by Mia Carson
“Too long,” he whispered. “You came to a few times before, but the doctor said it would take a while for you to fully wake up. Don’t ever scare me like that again, alright? I don’t think I could take it.”
She hugged him the best she could as he held her close. “I don’t plan on it, but what do we do now?”
He laughed quietly and reached into his back pocket. “Now, we go and live our lives.”
“What’s this?”
“That is our new home,” he told her proudly. “I know you liked the barn and the creek with the tree, so I bought the chunk of land from my dad.”
The words on the paper blurred as tears filled her eyes. “Reider, this is perfect!”
“Good, because we’re already moved in. Waiting for you to come home.”
“I’m ready,” she said and hugged him as he kissed her sweetly. They sat on the bed for hours, talking about their plans and what he was going to do with the land. Johanna’s eyes slid closed listening to his voice, and she fell fast asleep, the timbre of his words her lullaby and the sound of his heart matching her own.
Chapter 19
Four Months Later…
Johanna laughed as water splashed her legs and Rosaleen reeled in another fish from the creek. Travis squealed with delight and rushed forward to help snatch it out of the water.
“God, he’s getting so big,” Johanna said, watching them together.
Rosaleen unhooked the fish, and holding it in Travis’s hands and hers, they let it go back into the water. “I know. I can’t believe he’s almost two already.”
“And the wedding plans are coming along? Freddie’s not dragging his feet, is he?”
“Ha, not anymore. We had a very long, long talk,” she said with a laugh.
Johanna glanced over her shoulder at Fredrick and Reider standing at the fence posts, drinking beers, probably going over plans for how they were going to use the land. Johanna hadn’t realized Chadwick land backed up right behind this plot. Fredrick had bought it from their dad a few months ago. A house was going up nearby, and Johanna couldn’t be happier to have him as a neighbor.
Izzy would be coming to live with Fredrick and Rosaleen soon, but for now, she was in New York at art school having the time of her life, and surprisingly, she was dating Brandon’s cousin Phil. Though Brandon was a grade-A asshole, his cousin was like Izzy.
Johanna rubbed her growing belly, but when the baby moved, kicking near her hand, she froze. “Rosaleen,” she whispered, reaching for her hand. “Come here.”
“Did he kick?”
She nodded, bouncing on her heels. “Reider! Reider, come here!”
Rosaleen grinned as the baby kicked again but stepped aside as Reider ran over, wearing a panicked look.
“The baby? What’s wrong?” he asked as she took his hand.
“Shush and put your hand here,” she told him.
Reider pressed it against her belly, and when the baby kicked again, his eyes grew wide in astonishment. “I felt him,” he whispered.
“He’s got a good foot,” Johanna muttered as he kicked again, harder.
He kissed her, wrapping her up in a hug as Fredrick hustled over a moment later. Reider’s beard tickled Johanna’s cheeks, and she laughed, melting into his touch. “Should we start grilling?” he asked. “Or are you two ladies still having too much fun fishing?”
“You’re just jealous because you didn’t catch any yesterday,” Rosaleen teased.
“Or the day before,” Johanna added.
“And I think even the day before that?” Rosaleen added, and both women burst out laughing.
“You both think you’re so funny,” he muttered and nuzzled Johanna’s neck until she laughed and turned around to smack his arm. “Alright, a truce until food is eaten. Deal?”
“I guess so,” she said and held his hand. She stared at the creek rushing past the cottonwood tree where they had shared one of their first kisses. She sighed, resting her other hand on her belly.
“Are you happy?” he asked, putting his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am. You?”
“I'd be better if Mom would stop trying to call me,” he muttered, “but yeah, I’m happy. I have you and our son. This is more than I ever thought I’d have.”
She leaned to the side and kissed him. “Me, too.”
“Great. So we can name our son Milton, right?”
Johanna stared at him for a long second until he laughed. “No. God, no. That’s the best you can come up with? Milton?”
“What about Theodore? Sebastian?”
“You’re terrible,” she said, laughing with him. “What about Reider Junior?”
“You think you can handle two of us?” he asked.
She kissed him again, heat growing between them as it always did. “The question is, can you both handle me?” He returned her kiss hotly and groaned as his hands cupped her full breasts. “How long until the food is ready?”
“Your brother is here,” he muttered but didn’t sound too worried. “Damn it, woman.”
Johanna grinned against his lips. She took his hand and led him towards the barn and to the rest of their lives, wrapped up in their intense and unstoppable love.
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Table of Contents
Contents
TITLE: FEUD
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
CONNECT
