Rough Drafts (By Design Book 4) Read online

  “If that’s J.D., I’ll kill her,” Melanie grumbled from beneath the pillow.

  Michelle rolled her eyes. She could not imagine who would be knocking on her door without calling on a Saturday morning. Her best guess was her neighbor, Mrs. Stanley. She stretched and threw a sweatshirt on as she made her way to the door. She looked out the front window toward the porch and blinked rapidly. “Jonah?”

  ***

  “Morning,” Candace said when she felt Jameson move in her arms.

  “I’m sorry,” Jameson said.

  “For?”

  “Falling asleep.”

  Candace smiled and kissed Jameson gently. “We were both tired.”

  Jameson looked at Candace, who was still in her skirt and blouse from the previous day. “Why didn’t you change?”

  “I didn’t want to wake you,” Candace said. Jameson grumbled. “Jameson, it’s fine.” Jameson pulled herself up and smirked. “What?” Candace asked.

  Jameson’s smirk gradually transformed into soft laughter. “You’re crinkled.”

  “Crinkled?” Candace raised an eyebrow. “Not the compliment your wife generally looks for,” she pointed out.

  “It’s cute,” Jameson commented. Candace narrowed her gaze at Jameson. “What?” Jameson asked.

  Candace smirked. Jameson’s hair was standing up at various angles. “I suppose crinkled is no worse than pointy,” she said.

  Jameson pursed her lips. “Who are you calling pointy?” she asked.

  Candace chuckled. Jameson took the opportunity to straddle Candace. “And, just what do you think you are doing?” Candace asked.

  Jameson grinned mischievously before leaning into Candace’s ear. “Oh, I just thought I would smooth things over,” she whispered as she allowed her hand to travel over Candace’s breasts.

  “Lunatic,” Candace said as her eyes closed in response to Jameson’s touch.

  “Mm. You love lunatics,” Jameson reminded her.

  Candace opened her eyes and pulled Jameson in for a kiss. “Guilty as charged,” she confessed.

  ***

  “Not that I am not happy to see you,” Michelle said as she led her younger brother through the door. “But, what the hell are you doing here?” she asked. Jonah shrugged uncomfortably. “Jonah?” Michelle asked with growing concern.

  “I tried to call,” he said. “I tried to call Mom and J.D. too. I just…I can’t face them.”

  Michelle was puzzled. “Face them? What did you do? Get arrested or something?” she asked her brother.

  Jonah shook his head and sighed dramatically. “No. Worse,” he said as he looked at his feet.

  “You flunked out of grad school? What?” she urged him as Melanie walked in the room still slightly disheveled and sleepy.

  “I got my girlfriend pregnant,” he said bluntly.

  Michelle stood dumbfounded. “You have a girlfriend?”

  Melanie grinned uncomfortably. “I’ll make the coffee.”

  ***

  “Jesus, Jameson,” Candace moaned.

  Jameson continued her sensual assault. The one part of short separations that Jameson did look forward to was the inevitable reunion. Making love with Candace was sometimes the only way that Jameson felt she could adequately convey the emotions she held for her wife. Two years had not diminished the desire she felt for Candace. In fact, it seemed to grow with each passing day. It amazed Jameson. She looked down at Candace’s flushed cheeks and smiled. “I love you.”

  Candace reached up and cupped Jameson’s face in her hands. “I love you too,” she said, pulling Jameson to her for a passionate kiss.

  “Where was I?” Jameson asked lightly. “I think I was,” Jameson stopped to place a sensual kiss on Candace’s neck. “Yeah, that was it. Right there,” she whispered. Her hands fell along Candace’s sides slowly as her kiss trailed over Candace’s throat. Jameson lifted her hands and addressed the buttons on Candace’s silk blouse one by one until it fell open. “Beautiful,” she sighed. She lowered her lips over the swell of Candace’s breasts and gently removed Candace’s bra.

  Candace looked down at Jameson as Jameson’s lips hovered over her breast. “Jameson,” she called desperately.

