The Four Stages of Loving Dutch Owen - Debra Kayn Page 0,81
while we're gone and check in with them."
"I know," she whispered.
He understood her reluctance to leave them. He'd accepted long ago that it was a fear he couldn't take away from her. All he could do was prove that she would no longer have to suffer alone.
Most of the time, she was fine sending the kids off to school for the day and letting them play with their friends out of her sight—usually the kids from Moses Lake Chapter.
But Marla Marie was a devoted and loving mom.
She would never want the children to worry about her not returning.
"We'll need to hit the road soon if we're going to make it there in time to check into the hotel," he said.
She turned in his arms. "I really am looking forward to the ride and our weekend away."
For the first time since they had their son, they were riding to the Oregon coast to spend the weekend alone before he was due back to start his travels to the three chapters of WAKOM Motorcycle Club.
"Is the open road calling your name?" he grinned.
"Mm." She leaned into him and kissed his chest. "More like I get you all to myself for forty-eight hours."
His cock pulsed, and he exhaled loudly. Marla Marie never grew out of her curious phase and never tired of finding ways to touch him or be touched. It was one of the many things he loved about her.
She brushed her breasts against the front of him. "I've thought of several things we can do."
"Fuck, Marla Marie." He looped his arm around her shoulders, making her laugh at his impatience to get to the coast and be alone with her. "Tell the kids goodbye, and let's hit the damn road already."
In the backyard, the kids were too preoccupied and excited to pay any attention to their parents.
Rachel gazed up as they stepped out onto the grass and pushed herself to her feet with a groan. Marla Marie walked forward. Dutch followed, staying back a few feet to give his woman time with his sister.
"Cora Lee sure likes her bugs." Rachel picked up the jar off the grass and held it up for inspection. "When you were a little girl, I couldn't get you interested in holding a grasshopper."
"I'd be happy if Grandma wanted to take the whole collection of bugs my daughter has in her room and wanted to keep them here." Marla Marie reached out and ran her hand down Cora Lee's hair as she ran by. "She has empty peanut butter jars lining the window sill of her bedroom that is full of woolly bears.
Rachel smiled, hearing Marla Marie refer to her as grandma.
Over the years, Marla Marie relied more on Rachel than when she was growing up. Once she got pregnant with Colt, Marla Marie sought out Rachel and accepted her into the mother role. A role both women needed.
Rachel had been there through both pregnancies and the births. During that time, he'd seen his sister settle down, and contentment come into her life that he'd never seen before.
Likewise, Marla Marie opened up and welcomed Rachel into her life, realizing Dutch couldn't do everything for her—at least when it came to dealing with hormones, stretch marks, and the urge to push when it was time for the babies to arrive.
"I've put their bags in my old room. There's also a sack of groceries in the kitchen. They eat their weight in food, so I wanted to make sure they had enough," said Marla Marie.
Rachel waved her hand in dismissal. "I hit up the store yesterday and filled the cupboards with everything kids like and at least twenty packets of those gummy fruit bites they love."
Marla moved toward Rachel, hugging her tightly. The whispered words between the two women were lost on Dutch.
He turned as Skull yelled his name, catching the wayward football. His son jumped with his arm out in the air in victory.
"Nice catch, Dad." Colt ran over and grabbed the ball, throwing back his arm, and sailing the football in the air, end over end to Skull.
"Hey, son." Dutch hunkered down beside his son. "We're going to take off in a few minutes. Watch your sister and mind your grandparents. Also, when your mom calls, I want you to talk with her. No running off and giving the phone to Cora Lee."
"Okay." Colt hugged him around the neck, then ran off, the game of catch more important at the moment.