All I Need: Rod & Daisy (All Of Me Duet Book 2) Page 20

  “It’s finally over, Rod. It’s really done.” Hearing her voice, even broken from crying, makes me feel slightly better. “Thank you for standing by me through this whole nightmare. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Baby, why didn’t you tell me this was taking such a toll on you?”

  “I didn’t realize how stressed I’ve been over it until the detective said he’ll be sent to the state prison soon. I’ve been carrying this around for years and now it’s finally over.” She dries her face off and takes a deep, calming breath.

  “Are you better now, my love?”

  “Better.” She nods and gives me a watery smile. “This is emotional enough as it is. Add pregnancy hormones on top, and it’s a recipe for an instant meltdown.”

  “I’m holding you to that early maternity leave agreement. You need a break. Your body needs a break too.”

  “No argument here. I don’t have enough energy left in me to fight. The temporary teacher has already started working with me so she can take over in case of an emergency. Twins are slightly harder on the mom than a single baby, you know. Tomorrow, I’ll let her and the administration know I won’t be back beginning next week.”

  “I’m so relieved to hear you say that. You have no idea how much.” After leaving a million kisses all over her face, I take her to the kitchen and make her favorite meal—herb and mustard sirloin and a loaded baked potato. With hot food in her, she seems calmer, but I still insist she rests on the couch while I bathe the kids and get them ready for bed.

  Juliana comes in to say goodnight to Isa, then asks to talk to me in private. Although I’ve had enough surprises for today, I can’t refuse her request. The two leading ladies in my life both need my best, and I’ll do whatever it takes to give it to them. She and I sit in my office with the door closed.

  “What’s up, little bird?”

  “Gabe called a few minutes ago.”

  That’s not at all what I expected her to say.

  “What? Gabe called you? Why? What does he want?” If he thinks he’s getting close to Isa, he’s fucking crazy.

  “He wanted you, Daisy, and me to know he cooperated with the investigation and had enough information from their fraternity days to help the police get a confession. He’s not looking for a pat on the back for it though. He said it felt good to do the right thing for a change, and he wanted us to know his former buddy is no longer a threat.” Her deadpan tone isn’t fooling me. She’s trying to act as though she’s unaffected by his outreach, but I know Juliana. Common sense never entered her mind where Gabe was concerned.

  “The detective called to tell us just a few minutes ago. I appreciate his cooperation and help, but that doesn’t make up for protecting that prick for years or for what he did to you and Isa. Doing what’s right is the least he could’ve done in this situation.”

  “It’s a step in the right direction. Give him credit for that much.”

  “Jules, you know it’s hard for me to give him any credit at all. But I do appreciate his coming forward to stop his college buddy from ruining more lives than he already has over the past seven or eight years.”

  “Fair enough. What else did the detective say?”

  Over the next few minutes, I bring Jules up to date on the case, then I pry into how she feels. She’s been quiet about the side effects of her treatment to prevent the cancer from advancing further. I’m well aware of what a horrible toll it takes on her body, her appetite, and her energy. The home health nurse has been coming by a couple times a week to make sure she’s staying hydrated between doctor visits.

  “I’m hanging in there, my overprotective brother. You have a nurse checking on me frequently, and I’m constantly in the doctor’s office for one thing or another. Yes, cancer sucks, but I’m dealing with it. I’ve promised to tell you if I have new symptoms. So far, I’ve only had the same ones I’ve been dealing with, so not much has changed.”

  “Please just hold the line until the twins are born. The doctors have scheduled the delivery date, so we’re close. No more surprises, okay? Let’s have a nice, smooth delivery and bone marrow transplant simultaneously. That’s not asking for too much, is it?”

  She smiles. “Perfectly normal request, Rod. It’s almost cliché.”

  “Get out of here. I need to go check on Daisy again now. She’s probably passed out on the couch.”

