She quickly stripped, then took in my bandaged-up side. She looked sad, but she quickly let it slip away before looking up into my eyes. “I love you,” she whispered.
Those three words, in that moment, seemed to shatter away the remaining brokenness I’d felt. My body felt light. I was happy for the first time in years. I was hopeful for my future . . . and I knew exactly what I had to do.
I walked back and carefully lay down on the bed. Lincoln followed, trying not to touch anywhere I was injured.
“Lincoln,” I whispered as she moved onto the bed next to me.
Her fingers trailed lightly over my chest as I lay there, trying not to breathe too hard and forcing myself not to roll her over and bury myself inside of her.
Then she stilled, as if reading my own thoughts. “I’m so afraid I’m going to hurt you.”
“Don’t be. Please, I want you.”
She smiled and slowly moved. Careful not to touch my chest or my stitched-up thigh. “Brock. I—”
“Please, sweetheart. Please.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she positioned herself over me. Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Her eyes burned with passion as she slowly lowered herself onto me. Our gazes were locked on each other, and I held my breath as I felt myself enter her body for the first time with nothing separating us.
“You’re so beautiful, Lincoln. And you’re mine.”
She nodded. “Forever.”
When she began, I grabbed on to the sheets, trying to slow this train down, because I needed her to come before I did, and in this position, that was proving more difficult with each of her hip rotations. I had been dreaming about making love to her again and being inside her; knowing she was pregnant with my child, knowing we had a future together, it was more than I could take.
My hand slipped between our bodies, finding her sensitive clit and rubbing it slightly. Every movement fucking killed my side, but I ignored the pain.
Lincoln dropped her head back, placed her hands on her breasts, and cried out my name as she came.
She squeezed around my cock, and I lost all control. Not even caring almost every inch of my body was in pain. All I cared about was this woman.
I placed my hands on her waist and pumped into her fast and hard. The way she reacted to our lovemaking had me falling in love with her even more, if that was at all possible.
“Brock. Brock, yes!” she cried out.
The pain in my side was almost too much to bear, but I ignored it still, along with the pain in my leg. The pure bliss of being inside her, raw and passionate, outweighed the pain. “Lincoln, I’m coming.”
I orgasmed so hard, I swore I saw stars exploding in the room.
When we finally stilled, she climbed off me and made her way to the bathroom. I heard the water running, and then she reappeared. She used a warm washcloth to wipe me off. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me after making love. The way this woman cared about me blew my damn mind.
Then, she carefully inspected every inch of me. “Are you okay?” she asked.
I nodded, my eyes still closed as I reveled in the bliss of our lovemaking. “I could use a pain pill now, though.”
She sighed and pulled my shirt over her head as she dashed out of the room.
As I lay there, I thought about everything that had happened this morning. The conversation I’d overheard Lincoln and Blayze having, the news that we were having a baby, and the idea that Lincoln was going to marry me.
Then I thought back to Blayze, telling me his dream about Kaci.
“Thank you for giving me Blayze,” I said out loud. “I’ll always love you, and I promise to make you a part of your son’s life.”
A feeling of warmth spread over my body, and that last little bit of guilt that I had been holding on to slowly slipped away.
“You do know if Lincoln sees you doing that, she’ll kick your ass.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Ty standing there. “She won’t know unless you tell her. I can’t sit in the house anymore. It’s been two and a half months, and this weekend, I’m riding. I’ve got to move around some or I’m going to suck and not make the eight.”
“You’ve been cleared to ride?” he asked, grabbing a bale and putting it in one of the pens.
“Yep. Completely healed. Not that the doctor was happy that I would be climbing back on a bull.”
He laughed. “How’s the pain?”
“Pretty much gone.”
“Good. You take it easy on the pills?”
I stopped and looked at him. The worry in his eyes was evident. “Yeah, I was careful.”
“Put the shit you have left over up and away. Or better yet, get rid of it.”
With a nod, I replied, “Okay.”
He stopped and took a deep breath. “I almost took one of your pills.”
Freezing, I asked, “What?”
“They were on your kitchen island, and I picked up the bottle. Went so far that I opened it.”
A wave of disappointment in myself hit me like a brick wall. I’d left that temptation out for him and hadn’t even realized it. “Damn it. I should have told Lincoln to keep them up. She usually kept them high up, so Blayze couldn’t get to them. What stopped you from taking one?”
He scoffed. “Kaylee. She walked in, and I hadn’t even seen her; I was so lost in my thoughts.”
“What did she do?”
Swallowing hard, he rubbed the back of his neck. “She didn’t say a word, but she took them from my hand and set the bottle down, and then . . . she kissed me.”
My eyes widened in shock. “She kissed you?”
“Yeah,” he said with a slight laugh. “Instantly made me forget all about the pills.”
“I can imagine.”
He sighed. “I’ve never had a woman kiss me like that before, Brock. It wasn’t like she was attempting to distract me from taking the pill with a simple flirtatious kiss.” He shook his head and smiled slightly at the memory. “It was more like she was letting me know why I shouldn’t take the pill. I felt something in her kiss. Like she gave me a piece of her but wasn’t expecting anything in return. I don’t really understand it, so I might not be explaining myself right.”
