Fire On The Farm (Second Chance Cowboy Romance)

by Betty Shreffler

  “Don’t do it, man.” The rest of the guys billowed out behind him. “We’re headed over to Flamingo’s. Get your dollar bills ready.”

  Jared pulled the chair out for me before sitting across from me. I opened Stonie’s menu and perused the specials.

  “What are you gonna order?” I asked Jared.

  “A pizza. You wanna split it?”

  “Yeah, that sounds good.”

  After the waitress took our order and brought our drinks, Jared leaned back in his chair and studied me.

  “You seemed a little off today. You wanna talk about it?”

  “You can read me too well.”

  “You wear your feelings on your sleeve. I can always tell when something is bothering you.”

  “There is something, but it’s not something I want to talk about.”

  Jared leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “All right, then let’s talk about the fact that you’ve brought on a new hire, you aren’t riding as much these days, you haven’t had a lick of alcohol in weeks, and you’re shirts have become a lot baggier.”

  A little shocked, I looked at him wide-eyed. “You’re way too observant.”

  “We pretty much live side by side five to six days a week. It wasn’t difficult to notice the changes.”

  “All right. I’ll confirm what you already seem to know. I’m pregnant.”

  Jared clicked his tongue and sat back in the chair again. “All right. Now that we got that out of the way. Does he know?”

  I shook my head. “I tried calling him last night, and he rejected the call. He didn’t call back either. I tried again tonight, and it went to voicemail. It’s clear he doesn’t want to speak to me.”

  The waitress set the pizza on the table, and Jared broke a slice off and put it on a plate for me.

  “What are your plans now?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll keep trying to get a hold of him. If he doesn’t come around, it’s fine, I can raise the baby on my own.”

  “You don’t have to be alone.”

  Jared’s eyes settled on mine and locked me in place.

  “I…don’t know what to say.” My eyes darted from him to the pizza and back.

  Jared let out a chuckle. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, Ames. I’m telling you that I’ll be here for you. No matter what you need.”

  “That means a lot to me. You’ve done so much for me already. I owe you so much more than a thank you.”

  Jared smiled and pointed to the pizza on my plate. “Dig in before it gets cold.”

  After answering all of Jared’s pregnancy questions and a couple games of pool, Jared walked me through the parking lot to his vehicle. He opened the passenger door to his truck and held it open for me.

  “Ames.”

  I turned to face him, and he rubbed his brow in thought.

  “About that thank you.”

  He let go of the truck door and moved toward me, placing his hand around the waist of my growing belly and the other to the nape of my neck. His lips came down on mine—sweet, soft and passionate.

  I opened my eyes, and he looked down at me with affection. He rubbed his thumb along my cheek and smiled at me.

  “I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.”

  I lowered my head as a combination of emotions took a roller coaster ride through my stomach.

  “Jared…I—”

  “Ames, you don’t have to say or do anything. I’ve seen what you’ve been through. I know you don’t want a relationship. I know what you’re afraid of, so I’m not asking for a commitment.”

  Both of his hands pushed my jacket aside, exposing my belly. His warms hands held me by the waist as his thumbs caressed me gently. “I meant it when I said I’d be here for you, no matter what.”

  In my periphery, I caught movement from another vehicle. My jaw nearly dropped when I saw the couple getting out of the car. I pinched my lip between my teeth, nervous about what they might have seen. I moved my jacket to cover my belly, and Jared eased his hands from my waist. He glanced at the couple and then back at me. He rubbed my arm and opened the truck door.

  “Let me get you home.”

  My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I glanced at the clock to see it was eleven forty-five at night. Bethany’s face showed behind the accept or reject buttons. I debated rejecting, but was worried it might be serious.

  “You know it’s late, right?”

  “Brock, wake the fuck up, right now.”

  Her anxious voice sprung me awake. I sat up in my bed. “What is it?”

  “Are you awake? Are you listening?”

  “Yes, damn it. Get to the point.”