  Sure enough, Daisy is sleeping soundly when I walk in the den. She looks so peaceful, and I don’t want to disturb her, but I see her shirt moving. The babies are active, safe and secure in their mom, and I can’t help myself. I sit on the floor beside her and slide my hand under her shirt. My little ones are doing somersaults and kicking left and right in there. I’m constantly amazed by our little miracles.

  “You know, if you’re going to sneak a feel while I’m asleep, you could at least make sure I thoroughly enjoy it.” Her voice is groggy but playful.

  “I would absolutely love to make sure you enjoy it all night long. After you’ve had some rest though. When you’re home all day, I’ll have plenty of time to ravage that beautiful body.”

  “Yes, you will, but we also have time right now. Making love is a stress reliever, so it’ll be good for me. It won’t be good for you if you refuse me though.”

  “I could never refuse you. What Mahoe wants, Mahoe gets. If she doesn’t want to wait until later, then right now is the perfect time.”

  I help her stand and walk beside her to our bedroom for complete privacy. Taking my time undressing her, I marvel and worship every inch of her body. With my lips and fingers, I relish the warmth of her skin. She denies it, but she’s every bit as sexy pregnant as she was when I first met her. Nothing could douse the fire inside me that burns for her.

  When she lies on the bed, I quickly shed my clothes and join her. The best feeling in the world is when I’m buried inside her. When we’re one person, one mind, one beating heart. We get lost in each other despite the stress of the day, the troubles outside our bedroom, or the uncertainty of the future. Our bodies were made for each other, instinctively and automatically pushing us closer and closer to the edge. The sounds she makes are nearly my undoing, but I hold out a minute longer.

  “Daisy,” I whisper. She opens her eyes to meet my gaze. Now’s the time, the perfect moment. The one I’ve been waiting for. She’s putty in my hands.

  “I love you too, Rod.” She gently strokes my beard with her fingertips.

  “Will you marry me?” My eyes dart back and forth between hers, and I hold my breath until she answers.

  “Yes.” Her whispered reply sends me soaring. With one last thrust into her, I fall over the edge of ecstasy along with her.

  The perfect ending to this day is the start of a new chapter in our life together.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Daisy

  “Hello, Mrs. Stone. You married me today, so now I have papers on you. They say you’re all mine, and I can have you anytime I want.” Rod slides back into the bed with me after checking on Isa and Landen.

  “Papers on me? I think what you mean is, I have papers on you, my husband. Your womanizing days are long over. No more jumping from bed to bed. You’ll only be in mine from now on.” There’s no wiping off the smile I’ve worn all day since we said our wedding vows.

  “That has been true since I met you, Mrs. Daisy Stone. Nothing will ever change that. If you try to leave me, I’ll just follow you. There’s not a woman on earth who would even come close to tempting me. I gave you my heart, my babies, and my last name. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give you.”

  “All I need is you, Rod.” We settle in to fall asleep, the events of the days replaying in my mind.

  With all the stress in our life recently, Rod and I decided to have a small, intimate ceremony with only a few people in attendance. It took a few weeks to plan, and since I’m due to deliver in six weeks, a big wedding was out of the question anyway. Instead, we had a mid-May poolside ceremony where we wore comfo
rtable clothes, enjoyed the cool mist of the porch fans, and toasted with fresh-squeezed lemonade. Louise enjoyed playing caterer, Tracy was my maid of honor, Kevin was Rod’s best man, and Isa and Landen gave me away. Juliana was our official photographer, recording every moment for us to relive the rest of our lives. My parents and Marlee attended via video conference so they could be part of the big day too.

  Our vows were simple and to the point. We promised to love, protect, and stay by each other’s side until death parts us. The truth is, even death wouldn’t end my love for him. Jules had a little surprise planned for us, though, that reduced us both to tears.

  Isa and Landen recited their own “vows” to us. Isa stepped forward and said hers first.

