Page 45 of A Cowboy Home for Christmas
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Lauren, it wasn’t my place. He was making arrangements.”
“Excuse me? These past six months and you said nothing. All those days you spent with me and the girls, while he was out, what? Planning another life? A new wife? New kids? You said nothing?” Yup, she’s mad at me.
“He was going to tell you.”
“When? When a baby popped out?”
“That weekend,” Alison and I say together.
“The weekend he died,” I clarified. “He was going to talk to you the next day.”
Her eyes flicker between us. “What the fuck?”
“Maybe this isn’t a discussion to have now.” My ma steps between us.
“Did you plan it together?” Lauren ignores her. “Like the three of you?”
“Lauren, we were in love-“ Alison doesn’t finish her sentence. Likely for the best. One of those horrific half moans and half screams and a whole lotta tears roars out of her. It’s fucking terrifying.
“Breathe. Deep breaths.” My ma is on one side of Alison and Lauren on the other. They mimic her breathing. They’re all breathing. In and out. Loud. Uniformed. Not caring about the drama unfolding in this room. And I’m just standing around like an idiot until they come back to the real world.
“We have to get her to the hospital.” My ma pats Alison’s legs. “Can you walk?” Alison nods. “We need to get you to the car in the parking lot.”
“The fastest way is through the lodge.” Lauren helps her up.
“I can do that.” Alison’s still breathing heavy.
“I got the bag!” Savi runs into the kitchen, the bag slung across her body. “What’s the plan?”
Now we’re all one big happy family again.
“Through the lodge, to the vehicle, then drive to the hospital.” My ma wrings her hands together.
Alison leans on Lauren. “He knew you were in love with Barker.”
I agree now is not the time for this discussion.
“He told you that?” Lauren can’t disguise the horror in her tone.
“It’s okay.” Apparently Alison hears it too. “He wasn’t angry. It might’ve taken him six years, Lauren, but he planned to do right by you. He planned to let you go. To make you happy. That’s all he wanted. He just didn’t know how to do it. Until he did.”
“He wanted to make me happy?” Lauren has tears in her eyes again. Alison has tears. Fuck, even mom and Savi are tearing up.
“I admire your strength and courage,” Alison tells Lauren. “So did Gunnar.”
“I admire your strength and courage.” Both women are crying and hugging.
I clear my throat. “I hate to break this up, but we have a baby on the way.”
Another horrendous moan has Alison bending over. “It hurts. It hurts!” Her scream is a low primal growl.
“Her contractions are really close,” Lauren whispers to my ma.
My mom nods and puts her arm around Alison to support her. “Sweetie, you can’t sit down. We have to get you to the car.”
Alison wildly shakes her head. “I can’t.”