I got exactly what he was trying to say.
“Then what happened, after she kissed you?”
“She took the bottle of pills with her and walked out of the kitchen.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you would have taken one?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to; I know that much. I really didn’t want to . . . but the urge was there. I felt it.”
Swallowing hard, I asked, “You go back to counseling?”
He nodded, and I barely heard his reply. “Yes.”
“Good.”
“What are you doing?” Lincoln demanded.
Ty and I both turned to see my sexy-as-hell fiancée standing there, hands on her hips and a pissed-off look on her face.
“Um, just loosening my muscles.”
“That’s what the gym is for. This work is for Ty.”
“Gee, thanks. I can’t even get Tanner to help me.”
Lincoln folded her arms over her chest. “Do you remember he took on a bull to save your brother and broke his ribs?”
Both Ty and I huffed as I replied, “Hell, Lincoln, he’s back on the circuit, roping.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re all crazy. I really came down here to tell you that my folks called, and they’ll be here tomorrow morning.”
A wide smile moved across my face. We were getting married in two days.
“They happy to stay at your place?”
She waved her hand. “Yes. Kaylee is over the moon to have them there. I’m glad I convinced her to just rent my place from me.” Her eyes moved over to Ty. “Aren’t you, Ty?”
He shrugged and tossed another bale of hay into a pen. “M
akes no difference to me.”
“Uh-huh,” she replied, and then winked at me.
“Everything all set for the ceremony?” I asked, stopping in front of her to kiss her.
“Yep, it’s all set. You nervous?”
“Hell no.” I placed my hand on her stomach and asked, “You?”
She wore a breathtaking smile and replied, “Heck no. I’m ready to be Mrs. Brock Shaw.”
“Damn, that has a good ring to it. Doesn’t it, Ty?” I called over my shoulder.
“You both make me sick with your lovey-dovey shit.”
I leaned my forehead on hers. “I’m sorry we can’t take a honeymoon right away. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Her hand came up to my face. “I don’t care about that. All I care about is you, Blayze, and this little baby growing in my stomach.”
“You’d better be feeding my nephew. Shaw men like to eat.”
Lincoln laughed and went to reply, but Kaylee did first. She must have gotten tired of waiting in the car.
“I’m sorry, Shaw. Keep dreaming. That baby is a girl. Have you seen how sick she’s been?”
Ty leaned against the fence, and I couldn’t help but notice how Kaylee swept her eyes over my brother. I lifted a brow in Lincoln’s direction, and she smiled.
“So, the more morning sickness you have, it means it’s going to be a girl?” Ty asked.
“Yep!” Kaylee proudly declared.
Ty shook his head. “There you have it, Brock. Women are a pain in the ass, even in the womb.”
Kaylee’s hands balled. Then she pointed to Ty. “You . . . you . . . you—”
He pointed to himself. “Me?”
She let out a scream. “Ugh! You drive me crazy, Ty Shaw! Crazy!”
Turning, she stomped away, mumbling something about how she wanted to junk punch him. Prompting Ty to cover his junk and then laugh.
Shaking my head, I focused back on Lincoln. “I’m about done, and then I’ll head up.”
“Okay. Take it easy. I don’t want you getting hurt before the wedding or this weekend.”
I knew deep down that she hated I was heading back on tour, but she’d never once uttered a word. She had booked flights for me, her, and Dirk. Gotten the hotel rooms and arranged a dinner with a few of my sponsors, who wanted to check to see how I was before I climbed onto a bull this weekend in Nashville.
Kissing her nose, I replied, “I promise.”
“Bye, Ty!” she called out.
“See ya around, Lincoln.”
When she was out of earshot, he walked up next to me. “Have you told her?”
Smiling, I answered him. “Nope.”
“When are you planning on telling her?”
I faced my brother and hit him on the side of the arm. “After I win the world championship.”
A wide grin spread over his face. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
LINCOLN
I stared at myself in the full-length mirror of my old bedroom in the little white house. I’d officially moved out of my house and in with Brock and Blayze. I still kept my stuff in the guest room, but most nights, I slept in Brock’s room.
We had been careful not to let Blayze see either of us sneaking out in the mornings. We had told him last night that he was going to be a big brother, and he’d had the same reaction as his father. He’d cried tears of joy and then declared he had to call everyone to tell them. We’d let him call my folks first. He was the one to actually break the news to them—and much to my surprise, my mother had said she already knew.
I had flown to Atlanta for a weekend wedding-shopping trip. It had just been me, Kaylee, Stella, and my mother. Stella and my folks had hit it off amazingly. My mother had said she knew the moment she’d looked at me that I was carrying a baby. Plus, with the rushed wedding, my folks had put two and two together. There were no lectures, no Are you sure you should get married? comments. It was like they knew I was happy, and they were happy for me.
It took me selling my business and moving thousands of miles away to prove to my father that I could make it on my own and find happiness without his help.
Of course, when they’d started talking about moving to Montana, I had to admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I loved my parents, but I loved them more from a distance.
