The Girl with The Pink Bat

"Yes, I remember. You were about to give up on love."

Jenny nodded.

"Put yourself in Ray's place. He poured out all his love to someone who seemed to be the one, only to found out his entire relationship with her had been a lie. It must have been heartbreaking. Once these feelings wore off, he felt he could breathe again, but, he doesn't want to go through something like this again. So the thought of loving again is terrifying however necessary to heal."

I nodded indicating that I was following her.

"Do you love Ray, Kara? Do you truly love him?"

"Yes," I said without a doubt. "I love Ray with all my heart."

"Do you think he is the one for you?"

"Yes, I have known since we were in high school."

"Then, don't give up on him. Love Ray with all your heart and don't stop. He will come around and love you. Ray has a long road ahead. Some days you're going to feel like it's hopeless, and you might want to stop loving him. Men who went through this hurt also came back stronger. He'll do anything to make you happy and keep your relationship going because he believes in it. No one can hurt this deep without first being capable of loving on this deep of a level, as well.

"Only true love can heal his suffering. I know you feel like it is one way, but this bothers him too, and he feels more helpless every day because he feels the fear of losing you before he can show you the love you need in return. If you help Ray mend his trust and stick around; you will have a devoted man for life. He'll never leave you. He'll never lie. He'll never cheat. He'll be yours completely. So, be his. Love your husband, Kara. Be patient with him. You got this."

"Wow! I didn't know you were so wise about relationships," I said, looking at my sister with new eyes.

"I was in Ray's place. You know my story. My first boyfriend left when he knew I was going to be in a wheelchair for life."

"I still think I should have smashed Gordon's balls with my bat."

Jenny laughed. "You scared him to death. Then no one seemed to be able to see beyond the wheelchair. I was ready to give up on love when I met Liam. My love story with him wasn't easy. You know that because you played a big part in it. At first, I lied to Liam about being in a wheelchair. A lie by omission, but a lie anyway. It took him some time to trust in me again. But he didn't give up on me. His love healed my soul. We had and still have many obstacles to overcome because I'm handicapped. But we love each other, and we climb every mountain together."

+++

Ray came home late that night just as he had told me.

"I'm in the bedroom," I yelled from our bed. "There are leftovers in the refrigerator."

"It's okay. I already ate something," he yelled back.

I was lying with the covers tucked up to my armpits and a load of pillows propping up my back. I was reading a paperback novel.

He looked at me, and then at the title of the book I was reading. An amused smile came to his lips.

"What in the world are you reading?"

"It's sappy romance novel, Jenny lent it to me. It's not half bad. There are some great sex scenes in here." I wiggled my eyebrows. "I'm learning lots of neat tricks."

After stripping off his button-up shirt, Ray tugged his undershirt from his jeans. "Why are you reading a romance novel?" he asked, sending me an odd look.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Why not?"

I nearly sighed aloud as he pulled his T-shirt off, leaving his chest bare. His pecs glistened in the dim light from my bedside reading lamp. He was so beautiful. He probably didn't even realize his striptease was turning me on like crazy.

"It's not the kind of book you like to read. I remember in high school we were both fans of The Hunger Games," Ray said. He sat on the edge of the mattress to tug off his socks. "We used to run into the woods pretending we were both tributes."

"Oh, I loved that game! We were well into it," my mind got lost in happy memories.

Ray took my hand in his, and looked into my eyes, "Kara, if you are reading sappy novels because you want it, then I'm all for it. But if you are trying to change because you think I want it, then stop. I like you just the way you are."

Stunned, I bolted upright, my finger unconsciously slipping from the page I'd marked.

"You do?"

About to toss his socks toward the laundry hamper across the room, Ray turned to eye me with an incredulous lift of his eyebrows. "Do you have any doubts about it?"

"Some men prefer girly women with their frou-frou hairdos, smelly perfumes and designer clothes. Your ex was like that," I told him in no unnecessary terms.

Ray froze. "Yeah, and she cheated on me with every man she could."

I brought his hand to my heart. "Ray, you know I'm nothing like her. You know me; I am still the same girl that was your best friend in high school."

"I know, Kara. I want to apologize again for not trusting in you. The problem it's not you. It's me. I talked with a shrink today. That's why I was late."

