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FALLING TOGETHER

A Pinecrest, Montana Novel

EMILY SILVER

To HEA Reader Event…

Nothing like getting cussed out by a baseball dad to inspire a book.

Chapter One

GEORGIA

“We need more drinks.”

“How can we need more drinks?” I huff, staring at the empty bar. The reception is in full swing. Everyone is dancing and having a great time.

Everyone except me.

Joey and I got put in charge of the reception and making sure everything was perfect. But since she has a significant other, I told her to go enjoy the night.

Which means I’m left dealing with this mess.

“The ranch is at capacity. With everyone stuck inside because of the snowstorm, no one left, which means all those baseball parents are drinking at the bar.”

“Which means the bartenders came in here to grab more supplies.” I blow out an exasperated breath.

Think, Georgia, think.

I’m not up at the main lodge often, but I do know of a secret stash in the barn.

“I think we have a few bottles of prosecco in the kitchen,” Rex says. “We were saving them for tomorrow, but I think I should be able to head into town and grab replacements at the liquor store once the roads are clear.”

“Good. Do that and then I’ll go see what we have out in the barn.”

“Why do you have liquor in the barn?” he asks, quirking a bushy eyebrow at me.

“No reason.” I shrug a shoulder.

Having switched out my heels for cowboy boots earlier, I head toward the barn along a path that was shoveled earlier. With so many people going back and forth between the buildings, it doesn’t surprise me this got done.

At least I won’t have to worry about my dress getting wet. Although nothing will help it at this point.

If only a blizzard hadn’t dumped a foot of snow on Pinecrest, leaving more than a dozen middle-school baseball players and their parents stranded.

A few of the ranch hands are in the barn, tending to the horses. I wave to them, heading to the office where I know a few bottles of bourbon are kept. Sam keeps them on hand for whenever he feels like a celebratory drink after a good day.

Those drinks were needed when Verne was still alive and the ranch was dwindling in guests and money, and the good days were few and far between. Now that Kade revived the ranch, it seems we have nothing but good days.

I find the cabinet and pull out three full bottles. Perfect. Between this and the prosecco, we should be able to last the night.

I've already had two glasses, so I won’t drink anything else to let everyone else have fun.

A light snow is falling. With the string lights hanging between the trees, it makes for a romantic night. Too bad I don’t have anyone to share it with.

Shouts cut through the silence. Glancing around, I notice a group of kids running around the open fields. It’s all the warning I have before a snowball hits me square on my arm.

Bottles of bourbon fall from my arms as I try to catch them before tumbling over, but it’s no use. I land face first in a snow drift.

I push up, snow covering my face and dress.

“Are you kidding me?” I shout.

Could this night get any worse? First I end up with spaghetti all over my dress and now snow is in every crevice possible.

Way to not bring a coat, Georgia.

The laughter fades away as I glance up trying to find whoever did this. Not like anything would happen. Just add it to the list of things to go wrong tonight.

At least the snow cushioned the liquor bottles because those are still intact. With cold fingers, I pick them up and hoof it back inside, nearly knocking into Joey when I open the side door to the dining room.

“What happened to you?” Her eyes are wide, looking me over from head to toe. “And why are you wet now?”

“Because I got hit with a snowball and fell into a snow bank.”

The side of her mouth quirks up as she bites her lip. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

“Stop it,” I grumble. “You’re trying not to laugh.”

She brushes a short strand of blonde hair that escaped my bun behind my ear. “You’re not having the best night, are you?”

I look down at my now wet dress, complete with spaghetti stain. “I will be in about an hour when I can get out of here.”

Considering that we had to move everything inside for Rylee’s wedding, the whole night went off without a hitch. I’m happy that my best friend got married and is having the time of her life, but I’m ready to call it quits. I only need one more accident to hit the trifecta.

“Why couldn’t we have banned all these kids from running around inside?”

Joey laughs. “Sorry, G, but they’re teenagers. They wouldn’t listen even if we did.”

“Is this what you have to look forward to with Max?” I ask.

“Oh, fuck no. My child will be much better behaved than that. No spilled spaghetti.”

I pass over the bourbon bottles to her. “Will you take this over to the bartender? I’m going to go to the bathroom and see if I can dry out a bit before they make their big exit.”

“Want me to go with you?”

I look behind her where Sam is waiting for her. I shake my head.

“No, go dance with your guy. I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?” she asks.

I peck her cheek. “I always am.”

I dart off toward the bathroom in the lobby before she can stop me. At least with it getting later, not as many people are out and about. Meaning I can dry my dress in peace because it’s empty in here.

The sweet smell of tobacco and leather from the reed diffuser perfumes the air as I shove my dress under the dryer.

God, it really has been one of the worst nights for me. I’m glad my best friend got married and we were able to celebrate her, but I’m ready for this day to be over.

All of my best friends are in relationships and disgustingly in love. Meanwhile, I’m fine without it.

All I need are my horses, and I’m good.

Once my dress is as good as it’s going to get, I head back into the party. Rylee is standing on the edge of the dance floor taking it all in.

“I didn’t miss anything, did I?” I sling an arm around her shoulders.

“Nope. I’m so sorry your dress got ruined.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I look down at the material. “Not when you’re so happy.”

She wraps an arm around my waist. “I’m glad you stood up there with me.”

I smile at her. “Even from the front row.”

“Hey.” She nudges me. “I still wanted you to know how much you mean to me.”

With the snow, everything was moved inside. Candles lined the aisles, with the French doors overlooking snowy fields. It was perfect. Everyone sat with their partners while I looked on from the front row.

“I love you.” My eyes get watery. “I’m so happy all of you found your person.”

“You’ll find someone,” she says.

I wave her off. “You know I’m good with my horses.”

She casts an eye at me. “The perfect guy will land in your lap. You won’t even know it.”

“Really?” I point to my dress, laughing. “Too soon.”

“Sorry.” She laughs with me. “I didn’t even mean to.”

“And on that note, I’m going to go see Serena.”

“Really?”

I shrug. “Why not? I could use some luck to turn this night around.”

“Hoping to get lucky?” She waggles her brows at me.

“Why, yes, because my dress is going to make all the guys hit on me.”

She kisses my cheek. “Go get some luck then.”

Serena is set up in a corner, hunched over a small table. Her normal wild curls are sleek and straight. Without her glasses, her blue eyes look smaller, but no less bright.

“You’ve come for a reading?” She’s shuffling her well-worn deck.

“Why not? My night hasn’t been the best.”

“Maybe I can help change that.”

Deft fingers shuffle the cards, with two flying out and landing on the table. Her eyes widen a fraction. I glance down at it, not having any idea what it means.

“The fool? What’s that?”

“Well, reversed it means a bit of recklessness and risk-taking.”

“Risk-taking? Me?” I snort. “I don’t do much of that.”

I can’t remember the last time I did anything risky. I don’t like taking risks. I like staying inside the lines of my life. It’s easier that way. Less chance of getting hurt.

“It’s what the cards are telling me. Are you sure there’s not a risk that you want to take that you’re worried about?”

I shake my head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“You want to know what I think?” Serena leans closer to me.

“What’s that?”

“I think it’s a different you in some spectrum guiding your answers. Who knows?” Serena shrugs a shoulder. “Maybe it’s a future version of you telling yourself to be a little reckless.”

“I’ll keep that in mind in case anything comes up.” I smile at her. Me? Doing something reckless? That’s laughable. “What’s the other card mean?”

“The Two of Cups symbolizes pure love and harmony.”

“How do those two go together?” I ask.

“It can symbolize a warning in a relationship. Usually it means your expectations of what you want might be misaligned with your partner’s.”

“Well, considering I’m single, I think I’ll be okay.”

Serena gives me a warm smile. I don’t know her all that well, but she’s always been kind to me when I bump into her. “It means love might be headed your way. You just need to be open to receiving it.”

“Thanks, Serena. I appreciate it.”

“Good luck, Georgia. I have a good feeling for you.”

I smile at her as I grab a glass of prosecco from the restocked bar. After my night, I’m reconsidering my two-drink limit.

“Why do you look so confused?” Joey asks, coming over to me and grabbing a water bottle from the bartender.

“I just saw Serena.”

“Ahh.” She nods. “What’d she tell you?”

“I got a card that means recklessness and risk-taking behavior, but also one that means love and partnership.”

“Ooh, love? I hope that for you, but recklessness?” Joey snorts. “I’m sorry, you? Never going to happen.”

“Hey.” I nudge her in the side. “I could if I really wanted to.”

“I love you, babe, but that’s like saying the sun won’t come up tomorrow.”

“Have you gotten a reading from her?” I ask.

“Not tonight, but the first one she did for me was all about chaos coming into my life.” Her gaze finds Sam. “She wasn’t wrong.”

“I’d say dating your dad’s best friend is definitely chaotic.”

“I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I love that man.”

A dreamy look washes over her face before Rylee and Presley come over to join us.

“What are you girls doing over here?” Presley asks.

“Georgia here was telling me about her reading,” Joey answers.

“Ooh. What’d you get?” Rylee asks. “Anything good?”

“Not really.”

“She told me I’ll be happy. I can’t disagree with her there.” Rylee beams.

“Georgia here got a reckless card,” Joey tells them.

Both of them burst out laughing.

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry, Georgia, but you’re the most responsible person we know,” Presley says.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Rylee confirms.

“Just you wait.” I point a finger at each of them. “One of these days I’m going to do something to shock all of you.”

Three pairs of blinking eyes stare back at me.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Joey deadpans.

“Yeah, I won’t hold my breath.” Presley laughs.

“We love you just as you are, Georgia,” Rylee says. “You don’t have to change just to fit some tarot reading.”

“Ugh. Fine. But I could if I wanted to.”

I’ve had enough reckless people in and out of my life. People that didn’t care about any responsibility they had when it came to me. It shaped me into who I am today. But…maybe a little bit of risk-taking couldn’t hurt.

Chapter Two

GRANT

“When will you be home then?” Kari asks, her annoyance audible over the phone.

“I don’t know. All flights have been canceled.”

“This is supposed to be my weekend with Luke. I’ve barely seen him this month.”

Whose fault is that?

“Look, I didn’t dump a foot of snow on this town to strand us here. If we could get home, we would.”

She scoffs. “Whatever, Grant. You know we’re leaving to go on our trip once you get back. I’d like to have some time with my son before then.”

“And as soon as we land, I’ll bring him straight over, but⁠—”

“You don’t know when that will be. Got it. Text me when you know.”

Kari ends the call, and it takes everything I have not to smash my phone into the bar. Only my ex-wife would blame me for the weather and not getting home when I said we would.

I hate to think what she might say when she learns I had an impromptu meeting with the owner of the Pinecrest Loggers while I was here. Not that it’s going to turn into anything, but any disruption to her life and I’m the one to blame.

Even though we got divorced four years ago.

“You look like you could use another drink.”

The bartender comes back over. It’s late now, so most of the other parents have wandered back up to their rooms by this point. It’s me plus a few people lingering over a high-top in the corner.

“Do I look that bad?”

“I’ve seen worse. What can I get you?”

“Another.” I hold up my empty beer bottle.

“Last one, is that okay?”

“How can a bar run out of alcohol?” I ask.

He laughs. “Because we had a wedding and stranded parents with their kids for the last two days. No deliveries means we’re out of booze.”

I let out a low whistle. “Damn. Should I apologize to you now? Or later.”

He waves me off. “We’re good. Hopefully the roads will be cleared up by tomorrow. We usually don’t get snow this late in the season.”

“I appreciate you letting us stay here.” I nod in thanks as he uncaps the glass bottle and slides it over to me. “Kids are getting a little stir-crazy, I think.”

“Hence why the parents have drunk us dry.”

I smile at him and sip the cold beer. Fuck, is that ever good. It’s needed after that damn call with Kari.

It seems no matter what I do, I can’t please anyone.

My ex-wife.

My son.

No one.

Hell, I’d take getting my kid to say more than two words to me at a time, but I don’t think that’ll happen any time soon. When I told him to stay in the bunk room tonight—thank God it’s not my night to supervise them—he rolled his eyes and went off with his friends.

“Calvin, can I get two fingers of bourbon, please?”

That voice. It was irate with me earlier. Now it sounds tired. Sneaking a peek next to me, I spot the woman that yelled at me in the bar. The one that went off on me because of the kids.

Because of the massive stain that still covers her dress.

Shit. That really was bad.

“Ugh. It’s you.”

Her gaze connects with mine. There is still a fire blazing in her blue eyes. Guess I was looking at her for too long.

But even with that anger there, damn, she is the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Hey, it’s not my fault the kids ruined your dress.”

She rolls her eyes, grabbing her bourbon and taking a healthy swallow. “Does that mean I should blame the weather?”

I snort, turning in my stool to better face her. “I mean, if it weren’t for the snow, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Man, it’s really easy for you to shift blame off them.”

“Just like that.” I snap my fingers. “If it were my kid, trust me, he’d be grounded.”

Not that he’d need another reason not to speak to me, but it would add to the list.

“At least one of you would be reprimanding them,” she says.

I don’t blame her for being annoyed. After that mom told her to clean up, I would have been pissed too. They were more irritated their night got interrupted than anything else. Some of the kids’ parents are the worst. I hate traveling with them, but it is what it is.

“Can I buy you a drink to make up for the trouble?”

That earns me half of a smile. “I work here. I don’t actually have to pay for drinks.”

“Just as well. It’s not like there’s much of anything left.”

“I think we can blame you and the other baseball parents,” she points out.

“Us? You said you were in a wedding. Weddings are notorious for drinking.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t supposed to be here.”

I smile at her. I can’t help it. “You really don’t like me, do you?”

“I don’t know you well enough not to like you. Although, in my defense, I thought you were going to call me a bitch earlier, so that had me ready to throw down.”

“I would never call someone a bitch.”

“Only a hard-ass.” The corner of her mouth pulls up into a full smile.

“I mean, they’re still only kids.”

“Ugh. Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “You win. Yes, I was being a hard-ass, but can you blame me? I have a giant red stain on my dress which means I’ll have to trash this dress because I doubt this will come out of satin. And they threw a snowball at me⁠—”

“On purpose?” I ask.

“That I don’t know, but it was just my luck tonight.”

“Sorry.” I wince. “Did you at least enjoy the wedding?”

“I did. How can you not when your best friend is getting married to her person?”

A lovesick look washes over her face. The kind that is still hopeful about love. Something that I lost a long time ago. Love? Not something I’m looking for.

“Are you here by yourself then? No date or anything?”

“Are you fishing, Grant?” she asks before taking another sip of her drink.

“Only curious. I figured someone like you would have a date to your friend’s wedding.”

She shakes her head, blonde wisps of hair floating around her face. In the soft lighting of the bar, it gives her an angelic look.

“Single as a Pringle.”

I snort around my beer. “Alright then.”

“What? I am. No point in denying it. What about you? Is your wife here with you?”

I smile at her. “As you would say, single as a Pringle.”

“Hey, don’t knock it. It works. Especially when you work around kids.”

“So better than single and ready to mingle?”

She laughs and it’s nice to hear. Especially over her yelling at me. Although, I would take that too. I oddly like being in this woman’s orbit.

“Oh my God, you did not just say that.”

“What? That’s what I thought the phrase was supposed to be.”

“Maybe if you’re a dinosaur.”

“Ouch. I’m not that much older than you.”

She eyes me up and down, her gaze lingering over my biceps. Yeah, I definitely like being around this woman.

“You’re what, forty?”

“Really?” I cock a brow at her. “I’m not that old. Thirty-five.”

“You’ve got a decade on me then.”

“You’re twenty-five?”

“I am.” She nods.

There’s something about her that feels older to me. It’s not that she doesn’t look her age, but the way she could command a room? Something I don’t always see of people her age.

Taking a chance, I move one stool closer to her. Based on the way she turns to face me, I don’t think she minds.

“So what do you do around here? Are you the event planner?”

“Why would you think that?” she asks.

This time, it’s her moving closer to me. There’s exactly one barstool between us, and suddenly I’m finding that to be too much space.

“Considering you said you were hosting a wedding, I only assumed.”

The corner of her mouth ticks up in a smile. “You know what they say when you assume.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I laugh.

“I mean, do you think I’d be a good event planner if I let some kids rattle me?”

I glance down at the stain on her dress. It’s not as bad as earlier, but still, not great. “I’d also think you’d have a change of clothes just in case.”

“I did, but I don’t think wearing sweatpants to my friend’s wedding would’ve been a great look.”

“Spaghetti stains it is, then?” I ask, sipping my beer.

“Everyone always does say I’m a trendsetter.”

“I see. That’s what you do then?”

She shakes her head, drinking down more of her bourbon. I watch as her throat moves. There’s something entrancing about it. Hell, about everything this woman does. I’ve only been talking to her for a few minutes, but I like it. It’s definitely turned this shitstorm of a day around.

“Cowgirl.”

“Seriously?”

She nods. “What, I don’t look like one?”

This time, I let my eyes rake over her. Over her biceps. The swell of her breasts in that damn dress of hers. The way one leg is elegantly crossed over the other.

Right down to her tan cowboy boots.

“I’ve never met a cowgirl, so I have no idea what one looks like.”

“I wanted to see what you’d say.” She laughs. “I work in the barn. I run a therapy program for kids, and when I’m not doing that, I help with the trail rides here.”

“So a cowgirl.” I wink at her.

“It’s what I do best.”

“Care to show me?”

She looks behind her through the French doors, where a light dusting of snow is still coming down. Even this late, it’s still bright out because of how much snow is on the ground.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to take the horses out.”

I down the rest of my beer and move to the seat closest to her. My jean-clad knee brushes against hers, and I don’t miss the way her eyes focus on the point of contact.

Oh, yeah.

This makes my next move easy.

“I have a better idea, if you’re up for it.”

Georgia finishes her drink and sets it on the bar top. “What’s that?”

I brush my fingers over her hand that rests next to mine. Goose bumps break out over her skin. I follow the path they lead, wandering over her bare shoulder before pulling her hair tie out and brushing it behind her ear.

Her blue eyes are focused on mine, full of desire.

“I can think of other ways for you to show me what a good cowgirl you are.”

She stands, her chest brushing against mine. “Then I guess there’s only one question.”

Fuck. My dick is rock-hard in my pants, threatening to burst out.

“What might that be?”

“Your room, or mine?”

Chapter Three

GEORGIA

Holy shit.

I cannot believe I’m doing this. I never do anything like this. Georgia? Sleeping with some guy she just met? It doesn’t happen.

Maybe it’s because of the way this whole night has gone. Or maybe it’s me feeding into the tarot reading that Serena did and doing something reckless for once.

The way Grant was looking at me earlier made it an easy decision. Once I had a few drinks at the reception, I wasn’t as upset as I was when I first bumped into him.

It let me appreciate him all that much more. Because wow. I have never laid eyes on any man as sexy as him.

The slight stubble on his jaw. How his biceps filled out the long-sleeved shirt he wore. Or how his longer, brown hair curls at the ends.

The best part was the way his brown eyes tracked mine. Like he wanted me.

It’s not something I’m used to.

Which made me want to do it even more.

Having given him my room number, I came upstairs first to freshen up. Anticipation thrums through me as I await his arrival.

It didn’t take much to touch up my makeup, and even though my dress is ruined, it makes my breasts look amazing.

A soft knock echoes through the room.

Giving myself one last look in the mirror, I head through the bedroom into the living room area.

One perk of being best friends with the owner of the ranch is we all got suites this weekend. I swing open the door, and Grant is standing there with his hands in his pockets.

Why is that so damn sexy?

“Hey.” I hold the door open for him.

He walks past me and I get a whiff of what smells like cedarwood and ginger. I guess he wasn’t the only one that needed a few minutes before this.

“I see you got the nice room.” He spins on his heel, taking the room in.

The suites at The Lost Ranch are homey. An oversize leather couch with flannel throw pillows. A lamp made of old horseshoes. Blown-up photographs of the ranch hang on the walls. The beds are plush—perfect for a night with this man.

“Perks of knowing the owner.”

He stops and faces me as I shut the door and wait for him. I don’t move, using the wall to prop me up. The way he is looking at me makes my knees go weak.

This time, Grant stalks toward me, resting one hand above my head and grasping my hip with the other.

“You still want to do this?”

I hook my fingers through his belt loops and pull him closer. “Yes.”

My voice is clear and confident.

I know exactly what I want, and it’s Grant.

Strong, calloused fingers brush over my cheek, sending heat snaking through me. His breath ghosts over my mouth, minty fresh, but not kissing me. He studies me as his fingers move from one cheek, down my neck, and brushing over the swell of my chest.

His hand trails back up the same path on the other side of my face. It’s the softest of touches, but it’s driving me crazy. This man towering over me is stoking the fire inside of me that I thought had long ago burned out.

I want Grant.

“Turn around. Hands up.”

I do as he commands. This time, his hands bunch in the soft satin of my dress. They still aren’t where I want them. I want them everywhere.

“Did you mean what you said about trashing this dress?” he asks.

“I did. Why?”

The splitting sound cuts through the air as the material falls away, leaving me in my bra, underwear, and cowboy boots.

“I knew you were sexy, but this dress hid all of your curves.”

He crowds against me as his hands move up and down my sides. The feel of his dick against my ass makes my mouth water.

Even though he’s still in his jeans, I know it’s going to be better than I’ve ever had.

“What are you going to do to me?” I whisper. My voice is dripping with lust. I want more. I want everything this man is willing to give me right now.

Grant’s hand moves to the hem of my underwear, flirting with it. Not quite dipping inside. Teasing me as wetness gathers in my core.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“What do you want, cowgirl?”

I throw my head back against his shoulder. “Everything.”

“Be more specific,” he mutters, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.

“Gah,” I groan. “I want you to keep kissing me everywhere. To eat me out. To finger me. I want to ride you. To feel that dick of yours inside me.”

I wiggle against him and he groans as he pushes in closer.

“Good.”

Grant sweeps me into his arms and carries me into the bedroom. His touch is soft as he sets me in the middle of the bed and stands back to stare at me.

Grasping the back of his shirt, he pulls it up and over his head. A light smattering of hair coats his chest as a trail leads a path from a six-pack of abs into the waistband of his jeans.

“Wow.”

His appreciative smile tells me all I need to know.

Resting one knee on the bed, he moves to cover my body with his. He drops his elbows on either side of my head before finally—finally—kissing me.

It’s like a volcano erupts inside of me. It starts slow but it builds as I open for him, seeking him out. I want to taste every bit of him as his tongue glides against mine.

I don’t remember a kiss ever inciting such feelings inside of me. My nails dig into his back as I urge him on. His fingers play with the cups of my bra. Every touch is edging. I crave more of the heady sensations floating through me.

I’ve never been one for emotional attachments, keeping myself locked up. But one night with Grant and I want this feeling to last.

His lips kiss a path down my jaw before sucking on my earlobe. I drift one hand down his back to cup his ass and pull him in closer.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” I sigh as he keeps working on my neck.

“I can say the same for you, Cowgirl.”

“Then do something about it.”

I smack his ass as his laughter reverberates from my neck through my body.

“So antsy.”

“What can I say? We don’t have all night, and I want to feel your dick inside of me.”

I’ve never been so brazen in my life. I don’t say these kinds of things, but somehow, Grant pulls it out of me.

He rocks back onto his heels, staring down at me.

“I don’t know. I think we have plenty of time for me to do everything you want.”

“Ugh.” I throw my arm over my eyes. “Hurry up.”

The bed shifts below me before my feet are being tugged.

“Ahh!”

I move my arm to look and see Grant kneeling at the foot of the bed between my spread legs.

“Is this more to your satisfaction?”

His breath ghosts over my underwear before a finger traces the wet spot.

“Oh, yes,” I whine.

Because it feels so damn good. Better than anything I’ve ever felt and he’s barely done anything to me.

God, that makes me feel pathetic.

But I can’t stew on that feeling. Not when his lips are sucking on my clit through the fabric.

I sink my fingers into his hair and hold on. I grind against his mouth, savoring the sensations. His hands walk their way up my stomach to squeeze my breasts.

I don’t know if it’s the combination of Grant and of my not having had sex in months—okay, more like a year—but I’m ready to combust.

I squeeze my legs tight around his head as I try to stave off an orgasm. Not when it’s this good.

“Are you ready for me to taste you?” he murmurs.

His voice is deep and raspy. I’m glad he’s feeling even a fraction of what I’m feeling right now.

“Yes. Please.”

He pushes my legs down and peers up at me. “So polite.”

I pop onto my elbows, unhooking my bra and tossing it at him. “I’m willing to beg.”

He licks his lips, staring at my breasts. My nipples are diamond-hard points.

“Maybe later, Cowgirl. Why don’t you play with those pretty little breasts of yours while I eat your pussy?”

“Yesss,” I hiss.

I grab a pillow to better prop myself up—to watch Grant and let him watch me. He grabs my underwear and pulls them off and tosses them over his shoulder.

“Let me watch,” he says before burying his head between my legs.

The first curl of his tongue against my clit makes me push my breasts together. I tweak my nipples as I try to focus on Grant, but my vision blurs in a haze of lust and desire.

My body is on fire. His head buried between my legs is the best sight in the world right now. Not only is he playing my clit like he’s an expert, but when two fingers push inside, I cry out in relief.

“I’m right there. Oh my God.”

His fingers scissor inside of me as deep brown eyes lock on to my blue ones. I don’t look away. I dig the heels of my boots into his back to urge him on.

“Are you going to come for me like the good little cowgirl you are?”

My skin is tight and overheated. If I shattered into a million pieces right now, it wouldn’t surprise me.

“Keep going.”

“Trust me, I’m not going to stop. Not until you come.”

I pluck on my nipples as he pushes three fingers inside me. The curling of his fingers makes me explode.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!”

I keep muttering it over and over as I ride his face through possibly the world’s most intense orgasm.

When it’s finally released me from its throws, I’m a puddle on the bed. My body is limp as I try to form words.

“Fuck. That was incredible,” he mutters as he wipes his mouth, rocking back onto his heels.

I peek one eye open at him. “Felt even better.”

This time, he licks his lips. “Think you can do it again?”

It’s then I notice the button and zipper on his jeans are undone. The tip of his dick is poking out.

“Only if you let me suck you first.”

I don’t know where this brazenness is coming from, but I like it. I like this side of me that asks for what she wants without shame.

“Fuck.” Grant hops off the bed and sheds the rest of his clothes.

I was right. His dick is huge. Not that I have a ton of experience to compare it to, but that thing could split me wide open and I’d have no problem with it.

“Trust me, it’ll fit.”

My gaze snaps to his as he gives himself a long slow stroke.

“How’d you know?” I ask.

“Your face gives a lot away.”

Shuffling onto my knees, I crawl to him. He doesn’t move. His cock is right there as I lick my lips, deciding what I want to do first.

Precum beads at the tip and I flick my tongue over it, relishing the salty taste. I wrap my fingers over his hand and suck the tip inside.

“The way you crawled to me? Fuck. I want to see that again.”

I take as much of his hard length in my mouth as I can. Breathing in through my nose, I start to move.

His growls spur me on as he threads his fingers through my hair. I love the power I have over this man. How he can make me float on clouds and then make me feel like a warrior as I suck him off.

I pull off and trail kisses down his cock. I play with his balls as I take him back into my mouth.

“Just like that, Cowgirl. So damn good.”

I purr around him, loving the praise and attention from him. Getting him off like this is making me want to come again.

His dick is heavy on my tongue. I want more—to feel him come in my mouth—but before it happens, he’s pulling me off of him.

“Too damn close.”

I wipe my mouth, sitting back on the heels of my boots. “Then how about I ride you instead?”

A sly grin comes over his face. “Giddy up, Cowgirl.”

He fishes out a condom from his wallet before sealing his mouth over mine. It swirls every thought in my head as I taste myself on him.

I grab the packet from his hand and roll it down his length.

“Get on the bed,” I whisper against his lips.

He obeys my command and lies down, his dick standing ramrod straight. I smile before throwing my leg over his hips and turning away from him. Gripping his cock, I line myself up and sink down. Sweet, sweet relief. I fall forward, holding myself up as I adjust to his size.

“Fuck, Georgia.”

His hands squeeze my hips as he holds me over him. He’s bigger than I thought. He doesn’t hurry me along, letting me take my time. When it doesn’t feel overwhelming, I rock my hips.

Reaching behind me, I cast a sinful glance his way. His teeth are digging into his bottom lip as I rest a hand on his chest. My moves are slow and methodical, enjoying every slow slide of him inside of me.

Grant pushes up and wraps a hand around my chest to pull me in close. It drifts higher up, squeezing my neck.

“Yes!” I shout.

Everything is swirling inside of me. The high from earlier and the feeling of his cock moving in and out is enough to tip me over the edge.

It’s not as intense, but still just as powerful.

“Do you know how good it feels to have you choking my cock?” he whispers, nibbling on my earlobe. “The best fucking feeling in the world.”

Grant pulls out and pushes me down on my stomach on the bed before thrusting back inside of me.

“Ahh!”

His moves are hard and fast. Skin slapping against skin. My hands fist in the sheets. Pleasure is rolling through me as Grant leans down over me.

“I love fucking you, Cowgirl. I’m so fucking close.”

He bites at my back and I scream again.

“Make me come again,” I pant.

He pounds into me harder as wave after wave of pleasure continues to pulse inside of me.

He nips and bites at my back. Another flash of bliss rages inside of me as Grant starts to come. He shouts through his release as I try to breathe through mine. Every single thought is wiped away, replaced with only pleasure and the feeling of this man pouring his release into the condom.

He collapses onto my back. I’m boneless, trying to recover from the best sex of my life.

“Holy shit,” I say.

“That was incredible, Georgia. I hope you have more in you, because I’m not done with you yet.”

“I don’t think I’m the one with the refractory period we need to worry about.”

I gasp when he slaps my ass. “I think you like arguing with me.”

I wiggle against him, his dick softening inside of me. “I have to say, I enjoy it.”

“Then you better get ready, Cowgirl, because I plan on fucking you a lot more tonight.”

“I can’t wait.”

No argument here.

Chapter Four

GEORGIA - TWO MONTHS LATER

“How many horses do you need today, Georgia?” Sam asks.

I skim the printout for my lesson today. “One. River is sick, so he and Ben aren’t coming. I’ve got a new student today.”

Sam smiles at me from his desk across from me. “I’m sure you’ll be a huge help to her.”

I go back to my computer, reviewing my notes on my newest student. Maddie Lang.

She was pulled from her parents’ house because of drug abuse and sent to live with a foster parent. She’s in her third house in as many years, with no immediate family to take her in.

I breathe out a sigh. I know exactly what that’s like. I click out of her file and grab my tan Stetson. It’s seen better days, but I love it.

“We’ll see.”

“If you’re done in time for lunch, Rex is trying out some new recipes for us,” Sam says. “Should be good. Joey’s bringing it up around noon.”

“Thanks. I’ll definitely take you up on that.”

I smile to myself as I head out to the barn. Sam and Joey are impossibly in love, and I see her more now on her little jaunts out to the barn to see him. It’s nice seeing her every day. It’s one of the perks of working here—not only do I see her, but the lodge provides our lunches so we get to eat together regularly. If I’m not busy with my students, I always take advantage of that.

Especially lately. It’s like summer came and I became insatiable. It seems as if the meals have only gotten better since the grand reopening. Business is booming for The Lost Spur, with the ranch booked out for the next two years.

It’s a good mix for me—working with my students and getting to lead guests on trail rides. There’s never a dull day around here.

Ranch hands are coming and going as I head to Queenie’s stall. Her head is hanging out, watching the action.

“There’s my girl.”

She whinnies in response as I rub her forehead. Beams of sunlight stream into her stall, highlighting her rich, chestnut coat.

“Are you ready to help some people today? We’ve got a new student today—Maddie—so I need you to be on your best behavior.”

She nods her head, like she understands every word I’m saying. I like to think she does.

Queenie was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I started working at the barn in high school, Queenie was the first horse I ever rode. I was hooked.

Even with everything that was going on in my life, riding her gave me a sense of contentment that I’d never had. It’s then that I knew I wanted to help other kids like me in this same way. And because of Verne, I was able to.

He sold Queenie to me a few years before he got sick, and we’ve been a team ever since. Some days, I feel like I know Queenie better than anybody.

Grabbing her reins, I get her situated before leading her out to the arena. A few people are taking riding lessons as parents look on.

There’s two people waiting at the entrance—one who is familiar, and the other who isn’t. Tying up Queenie in our area to work, I head over to them with a bright smile on my face.

“Hey, Janice,” I greet her.

Her dark hair is cut into a neat bob, and her outfit is office-chic, except for the cowboy boots. She learned the hard way not to wear heels out here.

“Hey, Georgia. Sorry for the short notice that River and Ben won’t be here.”

“No problem.” I wave her off, dropping my attention to the girl next to her. “Are you Maddie?”

The girl in question looks disinterested as she takes me in. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail and her brown eyes give away nothing.

“Yeah.”

“I’m Georgia.” I stick my hand out to her and wait for her to take it. She eyes it like it might bite, but eventually returns the gesture. “Do you want to meet Queenie?”

“Who’s that?” she asks.

“She’s my horse, and I think you’ll really like her. Have you ever been around horses?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Okay. Why don’t we go meet her and you can get to know her a bit better.”

Maddie looks to Janice who nods in approval. I lead her around the arena to where Queenie waits as Janice takes a seat.

Maddie stops a few feet short of Queenie. It’s not unusual. If you’ve never been around a horse before, they can be intimidating.

I get down so I’m at eye level with her.

“This is Queenie. She’s my horse and is the best one we have here on the ranch,” I tell her. “But I’m biased.”

She doesn’t look at me, but keeps staring at Queenie. To her credit, Queenie stands there, her tail occasionally swatting a fly, but calm as can be. It’s why she’s the best therapy horse.

“Do you want to move closer? She knows to stay where she is.”

“She does?” That pulls Maddie’s attention back to me.

“Yes. She’s very smart.”

She takes a few tentative steps forward and stops in front of Queenie’s muzzle. I stand and pat the white star on her forehead as she leans into my touch.

“And she’s very gentle. She likes getting brushed down. It might be her favorite thing.”

“Really?”

I nod. “If you’re up for trying, you can help me today.”

She shrugs a shoulder, but nods her head.

“I’ll let you get used to her first.”

Maddie is quiet for most of our lesson, asking a few questions here and there. It’s more than I get with some kids, and less than others. By the time our lesson is finished, I get a quick wave from her before she darts off to the car.

“How’d it go?” Janice asks.

“I think she’ll open up. I can see she wants to, but she doesn’t trust me yet.”

“She’s in a good home, but having gotten bounced around, she’s having some issues warming up to them,” Janice says.

“I get it. I think this will be really good for her.”

She smiles at me. “I know it will. River and Ben have improved leaps and bounds since coming out here.”

“It’s why I love doing this,” I say.

“We’ll see you next week.”

I wave goodbye to both of them and head back to the barn to take Queenie out for a ride.

With so many classes and trail rides this week, she hasn’t gotten to stretch her legs.

The minute we clear the fence, I’m digging my boots into her side to urge her on. A warm wind rushes through my hair. I breathe in the fresh, Montana air.

Perfect.

The farther we get from the ranch, the easier it is to think. There’s nothing but Queenie pounding away at the ground beneath me as we run through the wide open fields. The blue skies are endless as the mountains get closer to us. Nothing can stop us.

This.

This right here is my favorite thing in the world. Riding on my horse without a care. No one to bother me. Not a single worry.

Every single thought is on the feeling of freedom as we come to a stop near one of the lakes at the back of the ranch.

“Easy, girl.”

I pat her side as I hop down off of her and lead her to the water. Dropping my hat next to me, I splash water on my overheated face.

One of these days, I’ll be able to take my older students out here. I love seeing how far some of them have come. It’s why I do what I do. It brings me joy to see the progress they make.

The power of horses.

All because someone took the time to help them. If it weren’t for Verne giving me a job in high school, I don’t know where I would have ended up.

“Life is pretty good, isn’t it, Queenie?” I ask my horse.

She doesn’t respond, just laps up the water.

Sure, I might not be in love like my friends, but what more do I need? I’m happy on my own. No one to check in with. Doing whatever I please. Hanging out with my friends when I can.

