Chapter 59 #2
“What is it?” Her brow furrowed for a moment before smoothing, almost like she realized the need in my eyes, the desperation in my voice. With a nod, she sat up. “What time is it?”
“Six. We gotta get out there by sunrise.”
She rose from bed and we both got ready quickly. I’d already gotten Stormie Mae ready for the occasion, putting her in the warmest outfit I could find in her drawers.
Cheyenne shimmied into a pair of jeans and top before noticing me watching her. The smile she gave me sparked desire and love in my chest. She came over to the armchair where I sat holding Stormie, leaning down to press a kiss to Stormie’s forehead before tilting my chin up to look at her.
Cheyenne had settled into motherhood easily despite what she thought. She approached each new situation with determination and ease, going with the flow when things got overwhelming instead of being rigid. I was completely in awe of her.
“I love you, cowboy,” she murmured against my lips. Her kiss held the same warmth and desire that shone in her eyes.
“I love you too.” Holding Stormie with my good hand, I drew Cheyenne in close with my splinted one to the back of her head, deepening the kiss for a moment.
Her lips curved upward as she pulled away enough to look at me, I couldn’t help the words that fell from my mouth. “I’m so proud of you.”
Her gaze narrowed slightly, lips tugging downward. “Why?” The question was earnest, genuine. Like she didn’t understand just how truly amazing she was.
“You amaze me every day with how damn strong you are. How kind and warm and open you are.” I pressed a soft kiss to her lips before resting my head against her forehead. “Motherhood looks damn good on you, Chey.”
Tears welled in her eyes, but she flashed another dazzling smile my way as she kissed me once more. “Thank you.”
“I mean it,” I urged.
She nodded, a single tear leaking down her cheek. “I know. And it means more than you know.”
Within ten minutes, I’d gotten us all loaded up into my truck and drove us down to the barn.
The sky was lightening at an alarming rate now—not that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things, but…
I don’t know, I just liked the idea of this moment being captured at dawn.
Sunrise had always been my favorite time of day, when the world was just waking up, the sun chasing away the darkness of the night.
“Here, this way. I put her in one of the big turn outs last night,” I said, ushering Cheyenne to follow after me as I got Stormie out of her car seat and cradled her to my chest.
“Who?” Cheyenne asked, following behind me.
The red filly whinnied from the other side of the pasture as I came up to the fence. Opening the gate, I walked in, urging Chey to follow. Brow furrowed in question, she followed, settling at my side as the filly loped toward us.
“What’s goin’ on?” she asked, her voice more curious than anything.
The horse slowed about twenty or so paces from us, coming to a walk as she came closer.
I glanced between her and Stormie, who watched in silence in my arms. She was always so alert, examining the world through those ridiculously blue eyes of hers.
It’s like she was takin it all in…even though I knew she really couldn’t see any of that, at least not yet with her field of vision being so limited.
But if this is how she looked at the world now, I couldn’t imagine how curious and observant she’d be as she grew.
“I don’t know if you believe this, but I think that our horses choose us.
Not the other way around. Call it fate or luck or just God’s hand at work, but I think each horse comes to us when we need ‘em. You needed her through the pregnancy, and now…” my words broke off as the filly took a final step forward, eyeing Stormie Mae with her deep brown, soulful gaze.
“I thought you were gonna sell her.”
Knickering softly, the horse nuzzled Stormie’s head, letting out a soft exhale through her nose.
A grin warmed up my face as I watched them. “Every cowgirl needs a good horse. And if this cowgirl is as wild as you, she's gonna need the best.”
I glanced over to find Cheyenne crying, her blue eyes swimming with tears, but the smile on her face held the power of the sun. She pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I savored her warmth, her kiss, and when she pulled away, my chest felt so full of love it might burst entirely.
“Thank you, Maverick,” she whispered, sliding an arm around my bicep and leaning into me. “Thank you for lovin’ me. For lovin’ her. For givin’ us this. Showin’ me everythin’ I’ve been missin’, needin’ my entire life.”
I kissed the top of her head and she glanced up at me as I murmured, “Thank you for healin’ cracks in me I didn’t even realize hadn’t healed. You saved me, Chey.”
She smiled once more, and even though the sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the dark earth in its wondrous, warm light, it paled in comparison to her. “We saved each other.”
I pressed another kiss to her wild curls, inhaling the familiar scent of her. “We needa name for that filly.”
“Hmm…” Cheyenne looked at the horse. “What about…Calamity?”
I snorted. “Sounds pretty damn fittin’, actually.”
A soft laugh. “I thought so too.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it, not willing to let the perfectness of this moment go just yet. But when Cheyenne’s phone buzzed next, a trickle of unease stirred in my chest.
Cheyenne’s excited gaze met mine as she showed me the caller I.D.
before answering it. “Is it time?” she asked.
A pause, then a squeal from Cheyenne that upset both the filly—Calamity—and Stormie.
I shushed them both, Stormie calming easily enough, even as Cheyenne all but vibrated as she spoke.
“Keep us updated. Let us know if y’all need anythin’. ”
She hung up a moment later. “Charlie’s water broke. Midwife’s on the way. Ryder’s gettin’ the tub all ready.”
I smiled, excitement of my own bubbling within me.
Having a child had always been a forbidden dream of mine.
I wanted nothing more than to be a father, but was always terrified of becoming like my own.
But having the opportunity to raise my daughter up alongside my best friend, well, I don’t think things could get much better at this point.
Maybe if Cash somehow settled down and had a kid, but that wasn’t gonna happen anytime soon.
I wrapped my free arm tighter around Cheyenne, kissing her gently, slowly, putting all the love I felt for her into that caress.
I’d always been taught that heaven was this place of perfection, where you could have anything and everything you wanted. No worries or fears. Only love and light. But holding Stormie Mae, kissing Cheyenne on land I worked for a living with a horse I bought and helped train, well…
I didn’t need to go to heaven, not when heaven was right here in my arms.
The End