"You did?"

"Yes, someone at work told me about this therapist, so I called him and he had a free hour today. If our relationship is going to work, I need to work on healing myself."

"I understand, and I support you."

"But back where we started, Kara, listen to me and listen me good. You have the same taste in movies I do. I get to see all the great action and sci-fi flicks and haven't had to watch a single sappy romantic drama yet since we've been married. You prefer sports to the cooking and home decorating channels. Plus you're fun to talk to because you're into the same things I like, and you've never once tried to stuff healthy food like salads and vegetables down me. Our relationship is stress free."

"Now that I'm pregnant, I'm eating healthier," I said, placing a hand on my tummy.

"True," Ray placed his hand on top of mine.

"But—"

"I haven't finished yet. "You don't ask me what I'm feeling every three minutes. If I'm not talking, you don't think it's because I'm mad at you. I like how you don't clutter the bathroom with a load of useless perfume bottles because, to me, nothing smells as good as a plain, clean woman. You are fun to hang out with. Intelligent and thoughtful. You're kind, beautiful, charming, knowledgeable, and most importantly, you have a heart the size of Alaska. You have been extremely patient with my trust issues.

"It's like... you have all the perks and none of the downfalls. In fact, you just might be the perfect woman. So, don't go telling me what I don't prefer. I know what I like. And I like everything about you just as it is. If you even think about trying to change, we're going to have problems."

I could only stare at my husband in awe.

"You really don't mind me being the way I am?"

"No," he murmured against my ear. "I actually love it."

He kissed me long and lovingly, before I pulled away. "Well, in that case," I muttered, wiggling out from under him to get free, "I'm going to change."

"Change?" Ray asked, frowning as he sat up to give me space.

When I ripped aside the covers to expose the silk and lace two-piece I was wearing, his mouth fell open.

"Oh, God," he breathed, his eyes soaking in the skimpy bra and thong set.

"I'll be right back," I said, popping off the bed to head toward the bathroom.

"Whoa! Stop right there," he called, leaping after me and hooking an arm around my waist to drag me back. "Let's not be too hasty now."

"So, this isn't at all frou-frou or girly, huh?"

"Hell no," he growled, fumbling a little in his haste to shed the bra. "This is what I call drop-dead gorgeous."

I purred when his caress found the center of my heat. Sliding my panties down my thighs, he nibbled his way up my throat.

"You're too much of a woman, and some men are scared of you because they know they'll never be able to handle you."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, but you think you can handle me, huh?" My voice held a certain challenge even though my eyes sparked with pleasure at his true meaning.

Ray grinned and tossed my underwear over his shoulder. "No, not really. But that's not going to stop me from trying."

CHAPTER 19

The next morning, I woke up satisfied and hungry. Those stupid books I read said that an increased appetite is a common pregnancy symptom, but I had to start watching what I eat. I didn't want to look like a whale.

I slept as peacefully and as innocently as a child. I stared at the curve of her belly as my thoughts repeated themselves in my mind.

A child.

A wild leap of something like joy jumped unexpectedly in my chest.

A child!

And not just any child. This was Ray's child.

No matter what the circumstances, the procreation of life was always a miracle.

An hour later, I showered, dressed, and went to work. I dropped by the office first thing. After checking the emails and answering machine to find no one had left us any pressing matters to attend to, I decided to head out and spend the day in the field. For some reason, I wanted to be active today.

"Why the long face, Kara?" Paul Olson asked me, as soon as he stepped inside the office.

"Do I need a reason? I'm pregnant. I feel like felt like an overfilled water balloon."

Paul raised his hands in a peace gesture. "Just checking on you?"

"I miss my husband and feel pathetic for wanting to be with Ray nonstop. There, I said it. Happy now?"

"You're a newlywed. Of course, you want to spend every waking hour with your loved one. I could barely stand being away from Mary when we got married," Paul shared with me. "It will get worse when you have your baby."

Paul surprised me because he was usually very reserved about his personal life.

He was right, I was, indeed, a newlywed, it suddenly struck me we'd totally bypassed a honeymoon. I should ask Ray tonight if he wanted to go away for a few days. We had a long weekend ahead.

I grinned. Ray would probably want to see a NASCAR race, which was perfectly fine by me. Maybe I should tell him I wanted to attend the craft fair.

