Beyond Expectations (Mended Hearts Book 3) Read online

  Buttoning her jeans, Alex turned to watch Kelly wiggle her hips into a pair of tight hip-huggers. “Those are my favorite pair of your jeans.” she said, gazing appreciatively as the denim clung to her wife’s ass like a second skin. Kelly looked over her shoulder and wiggled her hips. “Mine too. I wonder if I will be able to fit in to them again after the baby is born.” she mused as she pulled the white, low collar Hollister t-shirt over her head. Tugging her own t-shirt over her head, Alex stepped up behind her and snaked her arms around her waist. “I’m sure you will, babe. And if not, we will just get you a pair that fits.” Kelly sighed in contentment and laid her hands over Alex’s on her lower belly. “Angie is going to kill us, you know.” she stated plainly. Alex let out a chuckle and kissed her wife’s cheek. “I know. Come on, it’s time to face the wrath of Angela Baxter.”

  *****

  “How in the hell did you manage to forget your kids?” Angie asked as the four adults sat around the kitchen table. Stealing a glance at each other, Alex and Kelly both blushed. Angie narrowed her eyes as she sipped her coffee and stared hard at the pair. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Angie set down her cup and smiled. “You two were busy getting laid, weren’t you?” she asked, her tone playfully accusatory. Steve snorted into his coffee and excused himself, leaving his wife to talk sex with her sister. “What? God, no, what makes you think we were having sex? We’re married for Pete’s sake, you know married couples don’t copulate.” Alex said drolly. Kelly laughed at the look of annoyance on her best friend’s face. Angie frowned and kicked her sister under the table. “Well, next time, how about setting an alarm or something. Maybe shoot me a text and tell me you aren’t going to be picking the kids up. They weren’t any trouble, but if I had known you were going to forget them, I wouldn’t have let them stay up until two waiting for you.” Alex looked properly chastised and apologized again.

  “Mom, can we go outside?” Jaxon asked, coming into the kitchen and halting any more talk of copulation. At sixteen, Angie’s eldest son stood six feet tall and was all knees and elbows. Puberty had come swiftly for the boy, but unfortunately muscle mass had not. When Kelly had first met him, he had been the same height as her and still retained some of his pre-pubescent body fat. Kelly marveled at how much all of the kids had changed in the four and a half years that she had known them. “Yeah son, I don’t care. Just make sure you all have a sweater on.” Angie replied, standing and offering to refill the coffee cups. “Guys! Mom said yes!” he hollered up the stairs. Alex chuckled when the stampeding herd rushed down the stairs and out the back door. Gathering their coffee, the three women followed to children out into the brisk fall air.

  Even though it was only just after one in the afternoon, the air was crisp and cool enough that the women chose to sit in the picnic chairs that were in the sun, instead of on the deck couch. Kelly settled into her chair and tucked her legs underneath her as she watched the kids in the yard. Jaxon led the boys over to the soccer net near the back of the yard and grabbed the ball that was nestled into the corner. He bounced the ball on his knee a few times before using his head to knock the ball toward Raider. Raider, who resembled Angie more than either of his brothers, chested the ball and caught it with the inside of his foot. Even though he was the middle of Angie and Steve’s three sons, Raider was now the smallest of the boys. At fourteen and standing five foot six, with a broad chest and surprisingly soft features, he was also the most athletic. Scooping the ball toward his younger brother, Raider chuckled when Tommy tried to head the ball toward Zane and instead, missed it completely. Tommy was twelve this year, and already towered over his mother. He was five foot ten, long and lanky like Jaxon, but with more body fat that his older brother. Tommy was the least athletically inclined of the group, but he always tried, and his brothers and cousin were always happy to let him join.