  “Aunt Daisy, I love you, and I’m so happy you’re marrying my Uncle Rod. Thank you for always loving and taking care of me when Mommy was sick.” In her sweet little child voice, the sincerity of her words touched my heart. Her short life hasn’t been easy, but she remains the most loving child despite the problems.

  Then Landen stepped up and read his, and I lost all composure when he finished.

  “My mom is the best. She always helps me, no matter how tired she is or how hard she worked all day. Momma always puts me first. Then she met Rod, and I was afraid to share her at first. But then Rod surprised me when he made me feel like I was part of his family too. We spent more time together, and Rod never left me out of anything.

  “Now that my mom is marrying you, I have a question for you, Rod.” Landen hesitated, looking up at me then at Juliana. She nodded her head, encouraging him to continue reading from the paper in his hand. “Is it okay if I start calling you Daddy now? I’ve never had one, but I’ve always wanted one. If I could choose my daddy, it would be you.”

  Rod scooped Landen up in his arms and tightly hugged him. “Yes, little man, I would be honored if you’d call me Daddy. You’re already my son, and I will love you forever.”

  Our wedding portrait is a very pregnant me standing next to Rod, who’s holding our son. It’s my favorite picture ever. Juliana couldn’t wait to have it printed, so she went to the store against Rod’s insistence she stay home away from others. With her transplant preparation starting a couple of weeks before my delivery, he’s been overprotective about her going out around strangers. She won that fight, though.

  Now we’re relishing our first night as husband and wife. Rod took extra care when ravaging me and assaulting my entire body with his sensual prowess when we consummated our nuptials. Nothing is comfortable when you’re eleven months pregnant with twins, but he has ways of making me temporarily forget about my discomforts.

  “Are you asleep?” he whispers into the darkness.

  “No, I’m still wide awake.” I whisper back with a chuckle.

  “Me too. I’ve been mulling over something I want to ask you about.” He props up on his arm behind me.

  “Okay. You can ask me anything.”

  “I’ve been thinking about what Landen said all day. My father was never there for me, but I will always be there for him. What do you think about my officially adopting him and giving him our last name?”

  “Rod, are you serious?” Granted, my pregnancy hormones have my emotions all over the board, but this just pushed me over the edge. Again.

  “Absolutely. That little boy is mine already. Look at us—he even has my same eye color. There’s no doubt where he fits in my life and my heart. If it’s okay with you and him, I’d like to start the process of making it official.”

  “Of course it’s okay with me. I think Landen will be thrilled with it too. You really are the best man in the world, Rod. You’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been. Before you, I never dared to believe a life like ours existed. We have problems to overcome, but we do it together. That means more to me than I can stress.”

  “Let’s talk to Landen about it over breakfast in the morning. He’s young, but he should have a say in the matter too. He really surprised me today. I know Jules helped him write it down, but she said the request was all his. You have no idea how much that makes my heart swell with pride.”

  I have some idea, because I feel it too.

  Sleep eventually overtakes us and I slip away inside a warm cocoon of love and happiness. When I wake, the room is already bright from the sun streaming in. The other side of the bed is empty though. I listen for any sounds nearby, but only silence meets my ears. Rod slipped out of the bedroom and let me sleep in after our big day.

  After quickly getting dressed, I head downstairs and hear all the ruckus coming from outside. The whole gang is out by the pool, soaking up the morning sun and playing games. Tracy and Kevin spent the night in one of our guest bedrooms, and they’re busy entertaining Isa with the water guns. Juliana films their escapades with her phone, laughing and cheering them on from the sideline. Rod and Landen are in the heated pool, playing water basketball. From the sound of it, Rod is letting Landen win.

  I sit at the table to have breakfast and watch while everyone is busy playing. Rod spots me and whispers something to Landen. Then they both join me, smiling suspiciously.

  “You two are up to something. What have you done?” I arch one brow at them both and Landen giggles.

  “Us? Would we be up to something, Landen?”

  “No way. Not us.” That mischievous grin is contagious. I can’t help but smile in return.