"Do you know what we need?" I asked Ray that evening, as soon as he entered our place.

"What's that?" he asked, leaning down to give me a kiss.

"A short honeymoon. We have been riding an emotional roller coaster since you came back to Middletown. We deserve some days of rest and relaxation."

Ray laughed. "That'd be nice, but what about my job"

"There is a four-day holiday weekend soon. I think we should go somewhere and just relax."

"I don't know, Kara. You're pregnant."

"So? Being pregnant doesn't mean I'm sick. I'm just a bit plump, and I need to pee a lot. Come on, Ray, we can see a NASCAR race."

"Tempting, but I don't feel like being around noise and crowds."

"Then, let's fly to Florida. We can sit on hammocks while waves crash onto the beach around us. I can go to the spa and get pampered and we can take moonlight walks and dinner under the stars."

"Not a bad idea. Let me make some calls. I'll handle it."

+++

I always hated flying. All these people packed into a sardine can soaring high in the sky.

Ray helped me off the flight. His arm was cinched tightly around my waist, holding me up. I spent the majority of the flight in the small overly cramped bathroom throwing up. It was the food. That's what I told Ray. But in all honesty, the moment I smelled the processed chicken in First Class I knew it was going to be a long flight. He tried to comfort me. He even held me while I tried to sleep.

Here he was holding me as we walked through the terminal to our waiting car. He helped me in and gave the driver the address to our hotel.

Ray woke me up when we arrived at the hotel.

I didn't want to depend on him, but right then I needed him. I needed the comfort he was willing to give me. I leaned to the side and rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, holding me to him. I couldn't resist and rested my arm along his waist. It felt good to be in his arms.

"Just a few more minutes, love," he whispered, and shivered with emotion.

"Thank you for being so loving and caring." I stepped forward and put my arms around him, giving him a hug.

"It's in the husband's job description somewhere, isn't it?" Ray pulled me tighter to his body and kissed the top of my head. I sighed, melting into him. I liked that he wasn't afraid to touch me even though my belly was starting to make me look bigger. Most guys would be turned off, but not Ray.

Ray walked us to our room. A surprise awaited me: the wall at the edge of the room was missing, giving us access to the water. We stood there, looking out at the beach while in our suite. Nothing was stopping us from running through the room and out to the water. I couldn't imagine how we stood safe at night and maybe I was missing some sliding doors, but this was beautiful and I loved it.

"It's a private beach. The honeymoon was my parents' gift for our wedding," Ray said, reading my thoughts. "I called them and we talked a lot about everything. Why don't you take a shower and change into your swimsuit?"

I did as he suggested. The water felt good. I didn't know how long I stood under the spray, but it was long enough for my body to feel watered down. I put on my swimsuit and ran my fingers through my wet hair.

When I opened the door, Ray was standing by the bed, staring out into the sea. He turned and smiled.

He sat down and patted the spot at his side. "I want you to listen to me. Over these past few months, I've grown to know you pretty well again and if I'm being honest, we are better friends now than we were in the past. I can be myself when I'm around you and not the moody and depressed guy I was when I arrived in Middletown. You let me be an idiot and you still didn't look down at me."

I nodded, earning a smile from him.

He pulled me into his arms. "I want to take care of you. I want us to be a real married couple. I even want to fight with you so that we can make up with each other."

Ray looked down at the ring in his hand.

"I love you, Kara." He paused, and added, "I'm IN LOVE with you."

I was speechless, shaking from head to toe.

"Come again?" I whispered in awe.

"You always were the one for me, love." Ray gave me absolutely zero time to absorb his words before he threw more of them at me. "I should've told you before. I want this. We're going to be partners in everything. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize you're the one for me. I'm an idiot."

"Well I won't argue with you about that, but you're my idiot."

Ray came behind me, pressing his chest against my back. His hands moved around me and rested on my stomach. His thumbs moved up and down. He kissed my collarbone, moving to my shoulder.

"I trust you with my heart. I know you'll take good care of it," he whispered in my ear.

"I'll protect it with my life. And I trust you with mine," I looked into his eyes, and whispered, "My love."

+++

We had a wonderful time, full of love and relaxing activities. I never thought someone like Ray could be this romantic.

