Stables (Black Gulch Ranch #2)

35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Dixon

“I feel awful.” Lori’s curled up on the couch with Sophia bouncing Jack on her lap while Char brings her some fresh tea.

“Here, try this.” She hands Lori the steaming cup. “It helps with morning sickness too.”

That makes me turn from the table where Mason and I are going over a map of the ranch.

Looking at Lori with new eyes, I notice the swelling of her breasts, the way her legs are curled apart, and how she keeps drifting her palm to her lower belly.

I swivel on my seat, gripping Mason’s upper arm, I tug him close enough so no one else can hear me. “When were you going to share the good news?”

His grin removes any doubt to my assumptions. “Aww, we just wanted to stay low key. Found out a couple of weeks ago.” He leans closer. “Remember our little phone call about your feelings?” Mason’s amber gaze flicks past me as he watches Char approach.

“Mhmm. Time flies.” I wrap my arm around Char’s waist when I feel her hot palm on my shoulder.

It’s passing in the best of ways. We’ve been here at the ranch for nearly a month already.

I can’t believe how much has changed, and I wouldn’t want it any differently.

“Dix?” Char brushes her lips against my ear. “We should go back to my old house to get some more herbs from the garden.”

I tug her onto my lap. “Of course. Did you want to go now, or wait until evening when it’s a little cooler?”

Mason is still grinning like a Cheshire, but drops back to the paperwork laying in front of him.

We finally got the necropsy results from the vet.

It isn’t what we were hoping for.

“Later is fine. August is too hot to function in the afternoon.” She freezes as Lori jumps up and runs by.

Char turns to look at Mason and tilts her head.

When I catch a glimpse of her face again, she’s mirroring his expression. “I thought that’s what it was. Am I allowed to know?” she whispers to Mason.

He gives a short nod, but juts his chin towards Sophia on the couch. “She doesn’t yet. Let’s wait until Lori comes back out.”

There’s a part of me that wants to wake Paisley up to hear the news. Not that she’s old enough to understand.

She’s part of this family too.

Char is practically vibrating in excitement on my lap, to the point I have to squeeze her thigh to simmer her down.

Much more and my cock will be too hard to walk easily.

Just her presence makes me hard. Her bouncing is making it painful.

I don’t think she getting the message.

“Char, am I gonna have to take you out back to work out some of this energy?” Pushing her hip down digs my erection into the crack of her ass.

Damn if she doesn’t clench those cheeks and knead me through my jeans.

Fortunately, Lori comes wobbling down the hall to sit heavily next to Sophia.

“Might as well,” Mason says, rising from the table. He reaches for Jack, who squeals happily when Mason lifts him into his arms. Tucking the squirming infant into his elbow, he runs his fingers through Lori’s blond hair. “Should we, baby?”

She gives him a weak smile and nods.

Taking a deep breath, he looks at his daughter. “Sophia, you’re going to be a big sister again.”

Char wiggles on my lap again. It’s a struggle not to groan.

Sophia pauses, looking back and forth between Mason and Lori before her face breaks into a broad grin that reminds me of her father. “I was wondering!” she exclaims. “You were so sick with Jack, I thought for sure that’s what this was. I just didn’t want to be rude.” Sophia leans over and pulls Lori into a hug.

Tears tumble down both of their cheeks as they giggle and sway.

Char’s fingers wrap my elbow, then she drops her cheek against my shoulder to watch.

I wonder how long it will be before she and I can make the same kind of announcement. As many times as we manage to sneak in alone time, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was pregnant already.

Fuck, the thought makes my cock throb.

“Go on, I know you want to congratulate her.” I pat Char lightly on her little ass to prompt her.

She gives my arm a light squeeze before she jumps up and runs to Lori. “I love this so much! You’re the best mom!”

I’d argue with her over that one, but I’m not gonna start a fight in a moment like this.

Char’s love and patience with Paisley should be taught in every classroom. I can’t fathom anyone having more to give than she does.

She’s the kind of woman that makes a man clear a forest to build her a mansion. Stick by stick.

“Uppie, daddy.” Paisley appears next to my leg, rubbing her bleary eyes beneath her wild hair.

“Hi, princess.” I pull her onto my knee so we can both watch the celebrations. “Did you sleep okay?”

Her red cheeks bob as she nods. “Mommy’s happy?”

Char’s face glows as her hands move animatedly in her conversation. It’s as if the sun itself shifted its alignment to highlight her in the window.

