Loaded

by KB Winters

  He was being honest and sharing, and it was scary to hear these heartfelt words from this man. Big and strong, and stubborn as hell, Wheeler wasn’t the guy who cut himself open so you could see him bleed. Yet here he was. Bleeding. For me. “I’m not asking you to change, Wheeler.”

  “I know, but I want to be the kind of man you deserve. No, I want to be the man you deserve. Me and not some other fucking man.”

  I smiled at the energy in his voice. “You already are.” The words slipped out accidentally. They were true, absolutely true, but I hadn’t meant to blurt it out so easily. So carelessly.

  He shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. “I’m not. Not yet and not by a long fucking shot. But I want to be, so fucking bad, and I will become that man. I’m just asking for a little patience, AB.”

  Patience. It was easy to ask for, but could I really stick around and hope for the best where this man was concerned? Would I be waiting for years before he realized he needed professional help? Thankfully before I could say a word in response, the phone rang. No, two phones rang. I made it to both phones first, tossing Wheeler his as I answered my own. “This is Dr. Keyes.”

  “Annabelle, it’s Gunnar. The baby is coming.”

  “Now? It’s too early.” She still had over two months to go before her due date but sometimes babies showed up early, and with the shit Peaches had been through, I just prayed the baby was all right.

  “Yes, already, Annabelle. We need you.” Those words had my feet moving quicker than anything else would have.

  “I’m on my way. Where are you?”

  “About to leave for the hospital as soon as Cruz gets his ass over here to watch Maisie. Will you be there?” The fear in his voice startled me.

  “Yes. I’ll meet you there. I promise.”

  “Great,” he said and ended the call.

  I turned and found Wheeler staring at me.

  “Peaches is having her baby. We need to go now.” The arrival of a baby was always a good thing and this one would be met with a ranch full of love.

  “I guess we’ll pick this up later?”

  My heart squeezed at his words, so softly spoken and filled with such vulnerability I nearly cried. “I’m not looking for perfection, Wheeler. And even though your face comes pretty damn close, that’s not real.” I smiled at his confused frown and rubbed the pad of my thumb along his jaw line. “If you want to become better, that’s what I want for you. And I hope I’m around to get to see it. Now let’s go.”

  He took my wrist and turned it over, pressing a hot kiss to the pulsing throb there. Then he pressed another kiss further up my arm and another, further still. “Anytime you want to see it AB, just say the word.”

  He smiled and leaned in, and I smiled and stepped closer, putting one hand over his heart, feeling the way it thundered under my palm. Then we were kissing one another. It wasn’t a slow, sensual kiss. This kiss was full of fire, white hot and quickly boiling out of control. I clung to Wheeler and he held me close, kissing me until I was breathless and his cock, long and hard, pressed against my belly. “Wow.”

  “That’s a word I never get tired of hearing from your sweet lips.” Just to punctuate his words, he leaned in for another kiss that was slow and sensual, almost spiritual as it went on and on and on. “We’ll pick this, and the conversation up again. Later.”

  I gave a short nod and watched as he walked away, barely noticing anything but his shirtless back until he disappeared from view.

  My heart raced and my mouth ran dry as butterflies took flight inside my belly, and I knew I was in deep, deep shit.

  Why? Because over the months of slowly getting to know him, he’d worked some magic on me.

  And I was in love with Wheeler Haynes.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Wheeler

  “Holy shit man, you’re a dad.” I clapped Gunnar on the back, wearing a mile high smile that matched his own. “A daddy.”

  He glared at me, and I laughed. “Don’t ever call me daddy. Ever.”

  “How is she?” AB had rushed back to the maternity ward almost as soon as we came to a stop in the hospital parking lot, and I hadn’t seen her since.

  “Holding up,” he answered with a worried shrug, his gaze still on the double doors that led to the maternity ward. “Doesn’t want me in there, if you can believe it. Said she wants me to want to visit her down there again one day soon.”

  I barked out a laugh. “Sounds exactly like some crazy shit your girl would say,” I told him with a disbelieving shake of my head.

