Maybe I should’ve told him sooner, trusted that he’d have understood.
“Oh,” he turns back, “I ran into Archer down at the bar when I was dropping the asshole, virgin weirdo guy off.”
“Yeah? He got back in town safe?”
“Sure did. I overheard him talking to Marin about the whiskey your dad used to make. He said he thinks he knows where the recipe book is.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Does he think it’s really worth looking for?”
Benny nods as he opens the front door. “Sounds like he’s on it. Anyway… I’ll text you guys. Take care of each other.”
I pull Ivy against my chest and hold her as close as I can get her. “She’s mine,” I say, kissing the top of her head, “and I take care of what’s mine.”
Epilogue
Ivy
Two Years Later
Lily is finally asleep. Thank God!
She’s only twelve months old, but the girl has the staying power of an all-night disco queen. She could be tired all day long, but the second the clock strikes ten p.m. she’s ready for a little, late bottle action with a side of an extra bedtime story.
It doesn’t help that her parents are pretty terrible at telling her no. We’re going to need to get better at that or we’re going to have trouble on our hands.
I sneak out onto the front porch and lean back in the white stained swing that hangs to the left of the front door. Ryker built it for me last year to celebrate our very first wedding anniversary. I’m not sure how we’ve already been married over a year, but they say time flies when you’re having fun.
And we are definitely having themostfun.
I spend my days taking care of Lily, the chickens, the horses, and the cows. I also bake fresh bread every day for the farm stand. It’s a dream and folks around here really seem to love it. We also visit Daddy at least once a day down at the distillery. Even two years later, it’s still hard to be away from him for more than a few minutes at a time. Heck, my brother’s even gotten used to us being together, and he stood as best man in our wedding. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
With the tips of my toes on the porch, I push back and swing gently as I stare out at the valley below. I love to watch the seasons change here. The way the fall comes to strip the leaves bare. The way winter sneaks in and covers the ground with snow. The way spring brings new life all over again. It reminds me to embrace the beauty in change.
And right now, we’re about to have ahugechange.
The screen door creaks and Ryker steps out into the night with me. Big, broad, and handsome as ever.
“Hey, trouble. You snuck out without me. I’m pretty sure that deserves a punishment.”
I smile and motion him toward me. “As long as the punishment isn’t no dessert, we’re good.” I rub my hand over my expanded belly. “Our baby boy likes dessert. Bed, though?” She smiles ear to ear. “If you want to send me to bed early, I could probably get on board with that.”
The swing creaks as he sits next to me. “I had something darker in mind.”
“Yeah?” I grin as I glance toward him, my panties soaking at the mere sound of his deep, raspy voice. “What do you have in mind?”
“Slide the top of your little night gown down for me?” He traces his thumb over my lips as he speaks.
I am very pregnant, and we have learned that a very pregnant me is very horny, but whatever tease he’s leaned into tonight is soaking me.
Nodding, I push the thin strap of my night gown down over my shoulder, letting the fabric drape on both sides, my full breasts holding the weight of what’s left.
My chest rises and falls quickly, and though we’ve made love hundreds of times at this point, he never ceases to make me nervous.
“You’re staring at me.” I bite back a smile and glance toward him quickly before looking away again.
“You can’t blame me for that. You know I love you pregnant.”
My pussy aches and my clit throbs as I drag in a deep breath and hum low. I think I know what’s coming.