I’m good.

I check my watch, noticing the time.

“Want to head back for lunch?”

Queenie casts me a look that confirms she’s just as hungry as I am.

Okay, maybe I do need to get out more if I think my horse can understand me. But I wasn’t lying to Maddie. Horses are smart, and I know Queenie knows what I’m saying.

I take a different trail back, slowing to a trot to enjoy the late morning on my own. I don’t know what the afternoon will hold, but I know it will be busy.

The ride back is just as peaceful. By the time I get back to the barn, groups of people are waiting around for rides while others are feeding the horses treats.

Hopping off, I lead Queenie into the barn and find Sam on the phone. He calls me over, ending the call.

“You have time to head back out today?” Sam asks. “Jake called in. His kid has croup.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” I wince. “Sure thing. My classes are over for today.”

“Thanks. I’d head out, but I’ve got a few lessons coming in.”

I smile at him. He gives Poppy, and now Max, riding lessons. Poppy is absolutely smitten with Lollipop, and Sam has wanted nothing more than to get Max on a horse.

“If I don’t see them, tell them I said hi.”

“I will.”

Leading Queenie to her stall, I unsaddle her and brush her out. She laps at the water before moving on to the hay. With morning therapy earlier and then our ride, she’ll get a well-earned rest before we go out again this afternoon.

“That’s my girl.”

Her tail swats at the flies as I give her one last pat before leaving her stall to grab something to eat. It’s a usual morning for me, but I’m ravenous. If I’m going to be leading trail rides this afternoon, Queenie and I need to load up on energy.

I don’t mind. This is what I love doing the most.

Me and my horses.

What else do I need?

Chapter Five

GRANT

“Is this really where we’re going to live?” Luke peers out the front window of the car, taking in the street.

Brick buildings line both sides of the road. People are coming and going from all sorts of places.

A pancake place.

A diner.

A bar.

Hell, even a tarot shop.

That seems out of place for a small town like this, but what do I know.

“You’ll learn to love it,” I say.

At least, I hope he does. Moving my kid away from everything he’s ever known to take a new job might also be the worst decision I’ve ever made.

But with my ex’s new husband taking a job that will have him traveling, and Kari wanting to go with him, it only made sense to bring Luke with me.

“How many people live here?” he asks.

“A few thousand maybe?”

“That’s smaller than my high school.”

“It’ll just mean you can meet more people here.”

“In the middle of the summer?”

He rolls his eyes at me before going back to his phone.

This is what I was worried about. Moving to a new place in the middle of summer isn’t going to give him a chance to make friends. Being a broody teenager is hard enough as it is, and even worse when you have nothing to keep you busy.

“Maybe you can join one of the baseball teams here. I’m sure there are things you can do to make some friends.”

“Whatever, Dad,” he grumbles.

Was I this much of a pain to my parents when I was his age? My only focus when I was that old was baseball. That and getting a girlfriend.

Although, the girlfriend part bit me in the ass. I really should have dated around before settling down with Kari. Maybe we wouldn’t have had a bitter divorce and a kid that is disinterested in most things.

“Here we are.”

I pull into the driveway of a small, dark-gray house. A wraparound porch lines the front, leading to the back of the house.

Luke grabs his backpack and the keys from the cupholder and heads inside. I follow behind him, anxious to get his opinion on this place.

“Why is it all wood?”

He drops his bag on the couch, looking around at the pine walls.

“I think it’s the vibe here,” I say. “It’s one of the few places I could find on short notice and get all of our furniture here when we arrived.”

French doors stand in the back of the living room leading to a large back yard. One thing that I loved about this place is how far apart the houses are. Even though it’s in a neighborhood, we’re not on top of anyone else.

The owner gave me a good deal since we’ll be renting this place for the next year, more than making up for the slow months when it’s not tourist season.

Luke wanders around the main floor before I take him downstairs.

“The entire basement is yours. There’s a bedroom down here, and if you want, maybe we could get that new video game system you wanted.”

His eyes perk up at that, but he doesn’t say anything.

Thank God the owner was able to meet the movers to drop our furniture because he collapses onto his unmade bed. There will be a lot of unpacking to do, but I can worry about that later.

Luke goes back to his phone and I let him be. It’s been enough for one day. Having spent the weekend driving up here, I’m beat.

As much as I want to collapse on the couch, I don’t. I head back out to the car to grab the important things so I can start unpacking.

I have exactly three days to make this place livable before my job starts. The new manager of the Pinecrest Loggers. Never in a million years did I think I’d leave LA for a small town, but here we are.

My mind drifts back to the last time I was here. It does that a lot. What started as a shitty weekend with a foot of snow turned into one of the best nights of my life.

All because of one woman. One woman that was pissed at me one second and then coming for me the next.

Too bad I didn’t get her number before I had to leave. Maybe I’ll bump into her. Or hell, I know where she works. I could always go out and see her if I have time.

Unless that’d be too weird. Shit. Maybe it would be.

I’ve been out of the dating game for so long, I don’t know what I should do and not do. I’ve had a few dates since the divorce, but nothing serious.

Grabbing the scissors—the one thing I brought with us so we wouldn’t be tearing into boxes with our bare hands—I start unpacking the kitchen.

That’s the most important part of the house. Everything else can wait. If I can get this taken care of, I can help Luke with his room before grabbing dinner in town.

I’m trying to make this move as easy as possible for Luke. I don’t want him to hate me for the rest of his life. I mean, he’s said more to me the last two days than he has in the last month it seems.

We were also stuck in the car for two days straight, so that might have been the reason why. But I’m hoping for a fresh start here.

Life in LA was stagnant. Luke spent most of his time in his room when he was with me on the weekends if he didn’t have a game. My coaching job? The team didn’t care enough to find good players, so I spent most of the time spinning my wheels trying to improve when no one cared.

I’m hoping this place will be better. I didn’t even plan on interviewing for the job, but after talking to the guy at the baseball tournament that weekend, he liked me and wanted to bring me in.

I couldn’t say no. Anything has to be better than it was back home. And maybe if I’m really lucky, that fresh start might involve running into Georgia again.

Can’t say I’d mind seeing her again.

Who am I kidding? I’d fucking love to see her again.

If only she wants to see me as well…

Chapter Six

GEORGIA

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Ugh. Is it that time already?

Slapping at the alarm clock on my nightstand, I roll over and see it’s well past the time I should be up.

At least it’s not an early work morning I’ll be late for. Brunch with the girls, but I think they’ll cut me some slack.

Except I don’t get out of bed. I’m exhausted. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this tired. I went to bed right after dinner and slept all night, but it’s like all my energy is leaching out of me.

Sunlight is pouring in through the cracks in my curtains. I wish I could cancel, but I need a girls’ day. I haven’t had time with all of them in a while. This is what happens when your friends all find the loves of their lives.

Kicking off the comforter, I head into the bathroom to get ready. Splashing water on my face, I try to perk up a bit, but it’s no use.

Heavy bags sit under my eyes and I look more pale than usual. Maybe one of the kids got me sick.

I pile my hair into a low bun and put on a light coating of makeup. It helps to revive me before I’m throwing on a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt. No point in stressing about what I’m going to wear when I’m already running late.

Thankfully I live close enough to the Pinecrest Pancake Emporium that it’s a short walk. A wave of air conditioning hits me as I shoulder open the door. It’s busy for a Saturday morning, but Joey spots me and waves me over.

“Sorry I’m late. I slept through my alarm,” I say, dropping a kiss on Joey’s cheek.

“Don’t worry about it. We haven’t ordered yet,” she answers. “We got mimosas if you want one.”

I shake my head. “I’m okay today. I’ll just drink my water.”

“Are you okay?” Rylee asks, leaning across the table and slapping her hand onto my forehead.

“I’m fine.” I brush her off. “I’m tired. I’ve been working a lot.”

“You have been,” Joey agrees. “You spend more time at the barn than Sam does.”

“You only know because you live with him now,” I say.

A smile spreads across her face. “Believe me, I’m not tracking you at the barn. It’s just hard not to notice when you’re always there.”

“So is Presley!” I argue.

“She lives there too,” Rylee says. “No one is judging you for working too hard.”

“Sounds like it,” I mumble, grabbing a plastic menu from the holder and glancing over it.

I know the menu like the back of my hand. We always try to get together here as often as we can when our schedules allow it. If Rylee didn’t work at the Hash ’N Hop, we’d probably go there.

Pancakes it is.

My usual Nutella and banana ones don’t sound as appealing as they usually do, so when our server comes around, I order plain ones.

“Okay, are you really not feeling good?” Rylee asks. “You never get basic pancakes.”

“Maybe one of the kids got me sick,” I say, sipping on my water. “One of them was complaining about an upset stomach last week.”

“Are you sure?” Joey asks. “You weren’t feeling good last weekend either.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m not working today, so I’ll probably nap this afternoon and take it easy.”

“Will you?” Presley asks. “I don’t think I’ve seen you take a day off since you started your therapy program.”

“Ooh, maybe we could do a movie afternoon,” Rylee says. “Chase is working all night and I’m off today.”

I shrug a shoulder, messing with my straw wrapper. “I’d be game. Anyone else?”

Joey and Presley exchange a look. It’s one I’m all too familiar with at this point. They have things they want to be doing with their partners, but don’t know if they should say yes to me.

“It’s fine,” I answer for them. “Go home to your men folk and Rylee and I can hang out together.”

“As long as it’s only cheesy rom-coms,” she says.

“Like we’d watch anything else.” I laugh.

Our server comes around, placing heaping plates of pancakes in front of each of us, and a plate of home fries for the table in the middle. The sweet aroma of all of them goes straight to my head, making me nauseated.

“You’re straight-up green now,” Joey says. “Why’d you come out if you’re not feeling well?”

My fork clatters to the table before I dart to the bathroom and crash into a stall. I dry heave, but nothing comes up.

Ugh.

I guess I’m not feeling as well as I thought. I take a few minutes to myself to make sure I’m okay before heading back out to the booth.

Three pairs of eyes are staring at me when I sit back down.

“What?”

Rylee pushes a fresh glass in front of me. “Drink up. It’s ginger ale.”

I slurp a sip down and it helps with my stomach. At least there’s that.

“Can we ask you something?” Joey asks.

Glancing at all three of them, I can see them shifting in their seats.

“Umm, okay.”

“Are you pregnant?” Presley blurts out.

“Presley!” Joey hisses. “We were going to do it with a little more tact than that.”

“Sorry. But if she is, we need to know,” she says.

“What? No,” I snap, looking at all three of them. “There’s no way I can be pregnant.”

“When was the last time you had sex?” Rylee asks, dragging a potato through ketchup before popping it in her mouth.

“Wasn’t it the hot baseball dad from the wedding?” Joey asks, waggling her eyebrows.

“Oh, shit.”

My default thought was the last guy I’d had sex with almost a year ago. Some guy I met in town one night, and we dated for a few weeks. Nothing earth-shattering, but he was cute, so I figured why not.

The night of Rylee’s wedding? I’d pushed it out of my head because no good would come from replaying that night over and over in my brain.

No matter how hot it was.

“Do we need to get you a pregnancy test?” Presley asks, bringing me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“Oh my God. Maybe?” I question. “But we used a condom. There’s no way.”

Joey drops a warm hand over mine. Panic is swelling in my stomach.

“It can happen. That’s how I got pregnant with Max.”

“Ugh.” I bang my head on the laminate tabletop. “I can’t be pregnant. I mean, this guy doesn’t even live in town.”

“That’s not a reason for you not to be pregnant,” Rylee oh-so-helpfully points out. “Why don’t we go get a test and you can take one? If you’re not pregnant, maybe you should go see your doctor.”

“One? Try five,” I say, gulping down the rest of my drink. Now that the thought is there, the nerves in my stomach won’t go away.

My cycles have always been erratic. The last two months I had spotting—something that’s normal for me—so I didn’t even think I missed my period.

Pregnant? With some guy whose last name I don’t even remember?

Great job, Georgia, great job.

Presley flags down the server and asks for the check and to-go boxes.

“We’re not even going to finish breakfast?” I ask.

“Considering you haven’t eaten a single bite, I don’t think you have any room to talk. Besides, we need to get some answers.”

“I thought you were busy?”

She shakes her head. “Not anymore.”

Rylee drops some cash on the table and scoots me out of the booth. “We all want to know the answer to this question. Let’s go.”

It all goes by in a blur. Walking out of the restaurant. Going to the drug store and getting not one but three tests, and then making the short walk home.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

I shake my hands out as I pace the length of my bedroom. The tests are sitting on the bathroom counter as everyone watches me while we wait for the timer to go off.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Rylee suggests. “I don’t think it’s going to help if you work yourself into a frenzy.”

I flop down onto the end of the bed. “I’m the responsible one here. How in the world did I let this happen?”

“Considering two of us are raising kids, I’d say we’re responsible,” Presley remarks.

“Are you saying I’m not?” Rylee asks, whipping her head around to look at Presley.

“No.” She throws her hands up in defense. “I’m just saying she’s not the only one responsible out of all of us.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to make this work,” I sigh.

“Don’t borrow trouble,” Joey says. “You don’t know if the test is positive yet. Who knows? It could be a stomach bug.”

I love my friend for trying to be optimistic, but at this point, having felt crappy for the last few weeks, I’d put money on the fact that I’m pregnant.

God. Pregnant. That word feels weird to even say.

I never wanted to have kids. Growing up, with my childhood, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. And with my students⁠—

“Hold on. How in the world am I going to do my job if I can’t ride horses? Can I even ride with a baby?”

The three of them exchange a look and that tells me all I need to know.

“You can still do your job,” Joey says. “Just not on horseback.”

“What happened to not borrowing trouble?” Presley asks. “You only have to wait thirty more seconds and then you’ll know.”

“Oh, God.”

Time seems to slow down and speed up all at the same time. I don’t want to know what those tests say, but I feel like I already know.

It would make sense with how I’ve been feeling lately. Nausea and generally crappier than normal. Add in the not sleeping and it all fits.

When the timer echoes around the bedroom, I dart into the bathroom. I grab each test and flip them over.

Two blue lines.

Plus Sign.

Pregnant.

At least they make it idiot proof.

“Guess I’m having a baby,” I whisper.

“Does that mean you’re keeping it?” Joey asks.

“I think so? I mean, I’m pregnant and I don’t even know the guy’s last name.” I drop my head into my hands. “What an idiot.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Rylee rubs soothing circles on my back. “Take a few days and see how you feel.”

“That’s not going to change the fact that I don’t know this guy’s name.” I peek one eye up at her.

“Technically we know his first name. I’m sure we could find his last name,” Presley says.

“How?” I look up at Presley, who has a knowing look in her eyes.

“He stayed at the ranch, right? We’d have to have his contact information on file. There couldn’t have been that many Grants there that weekend.” She says this like it’s a done deal.

“That has to be some kind of breach of privacy,” I say.

“Oh, it definitely is,” Joey agrees. “But I could do it when I go in tomorrow.”

“You can’t do that!” I hiss.

“Why not?” Rylee shrugs a shoulder. “This guy deserves to know if he has a baby out in the world.”

“And if he has an issue with us tracking him down to tell him you’re pregnant, then he’s a dick,” Presley says.

They all nod in agreement.

Tears well in my eyes. I love my friends. Even if they might be—well, definitely are—breaking some privacy laws to help, I don’t know where I would be without them. And getting this news means I’ll need them now more than ever.

“Just…give me a few days, okay? I need to come to terms with the fact that I’m now pregnant and then we can figure out how to track this guy down.”

Because that is going to be something I need to figure out.

How to find the guy who gave me the best night of my life. And then managed to flip my world on its head.

A baby.

I’m going to be a mom.

That’s going to take some getting used to.

Chapter Seven

GRANT

This is my favorite time of day. Everything is quiet. The sun is still rising over the mountains in the distance as I head toward the baseball diamond.

It’s my first official day with the Loggers and I can’t fucking wait. With their old coach getting picked up by a major league team, I got a call from the owner. I met him when we were in town two months ago, and he must have liked me enough to call me for an interview. I’d been coaching our local college team for a few years, but this will be a step up for me.

It’s never easy losing a manager in the middle of a season, but the former guy was incredible. It doesn’t surprise me he got the call.

I’m the only one here when I pull into the empty parking lot.

Grabbing my laptop bag from the front seat, I walk inside to the offices. It’s nothing fancy—just a few desks crowded into the room.

Finding mine, I drop everything down and get to work. I’ve been studying film on all of our guys. I didn’t want to come in on my first day and be behind. I wanted to show everyone they made the right choice with hiring me.

“I’m not surprised to see you here.”

I spin in my chair and see what I assume is one of my assistants.

“What can I say?” I smile at him. “Wanted to be prepared.”

He smiles back at me, extending his hand. “Aidan Gavney. I’m the hitting coach.”

I take his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He looks to be about my age, with two sleeves of tattoos coloring his arms and a hat covering his head.

“I’m excited to see what you’re going to do here.”

I throw my hands up. “I don’t want to step on any toes here. You’ve got a good system and I want to be able to help these guys keep improving on their game.”

“I like it. I think you’ll be a great fit here.”

“Tell me about the team,” I say.

Aidan nods at my computer. “It looks like you’re doing some studying of your own.”

“You can only glean so much from film. I want to know their personalities. Any problem players?”

He shakes his head. “No. We have a good group of guys here. A few are cockier than others, but nothing that sticks out as a problem.”

“So the usual with baseball players then.” I laugh. “Good to know.”

“They have the skill to back it up, but nothing that boils over into fights or anything like that.”

“Good.” I nod. “I’ve had to deal with that at times, but that’s mainly kids fighting over stupid things.”

“You used to coach college?” he asks, sipping on a to-go cup of coffee.

“I did. Also coached my son’s team, too.”

“Nice. Is he still playing?”

I blow out a breath. “I wish. It was too late when we moved to sign him up, and he wasn’t all that interested in keeping it going.”

“Ahh. So something he was doing because you were interested in him doing it.”

“Got it in one.”

“Is the new coach here?” a voice calls out from the doorway.

“That’s me.” I stand, greeting the newcomer. “Grant Prescott.”

“Brian Simmons. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Voices filter into the office. Glancing at my watch, I realize a good chunk of the morning has gone by in the blink of an eye. No doubt the guys are here in the locker room getting ready for practice.

“Shall we get started?” I ask them.

“Let’s do it,” Brian says, smiling at me.

Grabbing my hat from my desk and my tablet, I follow the other coaches into the locker room. Clanging from the metal lockers reverberates as a few of the players shoot the shit with each other. I stand at the front of the room, taking them all in. Most of them are in their late teens or early twenties. It makes me feel downright ancient some days.

I only hope I can keep up with these kids.

“Can I get everyone’s attention?” I call out. I don’t raise my voice, but the few guys in the front take notice, and eventually, the room quiets.

“I’m Coach Prescott. Just moved here from coaching in LA, and I’m looking forward to working with you all. From everything I’ve learned about the Loggers, I can tell we’ve got a great group of guys here.”

“Hell yeah!” someone calls out from the back.

“You’ve had some great success here, and I want to keep building on that. Fundamentals are important, but I also want us to enjoy our wins. Let’s get out there. I’m ready to see what this team can do.”

A few of guys nod at me as they pass while others clap me on the shoulder. I recognize most of them from studying, but it’s going to take a while before we’re comfortable with one another. I know what a good coach can do. They can elevate the people around them, or if they’re in a bad way, bring the entire team down.

I hope we can all keep each other going here.

By the time I’m outside, the sun is high in the sky and Gavney is having the guys run laps around the field.

Nothing like a little cardio to get the day started. The grass is in pristine condition. The clay beneath my cleats is begging to be torn up with a good, hard practice.

Being out here makes it easy to not question my decision of uprooting our lives and moving to Pinecrest. This is where I belong.

Blowing the whistle hanging around my neck, I call everyone to the pitcher’s mound.

“We’re going to split into positions, but we’re going to work on some bobble and recover drills. I’ve been reviewing the film and that seems to be a weakness.”

“Really, Coach?” someone calls from the back. “Isn’t that a bit basic?”

I smirk when a couple of the other guys scold him. “When it becomes second nature during games, maybe we can reconsider doing it, but until then, I say we’re doing it.”

The guys break up into their positions and start working with the coaches. Gavney is still by my side.

“Pretty ballsy to call you out like that,” he says.

“They’re still getting the lay of the land with me. Nothing basic about cleaning up our game.”

“Damn right.” He elbows me in the side. “I’m going to like having you around.”

“Good, because I like it here.”

The rest of practice goes by in the blink of an eye. It’s easy to see how much everyone likes one another. I think it’s going to make things easier in the long run. Coming into situations where a manager is fired because they aren’t doing well is one thing, but when they’re winning, it makes it an easier change to slide into.

As everyone leaves, I head back into the office to make some notes on practice and what we can continue working on. My phone buzzes across the desk. Picking it up, I see it’s from Luke.

Luke

What’s for dinner?

Fridge is empty

Grant

I’m going to the store after practice

Any requests?

Can we grill out? Maybe brats?

Sure thing

Baseball is easy. I won’t have to worry about much here. Luke is who I’m going to worry about it, and that will never go away. But right now, the move here and changing schools isn’t going to be easy for him. If cooking some brats on the grill will help him, I’ll do it every damn night.

Because he doesn’t need any more changes. Not if I can help it.

Chapter Eight

GRANT

“You’re new here,” the man behind the butcher counter comments.

I smile back at him. “I am. Just got into town a few days ago.”

“How long are you here for? You stayin’ out at the ranch?”

“Here for good.”

He smiles at me. “Good to have you. I’m Mr. Moore. I own this place.”

“Grant Prescott. Nice to meet you.”

“Now, what can I get you?”

“I’ll take four of your brats.”

“Good choice. I’ll throw an extra couple in. On the house.”

“That’s awfully nice of you,” I say.

“It’s what we do around here.” He plops six sausages onto a tray and wraps them in brown paper. “If you need help finding anything, just let me know.”

“I will. Thanks again.”

Pulling out my phone, I find the list of everything we need. We sustained ourselves mainly on takeout for the first few days, but I don’t want to keep that up.

Spices. Paper towels. Cooking spray. Anything and everything is on my list. I take my time, meandering down each aisle, filling my cart with what I think we’ll need.

Luke is going to eat me out of house and home with the amount of food he can put away.

Turning from one aisle to another, an older woman stops me.

“Are you the new guy Mr. Moore was just telling me about?”

The basket in her arms is full of odds and ends.

“I am. Word gets around fast here,” I say.

“I’m Betty. I work down at the Hash ’N Hop. Why don’t you come on by some time for breakfast? My treat.”

“I’m Grant. That’s nice of you, Betty,” I say, fidgeting with the back of my baseball hat. “I’ll have to check with my schedule and see what day works.”

“Any day is fine.” She waves me off. “We’re always open. Now, what brings you to town?”

“I’m the new coach of the Loggers.”

Her eyes light up. “Oh, how wonderful. Pete did a great job. We’re very proud that he got called to another team. We’re hoping he wins a championship.”

“I just hope I can keep up the good work he started.”

She pats me on the arm. “I think you will. The Loggers are a good bunch of boys, even if they can get a bit rowdy at the after-parties.”

“The after-parties?” I quirk a brow at her.

She beams at me, pink bandanna holding her hair back. “Oh, yes. I always keep the diner open late after the games so they can come have a bite to eat. You’re welcome to join them.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense. You’re the coach. You’ll have to join.” She points down at her basket. “I have to get back to the diner, but it was nice to meet you, Grant. I’ll see you there soon.”

“Thanks, Betty. It was nice to meet you too.”

Before I can get halfway through the bread aisle, I’m stopped by another two people. If I were in LA, I would already be out of the store. Everyone is in and out, not even wanting to make eye contact with anyone else.

Here, everyone wants to know my life story.

What brought me to town?

Am I married?

Dating anyone?

Kids?

Favorite kind of parakeet?

That last one threw me for a loop, but the kid was six. At this rate, I’m going to be at the store until midnight getting the shopping done. Maybe if I’m lucky, no one else will stop me.

But it seems since I’m the new guy in town, that won’t be happening.

Keeping my head down to not draw any more eyes, I’m not paying attention to where I’m going and crash into something. Not something—someone.

“Shit.”

“Oh my God.”

Two carts spin into a display of refried beans. Cans roll down the aisle in a noisy clatter while one pops open at my feet.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

So much for making quick work of the rest of this trip.

Kneeling, I clean up the cans, my arms now bursting with them. My hand brushes against a softer one and it sends a jolt of heat through me.

Glancing up, I lock eyes with the one person I didn’t plan on seeing tonight.

“Georgia. Hi.”

Her blue eyes are wide in shock. Pink colors her cheeks. She looks so different from the first night we met, but just as gorgeous in a denim shirt etched with the ranch logo and a cowboy hat.

“Grant? What are you doing here?”

“Knocking over cans of beans.” I laugh.

She stands, a few cans still rolling around her booted feet. I follow her up, standing a good head taller than her.

“I mean in town. Is there another tournament?”

I set everything back down on the end cap. “Actually, I moved here.”

“You did?”

“The new head coach of the Loggers. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it around the store.”

“What?”

I smile at her. “I think I’ve met every person in the store in this aisle alone.”

“Oh, right. Well, you will be the hot topic of conversation around town.”

“I’m hoping it’ll die down soon.”

Her eyes, if possible, get even wider. “Yeah, right. I’m sure it will.”

“How are you? It’s been a minute.”

A lot of minutes, actually. Not that I’ve been counting, but Georgia often comes to mind when she shouldn’t. That night with her was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. I only hate that I had to run out on her so early. But when the team called to tell me we were leaving, I couldn’t stick around.

“Would you want to grab dinner sometime?”

Not quite an answer, but hell, I’ll take any more time I can get with her.

“Sure. I’d like that.”

She shuffles back and forth on her feet. It seems she’s more than a little nervous that she bumped into me.

More like collided with me and cans of refried beans, but…semantics.

“Want to meet at the Emporium sometime this week?”

I give her an easy smile. “What’s the Emporium?”

“Pinecrest Pancake Emporium. It’s one of my favorite places.”

“Pancakes for dinner.” I nod. “I like it.”

“Thursday at seven?” she asks.

“That sounds good.” I nod. “I’m really glad I bumped into you.”

“You sure about that?”

This time, she returns my smile before looking down at my tennis shoes.

“I could do without the refried beans, but Mr. Moore likes me. Gave me two extra brats.”

“Doesn’t take much to win him over. He’s a huge Loggers fan.”

“Then I’ll be sure to get him some tickets.”

“He’ll be your number one fan.” Georgia grabs her cart, spinning around. “Do you want me to help you clean that up?”

“I can take care of it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you Thursday.”

Before I can even ask her for her number, she’s running out of the store like she can’t get away fast enough.

If she hadn’t asked me to dinner, I would think it never happened.

At least one good thing happened at the store. Like running into the woman I can’t stop thinking about.

I guess there are some perks of a small town.

Chapter Nine

GEORGIA

Georgia

Omg! Grant is in town

Joey

Hot baseball dad Grant?

Rylee

The guy you hooked up with at the reception?

Yes

Presley

Where’d you see him?

I bumped into him at the store

Presley

Was he surprised to see you?

Not as surprised as I was

Joey

What are you going to do?

Rylee

Did you tell him about the baby?

No! I am not going to blurt out that I’m pregnant in the bread aisle

Presley

So what’s your plan then?

We’re getting dinner at the emporium

Rylee

So you’re going to blurt out that you’re pregnant over pancakes?

Rylee! Now you’re making me question myself

Presley

No

Presley

This is a good plan

It is?

Joey

Yeah

Rylee

You just need to figure out how you’re going to break the news to him

Presley

We don’t want him running out on you

Now you guys are making me worry about this

Rylee

Maybe break it to him after you get the bill so then you can leave if things get awkward

Seriously, not making me feel any better

Joey

Everything will be okay

Joey

He might be shocked at first, but I think he’ll handle the news well

Oh God, I’m nervous

I might puke

Presley

That could be the morning sickness

Ugh

I have enough to worry about

Joey

Wear that new dress you got

Joey

Maybe it’ll distract him enough to not be worried about the news

Him or me? I’ll be worried either way

Joey

Fine, but wear the dress because you’ll look hot!

Presley

I agree

Presley

Mainly because you won’t have much longer that you can wear it

Thanks for the reminder

God, I feel like I’m going to be sick. Not because of the baby, but because of the nerves. Who would have thought that the hottest night I’d ever had would result in a baby?

Certainly not me. Nothing like two little blue lines to change your entire life.

I check my phone again. I’m twenty minutes early for dinner, but I don’t care. I’m sipping on my water and trying to figure out what to say to Grant.

“Hey, I’m pregnant. You’re the dad. Why don’t you try the Nutella and banana pancakes? Everyone loves them.”

Wait, can I have any of these things?

Shit.

I pull my phone over to me and start googling. Jesus. I’m really going to need to get one of those books that tells you what to expect when you’re pregnant.

Well, according to the Internet, I can. At least that’s one thing I don’t need to worry about.

Now that I know what I can and can’t eat, that takes some pressure off. Figuring out how to tell him is still worrying me. I want to be somewhat delicate and not blurt it out.

“Hey, Georgia. Are you waiting for someone?” Amy asks, coming over with a glass of ice water.

“I am.”

“Ohh, hot date?” She waggles her eyebrows at me.

“Something like that,” I mutter. “Can I get a lemonade?”

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.”

My eyes flit around the restaurant. It’s not too busy tonight. Hopefully that means there won’t be many prying eyes. Or open ears. I’m sure it will be all over town within a week, but I at least want some time to adjust to my new normal.

Glancing outside, I see Grant pacing in front of the door.

Is he as nervous as I am?

Sorry to break it to you, bud, but your night isn’t going to end how you want.

I watch as he finally opens the door and comes inside. His gaze surveys the restaurant—no doubt taking in the old tables and fake pleather booths. It hasn’t been updated in a long time, but the Pinecrest Pancake Emporium doesn’t need it.

The pancakes speak for themselves.

A smile lights up his face when he sees me and walks over.

“Hey, Georgia.”

“Hey, Grant.”

I stand and he gives me a kiss on the cheek. Nope. Not going to think about how good his lips feel. That’s not why we’re here tonight.

“You look nice,” he says.

“Thanks.”

Now that Grant is here, I’m so nervous, I could puke. At least the one thing I haven’t had to deal with is morning sickness. Sure, the occasional wave of sickness every now and then, but not daily.

“I’m glad you asked me out.”

I rub my hands over the skirt of my dress. “There might have been another reason why I did.”

He gives me a smile that I have to do everything to ignore. I don’t need to get swept up in how sexy this man is. No, I need to stay focused on the task at hand. Like the fact that I’m pregnant and this man is the dad.

“Are you the official welcoming committee then for Pinecrest? Because if so, I like it.”

“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.

Shit. So much for not blurting it out.

“You’re what?” He looks stunned.

“Hey, are you Georgia’s date?” Amy comes back, dropping off my drink and addressing Grant.

“Uh, yeah.” He clears his throat. “Can I get a Coke, please?”

“Sure thing, handsome.” Amy winks at him before walking back into the kitchen.

I stab at my straw, pulling it out of the wrapper and taking a large sip of the tart and sweet drink. It helps to settle my raging nerves.

“Look, I know this isn’t what you were expecting. I mean, I wasn’t expecting it either. I never planned on being a mom, and⁠—”

I don’t really need to go into specifics about why I want to keep it or delve into my past. That would be way too much to talk about tonight.

“Wow.” He leans back in the booth, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“You can take as much time as you need to figure out what you want to do,” I say.

He nods, but isn’t really looking at me. His eyes are glazed over.

Even shell-shocked, he looks as sexy as I remember him. Although, I’m not even sure my memories did him justice.

A light layer of scruff lines his jaw. The short-sleeve button-up shirt highlights his biceps. His brown hair flops over his forehead. It’s so long I want to sink my fingers into it. Relive that night.

Focus, Georgia.

You should not be ogling after Grant. No. You need to be having a conversation about the baby.

“When did you find out?” he asks.

“A few days before I bumped into you. Kind of kismet timing,” I say.

“Right.”

“Like I said, you can take as much time as you want to figure out if you want to help.”

“This is definitely not what I was expecting when I met you here tonight.”

“I…well, it’s not like either of us went into that night thinking we’d have a baby together.”

His jaw ticks as he leans over the table, clasping his hands. Strong hands that are burned into my memory. Flashes of that night flood my brain.

The fiery kisses.

The way his hands took me over the edge.

The feeling of him inside of me.

Again, not what I need to be worrying about right now. I made up my mind that I want to have this baby. Whether he decides to help out or not is up to him.

“Look, I want to say that I’ll help you, but…”

“But you just moved to town and that’s a big change itself?” I finish for him.

“Yeah. God, I feel like such a dick right now.”

Grant leans back in the booth, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“It’s not your fault. It’s neither of our faults. It just…happened.”

Amy comes back with Grant’s drink, but neither of us order dinner. I have a feeling this is going to be a short-lived evening. Based on how stunned Grant is right now, I think he might be leaving soon.

“Can we exchange numbers?” Grant asks. “Maybe talk again in a few days?”

“Sure.” I unlock my phone and slide it over to him.

He punches in his number and then texts himself.

“I have to think about Luke. He’s already going through a lot.”

“I get it. It’s not like this is a small decision to make. Like getting bangs or something,” I say.

“Bangs?”

I wave him off. “Ignore me.”

Did I really just compare a baby to getting bangs?

I’m more nervous than I thought. Being back in Grant’s presence—his very sexy presence—must be scrambling my brain.

He fishes his wallet out of his pocket and drops a ten-dollar bill on the table.

“I’ll call you, okay?”

I nod. “Sure.”

The nerves are back as he gives me a tight-lipped goodbye and leaves. Well, that could have gone a lot worse. He could have told me he wasn’t going to have anything to do with this baby and left immediately.

I get his reasoning for hesitating. I do. He just moved here.

New job. New town. New everything.

And with a son to worry about, I get it.

“You okay, Georgia?” Amy asks. “Your beau didn’t want to stay?”

I shake my head. “He had to get home for his son.”

“Oh, well. His loss. You want anything?”

“Yeah. Can I get the banana and Nutella pancakes to go, please?”

“You got it.”

I have no idea what Grant is going to do, but even if he says no, I’ll be okay. I’ve been through worse. Even if it’s only me, this baby will have the best life because they’ll have three aunts that will dote on them every single day of their life.

I look down at my stomach, resting my hand there. It’s the same and different all at the same time.

“I’m going to give you the best life,” I whisper.

No matter what.

Chapter Ten

GRANT

Ababy.

Holy shit.

When Georgia asked me to dinner, I didn’t think anything of it. We had a great time together. I thought we’d reconnect and that maybe we could go on a second date together.

Turns out, it wasn’t a date at all.

A baby.

Finding my phone, I tap the screen. Two in the morning.

I’ve been in a daze since I got home from the diner. I don’t think I turned on the TV when I got home. Just sat down on the couch and stared at it. Thankfully, Luke stayed in the basement. I only heard his shouts coming from whatever game he was playing.

Fuck. I have no idea how Luke is going to take this news. I’m already worried about him handling this move, and a baby?

I open my phone again, finding the old album I have from when he was a baby. Man, he was the cutest. Chubby cheeks. Happy smile. He laughed at anything I did and always lit up when I got home from work.

Night and day difference from the kid who would rather hide out in his room all day than hang out with his dad.

I loved those days with him. I’d take him to the beach. He’d come to my games and cheer me on. Sure, I don’t miss the dirty diapers or the non-stop crying in the morning when he couldn’t sleep, but holding him when he needed me?

Fuck. It makes my heart hurt thinking about it. I love those moments. Watching him grow and learn. Why wouldn’t I want to do that again?

It’s not like I’m by any means old, but I thought the days of having a baby were long behind me. Raising a teenager is all I can manage most days.

Raising a baby with a woman I barely know? That’s a completely different story.

It’s not what I planned on, but could I do it? The sleepless nights. The constant worry.

I don’t think I could live with myself if I had a kid out there that I didn’t know. Taking a deep breath, I know my mind is made up.

