by A. D. Ryan
Madison laughed, moving one of her hands to her chest. “Relax,” she instructed far too calmly. When I looked into her eyes and let the final fragments of sleep clear, I realized I may have dreamed that last thing she said. “It’s time to get up. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Letting my head fall back onto the pillow, I ran my fingers through my hair, my racing heart slowing to its former pace. “Sorry, I guess I’m just a little on edge with our due date approaching.”
As weeks turned to months, things on the ranch slowly settled back into some kind of normalcy—or they kind of did. Construction on the campers’ quarters was finally underway and making great progress, so the stress that I’d been experiencing had started to wane. We were now in the middle of May so camp registration has been open for about a month, and all the camps were almost full. It was exciting and vomit-inducing.
“That’s okay.” Madison shifted until she was leaning over me and pressed her lips gently to mine. My cock stirred, as it always did when she was in the same room with me. Though, I’d be lying if I said my body’s reactions to her pregnancy wasn’t more extreme; I imagined taking her multiple times throughout the day. Every fucking day.
“Happy birthday, by the way,” she said, pulling my thoughts away from the more impure ones. It didn’t last long, though. As she pushed herself back up, she released a soft groan, and I was right back to imagining her under me … and on me … and in front of me. It really didn’t matter.
I smiled, reaching out and placing my hand on her swollen stomach, stroking it lightly in hopes that the baby might reward me with a little kick. “So it is. Thank you.”
“How does it feel to be thirty?”
“Actually,” I said with a grin and a wink, “pretty damn good. I really couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Madison’s eyes narrowed and her nose crinkled. “Well, that’s too bad because we’ve got a party to host tonight.”
Laughing, I sat up and got out of bed. “Love, unlike you, I actually enjoy celebrating my birthday.”
“Hey, I never said I didn’t like to celebrate it, I just don’t like parties,” she corrected me. When I glanced over my shoulder at her, I caught her smirking down at her bulging belly. “Well, maybe the last one wasn’t so bad.”
After pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt, I walked over to her and placed my hand on her lower belly where the baby was busy kicking away. “How are you feeling today?” I asked. “Did you sleep any better?”
“No worse,” she admitted with a shrug.
The last few weeks had been rough on Madison when it came to her sleeping habits. There didn’t seem to be anything I could do to help her; she was just restless and often found herself walking through the house or sitting out on the back porch with the dog and a cup of warm milk or tea until she finally felt tired. At her father’s insistence, Madison was no longer doing hard labor around the ranch, even though she swore she felt fine. It didn’t matter though; Wayne wasn’t taking any chances after our little scare a few months ago.
As I was feeling the baby moving around inside Madison, I felt her stomach tighten and her body shift slightly. “Oooh,” she moaned, and when I looked up at her, I noticed her face was slightly scrunched.
“Baby?” I asked, a surge of excitement and adrenaline flowing through me. Was this it?
Shaking it off, Madison smiled. “Sorry. These Braxton Hicks contractions are full force today.”
My eyes widened and I looked at her skeptically, knowing she had a habit of downplaying things. “Are you sure that’s all it was?”
She nodded. “Definitely. They’re actually less painful than usual. They just catch me off-guard and leave me a little winded because my lungs have less room as the baby grows. Come on, I made you breakfast.”
Following Madison into the kitchen, I kept asking her if she was okay. We were about a week away from our due date; she could technically go into labor any time now, and being out in the country, I really didn’t want to risk her giving birth on the side of the road. Sure, my mom was a doctor, but I wasn’t.
“Jensen, I’m fine. I swear. I’m almost forty weeks pregnant; discomfort is just par for the course at this point, I’ve found,” she tried to rationalize. “Look, if it becomes consistent or the pain is unbearable, I’ll call you.” She grabbed the oven mitts and pulled her famous French toast casserole from the oven before setting it on the stovetop. It was one of my favorites, and she knew that when she chose to make it.
I watched her carefully for the next forty-five minutes before I had to go to work. Wayne had tried to give me the day off, but Madison insisted that she’d be fine and would like the day to set up for my party. I didn’t mind working either because I knew with Madison unable to, my being there would help out immensely.
In the time I was in the house with Madison, I never once noticed her have another contraction or experience any discomfort whatsoever, so I felt all right leaving her for a few hours.
“You’ll call if you have any problems or need anything?” I asked, needing to make sure she was okay before taking off.
Rolling her eyes, Madison nodded. “Yes, go. Willow is going to be here soon to help me set up.”
“Okay, well you two have fun and I’ll see you at lunch.” After kissing Madison one last time, I headed to the barn to help Wayne with the stalls. On my way, I passed by the almost-finished bunkhouse. In just two weeks’ time it would be filled with our first group of campers. Since Willow offered to help out with the camps over the summer, she and Brandon just signed a lease on a place so they’d be close. She was going to help with the classwork while Madison and I found our groove in those first weeks of parenthood.
Wayne and I worked through the morning and around eleven, just as I was finishing up the last stall in the new barn, he came and found me. “You got an hour or so before lunch to come for a ride with me?” he asked.
