Once Upon a Baby (Once Upon #3)

Chapter One

Meadow

" C heers to the girls' night out!" I yell, slamming my tequila without a flinch.

The fact that they're going down so easily should be a concern, but I can't be bothered. Tonight was very much needed. Wren, Daphne, and I have been so busy since opening the shop; we really needed a night to unwind. And as much as I love my daughter, I'm going to enjoy my night out while she's away at her brainiac summer camp, as Wren calls it. Every mom needs to let loose every now and then, and I'm no exception. Adding tequila to the mix might not have been the brightest of ideas, but Emerson is a force to be reckoned with and didn't take no for an answer.

"Ooh, I love this song! Let's go!" Emerson tugs Wren's hand and heads for the bar.

Daphne and Wren have been my soul sisters since the moment we met at a tattoo convention years ago, but we're now finally starting to live our dream together. Once Upon a Tattoo is our female-staffed tattoo shop that Wren opened in the small town of Sparrow Falls just a few months ago, and it's doing better than any of us could have imagined.

We've been working ourselves to the bone, hence the reason for our night out. We started out with dinner and shop talk, but quickly moved on to girl talk and fun, with the addition of the Wilson sisters—Emerson, Chayse, and Spencer—whom we became fast friends with upon our move to the small town. Adding them to our small group has been wonderful and made our girls' nights out a lot more interesting.

Turning towards the bar, I can't help but giggle as Maverick hoists a startled Wren onto the bar beside Emerson, who's strutting her stuff like it's her own personal stage. The girl's got moves, and it's not long before she has Wren dancing right along with her. Who knew all it takes to get Wren's wild side to show up is tequila and a pushy mechanic. It doesn't hurt that Brooks is sitting on one of the stools, watching, as Wren weaves a spell over him.

I catcall and holler as my friends seduce their men, loving every second of seeing Wren let loose. When Brooks and Axle, Emerson's husband, scoop the woman off the bar top, I let out a loud whistle and cheer along with the rest of the patrons. Wren's had a shit hand dealt to her. If there's anyone who deserves the hero and a happily-ever-after, it's her.

"I can't believe that just happened." Daphne's cheeks are flushed with embarrassment on behalf of our friend. She's always been the shy, wallflower type, so it's no surprise that she can't imagine being in Wren's shoes right now.

"Eh, that's basically a monthly occurrence for Emerson and Axle." Chayse rolls her eyes. "Even though they're happily married, they still love to push each other's buttons. Pretty sure it's their form of foreplay."

"I don't see anything wrong with that, as long as they are both okay with it." I shrug.

"Oh, they are. They really do love to poke at each other. They're worse than my kindergarteners half the time, I swear." Spencer smiles sweetly. "Speaking of which, I have a classroom that I still need to get ready for the school year, so I think I'm going to call it a night. Thanks so much for inviting us to join you. It was a wonderful time." She stands, Chayse following her lead, and hugs are given.

"I need to head out too. Time to relieve Cash's parents since he decided he needed to come babysit." She scowls across the bar at her husband, who smirks back at her. Seems like Axle and Emerson aren't the only ones who like to push buttons as foreplay.

I giggle.

"Are you ready to go?" Daphne turns to me.

"Umm, would you be upset if I said I wasn't? I'm just too wound up to go home right now. I think I might try and dance some of this energy off, or stay and make a new friend." I smirk as I wiggle my brows, which makes Daphne blush again.

" I can wait for you if you want. " Daphne goes to pull out a book she brought, but I quickly object.

"It's fine, Daph. You can go home."

Relief floods her face, and I can't help but smile at how similar Daphne and River are in their introverted ways.

"I'll drop you off. Maverick can take you home when he's done if you want, Meadow," Spencer offers, which brings a smile to my face.

"That would be perfect. You sure he wouldn't mind? "

"Positive. But we can ask while I say goodbye."

"Yes, please." I hop up out of my chair and grab my purse as Spencer and Daphne get their stuff.

Daph snags Wren's things since Brooks didn't give her a chance to get it before he caveman carried her out of the bar.

When we make it to the bar, Maverick nods in my direction before giving Spencer the most indecent kiss I've ever witnessed in my life. I can't help but fan my face as I watch her melt into a puddle in front of my eyes.

It leaves me wondering if I've ever been kissed like that. I've had my fair share of sexual partners—some great, some not so great—but I don't know if I've ever had any that devoured me the way Maverick does Spencer. It's as if he can't fathom being away from her and simply doesn't give a fuck who sees his need for his wife.

Not only am I filled with energy, but now I'm realizing just how long it's been since I've been with anyone and how needy I am to have a man-made orgasm for the first time in forever. Maybe I'll have to change that tonight, although Maverick's got the protector vibe on lockdown, and I definitely don't think he'd let me leave with a hookup. None of that really matters if I don't have any prospects, and with this being a small town, my options aren't huge.

Scanning the bar, my eyes are immediately pulled to a man sitting on the opposite side of it. I can't make out much, other than the fact that he looks handsome from here and he's sitting all alone.

