Wild, Crazy Hearts – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

Trace chuckled, and she glowered at him.

  “Sorry, but they’re just pies, darlin’. We’ll go buy some at the store.”

  She stared at the smoke swirling in the breeze and said, “The bakery is closed. It’s a holiday, remember?”

  “I’m sure they have frozen pies at the dollar store, and they’re always open.”

  “Don’t you see? They’re not just pies. They’re symbolic of who I am in everyone else’s eyes. I’m the reckless one, the rebellious girl who’s better at sex than being domestic. I wanted to prove them wrong. I don’t want to be Sara Lee, serving frozen pies. I want to be Martha Fucking Stewart and bring perfect home-baked pies for Thanksgiving!”

  Trace’s eyes narrowed. He strode over to the refrigerator and pulled out the carton of milk. “Grab the boxes of chocolate pudding from the pantry, and the graham crackers.”

  “Why?” She grabbed both from the pantry.

  “My girl wants to bring homemade pies, and I’m going to make it happen.” He washed his hands and said, “We’ve got this, darlin’. Now get over here and wash your hands, or we’re going to be late.”

  As she washed her hands, she said, “What are we doing with instant pudding? And why do you even have it?”

  “We’re making chocolate pudding pies. I bought it for a special occasion that would end with us naked.” He waggled his brows.

  “Oh. I really like your surprises.”

  They threw out the burned pies, and while Brindle washed the pie pans, Trace left the room, returning with his hammer.

  “What’s that for?”

  “We have to make the crust.” He grabbed two Ziploc quart bags and put the packages of graham crackers in them. Then he wrapped them in a clean towel and beat them with the hammer.

  She laughed. “You could just break them with your hands like normal people do.”

  “I don’t know what type of people you hang out with, but that doesn’t sound nearly as effective. What makes the crust stick together?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never made graham cracker crust. I’ll google it.” She grabbed her phone from the counter and began searching. “We need sugar and butter.”

  “On it!”

  They made two beautiful chocolate pudding pies. Afterward, they used their fingers to eat the extra chocolate from the bowl, feeding it to each other, and ended up with chocolate pudding everywhere.

  Brindle giggled as Trace licked chocolate from her chest. “We’re breaking my family’s tradition of eating my great-grandmother’s pies.”

  “We’re starting our own tradition.” He kissed her belly and said, “Right, Regina Louise? From now on, we have pudding pies on Thanksgiving.”

  “You are not calling our daughter that.” She looked at their pies and said, “I’m never going to be one of those moms who all the kids love to visit because she makes the best treats. I’ll never be Martha Fucking Stewart.”

  He rose to his full height and lifted her onto the counter. “You’ll be the cool mom who kids want to spend time with because you make them laugh and you listen when they talk.” He pressed his lips to hers and said, “You’re one-of-a-kind, big-hearted, seductively sinful Brindle Fucking Montgomery, and you’re better at sex than baking, which your boyfriend happens to adore.” He dragged his finger through the bowl, and then he painted her lower lip with the chocolate and kissed it off. “If you want to learn to bake, I’m in. But make no mistake, darlin’. I think you’re perfect just as you are, and our daughter will, too.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  THANKSGIVING HAD ALWAYS been a celebration of family, but this year, with Trace by her side, their baby in her belly, and the new start to their relationship, the word family had taken on a whole new meaning. When they’d gone around the table sharing what they were thankful for, it wasn’t just the unconditional support of both of their families and the support of their community Brindle was thankful for. She was thankful for the time she’d spent in Paris learning about herself and about counting to five, or ten, or even sometimes twenty, because whatever it took to make things better for her and Trace was worth it.

  Family wasn’t the only thing with a new definition. What Brindle and Trace had together finally had a meaningful label. They had a loving relationship and Brindle knew it would get even better with time.