My curiosity was piqued; Wayne never asked me to join him on his trail rides. After taking one last look around, I nodded, brushing my hands off and following him to the barn. “Uh, yeah, sure. Sounds fun.”
Wayne and I grabbed Ransom and Bandit and took them into the barn. While we groomed and tacked them up, we talked about how Madison was feeling and whether or not his grandchild would be gracing us any time soon.
I laughed. “Well, Madison assures me she feels fine.”
“But you’re not so sure,” Wayne assumed knowingly, and I shrugged as I tightened the latigo on the western saddle I was using for today’s trail ride. “Allie was the same way when she was pregnant with Madison. She didn’t want me to worry over every little thing.”
“And?” I asked, hoping that he actually didn’t have to worry about anything.
Untethering Bandit, he looked at me with a smile. “I’d trust her. If she’s anything like her mother, she’ll know when it’s time.”
Deciding he was right and that Madison knew better than anyone what was going on with her own body, I relaxed a little and released Ransom from his tether before following Wayne outside. The sun was out and the weather was perfect for a late morning ride. As we rode along the familiar trail toward the river, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some underlying reason for this impromptu bonding session.
Whatever the reason, it actually couldn’t have come at a better time, because there was something I wanted to talk to him about anyway.
“You excited for your party tonight?” Wayne asked, glancing over at me as our horses ambled down the trail.
“Yup. Madison and Willow are setting up this morning, and I think everyone is showing up for dinner around seven,” I answered. “It should be good; I always enjoy when we’re all together.”
Wayne nodded. “Yeah, it’s been great. It was just Madison and me for so long, it’s been nice having everyone around.” There were a few minutes of silence as we continued to travel down the beaten path before Wayne spoke again. “So, you and Madi are doing all right?” There w
as something in his tone that told me there was more to his question.
“We’re great. Better than that, actually.” Inhaling a deep breath, I found some courage and went on. “Wayne, there’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
With a nod, I looked over at him to find him staring at me almost knowingly, the left side of his mouth curing up beneath his thick mustache. “I love Madison very much.” His head bobbed up and down. “And I would do anything it took to make her happy. While I understand our relationship has been anything but conventional, I’d like to try and do right by her. I guess what I’m saying is that I want to marry her, but I need to know I have your blessing.”
He halted Bandit abruptly, his smile fading fast, and I suddenly found myself worried that I’d misread his expression before I started blathering on. Pulling Ransom to a stop next to him, I prepared for whatever was about to come my way.
Then his mouth turned up into a full smile, and I expelled the breath I had been holding. “Jensen, you’re a fine young man, and I know Madison loves you very much. Honestly, I haven’t seen her this happy in a very long time. Of course you have my blessing. In fact, that’s why I invited you out here. I wanted to let you know in case that was all you were waiting for.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved. “That means a lot.”
Content, Wayne and I nudged our horses forward and continued on our ride. We rode along the river until I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I stood slightly in the stirrups and grabbed it, seeing it was Madison.
Chuckling, I nodded toward the phone. “She’s probably wondering why we’re late for lunch.” I touched the connect button and held it to my ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Oh, Will and I were just wondering where you two were. It’s almost one,” she responded.
“Your dad and I went for a trail ride and got caught up talking. We didn’t realize we were late.” Wayne and I turned our mounts around and started back toward the ranch. “We’re on our way.”
“Okay, I’ll start lunch soon then. I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said before hanging up the phone. The way Wayne was looking at me as I put the phone back in my pocket told me just how huge and ridiculous my grin was.
“So,” he started to say, “when do you plan to ask her? Have you bought a ring yet?”
“Actually, my mom gave me my grandmother’s ring in hopes I’d give it to Madison,” I explained. “I hoped to give it to her tonight after the party.”
The smile on Wayne’s face grew so wide that the corners of his eyes creased. “Well, I wish you both nothing but the best. Good luck tonight.”
Chapter 19. … Or Not
When we arrived back at the ranch, we quickly brushed our horses down and turned them out before heading to the house to meet the girls for lunch. Upon entering, we found Madison and Willow just setting the soup and sandwiches on the table.
“Ladies,” I greeted, making my way for the sink to wash my hands while Wayne used the washroom to do the same.
“Hey, how was your ride?” Madison asked quietly, snaking her arms as far around my waist as she could with her belly in the way.
Turning around, I kissed the top of her head. She pushed her bottom lip out into a pout, probably having expected something a little more intimate. “Really good. It gave us a chance to really talk about a few things.”
“Yeah? Like what?” she inquired, the green flecks in her hazel eyes twinkling.
With a wink, I kissed her soft lips sweetly before shaking my head. She tasted sweet, and I wanted more. I pulled away quickly, inhaling a deep breath and trying to focus on anything other than what my dick wanted. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” I teased.
She bit her lower lip and her eyes lit up with contemplation—almost as though she suspected what it was she would be waiting for. To be honest, it wouldn’t matter if she did or didn’t suspect it; what mattered was her answer. And if I was reading her right, I’d say my chances of her saying yes were pretty damn good.