  “Lexa and Roger saw Amy and the guy who works on her ranch tonight.”

  “And?”

  “He was kissing her. And Brock…Lexa thinks she might be pregnant.”

  I leaned my head back against the headboard, trying to calm the eruption of emotions exploding through my body.

  “Lexa was positive it was Amy?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he was kissing her?”

  “Yeah, he had her between him and his truck.”

  “Pregnant? She has a belly?”

  “Yes, Lexa said it’s hard to say how far along she is. Two, maybe three months.”

  “Thanks for the call. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Wait? What? That’s it? You don’t have anything else to say?”

  “No, B. I need to get off the phone. I have a flight to book.”

  I clenched the phone in my hand as I walked to the kitchen. The only thing that would bring down the Baisdin temper at this hour was a shot—or three—of whiskey. I slammed the phone on the counter and reached for the bottle. I yanked the top and swigged.

  Two or three months repeated in my head. I did the math. It was either my child or Jared’s. The thought of him having her like that burned a hole right through me. If it was his child, the man was going to lose his fucking head.

  I took another swig. Of course, it wasn’t his. Amy broke off the engagement because of her fear of losing me. She didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t want to live her life fearing the what ifs. The child wasn’t his. It was my baby growing in her belly. There’s no way in hell I was going to let another man take what’s mine.

  Morning came and I dragged myself to the shower before downing a couple aspirins and a bottle of water. After booking my flight the night before, I’d finished what was left of the whiskey. I had a lot to work through in one night. The information Bethany had given me was a lot to take in. I was sure this was the reason Amy tried calling me and my stupid ass was busy wining and dining a woman I had absolutely no feelings for.

  I grabbed my luggage bag, left the remainder of my rent and the condo key in an envelope for the landlord, and dropped it at the front office. After packing my truck up, I drove to the worksite to let John know I’d be leaving.

  He looked at me in shock. “You’re going back to Kentucky for her?”

  “Damn straight I am. Amy’s pregnant with my child. I never should’ve let her cut me out of her life in the first place. My own ego and the shit from my past had me acting like a damn idiot. I should have fought for her and now another man is trying to take my place. There’s no way in hell I’m letting that happen. That’s my fiancée—my child.”

  “What about the work that needs done here?”

  “You’re fully capable of finishing without me. There isn’t much left to do and the crew already knows what needs done at this point. I’ll cut you an extra check for taking over. I’ll try to come back before the job is done, if I can.”

  “All right, man. This is crazy, but do what you gotta do. Call me when you get a chance.”

  I tossed him the work-truck keys. “Will do. I gotta go. My flight leaves in an hour.”

  I walked into the barn, and Jared’s eyes lit up when he saw me. He already had Honey saddled and ready for me to lea
d in the training ring.

  “How ya feeling?” he asked softly.

  “Not sure yet.”

  Jared let out a chuckle. “The fact that you haven’t fired me or yelled at me is a good sign.”

  “I wouldn’t do either. You’ve been incredible to me these last few months.”

  Jared adjusted the straps on Honey’s saddle. “But?”

  I took Honey’s reins and smiled at Jared. “But nothing. You said you weren’t asking for anything from me, and I believe you.”

  “I might’ve lied when I said that.”

  My brows pinched inward. “What do you mean?”

  Jared turned to me and placed his fingers under my chin, gently raising my lips to his. “I’d like permission to steal kisses from these lips.”

  “The answer is no.”

  I whipped my head toward the familiar baritone of Brock’s voice. With his arms crossed, he was leaning in the doorway of the barn, looking at Jared as if he was seconds away from turning my barn into a crime scene. It felt like my heart had leapt out of my chest and then clawed its way back in. My stomach did a loop-the-loop and my arm instinctively went to my waist, trying to conceal my swollen belly.

  In an attempt to avoid a testosterone-fueled blood-bath I looked at Jared. “Can you give us a minute?”

