Forever Mason, page 26
My wife stands there, looking more beautiful than I’d ever seen her. Her long hair cascades over her shoulder in big curls. She tilts her head and smiles softly, and her big brown eyes tease me. I have to look down at the ground for a second because any look from her right now could have me finishing before I can even get my pants off. One thing is certain, after all these years, Katelyn has never failed to take my breath away.
Before I can tell her how beautiful she is, there’s a knock on the door. We look at each other for a second, and dread fills me. I can’t imagine anyone interrupting us tonight, so it can only mean something has happened to a loved one. I go to the door and open it in a rush.
“Mr. and Mrs. Powell,” the man on the other side says, and I nod. He hands me a bottle of wine and a box that looks like chocolates.
“Who’s this from?”
He smiles and wishes me goodnight.
“Thanks,” I mutter as he walks away.
“What’s this?” Katelyn asks after I lock the door again.
“I’m not sure, but there’s a card.”
She takes the card while I set everything else on the table in the corner.
“It doesn’t say who it’s from.” Her eyes meet mine. “It just says Congratulations.”
“Well, whoever sent it, I say thank you.” I come closer to her and rest my hands on her hips. “Would you like a glass of wine or champagne?”
Katelyn’s tongue shoots out of her mouth to wet her bottom lip. “Maybe after?”
I can’t fight the smile that appears on my face if I want to. Which I don’t ever want to. “Sounds good to me.” I lean down and kiss her again. As soon as my tongue touches hers, she moans into my mouth, and wraps her arms around my neck.
Tonight, I’m going to take my time with her. Again, and again if necessary.
As we kiss, I move us back until her legs hit the bed, and she climbs onto it. Then her nimble fingers quickly undo the rest of the buttons on my shirt, which she pushes off. That’s when I reach around back to do the cool guy thing of pulling my undershirt off with one hand. I doubt it looks all that cool, but it makes me feel like I am. And Katelyn seems to like it. It probably has something to do with those gray sweatpants.
While she’s still on her knees, I slowly pull her nightgown up and take in my wife. It’s like our first time all over again, except this time, we’re smart enough to take our clothes off. Long gone are the awkward teenagers we once were, trying to figure out the mechanics of sex. All either of us knew was I had to put my dick in her and move my hips. Needless to say, the first time we had sex has never left my mind. It’s like a horror movie and the best moment of my life playing on repeat. Thank God we’ve figured things out and know what to do to make each other feel good.
Once I have her naked, I lay Katelyn down on the bed and shuck off the rest of my clothes like a man on a mission. Which I am. I’m on a mission to show my wife exactly how much I love her. Then I’m back over her.
Her hands explore until I can’t take it anymore. When she caresses my erect cock, I almost come undone. To give myself a breather, I pull her hands out to the side and tangle my fingers in hers as I claim her mouth again.
Images of her flash through my head as I kiss my way down her body. From when I first asked her out to the first time we were naked and, in her shed, like this together and how beautiful she was when she walked down the aisle earlier today. All of it was becoming too much.
Once I’m sure she’s ready, I push inside her making my chest feel like it was going to explode. With Katelyn and me, there’s always a push and a pull. All of my senses fill with only her. The feel of her skin against mine. The way she moves beneath me.
I handle her with care because she’s the most precious thing in this world to me, and it’d kill me if anything hurt her.
“Mason.” My name sounds like a prayer and a curse all rolled into one, and it’s too much for me.
Before letting myself go, I make sure that I’ve coaxed every bit of pleasure possible out of her, and once she’s satisfied, I know it’s my turn.
When we’re done, I pull my wife into my arms and hold her. As much as I like the sex part of our relationship, I cherish being able to hold her like this when we’re both happy and tired while filled with the knowledge that we are with who we are supposed to be with.
“How long will this feeling last?”
She nods and caresses my cheek, “Forever, Mason.”
Thirty-Eight
One of the bonuses of being married while in college is that Katelyn sits next to me during graduation. Of course, going to a fairly small school helps because the procession goes in alphabetical order, but still, she’s next to me, and we’re about to graduate college as soon as the keynote speaker stops talking about how bright our futures are. I tuned him out seconds into his speech. When I read his bio, it said he has something like six degrees and numerous titles and travels the world being a motivational speaker. I’m sorry, but there is nothing motivational about some dude telling me that I need to stay in school for another three to eight years to achieve optimal financial status. As is, I’m twenty-two and will be in debt in a few months once the loan agency starts asking for payments on Katelyn’s tuition. Because what makes a better wedding present than her parents telling her she’s on her own? Honestly, I expected it, so it wasn’t a big surprise. I wanted to give her parents a giant fuck you, but the effort it would’ve taken me was more time than I wanted to waste on them. All I know is that I’ll never be like them, not when it comes to my children’s happiness. I get that I might not like who my son or daughter brings home, but I’m going to show their partner respect and never issue my child an ultimatum. I reach for Katelyn’s hand and squeeze. She’s the toughest woman I know when it comes to her parents, but I know she misses them and wishes they were sitting in the crowd right now. And I suspect that when Katelyn becomes a mother, she’ll want her own with her, but I don’t see that happening.
