I’m lying on my side with my head in my hand watching Karen sleep beside me. She looks peaceful, and it makes me so happy. Her beautiful long brown hair is spread out in a halo around her, and a small smile plays are her full, luscious lips. “How long have you been watching me?” she asks, making me laugh.
“Just a few minutes.”
“Are the kids up?”
“Yeah, my mom has them downstairs.” I lean in and press a kiss to her lips. She opens to me and our tongues collide. I can’t help the moan that escapes me. I love kissing this woman. Her hand glides through my beard and around to my neck, holding me close. I kiss my way up her jaw to her ear. “I love the way you taste,” I whisper in her ear before scraping my teeth along her earlobe. She whimpers and grinds her hips against my already erect cock. She runs her fingers down my back until she reaches my ass. She squeezes it again, grinding against me.
I need to feel her or I’m going to do something I haven’t done in years. My lips crash down on hers, but I quickly pull away, staring into her eyes as I wait for permission. She bites her lip and gives me a gentle nod. I roll over, open my nightstand drawer, and pull out a condom. I slip her panties down her long, lean legs. I want so badly to be buried deep inside of her, but I need to taste her first. Starting at her ankle, I kiss my way up the inside of her leg until I get to her beautiful sex. I can smell her arousal, and it’s so intoxicating. I can’t wait to devour her. I part her folds with my tongue and suck her clit into my mouth. She whimpers, trying to keep quiet, but she’s struggling as I roll my tongue over her hard, little nub. I slip two fingers deep inside of her. She’s so tight, my cock is aching to be buried inside her. I curl my fingers as I lick and suck on her. I need her to explode for me. Her pussy clenches down on my fingers, and her legs begin to shake as she growls into the pillow. I love the sound of my name coming from her lips as she comes undone. Even if it is muffled by my pillow.
I lap up every drop of her essence, then grab the condom and roll it over my aching cock. After feeling her tighten around my fingers, my cock throbs for the same feeling. “You are the best breakfast in the world. Now that I’ve had you, I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of you.” She giggles. I press my lips to hers as I gently press my cock to her opening. She’s so tight I have to go slow. It’s hard to believe anyone would give this up. Her eyes start to close. “Am I hurting you?”
“No, you feel amazing,” she whispers. I thrust my hips forward, slowly and gently until she grinds her hips, meeting my thrusts. “Jesse, give me more.”
I kiss and nip at her neck as I roll my hips. “Anything for you, beautiful.” I grab her behind the knees to change the angle and give her what she needs. Her eyes start to close again, but I need to see her now. I’m getting close, but I need to see her come undone first. “Keep ‘em open, beautiful.” Her eyes open, and with a smile on her face she stares into mine. I continue the rhythm I’ve set until I feel her tighten around me, pulling me in for more. Her legs are shaking and she’s biting her lip. “Yes, beautiful.” I seat myself deep inside of her, let go of my release, and bury my face in her neck, inhaling her delicious scent.
We sit like that for a moment, just enjoying each other’s embrace. “We should probably get up,” she says, breaking the silence.
“You’re probably right.” I chuckle. “It’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed a moment like this that I don’t want it to end.” I lay beside her. “Why don’t you help yourself to my shower, and I’ll head down to check on Mom and the kids.”
“Okay.” She rolls out of bed wearing nothing but a nightshirt that barely covers her ass. The sight is so delicious it causes my dick to stir, but I talk him down. “Jesse. This shower is insane.”
I follow behind her. “I know, right?” I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “I designed it myself.” I fumble with the knobs to show her the different settings.
She gives me a dirty grin and says, “Next time we play in here.”
I burst into laughter. “I look forward to it.” I tap her on the ass. “Get going.”
I toss the condom, brush my teeth, and slip on some lounge pants and a tank top.
When I get downstairs, Mom’s in the kitchen cooking, but the kids are all outside. “Good morning, Mom.” I kiss her on the cheek.
“Good, morning, Jesse.” She dries her hands. “Where’s Karen?”
“In the shower. She’ll be down in a few. Have the kids eaten?”
