The Vicky Series: Book 3: Living A Dream

Chapter 2 Part 2

She rubbed balled her hands and rubbed her eyes with her knuckles and looked at him again. She let her gaze caress his face as they took in every feature that she'd come to love so much. The thick dark hair, the warm dark eyes, the mustache, strong jaw that was always covered with shadow before supper and the lips...her mouth watered as she longed to kiss them.

As she licked her lips her eyes fairly sparkled. Before he registered the desire he was on the bed kissing her senseless. It was nearly an hour later when they lay together calmed and contented before he remembered that he had something he should tell her.

"I have new orders." He began and kissed the top of her head when she gasped. "I'm here for a spell. Carleton was pleased and he's sending new troops for me. He wants me to watch them with their horses and keep only the most skilled for the mounted troops."

"That's most of the boys with horses." He heard the smile in her voice and rubbed her arm as he pulled her closer.

"Yup. Most of the boys treat their horse like you treat Jonah...like family. It will be interesting to see what they can do though. I guess by 'only the best' he might mean with horses in general and not just with their own horse. Like that Roman thing that Red does. His skills transfer to any animal. I think that might be important, especially if you're out on a mission and need a new mount for some reason or another."

"Hmmm." She agreed sounding like sleep was moments away.

He smiled and kissed her hair. He couldn't stop himself. He'd been so busy these past weeks that he hadn't wanted to wake her when he'd come home. At this moment, with her cheek resting on his shoulder and her limbs wrapped possessively around him he realized just how very much he'd missed her. He also remembered that she'd waited up for him.

"Vicky?"

"Hmmm?" He chuckled at her sleepy answer.

"You waited up for me. What is it that was so urgent it couldn't wait 'til morning?"

He felt his heart squeeze as she suddenly went stiff. He felt her heart racing against his ribs and held his breath.

"Soon there'll be another to call you Papa."

He was stunned. As the significance of what she had just said sank into his tired brain he blew out the breath he was holding as he struggled to find words.

"I...uh...we..."

"Yes, Papa." She pulled away and propped herself on an elbow to smile down at him. "We are increasing."

That great big Texas grin plastered itself to his face as he sat up and hugged her to him tightly.

"I can't breathe." She murmured and laughed as he kissed the top of her head and scrambled from the bed.

"Yippee!" he shouted and then cringed at the loudness of the sound.

"Yippee!" he whisper shouted as he danced about the room waving his arms and leaping about.

Happy tears trickled down her cheeks as she watched him dance naked about the room with his obvious joy at her news. He stopped suddenly and rushed back to where she sat watching him.

"When?" He asked with wide eyes as he gripped her shoulders.

"Fall." She answered touched by the intensity of his reaction. "October...November maybe."

"Fall." He repeated in a reverent whisper as his eyes grew moist.

"Papa?" she whispered softly.

He sat next to her then and pulled her onto his lap as he held her tightly.

"Quin." she gasped, "you're squeezing the life out of me."