Its a widow thing never.., p.14
It's a Widow Thing (Never Too Late Book 3), page 14
It was like the earth had screeched to a halt. Like the DJ had dragged the needle across the record. “Health issue?” Sabrina asked, her voice hitting an unnaturally high note.
“Oh, no.” Alyshia clasped her hand over her mouth.
“Wait. What health issue?” Sabrina’s sights flew back and forth between the two women. Her mind instantly jumped to terrible conclusions, but what else was she supposed to think? “Michael didn’t tell me anything about a health problem.”
Lydia’s eyes were full of surprise, but she remained remarkably calm. She scooted across the cushion until she was seated closer to Sabrina. “He didn’t tell you about the chest pains? About his cardiologist?”
“No. He did not.” Of the many things she and Michael had discussed, he’d never thought to bring up anything about his heart. He’d talked plenty about other parts of his body. Or at least pointed out that they wanted her attention.
The front door opened and closed, then Michael appeared in the entry to the great room. “Alright, you three. If you’re plotting my demise, I feel like you should at least give me a running start.”
“Michael, before you get mad, I didn’t know that Sabrina didn’t know.” Lydia popped up from her seat like a jack-in-the-box.
“Sabrina didn’t know what?” He seemed nothing short of befuddled as he stared at his mom.
“Your health problems.”
His jaw dropped, then he turned his sights to Sabrina. “I, uh…” He winced and rubbed his forehead. “Jesus. Mom.”
Sabrina was filled with an uncomfortable mix of confusion and dread. Half of what she was feeling made her want to run out the door.
The other half told her that she needed answers.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
On some level, Michael had always known that his mother would find a way to throw a wrench into Sabrina’s first trip to meet the family. But he hadn’t anticipated the way she would do it, by bringing up his heart condition during the course of a normal conversation. That was a miscalculation on his part. His mom left nothing on the table. She dragged anything and everything out into the open. And now, he and Sabrina were out in the open, too—out in the open of the backyard.
“When were you going to tell me?” Sabrina asked, making as much eye contact as humanly possible as they walked down to the gazebo.
Never? That was what he really wanted to say. It was the truth. There was a wholly irrational part of him that had hoped it would all simply go away. That he’d magically be better one day, simply from cutting back on cheese and trying to drink less during the week. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really planned it out. I guess I was waiting for the right moment.”
“What’s the prognosis?”
Good God. That word. It made it sound like he was at death’s door. “It’s good. I mean, I’m still young. I need to be better about lifestyle changes, but it’s hard.”
She glanced at him, then looked off at the horizon. The sun was already starting to dip lower in the sky. “Can you understand why this would upset me?”
“Sabrina, it’s not like I’m going to die.” He instantly regretted his choice of words. “I mean, not anytime soon. I don’t think.” For a split-second, the idea of keeling over right there on the spot held a certain appeal. At least he wouldn’t be in the hot seat.
She walked up the steps of the gazebo and took a seat at the far end. “Well, that’s a relief.”
He shook his head, disappointed by his own lack of communication skills. Why couldn’t he figure out how to do this whole relationship thing? Oh, right. Because he’d never truly tried before. He sat right next to her, needing her close. “I’m really sorry. I would have told you at some point. I guess I just didn’t want to give you any reasons to, you know, dump me.” A cool wind blew between the wood columns of the gazebo, reminding him of that first night he’d kissed her. He wished he could go back and do some things over again, like tell her everything from the start.
“Do you think that little of me?”
“No. I think the world of you.” He took her hand and pulled it into his lap. “But I also got to see firsthand how hesitant you were to get involved with someone. And I know where that comes from. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I only wanted to show you my best self. The version of me that doesn’t have a weakness.”
“Michael. I like you for you. I like you because you’re kind and sweet and funny. I like you because you make me feel good about myself. I like you because you take the time to understand me. It doesn’t matter if there’s something wrong with you. We all have flaws. But I don’t want you to hide any part of you.”
Her words rang loud and clear in his head. His health issues weren’t the only thing he’d been hiding. There were his feelings to address at some point, too. But as the person who’d spent a lifetime playing the guy who let everything roll off his back? He wasn’t yet ready to rip off the mask completely. “The most important part of me is that I care about you and I’m not going anywhere.” Those two admissions were the truth. And as much as he could divulge in one sitting.
“Well, good. I’m not going anywhere, either.” She managed a faint smile. “Your mother is watching us from the kitchen window, you know.”
“Do you want to make out? Just so she has something to talk about?”
Sabrina laughed, which was a salve to his very soul.
Michael waved at his mom to let her know he was on to her. Even from this distance, he could see her frown before she dropped out of sight. “Normally, I hate it when she inserts herself into every damn thing, but in this instance, maybe it was okay. Maybe it was a good thing.”
She patted him on the leg. “I think it probably was.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“Is taking a nap an acceptable activity? Because after that lunch and our conversation, I could use a little downtime.”
He squeezed her hand tightly. “Yes. I’m wiped out, too.”