She winks. “Yes, this is for us.” She points to the eggs. “I sent the kids outside and told them to play nice.” I look out the sliding glass door to see the kids playing soccer. They look like they’re having a blast. Gabe plays soccer, and from the looks of it Jason does too. He has some good footwork. Then I realize Karen said he played baseball this year. Soccer is typically a spring and fall sport. I wonder if he gave it up. I don’t realize how long I’ve been staring out the window until two hands slip around my waist.
“He used to love soccer.” She sounds mournful.
“What happened? He looks like he has skills.” I look down at Karen with concern.
“Honestly?” She lets out a slow, steady breath. “It was something that he started as a kid with Brian. After Brian stopped participating in his sports, he no longer cared to play. It’s almost like it’s painful for him.”
“That’s too bad. He looks like he enjoys it.”
“He does, and he’s good at it.”
“Come on, you two, breakfast is ready,” Mom says.
We walk into the dining room to find a table full of food. My eyes go wide. “Mom, you’re only cooking for the three of us.”
She shrugs. “I’m sure you can take some for work this week.”
“I can.” I adore my mom and am so lucky I have her. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, Josephine. This all looks really good.” Karen looks shocked by the selection of food on the table, but she’ll get used to it. My mom has always been that way. She could feed the Army and would always have leftovers. She’s made eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, toast and grilled peppers and onions, which she does for me because she knows I love veggies with my scrambled eggs, but no one else likes them that way. That is until Karen came along. I note she’s put the peppers on her eggs too, and it makes me smile.
“Grits?” Mom offers Karen.
“No thank you. I’m not a fan of them.” Mom looks at her like she has ten heads.
My mom shakes her head but puts the bowl down. I think she’s disappointed because she’s the only one who enjoys them and was probably hoping to have someone else to make them for. I like them, but the way Mom makes them, they are really bad for you and I try to eat healthy. “Looks like you’re still the only one who will be eating them. Sorry, Mom.”
She chuckles but digs into her breakfast. “Y’all don’t know what you’re missing.”
The remainder of breakfast is eaten in silence. I’m trying to figure out what we should do today, and nothing is coming to mind. It’s hard to plan when neither of us have a vehicle big enough to really hold the five of us since Grace is still in a booster seat. She’s so tiny I think she’ll be in it until she’s twelve.
“What’s wrong?” Karen pulls me from my thoughts and that’s when I realize I was so lost in my mind that Mom has already started clearing the table.
“I was just trying to figure out what we should do today.”
“That’s what had you looking so lost?”
“Well, that and the realization that we don’t have a car big enough for all of us to go out in. Grace needs her booster seat still.”
“I had an awesome SUV that we all could have fit in, but Brian wanted it so he took that and left me his car. He said he was doing me a favor because the car is paid off and the SUV isn’t.” I shrug. “It didn’t really bother me, but now I wish I had kept it.”
“No big deal. We’ll figure something out. You don’t need anything else to fight with him over.”
Her phone rings. “Speaking of him. I wonder what he wants.”
“Hey, Brian.” She sighs. “You know, Brian. Just once it would be nice if the first thing out of your mouth wasn’t a demand.” She walks over to the slider to continue her conversation. “Not gonna happen. What happened to you had this. You said you’re a father and you can handle it.” I can see she’s getting mad. “I know you don’t see him much, but why should I have to pick him up from you; not to mention, how much are you going to see him from Friday night to Saturday?” Her jaw drops. “No!” she shouts. “You are not making him miss practice. You want to see him, try showing up to a practice or, better yet, support him at a game.” I wish I could hear what he is saying, but instead of listening, I go to the kitchen to help my mom clean up.
“I take it from the conversation she’s talking to Brian.”
“Yup.”
She shakes her head. “His mama is flipping in her grave.”
“I know. I can’t believe he treats her that way.”
“I can’t either,” Karen says, coming into the room.
“I’m sorry, Karen. We shouldn’t have been talking like that.”
She waves her off. “It’s fine. He’s an ass, and I know it. He thinks he can just call me making demands and we’re all supposed to bend for him.
“What did you tell him?”
“That Jason had a commitment for next weekend and if he wants to see him he needs to be able to bring him to his commitments.”
I laugh. “I bet that went over well.”
