CHAPTER 13
COWBOY
I hold Andi’s hand tight as the technician prepares to start the ultrasound. As soon as the probe rubs across her abdomen, the baby’s heartbeat is heard across the speakers. My hand flexes against hers.
“That’s my child?” I ask, turning in awe to my girl on the table.
“That is your baby. Give me a moment, and I’ll tell you what you’re having.” The technician moves the probe around, and we watch the screen as she focuses on the baby.
Our child is practically dancing as it moves. I chuckle when the baby moves again as soon as the tech gets it into a good position. She moves the probe again, then the baby kicks in the same area, and I let out a guffaw.
“Definitely my child, a mover and shaker, doesn’t like to be tied down.”
“A boy,” the technician says.
“My son.” I choke up and lean over Andi. “I love you, baby. You gave me a boy.”
“I have an idea for a name,” she says.
“What’s that, baby?”
“I want to name him after your sister and my father.”
“I think that’s a perfect idea, except my sister’s name is a girl name.”
“Not if we change it to a K and spell it K A R Y. So, it will be Kary William Rutherford.”
“I like that idea. How did you come up with it?”
“I’ve been thinking of it for weeks. When I can’t sleep, I think of names for the baby. I had several choices, but this one was my favorite. If the baby had been a girl, I would have done a girl version of Carrie and then Willamina instead of William.”
“I love that you thought of both of them, even though you didn’t know where we were going to be.” I lean down and kiss her.
“I’m getting the measurements the doctor wants, then I’ll be out and he’ll be in.”
My body goes tight at her words.
I lean over Andi again and whisper in her ear. “Baby, is your doctor a man?”
“Yeah, he’s the best without going into a bigger town. According to Tana, Davey’s wife. He delivered her.”
She doesn’t realize I’m about thirty seconds from going postal in this clinic. I don’t care that it’s a small town. What I care about is another man with his head or hands near my woman’s pussy. I’ll kill him.
The door opens, and in walks a very elderly doctor in a white lab coat with an actual fucking clipboard and paper chart in his hands. What the ever-loving fuck? Where did she find this man? Does he deliver babies or calves?
Following behind him is a woman closer to my age. She has a tablet in her hand. As soon as she sees me, she perks up and pushes back her shoulders so her breasts are more on display.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Hill.” The older man holds out his hand.
“Callum Rutherford. Andi is mine.” I clarify, but that doesn’t stop the female doctor from eyeing me up and down.
“Hello, Doctor Hill. Who is this?” Andi asks, and I can hear a bite in her voice.
“Oh, this is my niece, Reba. She’s a third-year medical student doing some clerkships here with me.
She’s even talking about taking over the practice when I retire.
” He chuckles and waves off his niece before looking at his papers.
“Well, Andrea, I see everything is going well for you. No new symptoms?” he asks.
“Uncle Red, I’m supposed to be leading this consultation. I believe Mr. Rutherford and his young relative are my patients today,” Reba pipes in.
I’m about to clarify my relationship with Andi when she does it for me.
“Mr. Rutherford is my boyfriend. This is our baby.”
“No, sweetheart. You’re my fiancée. Remember, we discussed this?” I told her we were getting married.
“Callum, stop.” Andi blushes and addresses the older man. “I haven’t had any new symptoms. We did find out today we’re having a b—”
“Oh no, sweetie,” Reba interrupts her, and my woman bristles.
“I tell you what you’re having. The tech isn’t authorized to say anything about that.
” Reba looks down at her tablet and clicks around with her nails.
“It says here you’re having a baby boy. Isn’t that sweet?
” She turns to me. “Are you excited to be having a son?”
Andi jumps down off the table. “You know what, I’m sorry to be a bother.
Doctor Hill, you can go ahead and transfer my records to my new doctor in Eastport.
I’m going home with my fiancé when he returns in a couple of weeks.
We’ll finish our pregnancy in our home with our daughter.
” Andi looks at me with a sugary smile. “Right, babe?”
“Hell yeah.” I walk around the opposite side of the table to avoid being near Reba. I shake the doctor’s hand and open the door for Andi. “Nice meeting you all, thanks for the info.”
Andi stomps toward the exit, and I catch up, glad I don’t have to worry about killing that old man, and glad to be away from that vapid bitch.
When we get outside to Andi’s truck, I help her into the passenger side before buckling her belt and securing it under her baby belly. I kiss her long and deep.
“Thanks, nymph. I was worried about doing time in an Oklahoma prison for murder.”
