Control Issues

Ben & Liana

Stretching out on the bed with his hands behind his head, Ben grinned at his wife. Liana had just made what must have been her millionth trip across the floor to the door of the nursery. She was looking through the doorway again, happiness and just a touch of nerves on her face.

"Quit wearin' a trail in the carpet an' come lay down with me, woman!" he teased her. "You're gonna have the baby comin' early, just 'cause wants to see what his new room looks like."

Liana sighed and took a last look around the room. The walls were a soft mint green. A cream-colored border with a line of brown ponies marching through it went all around the walls. The crib and the other furniture was the same cream as the border, and the crib had larger versions of the brown ponies painted on the head and foot. The bedding was mint green and the base of the lamp was another brown pony with a cream shade. Soft cream carpet covered the floor. The two stuffed black ponies that Ben had brought Liana from his trip to the states occupied the rocking chair in one corner.

"Do you think the baby will like it?" she asked, as she flipped off the light switch and walked toward the bed.

"After all that furniture-movin' I did, he'd better! It's a room fit for a little prince. Why wouldn't he like it, darlin'?"

"What if it's a princess?" Liana asked, smiling at him as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She'd chosen not to know what the sex of the baby was before the birth.

When she'd told the doctor that, Ben had grinned. "She loves surprises, doc."

Now, he told her with a twinkle in his eyes that belied his words. "That baby wouldn't dare be a girl. I keep tellin' you, he's already learned to mind his daddy, an' he knows I want a boy first."

"You do know, Ben Wade, that you can't control absolutely everything in the world," Liana said with a grin.

"That remains to be seen." Ben took a drink from his glass of whiskey, his expression utterly serious.

Reaching out, he ran a hand up and down his wife's arm as she sat on the edge of the bed next to him. She was wearing a soft blue nightgown tonight. It showed off the fuller bosom due to her pregnancy. Her long, brown hair was brushed to a shimmering glow and her eyes shone as she looked into his.

A woman loving him. How had he ever gotten along without it? Her eyes had that same pretty shine every time she looked at him. He'd never seen it before Liana came along, yet now it was one of the things he didn't ever want to do without again.

Did he love her? He still didn't know. Wasn't at all sure if he had it in him to love. He'd told her that he did. On the day of their wedding. He'd said it because it seemed the right thing to do, but he still wasn't aware of feeling it. Had no idea what it felt like to love someone.

Ben knew he worried about her. Especially now that she was pregnant. Knew that he wanted her to be safe and be all right. To him, that was a feeling of possessiveness. She and the baby were his, and he didn't want anything that was his taken from him. He'd felt that way about money and plenty of material things in his life, but he'd never felt that way about a woman before.

Once again, he thought about Linda, and other women he'd taken to his bed. He'd never had this possessive feeling for any of them. It had never mattered to him whether they occupied his bed for one night or a dozen. They were there and then they were gone, but there'd always be another when he needed one.

Liana was different. He sensed, somehow, that there was no replacing her with another woman. Another woman would never look at him the way she did. Wouldn't tease him and laugh with him. Wouldn't stand by him no matter who he was or what he'd done.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Liana asked, "What? What are you thinking about, Ben?"

He let the shade drop over his eyes. The one he used when he didn't want people knowing his thoughts. "Thinkin' that when we have another baby, it better like the nursery just the way it is." He grinned. "Don' wanna have to move all that damn furniture again."

"When?" She grinned back at him. "Don't you mean 'if'?"

"You got any doubts in your mind that there's gonna be another one, darlin'? Maybe you should come on up here with me an' let me remind you how we got this one."

Taking her hand, Ben pulled her slowly toward him. " 'Cause I can promise you, we're not gonna give up practicin'!"

"There's always birth control." Liana snuggled next to him, as he began to untie the ribbons at the front of her nightgown.

"Don' even bring it up, honey." Ben was busy with the ribbons. "I want a whole tribe all my own."

"I don't get any say in it?" She gave him a look that was half-teasing, half-indignant.

" 'Course you get a say. You get to say what color we're gonna paint the nursery next time."

Ben silenced the retort she was about to give him with a kiss.