  “Right?” Gunnar shook his head, affection evident in his expression. “What the hell is taking so long though? All the fucking books say first babies come quick.”

  Slayer snickered. “Maybe your kid, but mine will never come quick.”

  Gunnar flipped him off and we all laughed just as the double doors burst open and AB appeared, wearing one of those ugly blue shower cap things over her thick brown hair and her street clothes had been replaced with scrubs. She smiled at Gunnar and wrapped him in an uncharacteristic hug. “There’s an adorable little boy back there I think you’ll want to meet. He’s early. Little guy, but healthy as a horse.”

  Gunnar blinked and nodded, his feet rooted to the floor until I clapped him on the back. “Come on, bro. I’ll go with you to meet your kid.”

  Gunnar swallowed and nodded his appreciation as we followed AB back. “A boy. Shit man, I’ve got a son.” Happiness rolled off the Prez, and I couldn’t help but smile, thinking that Peaches had been kidnapped and held at gunpoint not long ago, and now they were happy and welcoming a new life to the family.

  “We already have one girl to worry about, plus all the women.” It was enough to make sure the MC never got a moment of rest, constantly worrying about keeping little girls safe. “A boy is good. One of us.”

  His lips tipped into a grin and I shoved him into the room where Peaches sat up in bed, looking beautiful and exhausted. And happy. “Hey, babe.”

  She smiled prettily and rolled her eyes. “Hey yourself. Come on over and meet our little boy.” Gunnar walked to her on shaky feet and AB took his place beside me as we watched the emotional moment in silence. “Hey, Stone, this is your daddy, Gunnar. He’s big and strong, and he’s gonna take care of you.”

  Gunnar looked like he might cry as she handed him the baby, smiling awkwardly when AB moved in to help. “He’s so small.”

  Peaches snorted. “Five pounds, three ounces is hardly small, at least not for my lady parts. And even if he came early, he’s healthy.”

  “TMI,” I told her, making her laugh.

  Gunnar looked at me and grinned. “A fuckin’ son, man!” His deep voice startled the baby, and a cry tore through the air, making Gunnar jump. “Shit, what did I do?”

  Peaches laughed and shook her head, holding her hands out to take Stone from his dad. “Didn’t you do all this just a few years ago with Maisie?”

  “She wasn’t this small, or maybe she didn’t seem so small,” he stuttered, looking bewildered by the tiny crying baby he couldn’t take his eyes off. “He’s got my eyes.”

  “He does,” Peaches said sweetly. “And my crazy hair.”

  At her words I took a step closer and smiled. Sure as shit, this little boy, Stone Gunnar Nilsson, was a perfect blend of his parents. He had Peaches’ copper curls on his head, pale brown skin, and Gunnar’s deep blue eyes giving the boy a shocking and adorable appearance. “Cute.”

  “Cute? He is fucking adorable,” Peaches insisted and dropped a kiss on his forehead. “Aren’t you?”

  “Of course he is,” AB cooed, looking over Peaches’ shoulder with a wistful smile.

  “Glad you think so,” Peaches said with a smile. “Because Gunnar and I want to ask you and Wheeler to be Stone’s godparents.”

  I froze and looked to my Prez. “You sure about this man?” I knew that the secrets, the pills and my leg had dented his trust in me, and I hadn’t earned this responsibility. This f
ucking honor.

  “Absolutely. You’re the only one who doesn’t trust you yet.” With those words he waited for my answer.

  “Yes. Abso-fucking-lutely, man.” We shook hands and hugged it out the way men do, before he turned his attention where it belonged. On his family.

  “Come on, let’s give them some privacy and share the news.” AB tugged on my hand until we were out of the room and walking down the fluorescent-lit halls, the sounds of the hospital swirling around us.

  We passed a small closed-in patio area, and I tugged on her hand to make her stop until she looked up at me, a question in her eyes. “It’s time.”

  AB’s shoulders relaxed and she nodded, falling into step beside me. “I suppose it is.”

