14. Penny
Chapter 14
Penny
Reagan Blaze was the most beautiful baby I’d ever laid eyes on. I became obsessed the minute she was placed in my arms.
She favored her daddy in terms of hair color, with a dark thatch of it sitting atop her head, but the count was still out on who she’d get her eyes from. From what I’d gathered when she’d been awake, they were that same milky gray all newborns seem to have, so it would be a while before we discovered if they’d go blue like Aspen’s—and the rest of the Sullivan clan’s—or brown like Mac’s.
Time stood still as I stared down at the little miracle. Her pink rosebud lips were pursed together, her chest rising softly with each breath as she dreamed sweet baby dreams.
“She’s perfect.” I trailed a finger down the soft skin of her cheek in wonder.
“’Course she is. I made her.” The pride in Mac’s voice couldn’t be contained.
Dragging my gaze away from the sweet girl snoozing soundly, I smiled at him. “You did good. ”
Aspen let out an affronted huff. “ He did good? Need I remind everyone that I’m the one who pushed her melon head out of my vagina?”
Tripp shifted uncomfortably beside me, but Mac was completely oblivious to his distress, electing to engage with his wife.
“Don’t worry, honey.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “If anyone forgets the sacrifices your vagina made to bring our girl into the world, I’ve got the pictures to set them straight.”
My eyes widened, and fuck if my pussy didn’t pang in sympathy for all that Aspen’s had gone through.
Under my breath, I asked Tripp, “Did he just say he took pictures of”—I swallowed roughly—“the ‘emergence’?”
The poor man shuddered. “Tryin’ real hard not to think about it, babe.”
Even without seeing Mac’s pictures, my imagination of the event was horrifyingly vivid.
You’d think it wouldn’t faze me, considering I regularly helped animals deliver their babies, but I was good at compartmentalizing. Until this moment, I had been able to block out how gruesome and painful a human birth would be.
Tuning out whatever conversation Mac and Aspen continued to have, I leaned into my husband. “You wanna hold her, Uncle Tripp?”
His chin came to rest on my shoulder as he stared down at our niece. “Maybe later. Wouldn’t want to wake the sleeping angel.”
I hummed. “Just as well. I was only being nice offering anyway.” Lowering my voice to a whisper, I asked, “You think now’s a good time to let her parents know we’re taking her home with us?”
“Hey!” The infant in my arms jolted, startled by her father’s raised voice, and her eyes snapped open for a split second before drifting shut again. “You can’t have her. If you two want a baby, you can damn well make your own. Since you’re married and all.”
There was no denying we’d been living in a bubble out on the rodeo circuit and that coming home would cause it to burst. Reagan had provided a momentary distraction, but Mac’s words were a reminder that we would now be forced to own up to what we’d done.
“So much for Dad keepin’ his mouth shut when I asked.” Tripp’s grumble was laced with annoyance, aimed at his father. It wasn’t any wonder why the Blaze house had been our first stop upon our return to Sullivan Ranch.
“Daddy didn’t breathe a word.” Aspen set the record straight before scolding her younger brother. “He’s not always the enemy.”
Tripp grunted his disagreement—they had very different relationships with their father.
“We might be sleep-deprived, but we clocked those wedding bands the minute you two walked in,” she explained.
A blazing inferno settled beneath the skin of my cheeks as I kept my eyes firmly locked on Reagan. While I wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed about marrying Tripp, I wasn’t looking forward to facing the judgment coming our way from the community.
We’d caused quite a stir with how we ran off. Once people learned that we came back hitched, it would relight the dying embers of the gossip surrounding our relationship. The last thing I wanted was for the Sullivan name to be dragged through the mud because of me.
“To be honest, I’m not all that surprised you didn’t waste any time in making it legal. You’ve spent your entire lives dating—not that either of you realized it—so there didn’t seem much point in dragging out the inevitable.”
A smile crept onto my lips at her astute assessment, and I turned to Tripp. “Your sister’s a smart lady.”
Confusion laced Aspen’s tone. “Am I missing something? ”
Tripp’s chest vibrated with a chuckle. “Believe it or not, that’s the exact logic Penny used when she proposed to me.”
