Cowboy Edition EBook

by Maree, Kay

Now after an hour’s nap, the nurse came in and checked her vitals then I made her eat an apple while I got her situated into her new chair. Making sure the line on her IV wasn’t going to get twisted, we made the short stroll down the hall to Cora’s room.

  It may not be the way she wanted to visit, but it was the only way I was allowing it and she knew it.

  She can whine and bitch all she wants.

  There was no way I was compromising on this.

  Stubborn Woman.

  “Oh, my God.”

  Lucy gasps as soon as we push through the door, snapping my focus to the room around me.

  I catch sight of a beaming Cora leaning against a bunch of pillows on the bed, a baby nestled in her arms.

  Glancing over towards Nash relaxing in the seat beside the bed, legs kicked out, shirtless with a baby laid across his chest.

  “Lucy, I am so happy to see you,” Cora sniffs, waving a hand through the air.

  “Sorry, my hormones are all out of whack. Don’t mind me,” she says with a lopsided smile.

  Making Nash and I chuckle.

  “I am so sorry, Lucy. Nash told me what happened,” Cora says sadly.

  “It’s okay, I’m okay. Well, I will be,” Lucy sniffs a little.

  Waving her hand around just like Cora just did.

  “She was bat shit crazy, I’m just glad it’s all over with now.” she sniffs again.

  I take in the tight set of her shoulders, rubbing my hand across her neck.

  I feel some of the tension leave her.

  “What happened to her?” Cora asks, her eyes swinging between Lucy and me.

  Lucy shrugs, looking over her shoulder at me.

  My body tenses and I try to stem down my anger at the bitch that nearly killed my future wife.

  “She’s dead. They couldn’t stop the bleeding and with the medication, she was taking, it thinned her blood or some shit. I kind of switched off after Jebson told me she didn’t make it,” I bite out.

  I feel Lucy’s shoulders relax.

  I bite off a curse, knowing I should have told her sooner.

  My mind keeps playing over Lucy, tied to a chair with blood everywhere.

  I didn’t want Lucy to think about it anymore.

  I should have known she would have needed to know to help with her own head.

  I send her an apologetic look and she smiles back at me.

  Looking over towards Cora taking in her slouched position against her pillows, a relieved smile playing on her lips.

  “Good,” Nash gruffs out, breaking through the silence.

  Leaning down, he plants a kiss against his daughter's tiny head.

  Swinging my eyes back towards Cora noticing her nodding her head in agreement as tears slide down her cheeks.

  “They are so tiny,” Lucy gushes, breaking through the thick fog that has seemed to cover the room after that little bit of information.

  I know without looking Lucy is crying as well.

  “No one would tell me their names,” she pouts crossing her arms across her chest the best she can since she still has the IV attached to the back of her hand.

  “Cause I didn't know Vixen,” I chuckle.

  She pokes her tongue out at me and all I want to do is bite it.

  Lucy must see the hungry look in my eyes because she winks.

  A cute smile kicking up the corner of her mouth.

  “Closer Stallion,” she bucks forward in the chair, trying to get me to move, laughing as I push her to the side of the bed.

  Reaching out she runs her nails across the baby’s cheek cuddled in Cora’s arms.

  “Alexa June Steel met your amazing aunty Lucy,” Cora whispers.

  “Oh, I love it,” Lucy smiles.

  I smirk kissing the crown of her head hating the fact the antiseptic smell has overtaken her natural scent.

  Lucy cracks up laughing, her eyes bright as if she just thought of the funniest thing in the world.

  “What?” Cora asks, a puzzled look crossing her face.

  “You do know that when these boys finally get with the twentieth century and have their houses digitized that every time someone calls out Alexa, you will have a machine calling back or doing what you tell your daughter,” she giggles.

  Raising a brow towards a chuckling Nash, he simply shrugs.

  “Shit, I didn’t even think of that,” Cora chews on her bottom lip.

  “Nash?” she questions.

  “Isn’t there an option to change the name?” he asks.

  “I don’t think so”, she answers, looking down at her daughter.

  “Well, we won’t get it,” he says simply.

  A mischievous smile spreads across Lucy’s mouth.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I grunt out, smirking down at her.

  “What? I wasn’t thinking anything.”

  She plays that innocent card so well, but she doesn’t fool me.

  Cutting my eyes to her.

  I let them travel the length of her body, smirking when her body visibly begins to tremble when I lick my lips.

  “So,” she squeaks out completely, giving away the way I just made her feel, making me laugh. “Which baby does Nash have?” Lucy rushes out, cutting her eyes to me before looking towards Nash.

  “This princess is Elisa Sophie Steel,” Nash announces proudly.

  A beaming smile spreading across his face.

  “Sophie is going to lose her mind,” Lucy sniffs, wiping a hand under her nose.

  “Would you like to hold Alexa?” Cora asks, eyes wet with unshed tears, and all Lucy can do is nod.

  Gently leaning around Lucy, taking Alexa out of her mother's arms in my good arm.

  I can’t help taking a deep breath in, letting that fresh baby scent creep through me.

  Leaning down, planting a small kiss at the top of her soft head.

