Page 19 of Doctor’s Orders

“Young, yes, never stupid.”

“Anyways, he proposed—probably because his parents insisted on it—and I said yes. I wore his ring, and I thought I was so lucky to have found my forever that young.” She releases a humorless laugh. “Imagine how foolish I felt when I was at my baby shower, in his mother’s front parlor, no less, when I overheard two of the guests discussing how they’d both fucked him while I’d been pregnant.”

“Damn,” I say.

“Yep. They weren’t friends of mine, so I guess that made it a little better. My not-quite-mother-in-law tried, in vain, to make excuses for him. He’d settle down, etc. Etc. But I was done. I gave him back his ring, and we were done.”

I rub her back while she talks, and the feel of her in my arms is so damn right.

“For four years, we saw each other when he’d decide to come see Lydia. But that was it. Until one night he showed up, in tears, with the ring, begging me to get back with him. He’d changed, he was a one woman man, and I was the only one he’d ever loved, blah, blah, you get the picture. I was weak, we slept together. I didn’t put the ring back on, but we were a couple for a little while. He seemed like he was really trying. He had a job. He put together Bennett’s crib. He was on a work trip when I went into labor. But of course it wasn’t a work trip, it was a hook-up and I’m sure she wasn’t the only one.”

“I’m sorry, sugar. That couldn’t have been easy on you. Any of you. You’ve done incredibly with your kids. They’re just fantastic and smart. And I’m a professional, so you have to take my word for you. Lizzie, you are an amazing mom. An amazing person.”

“You’re the amazing one.”

We lay there in the silence for a while, just being with each other.

“You were so calm tonight. I needed that. I’m glad you came over. What exactly did you tell Billy?”

I chuckle. “I told him that I’d been a doctor for half my life and in medical school they teach you several things to avoid doing so you don’t accidentally kill someone. That I remembered all of them. And that more than half look like complete accidents.”

“You did not!” Her head pops up, her chin resting on my chest as she grins up at me.

In that moment, I’m sure of one thing, no matter what happens, I want to keep Lizzie and her kids in my life forever.

“I did.”

“Did he believe you?”

“Yeah. I think he pissed himself a little, which might have been the booze.” I laugh again.

“I can’t believe he believed that.”

“Oh, you don’t think it’s true? You don’t think I know how to dispose of someone and make it look like an accident?”

“What I know is that you’re the best man I’ve ever known and you could never bring yourself to that level of violence.”

“I don’t know, sugar, seeing him try to put his hands on you, hearing what he said to you.” I shake my head. “Made me so angry, I wanted to rip his fucking head off.”

She stares at me a moment, then shifts her body up and kisses me. It’s a relatively chaste kiss compared to the ones we’ve shared. She pulls back and looks down at me.

“Make love to me, Graham, please? Make me forget about him and the yuck from the night?”

My dick is already hard, probably from her snuggling against me, but maybe the kiss, too. If those two things hadn’t turned me on though, her words definitely would have.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “Don’t get me wrong, I want you more than anything. I’m sure you can see the tent in my pants.”

She giggles. “I can.” Then she crawls on top of me. “I can’t stand it anymore. Not being able to touch you. Not touching you myself.”

She straddles me, lowering her core to my lap where my dick is straining to reach her. She rocks herself against me.

“Do you still want me?” she asks.

“Fuck yes, I want you.” I rock my pelvis upward, dragging my erection across her clit.

“Graham, you know, I’m clean. I was tested for everything after Bennett and then again six months later, just to be sure.”

“What are you saying?”