CHAPTER 4
JOSIE
Sometimes it’s hard for me to comprehend how much my life has changed since I’d met Skinny, and yes, he’d always be Skinny to me.
None of the childhood friends used their given names.
They hated the people who’d given them their names, and I knew for Skinny, at least, there were no good memories associated with his given name.
It had taken me a bit of time, but my veterinary business was now paying for itself.
I’d been able to bring on another full-time vet because eventually I knew that we’d start a family and that I wouldn’t want to travel from farm to farm inoculating cattle and working with horses.
I’d rather stick to the small animals and work with the rescues that somehow always ended up with us.
Knowing the reserve was starting next month, I knew we would struggle to keep up.
While we had told no one we were expecting, none of the brothers and their Old Ladies were idiots, and I’d been getting looks from the Old Ladies.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell them because I did, but for now, it was nice to have something just between Skinny and me.
It’s become clear that we’re going to have to say something, especially with the gifts that Rochelle’s just dropped off and I devoured.
I’m only a week away from twelve weeks, so I guess it’s time.
Finishing the ginger ale and the salted crackers, I’m suddenly exhausted, and what better place to take a nap than on the lap of the man that I love more than anything in the world.
Snuggling in, that’s what I do for the next couple of hours or so until we’re woken up by a knock on the door.
Skinny clears his throat, calling out a raspy, “Come in.”
The door opens, and Bull fills up the frame. His gaze softens when it lands on me. “Hey, you two. I wanted to check how you’re both doing, as you’ve missed the last two meals.”
I yawn, and Skinny joins me, making me snort a laugh. A grin lights his face when he pokes me gently in the side. “It’s your fault I fell asleep.”
When I do nothing more than smirk up at him, he turns to Bull, replying, “We’re good, brother. Josie hasn’t been well, and we’ve been in bed early, which is why we’ve missed a few meals. Is there something we need to be aware of?”
Bull settles himself on the corner of Skinny’s desk, his face serious. He tells us, “That’s why I’m here. I’m worried.”
Pushing away from Skinny’s chest, I sit up, reaching for Bull’s hand. I hold tight, “I’m fine, Bull. I promise. I’m pregnant, and the baby is kicking my arse, that’s all.”
Bull grips my hand, pulling me off Skinny’s lap and into his arms. Wrapping them tight around me, my brother-in-law hugs me to him. “I’m happy for you both. Why didn’t you say anything? I’ve been imagining the worst.”
Giving him a last squeeze, I let go and sit back down on Skinny’s lap.
Lifting my eyes to Bull, I reply, “First, it was the old superstition about keeping it quiet until we got to the twelve weeks mark; it was also nice to have something just for me and Skinny. Selfish, I know.” I wince a little as I admit the last bit.
Bull’s face softens. “It’s not selfish to want something just for you two. We all live in each other’s pockets, so I get it. I’m thrilled though, and I can’t wait to be an uncle again.”
Bull turns to Skinny, “Congratulations, little brother.”
“Oh good lord,” I roll my eyes as if exasperated and get off Skinny’s lap. “Hug it out, you two. I know you want to.”
Skinny laughs and allows Bull to pull him into a back-pounding hug. Bull holds onto him, whispering something to him. Skinny smiles and nods before letting go and reaching for me.
I love seeing how free these two are with their affection for one another. The bonus of having a smaller MC is that the bonds here are closer than when we were in the large MC in the UK, and I love it.
“Can I tell Noni?” Bull wants to know.
Looking at the clock on the wall, I see it’s nearly lunchtime. “I tell you what, why don’t we go to lunch, and we’ll tell everyone together? Rochelle has already guessed anyway,” I respond, waving my hand over the desk and the leftovers from what she’d dropped off for me earlier.
“Sounds like a plan,” Skinny agrees and starts to power down his PCs. When he’s done, he whistles for Cinder, who groans as she lifts herself off her bed and shakes her body slightly before walking towards us.