  Kelly smiled to herself when Zane, who had grown to be the tallest of the quartet at six foot two, retrieved the ball and demonstrated to Tommy how to properly line up a head shot. At fifteen, her son had blossomed into a very attractive young man, who favored both Alex and Steve equally. Zane’s formerly dark brown Mohawk had been abandoned the previous summer, when his hair had suddenly acquired a generous amount of red highlights. To mark the change, he had announced that he would not be cutting his hair again, and would instead grow it out until it reached his waist. He had informed his mothers that he would be donating it to a local charity that made real-hair wigs for children stricken with cancer. Now that puberty was upon him, his voice had deepened and his body had filled out. No longer was he a scrawny little boy; instead he was well muscled for a child his age, the introduction of weights class changing his physique quickly. When Alex reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, Kelly jumped.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Alex said, brushing her thumb over Kelly’s cheek. “It’s ok, I was just thinking how much the boys have changed since I first came here.” she explained with a nostalgic smile. “Kids do that. Little bastards.” Steve said as he joined the group. “They aren’t so little anymore.” Alex supplied with a chuckle. “I’m just glad the girls haven’t changed quite as much.” Angie and Steve nodded in agreement, and Kelly went back to watching the children in the yard. While the other adults chatted about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, she daydreamed about the many times throughout the last few years that she had sat on this porch and watched the six young children play.

  Chapter 4

  The next three weeks passed easily, and on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Alex and Kelly pulled up in front of Serenity Manor. “When are your parents supposed to fly in?” Alex asked, opening Kelly’s door and helping her from the car. “Mom is flying in tomorrow and Dad and Kendall will be here Wednesday afternoon. I’m really grateful that Mama is opening her house to them.” Kelly replied, pulling her hands inside the sleeves of her thick green hoodie and leaning against Alex’s side. Ever since their first holidays as a married couple, Alex and Kelly had struggled with juggling family. They had tried taking turns, spending one holiday in Florida with Kelly’s family and the other in Oregon with Alex’s, but they always ended up feeling guilty that they couldn’t be in two places at once. This year, however, they were trying something different. The night that Alex and Kelly had announced their pregnancy, Andrea had suggested that Kelly invite her parents to spend both Christmas and Thanksgiving in Oregon. She had offered up three of her guest rooms for the family, as well as the two that Alex and Kelly normally used when visiting. When Kelly had called her parents and made the offer, both had readily accepted. She hadn’t yet told her parents about the baby, and was going to do so at Thanksgiving dinner.

  “You know Mama, babe. She loves having a house full of people to fawn over.” Alex replied, draping her arm over Kelly to hold her close as they made their way to the door. “It looks like we’re the last to arrive.” she commented, noticing all of the vehicles parked on the round-a-bout. Andrea had been planning this surprise birthday party all year, and had informed all of the women that they were to attend. All three of Alex’s step-sisters had birthdays in November, and this year instead of having three different parties, they were doing one big celebration. Andrea had spoken to the owners of a local day spa, and agreed to pay them well above their typical rates to come to her house for the party. When they reached the door, Dej stood on her tip toes and pressed the doorbell. The girl frowned when, instead of Hank’s playful welcome, a woman’s voice answered and told them to come in. Grumbling, Dej opened the door and pushed inside. “Was that Melissa?” Kelly asked quietly. Melissa was married to Alex’s brother James, and neither woman had seen either of two in almost three years. James and Melissa had made it very clear that they did not agree with Alex and Kelly’s lifestyle, and as a result had stayed away from family gatherings. Alex just shrugged, unsure of why Melissa would have even bother to come.

  “Mama, was that Melissa who answered the door?” Alex asked wh
en the couple made their way into the kitchen. They greeted the others and climbed onto the barstools to accept the coffee that Andrea offered. “Yes, she’s in the den with the spa staff. They are getting all set up while we wait for Hank to get back with the girls.” her mother replied, “Everything else is ready to go.” Alex gave her mother an annoyed smile. “Does she know that Kelly, Ryan, and I are here too?” she asked, dropping her hand to rest on Kelly’s knee. Andrea nodded and addressed her daughter, “Alexis, be nice. She came to me and apologized for what happened, and I invited her.” Alex snorted into her coffee and eyed her mother. “Oh, that was so nice of her. She apologized to you, but has never made any attempt to apologize to us or Ryan and Raul.” she said, her voice filled with condescension. Andrea huffed out a breath and pointed at her daughter. “Alexis Renee, you just hold your horses. Melissa already told me she plans to apologize to you all at once later. So just keep your tongue and play nicely.” the older woman said, wagging her finger at Alex. Kelly tried to stifle a chuckle, she loved watching Andrea scold Alex as if she were a petulant child, and ended up choking on her coffee. Alex’s hand quickly moved to Kelly’s back, rubbing it gently. “You alright, sweetheart?” she asked, having not seen what caused the coughing fit. Kelly nodded and reached for the paper towel that Andrea offered, she had seen Kelly’s attempt and smiled at the woman.