  Her words were resigned, which I didn’t understand, but I would. We walked into the green lush area surrounded by colorful flowers and trees and instantly all the tension in my shoulders fled. Between two pots of roses, we sat on a bench with a gold plate commemorating the life of a beloved woman, and I took her hand in mine. “AB.”

  “Wheeler.” She smiled but it was sad. Again, I didn’t understand.

  “Are you having doubts?”

  “Constantly,” she said on a laugh. “But I meant what I told you last night, I’m willing to give us a try.”

  It wasn’t a ringing endorsement or even a sign this was something she wanted, leaving me more confused than ever. “AB, I’m terrified too. What if you wake up one day and realize you can do so much better than a damaged vet with a bad attitude?”

  She nodded and squeezed my hand. “And what if you wake up and decide you want something more than a boring old nerdy doctor who spends most evenings reading medical journals?”

  I frowned at her. “Hey, that’s my woman you’re talking about.” That pulled a smile across her face, and she was more beautiful than ever.

  “Your woman, huh?”

  I nodded. “If that’s what you want, it’s sure as hell what I want. You, AB, you are what I want.” My heart raced as the words came out of my mouth, faster than I could edit them. “We’re as different as night and day on the surface, but you were right. I never let you get to know me and I did everything I could to avoid getting to know you. I regret that now.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You don’t?”

  She shook her head and removed that ugly ass cap so her hair fell around her shoulders, thick and beautiful so that I wanted to run my fingers through it. Soon. “No. I’m glad I got to know the real you when you wanted me to. I hate practiced flirting and charming.”

  I smiled, knowing Slayer’s skills with the ladies would never have worked on a woman like AB. “Good to know.”

  “I don’t want to spend our time together regretting the past, Wheeler.”

  Her words caught me off guard. “Does that mean we’ll have more time together in the future?”

  She nodded. “As long as you keep trying, and I keep trying, then I don’t see why not.”

  I appreciated that she thought it might be so simple, but I wasn’t as sure. “AB,” I sighed.

  “No. You said you wanted to be better and you can be. You will be. Because of you, not me.” She turned to me and cupped my face. “While I love that you want to be someone you think I deserve, I think that you deserve to be the man you were before you lost your leg. Hell, I think you deserve to be the man you’ll become. I’ll bet Mitch does too. And Gunnar.” She pressed a soft kiss against my mouth. “My guess is you’re the only one who doesn’t see that.”

  “Ah, shit AB.” This was what made it all so hard. She was fucking irresistible. “This is why I love you. Your ability to see me as something more than the man I’ve shown myself to be. It’s humbling. It makes me want to earn that look in your pretty brown eyes.”

  “L-L-Love?”

  I nodded, barely holding in a laugh. “Is that a surprise to you?”

  She nodded again. “Uh, yeah. Pretty big surprise, actually.”

  “Unwelcome?” I held my breath as I waited for her to answer.

  Thankfully, it came quick. “Not at all. I’m still scared as hell of giving you my heart, but it does help.” She smiled, and I relaxed but only slightly.

  “Help with what?”

  AB sighed and let her thumbs graze the length of my jawline, back and forth, in a soothing motion that calmed my racing heart. A little. “Knowing you love me makes it a little less scary that I’m in love with you too.”

  “You’re…?” My mouth or maybe it was my brain, one of those fuckers lost all ability to think straight, to form words. I just nodded. And nodded as a stupid ass grin spread across my face. “Say it again,” I insisted, making her laugh.

  “I said,” she said and stood between my legs as she looked me in the eyes. “That I am in love with you, too.” She stared at me as the words sank in, an unstoppable smile lighting up her face. “How do you feel about that?”

  “Like I’m the luckiest bastard that ever lived.” I hoped that one day she might grow to love me and might get used to loving a man with only one leg, but today? It didn’t seem real. “You sure? ‘Cause this leg ain’t growin’ back, babe”

  She laughed and nodded. “I’m sure, but I might have to reconsider if you think there was ever a possibility that leg could grow back.” Her lips touched mine in a whisper of a kiss. I held her close, deepening the kiss to make sure this was all true. That she was really mine.