They walked back up to the house and managed to avoid his mother, who was on the phone. Tiptoeing up to their room, they kicked off their shoes and climbed on to the bed, then snuggled up under the extra quilt. As Michael drew in a deep breath and felt the gentle pull of sleep, he drank in Sabrina’s sweet smell, thankful for every tiny hurdle they managed to get past.
Their nap lasted nearly two hours. Apparently, they’d both been in desperate need of a break. Michael hopped in the shower for a refresh while Sabrina changed clothes, then they dutifully filed downstairs. Cocktails were flowing by the time they arrived, which Michael passed on. His mother was working on dinner—her famous roast chicken with balsamic glazed carrots, braised leeks, and mashed potatoes—all while she talked on the phone about matters of great importance, namely a bill the Senate was set to debate next week. It was nearly time to eat again, but the world needed to be saved, too, so his mom simply tackled both.
Sabrina, Alyshia, and Zoe covertly switched the channel on the family room TV to HGTV while Dad dozed in his recliner. That left Brian and Michael their chance to duck into Brian’s room to sign their mother’s birthday card and grab her gift, a set of vintage depression glass mixing bowls that Alyshia had found at an antique shop.
“I hope she likes these things,” Brian said, peeking inside the gift bag Alyshia had been super considerate to pack up for them. “I don’t know about you, but I’d be pissed if someone bought me mixing bowls for my birthday.”
Seated at the small writing desk in the corner, Michael finished scrawling the note to his mom about how much he loved her, then signed the card and tucked it inside the envelope. “She’s impossible to shop for. If Alyshia thinks it’s a good idea, I’m game to try it.”
“Alyshia told me what happened with mom telling Sabrina about your heart stuff. Sorry about that.”
“Yeah. It is what it is. At least it’s out there.”
“She also said that Mom came right out and asked her about losing her husband.”
“She did?” Michael was mortified. Sabrina hadn’t even mentioned that. Maybe it was because she was so used to it. “I really hope we make it through this weekend. Mom sure isn’t helping.”
Brian clapped Michael on the shoulder. “Think of it this way. If you pass the test of twenty-four hours with Mom, you’ll be that much closer.”
Michael wanted to believe that, but he still had this unsettled feeling that he couldn’t let go of. “Can I ask you something? How did you know that Alyshia was the one?”
Brian sat on the end of the bed. “Simple. I didn’t think about anyone else. I didn’t want to be with anyone else. She became the center of my whole world.”
Michael nodded. “But how did you know that it was going to last?”
“I didn’t. I hoped it would last. I knew I’d do whatever it took to make it last, and that she would, too. But in the end, it’s a bit of a crap shoot. Plenty of people fall in love and it doesn’t work.”
This was not the reassurance Michael had hoped for.
“Are you thinking that Sabrina is the one?” Brian asked.
On some level, he was convinced of it. But as with all things in their relationship, he had to test the waters, then wade in slowly. He didn’t mind the process. He was simply terrified of making mistakes. Each time he did, it was one more reason for Sabrina to walk away. “I definitely don’t want to be with anyone else.”
Brian got up from his perch. “Then find the right time to tell her. See what happens.”
That seemed like an awfully cavalier approach, but his brother did have more experience with this. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Michael took responsibility for the gift and the card, and carried it as they returned downstairs, leaving it on the window seat in the dining room. Then he and Brian joined the ladies in the family room.
“Hey. Everything good?” Michael sat on the arm of the sofa next to Sabrina.
She peered up at him, her eyes full of light and life. “Everything’s great. Alyshia and Zoe are amazing. They’re so much fun.”
If only she knew what a relief that was to hear. He leaned down and kissed her temple. “Awesome.”
From the kitchen, his mother clapped three times to get everyone’s attention. “William, wake up! It’s time to eat.”
Their dad startled in his chair. “How much?” This was his response whenever he was confused or had been awoken from a nap.
“Come on, Dad. Dinner’s ready,” Michael said.
Everyone assembled at the table according to his mother’s seating assignments, which were the same as they’d been at lunch, but she nevertheless felt the need to reiterate them. Dad sat at the head, she to his left, followed by Michael and then Sabrina. On the opposite side, Zoe was next to her grandfather, then Alyshia and Brian. Food was passed and conversation came in stops and starts, as there were several times when they were all so overwhelmed by how amazing the meal was, that speaking seemed impossible.
“Mom, you really outdid yourself. This chicken is incredible,” Michael said.
“Michael’s right, Lydia. It’s spectacular,” Sabrina added.
“Thank you, both. This is an old reliable. Throw a chicken in the pan and toss it in the oven. Do you cook, Sabrina?” his mother asked.
“Not really. I can manage a few basics. Spaghetti. A salad.”
“It’s a good thing you have Michael, then,” his mother replied.
“He is an amazing cook. I suppose I have you to thank for that.”
“It’s just a few simple techniques and some practice. But you have to put love into it if you want it to be really great.”
Sabrina turned and smiled at Michael. “I like that. I can definitely taste the love when you cook.”
