BLAIRE

Rush came walking back into the house with a nervous look in his eyes. He didn’t look my way as he headed through the kitchen. I stopped kneading the dough for the biscuits and wiped my hands on the apron before following him. Something was wrong.

I hurried down the hallway and then into the foyer. Rush was opening the front door. Was he leaving? No one had knocked. As the door swung completely open I saw past Rush to see my father standing there with a small suitcase in one hand and a paper bag in the other. He was thinner and he had a beard. The polished looking man that he had been was gone. He looked like a sea captain now. I couldn’t take a deep breath as his eyes met mine over Rush’s shoulder. He was here. My daddy was here.

Tears filled my eyes and I started walking toward him. We hadn’t spent a holiday together since I was fifteen years old. But this year, he was here. Rush glanced back at me and I understood the look in his eyes earlier now. He didn’t want to upset me. He had been trying to surprise me but he hadn’t been sure this was the right thing to do.

All the lies and betrayal no longer seemed important as I stared up at my dad’s face. He’d suffered too. He still was suffering. Maybe he deserved it. But maybe he had paid his penance. Because right now all I could think about was the man who sang Christmas carols with me as we stuffed the turkey on Thanksgiving, the man who made sure to make a caramel pie because I preferred it over pumpkin pie, the man who spent hours every Thanksgiving weekend covering our house in Christmas lights. I didn’t think about the other. I just remembered all the good.

“Daddy,” I said with a tear-clogged voice.

Rush stepped back and allowed him inside. I threw myself in his arms and inhaled the scent that had always reminded me of family, security, and love.

“Hey, Blaire bear,” he replied. His voice was thick with emotion. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.” My voice was muffled in his leather jacket. I wasn’t ready to let him go just yet.

“I was worried you wouldn’t have your caramel pie. So when Rush called I figured I better take him up on his offer and make sure my girl got her pie.”

A choked sob escaped me and I followed it with a laugh. “I haven’t had one of those in a really long time.”

“Well, we need to fix that now, don’t we?” he said with a pat on my back.

I nodded and stepped back from his embrace. “Yeah, we do.”

He held up the bag he was holding. “Brought my ingredients.”

“Okay.” I reached over and took it from him. “You can go put your suitcase in the yellow room if you want to. I’ll take this to the kitchen.”

Dad nodded his head and then looked over at Rush. “Thank you,” he said before turning and heading for the stairs.

I didn’t wait until he was completely out of view before I wrapped my arms around Rush’s waist and kissed his chest. “I love you,” I told him. Because it was more than a thank you. He had done something for me I knew wasn’t easy for him. Rush wasn’t a fan of my dad but he’d put that aside and brought him here.

“I love you too. More than life,” he replied, holding me against him as he kissed the top of my head. “I’m glad this makes you happy. I wasn’t sure...”

I tilted my head back so I could see his face. “I’ll never forget this Thanksgiving. What should have been the hardest holiday I ever faced isn’t. You make everything better.”

Rush flashed me a crooked grin. “Good. I’m trying my hardest to get you so wrapped up in me you never leave.”

Laughing, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. “Never. I can’t even imagine life without you.”

“Mmmmm, you keep that up and we’re going back upstairs,” he whispered against my mouth. I leaned back and ran my hands up his chest to gently push him back.

“Time for that later. I have a meal to prepare and you have football to watch.”

Rush’s eyebrows shot up. “Sweet Blaire, I’m not one to sit back and enjoy the action. I prefer to experience the action. Watching football does not compete with getting you naked and under me.”

I felt my cheeks flush as the vivid image of Rush on top of me as he moved inside me flashed in my head. Yes, I liked that too. Very much. Rush chuckled and reached over to cup my face and brush his thumb against my cheek.

“You look a little turned on now... I can fix that for you. I promise to make it fast so you can get back to cooking.” He’d dropped his voice to a husky whisper.

My breathing hitched and I managed to shake my head no. I had to go cook. My dad had just arrived and Bethy was very likely driving Dean crazy in the kitchen. “I need to get back in there,” I replied.

Rush slipped a hand on my waist and tugged me back up against him. His head lowered until his mouth was hovering over my ear. “We can step into that office right there and I’ll slip my hand up this cute little dress you’re wearing and play with your wet pussy until you have to bite my shoulder to keep from crying out. Won’t take long. I don’t want my girl needing me. I want her satisfied.”

Oh God. I was sure my panties were soaked. It was bad enough that I stayed horny with this pregnancy. Then add Rush and his dirty mouth to it and I was a mess.

“Five minutes,” he said before taking a nip at my ear.

I grabbed his arms and held on tight before I melted in a puddle on the floor. “Not now. We can’t now. I have to finish in the kitchen and my dad just got here,” I said breathlessly.

Rush let out a defeated sigh. “Okay. But damn, I wanted to touch you and feel you come apart on my hand.”

“Rush. Please,” I said, taking deep calming breaths. “I need some ice water poured down my dress as it is already. Don’t make it worse.”

With a soft laugh, he dropped his hands from me and stepped back. “Fine. Run from me, sweet Blaire. You have five seconds before I decide I don’t care what you say.”

Moving my legs was difficult but I managed to turn and flee to the kitchen. Rush’s laughter grew louder and I couldn’t help but laugh too.