“Okay, Penny.” Mac gave me a slow nod of approval. “Gotta respect a woman who goes after what she wants.”
“I sure got it.” My head dropped onto Tripp’s shoulder, and a peace settled over me.
Aspen leaned into her husband’s side. “Damn, they’re cute together.”
Mac pointed between me and Tripp. “I did this, you know,” he declared proudly.
She craned her neck to peek up at him. “Did what?”
“Got them together.”
A loud snort sounded, and Aspen clapped a hand over her nose. “Sorry, but that might be the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said. And there’s some stiff competition.”
“What? I did!” Mac insisted, pulling away from his wife.
“Honey.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “They have decades of history. I doubt anything you did could compete with that.”
With pleading eyes, he implored Tripp, “Tell her.”
“As fun as it is to watch your husband lose his mind, Snowcap, he did play a part,” Tripp admitted.
Aspen’s eyebrows rose to kiss her hairline. “Seriously? After all these years, Mac is the one who finally got you to make a move?”
Insulted, Mac scoffed. “I don’t know why you’re acting like the idea is so outrageous. I helped Tucker and Bex get back together too. I have a track record of success in bringing fated couples together, I’ll have you know.”
Fated. I liked that. Felt like a perfect description for us.
She folded her arms across her chest. “You gonna let the man answer or keep tooting your own horn? ”
“That’s not even a choice. Because obviously , I would love nothing more than to explain all the ways how I’m the glue that holds this group together.”
My lungs burned with the effort to keep from laughing out loud. Watching Mac was sometimes more entertaining than watching television.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Aspen sucked in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “For the love of God, Tripp. Put me out of my misery already.”
Tripp granted his sister’s request. “I’ll give him credit for coming to Kansas that morning and demanding I come home.” Mac opened his mouth to protest, but the look Tripp shot him had him zipping his lips. “But all I came back to do was to say goodbye.”
My breath caught in my throat and tears burned behind my eyes as I thought about how close we’d come to missing out on the love we were now free to share out in the open.
When he heard my soft sniffle, Tripp gripped my chin, turning my face so that I could see the depth of his love shining in those beautiful blue eyes. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think I had any other choice. Then the preacher asked for an objection, and my reaction was visceral. The words were out of my mouth before I knew what was happening.”
Blinking furiously wasn’t enough to stop a tear from rolling down my cheek.
The calloused pad of his thumb wiped away the wetness, and I swear that man spoke to my soul when he said, “And I don’t regret it. Not one bit.”
The sob that broke the moment wasn’t mine, and both of us turned to find Aspen openly weeping, her body trembling as Mac held her close, offering comfort .
“I’m fine.” She waved off any potential concern. “Stupid hormones have me crying over everything.”
Voice thick, Mac dabbed at the moisture gathered at the corner of his own eye. “Yep. Me too.”
I couldn’t blame them for getting emotional. It was like having my favorite fairy tale come to life.
Except in this one, my prince wore cowboy boots and worked on the ranch I called home. And I’d gladly take him over one who wore fancy suits and lived in a castle any day of the week.
Clearing his throat a few times, Mac changed the subject. “So, where are you two living?”
Tripp and I looked at each other with wide eyes, like it hadn’t occurred to either one of us that while we were in Rust Canyon—even if only for a short time—we needed to figure out living arrangements.
When we’d left, I was halfway to moving out of my parents’ house and into Jake’s, and Tripp’s situation wasn’t much better. When he wasn’t on the road, he had a bed in the bunkhouse. Neither of those was a viable option now that we were married.
“Uh.” Tripp gave a slight shake of his head as if to clear it before turning to answer his brother-in-law. “Not really sure. Just drove in today and came straight here.”
Mac barked out a laugh. “Ah, you gotta love it. The whole rushing into marriage and flying by the seat of your pants thing is gonna be a hoot and a half to watch. I’ll have my popcorn ready.”
Smacking his chest with the back of her hand, Aspen provided the solution to our problem. “Simple. You’ll take the cabin. It’s been sitting empty since we moved into this house.”
