Page 170 of Here With Me
He whines as if he doesn’t give two shits about my ability to reproduce. The cold front has all the horses on edge, not that I can blame them, but it makes doing my job harder.
“You need help, cowboy?” Noah’s boots come into my view before the rest of her does.
When I raise my head, I smile at her cowboy hat and braids. She’s holding what looks like one of our scrapbook albums against her chest. “From a beautiful woman like you? Anytime.”
She pets Ranger with her free hand and tries to comfort him. “Ellie’s comin’ to work with him later. Maybe that’ll relax him.”
“I hope so. Whatcha got there?”
“Just a little surprise I wanted to give ya. But it can wait till you’re done.”
“Well, gimme just a few. This is the last hoof.”
She runs her fingers down his mane and helps him relax as I finish up.
“Good boy, Ranger.” I pat him a few times, then Noah offers to take him back to his stall.
Once she returns, I tilt up her chin and bring my mouth to hers. “You look beautiful today.”
“Well, thank you. Are you ready to see what I made?”
“Absolutely.” I take off my gloves and watch as she flips through the pages of our second-year-together album.
“I made a new page. Ready?”
When she sucks in her lower lip, nerves surface at what I should expect.
“I think so.”
Then she flips it, and all the blood drains from my face.
Our first ultrasound.
My eyes flick to hers, to the page with the empty space inside the frame, then back to hers again.
“You’re…we’re…pregnant?”
“Yeah, I took a test this mornin’ after you left for work.”
“Oh my God.” I engulf her in my arms as a roller coaster of emotions hits me. “Sweetheart, that’s amazin’.”
My heart pounds against hers as the realization soaks in.
Before Noah, I never wanted more children.
Never thought I deserved to be a father again.
Never considered I’d meet someone as perfect as Noah and want to start over.
But she’s changed all of that.
Now, I can’t wait to start a family with the love of my life and watch her become a mother.
“I love you so much, Goldie. Thank you for givin’ me this second chance.”
She buries her face in my chest and fists my shirt as she cries in my arms.
“Baby, why’re you cryin’?”
