Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
“Makes sense. I was surprised too when that slowly but surely became the right decision.”
“And you’re sure?”
The bathroom door opens, and Duke emerges. He’s wearing a towel wrapped around his waist and absolutely nothing else.
God, he’s handsome. His wet hair sticks up every which way. His well-muscled torso still glistens—with water, steam, who cares, honestly?—and my eyes follow the happy trail of dark blond hair that arrows downward toward his groin.
I can’t help but smile. “My mom’s here.”
“I can see that.” He gives her a little wave. “Hey, Fran. Gimme a second to get dressed, all right?”
“Sure thing.” Mom puts hand on her face.
“Aw.” I pat her leg. “You’re blushing.”
“Duke is…really something else, Wheeler.”
“I know. That’s why I’m having a baby with him.” I lower my voice. “He’s thoughtful and emotionally intelligent and—”
“A friend.” Mom blinks, her eyes filling. “The way he defended you last night…your father never went to bat for me like that. Ever. He’s too self-involved.”
Swallowing hard, I look down at my hands. “I’m sorry you’re going through what you’re going through, Mom. But I need you to know that I’m not following in your footsteps by committing to this man and having a baby.”
“I know you’re sorry, honey.” She reaches over to tuck my hair behind my ear. “And I know you’re on a different path than mine. Duke is wonderful, Wheeler. Heck.” She scoffs. “I might be in love with him too!”
“I heard that!” Duke shouts. “And I’m very flattered, Fran, but unfortunately I’m taken.”
“Lucky woman!” Mom shouts back, all smiles now. She turns to me. “I mean that, Wheeler. You’re lucky, but so is he. You’re lucky to have such good friends in each other. But I’m your mother, and I’m always going to worry about you. Now I know, though, that I don’t need to worry about you being with someone for the wrong reasons. I can’t let you make the same mistake I did, and as luck would have it, you’re not.”
“Aw, Mom. Thank you for saying that.”
“I know you love it here, but please don’t be a stranger, all right? I didn’t sleep much last night because of…well, everything. But my excitement also kept me up.” She takes my shoulders in her hands. “I’m going to be a freaking grandma, Wheeler!”
“Correction: you’re going to be the best grandma ever.” Duke saunters into the room as he pulls a clean T-shirt over his head. “From what Wheeler tells me, you’re going to be a natural.”
She’s laughing and crying and, shit, so am I.
All this crying. At least it’s happy tears now.
“Y’all be good to each other,” Mom says hoarsely. “But I don’t need to tell you that.”
Duke plops onto the couch beside her. “You got it. Now tell me something, Fran.”
“You name it.”
“Ever seen the Colorado River by ATV before?”
Mom laughs. “I haven’t, no.”
Duke meets my eyes. “How about we go for a little ride? Give grandma-to-be here a lay of the land. Hopefully she’ll be visiting a lot more often.”
Mom’s smile is bigger than I’ve seen it in years. “Only if you visit me in Dallas.”
“You have my word.” Duke holds out his hand.
She takes it. “Congratulations. And thank you for, well, being a cowboy. And for being you. But mostly for being a cowboy. We clearly need more of y’all in this world.”
“Luckily for us, a cowgirl is on the way.” Duke nods at my stomach.
I shake my head. “Cowboy.”
“What do you think, Fran?”
Mom pretends to think for a minute. “It’s a boy.”
Clapping my hands, I laugh. “Told you, Duke!”
“Do y’all have names picked out?”
Duke looks at me. “Not yet.”
“I have some ideas,” I say.
He smiles. “I love them already.”
Mom and I wait in the rocking chairs on the porch while Duke grabs an ATV from the equipment barn. It’s a gorgeous day, warm and sunny, although I can tell it’s going to get steamy this afternoon.
Mom puts her hand on mine on the armrest of my chair. We rock like that, both of us quiet, for several minutes. I watch fat, fuzzy-looking bees zoom across the yard, stopping to rest on the wildflowers that continue to bloom as summer rolls on. The trees rock with us in a refreshing breeze, bending lazily this way and that.
Mom closes her eyes. “I get why you love it here.”
“I really do. I love Dallas too, though. Mollie and me—we’re a little too fancy to stay here all the time.”
Her lips curl into a grin. “A little bit country, a little bit city. You in a nutshell. Duke too, from what it sounds like.”
“We’re good for each other.” I put a hand on my stomach. “I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Mom opens her eyes and looks at me. “You’re going to be a great mom, Wheeler.”
“Aw, thank you.” I wrap my fingers around hers. “I learned from a really good one.”