Chapter Eleven
~Chance~
Mahogany used exactly six minutes to get ready, and now, she fidgeted in the passenger seat in a white sundress and sandals, nibbling at her food that the buzzards flocking at the roadside ate more of than she did. All signs that she was anxious and expected to be greeted by my mother’s cold shoulders. However, Mahogany had no idea what all she had done when she given birth to Majestic. If she hadn’t cut me off in the hospital yesterday just before Tommy and Kat arrived, I would’ve explained exactly what she brought on herself… and that she was going to regret wearing a dress on this day in that color.
Where my mother wouldn’t give Mahogany the time of day when they first met, Dania along with my sister, Cena, were going to try their damndest to propel Mahogany down an aisle with me at the end of it. The only thing unpleasant to me about that image was the propelling. I rather Mahogany be on an aisle of her own free will, but I wouldn’t dare give her a hint of the booby trap that she was about to she would run right now in the opposite direction for sure, literally, especially after the way I had treated her.
Past time to make that up to her.
“Mahogany.”
“Yes?” She picked at a piece of bacon on top of the biscuit, then stuck it in her mouth and dogged the windshield with her eyes.
“You ever going to get married?”
“One day. Gotta get over you first though, or I probably won’t ever have sex again after you go home.”
How could she be honest with me so easily after all I had put her through? Just another testament to this woman’s character that overcame, her backbone that withstood, her inability to hold grudges even in the harshest of environments. Losing my way after finding out Majestic was mine, then using Mahogany to find myself again was pretty damn rough for us both. I could learn a lot from her, would never be good enough for her, but I would try my hardest to measure up.
“You do like sex,” I coincided, one of the best damn things about her.
“Very much. Just can’t seem to be attracted to anyone else but your ass.” Her dry lilt indicated she was resenting me for that, so she had one grudge with me. Then, she rotated in her seat to face me, knee resting against the gearshift. “You ruined me for other men, you know that?”
She was doing what Tommy had advised me to do: clearing her chest.
I shouldn’t have been glad to hear she was ruined or eager to admit that I was ruined too, but I did anyway with, “Ditto, baby.”
“Oh, you are not ruined, Chance.”
“Says who, Mahogany?”
“Says me! At least you tried to date. I didn’t.”
“Really? And it was a waste of time for me. There was no getting over you, and if I didn’t used my hands, there was no getting off, if you know what I mean.”
“Really?” she mimicked in disbelief, as we drove into the hospital’s back lot.
“Really. Why didn’t you date?”
“Waste of time. I grew frigid after you. Didn’t even need my hands.” She splayed them in the air in front of her, after balancing the remains of the biscuit on her purse laying in her lap.
“Okay, you can put them down now, you’ve proved they’re masturbation-free. We’ll do something about some of the ‘getting off’ you didn’t get to do when the family is gone and Majestic is napping today.” The janitor’s closet came to mind thanks to Tommy.
I had a lot more to make up to her than I thought. It seemed she’d left something behind in Utah: her sex-drive that was high for a woman. I guessed I brought it with me because she blazed up every time I kissed her. For the first time, I alleged that she might have gotten pregnant eventually anyway. The powerful urge to get her that way again manifested in the middle of my chest and sat there like a rock. The woman beside me had proven I had the ability to not only curse my babies but to un-curse them. If I can’t, my family would be glad to step up to the plate and give more blessings like Majestic a chance at a full life. In a complete turnaround, I craved to witness parts of Mahogany and me merge inside her and develop then be delivered. I didn’t experience that with my firstborn and felt cheated. Turned out it was me who cheated me. Mahogany just did what she thought was best for Majestic, which perpetuated the cycle I had already started by demanding no children.
She swiveled to the correct position in her seat as I parked, then she muttered, “Sure. Why not get off? That’s what I signed up for.”
Someone thought she was still being used. Although I tried like hell to do that, it didn’t work out so well. Had the opposite effect actually: I wanted her more than ever, and it was time she learned that. Putting the car in gear, I twisted at the waist toward her, slipped my fingers under the strap of her dress after sweeping her hair from her shoulders, then pulled her around to face me.
