“Later, dude.”
I watched as Lark and Azurdee walked into the parking garage. I smiled, wondering how the two of them were going to get along by themselves during the drive back to Mason. Lark would never admit it, but I knew he liked Azurdee.
I turned and headed back into the hospital. When I walked into Jessie’s room, she was sleeping peacefully. I quietly sat down and watched her sleep as I said a silent prayer, thanking God that Jessie and the baby were okay. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes as I thought about Trey. I thought about his family and how devastated they would be about his death.
Senseless…it was all just so senseless.
I felt myself drifting off into sleep. Images of Jessie standing before me with her hands on her swollen belly filled my body with a warm sensation.
I will always love, cherish, and protect them both until the day I die. Always.
I watched as Alex walked up ahead of me and stopped every five minutes to bend down and look at either an ant or a flower. I smiled, thinking how she was about to become a big sister to Colt. The moment I’d found out I was having a son, I’d wanted to shout for joy.
Alex watched a butterfly as she sat down on the ground and laughed. My heart couldn’t be filled with any more love right now. I looked over toward the garden and saw a very pregnant Ellie with Grams. Ellie took to country life like she had grown up on a ranch her whole life.
It was May seventh, and Ellie was four days past her due date. I knew she was miserable as hell in this heat. She glanced over and smiled at Alex, and then our eyes met. My heart melted every time this girl looked at me with that smile. I would never get tired of seeing her look at me with so much love.
Alex squealed as Brian, Ellie’s father, came walking up to her. He bent down, picked her up, and spun her around. I noticed Ellie as she watched her father playing with our daughter.
Brian had been battling lung cancer, and things finally seemed to be going well with him. His health was improving more and more every day, and Jeff, Ellie, and Sharon were well on their way to healing completely. Brian had retired from his position of CEO of his company, and he’d bought a little house in Mason. At first, Ellie had felt upset about it since her mother and Philip had just moved here. She had been terrified that her mother would slip into old habits, but when Sharon and Philip got married on Valentine’s Day, that had put all of Ellie’s fears to rest.
Then, of course, there was the fact that Brian had met Carol here in town, and they had gone out on a few dates. That had helped to put Ellie’s mind at ease even more. Brian was being careful though as he didn’t want to fall in love with someone, knowing what his situation was, but Carol was a sweetheart, and she loved Alex, Luke, and Grace.
“Gunner, how are you today?” Brian asked as he held Alex in his arms while she hugged him around his neck.
“I’m doing good. Did you talk to my dad about that horse?” I asked.
He nodded his head and laughed. “I sure did. Looks like I’m going to be taking some roping lessons from your old man. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted this ranch to be run by family and only family.”
I let out a laugh. My father and Brian had really hit it off, and they had become good friends over the last few months.
I thought back to the other night in the barn up by Grams and Gramps’s house. Just me, my father, Gramps, Drake, Brian, Jeff, Josh, and Greg had all been sitting there—drinking while talking about cows and horses and the women who made up our world. It had been like a dream come true. Even Jeff had seemed to be so happy and content. It had been months since we’d had any drama, and I was planning on keeping it that way.
“Gunner?”
I glanced over toward Ellie, who was standing next to the garden gate with her hand on her stomach. I slowly walked up to her, and leaning down, I gently kissed her on the lips.
“You look so beautiful, do you know that?” I asked with a wink.
She smiled and then grimaced.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Then, I saw Grams walking up to Brian and Alex. She put her hand on Brian’s arm and said something to him that caused him to look up at Ellie in a panicked way.
I slowly turned and looked at my breathtakingly gorgeous wife. “Ells?”
She smiled. “My water just broke.”
I shouted out, “Yes! Finally!”
I took her arm and looked back at Grams and Brian. “Do we all know what to do?” I asked.
Brian let out a laugh. “My god, Gunner. Just get her suitcase and take her to the hospital. Emma and I clearly know our roles.”
“Daddy?” Alex called out.
I stopped and turned back to look at her. She was staring at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
Damn. She is going to break a lot of hearts.
“Hey, Little Bear, Mommy is going to have your little brother, Colt. Bandpa is going to get Grammy, okay?”
When she nodded, her little pigtails moved back and forth, and my heart swelled up with so much love.
I looked at Brian, and before I could even say it, he said, “I’ll call your parents right after I call Sharon.”
Grams laughed as she walked by me. She had her cell phone in her hand and was texting Gramps. “I’m going to warn Garrett not to share the story of the last time Ellie went into labor.” She threw her head back and laughed.
Ellie giggled and peeked up at me. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “You gave them the cell phones and showed them how to text.”
After I helped Ellie into my truck, I turned and gave Alex a kiss good-bye. “I love you. Be a good girl for Grammy and Bandpa, okay, pumpkin?”
She nodded her head and reached out for me. She grabbed around my neck so tightly that I almost found it hard to breathe for a second. The hold this little girl had on my heart sometimes scared the shit out of me.
She pulled back and said, “Ice cream?”
I laughed and looked at Brian. “Good luck!”
When I ran around the front of the truck, I looked over and could tell Ellie was having a contraction. I jumped in and looked at her. “Deep breaths in and—”
“Gunner! That shit doesn’t work. Just get me to the hospital, so they can give me an epidural, and we can get this kicker out of me.”
I smiled as I started the truck and made my way down the driveway.
I knew better than to talk to Ellie, so I just stayed quiet until we got to the hospital. Her contractions were getting closer together. By the time they got Ellie into her room, I thought she was going to pull her hair out and then go after mine.
“Where is Pete?” Ellie asked the nurse.
“Dr. Johnson will be in at any moment, Mrs. Mathews.”
“Gunner, Ellie, how are y’all?” Pete asked as he walked in. He shook my hand and then turned to look at Ellie. “Ellie, how are you feeling?”
Ellie shot him the dirtiest look. “I’m in pain—a lot of pain. I want an epidural—like yesterday.”
Pete laughed as he began to examine Ellie, and then he quickly looked over at me.
“Ugh!” Ellie called out as she grabbed on to the sheets and threw her head back.
I knew by the look in Pete’s eyes that Ellie wasn’t going to get an epidural.
“Um…if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to use the restroom,” I said as I started to make my way out of the room.
He quickly stood up in front of me and laughed. “Oh no.” He leaned in and said quietly, “You bastard, you are not leaving me alone to tell her.”
“Damn it, come on, Pete. We’ve become good friends. Do a guy a favor. I’ve invited you to my house on numerous occasions. You know how strong these pregnant women are. She’s not going to take it out on you. It’s going to be me who will pay for this!” I whispered.
“What in the hell are you two whispering about over there? I want this baby out! It feels like he’s coming out!” Ellie yelled.
Pete grabbed me and pushed me over toward the nurse. “Get him ready.”