That wasn’t a half-bad idea. The one-room cabin had been the only structure on the ranch when Jett and Daisy bought the property. Though it had been built in the mid-1800s, the interior had been modernized to feature heat and indoor plumbing. It wasn’t big, but it was perfect for a couple just starting out. Hell, it’s where the elder Sullivans had spent the first few years of their own marriage, living there with two young children.
And the best part was that staying there meant we didn’t have to leave the ranch while we figured out what to do next.
Tripp heaved out a sigh. “Guess that means our next stop is the big house.”
Jett and Daisy were practically another set of parents to me, but damn if my stomach didn’t twist into knots when I realized I had to face them after running off and marrying their only son.
Reagan let out a whimper, her tiny brow drawing down as her lips pulled into a frown. It was almost as if she could pick up on my nervous energy.
“She’s gonna wake up any second wanting to eat.” Aspen pressed on the sides of her breasts, wincing.
“Guess that’s our cue to get out of your hair and give you some privacy,” Tripp remarked, already rising from his seat.
Pressing a kiss to the top of our niece’s head, I sucked in a lungful of her sweet baby scent, hoping it would help center me for the tough road ahead.
Tripp held my hand firmly in his as he turned the knob on the back door to his parents’ house and pushed inside.
Almost as if they knew we were coming—who was I kidding? There were security cameras on the property, so of course, they knew we were coming—both Jett and Daisy Sullivan were waiting inside the kitchen.
Daisy let out an excited squeal, jumping up from her seat at the table, and pulled me into a warm hug. Her embrace brought comfort; all of Tripp’s warmth came from this woman holding me close.
When we broke apart, she gripped my shoulders, forcing me back until we were at arm’s length. “Penny Sullivan.” Her smile grew so wide that the white of her teeth was nearly blinding. “Lord, if that doesn’t have a nice ring to it.” Her gaze softened even further when it shifted to the man standing behind me, her son. “It’s good to have you both home.”
Tripp stepped forward to place a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Hi, Mama.”
Daisy let go of me, which allowed Tripp to place a possessive hand around my waist. She tracked the move and let out a wistful sigh.
“Jett?” she called out over her shoulder. “You going to come say hello to your son and his wife?”
The grunt that came in response sent a wave of trepidation down my spine. And that was before Tripp’s mother stepped aside to reveal her husband.
Jett Sullivan stood across the room, leaning against the kitchen sink with his arms crossed and blue eyes narrowed, looking less than enthusiastic over our homecoming.
I ducked my head in greeting. “Jett.”
He blew out a heavy breath. “Penny.” Then he addressed his son. “Who’d you leave in charge?”
“Ricky’s got it handled.” Tripp’s voice was tight, the tension between the two men growing by the minute.
Tilting her face skyward, Daisy shook her head in exasperation. “Our son comes home married , and you want to talk business? ”
“His marital status doesn’t change the fact that this ranch is a living, breathing thing that supports no less than a dozen families. Ours included,” Jett shot back.
“Right.” She gave an exaggerated nod, lips pursed. “Because, God forbid, if we take ten minutes to congratulate our son and his bride, the whole operation might come crumbling down.”
Jett’s boots landed heavily on the hardwood floor as he stalked to the table and dropped onto a chair. “Congratulations,” he bit out before turning to his wife. “Happy now, Daze?”
“Don’t pay him any mind,” Daisy said to me. “He’s been a ball of stress these past few weeks waiting for Aspen to deliver. Can’t say I blame him after what we went through when Tripp was born.”
My head swung around to my husband, expecting some kind of explanation, but he simply shrugged.
Huh.
Wonder what the story is there.
“Oh!” The sudden exclamation drew my attention back to Tripp’s mom. “Have you been to see the baby?”
“We just came from there, actually,” I replied. “She’s precious.”
Clasping both hands, she brought them to her chest. “Isn’t she? I swear she’s an angel sent from heaven. I’d almost forgotten how fast you fall in love with a tiny person you’ve just met.” She paused, eyeing us. “Speaking of love . . . Why don’t you two sit down? I need to hear all about this wedding we missed.”
