’re all pretty happy.”

  He nodded as he looked out the window. I knew Lark wanted what we all had—someone to wake up to every morning and lie down with every night.

  “You ever think of changing jobs?” I asked.

  “Fuck no. I love my job. I live for my job,” Lark said quickly.

  I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You don’t ever think about settling down, Lark? Ever?”

  He shook his head and smiled as he looked at me. “Nope. It would have to take an act of God to get me to settle down with one person.”

  I nodded my head. As we drove down the driveway, I saw Jessie and Azurdee both riding horses. They were walking along the road. I pulled to a stop and rolled down the window.

  “Damn, girl. You sure look good sitting up there on my horse,” I said with a chuckle.

  Jessie smiled and let out a small laugh. “Your mother wouldn’t leave. She went from paint to baby furniture to wedding plans. I think I liked it better when she didn’t like me and never talked to me,” she said as she made a funny face.

  Azurdee laughed, and I heard Lark suck in a breath of air.

  “How about we go out for dinner tonight?” I asked.

  “Azurdee has plans for a home-cooked meal tonight,” Jessie said as she looked over at Azurdee.

  “Yep, pasta,” Azurdee said as she ducked her head down and peeked into the truck at Lark.

  “Pasta, it is. Y’all need help with the horses?” I asked.

  “Nope. We’re enjoying our girl time. We won’t be long, I promise,” Jessie said.

  I slowly drove away and glanced over toward Lark. He was looking out the window as I smiled to myself.

  Azurdee Emerson could very well be the act of God Lark was talking about.

  I walked into the kitchen, and Ari was bent over, wiping off the counter. I snuck up, grabbed her hips, and began pumping the shit out of her.

  “Oh yeah, baby! Feels so good!” I said.

  Ari laughed and tried to stand up. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Give me fucking whiplash, why don’t you?”

  “You know you want me, baby,” I said as I let her go.

  She turned to face me. “Actually, I’m so damn tired. I’ve been cleaning all day on top of studying. I will be so glad when these online classes are over.”

  I looked around. The house was so quiet.

  “Where are Luke and Grace?”

  Ari smiled. “Sleeping.”

  “At the same time?”

  She nodded her head and smiled. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into our bedroom before she could argue. I shut the door and pushed her against it. I cupped her breast in my hand as I leaned in and licked her bottom lip.

  “Jeff…we can’t. Luke is going to wake up any minute.”

  “I’ll go fast. Baby, this is for you.” I dropped to my knees and started to pull down her sweatpants and panties.

  She looked down at me and giggled as she lifted each foot before kicking off her clothing. “For me, huh? How is this for me?”

  “You’re stressed. You need relief.” I lifted her leg and put her foot on my shoulder.

  “Jeff, no! I’ve been cleaning for the last two hours. I’m all sweaty and—”

  I buried my face between her legs and gently began sucking on her clit.

  “Oh god, holy shit!” she shouted.

  I slowly slipped two fingers in, and she began moving her hips as she grabbed on to my hair.

  “Yes…oh god…mother of God, that feels so…oh god.” She began grinding her hips faster.

  I moved my tongue as fast as I could against her clit, and she began to fall apart.

  The sounds she was making were driving me mad. I reached down and unbuttoned my pants. I kept sucking gently on her clit as she called out my name. I pulled my fingers out of her and stood up. After I kicked off my pants, I picked her up and brought her over to the bed. I crawled on top of her and slowly put the tip of my dick barely inside her.

  She thrashed her head back and forth. “More!” she called out.

  I smiled and shook my head. “My greedy, greedy girl.”

  She rolled over and got on her hands and knees. She backed her ass up against me. “More…” she whispered.

  I pulled her to me and slammed my dick into her.

  She let out a whimper. “Harder…touch me, Jeff.”

  I moved my hands around to her front and began playing with her clit.

  “No…not there…” she said.

  I slowed down and looked at her ass. Motherfucker.

  I slid my hand along her body and watched as she shuddered. I moved my finger and barely touched her ass.

  “Oh god…yes.”

  My heart started pounding. If I put my finger in her ass, I’m not gonna last.

  “Ari…” I said.

  She pushed herself against me as she grabbed on to the sheets. I slowly moved my finger into her ass just a bit, and she let out a moan.

  “Oh…god…” she said.

  I held on to her hip with my other hand and began going faster and harder.

  “Jeff…please…”

  I pushed my finger into her more, and she began calling out my name.

  “Jeff…oh god…that feels amazing!”

  I lost it. “Jesus, baby…I’m gonna come.”

  “Yes! Jeff, yes!”

  I was so out of breath that I rested on top of her as she fell to the bed.