  Jameson kissed her way across Candace’s chest, delighting in the softness of Candace’s skin before finally taking a nipple gently into her mouth. Candace’s hips arched instinctively and her hands wound themselves in Jameson’s hair. Jameson’s touch was delicate yet demanding. She understood Candace’s needs without any direction. Tenderly, her fingertips swept across Candace’s abdomen as her tongue continued to taste the pink flesh beneath it. “So, so beautiful,” Jameson sighed. She looked up at Candace and was met with a loving expression painted with desire. Jameson dropped her kiss lower, tracing patterns over Candace’s stomach and hips until she reached her thigh. She heard Candace moan her name breathily and began to trail her kisses inward. The sound of a cell phone buzzing a few feet away startled her.

  “They’ll call back,” Candace said. Jameson took a deep breath. She softly tasted Candace and was met with an urgent moan. A second later, she heard her ringtone in the distance. “Ignore it,” Candace demanded. She moved her hips in time with Jameson. Jameson lost herself in Candace. She felt Candace’s fingers weave through her hair and pulled Candace closer to her. “Oh God,” Candace called out as Jameson slipped inside of her. Jameson tried to ignore the phone now blaring in the distance. Whoever was calling, was certainly persistent. She began to thrust rapidly, feeling a sense of urgency. She could sense Candace’s need as well as her frustration at the interruptions. Jameson willed herself to tune out the signature beep of the answering machine.

  “Mom? Are you guys home?” Michelle’s voice came through.

  “Jesus,” Candace groaned. Jameson tried to keep her focus, but Michelle’s voice was unsettling and she slowed her pace.

  “Ummm. I tried your cell phone and J.D.’s. What are you two doing? Never mind. Forget I asked that. Listen, Jonah showed up at my door this morning….”

  Jameson pulled back just as Candace sat straight up in bed. “What?” Candace asked aloud.

  “Seriously, are you guys there? Can we like…I don’t know, do dinner or something? This one is outta my league, Mom.”

  Jameson collapsed her head on Candace’s stomach as Candace collapsed back onto the pillow with an exasperated breath. “Guess we’ll be having company,” Jameson said.

  “I’m sorry,” Candace apologized.

  Jameson kissed Candace’s belly and sat up with a smile. “Sorry?” Jameson chuckled. “Don’t be. We’ve had almost a year of quiet from those three. It was bound to happen sooner or later,” she said.

  “This is not over,” Candace said with a smirk.

  “Promises, promises,” Jameson said playfully as she made her way off the bed.

  “Where are you going?” Candace asked.

  “You have to call Shell back. I am going to take an ice cold shower and then drink a pot of very strong coffee,” Jameson answered. Candace grabbed a pillow and threw it over her face, grumbling something inaudible. Jameson laughed. “Well, we could conserve water,” she suggested.

  Candace slowly removed the pillow from her face. “Jameson Reid, are you propositioning me?” she asked. Jameson winked. “I thought you were headed for a cold shower?” Candace reminded her.

  “Well, I’m betting that if I play my cards right, the water will turn cold before we’re done,” she said. Candace laughed. “Go call Shell,” Jameson said.

  “Don’t start without me,” Candace lifted her brow.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jameson said as she headed into their bathroom.

  “Uh-huh,” Candace replied before going to the phone. “Jameson! I mean it!”

  “Don’t worry,” Jameson called out. Candace heard the water starting. “I’ll save you all the hard to reach places!”

  Candace laughed. “Certifiable,” she said. She took a deep breath and picked up her cell phone. “This ought to be interesting,” she mused as she dialed her daughter’s number. “Or extremely unsettling.”

  Chapter Three

  “You okay?” Jameson asked Candace. Candace forced a small grin in response. “That’s what I thought,” Jameson commented. She moved toward Candace and pulled her close. “I’m sure it is nothing earth-shattering,” she tried to reassure the woman in her arms.

  Candace sighed. “I know. If it were any of the kids….”

  “I know—except Jonah,” Jameson finished Candace’s thought.

