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“Hell no. We hardly even do that anymore. As a matter of fact, the other night we went out and left at ten, both of us exhausted. We simply wanted to be home with each other.”
A small part of me ached with jealousy. It must be nice sharing your life with someone in that way. Just to sit on the sofa each night, watching a movie together. A part of me deep inside longed for it, but I wasn’t ready to admit why I had never searched for it. For now, I’d have to be content with Rus. He was my partner in crime.
“How is Lisa feeling about the baby?” I asked.
“She’s over-the-moon happy but worried I’m not happy. I haven’t actually been over the moon, dick move on my part, I guess. I’ve just been worried.”
I nodded, then reached down and started to rub my dog on the head. His tail hit the wood deck in approval.
“Have you sent her flowers or anything?”
Paul looked at me once more, his brows pulled in tight. “Flowers?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe just send her some flowers that tell her you’re excited about starting this new journey together and you can’t wait to see what an amazing mother she’ll be. Some shit like that.”
When he didn’t say anything, I looked at him. “What?”
“Since when did you become so knowledgeable on women and flowers and shit like that?”
I chuckled and took another drink of my beer. “Who the hell knows.”
Roger came walking up to us, reached down, and rubbed Rus on the belly. “When are the strippers getting here, dude?”
Paul laughed and stood as he clapped Roger on the back. “Sorry, buddy, no strippers at this party.”
As Paul walked away, Roger tossed up his hands and shouted as he followed Paul, “No fucking strippers? What kind of pussy-ass bachelor party is this!”
I looked out over the water and stared at the clouds reflecting off it. It was a beautiful fall day. A sense of melancholy moved over me and I closed my eyes. I tried not to think about what she was doing, or where she was, but those beautiful coffee-brown eyes popped into my head and I couldn’t help but smile.
Saryn
MY MOTHER SET the plate of pancakes down in the middle of the table. Ryan and my father were the first to dig in. I picked up Liliana’s plate and put a pancake on it, then cut it up into slices for her. I poured the syrup into a bowl and set them both in front of her. She loved to dip her pancakes into the syrup and eat it that way. It had driven her father mad when she did it. He had wanted me to force her to eat them with a fork.
One more reason I was glad I had left him.
“Did you happen to check on that mare this morning, Ryan?” Daddy asked.
“Yes, sir, I did. She isn’t ready to foal yet, but I think we’re getting close.” My brother looked at Liliana. “Liliana, are you ready to see a baby horse?”
“Yes!” she cried out in delight. “Can we see her now, pwease?”
Ryan chuckled. “She isn’t born yet, princess. Soon, though.”
I loved watching my brother with my daughter and wished he would find a girl to settle down with and have a family. He’d make such an amazing father. Truitt would make a great father, too.
I nearly gasped when I realized what I had just been thinking about.
“What if it’s a little boy horse, Liliana?” Momma asked.
Liliana smiled and her little blue eyes sparked with excitement. “We can name it Twuitt!”
I jerked my head over and attempted not to look like I hadn’t just been thinking of said man. My father groaned next to me as I waited for what he was going to say.
“Lord, the girl is obsessed with that man. She’s going to make me gray, I can see it now.”
“I’m still shocked by how open and affectionate she is with him. He’s so good with her and patient,” I stated.
“I think it’s from working around kids,” Ryan stated matter-of-factly. “I mean, look at his job. Kids are what keeps the man in business.”
“No,” I said, glaring at my mother. “It’s grandparents who want to spoil their grandkids who keep the man in business.”
She huffed. “Please, like it’s only the grandparents who are paying. Plenty of parents are spoiling their own kids.”
Ryan pointed to our mother. “Yeah, but they don’t have a busybody mother trying to fix them up with the builder of said playhouse.”
“Oh, son, you took it too far with the name calling,” Daddy said as my mother shot daggers at Ryan.
“If you prefer me to move my attention to you, dear son, I’m more than happy to fix you up on a few blind dates,” Momma said. “A number of women in my book club have single daughters.”