  Jared nodded and walked toward the barn entrance. He and Brock eyed each other with dripping animosity. Those seconds it took until Jared disappeared were agonizing. Once he was gone from sight, Brock finally eased his posture.

  He looked me up and down, seeming to inspect me. I fidgeted under the stare of his intoxicating hazel-green eyes. I’d forgotten how gorgeous this man was. I didn’t think it was possible for his muscles to get any bigger, but apparently, these last few months he’d spent time proving I was wrong. His massive frame nearly drowned out the light shining through the doorway behind him as he moved toward me.

  I froze in place, unable to do anything but tremble under his gaze and the heated tension between us. He reached me and stood inches from my face, studying me as if he’d forgotten what I looked like.

  “You’re so damn gorgeous.”

  His hand wrapped around my neck, fisting part of my hair as his mouth claimed mine. That heated tension jolted me back to life. My body hummed with need. Arousal trickled to my core and exploded, leaving me wet and aching with want. His tongue dove in and out, pushing me to the point of begging for more. His hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me to him. My belly pressed against his waist, and he released our kiss, leaving me breathless. He glanced down at my belly and back at me, his grin wide with pride.

  “That’s why you called, isn’t it? That’s our baby that you’re carrying.” His hand gently rubbed along the side of my belly. My hand covered his and watched him stare at my belly as if it was the most magnificent thing he’d ever seen. I couldn’t help smiling as I watched his eyes light up.

  “It is, our baby.”

  He met my gaze and then kissed me softly. “I never should’ve left. I never should’ve let you push me away. You were scared and I get that now. You thought you’d almost lost me and it broke you and instead of comforting you, I let my ego and temper get the best of me. When you said you couldn’t do this anymore, it broke me too. Amy, baby, we’ve both made mistakes, but I can promise you now, I’m here to stay. I’m not going anywhere. You, this baby, are my world, everything I need and want. I promised you before that I would never let you go. I’m here now to keep to that promise.” His thumb grazed my lower lip before his hand took hold of my face and caressed my cheek. The warmth of his touch soothed every painful moment since the day he’d left.

  “Tell me you love me. Tell me you’ll be my wife.”

  “Shh, you’re gonna wake her.”

  Brock pulled my ear between his teeth and in a low, sensual voice he whispered, “It’s not me who’s gonna wake her. Mommy’s about to get real loud, real soon.”

  I giggled as his tongue left a trail of wet kisses down my stomach. When his mouth reached below, I fisted the bed sheets and bit my lip between my teeth, keeping myself from moaning and screaming his name. Brock looked up at me and grinned when I came undone. He eased between my thighs and pressed his erection into me, filling me completely.

  His hand held my thigh as he rocked me against him, taking me hard. His other hand rubbed my clit and my head tilted back as another orgasm swept over me.

  Brock eased me down and rested his arms on each side of me. “Damn, baby, I can never get enough of you.”

  He placed kisses on my cheeks, lips, and chin before rolling me to my side, along with him. He rubbed his hand along my thigh as his gaze met mine.

  “I love you.”

  His hand caressed my cheek before he pressed his lips into mine. “I love you, too. In this lifetime and the next.”

  The monitor on the nightstand lit up, followed by moans and then crying.

  “She’s awake.”

  “Take a shower and get cleaned up. I’ll get her.”

  Brock grabbed his boxer briefs and left the room. I took my time enjoying the hot water cascading down my back, relaxing my tired muscles. Once out, I wrapped myself in one of Brock’s flannels and put on a pair of my shorts. With my hair fastened in a bun, I slid my feet into slippers and walked down the hall to check on things. I entered Emma’s room to find Brock lying in the recliner with Emma passed-out on his chest. He too was fast asleep with one protective hand laying over her back. I stood in the doorway, my heart swollen with love, watching the two most precious gifts I’d ever been given.

  Two Years Later...

