The Throwbacks: A Compilation Of Four Complete Dark Psychological Romance Novellas(22)

I was learning so much here, like how to make candles and soap, who knew that stuff could me so much fun? Carter had taught Rex how to accept me and now he just follows me around when I go outside instead of growling and carrying on, he was just a big old softie.

Carter taught me how to make the soda bread his mama used to make and we had fun with that and a whole lot of other things his mama had taught him when he was just a little boy. My mom never taught me shit but how to be mean and to hate men.

The first morning I woke up and found jeans and the softest cashmere sweater thrown over the old rocker in the bedroom with new riding boots and a kickass shearling jacket I almost had a heart attack.

I ran into the kitchen where he was getting the coffee ready, sure I made a sight but I didn’t care. “I’m not going back, you can’t make me.” I was already in tears and my little fists were clenched so tight I thought they would break.

“What is it Angel, did you have a bad dream?” He turned and came to me, taking me in his arms but I was mad as hell. I pounded his chest and yelled at him until he grabbed both my hands and held them in one of his.

“Stop that before you hurt yourself. Now tell me darling, what’s wrong?”

“Why are you making me leave?” I hiccupped and bawled like an infant.

“What are you talking about? You’re not going anywhere.” I took his hand and dragged him down the hall to our bedroom and pointed to the clothes.

“Then what’s that?”

“Well, it’s a bit chilly in the house and you like the fire more than the gas heat and I don’t want you catching your death of cold so I figured you should have something on other than socks. See, I’m wearing my sweats too.”

I finally calmed down when I saw the truth of his words. He didn’t laugh or make fun of the fact that I was crying to stay when only a few weeks ago I’d been begging to leave. He just took my hand and led me back to the kitchen.

“Sit, breakfast will be ready soon. I think Samson that old reprobate bred five heifers. Only two didn’t catch but that’s okay, he’ll get them next time.”

“That’s great. T how many babies does a cow have?”

“Well now that depends. Most only have one calf at a time, but every once in a while you might find one who’d have two or maybe three.”

“Oh okay. And how long is a cow pregnant for?”

“About the same amount of time as a woman give or take, forty weeks or so. I was just thinking if you caught our day in the barn then our baby should be coming just about the same time as that last one we saw bred.”

My face went up in flames. He says stuff like that so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I don’t think I’m pregnant.” And why did that make me feel sad instead of overjoyed? I hadn’t given my old life a second thought in days, weeks even and for some reason the thought of going back scared me.

“I was going to take care of that after breakfast.” He dropped a box in front of me on the table and I saw that it was a pregnancy test. My heart felt sick and I realized it was the thought of disappointing him that was making me feel this way.

“What if I’m not?” My voice was low and sad. “Well then we’ll just have to try until you are.” I smiled and drank the warm milk he put in front of me.





Carter Nine Months Later

“I’m not going.”

“Yes, you are and that’s final Macy.”

“We’ll see about that. I’m not going to no hospital for no doctor to paw at me. Old Mrs. Samuels says she knows how to do it. She already gave me her number and we’re supposed to call when the time comes.

“You are going to the hospital where they have all them machines and such in case something goes wrong.”

“It’s my body and I say I’m not going.” She’s a feisty little pain in the ass. “If you didn’t rival my cow for size I’d tan your ass for sassing me.” That hand went to her hip and that finger got to wagging in my face. “Try it. Remember what happened the last time you found yourself spanking me?”

“Yeah, you almost fucked my dick raw.” Her face went red as a cherry. “Not that, I brained you with the skillet remember?”

“And if I recall that got you another ass whupping.” She’s so cute when she gets all fired up I just wanna grab her up and kiss her until she’s my soft little Angel again.

We’d been having this same argument for the past week and I aim to win it. First of all I made the biggest mistake of my life when I took her into town with me a few months ago.

Miss Friendly had to smile and talk to everybody we met. Now every time I turn around one of their meddling asses is sniffing around my place. No matter how I grumble and complain she just pats me on the head and does as she please anyhow.

I put a stop to that right quick though. I let her see just how those people really are and I ain’t ashamed of it either. One day while we were picking up some butter pecan ice cream which she’s taken to eating by the gallon, I saw that little fast miss who almost undressed me in the can food aisle.

I knew damn good and well Macy was heading back my way but when that girl got to telling me what all she wanted to do with me, I didn’t stop her.

If Macy wasn’t already breeding I would’ve let her scalp her the way she wanted when she walked up and heard the colorful things she had planned for my dick. But all I did was grab her up and drag her back home.

Now she’s not too keen on friends coming out here and we go into town maybe once a month same as I always did. She still waves and says hello but she’s not on the friend seeking circuit no more.

She got on the computer one day and did her own research. I guess I shouldn’t have sold her so much on the old way of doing things because now all I hear about is midwives this and midwives that. That’s where we part company.

“You’re being a hypocrite T.” I don’t care what she says her ass is going to the general hospital and having that baby.

I let her rant and rave and have her fit until she got on my damn nerves and I had to bend her over one of the stalls and fuck her quiet.

“Now go take your nap and behave.” She turned up here nose at me but wobbled her ass back to the house. I was busy trying to get the place ready for when the baby came and trying not to scare myself half to death with all the stuff I was reading about birthing.

The town’s people were good for one thing though. When that trollop that I’d dispatched to hell’s daddy came looking for her after all this time they convinced him she’d run off with the no count pansy man she had in my bed.

Because he’d apparently forbid her to see the boy because he wasn’t rich, he believed it and left me the hell alone. Not that I was scared, hogs don’t leave anything but the teeth and I got rid of those a long time ago.

She was baking bread when I went in a few hours later. I stood in the doorway and watched her kneading dough, her little round belly sticking out in front, flour on her cheeks and the heat from the oven making the hair around her face stick to her skin. I guess I was the overgrown horse’s ass she was cussing to herself.

I rolled my eyes at her language and walked over to put my arms around her from behind. “I’m scared baby.” She stopped and turned to look up at me. “Of what T?”

“Of something happening to you. That old lady is a hundred if she’s a day I don’t trust her to take care of you. I only saw where there’s three people in the last year that she helped with a birthing, the hospital do that many a day.”

She ran her hands up and down my chest soothingly. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I talked to one of the women she delivered and she had nothing but good things to say.” I brushed the hair back from her face and looked down at her.

So much has changed since that day she thought I was sending her away. We’d gone into town and got hitched, that’s what started the friend brigade come to think of it.

She had the freedom to go anywhere she liked, as long as I was with her of course, and she even knew where the keys to the truck were. I don’t think she’d driven it more than once.

I still wasn’t ready to let her go into town on her own, but not because I thought she’d keep driving, but because I didn’t trust anyone period. “You know I can’t give you what you want right? I don’t know that woman and I don’t trust her to take care of you and the baby. When the time comes I’m taking you to the hospital where they can take care of you.”

She went back to being spitting mad and I went back to packing her suitcase for when the baby comes which should be any day now. She didn’t say two words to me the rest of the evening but come bed time I reminded her who was boss.

If I weren’t careful she’d take my balls just like half the damn men in the country. Because I like to spoil her she thinks that means she can get over on me, fat chance.

As long as there’s breath in my body I’m gonna see that she’s safe. I can buy her all the nonsense her little heart desires no problem, but when it comes to her care there’s no question she’ll do as I say.

And that’s how our twins came to be born at the hospital with that damn old woman attending her, and the doctor on the sidelines just in case.