From Protector To Lady

From Protector To Lady Chapter 30

"Stanton!" I squealed as I woke early the next morn. "Wake up!"

I swung my leg over his abdomen and sat on him as I shook his shoulders fervently. "My family arrives today! We must prepare!"

I heard a grumble deep in his throat, protesting being awoken.

"Stanton!" I huffed again, shaking his shoulders once more.

"Alright woman, I am awake," he pouted as he opened one eye, looking lazily at me.

"What is it exactly we must prepare? The home is taken care of, all we need do now is await their arrival," he muttered as his eye closed again.

I furrowed my brow as what he said sunk in....seems he was right, all of the preparations had been taken care of already and my family would arrive sometime in the afternoon.

"Well, I guess you're right," I sighed as I went to roll over back onto the bed only to be stopped by large hands gripping my thighs in place, holding me astride him.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, I was going to get comfortable and wait for the day to begin," I answered, trying to ignore the feeling of his body beneath me as he wriggled and stretched, pressing his groin into mine, causing an unintentional "Oh," to escape my lips.

"Well I am awake, the day shall begin. I'm hungry," he said his eyes now wide open, his face holding none of the former sleepyness.

"Then we shall call for breakfast," I said as I made a motion to move again but his hands once again stopped me from moving.

"This is a hunger of a different nature," he said before grabbing my shoulders and pulling me down, meeting my lips with his.

———

I kept myself busy most of the morning and early afternoon by exploring the library, my library. I just found myself getting immersed into a book when I was brought back to reality by a door opening.

"They have arrived," I heard Stanton say, excitement in his voice.

I looked up at my husband and slowly closed the book I was holding, leaving it on one of the end tables as I began quickly working my way to the front gate of the manor, with him close behind me.

Upon exiting the manor my eyes fixed upon the carriage that awaited there. I could already see my mother and father standing outside. My father was being handed something by one of the men who had accompanied them on the travels. Setting it on the ground he unfolded what seemed to be a backrest of a chair – and then I realized this would be Todd's way of transportation.

My heart sunk into my stomach as I watched my mother step into the carriage and emerge back out with my little brother cradled in her arms before placing him in this wheeled-chair. I was frozen to my spot by the site, his thin little arms were pushing the wheels, moving him forward toward me. The only thing that pulled me from my trance was the sound of his voice ringing out,

"Rebecca! Rebecca, we're here! Look at all the grass, oh and the river we passed earlier, just perfect for frog pickin!"

"Oh, Todd," I breathed as I made my way to him, taking giant steps as I finally crouched in front of him. I ran my hands along the sturdy wood of the chair he sat in, fingered the rubber wheels of each side.

"Boy, I sure missed you Rebecca," Todd said as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my neck. I instinctively returned the embrace, trying to hide my heartbreak. I looked back at my parents in time to see my mother wiping her face and my father smiling sadly down at his children.