The McEllis Boys

Chapter Forty-Four

"I'm so sorry, Cavanaugh."

"It's over now," he replied as he held her tighter. He let out a long breath, "My family can finally rest."

Nicole nodded and snuggled closer to him. They lay this way for a long time and then Nicole felt Cavanaugh's fingers roaming toward her chest. She turned to provide him better access and moaned as they expertly teased and heated her.

"Cavanaugh?" Nicole asked breathlessly, she knew he couldn't possibly be ready again this quickly.

He grinned and lowered his mouth to her breast, nipping at the swollen nipple, "I'm going to take care of you, Nicole, like I should have done when we first came in here." Nicole just moaned and buried her hands in his hair. She wasn't about to tell the man no.

As they lay together nearly an hour later, Nicole's body feeling much like jello as she lay limply on the soft feather tick mattress, Cavanaugh suddenly cleared his throat and sat up. Nicole frowned and laid her hand on his back, finding that's the most movement she could muster.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I love you," he replied.

"I love you too.... What's wrong?" she repeated.

Cavanaugh turned to look down at her, "I never thought I'd love again, Nicole. Never thought I'd find someone that would make me want to but I found her and I don't wanna lose her."

"Unless the Lord takes me away Cavanaugh, I'm not going anywhere," Nicole replied. She knew better than to tell him she wasn't going anywhere no matter what because both of them knew that tragedies sometimes happened.

"Marry me. Be my wife. Let me claim you for the entire world to know you're mine," Cavanaugh was nervous but when he saw the happy smile that lit up Nicole's beautiful face, he knew the answer was going to be yes.

Suddenly she launched herself off the mattress and threw her arms around his neck, "Yes, Cavanaugh. Yes, I want to marry you!" Cavanaugh kissed her hair and held her tight. "I think it's a good thing you want to marry me," Nicole admitted as she pulled away and then bit her lip.

"Why?" Cavanaugh asked suspiciously.

"Because you were right at the festival... I am carrying your child."

"You are?" Cavanaugh asked as his blue eyes filled with shock.

"Yes. I asked Mary just to be sure and she said we're going to have a healthy baby girl."

Nicole nearly cried out with a mixture of fear and shock when Cavanaugh suddenly leapt from the bed and yanked her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her feet from the ground and spun her around and around as he laughed happily. Nicole was dizzy when he finally stopped spinning and she clung to his arms for support when he sat her on her feet.

"I guess you're happy?" she asked with a smile.

"Happy?!" he exclaimed. "Dammit, woman, I've never been happier about anything! I thought my life was over not too long ago and now I've got an amazingly strong woman who is going to be my wife and we're going to have a daughter!"

"Yes and your fiancée is going to be sick if you keep bouncing me so much!" she warned him. Cavanaugh quickly released her and went over to a pitcher of drinking water on the nightstand. He poured her a glass and handed it to her.

Nicole took a long drink and then made a face when it wasn't cold, "Guess I have to get used to that." she muttered before taking another drink.

"It's cold when it's fresh from a well, I promise." he assured her. "How does a hot bath before we go back to Hallie's for dinner sound?"

"Can we get new clothes sent up too?" Nicole asked with a grin as she looked at their own torn outfits on the ground.