1
BUCK
“I can’t believeMolly is having her baby before me,” Ellie muttered, pouring one of those little cups of creamer into her coffee.
The plan we’d made for this morning was to meet her and Trig at the Sip N’ Serv for breakfast… if she didn’t go into labor. I walked in and easily found them. Ellie’s belly was so big these days she couldn’t fit in a booth, so a chair was pulled up and she sat at the end. Trig was on one side, I settled in across from him.
Trig reached out and stroked his wife’s hair. Shewas in one of his flannels, which worked perfectly as a maternity top, black leggings, and boots.
They’d gotten here ahead of me, so they’d already been served coffee and placed their orders. I’d been up since five, already finished up my morning chores, mucking stalls, refilling hay nets and offering fresh water alongside the ranch’s three employees. With over three thousand acres, there was always something to do. On the way into town, I’d planned to drop off the snowblower we kept in the stable at Shep’s shop to get serviced, but that would’ve made me even further behind, especially since I got stuck behind a snow plow on the county road. It didn’t matter anyway; Shep was waiting at the hospital with Ma and Pops.
Last night, Colt had sent a group text to everyone that Molly had gone into labor, but since it was their first child and it had been ten-thirty, we should skip waiting at the hospital until morning. I was sure Ma and Pops didn’t sleep a wink and were probably wearing a path in the carpet in the waiting room waiting for their first grandchild to arrive.
Like Ellie had said, everyone expected it to be her who popped first because she was due a month ahead of Molly.
We’d gotten two updates from Colt since. Fivecentimeters dilated. Then eight centimeters dilated and the baby’d probably come in a few hours. The three of us were killing time eating before we went to the hospital to join everyone.
I set my hat in the booth beside me and shucked off my leather gloves. January was fucking freezing and official winter had just started. There was so much snow, I doubted it’d all melt before May.
The diner was warm, the windows that faced the parking lot had condensation on the inside from the humidity. The scent of grilled onions, bacon, and coffee filled the air.
“It’s gonna happen, sugar,” Trig said, then grinned. “My boy’s just happy where he is. You know how much I like being inside you.”
Ellie’s eyes widened and she blushed like crazy. Reaching out, she slapped her husband on the arm. “I can’t believe you said that!”
He shrugged. “What? It’s not like anyone can miss the fact that we have sex.”
When all of us Wilder boys had been single, we’d shared details about our conquests. Trig had been a rodeo star and he’d talked about the buckle bunnies he’d had fun with back in the day. But I didn’t want to hear about him having sex with his wife, even if he was right.
The main reason? I wasn’t getting any and I was fucking jealous.
The second reason? He’d done the one thing I wanted to do and had yet to accomplish. Fuck a woman bare, fuck her nice and deep and get my seed in her and breed her. Make a slew of babies.
The idea of seeingmy womanswollen with my child made me shift in my seat.
Fuck, I wanted that.
“She’s not due for another three weeks and I’m a week late!” Ellie moaned. “I need this baby out of me,now.”
It was possible her head was going to spin off her shoulders like she was possessed.
I felt for her. I did. Obviously, I had no idea what it was like to make a human and carry it around inside you like a fucking bowling ball, but I could only imagine how frustrating it was when all she and Trig wanted to do was meet their baby.
“I hear spicy food helps,” I offered, knowing that wasn’t really all that helpful.
Ellie looked at me and at first I worried she might rip my head off for sticking my opinion in where it wasn’t wanted. But she looked down at the menu and said in her usual calm, sweet voice onceagain, “Maybe I can get a side of jalapeno slices for my omelet. That actually sounds really good.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could find Mabel, the woman who owned, ran, and waitressed the diner. If Ellie wanted jalapeno slices,thisI could make happen.
Instead of Mabel, the sixty-something woman working her way down the line of booths with a coffee pot in hand as I expected, it was someone else.
A woman. Younger. Alotyounger. And fucking gorgeous. Mid-to-late twenties with auburn hair was in a long braid down her back, but it was thick and curls had come loose to frame her heart shaped face. She wasn’t looking this way, but smiling at someone a few booths down. Her lips were full and wide. So were her hips and those tits… fuck, I wanted to be smothered to death in those plump pillows. Her simple outfit of jeans and a black diner t-shirt couldn’t diminish just how perfect she was.
And she was coming closer, although she looked rushed. Stop, pour coffee, smile, move on. Stop, pour coffee, smile, move on. The closer she got, the more I saw what I liked.
It took maybe thirty seconds for her to get to our table and I stared the whole way.
“Your meals should be ready real soon,” she said to Ellie and Trig.