  I walked to the barn with our new dog in tow. Emma had repeatedly squealed, “my puppy,” when she first saw the black, little, runt Labrador. Of course, I couldn’t turn down my baby girl. Not with that kind of enthusiasm. Hell, I rarely turned her down for anything. Something that drove her mother absolutely crazy.

  In the barn was my beautiful wife, preparing two horses, while Emma ran around discovering everything in sight.

  “You about ready?”

  “Yep, just need you to load the packs and we’re good.”

  I hoisted the packs onto both horses, put myself into Thunder’s saddle, and then lifted Emma from Amy’s waiting hands. She wiggled in the saddle, overwhelmed with excitement for our camping trip. Little did she know, the trip was in our own back yard. Amy never did sell the property. I spent time remodeling and when I was done, she barely recognized the house. Of course, with all the new updates, she didn’t want to leave. The new porch swing I installed was my final touch and I sealed the deal with that.

  Jared quit working at the ranch the day after I arrived back in town. He and Amy stayed in touch, though. He now works for the same racetrack I once worked at. The last time Amy spoke to him, he said he loved his job and thanked her for her reference and training over the years. Without her, he never would have landed the job he did. I’m not thrilled that they stayed in touch, but I can’t fault the man for wanting to be friends with my wife. She is an incredible woman.

  After I returned and got settled back into our home, Amy shared with me everything that had happened between her and my mother. It took me six months to be able to speak to her again. Once Emma was born, I couldn’t bring myself to keep her from her grandchild. The moment she set eyes on Emma, my mother’s entire view of Amy changed. Suddenly, Amy was the best thing that’d ever happened to me. Funny how a tiny, little, blue-eyed girl can do that to a person.

  I consider Emma my good luck charm. She has the ability to bring everyone together. She brought Amy back to me and her great-grandmother, Grams, now lives a lot closer than she used to. Grams couldn’t stand the idea of being so far away from her great-grand-daughter so I thought what better solution than to move her into my old home. She’s now six miles away and alternates watching Emma with my mother, so Amy and I can have time for just us every once in a while.

  Looking down at the dark-haired, blue-eyed angel, attentive to every
thing her eyes can see, I couldn’t help feeling like the luckiest man in the world. I looked over at Amy and she gave me a cheeky grin.

  “What’s the smirk for, gorgeous?”

  “It’s gonna be my last ride for a while, so I’m taking it all in.”

  “Last ride?”

  She giggled and smiled at me. “I’m pregnant.”

  Embrace the Dawning (Book 1; The Covenant Series)

  Purchase on Amazon

  Kayci Pierce possesses strength, endurance, and accelerated healing that set her apart from normal humans—traits she's never understood and kept hidden since childhood. She feels disconnected from the seemingly normal world around her—until she's attacked by a creature she didn't know exists and then rescued by a stranger she can't forget. Dreams of the attractive, dangerous man haunt her and lead her into a world she was born for.

  Adrian Spade spends most of his solitary nights hunting rogue vampires for the Covenant, until an undeniable attraction leads him to reveal his vampire identity and risk his life by saving Kayci's. Tempted by her mysterious nature, Adrian finds himself drawn to Kayci and becomes her protector while she discovers her heritage and what it means to be a half-breed vampire sorceress.

  Kayci's relationship with Adrian brings her as much passion as it does danger. Now with a vampire revolution beginning and a romantic connection to a full-blood vampire, Kayci must work with Adrian to survive surrounding threats. As Kayci tries to make sense of an unfamiliar world, she's forced to choose between the life she's always known and her vampire birthright.

  Cruel Temptation (Book 2, The Covenant Series)

  Purchase on Amazon

  The war is over. The rogue vampires dispatched. As a full-blood vampire and sorceress, Kayci Pierce finally feels safe. Her focus now set on how to run the Covenant and best protect her species. The next-in-line, Lycan clan leader shares Kayci’s vision—but his captivating and sexy brother, Cassius McCabe is a distraction Kayci can't afford.