Dogs and jobs
1231 Words
*Blaise*
I hold Lillian as she sips on the warm milk Callie prepared for her, feeling her tremble so hard that the bed shakes beneath us. After everything she has endured, her nightmares don't surprise me.
Throughout our journey, I have caught her whimpering in her sleep a few times. It seems the further we get from her home, the more restless her sleep becomes. I worry that bringing her here might have been a mistake, fearing she had remain isolated if we had stayed at her place.
She offers me a shaky smile and hands me the empty cup. "Thank you," she whispers softly.
After setting the cup aside, I gently wipe away the milky mustache from her lip with my thumb. "You're welcome," I respond warmly.
Her awkward chuckle breaks the silence. "I am so embarrassed. Your brother must think..."
"He doesn't think anything," I assure her, laying her down and tucking her against my body. She fits so perfectly against me, even as she begins to swell with our child. Her hand rests against my chest, curling like the petals of a flower at night. I wrap one hand around hers, the other lazily stroking her back, and kiss her forehead. "Were you dreaming about your family?"
She nods against my chest.
"And the man who killed them. There was so much blood," she whispers hoarsely.
"What did he look like?" I ask, feeling her shiver through our embrace.
I feel her shake her head, "I don't want to talk about him."
"While I was in Blaise, I talked with a detective about hunting the man down..." I start.
She jerks away, staring at me with fear in her eyes. "What?"
“I thought it would ease you mind if the man was caught and punished for what he did to your family. But without enough information, I couldn't help the detective. If you tell me what you know about him..." I tell her.
She shakes her head violently. "No, no, I don't want him looking."
"Sugar, I'm not gonna let the man hurt you..." I say softly.
"No!" She buries her face against my chest. "It's been over five years. Please just let it be."
I sigh, "It's not right that he murdered three people and got away with it."
She tenses in my arms, shaking her head again. Drawing her closer, I assure her, "I won't press you on this, Lillian, but think about it. What if he's out there killing others?"
*Lillian*
I squeeze my eyes shut. I should have told Blaise everything before we were married, even though it might have cost me any affection he held for me. But I wanted what he was offering for my baby.
It's strange how a little one, not yet born, can bring so many responsibilities with him. I have to do what's best for the baby. I have to put him first. So, I hold my silence.
The thought of a detective searching for the man who killed my family is a worse nightmare than the one that woke me up screaming. If anyone tracks down the man who killed my family, he would no doubt discover things about my father that I want to remain a secret.
The only peace of mind I find lies in the fact that I know the murderer isn't going to kill anyone else.
*Blaise*
“Lillian? That reminds me of a song a lot of soldiers sang during the war.” Chase says. “Where you named from it?”
I watch my wife jerk to attention and glance down the breakfast table at my brother. Shadows rest beneath her eyes. I wish I had the power to rid her of the nightmares.
"Yes," she says. "My father told me it was a favorite song around the campfire during the war."
"Not in my unit," Chase says. "I forbid my men to play it, sing it, or think about it."
"How come?" Cooper asks.
Chase sighs, "Because it made the men miss home so much that they would end up deserting. Can’t tolerate a man shirking his responsibilities."
Lillian flicks her gaze to me, and I notice the crimson fanning her cheeks. I give her a wink. Chase tolerates less than most men, and I'm glad Lillian hasn’t shared her father’s military history with my brother.
"Can I add taking care of Aunt Lillian’s dog to my list of chores?" Cooper asks.
I sip on my coffee, watching Cooper wait expectantly for his father’s permission.
"Don’t you think you got enough chores?" Chase asks as he scoops up his eggs.
"But I like taking care of dogs, and I don’t have one to watch over since Ma’s went to live with her friends." He says.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my wife lean forward and glance down the table at Callie.
"While she carried her litter, she got a bit testy, so I thought it was best to set her free. She still comes up to the house for treats, but not as often," Callie says.
Lillian shakes her head. "I don’t understand why you set it free."
"It was a prairie dog," Chase says with a measure of disgust.
Lillian blinks, confusion mirrored in her eyes. "You had a prairie dog as a pet?"
"Yep," I say, grinning broadly. "Chase even made it a leash. Carved the dog’s name right into it."
"Me ’n Cooper wanna dog," Faith pipes in from her high chair beside Callie.
"Maybe you can borrow your Aunt Lillian’s for a spell," Chase suggests softly.
"Can we, Aunt Lillian?" Cooper asks. "I will take real good care of him."
Lillian smiles softly. "I would appreciate the help."
"Now that that’s settled," Chase begins.
I listen with half an ear as Chase rattles off all the things I need to tend to that day. I remember a time when I had handled my chores and still had time to go into town and visit with Olivia.
Right now, it seems my list of responsibilities will leave me with little time to spend with my mate. I watch as she sprinkles two spoons of sugar into her coffee and begins to stir. I reach across the table and take her cup from her. When she starts to protest, I silence her with a lifted brow. Then I scoop four more spoons of sugar into the brew before handing it back to her. "There’s no shortage of sugar around here."
Her cheeks take on the hue of a sunrise. "Most people don’t use as much sugar as I do."
"Maybe if they did, they would be as sweet as you are." I tell her with a smile.
Her blush deepens, and she lowers her gaze to her plate.
"Have you heard a damn word I have said?" Chase asks.
I shift my gaze to the end of the table. "Heard every word. I want to take Lillian over to Wade’s this morning so she can pick out a horse."
Narrowing his eyes, Chase rubs his thumb and forefinger over his beard. "Reckon Briony will have your hide if you don’t take Lillian out and introduce her."
I give my brother a nod. "I figured the same thing. I would rather face your wrath than Briony’s."
Chase leans back in his chair and laughs.
- Writer
