Just Her Luck (80 page)

He laughed, kissing my forehead before he left.

“What’s the matter?” I shouted at his retreating back, “No kiss on the mouth? No tongue? Don’t like the taste of your brother on your lips?”

Bowen laughed at me quietly from his desk, shaking his head at my antics.

Reeve’s muttered, “Damn straight”, had me rolling.

Save A Cowboy, Ride A… Buttercup
?

Two months later, I hid behind Sawyer, piss your pants scared.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! I am not getting on
that!”
I gripped his shirt tighter than necessary, shielding myself with my lion man.

He was feeling extra protective at the moment, both of us having just barely recovered from a round of ‘let’s see how many times we can make Vieve squeal before she comes’, pretending we were ‘helping’ clean out the cabins for the coming winter, when we were really just screwing around.

It was five, this time.

The squealing, not the cabins.

Heh. Heh.

We both promised each other to try harder next time.

The cabins didn’t even need to be done today. We’d already finished them yesterday, rushing through it so we could play hooky together for a few hours together today.

Mmmm, mmmm, some things are so worth the wait.

My body still tingles in naughty places.

He shivered the same time I did, remembering our glorious interlude.

I snuck my hands underneath his shirt and scratched them lightly down his back.

“Aw, come on, baby. Buttercup is the sweetest old thing you ever saw. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Ephraim gave me the puppy dog look, but even that wasn’t working.

“She’s perfect for learning to ride.” Reeve grinned from his mount, daring me not to chicken out.

I am soooo chicken right now.

“No. No. No. I’m throwing in the towel on this one, fellas. I’ll cluck all you want, I’ll even wear the suit, but I am
not
, I repeat,
not
getting on that thing!”

“You can ride on mine, sweetheart,” Bowen offered.

He had that special gleam in his eye that said he had a lot more than riding double on a horse in mind.

I just bet I could, the rascal.

I shook my head.

“It’s alright, honey. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Sawyer soothed.

“Sure she does. Get your ass up there, gremlin. We aint got all day.”

There was another reason I didn’t want to ride, but I wasn’t’ ready to share that little tidbit with any of them just yet.

“I said no!” I grumbled, whirling around to head for the house.

Sawyer would have followed, but I waved him back.

He took my hand in his and rubbed the old scar from my stitches, massaging it gently.

“You sure, honey?”

I nodded, nudging him.

“Go spend time with your brothers, goldie locks. I’m just a little tired, that’s all. I’ll be fine after I take a nap. You guys have been waiting for this. Now go beat Thatcher’s ass! You still have a chance with him only a week out of his leg cast.”

“I could beat him blindfolded, brat.” He smirked, kissing me before he turned around to go.

I slapped his ass and shouted, “Go get um, Doc!”

Chuckling, he sauntered off, giving me a free show as his sweet ass fought to stay in place in those sexy as hell denims, the embodiment of just plain yummy as he joined his brothers.

Turning back around, I hurried to the house, on a mission.

I made sure no one was around before I grabbed my purse and ran to Ruthie’s/my old room, rushing into the bathroom.

I pulled the test out of the small zippered compartment I’d stuffed it in and my hands shook a little nervously as I tore it open and read the instructions.

“Oh, joy,” I muttered under my breath, “every seven year old boy’s dream. I get to pee on a stick.”

I looked down, sitting on the commode, angling it between my legs.

I had just commenced urination when the bathroom door burst open.

“My darling sweet pea, have you seen…”

“Get out!” I screeched, clamping my legs shut, my hand still in between, leaning forward to help mask what I was doing.

I was so startled by my abrupt guest that I fumbled the little stick and it fell into the toilet with a plop.

“Shit!”

“Oh, sorry,” he went to close the door and then stopped. “Do you want me to light a match for you?”

“What!”

“Well… you know, you said you were, uh… I thought ladies don’t like to talk about this kind of thing?”

“Get! Out!”

He slammed the door shut at the murder in my eyes.

“Sorry!” His voice came muffled through the door.

A few minutes passed and I thought he’d walked away, sighing in relief.

But it wasn’t to be.

There was a light knock and then, “I left some by the door, just in case.”

I smacked my forehead with the un-tinkle sprinkled hand.

Don’t judge, hands are washable. I’m new to all this shit.

I waited, expecting it now,
knowing
him.

There was a pause and then, “Hey, look. It’s not that big of a deal, my love. Everyone has to take a dump
sometime
. It’s nothin’ to be ashamed of. It’s perfectly…”

“Thatcher!”

He just kept going.

“…natural. You know, everybody does it.”

“Thatcher!!!” I bellowed.

“Yes, sweetums?”

“Fuck! Off!”

“Um, right. Got it. Love you, bye!”

I berated myself silently, waiting until I heard the sliding glass door close, signaling his real retreat before I moved.

I waddled to the sink, washed my hands, locked the door and used the backup test I’d also purchased, watching as it confirmed what I’d been suspecting for a little while now- I am officially knocked up.

Pregnant.

Wow, I’m pregnant.

I wasn’t scared, not like I’d initially felt about becoming a mommy.

Nope, I’d thought about it a lot these last couple of months, warming up to the idea the more it had popped into my mind.