“What?” Andi rears back. “I was the one who was going to kill that bitch.”
“I was going to kill that man if he thought he could look at your sweet pussy.”
She smacks my chest. “Every time I’ve been checked, his nurse has been with him.”
“Oh, hell no.” I slam her door and turn back toward the clinic.
“I’m joking.” She opens the door and shouts. “I went to Tulsa for my other checkups. I was only meeting with Doctor Hill because he’s close to the farm.”
I whip around to head back to the driver’s side.
“You better be telling me the truth, babe,” I growl as I push the button to start her truck.
“I’m serious. Tana said I needed a closer doctor. I’ve been seeing a female doctor in Tulsa. I was teasing you.”
Before I pull out, I reach across the console and take her hand. “Baby, I’m going to spank you for that.”
She shifts in her seat. I shake my head before heading back to the ranch.
Andi
Now that I’ve made the decision to go home with Callum, I’m beginning to regret it. It was rash. I should have thought about it better. I let my jealousy dictate my reaction. But now Callum won’t stop. He’s pushing me to start packing, even though we have time.
Like right now, he’s out in the round pen, playing with a horse while I’m in here packing up my room. I’m pissed.
Reaching into the playpen Ria is playing in, I lift her out and kiss her plump cheek before I slip my cowboy hat on and her little bonnet I got her. We head out to the arena to see what Daddy is up to.
As soon as I step near the corrals, Raine makes herself known, neighing and stomping her foot. She’s doing so well, and I can’t help wondering if Callum’s right. Should we take her home with us?
Ria and I walk over to the post and stand so that I can pet Raine, who isn’t sure about the baby in my arms. I rub down her soft muzzle as she flaps her lips.
“Sweet girl, do you want to come home with me now?” I ask, and she nuzzles into me as Ria pats her too. “Okay, I’ll tell him.”
I hear the commotion from the main ring and walk over. Tana is sitting on the rails, watching Callum work with a horse.
“He’s good at that.” Tana points out.
Callum is just as at home on the back of horse as he is on his motorcycle. He uses the reins to guide the stallion to twist around, and I feel my body reacting. My nipples pucker under the button-down Western shirt I’m wearing.
Callum sits in the saddle as if he were made for it, and in a way, he was. If things had been different, he might have stayed on his family’s ranch. I’m glad he didn’t, or we never would have met.
He’s in a pair of worn Wranglers and a T-shirt, his cowboy hat pulled low over his brow. His beard has grown out more since he got here. He’s so at home on the ranch. I’m glad he has a house where we can have the animals.
Now that it’s been decided that I would be going home with him and Ria, he took some more time off, working remotely from his laptop.
We’re going to drive back in my truck, hauling the horse trailer.
That’s why Callum wants to take Raine home.
He said we’d stop at his family’s ranch on the way back and check on the manager and his family.
Callum also wants to possibly pick up a horse there.
That will take up both spaces in my trailer.
“Baby, come here.” Callum’s voice breaks me from my thoughts.
Tana holds out her arms to take Ria. I walk over to the gate where Davey, Ty’s brother, stands nearby.
The horse Callum is on used to be a bronco that Ty and Davey have been working with.
Callum took a shine to him, and I wonder if he’s thinking what I’ve been thinking lately.
I step into the paddock, knowing neither Callum nor Davey would let me near a horse that wasn’t tame in my condition.
The horse whips his tail, his ears up, and watches me as I approach.
I move toward his side, careful to stay away from his legs, and Callum pulls his boot out of the stirrup.
I hold up a hand to Callum. He clicks at the horse, then laces our fingers together.
I slip my booted foot into the stirrup, and Callum lifts me up.
My belly rests against the horse, who only sidesteps a small amount.
“Whoa,” Callum says to the horse as he keeps one hand on the reins. “What do you think, baby? Want him instead of one from Wyoming?”
I’ve admired this horse from a distance. He’s still a stallion, which is rare in rodeo horses, but that was one of the issues with him. He was too headstrong and was abused by a previous owner. Even though he’s a stallion, his temperament is calmer than I expect.
“That’s up to you, babe. We can leave him here and come get him next summer or spring and get one of yours now.”
“That’s a brilliant idea, nymph.” He leans down and kisses me on the lips before helping me down, making sure I’m steady on my feet before letting go.
I move away from him and the stallion and make my way back to the gate.
“Might want to hold on to him for us,” I say to Davey.
“I’m going to have him gelded in the next month.”