Another side of Heartland

Chapter 76

-Caleb-

I tucked Katie into bed and then crept down the stairs and nudged Mallory. "Do you want to go to bed?" Mallory stretched and sat up while nodding. I held my hand out for her and pulled her to her feet and walked her down the hallway towards the bedroom, smiling at Georgie and Badger cuddled up in the chair. When we got to the bedroom and closed the door Mallory slipped out of her clothes and laid them over the chair and reached for one of my shirts and a pair of her pajama pants. I pulled my shirt off and walked across the room pulling Mallory into my arms. "So now that we know we're having a girl, it's not going to be a full on pink nightmare is it?" Mallory chunked a pillow at my head and I laughed tossing it onto the bed. 'No I was actually thinking maybe greens for the babies room? That way it's not too much.' I crawled across the bed to where Mallory was leaning against the headboard. "Baby, I could care less what color you want to paint anything in our house, as long as I get to live in it with you and our child I'm all set" Mallory scooted over to me and laid her head on my chest. 'This baby is going to have you wrapped so far around her fingers it's not even funny.' I laughed and kisses the top of Mallory's head. "As long as she has ten fingers and ten toes she can wrap me around every. Single. One." Mallory laughed and nodded against my chest.

-Badger-

Georgie squirmed around and then woke up and looked up at me. "This isn't overly comfy" I shook my head and pointed to the couch. 'Everyone else has gone to bed, we can lay on the couch.' Georgie bit her lip and looked towards Caleb and Mallory's room. 'Caleb put Katie in your mom's bed because of the paint fumes and they went to their room, he said it was fine as long as we both stayed in the living room.' Georgie nodded and stood up grabbing a blanket. I walked over to the couch and sunk down into it leaving a space for Georgie in front of me. Georgie laid down facing me and pressed her forehead to mine. "Much better already." I brushed a few stray hairs from her face and cupped her cheek. 'How are you doing?' Georgie shrugged but then sagged against me. "It's really hard, I knew my parents marriage wasn't perfect but for my dad just to so blatantly disrespect my mother. I-I just can't even wrap my head around that." I rubbed my hand up and down her back. 'I can't imagine how you must feed. I'm sorry that you had to be the one that found out.' Georgie's shoulders shook as she tried to keep quiet. "I'm just so angry at him, it's been better being back here and Caleb and Mallory have been fantastic, Katie has no idea. And I'm jealous of that. I don't know how to ever look at my father the same again." I simply pulled Georgie close to me and held her as she cried, I certainly didn't know what to say so I just hoped that my presence would be comforting. Eventually Georgie drifted off to sleep and then I wasn't far behind her.

I started to stir when I could hear voices whispering above me. I cracked my eyes open to see Caleb and Mallory standing over the couch and taking pictures of me, but then I realized that Georgie was in fact sprawled on top of me. Her hair was in a wild state and she was wrapped around me like a spider monkey. My eyes sprung all the was open and i started to make an escape plan. 'Slow down there man, don't throw Georgie on the floor.' I relaxed when I realized I wasn't doing anything wrong and then wiped the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it" Caleb pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked 'its 10:07' my eyes went wide and I once again tried to scoot Georgie off of me. 'Dude, what part of don't toss your girlfriend did you not understand?' I froze looking down at the somehow still snoozing Georgie. "What about chores?" 'Chores have been taken care of, Mallory and I have a few things we need to go do so keep an eye on Katie please?' "We just have to run into Hudson and pick up some cleaning supplies for the guest ranch and some groceries. Katie had breakfast and she's in her room finishing unpacking" 'thank you guys so much, I'm sorry I didn't wake up.' Caleb just shook his head and waved goodbye.