“He told me he has no time for that shit.” I laugh. “He’s not happy. He tried to tell me he was going to miss practice on Friday and that I needed to pick him up for weigh-in on Saturday, but I told him that wasn’t happening. He said that was fine and he’d bring him to weigh-in, and he asked for the address…” Her words trail, and she suddenly looks unsure of herself.
“What is it, beautiful?”
“I sort of threw your name out. I told him he was riding with you and that it was a league rule.”
“Did he realize who you were referring to?”
“Oh yeah. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have done that, but he was making me mad. I’m so tired of him trying to rule our lives.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m glad he knows. He screwed up, and I’ll be sure to thank him the next time I see him.” I press my lips to hers. “How did you two leave it?”
“I told him the practice schedule and that I’d send him the game schedule as soon as I had it.” She pauses. “I told him if he shows up Friday night then I know he’s picking Jason up for the weekend and that he’ll have him at the school for weigh-in.”
“Do you really think he’ll show up to a practice?”
“I doubt it, but this is Brian we’re discussing so who knows.”
Grace comes running through the door. “Daddy.” She’s crying hysterically.
“What’s wrong, princess?”
“I fell, and it hurts.” She continues to sob.
“Oh no. What hurts?” Karen asks her as I pick her up and place her on the counter. Her hands are covered in dirt, and her knees are filthy. She definitely scraped her knees.
“My knees and hands burn,” she cries.
“Well, we need to get you cleaned up and it will all be better,” Karen encourages.
I peel off her sneakers and socks. “Do you know what Grammy would do if I skinned my knee as a kid?” I ask Grace. She shakes her head, and her tears are already disappearing. “She would wash the pain away in the sink. I’m going to get your soap. You set the water to a good temp with Karen.”
“Okay,” she says with a pout.
Karen scoops her legs into the sink and turns on the faucet while I hurry upstairs to get her soap. When I get back, Karen is squirting her knees down and Grace is giggling in the sink. The dirt is already disappearing down the drain.
“Are you ready to wash it all away?”
“Can Karen do it?”
“Sure, sweetie,” Karen coddles as she takes the soap from me. She rubs the soap between her fingers and lathers Grace’s legs, pretending to tickle her as she does it. Grace giggles, and when she rinses the soap away all her tears are forgotten. Karen helps her wash her hands. We dry her up, put her socks and shoes back on, and she’s out the door, ready to play again.
“Well, that was easier than I thought. I think it was sweet how you helped with her. Thank you.”
“You calmed her down. I just cleaned her up.”
“I know, but she’s already taken with you.” I stop for a second, hoping I don’t scare her. “She asks about you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, when you’re not here, she asks when you’re coming over again or if you’re having dinner with us. Stuff like that.”
“That’s sweet. How’s Gabe?”
“I think he likes having Jason to hang with. He’s older and understands a lot more than Grace does. I don’t think he honestly has an opinion one way or the other.”
“Jesse, I’m going to the store,” Josephine calls out, ending our conversation.
“Okay, Mom.”
“Are we going to be picnicking more at the field?”
I look at Karen. “Will you join us?”
“Works for me.”
“Yeah, it’s probably the easiest way for us all to have something to eat before practice. We’ll have to keep it light for the boys, though.”
“Got it. I’ll be back.” She walks out the door.
“She is an amazing woman.”
“She is.” I take her hand and lead her to the back porch where we take a seat on the loveseat to watch the kids. “I owe her for all she’s done. I know it’s probably weird for you being here with her here, but she’s done so much for me.”
I stare off at the kids and think back to the day she called me.
“Jesse, it’s Mom.”
“What’s wrong, Mom? Is everyone okay?” Concern is evident in her voice.
She sighs into the phone. “Jesse, I don’t know how to say this, but I think Della is back to using drugs or something.”
“Mom, I know you don’t trust her and rightfully so, but she has assured me she’s clean.” I’m so angry, and I’m not sure if it’s at the accusation of my wife using drugs or that fact that it’s possibly true.
“She’s been going out and leaving me with the kids, and I’m not just talking about an overnight stay. She took off for the weekend and when she came back she was a mess, stumbling and slurring her words.”
“Mom are you sure?” God, I want to believe she’s clean, but I trust my gut and after hearing my mom’s voice my gut is telling to listen to my mom.