"Earth to Meadow," Daphne teases, used to losing me to my daydreams.

"Sorry! Are you heading out?"

"I am. Are you sure you want to stay? "

"I'm positive. Let Spencer drop you off at home, and I'll see you tomorrow. Love you, babe."

"Love you, Meadow. Let me know when you get home, ’kay?"

"Will do."

"So, what's your poison, pixie?" Maverick is leaning on the bar, waiting for my order.

"Hmm, I think I've had enough alcohol for the night. How about something bubbly, and fruity but not too sweet?"

"I can do that." He knocks on the bar then gets to work.

"I'm gonna be over there."

Maverick nods, to let me know he heard me, before going back to making my drink.

I make my way around the bar to the stranger sitting all alone. Technically, most in the bar are strangers to me since I've only been in town for a few months, but there's only one who has caught my eye tonight.

Even though it's been years since I lived on the compound with my family, there are still several things I love about growing up in the commune—my clothes being a major one. My style is very bohemian, a lot of my clothes hand made with natural or recycled materials, so my skirt is smooth as it caresses my legs and my crocheted top fits me like a glove, allowing me to forgo a bra. My skirt swishes around my legs, my sandals slapping on the smooth concrete floor as I make my way across the room to the empty chair that's calling my name.

Sitting down beside the handsome man, I finally get a good look at him and love what I see. I can tell he's the quintessential guy next door, with maybe a bit of a nerdy side. His blond hair hides under an MIT baseball hat, and he’s got an open button-up shirt—showing off a gray undershirt—and jeans on. If I had to guess, I'd say he's younger than me but not by much. I can't tell how tall he is since he's sitting down, but I'm sure he's taller than me. What I notice right away is that he's got a sweet smile and kind eyes.

"Hi, I'm Meadow." I reach out my hand and smile as his slides into mine.

"Nice to meet you, Meadow. I'm Colton, but everyone calls me Colt."

"Well, aren't we a pair? Not sure if there's anything a colt loves more than his mama and a meadow." Seriously, Dow? Mom jokes?

Whether he genuinely finds me funny or he just doesn't want to make the situation awkward, I'm relieved when Colton starts to laugh.

"I can't say I know since I've never been around horses, but I can't imagine you're wrong."

"Oh, I love horses. We had the sweetest mare when I was younger. She was so gentle and such a great horse. I could ride her bareback and never have to worry about her throwing me."

"Did you grow up around here?" Colton seems genuinely curious, which makes me smile.

"No, I grew up a few hours from here. My childhood was unconventional, to say the least. I moved here recently to work with my best friend when she opened up her dream shop." Why I leave out the name of the tattoo shop, I'm not sure, but for some reason, I have the urge to keep things vague between us. "What about you?"

"I'm a transplant who just moved here for a job as well."

"Wow. What are the odds? It must be my lucky night to make a new friend," I tease as I lean in and place my hand on Colt's knee .

He turns in his chair, legs spread so that my body is slotted between them.

"Somehow, I feel like I'm the lucky one, Meadow."

The next hour flies by as Colton and I laugh and share stories from our pasts. We touch and flirt to the point that I feel like I'm going to combust. I'm desperate, waiting for him to make a move, but something in my gut tells me he's too much of a gentleman for that to happen. When his beer is empty and he goes to order us another round, I inform him I've switched to non-alcoholic drinks, to make it even clearer that alcohol isn't clouding my judgment, but he still doesn't make a move.

The next time Maverick makes his way to our end of the bar, I take matters into my own hands. "Mav, two shots of tequila and the works."

Maverick cocks his brow at me but brings me the shots. I shoot mine down, then gesture for Colton to go but steal his lemon at the last second. He looks at me questioningly until I pop it into my mouth.

His eyes heat as he drinks his shot and moves towards the lemon still between my teeth. The moment his lips graze mine, I drop the lemon and lock my mouth to his. He hesitates for a second before threading his fingers in my hair. I whimper at the taste of him and the tequila. The kiss is everything I could have hoped for and then some.

When we finally pull apart, both panting as we try to catch our breaths, there's a fire burning in his eyes that matches the one in my core.

"Meet me in the bathroom in a minute," I whisper in his ear then nip it. I hop off my stool and head to the bathroom, where I check the stalls and make sure nobody is around. The bar is almost empty, so I don't worry that anyone will catch what I'm about to do, but honestly, I don't even care.

I'm leaning against the wall when the door slowly opens a few minutes later. Seeing Colton hesitantly peek in, I snatch him by the front of his shirt, pull him through the door, push him against it to close it, then lock it just to be safe.

"We need to be quick if we don't want Maverick to find us."

"He's the bartender, right?"

"Yep. He's my friend's husband, and I've heard he takes his big-brother role very seriously. He's tasked with taking me home tonight, which is why I didn't suggest leaving with you as a possibility."

"Meadow, we don't need to rush anything. We can—"

"Enough talking, and more kissing and touching. I'm aching for you, Colton."