  A week after their first wonderful Thanksgiving as a couple with their families, Brindle gazed out their kitchen window at Trace traipsing across the front yard carrying an enormous bundle of Christmas lights as JJ and Jeb set up ladders to help him string them. Her heart was full. Her family had applauded her effort to make their traditional pies and teased her about burning them, and his family had thought the pudding pies were scrumptious. Nancy Jericho offered to give Brindle their family recipes, too, and to help her learn anything else she wanted to about being a wife. Although Nancy had winked and said from what she’d heard, Brindle was sharing all sorts of lovely relationship secrets with others in the meetings of the married minds. She’d even mentioned joining in on the next one.

  “Let’s go, pretty mama,” Trixie teased as she came to Brindle’s side in the living room. She and Lindsay had come to help her decorate the Christmas tree, and later, Brindle and Trace were cooking everyone dinner. “You can’t stare at my brother all day.”

  “Wanna bet?” Brindle said, picking up another ornament.

  “She’s all domesticated now, like a tamed stray cat,” Lindsay said as she arranged holiday candles and greenery along the mantel, and they all burst into hysterics.

  “That’ll be the day.” Trixie glanced outside to where the guys were now wrestling in the front yard. “Some things will never change.”

  And some things can, Brindle thought happily.

  They went back to decorating, and a little while later, the front door opened and Sable and Amber came in, their cowgirl boots clicking across the hardwood floors.

  “Is this where the party is?” Sable held up a tray of cookies from the Pastry Palace. “We brought food, and Grace, Reed, and Chet were right behind us.”

  “Who said there was a party?” Brindle asked, mentally going through her refrigerator, trying to figure out how to cook for more people.

  “I don’t remember. Nana, maybe, when she came into the bookstore yesterday.” Amber shrugged off her coat and laid it on the back of the couch.

  Nana? Brindle looked at Lindsay, wondering what her grandmother, who loved to celebrate every little thing, was up to now.

  “Don’t look at me. All I did was tell her we were decorating your house,” Lindsay said. “She might have immediately gotten on the phone with Hellie, though…”

  “Oh no.” Brindle laughed. “Our house is way too little for one of Nana’s celebrations.”

  “That’s not true. Mom has always said that when a house becomes a home, it’s even better when it’s full of people who love you. And look how pretty your home is. You have pictures of you and Trace on the mantel, too!” Amber hugged Brindle. “I’m just so happy for you.”

  More than anything, Brindle hoped that one day Amber would meet her soul mate, someone who would love her for all she was and never let her down. “Thanks, Amb. It feels amazing to come home to Trace every day. I wish we’d come to our senses a long time ago.”

  Sable snort-laughed. “For what it’s worth, we had a lot of fun in your pre-domestic life.”

  Jeb, Chet, and Trace barreled through the front door in a fit of laughter and slaps on the back. Chet’s eyes met Sable’s, and though his expression turned serious, Brindle felt the heat between them from across the room. Amber and Lindsay were whispering, eyeing JJ and Shane as they came through the door.

  Brindle rubbed her hands together and said, “Don’t worry, sis. I have a feeling our good times have only just begun.”

  FRIENDS AND FAMILY arrived throughout the afternoon, filling their house to the brim with unexpected, and very welcome, guests. Trace had always loved his privacy, but watching Brindle in the role of hoste
ss was as adorable as it was sexy, and he loved being the host because it was with her by his side. In between making sure there was enough food for everyone and mingling, they stole kisses and silently touched base with furtive glances.

  Brindle had been so busy enjoying herself, she hadn’t even noticed when he and the guys had snuck upstairs to prepare the surprise he’d hidden for two days.

  “I think we’re ready,” Chet said as they came down the stairs. “But promise me you’ll turn off all the tree lights before you go to bed at night.”

  “Of course, man,” Trace said. “Think I’d put Brindle or our baby in danger?”

  “Always the fireman,” Shane teased.

  “I know. Sorry.” Chet had lost both his parents in a fire, and his brother, Boyd, had suffered severe burns.

  Trace put his hand on Chet’s shoulder and said, “Don’t be. One day I might need the reminder. When I get old and senile, it’ll be your voice keeping me safe. Come on. Let’s light this party up.”