  “Holy hell! Why have we not tried that before?” she asked in between pants.

  I was still trying to recover from one of the most intense orgasms of my life. I moved and fell to the side of her. She rolled over and looked at me. Her eyes were filled with love and passion.

  “Ari, I think you just about killed me. Where in the hell did that come from?”


  She laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to try some back door action. I guess the moment just hit me.”

  I just looked at her. “The moment just hit you? Do you realize that when you told me to touch you there, I almost came on the spot?”

  She smiled bigger and shook her head. “You liked that?”

  “Uh-huh…hell yeah, I did.”

  “Want to play around more with it?” She bit down on her bottom lip and began abusing the hell out of it.

  “I think you just made me the happiest man on Earth,” I said as I pulled her closer to me.

  She moved to sit on top of me and began grinding against me.

  “Baby, I’m not Superman. There’s no way.”

  She threw her head back and started feeling her breasts.

  She’s trying to kill me.

  “Hmm…you feel so good up against my body,” she whispered.

  Then, we heard Grace over the baby monitor. Ari snapped her head down and looked at me.

  “Later tonight? Back door?” she asked with a wink.

  I can’t breathe. “Yes. Most certainly yes.”

  She smiled as she crawled off of me, and then she began putting her panties and sweatpants back on. I looked her body up and down, and I had the most intense feeling run through my body.

  “I love you, Ari.”

  She stopped and smiled as she looked at me. “I love you, too.”

  She turned and walked out of the bedroom. I lay there for a few minutes and thought about how blessed I was.

  I heard Ari talking to Grace and Luke in the kitchen, so I got up and headed to the bathroom to wash up. I got dressed and made my way out to join them.

  As I walked into the kitchen, I stopped and watched my beautiful wife with my precious kids. Luke was helping Ari put Grace into her high chair.

  “I don’t know what I would do without my big man here to help me. Huh, Grace?” Ari said.

  Grace let out a giggle as Luke ran over to the refrigerator and tried to open it.

  Ari picked him up and opened the door. “What do you want, little man? Want some yogurt?”

  “Yes, peeze,” Luke said.

  I smiled and walked into the kitchen. Grace started kicking as soon as she saw me.

  I leaned down and kissed her. “Hey, baby girl.”

  “Daddy!” Luke yelled. He fought like hell to get out of Ari’s arms.

  She set him down, and I squatted, so he could run into my arms for a hug.

  “Alwex?” Luke asked.

  “You want to see Alex, buddy?” I asked.

  He began nodding his head. I looked up at Ari, who smiled.

  “I’ve been promising him a playdate with Alex all day,” she said.

  I looked back down at Luke. “You get to see Alex tomorrow. You’re spending the night with Gramps and Grams—both of y’all.”

  Luke started jumping up and down when he saw Ari setting his yogurt on the table. He pointed to his seat, so I picked him up and set him in it as I glanced at Ari. She was smiling as she made cereal for Grace.

  “Are you happy, baby?” I asked her.

  The sexy smile that spread across her face was all I needed to see to know her answer.

  “Yes. I’ve never been so happy in my life,” she said with a wink. “Are you?”

  I walked over to her and took her in my arms. I gently brushed my lips back and forth across hers. “Everything I’ve dreamed of and wanted is in this very room right now. You’ve made me the happiest man on Earth, Ari. I love you so much that it hurts. If I didn’t have you, Luke, and Grace…I’d be so lost. I love y’all so much. Nothing can ever come between us, Ari. Nothing.”

  She smiled as I pulled her closer to me and kissed her. I was beginning to get lost in the kiss when the doorbell rang. I pulled away, and she laughed.

  “Damn it, Johnson. You sure know how to make a girl horny, you know that?”

  I laughed as I turned and headed to the front door. I wasn’t sure who in the hell it could be since our front gate buzzer hadn’t gone off. I smiled and opened the door, expecting it to be Gunner or Gramps, and then I instantly felt sick to my stomach.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?” I looked him up and down.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Now, Jefferson, is that any way to greet your father?”

  When I heard what the man at the door had said, I almost dropped the jar of baby food.

  Jeff’s dad is here? What in the hell is he doing here? How did he get through the gate?

  I stood there, frozen. I quickly looked at Grace and then Luke. Luke was eating his yogurt and lost in his food. I grabbed the bowl of cereal and set it in front of Grace.

  Oh Jesus, I’m setting myself up for a mess.

  I walked around the corner and saw Jeff still standing at the door. He hadn’t asked his dad to come in.

  “How did you get through the gate?” Jeff asked.

  His dad let out a small laugh. “Well, it was open, and I just drove down the driveway.”

