Ridden Hard: A Surprise Baby Romance (Ryker Ranch Book 3)

by Kim Loraine

  “How could you not know? Saddle Up is the biggest hit reality show since Survivor.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t watch TV very often, and when I do, it’s usually a cooking show. They calm me down.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yeah. I swear, I have no designs on Tristan. All I wanted was to tell him about the baby and give him options.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression the same one I’d seen on Tristan’s face before. “What kind of options?”

  “I brought him papers to terminate his parental rights. If he didn’t want to be involved.”

  Her eyes widened and horror crossed her face. “You what?”

  “I don’t want to tie him to this baby if he doesn’t want to be in his or her life. I was an obligation to my dad. I don’t want my child to be the same to theirs.”

  The look in her eyes changed to sympathy almost immediately. “Tristan would never do that. He might be a manwhore, but he’s not a deadbeat.”

  “I’m realizing that.”

  “Good.” She looked me over, taking in my dirty jeans and boots. “You should probably go wash up. Maybe take a soak in that jacuzzi tub. I have a feeling supper is gonna be an experience.”

  Chuckling, I brushed myself off. “That sounds amazing, but…I don’t have a ride back to the cabin. My sister has the car, and Tristan picked me up today.”

  She jutted her chin behind me, and I turned to see the cowboy in question leaning up against the stable door. “Speak of the devil,” she murmured.

  Tristan sauntered toward us, the spurs on his boots jangling with each step. “Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat. “Was Sera nice to you, Hazel?”

  Before I could answer, Sera interrupted me. “She handled my interrogation like a pro. Passed with flying colors. Take her home so she can get ready for supper, will ya? We worked hard today.”

  “That’s why I’m here, ain’t it?” He trained his gaze on me. “You ready?”

  Nodding, I followed him out of the stables and to his truck. The bed was full of freshly chopped wood, and his hair was damp with sweat. “You chopped all of this today?”

  “Most of it. We’re supposed to get some snow in the next few days.”

  Alarm shot through me. Erin wouldn’t like that. Her car wasn’t built for snow. “Shit.”

  “It’ll be fine. We’re set up to handle pretty much anything around here.”

  “Yeah, but my sister isn’t. We might have to head home earlier than we’d planned.”

  Brow furrowing, he assessed me. “You just got here.”

  “Let’s get through supper tonight, and I’ll talk to her.”

  He didn’t respond with anything other than a curt nod.

  After dropping me off at the cabin, Tristan left, but not before programming his phone number into my contacts. He said it was in case of emergencies, but still, my stupid hormones raised my heart rate.

  I was tired, dirty, and happier than I’d been in a long time. Maybe it was the change of pace or the sense of family around here that did it, but this seemed to be what I’d been looking for, what I’d been trying to create with Quinn. A safe place for everyone to land.

  A bath sounded heavenly, but I was afraid I’d fall asleep and miss supper, or worse, drown. So, I showered and freshened up, feeling like a new woman once I had clean clothes and freshly scrubbed skin. The cabin door opened, revealing a bedraggled version of Erin I’d never seen before.

  “You okay?” I asked, amusement in my tone.

  “Every part of me hurts. Even my teeth hurt.” She was covered in who knew what and missing one of her fake eyelashes.

  “Are you going to be ready for supper with the family at six?”

  She began stripping out of her clothes on her way to the bathroom. I heard the water start in the tub before she returned, wrapped in a towel. “Go on without me. Let me die here.”

  Laughter bubbled out of me. “I guess ranch life isn’t for you?”

  “Hot ranchers? Yes. Working with hot ranchers? No.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  She shook her head, striding back into the bathroom. The scent of cherries and almonds filled the air as she poured soothing bath salts into the water. “They want to spend time with you anyway, not me.”

  “Okay. I guess, call if you need anything. I have my phone on me.”

