Chapter 70
CHAPTER 70
CASSIDY
T he morning sunlight filtered through the window. Karen was breathing soft and steady with her hair tickling my chest. I took a moment to appreciate my life. We’d been back from Dallas for a month and every single day had been amazing. I never imagined myself being that guy.
But here I was waking up with a smile on my face. I was looking forward to the day. I looked forward to any day I got to spend with Karen, the woman that drove me crazy. Turned out, she was the one person on this planet that was meant to love me unconditionally. My life had never been filled with love, but she made up for that. And soon, I would have a son or daughter that would complete me even more.
The alarm on her phone went off, interrupting my quiet musings. I reached over to shut it off.
“I’m up,” she said, wiping her mouth.
I smiled. “I see that.”
“You’re still here,” she said with a confused expression.
“You expected me to go somewhere?”
“You’re never in bed this late.”
“Today is not a normal day,” I reminded her. “Kenny is taking care of the chores this morning.”
She smiled. “Today is the day.”
“It is.”
“Are you ready to see our little bean?”
“I am,” I said. “Let’s get breakfast. And then you have to drink a gallon of water.”
She groaned. “I can’t wait to have a full bladder. That’s always so fun.”
I kissed her forehead and got out of bed. Sleeping in her room at the lodge was a cramped affair. I told myself we could stick it out a little while longer. I had plans. She didn’t know that, but soon she would.
We headed downstairs to grab breakfast. Ginny and Kenny were absent. I knew they were out doing chores. Guests were crowded around the dining hall enjoying the breakfast Bodie had prepared. Karen and I ate quickly, both of us anxious for the ultrasound appointment. We had discussed the appointment at length and decided we were not going to ask to know the sex. We wanted to be surprised. It was all about going old school.
After breakfast, we climbed into my old truck and headed into town to the hospital. We were both excited for the first glimpse of our baby. The hospital didn’t have one of the fancy ultrasound machines, but again, we didn’t care.
We checked in. The nurse, a nice woman named Susan, gestured for us to sit in a small waiting area. As we sat there, Karen’s grip on my hand grew tighter. She was nervous.
Thankfully, we were called back fairly quickly. She showed us into a small but comfortable room. Karen climbed onto the table and the tech quickly got to work, applying the cold gel to her stomach that made her squirm slightly.
“Ready?” the tech asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Karen said, reaching out for my hand.
As the tech moved the wand around on Karen’s stomach, images started to form on the screen. I felt a surge of disappointment. It was all blurry and indistinct. Eventually things started to come into focus. It was our child, looking perfectly healthy and content. The tech pointed out the baby sucking its thumb. I was in awe. I couldn’t believe I was staring at my kid. My baby. What the hell?
“Do you guys want me to see if I can take a peek under the hood?” the tech asked.
“No!” we both said at the same time.
She laughed. “Traditionalists.”
After getting the all-clear and being informed our baby was healthy, we stopped by the store before heading back to the ranch.
“I need to check on things,” I said. “Are you going to take a nap?”
“Yes. Is that bad? I feel so lazy.”
“Not at all. Take a nap. I’ll be out all day, but I’ll be back in for dinner.”
I walked her upstairs and tucked her in. I kissed her forehead before leaving. Her sleep had been light and a bit restless over the past month. I wanted her healthy and strong. The doctor said all was good, but I knew we still had months to go. I wanted her rested and ready to push through what were expected to be the hardest months.
She had been feeling better lately. She insisted she was more energetic, but still, I didn’t want her to overdo it. Karen was the type to push herself too hard. I quietly left the room and headed downstairs. Life on the ranch was good, especially now that it was officially mine.
Don still lived on the property, popping up when you least expected it. He wasn’t quite certain how to do the retirement thing. I grabbed my hat off the hook and headed outside into the bright sun.
I spotted Don leaning against the old fence. “There you are,” he said. “How did it go?”
“All good,” I said with a grin. “Got to see the little peanut. Karen has the pictures. She’s taking a nap right now.”
“Can’t wait to see them.”
“I’m headed down to the build site,” I said.
“I sent the kids down there. Told them to clean up some of the scraps.”
“Thank you.”
We walked down the driveway and rounded the corner. The kids were all waiting for me. There was no school today. I had recruited them all to help me out. It was good experience for them. The new house’s frame was standing proudly. Kenny was leaning against what would soon be the front of the house. There was a smug grin on his face. The kids all looked guilty as well.
“What’s going on?” I asked, eyeing them with suspicion.