My thoughts returned to the dress. It was a simple lace gown that perfectly hugged my body yet flared out at the bottom with layers of lace ruffles. I still wasn’t showing, except for a small bump that was hardly noticeable. I lifted the dress to reveal the blue cowboy boots Kaylee had bought me. They were my “something blue.” Well, those and the baby-blue panties I wore that read Bride on them. I was sans bra, since the dress was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline.
The tap on the door caused me to jump.
I covered my stomach and laughed. “Come in.”
“How’s it going in here?” Kaylee asked, walking up behind me and smiling. “You look stunning. Brock is going to shit his pants when he sees you.”
I chewed on the corner of my lip. “Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?”
“Well, your emotions are out of whack with the baby. So, I’m sure, here in a minute, you’re going to want to cry. Then you’ll probably turn into bridezilla, and then be back to being nervous. It’s a cycle.”
Laughing, I blew out a breath. “I can’t wait to see him. Have you seen him?”
She nodded. “Yes. And I know he’s the father of your baby and fixin’ to be your husband, but, girl, oh. My. God. He’s in a tux. He didn’t shave, so he has that whole five-o’clock-shadow thing going on. Christ Almighty, the man is too good looking. I mean, he even makes my stomach flip.”
I hit her on the hand that was still resting on my shoulder. “Stop that.”
“It’s true! Did you know there’s a website out there that’s made up of nothing but women who hate you?”
I spun around and looked at her. “Me? Why?”
She rolled her eyes “Um, you took one of the sexiest eligible bachelors around off the market. Women in the PBR fan world are pissed.”
“Oh, come on. You’re kidding, right?”
When she tilted her head with a look that said she was dead serious, I groaned.
“Oh my gosh. They set up a website?”
She nodded. “Yep. Some of the comments on a photo of that famous kiss . . . Dirk, Ty, and I were cracking up at them.”
My hands went to my hips. “How long have you known about the site?”
Holding up her hands in defense, she said, “Since last night. Dirk showed it to us.”
I was sure my mouth was on the floor.
“Don’t worry. They’ll forget all about Brock, and they’ll all move on to Dirk. At least, that’s his hope.”
We both chuckled as my mother poked her head in.
“Girls, it’s time. Your father is ready to come in. All set?”
I nodded as my father walked into the room, carrying my bouquet of fresh wildflowers.
“Oh. My. Princess, you look like a . . . well, like a princess!”
I smiled and tried to hold back my tears. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He placed his hand on the side of my face and slowly shook his head. “I wouldn’t have agreed with this going as fast as it has, if I hadn’t seen the way that boy looked at you. It’s like you hung the moon.”
My chin trembled. “I love him, Daddy. I would be marrying him even if I wasn’t pregnant.”
“You follow your heart. You’ve always been that way, Lincoln. You were hell bent on coming to Montana, and I truly believe this was your destiny. All those years I butted in, thinking I was helping, but all I did was push you away.”
A tear slipped down my cheek. “No.”
“Yes,” he said, carefully wiping it away. “But it brought you to Brock. And, as much as I hate that he does what he does, if he makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
“He makes me very ha
ppy.”
“Then, there ya go.”
I chuckled. “There ya go.”
“Let’s do this.”
Kaylee hadn’t been lying. Brock was the most handsome man I’d ever seen, and dressed in a tux, let’s just say I stumbled when I saw him. Thankfully, my father was at the ready and steadied my feet. Brock smiled bigger. I didn’t think it was possible, but every day, I was feeling more and more in love with him.
When my father placed my hand in Brock’s, I didn’t hear anything else. I was lost in his eyes. A blue sea of pure love. The way he rubbed his thumbs over my hands during the ceremony left me breathless. I barely made it through my vows and lost it when Brock cried during his.
Blayze stood behind Brock, next to Ty. Kaylee stood behind me, handing me a hanky that my mother had given to her right before she walked down the aisle.
Of course, Ty had nearly fallen over at the sight of Kaylee in her deep-red, curve-hugging, sequined bridesmaid gown, and I know I wasn’t the only one in the room who saw him stealing glances her way.
The preacher finally told Brock to kiss the bride.
He cupped my face in his hands and said, “Hey, Mrs. Shaw.”
Another round of tears fell as I somehow managed my reply, “Hey back at ya, Mr. Shaw.”
He kissed me. Softly at first, and then he deepened it.
It was Ty who leaned in and said, “Seriously, y’all, you make me sick with this mushy crap.”
We both laughed, and then the preacher introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. Brock Shaw as we walked down the aisle.
We had gotten married in Brock’s favorite place on their property. It sat on top of a hill and overlooked the entire ranch. Stella had been worried about it being too windy, but it turned out to be a beautiful August day.
The reception was held in a giant tent with twinkle lights strung everywhere and decorations that made any other wedding I’d ever been to pale in comparison. It was perfection. Kaylee had ended up doing almost everything for the wedding. All the plans, the decorations, the cake, the photographer—she had taken care of all of it. She had done such an amazing job that a few people asked her if she would consider planning more events. I hoped she would give it some thought. I knew she loved editing books, but I could also see she was longing for something more. And Hamilton could use a good wedding and event planner.
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