  “AB,” I groaned, and she wrapped her arms around me and held me close.

  “Wheeler. Stop giving me an out when I’m not looking for one. You said you love me, did you mean it?”

  I nodded. “I sure as fuck did.”

  A smile ghosted her lips. “Then focus on the fact that I said I love you, too. We’ll find a way through this if it’s meant to be.”

  I nodded even though I didn’t like the if in that statement. But I realized she was right about one thing, we were meant to be. She was all high class and smart-ass, and I was scuffed boots and curse words, but somehow we worked. We smoothed out each other’s edges in a way that worked. “I don’t need or want an out either.”

  She tossed her head back and laughed. “Good, because I’m not offering you one. You’re mine, pretty boy.”

  Damn, those words were welcome music to my ears. “That’s damn good to hear, babe. Because I’m not done.” She eyed me warily and took a step back and I dug into my pocket and pulled out a small red velvet bag. “I’ve known for a while how I felt about you, but stubborn asshole that I am, I fought it the same way I fought the reality about my leg. Until it nearly destroyed me.”

  Her smile was soft and sweet. “Wheeler.”

  “But giving in to that feeling was a hell of a lot easier and you know what else?”

  “What?”

  “It made me want to get better so I could enjoy being in love with you and enjoy the life we might have together. At least that’s what Mitch believes.”

  Her brown eyes rounded and she pushed those red glasses up her nose. “You’ve talked to Mitch?”

  I nodded. “This isn’t just lip service anymore, babe.” I winked and she rolled her eyes. “To prove that, I’m giving you this. As a promise.” I held my breath and pulled the necklace from the bag, letting it dangle over my forefinger. “This necklace is my promise to you that I will get better. I will be better and not just for you. For us and the life we’re gonna have together.”

  She inspected the pale gold necklace with the pink rose in soft, delicate rose gold. “It’s beautiful, Wheeler.”

  “You’re beautiful,” I told her honestly. “The necklace is just like you, delicate, strong and gorgeous.”

  She blinked and tears fell down her cheeks. “Wheeler, dammit, you made me cry.”

  I smiled and pulled her close, fastening the necklace behind her. “I’ll take tears of joy any day, but maybe you can learn to laugh when you’re happy instead?”

  Stunned, she looked up at me and laughed. The sound was welcome
and loud and contagious as hell, making it easy to join in. “I’ll see what I can do.” Her smile dimmed and she looked me in the eyes, holding the delicate rose between her thumb and forefinger. “This is one promise I’m gonna hold you to, Wheeler.”

  “Damn straight you will,” I told her and pulled her in for a kiss so hot and so filthy that a little old lady in thick black rimmed glasses banged on the window.

  “Get a room!”

  We broke apart, laughing and panting, unable to tear our eyes away from each other. “That’s an excellent idea,” AB said with a sultry smile. “Your place or mine?”

  “Yes,” I said simply and she laughed, weaving our fingers together and pulling me through the maze of the hospital until we arrive at my car.

  AB turned to me with a mischievous smile. “Technically this is a room.”

  “Minx,” I growled and hopped in the driver’s seat, hoping the feeling rushing through my veins in the moment would never end.

  Then I looked over at Annabelle, face flushed from smiling and laughing and kissing and being in love. She laughed again, for no reason at all, and I knew that feeling would be there.

  Always.

  The End

  No! It’s not really the end. Turn the page for a sneak peek of Tied book 5 in the RB Opey TX Chapter Series!

  Copyright © 2020 KB Winters and BookBoyfriends Publishing Inc

  Published By: BookBoyfriends Publishing Inc

  Chapter One

  Hennessy

  I jammed on the brakes. This couldn’t be the place. After driving day and night for the past two days to put hundreds of miles between me and trouble, I was looking at a nondescript barn that had a distinctly industrial air about it. Did I have the wrong address? Tell me he didn’t live here. The red and black twisted metal sign didn’t exactly scream home, but I hadn’t come all this way to give up without trying. So I took a deep breath, sucking the fresh Texas air deep into my lungs until a feeling of calm washed over me.