The Reunion Page 23

  She and Maria approached quietly and waited. The woman stopped sobbing and Adam separated from her to introduce them.

  “Grace, this is Maria Ramirez and Sarah Atkinson. They are companions of mine. I’m sure they came here to support me and your family. This is Grace Caldwell—Johnny’s mother.”

  “How...” Sarah began.

  “He’s alive.” Adam’s eyes glazed with pain. “He’s in a coma. The doc says his body is protecting itself from additional trauma. He believes Johnny will make it, but there are no guarantees. Not yet.”

  “There’s much hope then,” Maria said, her dark eyes rounding.

  “Yes, there’s much hope. And yes, Maria, your prayers are appreciated.” He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “I love you, you know.”

  Maria nodded and tears stained her cheeks.

  Adam reached for Sarah and she moved into his outstretched arms, enfolding Maria as well.

  “I love you, too,” Adam mumbled into her hair.

  Unable to find any words, Sarah squeezed him back.

  He clung to both of them and they held him tight. ”Thanks for coming down. If one of you could get us some coffee, I think Grace would appreciate some as well as me.

  “I’ll go,” Sarah said.

  She walked down the corridor and followed canteen signs. What had Grace Caldwell made of that little scene? Something had clearly loosened Adam up. Was it only the near death of his young friend? She shook her head, thinking back. No, when they’d been making love earlier, he was much more emotionally present than he’d ever been before. She remembered feeling he was about to share something important with them when the phone rang. She’d been so numbed when his face turned chalky she’d even forgotten he’d already said he loved them. But he hadn’t shared his intentions. Now, that would be tabled until the situation with Johnny Caldwell became clear.

  Sarah peeked at the wall clock. Seven hours had crept by since their arrival. The first six had dragged by in a haze of worry, shuffling people back and forth to sit by Johnny’s bed, and simply waiting. Then the boy had awakened, to tears of relief.

  Now she and Maria had sat by themselves another hour while Johnny’s mother and Adam met with the doctor.

  Finally, Adam appeared at the waiting room door.

  Sarah’s shoulders sagged. She thought she’d seen Adam haggard the morning after he’d sped away from Maria’s demand for a baby. She shook her head. This was haggard. He could hardly place one foot in front of the other or lift his chin. The rush of adrenaline that had gotten him through the night was clearly gone.

  He walked over and knelt by her and Maria. They each took one of his hands. “He’ll make it, this time.” His stark stare chilled her to the bone. “They’ll keep him a while longer for observation, then he’ll go to a secure rehab facility for at least thirty days, longer if necessary. They have to assess his suicide risk and help him begin putting his life back together again.”

  Sarah nodded and curled her fingers tighter around Adam’s.

  “I’ll stay and transport him to rehab.”

  She gave him a questioning look.

  He shrugged in response. “It’s either me or the cops.”

  “Oh,” she whispered. “I understand.”

  “Why don’t you two go on home and get some sleep? You look as exhausted as I feel. I’ll be home as soon as I can.” He glanced at the clock. “Probably not until tonight. Don’t wait dinner for me. I’ll grab something somewhere. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Maria stood and hugged him. “We love you.”

  He nodded. “We’ll be okay.” His voice turned husky. “After this, nothing looks too scary.”

  Sarah huddled close to Maria on the living room couch. They’d been there since after dinner, waiting for Adam to return. They’d said very little. Maria seemed as frightened as she was. Neither had voiced concern about Adam’s well being, but clearly they weren’t going to bed without him.

  What was taking him so long? Didn’t he know they’d worry about him? Surely he hadn’t taken off on them again. His parting words had been so reassuring.

  “Eleven-fifteen,” Sarah finally said. “I wish he’d at least call and let us know everything is okay.”

  Maria’s mouth contorted. “I don’t think he’s still with Johnny at this hour. He’s probably trying to figure out what to do with us.”

  “You think?”

  “Uh, huh. I’m afraid this thing with Johnny could turn him off entirely about the idea of having a child.”

  “Maybe.” Sarah squared her shoulders. “As you’ve said, Adam is a complex man. I’m not predicting what he’s apt to do.”

  “And I thought he was coming around.” Maria blinked back tears. “I did hear him right, didn’t I? In the last twenty-four hours he’s said he loves us twice.”

  Sarah grinned. “I believe so, but I wasn’t counting. Maybe...” She hushed at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Maria’s fingernails dug into her palm.