Like an angel in an aura from heaven.

“Yes, baby girl. Mommy’s happy.” I let my arm drape across her lap as we both watch Char.

It makes my chest hurt how deeply I can love that woman.

I never thought it was possible to find someone who I could care about so deeply.

With a tiny sigh, Paisley drops her head against my arm. “Good. She’s my favorite person.”

I fight down a chuckle. “Mine, too.”

Paisley’s head whips around and her little eyes narrow, her pink lips purse. After staring at me for a long moment, her features soften. “Okay, I’ll share.”

I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing. “That’s very kind of you. We can both love her. Your mommy deserves it all.”

With a much more dramatic sigh, she drops her forehead back to my arm. “Yea, she does.”

She relaxes against me. I wonder if she’s dozing back off until her voice muffles against my sleeve. “I’m hungry.”

“I figured.” Standing, I pack her into the kitchen and find the fruit bowl. “Banana or apple?”

“‘Nana, please.” Her grabby hands reach out before I’ve finished peeling it to break the top off.

Some makes it onto my collar, some into her mouth. But she seems content.

Her toes dig into my belly when she starts to wiggle. “Down?”

Like a sprinter, she runs across the floor to the toybox that seems to have found a permanent home near Caesar's bed.

With all these little kids, it might be an idea to build a playroom or two.

Mason joins me at the table, still holding Jack who’s fallen asleep on his shoulder.

“You got some catching up to do.” He winks at me.

I surrender. “Yea, yea. I’m a late bloomer. But I’m doing my best.”

“You know—” Mason pauses to take a sip of coffee. “—your kids are gonna be hell on her if they have your noggin.” He laughs as he sets down his cup.

“Definitely a problem you didn’t have to worry about.” I tease him back.

I didn’t know how much I missed spending time around my family until I saw them in a new light.

Mason has his shit figured out, and his priorities straight.

I really am the one lagging behind. But I’m on the right course now.

“So, back to this shit.” He waves his hands over the map and papers. “Vet said it was lutalyse contamination. I was hoping it was some sort of bug. She seems to think it’s diluted by now, there weren’t any traces in this pond.”

“That causes them to abort. Who the hell would do that?” My mood shifts dark quickly.

Mason shakes his head, absentmindedly stroking Jack’s back. “Same ones that cut down those Ponderosa. Same reason, I’m guessing.”

“Yea, the effects are identical. So they’ve gone from stealing cows, to making sure we can’t have calves.” This is getting frustrating.

“Seems so. The ‘yotes got the evidence before we found them. Doctor Ray said that cow was probably around ten to twelve weeks gestation by the blood levels.” His jaw clenches and his voice drops. “I thought I took care of the problem last fall.”

“Ditto.” Running cattle is hard enough without someone purposefully sabotaging us. “We oughta think about running everyone through and preg checking again.” Who knows how many more lost pregnancies that we don’t know about.

“Fuck.” Mason runs his hand over his face and scratches his whiskers. “If we don’t have enough drop, we’ll be shy on load outs.”

“Well—” I point to the circle of mountains to the north on the map. “—we still have that contract land. Ford did fine up there last winter, and he’s still game for this winter again? At least up there he can watch the water supply. We’ll send every bred cow we have up there to cook off. That should make a big difference. Good pasture there, too.” The hills make a natural barrier against the heavy snow loads letting the animals find solid feed. “We can stockpile some hay up there ahead of time just in case.”

Mason lets out a long breath. “Yea, he’s ready to go. Sawyer volunteered to go instead if we needed him to, but then he found out there wasn’t internet and he couldn’t play video games all winter.” He chuckles, then pats Jack’s diaper when the baby shuffles.

“I think Ford likes the chance to hide.” Not that I blame him.

“Wish he wouldn’t. I miss that crabby bastard when he’s gone. Val said the bar nearly went broke without him drinking there every week.” He pushes the papers together, then folds them into the map. “I guess we’ve hashed enough.”

“We might want to hire a few more guys to keep watch. Between this crap and knowing Char’s ex is still out there running around, more eyeballs won’t hurt.” Pushing up from the table, I grab my tea glass and his empty coffee mug and carry them to the kitchen.

“Dix?” Mason pauses on his way to his room.

“Yea?” I drop the dishwasher door and glance at him.

“I’m glad you’re back.” He gives me a lopsided grin before disappearing.

For the first time, I feel like I’m home.