I go to my contacts and text Georgia. She’ll see it in the morning. I want her to know she’s not alone in this and that I’ll be there for her.

Even if it’s two in the morning and I should probably have this conversation in person.

Grant

I’m in

Georgia

You’re in?

Yes

Why are you up so late?

Couldn’t fall asleep

That makes two of us

I think we should talk in person, but I wanted to let you know

I’m in

Okay

Do you want to try the Emporium again?

Maybe get to know one another better?

That sounds good to me

You must really want to try those pancakes

You really sold me on them the other day winking face

Does tomorrow work for you?

I have night rides with a few guests

Want to say day after? Same time?

I’ll be there

See you then smiling face

I snort laugh at the emoji. I don’t really think there’s a good one for “glad you’re stepping up for your kid.”

My mind is still spinning. There’s no chance of going to sleep, so I grab my laptop and start researching babies.

I have zero clue how to raise a kid at this point. What if things have changed? I feel like the basics are the same, but I haven’t done this in well over a decade.

I should also probably figure out how to tell Luke. I wonder if there’s an Internet search for that.

How to tell your kid who is annoyed by everything you do because you up and moved him to the middle of nowhere that you’re having a baby with a woman you barely know.

Yeah, I don’t think there’s much in the way of answers for that.

The least I can do is be prepared when Georgia and I talk. That’s the one good thing about my job. I’m always studying film. I can apply the same strategy here.

I wonder if there are baby baseball mitts.

I shouldn’t already be looking, but of course there are. And they are fucking adorable. Maybe I can get one kid to play baseball with me. Luke’s all but given it up since we moved here. If it’s not on a digital screen, he doesn’t really care.

I don’t even know if it will be a boy or a girl, but it doesn’t matter. I’m going to give this kid everything.

Whatever they want, I’ll support them. I had great parents, even though they’re no longer here, that supported everything I did. Kari doesn’t show as much interest in Luke’s life as I wish she did, but at least he can talk to her about things.

I won’t be that parent. I won’t check out on either of my kids. Or Georgia.

Like I told her, I’m all in.

Chapter Eleven

GRANT

“Are you going to be okay tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Luke doesn’t look up from his video game.

“Hey.” I pat him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention, but he doesn’t acknowledge me. “Dinner’s in the fridge, okay? Leftover eggplant parmesan. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Okay.”

“Love you, bud.”

No response.

Jesus.

I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with this for the next however many years. He’s fourteen. How long is this going to last?

Grabbing my keys, I head out to meet Georgia. After she dropped the baby news, she gave me the out. It didn’t take me as long as I thought it would to decide I’m in. I don’t need the out she gave me.

Did I ever think I’d be raising another kid? No.

Especially considering how badly I’m doing with the first one, I don’t know why she wants me around. Somehow, I feel the need to impress her that I am a good dad, despite the fact that my kid stays in his room twenty hours a day and doesn’t say more than three words to me a day.

But I want to be a part of their life. Hell, even a part of Georgia’s, however she’ll take me.

The drive is short to the Pancake Emporium. Same place as last time. Maybe this time we’ll actually get around to ordering dinner.

Finding a parking spot, I take a few deep breaths. Considering neither of us really knows much about each other, I’m glad we will get the chance to know each other better.

When I walk into the cool air conditioning of the restaurant, Georgia is again waiting for me. She looks less nervous this time.

Her blonde hair brushes her shoulders. A Loggers T-shirt stretches out across her chest. I’ve now seen her so many different ways, but I have to say, this relaxed look is my favorite.

“Hey.”

I slide into the booth across from her.

“Hey. Thanks for coming,” she says. “I’m glad we can do this.”

“I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

“About that,” she starts. “What are we?”

“What do you want to be?”

“Friends?” It comes out as more of a question.

“Only friends?”

“I don’t think we can be anything more right now,” she answers. “You just moved here. Would starting a relationship really be the smartest thing to do?”

“Right. Friends.” I smile at her. “This might be the weirdest friendship I’ve ever had though.”

“I’m your first friend that you knocked up?”

“Yes,” I deadpan. “I can honestly say it’s never happened before.”

“I guess I should feel special.”

A brief flash of something passes in her eyes before it’s gone.

“You two are back.” The waitress from the other night walks up to our table. “Everything okay at home?”

“Home?” I ask.

“I said you had to get home to your son the other night,” Georgia responds.

“Oh, yeah. Teenagers, you know.”

She shakes her head. “My kids are grown. Glad those days are behind me.”

I wince. “Mine is fourteen. I’m in the thick of it.”

She pats me on the shoulder. “Good luck. That’s all I can say.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, the usual tonight, Georgia?”

“That’d be great, Amy. And an extra side of home fries too.”

“You got it. For you?”

This Amy person turns her attention to me.

“I’ll take the chocolate chip and banana stack with a side of bacon and a Coke, please.” I smile up at her and hand the plastic menu back to her.

“Good choice,” Georgia says. “The chocolate chip are amazing.”

“Why didn’t you get them then?” I cross my arms and lean back in the booth.

“Because the Nutella and banana pancakes are even better.” The corner of her mouth quirks up.

“Care to share them when they come?”

“Hmm, maybe.” Georgia’s blue eyes rake over me, and I notice the way they linger over my biceps.

I grabbed the first clean shirt hanging in my closet. It definitely shows off some of my finer assets. I like that she’s looking.

“Maybe? Why only maybe?”

“Since we’re here to get to know one another, I’ll share a bite for everything you share about yourself.”

I grin at her. “Then I guess I already get a bite.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I told you about my son.” I cock a brow at her. “That’s sharing something.”

“I feel like that’s too easy. I already knew this about you.”

“You didn’t say it had to be hard. If you want hard, I’ll tell you all about parenting a teenage boy.”

Her eyes go wide. “Okay, maybe let’s not go that hard. I don’t want to be scared off of my kid before he’s even here.”

“He?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I have a feeling.”

“Will you be upset if it’s a girl?” I ask.

“Oh, not at all. Being a girl, I know how to handle one.”

“Then you’ll need to teach me a thing or two in that case,” I say.

Our drinks are dropped off and Amy smiles at us before leaving.

Georgia stabs her straw against the table and pulls it out of the wrapper before putting it in her drink. Her fingers toy with the trash. “This is weird, right?”

I sip my own drink, letting the bubbles soothe the nerves I’m feeling. “Yeah.”

“Is it going to get easier?”

“Once we get to know each other? I think so. Why don’t you tell me where you grew up?” I ask.

“Born and raised in Pinecrest. I’ve never lived anywhere else other than during college. Where’d you move from?”

“LA.”

“That’s quite the change.”

“It’s nice being able to get across town in ten minutes.”

Georgia smiles at me. “I visited LA once after college. I liked it, but home is in Pinecrest.”

I nod. “Hopefully I’ll get there soon. Me and Luke.”

“I don’t think I met him.”

“If you did, I’m sorry.” I laugh.

“Why sorry?”

“Because if he was one of the kids that ruined your dress, I’ll feel bad.”

“We at least know one thing we won’t let our kid do.”

“Play baseball or spill spaghetti on people?”

“The spaghetti one. Although, I’m sure he’ll make a mess of himself trying to eat it.” She laughs.

“And in turn, you. The joys of parenthood,” I say. “I’m hoping they’ll want to at least try baseball.”

“I take it Luke isn’t interested?”

“God, no.” I wince. “He’s been buried in his phone or video games since we got to town.”

“I don’t think I was a lot of fun at fourteen either.”

“Really? I can’t imagine that.”

“I mean, are any teenagers fun? Too many hormones and pimples to deal with. He’ll come around,” Georgia says.

Two heaping plates of food are dropped off. My mouth waters at the stack of pancakes, oozing with chocolate. “Damn. This looks delicious.”

Georgia is already cutting into her pancakes and stuffing her mouth. The moan that escapes is borderline indecent. It shouldn’t have my dick perking up and taking notice, but it does.

“I know I said I’d share, but I don’t know if I can.”

I shovel a piece in my mouth and fuck, I agree. These are just as good as she said they would be.

“Maybe we should make this place a weekly date.”

“I thought we decided on being friends,” Georgia says.

“Like a get to know each other kind of thing,” I clarify. “I don’t think we can learn everything about each other in one night.”

She grabs the napkin and wipes her mouth. “I have my first appointment next week. Why don’t we start there?”

“Okay. Send me the details. I’ll make it work.”

Georgia smiles. “I will.”

“Tell me something you’re scared of,” I say, going back to our earlier conversation.

“Again with the hard questions.” She shakes her head. “Failing my students. I never want them to leave feeling worse than when they came. Their life is already hard enough, and I don’t want to add to it.”

Smiling at her, I lean back in the booth and cross my arms. “You already sound like you’ll be a good mom. Worried about kids that aren’t even yours.”

“What about you? What are you scared of?”

“Same as you, except my own kid. Some days I’m worried he hates me and will end up resenting me and the move and never want to talk to me again.”

Georgia gives me a sympathetic look. “Seems like we’re in the same boat.”

“It does. We should really move on to something easier.”

“Favorite food then,” she fires at me.

“At this very moment? These pancakes. You?”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve tried these new buffalo burgers that Rex makes up at the ranch. They’re my favorite. Add in some sweet potato fries with this cinnamon dipping sauce and it’s perfection.”

The smile that lights up her face is, well, it’s adorable. There’s no other way to describe it.

“I guess you’ll have to invite me out to the ranch sometime to try them.”

“Maybe we can make that another one of our getting to know each other nights,” she says.

I take my last bite before setting my fork on my plate.

“Works for me. I need to figure out how to break the news to Luke.”

“Do you want me to be there with you?” she asks. “I can if you want, but not if you think it’ll make things harder.”

“I don’t know if I should break it to him beforehand, or if having you there will help. He’s so damn moody lately, that I don’t know what his reaction is going to be.”

“Do you think there is any chance he will be happy?”

Georgia sounds worried, and I don’t blame her.

“It might take him a while to get there, but I would hope so. Before my ex and I got divorced, he always wanted a sibling.”

“Maybe it’ll be the thing that turns his mood around.”

“One can hope.” I laugh. “I have a feeling he’ll like you though.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I like you.”

Her cheeks pink up at my words. Those same feelings I felt that night a couple of months back still swirl in my chest.

There’s something about Georgia that’s different. A part of her feels closed off to others.

“I kind of like you too,” she says.

“Only kind of?” I smirk.

“Considering my knowledge of you is mostly limited to what you can do in the bedroom⁠—”

“Then you should definitely really like me,” I interrupt.

“You also showed up tonight, so you get more points there.”

I point a finger at her. “Okay, if we’re going to be keeping score, I have to start at least at one hundred points.”

Laughter bursts out of her. “Wow. You think really highly of your skills, Grant.”

I cock a brow at her, dropping my voice an octave. “What can I say? I think you’re impressed by my skills.”

“I don’t recall. My memory is fuzzy.”

I lean closer to her, as close as I can with a laminate table between us. “Are you saying you need a refresher? I’d be happy to oblige, Cowgirl.”

Her cheeks blush to the color of a tomato. What I wouldn’t give to see that all over her. To have her splayed out beneath me as I pound into her.

Yup, not a thought I should be having in the middle of the Pinecrest Pancake Emporium.

“You are treading into dangerous territory, Grant.”

“Fine.” I give in. “We’ll ignore the fact of what you really want and get the check.”

“And see each other next week at the doctor’s office.”

Her tone says that it’s a safe place to be. That she won’t have to think about what she really wants from me.

Only friends.

That’s a subject we’ll have to discuss later. Sure, this might not be what I thought was going to happen when I moved here, but I can’t say I’m all that upset that it brought us back together again.

In fact, I’m looking forward to spending more time with her. Because any second I get with her will never be wasted.

Chapter Twelve

GRANT

“Do you want to come with me to the ballpark after lunch today? Supposed to be a nice day.”

Luke shovels more of his scrambled eggs into his mouth. “No.”

“You sure? I don’t think you’ve been outside since we got here,” I comment.

He casts an annoyed glare my way before finishing his breakfast and dropping his plate into the sink. I really should be used to the cold shoulder by now, but all it does it cause my annoyance to grow this morning.

I can’t say that it’s his fault.

My first stop this morning on my way to work is what’s causing me stress.

An appointment with Georgia at her doctor’s office. Because she’s pregnant. That’s taking a lot to wrap my mind around.

Moving to Pinecrest was one thing. A new job? I can handle that. But a baby?

That’s going to take some getting used to.

I thought those days were long behind me. I’ve hunkered down to prepare for the moody teen years, but not the teething years again.

Grabbing my keys and my travel mug of coffee, I shout goodbye to Luke—lost in the drone of his video games downstairs—and head out.

The one nice thing about Pinecrest is how close everything is. If this were LA, it could take me well over an hour to get to the appointment. Here? Five minutes and I’m pulling into the parking lot.

Georgia is standing outside, pacing back and forth.

Even from here, she looks as sexy as I remember. In a pair of jeans and a buttoned-up flannel shirt, her blonde hair is pulled back. Her eyes are hidden beneath a pair of dark sunglasses.

Stepping out of the car, I walk over to meet her.

“Hey.”

That startles her. “Oh, hi.”

“Are you okay?”

She sways her head back and forth, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head. “Honestly? I have no idea. You?”

I scrub a hand over the back of my head.

“Same. Didn’t think this is how I was going to see you again.”

That earns me a half-smile. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am glad you’re here with me.”

I reach out and squeeze her bicep. It’s the briefest of touches, but I feel it everywhere. Based on the way her eyes are locked on to my hand, she felt it too. But we don’t have time to worry about that as she spins on her cowboy boot and heads into the office.

A few people are sitting in the waiting room as Georgia goes to check in. Pictures of happy babies and families line the walls. The clean, antiseptic smell permeates the room.

I drop into a plastic seat in the back corner and wait as Georgia comes to sit next to me. Her knee is bouncing right next to mine.

“It’s going to be okay,” I say, placing a hand over her leg.

“Sorry.” She winces.

“Don’t apologize.”

“It’s just…” She shoves a hand through her hair. “I’ve never done this before.”

“If it helps, I haven’t done it in over fourteen years, so I have no idea what to expect.”

She spins and faces me, her knee brushing against mine. “You don’t?”

I shake my head. “I have no idea what’s changed since my son was born. I’d like to say not much, but I really don’t know. We’ll figure it out together.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“What do you mean?”

“Georgia.” A nurse steps into the waiting room and calls us back.

Whatever she was going to say will have to wait. The nurse takes her vitals before showing us into a room.

“There’s a gown you can change into and the doctor will be in to do the ultrasound and get some more information for you.”

“Thank you.”

Georgia smiles at her before she leaves the cold, sterile exam room. I eye Georgia as she starts to unbutton her shirt.

“Yeah, I’ll just…”

I drop down onto the stool and spin around to give her some privacy. It’s not like I haven’t seen it before, but it feels different here.

The ruffling of paper tells me she’s back on the exam table.

“You can look now,” she says.

Turning back to her, there’s now a nervous smile fixed firmly in place.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask.

“I want everything to be okay.”

I hold my hand out to her and she takes it. Her palm is warm and calloused. Probably from riding.

“Squeeze if you need anything, okay?”

The door opens and an older woman with graying hair walks in. “Hi, Georgia. I’m Doctor Rhodes and I’ll be doing your ultrasound today. Based on the information you gave the nurse, it looks like your due date is the fifth of January.”

“Okay.” Georgia squeezes my hand and I squeeze back.

“I’m sure you’re ready to see your baby, but I warn you, it’s a vaginal ultrasound and it can be a bit cold.”

She gloves up and moves the monitor closer to the table as Georgia gets her feet in the stirrups.

“Oh,” Georgia gasps as she starts the procedure.

But I don’t notice as the sound of the heartbeat echoes through the room.

“Holy shit.”

“That’s a strong heartbeat,” the doctor says. She clicks on the monitor. “Now, let’s see what we find.”

Georgia’s grip is tight on mine as we stare at the fuzzy screen. I’m not sure what I’m looking at until the doctor points out a small shape, about the size of a lime.

Holy shit. That’s my baby. I’m in awe as I stare at the screen.

“You’re right at twelve weeks, and everything looks good so far. I’ll get you started on some prenatal vitamins to help, and I want to make sure you stick to a healthy diet.”

“I can do that,” Georgia agrees.

“What is it you do for a living?” the doctor asks.

“I’m a hippotherapist.”

The doctor nods like she knows exactly what that is. I’m guessing it’s a nicer version of what Georgia told me when we first met. Not quite the cowgirl description she gave me.

“I tell most of my patients that horseback riding is off-limits, but if you are comfortable riding and can take it easy, I don’t see why you couldn’t keep riding.”

“That’s safe?” I ask.

The doctor nods. “As a therapist, she has knowledge of how her horses behave, and if they are well-mannered, I don’t see it as a safety concern. Now, if you’re trying to break in a young horse, I do not want you doing that. But an easy walk would be okay.”

My attention turns back to Georgia, and there is relief on her face. “I’ll play it by ear and see how I feel. I don’t want to put the baby in danger.”

I squeeze her hand. “I trust you.”

“I’ll print some pictures for you both, and then you can get out of here and enjoy your day.” She smiles at both of us. “Congratulations.”

Georgia and I leave the office in a blur, but it’s only when we’re back outside in the bright sun that I remember our conversation from earlier.

“What did you mean in there? Before we got called back,” I ask.

She fiddles with the keys in her hands. “I’m giving you an out. I know this isn’t what you signed up for, so if you don’t want to help, you don’t have to.”

“Did you sign up for this?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, trying not to let my annoyance show.

“Well, no, not exactly.”

“Then why would I get an out if you don’t have one?” I take another step closer. “Because I don’t need an out, Georgia. I’m here. You and me. We’ll do this together.”

Her eyes glass over before she blinks and it’s gone. “Okay.”

“Now, about telling people.”

She barks out a laugh. “The people I love know. Everyone else in town will know by lunchtime.”

“Seriously?”

She nods. “Yup. You can’t do anything subtly in a small town. Oh, that Georgia Halliwell. Did you see she was at the OB’s office?”

“Damn.” I let out a low whistle. “Okay then.”

“We will give them plenty to talk about these next few months.”

“As long as Luke hears it from me.”

“Have you decided on how you want to tell him?” she asks.

It shouldn’t make my heart swell as much as it does that she’s concerned about him. She might have this whole mother thing down already.

“Does your offer still stand on being there to tell him?”

Georgia steps closer, resting her hand on my arm. “Of course.”

I ignore the zap of heat that hits me at the brief contact. I should pull away, but it helps settle the nerves inside of me.

Because having to tell my son that I’m having a baby isn’t an easy thing to stomach.

“When’s your next free night? Maybe we can do it then.”

“Friday,” she answers. “You’re not worried he’s going to find out?”

I shake my head. “Again, that would require him coming out of his room. I got him a new gaming system when we got here, so that’s taken all of his brain cells at the moment.”

Georgia groans. “Oh, God. Are we going to have to worry about that with our kid?”

“Not for a long time.” I laugh.

“Good. At least that’s one thing I won’t have to stress about.” She opens her truck door and hops in, rolling the window down. “Want to do dinner on Friday and we can tell Luke then?”

I blow out a breath. “That sounds good. I’ll text you the details.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you around, Grant.”

“See you, Georgia.”

I watch as she pulls out of the parking lot and disappears down the road. The paper in my pocket feels heavy. The first picture of my new kid. I pull it out of my pocket and tuck it into the slot in my visor mirror and push it back up.

This isn’t exactly the fresh start I was hoping for. I have no fucking idea how I’m going to break it to Luke that I’m having a kid with a woman I barely know.

Seriously, dad of the year right here.

Chapter Thirteen

GRANT

Tonight is the big night. I wish I weren’t so nervous, but I’m worried about how Luke is going to take the news. I don’t want him to think I don’t love him. Usually kids are excited when their parents have more kids, but with a woman I barely know? This is a completely different story.

After a good day at the baseball field, my mind was feeling more calm and clear, but now that I’m home again, my nerves are back.

Luke is still downstairs in his room while I finish dinner. Less chance of being annoyed with me if he can play video games longer.

The fragrant smell of simmering garlic fills the kitchen. My homemade gnocchi is one of Luke’s favorites, and I hope Georgia will love it too.

I take one last taste of the sauce before a knock sounds at the front door. Georgia is standing there when I swing it open. She’s wearing a short black T-shirt dress that skims her knees and a pair of cowboy boots.

She looks damn sexy in them.

“Hey,” she says, drawing my attention back up to her face.

“Hey. C’mon in.” I sweep the door open and invite her in.

“Thanks.” She looks around before her eyes settle back over me. “This is a great place.”

“I’m surprised I got it on such short notice,” I say. “Luke has his own space in the basement.”

She smiles at me and I find I really like making her do it. “So he can ignore you in peace?”

“Ouch.” I laugh. “Way to hit below the belt.”

Georgia walks by me into the kitchen, patting my chest. It sends a flurry of emotions coursing through me. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt anything like this. Well, at least since the last time I was with her.

“It smells good in here. What are you making?” She whiffs the pot on the stove.

“Gnocchi. It’s all homemade.”

Her eyes widen as she turns back to me. “Homemade? Wow. Something else I’m learning about you.”

“Which means I get another bite of your pancakes the next time we go.” I wink at her.

“As long as I don’t have to share this, you can have all of my pancakes.”

I laugh. “Duly noted. To keep you happy, make this for you.”

She bats her eyelashes at me. “Italian food is the way to my heart.”

The urge to kiss her is overwhelming. I want to lean over and seal my mouth to hers. I don’t know how someone can be the perfect combination of sexy and adorable, but she is. However, tonight isn’t about us. It’s about breaking the news to Luke.

“The table is already set if you want to eat now.”

“And share our news with Luke?” she asks.

I rub my hands on my pants. My palms are sweaty and the nerves from earlier now seem unbearable. I don’t know if telling him about the divorce was this bad.

“Hey, Luke. Dinner’s ready,” I call out.

He barely looked up when I told him we were having a guest over for dinner. I got a nod in response and that was it.

Stomps sound from the stairs before Luke stands there. His eyes fall to Georgia almost immediately.

“Who’s this?” he asks.

“Manners, c’mon,” I groan. If this is how the whole night is going to go, I’m not looking forward to it.

“Hi, I’m Georgia.”

As nervous as she likely is, she’s handling it a lot better than I am.

“What’s up?” He gives her a nod.

Luke shuffles over to the table and drops down into his usual seat. I pull out a seat for Georgia, and she smiles up at me before I sit down next to her.

“Are you two dating?” Luke asks, gaze flitting back and forth between the two of us. He piles a huge helping of gnocchi onto his plate.

I always make more than necessary because his portions are getting a lot bigger.

“Umm…” Georgia starts.

“We’re not, but we have something we want to tell you,” I say.

“Okay.”

I thought we’d have more time before getting to this subject, but it might be the only opportunity we get. Otherwise I’m likely to blurt it out.

“Georgia and I met a few months ago,” I say.

Luke doesn’t say anything, but is eating his dinner.

“I was there the night of the wedding,” Georgia clarifies. “My friend was the one getting married.”

At that, Luke’s eyes go wide. “Were you spaghetti Betty?”

Georgia laughs. “I had a nickname? That’s rough.”

“I didn’t come up with it,” Luke defends. “It was another one of the teams.”

She points her fork at him. “Well, I’ll give them points for originality. If only Georgia rhymed with spaghetti.”

“Does anything rhyme with Georgia?”

She looks thoughtful for a moment. I don’t want to break this up because I’m thrilled she seems to be connecting with Luke.

“I don’t think there is anything that rhymes with my name.” She laughs. “Luke is an easy one.”

“Just don’t make it puke.”

“Got it.” Georgia smiles at him.

“So you two already knew each other before we moved here?” Luke asks.

“We do,” I say. “We met the night of the wedding and we bumped into each other at the store again when we got to town.”

“But you’re not dating?” Now he looks confused.

Here we go. Time to rip the Band-Aid off.

“No, but we are going to be having a baby together.”

Georgia’s hand rests on my knee, giving me a comforting squeeze. At least I know I’m not alone in this.

“A baby,” Luke repeats. “You’re going to have a baby?”

“We are,” Georgia answers, because I’ve apparently lost the ability to speak.

Luke looks back down at his plate, pushing his food around. Shit. He doesn’t look thrilled. I mean, I didn’t expect him to look overjoyed, but at the same time I was hoping for a little something more.

Or maybe this is the new normal with him as a teenage boy.

“I know you’re probably feeling a lot⁠—”

“You have no idea what I’m feeling,” Luke snaps.

“Luke,” I try again but he cuts me off, his voice louder this time.

“You took me away from all of my friends and school and brought me to this hick town all so you could take a new job. And just because Mom decided she wants to travel with her new husband, I couldn’t stay with her. It’s not like I want to be here, and now you’re having a baby with some chick you barely know. I mean, do you even know her last name? She barely knows you and she’s having your baby!”

“That’s enough,” I fire back. Luke is glowering, much like myself. “I get you’re not happy about this, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat Georgia or me with so much disrespect.”

“I don’t care. I hate it here.”

Before I can respond, Luke stomps off to his room. I call after him, but he ignores me.

Fuck. I thought he might react like this, but it still shocked me to hear him voice everything he’s been feeling since we moved.

“How are you feeling?”

Georgia’s voice is soft as her hand rubs soothing circles on my back.

I glance over at her. “I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. I am sorry he said those things about you.”

“I can take it.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You should hear some of the things the kids scream at me when they first come for therapy. It’s not pretty.”

“Still. I’m sorry my son said those things about you.”

“Do you want me to try talking to him? I could try and smooth things over.”

I study her face. Georgia might be the kindest person I’ve met. She definitely has the patience of a saint. I doubt anyone would want to go talk to someone after they yelled at them like that.

“Would it make things worse?” I ask.

Georgia stands and drops a kiss on my forehead. “Give me a few minutes and we’ll see.”

I watch her go, disappearing down the stairs. I hope to God things don’t get worse. Because as it is, they’re pretty terrible.

Even if Georgia comforting me feels so damn good. Her lips on my forehead was the briefest touch, but it felt right. Like she is always supposed to be here.

It shouldn’t. Not when we only just decided to do this parenting thing together.

We should focus on that. Not anything else. Certainly not my feelings toward her.

Those can wait.

Kids first.

If only the rest of me would get the memo.

Chapter Fourteen

GEORGIA

It’s a good thing I deal with moody kids on a daily basis, because otherwise, I would have run screaming from this house.

Luke’s outburst doesn’t surprise me.

I’ve had my fair share of kids screaming at me because families are having kids and them worrying they’ll get moved again. If I can be a safe place for these kids to take out their emotions and feelings, I’ll do it.

Better me than anyone else.

I have experience here. It’s the only reason I’m knocking on Luke’s door.

“Go away, Dad!” he shouts.

“It’s Georgia,” I say, giving him a minute.

Whether he wants to answer is on him. When he does swing the door open, he looks more upset than he was before.

“I don’t want to talk to him,” he says, going back and dropping on his bed.

“I won’t make you.” I walk inside and nod to the desk chair. “Can I sit?”

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes.

I know they only moved here a couple of weeks ago, but this room is about as bland as it could be. There’s nothing on the walls with only a few books on a shelf and that’s it. I know Grant said Luke was having trouble with the move, but it’s pretty obvious he’s not handling it well.

“I’m sorry all of this is happening,” I say. “We didn’t want to spring this on you, but there’s no easy way to tell someone that you’re having a baby.”

Luke turns his head to look at me, but doesn’t say anything.

I continue, “I know it’s hard. You don’t know me, and your dad and I don’t really know each other all that well, but I think if you give it some time, you might like me if you get to know me. Pinecrest, too.”

“This place is as big as my school back home,” he says.

I laugh. “Trust me, I know. Pinecrest is small, but it’s a good town. Have you explored any since you got here?”

“No.”

“I know you’ve been to the ranch,” I say. “Did you like it out there?”

“It was fine.”

“I work in the barn there with horses. I’m a hippotherapist.”

“A what?” He snorts.

“Hippotherapist. I work with children who need therapy and we do it with horses. It’s mostly with foster kids now.”

“But why’s it called hippotherapy? Why not just a horse therapist?”

“Hippo is the Greek word for horse,” I tell him.

“Not the first time someone’s asked you that then,” he grumbles.

“No.”

I smile, even though he’s not looking at me. At least we’re getting somewhere.

“How’d you get into it?” He’s still looking at the ceiling.

“I worked at the ranch in high school and loved the horses. I knew it’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

I don’t need to get into the harder details of my childhood and teen years in Pinecrest. He already has enough on his plate to deal with. He doesn’t need me trauma dumping my past.

“That’s cool.”

“I love it. I do a lot of therapy with kids who need help expressing their emotions.”

That gets me a side-eye. “Is that why my dad told you to come down here?”

“Nope. I wanted to check on you, but if you’re interested, you can come out to the barn and go riding sometime. I’m always out there.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He’s not looking at me, but that’s okay. I’ve piqued his interest enough that he may actually agree to this. “Your dad will have to bring you out, but I have a feeling you might like it.”

“Okay.”

I stand to go. “Think about it. I’m free on Monday and I know there’s no practice for the Loggers.”

“Georgia?” he calls out when I have one foot out the door. “I’m sorry I said those things about you. I just…”

I nod. “I know. It’s okay. This is a lot to handle. You’re going through a lot of changes right now.”

He snorts. “You sound like the puberty video we had to watch in health class.”

I throw my hands up. “That’s out of my wheelhouse, Luke. But moving to a new school and town? It’s a lot for anyone to take, and then we drop this news on you? I don’t blame you for freaking out.”

“Thanks.”

I point a finger at him. “But you will need to apologize to your dad too.”

“Ugh. I know.” He collapses back on the bed. “I’ll do it later.”

“He loves you, you know. When I first told him I was pregnant, you were his first concern.”

“No way.”

“You were. He loves you, Luke; don’t ever doubt that.”

With those parting words, I head back upstairs. Dinner is put away and Grant is out on the patio, a beer in hand.

I step through the open French doors and stand beside him.

“How’d it go?” he asks. “Or do I even want to know?”

“He’s upset, but I think he’ll be okay by tomorrow.”

“No fucking way,” Grant says. “The last time he yelled at me like that was when I told him we were moving here and he didn’t talk to me for a week.”

I lean against the railing, my arm brushing against his. I ignore how good it feels. How it spreads warmth through me that has nothing to do with the warm summer night.

“I might have told him that he could come out to the barn and go riding.”

Grant smiles at me. “Is that how you convince people to like you? Bribe them with horses?”

“No.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Queenie is very good at sensing emotions and is good with kids. It helps to calm them down, and when they’re calm, they feel safe talking to you. I think it could be really good for Luke. Help him process everything he’s feeling.”

“Damn.” He lets out a whistle and sips his beer. “Note to self on how to get him to talk to me next time.”

“He did apologize to me, and I told him he also has to apologize to you.”

“Wow.” He stares at me, brown eyes fixed on mine, like he can’t quite believe me.

“What? I wasn’t going to let him get away with not apologizing to you too.”

“I know, but I don’t think he’s ever apologized to me,” Grant says. “He moped around the house before we left and then one day he asked for a snack and that was that.”

I burst out laughing. “Is that how families do it these days? No one actually apologizes—you just ask about food and move on?”

“More or less.” The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Works for the two of us.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn about being a part of a family,” I mutter, more to myself than anything.

“You don’t have any family?” Grant asks.

Of course he heard that.

I pat him on the shoulder. “A story for another day.”

It doesn’t look like my words appease him, but he takes it. My guess is he’s still reeling from how the conversation with Luke went down earlier.

“I’m sorry tonight didn’t go better,” he says. “I really thought he’d handle it better.”

I bump his shoulder with mine. “Give it time. I think he’ll come around.”

“And if not?”

I smile at him. “If not, there’s always horses.”

Chapter Fifteen

GRANT

“Have you ever been riding before, Dad?” Luke asks.

He tears off a bite of the jerky he’s eating.

“Not once in my life have I ever ridden a horse.” I laugh, turning down the main road the ranch is on. We pass under a sign reading The Lost Spur.

It’s a lot different from the last time we were here. Everything was covered in snow. Now it’s the perfect summer day.

“You haven’t?” he asks, looking over at me, finishing his snack.

I got an apology the morning after Georgia came over. He was up early and made breakfast before I got my run in. It was as simple as “I made eggs, sorry, Dad” and that was it. The fact that I even got an apology is more than I’ve gotten in the past, so I didn’t push it.

“I don’t know if you know this about your old man, but there’s not many places to ride in LA.”

“Might’ve interfered with baseball,” he says.

“That’s all I wanted to do at your age.” I follow the signs that point toward the barn as I drive down a dirt path, lined with pine trees. “Have you thought any more about joining a team here?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not really my thing.”

“That’s fine, but you might need to do something so you’re not in your room all the time.”

“Daaaad,” he groans.

“Fine, fine. Just think about it.”

“I’m not in my room right now.”

I roll my eyes because it’s the exact kind of thing I would have said at his age.

The main barn comes into view. I can see why Georgia loves it out here. The barn’s main doors are thrown wide open with people coming and going. With the sprawling grassy fields and blue skies, it’s like this is pulled straight from a postcard.

Pulling the truck to a stop, I hop out and Luke follows a few steps behind me. Horses are out in the fenced-in pasture, and the woman who I’ve had a hard time not thinking about is standing next to a horse with a gleaming tan coat.

I couldn’t care less about the horse. Not when Georgia is looking sexy as hell right now. The jeans she’s wearing show off her curvy hips. A cowboy hat rests on her head, and she’s wearing those boots. Those damn cowboy boots I’ve had far too many dreams about. I wouldn’t mind seeing her in that and only that.

I push those thoughts to the back of my head as she waves us over. A smile splits her face. It doesn’t help the little problem I have. I need to keep my feelings for her under control. Between Luke, the baby, the move, and a new job, it’s not like I don’t have enough to focus on. I don’t need to be falling for my baby’s mother. Jesus, even saying that still sounds foreign to my ears.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Georgia,” Luke says.

“Hi.” I smile over at her.

“Are you excited for today?” she asks Luke.

“I mean, kind of. I’ve never been around horses before.”

She smiles at him. And again, there goes those weird feelings bubbling up inside of me.

“I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. If you’re nervous about anything, tell me, okay?”

“Okay.” He nods.

Georgia pats the horse in front of her. “This is Frito and⁠—”

“Wait, his name is Frito? Like the chip?” Luke asks.

She laughs. “Yes. Frito here is one of our newer horses we just got and the barn manager let his son name him.”

“And he named him Frito?” I ask.

“Max was eating Fritos at the time and thought he would like them so he snuck him a few chips, and he thought it was hilarious and that’s how the name stuck.”

Luke turns to look at the two of us. “Promise me you won’t name the baby Pringle or Dorito.”

“Oh my God.” Georgia doubles over in laughter.

“Damn.” I let out a low whistle. “There go the top two baby names.”

“Hey, I have to look out for this baby,” Luke says. “People name their kids weird things these days.”

Georgia pats him on the shoulder once she’s done laughing. “I promise, we’ll name him something normal.”

“It’s a boy?” Luke questions.

“We don’t know yet,” I say.

“I just say he,” Georgia tells him. “Makes it more real. But enough about the baby. Want to get started?”

“Yeah,” he says.

Georgia hops over the fence to lead Frito into the barn, and the two of us head inside to meet her.

“Grant, if you want to sit in the bleacher seats, we can do our thing out here,” Georgia instructs.

“Already trying to get rid of me?” I wink at her.

“Stop it.” A blush creeps up her cheeks as she shoves me away.

I find an empty spot to watch them as Georgia starts her lesson with Luke. He’s smiling at her as she instructs him on how to brush Frito.

It’s such a small thing, but Luke looks happy. It’s been a while since he’s been interested in anything. Even with the baseball team, his interest was waning toward the end. Horses weren’t an option for us. I never would have even thought about it before coming here.

It makes me feel like a shit dad because I don’t know what my kid likes. Well, aside from video games.

Thank God for Georgia, because if it weren’t for her, he’d probably still be moping in the house.