  Jonah, while he the youngest of Candace’s children, was also the most independent. Marianne, the oldest, constantly sought her mother’s approval. Michelle, the middle child, was the most like her mother. She lived the closest and spent the most time with Candace and Jameson. Jonah was on the opposite side of the country. Jameson had come to understand Candace’s children in a way that she sometimes was not sure even Candace could. She also was attuned to Candace’s emotions where her children were concerned. There were several things about Candace Fletcher-Reid that Jameson had come to believe defined her wife. Candace loved her job. She was born for politics and Jameson admired her wife’s work ethic and passion for her work. Candace reveled in being around people. She enjoyed meeting all types of people. Jameson enjoyed watching Candace interact with everyone from the president to the waitress at the local diner. She marveled at Candace’s affable nature. It was one of the parts of Candace’s personality that Jameson found the most fascinating and alluring. More than her career, more than pressing the flesh as Candace called it, Candace loved her family. That was the part of Candace that Jameson loved beyond anything and everything else. There was no doubt in Jameson’s mind that Candace would walk away from her career altogether if s
he thought it was necessary to secure her family’s happiness. Candace never played favorites with her children, but Jameson did know that Jonah held a special place in Candace’s heart. Candace had confided that in Jameson after their first Fourth of July barbecue.

  “I’m glad Jonah felt comfortable with Toby and Doug,” Jameson said.

  Candace smiled. “He’s comfortable with you.”

  “You think so?” Jameson asked. Candace just continued to smile. “I’m glad. I had a good time with him tonight,” Jameson said. Candace leaned in and captured Jameson’s lips in a tender kiss. “What was that for?” Jameson asked. “Not that I am complaining,” she added.

  Candace snickered. “It was hard sometimes for him growing up with the girls,” she told Jameson.

  Jameson laughed. “Yeah, well, I can understand that—believe me. Growing up in the middle of two brothers seriously sucked sometimes.”

  “I can imagine,” Candace said.

  “He’s your baby,” Jameson said knowingly.

  “Yes,” Candace admitted quietly.

  “What is it?” Jameson wondered. She detected a bit of melancholy in Candace’s tone.

  Candace smiled. “I almost lost him,” she explained. Jameson listened intently. She knew that Jonah had been delivered by C-section, but she didn’t know the details. “It was a difficult pregnancy for me,” Candace said. “It was a difficult time, actually. The kids don’t know that. Jonathan…he was seeing one of the secretaries in his office. I knew it. He was gone all the time.”

  Jameson felt her jaw tense as she listened. Jonathan Fletcher’s extramarital activities were no secret. Candace had shared plenty of stories about her marriage to the man with Jameson. She could sense that there was more than simple infidelity behind the sadness evident in Candace’s eyes.

  “That was bad enough. Me? I was struggling. Struggling with his cheating. Struggling with myself,” Candace said softly.

  “You mean your sexuality,” Jameson guessed.

  “Yes. That and what was I going to do with my life. That was no way to live with three kids,” Candace said. She saw Jameson’s face fall and chuckled. “Not my being a lesbian,” Candace clarified. “I mean living in a marriage that was broken,” she said. Jameson nodded. “I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant with Jonah,” Candace said whimsically. “I always wanted a big family. The stress…it took a toll. I had high blood pressure. I was sick for almost the entire time I carried him. Thank God for Pearl. When I went into labor, it was nearly four weeks early….I could just feel something was wrong. He was turned. It was hours of pain before they finally decided to take him. Thank God they did.”

  “What happened?” Jameson asked.

  “They call it a cord compression. Jonah’s heart rate dropped considerably. He was so blue when he was first born. And, he was small. I’m telling you, Jameson, I’ve only been that frightened twice in my life.”

  “Twice?” Jameson asked.

  “Yes. The day Jonah was born and I heard those doctors talking as they rushed to deliver him, and the day Michelle told me you were in the hospital.”

  Jameson smiled and pulled Candace closer. “But see, we were both fine.”

  “Mm. Yes, and you are actually quite a bit alike,” Candace laughed.

  “You think so?” Jameson was surprised.

  “I do. You both march to the beat of your own drum,” Candace said. “You are both content working on a project alone. You are also two of the most sensitive and sincere people I know. And, you are both incredibly funny.”

  “Don’t forget good-looking,” Jameson joked.