  Oh my god. I put my hand up to my mouth as I thought about Sharon calling earlier and asking if she could stop by. I’d opened the gate, so she could just drive in. I’d totally forgotten.

  Shit! Sharon’s coming over! I looked over at the clock. Jesus H. Christ, she’ll be here any minute.

  I peeked in on the kids. Grace was dipping her finger in the cereal and looking at it, and Luke was eating his yogurt, still in heaven.

  I walked up behind Jeff and put my hand on his shoulder. He didn’t bother to turn around.

  “What do you want? Why are you here?” Jeff asked.

  His father took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see, but I wanted to talk to you and Ellie. Your mother—”

  “She’s moved on and has finally gotten over you. She’s getting married, and I seriously doubt she wants to see you.”

  The sadness in Jeff’s father’s eyes almost made me feel sorry for him.

  He nodded his head. “Your mother was my first love, Jefferson. I loved her with all my heart, and I still do.”

  “Did you let Angie know how much you loved Mom while you fucked her behind Mom’s back?”

  “Jeff,” I whispered.

  His dad looked down. “It’s just…we had you when we were so young, and I was so scared. I felt like I had so much more in life to do, and I felt…trapped. Angie was my only way out. I never loved her like I loved your mother.”

  Jeff let out a gruff laugh. “You sure have a funny way of showing your love.”

  Just then, Luke came running out. “Daddy!” he screamed as he ran and grabbed on to Jeff’s leg.

  The look on Jeff’s father’s face when he saw Luke made me so sad. I silently thanked God for my parents and their unconditional love.

  “Your son?” Jeff’s dad said as his voice cracked.

  Jeff turned and looked at me. I could see the confusion in his eyes.

  He slowly turned back to his father. “Yes. I also have a daughter.”

  Shit! Grace! I spun around and ran back into the kitchen.

  As soon as I saw her, I busted out laughing. She had cereal everywhere, and she gave me the biggest smile ever.

  I walked over to her and smiled down at her. “If I didn’t love you so much…”

  I began cleaning her up as I heard Jeff talking to his father in the living room.

  He needs to leave—like right now!

  “Jeff, I need your help in here… now, please,” I called out.

  Jeff came walking into the kitchen, holding Luke in his arms, and he just looked at me. “What in the fuck?” he said.

  I knew it wasn’t because Grace was covered in baby food.

  “I know, but listen, your mom is going to be here any minute. You need to get him out of here, Jeff—like now!”

  Then, the doorbell rang.

  Jeff closed his eyes. “Fuck. Me.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

  I moved wi
th lightning speed to clean up Grace. I heard Jeff telling his dad that he shouldn’t have just shown up like this. Then, I heard Jeff opening the front door. I grabbed Grace and practically ran out into the hallway to the front door.

  I stopped in my tracks when I saw Sharon, Ellie, and Alex. “Oh no,” I whispered. We’re about to have a little family reunion.

  “Um…Mom, Ells…can I talk to you outside?” Jeff asked.

  I glanced over to his father sitting on the sofa. I couldn’t help but notice how sad he was. Serves his ass right for what he did to all three of them.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Ellie asked.

  Ellie could always tell when Jeff was upset or worried. Nothing got by her as far as he was concerned.

  “Ells…let’s just…”

  Sharon looked at him as she tilted her head. “Jeff, what’s going on? Your face is white as a ghost.” She peeked over Jeff’s shoulder and saw me standing there. She smiled when she saw Grace kicking and holding her arms out for her. She pushed Jeff out of the way and started to walk in.

  “Mom…really, I think it’s best if we step outside for a minute.”

  “Nonsense. I want to see my grandchildren and…” Her voice trailed off as she looked into the living room. “Brian? Is everything alright?” she asked in a whispered voice.

  “Sharon, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you would be here,” Brian said as he slowly stood and started wringing his hands together.

  Ellie came barreling in and stopped right behind Sharon. She stood there and just stared at her father. He smiled when he saw her, and when he looked down at Alex, he smiled bigger.

  “Why are you here? How dare you come back into our lives! Haven’t you caused us all enough trouble? You need to go…right now!” Ellie shouted, scaring both Grace and Alex.

  Sharon turned around and shook her head. She took a crying Alex out of Ellie’s arms. “Shh…baby girl, it’s okay. Ellie, please, honey, calm down.”

  Jeff walked in and set Luke down.

  He immediately ran up to Sharon. “Alwex! Alwex!”

  Sharon put Alex down, and Alex and Luke both hugged each other. I quickly looked up at Brian, who seemed to have tears in his eyes. I glanced over to Jeff, and he looked more confused than angry.