Georgia is not only gentle with Luke but with the horse too. She knows exactly what she’s doing to put Luke at ease. They’re smiling and laughing when someone brings a saddle over to them.

All of Georgia’s moves seem like second nature as she shows Luke exactly what to do.

“Hey, Dad. Georgia says if it’s okay with you, I can ride Frito,” Luke calls over to me.

I shake the thoughts from my head. “Sure thing, bud.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Even from here, I can see his smile. Okay, maybe I am doing something right. Which makes me feel better about the new baby coming.

Georgia hands Luke a helmet and helps him secure it before instructing him on how to get up on the horse. He looks nervous, but Georgia helps him through it before she starts to lead him around the ring. A few others are also in here—probably more people taking lessons.

I watch with a careful eye as they keep doing laps. With each loop they make, Luke seems more relaxed up there. When they make another turn in my direction, a smile is lighting up Luke’s face.

Holy shit. He really likes this. This whole time I’ve been trying to get him into baseball because I love it so much, but he seems to be taking to riding.

Georgia smiles at me as they pass and I give a quick nod in return. I don’t want Luke to see that I’m aware of how much he is enjoying this. If I’m overly supportive, it might scare him off. And forget encouraging him—he’ll never want to come back out here if I do that.

Kids these days.

Georgia gives Luke a few more pointers on how to ride before taking a few steps back and letting him take the reins.

“How does it feel, Luke?” she asks.

“I feel good.”

“Great. Take your time, and if Frito starts to go too fast for you, just pull back on the reins like I showed you.”

“Okay.”

Someone else takes Georgia’s spot before she comes over to take a seat next to me.

“I’m only sitting here because another instructor is with him,” she says.

“I know. I wasn’t questioning your ability. You’ve gotten him to show more interest in this than I have in anything in the last few months.”

“He seems to like it,” Georgia says.

“Probably because you’re doing it and not me. Does that say a lot about me as a parent?” I ask.

“Relax.” She nudges her shoulder with mine. “I’m not going to judge your parenting skills based on what your teenager likes.”

“You think our kid is going to be difficult?”

I look down at her stomach. There’s no obvious sign she’s pregnant yet. We talk daily, and so far with the pregnancy, she’s not feeling too terrible.

“Honestly? I have no idea what to expect. I never thought I’d have kids at all.”

“Really? But you’re so good with them,” I say.

“I’ve always liked being Aunt Georgia.”

“But never Mom?”

“That’s a story for another time.” She brushes me off. “If you want to keep bringing Luke out here for more lessons, I’ll be happy to teach him. He’s a natural at it.”

“You’d really do that for my stubborn-ass kid?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says, looking at me. There’s a fire in her deep blue eyes. “Not only are we going to be a part of each other’s lives, but I’m going to be a part of Luke’s and he’ll be a part of mine. So if this is a way to get to know him better and bond with him, I’m happy to do it.”

Fuck me. Why does this woman know exactly what to say to get me to fall for her? I’m not supposed to do this. We said we’d only be friends. This would be an entirely different situation if it were just the two of us. But it’s not. I have Luke to worry about. She’s only interacted with him a couple of times, but she’s already thinking about him and including him in things.

I tried dating after the divorce, but it never worked out. The minute I told women I had a kid—a preteen at the time—they ran the other way. And fast.

I don’t even know what to say to her.

“Okay.” It’s all I can muster.

“Good.” She pats me on the knee. “I’m going to go round him up and get Frito back to his stall and we’ll call it a day.”

“Sounds good to me,” I say.

Seeing Luke happy makes me happy. It’s the first time I’ve seen a real smile from him since we moved here, and it’s all because of Georgia.

She keeps saying she never planned on having kids, hinting about her past, but she’s a natural with Luke. I know she’s going to be the same with our kid.

And the smile that’s been affixed on her face? I hope our kid looks like her.

I have no idea what the two of us are going to be or what the future holds, but I’m glad that we get to be a part of each other’s lives.

Because Georgia? She is someone I want to keep falling for.

Chapter Sixteen

GEORGIA

Grant

How are you feeling today?

Georgia

Good

How are you feeling?

Still no morning sickness?

Knock on wood, no

Damn, you’re lucky

Are we still on for tonight?

You want to try a new place, or still the Emporium?

Emporium

I told Luke I’d bring him some of those chocolate chip pancakes

What a good dad smiling face

I’m glad you think that makes me a good dad winking face

I’ve got a long day of classes and rides, so I’ll see you there

Can’t wait

Thinking about seeing Grant carries me through my morning lessons. It’s only been a few sessions with Maddie, but I can see her confidence starting to grow around the horses. She’s opening up more to me, and Janice has commented that she’s improving in her new home.

That’s the kind of thing I love hearing. I know how hard it is to adjust, especially when you aren’t placed in a good home. But her foster parents adore her and are hoping to adopt her.

She’s one lucky girl to have found such a good home.

Between typing up my notes from lessons this morning and rides later this afternoon, I keep scrawling away on my list for the baby.

Nine months doesn’t seem like a lot of time to get everything done, and I’m already down to far less time than that.

Nursery.

Clothes.

Diapers.

Wipes.

Bottles.

Car seat.

The list feels endless. I know I’m not alone, but I want to prove to Grant that I’m not completely helpless. I doubt he thinks that, but having felt helpless so many times growing up, being prepared makes me feel better.

I’m so thankful that I have him, because as much as I said I was okay doing this alone, I’m glad I don’t have to.

He doesn’t give himself enough credit. When he brought Luke out to the barn, I could hear how much Luke loved his dad. Even if it was in his own teenager way.

The thought of Grant with our kid does funny things to my insides. Of him teaching them to play baseball. Making them breakfast. Playing in the backyard.

The thought of him does funny things to me. I don’t know if it’s my hormones or what, but I can’t help daydreaming about Grant. And those thoughts usually stray into dangerous territory.

I have to keep reminding myself that we said friends only.

Because the thoughts I’m having about Grant are very unfriend-like. Friends don’t have dreams about the other giving them orgasms.

Nope.

Definitely don’t need to be thinking about that.

“Hey, G.”

I startle, pen flying across my desk.

“Hey, Joey.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve got quite the look on your face.” She points to me. “Thinking about your baby daddy by chance?”

“What are you doing out here?” I ignore her question.

I do not want to get into a discussion about my lack of sex with Grant when all I want is to, well, have sex with him again.

“Brought out lunch for y’all.”

“And seeing Sam while you’re at it.” I smile at her.

“I hope to see a lot of him.” She waggles her brows at me.

“Joey!” I hiss.

“What?” She shrugs a shoulder. “If you worked with Grant, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t want to have a quickie with him.”

“We’re not actually having sex, Joey,” I say.

“What? Why not?” She drops down into the chair at the end of my desk and pins me with a fierce look. “I’ve seen what he looks like. Why are you not climbing him like a tree?”

“Because we said we’d only be friends.”

“That was dumb.” Joey rolls her eyes at me.

“Wouldn’t that complicate things between the two of us though?”

Joey leans across the desk and grabs my hand. “Things are about as complicated between you and Grant as they could get and you’re making it work. You’re both adults. You don’t have to be just friends if you don’t want to.”

“Sex brings feelings, and feelings make things messy and complicated. I don’t want him to run off because it becomes too much.”

Joey gives me the look I’ve seen from all my friends when they worry about me because I’ve never wanted a relationship. “It’s a risk we all take when we’re in a relationship. You have to decide if he’s worth it. You’re not going to abandon your baby, and I don’t think he will either. Give yourself more credit. You didn’t have it easy growing up, but maybe Grant is going to be the person to give you what you never had.”

“What’s that?”

“A family.”

I squeeze her hand, trying to come up with something to say, but I can’t.

Sam saves me.

“Hey, darlin’.” He gives her a kiss that has me looking away. “Thanks for lunch.”

“Anything for you.”

“Would you two get a room?” I groan.

“Gladly.” Joey pats me on the shoulder. “Think about what I said, babe. It’d be good for you.”

“Get out of here.” I laugh, shaking my head as Joey scurries after Sam.

There might be some merit to what Joey said. Grant’s shown up for me more than any other person in my life besides my girlfriends. I know they’re not going anywhere. We’re family. We’ll be in each other’s lives forever.

So why can’t I have that with Grant? Saying we’re friends is easier. It’s not risking my heart. Doing that might be even scarier than having a baby.

I don’t want another person to leave me. I already know if Grant left me, I wouldn’t survive it.

Better to be friends and lock my heart up tight.

No matter what.

Chapter Seventeen

GEORGIA

“Hi. Sorry I’m late.”

I slide into the booth across from Grant, a smile fixed firmly in place.

“It’s okay. I figured you were busy.”

“I know, but I don’t like keeping you waiting.”

“Cowgirl, I’d wait forever for you if I had to.”

I grab the menu to hide the flush creeping up my cheeks. He doesn’t need to know the effect his words have on me.

“The rides ran long this afternoon,” I tell him.

“And you rode? You felt okay?” he asks, pulling the menu out of my hands.

“I did. I took it easy just like the doctor said and no issues. I don’t know how much longer I’ll keep doing them.”

“Will you be able to keep teaching your students?”

“Yes.” I nod. “I can do that without riding, so they’ll be in good hands. Sam is already talking about hiring more people, so they can fill in for me while I’m gone.”

“Good.”

I reach across the table and drop my hand on his arm. His hand closes over mine and the contact settles every single emotion swimming inside of me. I can’t tear my eyes away from where his thumb is rubbing soothing circles on my wrist.

“I promise, I’m being safe. I’m not taking any unnecessary risks.”

“I know. I trust you.”

Amy approaches to take our order, and I slide my hands back across the table.

“I heard the good news. Congrats,” Amy says, turning her attention to Grant. “Assuming you’re the dad?”

“I am.” He smiles at her. “I’m Grant.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Amy. Pancakes are on the house tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Grant says.

“Please. It’s the least we can do for our Georgia. Banana and Nutella?”

“I’m going to mix it up tonight and go with the banana and walnut,” I answer.

“Then I’ll do the banana and Nutella,” Grant says, “and a Coke to drink. I’ll also need a to-go order for chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Got it. Lemonade for you?” Amy asks me.

“Please.”

“I’ll be back. I can’t wait for your little one. They are going to be adorable.”

She smiles to herself as she goes to place our order.

“You know, I’m surprised no one has commented before now,” I say.

“Really?”

“I’ve been pretty busy at the barn, and they know since I work there.”

“Just wait until you go to the grocery store.” Grant laughs.

“Does that mean you want to come with me?”

“As long as we don’t go crashing into any beans. Do you know how gross those were to clean out of my shoes?” He shudders. “Not something I want a repeat of.”

“Duly noted. I’m sure you could help me tackle the list of what we need for the baby.”

“You’re already making a list?”

“What?” I shrug a shoulder as our drinks are dropped off. “I want to be prepared.”

“Tell me what’s on it.”

“Are you going to make fun of me?” I ask.

“No. But I want to know what’s already worrying you so I can try and help,” he says.

I eye him warily before pulling the list out of my pocket and smoothing it out on the table and passing it over to him.

“You know we’re going to have to decide on what kind of diapers we want. And formula.”

“We do?” I ask, sipping my lemonade. The blend of tart and sweet is exactly what I’ve been craving.

“There’s cloth diapers, organic, regular.” He ticks each kind off on his fingers. “You could go any direction.”

“Are the cloth kind the ones you always have to wash?”

He nods. “Yes. I don’t recommend them.”

“Eww, no. What’d you use for Luke? Or should I just search online?”

“The Internet is going to have a million opinions on what you should do. I say maybe don’t go down that rabbit hole yet.”

“Fine. I promise not to search the Internet for opinions on diapers.”

“Or formula,” Grant points out. “Or bottles or the best kind of fabric for kids. No searching, Georgia. I mean it.”

“I won’t.” It’s weak, but I’m hoping he won’t notice.

He snorts. “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Is this a super spidey parent sense I don’t have?”

Resting my elbow on the table, I drop my cheek to my fist and stare at him. At the easy smile that sits on his face.

Damn, he really is sexy. No matter how many times we come here—we’ve been doing these get to know you dates for a few weeks now—he really is delicious to look at.

“That and it’s easy to tell when you’re lying.”

“You shouldn’t be able to know that so soon.”

“I can’t help it if you’re an open book, Cowgirl.”

“Really? No one has ever said that about me.”

Grant studies me in a way that makes me want to shift in my seat. I play things close to the vest. I don’t want to tell my sad story to everyone. People in town know because I’ve lived here my whole life, but it’s not like I go telling everyone. I’ve made a good life for myself here. I’ve made it so I’ve never had to rely on anyone.

But Grant is looking at me like he knows what I’m thinking and feeling. It’s unnerving that a man I’ve only known—truly known—for a few weeks is sizing me up like this.

“There’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, Georgia. I know you don’t want to tell me, but eventually you’ll have to.” He sips his drink. “You know, in the interest of the baby.”

“Right. The baby.”

“I mean, I should probably tell you I used to love dropping things on the floor while eating as a toddler because it got attention. My parents loved to remind me of that growing up.”

I smile at him. “Oh, good. We’ll have a kid that will be an attention hog.”

“Our kid is going to be really fucking cute,” Grant says. “I mean, how could they not be?”

“They will be.”

Damn. He really is good at reading me. It’s like he knew I needed the out and steered the conversation back to safer grounds.

“Let’s hope Luke doesn’t teach him bad habits.”

“Isn’t that what siblings are for? To gang up on the parents together?”

Amy drops off our pancakes and my stomach growls. Now that I’m in my second trimester, my hunger seems to have no end.

“I was an only child,” Grant says.

“Me too. At least this kid will have Luke looking out for him,” I say.

“I have to tell you,” Grant starts, “that Luke had a great time out at the ranch. He’s not always the easiest kid, but he really liked riding with you.”

“It was fun to have him out there. It’ll be a great way for the two of us to get to know each other.”

“He’s already talking about getting me out riding.”

“Do you want to try?” I ask.

I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but I’d love to get Grant on a horse. Change out his baseball cap for a cowboy hat? Oh God, that image is too sexy for my own good. Him in either is enough to make a nun want to sin.

I shake those thoughts from my head.

Friends, Georgia. Friends.

“I might be terrible.”

“I doubt that.”

“I don’t think baseball skills transfer to riding.”

“I’ll be the judge.”

The rest of dinner goes by too quickly. But when Grant points out what time it is, the Emporium is empty and we’re the only two people in here.

“Did we really close this place down?” I ask.

Grant fishes three twenties out of his wallet and drops them on the table.

“Thanks, Amy,” he calls out. “Sorry to keep you so long.”

She winks at him. “Anything for my favorite customer.”

“She’s a good one.” Grant wraps an arm around my shoulders and steers me out into the summer night. It’s already dark out. “Hopefully Luke won’t be too upset his pancakes might be cold.”

“Tell him it was my fault,” I say.

“That will definitely get me out of it.” He laughs.

Crickets are chirping as the town is quiet around us. The only place with people milling around outside is The Dusty Spur.

A cool breeze blows down Main Street as Grant walks me to my car. I want to burrow closer into his side. His warmth engulfs me in a way I’ve never felt. Like I’m safe with him.

Will this feeling last?

I want it to, desperately, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. My past tells me otherwise.

Fishing my keys out of my purse, I spin to face Grant.

Before I can thank him for tonight, he’s moving in closer.

“Hey, Georgia.”

“Yeah?”

Even under the harsh light in the parking lot, Grant looks as sexy as ever.

“Want to go out with me?”

“What do you call this?” I smile.

Grant closes the distance between us, resting a hand above my head on my truck. The way he surrounds me is overwhelming in the best way.

Like I’m safe and protected in his arms.

“A real date. Not one where we’re only doing it for the baby.”

His eyes are dark, but there’s wanton need there. For me.

Joey’s words from earlier crash through my mind.

Grant is going to be the person to give you what you never had.

I could play this safe. Say no to him and stay his friend. Stay inside the neatly carved lines of my life. But would I be happy with that?

Grant makes me feel more than any other person ever has before.

“Yes.”

The word slips out before I can stop it. But I don’t want to stop it. I want to do this with him.

“Okay. Why don’t I text you the details? I’ll pick you up.”

A smile creeps across my face. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Grant bends down, dropping a kiss on my cheek. Heat floods my skin where he touches me. It’s like every cell in my body is racing to be in contact with him.

“I’ll see you later, Cowgirl.”

“Count on it.”

Chapter Eighteen

GRANT

“Are you going to be okay on your own this afternoon?” I ask, glugging down my now-cold coffee.

“Dad. I’m fourteen. I’ll be fine.”

Luke is more focused on his phone than he is me. Nothing new.

“Georgia can always come over if you need her to.”

“Daaaad. I don’t need a babysitter.”

I set my mug in the sink and grab my laptop bag. “It’ll make me feel better since I’ll be gone all day. Besides, she’ll make sure you eat something that’s not out of a bag.”

“What’s wrong with potato chips?” he asks.

I stare back at him where he’s scarfing down his cereal. “You need to eat something green.”

“Fine, Dad.”

He’s back to typing away on his phone. “Who are you messaging with?”

“Dad…”

His brown eyes stare back at me like this is the dumbest question I could possibly ask him.

“It’s a perfectly normal thing to ask.”

I get an eye roll. I wonder when those will stop.

“A few friends from back home.”

“How are they doing?” I ask.

“The usual.”

His thumbs tap away a million miles a minute and I have a feeling that’s all I’m going to get out of him.

“Right.”

I hate that he still thinks of LA as home. No matter what I do to try and make this place more homey, he still doesn’t think of Pinecrest that way.

“I’m also talking to Mom.”

“How’s she doing?” I plaster on my best fake nice voice.

“Good.” He looks up at me. “Do you think I can go home and visit soon?”

“Sure,” I say. “Why don’t we look at flying you out there over your fall break.”

“Really?” He lights up at that. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Of course. I told you that you could go back to LA when we moved here.”

“I’ll call Mom later,” he says.

“Great.” I grab my keys from the console table. “I’ve got to get going. Text me if you need anything.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Back to the annoyance in his tone.

I try not to roll my eyes at him as I head out the door. “Bye, Luke!”

I don’t get a response. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s been texting everyone back in LA. It’s not like it’s been easy for him moving in the middle of summer and not having an easy way to make friends.

I’m not going to solve any of his problems today. Not when I have a game I need to focus on this afternoon.

Having a trip to look forward to for Luke might make things easier here. At least I can hope.

By the time I get to the field, all thoughts of home and Luke are pushed from my mind.

Simmons and Gavney are already here.

“Didn’t think you’d make it,” Simmons chirps.

“I was running late and then I started talking to Luke about visiting LA over fall break once school starts,” I say.

“Relax. We’re just giving you shit,” Gavney says.

“Alright. Let’s get everyone out for warm-ups.”

The morning goes by in the blink of an eye as the team gets ready together. Over the last few weeks of my being here, they’ve built on their camaraderie. I love seeing the team come together like this. It’s why I’ve always loved this sport and wanted to coach when it was apparent I wouldn’t make it as a player.

The stands are filled by the time we’re heading out for the game. Thistle Creek’s team is in town today. It’s the perfect afternoon for a game.

Thistle Creek is at bat and our guys are ready and looking good to start the game. It’s an easy three outs for them before we’re up at bat.

The early innings are a lot of back and forth with no runs. It’s not until the fourth inning where things start picking up.

Thistle Creek hits a high fly ball into right field. Our guy is tracking it as it sails perfectly into his glove.

Three outs and now we’re on offense.

Johnson is one of our better batters, and he’s able to get a line drive into left field and get to second base before Banks is up.

He drills the ball deep into center field as our fans start to stand in anticipation. It’s a beauty of a hit. The ball is going, going—it’s gone.

Home run.

“Hell, yeah!”

Our players start cheering as Banks brings our guy home. We’re now up two runs to none.

“Way to go, Banksy!” I clap him on the helmet as he comes into the dugout.

“Thanks, Coach.”

On the next bat, Thistle Creek’s outfielder misses the ball and is scrambling for it before throwing it to second base, but to no avail. Our runner is safe.

We’re able to get one more run before they get us out. It’s more of the same lull in the middle innings with not much happening in the game.

The team is looking strong out there, keeping them at bay and not letting them get home.

It’s late in the eighth inning before we’re finally able to get two more home runs. We shut them out in the top of the ninth for a walk-off win.

“Great job, boys!” I call out, fist-bumping them as they head out of the dugout to the locker room. “I like what I see out there. Let’s keep it up.”

Our fans are cheering as we head off the field and damn, does this feel good.

I wish Georgia could be here to celebrate this win. I know she’s out at the barn, taking every chance with the horses she can. I love how passionate she is about what she does. I think it’s part of why we connected so easily. We both love what we do.

But I’ll see her soon enough.

For a real date.

I’m glad we moved past this whole “let’s be friends” thing. I want more with Georgia.

And I’m finally fucking getting it. I can’t wait.

Chapter Nineteen

GEORGIA

Georgia

You guys

I’m freaking out

Presley

Is everything okay?

Joey

What’s wrong?

Joey

Is it the baby?

What? Why would you think that?

Rylee

Because you’re freaking out

The baby is fine

Grant and I are going on a date

Our first date

Presley

You guys haven’t gone out yet?

Rylee

Wait, Amy said she saw you at the Emporium?

Joey

And I know Sam told me y’all were at the barn together

I mean, yes, we’ve gone out

But that was like getting to know each other because we’re having a baby together

This is a real date

Joey

So none of those were real dates and now you’re freaking out?

Yes!

Keep up!

Rylee

Oooh! You’re freaking out because you like him

Rylee

Like, like like him

Presley

Of course she does

Joey

We knew that based on the fact that she told us about him after they slept together

Presley

But also, isn’t dating getting to know someone?

Presley

How is this your first date?

Rylee

Yeah, isn’t that why you date?

We’ve been discussing the baby

This is the two of us

You know, with feelings

Rylee

God, I love this so much for you

Rylee

It’s about damn time you found someone!

Joey

And you’re nervous as hell

Which is why I’m freaking out!

Rylee

You’ve never been like this with any guy, and I kind of love it for you, babe

Georgia

I’m regretting texting you

Rylee

It’s going to be fine

Joey

I’m with Rylee

Joey

It’s going to be fine

Joey

Grant clearly likes you, so you have nothing to worry about

My worry is that I’m in my second trimester and my belly is starting to pop and I don’t like how I look in anything I own

Presley

When do you want us to come over?

Presley

I have a few cute dresses I can bring

Joey

And your boots will do

Okay, I take back what I said

I’m glad I texted you

Rylee

Can we tell you we’re excited without you freaking out?

Joey

We still need to meet this guy

Presley

Make sure he’s good enough for our girl

Okay, fine

You can tell me here, but no mentioning it when you come over

Rylee

Good, because we’re really excited for you

Joey

Yeah, you’ve never talked about any guy

Presley

So we’re excited to meet him

Presley

Give him the third degree

There will be no questioning of Grant whatsoever or you’re banned from coming over

Presley

You’re no fun

Promise me

Rylee

Fine, I promise

Good

Be here in two hours

Feel free to bring the kids if no one can watch them

Joey

We’ll be there

Setting down my phone, I turn on some music to help calm my nerves. There’s nothing like having friends that have known you your entire life to make you feel loved. Even when they’re ridiculous and want to grill the father of your baby that you’re going on a first date with.

Yeah, still sounds weird to my ears.

I rub a hand over my burgeoning belly. It’s wild that one day my stomach was flat and now there’s the tiniest of bumps.

Not wanting to sit and worry about the date, I start to get ready. I take a long, luxurious shower. The kind where you shave everything and even do a body scrub—because you can. I’m not going to lie; I hope this date leads to more because as much time as Grant and I have spent together at the Emporium over the last few weeks, it’s all seemed pretty platonic since that night back in April. And God, these hormones have really started kicking in because all I want to do is jump the man.

Who could blame me when he looks as good as he does every single day? No man should fill out a baseball shirt the way Grant Prescott does.

As I curl the last strand of hair, my front door bursts open.

“Hey, Georgia,” Joey calls out. “Where are you?”

I smile as I wrap my robe tighter around myself and walk into the living room, all of the girls standing in my entryway.

“Hi, Aunt Georgia,” Max says, wrapping his arms around me.

“Hey, buddy.” I lift him in my arms and give him a peck on the cheek.

“You look really pretty,” he says.

“Thanks. I’m going out with a friend tonight.”

“Mommy says we’re getting pancakes with Dad.”

I smile at him, glancing behind him to see Joey grinning. It didn’t take much for Max to start calling Sam “Dad” and he loves him.

“That sounds like a great night.”

Joey turns on the TV and takes Max from me. “Why don’t you watch some cartoons while we help Aunt Georgia, okay?”

“Okay.”

Rylee and Presley are behind her, each of them carrying dresses as they follow us back to my room.

“We have a little bit of everything,” Joey says. “But I thinks the green dress will be the most comfortable for you. It’s not a maternity dress, but it’s nice and flowy so you’ll feel good.”

She pushes it into my arms as I take a look at it. The sleeveless dress has a smocked chest and flows out from the bust with an empire waist.

“Pair it with your white cowboy boots and you’ll drive Grant crazy tonight,” Joey says.

“I’ll go try it on.”

I grab the dress and head into the bathroom. I’m still getting used to the fact that my clothes aren’t fitting like they usually do. And before I know it, I’m going to have to go shopping for an entire new wardrobe. Joey and Presley might have some leftover maternity clothes for me to borrow, but at least having a work uniform of jeans and flannel shirts means I don’t spend a lot on clothes.

It’s also why I panicked about the date tonight. Nothing I own feels right.

“Where is Grant taking you?” Presley calls through the door.

“We’re going to Land and Sea,” I say.

“Ooh. He’s whipping out the big guns for tonight,” Joey says. “Sam took me there for dinner last week.”

“How’d you like it?”

It’s Pinecrest’s nicest restaurant—a combination of steak and seafood—and it’s one of the few places in town I’ve never been.

“It was incredible. Not that you can drink, but they had some great cocktails. I think you’ll really like it.”

“Grant did research it,” I say. “He wanted to make sure there was something I could eat.”

“You’ll eventually know what you can and can’t eat,” Presley says.

“I don’t miss those days,” Joey says. “I remember the first time I had a turkey sandwich after Max was born. It was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“I freaked out over pancakes that first day, but luckily, nothing has made me sick.” I laugh.

I hear their laughter as I straighten out the dress and turn to look at myself in the mirror.

Ohh.

It does look really good. Gone is my usual uniform of jeans and flannel shirt with battered cowboy hat. The green brings out my eyes, and with my hair and makeup done for once, I look good. No.

I look sexy.

Stepping out into my room, I grin as all of their jaws drop.

“Damn, Georgia.” Joey whistles. “You really need to get out of your jeans more often.”

“Hey now.” I point at her.

“Yeah, but you are one hot mama in this,” Rylee says.

Presley nods in agreement. “If Grant doesn’t take you home, he’s lost his mind.”

“Seriously,” Joey says. “I’m surprised you’ve been able to resist Grant for this long once you hit your second trimester. Those hormones kicked in for me, and damn, all you want to do is get laid.”

“Okay, okay.” But I’m smiling at them.

It helps to settle my nerves. It’s weird to be going on a date with the guy you’re having a baby with. Grant and I are doing things all out of order.

But I don’t care. Because he’s here and we’re doing this.

“Here. We got you this to wear,” Joey says.

She pulls a gold chain out of a small black bag. A cowboy boot dangles from the end.

“Where’d you get this?” I ask, fingering the charm.

“From a small boutique online…Charms by Chloe, I think? We wanted to give you something for the baby, and I found this and knew it would be perfect for you,” Joey explains.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“We wanted to let you know that you and the baby aren’t alone,” Presley says.

Tears well in my eyes. “Please don’t make me cry.”

It’s the smallest of things, but the reminder that I have a family—even if not blood related—is what I needed tonight. No matter how things go with Grant, I have these women with me.

It’s all I ever needed.

But maybe there’s some room to add Grant, and Luke, into my found family.

The doorbell rings and my nerves go back to swarming.

I’ve never been so nervous and excited before a date.

Chapter Twenty

GRANT

“Where are you guys going?” Luke asks, shoveling a mouthful of fruity cereal into his mouth.

“I’m taking her to the steak restaurant.”

“Is that the only place to take a date in town?”

I shrug a shoulder. “I mean, we’re not going to get pancakes tonight.”

“Good idea, Dad. You want to impress her,” he says.

“Do I need to be worried about impressing her?” I ask.

“I mean, I think so.”

“Why’s that?” I straighten my tie in the bathroom mirror.

“I don’t know a lot about girls, but I think you’d want to go out with her again. And not just for the baby, right?”

“You know.” I shut off the bathroom light and walk into the kitchen. “For being only fourteen, you’re pretty insightful.”

“I try.” He smiles at me. “Which is why you’re taking her to the nicest place in town.”

“Exactly.” I clap him on the shoulder. “There’s some snacks in the fridge if you want anything later. Not sure when I’ll be home, but I’ll have my phone if you need anything.”

“I’m not going to wait up for you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I think I’m the one that’s supposed to wait up for you,” I say.

“Whatever.” Luke slurps down the milk in his bowl before getting up and setting the empty dish in the sink. “Tell Georgia I said hi.”

“I will. And maybe try not to play video games all night? Maybe read a book or something.”

“Mom is going to call me tonight,” he says.

“Where are they now?” I ask.

My ex might drive me crazy, but I’m always polite for the sake of Luke.

“She’s home. Randy isn’t going to be traveling as much now.”

I pick up my wallet and stuff it into my pocket and grab my keys. “I know school starts soon, so if you want to go visit her, we can make it work.”

He waggles his head back and forth. “I’ll think about it.”

“Does that mean you actually like it here?” I ask.

“It’s not as bad as I thought.”

“Try not to sound too excited.”

Luke rolls his eyes and heads downstairs. “Bye, Dad. Love you.”

“Love you too. Remember what I said. Read a book or something.”

A stupid grin is on my face the entire drive over to Georgia’s. I love hearing Luke say he loves me. It’s so rare nowadays that I’ll take whatever I can get. Ever since he went out to the barn with Georgia, he’s been opening up more. He’ll be going back again next week, and I’m excited for him.

The drive over to Georgia’s is short, and when I pull up, there’s a few extra cars in her driveway.

Well, here goes nothing.

I take a deep breath before hopping out of my truck and heading to the door and ringing the bell.

A woman with long dark hair opens the door. One that I recognize from the ranch.

“You must be Grant,” she says. “I’m Joey.”

“Hi, Joey. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Georgia will be ready in a few minutes.” She sweeps her arm out and welcomes me in.

“Were you the friend that got married?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I wasn’t. I have no plans on getting married.”

A small kid runs up to me.

“I’m Max. Are you taking Aunt Georgia out?”

I kneel down to get on his level. “I am. Is that okay?”

“I guess. Mommy is taking me for pancakes tonight,” he says. “Do you like pancakes?”

“I love pancakes. The banana and Nutella ones are my favorite,” I tell him.

He looks up at Joey. “Mommy, can I get those tonight?”

“Of course, baby.” She pats him on the head. “I’m going to go check on Georgia.”

“Thanks.”

Max goes back to the couch and hops onto it, going back to his cartoon. Before I can ask him what he’s watching, Georgia walks out.

Holy. Shit.

I’ve seen so many versions of Georgia.

In her riding gear.

Casual in a T-shirt and shorts.

Done up for a wedding.

But nothing beats this.

“Wow.”

“Hi,” she says, smiling as she walks up to me.

“You look…wow.”

The dress brings out the color of her eyes, and brushes just above her knees. And those cowboy boots of hers are already driving me wild.

“You don’t look so bad yourself, Grant.”

She smooths a hand down my tie and it makes me want to throw out my plans for the night and stay here with her. But I need to have patience.

I’ve waited a long time for this moment, and I want to savor every second with her.

“You kids have fun now,” one of her friends calls out as I lead Georgia outside.

“Lock up when you leave,” Georgia tells them.

Before I help her into the truck, I spin her and press my lips against hers.

I may have some patience, but I can’t resist this woman all night. I can’t resist that mouth of hers.

“Mmm. Hi,” she purrs.

“You look really fucking sexy, Cowgirl.”

“I’m glad you like this.”

“Get in,” I say. “I’m ready to eat.”

“Someone’s impatient.” Georgia laughs.

“More like I’d take you back to my place before we even make it to dinner if I had a say.”

Her groan fills the cab as I shut the door and run around the front of the truck. Hopping in, I see Georgia waving to everyone standing on the front porch.

“They’re ridiculous.”

“It’s nice they care.”

“Did you see Luke before you left?”

“We had a conversation while he had cereal for dinner.”

“Wow.” Georgia spins in her seat to face me. “That’s impressive.”

“Right? Who knew he could do it?” I reach over and grab her hand and link our fingers together.

“He needed time to adjust,” Georgia says. “It’s natural for a kid when they’re not around anything familiar.”

I glance over at her before turning my eyes back to the road. “I can see why you’re so good with kids.”

“They’re not hard to understand,” she says. “They all want the same thing. We all do. Family. A safe home. People who love us.”

“It seems like you have that.”

“You think so?”

I nod, already pulling into the restaurant parking lot. “Of course you do. Your friends love you. It’s easy to see.”

She gives me a shy smile as I hop out and jog around to open the door for her. I take her hand and lead her inside the restaurant.

Old Edison bulbs hang from the ceiling, casting it in low light. Dark wood-paneled walls give it a warm ambiance.

“Welcome to Land and Sea. Do you have a reservation?” the host greets us.

“Prescott.”

“Ahh, yes.” He grabs two menus. “Right this way.”

Dropping my hand to Georgia’s back, we follow him through the restaurant to a booth in the back. I don’t miss all the eyes that turn to look at us as I trail behind her.

“Here you are.” He places the two leather-bound menus on the table. “Your server will be with you soon. Enjoy.”

“Did it feel like every single person was looking at us?” I ask, sitting across from her.

“You weren’t imagining it. I’m sure it’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been the talk of any town,” I say, picking up the menu and opening it.

“I’ve been there a few times.”

“What’d you do?” I ask.

“Hi there. I’m Elliott and I’ll be your server tonight. Have you dined at Land and Sea before?”

“Neither of us have been here,” Georgia answers.

“Welcome.”

He goes through his spiel of specials, but it’s hard to pay attention because my focus is on Georgia. On how she’s glowing in the light from the candle flickering between us.

I don’t know how I got so lucky for her to yell at me that night about the kids ruining her dress, but I’d relive that moment over and over again if it brings us here.

“Thank you. We’ll need a few minutes,” Georgia says.

“Take your time.”

“Did you catch any of that?” she asks.

“About the specials? Not at all.”

She rolls her eyes at me before grabbing her water glass and taking a sip.

“There’s a chicken, seafood, and steak option for the specials, plus there’s a cocktail tonight, but I didn’t listen to that since I can’t have it.”

“Did any of it sound good?” I ask.

She smiles at me, nodding her head. “I’m starving, so I say yes. But the chicken with the balsamic sauce sounds amazing. And okay for me to eat.”

“The filet sounds good too,” I say.

“Are you even going to look?” Georgia huffs out.

“They could bring me a burnt steak and I’d be fine with it because I’m here with you.”

Even in the low light, I can see her blush. I can’t wait to see it in more places. I have no doubt we’ll end up at one of our houses tonight after dinner.

Our server comes back to take our order and gives us a bread basket. Before he leaves, Georgia is grabbing one of the hot rolls and tearing into it.

“Mmm. So good.”

That sound shouldn’t do it for me, but it does. Hell, anything this woman does turns me on.

“We could have gone somewhere else if you were so hungry that got us in earlier instead of waiting on a reservation here.”

She shakes her head. “No. I’ve never been here and always wanted to try it.”

“You deserve to be spoiled, Georgia.”

“You really have this whole first-date thing down pat, Grant.”

“It’s easy when you like the person.”

“I guess it is.” She returns my smile. “Is it bad to talk about another date when the first is only getting started?”

I shake my head, grabbing a roll and smearing butter on it. “I’ll let you plan our tenth date if it makes you happy.”

Her laugh spreads warmth through my veins. “Let’s not get that far ahead of ourselves. But the end of summer festival is coming up at the ranch, and it would be great if you could come.”