Daisy might not be country-born and raised like the rest of us, but she’d picked up a few things over the past thirty-five years spent in Oklahoma. Like the art of coating the guilt trip in sugar to make it sound sweeter.
Tripp tugged on the back of his neck. “About that. It just kinda happened. ”
“Yeah, I remember just fallin’ into marriage too.” Every gruff word dripped with sarcasm as Jett chimed in.
“Jett,” Daisy hissed, whirling around. “Will you quit it?”
The body pressed to my side went rigid. “You know what? I think we’re gonna go.”
Chair legs scraped harshly against the floor. “Just as well. I need to get back to work.” With that, we were treated to the sight of Jett’s back as he walked out of the kitchen.
The front door slammed so hard I swear it shook the whole house.
“Fucking typical,” Tripp muttered.
Crestfallen, Daisy turned back to us, grabbing one of Tripp’s hands with both of hers as she begged, “Please don’t go. You just got here.”
My husband shook his head sadly. “I can’t win with him. One minute, he’s in this very kitchen, flaying me wide open and pointing out all the ways I let Penny slip through my fingers. The next, he’s pissed I finally took action and made all my fucking dreams come true.” He winced when he realized he’d let a swear slip in front of his mama, muttering, “Sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. He promised he wasn’t going to do this.” Her lower lip trembled, and guilt flooded my system. My actions—my impulsivity—were tearing this family apart.
Stepping out of Tripp’s hold, I kept my eyes trained on the floor. “I’m gonna take a walk.”
Fingers wrapped around my wrist before I made it to the back door. “If you’re leaving, I’m leaving.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a shaky breath. “You should stay. Visit with your mama.”
He tugged my arm until I was forced to face him. “If given the choice between comforting my upset mother and my upset wife, it’s no contest. So, if you need to step out, I’m coming with you. I happen to come highly recommended as a getaway driver.”
His joke broke through the tension, causing watery laughter to bubble up from my chest. Banding my arms around him, I pressed my ear to his heart, letting the steady rhythm drown out the worries over how our quickie wedding was impacting those we loved.
“Are you two headed straight back?” Daisy’s tentative voice sounded far away. Tripp’s soothing strokes down the length of my back were downright hypnotic.
His hold on me tightened. “The original plan was to stick around for a few weeks, but now I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
We couldn’t keep running. This was our home.
If we were going to build a life together, a future with this ranch at the forefront, we needed to stand our ground.
Lifting my head, I conveyed everything I was thinking to Tripp with just a look. He blew out a heavy breath—probably accepting that the scene with his father was only the first of many battles we would face upon our return—but nodded his agreement.
Keeping his arms locked around my waist, he turned us so he could speak to his mother. “Aspen mentioned that maybe we could use the cabin for a while?”
Daisy blinked at us for a minute before shaking out of her stunned state. “Yes, of course. I can head down there right now to air it out and put fresh linens on the bed.”
“Think you can take Penny with you?”
“You’re not coming?” Panic worked its way beneath my skin at the idea of being separated. It was silly; I was a grown woman fully capable of being independent, but I could recognize we were stronger together .
He stared down at me, lips twisted to the side. “I need to go talk to your folks.”
I reared back. “Without me?”
“It’s best if I go alone. I need to explain myself.” His hand came up to cradle my face, and his voice grew pleading. “I need you to let me do this.”
Understanding dawned. “Don’t tell me you’re headed over there to ask for permission to marry me.”
His chest brushed against mine as he let out a heavy sigh. “Something like that, considering I skipped right over that part before I gave you my last name.”
“It’s the twenty-first century. The only permission you needed was mine.”
“Not sure your father will see it that way, Lucky. Especially considering the day you married me, he’d already given you away to another man.”
I cringed. “Okay, you’ve made your point.”
He pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. “Go with my mom. Get the cabin ready for us while I go make things right.”
It was eating away at him that we had skipped several steps when we’d veered off the “normal” path to matrimony, so I agreed. If this was what he needed to clear his conscience, I wouldn’t be the one to stand in his way.
All I could do was send up a silent prayer that my parents took it easier on Tripp than Jett had.