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“I’m okay, Blue.”
“You’re beautiful,” he responds.
I don’t want it to, but eventually the outside world begins to filter in. Slowly, the noise around us intrudes. I find myself blushing because I can feel people looking at us. I panic, afraid of Adam seeing us and putting two and two together when Blue kissed my stomach. When I find him, though, he’s just playing. He’s not even looking our way.
“You need to get up,” I murmur.
“We’re going to have to tell him, Doe. He’ll be fine, I promise. But it will hurt him if he hears it from someone else. He needs to know first.”
I swallow, realizing he is right. I give him a tight smile. I nod, taking a deep breath. “We can tell him tonight—together.”
“Can we tell him you’re moving in with me?”
My eyes go wide. “How about we take one step at a time?” I suggest.
“So, you’re not saying no?”
“I’m saying no for right now,” I qualify. I can tell he’s not happy, but he nods in acceptance.
All at once, we hear music blaring from the outside speakers. I frown as the sounds of David Bowie’s song Fame gets louder and louder.
“What is this crap?” Jansen mutters across from us. I’m thinking he’s not a Bowie fan. I laugh. I’m pretty sure if it’s not Waylon and Willie with Hank thrown in, Jansen is not interested. He’s old school country in a lot more ways than one.
Blue finally gets up and sits down beside me. I squeal as he picks me up as if I weigh nothing and sits me in his lap.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know what my mother has planned. It could be scary. Just in case, I’m keeping you close,” he laughs, wrapping his arms around me. The kids all come running back. Adam sits down beside Blue, and Blue reaches out and ruffles his hair once more.
“Did you see me, Mom? I rode the pony all by myself. Blue said I picked it up faster than anyone he’d ever seen ride.”
“I saw, kiddo. You did awesome.”
“Blue is going to teach me how to cinch my own saddle and everything. If I learn how to ride, I can ride the fences with him.”
“He did?” I look at Blue and he just grins at me.
“I need a good cowboy to help me around the place,” he responds with a shrug.
“Yeah, Mom. He needs me, don’t you Blue?”
“I sure do, buddy,” he says, and I close my eyes. The walls are closing in on me. Honestly, I’m not sure I care anymore. I want to be with Blue. I’m tired of fighting.
“You okay, Mom?”
I look at my son, who is the best thing I’ve ever done in this life. I love him with everything inside of me. “I’m good, sweetheart.”
“May I have your attention, please,” Ida Sue says through a microphone, the music still going but quieter. It must also be on a loop because it has started playing again. There’s also a red carpet rolled down in front of this makeshift frame that has big red curtains hanging down it. “I have an important announcement!”
“You’re getting married again!” Cyan yells.
“Shush your mouth. Once was enough. Jan and I are going to leave marriage up to you young people.”
“You’ll marry me again if I say so, Lovey,” Jansen growls.
“Jan—”
“Admit it, woman.”
“I will, damn it. Now, will you hush? You’re ruining the surprise.”
“Good girl,” he croons, making the rest of us laugh.
“As I was saying,” Ida Sue continues, clearly annoyed. “A few months ago, my beautiful Hamburger had a photo shoot.”
The men all start growling, none louder than Jansen.
“Now stop it you yahoos! You’ve been zero help but despite that sad fact, Hamburger and his best friend Gladys have defied the odds!”
“Hamburger and Gladys are getting married?” Cyan asks, sounding as confused as the rest of us.
“Cyan, for a man who has spent a lifetime running away from the M word, you sure got it on your mind a whole lot,” Maggie yells.
“As long as he keeps his thoughts to himself,” Mary joins in. “I don’t want to catch that M word.”
“Now, there’s a girl after my own heart,” Slater yells out, and he’s eyeing Mary very close. Green must have picked up on it because he elbows Slater in the side and causes him to fall on his ass since he was leaned back in his chair at the time.
“Stay away from my sister, asshole,” Green growls.
“Don’t worry, Green. I don’t mess around with losers,” Mary answers. There’s a bunch of whistles and deep sounding “ohs” in the crowd. As I look at Slater, I can see there’s something going on between them, but I’m not going to tell Green.
“I’m ignoring you all! Now, may I present the stars of the newest Hollywood animated movie, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’!” Ida Sue announces and that does make everyone go quiet. “Hamburger and Gladys!”