  Sarah heard Adam close the door softly behind him. His steps were audible as he made his way to the living room. When he stood in archway, the gravity of the last twenty-four hours clung to him like a heavy mantle.

  He collapsed into his overstuffed chair. “That was something,” he began. “Johnny is settled in at the rehab facility. Some good people there. They had him laughing a little before I left. It’ll still be a long haul for him, but he’s in good hands, and he has a mother who cares and will stand by him.”

  “And a mentor who’s not about to give up on him,” Maria said, her eyes shining through tears.

  “You got that right. I need a shower pretty bad. You two look fresh and soft. I feel like I’ve been wallowing in the sewer.”

  “What you need is a long soak in the tub.” Sarah stood. “I’ll go start the water.”

  “No!” The single word was a command.

  She immediately sat back down.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be short, but I’ve got some things to say. Some things both of you need to hear. And I need to do this before a bath.”

  “Okay. It’s your show.” She couldn’t regulate her racing heartbeat. Here was her future. In the space of a few short minutes, she’d know.

  Adam offered them a half-smile and lifted his palms as a gesture of surrender. “So which of you do I marry?”

  “What?” Maria squeaked.

  “Which of you do I marry? I don’t particularly want to do prison time as a bigamist.”

  Sarah watched Maria sputtering beside her, trying to get the words out.

  “No one,” Maria finally said. “You’re not going to marry either one of us. The one not married would feel left out. It won’t work that way. We don’t need to be married to have a committed relationship.”

  Adam sprang to his feet and glowered. “I see you’ve worked out the details.” He turned away briefly, then spun around to face them. “My child will not be a bastard.” His voice rose. “And forget the damn notion of a surrogate. Never! Not as long as I’m alive!”

  Sarah smirked. “Now that’s the Adam I’ve known and loved all my life.”

  “The baby will have all three last names: Granger-Ramirez-Atkinson,” Maria insisted calmly.

  Adam’s brow furrowed, then his face lit up. “Can we do that?”

  “Why not?” Sarah asked. “Maria would be listed as the mother and you as the father, but we can name the child whatever we choose.”

  “And that’s okay with you?” he asked, staring at her.

  “Yes.”

  “And you, Maria?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Why won’t that work? Oh, there’ll be plenty of problems down the road, but the kid will have three parents to fall back on instead of two or one.” A long pause ensued before his face broke into a broad smile. “Let’s do it, ladies. Let’s make a baby.”

  Maria was in Adam’s arms before Sarah could stand up. He extended his arms wide to include her.


  “Were you ready to do this” Sarah asked, “before the phone call from the hospital?”

  “No.” He brushed his chin through their hair and over their foreheads. His stubble scratched, but she didn’t mind a bit. “No, I had some half baked idea if I finally told you I loved you, that would be enough.

  “Sitting there in the emergency room—watching the two of you, feeling my blood curdle and then melt—seeing how Grace rode the emotional roller coaster of a parent with such aplomb—it hit me. This is what I want. It’s what I need. Thankfully, I love two women who want the same thing.”

  Adam bent his head and kissed each of them. He placed a hand on the back of their necks, guiding them into a kiss.

  Maria’s lips had never felt softer or hotter. Sarah wanted this to last forever.

  “Now about that bath,” he said when she and Maria separated. “I sure could use one. While I’m in the tub you two can get ready for bed. I’ll be joining you.”

  Looking up, Sarah caught the glitter in his eyes and felt tears start to pool in her own.

  Adam held her gaze. “I won’t leave you tonight, or ever again. So you’d best be getting used to sleeping with a third in the bed.”

  Sarah took Maria’s hand and walked with her towards the door. As they reached it, she glanced over her shoulder at Adam, then gave Maria a wink. Simultaneously, they both flipped up their skirts over their bare butts and called out, “Yes, Master.”

  - o –

  The End

  About the Author

  Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a husband/wife team writing Erotic Romance for Two, Three or More. The award-winning pair has published over thirty erotic romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. Long and Short Reviews: “scorching hot…refreshing...something to read when you want straight up hotness.” Romance Junkies: “filled with warmth, blazing hot sex, well-developed characters…not for the faint of heart.” Romantic pairings include straight m/f, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings.

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  Chapter One of Cassie’s Hope won fourth place and a marvelous free cover by Judy Bullard in the Romance Junkies 2012 Writing Contest. You can read the chapter at this LINK.