Late Friday afternoon Dan came by to pick up more of his things. When he
knocked on the door, Kim answered. “Hey. Thought you’d be off by now.” he
mentioned.
“No. Not today. Brittany needed me to stay a little longer since she’s
busy.”
Brittany was upstairs contemplating her outfit when she heard Dan come into
the house. She wondered how long he’d be, hoping he’d be gone by the time
Colin arrived. Holding up two dresses to herself, she appraised them in the
full length mirror. Finally she decided on an elegant, full length, black
flowing dress that bared her arms. Taking a light button up black sweater
out of the dresser, she laid the outfit on the bed for final approval.
Dan cleared out his favorite tools from the garage before heading to the
study for his beloved books. He wondered where Brittany was and what she was
doing. He figured she would at least be home when he arrived.
Meanwhile Brittany was upstairs showering for a second time that day. She
had just finished drying her hair when she heard a knock on the closed
bedroom door. Slipping into her robe, she opened it to see Dan. Without even
bothering to look at her, he stated firmly, “I need to get the rest of my
clothes.”
“Fine.” she snipped going back to her dressing area.
Coming into the room, Dan dropped his empty boxes on the bed next to her
outfit. He studied it a moment before looking over at her. She was focused
intently on applying her make-up in an obvious attempt to ignore him.
Dan wondered what she was doing that required such a dress, but didn’t ask,
instead busied himself with his own clothes. Once he’d finished one box, he
took it out to the car. Brittany took the opportunity of his absence to slip
into her evening attire. When he returned he tried to subtly watch her as
she continued her primping. Silence prevailed as Brittany did her hair, and
Dan packed. Suddenly Kim’s voice could be heard from the bottom of the
staircase. Brittany looked over herself once more knowing Colin was waiting
on her. Being satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her sweater and
purse off the bed without a word to Dan.
Coming downstairs Brittany saw Colin in a dark grey suit standing in the
foyer, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Wow. You look amazing.” he stated his
eyes growing wide in appreciation.
“Thank you. You look dapper this evening.”
“Well...” he mumbled shyly. A quiet moment passed before he recovered.
“Here. These are for you. I’m sure men give you flowers all the time,
but...”
“No. Actually I haven’t gotten flowers in a very long time. They’re
beautiful. Thank you.” Just then Dan came down the stairs with a box in
hand, slowing to a stop when he saw Colin and the flowers Brittany was
holding. “Daniel, this is Colin. Colin, this is my-this is Daniel.” Brittany
stated nervously. Stoically Dan extended his hand as he looked at the older,
slighter built man. Colin shook it tentatively. Not giving them a chance to
speak, Brittany pushed Colin toward the den saying, “I want you to meet my
girls before we go.”
“Our girls.” Dan corrected heading out the front door.
As soon as Dan was outside, Colin mentioned, “You didn’t tell me he’d be
here.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’s just packing some of his stuff. We’ll just say
hi to the girls and go.” They spent a few minutes with the children before
hearing Dan go back upstairs.
Dan watched from the bedroom window as Colin escorted Brittany out to the
car. He saw Colin open her door before getting in himself. Shaking off the
discomfort of seeing her with someone else, Dan went back to his task. Once
he’d finished loading his things, he came back inside for the girls.
“All right, little ladies. It’s time to go to Daddy’s house.” he said
quietly.
“Are you all right?” Kim asked.
“It’s not really my business any more.” he mumbled.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Brittany says they’re just
friends.”
“It just surprised me.” he said. “He’s hardly what I would consider
Brittany’s type. What do you know about him?”
“Not much. Name’s Colin. He’s thirty and goes to school with Britt. That’s
about it.”
“Not exactly a stud, is he?” Dan commented.
“She’s not looking for a stud. She’s looking for a kind man. Apparently
Colin qualifies.”
Dan shook his head. “I just can’t believe that we aren’t even divorced yet,
and she’s dating already. I’m not even doing that.”
“Dan, do you ever second guess your decision for the divorce?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering. There’s really nothing that would bring you back?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Do you still love her?”
“Kim, I’ve loved Brittany for the past six years of my life. It’s only been
a few months since our separation. Of course I still love her. She’s the
mother of my children. She still holds a special place in my heart, always
will. It does hurt to see her with someone else.”
“Sounds like you’re not ready for this divorce to go through.”
“Maybe not, but obviously she is. I mean this is the second man I’ve seen
her with. It’s the best for everyone involved.”
Dinner that night between Brittany and Colin was casual and relaxed. Once
the symphony was over, Colin drove Brittany home. As Brittany unlocked the
door her mind drifted back to the last date she had, dancing and dinner with
Dan.
“Well, would you like to come in?” she inquired turning toward him.
“If you’re not tired. I know you had an early class today.”
“I’m fine. Come on in.” she replied leading him into the house. Turning on
the lights as she walked into the kitchen, she inquired, “Would you like a
drink or something to eat?”
“A drink would be great. Do you have any coffee?”
“Coffee this late at night? You’ll never sleep.”
Colin shrugged. “I won’t sleep tonight anyway. I usually study all night.”
“Wow. You’re more dedicated than I am. Why don’t you take a break tonight,
though? I have the house to myself for the first time in a very long time.
No children to interrupt. Why don’t you stay here for awhile and keep me
company? Let’s watch a movie or something.”
“Yeah. Sure. If you’d like, I’m up for that.” he agreed.
“Great. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I want to change into
other clothes.” Brittany headed up to her bedroom. Going into the closet,
she slipped off her dress as she contemplated what she should wear. As she
looked through her wardrobe, she thought about the man downstairs. It had
become obvious to her over the course of the evening that even though he
accepted their friendship, his feelings toward her ran deeper. She slid into
a pair of dark gray sweat pants before looking at her t-shirts. She noticed
Dan had left one of his old Cowboys work out jerseys hanging in the closet.
Brittany had often used it for herself as a nightshirt or casual lounging
attire. Pulling that on as well, she went back to the den where Colin was
looking at the only book on the coffee table, coincidentally Dan’s first
book of poetry.
Colin looked up from his reading. Brittany noted the way his eyes lingered
over her midriff. She knew the shirt she was wearing bared her stomach when
she moved in certain ways. “I didn’t know Dan was a poet. I never would’ve
guess it.” he stated. “It’s obvious a lot of his pieces are about you and
the girls. He’s an incredible writer.”
“Yes, he is.” she answered going into the kitchen. Pouring a cup of coffee
for Colin, she got herself a glass of milk. Coming back to the den, she set
the drinks on the coffee table before collapsing on the middle of the couch.
Colin shifted further into the corner in which he was already leaning. “Why
don’t you pick a movie? They’re over in the cabinet.” Brittany suggested.
When they had settled into the movie, Brittany turned out the lights and
laid across the couch, letting her feet land in Colin’s lap. He stirred
looking at them before gazing in her eyes. “You don’t mind, do you?” she
asked knowing full well the effect she was having on him. He shook his head.
She watched him tentatively place his hands over them before turning back to
the film. Brittany watched him for a few minutes. It was obvious that he was
failing to relax. She knew she was adding to his discomfort, but it had been
such a long time since she’d seen a man react to her. She needed to feel
wanted, and Colin was making it clear by his actions that he did want her.
After a few more minutes, Brittany sat up and moved closer so her body
brushed into his. She slid an arm across the top of the couch as she leaned
into his ear. “You know, you could get more comfortable. Take off your tie
and jacket.” she mentioned as her fingers went to the knot in his tie. She
loosened it before going back for the top button of his shirt. She felt his
breath catch, but he said nothing. Brittany cupped the side of his face,
pulling it around so their eyes could meet. “Colin, do you want to kiss me?”
she whispered leaning in closer.
“Yes.” he breathed.
“Then why don’t you?”
Colin took a deep breath before replying, “Because you’re a married woman,
maybe to a jerk that you’re in the process of divorcing, but you’re still
married.”
“What if I asked you to, would you?” she inquired taking his hand and
guiding it to her bare hip. He closed his eyes moaning softly. Before she
could contemplate the repercussions, she pressed her lips to his softly. He
never pulled away, so she pressed harder until she felt him become active.
After a moment he pulled away.
“Oh, Brittany, as much as I want to continue, I’m not sure it’s a good
idea.” he said.
“Why not?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to know you this way, but I want to be sure
it’s really me you want, not just a substitute for your husband.” he stated
taking her hand.
Brittany dropped her head to his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Colin. I shouldn’t
have done that.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“Can you forgive me for treating you like this?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” he joked. “Lord knows, you are an amazing
woman, beautiful, intelligent, and you kissed me. This goes down as the best
date of my life.” he stated with a smile caressing her cheek. She smiled
back at him as tears began to trickle out of her eyes. He wiped them away
gently before leaning to kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be all right.
This has to be difficult for you. I know you still love him, and you’re
pregnant with his child. I can’t even imagine how a man could possibly leave
a woman like you.”
“I miss him, Colin. I miss the feel of him, his presence. I miss watching
him with the girls. I miss waking in the middle of the night and feeling his
arms around me. He was such a sweet, gentle man, but then it all changed.
Now he’s just cold to me.”
“May I ask what happened between you two?”
Brittany gave Colin the brief version of the incident with Peyton. “Daniel
just didn’t believe it was an accident. I guess it wasn’t, but it wasn’t
intentional either. It just sort of happened, and to this day I feel so
guilty. I didn’t fight him, but I didn’t encourage him either.”
“That’s what this divorce is about?” Colin asked in disbelief.
“Well, there’s more. After it happened Daniel moved out. He hadn’t filed
for divorce, and on Victoria’s birthday he asked me out. Well, I thought it
was a step towards reconciliation. We went out and had a wonderful time. He
was actually flirting with me, which I took as a good sign. We came back to
the house, and one thing lead to another. We ended up having sex, and to me
it was make up sex, but he saw it differently. I got angry when he got up to
leave. I kicked him out and told him I never wanted to see him again. The
next day he came by, not to apologize, but to see the girls. I lost it and
refused to let him see the kids. We fought and as soon as he left, I knew we
had pushed each other too far. The next day I got the call from the attorney
about the divorce.”