Hey, I never thought someone like me could be this romantic.

We walked hand in hand into a restaurant and sat on the stools while we waited for a table.

We posted a lot of photos on our social media to keep our friends and family informed about our honeymoon activities. Suddenly, the door to the bar opened and a woman made an entrance, turning every head in the place. She was impossible to ignore. She looked around like a predator looking for her prey. Once she spotted Ray, she walked straight to him.

My husband was the prey, and, if I was not wrong, his bitch of an ex was chasing after him.

I put my phone away and studied her. Everything in her screamed money, from her shoes, which were no doubt by some new designer, to her hair styled to perfection.

The bitch looked like a real-life Barbie doll. She was wearing a short black dress. I hated to admit she looked truly sexy. Everything about her was refined.

She sat on a stool next to my husband, and said, "Hello, Ray-Ray."

Okay, it was official: I hated her.

Ray closed his eyes at the sound of his ex's voice but ignored her, and kept looking at me and drinking his beer.

"Hello, Ray-Ray," the bitch greeted him again a bit louder.

"I heard you the first time, slut. I was ignoring you."

A smile came to my lips. This was going to be interesting.

Ray took a deep breath and then glared at his ex. His eyes were full of revulsion. The phrase "if looks could kill" suddenly ran through my mind.

The slut flinched.

"Ray-Ray, please. Don't start calling me names. It's not nice," she pouted.

"If the shoe fits... Look, I know it's no coincidence that you're here on our honeymoon. I suppose you were stalking my Instagram account, saw me and my wife, and decided to ruin our honeymoon, as you ruined everything else in my life. It's not going to happen. The last time I saw you, I was watching a photo on your phone showing you swallowing a man's cock down your throat. Every time I look at you I want to throw up. We are done, Amy. You are nothing but a disgusting slut to me. I'm married to a wonderful woman and she is expecting our first baby," Ray placed his arm around me and pulled me close.

I smiled wide at the bitch, showing all my teeth, I was so proud of my husband. I was pretty sure this wasn't easy for him.

"Dramatic much, Ray-Ray?"

Ray shrugged. "Just keeping it real."

She ordered a white wine spritzer, and I couldn't help but laugh. What a stuck-up bitch.

The slut studied me from head to toe and decided I was no competition for her. Then, she said, "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm just the love of his life," I said, giving Ray a loving kiss on the lips. "We have known each other since we were teens."

"Oh, I barely noticed the ring on your finger. He gave me a three-carat diamond ring when he proposed to me."

"And you probably gave me sloppy seconds in return," Ray added. I laughed my ass off. "How's your business doing?"

"What business would that be, Ray-Ray? Daddy's?"

He knocked back his beer and slammed the bottle down hard on the bar. He signaled for another one.

"No, the escort service," he said, and I tried to stifle my laugh, but to no avail. This was going to be fun after all.

The bitch slapped my husband across his arm. I grabbed her arm tightly and growled, "Touch my husband again and I'll break your pretty nose."

Our eyes met and she knew by the murderous look in my pupils I wasn't kidding.

The bitch looked back at Ray ignoring me. "You're such an asshole, you know that, Ray-Ray?"

"Yet, here you are, sitting next to me trying to catch my attention with your legs. Is this your way of showing me what's on offer? Because I have news for you, Amy, I'm not buying it. So what do you want?"

"I want to talk with you," she looked at me, and added, "in private."

"It's not going to happen," Ray and I said at the same time. Then, we looked at each other, laughed, and high-fived.

"What do you want, Amy? Say your piece and leave us alone," Ray said.

"I miss you. We should try again. I've been seeing a therapist."

Ray shrugged. "Good for you, I guess. I hope 'seeing' doesn't mean fucking. You know shagging a shrink doesn't count as therapy, right?

The slut stomped her feet on the floor. "Could you stop being so mean to me? Can we talk? Please!"

Ray shook his head, "What for? Some Cosmo shit about 'getting closure'? You have nothing to say I want to hear. I've made positive changes in my life. Leaving you was the best decision I made in life after marrying my wife."

The bitch let out a long sigh. "When did you become that bitter?"

"If you have to ask that, then your STDs are probably killing your brain cells."

"I'm clean, Ray-Ray. I haven't gotten laid since you left me."