26. Zeke
Zeke
W hen Clay, Kota, and I came home with Maisie, I had expected Montana and Piper to still be gone on a spectacular tour of the valley. Instead, the two had already rounded back to the house, and Piper was sequestered away in her room for an uncharacteristic mid-afternoon nap.
“What happened?” Clay asked in a lowered voice once we set Maisie up with her brand-new coloring book and glitter markers, the four of us dads seated just out of hearing range for little ears.
“Piper said she’s been feeling a bit off the past few days. She looked a little pale while we were out on the trail, but was reluctant to turn back because we were having a good time. I told her not to worry—to just focus on feeling better,” Montana explained, concern pinching his brows.
“She mentioned feeling a little under the weather to me yesterday as well,” Dakota chimed in, adding to the group’s concern.
As if her ears were burning, Piper emerged from her bedroom, scuffling sleepily into the hall.
“Piper.” I reached out and wrapped my arms around her. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you during the bonding with my—” I trailed off, both of us looking down at my crotch meaningfully.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Clayton hissed, palming his own forehead. “Shut that fool-mouth of yours before I do it for you, Zeke!” he warned, but I was rewarded by Piper’s high, winning laugh.
“No, no, you did not hurt me with your—” She paused a moment before deciding on, “big love.” She snorted, descending into a round of giggles.
“Piper!” Maisie cried, launching up from her quiet crafting to leap into Piper’s arms.
“Hey, Maisie Rae!” Piper beamed, her blue eyes tired as she shuffled herself and Maisie to the couch with some effort.
“Are you feeling better after your nap?” Maisie blinked, genuinely concerned.
“I’m sure I’ll feel better after going to bed early tonight,” Piper assured Maisie, smoothing one of her white-blonde curls back from Maisie’s face.
“Okay! You can take my bed-time, I’ll take yours!” Maisie offered generously, drawing a laugh from all of us.
“Sounds good to me,” Piper agreed good-naturedly.
“And I’m gonna take Piper to go see Doc Cochran tomorrow, just in case .” I gave Maisie a wink for good measure.
“Okay!” Maisie chirped, satisfied, wriggling her way off of Piper’s lap and back to her coloring book without a care in the world.
Meanwhile, the others fixed me with glares, like I’d just rained on everyone’s parade.
“What’s wrong with all of you?” I shrugged off the stares.
“Don’t you think it’s a little much to bring her to the doc? She’s not even running a fever,” Dakota protested.
“Yeah, it’s only been a few days. I’m sure that it’s just the bond settling,” Piper agreed. “It’s sweet of you to think of me, Zeke, but I’m not sure it’s necessary.”
“Well, if it’s just the bond settling, then we’ve got nothing to worry about and we can get the meeting of the doc out of the way when you’re not in dire need of help from the crotchety old son of a bitch,” I snorted on a laugh.
“Watch your language,” Clay snapped at me for my use of the b-word around the kiddo.
“Yeah, that’s a quarter in the swear jar,” Montana confirmed.
Fuck you, Monty , I mouthed the words silently.
“Make that a buck twenty-five.” Dakota snickered, and that was the end of the conversation.
With Piper on my arm on the walkway from the municipal parking lot in Sweetwater to the tiny, ancient storefront for Cochran’s Doctor’s Offices and Apothecary, I silently resolved to create more opportunities to get her into these sundresses she seemed to reserve only for company, town, or dropping Evelyn at church.
As we sat together in the waiting room, I found myself distracted by the peeking of my bonding bite mark through the bowknot neckline of her pale blue, lemon-printed fabric.
The dress’s ribbon straps were covered with a modest cropped cardigan and a pale yellow silk scarf tied at her neck—both to conceal the bites on her neck and shoulders—and her auburn hair was pushed back from her face with a wide white ribbon headband.
Dr. Cochran poked his head into the waiting room. “Miss Collins?”
“That’s me,” Piper replied sunnily, following the good doctor into the exam room.
For what felt like ages, I sat in the otherwise empty waiting room, thumbing through magazines—bored and already greedy for the sight of Piper again.
As if she had read my mind, she appeared from the back, rubbing gently where a large cotton ball was taped to the crook of her arm, her eyes wide and her expression dazed.
It took me a moment to notice that the silk scarf she’d been wearing dangled in her fingers at the end of her limp, bandaged arm, her cardigan unbuttoned, her bites from the twins and Clayton clearly visible.
“Congratulations!” Dr. Cochran chuffed, clapping me heartily on the back.
That’s when I saw it—Piper’s other hand, laid flat over her belly.
“Maisie’s going to make an incredible big sister!” the doctor crowed happily, draping an arm over each of our shoulders.
Before Piper had a chance to say anything, I leapt into the air, hooting and hollering, “Hell, yes! I’m gonna be a dad again!
I bet you we made the prettiest, healthiest damn baby!
” I cheered, lifting Piper up into the air and swinging her round once before placing her back on the ground, a gleeful cry escaping her.
I could barely contain my excitement the whole ride home—singing love songs at the top of my lungs, along with Willie and the King, for my sweet Pipes—until my truck pulled in at the ranch, where I leaned on the horn and called so loudly out my open window that someone would think I wanted the whole county to hear.
“What in the world are you hollerin’ about, Zeke!?” Clay snapped as he came swinging through the front screen door like a bat outta hell.
“Yeah, what on earth has gotten into you?” Montana seconded, Dakota following closely on his heels.
“Seriously, you’re gonna wake Maisie up from her nap if you don’t quit!” Dakota hissed, closing the heavy wooden door before the flimsy screen door to dampen the sound.
“Well, I got good reason to holler!” I hooted, turning back to Piper. “Go on, tell ’em! I’m dying, but it’s your news to share.” I picked Piper up and gave her another swing through the air.
“Easy now, especially because...” She trailed off, and Montana’s eyes widened in understanding.
I grinned like a madman as I watched Montana bob on his feet, reaching out for his twin’s arm to steady himself.
“What?” Dakota blinked, completely clueless.
Clay stood, his head cocked to the side, so still, I wasn’t sure if he was holding his breath.
“I’m pregnant,” Piper explained coolly—as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Even I jumped when Clayton barked out unexpectedly. “Fuck, yeah!”