“Chance, what are…” My lips were on hers before she could finish, tongue tangling with hers before she knew what the hell hit her.
The slow grind of her mouth on mine reassured me she was receiving the affections I had cruelly denied her outside of sex. Heartbreaking to think I could be that way with her, but I had because my love for her was all-consuming, mind-altering, devastating when she wasn’t returning it. She had the power to turn me into the bastard who usually dealt with only my enemies. She pulled me out of my character effortlessly, but most importantly, turned me around with a single word she wasn’t aware she had said. Now, I owed her for making her choose between me and my child, then letting me just take from her to build myself back up until I was in my right mind again. None of that was fair to her. God, I hoped she forgave me.
When out of breath, I released her, sitting back in my seat to ogle the fine bones in her face under her dark oval-shaped eyes that fluttered opened. “I need you to know that you are beautiful and irreplaceable, and any man would be lucky to get you off, Mahogany.”
Somehow, she had gotten more stunning after giving birth. I perused the perfect assembly of her facial features as she panted and pressed her thighs together, needing me between them right now like I knew she would before I even kissed her.
“You’ve got to stop doing that, Chance.”
I did have ulterior motives when I kissed her, and it was so low down to set her up now so she’d let me satisfy her later, but what can I say besides I’m a bastard when it came to her?
“Why would I stop doing that, Mahogany? Kissing you is one of my favorite pastimes, remember?”
Her eyebrows shot up and crinkled up her forehead. “I’m surprised you remember.”
“If I could forget, we wouldn’t be dating again, now would we? Stay there.”
I got out to open her door. When I reached inside for her, Mahogany gave me a leery lift of her eyebrows before climbing out with the aid of my hand. She let go of my fingers immediately. I placed them in the middle of her back, then smiled to myself when she threw me one of the cutest scowls that Majestic had inherited. I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that Mahogany was suspicious of me. She was in for a lot more surprises. More kisses too, which won’t all land on her face.
The second we walked into Majestic’s eyesight, she squealed with two pink bows clasped around her sandy-brown curls in two bushy ponytails, then crawled at warp speed to the edge of the bed.
Kat and Tommy stood up from the chairs they’d pushed together and chanted, “Hey, guys.”
“Hey, guys right back.” Mahogany freed the biggest grin before scooping up our daughter. “Hey, munchkin.”
Majestic pecked Mahogany on the lips before swinging her feet happily. “Hey, mommy! Fries!”
Mahogany shook her head while smiling. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Majestic. It’s six thirty in the morning. Can I get a little more love before you tell me you’re ready to eat?”
Majestic went in for a sloppy kiss and a hug.
Kat swung her purse up on her shoulders, then stretched, the chairs comfortable but no substitute for a real bed. “She politely declined breakfast an hour ago but ate some of Tommy’s granola bar, so she should definitely be hungry enough to eat whatever by now.”
Tommy smirked. “That means I’m starving too, and should get out of here to find me something to eat that I don’t have to share, then catch a few hours of sleep before going to work. Do not expect me to volunteer to babysit in a hospital again. Or ask me. It ain’t happening. Besides, Kat was not interested in the janitor’s closet.”
Kat swiped up the back side of his skull with her opened palm. “You should’ve never expected me to be interested in the first place, Tommy. It’s in a damn hospital!”
He rubbed his head. “I thought you were adventurous, Kat. My bad.”
“That’s not adventurous, Tommy, that’s just plain disturbing,” Mahogany piped in.
He shrugged. “Well, I had to try, or I’d never know if she was into it. Now, give me Majestic so I can say goodbye.”
Mahogany handed our daughter over. Tommy’s idea of farewell was asking Majestic when was she coming to get her playpen out of his office. Majestic informed him that she didn’t want the playpen but fries. They went back and forth until Tommy gave up and left a peck on her cheek. “You’re just like your mama, Majestic, a mule. Go back to her and I’ll send you something good to eat by here this afternoon.”
Majestic showed her appreciation by leaving a kiss on his chin before Tommy gave her back to Mahogany.
