A Change in Plans

An ATC for "The Foundling"

by Lilyjack

Chapter 43

"Family"

Kitty stirred under her bedsheet, the smooth cotton still scented with the outdoors, redolent of the warm June sun and flower-scented breezes. She felt a big, gentle hand sliding up her thigh beneath her nightgown. Drowsy eyes still closed, she smiled while remarking in a sleep-hoarse voice, "I reckon you know it's awful early in the mornin' for your squaw to be rudely awakened."

"You're gettin' plumb lazy, Mrs. Asper." Kitty's handsome husband grinned mischievously. "Why, the sun's already comin' up."

Her blue eyes slowly opened as she stretched luxuriously. She sighed, "Well, in that case, you better hurry up and kiss me, Quint." She tilted her gaze over at him, one corner of her peach-soft mouth curving upward. "I wouldn't wanna be late for…"

Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, Quint leaned in to ardently press his lips against hers, his tongue savoring her. His hair smelled lightly of smoke, the eternally burning fires of his trade, and he tasted like freshly brewed coffee. She hummed her approval, cupping his sandpaper-whiskered cheeks in her hands as he kissed her again and again, his mouth tender, gentle, yet insistent. Quint's kisses never failed to take Kitty's breath away.

She felt his warm hand slipping higher, traveling languorously up her thigh. A single intense glance from her husband could send the blood rushing between her legs, but now her skin prickled with gooseflesh, her center thrummed with anticipation of his touch.

As his hand finally reached its destination, intimately touching her yielding, secret flesh, she quietly gasped, "Mr. Asper, you're gonna get your wife all het up if you don't stop."

"Well, sweetheart, I reckon that was my intention all along. I plan on havin' you hangin' on tight to that cast iron headboard right there in a little bit." He quickly stole another kiss, a deep, searching kiss with his tongue sliding inside her eager mouth. He drew back, his dark eyes piercing her with a hungry gaze. "I made this bed with lotsa handholds for my honey on purpose."

"Oh, Quint…" Kitty breathed, her lashes fluttering closed as he caressed her. "Don't stop…"

"You like that? How about this?" He leaned in to ardently kiss her again, his fingers gently stroking beneath the smooth sheets of their bed, beneath the delicate fabric of her nightgown.

Suddenly a plaintive wail sounded from the next room, a six-month-old redhead with healthy lungs voicing her utter discontent. In tandem, Kitty and Quint groaned in abject disappointment.

"Quint?" She gazed at him longingly.

He grunted as he began to rise, kissing Kitty's forehead in resignation. "I'll go get 'er."

Kitty rolled over, sighing as he left their bed. Well, at least the child had taken to sleeping through the night in recent weeks. Kitty should be counting her lucky stars.

With both bedroom doors wide open, she could lie quietly, listening as Quint scooped up the tiny girl from her cradle in the next room. Her squalling instantly ceased. Kitty was sure the baby had woken with a soaking wet diaper, and Quint would have to take time to change her. Lucy continued to emit little hiccupping cries every few moments while Quint tended to her, insistent reminders that, although rescued for all intents and purposes, her belly remained unhappily empty.

Kitty could hear Quint talking to Lucy as he worked. Kitty bit her thumbnail, a smile overtaking her face as she listened. Her ears managed to catch snatches of the conversation. "…you hungry, Little Lucy? Mama will feed you... We'll get you nice and dry…" Kitty's heart swelled in her chest as she heard him ask, "Are you Daddy's little girl?" and the baby responded with her childish jabbering word for him, da da da.

Kitty sat up in bed, plumping a pillow behind her as Quint entered with Lucy furiously sucking her thumb, her flushed chubby cheeks wet with tears. Quint carried her across the room, announcing, "She was up on her hands and knees again, Kitty."

Kitty unbuttoned her nightgown, her heart tugging at the sight of her little girl's arms outstretched toward her. Lucy's tiny fingers urgently pumped in a fist, and she gave a pitiful little bleating cry of relief when she caught sight of her mother's breast. Quint reached for an extra pillow, placing it in Kitty's lap to support the child while she nursed.

Lucy gurgled excitedly as Kitty took her baby in her arms, murmuring, "There's my sweet little sugarplum…" She watched Quint as he plopped down on the bed, reclining lazily alongside Kitty's extended legs. "We've gotta get her a crib, Quint. That cradle is too small for her now."

Quint sat quietly with his head propped on an elbow as Lucy hungrily latched onto her mother's nipple, grunting contentedly, her small hands warming her mama's skin. She looked from one parent to the other with huge violet-blue eyes, gazing at them earnestly.

Kitty wiped away the baby's tears with a thumb, murmuring soothingly to her, breathing in her sweet baby smell. Quint stuck an index finger in Lucy's little hand and she instantly gripped it. He remarked drily, "You stole my spot, little lady."

"Oh, Quint…" Kitty pretended to scold as she cut her eyes over at him. She reached a hand to affectionately smooth his hair.

"Well you gotta admit, this little papoose has made things a bit more challenging tryin' to find time to…" Quint trailed off and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Take a nap?"

Quint laughed. "Yeah…"

"Remember when Violet first came here, and she asked if you and I took naps every single day?" Kitty gave a snort at the memory. "Violet has no illusions about us."