“You want to show me off?” I cock my eyebrow at her.

Her gaze flits around the restaurant. A few eyes are peeking at us, but I don’t care. All I care about is being here with her.

“It’s not like everyone here isn’t already staring at us.” She sips her water. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be with you.”

“Then I’ll be there.”

“Bring Luke too. There will be rides going on and I know he’ll love it.”

Reaching across the table, I link her hand in mine. “I know he’s not the easiest kid in the world, and I’m glad he hasn’t scared you off.”

She squeezes my hand. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. He’s a good kid. Moody, but what teenagers aren’t?”

“Considering how he acted when you first met him, I’m glad you think that.”

Our server returns with our meals, and I hate that Georgia pulls her hand back. If only we could eat with one hand.

“It would take a lot more than a moody teenager to scare me away, Grant. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen.”

Whether it’s the past she keeps hinting at or her students, I have no doubt that she’s seen a lot. It takes a special kind of person to do what she does, and she’s incredible at it. Hell, she got my kid to open up the most he had since before we left California.

“This is delicious,” she says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I cut into my steak, popping a bite in my mouth. “Damn, you’re right. This is incredible."

"Maybe we might have to come back here for our third date. And fourth.”

“I’ll bring you here every date if it makes you happy.”

“Hey.” Georgia points a finger at me. “I’m happy with pancakes.”

“You’re an easy date.” I wink at her.

Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip. God damn, it is so fucking hot. “Would it be bad form to talk about after the date?”

I drop my fork, not caring about the rest of dinner.

“You want to come back to my place, Cowgirl?”

“Try and stop me, Grant.”

Chapter Twenty-One

GRANT

“Are you sure it’s okay I spend the night?” Georgia whispers.

“Yes.” Based on all of the lights turned off upstairs, Luke’s downstairs for the night. “Besides, locks were invented for a reason.”

“Good.”

Georgia is standing there waiting for me and fuck, it makes my cock throb.

“Why? Is someone needy?”

I press my back against the door, crossing my arms over my chest as I take her in. The way the green dress skims over her knees. How it hugs her chest. Her teeth dig into her bottom lip, hinting at what she wants.

She closes the distance between the two of us, resting her hands on my forearms. Even in the dim light, her eyes are bright, full of lust.

“Yes, Grant.”

“Good.”

I don’t waste another minute. I hoist Georgia into my arms as her legs wrap around my waist. Backing her up against the wall, I attack her mouth.

Oh, fuck.

So damn good.

She tastes like the mint she grabbed when we left the restaurant. So damn good, and so damn perfect. I don’t know how I’ve lasted this long without her.

Her fingers sink into my hair as she deepens the kiss. I have no problem letting her take control. I could make out with this woman for hours and I’d be perfectly content.

But not tonight. Tonight I want to bury myself inside of her and make her come. I want to hear my name on her lips. Cupping her cheek, I slow her down so I can carry her to the bedroom. It’s a short distance.

Setting her on the bed, I shut the door and lock it behind me. By the time I turn back around, she’s lying in the center of the bed looking like a dream.

“Where to start with you?” I tap my finger against my chin. “There were so many things I wanted to do to you that night that we never got around to.”

“There’s one thing you won’t be doing,” she says, pressing up onto her elbows.

“What’s that?”

“Ripping this dress off of me.”

“I don’t plan on that.” The corner of my mouth quirks up into a smile as I drop down onto my knees between her spread legs. I flip the dress up over her hips. “But your underwear? I make no promises.”

A shudder racks her body as I drag my knuckle over the soft material.

“Do it,” she urges me on. “God, do it, Grant.”

“Not yet.”

“Ugh. Why do you insist on torturing me?”

I press kisses up her leg, bypassing where she really wants me, and trail a wet path down the other leg.

“I prefer to call it driving you wild with need. Making you so damn needy, Cowgirl, that you’ll be begging for it by the time I’m done with you.”

I push the skirt of her dress up so I can kiss up her stomach. It’s the softest swell, but knowing it’s my baby in there makes me so damn possessive of her.

“You’re mine, Georgia,” I tell her.

“Yours, Grant.”

Her voice is dripping with need as I work my lips up higher. I push the dress over her breasts and tease them over the satin material of her bra.

“That feels so good.”

“Are they more sensitive now?” I tweak one nipple between my fingers.

“Yes.”

“Mmm.” I cup the heavy weight, an idea coming to mind, but before I can voice it, Georgia does.

“I want you to fuck them.”

“Hell, yes.”

I crush my mouth against hers. A hunger I’ve never felt boils inside of me as I fight to keep control over my dick. I want everything with this woman. Everything that Georgia will give me.

I drift one hand down below the hem of her underwear and toy with her clit. I want her nice and ready for me. Because I will not stop at fucking her breasts.

I plan on making good use of every minute with her.

And when we wake up in the morning, I plan on doing it all over again.

“Grant…” she moans. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to come.”

“Not yet, Cowgirl.”

Pulling my hand back, I reach over to the nightstand and grab a bottle of lube. I make quick work of shedding all my clothes before peeling Georgia out of hers. Well, almost everything. I leave those cowboy boots on. They drive me fucking wild.

I warm the lube up in my hands before spreading it down my dick and into her cleavage. I’m not in such a hurry that I don’t play with her nipples. Watching her squirm underneath me is the fucking best. I love knowing what I can do to her.

“Are you ready for me?” I ask.

“Yes. Do it.”

I’m careful to keep my weight on my heels as I push my cock through her cleavage. The head bumps her chin as she squeezes her breasts around me. God, it feels fucking amazing.

As I pump my hips, her tongue swipes at the precum beading on my tip. I thread my fingers through her hair to make it easier.

“So fucking good, Georgia.”

She’s playing with her nipples as she keeps the pressure on my cock. Each bump against her chin makes my balls draw up. I’m so fucking close to coming.

“Do I get to taste you tonight?” Georgia asks.

“Fuuuuck.”

That does it. I’m spilling my release all over her neck and chin. She catches some of it in her mouth and it draws out my orgasm.

By the time I collapse next to her, she is a debauched mess. She wastes no time pulling me over for a heated kiss. Her nails drag through my scalp as I taste my release on her tongue.

One hand cups her cheek while the other drifts down to tease her pussy. It’s wet from her own orgasm.

“I love that you came for me, Cowgirl.”

“So hot,” she whispers against my lips.

I suck my fingers into my mouth, tasting her. “Fucking delicious.”

“Mmm.”

She captures my mouth in a slow, languid kiss. Our sweat-slicked bodies tangle in the sheets. Roaming hands take the time to explore each other’s bodies. Her skin is so damn warm and soft, that I could get lost in her.

I commit every single part of her to memory.

The soft moans that come out as I circle her nipple with my tongue. Her back arching into my touch. The sharp bite of her nails in my back as I slip my finger inside of her.

She grinds down onto my hand, searching for more.

“Are you ready?” she asks.

“Is that a challenge?”

“No. It’s a demand because I fucking need you inside of me.”

I rock my now-hard dick into her hip, letting her know I’m exactly where she wants me.

Georgia flips me onto my back, and seeing her take control like this is straight out of my memory from that first night together.

“I don’t think we need a condom, right?” she asks.

I shake my head. “All my tests are negative.”

“Mine too.”

Georgia takes me in hand, lining herself up before sinking down.

“Fuck, yes, Cowgirl.”

I can’t help but thrust my hips up into her tight heat. Her pussy flutters around me as she sways back and forth over me. The sensual way she moves her body is like lightning to my own.

Everything about her is a drug that I want to get high on every damn day. Her hands drop onto my pecs as she moves faster. I cup her ass to urge her on. When she comes again and collapses against me, I crush my lips to hers as I furiously work in and out of her to come again. To let her feel what she does to me.

It’s not as intense as the first, but no less powerful. I still inside of her as I pour every ounce of cum into her.

“Grant.” Her breath is hot against my neck. “Holy shit.”

“I know, Georgia, I know.”

Neither of us moves. I don’t want to break the connection we have. Her fingers draw circles on my chest as I trace up and down the notches of her spine.

It’s perfect. Everything about this moment is perfect. I want this woman more than I can put into words. Because I’m falling…hard.

I only hope she feels the same way.

Chapter Twenty-Two

GEORGIA

“Are you sure you’re okay shifting classes around?” Sam asks.

I roll my eyes at him, not for the first time today.

“I told you, the kids are fine. No one is getting the shaft with the big celebration tonight.”

Sam scrubs a hand down the back of his neck. “I appreciate you helping out. These things are a lot of work, and we need someone with experience helping out with the rides.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered.”

People are in and out of the barn getting everything ready for the end of summer festival tonight. After a great first season, Kade decided to make this a regular thing. I love it. I know it’s a lot of work for Sam since he manages the barn, but for me? I get to help with horseback rides in the field.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Given that my students won’t be here for a bit longer, I head into the barn to check on all the horses. A few of the ranch hands are getting them ready, but Queenie is patiently waiting for me, her nose sticking out of her stall.

“You know something’s going on today, don’t you?” I ask, giving her a kiss.

She neighs in response.

“Yeah. You’ll have a busy day, but don’t worry. You’ll get lots of treats. And Luke will be back, so make sure you’re good for him, okay?” I tell her.

Another nod.

“Georgia, are you in here?” Janice’s voice calls out.

“Oh, hey.”

I peer through the barn door to see her waiting with the kids.

“Sorry, we got here a bit earlier than I planned,” she says.

“Not a problem. Just talking to Queenie about her day,” I say.

“Did you ask her if I get to ride her today?” Maddie asks without hesitation.

“I don’t know. Do you think you’re ready for that?” I ask her.

I know she is, but I want to hear her say it. It’s always up to them if they want to ride her. I never want to put a kid on a horse too soon.

“If Maddie gets to ride her, can I ride her too?” River asks.

“I think I’m ready,” Maddie says.

“Awesome. Why don’t y’all go grab your helmets and we’ll get started on tacking Queenie and then go for some rides, okay?”

“Yes!” They all cheer, running to where the gear is kept.

“Maddie was talking the whole ride over about how excited she was that today might be the day she gets to ride Queenie,” Janice tells me.

That brings a smile to my face. “Chatting your ear off? I’m glad she’s making progress.”

“Me too. Her foster mom said she’s opening up more at home, and is engaging meaningfully with them.”

“That’s why I love doing what I do,” I tell her, turning my back to her and facing Queenie so she won’t see the tears welling my eyes.

It’s hard not to get emotional when I know my students are making progress. Maybe if I had something like this, I would have been able to find a family like Maddie. Her foster parents are working hard to adopt her—two wonderful people who couldn’t have biological kids, but are giving her everything she’s never had.

I hope she gets it, because all of these kids deserve the world.

“We're ready.” River and Ben are standing at the entrance to the stall as Janice heads out.

“Who gets to ride Queenie first?” Maddie asks.

“Let’s all work together and get her tacked, then why don’t you take the first ride, Maddie,” I say.

“Ben can go second,” River says.

As the older brother, he’s always looking out for Ben. He’s one of the most selfless kids I’ve ever met.

“Alright.” I nod. “You know where the saddle is. Let’s get started.”

Given how much I’ve taught these kids, they don’t need much help. I instruct them on a few things here and there, but they get Queenie ready without issue.

She stands there patiently as they pet her and talk with her.

“We’re ready,” Ben states.

“Let’s see how you did.”

I check the girth and the stirrups to make sure everything is snug for a smooth ride.

“Y’all did a great job. It’s like you don’t even need me here to help.”

“Well, I need you,” Maddie says, a note of shyness in her voice.

“Are you a little scared to ride her?”

She nods. “What if I fall off?”

“River, will you lead Queenie out of the barn?”

“Yes.”

River and Ben take the horse out to the arena as I follow behind with Maddie.

“I’m going to be by your side the entire time. Queenie is the best horse we have here. She has a good sense of people’s feelings and will go slower if you need her to. She’s not going to take off and run, and I’ll have her by the reins the whole time.”

“Okay.” Maddie chews on her bottom lip.

“If you decide you’re not ready, it’s okay too. You don’t have to ride her today.”

“No!” Maddie says. “I mean, I want to try.”

“You can take all the time you need. There’s no rush.”

She nods her head and I double-check the strap of her helmet. The boys are already waiting with Queenie by the stairs. I lead Maddie over and help her get up into the saddle.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, adjusting the stirrups to her height.

“It’s higher than I thought,” she says.

“You’ll get used to it, but keep your eyes forward. It makes it easier. You tell me when you’re ready and we’ll start.”

“It’s really fun, Maddie,” Ben says.

“Yeah, you’ll love it,” River agrees.

Maddie’s knuckles are white on the horn of the saddle. “Can we go?”

“Alright.”

I click my tongue and start to lead Queenie around the ring. Her pace is slow. I truly believe that Queenie knows her riders. She takes her time. I keep checking in with Maddie to make sure she’s doing okay. The more laps we do, the looser her grip gets. Before I know it, a smile sits on her face.

“This is so fun,” she says.

“You like it?”

“Yeah. Queenie is the best.”

The horse neighs in agreement.

“You’re going to give Queenie here a big head.” She laughs as I stop her at the stairs. “Let’s give one of the boys a turn, and if there’s time at the end, I’ll let you go again, okay?”

“Okay. Does this mean we can do it at more lessons?”

“We can do it as much as you want. You did a great job.”

“You did awesome!” Ben gives her a high five before I help him on the horse and adjust the stirrups.

When the two brothers first came to me, they barely said a word and were scared of the horses. Now, being in the barn is second nature to them. With the progress Maddie is making, she’ll be there in no time.

The boys have done this enough times that they can take the reins and do it on their own. I stay close by just in case, but Ben doesn’t need me. Neither does River.

Ben and River take their turns, and they both chat with Maddie about riding and how they like getting to tell their friends at school about it. It’s one thing that I know makes it easier to connect with others. It gives them a safe environment to open up and feel their emotions. Something they didn’t always have before coming here.

After River dismounts, I take Maddie on a few more laps. This time, she does it with ease.

“You are crushing it, Maddie. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Georgia.”

“Was it better than you thought?”

She nods. “So much better. I can’t wait to tell Marcy and Darren about this.”

“I know they will love hearing about it.”

A few of my students were placed with Marcy and Darren before, and they are some of the best foster parents in the county.

“Alright. I think that’s all we have time for.” I lead her back to the stairs, and together with the boys, the three of them lead Queenie back to her stall and start brushing her out.

Janice joins me as we watch the three of them work together.

“Maddie did a great job out there today,” she says.

“She did. I’m really proud of her.”

“I knew this would be a good fit.”

“It’s all her. She opened up when she was ready and I’m thrilled with how much progress she’s making.”

Janice smiles at me before slipping her sunglasses back on her face. “I’ll be waiting outside for them.”

I smile at her before going to grab the treats for Queenie and heading back to her stall.

“Alright, who wants to give Queenie her treat?” I ask.

“Me!” Maddie jumps up and down.

“Make sure you hold your hand out flat and she’ll grab it from you.”

She does as I instruct and it makes me even happier to hear her laughter. The three of them can’t stop chattering when we go find Janice, and they all run off together as I wave goodbye.

The warm feelings of a good lesson with them carry me through the afternoon as I help everyone get ready for the festival. Some of the work I need the guys to help me with now that I’ve officially popped, but it’s nice that I can still do my job. Which might not be the case the closer I get to the end of the pregnancy.

By the time the barn is ready, I head back to my office to clean up, then throw my hat back on and head to the main lodge. The sounds of children running around and laughing greet me. Kade’s really outdone himself this time. Serena has her usual stall set up while someone else is painting faces and making balloon animals. Poppy and Max go running by, giving me a quick wave before I head to the bar and grab a glass of lemonade. My eyes keep roving over the crowds, but I don’t see the two people that I really want to see.

It wouldn’t surprise me if practice ran late for Grant. These are the days that are perfect for practice. With how busy the two of us are, I haven’t spent much time with him since our first official date.

He’s heading on a scouting trip next week that he couldn’t reschedule, so I’m on my own for the next doctor’s appointment. I rub my hand over my belly because we will finally find out what we’re having. I’m okay either way, but I really do hope it’s a boy.

“Looks like you’re thinking some pretty deep thoughts over here.”

The deep familiar voice makes a smile grow on my face.

“Hey.”

Grant is standing there, an equally big smile on his face.

“Hi, Cowgirl.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss. “I missed you.”

“Did you come by yourself?”

His Loggers cap is sitting on his head, making him look even sexier. With the short-sleeve shirt showing off his biceps, I’m so damn lucky this man is mine.

“Luke ran off to see Queenie.”

I smile at that. “I’m glad he’s taken to her.”

Grant orders a beer before the two of us wander around the ranch. Rex is working the buffet line, filled with chicken, brats, burgers, and hot dogs. Another table is filled with sides and another full of various desserts.

I wave to Presley who is chatting with some of the guests. Joey is helping some of the kids with the face painting.

I know I’ll have to go help soon, but I stop in front of Serena’s booth.

“Want to visit Serena?”

“Do I want to?” Grant asks, dropping his forehead against mine.

I shrug a shoulder. “I mean, she was right about mine back in April.”

“What was yours?”

“The Fool.”

“Meaning?” He fishes for more information.

“Reckless behavior,” I say.

“Hmm.” He pulls me in close. “Reckless behavior, you say?”

“Hooking up with you is the most reckless thing I’ve done.”

“Yeah, but it was fun, right?”

My eyes darken at his words. It was more than just fun. I never knew one night could fundamentally alter the course of my life, but here we are.

“One of the best nights I’ve ever had.”

“Think I can tempt you for a repeat?” He slides his hand down my back, settling in the back pocket of my jeans.

“Mmm.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “If only I didn’t have to stay here all night to do rides out in the field.”

“Damn shame.” He gives me the briefest of kisses. “How about tomorrow night?”

“Are you asking me to have a sleepover with you?”

He laughs. “Yeah, Cowgirl. I’m asking you to have another sleepover with me.”

“Only if you get your tarot reading from Serena.”

“Lead the way.”

I step out of his arms and take the few steps to Serena’s booth. Two people walk away smiling before she beckons us forward. Grant takes a seat and pulls me down onto his lap. It makes happiness bloom in my chest that he’s so affectionate.

“Hi, Georgia. And this must be the famous Grant I’ve heard so much about.”

Grant’s eyes go wide at her words.

“Hi, Serena. Yes, this is Grant. I know he’s been the talk of the town.”

She smiles at him, eyes wide behind her glasses. “Welcome. Let’s see what the cards have in store for you.”

She shuffles the cards and when the first card is pulled out, she gives a knowing smile.

“What does that mean?” Grant asks. His hand rests on my stomach, absent-mindedly rubbing it. He hasn’t felt the baby move yet, but I know he is desperate for it. Hopefully one of these days soon.

“The Emperor is a good one for you. He’s a father figure and it means people can rely on you for stability and security.”

“Would you look at that?” I say, squeezing Grant close.

Grant listens with rapt attention as she explains more. He drinks up every word.

“That was interesting,” Grant says once the two of us say our goodbyes to Serena.

Fireflies are starting to flicker in the early dusk. A s’mores bar is set up near the fire pit with the ooey-gooey smell of marshmallows calling us over.

“In a good way or a bad way?” I ask.

“Good,” he says. “Maybe I won’t be so bad at this whole parenting thing again.”

I track Luke, who is with Poppy and Max making their own treats. My guess is the two younger kids started chatting with him. Neither of them know a stranger, and now, they’re all eating s’mores together.

“I think you’re doing a pretty good job right now.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah. Luke is a good kid, and I’m pretty lucky that I get to do this whole parenting thing with you,” I say.

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Now, I wish I could hang out more, but I have to go help with the horses.”

“Think I could get a ride?”

I cock a brow at him. “Grant…”

“What?” He throws his hands up. “It was completely innocent.”

“Sure.” I press a kiss against his lips and push him away. “Go make s’mores and bring me one. Maybe two. The baby is hungry.”

“Suuure,” he parrots back.

I watch him go, smiling at me before joining Luke. Seeing the two of them together makes me happy, because it’s a vision of our future together.

I never imagined myself as a mother, but now, I can’t picture anything else. This is the life I want.

No matter how reckless I had to be to get it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

GRANT

“You up?”

“Go away.”

“It’s the first day of school. You need to get up.”

Luke groans, rolling back over and burying his head under the pillow. “Leave me alone.”

I flip on his light as I leave his room. “Ten minutes or I’m coming back down here to get you out of bed. And try wearing something other than a hoodie.”

Another groan.

I knew today would be hard getting him up for school since he’s had all summer to laze around, but he clearly isn’t ready to go back.

It feels like we barely had any time this summer to do anything. Back in LA, he’d be playing baseball, but not this year. I’ve been so busy with the team, getting settled here, and spending time with Georgia, that I feel like I haven’t done much with him. Even if he had wanted to, it would’ve been hard to pull him out of the basement where he’s been locked up playing video games.

I head up to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee and start making him eggs.

I remember these days of heading back to school. I was always playing baseball during school and loved getting to go in early and hit the gym. Being on the team made it easy to make friends. Something I worry about with Luke now.

He’s the new kid in town and I want him to make friends and be able to go out and do things. I hate that he’s always texting with friends back home. It’s not like he can fly down and see them every weekend. Hopefully he has a good first day—I doubt he’ll tell me about it, but maybe he’ll open up to Georgia.

He stumbles upstairs in a blue T-shirt and jeans, hair still a mess.

“Couldn’t run a brush through your hair?” I ask.

He glares at me before going to the fridge and pulling out the orange juice and drinking straight from the bottle.

Probably shouldn’t comment on his manners this early or he might yell.

“Are you ready for your first day of school?”

Using the spatula, I pile eggs onto Luke’s plate. I didn’t want him scarfing down a bowl of cereal.

“Kind of,” he says, plopping down on the barstool at the counter.

“High school is a big deal,” I say.

“Daaaad,” Luke groans. “Please don’t.”

“What? I just want to make sure you’re ready.”

“I’m fine.”

“Fine is not an answer,” I say.

He rolls his eyes at me. “The bus is going to be here soon.”

“Soon,” I point out. “Finish your eggs, please. You need a good breakfast to learn things today.”

“We don’t actually learn stuff,” he says. “It’s all going over classes and finding your seat.”

“I remember we jumped right in on the first day of school. I had a pop quiz in algebra to see how much I knew.”

“Was this back before electricity was invented?” he chirps.

I nod. “Oh, yeah. We did everything by candlelight. Had to dip our feathers in ink to write.”

“Oh my God. You’re so embarrassing.”

I give him a cheesy grin back. “If you think that is embarrassing, I can really up my game if you want.”

“Daaad.”

I ruffle the hair on his head. Luke finishes his breakfast before dumping his plate in the sink and grabbing his backpack.

“You’ve got riding lessons with Georgia after school, and you’ll take the bus out there⁠—”

“I know, Dad.”

“Georgia will bring you home since I have practice, and we’ll all have dinner together, okay?” I finish, not letting his interruption get to me.

“Sounds good.”

He goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and—thankfully—wets his hair down so it looks more presentable. He pockets his phone, stuffs his feet into his tennis shoes, and heads down the street to where the bus will pick him up. I’m still sipping on my coffee as I watch him talk to one of the kids standing out there.

I don’t know why I’m so worried. I’ve been the one getting him on the bus since his first day of kindergarten—Kari was always too busy with one thing or another. But somehow, it doesn’t get easier.

With Luke being in high school, I’m hit with the realization that his days at home are numbered. Before I know it, he’ll be going off to college and leaving me. It’s what all parents want for their kids. To go off and do great things in the world.

But as the bus pulls up and Luke steps onto it, it’s hard to come to terms with him leaving. It’s not like I’ll be all by myself. I’ll have Georgia and our baby, with more of these days to come.

I don’t wave goodbye as the bus passes, missing the days when he used to turn back and smile at me as he got on. I never thought I’d have more kids, but I’m looking forward to the day where I get to do this with Georgia. Hell, we’ll both be emotional wrecks when that day comes.

I guess that’s what parenthood does to you. I’ll savor each moment I get with each of my kids because before I know it, these days will have gone by in the blink of an eye.

And I’ll cherish every single one of them I get.

Chapter Twenty-Four

GEORGIA

Grant

Will you tell me how today goes?

Georgia

It’s a riding lesson

Why are you worried?

Not about the lesson

About Luke’s first day at school

You want me to spy for you?

That makes it sound bad

Because it is

I just want to make sure he had a good first day at his new school

You know, you could just ask him

And what if he doesn’t tell me?

I think you’re worrying for no reason

What if our kid doesn’t tell you anything when you ask how their day at school was?

That will never happen

Our kid will always tell their mother how their day was

Until they’re a moody teenager

Stop trying to make me worry about something that won’t happen for more than a decade

Now you know why I’m trying to get insider scoop on how his day went

You’re incorrigible

I’ll make it worth your while winking face

Ugh

I really shouldn’t encourage this

But it’s really hard to resist you

That was my plan all along <<evil laugh gif>>

Go teach your soccer game

Seriously?

It’s a good thing you like me rolling on the floor laughing

I don’t know why….it’s baseball, Cowgirl

<<baseball gif>>

I may need to see you in some baseball pants to confirm

This whole conversation has gotten off track

Your fault

Go learn things about my kid

And teach him how to ride a horse

One of these days I’ll get you on a horse face blowing a kiss

Locking my phone, I put it away in my desk drawer and head out to meet Luke. Since Kade started an afterschool program at the ranch, I know Luke is grabbing the bus out here.

I’m anxious to spend some more one-on-one time with him. I like Grant—a lot—and I want Luke to like me too.

When the bus pulls up, I nervously adjust the hat sitting on my head. I wait as the kids get off the bus before spotting Luke. When he sees me, he walks over and waves at me.

“Hey, Georgia.” His voice is more quiet than usual.

“Hey, Luke. How was your first day at school?” I try to inject cheeriness into my voice.

He shrugs a shoulder. “Fine.”

“Just fine?”

Luke kicks a rock, not answering me.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Okay.” Guess I’m not getting much out of him today. “Well, Queenie is all ready to go if you’re ready to head out.”

“Sure.”

Luke follows me into the barn where Queenie is waiting for us. I have a helmet ready to go as he sets his backpack down.

He’s quiet as he puts his foot in the stirrup and swings a leg up and over to get settled in the saddle.

“Is Mrs. Sosa still teaching at the high school?” I ask, trying to make conversation.

“Who’s that?” he asks.

“She was my geography teacher freshman year. I really liked her. Made me excited to come to school.”

“I don’t have her.”

More silence.

“I also had a great psychology teacher, but I always came out here after school to work on the ranch. I loved it.”

I’m yapping. I know I am, but I can’t help it. I know Grant was worried about how his first day of school was going to go, and based on how he’s not talking about it, it makes me worried.

I remember being that age. I don’t know if I would have survived high school without my girls. They made it bearable. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Luke to change schools before high school and not know anyone on the first day.

I only get a few one-word answers from him before he asks to do a few laps on his own.

I blow out a breath. It’s hard getting through to kids when they don’t want to open up, and I don’t want to push too hard.

At least Luke looks like he’s enjoying himself.

“How’s it going?” I call out.

“Good. I like being out here.”

“I’m glad. You’re a natural up there.”

He smiles as he passes and I do my best not to get overly excited and deter him from doing something that he enjoys.

Is this what parenthood is going to be like? Trying to encourage our kid to do something he likes without being too much? This is going to be a fine line to walk.

“Want to do a few more laps, or do you want to brush her out?” I ask.

Luke shifts the reins in his hands. “I think I’m ready to be done for the day.”

“Okay.”

I go over to help him down and he leads Queenie back to her stall. I take off her saddle as he takes care of the bridle and goes to brush her.

He’s focusing on the task at hand. There’s an edge to his stance. Before I can ask him, he tells me what is on his mind.

“My mom canceled my visit,” Luke states while brushing out Queenie.

“She did?”

That’s news to me. Grant hasn’t mentioned anything about the trip being canceled.

“Something about a trip coming up with her new husband being more important right now. Not like I miss my friends or anything or home. But whatever.”

I don’t miss the bitterness in his tone.

“When were you supposed to go?” I ask.

“Fall break.”

“I’m sorry, Luke.”

“Whatever.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “It’s okay to be upset. You were looking forward to the visit.”

“I asked if I could come earlier, and she said no.”

My heart aches for him. I know what it’s like to not have your parents want you. Even though Luke has a dad who shows up for him, it doesn’t make it hurt any less when one snubs you.

“We’ll make sure you can go another time.”

“We?” Luke asks, looking at me.

“Your dad and I. We’ll find a time, and if we have to take you ourselves, we will.”

“Thanks, Georgia.” He goes back to brushing Queenie. “I did meet a few people.”

My ears perk up. “Oh, yeah?”

“One kid seems pretty cool. We rode the bus together this morning. We like the same video games.”

“That’s great. Maybe you could have him over one night after school.”

“Ugh,” he groans. “Don’t make it weird.”

“What? I’m not.”

He laughs. “You’re just like Dad.”

“I’m way cooler than your dad.”

“Are you?”

“Alright.” I roll my eyes at him. “Let’s finish up here and then I’ll take you home.”

Luke’s gaze flits to mine. “You think we could stop and get pancakes for dinner?”

“We can definitely do that.”

“That gets you some more cool points.”

“I knew it.”

Maybe I might get this parenting thing down after all.

Chapter Twenty-Five

GRANT

“I’m really sorry I can’t be there today.”

“I told you, it’s okay. Go be the best scouting guy out there.”

I laugh, flipping on my blinker to turn into Thistle Creek’s ballpark. “I thought you were learning about baseball, and I find out you’re not.”

“Does it help that I know it’s a round ball?”

“Not funny.”

“I am learning, but really, what do you call a scouting guy?”

“A scout.”

I wish I was having this conversation with her in person, but alas, I’m here. There’s a bright young prospect playing out here, and the team is hoping to recruit him to play for us. He’s rough around the edges, but with some training, he could be ready for the big leagues.

“Har har. Go do all the baseball things and we can celebrate the news at dinner tonight.”

We’re supposed to find out the gender of the baby today. It’s both exciting and nerve-racking. I know Georgia wants to find out, but I’m still on the fence. Why ruin the surprise? We’ll find out soon enough.

If only I could convince her of that.

“Sounds good. I’ll stop by the store on my way back and grab something,” I tell her.

“Are you really that worried I’m going to eat pancakes again for dinner?”

“Yes. I want to make sure you and the baby are well fed.”

“You know I won’t say no to whatever you’re making.”

“I know. I’m not above bribery,” I say. “Have a good day with your students.”

“See you tonight, Grant. Have a safe drive home.”

I end the call and grab my tablet from the seat next to me. With Georgia working late last night at the ranch, I was able to get in some more study time on this guy.

He’s only nineteen, but has a bright future ahead of him.

The field here is smaller than the one in Pinecrest—I know it’s a big spot for little league teams to come play. There’s a few people in the stands, likely more scouts, watching as someone rounds the bases.

Resting my arms on the aluminum fence, I watch as he sets back up at home plate. His form is good, from the way he holds the bat to his footing. A pitch is thrown and the crack of the ball hitting the bat echoes around the open field.

“Damn.” I let out a whistle.

The ball sails in a perfect arc over the fence. A home run.

Sure, it’s not a real game, but if he can hit like this without any pressure, it’s a good thing. I take my place in the stands away from the other scouts and make my notes as I watch him play.

I glance at my phone again. I really hate that I’m missing Georgia’s appointment today, but she said it was okay.

I wish I felt that way. I want to be there for her. Show her that I’m not going anywhere.

It’s not like I’m blowing her off because I didn’t want to go, but I also didn’t want to get fired from my job and not have a source of income in Pinecrest.

Even though I wish I were with Georgia, I love these kinds of days at the ballpark, with the sun shining and a cool breeze. It’s what drew me to baseball when I was a kid.

I never had the talent to go far, but I love playing in a pickup league and getting to coach others.

By the time his practice wraps up, the rest of the scouts are already clamoring to get a few minutes with him. I hang back and wait my turn.

My guess is this kid already knows who he wants to go play with before turning pro. No sense in rushing over there to be first in line. I smile to myself as they all talk over themselves and push business cards in his face. I shake my head at the obvious ass-kissing they’re doing.

Once they clear out, I head over to the dugout to make my pitch.

“That was some practice you had out there today,” I say.

Hey, I’m not above it either to get this kid to play for the Loggers.

“Thanks. Aaron Wyle. Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Grant Prescott. I’m with the Pinecrest Loggers.”

“I’ve seen you guys play,” he says. “My grandpa used to take me over there during the summers for the games. Some of my favorite memories.”

“Is that what made you want to play ball?”

He nods. “It is. I loved it. The ballpark hot dogs, catching the fly balls, my very own baseball hat. I loved every minute of it.”

“I think you might get fewer of the hot dogs now.” I smirk.

“No time for that when I’m training, sir,” he agrees.

I smile at this kid. Someone taught him good manners. Something I can appreciate.

“I know you’ll have some options as to where you want to play, but I hope you’ll consider Pinecrest. With some training, I think you’ll be a great player.”

“You think so?” He swigs from his water bottle.

“I wouldn’t lie to you. Get you trained up before a major league team comes in and steals you from us.” I pass my card over to him. “Like you already know, Pinecrest is a great place to come and visit, and if you ever want to come out and see the field again, just let me know.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”

I shake his hand before taking my leave. “Have a good one. Keep up the good work. That homer you hit? A thing of beauty.”

“I will.”

The kid is beaming as I pop my sunglasses back on my face and head to my truck. Dropping everything in the front seat, I pull out my phone. A smile comes easily as I see the messages waiting for me.

Luke

Can you make gnocchi for dinner?

We have everything for it

I already checked

And there’s a movie night at school later for freshmen as part of back to school

Can I go?

This doesn’t feel like the same kid who came here with me all those weeks ago. He’s starting to make friends. And talk to me. Who knew what a milestone that would be?

Grant

Sure thing. Headed home now

Luke

To which thing?

Both

Georgia is coming over tonight for dinner, so you can leave any time after

Thanks, Dad

Do we know what she’s having?

Not sure. We’ll find out tonight

Cool

Damn. Not only is his mood infectious, but the text waiting from Georgia makes me grin like a fool.

Georgia

How’d today go?

Grant

Good

Didn’t get a commitment, but I think he’ll come here

I knew you could do it

Really?

Yes, you can be very convincing

Think I could convince you to spend the night tonight?

Only if you make gnocchi for dinner

Then it’s a good thing Luke already asked for it

It will be waiting for you when you get home

A woman could really get used to this five-star treatment

Only for you

How was your appointment?

Good. Everything looks really good

Did you find out the gender?

I have it

I didn’t want to find out without you

Damn. This woman is something else. I thought the only person I’d have in my life when I got here would be Luke. Now we both have Georgia. Because not only am I falling for her, but so is Luke.

It takes a certain kind of person to get through to a teenage boy. Georgia is certainly that kind of person. I don’t know if anyone else would want to stick around, but I’m glad this baby brought us together.

I’ll see you when you’re done tonight and we can talk about it then

I can’t wait face blowing a kiss

There’s still a long way to go before this baby comes. But right now, things feel good. After the rocky start we had, I could use a lot more good in my life.

Even if it’s making the people I love happy by making them gnocchi. I’ll take it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

GEORGIA

Joey

Are you going to tell us?

Rylee

We are DYING to know

Presley

Boy or girl?

Presley

I’m hoping for a boy

Presley

Poppy wants a girl

Georgia

Why does Poppy want a girl?

Presley

Because she wants a sister and isn’t getting one anytime soon from me

That’s a lot of pressure

Joey

Max wants a boy

Joey

He’s not getting a sibling, so he wants someone to play with

Hey, Rylee might have a baby

Rylee

I’m with Presley on this

Rylee

I’m having too much fun being married to worry about a kid right now

Joey

TMI, Rylee

Joey

That’s my brother

Rylee

Sorry

Rylee

But don’t count on me popping out any kids any time soon

Once Grant and I find out, I’ll tell you guys

Presley

Ugh, fine

Rylee

I guess the dad finding out before us is acceptable

Joey

We’ve known you longer

Joey

Doesn’t that count for anything?