Leaning over her shoulder, I placed a quick smooch on Majestic’s forehead. “I’m gonna make a trip to Tommy’s for fries, baby girl. You tell me what you want too, Mahogany, and I’ll come right back.”
“I’m not hungry.” And she won’t be until my family had come and gone.
I promised to come right back with her something anyway.
She gently jostled Majestic around.
“Munchkin, say ‘no problem’ to your daddy,” Majestic repeated her mother word for word with a big smile, very aware of what she was doing.
“You were supposed to just say ‘no problem, munchkin.” For her troubles, Mahogany received a smug toothy-grin from the toddler.
I followed Tommy and Kat out, had halfway closed the door behind me before I realized I forgot something, then retraced my steps to kiss Mahogany goodbye. It took half a minute until I was satisfied. Majestic looked on, spellbound, as if she’d never seen adults kiss before. There really had been no men in Mahogany’s life up to this point, but I knew she was being truthful about it when she told me that. Looked like I had gone right back to trusting her completely without even knowing it.
I tipped my nose to Mahogany’s and whispered, “I’ll be back.”
“Oh, you better be back after that.” Her tone was filled with enough heat to set a dry forest ablaze.
Thirty minutes passed before I returned to find both of my girls on the bed, chattering away. They looked up at me and smiled. At that moment, my world felt almost complete. The circle we were meant to make wouldn’t close until we all were Middleton’s. No one had to convince Majestic to eat, but I worked on Mahogany until she ate a few fries from my hand and there was pressure in my jeans that could only be offloaded inside her. It was her who brought up the time a few hours later as Majestic was napping again, just before my phone rang. I answered, then was notified by Cena that everyone was a few miles away. I needed to find the sheriff pronto, so I got up, stuffing the phone in my pocket.
“Mahogany, I’ll be right back.”
Overhearing the call, Mahogany sat up straighter than an arrow beside our daughter. “Where are you going this time?”
I touched her shoulder. “I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself with them, Mahogany, just checking on someone that should be here by now.”
“Who?”
“Let me find them first, then I’ll tell you why they’re here.”
If Astrid was on time, she was already in the building looking for me. I had no idea who I was looking for, just someone in a sheriff’s uniform, which sauntered into the room as I took a step toward the door.
Mahogany leapt to her feet. “Astrid!”
Astrid paused in the center of the space between the door and entrance. “Hey, Mahogany, I’m here.” She peered at the bed. “Ahhhh, Majestic’s sleeping, so I won’t bother her, and this is a weird call I’m on by the way.”
“What call?” Mahogany asked worriedly. “I didn’t call the cops, certainly not on myself!”
I ensnared Mahogany’s hand in mine then walked us both forward to greet the tiny package of a woman wrapped in different shades of brown and came with a ponytail that had more hair than she had body. “Hey, Sheriff Powers. I’m Chance Middleton, and I called her, Mahogany.”
Mahogany palmed her chest. “You called her on me?” Her tone was high-pitched and filled with horror as was her face.
“Sweetheart, calm down. I did this for you. I know you worry about the amount of sweets Majestic eats, so I called Astrid on my family.”
“What are they going to do?” she shrieked, losing it big time, and it was impossible to not smile as her unnecessary hysteria grew.
“Astrid’s going to collect the candy off my family. If they get in here with it, Majestic will smell it, then the older ones will give it to her. They also won’t give it up for anyone but an authority figure. They think they are the authority figures. Trust me on that.”
“Chance, your family is going to think I called the sheriff on them. They already hate me. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I promised they won’t think that, Mahogany. I got this. Take a chance and trust me. Please.”
It was low of me to use her own words against her again, but I meant to help not harm her.
She slammed her mouth shut, exhaling out of her nose. “If this backfires—”
“It won’t, baby,” I assured, pitting my forehead against hers. “Stay in here with Majestic while I threaten to have my own relatives turned around at the door if they don’t turn over their candy.”
“This is highly weird,” she noted dryly.