  As she shut the door behind her, I grabbed the car keys from where she’d tossed them on the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. I wasn’t afraid of the Rykers, but sitting at a dinner table with every single one of them at the same time was a little daunting. But then the thought of sitting next to Tristan flickered to life in my mind, and calm took the place of the anxiety. Something told me he’d be there for me whether I wanted him to or not. Right now, I wanted him.

  10

  Tristan

  I was a nervous wreck as I watched Hazel's car approach the lodge. This was the moment she would meet everyone in the world who was important to me. Well, almost everyone. My cousin Travis lives in California, and Sam… Well, he was Sam. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.

  My chest fluttered with excitement as she parked the car and got out. She wore a pair of tight jeans and a fitted purple top that showed off her pregnant belly. Interestingly, it wasn’t as prominent as I’d first thought when I saw her in the entryway of Mama’s house. She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling with nervous energy as well. This was a big deal for both of us. Whether or not I convinced her to give me a chance, she was going to be part of my family.

  "Hey there, darlin’.” I strode over to her and held out my arm. She looked at my offered elbow and laughed before shaking her head, but she took it in the end.

  “You clean up nice."

  That made me feel good. I may have taken a little extra time getting cleaned up for supper. Shirt was new and ironed, jeans fresh from the laundry, and instead of my ratty old hat, I broke out my fancy occasion one.

  "It's a big night. Wanted to look my best." I looked her up and down once more and leaned close. "You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

  Her cheeks turned pink and a smile twisted her lips. "Still charming, I see."

  "Always."

  I held open the kitchen door for her as she walked through. She moved to sit and take off her boots, but I stopped her. "Don't worry about it now. Those haven’t been in the arena, right?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. You’re just fine.” I removed my hat, running my hands over my hair before looking at her again.

  "I like it when you don't tie your hair back," she said, her voice husky.

  "I could say the same about you." I remembered how much she liked my hair. When she wrapped it in her fists as she pulled, when she ran her fingers through it as she rode me. And… I was hard again.

  I couldn't sit at the dinner table with a raging hard-on. Excusing myself, I left for a quick trip to the bathroom so I could take care of it in private. After giving my dick a stern talking to, I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered how I got into such a situation. Then I laughed because I knew exactly how. And I didn’t think I would change a thing. If that meant sacrificing the experience I had with her, there was no way.

  When I returned, my whole family was standing in the kitchen talking to Hazel. Ever was as kind as always, taking her right in and making her feel at home. She and Penny had joined forces, it seemed. I hoped our little chat helped with that. To think she didn't like me at first, but now, we had a special kind of friendship. We understood each other. Sera bumped me with her arm and grinned at me.

  "It looks like you were accidentally awesome. Hazel is amazing. Did you know she's a nurse? Dr. McKallister needs some help. He needs a new nurse. Really he wants to retire, but there's not another doctor in the town."

  "What are you saying? You think I should convince her to drop everything and move here? I already tried. She shot me down."

  "Yo
u didn't try that. You asked her to marry you. There's a big difference."

  "I don't think it's gonna work. She doesn't want me."

  Sera rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Maybe this isn’t all about you. Maybe she doesn't have to want you. But being around family is gonna be what's best for the baby, and the way she tells it, she doesn’t have a lot of that aside from her sister."

  Maybe she was right. But if she stayed in Sunrise, I wanted her to stay with me.

  When dinner was ready, my brothers and I brought the food to the table while Ever poured the wine for everyone. Wine? Why were we having wine? We were a pretty strict beer and whiskey household. Momma rarely drank. But, my mother made an amazing French dish for all of us to share. Some fancy beef stew by her idol Julia Child. She said the only thing that went with this was wine. I think she wanted to impress Hazel just as much as I did.

  I took my seat next to Hazel, smiling as she laid her napkin over her bump. "It's starting to catch everything. Pretty soon, it will double as a shelf." The way she said it had me laughing.

  "It's the cutest shelf I've ever seen."

  "So, Hazel, tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do?" Ever asked.