“And you got pregnant from that night. He doesn’t deserve you, Brittany.
You’re too good for him.”
“Daniel and I have overcome so much together. We’ve helped each other
become better people. I mean each of us have had emotional baggage we
brought into the relationship. Like for me, I was severely emotionally
scarred by being raped when I was sixteen. Daniel was the first person I
ever told, and he helped me through it. He was gentle and attentive to my
need to move slowly in our relationship. Intimacy beyond kissing was
extremely difficult for me when we first began dating, and he always
remembered that. It’s because of him that I have a normal, healthy sex life.
I’m not afraid any more. He also had a lot of stuff to deal with, his anger,
especially toward his mother. He confided things in me about his childhood
that he’d never told anyone else, and we got him help too. There was the
unexpected pregnancy with Victoria when we were only engaged. We never
expected the twins either. Then there was the time I thought he had cheated
on me. We’ve had problems, but we’ve always managed to get through them. I
don’t see why he’s decided to give up on me. I never gave up on him.” she
said as her crying began again.
Colin just held her as they finished the movie in silence. Colin left after
2:00 in the morning. As Brittany held him, he said, “Thank you for such a
wonderful night, Brittany. You are incredible.”
“Thanks, Colin. I had a great time too, and thanks for putting up with me.
I’m sorry I acted inappropriately.”
He gave a small laugh. “I’m not. That’s the most action I’ve gotten all
year and it to be with such a hottie. I’m a very lucky man.” he teased.
Brittany laughed at his attempt at humor. “Thanks for listening and
understanding.”
“Anytime. I’ll see you at school on Monday. Take care of yourself, and call
me if you need anything.” She nodded. Lifting her chin with his fingertips,
he inquired, “May I?” Again she nodded. Colin leaned down and kissed her
lips gently. “That’s one for the memories.” he whispered. “Good night,
Brittany.”
“Good night. Drive safely.”
Saturday morning Brittany slept in before leisurely getting dressed. She
couldn’t help but notice the stillness of the house. Under the custody
agreement Dan had the girls three days a weeks, usually Friday afternoon
through Monday noon when he had class. Brittany was uncomfortable in the
quietness. It only served as a reminder of how wrong her life had gone over
the past few months.
Calling up Melissa to see if she was free, Brittany made plans with her for
an afternoon shopping trip. When Brittany arrived at Melissa and Jen’s
house, Kim answered the door.
“Hey, stranger. How was your date last night?” Kim inquired.
“Fine. It was nice to have a man around, even though we’re only friends.”
“How did Dan take seeing Colin?”
“Okay. He was polite, which surprised me.” Kim just nodded. “So, what are
you and Jen doing today? You up to shopping with Melissa and me?”
“You can count me out. I hate shopping, but Jen might be interested. She’s
in the kitchen.”
Following Kim into the kitchen, Brittany found Jen and Melissa at the
table. “Hey there. Kim was just telling us about your new beau.” Jen stated.
Brittany rolled her eyes. “For the last time, we’re only friends. I’m only
interested in one man, and it’s the man I’m still married to, at least for
now.” firmly she stated.
“Wow. I think that’s the first time you’ve admitted it since the divorce
started.”
“Well, after last night I came to realize that. I had a wonderful, perfect
gentleman in my home last night who adores me, and all I could think about
was Daniel. I mean we have three children together and another on the way.
It would be so much better if we could work things out.”
“You’re pregnant again?” Jen asked in concern. Brittany nodded.
“How does Dan feel about this?” asked Melissa, always the one to want to
know Dan’s thoughts.
“He doesn’t know, and I don’t want any of you telling him. It would only
add stress to our relationship. He may want to come back if he knows, but I
wouldn’t want him to come home if it’s only for the kids. If he no longer
wants me, then I don’t want him hanging around being miserable and making me
miserable. That wouldn’t be good for either of us or the girls.”
“All right. We won’t tell him. Eventually he’ll have to know, though.” Jen
mentioned.
“I know, but now is not the time.”
Melissa and Brittany spent most of the afternoon at the mall shopping and
talking about Mike. “So, how are things going with Michael?” Brittany
inquired when they stopped for a beverage.
“Oh, I couldn’t be happier. I’m so glad we managed to work things out.”
“You seem happy. I’m glad you two found each other again. He’s a great
guy.”
“Yes, he is. I’ll tell you that he’s having a hard time with you and Dan
breaking up. He really adores you, and he’s made it clear to me that he
thinks Dan is a fool for letting his pride ruin your marriage.”
“Well, I think I’m just as guilty of that. You don’t even know how badly I
want to ask him to come home, but I just couldn’t handle the rejection. I’ve
never experienced pain the way I experienced it as his hands. His rebuff is
more that I can bear.”
“Do you think he really wants this divorce?”
“I don’t know. I can’t read him any more. He’s so emotionally void with me.
It’s like talking to a wall, and I can’t make a dent in that armor of his.
If he misses me, I’d never know by the way he acted. Enough about my
miseries, though. Tell me more about Michael. Do you think he’s the one?”
Melissa smiled. “Yeah, I think he is.”
“Have you talked about it at all?”
“A little. Being that he’s so much older, we do have some different goals.
I want kids, and he’s already got two adult children. He’s looking toward
retirement at fifty-five. I’ll only be forty then. I think we’ll definitely
work it out, probably have children as soon as possible.”
“That’s great that you’ve found the right person. Speaking of which, what
do you think about Jen and Kim?”
“Well, I was really shocked, but Jen is happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
“I know. It was a surprise for me too. I mean I’ve known her since my
freshman year of college. She never showed that inclination. I mean she
slept with more men than I can ever count, even Daniel. You’re right,
though. She is happy. Kim is a wonderful person, someone I truly adore, so
I’m happy for both of them. They compliment each other.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, but maybe you already know. Michael and I had
dinner with David and Kelly last night. They’re getting married in January.”
“Are you serious? Daniel didn’t tell me about that. Oh, I at least have to
call and congratulate them. David deserves some happiness after his first
wife. I love Kelly. She’s good for him. Did they talk about wedding plans at
all?”
“A little. It’s going to be at home with only the families. I’m surprised
you weren’t told about it.”
“Well, I’m not exactly in the McKnight family loop any more.”
“True, but David and Kelly had only complimentary things to say about you.
The divorce came up in conversation. David’s adamant about his feelings. He
thinks it’s a mistake.”
“Funny how everyone has an opinion. I’m not the one that asked for it. I’m
just not trying too hard to stop it. I mean if it’s what’s going to make
Daniel the happiest, then I’ll give him the divorce. I love him enough to
let him be happy, even if it means without me. It hurts like hell, but I
love him enough to let him go if that’s what he wants.”
“What do your parents think about all this? Have you told them about being
pregnant?”
“No, I haven’t told them. I don’t want to upset my father further right
now. He’s so angry at Daniel for hurting me, and my mother is upset. She
knows how I still feel about him.”
“You know, sometimes I wish I could just beat some sense into that man. He
can be so hard-headed at times. He’s throwing away his happiness. God, I
just want to hit him.”
“Yeah, well, you have to get in line behind my father, and when he’s
through there might not be much left of Daniel.”
On Sunday morning Brittany called David’s house, but a female answered.
“Kelly?” Brittany questioned.
“Yes.”
“Hi, this is Brittany. How are you?”
“Oh hi, dear. How are you? How are the kids?”
“The girls are great. Listen, I just heard from Melissa that you and David
are engaged. I just wanted to congratulate you both. I think it’s
wonderful.”
“Well, aren’t you the sweet daughter-in-law. Thank you.”
“Melissa said it was going to be a small affair, only family, but I was
wondering if I could help you with anything. I mean January is only three
months away, so there’s not much time.”
“Oh, that’s a very generous offer, Brittany, and we appreciate it, but we
have everything under control. There is one thing we wanted to ask of you,
though. I thought David might do it, but since you’re already one the phone,
I might as well be the one to ask.”
“Ask away. Whatever you need, Kelly, I’ll be happy to help. You just name
it.”
“Well, David and I have been talking a lot about what has been occurring
with you and Daniel. David has made it clear that he definitely wants you to
come to the ceremony. Divorced or not, you are the mother of his
grandchildren, and you hold a special place in his heart. Regardless of
Daniel, we want you here.”
“Kelly, David holds a special place with me too. I would love to come.”
“Fabulous. We want you to bring someone with you if you’d like. I mean
Joseph and Becca are bringing their boyfriends and my children are bringing
their spouses. If there’s someone in your life, we want you to bring him.”
“Well, thank you. That’s very kind. There’s no one in my life, but I’ll
think about bringing a date. Give David my best wishes and congratulations,
will you?”
“Of course, dear. We look forward to seeing you.”
.Chapter 10
The day of David and Kelly’s wedding was nerve-wracking for Brittany. The
three girls were being difficult to dress that day, and lately Brittany was
having problems with her pregnancy. When Colin arrived, Brittany already
looked exhausted.
“Can I do anything to help you, Brittany?” he asked with concern embracing
her.
“No. I’m just not feeling well, and the girls are trying my patience today.
Alexis refuses to cooperate with getting dressed.”
“Would you like me to try?”
“No. That’s’s all right. She just doesn’t want to mind. She’s her father’s
daughter to say the least when it comes to stubbornness and temper.”
When the five of them arrived at David’s, Joe was the first to greet them.
“Brittany, good to see you.” he said leaning to kiss her as he accepted hugs
from his nieces.
“Joseph, always good to see you. I want you to meet Colin.”
As they shook hands, Joe stated, “I’m that good for nothing’s brother. I’m
at least glad someone is taking care of Brittany. Maybe I should’ve swept
you up when I had the chance.”
Brittany and Joe both laughed. “Well, you were the first McKnight I was
interested in.” she teased.
“First one you kissed too.” he joked. “Well, come on. Let me introduce you
to Kelly’s children.”
It was obvious to Brittany that Dan was trying to avoid her that day. He
had made no attempt to speak to her, but thankfully everyone else made it a
point to make her feel included. As the day wore on, she kept feeling worse,
but she was determined to stay as long as possible. Disappearing into
David’s study, she sat heavily in one of his reading chairs and closed her
eyes. Only a brief moment passed before she heard the door open.
