Page 56 of Before You Can Blink
Her sigh transitioned into a wry laugh. “Pull and pray isn’t exactly a foolproof method of birth control, Jett.”
With a few words, she shattered the illusion that by not coming inside her, it kept us safe. “Since when?”
She cocked her head. “Um, since always?”
My eyes bulged. “And you’re just telling me now?”
My wife stared back at me like I’d lost my mind. “I thought you knew!” she whispered-shouted, mindful of our sleeping toddler.
Clearly not. Sex education was sorely lacking in these parts, where teens were merely told to abstain until marriage, and then after that, the more babies the better.
“Well, fuck.” I gripped the back of my neck. “Where the hell are we gonna put another baby?”
Scooching toward me slowly, like I was a horse about to spook, she placed a hand on my thigh. Her touch calmed me enough to have air filling my lungs, but my mind still raced, trying to figure out how to make this work.
Ha,that’s funny. Like you have much of a choice. Can’t put the genie back in the bottle on this one.
“They start out really little and don’t take up much space.”
“Space,” I scoffed. “Something we’re already short on.”
“Look at me,” Daisy commanded softly.
I couldn’t. Not when my head was on a swivel, my gaze ping-ponging off the walls of this tiny-ass cabin that felt like they were closing in on me. There’s no way we could fit four people in here.
“Jett.” Warm palms found my face, and Daisy climbed onto my lap, forcing me to focus on her. “We’ll make it work. We always do.”
I was so damn tired of “making it work,” seeing as that seemed to be all we were doing these days.
My chest rumbled with the force of my heavy exhale. “Okay.”
A corner of her lips tipped up. “You know, I was thinking, maybe it was meant to be. I’m due on August 12th.”
“Fine day for a birthday.” It was mine, after all.
Her thumbs stroked the scruff lining my jaw. “I sure thought so.”
Giving her hip a squeeze, I asked, “You feelin’ all right?”
Daisy nodded. “So far, so good.”
That offered some small comfort after how sick she’d been while pregnant with Aspen. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
Looping both arms around her, I pulled Daisy to my chest, whispering against her temple, “Merry Christmas, Daze.”
“Merry Christmas, Jett.” She snuggled deeper into my hold.
Now that the shock was wearing off, I could admit that, while unexpected, Daisy had given me the greatest gifts I would ever receive—my children.
I only hoped that, someday, I could give them a reason to be proud of their father.
May
Spring was my favorite time on the ranch. Everywhere I looked, there were signs of new life.
Speaking of new life . . .
Walking from the barn to the cabin, I was treated to the sight of Daisy’s profile as she hung laundry on the line. The slight breeze had the flowy fabric of her dress clinging to the rounded bump of her stomach, where our second baby was growing.
