Cowboy Up(50)

A noise comes over the line that makes me pause in pulling off my leggings. “I like hearin’ you refer to them as family.”

“Well, they are your family, Clayton. What else would I call them?” I laugh awkwardly.

“And seein’ as we’re buildin’ our future, they’re yours too, Linney.”

“Clayton.” I gulp.

“Don’t go sayin’ my name like that when I’m too far away to do somethin’ about it. One day soon, we’re gonna sit down and talk so you know exactly what I see for us down the road and I can make sure you don’t have any doubts as to where I’m standin’. Get ready, baby, I’ll be home soon.”

He hangs up before I can say anything else, but since he’s rendered me speechless, that’s just fine with me. I’m not stupid: I know he wouldn’t have moved me into his home if he didn’t see a future for us, but knowing how his last relationship ended, I worry he might not want the same things for his life as I do for mine—a family. There isn’t much in this world that would make me willingly give up what I have with Clayton Davis, but the fact that he doesn’t want kids might just be one of them. Which is the very reason I’ve been dreading the moment he wanted to have this talk.

What will I do if he only changes how he feels about marriage but not children? Can I stay with a man who can only give me his love but not his babies? I’m honestly not sure.





15


CAROLINE


“Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton



“Would you stop?” Quinn snaps, yanking her husband’s plate back toward her so she can continue to pick off it, having already polished off her food. “Do you want to be the reason your child starves, Starch?”

He smirks, his handsome face more boyish than those of the other men at our table. If I wasn’t already tumbling head over heels for a certain dark cowboy, I might find Tate Montgomery attractive. He shrugs and I hear Leighton snicker from across the round table. My gaze moves to her and she winks before mouthing something about waiting for it. I frown in confusion before she points to the two Montgomerys.

“Grease, there’s no way my baby is starvin’ in there,” he jokes, pointing to her very big stomach. I know he meant it harmlessly, but judging by the expression on Quinn’s beautiful face, she doesn’t feel the same way. “Now, don’t go lookin’ at me like that, Quinn. You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh really?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest, which is no easy feat, seeing as she’s top-heavy and belly-heavy.

“You know I love your body,” Tate tells her sincerely, but she doesn’t stop leveling him with a glare.

“You mean the body that keeps growin’ as big as a house, keepin’ your baby from starvin’ because I’m storin’ food in there for him, or somethin’?”

Tate looks up at the ceiling and I hear Leighton chuckle a little louder.

“Give it a break, Hell-raiser,” Maverick mumbles around a forkful of barbecue. “You know damn well he didn’t mean what you’re implyin’. Just because you’re in a shit mood, don’t take it out on your man.”

“He’s the one who put me in jail!”

This time, Leighton doesn’t keep her hilarity down. She starts laughing so hard, I can’t stop watching her belly with worry that she’s shaking her baby up in there. Surely it’s not good for it to move that much. “He didn’t put you in jail, Q! Don’t be such a drama queen.”

Quinn turns her narrowed eyes at Leighton. “You aren’t the one stuck talkin’ to herself while her husband is off playin’ inside other women’s vaginas.”

My eyes widen and I feel my cheeks heat as heads start turning in our direction. Maverick has his fork frozen halfway to his mouth, staring at his sister in shock. Leigh is hooting even harder now. Tate, having clearly heard this many times, just looks down at his plate with a smirk. When I look up at Clayton, he’s wearing the same expression as his brother.

I try to ignore the stares as Quinn continues to grumble about her vagina-poking husband, but it’s almost impossible when it feels like the whole place can’t take their eyes off our table. I’m used to the curious looks when I’m out with Clayton or even the girls, but they’re never as bad as when all six of us are together. When you factor in Quinn’s shameless way of saying whatever is on her mind, it really does feel like we’re on display.

“You get used to it,” Maverick grumbles, and I look to my right to see him studying me with understanding. “Took me a while when I got back to Pine Oak. I forgot what it was like to live in a town where everyone treated other people’s lives like a soap opera.”