  "I'm from a city called Battlement. It's about six hours west of here. It's right on the border. I’m a nurse practitioner, but I'm not practicing right now.” She looked down at her plate. “Between practices at the moment."

  "Oh, I've been there,” Ever said, all of us turning our attention to her.

  Clint stared at her. "Why have you been there? I thought coming to Sunrise was the first time you’d been in Montana."

  Her cheeks went pink. "Actually, Ryker Ranch was the second ranch I visited before we pitched Saddle Up.”

  His face went stony. "You mean you could have ended up in a totally different place? With a totally different guy?”

  She smiled and patted his hand. "Keep your shirt on, cowboy. The minute I stepped onto the grounds and saw it wasn’t right, I turned my heinie right around."

  Clint’s shoulders sagged in relief. "That's right, you did."

  Hazel chuckled and reached for a roll. "So, Ever, is that really how you met Clint? When you pitched the show?"

  Ever's eyes brightened. "Yup. I knew I was in trouble the moment I met him. And I wouldn't change anything.”

  “Where’s your sister, Hazel?" Momma asked.

  Buck snickered. "I'm pretty sure she was a little too assertive and confident about her skills. I bet she’s sittin’ on a bag of ice right about now."

  "Carlton John, you're supposed to watch out for the guests, not let them hurt themselves.”

  He held up his hands. "We tried. But she said she could do it. Insisted she grew up working her granddad's cattle ranch in the Rockies."

  Hazel laughed again, the sound making my heart swell. "When she says worked, she means we rode horses on trails. But she never likes to be told she can't do something. I can attest that she is currently soaking in a hot bath filled with Epsom salts. She should be okay tomorrow."

  "Well, she did the damn thing. I just wish she would’ve listened to us and taken it easier her first time out.”

  “That sounds like her.” Hazel smiled and took a drink of her water.

  I shouldn’t have been staring at her like a fucking lovesick teenager, but here I was, feeling like just that.

  We filled our plates and talked about everything other than the show. The family rule was generally to keep the conversation steered away from work, but we slipped at least once every single time. Buck and Penny were leaving for a weekend away at the cabin the three of us had built over the summer on Kresley Lake. I was jealous, but I also knew how important it was gonna be for the two of them to talk through whatever was going on between them.

  “Clint and I have an announcement,” Ever said.

  Mama’s eyes widened.

  Ever continued. “We’ve decided to use the advance I got for my next book to expand our house. We’re gonna put an addition on it with two extra bedrooms and another bathroom.”

  “Oh?” I could see the wheels turning in Mama’s head. Two more bedrooms meant they’d need to fill those with something, or maybe a little someone.

  Clint cleared his throat. “We’re trying for a baby.”

  “What?” Mama jumped up from her chair and screeched. “Ever. Put that wine down right now. You shouldn’t be drinking. Oh, my stars. Two grandbabies. I’ve been dying for one, and now I’m gonna get two.”

  “Slow down, Mama. They’re not pregnant yet,” Buck said.

  Mama put her hand on her chest and took a few calming breaths. “You’re right. Oh, this is exciting. I wish your daddy was here for this.”

  Instinctively, I took Hazel’s hand. I could see her quietly losing her grip on the situation. My family was too much, too soon. Especially for her and what she was dealing with.

  She pulled her fingers from mine and stood, one hand on her belly. “Thank you all so much for supper. I need to get back to my sister and make sure she’s doing okay.”

  Mama stood as she walked by, grabbing her and hugging her tight. “It means the world that you came here to us, Hazel. No matter what happens with you and my boy, you always have a place with us.”

  She replied with something I couldn’t make out, but Mama nodded and released her. Then, when Sera kicked me hard in the shin from across the table, I got up and chased after the mother of my child.

  Hazel

  My chest was tight as panic clawed at me. This family was so close and clearly loved each other so much. How on earth was I going to be part of their unit if I lived so far away? And what would happen if I fell in love with all of them and couldn’t keep them?