“Brittany, are you all right?” Colin asked in concern as he came and knelt
by her.
“I’ll be okay. I’m just not feeling well.”
“You need anything? How about a glass of water?” She nodded.
Dan was in the kitchen alone when Colin came in. Ignoring him Colin
proceeded to get Brittany’s drink until Dan slid over to him. “So, it looks
like you made quick work out of Brittany.” he mentioned.
“I mean she’s four, maybe five months pregnant. You work fast. After all,
the divorce isn’t even final. I’m surprised Brittany was that easy, but
maybe she’s changing her ways.”
Colin shot him an angry glare. “You know, Dan, you are such an asshole! I
don’t know why that woman loves you as much as she does! You decide to
divorce her when she’s pregnant with your child! You are the most despicable
human being I’ve ever met!” he yelled.
“You are damn lucky this is my father’s wedding! Otherwise I’d throw you
through that window for that lie! That can’t possibly be my child! If it
were, she would’ve told me! Besides, we’ve been separated since July!”
“Not so separated that you couldn’t use her for your own pleasure one last
time! That was the ultimate blow to that woman’s self-esteem! Having her own
husband telling her that making love to her was a mistake! Do you think
maybe she didn’t tell you because you made it clear how you felt about the
act that conceived that child? You’re such a jerk, Dan, and I wish she
didn’t want you back! She deserves better!”
Dan grabbed Colin by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the
refrigerator, knocking the glass out of Colin’s hands. Rage was consuming
him as he glowered at Colin, trying to intimidate him, but Colin stood firm.
Before Dan could take further action, Joe stepped into the kitchen. “Dan,
is there a problem?” his brother sternly inquired.
Dan let Colin go and just stared at him for a moment before replying, “No.
Everything’s fine.”
Both brothers watched Colin get another glass of water and depart before
Joe turned to Dan. “You look shaken. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Colin and I just got into a disagreement. He said some
things to me that shocked me.”
“Like what?”
“Like Brittany wants me back, and that baby she’s carrying is mine.”
“No way. I thought it was his.” Joe stated in surprise.
“So did I, but he says it’s mine. I can’t believe she never told me. Why
didn’t she?”
“Would it have mattered?” Joe pointedly asked. Dan just stared at him
contemplatively.
Brittany still had her eyes closed when Colin returned. “I heard yelling.”
she mentioned.
“Yeah. Dan and I were just talking, and he said some not so nice things. He
thinks the baby is mine.”
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. I got upset, and I let him have it. I just went off on him. I’m
sorry. I know you didn’t want him to know just yet.”
“It’s okay. He would’ve have to have been told eventually. Thank you for
sticking up for me.”
“Here. Try to drink some water. Are you sure you don’t want me to take you
home?”
“Just give me a few minutes. If I don’t start feeling better, you can take
me. I just don’t want to leave yet.”
“All right. I’m going to go thank Joe for saving me from Dan’s wrath. I’ll
come check on you in a little bit.”
A little while later Dan was trying to find Brittany for a chat when he
found her asleep in his father’s library. Hovering in the doorway he just
watched her for a moment before deciding to cover her with a near by throw.
Taking care to position it just right to cover her body and feet, Dan knelt
beside the chair and looked at her. Some of her blonde hair had fallen into
her face, so Dan gently tucked it behind her ear. Suddenly he heard movement
at the door and turned to see his new step-mother standing there overlooking
the situation. Dan stood and went to her, closing the door behind him.
“She doesn’t look well, Daniel.”
“I know. I guess this pregnancy is taking a toll on her. I just wish I had
known about it. I would’ve offered to help out more.”
“Why do you think she kept it from you?”
Dan shrugged. “Maybe Colin’s right. It might be because I was such a jerk.”
“You were upset and confused, and you said things you didn’t mean.
Sometimes that happens. You’re not a jerk, Daniel.”
“Well, he is right that she deserves more.”
Kelly nodded. “Daniel, you still love her. I saw it just now in your
tenderness, so you can’t deny it. Why don’t you try to reconcile?”
“Colin says she wants me back, but what if she doesn’t?”
“Talk to her. That’s the only way for you to find out. Don’t let love slip
away from you, Daniel. It’s right here in front of you. All you have to do
is take the initiative.”
Curving an arm around her shoulders, Dan smiled down at her. “I knew I’d
enjoy having you for a step-mother.”
The following morning Dan called Mike at his office early. “What can I do
for you, Dan?” Mike inquired.
“Um, Mike, I’m not really sure how common of a request this is, but I want
you to stall on the divorce.”
“That’s not a problem. I can stop it with Brittany’s permission.”
“No. I didn’t say stop. I just said stall.”
“All right. If that’s what you want, I think I can manage that. May I ask
why?”
“Did you know Brittany was pregnant?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Did you know it was mine?”
“Dan, I didn’t ask who it belonged to, and she didn’t tell me. It was quite
obvious that she didn’t want to discuss it with me. It’s really yours? How
did you find out?”
“She brought her boyfriend to my dad’s wedding yesterday. He told me. I
don’t think he meant to, but once it was out there, he didn’t deny it.”
“Do you mean Colin?”
“Yeah, that’s his name. You know him?”
“We’ve met. So, is that why you’re asking me to stall? Are you changing
your mind about the divorce because of the baby?”
“No, not necessarily. I just want to talk to her about this and see where
we stand.”
“All right. Well, I will tell Brittany you’ve slowed the process.”
“No. Don’t tell her anything. I don’t want her to know. If she asks about
it, just make something up. Tell her you’re working on it or something.”
“Dan, she’s my client. I can’t lie to her. If she asks, I have to tell her
the truth, but she never asks. I don’t think she really wants to know where
it stands.”
“Where does it stand anyway?”
“Honestly, it could be wrapped up by mid-February. Neither of you have made
any difficult demands, so it’s been simple. This is the easiest divorce I’ve
ever worked on.”
“Will you stall it until mid-March?”
“I can make that happen.”
“Thank you. Our anniversary is February fourteenth. I don’t want those
memories tainted by this.”
“I understand, Dan.”
“Good. I’ve got to call Brittany and see if she’ll talk to me.”
“All right. Take care of yourself, and think about what you’re doing
carefully.”
When Dan called the house, Kim answered the phone. “Hey, Kim. How’s it
going? How are the girls?”
“Just fine. How are you?”
“All right. Listen, I need to talk to Brittany. Is she home?”
“Actually she is, but she asked me not to disturb her. She’s really sick
and working too hard on her dissertation. She’s under some immense pressure,
and I think it’s catching up to her. Right now she upstairs passed out in
bed. She needs rest.”
“Yeah. I noticed that yesterday. All right. Just let her know that I
called, and I’d like to speak to her as soon as she’s feeling better. It’s
important.”
“Okay. I’ll tell her as soon as she gets up.”
“Let her know that she doesn’t have to call back today but soon.”
That afternoon after spending most of the day in bed, Brittany wandered
downstairs in her pajamas. “Britt, you just don’t look good.” Kim mentioned.
“I feel even worse. I’m just glad I don’t have any classes, but I’m getting
behind in my work.”
“You need to worry about getting better. This is not good for the baby.
Speaking of getting better, Dan called this morning wanting to talk to you.
He said it was important and wants to talk to you as soon as you’re up to
it.”
“Well, he’s just going to have to wait. I’m sure this is about the baby,
but I’m just not up to it right now.”
“Well, he said it didn’t have to be today but soon.”
“I’m going to give this a few more days, and if it doesn’t get better, I’m
going to have to go back to the doctor. I don’t know what they can do,
though.” Brittany mentioned as she thought over her symptoms.
That morning she woke to a dull but persistent abdominal cramping, which
concerned her. Hoping it would go away, she just tried to ignore it and
relax the rest of the day. However through the night came a crescendo of
pain. By early morning Brittany could hardly move but managed to call Kim to
come over. As soon as she arrived Brittany whispered, “Get the girls. I need
to go to the hospital right now.”
“All right. You just stay right where you are. I’ll get he girls in the car
and then come get you. Do you want me to call someone?”
Brittany shook her head. “Just hurry.” she winced.
Dan had just gotten back from his afternoon class when he heard the phone
ring. Packing up his office for the day, he picked up the call mumbling,
“Daniel McKnight.”
“Dan, it’s Kim.”
“Kim, what’s wrong? Is it one of the girls?” he inquired with immediate
alarm at the sound of her distressed voice.
“No. They’re fine. It’s Brittany.”
“Oh, God. What happened?”
“Dan, I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but Brittany’s
miscarried. I took her to the ER this morning. We’re back at home now, and I
put her in bed. She’s in a lot of pain, Dan. She can hardly move. I’m about
to get off work here in a little while, but she’s in no shape to take care
of the girls alone.”
“Okay. Can you stay there a little longer today?”
“Sure.”
“All right. You stay there. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as
possible.” he mumbled feeling the familiar heart shattering pain of the loss
of a child.
Traffic had never seemed so bad as he made the drive to Brittany’s house.
He arrived shortly after 5:30. Kim answered the door with Ana on her hip.
“Daddy.” Ana babbled reaching for Dan.
“Hi, pumpkin.” he greeted taking her into his arms. Turning to Kim he
asked, “How is she?”
“She’s asleep right now, but she’s an emotional wreck.”
“All right. Can you stay longer and watch the girls?”
“Yeah, but as soon as the traffic dies down, I was going to take the girls
to Jen and Melissa’s. They offered to keep them for the night. Then I was
going to come back here and stay with Brittany in case she needed anything.”
“Kim, you look exhausted. Why don’t you take the girls to Jen and Melissa’s
and then take the rest of the night off? I’ll stay here with Brittany
tonight.”
“Are you sure? She’s not up for confrontation, Dan.”
“I know. I promise you that there will be no confrontations. She’s safe
with me. I’ll take care of her.”
“You promise me? I don’t want to have to worry about her.”
