Hurt - Part Two

Before you read Part Two, Don't forget Part One!!
(Some stories just don't make sense backwards, do they?)

Hurt - Part One  (13+) A military wife is confined at her home farm while her husband is overseas. #1039081 by New York Gretta

~~~~~~~~~

Marriage hadn’t been her thing. She’d been much too independent to settle down. Have a casual boyfriend, of course, but nothing serious. She’d wanted to become a vet, start her own practice in her own hometown. Even after she’d met Jim that’s what she’d wanted. He’d coaxed her to marriage, leaving out the little detail about his dreams of military. So she’d fallen head over heels and married him within the year. Then they’d moved around so much-Germany, France, Spain, Britain, all in a year. There never was time to go to school. She’d acquired her Pre-Med., then just stopped. Now she was pregnant, unemployed, and alone.

She recalled from so long ago, it seemed her own wedding nine years ago. Was it possible to be married that long and not have any children? She’d wanted to wait until Jim was home for good, not just a few days, or weeks. Years, where their children could build a relationship with there dad, not just her. This wasn’t what she’d planned. Her fairy-tale had evaporated in front of her own eyes, like smoke in the wind.

The horses whinnied as Kara appeared from around the barn corner, three white buckets in tow. She had to squat slightly to set them down, moaning a little in the process. Picking up one heavily laden bucket, she dumped the golden contents in to it’s designated trough. She repeated this until everyone was fed. Returning to the tack room, she began to refill the grain barrel with the horse delicacy that they so reverently regarded

***.

There she was. From the back, she looked the same as he’d left her eight months back-short, long black hair that flowed past her shoulders, her body slim and fit looking. This struck him as wrong, though. She was pregnant, or supposed to be. That’s why he’d come home, to be with his wife when she gave the baby up from her womb. He watched as she turned slightly to her left, and he spotted the beautiful bulge. He smiled, deciding to watch her just for a moment before he surprised her.

Kara. His Kara. The same Kara he’d fallen head over heels with in highschool, then followed out to California. He leaned against the doorframe silently, watching her muscles stretch and contract as she emptied fifty- pound feed sacks of grain into the barrel. He frowned, watching her use her belly to push the sacks in. Where was that Swedish guy he’d hired for her, Claure or Claude, he couldn’t remember. He’d done it hurriedly, knowing his young wife would need help later on. Why was she doing all this herself now?
Ok, enough suspense. He cleared his throat quietly, and in his best cowboy accent he spoke softly.

“Well, hey their missy. Mind if I sleep under your covers tonight?” He watched her happily as she turned, first agitated and curious, then her face exploded with excitement. Tears streamed from her eyes as she flung herself at him. “I’ll take that as a yes!” He laughed, and held her tightly, sighing heavily as she sobbed into his shoulder. He frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong? I didn’t figure on you drownin’ me.” He pushed her back and seen pure love in her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just that…you surprised me, that’s all.” She leaned into him again, kissing him hard. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back. His hands slid down her back to find her growing tummy, and he pulled back enough to look down at it. Kara blushed and pulled away, embarrassed.

Turning, she grimaced at the tack room’s appearance. She’d not been able to sweep, and the old Swede hadn’t the time. Leaves, dirt, and dropped golden specks of grain lay everywhere. Ten or eleven empty feed sacks lay un-cinched on the wooden floor. She walked over to the sacks, bending down to pick them up. A sharp pain split her stomach, and she groaned. Worried, Jim rushed to her side.

“What are you doing, honey? You should be inside by the fire, knitting sweaters and stuff. Where’s the ass I hired to help?” He helped her to a dusty black tack box to sit. She shot him an irritated glance.

“He had to go home early. For Chemo. I thought it was a fairly decent excuse myself. Besides, this place wouldn’t run without me.” She looked despondently at Jim, and he smiled. She still had fire, all right. He slipped his arms around her in a comforting hug.

“I know it wouldn’t. I’m sorry.” He nuzzled her neck, and felt her sigh. “I missed you.” Love swelled up in her chest, and she looked up at him, her eyes full of hope and love.

“I missed you, too. How long are you back for?” she refrained from adding, ‘this time’.

“Until the baby’s six months old. Seven if I can swing it.” He kissed her forehead, and she raised her head to look at him. He smiled tenderly at her, touching the side of her face reverently. He sighed, and leaned closer to kiss her nose. Tilting her head up, she caught his kiss with her own. He moaned slightly and deepened the kiss, taking in everything about her. Her taste, her smell, her feel, anything he could extract from this moment. He stopped suddenly when her hands dug into his shoulders and pulled him closer. She looked confused. He smiled sorrowfully at her, and tapped one strong finger on her tummy.

“We can’t.” He reminded her, smoothing a silky black curl from her face. She smiled wickedly, and, taking his hand, she pulled him towards the loft.

“Wanna bet?”