Love you guys, but Grant and Luke first

Joey

It’s like we’re chopped liver <<how rude gif>>

Ilaugh, stuffing my phone into my purse and heading into Grant’s house. The envelope in my bag is burning a hole in my metaphorical pocket.

I hated that Grant had to scout a player today and couldn’t come with me, but I get it. His job is important and I don’t want to take him away from it.

“Hey, guys,” I call out, toeing off my shoes and dropping my purse onto the coat rack.

“Hey, Georgia,” Luke says, not looking up at me.

He’s lying on the couch, playing a video game on the TV, and Grant is in the kitchen. A smile brightens his face, causing butterflies to swarm in my belly.

“Hi.” I press up to give him a quick kiss. “Is dinner almost ready?”

“You had your appointment tonight and that’s the first thing you ask me?”

I grab a cucumber and pop it into my mouth. “I’m hungry, so yes.”

“Did you find out the sex yet?” Luke asks.

I hold up the envelope in my hand before dropping it on the counter. “Well, the doctor did. I didn’t want to find out without your dad there.”

Luke pauses his game and comes into the kitchen and grabs the salad bowl. “Can we look?”

I follow him to the table and take a seat. The smell of marinara and garlic over the gnocchi makes my stomach rumble with hunger. “This looks great, Grant.”

He grabs a beer from the fridge and takes the seat next to me.

“About that,” Grant says.

I pile my bowl up and pass it to Luke.

“What do you mean, about that? Do you not want to find out?” I ask. I stab my fork into my bowl and take a bite that is probably too big to be considered ladylike, but I don’t care.

I’m starving. It seems I’ve hit the point in my pregnancy where I’m ravenous all the time. Thank God Grant knows how to cook, because otherwise I probably just would have eaten an entire bowl of macaroni and cheese for dinner.

“Do I get an opinion on this?” Luke asks.

“I mean, we can take it into consideration,” Grant says. “But ultimately, if we don’t want to know, then we’re not gonna find out.”

“Why don’t you want to know?” I ask Grant, leaning back in my seat.

“I just think it would be nice to keep it a surprise. What’s one more mystery in life?”

I drop my fork and eye him, pointing to my belly. “Don’t you think this was enough of a surprise?”

“It’s one of the last few surprises we actually get in life these days,” he says.

“Of course you would think that.” I shake my head, shoveling another bite in my mouth. “Don’t you want to be able to plan for them?”

“If you don’t want to find out, buy green things,” Luke points out. “Aren’t babies cute no matter what they wear?”

“See?” Grant agrees like the point has been made.

“Yes, but don’t you want to be able to get matching big brother and little brother shirts?”

Luke drops his fork, a horrified look washing over his face. “There is no way I am wearing a big brother shirt. Seriously, don’t even think about it.”

I smile at him and pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on it. It’s about as cool as those ‘Will you marry me?’ T-shirts.”

“Don’t propose that way, Dad.” Luke laughs. “She might say no.”

“If anyone ever proposed to me that way, it would clearly show they didn’t know me very well,” I agree.

“You know, I’m sitting right here,” Grant says.

“Which means I need to convince you to find out what we’re having. You got to find out with Luke.”

“How about the next kid?” Grant says. A second later his eyes widen.

“The next kid?” I ask.

“Well, umm…I mean…fuck,” he stutters, shoving a hand through his hair.

“You’re going to have more than one kid?” Luke asks.

“Right now, I’m only focused on having one kid. Let’s just worry about getting this one here safely,” I say, not sure how to react to what Grant blurted out.

“All I’m saying is it’s not going to make a difference if it’s a boy or girl. Besides, what if they’re wrong?”

I set my fork down, nearly done with dinner, and clasp my hands under my chin. “How many times does that actually happen?”

“Enough for it to be a thought in my mind. What if it’s a girl and we buy all this girl stuff and they get here and it turns out that it’s a boy?”

“Okay, I think you’re thinking way too much into this,” I say. “I want to find out. Can’t you just give me this one?”

He leans over the table, eyeing me. “What do I get in return if I give you this?”

“Is this how you’re going to play it?” I quirk a brow at him, mirroring his position.

“Okay, you two are being weird,” Luke says. “I’m going to go look.”

“Wait, no!”

I try to grab his arm, but it’s too late. He’s in the kitchen opening the envelope and reading what’s written on it. “Huh, okay.”

“Huh, okay good or huh, okay bad?” I ask, spinning in my seat to look at him.

“I don’t know. You guys haven’t decided if you want to know yet.”

I look at Grant and he smiles at me. “Go ahead and tell her; it’s fine. I don’t want you holding it over our heads that you know what we’re having and we don’t.”

Luke goes to say, but I cut him off. “Wait. Do I really want to know? I mean, I’m convinced it’s a boy, but what if it’s not a boy and it’s a girl and I’m actually disappointed?”

Grant reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Trust me, you’ll be happy either way. Besides, if it’s a boy, we know what to do.”

“Good. Because it’s a boy,” Luke says.

“It’s a boy?” I squeal, covering my mouth because my voice is suddenly shrieky and high-pitched. “We’re really having a boy?”

Luke nods.

“I guess we’ll be getting Luke a big brother shirt then.” Grant laughs.

“Dad,” Luke groans. “I am never going to wear one. Don’t bother.”

“Fine. But I am definitely getting a little brother onesie and I want you to smile for a picture.”

He rolls his eyes, but in all actuality, he’s smiling.

“Oh my gosh. We’re having a boy.”

Grant smiles at me. Tears well in his eyes. “Luke, why don’t you finish your dinner downstairs? Give us a minute to digest this news.”

“Whatever. Can I go get ready for the movie?” Luke drops a kiss on my cheek before he goes. “I’m happy you’re having a boy. I want a baby brother.”

“Thanks, Luke.”

“Thanks, bud,” Grant calls after him.

Standing, I walk around the table. A stupid happy grin splits Grant’s face as he pulls me down onto his lap. His hand covers my belly.

“Are you happy it’s a boy?” I ask.

“Fuck, yes, I am,” he says, kissing me. “Honestly, I never thought I’d have another kid, and to be fair, I kind of know what I’m doing with a boy. It makes me less nervous.”

“Do you actually know what you’re doing?” I jest.

“Luke is having conversations with us now. And he ate dinner with us. I’d say I know a thing or two.”

“We’re having a boy,” I say again.

I sink my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. This isn’t what I thought would happen in my life. A kid? Me? I had no plans to ever become a mom. I didn’t have any role models growing up to show me what parental love looked like.

If it weren’t for Grant, I don’t know if I could do this whole parenting thing on my own. Being with him, I can’t imagine anything else.

“We’re having a boy,” Grant parrots.

“I can’t wait to tell the girls. They’re going to have a blast planning his baby shower.”

“I have no doubt this little boy is going to be so spoiled.” Grant pulls my mouth down to his, giving me the sweetest of kisses. “I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

I rest my forehead against his, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.

“I am too.”

“I’m glad I moved here. Otherwise, how would you have told me about the baby?”

The corner of my mouth quirks up. “I had my ways.”

“What were those?”

His strong hand is warm and soft on my belly. The touch does all sorts of funny things to my insides. It’s not just the baby hormones. Every day I spend with Grant, I fall a little harder for him. I only hope we’re both falling together.

“I mean, Joey could have gotten your number from the reservation system…” I trail off.

“Wow. Illegal much?” He laughs.

“I can blame you for sneaking off and not leaving your number.” I point a finger in his face.

“Pretty sure neither of us thought a one-night stand was going to turn into a baby.”

“You know me. I was fine on my own.”

Grant tucks a loose lock of hair behind my year. “I seem to remember thinking the same thing.”

“Guess you and I are doing okay depending on one another.”

“I told you. You and me. We’re in this together.”

“I like that word.”

Together.

I really am beginning to like that word. For someone that always said she was fine on her own, I like having someone.

No, not someone.

Grant.

Turns out, finding the right person makes things easy. Even if we got together under unconventional circumstances.

I’ll take it because for the first time in a long time, I’m happy.

And I’ll do whatever I can to keep this feeling.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

GEORGIA

Grant

Have fun today

Georgia

Thanks, we will

Are you going to come over here after?

Why?

Do you miss me?

You know I do

It’s been two days since I saw you

And we’ve talked both of those days

Sue me

I like having you around

Good

And for what it’s worth, I miss you too

Good

I’ll have dinner ready for you

You’re my hero smiling face with heart-eyes

See you later, Cowgirl

Stuffing my phone into my purse, I walk up the path to Presley’s house. It’s been a long time since the four of us have hung out together. Between kids and jobs, we don’t always have the time. When Presley suggested this, I jumped at the chance. Even if it means spending one of my rare days off away from Grant.

The three of us have been reveling in the news of having a boy together. Luke is getting more and more excited, talking about the things he wants to do with his brother. I love it.

And Grant? Well, if I’m not with him, I’m thinking about him. I finally get why the girls spend so much time with their significant others. Grant and I haven’t been together long, but the more time we spend together, the more I want to be with him.

Knocking on the front door, I peek my head inside.

“Anyone home?”

The door pulls open from behind and I’m greeted by a shock of noise and color.

“Surprise!”

I smile at them, knowing full well this was their plan for today.

A “Congratulations” banner hangs on one wall with food and flowers taking up the whole of the kitchen counter. A pile of presents overwhelms the coffee table.

“It’s a baby shower!” Presley exclaims. “We knew you weren’t going to do anything to celebrate, so we wanted to do something for you.”

“Oh my God. You didn’t have to do this,” I say, playing into the surprise.

Joey eyes me up and down. “You knew, didn’t you?”

I smile, nodding my head. “You did say you wanted to throw a shower, so I figured it might be today since we were all getting together.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rylee says, wrapping me up in a hug. “You deserve it. You do so much for others that we wanted to do something for you.”

“I love you guys.”

Emotions swarm through me because this is more than I expected. No one has ever done anything like this for me before. Maybe if I had sisters, we would have been this close. But these three are the sisters I never had but always wanted. It means the world to me that they’re doing this for me.

“Now, grab a plate and get some food because we want you to open your presents,” Rylee says.

Presley pours a glass of orange juice and passes it over to me.

“Everything looks delicious,” I say.

I help myself to a little bit of everything. Well, more than a little bit of everything.

Fruit skewers. Mini quiches. Cake pops. Sugar cookies decorated in the shape of onesies and rattles.

“You can take it all home later,” Presley says. “I ordered way too much.”

I pop a mini quiche into my mouth. Damn, it’s delicious. “I won’t say no to that.”

I settle onto the couch, and can’t help but eye the stack of presents in front of me. Every size box imaginable is impeccably wrapped, with the exception of a few.

“Who are these from?” I ask, pointing to a misshapen package.

Joey plops down next to me. “That one is from Max. He wanted to help wrap it.”

“I love it.” I smile at her. “You know, if you and Sam want a night out, Grant and I could always watch⁠—”

“Yes,” Joey answers, cutting me off.

“In need of a night out?” I laugh.

“As you will soon learn,” Joey says, patting my hand, “you will take any offer of a babysitter you can get.”

“Does that mean you’ll be offering to watch this one?” I rub my hand over my stomach.

“Joey is going to have to fight us off to watch him,” Presley says, coming into the living room and sitting in a chair next to me.

“I’m glad I have you girls to help me. I don’t know the first thing about having a baby,” I confess.

“Just know everyone is going to try and tell you what to do, but do what feels good for you,” Joey says.

“I won’t be giving any advice,” Rylee says. “I don’t have the first clue about having a baby. But know I will be there to cuddle that sweet baby as much as I can.”

I reach over and squeeze her hand. “I know you will.”

“And from one mother to another, try not to burn the grilled cheese,” Presley states. “You will never hear the end of it. I promise.”

I snort a laugh, trying not to choke on the orange juice I just took a sip of. “I’m pretty sure I have OJ coming out of my nose, so thanks for that.”

Presley laughs as Joey passes me a napkin. “Kids will be your harshest critics.”

“Good to know.”

“Max isn’t at that stage yet,” Joey says. “But right now he is so infatuated with everything Sam does, that I don’t really have to worry.”

“They are really sweet together,” I say. “I hope my kid is like that with Grant.”

“You’re really falling for him, aren’t you?” Rylee asks.

“Am I that obvious?”

“Yes,” they all answer at the same time.

“You’re happy,” Joey states.

“I’ve been happy,” I clarify.

“Right, but it’s different when you’re in love.”

Am I in love with Grant? Is that what this is? So many emotions are swimming inside of me at any given moment—thanks to this baby—that I don’t know what I’m feeling half the time.

The biggest emotion I’m feeling is happy. I chalked it up to the baby and being around Grant, but maybe it is more.

“It…it’s early still. I don’t want to put any big feelings to what we have,” I answer.

Joey scoots closer and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Grant isn’t going to leave you. Not everyone is your parents.”

Rylee moves into my other side, and Presley pushes the stack of presents aside and drops down in front of me, taking my hands.

“It’s hard not to worry,” I confess.

“Have you talked to him about this?” Presley asks.

“No. It never feels like the right time.” I wipe a stray tear away. “And what if it scares him off? That he thinks I won’t be a good mother because I didn’t have any good parental figures in my life.”

“Georgia Halliwell.” Joey cups my cheeks and turns my attention to her. “I saw the way that man looked at you when he picked you up for your date. He is so far gone for you, it’s not even funny.”

“And he’s seen you at the barn with Luke. He knows you,” Presley says.

“Your past doesn’t make you any less lovable. You’re one of the best people we know,” Rylee says.

I’m full-on crying now. I wipe my eyes, mascara smearing across my cheeks. “Ugh, I love you guys, but I probably look like a raccoon.”

“A very cute raccoon.” Joey gives me one more squeeze before passing over a napkin. “Now, dry those tears so we can start opening presents.”

I dab at my eyes and do my best to get my emotions in check. But as I unwrap the gifts, each more thoughtful than the last, it’s hard to keep the tears from gathering in my eyes.

A framed picture of his first sonogram. A quilted blanket to bring him home from the hospital in. Little hats. Hand-decorated onesies from each of them.

All of which say “My favorite aunt bought me this onesie.”

When I pull out the second “favorite aunt” one, I can’t help but laugh.

“Seriously? You got a favorite aunt onesie from you?” Rylee asks, looking at Presley. “I’m supposed to be the favorite aunt.”

I burst out laughing. “Did you all really get ‘My favorite aunt bought me this onesie’ without talking to one another?”

They all glare at each other and it only makes me laugh harder. This sweet boy of mine is going to be so loved.

“I guess we’ll have to get y’all ‘This is my favorite nephew’ T-shirts to wear,” I say. “You can wear it whenever you watch him.”

“Max is going to give him a run for his money,” Rylee says.

“Oh, he knows how cute he is. He doesn’t need the reminder.” Joey laughs.

“That one is from Poppy. She wanted to come, but Kade took her out to the ranch for riding lessons so we could have some adult time,” Presley says, pushing the package closer to me.

I open the package, haphazardly wrapped in paper with pink and white polka dots. A bright white stuffed goose falls out with a blue bow wrapped around his neck.

“He’s precious.”

“Poppy loves Strawberry, so she wanted your baby to have one too,” Presley says. “He doesn’t have a name, but Poppy said you should name him Milkshake.”

“Milkshake?” I laugh. “Why’s that?”

“Kade always takes her to get milkshakes after riding, so it’s their thing. I’m sure she’ll name some new stuffed animal she gets Milkshake too.”

“I’ll make sure to write her a thank you card and let her know I’m going with Milkshake,” I say. “Even if it might be weird for a goose.”

“Hey, Max has a stuffed tomato he now calls Walter,” Joey interjects.

“Walter? Really?” I laugh.

“Sam read Max a book with a cow named Walter and he loves it, so his tomato is Walter.”

Joey shrugs like it’s no big deal.

Just something I’m going to learn about being a mom. Kids do weird things that don’t always make sense, but you love them anyway.

“These are post baby presents for you,” Rylee says. “You don’t have to open these today. It’ll give you something to look forward to.”

“You guys did too much,” I say, fingering my cowboy boot necklace they’ve already given me.

“Nonsense,” Presley says.

“You know we’ll be at your house when this baby comes, dropping off anything you need. You won’t know what to do with yourself,” Joey agrees.

“Us and the entire town,” Rylee says. “Betty was talking about it at the diner the other day. There’s a pool going on names.”

“Already? Sheesh,” I say.

“You don’t want to give us any insider hints?” Joey asks.

I shake my head. “We’re waiting until he gets here.”

“I mean, what if it turns out to be a girl?” Rylee points out.

“That’s what I told Grant when we were deciding if we wanted to find out.”

“Are you glad you did?” Presley asks.

“Yes. It’s helping us plan things. We’ll be working on the nursery soon.”

“Are you buying two of everything?” Rylee asks.

“We haven’t really figured out all of the details on that yet.” Glancing at the time, I see it’s getting late. “I think it’s time we got out of your hair, Presley.”

They all pop up, starting to gather the presents and food to take out to my car so I can get everything home. I can’t lift a finger to help.

“It’s your day. You shouldn’t be helping,” Joey says.

Before I leave, I pull them all in for a hug.

“I don’t know what I would do without you girls,” I whisper.

“We love you, G,” Joey says. “We’re always here for you.”

“And we’re not going anywhere,” Rylee agrees.

“You’ll get sick of us coming over with casseroles when the baby comes,” Presley says.

“And don’t worry,” Joey promises, “we won’t let Presley make them.”

“Hey. I’ve gotten better,” Presley defends.

“Have you?” Joey asks, drawing it out. “No one would blame you if you just eat at the ranch every night. Rex is amazing.”

“So rude.” Presley laughs.

“Well, I’ll take whatever you bring.” I wipe my eyes. “At least Grant knows how to cook, so between all of you, I’ll be taken care of.”

I wave goodbye, driving down the road to Grant’s.

I never had a family before. But now, the girls, Grant, Luke, and this baby?

They’re my family. As long as I have all of them, I’ll have everything I need.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

GRANT

“Why don’t we move Beckett to hit third and move Smith to hit sixth? We need to work on his swing before we move him up in the batting order. Beckett’s worked hard to prove himself.”

“Got it,” Gavney says. “I know he’ll be happy.”

“As long as he keeps it up.” I tuck the phone against my shoulder and pull the boiling pot of water off the stove. “I want to make sure Smith doesn’t get too down. He’s a good player, but we need to work with him if he wants to improve his game.”

“I’ll work with him at practice tomorrow. Anything else?”

“No. Sorry to bother you while you’re at home, but I was working through it in my mind and didn’t want to forget.”

“You’ve got a lot on your plate, Grant. Anything I can do to help.”

“Appreciate it. Now, go enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

It seems like all I do is make gnocchi for Georgia and Luke. It’s their favorite, so I’ll make it as much as I have to. I don’t know how hungry she’ll be after spending the day with her friends, but I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“Anyone home?”

Her voice echoes around the kitchen, and looking to the front door, all I see is a pile of presents.

“Why didn’t you call me to help?” I ask, rushing over to take the boxes from her arms.

“I thought I could manage,” I say. “Besides, the bump helps steady them.”

I shake my head at her, setting them on the coffee table. “Did they leave anything at the store?”

“No.” She smiles, pressing up onto her toes to kiss me.

Before she can get away, I pull her back in. This time, I linger. It’s only the two of us tonight and I want to feel her pressed against me. To savor her sweet taste.

I’m falling for this woman, and falling hard. I only hope she feels the same way.

“Miss me?”

“Always.”

“I hope you want gnocchi tonight.”

“You are the perfect man,” she says. “Is Luke home tonight?”

“He’s not, actually.”

“Where is he?” she asks, settling onto a barstool.

“There’s a football game tonight, so he went with some friends from school.”

“Wow. Good for him.”

I turn the stove off, letting the sauce simmer. “I know, right?”

“Did you play it cool?” Georgia leans forward. “Or did you totally nerd out about it?”

“I resent the implication I am anything but a cool dad.”

She laughs, but the lines on her face confirm how tired she is. “The coolest.”

Dropping the lid back on the pan, I grab her by the hand. “Come on.”

“Where are you taking me?” Georgia asks, casting a curious eye to me.

“Well, I thought since I had you here I might⁠—”

“Murder me? Is this when you finally do it?”

Grabbing both of her hands, I pull her toward me. “I’ve had plenty of opportunities to do that if I wanted to. Besides, I’d miss you too much.”

She gives me her real smile. The one that she reserves for people she cares about. Not that fake one I got on the first night. It does something funny to my insides that I’m getting this.

“You’d miss me, huh?”

I hold up my thumb and forefinger together. “Maybe a little.”

“Only a little?”

“Fine, maybe more.”

She presses up onto her toes, giving me the briefest of kisses. She doesn’t linger, but I trail after her. Wanting more.

“That’s all you’re going to give me?”

Georgia nods. “Until you tell me what we’re doing.”

“Fine.”

I lead her down the hallway to my bedroom and straight through to the bathroom. I turn the tap on and clog the drain, drawing her a bath.

“Are you telling me something?” she says, crossing her arms over her floral print dress. She’s still wearing her boots.

“Yes. You look tired. It’s been a busy few weeks and you are not one to slow down, so why don’t you take a bath while I get dinner ready for you.”

“I—”

I cover her mouth with my hand, not letting her finish. “Nope. You make it a point to stay busy, so I’m making you slow down. If not for you, for our kid.”

The fight slips out of her. 

“I’ve never had anyone take care of me before.”

“You haven’t?”

I sit on the edge of the tub, rolling my sleeves up to test the water. She threads her fingers through my hair, staring down at me. Emotions fill her eyes.

“My girls take care of me, but not like this.”

I shake the water off my hand, and stand to pull her in for a hug. “I like taking care of you, Cowgirl.”

I go to leave, but she pulls me back.

“Are you going to get in with me?”

“You want me to?”

She hooks a finger into the v of my shirt and pulls me close. “Of course I do.”

Grabbing the hem of her dress, she pulls it up and over her head before toeing out of her boots and dropping her bra and underwear into the pile.

She steps into the tub with a sigh. “This feels really good, Grant.”

I disrobe before getting in behind her. When the water fills the tub, I shut it off and let the steam overwhelm us.

“Want a back rub?” I ask.

“Wow. This is a full service spa.” She laughs.

I dig my fingers into her shoulders, feeling how tight her muscles are. “You should know by now, Georgia. Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you.”

She peeks over her shoulder, eyes closed off.

“I don’t like having to rely on people,” she says.

“Why not?”

“They always leave.”

I sweep the hair off of her shoulder and press a kiss against her soft skin. “Who left you, Georgia?”

“My parents.”

“Your parents?”

“They didn’t care about being a mom and dad. My dad cut out when I was little, and my mom blamed me. When I was thirteen, she left too and I had no one else.”

My hand settles on top of her belly. I rub soothing circles over the tender skin. I let her keep talking without interruption because I sense she needs to get this out.

“I bounced around foster homes until I was sixteen and an older woman took me in. She was nice, but I think it was just a way for her to get extra money. But at least I was safe, which is more than a lot of kids can say. When I left for college, I finally felt free. I did everything I could to never rely on anyone.”

“I’m sorry, Georgia.” It’s all I can say. How can I be irrationally angry at people I’ve never met? I don’t know who could ever give up this woman.

She’s the most kind, caring, genuine person I’ve ever met. I would do anything for her. That’s when it dawns on me.

“This is why you never wanted kids,” I say.

“I was scared that if I did have kids, there might be a part of my parents in me. I know that logically it isn’t true and running out on your kid isn’t genetic, but when Presley first told us she was pregnant, my first thought was I never wanted that to happen to me.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you found out.” I press a kiss to her shoulder.

“It’s not like we planned this.” She settles her hand on top of mine, linking our fingers together. “But I’m glad we’re together now.”

“You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” I tell her.

“I know.”

I spin her in my arms, looking her dead in the eyes. There’s an anxiousness there. I can’t blame her, now that I know what happened to her.

“Georgia. I need you to listen to me. Really listen. I’m here. You and I are in this together. I know we didn’t plan on having a baby together and you never planned on having one, but we’ll always be there for him.” I rub a hand over her belly as her eyes well up. “I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

She closes the distance between the two of us, her mouth sealing over mine. It’s not heated, but with this kiss, she’s telling me everything she can’t say.

How much she needs me and relies on me, even if she might not want to. How she’s learning to do this whole parenting thing with me.

I never expected Georgia, but somehow, we’re inextricably linked. And there’s no other person I’d rather be tied to than her.

“Thank you, Grant,” she whispers against my lips.

“You never have to thank me for showing up for you, Georgia. I’m not going anywhere.”

Holding her in my arms, the water warm around us, this is exactly where I want to be. With her.

Thank God for that damn blizzard.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

GRANT

“Are you sure you want to do this with me?” Georgia asks, not for the first time.

“Relax, Cowgirl.” I kiss her, because I know it’s the fastest way to get her to stop talking. “I wouldn’t be here if I was worried.”

“Is there a reason I had to come?” Luke asks from the couch.

“Because you want to hang out with us?” It comes out as more of a question than anything.

“Try again, Dad,” he says.

Georgia drops down behind her couch, batting her lashes at him. “Because little boys think teenagers are cool, and if Max gets bored, you can help entertain him.”

Luke tries to play it cool, but he’s smiling at her. “Fine. But only because Dad promised to make gnocchi.”

“Only because you ate all the leftovers last week. And you know that I can make something else besides gnocchi, right?”

“Yeah, but I love your gnocchi,” Luke says.

“Me too,” Georgia agrees.

After Georgia’s confession the other night about her past, it all makes sense to me. Why she is so closed off to others. About why she didn’t want kids.

It made me fall for her even harder. How could I not? The soft smile she’s casting my direction makes my insides swirl.

Fuck.

I’m damn near in love with this woman, but I don’t want to scare her off. For now, I’ll show up for her in every way. Prove to her I’m not like the family who left her behind.

We let the dinner go and ate cereal in bed. It was just what she needed. And I’ll give this woman anything.

“Will Max like gnocchi?” I ask.

“It’s like pasta.” She laughs. “He’s four and will eat anything.”

“Good.”

A knock sounds from the door, and Georgia goes to answer it.

“There’s my favorite guy,” she says.

“Aunt Georgia!” Max wraps his arms around her as Joey and Sam follow him inside.

“You are seriously the best for watching him tonight,” Joey says.

“It’ll be good practice for us,” Georgia says.

“Grant.” I extend my hand to Joey’s boyfriend.

“Sam. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

“Thanks for giving us the night off,” he says. “Max is really excited.”

“I am too.” I smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around kids his age.”

Sam spots Luke, who’s eyeing us. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around teenagers, so if you need a night off, we can always watch him. Prepare us for what’s coming.”

“Hey,” Luke interjects. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I know.” I laugh.

Sam passes me a backpack. “Max packed everything he wanted to bring tonight, and I threw in pajamas and a change of clothes in case he makes a mess.”

“Thanks.”

“We won’t be too late,” Joey says. “But if Max gets tired, we brought some books if you want to put him to bed.”

“Who are you?” Max asks Luke, moving around the couch.

“I’m Luke. You’re Max. Remember I helped you make your s’mores at the ranch a few weeks ago?”

“They were yummy.” Max smiles at him. “Are you going to play with me tonight?”

“Uhh, I can. What do you want to play?”

“Tag?” Max asks.

“Sure.” Luke stands and takes Max into the backyard.

“Well, it looks like they’ll be friends,” Georgia says.

Joey kisses her cheek. “Thanks for tonight, babe. Text me if you need anything. You’ve got this.”

“I know. Have fun.”

We wave them off and close the door. Happy laughter filters in from the backyard. Going to the window in the kitchen, I see the two of them chasing after one another.

“You think it’s going to be this easy with our kid?” I ask.

“I hope so.”

The two of us work together making dinner while we watch the boys play outside. I’ve missed this feeling. Having someone by my side to help with the little things. To talk about our day together. To cook together.

It’s nice not being on my own.

It’s even better that I get to do these things with Georgia. She slathers the butter on a French loaf for garlic bread when a wail cuts through the contented quiet.

“What’s wrong?” I drop the gnocchi in the sink, not caring what happens to it.

“I have a boo-boo,” Max cries.

“Let me see.” I hoist him up onto the counter. It’s a small scrape, a tad red, but no blood.

“Sorry, Max,” Luke says, coming up beside him.

“It’s okay,” he says, wiping his nose.

“I’ll clean it up and then why don’t we have some dinner, okay?”

Max nods. Georgia passes me a warm washcloth and I press it against his knee. He lets out a small whine, but he handles it like a champ.

“What were you guys doing out there?” I ask.

“Luke was teaching me baseball,” he says.

“You were?” My eyes shoot to Luke’s.

He shrugs a shoulder. “We had a ball and some sticks. I figured it’d be easy.”

Georgia nudges me from the side. I know exactly what it means.

Play it cool, you idiot.

Because if I give any attention to Luke having interest in baseball again, I’ll kill it before it takes hold.

“Did you score a run?” I ask Max.

Max looks to Luke who nods. “He did. He won the game.”

That brightens Max’s face. “Yay.”

“I think you’re all set. Why don’t you two go set the table and I’ll bring dinner out.”

Luke grabs the bowls and has Max help him. It’s hard not to watch the two of them work together.

“They’re really sweet together,” Georgia whispers, helping me finish dinner.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but Luke is going to be a really good big brother.”

“Nothing to jinx. Max already adores him, and I have a feeling our baby will be just the same.”

I kiss her before ewws hit our ears.

“You kiss like Mommy and Dad,” Max says.

“Yeah, it’s gross.” Luke laughs.

“Kids these days.” I shake my head.

Max makes an absolute mess of his dinner, telling us all about his day at school and the horse he got to ride at the ranch last week. Luke takes an interest in that, asking different questions.

I love that he’s interested in something new. In something that Georgia can bond with him over.

I clean up dinner while Georgia, Max, and Luke go outside to play another game of tag. I join them after. All four of us are chasing each other well into sunset. When the fireflies start, we head inside to make popcorn and watch a movie. Luke stretches out on the chair, while Max curls up between me and Georgia on the couch.

Max giggles at the dogs chasing each other and Luke mimics the noises. I would have been happy with a girl, but I can’t wait to see Luke with a little brother. They’re so damn cute together and I love it.

Max falls asleep in Georgia’s arms while the movie plays softly in the background. Luke is snoring soundly from the other side of the room.

“I guess they both wore each other out,” I whisper.

Georgia nods. “Should we put them to bed?”

“Let’s leave them be. I don’t want to wake Max up.”

She brushes the hair off his head as he curls farther into her side.

If I wasn’t in love with Georgia before, I sure as fuck am now. Watching her love on Max—one of her best friend’s kids—makes it easy to see how great of a mom she’ll be. I knew this already, but seeing it is an entirely different thing.

I rub her feet as the movie plays on. This is what I want. The two of us, falling in love together. Georgia might not be there yet, but I know she’ll get there.

Because it’s the two of us.

And I’m not going anywhere.

Chapter Thirty

GEORGIA

“Have you ever been to a baseball game before?” Luke asks, slurping from his drink.

“I’ve been to a few of the Loggers’ games,” I say.

Luke snorts. “I don’t think these guys are as good as the Loggers.”

“My bar for even knowing what is good is very low for baseball.”

I follow him through the bleachers and find some space for the two of us. He spreads the blanket out and I set down the cushioned seat I brought with me.

At this point in my pregnancy, I want comfort over everything else. The bigger my belly gets, the harder of an adjustment it is.

“You’ll at least like watching Dad play,” Luke says.

It’s one of the last warm nights. Summer is hanging on by a thread. I opted for cut-off jeans shorts, a white T-shirt, and Grant’s Loggers jersey. Even though I can’t button it, it looks cute opened over my bump.

“Do you know which ones are the coaches your dad works with?” I ask Luke.

I pop a piece of popcorn in my mouth. Even though it’s a pickup league, the concession stand is open. It’s like they knew the pregnant lady was coming.

I’m now firmly in the hungry and horny stage of my pregnancy. I kept waiting for it to come, but now that Grant and I are seeing one another, it’s like I can’t get enough of him.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t met any of them,” he says, grabbing a handful of popcorn and chomping down.

“Maybe we’ll meet them tonight,” I say.

“I actually got invited to spend the night at Josh’s house,” Luke says, keeping his eyes fixed on the game.

“Really? That’s great.”

“You think Dad will let me go?”

I nod, grabbing my water bottle and sucking down a sip. “Of course he will. And if he doesn’t, I’ll let you go.”

Luke laughs. “Is this what it’s going to be like with the two of you and the baby? One of you says no and the other says yes?”

“Hanging out with friends is always approved. Did you meet him at school?”

“You’re sounding like Dad now.”

“Sorry.” I throw my hands up. “But if you are going, we at least need to know where.”

He smiles at me. He looks so much like Grant when his face lights up. “You’re starting to sound like a mom.”

“Good thing. This baby will be here before you know it.”

“Dad’s up next,” Luke says, pointing back to the game.

Grant is in the on-deck circle, swinging the bat. The baseball shirt clings to his biceps in the most delicious way. And somehow those pants make his ass look even better.

Get it together, Georgia.

“Let’s go, Grant!” I cheer, clapping as he steps up to home plate.

The pitcher takes his stance, lining up before throwing the ball. It cracks against the bat as it sails into the outfield. It keeps going, and going, and⁠—

“Home run!” Luke shouts, jumping up and down next to me. “Way to go, Dad!”

“Woo!”

I’m high-fiving everyone around us, watching as Grant runs the bases. He gives us a nod, letting us know he sees us.

Damn. Watching him play baseball is hot. He said he didn’t have the athletic ability to keep going and moved into coaching, but he’s good.

Again, my bar for knowing what’s good is low, but Grant makes it look easy.

“Your dad is really good,” I say, retaking my seat as the next batter comes up.

“I know he wishes I loved it like he does, but eh.” He shrugs a shoulder.

“Anything you like more?”

“I like going riding with you,” he says.

“You do?”

“I mean, it’s cool.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it.”

I now know the feeling that Grant gets when he’s around Luke. He wants to encourage him when he likes something, but I don’t want to act too interested and make him hate it.

Is this what being a parent is really like?

I still have a lot of learning to do, but I like having Luke around. Even though he’s not my kid, he’ll always be a part of my life. Grant and I will always be linked through this baby.

He’s shown me what it’s like when someone shows up for you. When they care for you. When they love you.

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m falling in love with Grant. It still scares me, but I’m trying to get used to the idea.

Even from here, I can sense his gaze on me. It’s like he knows I’m thinking about him. Ever since I told him about my past, it’s become easier to open up to him. I don’t have any secrets from Grant. One of these days, I’ll confess how I feel.

Right now, things are good. I don’t want to go rocking any boats.

The inning ends and Grant’s team heads into the outfield. It’s harder to see him from here, but his team does a good job keeping the game close. They only allow one run before they’re up to bat again.

The back-and-forth keeps up, with Luke explaining different parts of the game to me. It’s nice getting to spend some one-on-one time with him away from the barn. It gives him the chance to teach me a few things. I really can’t wait for him to be a big brother to this kid. He’s going to be great at it.

The game ends with one last run for Grant’s team, winning 9-5.

Everyone cheers as the teams gather in the dugouts. A few of the players are already cracking beers as Luke and I head over with the other family members to see the guys.

“Great game,” I say, running up to Grant and wrapping my arms around him.

“Thanks. Did you guys have fun?” he asks, giving me a quick kiss.

“We did.” I nod.

“Nice sweatshirt,” Grant tells Luke, who is slowly walking up behind us. “Where’d you get that?”

Luke looks down at his red Loggers hoodie. “Georgia found it for me.”

“Nice to see you in something other than black,” Grant says.

“Daaaad.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He throws up his hands. “I didn’t think you owned anything else.”

Luke rolls his eyes at him. “Josh said I could spend the night at his house and Georgia said it was okay.”

“That’s fine with me,” Grant agrees. “I’ll need their number though just in case.”

“Nothing is going to happen,” Luke says.

“Doesn’t matter. Get me their name and number and then you can go.”

“Fine. Are we ready to go?” Luke asks.

“Give me a minute. I’ll meet you at the truck.”

