Prodigal Daughter
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 26
Marshall woke up just like he always did, when the sun started creeping through the blinds on his window and the rooster started his daily speech.
His life had a pattern, a familiar one, that he liked, but an empty bed wouldn’t be something he would miss.
Elise was still sleeping, her hair falling on her eyes, mouth open a bit. No snoring, just soft, soundless breaths in and out, her eyelids twitching like she was dreaming.
Sometime during the night, she had slid off of him, but she was still tucked up against his hip and chest. Her fingers splayed over his stomach, and he liked that they fit together so well.
“Good morning.” He kissed the top of her head, hoping she’d wake up, but not willing to really shake her awake. That would be selfish, though he was sorely tempted.
Fortunately, she stirred and gave a little mewling sound. “Morning.” Her eyes opened and she smiled up at him, nuzzling into his chest. “Did I really do what I think I did in the middle of the night, or was that just a really hot dream?”
Elise had woken him up sucking his cock.
“No dream. You were amazing, by the way.”
Elise grinned. “Glad you liked it.” Her hand started roaming south. “And let’s see ... we already established you’re Mr. Honest and Mr. Unselfish. Last night showed you’re Mr. Exciting, too.”
She found him and squeezed the length of him in her hand. Marshall bit back a moan.
“I hate to say this, but now I’m going to be Mr. Responsible. Justin is going to walk into the house with Grammy at any moment. She and Grandpa are early birds. And
I have work to do.”
“All right,” she said, pulling her hand away. “But I expect compensation tonight.”
Marshall sat up and studied her. Elise looked ... happy. Relaxed. Carefree. Sexy.
“You can go back to sleep, until Justin is back.”
“Nah, I need coffee. And I’m starving.”
They got dressed and walked downstairs, hand in hand.
“Help yourself to anything in the pantry or the fridge. You know where the coffee is.”
“Yes, I do.” She already had the can out and was dumping what looked like a hell of a lot of grounds into the machine. Filling the pot with water from the sink, she asked, “What time are you going to be home?”
“Around two. I need to put the corn in the silo. We’re supposed to get rain tomorrow, and it needs to get put up before then.” Marshall sat down at the kitchen table and jammed his foot into a boot.
She turned on the coffeemaker; twisting the pot a little to make sure it was lined up and turned around. Leaning against the counter, she yawned.
“Why don’t we ever eat the corn for lunch? There’s like three million ears of it right out in the yard, and we never eat it.”
“It’s not sweet corn. It’s feed corn, grown specifically to feed livestock. It wouldn’t taste any good to us.”
“You really work hard, don’t you?”
She studied him, hands folded over her chest. Marshall shrugged. He did what needed to be done. Elise turned and rooted in the cabinet for a coffee mug while he laced his boots and stuck the other half of the cereal bar in his mouth.
Damn, he didn’t want to leave and go sweat. He wanted to stay with her.
“Are you going to be around when I get home?” Marshall asked, trying to make the tone of his voice casual, but not succeeding.
Elise gave Marshall a reassuring smile. “I’ll be around.”
“That’s great,” he said, stamping his feet in his boots to get a better fit. Then, he stood up.
He meant to just turn and leave, maybe giving Elise a little kiss goodbye. Instead, he found himself pausing in front of her. “I wasn’t going to say anything, Elise, and I don’t want you to answer. But I just want you to think about this while I’m gone today.”
He cupped her cheek with his hand, drew his thumb over her lip. “I want you to stay here with me, forever. As my wife.”
She opened her mouth, eyes wide, and he spoke again before she could. “I know it’s asking the world of you, and there are a million details and complications that we should discuss, but I just want you to think about it today. Think about how you feel.”
Again, her lips parted, like she was going to say something. He quickly covered her lips with his, his heart pounding. God, he couldn’t take her rejection when they still had the scent of each other on their skin, and he felt so much love for her.
“Shhh. Don’t answer. Not yet. Think about it.”
“I don’t—” she said, behind his fingers.
He cut her off with another kiss, one that he hoped poured all of his emotions into her. One that he hoped wasn’t goodbye. “I’ll see you later.”
“Later,” she said, her eyes bright and glassy
Marshall would never forget the look of her standing in his kitchen, looking like a goddess. It was a perfect moment of hope and happiness—and God, he hoped it would last.
When he pulled out of the driveway, she was in the doorway, her mug in front of her lips, wearing his shirt and a sweet smile as she waved to him. He almost wrecked the truck staring into his rearview mirror.
“Ready, set ... Go!” Justin ran across the yard toward Bonnie and Logan’s house. Maggie was running at his side. When she reached the mailbox in front of the farmhouse, she touched the box and headed back.
Elise was cheering for both kids. “Come on, Justin, you can do it! You too, Maggie.”
Justin’s lungs were burning, his legs straining, and sweat was trailing between his shoulder blades. But he had a huge smile on his face. He liked Maggie and Sabrina.
Maggie understood Justin’s fantasy world. The one he had created to evade from his horrible reality. She told him about the werewolf vigilante, Angel, her favorite fantasy character and read him parts of the book. She told him, Angel protected those who had no one else to turn to.
Sabrina shared Justin’s love for animals. She told him she was going to college to be a vet and taught him cool things about horses and other farm animals.
As Maggie crossed the finish line, a ribbon stretched between two stuffed animals, she ground to a halt and bent over.
Elise was jumping around them.
“I’ve lost again,” Justin said, still catching his breath.
“Yes, but you were quicker this time,” Elise said, smiling at Justin. “You came just a few seconds behind Maggie. Besides, her legs are longer.”
God, she loved this kid. He was just such a sweet, happy child, despite everything that had happened in his life, and when she looked at Justin, Elise felt pure, unselfish love.
“You did great, Justin,” Maggie panted, hugging him. Justin didn’t seem to mind Maggie’s hugs.
Elise wished Marshall was there to see his son playing and smiling like every kid should.
“One day, I’ll take you to my clubhouse. It’s a secret place in the middle of the forest. You have to cross a stone bridge across a creek to reach there.”
Justin’s eyes opened wide. “Can I go, Elise. Please?”
“We’ll ask your father later. But I think you could.” Then, she looked at Maggie and asked, “Is it safe, sis?”
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