“Jesse, I’m here for the kids and I’ll do what I can to get her help, but I’m telling you she’s involved in something. She’s not herself, and I’m sure it’s hard to swallow when you’re not here seeing it, but I’m telling you something is off.”
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe she would go back down that road.”
“I hope I’m wrong, but I’m sorry to say, Jesse, I doubt it.” She sounds so worried.
“Okay, Mom, I’m going to check some things and I’ll call you back.”
My Della doing drugs again. No way. I just can’t believe it. I hurry to my commander's officer and knock on the door. “Enter.”
“Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning, Captain.”
“Sir, I was wondering if I could head to lunch a few minutes early. I just got a call from home, and I need to go back to my room to check something personal.”
I now have his attention. Some commanders couldn’t give a fuck less about our family life, but not him. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure, sir, but I don’t want to say anything just yet. I need to check a few things and touch base with my mom.”
“Go. If you need me, let me know.”
“Yes, sir.” I hurry out of the office and jog straight to my room. I open my laptop and turn it on. My leg is twitching while I wait for it to boot up. This makes me wish I had downloaded the dang app that the bank said I should use. I was too worried about hackers, so I ignored all they told me about what they do to keep it safe and stuck with just using the computer.
It finally loads and when I log in to our account, what I see shocks me. Our savings account is down a couple of grand. “What the hell is she doing?” I whisper to myself.
I grab my phone and text my mom.
Jesse: Has she bought anything big for either of the kids?
Mom: Not that I’ve seen.
Fuck.
“What’s wrong, Jesse?” Karen asks, snapping me out of my memory.
“You know, Mom tried to warn me, but I didn’t believe her at first. I was angry with her for accusing Della of relapsing.” I look down at her. “When I realized she was right, I couldn’t apologize enough.”
“It’s understandable. No one wants to believe that the person they love is going through that. Look at me and how blind I was to Brian’s cheating. You just don’t want to believe it could happen in your relationship,” she says so sweetly.
“I think that’s one of the reasons we get along so well. We understand what we’ve each been through.”
“Yeah, well, unfortunately I’m still going through it with Brian, and I have a feeling now that he knows you’re Jason’s coach and my boyfriend it’s going to get worse.”
“Sweetie, if you think Brian scares me, then you don’t know me very well and we need to start spending a lot more time together.”
She laughs and rests her head on my shoulder. “I don’t have a problem spending more time with you especially if it’s time like we spent this morning, because that was pretty amazing.” That cute blush is coloring her cheeks.
“Oh, I want much more of that kind of time together.” I give her a chaste kiss.
The boys both crack up laughing. When we look over, they’re on the ground rolling around laughing hysterically. Karen watches them with a smile and then changes the subject. “How do you feel about cookouts?” she asks.
“I told you, I love to grill.”
“No, I mean with other people. We used to get together for cookouts during baseball season. The boys would play and the adults would hang out. It was fun, and it really brought them together as a team.”
“I don’t see why not. At least while the weather is still nice.” I shrug. “If it starts to get too cold, we’ll have to figure something else out. My house is big, but I’m not sure I want that many kids running around the house.”
“Yeah, I agree. That’s a lot.”
“Let’s schedule something for opening weekend. That way we can at least be sure we celebrate that.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll set up an event in our Facebook group inviting the entire team, and we’ll see how many are interested. If it’s like baseball, only a small fraction of people will actually participate.”
“If that’s the case, then we can do it in the house, but to have the entire team in the house would be a lot. There are almost thirty kids on the team.”
She chuckles. “I’ll bet you that no more than eight kids will come.”
“Did you just say bet?” I need to see what I can do with this. I love a good bet.
“I did,” she says with confidence.
“You’re on. If more than eight kids say they’re coming, what do I get?”
“What do you want?”
“Here’s how this will go down. You set up the event and if more than eight RSVP that they’re coming then you start spending more nights at my place.”
Her jaw drops. “What do I get if I’m right?”
“What do you want?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll agree to your demand if you’ll agree I get to decide what I want later.”
I chuckle. “Fair enough.”
“Kiss on it,” she demands.
Now I’m really laughing. “Umm... usually you shake.”
“Yeah but you’re my man, and I love your lips pressed to mine.”
“That I can agree with.” She kisses me sweetly, and we go back to enjoying the nice afternoon.