“Kim, before I married Brittany I had already lost two other children by
other women. No parent gets over that. Emotionally I know what she’s going
through. She’s going to need help dealing with this and so do I.” Dan could
see Kim was contemplating her response. His tears were threatening. Pushing
Ana’s head gently into his chest so she wouldn’t see his tears, he
whispered, “Kim, I need her, and she needs me right now.”
“All right. I’ll take the girls, but I’ll call you later.”
Handing Ana back to Kim, Dan mumbled, “Thank you.”
Dan headed up to the master bedroom and softly knocked on the door. Hearing
no answer, he quietly stepped into the room and went to the bedside to look
down on Brittany. Her face was wet with tears, but she was breathing the
rhythm of sleep. Dan couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer as tears
began flowing freely. All at once he realized the pain he had put Brittany
through over the past six months. Through the whole ordeal she had remained
the strong woman he had always loved and admired. He still felt his love for
her just as intensely as the day he first discovered it sitting on the
bleachers at track practice.
Caving to his need to touch her, Dan slipped into bed, tentatively putting
an arm around her waist. Even in her sleep her body sought out his, and she
pressed into his chest with her back. Dan sobbed quietly over the loss of
their child and their love until fatigued sleep overtook him.
When Brittany awoke, she saw twilight through the wooden slats on the
blinds. As she became more aware, she felt another body against her back and
hand tucked naturally just under the edge of her breast. Slowly picking up
the hand with her own, she noticed the familiar wedding band. Hoping that
she wasn’t dreaming, she slowly turned to face him. The pain that passed
through her body proved it was reality.
Brittany studied him as he slept. They hadn’t been this close in five
months, but his arms still provided the comfort she desperately sought. She
raised her hand slowly to his face, her palm grazing his day old stubble. He
turned into the caress in his sleep as her name fell from his lips. Brittany
felt her heart pounding loudly as she brushed her thumb across his lips. His
eyes slowly opened to meet hers. She saw the unguarded look of love in his
sleepy eyes. Expecting it to fade as he woke, she was surprised to find it
didn’t. Dan took her hand off his cheek and brought it to his mouth to kiss
it.
“I’m sorry.” he whispered. “I‘m sorry you have to know this sorrow, and I’m
sorry for everything I’ve done to make the past six months hell. I’ve been a
jerk, and I let my pride hurt everything we worked so hard for.”
“I’m sorry I allowed things to happen with Peyton. I never meant to hurt
you. You’re the love of my life, and I still love you more than anything
else in this world.”
“I love you too, Brittany.” he confessed. Brittany leaned in to kiss him,
closing her eyes as his lips splayed warmth throughout her entire body.
When she pulled away, he swallowed hard. “What about Colin?” he inquired
softly.
“Colin is my friend and companion, but he’s not the man who holds my heart.
You’re the only one, Daniel, always have been.” They laid silently for a few
minutes as they both enjoyed the closeness of their bodies. “Where are the
girls?” Brittany finally asked.
“They’re at Jen and Melissa’s. Kim was just too tired to come back and stay
with you tonight, so I told her I’d stay. She needed some rest.”
“So, we’re alone?”
“Yeah. Why don’t I make us some dinner? You need to eat something.” he said
sitting up to turn on the light. “You want to stay in bed or come downstairs
with me?”
“I think I’d like to stay up here and take a bath. I haven’t had the chance
to bathe today, and I feel kind of gross.”
“Okay. Well, why don’t I run you a nice, hot bubble bath before I start
dinner?”
“You don’t have to. I can do it.” Brittany said slowly starting to get out
of bed.
Dan saw the pain reflected in her eyes. “Brittany, just relax. I’ll do it.
I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”
Dan went into the bathroom to prepare her bath. As the water was running,
Dan got out a fresh set of pajamas for her as well as lined the colossal tub
with candles. When he came back to the bedroom, he asked, “You want me to
carry you?” She nodded. “Why don’t we get rid of this first?” he suggested
softly touching her t-shirt. “Do you need help?”
Brittany was relishing the attention too much to decline. “If you wouldn’t
mind.”
Dan carefully lifted the hem of her shirt over her head baring her body.
Dan felt his pulse quicken but kept his eyes focused elsewhere as he gently
slid one arm under her bare thighs and the other around her back. He saw her
wince when he picked her up off the bed. Going into the bathroom he slowly
lowered her into the water. “I’ll be making dinner. I’ll come help you out
of the tub when you’re ready.” When Dan finished preparing a quick meal, he
brought it up to the sitting area of the bedroom. Poking his head into the
bathroom he inquired, “You about ready to get out?” She shook her head.
“Maybe I should bring dinner in to you.” he joked. She smiled. “Well, it can
wait until your ready. I’ll just get the bed set up for you later.”
He turned to leave, but she stopped him. “Daniel, if I asked you to join
me, would you?” hesitantly she asked.
“You’re in pain. I wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt you further.”
“You won’t. The tub is large enough for both of us.”
“Do you really want me to?”
“Yes. I need to feel you to know you’re really here.”
Dan came to the edge of the tub. Brittany watched him casually undress.
Even with the pain she was feeling, she could still feel the sexual current
in her body as he revealed his form. Dan stepped in behind her and carefully
lowered himself into the water, his legs wrapping around her hips. She
leaned into his chest, and neither said a word as they listened to each
other breathe.
After the water began to turn cold, Dan got out and dressed in only his
boxers and t-shirt before turning to assist Brittany with drying herself and
donning clean pajamas. He lifted her again taking her back to the bed for
their dinner. Once they were finished, Dan took the dishes down to the
kitchen and came back with several of Brittany’s favorite movies. The rest
of the evening passed in relative silence.
Finally at bed time, Dan made an attempt to leave, but Brittany stopped
him. “Daniel, please don’t go.”
“I just want you to be comfortable.” he mentioned.
“I’m most comfortable with you here. I need you here holding me.” she
whispered.
Dan saw her glistening eyes. Giving a nod in consent, he slid back into bed
and turned out the light. Moving toward her, he reached for her body. They
came together in the center of the bed. “Good night, Brittany. I love you.”
he whispered kissing the her ear.
Dan could tell she was crying as she hoarsely replied, “I love you, too.”
Dan awoke early the next morning. Leaving Brittany in bed to sleep, he
headed downstairs to make breakfast. He was just off in his own thoughts
when he heard the garage door. Following the sound, Dan found Kim unbuckling
the kids from their car seats. As soon as Alexis saw him, she ran toward her
father screaming in excitement, “Daddy!”
Dan scooped her up into his arms giving her a good tickle. “How are my
girls? Were you good for Jen and Melissa?” he asked leaning down to kiss his
other daughters. “Morning, Kim.”
“Morning. How is she?”
“Under the circumstances she’s doing all right. She’s in pain and
emotionally she’s a mess, but that’s to be expected. I think last night was
good for both of us, though.”
Everyone went into the kitchen where Kim began to fix breakfast for the
girls and Dan continued with Brittany’s. “After the kids finish eating, why
don’t you bring them up to see Brittany? I’m sure they could lift her
spirits.”
Brittany awoke to the smell of food. Opening her eyes, she saw Dan staring
down at her with tray in hand. “Thought you might be hungry.” he mentioned
putting the try on the night stand.
“Thank you.” she mumbled easing herself into a sitting position.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he inquired brushing back some of her
blonde hair. She shrugged. “Well, I’m going to go take a shower. I need to
get going to class here in a little bit. However I can come back afterwards
if you’d like. You’ll probably need some help after Kim leaves.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
By the time Dan had showered and dressed in yesterday’s clothes, Brittany
was visiting with the children. Kim was sitting in the bedside chair
supervising the activity. Victoria was on one side of Brittany and Ana on
the other while Alexis was perched between her thighs.
“You be careful now. Mommy doesn’t feel well. She’s sick.” Dan called out
seeing the pain in Brittany’s features as the girls clung to her.
Victoria looked at her father then mother before putting her tiny hand
against Brittany’s midsection. “Baby sick too?” she inquired looking at her
mom.
Tears came to Brittany’s eyes at her child’s question. She shot a helpless
look at Dan. Dan took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Victoria, come here.
Come sit in my lap.” he stated. Dan stared at Brittany as he wondered how to
tell his daughters the news. As she crawled into his lap, he looked down at
her. Her green eyes were staring back at him obviously waiting for an answer
to her question. Dan sighed heavily. “Victoria, your Mommy and I both
thought we were going to have a baby, but we were wrong. There is no baby.”
“But Mommy said so.” Victoria stated in confusion.
“I know, but I’m telling you now that there is no baby.”
“But I wanted baby.” she pouted crossing her arms.
Dan did his best not to lose it as he brought her closer. “I know, honey,
so did Mommy and Daddy. You have to be a good girl now. Maybe we’ll get you
one later.”
“Promise?” she asked with renewed hope.
Dan looked at Brittany. “We’ll see. Why don’t the three of you go with Kim
now? Mommy needs to rest. You can see her later.”
When the girls were gone, Dan moved to Brittany as their emotional walls
crumbled. Wrapping her in his embrace, he held her as they both cried. About
half an hour later, Dan stated, “I have to get going. Would you like me to
stay here? I could cancel class.”
“No. Go ahead. I’ll be all right.”
“Why don’t your rest? I’ll be back this afternoon.” Dan carefully tucked
her under the covers. “Call me at the office if you need anything.”
Brittany took a nap, waking just after the girls’ lunch time. She showered
slowly and dressed before going downstairs to find Kim settled on the couch
with a book while the girls napped. Taking a seat on the sofa, Brittany just
stared out into nothing as her mind thought about last night.
“So, I take it things went well with Dan.” Kim mentioned bringing her back
to reality. “I was worried about leaving you here at first, but I could see
the pain in his eyes. He said he needed you.”
“Did he? Actually, as horrible as the circumstances were, we did have a
wonderful evening. He was the man I fell in love with all those years ago,
gentle and attentive.”
“Did you talk about your relationship at all?”
“No, but things are definitely better. I know him well enough to know this
is not pity he’s showing me. It’s love, the love we used to share. I don’t
want to push him into talking about his feelings until he’s ready. I’m just
going to let things unfold as they will over the next few days. I think I’ll
be more sure of his intentions by then. After last night, I’ll do anything
to get him back into my life.”
