Page 63 of Cowboy

Not for much longer, I want to remind them again, but it’s like banging my head on this steering wheel my hands have white-knuckled. It’s not going to make the car move faster, or the reality of my situation seep into their brains any better. And it’s definitely not going to make them more sympathetic.

“Mother, Dad. I’m not in love with Shelton. I’m in love with—”

“Love,” my mother trills again. “What does love have to do with anything? Come home, Scarlett. You can go to marriage counseling and rectify what you’ve done with your husband.”

I’m so angry I can’t find the tears I should be crying over their accusations and their disappointment, but with the pain shooting up my spine and the trickle of something between my thighs, I’ve had enough.

“I’m sorry you can’t listen to me. I’m sorry you can’t hear what I’m saying, and I’m sorry you’ll miss out on a grandchild. I’m your daughter.” I feel the need to remind them.

“But Shel—”

“Goodbye, Mother. Dad.”

I’m not exactly certain where I am, but I pull to the side of the road and rest my head against the steering wheel. Rubbing a hand at the left side of my belly, I grit my teeth against the pain. I’m so angry I can hardly breathe, and again, I wait for tears that do not appear for them—my parents. I’m forty-two years old, and I’ve just had the epiphany of a lifetime. I’ll never be who they want. I’ll never conform to their desires for me. And they’ll never know the incredible gift I’m about to bring into the world because I don’t need that kind of toxicity around my child.

“Come on, Sprout. Be good for Mommy.” At my words spoken aloud, along with the future label, I burst into tears for an entirely different reason. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

With shaky fingers, I dial Bull’s number, waiting for it to ring through the Bluetooth. My belly contracts again hard, and I let out a hissing groan as Bull answers his phone. Before he speaks, I do.

“Oh God, Bull. It hurts so much.”

21

Bathwater Confessions

Bull

“Scarlett, where are you?”

The agonizing sound in her voice rips me in two as I stand outside the dairy barn. She should have stayed home to rest, but she was so persuasive, kissing me one more time every step to the door before I left this morning. She had the day off, and I’d have liked nothing more than to crawl back into bed with her, but the cows called.

Just going to do some personal retail therapy today. I didn’t question what that meant as she distracted me with cock-hardening kisses.

“I’m somewhere outside Burlington.” Her voice strains as the sound of her teeth gnashing fills the phone.

“Burlington?” I hiss. My heart races as Blade steps outside.

“What’s wrong?” he mouths, but I shake my head, swiping fingers into my hair. She’s almost an hour away.

“Scarlett?” Her sudden silence unnerves me.

“It really hurts, Bull.” Tears fill her voice.

“Sweetheart, please. Get to a hospital or an urgent care. Drop a pin on your phone, and I’ll find you. I’m on my way.” With the location finder, I should be able to track where she’s at as I’m already jogging to my truck. Stepping into it, I start the engine, and the phone clicks over to Bluetooth for hands-free driving.

“Sweetheart? Honey, talk to me. Tell me what happened.” As Scarlett explains the situation with her parents, irritation fills her voice, and the rising anger concerns me. I can hear her gritting her teeth through the pain.

“Never mind. Don’t think about them. Get to the urgent care.” I can’t search my phone to help her find a location near her while I’m driving, so I pull over for a minute. Finally giving her an address, I demand she go there and pull back on the road. “Just stay on the line with me until you arrive at the medical center. We don’t need to talk.”

As I drive too fast down the backroads, I will myself not to think the thoughts wanting time in my head. I will not allow my thoughts to go to the negative place where dreams are lost.

“You’re going to be okay,” I assure her as she grunts again. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”

Scarlett hisses, and I hear a blinker through the phone.

“I’m here,” she whimpers, indicating the immediate care facility. The pain in her voice is so raw my insides split, and I continue my white-knuckle driving.

“I’m on my way, sweetheart.”