  Pulling back, I smile as two beautiful blue-grey flecked eyes stare back at me.

  “Gimme the baby,” Lucy huffs playfully, holding her arms out.

  Kicking my shin with her sock-covered foot when I don’t automatically hand her over.

  “Ow, Little Vixen,” I shoot her a look that promises payback, but she just bats those eyes at me. “Fine,” I huff winking at her.

  “Oh my God, what is that?” Cora rushes out, pointing to Lucy’s hand.

  “Lucy is going to be my wife,” I announce proudly.

  So fucking glad my plan turned out.

  After I slipped that little beauty on her finger last night I admired just how perfectly it fit her little finger like it was always supposed to be there.

  Zoning out the girls as they gush over the ring.

  I step over towards Nash with my hand out for him to shake as the girl’s babble on beside us.

  “Congrats Brother.”

  “Thanks,” I say, a proud smile splitting his lips.

  “Now give me little Elisa so she can fall in love with her uncle Lucas.” I reach out to take her.

  Nash grunts at me with a look, telling me he doesn’t want to let her go, but he eventually lets me take her.

  “She looks good on you, Stallion,” Lucy breaths out.

  “I could say the same about you,” I nod towards Alexa cradled into her chest.

  “So they're identical?” Lucy asks Cora, but I don’t miss the soft look crossing her features at my words.

  “Yep, the doctor suggested we grab them coloured bracelets to help us tell them apart for the next couple of months.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Lucy nods, running the tip of her fingernail down Alexa’s little button nose.

  “So will little Knights be coming soon?” Nash asks, nudging my shoulder.

  Looking back down at Elisa cradled in my arms.

  The same coloured eyes as her sister stare straight back at me.

  “I’m trying,” I murmur, breathing in her fresh baby scent as well, my heart ju
mping in my throat as she wraps her tiny fingers around my thumb.

  “Good to hear, brother,” Nash chuckles.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

  We coo over the babies and talk for a little while longer.

  Nash and I both notice the women getting tired, so we say our goodbyes and promise to visit again soon before we head back to Lucy’s room.

  “I was thinking I could go visit Emily later.”

  “How about this Little Vixen? You have another nap for me then try to eat some dinner and I’ll see if you can go visit.”

  “Sounds like a plan Stallion,” she smiles, her tired eyes shining up at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I was thinking that we have never used protection,” she smiles shyly.

  “Protection?” I asked, puzzled.

  “During sex,” she whispers as I pull the blankets up, tucking her in.

  “I know,” I wink.

  “So you want babies?”

  Sitting on the side of her bed, gripping her hand in mine, running my thumb across the smooth skin.

  “I want everything with you Lucy, marriage, babies and the future of your dreams.”

  Bringing her hand to my lips, planting a kiss there.

  Feeling her pulse pick up speed against my fingers.

  A knot of worry twisting through me at the thought she may not want that too.

  “I want your babies,” she smiles sweetly.

  “I want to be your wife and I definitely want that future but one we make together.”

  Her cheeks turn crimson as she brings my hand to her mouth and ever so slowly grazes her lips across my knuckles.

  Making heat course through me as those green eyes lock on mine through thick, dark lashes.

  “I love you so fucking much, Little Vixen.”

  “I love you so fucking much, Stallion,”

  “Forever,” I raise a brow.

  “For Eternity,” she fires back, breaking me wide open all over again.

  Lucy Jacobson is my world, my everything.

  Without her, I would crumble and become a walking shell of the person I am.

  I don’t know what I did to get so lucky, but I would do it all over again just to call her mine.

  One lifetime with her will never be enough...

  Lucy

  2 months Later…

  “What’s going on in here?” Nash’s deep voice bellows behind us.

  Quicker than I have ever moved.

  I snatch up the brown paper bag in front of me and shove it under my oversized jumper.

  Pulling my leggings up with my other hand to help it stay in place, but at the same time, I swivel on my seat.

  It all happens so fast I can’t even catch myself on the counter, my feet tangle together and I’m falling to my death.

  Okay, that’s probably a bit dramatic. However, I am about to hit the hard tiled floor when strong hands catch me under the arms, pulling me up before I hit the deck.

  “I didn’t do anything,” I squeak out, looking up into the clear blue eyes of my saviour.

  “Little Vixen,” he chuckles

  “Hey Stallion, what are you doing here?”

  I try to play off my awesome dismount the best I can since my feet are still hanging in midair.

  “Nash needed my help with something. I thought you were helping June at the bar?” he quirks a brow, lowering me to my feet.

  My stomach twists at the hungry look in his eyes.

  Swallowing hard.

  I try to stamp down the sudden need pulsing through me.

  I have very important things to do and I need him gone.

  “I.. well… I,” I stutter, looking over my shoulder at a wide-eyed Cora.

  A smirk kicks up the corner of my lips.

  She looks like she was caught red-handed stealing a damn cookie or something and I would totally laugh at the look, but now is not the time.

  “I needed her,” Cora shouts far too loudly.

  By the look the guys share between each other, they know we are hiding something.

  Shit.

  Damn.

  Why is this so hard?

  “Little Mare,” Nash coos.