“Why’s that? Something happen?”
“I told him how I’ve felt over the last several months. I told him that I
still was in love with him, and he admitted that he still felt the same for
me. If that’s true, I’ll do everything I can to win him back. I need him.”
Dan arrived home shortly before Kim left for the evening. Brittany and Dan
had dinner with the children before Dan took them all upstairs for bath
time. Once the three were clean and in pajamas, they all joined Brittany on
the couch for a Disney movie. Dan and Brittany sat on opposite sides of the
couch with Alexis next to Dan, Victoria in the middle, and Ana curled up
with her head in Brittany’s lap.
During the progression of the film, Dan’s eyes strayed to Brittany, who was
absent-mindedly twirling Ana’s dark hair. Dan’s heart ached at the sight of
her loveliness, even under the circumstances. She was such beautiful
creature, and it was only magnified by her actions, so unconscious yet
tender. Brittany sat with her eyes focused on the television, but she knew
Dan was watching her. She didn’t have to meet his gaze to feel his eyes on
her. She wondered where his thoughts led him as he studied her.
When it was the girls’ bedtime, Dan took them upstairs. He tucked each one
in before kissing their angelic faces. He the returned to the living room
where Brittany was channel surfing. “Would you like a fire?” he inquired
eying the wood neatly stacked near the hearth.
“Okay.” she mumbled.
Dan started the fire before going to the bar. Opening her favorite wine, he
poured two glasses. Turning out the lights, he suggested, “Why don’t I put
on some music?” He started her favorite jazz CD before coming back to the
couch. They drank their wine in silence for a few minutes before he
inquired, “How are you feeling?”
“A little better. I actually made it downstairs, so that’s an improvement.”
Dan nodded. “Daniel, I wanted to thank you for this morning. I hadn’t
thought about what to tell the girls.”
“It caught me off guard too. Sometimes Vitoria is a little too smart for
her own good. Must take after you.” he teased trying to make her smile.
A few more minutes passed before Brittany commented, “That fire feels nice.
We haven’t had one all winter.”
“Why not?”
“Too much work for one person, especially with the girls.”
“I guess that’s true. How’s your dissertation coming?”
“Pretty good. This has set me back, though.”
“Well, this is going to take time. Don’t push yourself too hard. It’ll only
make your recovery last longer.”
“I know. I know this isn’t going to go away in my heart any time soon. I’m
just so sorry this happened.” she whispered.
“So am I, Brittany, but know that I’m here for you.” Brittany nodded as she
stared into the fire. The flames blurred from tears. She felt familiar arms
embrace her. “It’s going to be all right.” Dan assured her. Turning her head
into his neck, Brittany wept.
They spent the rest of the night in a quiet embrace. Once they had finished
the bottle of wine, Brittany stated, “I think I’m going to retire for the
evening.”
“All right. I’ll lock up the house and then tuck you in.” he joked.
Brittany eased herself up the stairs. Going into each child’s room, she
kissed their girls before proceeding into the master bedroom. She changed
into her pajamas and conducted her nightly routine before getting into bed.
Dan entered a few minutes later and sat in the bedside chair. Brittany took
his hand asking, “Aren’t you going to come to bed?”
“Well, I just wanted to know where you wanted me to sleep first.”
“Right here.” she answered patting the empty space next to her in the bed.
Dan nodded. He slipped out of his clothes leaving him in only his boxers
before joining her. When he climbed in, Brittany curled up closely. Dan
heard her fall asleep, but his mind was too active to follow. Instead he
thought about their relationship. Their four year anniversary was only two
weeks away. Over the past few days he was beginning to have doubts about the
impending divorce. In his heart he knew this was the woman he would always
love and wanted for eternity. Her love for their children only served to
strengthen his own feelings toward her. He needed to know if they could mend
their tattered relationship. He resolved to speak to her when she was
feeling better emotionally.
****************************************************************
Two weeks later was Valentine’s Day, their anniversary. Dan had been an
attentive father over the past few weeks while Brittany was recovering. He
and Brittany had spent every night since the miscarriage together holding
and comforting each other. Although he was a regular fixture in her bed
again, they hadn’t kissed or expressed their feelings since the incident.
Being that they hadn’t spoke about the direction of their marriage, Dan had
been hesitant about getting Brittany anything, but he knew by not getting
her anything he might send her the wrong message about how he was feeling.
Stopping by his place after school, he dropped off his dirty clothes and
packed some clean ones for the next few days before heading to Brittany’s.
When he pulled into the driveway, he noticed a vaguely familiar car but
couldn’t place it. Going to the front door, he used his key for the first
time since the separation.
Brittany was sitting on the couch with Colin when she heard the lock
turning. She smiled brightly to herself knowing it was Dan. Dan stepped into
the foyer and saw Brittany and Colin. Swallowing his insecurity, he gave
them both a smile.
“Daddy’s home. Where are my girls?” he inquired setting his bag on the
floor.
“In the game room with Kim. How was your day?” Brittany asked.
“Pretty good. Happy Valentine’s Day by the way.”
Brittany blushed. “Thank you for the roses. They were gorgeous. The girls
liked theirs too.”
“Good. I’m going to check on them.”
“Maybe I should go.” Colin mentioned to Brittany, but Dan stopped him.
“Nonsense. Don’t feel like you need to leave on my account. You’re a good
friend to Brittany, and I’m sure she’s glad to have you, especially under
the circumstances.” Dan walked back to the game room leaving them alone.
“Well, you and Dan seem to be getting along better these days. He got you
roses?”
Brittany nodded. “It’s our four year anniversary today. He hasn’t mentioned
it, but I know he remembers.”
“Oh, well, I shouldn’t be imposing on your time then.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s actually nice to have you here. I think it
would be a bit awkward otherwise. I mean we’re not divorced, and it’s our
anniversary. I don’t know if he has any intentions of celebrating it.”
“Do you?” Colin asked.
Brittany knew what Colin was really asking. He wanted to know if she and
Dan were reconciling. “Colin, a lot has happened since the wedding a couple
of weeks ago. When I lost the baby, Daniel came to me with open arms. He’s
been a great comfort. He’s been caring towards me and even more attentive
towards the girls. That first night we admitted we still loved each other.
Those were the words I’ve been needing to hear since last summer. Neither of
us is running any more.”
“Well, that’s what you wanted, so I’m happy for you. I was going to see if
you wanted to go to dinner tonight, but I think you probably want to stay
here.”
Brittany nodded. “Thank you for the offer though, and thank you for the
flowers. They’re beautiful.”
Colin nodded. “Anything for my favorite lady.” he mumbled.
Brittany could tell Colin was having difficulty with the re-introduction of
Dan into her life. She knew there was always a part of him that hoped their
friendship would blossom. “Colin,
I guess I should’ve told you this sooner.” she mentioned.
“Why? You don’t owe me anything, especially answers concerning your
husband. I just want you to be happy, Brittany. I care about you and your
well-being.”
“I know, and I appreciate the concern.”
Colin finished his cup of coffee quickly. “Well, I’m going to go.” he
stated standing.
“You don’t have to.” Brittany stood touching his arm.
He caressed her cheek lightly for a moment before saying, “I need to. It’s
the right thing to do.”
Brittany nodded in understanding escorting him to the door. He pulled her
into a hug kissing the top of her head. “Happy anniversary, Mrs. McKnight.”
he whispered before quickly bounding down the steps to his car.
Once he was gone, Brittany walked into the game room to see Dan on the
floor with the girls and Kim. “So, Brittany, I was thinking I’d take you and
the girls out to dinner tonight if you didn’t already have plans with
Colin.” he mentioned.
She shook her head answering, “I’m free.”
“Great. How about your favorite place? I think they could accommodate the
kids with some advance notice.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
“All right then. I’ll make the reservation.”
Dinner that night focused mainly on the children, easing the tension
between Dan and Brittany. Both of them knew the time for talking was at
hand. However they delayed it until the girls had been put down for the
evening. They were sitting in the den quietly gazing at the fire when Dan
retrieved a wrapped box from his overcoat.
“What’s this?” Brittany asked when he extended it to her.
“I’m just returning something that belongs to you.”
Curiously Brittany opened the box, but there was only a paper heart inside
with Dan’s name written across it. She smiled. “Are you getting sentimental
on me?” she joked trying to keep the mood light to ease the tension.
Taking Brittany’s hands Dan knelt beside her. “Brittany you’ve always owned
my heart. It belongs with you.”
“What are you saying, Daniel?” she asked nervously hoping the moment she
had longed for was at hand.
“Brittany, I... I want to come home. I want us to be a family again. Being
here over the past few weeks has proven to me that this is where I’ve always
belonged, with you and our children. I want to correct the mistakes I’ve
made before it’s too late if you’ll let me. Will you take me back into your
life?”
Brittany smiled as she withdrew one hand to wipe her eyes. “Oh, Daniel, I
had hoped you would want to come home. I’ve missed you desperately. I want
you back in our house and in my life. You will always be in my heart,
Daniel, and I could never stop loving you. Please come back to me.”
Dan gently wiped her tears before leaning to kiss her mouth sweetly. “God,
I’ve missed that.” he whispered, leaning his forehead into hers.
“I love you, Daniel.”
“I love you too, Brittany. Happy anniversary.”
“Happy anniversary to you too.”
The following morning when Dan got to his office he called Mike. “Dan, you
sound happier than you have in months.” Mike mentioned.
“That’s because Brittany and I have finally come to an agreement concerning
the divorce. Neither of us wants to pursue it any more.”
“Well, that’s great! I’m so relieved! Nothing like a baby to bring you back
together, huh?”
Dan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Actually Mike, things didn’t go
so well with the baby. In fact Brittany had a miscarriage.”
“Oh, no! She was already in the second trimester! That’s horrible! I’m so
sorry!”
“Well, it happened about two weeks ago just after Dad’s wedding. We’ve kept
it to ourselves. As awful as it is, it’s been instrumental in getting us to
talk about things.”
“Well, I’m at least glad you’re both giving up this foolishness. I’m just
sorry it came at such a high price.”