  “That too,” Candace agreed. She sighed. “Jonah isn’t just the baby, Jameson. He had a terrible time when he was small. Lots of illnesses. He had braces on his legs for a year to help him walk. It hardly slowed him down, though,” Candace laughed. She paused and took a deep breath. “After he was born, the doctor told me in no uncertain terms that I should think long and hard before attempting another pregnancy.”

  “Did you want to?” Jameson asked.

  Candace shrugged. “I don’t know. Back then, I was lost. Those three were the only thing that kept me sane for years. They were…they are my life.”

  “I know.”

  “Jonah was always the maverick. He was small for his age, but more determined than either of the girls to be the best at everything he did. It didn’t matter if it was sports or biology. He has a good deal of his father in him,” Candace observed.

  “Oh, I’m sure that’s true. He has a great deal of you too.”

  “I guess he does. He never wanted to be coddled. I admire him. He’s always defied the odds. He’s my miracle.”

  Jameson smiled. “And, he is your baby.”

  Candace huffed and then shrugged. “Yes, I guess he is.”

  “Candace,” Jameson called gently.

  Candace sighed heavily. “I know. I know,” she said. “I know he is safe and that is the most important thing. I also know that if he came home like this,” Candace closed her eyes.

  “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. Whatever we have to do,” Jameson reassured her wife.

  “Remember you said that,” Candace said lightly in an attempt to relieve her own tension.

  Jameson saw Michelle’s car begin to make its way up the driveway. “I’m sure it’s something that eventually we will laugh about—whatever it is.”

  “I hope you are right,” Candace said.

  Jameson smiled. Me too.

  ***

  Jameson handed Michelle and Melanie each a beer before continuing to pace in the kitchen. Candace and Jonah had made their way into the study and closed the door. Jameson kept glancing out of the room and down the hallway, occasionally taking a sip of the coffee in her hand.

  “J.D.,” Michelle called to her. “Sit down. I think they are going to be a while.”

  Jameson turned and looked at the two younger women seated before her. “Should I pour something stronger?” she asked with a gesture to her coffee mug.

  “Maybe,” Michelle answered truthfully.

  Jameson frowned. “Shell? Just tell me he is okay,” she pleaded.

  “Physically, he is fine,” Michelle said. “J.D., sit down.”

  “Oh, this is really not good. You want me to drink and sit.”

  Melanie tried not to laugh. Michelle smacked her girlfriend lightly.

  “Shell?” Jameson urged.

  “Aw, shit,” Michelle threw up her hands. “Jonah’s girlfriend is pregnant,” she said in one full breath.

  “Jonah has a girlfriend?” Jameson asked.

  “Are you sure you two aren’t related?” Melanie chimed with a chuckle. Jameson and Michelle both shot the architect a glare. “What?” Melanie asked. “The first thing you both ask is if Jonah has a girlfriend? Not really the hot issue here,” she reminded them.

  Jameson shook her head and turned back to Michelle. “Shell…When?”

  “When did he get a girlfriend or when did he get her pregnant?” Michelle joked.

  “Cute,” Jameson responded. “You know what I mean.”

  “I don’t know all the details. He was so tired when he got here that he passed out after telling us the basics,” she explained. “Do you think Mom is going to freak?”

  Jameson glanced down the hallway again. She had no idea what she had expected Jonah’s news to be. This was definitely nowhere in her imagination. She doubted it had entered Candace’s mind either. Jonah had never mentioned dating anyone. She sighed and rubbed her brow in thought. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Your mom doesn’t freak out easily,” she reminded Michelle.

  “Yeah. I know. I can’t believe she’ll see this one coming,” Michelle offered.

  Jameson sighed heavily. “No, I don’t think so,” she admitted.

  ***

  Candace watched her son wiggle in his chair. It took her back to a time when Jonah was much younger and she had caught him with matches and firecrackers in the backyard. She smiled at the man before her and placed her hand on his knee to still his movements. “Jonah,” she said.

  Jonah shifted his gaze nervously to meet his mother. His eyes began to fill with tears and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  Candace’s gaze narrowed in concern. “What are you sorry for?”

  “I screwed up,” he choked slightly.