Page 89 of Duke
“Those are my mom’s. After she died, Wyatt took all her books except the cookbooks. No one really wanted those, so I took them. Can’t say I’ve referenced them a ton over the years, but I like collecting books, so.” He shrugs. “Seemed a shame to toss ’em. I like having a piece of her around, ya know?”
My heart twists. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to cook.”
“I’d say we could learn together, but I feel like that’d probably be a bad idea right now—making food that could potentially make you barf. How are you feeling, by the way?”
I turn away from the books. “I’m fine. Same as I was twenty minutes ago when you checked in.”
Duke’s powers of persuasion only went so far. He wanted me to drive with him in his truck back to Hartsville, telling me I had “pregnant passenger princess” privileges and that I should take advantage of them.Rest while you can, he’d said.
I wanted to have my own car, however—he offered me the use of his truck, but I can’t drive stick—so we ended up driving together but in separate cars from Dallas. He called me every twenty minutes on the dot to check in on me. And this wasafterhe loaded me up with enough snacks and drinks to literally fill my passenger seat and all the cupholders in my car.
He’d be a good dad.
So different from my own. I grew up thinking all dads were mean because, well, mine was as mean as a snake.
Duke is the opposite of mean. He’s patient. He has appropriate reactions to things. He’s able to talk about his feelings, and he seems to genuinely care when I talk aboutmyfeelings.
“Here, I’ll show you the guest room.” He nods toward the back of the house. “That way, you can get settled.”
He leads me down a short hallway that dead-ends in a trio of doors. Straight ahead is a bathroom, covered in gleaming white subway tile. To the left and right are bedrooms.
I nearly jump out of my skin when I catch a glimpse of Ryder tucking a sheet underneath a mattress in the room to my right.
He looks up and smiles. “Well, hey, y’all!”
He looks and sounds so much like Duke that for a second, I have a total brain fart.Where am I? What’s happening?
“He—hi, Ryder.” I give him a little wave, heat flooding my face. Does he know I’m pregnant?
He has to know. Duke has a great relationship with all his brothers, but it’s obvious he and Ryder are especially close.
Besides, me staying here is a dead giveaway that something’s up. Like all guests who visit Lucky River Ranch, I always stay at the New House.
“How was your drive?” Ryder straightens.
“Easy.” I step into the room and look inside. “Are you—”
“Oh, I’m just the caboose, Wheeler. There wasn’t a stick of furniture in here when Duke called us yesterday, so Wyatt and Sally went to Austin for the bed frame and mattress, Mollie lent us some of her fancy-ass sheets, and Patsy gave us the pillow inserts and the comforter from Sally’s room in their house. Now that she’s living with Wyatt, Patsy and John B don’t have a need for ’em. She assured me they were clean. Ava and the girls came over to hang those curtains Mrs. Wallace was able to whip up. I’m just bringing it all together.”
“Ryder.” A moon lodges itself in my throat. “Y’all didn’t have to do that. I could’ve just stayed at the New House—”
“All by your lonesome? Naw, that ain’t right. You’re better off here.” His eyes slide to Duke, who’s setting my bags on a pair of luggage racks by the door. “Patsy wanted to know if we could expect y’all for dinner? Think she’s making vegetarian pasta. Something simple.”
Duke looks at me. “Sound good?”
“Wait a second.Wait. Did you—”
“Ella loves Patsy’s pasta,” Duke replies. “Since you’re grossed out by chicken and stuff right now, I asked Patsy to make it tonight. I think it’s basically just butter, cheese, peas, and, yeah, more butter.”
“She was probably gonna make it anyway,” Ryder adds. “You know, meatless Monday.”
I stare at them. “It’s not Monday.”
They shrug, mirror images of each other. Ryder is slightly shaggier, with longer hair and a legit beard.
Dear God, what if I’m pregnant with twins?
How cool would that be?
