Page 59 of Before You Can Blink
I shook my head. “You’re gonna be mighty disappointed if that wiggle worm turns out not to be a boy.”
Her gaze remained locked on Aspen as she let out a wistful sigh. “I don’t think so. We make some pretty amazing baby girls.”
“That we do.”
She extended an arm out to me. “Come lie with us, Daddy.”
I peeked down at my dirty clothes. “I should shower first.”
A mischievous gleam sparkled in her eyes. “We can wash up together after Aspen goes down. If you wash my back, I promise to wash yours.”
Humming, I replied, “You know I can’t say no to that.”
“Was counting on it, cowboy.” Her voice grew breathy, and she bit down on her lower lip so hard that the edges turned white.
Kneeling on the bed, I used a thumb to pry that pink pillow free of her teeth. Against her mouth, I murmured, “Careful, Daze. Teasing me like that in front of the kids is only gonna get you punished.”
With barely an inch of space separating us, I felt the vibration of the shiver that traveled the length of her body.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a cuddle session with my family to attend to.” I settled onto the mattress at her side, marveling at the stark contrast of my tanned hand against the pale skin of her stomach.
Aspen’s tiny fist closed around one of my fingers as the baby we would soon meet rolled beneath my palm. Daisy’s soothing touch roamed over my shoulders almost absent-mindedly, and it struck me that her silent support never faltered. She was always there, giving me what I needed, even when I didn’t know what to ask for.
Having weathered the loss of Murph, I needed this reminder that my whole world, all my reasons for living, was right here in front of me. Whether I had five, ten, or fifty more years to give them, I was going to give them my best.
July
Mucking stalls was grunt work, something often passed off onto newer ranch hands, while they earned the respect of the crew. But since we could only afford a barebones staff, it usually fell to me to pick up the slack, even if that meant shoveling shit in the stifling heat of summer.
My shirt dangled limply from my back pocket, having been discarded almost immediately, and the thought had crossed my mind more than once to ditch my jeans. But the mental image of how ridiculous I would look walking around this barn wearing only a pair of briefs and boots was enough to keep the denim firmly in place.
“Hey.” The soft greeting had me lifting my head to find Daisy at the open door to the stall.
I swiped an arm across my forehead to keep sweat from running into my eyes. “What’re you doing out here?”
“Got restless while Aspen was napping.” She held up the baby monitor that just barely had the range to reach the barn from the cabin.
“Back still bothering you?”
“Off and on,” she admitted, pressing a palm to her lower spine and wincing.
If I was suffering in this heat, Daisy was downright miserable less than two weeks away from her due date. She could barely stand to wear clothes most days, and when she did, they were usually sundresses that fit her pre-pregnancy, and her giant watermelon belly had the front hitching up so high it was a miracle her underwear wasn’t on full display. The poor thing had cried tears of relief during our appointment yesterday when DocStevens offered to schedule an induction for next week. But even though she was unbearably uncomfortable, my wife refused to complain.
“How about I finish up in here, and then I’ll take Aspen out for a while so you can soak in a cool bath?”
Daisy pursed her lips as she considered it. “You sure you don’t have too much work to get done?”
Was I about to tell my pregnant wife that work on a ranch was never done and make her feel guilty about allowing me to give her a moment of rest and relaxation that would hopefully alleviate some of the physical burden from carrying my child?
Not on your life.
“I was due for a break anyway.” A little white lie never hurt anyone.
Grabbing my pitchfork, I got back to work. The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could get down to the cabin and grab Aspen. “Shouldn’t be more than another ten or—”
My words were cut off by a sharp gasp that had me stopping mid-shovel. Lifting my head, I caught Daisy staring back at me like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
“What—” That’s when her eyes tracked downward, and when mine followed, I saw the puddle at her feet.