I’ve noticed how much slower she’s getting, and I’m worried about how Skinny’s going to take it when we have to let her go. He knows it won’t be much longer, but I have a feeling he’s burying his head in the sand, hoping that he has more time with her.
Once we’re outside, I slip my dark glasses over my eyes as we walk towards town.
My clinic is just outside so that we have more room for patient parking and my rescue.
Skinny catches my hand as we step up onto the veranda that runs along the front of the shops, offering shade from the relentless heat, and I breathe a sigh of relief at the coolness of the shade.
“It’s hot,” I mutter, wiping at the bead of sweat that’s gathered along my hairline.
“It will cool down soon and we’ll be wearing jeans and jumpers,” Rochelle says as she steps out of the parts shop. We wait while she turns to lock the door behind her.
Skinny laughs then explains when Rochelle looks confused, “The winter temperatures here during the day are like the summer temperatures in England; the temperatures very rarely go over thirty degrees Celsius. And when it does, we all struggle to cope with it because of the humidity.”
Rochelle turns to look at me with a look of horror, “Please tell me he’s not serious.”
“Nope, he’s serious.”
“Well, that settles that; Bond is never getting me to the UK.”
We chuckle at how adamant she sounds, knowing full well that if Bond wants to take her to the UK, she’ll go.
“Talking about Bond, where is he?” Skinny asks her.
“Oh, Daisy was niggly, and I had a massive order to get out, so he took her to cool down in the pool and spend some time with the other kiddos.”
“I bet he didn’t need much persuading,” I laugh.
Roch flashes a smile at me. “No, he didn’t.”
I have no doubt about it. Bond was wrapped around his daughter’s fingers. It amused me that these tough, hard men were absolute marshmallows when it came to their little girls. And that included the men who were their uncles.
I catch sight of the hotel and am struck once again by its beauty, feeling fortunate that we are able to live in this small piece of paradise.
The dining room is full and, as usual, our table was the loudest, not that it seemed to bother Noni’s guests. If anything, they seemed to love the family vibe we had going here.
“Hey, you made it,” Noni smiles at us. “We were getting worried.”
Sitting down on the chair that Skinny pulls out for me, I reply, “No need to be worried. I’m okay, just knocked up.”
There’s stunned silence, then the shouting and hollering starts, and I have to laugh when Blaze points at Cairo, “Pay up, fucker.”
Once Skinny and I are congratulated, and the food comes out, everyone settles down. I’m suddenly ravenous for the first time in weeks and grab the biggest steak that I can find on the plate and plonk it down on my plate.
Skinny leans towards me, “That was one way to tell them, I guess.”
I shrug. “I figured it was best just to get it out there and let them do what they want with the news. God, I can’t believe how hungry I am. I could kiss you, Rochelle.”
“No kissing necessary,” Rochelle smirks. “I’ll take babysitting instead.”
“Done,” I agree, shoving another piece of steak into my mouth with a moan.
Skinny leans in close, whispering in my ear, “Baby, you need to stop moaning like that. It’s tempting me to throw you over my shoulder and find the closest room.”
A shiver runs through me at his suggestion, and I realise it’s been weeks since we last had sex. If I wasn’t being sick, I was exhausted, and it’s played havoc with our sex life.
Turning towards him, “Deal, but only after I’ve finished this steak.”
Skinny laughs, burying his face in my shoulder.
I ignore him as I continue to eat. I’m a woman on a mission.
Ten minutes later, I push my chair back, grab his hand, ordering, “Let’s go,” and pull him up behind me, ignoring the fact that he’s still eating.
“We’ll be back,” I shout over my shoulder to the loud laughter ringing out at our expense.
It takes Skinny a little while to catch on, but when he does, I’m suddenly no longer walking under my own steam; instead, I’m swooped up bridal style and hurriedly carried out of the hotel to the private residences at the back of the hotel, where my man proceeds to make up for all the missed sexy times.
And he does it quite spectacularly, I might add.
Enough that I’m feeling him the next day.
Not that I’m complaining; the only thing better than having Skinny go to town on me is going to sleep in his arms and then waking up in his arms.