“We both are too. It made us realize how stupid and childish we were being.
It’s been a hard lesson to learn.”
“Well, I’ll be happy to tear up all the paperwork. As Brittany’s attorney,
I’m going to have to speak to her about this and confirm it.”
“I understand. She’s at home right now if you want to call her. By the way,
just so you know. We haven’t told Melissa, Jen, or Becca about the
miscarriage. You don’t have to keep it a secret, but I’m not sure Brittany’s
ready to face it either.”
“All right. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll talk to you later.”
After work that day, Dan went to his place to pack up most of his things.
When he pulled up at home that evening, he saw his mother-in-law’s car in
the driveway. Dan grabbed an armful of clothes before heading into the
house. As he opened the door, he heard Brittany and her mother in the
kitchen. “I’m home.” he called out as he walked toward their voices. He
rounded the corner to see his wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law all
staring at him.
“I was wondering where you were.” Brittany mentioned coming to him.
They kissed quickly before Dan said, “I just thought I should get some of
my stuff moved back into the house. You didn’t tell me your parents were
coming.”
“I didn’t know. They just surprised me.”
“Well, it’s good to see you again, Brian and Mary. It’s been a long time.”
Dan greeted them. Dan saw the dislike in Brian’s gaze but ignored it.
“It’s good to see you too, Daniel. Are you moving back in?” Mary inquired.
“Yes. Brittany and I have settled our differences, which has been to the
benefit of both of us and the girls.”
“Well, I’m glad everything has worked itself out. As long as Brittany’s
happy, that’s all we care about. Right, Brian?” Mary prompted.
“Right.” he mumbled shooting daggers at Dan.
Brittany patted Dan’s chest lightly. “Well, I’m very happy that Daniel and
I were able to work it out.”
“Well, I think I’m just going to go unpack my stuff.” Dan stated.
Once Dan was gone, Brittany turned to her father. “Dad, you have to try. I
know you’re upset with him, but if I can forgive, I need you to try as
well.”
“Honey, that man hurt you. That’s hard to get passed.”
“Dad, we hurt each other. He said and did inappropriate things but so did
I. I fully admit that things were more my fault than Daniel’s. He’s forgiven
me, and I’ve forgiven him for the things he did in hurt. We’ve apologized to
each other for our mistakes, and we admitted that we still want to be
married. That’s the way it is, Dad. Now please, don’t hold this over him.
This is my marriage. This is what I want. Please respect my wishes.”
“For you sweetheart, I will try.”
“Thank you.”
That night after the children had gone to bed, Brittany and Mary went into
the guest room for girl talk, leaving Dan and Brian alone in the den. “Want
another drink?” Dan inquired going to the bar.
“No thank you.” stiffly Brian answered.
Dan just nodded before fixing himself another. Settling onto the couch
again, he said, “All right. Let’s have it. I know you have words to say to
me. You might as well get them out instead of harboring them.”
“I promised Brittany and Mary I wouldn’t.” he answered.
“Brian, I really think we should talk about this. Please, if we’re going to
have any kind of relationship again, I think we should get this out in the
open.”
“All right. She’s my baby, Dan, my only child. You hurt her terribly. I
always told her anyone that hurt her would pay.”
“So you want to make me pay? I am paying, Brian. It’s because of our pride
that we lost a child. I should’ve been here for her. I wasted seven months
of my life, because she hurt me. I spent all that time trying to hurt her as
much out of my pain. We made each other suffer and for nothing. We had a
problem. Looking back on it, I know there were more productive ways to
resolution, but hurt impairs one thinking. She hurt me deeply, and I lashed
out at her in anger. I regret that now. I’m sorry I hurt Brittany. I never
intend to do that again. I want to be her husband and father to those girls.
She’s been gracious enough to allow me back in her life, and I’m going to
take the opportunity to its fullest. We both deserve the happiness we once
had, and I know we can find it again. I just want to make her happy, Brian.”
Brian nodded. “She loves you. She always has.”
“I never stopped loving her. She is my life.”
Brian rolled his eyes. “If she was your life, Dan, you wouldn’t have walked
out on her in the first place.”
“Brian, do you even know the circumstances surrounding my departure?” Dan
inquired testily. “I think you might feel differently if you knew the reason
why I decided to leave. Did she tell you?”
“No. She didn’t really give us an explanation as to why, just that you had
some problems to work out.”
Dan contemplated explaining the situation, but he figured the details would
harm Brian’s image of his daughter, so he stated, “Basically that’s true. We
did have some problems to overcome, and it didn’t look like we would.
However fate has brought us back together, but it was at a high price. We
lost a child. We can never get that back, and it grieves us to know we had a
hand in it. It didn’t have to be this way. We’re just trying to pick up the
pieces and move forward.”
“I just don’t want Brittany to have to go through this again. She deserves
better.”
“Yes, she does, and I’m going to try to give her better. In fact when she’s
ready, I’m going to try to give her the one thing she wants most.”
“What’s that?”
“Another baby, hopefully a son. That’s if she still wants one. After what’s
happened, she may have changed her mind.”
“A grandson would be nice.” Brian mentioned.
“Well, we’ll have to see. It could take some time before she’s ready again,
if she ever is.”
“I think she will be. She’s got determination like her mother. When she
wants something, she goes after it. Just give it time. When Mary had her two
miscarriages, I wasn’t sure she would want to try again, but she did, and
it’s because of that longing that we had Brittany.”
“Well, it’ll take some time. Right now we have to work on our relationship
first.”
Meanwhile up in the guest bedroom mother and daughter were curled up on the
queen bed chatting about the children, when Mary stated, “It’s good to see
you happier, Brittany. I know this miscarriage was rough on you.”
“Well, it was easier to bear with Daniel here. He’s been such a perfect
gentleman, catering to my every need. I’m glad we were able to work things
out finally.”
“May I ask what really happened between you two? I could sense you didn’t
want to tell your father the truth, and then earlier you mentioned that is
was more your fault than Daniel’s. Is it what I think it is? Were you
unfaithful to your husband?”
“Mom, it’s more complicated than that.” Brittany replied.
“Is it? I think I know Daniel well enough to know that’s probably the only
reason he’d ever even consider divorce. That’s just about the only wrong you
could do in his eyes.” When Brittany didn’t respond, Mary asked, “What
could’ve caused you to go outside your relationship? Was Daniel treating you
poorly? He didn’t hit you, did he?”
“No, Mom. He’s never struck me.”
“Threatened you maybe?” Brittany shook her head. “Then what? What would
cause you to have an affair?”
“It wasn’t an affair! It was one kiss!” she yelled. “One stupid kiss!”
“So you were unfaithful. What possessed you to do that? What was so wrong
in your relationship with Daniel?”
“Nothing, honestly. I just was attracted to this other man. It never
should’ve happened, and I did regret it, but Daniel caught us in that
compromising position. All hell broke loose, and he was too hurt to see the
truth. Then I tried to reconcile with him and thought I had succeeded when
he and I were intimate again, but it wasn’t the case. That’s when I lost it,
and pretty much told him it was over between us. The day after he filed for
divorce. That’s the real story. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Dad.”
“You know, honey, you’re always going to find other men that you’re
attracted to. That’s a natural part of life, but when you’re married you
have to withstand that temptation. That’s part of the obligation of being
married. Are you truly prepared to do that? If you’re not, that’s okay, but
you have to be honest with Daniel. Was this an isolated incident, or do you
think there are other options you need to pursue?”
“It was a mistake, Mom, and I know that. Daniel means everything to me. I
so want this marriage to work.”
Mary nodded. “If this is what you want, I support you. I always will, and I
want you to feel like you can talk to me if this temptation comes up again.
I won’t judge you, sweetie. Relationships are difficult sometimes, and I
just want you to be in one that makes you happy.”
Leaning over to hug her mother, Brittany whispered, “Thanks for
understanding, Mom.”
Brain and Mary stayed for a few days leaving Brittany and Dan little time
to themselves. The time they did have was usually spent right before bed and
just after waking, so most of it was spent in the confines of bed, being
close to each other. They had quickly gotten back into their old routine,
although sex was no longer a part of their agenda. Dan had made an effort to
substitute it with physical closeness, because he knew Brittany wasn’t ready
nor would she be for quite some time.
Weeks passed and with it spring descended upon them. Their weekends were
filled with activities for the children. One such afternoon Brittany and Dan
had taken them to the park and were supervising from a near by bench as they
cuddled together. “Honey, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something
important. I’ve put it off for awhile, because I wanted us a chance to get
some normalcy back in our lives before asking.” Dan began hesitantly.
“What is it, Daniel?”
“Well, quite some time ago you mentioned the idea of having another baby.
After all that’s happened, I was wondering if you’ve changed your mind.”
“Well, I hadn’t thought about it. I’m not against it. I think I would still
like to have another, but wether I will be able to or not remains to be
seen. I need to go to the doctor and be checked out. They told me that I
should do that when I was at the ER, but I haven’t yet. I’m kind of anxious
about what they might tell me.”
“Well, you know that whatever they say, I support you completely. If they
say we can’t have more children, then I will still feel blessed with the
three we have. Each is a precious gift, and I’m thankful for them.”
“Me too, but I guess I just don’t want that door to be closed on us. I want
to still have the option.”
“I know. Listen, if it will help ease your anxiety, I’ll go with you.”
“I’d like that.”
“Fine. Just let me know when.” A moment passed before he asked, “How’s your
dissertation coming along?”
“I’m a little over half finished. Hopefully I’ll be done by the end of the
summer.”
“Then what’s your plan? Have you though about going back to teaching?”
“I’m thinking about it, but I haven’t decided if I should teach on the high
school or collegiate level yet. In college most people are in physics
because they want to be there, unlike high school. Although I love the
challenge of turning a kid on to science. It’s pretty amazing when it
happens. Means more to me than money ever could.”
“Yeah, I used to feel that way too. Sometimes I miss high school English
and coaching. If I could coach again, I’d really like to, but I’m not sure I
could.”
“Why don’t you at least try if you want to? Would you want to go back to
track?”
Dan nodded. “Either that or football.”