"Holy shit," Colton mumbles in disbelief as I launch myself at him.

Our hands are all over and we're clumsy as fuck, but there's something so perfect about how imperfect being with Colton is. Don't get me wrong, I love my romance books, but I’m also grounded in reality and understand that a ripped giant is not the norm. If anything, I'm a sucker for the "dad bod" type and love that Colton is a little soft in the middle.

Dropping to my knees, I work the buttons of his blue jeans open as I stare up into his icy-blue eyes. I slide his jeans and boxers down, and am pleasantly surprised when I find his thick cock leaking and waiting for my lips. He's not overly big, but he's girthy and hard, and so ready for me to taste.

"Fuck, Meadow." He gasps as I slide down his length, taking him to the back of my throat. His hands thread into my wild curls as I set a fast pace.

I can tell he's trying to hold himself back, but that's not what I want. I want him as wild for me as I am for him. Pulling off his length, I pump him while I lean forward and flick the underside of his head. A bead of pre-cum leaks out, and I eagerly lap it up.

"Meadow, you need to stop before this is over too soon," Colton urges as he pulls me to my feet. He fuses our mouths and guides me towards the sink.

The counter runs the length of the wall and is the perfect height for Colton to sit me on and fuck me senseless. I gasp when his length bumps my center and almost forget the most important equation to this fun-filled night.

"Condom," I mumble in between kisses.

"Fuck. Right." He fumbles to get his wallet out of his jeans as I kiss his neck and stroke his throbbing length.

"Move your skirt, Meadow," he grits out, and I realize that the flowing skirt I love so much is more of a hindrance, so I try and get it out of the way. I can't help but laugh as I curse the damn thing while Colton curses the condom. Relief floods me when I finally bare my pussy to his now covered cock. I’m eager for him to stretch me like I haven't been stretched in what feels like forever.

Of course, Colton's a gentleman and eases into my center, but my need for him isn't having it. Lacing my legs around his back, I use them to help thrust my greedy pussy onto his hard length and cry out when he's fully seated in me.

"Christ, Meadow. You feel fucking amazing. "

"Right back at ya, Colt, but I really need you to move."

"Hold on tight," he grits out as he grasps my legs under my knees and thrusts in hard.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and lean back as he hits that magic spot over and over. I've never had issues with coming during sex, but I'm seconds away from tumbling over the edge, which is fast even for me. My legs quake as my pleasure tightens, building in my core. I'm so close to going off, but I need something more to get me there.

Meeting Colton's eyes, I see his desire matches my own. His need for my pleasure has me falling over the edge as a scream falls from my lips, which he quickly silences with his mouth. Colton's hips piston faster as his release follows mine and he fills the condom. Aftershocks rock my body as Colt's thrusts slow.

He leans his weight onto me as he catches his breath. "That was…"

"Fan-fucking-tastic," I finish for Colt with a sedated smile.

"It really was, Meadow. I—"

Knock, knock, knock.

"Fun's over, Meadow. Make sure you clean up my bathroom," Maverick hollers from the hallway.

Colton's face goes beat red as I smother my giggles with a hand. He slowly pulls out and takes care of the condom while I rearrange my underwear and skirt. Hopping off the counter, I grab a paper towel from the wall, wet it, then use some soap from the sink and wipe everything down. I'm sure Maverick was teasing, but I respect him and his establishment enough to clean up after myself.

"So, umm, I don't really ever do anything like this," Colton bumbles his words as he runs a hand through his hair. Him realizing his hat is missing is the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I see it lying on the floor under the sink, so I scoop it up as I make my way back towards him. "Me neither. Well, not for a long time, at least. Tonight was magical, though, and I don't regret it for a second. It was amazing to meet you, Colton." I place a barely there kiss against his lips then spin towards the door.

"Wait! Can I at least get your number?" He's anxious, but I can't tell if he genuinely wants my number or if it's the good guy in him shining through.

"Nope. I'm a firm believer that people enter and exit our lives when they're supposed to. If we're supposed to be more than our time together tonight, I'm confident we'll find our way back to each other."

Colton is startled as I blow him a kiss and float out the door.

Maverick is leaning against the patron side of the bar, my purse in his hand as if he's been waiting for me so we can leave. "Fun night?" He tries to keep a straight face, but the twitch of his lip lets me know he finds my walk of shame amusing.

Too bad I don't feel an ounce of shame about what went down between Colton and me. "The best night."

"Good. You ready to head home, Pixie?"

"Sure am, Beast."

With a chuckle and a shake of his head, Maverick guides me out of the bar.

River's room is empty when I get home, but I can't resist stopping in to look around. Somehow, my sweet little baby became a teen over the years and my mama heart doesn't know how to handle it. I should have several more years with her at home with me, but my girl’s a bona fide genius and will be a senior in high school this year, although she's only fourteen. So, for now, I'll hold on to her innocence and the memories we've made, which will cover her walls for as long as we have them because who knows what the future has in store for us.