Lacy set a snack in front of the chattering 3 year old twins. She went over and washed up the dishes and got dinner started. She had just got through with the chores on the small farm. It took a lot to run the farm by her self even though Ethan did help all he could. She smiled as she thought of Ethan he was a real little man. He took his role of man of the house seriously. Sometimes she worried that he was losing his childhood too fast. Lacy sighed and pushed her sweaty hair out of her face. She had long auburn hair which at the moment was pinned on top of her head but was escaping a little at a time. She had deep brown eyes. She was 5"5 and 110 pound. She was in great shape from all the physical labor she did around the farm. They had about an acre of of land she planted on. There was plowing and planting and weeding and harvesting when the time came. That kept them fed and she also sold some of the produce. Then there were the cows and the bulls that had to be tended too. The milk cows kept them in milk and she also produced enough to sell some to the local milk processing plant. Lacy also kept chickens and pigs. Her day started at 5 in the morning and usually ended late into the night. She also made Afghans to sell at the local craft shop. That brought in good money, but it was time consuming. The kids kept her bust too, but she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. That's why she kept going everyday. She thought of how things had ended up this way. She had ended up pregnant with Ethan when she was 16. Nat Coleridge had taken her virginity in the backseat of his car. It had practically been rape. Lacy hadn't exactly been willing. The worse decision she had ever made had been to marry him. He had moved her to this farm and left her to do all the work while he drank and carried on night after night. He had been abusive, beating her for the least little thing. The sex had been scary and terrible and she was glad she didn't have to endure a mans touch anymore. Then she had gotten pregnant with Jenna. Nat had been killed in a car accident while she was still pregnant. Lacy wished she could say she had been sorry but she wasn't.
"Mommy can we watch cartoons?" Zoe asked.
Lacy looked at the twins and smiled. They were her sister's kids. But she had raised them since they were one when their parents had been killed. They had auburn hair like there aunt and mother, but had bright blue eyes. She loved them as her own.
"Yes baby. You two go ahead." Lacy said.
Ethan suddenly came running into the kitchen.
"Mom I got to talk to you, Undertaker was in a car accident, he lost his memory and I told him he was our dad!" Ethan said in a rush of words.
Lacy heard the words but didn't really register them. Ethan grabbed her hand and dragged her to the door way. Lacy's eyes widened. It was the Undertaker all right in her living room and the twins were all over him calling him daddy. Lacy pulled Ethan back in the kitchen.
"We have to call the police." Lacy said picking up the phone.
"No mom, please don't. I told him his name was Mark Coleridge and that he was our dad and your husband. We need him Mom. You need the help around here." Ethan said with desperation in his eyes.
"Ethan we can't lie to the man, it wouldn't be right. You know that." Lacy said.
"Mom please." Ethan said
Lacy felt bad, her son needed a man in his life so bad. But this way wasn't right.
"Darlin you must be my wife, I find it hard to believe I would forget some one as pretty as you."
Lacy looked up to see the big man standing in the doorway. God he looked good. He must be close to 7 foot tall with short auburn hair and piercing green eyes. He had those big legs encased in tight black jeans and had on a white t-shirt that strained against his muscles. His arms were covered in tats. Damn she was turning red in the face. What a man she thought. Before Lacy knew what was happening he strode across the room and grabbed Lacy and planted a kiss on her lips that left her breathless. Ethan stood watching and grinning. Let's see her tell him the truth now he thought.
Mark pulled back. He couldn't remember her but damn that kiss felt good it felt right, he must be her husband cause she certainly responded. Lacy was flustered; she had never felt like that in her life. She thought her heart would beat out of her chest.
"Where's Jessie?" She asked Ethan.
Ethan sighed. He had run ahead to tell the other kids to call him daddy, so they wouldn't give it away. Jessie of course had to be a brat. She said she didn't want a daddy and wasn't calling some dumb wrestler daddy. Ethan had threatened to smack her; he wasn't going to let his little sister ruin things for him.
"She's up in that tree again." Ethan said.
"That's it, she's going to break her neck, and this is the last warning for her." Lacy said stomping through the house and out the front door. Everyone turned and followed her out the door, Mark included. He wondered what the hell was going on. Lacy stood under a huge tree in the yard.
"Jessie Coleridge get your butt down here right now!" Lacy shouted. Her heart leapt in fear when she seen how high Jessie had climbed this time; if she fell it would kill her.
"No!" Jessie yelled down.
"Jessie you just earned your self a spanking, now get down here before you make it worse." Lacy said trying to stay calm.
"Is she always this stubborn?" Mark asked.
"Yes." Ethan and Lacy said at the same time.
Mark decided to take matters in his own hand before the little girl broke her neck. He climbed up the tree easily for someone his size. Lacy and Ethan watched in awe as he had had Jessie and on his way down with her in minutes. Jessie was kicking and screaming and kicked Mark in the knee. Mark looked at the little flame haired heathen. She was a pretty little thing, but mean as a snake. She had her moms brown eyes and they were full of anger. Lacy grabbed Jessie by the arm.
"You apologize right now for kicking him." Lacy said in the tone of voice Jessie knew meant she was going to get the spanking of her life.
"I'm sorry." Jessie said looking down.
Mark nodded, he felt bad for her.
"You all get back in the house, Jessie you stay right where your at." Lacy said.
Mark picked up the smaller kids and took them back in the house and Ethan followed.
"Jessie I told you a million times to stay out of that tree, do you know how scared I was? You could have been killed." Lacy said tears coming in her eyes.
Jessie felt bad; she had made her mom cry and scared her. Jessie started crying. "I'm sorry mommy. I wasn't thinking." Jessie said.
Lacy hugged her and kissed her head.
"You go up to your room and wait for me. I need to take care of that cut on Mark's head, and then I'll be up." Lacy said.
"Are you going to spank me?" Jessie asked.
"I told you I would if you went back up that tree again, plus you kicked someone that was trying to help you." Lacy said in a firm voice.
Jessie nodded. He mom hardly ever spanked any of them. She only did when they really messed up and she had really messed up today.
"Are you going to let him stay?" Jessie asked.
"I don't know what I'm going to do Jessie." Lacy said.
"Ethan wants a daddy real bad." Jessie said.
"I know." Lacy said sadly.
"Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him stay for awhile it would make Ethan happy." Jessie said.
Lacy looked at her closely. Maybe Ethan wasn't the only one missing having a daddy.
They turned and walked toward the house together lost in their own thoughts.