Instead of answering, they stepped aside, clearing a path to the framed house. That was when I spotted a rainbow of colorful sticky notes stuck to the studs. “What’s all this?” I asked.
I picked one off and recognized the handwriting right away.
Thank you for believing in me. Couldn’t have made it without your help.
“We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you,” Carson said.
He was the newest addition to my Sunday crew. “Guys, this is awesome.”
I reached for another one. Congrats on becoming a dad. We’re all proud of you.
I swallowed hard, my throat feeling tight. I reached for another note, then another. Each message was from one of the kids. They each left a little piece of themselves on the frame, bits of gratitude, pride, and encouragement all wrapped up in these brightly colored notes.
Kenny slapped my back, his grin widening. “You’re not tearing up, are you, boss?”
I shook my head. “Just these damn allergies, that’s all,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. But there was no hiding the smile that tugged at my lips. “This is really cool. Thank you. You guys know I’m always going to be here for you. One day, you’re going to be running your own ranches and starting your own families.”
They laughed at the thought. I remembered being their age and thinking I would never get married or have kids. And then one day it just happened.
“Thank you all for coming out to help me today,” I said. “I’m sure you had grand plans for troublemaking, but instead, you’re going to be here busting your asses and learning a skill that will actually pay the bills.”
I shook each of their hands in turn, pulling them in for quick, rough hugs or ruffling their hair like they were still kids. These young ones meant the world to me. They were my crew, my family, each one of them fighting their own battles. It left me speechless to know I had an impact on their lives. Don was that influence in my life. I wanted to influence these young kids.
“That kid’s gonna be the luckiest in the world, having you as their dad,” Jason said.
I chuckled, pulling him into a side hug. “Means a lot, Jason. You’re all good kids, and don’t ever forget that.”
“Alright, sappy moment over!” Kenny said. “Boss man is going to start crying. We’ve got a house to build.”
“Keep it up, and I’ll give you a reason to cry, Kenny.”
He just laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”
I took a deep breath, still feeling the weight of their messages that were now all stuffed in my back pocket. I planned on treasuring them for the rest of my life. “Alright, everyone,” I said, clapping my hands together. “We’ve got work to do. Put your backs into it! No slackers on my watch.”
Kenny, Don, and I worked with two kids each, showing them how to use nail guns and how to properly frame. I ran the saw, cutting the wood and handing it off.
There was something about building a place for Karen and our future that made every nail I drove into the frame feel like setting down roots. Karen knew about the house, but she didn’t get to see the daily updates. I wanted to surprise her, but that was impossible.
Every evening I came home with sawdust in my hair and in my socks. She asked me questions, but I did my best to keep it vague. We had the plans drawn up together. The house was going to be big enough for our family to grow. I loved that we both knew that was our future without having to actually talk about it.
“She’s going to love this place,” Don said.
“I sure hope so,” I replied, wiping the sweat from my brow. “It’s not just a house, it’s a promise.”
We worked hard, the sun beating down on us. By five, I could tell they had given everything they had. Sweat was pouring off all of us, dirt streaking our hands and faces. I felt a fierce kind of pride looking at the house we were shaping from the ground up. None of us were expert builders, but we were kicking some serious ass.
Don chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re going to be a good father, Cassidy. That little one’s already got a hell of a start. Few men would build their kid a house to live in with his own two hands.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Thanks, Don. Means a lot, coming from you.”
He shrugged, trying to play it off. “Don’t let it get to your head.”
It was a good day, a day that reminded me I could literally build my future. I could build something real, something that would last. It was worth every sore muscle and scraped knuckle.
“You did good work today,” I said, looking at each of them. “Real good work. I’m proud of every one of you. I appreciate all of you for busting your butts to make this happen. I know Karen does as well.”
After a round of handshakes, I dismissed them for the day. I took one last look at the frame, the skeleton of the home that would one day hold everything that mattered most to me, and felt a surge of satisfaction.
I couldn’t wait to see Karen, to tell her about the day and show her the notes the kids left for me. I was very proud of them and couldn’t wait to have her read them. I trudged up the hill, exhausted and hungry. I found her sitting on the porch swing, her hand resting over her growing belly as she watched the sun sink below the horizon.
She smiled. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I pulled off my hat and gave her a kiss. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then I’ll be down for dinner. I’m a stinky, sweaty mess.”
“Want me to wash your back?” she teased.
I laughed. “I would rather you wash my front, but I don’t think we’re both fitting in that tiny shower. But soon, once our house is done, we’re going to have a dance party in our shower.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”