  The kitchen fell silent when Melissa came in a few minutes later. Kelly felt the hand resting on her lower back stiffen, and laid her hand on Alex’s arm. “Honey, relax. Everything will be fine.” she whispered, leaning close to her wife’s ear. Alex gave her a tight smile before taking a deep breath and offering a greeting to her sister-in-law. “Hi Melissa.” she said, grateful that her tone had not belied her feelings. Melissa seemed surprised that Alex had spoken to her. “Hi Alex, Kelly it’s nice to see you.” she replied, taking a seat next to Andrea. “I hear that you two received some happy news recently. May I ask what it was?” she asked, looking between the two women. Alex nodded and sipped her coffee. “Kelly’s pregnant.” she said, watching for Melissa’s reaction. “Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! When are you due?” Melissa said excitedly, directing her question to Kelly. “When the baby is born.” Alex answered, before Kelly could. Melissa raised her eyebrow at the sarcastic comment. “How far along, you don’t look any bigger.” Alex smirked, enjoying how easily the sarcasm flowed. “Far enough that the test came back positive.” Unable to hold back the chuckle that Alex’s retorts were causing, Kelly laughed and shook her head. Melissa looked back at Alex and tried again for civil conversation. “What are you hoping for?” she asked, hoping that Alex would at least answer one question with honesty. “A baby, but only because I hear nursing a litter of kittens can be painful.” Alex replied with a genuine smile, the room erupting with laughter.

  *****

  “Oh come on, are you serious?” Alex asked, giving the small Asian woman a look of contempt. “You sit still. Let Lela do. You feet be very beautiful.” the woman replied. Alex was trying very hard to enjoy the pampering, but she just didn’t understand having acrylic on her toenails. She had thoroughly enjoyed the manicure, it had been years since she’d had acrylic nails, and the full body massage, but she was quickly becoming irritated with the woman’s demanding nature. “No, I won’t sit still. I don’t want you to put fake nails on my feet!” she said flatly. Shaking her head, the woman humphed and set aside her materials. “Okay then. You let Lela give you pedicure at least. No acrylic.” she said, offering a compromise. Alex flopped back in the chair and nodded her acquiescence. When she had been with Callie, she had reveled in being pampered, but even then she did not understand the desire that some women had to put enhancements on their toes. While Lela went about working with her feet, Alex looked over at Kelly in the chair next to her.

  Kelly was reclining back, her eyes closed, a smile on her face, and Dej lying between her legs. Alex smiled at the sight of her wife and daughter looking so content. She glanced back at Lela to make sure that she wasn’t being sneaky, and once she was sure that her toes would remain unadorned, turned to watch as Kelly and Dej were pampered. The woman working on her wife and daughter was taller than Lela, and spoke better English. She alternated her attention between Kelly’s feet and Dej’s much smaller ones. Alex watched happily as Dej’s ticklish feet twitched under the woman’s deft fingers. Alex had been insistent that the child not have acrylic nails at all, and the woman, Kim, had agreed without argument. Instead, Kim had shaped, buffed, polished, and painted Dej’s fingernails with tiny snowflakes and Christmas trees. Alex had watched with amazement as the woman made the delicate strokes with an almost microscopic brush. Now, she was doing the same on the small toes presented before her. When she finished with Dej’s feet, Kim moved on to finish Kelly’s pedicure, her nimble fingers moving swiftly as she gave each of Kelly’s toes careful attention. Kelly had also opted to keep her toenails natural.

  “Okay, you finished. Stay here for ten minute, or you ruin Lela’s work.” Alex gave the woman an annoyed nod and crossed her feet at the ankles as she inspected her freshly painted toes. One of the many things she had avoided after Callie’s death had been painting her nails in soft, feminine colors. Callie used to enjoy pampering her, and the thought of having someone else do it, using the colors that she liked the most, had always made her sad. Now, with Kelly in her life to fill the gaping hole that Callie’s death had left in her heart, Alex was starting to allow herself some of her favorite indulgences. During their Honeymoon, Kelly had confided in her that she had been imagining Alex as she had been when she went by the name Lexi, and hoped that one day Alex would give her a glimpse of the woman she had once been. When they returned, Alex had decided that she was going to let her hair grow out and started wearing make-up to work. It had shocked Jack and Tina at first, but they had quickly grown accustomed to once again seeing their boss with the enhancements. Now here she was, two years later, having her nails done for the first time in ages, and she was loving it.