“Not football, Daniel, please. I don’t want our girls subjected to that
side of you. We’ve come so far with your anger. I wouldn’t want to destroy
all that hard work. As a football coach, I could see you going down that
path again.”
Dan shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t really matter. Coaching of any kind would
take away from the girls, and I’m not sure I want to do that.”
“Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. If you want to coach, we’ll work it
out.”
****************************************************************
As weeks progressed, Brittany and Dan continued to focus on the children
instead of their relationship. That had regressed to the point that the
physical intimacy they shared was limited to chaste kissing and cuddling. In
fact to Dan it felt like the brief friendship they had shared before they
finally revealed their feelings. Dan hadn’t even considered propositioning
Brittany for more in fear that she wasn’t ready physically or emotionally in
return to that kind of relationship.
Brittany on the other hand was counting every day that passed since they
had reunited. She knew Dan was wary of her physical frailty, but it had been
four months since the miscarriage and nine since they’d been intimate. She
wondered if Dan was still having difficulty forgetting about the incident
with Peyton, and that’s why he hadn’t made any attempts to become close to
her again. Figuring that maybe they needed time alone and away together, she
planned a weekend vacation for the two of them to the beach.
Dan seemed all for the idea, so Friday morning they dropped the children
off at David and Kelly’s. The first part of the drive was quiet as they just
listened to the radio. Dan kept glancing over at her, sitting there in only
her bikini top, wrap skirt, and sandals. “You know, you look so sexy like
that.” he mentioned. “It reminds me of the time we went to the Carribean.”
She smiled. “That was a good trip, wasn’t it?”
“I’d say so. You finally let me get in your pants.” he teased.
She laughed. “But wasn’t I worth the wait?”
He gave her a loving smile. “You always have been and always will be.” They
were quiet a moment just holding hands before Dan said, “I’m glad you talked
me into this trip. We haven’t really have any extended period of time alone
together.”
“Yeah. It’ll be nice to just be alone together for a few days. What do you
want to do first?”
“Well, knowing you, you’ll probably want to lay on the beach, so I guess
I’ll just lay next to you and watch all the guys gawk as they go by.”
Brittany blushed. “Oh, please. I’m nothing special.”
“You are to me. Not only that you’ve had three children and still have your
twenty-two year old body. I bet you’ll even get carded at clubs.”
“Well, you know the girls will be staring at that perfect body of yours.”
“Only if they can get passed the graying hair.” he mumbled.
“I think it’s sexy.” Brittany mentioned touching a patch of it just above
his ear. “You’re going to be such a gorgeous old man.”
Dan laughed. “I’m glad you think so, because you’re stuck with me.”
“Good. There’s no other place I’d rather be.” she replied leaning over to
kiss his cheek.
They spent most of the day on the beach before heading to a club that
night, arriving shortly after 11:00. “I feel so old, Daniel. I feel like
it’s after our bedtime.”
“Feels weird, doesn’t it, but you’re not old. I know you can still dance
better than any of these college kids. Come on, let’s give them a lesson.”
Dan suggested. Dan and Brittany blocked out everything but each other and
the music as they finally connected to each other without distraction. Dan
still found her amazing as she moved her body to the music. He could feel
that old feeling start deep within him as they ground their bodies together.
He wanted her desperately.
Brittany saw the familiar gaze overcome Dan’s face and knew she finally had
his full attention. After an hour she suggested they go for a walk on the
beach on the way back to the hotel. Silently they strolled holding hands, as
Brittany contemplated her next move. She knew she’d have to be the aggressor
if she wanted something to happen, so she finally stopped walking. “Can we
sit down for awhile?” she asked when he looked at her questioningly.
“Yeah, of course.” Dan sat first before pulling Brittany gently into his
lap.
Brittany leaned in to kiss his neck, making Dan moan appreciatively as her
hands ran over his covered chest. Their mouths met softly as Dan slipped his
hand under her shirt to her bare waist. Brittany dropped her hand between
his thighs making him groan her name.
“You have no idea how good that feels.” he whispered sucking in a breath as
she pressed harder.
“Then you better show me.” she stated softly guiding his hand between her
own legs.
Dan pulled away slightly. “Are you sure?” he inquired.
“Daniel, what does a girl have to do to get you to make out with her?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. If you’re that worried, just go slowly and everything will be
fine.”
Dan nodded heeding the instruction. Methodically they touched and kissed,
working each other up to climax, and even though there was no sex involved,
they both were left feeling sated and content.
The following morning Dan was up early for his morning run and had just
gotten in the shower when Brittany awoke. Hearing the running water, she
wondered if he would be up for a little morning fun. Going into the
bathroom, she undressed before pulling back the shower curtain. “Is there
room for me?” she inquired.
Grinning at her naked form, he replied, “Always. How did you sleep?”
“Wonderfully, better than I have in quite awhile. You?”
“Great. No complaints here.” Dan slid his arms around her bare waist. “I
had a really good time last night.” he mentioned kissing her neck.
“Me too. Hopefully there will be more to come.”
Dan smiled. “I sure do hope so.” Picking up the soap, he looked at her
questioningly asking, “May I?”
“Only if I get to return the favor.” she answered with a smile.
That night Dan took them to a secluded, candle lit dinner. “It’s a shame we
have to leave tomorrow.” he said sipping his wine.
Yeah. It’s been nice to be away, but I miss the girls.”
“So do I, but we’ll see their angelic faces tomorrow.”
“Daniel, can we talk about something serious?”
“Of course. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, I just wanted to make sure you knew that I was physically okay. For
the past several months you’ve treated me so carefully. I’m not fragile you
know.”
“I know. I just didn’t know how you were feeling physically. I mean your
body has gone through a major trauma. I didn’t want to put you in any
discomfort. Besides we hadn’t really worked on our relationship much having
been so busy with the kids. I wasn’t sure if you were ready to move back
into deeper intimacy.” he mumbled.
“Daniel, I planned this whole trip in effort to work on us. I thought if we
had a change of scenery and time alone, we’d be able to become close again.
Should I just stop trying to drop hints and come right out and ask you to
make love to me?”
Dan sucked in a quick breath at her question, but it made him start choking
on his dinner. After several loud coughs he wheezed, “Oh my. I didn’t
realize you were ready for that.”
Brittany waited for more of a response but got none. Trying to fight away
her fear that he wasn’t interested, she hesitantly inquired, “Are you not
ready? I mean I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want. If
you’re not, we’ll wait. I just had kind of hoped you were ready. After last
night I thought I saw it in your eyes.”
“Brittany, I have enjoyed this weekend with you tremendously. Feeling you
in ways I hadn’t in such along time makes me ache with need for you. I’ve
never been more ready.”
She smiled, seductively leaning to his ear and whispering, “Good. Can we
hurry this meal along? I’m all ready wanting dessert.”
Dan attacked the rest of his meal with a vengeance as he eyed Brittany
across the table. They weren’t even touching, but the anticipation alone was
driving him mad with desire. Having finished their meal, they began the walk
back to the hotel along the beach talking about trivial things, but each
could tell the others mind was on what was about to happen.
One back in the room, Brittany made her way out to the balcony to watch the
last little bit of sunset. Dan went to the bar and retrieved a bottle of
wine before joining her. “Drink?” he inquired holding up the bottle.
Brittany nodded, so Dan poured two glasses.
“The sunset is beautiful tonight.” Brittany mentioned. “It reminds me of
the night you finally proposed. You were so nervous. It was so cute.”
“You still give my stomach the butterflies, Brittany. It’s like I’m
perpetually falling in love with you.”
“You sure do know how to charm a girl, Daniel.” she teased softly as they
embraced for a gentle kiss.
“I love you, Brittany Saxton.”
Brittany gigged at the use of her maiden name as it made her feel like he
was courting again. “And I love you, Daniel McKnight. Let’s go to bed.”
They moved inside and slowly began to undress each other, eyeing each other
appreciatively as if it were the first time. Brittany moved away from him
long enough to pull the covers back on the bed before pulling Dan by the
hand down on top of her. Everything was methodical as they reacquainted
themselves with each others bodies. The moment their bodies became one, Dan
gazed into Brittany’s eyes. They were glistening with love and passionate
energy. “This feels so good, Daniel.” she whispered running her fingers
through his hair.
“From this end too.” he softly replied as he began to lead them through the
intimate dance they’d shared so many times before. Long into the night the
explored each other until exhaustion called an end to the activities. Dan
was lounging on his back with Brittany curled around him when he looked at
the clock. “My God. It’s after 4:00. What time did we get in bed?”
Brittany shrugged. “Eight, maybe nine.”
Dan gave a soft laugh. “I guess we’re not as old as we thought we were. I
don’t think we’ve ever made love for eight whole hours.”
“No, I don’t think we have, but we had a lot of catching up to do.” she
stated kissing him on the chest.
“You don’t stop that and we won’t be getting to sleep anytime soon.”
“Oh really? You think you have the stamina to keep going? I’d like to see
that.”
Pushing her onto her back, Dan grinned. “Fine. Either I’ll succeed or die
trying.” he joked as they kissed deeply.
The next time they pulled away from each other, they noticed the sun rising
and heard the seagulls on the beach. “Let’s get some room service and watch
the sunrise on the balcony.” Brittany suggested.
Smiling lovingly at her, Dan answered, “Anything you want, Brittany.”
Brittany and Dan arrived at Kelly and David’s around dinner time that
evening. “Well, look who’s here.” Kelly said to the girls.
“Mommy, Daddy!” they all screamed racing to their parents.
“How are our favorite girls?” Dan asked picking up Alexis after hugs for
all of them. “Did you have a good time with your grandparents?”
“Yeah. Grandma took us shopping.” Victoria stated.
“Did she now?” Brittany inquired letting Victoria and Ana lead her off
toward the family room.
Dan grinned at Alexis. “What did you do this weekend, Alex?”
“Grandpa gave me new toys. Wanna see?”
“Yeah. Where are they?”
She pointed toward the library, so Dan took her into the study where he saw
his father sitting at the desk. “Hey, Dan. Welcome back. Have a good trip?”
