Love’s Sweet Revenge(120)

Lloyd sat down. “You aren’t the only one.”

Katie removed his boots and socks. “Stand back up, and I’ll help you get these pants off,” Katie told him.

Lloyd rose and unbuckled his belt. “I hate needing help.”

“Of course you do. Men like you are used to doing for yourselves.” Katie pulled off his denim pants, and he stepped out of them.

Suddenly, Katie couldn’t get back up. It hit her then that she’d almost lost him. She could easily be a widow now instead of having her husband standing here in front of her, walking and talking and breathing. The trying day caught up with her, and she covered her face and wept.

“Baby, don’t,” Lloyd told her. He reached down and helped her to her feet, then pulled her into his arms and pressed her close.

“I’m afraid I’ll hurt you!” she wept.

“You won’t hurt me.” He led her to the bed. “Lie down beside me, Katie. I want to start sleeping with you again. I miss you beside me at night.”

“We can’t—”

“Yes we can.” He scooted onto the bed and kept an arm around her middle, wrapping her into his arms. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and see you sleeping on that damn cot all alone, and it drives me crazy,” he told her.

Katie couldn’t stop the tears. “Oh, Lloyd, when I saw you go down that night…” She curled against him. “I thought my life was over! I’ve tried to be strong through all of this, but it’s so hard.”

“You’ve been wonderful. God, Katie, we’ve hardly talked, and you’ve been through so much. I was so afraid you’d lose the baby.”

“For those first few days, I thought the baby would be all I had left of you.”

“Well, I’m here now, and it won’t be long before I can show you I’m back in every way.” He met her mouth in a long, deep kiss, then moved his lips to her eyes again, licking at her tears. “Don’t cry, Katie. Everything will be all right now. We’ll go home to the J&L and our baby girl and our own bed, and we’ll pick up where we left off the last time we made love in that bed.” He moved his lips down to kiss at the lovely mounds where her breasts peeked above the bodice of her dress.

Someone tapped at the door. “You two need anything tonight?”

It was Jake.

“Hell no!” Lloyd answered. Katie laughed again, and he pulled her closer, moving one leg over her. “Go away!” Lloyd added. “I’ve been looking at your ugly mug every day for over three weeks, Pa. I’m looking at someone prettier right now, and if you come in here, I’ll fire you from the J&L!”

He heard his father laugh as Katie pushed at him and chided him for the remark.

“You couldn’t run that place without me,” Jake answered.

Lloyd rocked Katie in his arms. “Watch me try!” He and Katie both broke into more laughter, and Lloyd quickly yanked part of the covers over them. “All you have to do is come through that door, and you’ll have to find a new place to live!”

Jake laughed again. “You two had better be able to get up in the morning because we’re leaving for the J&L. I’m not staying in this damn dirty city one more day. I’m ready for some fresh air.”

“Hell, I’ll leave tonight if you want to,” Lloyd answered. “Fine with me.”

“Get some rest,” Jake ordered. “Both of you! Don’t overdo anything.”

“Just go pay some attention to my poor mother!” Lloyd teased. “And if I were you, I’d kiss her the way you kissed Gretta MacBain earlier, or she might kick you out. Mom needs your attention way more than I do.”

Outside the door, Jake smiled and breathed a deep sigh of relief. “You’re damn right there,” he muttered. He turned, a lump in his throat at the fact that his son was alive and back to his jabbing remarks, which meant he was definitely getting better. He went to his own room, going inside to see Randy removing her hat.

“Our son is healing fast.” He closed the door.

Randy walked over and helped him take off his suit jacket.

“Jake, ever since we got back here and all through dinner, you didn’t tell me what it did to you to have that prosecutor practically scream out that you killed your own father. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” He finished unbuttoning the shirt himself. “I’m glad Ben and Stephen already knew, so they weren’t shocked. When we were walking back, Little Jake asked me if it was true. I told him I’d talk to him about it another time but that some people just don’t know how to love. I think he’s okay with it for now, but I definitely need to explain more to him. Right now, he just thinks my father was a really mean man like Ben’s father was.” He pulled off his shirt. “Ben’s father was a saint compared to mine,” he added with obvious venom. He looked Randy over. “My God, you’re beautiful. Have I told you that yet today?” He walked up to her and moved one finger down into her cleavage. “I love this spot.” He leaned down and kissed her there.