He takes off running, leaving the two of us alone.

Grant rests his bat behind his shoulder, looking down at me. “Does that mean you’re going to spend the night?”

I grab his hand, resting it on my belly. The baby is kicking up a storm, and I know he loves feeling him move. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you going to make me dinner?”

“You know it’s well after dinnertime, right?” he asks.

“Does it matter? Baby is hungry, so I’m hungry.”

“Fine. What do you want?” He laughs.

“I’ll do a grilled cheese with jalapeños. And maybe some celery and peanut butter too.”

He laughs, shaking his head at me. “Okay.”

“Hey, don’t make fun of my cravings.”

“I know better than that.” He tips my chin up, kissing me.

It’s brief, but oh so sweet.

“I’ll get Luke dropped off at his friend’s house and hit the store on the way home. Why don’t I meet you at your place?”

“Sounds perfect.” I steal one last, long lingering kiss. “I’ll leave the door open for you.”

Chapter Thirty-One

GRANT

Ican’t remember the last time I’ve moved faster. If it weren’t for Luke moving at a snail’s pace, I would’ve been here sooner.

The thought of spending the night with Georgia at her place had me running through the grocery store.

Something else that also slowed me down—I’m pretty sure every single person in town was at the store tonight and offered me unsolicited baby advice. Of course, it seemed like half the advice contradicted the other half. My head is swimming by the time I finally pay for everything for Georgia and head her way.

At least I’m not stopped by the sheriff for speeding, because I’m pushing it. Who can blame a man when he has someone like Georgia waiting for him?

Cruising into her driveway, I throw the truck in park and grab the paper bag from the front seat and dash inside, where I stop dead in my tracks.

“Holy fuck.”

Georgia is sitting on the counter with her legs crossed in a pair of skimpy black shorts and a sleeveless white crop top. Her hair is freshly tousled and she’s wearing a light coat of makeup.

“Took you long enough.”

I set the bags behind her and step between her legs. “I didn’t realize I was being timed.”

“Maybe next time I should text you to give you a heads-up that there’s a horny pregnant woman waiting for you.”

“That’s a text I want to get.” I drag my finger along the neckline of her top, pushing it off her shoulder. “Which begs my next question.”

I press a kiss to the soft skin there.

“What’s that?” she whispers.

“Are you more hungry or horny?”

I step even closer, rocking into her to let her know how she’s making me feel.

“Definitely horny, Grant. Sex first, then dinner.”

“Thank fuck.”

I crush my mouth against hers, fisting my hand in her hair as our tongues fight for control. Her nails dig into my biceps as I cradle her to me. I slide a hand up and over her bump before finding her bare breasts.

I play with her nipples as she rocks into me.

“That feels so good,” she purrs. “Keep doing that.”

“How about this?” I ask.

I whip her shirt off over her head and capture the tight bud with my teeth. Flicking my tongue over it, I play with her nipple, exactly as she loves. Her fingers tighten in my hair as she moves me over to lave her other breast with attention.

“I love it,” she moans. “So damn good.”

I peek one eye up at her. Her head is thrown back in pleasure as she bites down on her bottom lip.

“I love making you feel good,” I murmur against her.

“God, me too.”

I kiss my way up her chest as I reach down to slide off her shorts. She’s already wet for me. This is one of the side effects of her pregnancy that I love. Anytime we’re together, it’s like this. This charged need for one another that we can’t get enough of.

“I’m already so close, Grant.”

“Patience, Cowgirl.” I push two fingers inside of her, scissoring them to stretch her out. “You’re not going to come until I tell you to.”

“Ugh.”

Grasping the back of her neck, I pull her head to me and seal my mouth over hers. I capture every moan and whisper from her as I push a third finger inside of her.

Her pussy starts to flutter around me, making me pull my hand away from her.

“What are you doing?” she whines.

“What did I say? No coming until I tell you to.”

“Then hurry up.” She snaps her fingers.

I bring my wet fingers to my mouth and suck on them, watching as her eyes fill with lust. The blatant need is enough to make me say fuck it to my plan.

I whip out my dick from my athletic shorts and use her wetness to coat my length.

“You ready?”

“Yes.”

“Then hold on.”

Georgia clasps her hands behind my neck as I line myself up. I push right in to the hilt, burying my head in the crook of her neck, sighing at the pure relief of being inside of her.

“You feel so good, Grant,” she whines, shifting her hips. “So good.”

“I’m about to make you feel even better.”

Pulling all the way out, I jack my hips and push inside of her.

Her shouts echo around the kitchen as I move in and out. Each squeeze of her pussy makes liquid heat flood my veins. I don’t know how every single time it’s this good with her, but I fucking love it.

I love how in a matter of minutes this woman can get me so worked up that I could come just from the sight of her.

She bucks up against me as the air charges around us. Nothing but pure electricity.

I reach down and flick her clit.

“Do that again,” Georgia moans.

“You like that?” I nibble on her earlobe as I pinch the tiny bundle of nerves. Her pussy chokes my dick to within an inch of his life.

“So much.”

“Let me feel how much. I want you to come all over my cock, Cowgirl.”

“Are you finally going to let me?” she asks against my mouth.

I nod. “Time to come for me.”

“Yes!” she shouts.

My hips move harder and faster. The sound of our skin slapping against one another fills my ears before she falls over the crest.

“Fuck, yes,” I hiss.

I hold on to the counter behind her to move harder, letting her pull me over the edge with her. I come on a roar.

When my heart rate comes back down to earth, I scoop her into my arms and carry her over to the couch. Our bodies are spent as we stay tangled together.

“Holy shit, Grant.”

Her breath is hot against my neck as I rub my fingers up and down her arm.

“So damn good, Cowgirl.”

She burrows in closer. I grab the blanket lying on the back of the sofa and cover the two of us up.

“Mmm. If you’re going to want more of that, you’re going to need to feed me.”

I kiss the crown of her head. “Give me a minute. You sucked out all of my energy.”

“I can do that.”

“Are you still horny?” I ask.

“For you?” She smiles up at me. “Always.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

GEORGIA

“Oh God, that feels so good.”

“Even better than earlier?” Grant quirks a brow at me.

His knuckles are digging into the soles of my feet and I swear, nothing has ever felt so good. Is this why people are in relationships? For foot rubs?

“Debatable. But I am enjoying the view.”

The TV flickers in the background. Grant is shirtless—I stole it while he cooked dinner. In nothing but his boxers, his muscles are in plain view for me to drool over.

“I see. That’s all I’m good for?”

“Dinner, foot rubs, and muscles? Yes.” I laugh.

Grant drops my foot and crawls over me, resting his weight on his elbows as best he can.

“See if I keep cooking for you then.” He steals a kiss.

His brown eyes are alight with amusement. He tries to pull away, but I wrap my legs around him to keep him close.

“I mean, I have my ways to tempt you.”

“You do?”

I nod, biting down on my lip. “I think I’m pretty good at some things.”

He kisses the corner of my mouth. “You were pretty good at blowing my mind earlier.”

“So you cook and then we both get off. Is this the exchange we’re going for? Because I’m definitely getting the better end of this deal.”

Grant bursts out laughing and butterflies swarm my belly. It’s crazy to me how easily this man can make me feel all sorts of things. Safe. Happy. Sexy.

“I don’t know about that. I think I’m getting a pretty good deal here.” He sits back up and pulls me into his lap. “I like being here with you.”

I settle in closer to his side, shoving my feet under his thigh. “Yeah, I like having you here too.”

Grant turns back to the game that’s been playing in the background. I still don’t get much about baseball, but Grant explains everything to me.

I could listen to him talk for hours. The way he gets excited when his team does well, or how annoyed he gets at a bad play. The smooth timbre vibrates through me. It calms me in a way I never knew I needed.

I never thought having someone with me like this would be a source of calm and reassurance. For once, I don’t feel like I constantly have to be doing something. I don’t have to be planning for my next session with my students. Or figuring out what my next step in life is.

I’m with Grant. That’s all I need.

“The baby is really kicking up a storm,” I say, rubbing a hand over my stomach.

“I think he knows when it’s me.” Grant settles his hand over my belly. He keeps kicking. “Maybe he likes watching baseball with me.”

“Can you imagine how cute our kid is going to be in a little baseball onesie?”

Tears well in Grant’s eyes. “Not as cute as they’ll be in a little cowboy hat.”

I press a kiss to his forehead. I never pictured this family for my future, and I didn’t take risks in my life on trusting people.

I guess Serena’s cards had a different plan for me. One that I can’t say I mind.

Because Grant is here. His calloused hand is stretched out over my belly as he stares down at it.

“I’m glad it’s you that I’m doing this with,” I whisper, resting my hand on top of Grant’s.

I don’t know how long we stay like this. Our index fingers link together as his thumb smooths over my skin.

“Are you scared?” he asks, breaking the silence.

“Honestly? I’m terrified most days, but I know I can do it.”

“Why’s that?” He looks up at me.

“Because I have you.”

Grant sits up and pulls me over onto his lap, brushing the hair out of my face.

“I love you, Georgia. You don’t have to say it back, but I want you to know how I feel about you.”

“You do?” Emotions clog my voice.

He nods. “Yeah, I do, Cowgirl. You are one of the kindest, most patient people I’ve ever met.”

“Are you including the first time we met?” I laugh.

“Even then.” Grant smiles. “Every day I get to spend with you is one of the best days because you care about the people around you. You’re always more worried about everyone else than yourself, and I want to be the one to take care of you. To make you slow down and enjoy life. To see that people can love you and show up for you. Because that’s what true love is.”

I brush my thumbs over the apples of his cheeks. “You’re one of the few people who does what he says and I love you for it.”

“You don’t have to say it back.”

“I don’t care. I love you too, Grant. It’s only because I do that I can say it. You make me feel safe, and I’ve never really had that before in my life, outside of my girlfriends. But with you, I feel like I can breathe because I’m not waiting for the worst to happen.”

“And if it were to happen, we can figure it out together.”

“Which is why I love you, Grant.”

A smile brighter than the sun stretches across his face. “Say it again, Cowgirl.”

I shake my head at him. “I love you, Grant.”

“I love you too, Cowgirl.”

The rest of the night passes in a blur of lovemaking and laughing. This is what it feels like when you’ve found the right person. The person who makes you feel loved and safe.

Falling together with Grant is the best feeling in the world. With him?

I know we can handle anything that comes our way.

Chapter Thirty-Three

GEORGIA

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” Luke asks.

“He’ll be fine.” I wave off his concerns.

“He’s old and never ridden a horse before.”

“Hey, I heard that,” Grant quips.

“You look nervous,” Luke points out.

“How do I look nervous?” Grant asks.

I try to stifle my laugh, but it’s hard. “You don’t need to walk so awkwardly. You haven’t even been on the horse yet.”

“It’s only because I love you that I’m doing this,” he says.

I smile. It’s only been a week since we first said it to one another, but Grant tells me how much he loves me any chance he can get. Hearing him say it in front of Luke makes a blush creep up my cheeks. But he’s too focused on his phone.

“Who are you texting?” Grant asks.

“Mom.” Luke shrugs his shoulder. “She said I could come stay over Thanksgiving break.”

“That’s great,” Grant says. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” Luke stuffs his phone into his pocket. “Now, stop stalling, Dad.”

“I still don’t know how I let you talk me into this,” he gripes.

“Because I told you it’d be fun,” Luke says. “And you can never say no to Georgia.”

I beam up at Grant, who is shaking his head.

“Yeah, yeah. If I fall off, I’m blaming you two.”

“You won’t fall off. Queenie is the best, and Luke is going to walk around with us. He can catch you in case you fall.”

“You just said I wouldn’t fall!” His voice echoes around the quiet barn.

For a Sunday, it’s empty. With school back in session, the ranch has a few slow weeks until the snow starts. Then all the winter sports enthusiasts come to town.

“It’s just a precaution,” I say. “Don’t throw yourself off Queenie, and you won’t fall.”

“C’mon, Dad. Don’t be a chicken,” Luke goads him.

“Wow. Getting called out by my son.”

“I’ll kiss any boo-boos you might get.” I bat my lashes at him. “Now stop stalling and get up there.”

“Wow, what a tough crowd.” Grant swings one leg over Queenie and settles into the saddle. “How is this comfortable?”

“It’s better for me.” I smile up at him as I adjust the stirrups for him.

“You’ve also been doing this for years,” he says.

“Dad, you’ll do fine,” Luke cheers him on from behind me. “It’s fun once you get used to it.”

“Only for you, Cowgirl,” he whispers.

“Thank you. If I didn’t have to worry about fly balls, you know I’d be trying out baseball with you.”

“After this baby comes, I will hold you to that.”

I rub Queenie’s neck as Grant shifts once again to get comfortable.

“Tell me when you’re ready,” I say.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“Luke, you can walk on the other side of him and I’ll make sure Queenie sets a good pace for you,” I instruct.

Queenie takes her time, moseying around the ring. Beams of sunlight cut through the open doors as a few of the ranch hands take the other horses out. It’s definitely not the slowest I’ve ever gone, but I’m taking it easy on Grant. I don’t want to scare him off of the thing I love most.

Well, the thing I love second most. Because he is number one now.

“Am I doing okay?” he asks.

“You’re doing great,” I encourage.

“Yeah, Dad. The best rider in the world,” Luke pipes up from the other side.

“Seriously, when did you get so sarcastic?” Grant asks.

“I think when I became a teenager,” he says.

“Does that mean you’ll grow out of it when you’re no longer a teenager?”

Luke snorts. “You’ve got a long time to go before that, Dad.”

“Goodie,” Grant jokes.

I love how much more open Luke has been lately, not only with Grant, but with me.

Luke has been out here to ride several times now, and as I always say, it’s the power of the horses. Without them, I’m not sure Luke would be feeling so settled in Pinecrest.

“Can I be done?” Grant asks.

“Sure. I won’t make you keep going if you don’t want to,” I say.

I lead Queenie back around to help Grant get down. He’s adjusting his pants, no doubt uncomfortable from the ride.

“I love you, Cowgirl, but I don’t know if horseback riding is for me.” Grant drops a quick peck on my mouth.

“That’s okay. I appreciate you trying.”

“You know what you should give him?” Luke asks.

I try to hide my smirk, but I know what he’s getting at. “What’s that?”

“One of the plastic cowboy hats you give the kids when they first ride.” He snickers.

“Seriously?” Grant rolls his eyes at him.

“I could even write number one cowboy on it for you,” Luke says.

I can’t help it. I burst out laughing. Luke doubles over next to me as Grant gives me a subtle finger.

“You two suck, you know that?”

“I’m sorry.” I wrap my arms around him. “You did great for a first-timer.”

“Which is why you should get a hat,” Luke says again, laughing.

“Who raised you?” Grant laughs. “No respect for your old man.”

“Sorry, Dad. You walked right into it. Now, can we eat? I’m starving.”

“Do you want to ride Queenie before or after?” I ask, shifting in Grant’s arms.

“After. Whatever Rex made smells amazing.”

“Okay. But don’t forget you said you were going to help us with the nursery this afternoon.”

“I know. I have to make sure you don’t pick out anything dumb.”

“As if we would,” Grant says.

I tend to Queenie and send her into the pasture while we eat so she can stretch her legs. Maybe since Luke is a more experienced rider now, he can do a few laps outside.

Luke grabs the picnic basket and spreads the blanket out under the trees. A cool breeze kicks up bright red and orange leaves. Fall has arrived in Pinecrest, and I love it. Everything is cast in a golden hue around the ranch.

Grant helps Luke unbox everything before helping me sit down next to him. I shift around, trying to get comfortable. The closer I get to my due date, the more and more uncomfortable I’ve been getting.

I’m not looking forward to these next few months.

But I’ll take whatever discomfort if it means I get days like this with these two. I absentmindedly rub my belly, dreaming of the days when this little one is here. When the four of us can do this as a family.

More and more, I’m planning our future.

Days spent at the ranch where I—and Luke—can teach this kid to ride.

Watching their dad play baseball and teaching him to play.

Pancakes at the Emporium.

I have so few good memories growing up—the best ones always with the girls—that I can’t wait to make new ones with this family of mine.

“You good, Georgia?”

Grant wraps his large, warm hand around mine, thumb rubbing over my rapidly beating pulse. The way his eyes lock onto mine still does funny things to my insides.

“How could I not be when I’m with my number one cowboy?”

Chapter Thirty-Four

GRANT

I’m really regretting this. Georgia has been wanting to get me on a horse for a while, but why in the world did I decide to do it on the same day we were painting the nursery?

Oh yeah, because I’m a sucker and can’t say no to her. Plus, it is one of the only days off I have, so we figured we would need to take advantage of the time.

“I’m still not sure on the color,” Georgia says, tapping her chin.

“What’s wrong with baby blue?” I ask.

“I don’t know.” She stares at the wall. “Is it too blue?”

“How can something be too blue?” Luke asks. “It’s a boy. Isn’t blue a normal color for a boy?”

“I don’t know. It might be too much,” Georgia says. “Try the gray sample again.”

“Alright.”

I drop my paint roller and crack open the tiny can of Starry Night paint. I slap a small square coat of it on the wall next to the blue.

“See, now that looks too blue,” Georgia sighs.

Luke looks annoyed so I shoo him out of the room.

“It’s only because it’s against the blue,” I say. “It won’t look like that once the whole wall is done.”

“We didn’t get the yellow though. Or green.”

I smile at her. “So what I’m hearing is you want to go back to the hardware store and get more paint samples?”

Georgia winces. “Do you hate me?”

“Why would I hate you? You want the room to be perfect.”

I’d like to say I’m surprised she can’t make up her mind, but I’m not. She was waffling at the store, but I told her the gray and blue would work.

I should have known.

“What if neither of those colors work?”

I set the paintbrush on the tarp draped over the dresser I picked up last week.

“Well, if we can’t make a decision, I might have to override you because we can’t bring the baby home to a half-finished room.”

Georgia drops down into the chair I pulled in here for her.

“He didn’t kick when I mentioned blue, so maybe he doesn’t want blue.”

“Hey, little guy.” I kneel down in front of her. “Do you like the gray your mom picked out?”

I get a few kicks for that.

“See? He likes gray.”

“Do you like blue too? Or maybe yellow?” Georgia asks. Another kick. “Inconclusive.”

I laugh, pressing a kiss to her belly. “It’s a good thing we’ll love you no matter what color you pick, kid.”

“How are we going to settle on a name if we can’t even pick a paint color?” Georgia exclaims.

I don’t point out that I was fine with the blue paint, but it’s her that is having trouble deciding.

“We’re not going to decide until he gets here.”

Georgia ignores me. “I still like Eli and Jack. They’ll go nicely with Luke.”

“Why does it have to go well with Luke?”

I get an eye roll. I find the further along in the pregnancy we get, the more it happens. Guess I should get used it to it.

“Because we can’t name him something weird, like Potato. Potato and Luke don’t go together. Eli and Luke or Jack and Luke flows nicely when you’re calling for them.”

“Got it. I’ll scratch Potato off my list then.”

“I hate you,” she grumbles.

I kiss her. Long and deep. Letting her know exactly how much she, in fact, does not hate me.

“You do?”

“Only a little.”

I steal another quick peck. “Good.”

“I also might have an idea,” she suggests.

“What’s that?”

“For the nursery at my place, I’ll choose what I do, and you can do whatever you want here.”

“Can I counter your idea?”

“What’s wrong with my plan?” She asks.

“Considering you spend most of your time here, I figured you should be here when the baby comes. To make things easier.”

Georgia casts a sly grin my way. “Is this your way of asking me to move in with you?”

“I know we haven’t really talked about it, but I don’t like being apart from you. And once the baby comes, you’ll need help. Luke is here, so I figured, why not move in here?”

“You want me to move in here because it’s convenient?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a brow at me.

Well, shit. I’m doing this ass-backward.

“No. I mean, yes. It would be convenient for all of us to be under one roof, but I love you, Georgia. I want us all to be together as a family. If you’d rather go back and forth, I’ll deal with it. If things are moving too fast for you, we don’t have to.”

Her gaze flits down to her belly and back up to me. “I think we’re past the point of things moving too fast. But I don’t want to do it if it’s only convenient.”

I take her hands in mine. “I’m doing this all wrong, Georgia. I want you with me because I love you. I’m tired of you being in one place and me being in another. Our schedules are crazy busy between riding and baseball, and I want you to come home to me every night. I want to crawl in bed next to you and fall asleep with you in my arms.”

Tears well in my eyes. “I guess that’s a good reason.”

“Does that mean you’ll move in?”

She nods. “Yeah.”

“Good. Then I’ll focus on the nursery so you don’t have to worry about anything else.”

“I mean, I might need some clothes at some point.”

“I don’t know, Cowgirl. I’d be okay if all you had were these cowboy boots.”

“Of course you would be. I need a lot more than just these.”

“You look pretty good in only them.”

“Stop it.” She swats at me. “Now help me up. If I’m going to be moving in here, I think I need to go get stuff from home.”

“You know I didn’t mean right this minute.”

“Grant.” She drops her fists on her hips. “The baby will be here before we know it. What if he comes early? We need to get started.”

I try to hug her, but it’s getting harder and harder the bigger she gets. I fucking love it. Knowing it’s our baby inside of her.

“Do you want me to send Luke to help you pack things up?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No. I’m sure he’s tired of us for one day. He can play his video games.”

“You sure? I can help you after I go to the hardware store.”

“Are you sure I can’t go with you to pick out paint?”

“Georgia, trust me. I think you’ll like what I have in mind.”

“It won’t be black, right?”

“Even if it were, you have to trust me.”

What I have in mind I know she’ll love. It’ll be perfect for the baby.

I will do whatever it takes to make sure everything is just right for Georgia and our baby. Because I want all of us together under one roof.

To give Georgia the family she never had growing up.

All four of us. Together.

The way it should be.

Chapter Thirty-Five

GRANT

Why did I think hanging wallpaper would be a good idea? This is about as far from a good idea as it gets.

I wanted to do it for Georgia while she is at work. The paint splashes are finally gone, now a light beige color. It’s going to match the border I have perfectly. If I can manage to get this up straight.

Luke was trying to help, but we only got irritated with one another, so I let him go play video games. With the baby furniture set to arrive next week, I want to make sure this is done and ready to go.

Because after that, things will be moving quickly. I don’t know how much longer Georgia is going to work with how uncomfortable she is, but if this is done, that’s something she doesn’t have to worry about.

She’ll be more concerned with making sure her students are covered at the ranch, while I’m thankful I have the time off during this offseason to spend the first few months at home with Georgia and the baby.

Who I’ve aptly started calling Potato—only to annoy her. Sometimes, she makes it too easy.

I chuckle to myself, wiping the sweat from my brow as I line up another section of wallpaper.

“Hey, Dad. Can I talk to you?”

Luke is standing in the doorway, looking nervous.

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Can we talk about maybe me going back to LA?”

“Is something wrong? I bought your plane ticket for Thanksgiving next week.”

As much as I hate that he won’t be here with me, at least I’ll have Georgia.

“I mean, maybe staying longer. Like moving back permanently.”

“What?” My stomach drops. “Why?”

He shrugs, leaning on the doorframe. “I’ve been talking to my friends back home, and now that Mom isn’t traveling, I want to go back.”

“I thought things were going well here,” I say.

“They’re fine, but it’s not home.”

“You have friends here.” I scrub a hand down my face. “You’ve been happy.”

“I could go back to my old school. Be with my old friends,” Luke says. “I already talked to Mom, and she said she’d pay you back for my flight.”

For fuck’s sake, Kari. She couldn’t even give me a heads-up this was coming?

“I’m not worried about the money. You live here. With me.”

“But the whole reason I came here with you was because Mom was traveling,” he says, fidgeting with his hands. “I know people at my old school. What’s wrong with wanting to go there?”

“Nothing, but…” I blow out a breath, not quite sure what to say. “I want you to be happy, Luke.”

“And I’ll be happy in LA.”

“That means you won’t be happy here?” I argue.

“Well, it’s not like I wouldn’t be happy, but I’ll be happier at home.”

Home. He keeps calling LA home. I thought I made a lot of progress. Between making friends and hanging out at the ranch, I thought he was happy.

I guess I was wrong.

“Besides, you’ll be busy with the baby,” Luke says.

“Is that what this is really about?” I ask. “You’re not getting replaced. You know that, right?”

“I know. But you’ll be busy and he’ll be crying and fussy. You don’t want me around to worry about.”

“You’re my son, Luke. I’ll worry about you whether you’re here or in LA. I’ll worry about you every day of your life.”

Luke picks at a stray thread on the hem of his hoodie. The fact that he isn’t looking at me tells me everything I need to know. He wouldn’t have come to me without a plan. Without his mind being made up.

“You really want to do this?” I ask. “Picking up and changing schools right before the semester ends?”

“I do.” He nods.

“Let me think about it. I want to make sure we’re doing what’s best for you, okay?”

“Okay.”

He darts off and runs back downstairs to his room.

Fuck.

This is the last thing I thought I’d have to worry about right now. The baby is going to be here in less than two months. My attention is split between a million different things every day. Hell, every hour.

The Loggers.

Luke.

Georgia.

The baby.

Getting the damn nursery ready and making sure Georgia loves it.

I forgot how much prep goes into having a baby. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as I can with Luke so he doesn’t feel neglected, but apparently I suck at that.

God, this is probably why he wants to go. I know he said it wasn’t about the baby, but how could it not be? I feel like I’m failing him as a parent. If I can’t raise a kid I’ve known for fourteen years, it doesn’t bode well for Georgia and me to raise this baby together.

Everything I was planning for all of us is getting blown up in the span of one conversation.

Luke wants to go back to LA. Can I really let him go by himself? I should trust that my ex can manage things, but all of a sudden, she’s willing to have our son home when she flaked out on his fall break trip.

Grabbing my phone, I pull up her contact and call her. It goes straight to voicemail.

“Kari, it’s me. Call me. Luke just told me about wanting to go back to live with you and I want to discuss some things. I’ll be up for a while. Call me back.”

I end the call and throw the phone back down, scrubbing a hand down my face.

This fucking sucks.

Just when I thought everything was coming up roses, it implodes.

I guess nothing in life comes easy.

Chapter Thirty-Six

GEORGIA

“Are you sure you don’t want to go out for dinner tonight?” Presley asks. “It feels like we haven’t seen you in ages.”

“I saw you out at the barn yesterday. Besides, my feet hurt and I’m ready to get home and get these boots off.”

“Ugh. Fine. But maybe we can do something next week?” she asks.

“That should work.”

“Okay. Love you, babe.”

“Love you too.”

I end the call and toss the phone into my front seat.

A wave of exhaustion rolls over me. I stayed far too late at the ranch tonight, finishing up my notes for my substitute while I’m out. I’ll be meeting with them after the holiday and want to make sure they’re up to speed on all the kids. It’ll be an adjustment for them, but I have a feeling they’ll like Gail.

Only seven more weeks to go. Not that I’m counting, but seven weeks.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been more uncomfortable in my life. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen my feet, and the way this baby is dancing on my bladder at all hours makes doing anything impossible.

I start my truck and head to Grant’s. Ever since moving in with him, I feel like I see him less and less. I think the stress of the baby coming is finally getting to him. The past few nights he’s locked himself in the nursery. I know he wants to make sure it’s perfect, but I don’t care about that anymore. I’d rather spend my nights with him.

I know he had a late meeting with his managers to discuss some offseason training, so I call the Emporium and place an order to grab on my way home. Thankfully, Amy picks up and offers to bring it out to me when I get there.

Getting in and out of the truck is the hardest. Nothing to make you feel bigger than you are than trying to squeeze in behind the steering wheel.

“I threw in some extra bacon for Grant, and an order of home fries for you,” Amy says, passing the bag through the window.

“You’re a saint.”

“You take care of that baby now. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Thanks, Amy.”

She hurries inside, and I quickly roll up my window as the cold nips at my face. I drive the short distance to Grant’s—well, our place now—and head inside.

Opening the door, I find Grant scrubbing at the countertop.

“Hey.”

His shoulders are bunched up near his ears. That can’t be good. “Hey.”

“Is everything okay?”

I toe off my boots before walking into the kitchen and setting the plastic bag down on the freshly cleaned counter.

“We need to talk.” A wrinkle creases his forehead.

“What’s wrong? Is Luke okay?”

“Luke is fine, but it’s about him.”

“Tell me,” I urge.

“He wants to go back to LA.”

The news settles between us as Grant stares at me. Luke was all set to leave next week for the holiday, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a longer trip than that.

One with no return ticket.

“What? Why? I thought everything was good.”

“I did too. But he said he talked to his mom and she won’t be traveling, so he wants to go back to his old school.”

“But the school year already started here,” I say, like it’s a done deal.

Why would he want to change schools in the middle of the year?

“He kept calling LA home.” The pained look on Grant’s face gives way to one of torture, like this is the worst possible scenario. “He wants to go back to his old school with his old friends.”

“Doesn’t he have friends here?” I ask. “He’s always going over to what’s-his-name’s house.”

Bad time to forget his name, but baby brain is real.

“Josh.”

“Right. Isn’t he friends with him?”

“Yeah, but he misses LA. I mean, what can I say? We’ve been here since the summer and he’s given this place a shot. He wants to go home.”

Ice spreads through my veins. “Okay. When would he leave?”

“We’d leave next week when he planned on going.”

“We?”

I suck in a deep breath, not liking where this is going.

“I can’t let him go on his own. I don’t trust that Kari isn’t going to pull some stunt on him and end up leaving again.”

“Have you talked to her?”

I drop down into the barstool, afraid my legs will no longer hold my weight.

“Briefly. She said she wants him home with her.”

“But why do you have to go?”

“He’s my son, Georgia. I can’t leave him.”

The wind leaves my sails. “And what about him?” I point to my belly. “Does he not count because he’s not here?”

“Fuck,” Grant mutters. “That’s not what I meant, Georgia.”

“Then what did you mean?”

I’m trying not to get annoyed with him, but I am.

“What if something happens when he goes there? I need to be there for him. He needs me.”

“I need you, Grant. We both do.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, a pained look on his face. “Georgia, I don’t know what to do.”

“It seems like you’ve made up your mind.”

Grant walks around the counter and grabs my hands. “I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t let him go on his own.”

“How long would you be gone for?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t figured that out.”

“Would you be back in time for the baby?” I ask.

The thought of doing this alone scares me. I remember that conversation with him well. Not knowing if he would be in this with me or not. Back then, I was fine doing this on my own.

Now? I don’t know how I’ll cope if Grant leaves. More like when now.

“I hope so.”

“You hope so? Grant, you told me you were all in.”

“I am.” He squeezes my hands, but I pull them back. “But I have to make sure Luke is okay too.”

“What if it takes him longer to adjust than you thought? Are you just going to abandon your job here? Me?”

“I don’t think it will come to that.”

“But you don’t know.”

“Look, Georgia, I’m⁠—”

“Save it.” I throw my hands up and shimmy out of the seat. “You told me you would be here for me, and you’re not. It’s fine. Your priority is Luke. But if you’re not going to be here, I have to make sure my priority is the baby.”

“Don’t do this, Georgia. You know I love you and the baby.”

“But not enough to stay.”

“What if something happens to Luke because his mom flakes? I can’t leave him stranded there.”

His words follow me as I walk back to put my boots on. A pain lances its way through my heart.

Grant told me he was all in. I believed him. He kept showing up for me when no one else in my life has.

Now, he’s backtracking just as fast.

“Then be there for Luke, but I can’t be here. Not right now.”

“Georgia, please.”

“I can’t, Grant. If you’re leaving, staying is only going to make things harder.”

“I love you, Georgia.”

Emotions are swimming in his voice, but I can’t pay attention. It’s taking everything I have to remain upright. When all I want to do is collapse into his arms and have him tell me it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not.

He’s going back to LA and I’m staying here.

Another person who is leaving me. The one person who said they wouldn’t leave me.

I have no idea what I’m going to do.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

GRANT

“What time are you going over to your mom’s today?” I ask Luke.

“Not sure.”

I take a deep breath, not wanting to be irritated with him when it’s Kari I’m annoyed with. “Do you need me to call her?”

“I’ll do it later.”

“She knew you were going to spend Thanksgiving with her, right?”

“I mean, yeah.”

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up and I’ll give her a call, okay? I can drop you off if she doesn’t want to pick you up.”

“Alright,” Luke says.

“And put on a clean shirt!” I yell after him.

Not that I even had to. The place I’m renting for the next couple of weeks is a shoebox.

“Whatever, Dad.”

I wait until he’s in the bathroom before pulling out my phone and dialing my ex. This is not how I thought I would be spending this day.

No. I planned on waking up next to Georgia, spending the morning in bed making love with her, and then making a simple dinner for the two of us. Maybe some more sex, but not this.

Not radio silence.

Kari doesn’t pick up on the first call, and instead of leaving a voicemail, I hit the call button again.

“Grant, why are you calling me? I’m busy.”

Kari’s voice is annoyed the second she answers the phone.

“It’s Thanksgiving. Luke is supposed to be spending the day with you. What’s the plan?”

“About that…” she starts.

“About what? Luke had a plane ticket booked to come visit you, and he’s here with me on the holiday that he is supposed to be spending with you.”

“Well, Randy wants it to be just the two of us today.”

Are you fucking kidding me?

“No, Kari. Luke is here and he wants to spend the holiday with you. He wants to live in LA with you.”

“It’s one day, Grant. Can’t you keep him?”

This is what I was afraid of. This is why I blew up my entire life in Pinecrest because I was worried Kari would pull shit like this. It’s why I haven’t been able to talk to Georgia.

Every call and text has been ignored.

I get it. I can’t blame her. I told her I wouldn’t leave, and what did I do?

I fucking left.

“I will bring him over tomorrow, but you need to figure out a schedule because Luke is your son too. He wants to be here, and I have a life I need to get back to.”

“Oh, and I don’t?” she snaps. “You’re not the only person who has a kid, Grant.”

“And I took him with me because I love him and so you could live your life. You need to show up for him.”

The shower is still running, so thankfully Luke won’t catch any of this conversation.

“Tomorrow won’t make a big difference. I’ll take him shopping and we can get some stuff for him to decorate his room.”

“And the day after? Him living with you will be an everyday thing,” I clarify.

“Like I don’t know that,” she huffs. “Text me your address and I’ll come get him tomorrow morning. If that works with you and your life.”

She ends the call and I’m seething.

The nerve of her acting like our son is interfering with her life. I try to remember the good mother she used to be—trying really, really hard—but I can’t. Those last few years we were married, it was like she became a different person. Someone I didn’t know. She was too obsessed with her appearance and became completely self-absorbed, and it affected every aspect of our lives. Divorcing her was hard, but I knew Luke and I were better off. When she met her current husband, someone who feeds her need of attention, I knew Luke would be better off living with me too.

The thought of him living with her now makes me angry. I don’t want him to live with her, but according to the court, we have shared custody. I wouldn’t put it past her to use that to get what she wants.

Besides, Luke wants to be here. I want to give him everything he needs…even if it’s at the sacrifice of my own heart.

“What time is Mom picking me up?” Luke comes out of the bathroom. His hair is a wet mess, but he has on a light blue button-up shirt.

“Change of plan,” I say. “Mom is going to come over tomorrow. She wanted the two of us to spend Thanksgiving together.”

"Really?" Luke asks, a sadness to his voice as his shoulders drop.

"Look, I know you were looking forward to seeing her, but she’ll take you shopping so you can decorate your room and get a nice fresh start. You’ll be happy here.”

“Have you talked to Georgia?” Luke asks, opening the fridge to grab a soda.

“I haven’t, no. Have you?” I try to keep the hopeful note from my voice, but I don’t do a great job.

“Just a few texts here and there. She said she hopes I like it here at my school and to call her if I need anything.”

The pain that has been sitting in my heart since the moment I stepped on the plane surges back with a vengeance. It’s just like Georgia to still be there for Luke. It’s not his fault that we’re not talking.

I did the one thing I told her I wouldn’t do.

I left her. But she had to understand I wasn’t doing it without reason. This. This right here is why I didn’t want Luke coming to LA on his own. Because what would he be doing today if I weren’t here?