  “What’re you thinking about?” Kelly’s quiet question and gentle hand on her arm, made Alex jump. “Nothing, just wondering how I managed to get lucky enough to keep such a beautiful woman.” Alex replied, lacing her fingers with Kelly’s and bringing the woman’s hand to her lips. Kelly returned Alex’s loving smile and mouthed the words I love you. “Okay, you move now.” Lela said, interrupting the moment. Alex stayed as she was until Kim gave Kelly and Dej the go-ahead, then stood to help her wife and daughter from the chair. As Dej bounded off to join Anya by the refreshment table, Alex held on to Kelly’s hand and pulled her close. “How are you feeling?” she asked, brushing her lips over her wife’s and resting her palm gently over Kelly’s abdomen. Kelly hadn’t been battling the nausea so much over the last three weeks, but that morning she had complained of a bit of queasiness. Kelly laid her hand over Alex’s and smiled up at her. “We’re fine now. In fact, we kind of want a chili dog.” she said with a chuckle. Alex smirked and pulled Kelly toward the snacks. “I remember those cravings.” she said with a laugh. “With Zane, all I wanted was junk food, and with Dej it was all weird shit like Spaghetti O’s with bananas and pickles.” Kelly gulped loudly and gave Alex a warning glare. “Do you want me to throw up?” she asked, looking a little green. Apologizing, Alex left Kelly to get some food, and went in search of her mother.

  “Mama, where are the girls?” she asked, finding Andrea in the kitchen with Melissa. “Hank has them waiting in the family room until everyone is finished, then we’re all going outside to give them their presents.” Andrea said, tapping her newly manicured fingers on the island top. As if summoned, Abigail poked her head into the kitchen. “Everyone’s done Mama. Daddy said for everyone to come into the foyer.” Andrea smiled and nodded at her step-daughter. Alex gave her sister a squeeze and headed off to join the others, Andrea and Melissa following closely behind. When they made it to the foyer, Alex stepped up behind Kelly and rested her hands on the woman’s hips. Kelly leaned back aga
inst her, a plate of fruit and cheese in her hands. Alex plucked a grape from the plate and popped it into her mouth as Hank spoke. “Aviania, Ashlynn, Abigail, before we go outside, I just want to say that all three of you have grown into such beautiful and intelligent young women and I am so proud of you all.” Wiping a tear from his eyes, Hank took a deep breath and opened the front door. Following him out, the others quickly stepped outside and clapped and cheered when the three girls screamed in delight. The three girls rushed down the steps and each stood next to a brand new car.

  “Oh wow. I wondered why Hank was outside for so long earlier.” Kelly said. Alex smiled down at her and plucked another grape from the plate. “Alex, look!” Aviania exclaimed, running her hands possessively over the hood of her brand new, dark blue Mustang. Alex walked down to join her sister and admired the car. “Pretty neat, huh?” she said, bumping Aviania’s hip. The young woman beamed at her and leaned down to hug the car. Alex laughed and shook her head. She made her way over to Ashlynn, who was already sitting behind the wheel of her bright yellow VW Beetle convertible. After spending a few minutes with her, Alex wandered over to where Abigail stood staring. “What’s wrong Abby?” she asked, giving the girl a one-armed hug. “It’s just so pretty.” Abby said, her voice full of awe. Alex chuckled and whispered in her ear, “I’ll bet it’s even better on the inside.” Abby nodded slowly and let Alex lead her to the driver’s door. Alex admired the brilliant white Mercedes as she held the door open for her sister, and chuckled when the girl let out a small squeal of excitement. Leaving the girl to enjoy her present, Alex walked back to her wife and leaned against the nearest pillar. The pair stood together, watching the excitement of the others and snacking on grapes, until Kelly started to shiver.