Dan gave a huge smile. “The best. It was just what we needed.”
“Good. You look like a new man.”
“I feel like it.” Dan teased raising his eyebrows suggestively making his
father laugh.
“Here, Daddy.” Alexis interrupted holding up two palm-sized cars.
“Oh, wow. I haven’t seen these in years.” Dan mentioned sitting next to his
daughter on the floor. Alex, did you know that these used to belong to your
Uncle Joe and me? This was my favorite.”
“That’s what Grandpa said. I got blocks too.”
“Really? Are they little different colored wooden one?” Alexis nodded her
head enthusiastically.
“Looks like we have a little architect on our hands. Either that or a race
car driver.” David teased.
“These are great toys, honey. We’ll play with them lots at home.”
A few minutes later Brittany poked her head into the room. “So, Alexis
decided to join the Boys’ Club, huh?” she playfully asked. “Hi, Dad.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” Dan answered.
“Hi, Brittany. Have a good time?”
She smiled and nodded. “Kelly’s about to set the table for dinner and asked
if we were staying.”
“It’s fine with me if it is with you.”
“All right. Well, we need to start rounding up the girls. Dinner’s in about
five minutes.”
“Okay, Alex. We should get washed up for dinner.” David stated.
“I wanna ride.” Alexis stated.
Dan looked at David curiously wondering what that meant. “All right, Alex.
Hop on.” Alex eagerly climbed into her grandfather’s lap. “I suppose you
want to drive too.” he mentioned. She nodded quickly.
“Okay but let me get us out into the hallway first.”
As Dan followed them out of the room, he asked, “Dad, how in the world did
she talk you into this?”
David shrugged. “Just a sucker for a cute face I guess.” David took Alex’s
hand and put in on the control to his wheelchair under his own. “All right,
Captain Alex. Take me to the kitchen.” Alex squeaked in delight as the chair
took off making Dan laugh.
Brittany was settling Ana in her chair when she saw David and Alexis
whipping around the corner in his wheelchair. She couldn’t help but chuckle
at the pure delight on her child’s face.
“I think my vote is for the race car driver, Dad.”Dan said stepping up
behind him and scooping Alexis into his arms.
Sometime after dinner David too the girls into the den to play while they
watched a baseball game. However Alexis got a hold of the remote while the
men were talking and began flipping channels. Dan didn’t notice at first
until blaring music came out of the tv. Dan glanced up to see his daughter
had stopped it on a music video and was mesmerized by the screen.
“Honey, what are you watching?” he inquired as he saw a blonde bombshell
singing on tv. “She’s sexy.” he mumbled towards his father not even
realizing he had said it in front of his children.
“Looks like Mommy.” Alexis mentioned.
“You think so?” Dan asked.
Just then Brittany came waltzing in asking, “What’s the racket?” Seeing the
tv she inquired, “Daniel, what are you allowing our daughter’s to watch?”
“It’s harmless, honey.”
“A woman prancing around half-naked is not harmless.”
“Looks like you, Mommy.” Alexis stated.
Brittany raised a brow curiously. “What makes you say that, sweetheart?”
“Sexy.” she mumbled already adverting her eyes to the screen again.
Brittany’s eyes shot open in surprise. Looking over at her husband and
father-in-law, she asked, “Where did Alexis learn such a word?” Neither of
them would look at her at first as they snickered. “Which one of you said
it?”
“Don’t look at me.” David stated. “That’s girls way too young for me.”
Dan cast a sheepish glance at his wife. “What can I say? Alex has good
taste in women.” he teased. Brittany scowled playfully. “Okay, Alex. Mommy’s
right. That’s enough of this channel.” he said taking the controls from her
and turning it back to baseball. He looked over at Brittany and saw the
humor in her eyes. “You thought that was funny. Admit it.”
“Maybe a little but we all should be more careful what we say around the
girls. They don’t need to know what that really means, and they are all
articulate for their ages. That’s all we really need is for her to go around
saying that in public.”
*************************************************************
Over the next few months Brittany focused on her dissertation and Dan on
his latest book of poetry. It was close to the end of the summer when they
had their annual pool party, that coincided with Victoria’s fourth birthday.
After lunch the girls went down for naps, leaving the adults time to
themselves. Dan noticed Melissa and Mike huddled closely together discussing
something at the far end of the deck. Being curious he playfully asked,
“Hey, you two have something to share with the group?”
Melissa smiled at him. “We’re planning on doing just that, but we had to
have a little talk first.” She looked at Mike who gave an encouraging nod.
“Well, I guess I should just come right out and say it. Michael and I are
engaged, and we’re also expecting in February.”
Collectively the woman screamed in excitement as they hovered around
Melissa for hugs. Dan approached Mike with a huge smile. “Mike, you old dog,
didn’t think you still had it in you after all this time.” he teased.
“Congrats.” he said embracing his longtime friend.
“Thanks. It’s your fault you know, and for that reason, I want you to be my
best man.”
“It would be an honor. What’s the date?”
“Sometime next spring.”
Leaning over to Melissa, Dan kissed her cheek. “Congratulations, Melissa.
Someone finally hooked him. I’m glad it was you. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you for helping us, Daniel. You’re a good friend.”
“It was my pleasure, but all I really did was put the idea into your heads.
You two did the hard part. Well, Mike got to do the fun part.” Dan teased
under his breath slapping Mike on the shoulder.
Brittany backhanded him in the stomach playfully. “Men, that’s all you
think about.” she growled jokingly.
“Hey, I just hope that when I’m Mike’s age I can keep up.” Dan teased.
“
If anybody could, it would be you and Brittany. You’re practically a baby
factory.”
“Not if I have any say about it. We’re only having one more.”
“Really? Think you might actually try to plan this one?”
“We’ll see. I kind of like the surprise of it all. So, do you want a boy or
girl?”
“Girl. I already have two sons.”
That evening after the girls had gone to sleep, Dan and Brittany settled
into bed with a movie. “I think it’s so wonderful about Melissa and Mike.
It’s what they’ve both always wanted.” Brittany stated curling up around
Dan’s side.
“Yeah. It took them long enough. I’m glad they’re both happy, but I am a
bit surprised about the baby, though. I mean Mike’s forty-four and has two
grown children. I guess Melissa talked him into it. He didn’t stand a chance
against her wiles. She could probably talk him into anything.” Dan laughed
to himself.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about Mike. He’s been wanting a piece of her
action for as long as I can remember. Glad to know he finally got some.”
“You’re incorrigible you know. Never realized that at twenty-eight, you’d
still be acting like a seventeen year old when it came to sex.”
Dan just laughed as she wiggled his brows. “They don’t call me ‘Dan the
Man’ for nothing. Gotta have that action.” he teased.
Brittany smiled sexily as she asked, “What about my action? Think you can
handle that, ‘Dan the Man?’”
He smiled. “You’re too hot to handle sometimes, but I always like to try.”
he replied leaning into her neck.
They kissed for a few minutes before Brittany pulled away. “You know, now
that I’m finished with my dissertation, I think it’s time we had that baby
talk that we promised each other. Any thoughts on the matter?”
“Well, first of all, is it something you are set on doing?”
“I’d like to, Daniel.”
“Okay, then we will. Do you want to try to plan it, or just let it happen?”
“I kind of like the surprise of it all, but I don’t want there to be such a
large age difference between Victoria and this one. I’d like one within the
next year or two. Maybe we could just put a little extra effort into it on a
monthly basis, but I don’t want either of us to feel the pressure of having
to perform either.”
“I hear you, and I agree. We’ll just take it as it comes along with no
pressure. So, do you think we could put our plan into action now?” he asked
hopefully.
“Oh, twist my arm a little harder, Mr. McKnight.” she teased bring him into
a deep kiss.
Chapter Eleven
The following spring was Mike and Melissa’s wedding. They had ended up
having twins, a girl named Hailey, who was the image of Melissa and a boy
named Harrison, who had Melissa’s blue eyes but dark hair like his father.
That morning as the McKnight household prepared to go to the service, Dan
noticed Brittany smiling contemplatively at him.
“What is it, beautiful? Something wrong with my tux?”
“No. You look so handsome.”
“Well, you look absolutely beautiful. Melissa did a good thing by her
bridesmaids by letting them pick out their own outfits. Yours is just
stunning. I wonder if the girls have managed to keep themselves presentable
while we were changing.”
“I hope so.” Brittany replied giving him a dreamy smile.
“What’s up with you, Mrs. McKnight? You’ve been acting strange for the past
two days. Every time I look at you you’ve got that far off look in your eyes
and stupid grin. You’re making me feel like I did something right for once.”
he kidded looking back to the mirror to work on his bowtie.
“Can’t a woman just be happy?” she asked coming to assist him.
“Yeah but I know you well enough to know something’s up. You’re keeping
something from me, aren’t you?”
Brittany just smiled. “Maybe.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Why not? I thought wives were supposed to tell their husbands everything.”
“Who gave you that crazy idea?” she joked. “Seriously, we’ll talk about it
later. This is Melissa and Mike’s day. I don’t want to take away from that.”
“Oh, come on. Now you’ve got me all curious. Tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”
he whined playfully.
“You’re as bad as the girls. Now I know where they get it.”
“Please?” he pestered giving her a sad pout.
“Promise not to tell anyone?” Dan nodded enthusiastically. “All right but
you promised. Just remember that.”
“Okay. The suspense is killing me.” he said with a grin.
Brittany leaned in close to him as she embraced his back. “Well, let’s just
say that we now have a good excuse of why we were late to the hospital the
day the twins were born.”
Dan furrowed his brow in confusion. “The day the twins were born? Weren’t
we late because we were having...” Brittany just smiled and nodded as she
saw the implication come over his face. “Oh, my.” he said in wonder. “Are
you sure? That was only two months ago.”
Brittany nodded. “I’m sure, Daniel. I found out two days ago, but I didn’t
want to overshadow Melissa and Mike’s wedding by saying anything. You’re
going to be a daddy again.”
Dan pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh, Brittany. This is so wonderful. I
love you so much.”
“I love you too, Daniel. Now I have everything I ever wanted. Thank you for
making my life complete.”
The End