Josie is sitting a couple of seats away from us, and each time I look over at her, she’s waving. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know she’s waving at Noah. He’s sitting with his grandparents. No, I take that back. He’s standing on his grandfather’s legs so he can see what’s going on. I wave at him, and his little hand goes wild. Although, he’s far from little. With his parents being over six feet tall, Noah’s one of the tallest kids at his pre-school, making him the easiest to pick out of a crowd. I really can’t wait for him to turn five, and we can start playing football. I decided on the day that he was born I would coach him. I don’t think I could stomach letting someone else coach my kid. And while he may not be my blood, that boy is mine. I’ve helped raise him, taught him how to love and respect his mama, and am shaping him into an amazing young man.
After today, everything changes. Well, not everything but some fairly important things. I joked that once we graduate, we have to become adults, but then I’m reminded that I got married when I was twenty and if that isn’t being an adult, I don’t know what is.
Josie’s grandfather died and left her enough money not only to put a down payment down on a small house for her and Noah but also to put some into savings. She has a good job for the florist she started working for during her pregnancy and is now a manager for their location in Allenville. Katelyn will start work at the bank while studying for her CPA exam, and I decided to take a job as a physical education teacher at our old high school. Initially, I was going to go into sports medicine, but my priorities changed, and the more I thought about my future, the more I realized I wanted to teach. I know I’m not going to break the bank with a salary, but I’ll have my summers off, and when we have kids, it’ll be nice to spend all that time with them.
The keynote speaker finally finishes his speech. I sigh heavily, and Katelyn glares at me. I kiss her nose to turn her sour face into a smile. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to make my girl smile, and when she does, I’m weak in the knees. The President of the school says the first name, and we’re underway. In twenty minutes or so, we’ll be graduates, and life will begin. My parents offered to let us live with them so we could save money to buy a house. At first, I said yes, but then I realized Josie would be by herself and I didn’t want to do that to her. Of course, I made this decision without consulting with my wife, which is never a good idea. It turned out Katelyn also made a decision on where we’d live because she told Josie we would move in with her. I’m totally okay with this even though we won’t be able to save that much money. However, I do look forward to the day when Katelyn and I have our own place because we like to hump like jackrabbits, and I’m not comfortable doing that with Noah and Josie around, or my parents for that matter.
The row we’re sitting in is told to stand—Katelyn’s in front of me with Josie, with a few people behind me. When Katelyn walks across the stage, our friends and family erupt in cheers. The same happens when I walk across and get my diploma. I show it to the crowd and pump my fist in the air. I meet Katelyn back at our seat and barely catch Josie graduating. When she shakes the President’s hand, I stand and holler as loud as I can.
After I sit down, I kiss Katelyn’s cheek. “We did it.”
“With honors.”
She’s right. We somehow managed to graduate with honors. If it weren’t for Katelyn, I probably would’ve flunked a class or two. She kept us on task, especially during football season, and made sure our homework was done every night. I’m forever grateful for her.
“With honors,” I repeat.
When the last person picks up their diploma, the President turns to us and motions us to stand. He then turns back to the crowd and announces the graduating class. Katelyn and I agreed earlier we wouldn’t toss our hats. They cost us too much money, and she has some crafty design idea or something that she will make with them. Plus, she wants to hang her tassel from her rear-view mirror.
We finally make it off stage and down to my parents and to the Preston’s. Noah jumps into my arms after he hugs his mom. I set him down, and we high-five.
“This will be you someday,” I tell him.
“Yep, just wike my unc.”
“That’s right, buddy.”
There are lots of hugs, congratulatory words, and a mention of food back at the house. After we take some photos, we head back to our apartment on campus. The past couple of weeks, we spent a lot of time packing to make the move to Josie’s. When she bought her house, I thought for sure that was going to be the end of us as this family unit. I may have even cried at the thought of not seeing my buddy every day. I know there is going to come a time when Katelyn and I or Josie and Noah need to live alone, but I’m not prepared for that to happen just yet. Thankfully, Josie asked us to move in with her, so that we can help her with the expenses and so forth. There are a couple of things that need to be done around the house and I told her I’d take care of them, at least to the best of my abilities. Only Noah knows how happy I am that our Saturday morning in front of the television, watching cartoons and eating cereal isn’t changing any time soon. I’m not sure how receptive Josie would be if I knocked on her door every Saturday morning before seven and took over the living room. Besides, I don’t want Noah ever to think I don’t want to hang out with him. I’m his guy, his go-to when he needs something. I’m always going to be there for him.
My dad, Mr. Preston, and I work to get my truck loaded with all the big, heavy stuff, while the moms, Katelyn and Josie fit our clothes, bedding, and small boxes into the rest of the cars. It would’ve made sense to move before graduation, but none of us wanted to commute back to campus. The past few weekends, I’ve been at the house to do some painting and a few minor repairs. The previous owner wasn’t exactly easy on the walls.
After everything is out of the apartment, my mom runs the vacuum once and says that’s good enough and that campus maintenance can take care of the rest. Since the end of our freshman year, we’ve lived here, and she’s still bitter about how dirty it was when we moved in. Everyone leaves, except for Katelyn and me.