"Violet was not born yesterday, sweetheart. But at least we've got this big, sturdy bed now so she doesn't hafta listen to all that squeakin'."

"I do love this roomy bed, Mr. Asper." Kitty's brow creased suddenly. "Hey, where's Mo? Did you take him out?"

"Yeah, he's out back chasin' squirrels. He ate his breakfast already."

"Don't leave him out there too long. He might get into mischief. I don't want him stealin' Lottie's fresh baked bread anymore."

"He doesn't need to steal her bread. Now whenever Lottie sees him, she gives him a piece for a treat. Speakin' of bread, you want me to make breakfast? Violet's off today."

"I'm not ready for breakfast yet, but you could make some for yourself. It'll take me awhile to feed Lucy." Kitty smoothed her palm over the baby's head, her wispy red-gold curls shining in the early morning sunlight. "Maybe we should just have somethin' cold and not heat up the kitchen. I swear you'd think it was July already as warm as it is this mornin'."

"Nah, I'll wait for you."

"You know she'll go right back down for a nap after her belly is full. Maybe I'll be hungry by then. You know, Violet says it's high time Lucy started eatin' some soft food. She says we can cook her some carrots or peas and mash 'em up. See if she'll eat them."

"What's the hurry? Looks to me like she pretty happy right there."

"I don't think I'm makin' enough milk to satisfy her all the time, Quint. She's growin' fast and she's just so awful hungry."

"That's my girl, Lucy." Quint grinned at Lucy, and the baby grinned back, piping up "da da" with her mouth full. Then she went back to suckling, soulfully gazing up at Kitty.

Kitty took her baby girl's little hand, kissing her plump, pink fingers. "I think she's got a tooth comin' in, Quint. Maybe that's why she's been so fussy. Lottie says that's probably why she's so slobbery, too."

"A tooth?!" Quint protested. "She's too dadgum little to have teeth. She's still a baby."

"She's gotta have teeth, Daddy. Besides, just because she sprouts some tiny teeth doesn't mean she's all grown up yet." Kitty smiled indulgently at him, ruffling his hair. "You're an awful good father, Quint. You know that?"

Quint pushed himself up on one arm, leaning in to softly kiss his wife. Tiny hands reached to pat their faces. Lucy gave a breathy coo, blue eyes sparkling. Quint wrapped his arms around both his girls and hugged them close.

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Kitty stood, gently laying a soundly sleeping Lucy in the middle of their big cast iron bed. She gingerly placed a pillow on either side of the child who was making soft smacking sounds with her little rosebud mouth, happily nursing in her sleep. She stood quietly contemplating her little one and the big man who still lay stretched out on the bed, watching her.

Kitty took a deep breath and held out a hand to Quint. "C'mere, Comanche…"

He grinned, whispering so as not to wake the baby. "And just what can I do for you, sweetheart a' mine?"

"Stand behind me." She smiled at him over her shoulder. "Now…wrap your arms around me."

"Like this? Mmm…"

"Slide your hands a little lower now."

"I appreciate a woman who tells me exactly what she wants."

"I bet you do. Oh… Wait… Quint, you know I love it when you do that, but…"

"…but what? Am I not doin' it right?"

"Oh, yes, you know you are. But I need to show you somethin'…"

"Oh, honey, you know I love it when you show me your…"

"Quint!"

"What?"

"You're distractin' me."

"I thought that's what you wanted me to do, sweetheart."

"Here, Quint, gimme your hands."

"Okay …"

"Let's slide them up here, not down there or we'll never get through this conversation."

"You feel so good, honey."

"That's not the point. Here…Quint, rub here."

"Right here?"

"You feel that, Quint?"

"Well…I don't know. I'm not quite sure. Are you showin' me you've been eatin' a little too much cherry pie lately?"

"Quinton J. Asper, I haven't been eatin' any pie lately. You know that."

"I know, Kitty… You really haven't been eatin' a whole lot lately at all." Quint's forehead wrinkled. He thoughtfully murmured, "...come to…think of it…"

"Yeah… I've been feelin' a mite sickly. Sometimes in the mornin', Quint."

Quint went silent and still.

She tilted her head back to look at him again. "Do you know what that means, Mr. Asper?"

Slowly he turned her around, gently held her face between his palms. He breathed, "Are you sure?"

Her eyes pooled with tears. "As sure as I can be... I didn't think I could get pregnant since I was still nursin' Lucy, but both Violet and Lottie said I could. I guess if you're shootin' a lotta bullets, one of 'em's bound to hit the bullseye sooner or later, right?"

Eyes sparkling, he laughed as he brushed a tear from her cheek.

She added with a crooked smile, "Especially as often as we have target practice."

"Oh, Kitty…honey…" He sealed her lips with an urgent, passionate kiss, his fingers touching her face, threading through her hair. He broke away, and they were both breathless with excitement. "I love you, Mrs. Asper." He rested his forehead on hers, murmuring in wonder, "You're gonna have my baby, honey."

"I'm gonna have your baby, Quint." She swallowed back happy tears before whispering, "You're gonna be a father…again."

tbc

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