During lunch, Madison had a few more contractions, which worried me a little. The way she’d wince and clench her jaw had me thinking we’d be headed to the hospital soon, for sure. Hell, even Wayne and Willow thought it was time—which of course made Willow giddy since she had guessed that Madison would go into labor on my birthday.
Madison was bound and determined for her to be wrong.
“I’m fine,” she kept telling us as she all-but shoved us toward the front door. “I promise you, I’ll know when I’m in labor, and I’ll call you.”
“Baby,” I whispered, placing my hands on either side of her belly. “Don’t you think we should just go in to see?”
“And be sent home when they tell us that nothing is happening? No. I’m fine,” she repeated for the third time since lunch. “Now, you two go back to work. Willow and I have a bit of food prep for tonight, and I’ll see you here at six sharp. Your party starts at seven and you’ll want to be showered and presentable.”
I was hesitant to leave, but Willow assured me that if she noticed the contractions intensify, she’d make sure Madison called. Or she would do it herself.
So, Wayne and I left. We spent the next four hours cleaning up the grounds and making any final changes to the camping itineraries before we started bringing the horses in for the night. It would be a lie to say that the entire time I worked I wasn’t constantly wondering if Madison had gone into labor or if her water had broken. The only thing that kept me from running to the house every five minutes was knowing that Willow was keeping a watchful eye on her.
When I arrived home, it was eerily quiet. As I made my way into the house, finding the kitchen empty before moving to the living room, I found Willow curled up on the couch with Bones at her feet as she read a book.
“Where’s Madison?” I asked, concerned.
Willow looked up from her book. “Oh, she went to lay down a while ago. She was pretty beat from all the party prep.” I nodded. “You know, I bet I’m right,” she gloated. “I bet she goes into labor at some point tonight.
“Well,” I replied teasingly, “don’t hold your breath.” After seeing how much discomfort Madison was in, I wouldn’t have been surprised in the least if Willow’s prediction was right, either. “I’m going to hop in the shower.”
“Sure thing, birthday boy,” she said, looking back down at her book and turning the page.
After my shower, I wrapped my towel around my waist and headed for the bedroom to find Madison curled up on her right side, still fast asleep. Considering how little sleep she was still getting at night, I didn’t have the heart to wake her. So, being as quiet as possible, I stepped into our closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a nice gray sweater.
Once I was dressed, I went to close my sock drawer when the black velvet box came into view. Knowing that tonight would be the night I finally gave it to Madison, I picked it up and quickly slipped it into my jeans pocket when I heard Madison stir.
“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice slightly raspy as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Almost six thirty. What time did you come lie down?”
Turning over, Madison swung her legs off the bed and stood up, stretching her back a little. “Um, about three?”
Smiling, I crossed the room to her. “Well, I’m glad you got some sleep. How’ve you been feeling?”
“Good.”
“Any more contractions?” She shook her head and caressed her stomach lovingly. “Well, why don’t you do whatever it is you need to do and tell me what else needs to be done before everyone gets here.”
Smiling, Madison stood on her toes and kissed me softly. “Actually, I think Will has everything covered. Maybe just check with her?”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you in a few.” I gave her one last kiss before leaving the room.
Madison was right, Willow had dinner in the
oven already, so we were just waiting for our guests to show up. With nothing else to be done, I went to the living room and sat in the chair next to the couch. “What are you reading?” I asked, drawing Willow’s attention to me.
“Oh, it’s called Gone Girl,” she replied, showing me the cover.
“Is it any good?”
Willow shrugged. “It’s different. Kinda weird and dark in places, but interesting too. They made it into a movie, and I keep putting it off until I finish this.”
While Willow and I talked about her book, Madison emerged in a beautiful, red dress that hung to just above her knees, and her long blond hair hung loose around her shoulders. “Thanks for taking care of everything, Willow.”
“No problem. How was your sleep?”
“Good, actually,” she said, sitting on the arm of the chair next to me.
Leaning to the left, I kissed her arm. “You look radiant,” I told her just as there was a knock at the door. Bones’ head snapped up, but he remained silent and on the couch with Willow while Madison and I got up to answer the door.
Brandon was the first to arrive, followed shortly by everyone else, and by seven sharp we were just sitting around the tables Madison and Willow had decked out in crisp white linens. Willow retrieved the casseroles from the oven while Madison offered everyone a glass of wine before they took their seats and we began eating.
Conversation flowed freely, and as the night wore on, the alcohol didn’t seem to flow as freely. I could only assume it was due to the fact that Madison’s due date was so near and no one wanted to miss the exact moment she went into labor. Even Kyle dialed back on indulging.
We were all gathered in the living room—or so I thought—when the lights suddenly went out. The room was almost completely black save for a warm glow behind me. Confused, I turned around to find Madison walking in with a cake. The candles atop the chocolate masterpiece lit up her already gorgeous features as she started singing, everyone soon joining in.
As the song came to a close, Madison stopped right in front of me and the heat of the candles warmed the skin of my face as we stared at each other. The flickering flames danced in her already vibrant eyes as she spoke. “Make a wish.”