“I know, but it’s more of an expensive joke for my father to get a kick out of; the rest of my family is used to being collateral damage. You’re gonna have to get used to this too, babe. My father is ruthless with the pranks. Wait for me here.” With any luck, she’d marry into the pranks.
Astrid and I quit the room just in time to meet the loud mob coming down the hallway, my sister and mother at the forefront of the group. They all quieted down as they noticed the sheriff standing beside me, more like under me. Colorado must attract short people.
My family drew near, most frowning, some open-mouthed.
Astrid stepped in front of me. “Before you enter this room, you all should know that you’re subject to ‘search and seizure’ for anything sweet. This is probably highly illegal, but Majestic will rob you of the candy, then eat it, so her father has resorted to drastic measures. Dr. Blane doesn’t want her to have sweets right now. So, if you have candy in any form, hand it over please. It’ll be returned to you when you leave.”
The older generation sighed and thanked heaven that it wasn’t anything more serious going on. Cena smirked, knowing it was truly not above her brother or her father to go over and beyond to get anything done. All began to pat themselves down or open purses, extracted the contraband from wherever it was concealed, then passed it over. More chocolate bars than pieces of individually wrapped toffee was deposited in Astrid’s hands. I whipped a sack from Tommy’s out of my jeans for her to dump the goodies inside.
“That’s definitely your kid in there, Chance,” my father, Lenox Middleton, commented in his deep, gravely tone as he navigated around the crowd.
The younger family members ranged from college students to freshly-graduated high schoolers all the way down to teenagers who hadn’t grown into who they’d be yet. The youngsters from Utah were in Western gear like my father, some from Mumbai in custom Indian gear. The rest wore pieces from each country and were making one hell of a fashion statement, but my father was the oddball: built like a Viking, muscular in t-shirt and jeans with midnight-black hair that was gray at the temples. Whereas my Indian relatives where brown-haired, slim, and preferred the custom kurta, a colorful loose top that reached to the knees with leggings underneath. My dad had no Mumbai-blood to speak of, the only one with no hidden sweets on his person, and an orphan like Mahogany. Only his parents died in a car accident when he was three.
“Congratulations, son, on the new baby and good joke calling the sheriff for the candy, but I would’ve done better. There would’ve been fake Homeland security agents with earpieces out here. By the time the in-laws figured out no one really thought they were candy-toting terrorists, half of them would have been admitted as patients.” A prankster down to his steel toe work boots and completely unremorseful about possibly causing someone a heart attack just to get a good laugh.
“You are horrible, dad. Majestic’s not a baby, she’s two going on thirty, and this sheriff is real. Talk to me when you can get authentic agents in on one of your pranks.”
He laughed as he pounded my back. We chatted until everyone had emptied their pockets, then I opened the door for them. The family descended on the room, surrounding the bed like locusts. My great-grandmother, the oldest but apparently the fastest, reached the sleeping Majestic first, claiming her for herself while my sister tried to talk her into passing Majestic to her. My mother didn’t even stop to speak to me or Majestic, instead browsed the room until she found Mahogany, who had backed into the wall at the rear of the room. Determined to become a part of the surroundings while my family was there, but her beauty and the white dress that stood out from the tan paint made her too damn noticeable. The second my mother found what she was looking for, she dashed across the room to stand in front of Mahogany, who looked terrified suddenly.
Dania bent at the knees, grabbed two handfuls of the hem of Mahogany’s dress, inspecting it. I can get a venue in Utah at last minute, but we can find something here for you guys to rent if you want. It must have a reception hall and hotel suites nearby though. My family drinks like they’re fishes.”
Mahogany’s head whipped around to me, the ‘what the hell is she talking about, Chance’ look on her face priceless. Or maybe it was ‘save me now please!’ More than likely, she was projecting both, and leaving it up to me to intervene. I waved my hand in front of my mother intent on designing Mahogany a wedding dress right this instant, quite overwhelming when she wanted to be. Mahogany was totally overwhelmed.
“Hey, mama. Do you not recognize your own son anymore? Where’s my hug?”
If Mahogany didn’t run after I got my mother’s attention, she was never going to get away.