  There was standing room only in the living area, so Trace stood on the steps and raised his voice among the din of their friends. “Who’s ready to see the lights?”

  Cheers rang out as everyone scrambled for their coats and headed out the front door, into the snowy night. Trace put his warmest winter coat around Brindle, keeping her in the house for a moment after everyone else rushed out. He gazed into her eyes, seeing a settledness that had developed recently. It looked good on her.

  He put his hand on her belly and said, “How’re my girls holding up?”

  “According to our moms, we’ve started a new post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas tradition, and it feels pretty great. I never imagined having all of this, and now I can’t imagine a life without it.”

  “Me too, darlin’.” He lowered his lips to hers.

  “Cripes, you two,” Sable said as she came through the door. “Can’t you keep it in your pants for a little while longer? We’re freezing out there.”

  “Jealous?” Trace asked, earning one of Sable’s trademarked glares as they followed her out.

  His parents stood arm in arm beside some of their friends. Brindle’s father had one arm around Amber, the other around her mother. He wished Pepper and Axsel could have been there, but from the way Trixie, Lindsay, Grace, and Reed were huddled around Grace’s phone, he had a feeling they were FaceTiming at least one of them.

  “Go on, babe,” Trace said to Brindle. “Find a place where you can see.”

  “Let’s go, lover boy. I’m getting grayer over here,” Nana called out from beneath her fake-fur hat. She and Hellie had set up this whole night, spreading the word among their closest friends and family that it was time to christen another Jericho home.

  Trace couldn’t be happier.

  “I’ve got this,” Jeb said as he joined Trace on the porch. “Go in the yard with Brindle so you can experience the first look together, and don’t worry; Shane is videoing it for you.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “Hey,” Jeb said as Trace stepped off the porch. “You look good as a family man.”

  How could one sentence get Trace choked up?

  He went to Brindle’s side, and when he gave Jeb a nod, Jeb plugged in the lights, breathing even more life into their home. White lights decorated the frame and windows, and through the second-floor window, a white Christmas tree with pink lights and a vibrant pink star lit up the nursery.

  There was a collective gasp, followed by everyone talking at once. But it was the happy tears in Brindle’s eyes that Trace was looking at as she threw her arms around his neck, thanking him in between kisses.

  “It’s so gorgeous.” Kiss, kiss. “When did you do this? I didn’t see you carry in a tree!”

  “I can’t give away all my secrets.”

  “This is the most spectacular surprise ever!”

  He gazed into her beautiful eyes and said, “This is only the beginning, Mustang. I’ve got a lifetime of surprises in store for you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  TRACE CLOSED THE equipment shed and headed for his truck. He lifted his hat and swept his arm across his forehead as Jeb pulled up. Trace righted his hat as his brother stepped from his truck, sawdust clinging to his jeans and shirt.

  “Hey, Trace. You look whipped.”

  Trace dug his keys from his pocket. “Just frustrated. I’ve been working on the tractor all afternoon, but I can’t seem to find the cause of the noise it’s making.”

  “Going to call Sable?”

  “Probably.” Sable was the best mechanic around. She knew her way around cars, trucks, and machinery.

  “Bet you hate that,” Jeb teased.

  “It is what it is. I got better things to do than spend any more time on it, like go home and see my girl.”

  “I won’t hold you up,” Jeb said. “I just wanted to catch you alone for a minute and figured this was the only time I could do that.”

  “What’s up?”

  Jeb walked with Trace toward his truck and said, “I know you’re thinking about taking that coaching job.”

  “Actually, I am taking it. I’m meeting with Sin tomorrow afternoon.” It was mid-December, and Brindle was all moved in. Over the last couple of weeks her belly had popped out to the cutest baby bump. She was more beautiful than ever, and the more pregnant she looked, the more he felt like a father-to-be. They were both changing, and their relationship was evolving in directions he hadn’t expected. They’d skipped going to JJ’s the last two Tuesday nights in lieu of spending that time focusing on each other without the noise and the crowds. His desire to coach had strengthened. He was excited about the prospect of being more involved with the kids, helping them learn the value of sportsmanship, friendships, and helping them build confidence.