Now I wanted to dance a little jig and go baby shopping, tell everyone, elated to be carrying one of my men’s babies, a tiny precious life growing inside of me, right now.

Warmth filled me.

Our baby.

I could scream and shout right now, I’m so excited.

I settled on dancing a tiny bit.

There was a tentative knock on the door, and I paused in my victory boogie, eyes widening as nervousness reared its ugly head.

Not dread about the baby, but nervous apprehension about how I was going to go about telling the guys.

I knew they’d be excited, so excited, so I decided right then and there
, just in case the test was wrong,
that I’d tell them as soon as the doctor’s office confirmed.

I don’t want them to get all hyped up and it was just a false alarm, it would break their hearts.

It shouldn’t be, two missed periods kinda screams preggers, but I’ll hold out. It couldn’t hurt to wait just a few more days.

“Thatcher, I said go away! I swear, if you’re bringing me…”

“What’s with the matches, prison bait? You takin’ a shit?”

“Oooooh, sometimes I hate you! You’re such an ass! And what is it with men, shitting, and matches? I swear,” I grumbled, bitching loudly to cover up the sounds of me stashing the tests, fishing the first one out of the toilet.

Ew! Ew! Ew!

“What are you doing?”

“One of these days the fumes from the gas you guys produce will somehow be combustible and you’ll catch the bathroom on fire!” I yelled.

Reeve chuckled.

“You about done yet?” he asked.

I dried my freshly washed hands on a hand towel and flung the door open.

“Yes. Now, what do you want? Don’t you have people to mow down with Satan’s seed?”

“Satan’s
steed
,” he scowled as I swept past him, sensing him following me down the hall, “and you know it.”

I yawned, not lying when I’d said I was tired to Sawyer.

I’m exhausted.

Especially with moving my things in here, shutting my house up for the winter, packing the things I want to keep over here, and setting up my studio in Ruthie’s old room.

“You okay?” he asked worriedly, scooping me up to carry me upstairs.

“I thought you were going to go play ponies with your bubbies?” I asked on a yawn.

He snorted, walking into his room,
our room,
laying me down on the bed.

“I will once I have you settled,” he said.

His hands immediately went to my forehead.

“No fever. You sure you’re okay? You’ve been awful tired lately.
And grumpy.”
He muttered the last part under his breath, but I still heard.

“Wouldn’t you be if you had to keep up with a house full of horny lovers?” I snuggled down, shooing him away, giving him my back. “Now go away, I’m tired and you’re cramping my style, old man.”

He tucked me back towards him, growling against my lips, making me giggle as he nipped at them playfully.

“One of us will come by and check on you in a little while, alright? I love you, gremlin.”

“Love you too, moonshine.”

He paused at the door.

“You sure you’re alright?”

“Yes! Now get out!” I threw a pillow at him to emphasize my point.

He caught it and set it on the over-stuffed chair next to his dresser, whistling as he went.

Closing my eyes, I fell asleep immediately, promising myself to call back the OBGYN’s office to confirm my appointment for next week.

Lassoed

I woke up to frantic kisses scattering across my face, thinking it was Ephraim, the most tender of the bunch, waking me up sweetly.

Warm, thick lips sealed over mine, and I knew, the second that tongue invaded my mouth, that it was Reeve.

I smiled, half awake.

Mmmmm, someone’s being awfully frisky.

“What was that for?” I murmured when he broke the kiss, stretching like a contended cat.

He ran his hands down my sides lovingly, tracing my curves.

“For being mine.”

I laughed, cracking one eye open.

“Did your stallions finally knock up that mare you were wanting to breed him with or something? You’re awfully chipper all of the sudden.”

“You could say that,” he murmured cryptically, helping me up from the bed. “Come on.” He tugged me down the hall, leading me towards the front door.

“Hey! Hey! Give a gal a break, I just woke up!” I tried not to stumble on my own feet and face plant, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Come on, woman. I aint got all day,” he rushed me.

He was grinning from ear to ear, vibrating with excitement.

He was all lit up and happy about something.

It was infectious and I found myself smiling along.

“Why? What’s with the kisses, the ‘yay, me’ and the ‘let’s go’? Did I miss something here?”

“I want to take you somewhere.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Now?” I blinked at him stupidly, letting him help me into my shoes, “Like… right now, right now?”

“Yes.”

“Huh,” I shrugged, “Alright, whatever. I’m game.” I followed him out. “I’m too out of it at the moment to argue with you.”

“Good,” he chuckled, “Just the way I like you, ready and willing.”

I slapped his shoulder.

“Oh, shut up.”

Reeve, who usually takes ten minutes fiddling around in his truck before he drives off, only gave me long enough to buckle up before he gunned it outta there.

He chuckled, peeking into his truck mirror, smirking as he made the turn onto the road.

I glanced out of the rear view mirror, curious, spotting the other guys running out of the house, shouting something I couldn’t make out.

I squinted.

“Reeve,” I tugged on his shirt sleeve, “they’re waving us back.”

I hooked a thumb over my shoulder, indicating the irate bunch back in the drive at home. “They looked really pissed.”

“I know.” He grinned, puzzling me further.

Oh, no. This is one of those stupid ‘my pickle is bigger than your pickle’ type deals, isn’t it?