CHAPTER 16
ANDI
I start to roll over, but movement next to me stops me.
Carefully turning my head, I see Callum lying next to me.
His arm is strapped down to his chest and in a huge brace.
Like it has been for a week now. Right after his surgery, he came up to my room and climbed in bed with me.
A nurse finally took pity on us and brought him in his own bed so I could still feed Kary and take care of him.
Tana and Davey, along with Ty, are still here at the hotel and keeping an eye on Ria as we need.
My parents are also still here. The surgeon told us he would like us to stay in town for a couple of weeks and then will release us to go home.
Because of how everything went down, Ty is going to drive my truck with the horses and trailer back to Eastport for us, and we’ll fly home.
We were able to leave the hospital two days after Kary was born. He was breathing on his own and had no effects from being born early. I’m just so glad everything turned out well for us with him.
Alek and Gray, who own the hotel, are arranging a private jet for us to fly home next week.
Until then, we’re being set up in a private suite here at the casino.
They are taking us being satisfied seriously, and I know we’ll never be able to repay them for their generosity and kindness.
I’ll be telling everyone I know that the Lucky Dice is the place to stay in Vegas when they go there.
“Hello,” a woman says, and I turn to see the private nurse Alek hired standing in the doorway. “There is a Ms. Roisin here to see you.”
“Oh yes.”
I climb out of bed, where I was napping, just like the doctor keeps telling me to do when Kary is sleeping. I look over at the bassinet Kary is sleeping in and smile at my son before stepping out into the main room. I pull the door almost closed.
One thing that has changed is I don’t want to be away from my small family for long.
I could have lost them or been lost to them.
It wasn’t until Starla was beating on the pen that I realized the bronc was trying to protect me from her.
Maybe it was my prayer to my dad, or maybe it was just doing everything I could to stay calm.
Callum bought the bronc, and he’ll be going home with Ty before he comes to us.
“Ro.” I rush up to her, and we hug.
She showed up in our hospital room and helped us get so many things situated so we could move into this suite. She’s also helping Alek hire a private nurse for our trip home.
“You barely look like you had a baby.” She pats my stomach. I scoff at her, and we sit down in the living room. “How is my little godson?” She looks around.
“He’s sleeping. Thank you again for helping us get a bassinet for here.”
“My pleasure. I didn’t know if you had anything at your home, so I got that one.”
“You bought it? I thought it was a loan.”
“Nope. I told my brother I needed baby gear, and he and my sister-in-law helped me get several of the things you’d all need for here. You’re welcome to take it home, but if you don’t, we’ll just donate it to Clare’s House, a local shelter here.”
“Oh. I’ll talk to Callum. How are you doing?” I squeeze her hand.
I know that something has transpired between her and Butcher, but he’s avoiding her, and she won’t tell me.
“I’m excellent.” She forces the bravado and avoids eye contact by looking around the room. “Where did you get these flowers?” She walks over to the bouquets of flowers but stops in front of an anonymous delivery that was sent here to the hotel.
Alek told Callum and me not to worry about who sent them. It’s white and red roses in a vase showing Aphrodite in her oyster shell.
“I’ve seen these before. At the hospital when my cousin’s half-sister was hurt. My aintín mamaí let me go to the hospital with her one day to meet Ainsley. She’d been attacked, but she had this exact bouquet too.”
“We don’t know who they’re from. Alek said it wasn’t someone we had to be concerned about. It’s not a new stalker, but he said they were special,” I explain.
“That’s what I heard too. Ainsley is Lyric’s, Alek’s wife’s, twin sister. They are both my cousins JJ and Jordon’s sisters.”
“What is aintín mamaí?” I ask, confused by the words and term.
“Oh, it’s Gaelic for aunt mom. My aintín mamaí raised me after my mother was killed.”
“Okay, I got it.”
Another knock sounds on the door, and I walk over to open it after checking the peephole. I really don’t have to because no one can get on this floor without security knowing about it.
My family all walk in. When I take in my little sister with her newest Gothic style, I don’t judge her.
I know she’s still trying to process so much, and this is her way of getting through the hurt.
I pull her in for a hug, and for the first time since she got to Vegas, she actually accepts the hug and hugs me back.
I lean in and whisper in her ear, “Want to come stay with Callum and me for a few months?”
She nods.
Going back to Eastport, I’ll have an extra tagalong, and I’m not worried about it. I think she needs some time away from the ranch too. I’ve also talked my mom into letting Tiffany read the journals from our father. I think they’ll help her through whatever she’s going through right now.
Cowboy
I wake up to voices coming from the main room, and then my son decides to make himself known too.
He doesn’t have a loud cry yet, so I’m not sure if Andi heard him.
Rolling out of bed, I stand up and walk to his bassinet.
Carefully, I lift him one armed and brace him against my body as my wife steps into the room.
“You know you aren’t supposed to be holding him yet.” She reminds me of what the doctor has told us many times. He’s afraid I could pop my stitches or cause a setback in my recovery.
Andi walks over and takes him from me before turning to change him on the makeshift changing table she created with one of the dressers in the room.
“I can’t wait to get you home. I’ve had Amelia getting baby things for the house for us.”
“I know. She sent me some pictures today asking if we wanted a western theme or something else for his room.”
“What did you decide?”
“I told her the western theme was okay but to make it heavy on the horses, because he wouldn’t be here without a special horse.”
She’s right. Duke, our newest gelding, deserves to have a quiet, pampered life, and that’s what we’re going to give him.
After Andi was rescued, and she told me how he would get between her and Starla, I knew I was going to rescue that horse from being a bronc or whatever else the owners had planned for him. He’s ours now.
Wrapping my good arm around Andi after she gets done changing Kary, I pull her in close and kiss the top of her head.
My body comes alive just having her this close, but we can’t have sex for six weeks, according to her doctor and mine.
They’ll be lucky if I make it another two weeks without at least getting my wife off with my fingers while I suckle milk from her juicy breasts.
My son can share his mother with me, and he’s going to learn I’m in charge of her body, not him.
Before we step out into the living room, Andi stops and turns to me. “I’d like Tiffany to come stay with us for a bit. We can enroll her in the private school Jude goes to.”
“Okay.” I know it wasn’t a question, but I want her to know I support her decision. Her little sister is on the verge of causing some serious trouble if she doesn’t get some help soon. “I’ll bring it up to your mom and Jon. Good?”
“I’ve already discussed it with them, and they’re actually appreciative of the offer. Jon said he’d pay for the private school. I’d just said we should consider it. I didn’t tell them that she wants to go with us.”
“She does?”
“Yeah. I think the ranch is wearing on her too.”
“We have the room and ability to do it. I’m okay with it. She can help you with things too.”
“Thank you.” She leans up, and I bring my lips down to her and kiss her deeply.
I feel her shiver and know she’s missing our connection as much as I am. Soon we will be home and getting on with our life.