  Tears sprung to my eyes as the baby fluttered in my belly, and I yanked open the back door. Cool night air hit me, the chill already seeping into my bones.

  “Hazel, wait,” Tristan called after me, but I ignored him.

  I just needed a minute to get my head on straight. Rushing out of the house, I raced down the stairs but slipped on a patch of ice that had formed as the evening got colder. Letting out a cry of dismay, I thought of all the things that could happen to the baby if I took a fall. I didn’t know what to do to stop it from happening. But strong arms caught me before I hit the ground, pulling me into Tristan’s broad chest.

  “Whoa, there, darlin’. Where’s the fire?”

  My breaths came in sharp gasps as I let him hold me. “You…you caught me.”

  “Of course I did. I’d never let anything happen to you.” He tilted my face toward his and brushed my hair out of my eyes. “I’m sorry about my family. They can be a lot to get used to.”

  “They’re amazing. I mean it. They’re everything I always wanted. I like to imagine that if my dad hadn’t left before Erin and I were born, maybe we could’ve all been that close.”

  “Your dad left?”

  “Yeah. Mom was six months pregnant when she found out we were twins. That was too much for him. He went out for a pack of smokes and never came back.”

  He tightened his hold on me and dropped his lips to my forehead. “I’m real sorry. Anyone who’d leave his family like that doesn’t deserve to have that kind of happiness.”

  Horror washed over me as tears began to escape my eyes. Oh, no. I couldn’t fall apart in front of him. I’d only known him two days. But the tears were coming. There was no stopping them now. So I buried my face in his warm chest and let out the sobs.

  He whispered soft and tender shushing noises against my hair as he rubbed my back and just let me cry. I pulled away and ran my fingers over the damp patch I left on his shirt.

  “God, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m usually a rock. Nothing makes me cry. I didn’t even cry when my husband left me.”

  Moving his hands from around my back to grip my biceps, he stared hard into my eyes. “Don’t you ever apologize for how you feel. There’s nothing wrong with falling apart every once in a while.
”

  I nodded and reached up, cupping his face with my palms. Then I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and backed away. “Thanks, Tristan.”

  Walking carefully to my car, I looked back at him over my shoulder once. My heart flipped as I caught him watching me with some kind of emotion in his eyes, and I wondered if, in addition to the desire we shared, he was feeling more.

  He didn’t go inside as I drove away, and a pang stabbed my chest once I couldn’t see him in my rearview mirror. I was getting far too attached to these people already.

  When I opened the door, the lights were off, but candles were lit, illuminating the space in a soft, warm glow.

  “Oh, ambiance, I like it,” I teased, guessing Erin was just in full relaxation mode.

  But as I closed the door, a gasp followed by a loud thud had panic making a reappearance. I turned the lights on and armed myself with the pointy end of my keys. “Erin? Are you okay?”

  In the corner, I spotted my sister, wrapped in a sheet with her hair a mess and her cheeks a rosy pink. Next to her was a tall, fit man with tattoos trailing down his side and nothing but his cowboy hat covering his unmentionables. “Who the hell are you?” I asked.

  “Name’s Justin, ma’am,” he said, giving me a nod and thankfully not reaching out his hand for a handshake.

  “Are you two done with your riding lesson? Or should I leave and come back?”

  Justin reached down and collected his clothes as I turned around and walked into the kitchen in search of a cup so I could make myself some tea. I didn’t turn around until I heard the tell-tale sound of boots on the floor.

  “I’m awful sorry for the surprise, ma’am. Family supper usually lasts a spell longer than that.”

  Erin, now wrapped in a robe, snaked an arm around him and pulled him down for a kiss. “Don’t worry, cowboy, she’s fine. Right, Hazel?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, totally fine. I just didn’t expect to see you.”

  “Didn’t you see his horse?”

  He cleared his throat. “I used the hitching post around back. We’re not supposed to tangle with the guests.”