  “Good. I’m glad, man. You’re great with the kids. Listen, I know we’ve never really talked about why you didn’t go away to school, but my gut tells me that part of the reason was because I didn’t step in to take over when Dad’s arthritis got bad.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” he lied, because he didn’t want Jeb to feel the weight of that guilt. “You had your own shit going on. Dad could have hired someone else. I just didn’t want to be that far away from everyone, from Brindle.” He opened his truck door and said, “Besides, I’m a cowboy at heart, not a football player. Now I’ve got my girl, a life I love, and a coaching job on the horizon. Life is good, bro. Don’t give it another thought.”

  Jeb sighed and rubbed his jaw, as if he was weighing Trace’s response.

  “Look, Jeb. To be honest, even if you’d stepped up to run the ranch, I still would have stayed home. I’ve never wanted to leave Oak Falls or had dreams of doing something different than exactly what I’m doing now. I made the right decision. Don’t overthink it.”

  “A’right. For what it’s worth, if I had anything to do with that decision, thank you for having my back. I’m going to head in to tell Dad I’ll step in while you coach, to pick up the slack. My shop’s doing great, and I’ve got the extra time.”

  “That means a lot to me, and I know it’ll mean the world to Dad, but Shane, Trixie, and I had a meeting with him this morning. We decided to hire a few extra hands on a permanent basis. I’m going to have a baby and, hopefully one day, a wife, to look after, and Trixie doesn’t want to work the ranch forever. It’s time.”

  As Trace climbed into his truck, Jeb said, “About the wife thing. You’ve been in love with Brindle forever. When are you going to put a ring on her finger?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. But you know Brindle. She can’t be rushed. I’ll know when she’s ready.”

  “Uh-huh, sure, okay,” Jeb said with a chuckle. “You riding with us this weekend?”

  “Who do you think set it up?” He started the truck and said, “Four thirty Sunday morning. Bring coffee, and be ready to be blown away.”

  Jeb pushed Trace’s door closed and said, “In your dreams.”

  “Dude, my dreams are all becoming re
alities. Maybe you should be taking notes.”

  “AT LEAST I’LL see you at Christmas,” Brindle said into the speakerphone to Morgyn as she graded papers on the couch. She couldn’t believe Christmas was less than two weeks away. “Unless you’ve become such an adrenaline junkie that you’ve decided to go skydiving or something over the holiday?”

  “Hardly.” Morgyn and Graham were on a ski trip with Graham’s cousin Ty and his wife, Aiyla. “But I definitely have to teach you to ski. You’d love it. We’re planning a cross-country ski trip in February with Ty and Aiyla. I wish you could come.”

  Brindle rubbed her belly. “You’d have to roll me down hills. Did I tell you my belly popped out more? I look like I’m carrying a basketball.”

  “Aw, Brin. I can’t wait to see you. I bet you look cute.”

  “Trace seems to think so.” She set her papers aside and picked up the phone, taking the call off speaker. “You should see him. He’s always running his hands over my belly, kissing it, talking to the baby. She really likes when he plays his guitar.”

  “She’ll probably like dancing as much as you do. I’m glad about Trace. Isn’t it weird how we both fell in love at the same time?”

  “I fell in love with him ages ago.” Brindle took a bite out of a carrot stick. She’d switched to healthier snacks after reading about how hard it was to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.

  “You know what I mean. Do you think you’ll go back to work after you have the baby?”

  “That’s the plan, but Mom says I might change my mind after I hold our baby for the first time.” She’d stopped by her parents’ house earlier to go through her mother’s recipes, and they’d had a long chat about motherhood, relationships, and life changes. Brindle had come home armed with a number of easy recipes and a heart full of love. “Did you know that Dad cried when each of us were born?”

  “No, but I believe it. He’s a softie. I bet Graham will cry when we have a baby.”

  “Really? Trace will probably sweep me and the baby off the birthing table and into his arms and totally freak out the doctor.” She smiled at the thought. “Want to know a secret?”