  “Why are you two ganging up on me? Spill it.”

  “Landen and I had a little talk this morning while you were sleeping in. I told him what we talked about last night, and he is one-hundred percent onboard with changing his last name to Stone and being my son legally.” Rod smiles, but there’s a hint of hesitation in his tone.

  “Ah, so you two boys had the talk without me, huh?”

  “You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you. And I couldn’t wait any longer. Landen and I had a talk, man to man, and I explained what everything means—for him and for his brother and sister.”

  “Yeah, and I asked Rod about my dad. He said I shouldn’t even think about him ever again because he’s never been my real dad. Rod said he’ll always be my only real dad, so now I call him Daddy. It feels really good, Mommy. My Daddy said that.” Landen beams up at Rod, and Rod responds with a wink.

  “It’s settled, then. We’ll contact a family law attorney in the morning and start the process. It won’t happen overnight, but we’ll make sure it’s done as quickly as possible. Until then, Landen, you’re loved every bit as much as the twins are, by both your daddy and me. Okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy. Aunt Tracy told me a bunch of legal stuff has to happen first, so I’d have to be patient.”

  “Aunt Tracy taught you what ‘legal stuff’ means, didn’t she?” I glance over at her and recognize the proud smirk on her face.

  “Yeah. She said a judge would have to review it and the courts can be as slow as Christmas. But that won’t bother me, I promise. Daddy said I’m his son right now, and that’s what counts.”

  “Daddy is a wise man, that’s for sure.” My heart is so full.

  “Where are you on starting your new foundation?” Tracy asks as she and Kevin join us at the table, followed by Juliana and Isa.

  “We are moving along very well. We set the name. We’ve already incorporated and filed for non-profit status. I’m working with a few business colleagues to establish our board of directors, representing different areas that will contribute to our mission. I’m excited to see where this new venture will take us. Daisy will be in charge of our vision and direction, but we’ve set it up to allow her to work from home when she wants. Or she can delegate and not work at all if she chooses. I’ll support her decision either way.” Rod links our fingers together to emphasize his point.

  “I’m not making any decisions until after I bring the twins home from the hospital. Rod and I will share responsibilities for the company. Even with a full-time nanny helping, caring for two newborns at once will be a challenge.”


  What I don’t say aloud, but hangs heavily in the air regardless, is we still don’t know how the transplant will go. The preparation leading up to it could kill Juliana, though they take every precaution to protect her. The toxic cocktail is designed to eradicate her immune system so her body will accept the new cells as its own. That means she’ll walk a very fine line between life and death over those two weeks.

  “These next six weeks will be the shortest and longest of your life.” Kevin wraps his arm around Juliana’s shoulders. “But we’ll get through them together, whatever you two ladies need.”

  “Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate your support more than you know. I’ve already arranged everything so Isa’s cared for in case something unexpected happens. The worst part will be the time in isolation. I won’t be able to hold my baby girl. That’s just pure torture. But once this is done, our lives will be very different.” Juliana tries to steer everyone back to the bright side, regardless of how difficult that is.

  Her gaze drifts to a far-off place, and I wonder what she’s imagining. Stability for Isa, no doubt. But what does she want? If she were to make her final wishes known, what personal request would she make for herself? She’s never mentioned anything to me, even in passing.

  Maybe I should find out. Just in case.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Rod

  The day I’ve dreaded for months has finally arrived. Ready or not, here it comes. Today, I will drive my sister to the hospital and leave her there for the next two to three months while her body determines if it’ll accept the new cells and rejuvenate her immune system. Will she walk out again, completely cured? Will we close this chapter of our lives and start on a clean page at the end of this?

  Before I met Daisy, I would’ve expected my usual luck to rear its ugly head and ruin my life again. But she brought more than a breath of fresh air into my stale world. She brought light and love beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. With her by my side, I dare to hope for the best and plan for a beautiful future.