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Her belly kicks me in the stomach, causing me and Dakota to freeze. We laugh, and I surf my hand beneath the covers, resting it on her bump. “Squish’s got the timing down pat.”
She feels her ribs, stroking her palm over the moon of her belly. Softness is etched across her pretty face. “Hmm. Squish is killing my lower intestine.”
“Be good to your mama,” I tell her belly. After a second of hesitation, I give in, pressing a soft kiss to her stomach.
I feel the hitch of her breath, and her hand lands in my hair, her graceful fingers dragging over my scalp.
The pain of knowing Dakota’s pregnant with another man’s child has slowly ebbed. Whatever happens, I’ll be in her child’s life. She and her baby aren’t alone anymore. They have me. It’s that easy.
But I can’t lose sight of what’s on the line. Their safety. Her ex is still out there, and I can’t afford distractions. I need to be operating at 100 percent. Even if the distraction is gorgeous as hell.
I kiss the freckle on her lip and sit up.
“I need to go see about the ranch,” I say, grabbing my clothes off the corner chair. “Check in with my brothers.”
“I can help with chores.” Dakota sits up in bed, and the sight of her smile renders me motionless. She looks stronger, happier than on the day I picked her up at that motel.
Pride flares inside me. My girl. My goddamn girl.
I run a hand up her shoulder and through all that dark silky hair. “I want you to rest.”
She fingers the dog tag around her neck. A teasing smile tugs at her lips. “What if I need you?”
“Baby, you press that button and you’re going to give me a one-way ticket to a heart attack.” I slip my shirt over my head, grab my CB radio. She’s still staring at me with those dark, stubborn eyes. “You want to help, feed Keena. Take her for a walk.”
She laughs, rolls her eyes. “Oh, sure. Give me the fun job.”
I plant one last kiss on her lips before dragging myself away from her.
This woman’s a distraction, interrupting all my best laid plans.
And I fucking love it.
On my way out, I lock the lodge and straighten up on the front porch. It finally looks like spring. The low-hanging gray clouds that loomed over the ranch are gone. Chased away by bold, bright sunshine. I take a breath and get to work.
Two hours later, after checking in on my dogs and running them through a series of training exercises, I make a stop at Charlie’s cabin.
“Well, look who rejoined the land of the living,” Charlie says, glancing up from his cup of coffee and running his eyes over me.
Ford, sitting at the counter, snorts, ignoring me in favor of the beer in front of him.
“Coffee,” I demand as step I inside and glare at Charlie.
I’m not in the mood for an asshole pile-on session from my brothers.
“Hi, Davis.”
At the bright chirp of a voice, I halt in my boots and look down, about two seconds away from barreling over Ruby, who sits cross-legged on the floor. Three mewling kittens crawl across her lap. What the hell do they plan to do with three kittens? Strike that. There are four. Another one claws at the front of Charlie’s shirt. He looks big and awkward holding the small bundle of fur.
I smirk at Charlie as he passes it down to his wife.
He jabs a finger at me. “Not a word.”
My brother’s a goddamn sucker. But for once in a damn long time, I understand. I think of the stuffed bears I’ve been buying for Dakota’s baby. I don’t have a fucking chance.
“You want one?” Ruby asks. The kittens sound like slowly deflating balloons with their imploring squeals. “They need homes.”
I grin. “Keena would love her.”
