Page 99 of Where the Blacktop Ends

Chapter 39 – Troy

“What are you doing?” I growl, watching Georgia rummage through her purse. The house is quiet now, everyone gone, and the election excitement has faded into the background.

“My alarm just went off. Birth control,” she adds, pulling out the little packet with a faint sigh.

“Ditch it.”

Her mouth falls open, her eyes widening as she stares at me. “What?”

“Ditch. It. I want babies. With you. Lots of them. I want to fill Whitewood Creek with little ones... You want that too, don’t you?”

She stares at me for a moment, then nods. With a grin, she tosses the birth control back into her purse and spins around. “We’re doing this?”

“We’re doing it.”

Her smile widens, a mirror of my own, as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“So, when are we getting married?” I ask, my voice suddenly serious. “And where?”

She tilts her head, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. “What about Whitewood Creek Farm? In the spring, when everything’s in bloom and the Blue Ridge Mountains are covered in wildflowers?”

“Perfect.” My mind is already racing. “Regan can plan a wedding in under five months. I’m sure your mom will want to help, too.”

She kisses me, her lips soft against mine. “What if we’re pregnant by then?” she asks, her voice laced with both excitement and a touch of uncertainty.

“Then my master plan will have worked,” I joke but I’m deadly serious.

She giggles, shaking her head, “Your plans always work.”

“Just the way I intend...” I kiss the diamond on her ring finger, tenderly. “My wife. My son, my grandson—all of us under one roof, safe in the state I love.” I pull back, my focus sharpening. “Now, I just need to sort out these permits for the Charlotte brewery and get Colt home.”

“When do you find out about his appeal?”

“Should be this week. I’m hoping the election win speeds things up.”

She nods, a flicker of nerves in her eyes. “Can I meet him?”

My heart swells at the thought of this woman, who came into my life so unexpectedly, already loving my family with the same fierce loyalty I do.

“We’ll plan it out tonight. But first, I’ve got other plans.” I throw her over my shoulder, laughing as she squeals, and carry her back to the bedroom.

Hours and multiple orgasms later, we lie in bed, spent, listening to the soft November rain outside while she traces patterns across my abs, her touch gentle in the dark.

“When do we have to move?” she asks softly.

“It won’t be permanent. We’ll get a place in Raleigh where the governor lives, and I’ll travel for work. But we’ll keep our home in Whitewood Creek, too.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “I’ve heard Raleigh’s nice.”

I kiss her forehead. “It won’t be like New York. I won’t be gone all the time. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You’re living your dream. I trust you.” And I believe her but the way she’s biting her lip nervously I can tell something else is on her mind too.

“What are you thinking about, Georgia?”

“Cameron Ranch...”

“What about it?”

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