Michael just sat there grinning, trying to remember every last detail of that moment. He knew he’d want to remember it always. It was the first time he stopped questioning if what he was feeling was real. If he what he was feeling was “it”. The warmth and contentment that crept over him? It could only be one thing.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Michael was completely naked, wriggling with anticipation against the cool sheets, waiting for Sabrina under the covers. The bathroom door opened and the light clicked off, and the familiar scent of Sabrina’s lotion wafted into the room. She climbed into bed and he wasted no time reaching for her beautiful body, for the skin he’d longed to touch all day long. His hands met something soft, but it certainly wasn’t skin.
What the hell? “Flannel?”
Sabrina burrowed her face in his neck. “Is there a problem?”
“Not unless you expect me to wear a sleeping cap.”
Sabrina snickered. “We’re at your parents’ house. I thought I should wear something a bit more demure.”
Michael rolled over and switched on the lamp on the bedside table. He had to see what he was dealing with. The idea of Sabrina in flannel was far too incongruous. “Demure?” Her pink and blue polka-dotted pajamas were adorable, despite his protestations. Damn. She still looks sexy. “I was wondering if Brian put you up to this. He does like to play practical jokes.”
“It has buttons. So you have to do a little work.” She leaned closer and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “And it’s still me under all of this fuzzy cotton.”
“Yes, yards and yards of godforsaken cotton.”
“You were really cute with Zoe after dinner. Who knew you’re so terrible at Go Fish?”
He started in on the aforementioned buttons, working to quickly dispatch her pajama top. “Hey. I was playing against a seasoned pro. And I’m pretty sure she was counting cards.”
She laughed against his chest. The tremble of her lips on his skin, her musical laugh, the silkiness of her skin—it all sent a rumble through him.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this, Michael.”
“You don’t want to?” Back in the city, they’d been doing it every night. On the weekends, it could be several times a day. But he supposed there might be a time when they would slow down.
“I want to. But it still feels weird. Your family.”
He reached for her hand and slipped his fingers between hers. “Okay. If it makes you that uncomfortable, of course. We don’t have to.” He might need to sneak into the bathroom to make his hard-on go away, but it wasn’t like he’d never done that before.
She traced her fingers across his shoulder. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I want to. It just feels a little off.”
“Sure. Absolutely.” He began re-buttoning her top.
“Hold on.” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t just agree with me, Michael. Tell me what you’re thinking. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
One million thoughts cycled through his head. She’d already been subjected to so much that day, and she’d done amazingly with all of it. She’d run the gauntlet of his family and come out on the other side, stronger. She was like The Bionic Woman. And despite the earlier turmoil, it ended with a magical night. “I want to make love to you. We just had an amazing night with my family and my heart is full of romantic feelings for you.”
She became impossibly still, and he wondered if he’d taken a step too far. “Oh, God, Michael. That is so sweet. It’s like poetry.”
He exhaled, perhaps a little too loudly. “You wouldn’t use that word if you knew what I was imagining doing to you while you were in the bathroom.”
“Okay. Get a condom. But you have to promise me you’ll be quiet.”
He reached over to the nightstand, grabbed the box, which he had strategically placed earlier, and flipped it open. “Why?”
“Your mom might hear us.”
Michael placed the foil pouch in Sabrina’s hand. “If you talk about my mom, this is going to be over real quick.”
“What about Brian and Alyshia?” she whispered, leaning on one elbow and tearing open the package.
“Knowing Brian, he’s probably listening at the door right now.” And that is only a slight exaggeration. He lay on his side, bracing for her touch. The moment when she gently rolled on the condom? It sucked the breath right out of his gut. The only response was to kiss her, hard, and swirl his tongue around hers. “I need you. Now.” He rolled her to her back and shifted himself between her legs.
They kissed while she reached down and guided him inside. The warmth enveloped him as he sank into her. Moonlight filtered in from the window, casting a faint blue-white light across her skin, making her eyes even more intense. She kissed him slowly, rocking into him with every stroke as a hushed murmur left her throat.
Michael had never put much thought into how much noise he liked to make during sex, but apparently it was a lot, because the room seemed eerily quiet. “Oh, yeah,” he growled into her mouth as she levered her hips, grinding against him when their bodies met.
The bed squeaked. Sabrina froze. “Slower.”
“Or maybe the opposite?” He thrust again, but that noise from seconds ago was ten times louder.
“No. Let’s change positions,” she whispered.
“You want to be on top?” He rolled off her and lay on his side.
“No. Still noisy.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer until her back was against his chest. She wiggled her ass against his crotch and pulled her leg up by the knee, allowing him to slip back inside.
“Oh, okay,” she moaned. “That’s better.” Sabrina mirrored the rotation of his hips with her own.
“I thought we were being quiet.” He kissed the back of her neck as he took faster strokes.
“Was I being loud?”
Michael snickered. “A little.” Despite her insistence that they be slow or quiet or anything else that fought his natural inclinations, he felt it was best to take control of this situation. He reached under her raised leg, found her clit and began to rub in tiny circles.
She arched her back. “Oh, shit.”
“Good?”
“Better. Do. Not. Stop,” she gasped.
He could be as little as milliseconds from his own release, but he had to get her there first. He settled his nose behind her ear and breathed heavy against her neck.