  Stepping towards Cora and I know if he touches her, our plan will fly out the window.

  Quickly disengaging myself from Lucas’s hold.

  I grip Cora’s hand in mine and begin dragging her away from her husband.

  “Bring back my wife Brat,” Nash calls out, making us giggle.

  But we don’t stop as we head up the stairs, into her bedroom and slam the bathroom door shut, locking it for good measure.

  “Woah, that was way too close,” I breathe out.

  My hair floating around my face making Cora crack up laughing.

  “This shit is not funny we nearly got busted, I would hate to be a drug smuggler cause that shit downstairs took ten years off my life.”

  “So dramatic,” she laughs harder, waving her hand in front of her face.

  “It’s a little funny, you couldn’t even sit on a damn chair. You nearly went ass up and I don’t even know how that is even possible when you were already sitting,” she gasps out holding her sides now.

  “I hope you piss yourself,” I growl playfully.

  “Bitch,” she growls back, smirking.

  “And proud, now enough of the chitchat and let’s get this done.”

  I pull the crumpled brown paper bag out from under my jumper and spill the contents onto the vanity.

  “So do you want to pee in a cup or on a stick?” Cora asks, picking up the many pregnancy tests I brought.

  “Why the hell did you buy so many?”

  “They all state different percentages but before I could read them Jebson strolled in to pick up a script and I freaked the fuck out, worried he would see what I was getting and tell Lucas. So I just grabbed a bunch then grabbed a packet of chicken chips, a chocolate bar, shampoo and all this other shit I didn’t need. Don’t look in Elektra’s back seat.” I shake my head but smile cause my baby is all fixed and still shiny as ever.

  Lucas made sure she was fixed to perfection before he gave me back my keys.

  A soft knock on the door pulls me back to the here and now, looking at a wide-eyed Cora, we both freeze as the light knock comes again.

  My heart jumps into my throat.

  “Hello... girls you in there?” A soft voice comes through and I breathe for what feels like forever as Cora opens the door and lets Emily in.

  Emily is an amazing girl.

  Yeah, she’s still kind of quiet, but after she left the hospital June wrapped her up and brought her to the Steel farm to live and she has really come out of her shell.

  I’m proud to call her one of my best friends.

  “Get your ass in here,” I grit out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into the bathroom, making her laugh.

  She really has come a long way.

  She hated to be touched when she first turned up here, but she is used to us now.

  I think Jebson had something to do with it as well. There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t see the pair of them together.

  “What’s wrong?” she smiles, biting her lip to try and hide it.

  “Lucy nearly fell off the chair downstairs when the boys nearly busted us with the bag,” Cora explains.

  “Oh, I have done that before. I went to sit but missed completely,” she shrugs, shooting me a look of sympathy that is until Cora the bitch tells her I was already sitting.

  “Why are we friends again?” I growl huffing at her, making them both crack up laughing.

  “That's why the guys had mixed looks of confusion across their faces when I was downstairs. I got a gruff up there with pointed fingers when I asked where you guys were,” we laugh as she impersonates Lucas's gruff voice.

  “Okay,” Cora holds up
her hand.

  “It’s time to pee. Cup? Or stick?” She examines the boxes.

  “Either one, just so long as they have the highest percentage.”

  “Do you want to pee on your hands or not?” Cora goes on.

  Emily turns her face away as she giggles.

  “Ew...Cora, what the fuck?” my face screws up in distaste.

  “Stick it is,” she laughs, lining three up beside each other.

  “Do all three, that way there is no mistaking it.”

  “Okay, I got this,”

  Flexing out my fingers, I bounce on the tip of my toes as if I’m about to step into the ring.

  “You have seriously lost the plot,” Cora says.

  They both laugh as they exit the room, closing the door behind them.

  Leaning against the vanity with both hands, taking in a few deep breaths sending a prayer up to my mum hoping that I am in fact pregnant.

  Tears prick the corners of my eyes, blinking rapidly, not willing to let the tears fall.

  Looking back to the tests, I pick up the first one, pulling the clear cap off.

  Blowing out a rough breath.

  “No time like the present,” I mumble to myself as I drop my pants.

  “You got this, Lucy,” Cora and Emily call through the door.

  “Shit, can you girls hear me, block your ears,” I shout, making them laugh harder.

  “Lucky I love them,” I chuckle.

  Making quick work of doing all three tests, flushing, I pull my pants back up.

  Washing my hands and letting the girls know they can come back in.

  Cora strolls in with a phone to her ear, I must give her a puzzled look before she tells whoever it is she is putting them on loudspeaker.

  “Lucy Rose Jacobson,” my sister's stern voice comes through the speaker.

  “I was going to call you,” I say way too quickly.

  Shooting an evil look Cora’s way, but she just smirks back at me.

  “I love you and I miss your hugs,” I rush out.

  Knowing every time I say that she can never stay mad at me.

  “I love you too, seriously I swear you just played me,” she grouses.

  Making us all laugh.

  “You wait till I get there for your wedding next month. Now, hurry up and tell me if I’m going to be an aunt again,” she grouches.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I smarted back.

  “Cora, how long?” I murmur, my stomach doing somersaults.