Would he be sitting at Kari’s house while she and her new husband went out to dinner on their own? I hate how irrationally angry she makes me. All because she treats our son like he’s an inconvenience to her life.

“Good. I’m glad you’re talking to her. You can tell me if things aren’t okay too, you know that, right?”

“I know.”

“Okay. Then why don’t you help me make dinner so the two of us don’t starve?”

“Can I change my shirt since I’m not going out?”

I smile at him. “Sure. I’d hate for you to look nice for your old man.”

What was going to be a sad Thanksgiving dinner of leftover pizza from the night before is rescued with a bowl of pasta and my kid and me watching football.

It wasn’t the day I had planned, but those days are gone. I have no idea what will be waiting for me when I get back to Pinecrest, but I can only hope I didn’t ruin any shot I have with Georgia.

Because being here on my own, with my kid halfway out the door, I need her more than I ever thought possible.

I want the family that she wanted. I want everything with her.

I only hope I didn’t fuck it up.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

GEORGIA

Iflip through my notes one last time. Everything looks to be in order. I had my replacement come and meet the kids at our morning session. With both Janice and me there, it was easier. Gail will be shadowing me for the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

Sighing, I lean back in my chair and stare at the first few snowflakes drifting down in the darkness. I never minded staying late. I loved being at the ranch. It was my life.

Keyword was.

Then Grant swooped in and changed all of that. I haven’t been able to bring myself to take any of his calls or text with him. Hearing how Luke is doing is hard enough. I want to be there for him, but I don’t know how long I can.

For the first time in a long time, I’m not racing home to anyone. There’s no one making me dinner. Welcoming me home with a kiss and an ear to hear about my day. No teenager to tell me if I’m doing something uncool.

Grant and I were together for a few months, but I fell hard. And now he’s just gone.

I don’t want to go to an empty house. Most of my stuff is at his place, and being there on my own makes my sadness even worse.

Stupid hormones.

“You know it’s well past closing time, right?” Sam’s voice startles me out of my wallowing.

“Sorry. I was working on my notes from today’s session with Gail.”

“She seems like she’ll be a good fit for the kids,” Sam says.

“I agree.”

“Why don’t you put that off until morning and come have dinner with me and Joey.”

“I—” My gut reaction is to say no. That I have someone to get home to, but I really don’t want to be alone right now. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Positive. There will be plenty of food, and Max has a new book he’ll want to read to you.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Besides, Joey would not be happy if I didn’t bring you with me.”

I smile at him as I slip into my coat. It’s just like her to worry. I’ve been fielding texts from all of my friends this last week.

“I’ll follow you over,” I say, wrapping my scarf around my neck.

“No backing out.” He points a finger at me.

“I won’t.”

I slide my way into my truck and blast the heat. The first snowfalls have always been my favorite. There would be nothing stopping me from jumping on Queenie and going for a ride. The cold flakes hitting my face as we ride my favorite trails isn’t something I’ll get to feel for a while.

I try not to let my thoughts spiral back to Grant. I don’t want to be terrible company tonight, even if Joey knows everything that’s going on.

I pull up beside Sam and slide out of the car. Max is already standing at the front door, waiting for us.

“Hey, bud. Look who I brought for dinner.” Sam scoops Max up and plants a kiss on his cheek.

“Aunt Georgia. Can I read you my new book?”

Sam shakes his head. “Let’s wait until after dinner, okay?”

“Okay. It’s a good one,” he tells me.

I tickle his stomach as I walk inside. “I can’t wait.”

Joey walks over, helping me with my coat. “I thought I was going to have to come down to the barn to convince you to come for dinner. Sam did a good job.”

“You can thank me later.” He smiles at her before giving her a quick peck. “C’mon, Max. Let’s let Mommy and Aunt Georgia talk and we can play with Walter.”

“Okay.”

Max gives me a hug before running into his room with Sam following behind him.

“Something smells good in here,” I say, settling onto the kitchen chair.

“I hope you want some chili tonight.”

“Anything I don’t have to cook is fine by me,” I say.

The fireplace crackles as Joey stirs a steaming pot. It’s amazing how quickly the warmth spreads through me. I don’t know what Sam’s place looked like before, but it is well lived in. Coloring pages are strewn across the kitchen counter. Max’s books take up the coffee table, with socks and toys scattered around the floor.

A family that lives here.

Something that I won’t get.

I try to quell the tears, but it seems they’ve been on a trigger point since Grant left.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Joey asks.

That’s all it takes. I burst into tears.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Joey comes around the counter and pulls me in for a hug.

“I’m sorry,” I say over a gasp.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

Everything that I’ve kept inside these last couple of weeks comes pouring out of me. I’m a sobbing mess, my eyes leaking all over her sweater.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Joey rubs soothing circles on my back, but her words make more tears come.

I can’t help it. I squeeze my friend close because I need the connection. I need someone to lean on because for the first time in a long time, I feel more alone than ever.

When you’re always on your own, you get used to it. It’s why I never wanted to rely on people. Now that Grant is in my life, I got used to him being there for me.

Without him? It’s an ache I don’t wish on anyone.

My head hurts and my throat is dry by the time the tears finally subside. “Ugh, sorry. I’m not very good company right now.”

“Please.” Joey hops up to grab a tissue for me. “You know what I was like when Max’s dad walked out. It’s hard when you want a person to be someone they’re not.”

“He is a good person, Joey,” I say, dabbing at my eyes. “He went for Luke, but he still didn’t choose me. And I feel like such a baby saying it out loud, but…”

“But everyone has left you your entire life.”

“Yeah. I thought Grant was going to be the one to change that.”

“He still could,” Joey says. “Maybe Luke will adjust to life with his mom better than you think, and Grant could come back tomorrow.”

“I wish. I mean, I really do want that for Luke. I love him too.”

“I know you do.” Joey wipes the tears away from my eyes. “I know you never wanted to be a mom, but you are truly one of the kindest people I know, and I know how much you care about Luke. And his dad.”

“God. Falling in love sucks.”

“When you find the right person, sometimes it isn’t easy. It took my dad awhile to come around to the idea of me and Sam.”

“Look at the two of you now. Living together and raising Max.”

Joey smiles. It’s a soft one, but it shows how much she loves Sam and Max.

“I wouldn’t change it for a thing. This will be a bump on the road for you and Grant. Growing pains. Every relationship has them.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“You know what will help this?” Joey asks.

“What?”

“A good home-cooked meal and a book about some cows.”

I laugh. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

GRANT

Ihate how loud it is here. The buzz of the city used to be something that could put me to sleep in a heartbeat, but now it’s too much.

I miss the crickets and the chirping birds. The way the wind could be so loud, it rattled the windows.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been a week since we left Pinecrest. I never thought it would feel like home, but LA might as well feel like a different planet.

I glance down at my phone, not for the first time this afternoon. I haven’t talked to Georgia since we left. I’ve called and texted to no avail. She hasn’t responded. It’s hard not to be frustrated. We can’t fix things if she won’t talk to me.

I’m doing everything I can to juggle being here in LA with Luke while still doing my job with the Loggers. Thankfully offseason makes it easy. I won’t have much to do until the spring.

Maybe by then Luke will be settled here and I can get back and fix things with Georgia. I’m not sure how that’s going to work considering Luke has spent three out of the last five nights with me.

Since we got to LA, I’ve seen him more than I ever did while we were in Pinecrest. And that’s saying something, because I got the feeling he liked hanging out with me.

Unmuting the TV, I turn on a basketball game and pull up a delivery service for dinner. Since it’s only me, I can order takeout.

Cooking for one isn’t easy.

And right now, Thai sounds better than a bowl of cereal.

“Hey, Dad.”

Luke walks in the front door and drops his backpack on the floor.

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d come hang out with you.”

“Luke, it’s not that I don’t want to see you, but why aren’t you at your mom’s?”

The whole reason I’m here is to make sure he adjusts to living with her. Maybe I’m a crutch for him, but this isn’t the point of me coming with him.

“She was busy, so I asked her to bring me here.”

He opens the fridge and fishes around before pulling out a soda.

“What about Randy?”

“He’s at work.”

The drink hisses as he opens it and takes a long gulp.

A headache is forming between my eyes. It seems it has taken up permanent residence there. I divorced my ex to not have problems like these. They’re only getting worse.

“Come talk to me, Luke.” I pat the couch next to me.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Of course not.” He sits in the chair opposite me. Close enough. He’s probably worried he is in trouble. “Why don’t you want to hang out at your mom’s house? Or with your friends?”

“I texted Brian and he had plans, and Rodney was going to some movie premiere with his parents.”

“What about Mark or Jamie?” I ask. “What are they up to?”

“Too busy.”

Luke is picking at a hole in his shorts, not looking at me.

“I know our place isn’t exactly the coolest, but you can always invite them over for dinner. Or to play video games.”

It may not be where he wants to be, but I’ll never make my own kid feel unwelcome because I’m too busy.

Luke doesn’t respond. He keeps staring at his feet. Until he bursts into tears. For a moment, I’m stunned into silence. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen him cry. Sure, he had the outburst when we told him Georgia was pregnant, but he’s never one to show much emotion.

I leap from my spot, banging my knee on the coffee table in the process, as I pull him up and into my arms.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m here.”

He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. I ignore the throbbing in my knee as I try to console him from whatever is troubling him.

Holy shit. Something must really be wrong.

“I’m so sorry, Dad.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I screwed everything up.”

He cries even harder, great heaving sobs that rack his entire body.

“It’s okay, Luke. It’s okay.”

I say it over and over again, trying to calm him down—and myself. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more worried in my life. He’s never cried like this and it’s making my own panic rise.

“Do you think you can tell me what’s wrong?” I ask. “What you think you screwed up?”

“Everything,” he says, voice muffled because his face is still buried in my chest. “You and Georgia. My life. Mom’s life.”

“Wait just a minute.” I pull back, staring into his red-rimmed eyes. “Why do you think you screwed up your mom’s life?”

I start there. It’s easier than telling him what I screwed up.

“Ever since I came back, she keeps telling me how busy they are now that they’re home.”

I hate her. I have never hated someone in my entire life, but I could kill my ex for making him feel like this.

“That’s not your fault, Luke. You talked to her. She told you that you could come back and live with her.”

“I made you come back too. With everything with the baby⁠—”

“Hey.” I grab his shoulders and make him look at me. “I need you to hear this, okay? I mean really hear me. None of this is your fault. I won’t apologize for your mom, but she’s always more concerned with the wrong things.”

“You’re not. You came down here to help even though you knew Georgia needed you.”

“And that’s my fault. You don’t have kids yet, Luke, but when you do, you’ll learn that you’ll do anything for them.”

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

He squeezes me again for another hug. “No, I am. I’m sorry this isn’t working out how you planned.”

“And my friends are all kind of duds now.”

“I thought you liked them?” I ask, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“I thought they were cool before but they all brag about the people they know. It’s not like that back home.”

“Isn’t LA home?” I ask.

“Not anymore.”

“Luke, what do you want?”

“Are you going to be mad if I say I want to go back to Pinecrest?”

“God, no.” I squeeze him even tighter. “I love you, Luke, and I want to do whatever makes you happy. If Pinecrest is that, I’ll do it.”

Luke pulls back, wiping his nose. “There’s no ulterior motive?”

I clap him on the shoulder. “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t, but I have a feeling it’s going to take some work to win Georgia back.”

His lip quivers. “I’m⁠—”

“It is not your fault, okay? I left. Not you.”

He nods and my heart breaks for him. “I want to be a big brother. I want to teach Potato how to ride horses and listen to the ridiculous things that you and Georgia talk about and hang out with my friends who don’t try and show off all the time.”

“If we leave, I can’t come back to LA with you again,” I say.

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to come back. I mean, if Mom wants me to come visit, I’ll try, but I’d rather be with you.”

“Oh, Luke. I’m so sorry.” I bring him in for another hug. It breaks my damn heart that Kari is such a terrible mom.

“I am too, Dad. I…I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Can we go home now?”

“Hell, yeah, we can.”

There is nowhere else I’d rather be than Pinecrest. I will do whatever it takes to win Georgia back. To show her I’m not leaving again.

Not without her—and my family.

Chapter Forty

GEORGIA

For one of the first times, I don’t want to go to the ranch. Being around Queenie has always been good for my soul, but I’m not sure even she can help me today. Today, my tired and exhausted body is screaming at me to stay in bed.

But I can’t. Showing up is what I always tell the kids. It’s half the battle. Staring at myself in the mirror, everything I’ve been through the last few weeks is written on my face.

Luke wanting to go home to LA. Grant leaving with him. Having to go to appointments on my own. It’s the most heartbreaking thing to want to bask in the glow of the ultrasounds, but having no one to do it with.

I went from never needing anyone to relying on Grant. I didn’t want to be that person, but here I am.

I get dressed as fast as I can. The closer I get to my due date, the slower I am. I haven’t seen my feet in weeks and I feel like a whale.

By the time I get to the ranch, I’m exhausted. The only redeeming factor for today is I at least have some time before the kids come. With Gail starting to take over the lessons under my observation, today should be an easy day.

The barn is sweltering by the time I waddle inside. Even though it’s freezing outside, exerting any effort is hard for me. I scoop all my hair back into a ponytail and settle into my desk chair to start working on lessons for Gail.

It’s hard to get anything done. The pain in my lower back woke me up early and hasn’t quit.

“Hey, Georgia. You want to come to the ranch for lunch?”

Joey bounces her way into the barn. She’s grinning from ear to ear. Sometimes it’s hard to be around my friends when they’re so happy.

“Ugh. I don’t think I can move. Can you bring me something?”

“Are you okay?” Her smile drops. “Everything alright with the baby?”

“I’m just exhausted,” I tell her, rubbing my stomach.

“Maybe a walk in the fresh air will help. Rex made a healthy lunch for you that I think you’ll enjoy,” she says.

“Any reason you want me to come to the main lodge?” I ask, eyeing her as she grabs my coat.

“I’m just looking after you. And maybe trying to get you away from all this planning.” She waves her hand around.

“Fine. But lunch better be good.”

That lights her face back up. “I promise, it will be.”

She holds on to me as we make the slow trek from the barn to the lodge. “Did you feel this terrible when you were this close to the end?”

Joey nods. “Yes. I felt like a blimp. And Max wouldn’t stop kicking my ribs. It’s terrible.”

“Oh, yeah. This baby is using my bladder as a trampoline. I wish he would stop.”

“There’s still plenty of⁠—”

“Ooh!”

“What’s—oh shit.”

A sudden pop followed by a warm rush down my leg tells me the one thing I wish wouldn’t happen has happened.

“Did my water just break?” I ask.

“Oh my God. I think it did.”

“Oh my God,” I repeat. “I’m not due for another four weeks.”

“We’re almost there. Keep walking and when we get there, we’ll take you to the hospital.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.” I wince. “I still have another month to go.”

“Babies don’t care about your timelines, G.”

Joey holds the door open to the lobby and I collapse into the first seat I find.

“Are you okay?” Presley is at the front desk and comes rushing over.

“No. My water broke.”

“Oh my God. We need to get you to the hospital,” she shrieks. “Let me find my keys.”

“I’m getting them!” Joey calls back from the office. “Call Rylee and she can meet us there.”

“On it.”

Tears well in my eyes at how much I love my friends. They are my family, but I still wish Grant were here.

Joey comes back out, and between the two of them, they help me into the back seat of one of the ranch’s SUVs and Presley tears off down the road. Joey is holding my hand as I try to keep it together. I’m not looking forward to what’s to come.

“Okay, I called the hospital and told them we’re on the way. The doctor will meet us there,” Presley says.

“One perk of a small town.”

“Only one OB. And she is the best,” Joey says. “Just keep breathing. We’ll be there soon.”

“I need to call Grant,” I bite out as a pain starts. “Did anyone grab my bag?”

“Crap,” Joey mutters from beside me. “Do you know his number?”

“No!” I wail, breathing as a contraction hits. “I always have my phone with me. Why would I need to memorize it?”

“Okay. I’ll call Sam and have him get it and text him. What’s the passcode?”

I rattle it off to her, doing my best to focus on anything but the blinding pain I’m in.

Fuck, this is not going to be fun.

Chapter Forty-One

GRANT

“Do the bags always take this long?” Luke asks.

I glance down at my watch. It’s been thirty minutes and nothing. There’s still plenty of time in the day. I know Georgia is going to be at the ranch, so Luke and I agreed I’d drop him off at home and then I’d go talk to her.

Assuming she wants to talk to me.

“They’re just behind. They did say a few flights were delayed from a snowstorm out east.”

I’m getting antsy. Now that we’re back in Montana, I want to see Georgia. We’re only one town over—Pinecrest not being big enough to have its own airport. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen her and spoken to her.

I’m hoping she’ll at least talk to me. I mean, showing up is half the battle, right?

My phone buzzes as the bags start to come out. Georgia’s name flashes across the screen. Huh. That’s odd. For not talking to me for weeks, now, when we’re back in town, is an odd time to call.

“Georgia?” I ask tentatively.

“Hi, Grant. This is Sam.” He clears his voice.

My nerves are on high alert. “Sam? Is everything okay?”

“Georgia went into labor.”

“She what?” It comes out louder than I intended, but holy fuck. “She’s not due for another four weeks.”

Luke looks worried as I press my finger to my ear. The bags are dropping and hordes of people are swarming the only carousel.

“Joey and Presley took her to the hospital. She’s in room two-twelve.”

“If you talk to Joey, tell her I’m on my way.”

“I can give you my number if you want. I know you’re in LA and need to catch a flight,” he says.

“I’m back in Montana but still at the airport. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I end the call and pick up my backpack. “Georgia’s in labor. We need to go.”

“What about our bags?” Luke asks.

“We’ll come back for them later.”

The two of us dart out of the airport and run to the taxi line. Thank God this town is big enough to have one. My truck is still at the house, but I don’t care. I need to get to the hospital.

Finding the first cab, Luke and I pile inside. “Pinecrest Memorial Hospital.”

“Is she okay?” Luke asks.

“I don’t know. We’ll find out soon.” I pat his knee. “She’s in good hands right now.”

“The baby isn’t supposed to be here until January,” he states.

“I know. Babies can come early. You were early.”

“I was?” he asks.

“Yup. Nothing to worry about.”

Maybe if I can convince him of that, then I’ll be able to convince myself. I’m sure Georgia is panicking right now. If I hadn’t left, I would be the one taking her to the hospital and she might be calm.

Doubtful. There is nothing calm about having a baby.

I just hope she doesn’t kick me out when she sees me.

The roads aren’t busy as we breeze through the main drag of town, heading to the hospital on the far side. When the building finally comes into view, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, man.”

I throw a couple of bills at him, giving him far too much for the drive, but I don’t care. I’m running after Luke as we enter the main lobby of the hospital.

“Which floor?” he asks.

“Two.”

I stab the up button for the elevator, hoping it comes quickly. When the car doors open, we bolt inside and press the two.

“I’ll go see Georgia, and then I’ll let you know how she’s doing, okay?” I tell Luke.

“Okay. Can I get some money to get a snack from the vending machine?”

I fish out a few smaller bills and hand them over. “Sure. It might be awhile, so you can always get something delivered too if you want. I don’t want you eating only junk food.”

He shakes his head as the doors open and he goes toward the waiting area and I go the other way, counting the rooms until I find Georgia.

Now that I’m here, I’m nervous. What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she takes one look at me and kicks me out?

There really isn’t much time to talk, considering her focus is on having the baby—as it should be—but I don’t want her to hate me on sight.

I take a deep breath and push the door open. Five sets of eyes stare back at me.

Georgia, all of her friends, and a nurse.

“Grant? What are you doing here?” Georgia asks.

Wisps of hair cling to her sweaty forehead, but she’s never looked more beautiful. “Sam called and told me you were in labor.”

“And you happened to teleport here?”

“We’re going to go wait outside. Call us if you need us,” Joey says.

They all pass by me, leaving the two of us with the nurse.

“I, umm, we were in town.”

Georgia cocks an eyebrow at me. “You happened to be in town?”

The nurse’s eyes are flitting back and forth between the two of us. “Everything is tracking nicely, Georgia. You’re getting close, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. I’ll be back to check on you in a little bit.”

“Thank you.” She smiles at her.

I wait until she shuts the door behind me to walk closer to the bed.

“What are you doing here?” Georgia asks.

“Luke and I were coming home.”

“I thought LA was home?” she asks.

I shake my head, dropping into the empty seat next to her bed.

“It’s a long story, but we made a mistake. Luke realized LA wasn’t as great as he remembered, so we came home. This is where he wants to be. Where I want to be. With you.”

Her lip wobbles. “Really?”

“Yes. I never want to be away from you, Georgia.”

She reaches her hand out to me and I take it like a thirsty man in the desert.

“Are you here for good?”

I nod. “I’m sorry, Georgia. You have to know I didn’t want to leave you. I never wanted to leave you, but this is why I had to go. I didn’t want to leave him on his own because Kari was too busy for her own kid.”

“I’m—”

“I love you, Georgia.” I cut her off. “I’m here. I never want to leave you again. You, me, Luke, and Potato.”

“Are you still calling him Potato?” She laughs.

“Do you have a better name?”

“I’m still leaning to Eli or Jack.”

The pressure on my hand increases as a contraction hits. I help her through it, brushing the hair off her head before she falls back on the bed.

“I really hate my friends. None of them told me how bad this was supposed to be.”

“What about me?” I ask. “Am I in that group?”

She shakes her head. “Even if I was mad, I could never hate you, Grant.”

I kiss the back of her hand. “Do you forgive me for leaving?”

“If you can forgive me for not picking up when you called. I’m sorry. I was so upset and hormonal because of this little guy and didn’t think I could have a rational conversation.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” I say. “I love you so damn much, Cowgirl, and I never want to be apart from you.”

“Gah!” she yells.

Another contraction hits and I know it’s close. “Do you need me to call the doctor?”

“Yes. Shit, it really hurts.”

Grabbing the remote on her bed, I press the call button. It’s not long before they’re in the room checking her out again.

“It looks like it’s time to push, Georgia.”

“I don’t think I’m ready,” she says, tears welling in her eyes.

The doctors and nurses move around us, getting her ready, but I only focus on the woman I love.

“Yes, you are, Georgia.” I drop my forehead to hers. “I’m here. We’ll do this together.”

“I think only one of us is pushing a baby out today,” she says, breathing through the contraction.

“Whatever you need, I’m here. But you’re the strongest person I know. You can do this, okay?”

She nods, biting down on her lip.

The next hour goes by in the blink of an eye as she pushes. I keep encouraging her, trying not to wince as she squeezes my hand to the point of breaking it.

But when that cry echoes in the room, it’s the only thing that matters.

“He’s here!”

The doctor holds him up before placing him on Georgia’s chest.

Both of us are crying.

“He’s perfect,” Georgia whispers through her tears. “Absolutely perfect.”

I press a kiss to her head, trying to contain my emotions.

He has a full head of dark hair and is screaming his head off.

“I can’t believe he’s here.”

The doctor hands me a pair of scissors to cut the cord before they take him to clean him up and weigh him.

“You did it,” I say. “You were incredible.”

“I love you, Daddy,” she says.

“Not as much as I love you, Mama.”

Her smile grows at the word.

“I’m a mom.”

“You’re going to be the best mom ever to this kid.”

“Should we decide on a name?” she asks.

“You don’t like Potato?” I laugh.

“I am not going to call him Potato.”

“How about Eli then?”

“Eli.” Georgia smiles at me. “I like it.”

When he’s brought back over, wrapped up and calm, it’s hard to keep the tears at bay.

Because we’re here together. As a family.

It’s all we ever wanted. And I can’t believe we finally get it.

Chapter Forty-Two

GEORGIA

“Luke, can you grab the door?” Grant asks.

“Got it.”

I follow him inside, watching as Grant brings Eli in. We couldn’t stay at the hospital forever, no matter how much I wish we could extend our time.

“Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat?” Luke asks.

“I’m okay, but thank you.”

Both Luke and Grant have been fawning over me since Eli arrived. I’ve barely had to lift a finger.

Luke is obsessed with his little brother, asking to hold him any chance he gets. Except he happily gives him to one of us when it’s time for a diaper change.

“The girls said they dropped off casseroles for us,” Grant says. “If you want, I can warm up one of those for dinner, or order us some pancakes.”

“I vote pancakes,” Luke says.

“I do too.”

“Good.” Grant drops a peck on my mouth as I sit on the couch. “I’ll call it in.”

Grant puts the car seat next to me and I carefully unbuckle Eli and lift him to my chest. He snuggles into me.

I don’t know how it’s possible to love someone so much that I only just met.

His smell. The way he curls into me. His tiny fingers.

I love everything about this kid and know I would do anything for him. Now that he’s here, I understand Grant’s decision more. It still hurt, but I get it.

But they’re back. All of us are together under one roof. Just how I wanted. This little family of mine that I will protect with every fiber of my being.

“Pancakes are ordered. Amy said she’d send someone to bring them over so we don’t have to leave,” Grant says.

“Really? That’s so sweet of her.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s her so she can meet this little guy.”

“I think he looks like me,” Luke says, sitting down next to me.

“He does look like you as a baby,” Grant confirms. “You were a cute little baby.”

“Were? I’m still cute,” Luke guffaws.

“We’re lucky to have two cute kids,” I say.

“Now, do you want to see the nursery?” Grant asks.

“You finished it?”

He nods. “Luke helped me.”

“You’re going to love it, Georgia,” Luke says. “Eli too.”

“Let’s see it then.”

Eli is sound asleep in my arms. At least my friends told me he’ll sleep well for the first few days.

I follow Luke and Grant down the hall to the room I haven’t stepped foot in since that day Grant told me he would take care of it. I didn’t want to see it. It would have made it too real that I would have been doing this on my own.

Thank God they came back. Because seeing the two of them love on Eli makes me happier than I ever thought possible.

Grant pushes open the door and the ever present tears start immediately.

“Oh, Grant.”

A chair rail border of wallpaper decorated with horses cuts the room. A small mobile of cowboy hats hangs over the crib. A soft fleece blanket is laid over the rocking chair with a plush rug on the hardwood floor. A tiny horse stuffed animal sits on the dresser next to the changing mat.

“I got him the horse,” Luke says. “A little Queenie for him.”

“You are going to be the best big brother,” I say. “It’s perfect. I love it.”

I sit down in the rocking chair, still sore from birth. “What do you think, Eli? Do you like it?”

He doesn’t stir.

Even the curtains behind me have little cowboys on them.

“There’s a bassinet in our room for him for the first few weeks,” Grant says. “Then we can transition him to his room.”

“Good.” I stare down at Eli. “I have a feeling I’m going to have a hard time letting this little guy go.”

“Oh, we also brought him this,” Luke says, fishing something out of the closet.

“Oh my God.” I burst out laughing, causing Eli to startle in my arms before settling.

It’s one of the plastic cowboy hats from the ranch with “number one cowboy” scrawled across the brim.

“Really?” Grant shakes his head.

“Eli needs to know what kind of family he’s getting,” Luke states. “I have a feeling he’ll be better than you, Dad.”

“That’s because you and I are going to teach him to ride, right?” I ask Luke.

“Yes. He’s going to love you teaching him.”

“I’m going to go change, but can we watch a movie?” Luke asks.

“Sure,” I say.

“Can I hold Eli when I come back up?”

I nod. “Let me feed him then he’s all yours.”

Luke darts out of the room and Grant shakes his head.

“We’re not going to have to do much with Eli.”

I smile up at him. “I love it.”

I stir Eli awake so I can feed him. It’s the one thing I’m still getting used to. Breastfeeding isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but I’ll deal with it.

“Do you need anything?” Grant asks, dropping to his knees in front of me.

His face is soft with emotion. The two of us are running on very little sleep, but I don’t care. Right now, it’s the best feeling in the world.

“What else could I possibly need right now? I have my three favorite guys with me.”

Grant cups my cheek, brushing his thumb over my lips. “I love you so damn much, it hurts somedays.”

“I love you too.”

“Are you guys done being all lovey in there?” Luke calls from the living room. “Pancakes are here.”

“That didn’t take long,” Grant comments.

“Considering we’re probably their top customers, I’m sure they put a rush on it.”

Adjusting my shirt, I burp Eli before heading into the living room. Luke has dinner spread out on the coffee table and is almost done with his meal.

“I can take Eli,” Luke says, brushing his hands off.

“Scoot back and I’ll give him to you,” I say.

Luke moves two pillows around him before I pass Eli over. He doesn’t pay attention to the movie that Grant turns on.

Luke is taking to the role of big brother so quickly—he is in love with Eli and it makes me so happy to see it.

Grant and I eat, and when we’re finished, Grant offers to take Eli, but Luke doesn’t give him up.

Eli is sound asleep on Luke. Grant drags his fingers up and down my arm as the fire crackles and the movie drones on in the background. A light snow starts to fall outside.

I burrow closer to Grant, savoring this moment. Our first night home as a family.

Growing up, this is everything I always wanted. A safe place filled with people who loved me. I never thought that the guy I slept with all those months ago would turn out to be the man of my dreams.

What more could I possibly want when I have it all?

A family.

It’s all I’ll ever need.

Want more small town romance? Read on for a sneak peek of my next book, Stuck With You…

Epilogue

LENNOX

“Are you sure you should be out on the roads right now?” Dad asks.

I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “Dad, I’m fine. It’s not that bad.”

“If it gets bad, promise me you’ll pull over for a few hours, okay?”

“I will.”

A steady stream of snow is falling. It’s getting darker out, but it’s not bad enough to stop driving.

“You know I could have gone to pick up this dresser for you next week.”

“The new job starts on Monday. I want to get settled in my apartment before I start.”

“You could still commute,” he says.

“Dad. Pinecrest is two hours away from Thistle Creek. I am not going to drive four hours every day for work.”

“Sorry. It’s just hard to believe you’ll be moving away.”

“Again, two hours, Dad. It’s not like I’m moving across the country.”

“It’s been nice having you here. It’s going to be a change with you gone now.”

“You have your own life with Joey and Max. It’s time I start my own.”

I won’t admit it to him, but I’m nervous about moving towns. Sure, it’s two hours away, but moving and starting a new job all at once is a lot for anyone.

“ThistleTech is lucky to have you. I know you’re going to be their best employee.”

“You have to say that, Dad.”

“Either way, I know you’ll do great.”

“Thanks, Dad. Listen, I’m going to go.”

“Are the roads getting bad?”

I don’t miss the concern in his voice.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “I’m getting close and don’t want to miss my exit.”

“Text me when you get there and again when you leave. Just so I know you’re safe.”

“I will. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Lenny.”

I end the call and focus on the road ahead. If I weren’t so dead set on getting this antique dresser to restore, I’d be all settled and cozy in my new place in Thistle Creek.

But no. I was taken with the brass handles and the dark wood. It reminded me of the chest my mom had when I was little before she died.

When I saw this person selling it, I knew I had to have it.

Which is why I’m turning down an old dirt road on a snowy night to buy it.

“You Lennox?” the older man asks.

“That’s me.”

I secure my hat over my ears as I shut the door behind me.

“Follow me.” He waves me over into a large barn. “You sure want this if you came out tonight.”

“I figured if I waited any longer, you’d sell it.”

He pushes the doors open and a warmth engulfs me. All kinds of antiques fill the barn, from tiny knickknacks to old jukeboxes.

“Here she is.” He pats the top of the dresser.

“It’s in great shape.”

It looks exactly like it did in the photos, with three large drawers and vine-wrapped handles.

“Found it at an estate sale just up the road last week. Could use a good sanding to clean it up, but overall, in great shape.”

“Two hundred, right?” I ask.

I pull open the drawers and they’re lined with floral paper. The smell of mothballs is overwhelming.

“Yes.”

“Great, I’ll take it.” I fish out the stack of twenties from my purse and hand it over. “Would you be able to help me get it into my truck?”

“Sure thing.”

By the time we get it wrapped in a plastic tarp, lug the piece into the back of my rented truck and get it secured, the snow is thick. So thick, it’s hard to see through.

Shit.

At the rate it’s coming down, there’s no way I’m going to be able to make the three-hour drive back to Thistle Creek. Hell, I can’t even make it to Pinecrest at this point.

I’m one of the only people still out by the time I get to the main road. With darkness settling in, I’m not going to be able to make it much farther.

“Fuck.”

I squint through the snow, trying to find any sign of a place to stop. This is one of the bad things about small-town life in Montana.

Once you get out of town, there’s not much around.

A gas station I passed on my way in is now closed. The café next to it? All the lights are off.

“Damn it.”

At this rate, I’m going to have to curl up in the back seat of the truck and hope I don’t freeze.

Until a flashing light up ahead gleams like a beacon in the dark night.

Cozy Cottage Inn blinks in red with a vacancy sign underneath it.

“Thank God.”

It takes longer than it should to pull into the crowded parking lot because the snow is getting deep. I hope they still have rooms, because with how much snow they’re predicting, I might be here a few days.

I find an empty spot in the back of the lot to park the truck and hop out. The wind is howling as the snow sticks to my face.

“Damn, it’s freezing,” I mutter to myself.

The drifts are already up to my shins as I pull open the glass door into the lobby. Everything is covered in plaid wallpaper with groups of overstuffed chairs clustered around the frosted windows. A few people linger, but with another gust of wind, someone trails in behind me and heads straight to the desk.

“Hi there. Welcome to the Cozy Cottage Inn. How can I help you?” the young woman asks.

“Yes, I need a room for a night or two.”

She beams at him. “You’re in luck. We have one left.”

Only one? Oh, hell no.

“Umm, hi. Sorry, excuse me.” I tap the man in front of me on the shoulder. “I got here before you.”

He spins on his heel and I have to look up to see him. Wow. That is one good-looking man.

But I shake that thought from my head.

“How did you get here before me?” he asks. “I’m standing in front of you.”

His voice is smooth, like molasses, sending warm shivers through my body. I ignore it because if this man is going to take a room from me, I won’t allow it.

“Only because you ran ahead of me. You broke proper protocol.” I scoff.

“There’s no protocol here. You weren’t at the desk. I was. Room’s mine.”

I ignore how tall he is and his broad shoulders. The way his hair sticks out of his hat. He’s way too sexy for his own good. Except this dick is trying to take my room.

“Only because I was getting the lay of the land.”

He smirks at me. “Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” I poke him in the chest. His rock-hard chest.

“You’re right; I’m not.”

“That’s my room. You took it from me.”

“It’s a suite, if that helps,” the woman chirps from behind the desk. “There’s a couch if you want to share.”

“Is it now?” The man spins back to look at her before focusing back on me.

“I don’t know you. There is no way I’m sharing a room with you.”

He takes a step closer. The scent of pine washes over me. It’s unfair that a man this good-looking smells as good as he does.

“Up to you. What else are you going to do in this weather?”

Damn him. He has a point. It’s either this or getting back on the road and potentially crashing.

“Since I was here first⁠—”

“Were you?” he interrupts.

“Yes.” Why is this man so infuriating? “I got here before you, so that means I get the bed.”

“Does that mean you’re going to share with me?”

I grind my jaw. If I had any other options, I would go with that choice. But I don’t. I guess I’m stuck with this man.

“Fine.”

“Good.”

He fishes out a credit card—a black one—and passes it over to the woman at the desk.

“In that case, I should probably introduce myself if we’ll be sharing a bed.” He sticks his hand out. “My friends call me G.”

I ignore his hand, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Like I said, I’ll be taking the bed since I got here first.”

“Okay then. Nice to meet you…”

“Here are your keys.”

I look around him and take the keys from her.

“Thank you so much,” I say.

“Alright, No Name it is,” G says.

This is going to be a really long night.

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Also by Emily Silver

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Falling Together

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Yours to Forget

Yours To Lose

Yours To Love

For a complete list of all my books, please visit www.authoremilysilver.com.

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Emily Silver was destined to be a writer after winning a Young Author award in second grade. She loves writing inclusive stories, with strong heroines and the swoony men who fall for them.

A lover of all things romance, Emily started writing books set in her favorite places around the world. As an avid traveler, she’s been to all seven continents and sailed around the globe.

When she’s not writing, Emily can be found sipping cocktails on her porch, reading all the romance she can get her hands on and planning her next big adventure!

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