Page 69 of Kicking Up Dust

“I love the idea of naming her Hope,” I tell him when he pulls back.

He lights up in surprise, smiling with his dimples on display. “Really?”

He’s so incredibly easy to make happy, to love. I just hope he thinks the same about me.

“Yeah, baby. Really.”

Colt kisses me again and this time, it’s not gentle.

I’d riled him up a bit earlier with my finger-tracing and he’s cashing in on it.

THIRTY-SIX

BLAIR

30 Weeks

Baby is the size of a hoof rasp

“Step,” Colt’s quiet, gentle voice says as he slowly guides me up the stairs. I think we’re at the Big House but with his hand over my eyes, it’s hard to tell. “Step.”

“How many steps total?” I ask to prevent him from having to continue to say it.

“Two more.”

I shuffle from the stairs to the door, where his arm leaves my waist to push it open, and air conditioning rushes out. There’s a quiet but urgent shushing sound as Colt leads me deeper into the room and I’m almost positive that I was right about our location when he turns me toward the right.

Try as he might to whisper, I can hear his lips forming the “three, two, one” countdown that precedes his hand moving from my eyes. I blink in the light, trying to get my eyes to adjust, but the moment I do, they’re just getting blurry again as they fill with tears.

“Surprise!”

Chelsey and Stephanie rush me, wrapping me up in over-excited hugs that I’m too shocked to return.

“You look so good, Blair!” Stephanie says, pushing back my hair in the mothering way she always had.

“Literally glowing,” Chelsey agrees.

“How are you guys here?” I ask, eyes flicking around the room as I notice that everyone is here. All of the Whittakers, Tyler, Theo, Callie, Austin… even a few of the ranch hands. And Stephanie and Chelsey.

“Your baby daddy flew us out for your shower,” Chelsey explains with over-exaggerated waggling brows that I’d normally laugh at, but I’m too busy seeking out Colt. Luckily, he hadn’t stepped very far away and was just leaning against the wall with crossed arms and a huge grin that softens when he sees I’m crying.

“Come here, mama,” he says, reaching for me.

I ignore my friends’ coos as I step into his arms and hide my face against his chest. His lips press against my hair.

“Happy tears?” he whispers.

“Yeah.” My voice breaks and honestly, what a ridiculous overreaction, but this is probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I’ve said that a lot recently, but Colt just keeps outdoing himself. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, pretty girl. Thought you knew that by now.”

I laugh against his chest, pulling away to wipe my tears as I look around the room again. June’s also misty-eyed, so I don’t feel so ridiculous anymore. For the first time, I see the decorations. Everything is so pink and perfect, with a little cowgirl theme that’s not too over the top.

“Thank you all,” I say with a sniffle, wiping my eyes again. I’m starting to get better with my shyness, especially around the Whittakers, but being the center of attention has never been my forte.

“Don’t thank us yet, you haven’t seen the gifts. They might suck,” Jameson says, making me and everyone else chuckle. It’s the bit of levity the situation clearly needed as I hug my friends again and then let Colt lead me to the rocking chair set off to the side by a pile of presents.

Callie comes over and looks at me with wide, hopeful eyes—the four-year-old’s way of asking if she could touch my bump since Theo had chastised her last time she just went grabbing for it. I nod at her, knowing she won’t use her voice with me. She really only talks to her father, Kenny, and sometimes June.