Katelyn and I stand in what was our room. I hold her and kiss her cheek while she stares at the empty walls. “This was our first home.”
“I know.” We have so many memories here. It’s hard to leave. “Soon, we’ll have our own home, and we’ll make brand new memories.”
She nods and rests her hands on my forearms for a minute, and then steps out of my grasp. She kisses me but shies away when I start to deepen it. “All our furniture is loaded in your truck. I’m not having sex with you on this floor.”
“What about against the wall?”
Katelyn rolls her eyes but doesn’t say no. She does, however, stare at the wall and nod. It’s a good thing my parents drive slow because I’m about to have graduate sex with my wife.
It turns out, Katelyn and I having a quicky before we left our apartment didn’t put us that far behind my parents. In fact, they didn’t even question why we weren’t right behind them. Probably because they suspected we would have sex, or at least my mom figured we would. She’s freaky weird when it comes to my sex life.
This graduation party couldn’t be at a worse time. We have cars and a truck to unload, and while I get we have a lot of abled bodies to help us, it’s a task I want to put off. However, the moms planned this party before Josie bought her house, so we just have to deal. I catch Katelyn coming down the stairs with a smile on her face. I’m sure she went up there to use the restroom, but I’m also suspicious about why she looks so devious right now. Did she do something in my room? Did she go in there and stare at the photos I still have on my dresser of her and the two of us? I wait for her at the bottom of the stairs and when she comes into full view, I notice she’s been crying. She stops in front of me, and I look into her eyes. It’s times like this when we’re the same height, and I like it, occasionally. There is nothing sexier than my girl looking up at me with her doe eyes, showing me how much she wants me.
“What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Just sad.”
I don’t have to ask her why to know it’s because of her parents. They should be here, celebrating with us, but they’re stubborn and think they’re doing the right thing by teaching their daughter a lesson and cutting her out of their life. I wonder if they have any comprehension of how much their actions are hurting Katelyn. Life is too short to be this petty, and it’s definitely too short to worry about shitty people. Right now, it’s time for a celebration. Hers, mine, ours, and Josie’s. We’re all together, and it’s time to relax with our friends and family.
“I’ve got you,” I tell her.
“Thank you,” she says after she brushes her lips across mine.
“For what?”
“Loving me more than anyone else in this world.”
I push her hair behind her ears and count to ten. Her parents piss me off so much. “My parents love you, Katelyn. I heard my mom refer to you the other day as her daughter. She didn’t add in-law at the end. She thinks of you as her own.”
More tears fall. I pull her into my arms and hold her. “You have family here. Let’s go enjoy our party.”
“Okay,” she mumbles against my neck.
We join everyone in the kitchen and outside on the deck where people have gathered. There’s a long table filled with every kind of food imaginable and a cake big enough to feed half the neighborhood. The cake reads, “Congratulations, Josie, Katelyn & Mason.”
“Hey, why am I last?”
“Alphabetical order,” Mom says as she carries a plate of fried chicken. My stomach growls at the smell, and my mouth waters at the sight. I’ve lost interest in why my name isn’t first and grab a drumstick before my mom can put the plate down. “You’re terrible,” she says. I smile, but it earns me a slap on the arm, probably because my mouth is full.
“Hey, is this where the party is?”
I turn and find Nick standing in the doorway. He has a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and something tells me those aren’t for me. I’m hurt. Heartbroken really. His gaze is focused on Josie, and by the look on her face, she’s excited he’s here.
“Sup, man!” We bro hug and act like we’re cool.
“Congrats. Sorry, I missed it.”
“Eh, seen one, you’ve seen them all. Just be happy you missed the keynote speaker. Snooze fest.”
“I skipped mine. My parents are on a cruise, and I didn’t want to sit there.”
“So, are you done?”
He nods. “For the most part. With Doc Blanchard as my mentor, he’s helped me fast-track a ton of stuff. I’m taking the general practitioner route with a specialty in peds until he retires, and then I’ll buy out his practice. I have to pull double duty at his office and the hospital for my residency, but I can start seeing patients.”
“Are you staying in Beaumont?”
Nick nods, but it’s not a yes or no. It’s toward Josie. “Has Liam called?”
I shake my head slowly. “Nope.” At this point, I don’t expect him to. I don’t expect him to return to Beaumont either. I can’t imagine why he would, unless something happened to his parents, but even then, I doubt he’d care.
“Yeah, I’m staying.”
I glance back at Josie and catch her looking at Nick. She glances back at Katelyn and smiles. Without making eye contact with Nick, I say, “Don’t hurt her. If you do, I’ll end you. She’s been through enough, and that little boy of hers, I love him like he’s my own.” I shake my head. I know I can’t protect Josie forever, but damn if I’m unsure about this. “If you’re going to pursue her, no more hook-ups, parties, none of that shit. Do you hear me?”
He nods. “I stopped that the week of your wedding. I’ve been in love with her since high school. It’s time she knows it.”
Nick leaves me there, fuming. I don’t take my eyes off of him until Katelyn pushes me toward the house. “She likes him. Let this happen.”
