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“You did it to yourself. Hope she was worth it,” I add, knowing his schedule is full of horseback riding today.
“Totally worth it,” he says, rolling over onto his side, dismissing me with his middle finger.
After I place the lid on my coffee, I grab my cowboy hat and walk out shaking my head, trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. River is moving to Texas. She’s having my baby and going to be living here. Holy shit. I have a lot of things to figure out in just a few weeks.
Cranking the truck, I let it warm up before I drive across the property to go check in with Dad. The man never sleeps, and I’m sure he’s up drinking coffee already.
As soon as my parents' house comes into view, my nerves get the best of me. Today, I’m going to have to drop the bomb on them about River and the baby. Dad won’t say much—I can read him like a map—but Mama will be a different story. Thinking about her reaction makes my stomach twist because it will either be really good or really bad.
I turn off the engine of the truck, and as I walk to the porch, I look up at the sky and can still see stars. The Milky Way is almost as bright as the moonlight, and I smile thinking about all the stars I wished upon over the past three months. Somehow, I roped the moon and got my girl.
Pulling my keys out of my pocket, I insert the right one into the door and swing it open. Just as I suspected, Dad is already up drinking his morning coffee. As soon as he sees me, he checks his watch, confused to see me at this early hour.
“Mornin’, Dad.”
He looks up at me. “You’re up early today.”
“Yes, sir. Couldn’t sleep, so thought I’d get started a little earlier than usual if that’s okay.”
Sipping his coffee, he nods. “It’s never too early to work.”
Somehow, I knew he’d say that. I grab the keys to the work truck off the hook by the door and give Dad a quick wave. Before I completely walk away, I turn around.
“Dad, can we do lunch today, around twelve?”
Tilting his head, he narrows his eyes at me. I know it’s a little out of my norm, but this needs to be talked about today, and I won’t be able to relax until they both know what’s happening.
“Everything okay?” he asks, curiosity in his tone.
“Life is grand, Dad.”
“Sure. Twelve it is. I’ll tell your mother to prepare somethin’ good considering hell has frozen over outside.” I smile, knowing that this weather is definitely something Southerners aren’t accustomed to.
After I walk out, I’m able to breathe just a little easier, but I’m still a nervous wreck. Mama’s always wanted grandkids, though. Luckily, my sister, Courtney, broke the ice with her pregnancy announcement not too long ago; however, my situation is a little less traditional. Nevertheless, Mama will have to get used to it because what’s done is done. I’ll need to think and plan what I’m going to tell them exactly; fortunately, I have a few hours to think about it.
To keep my mind busy, I get started with the day. I’d usually wait for Dylan, but I can’t today. The busier I stay, the better.
After the animals are fed and before I head back to the barn to meet Dylan, I call the B&B and leave a message for River at the front desk. I’m sure John will guarantee the message is delivered when he arrives.
Lunch is at 12. I’ll pick you up.
And I can only hope the next eight hours pass by quickly.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
RIVER
For the first time in months, I slept like a baby. The temperature was perfect, and the bed was as soft as clouds. Sleeping late isn’t something I typically do because of my early work shifts, but it was nice to get a few extra hours, especially after traveling.
I lie in bed, the fluffy quilt surrounding my body, and I can’t help but smile. Everything finally feels like it’s going to be okay. I felt uneasy during the plane ride over and wondered if Alex had moved on.
What if I would’ve shown up and he was in a relationship with someone else or was back to his routine of random hookups? Luckily, I had a fallback plan for either scenario. I would’ve told him out of respect, but then left and carried on to raise the baby on my own, expecting nothing in return. I knew I could do it, albeit hard, but I was a strong, educated woman who was resourceful. I’d be ignorant to come all the way down here without some kind of backup plan, but I didn’t need it.
