17. Lainey
Lainey
“You can come into the kitchen, Trouble. No need to stand there like a little mouse.”
I scoffed, the noise not nearly as loud as I thought it would be with Lachlan’s washer and dryer running. “There’s nothing little about me right now, and I have never been as quiet as a mouse.”
“Fair enough. Want something to eat? I think the first batch of your clothes are almost done drying. I’m about to make breakfast, and I could—”
He’d basically taken care of getting everything washed up for me yesterday, and here he was, running all of my things through a wash cycle again. “I think we need to have a conversation about rules,” I interrupted.
“Rules?” Lachlan set down his phone, turning all of his attention to me.
“Yes, rules. What you would like me to abide by while I’m here. What you expect of me. I’m more than happy to help out where I can, but I also need to be looking for a place and with the little alien coming soon, I’m kind of running out of time.”
Lachlan’s eyes narrowed, the heat from his gaze bringing a flush to my skin. “First of all, you can stay here as long as you need to. The last thing you should be worrying about is trying to land somewhere else when you’re this close to having the baby.”
“I know you offered—more than once—which is so kind, but that’s not fair to you. You didn’t sign up for me to be here endlessly when you came to rescue me like some cowboy knight in shining tattoos.”
Lachlan’s mouth pitched up in the corner, like he was fighting back a smile. “For. As. Long. As. You. Need. There’s no expiration date.”
“And you’re okay with all the chaos—” I looked down at my belly, smoothing my hand over it as the alien rolled and pushed his butt out against the pressure of my touch. “You’re okay with all that comes with me?”
He just shrugged, picking up his mug before he closed the distance between us. Lachlan pulled out a chair from the table and tipped his head at me. I took the hint and sat, scooting the chair in while he sat on his own. “I have nephews and nieces.”
“You don’t live with them, though.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“The crying?”
“Nope.”
“I wasn’t talking about the baby. I’m fighting for my life to keep them contained. Can’t imagine how bad it will be once he lands.”
“You really do like this alien analogy don’t you?”
My eyes narrowed. “Don’t change the subject.”
“Look.” Lachlan lifted his coffee mug up and took a long sip before setting it back onto the table with a clang.
“I’m honestly, genuinely grateful that you are here, and I know you’re okay now.
That phone call took years off my life. I’m good with whatever comes with having you here. So, now that that is settled…”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Lach just glared at me and shook his head.
“Now that it’s all settled?” I asked.
“There’s just one more thing to cover. There aren’t any rules here.
Other than to stop asking my permission for things.
If it’s here, it’s yours to have, to use, to eat, to enjoy.
I don’t expect anything from you. I might have to use a cane, but I’m perfectly capable of running my house—even with a guest.”
“Or two,” I added.
Lach nodded. “Can’t imagine that little guy will take up too much space when he arrives.”
“Oh, you really have no clue, do you?”
He leaned in close to me, his elbows resting on the table. “I know they need a bassinet, a swing, a tummy time mat. Someplace safe to have their diapers changed. Someplace comfortable to be fed.”
“And you know that from your nephews and nieces?”
“Of course. Hawk was always hauling things around for Beckett; Colt and Beau are no better.”
“Well, at least one of us has it all figured out. I’m so behind.”
He nodded. “It’s okay, take a breath. While you and Birdie were talking yesterday, I mentioned needing some things here, for the little one.
Beau’s got some things that Juniper doesn’t use anymore that he’s gonna bring over.
And the brothers’ chat was busy last night, so I know it’s the same with Colt.
So, we’ll have a safe place for him to sleep and a swing covered. ”
I chewed on my bottom lip, crossing my arms over themselves and resting them on top of my belly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You said the brothers’ chat. Does Jessie know…” I didn’t even have to finish the question. Because the truth was clearly written in his expression. “No one told her, because she’d hate that I’m here.”
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks.”
“Yes, it does. This ranch is her home.”
“It’s yours now, too.”
“Temporarily,” I groaned, realizing that I needed to reach out to Jessie and give her a long overdue apology. “After the doctor’s appointment Birdie scheduled for me. Maybe we could...”
“We could…?”
“Take a walk over to their house?”
“Together?” Lach asked.
“Yeah. I mean, I doubt Jessie will slam the door in your face. You can be there to soften the blow. And she’ll be so excited to see you out and about…”
His face fell. God, I was asking the poor guy for too much.
“We don’t have to. Of course, you might need some time to just be home. I know it’s been a lot. I shouldn’t have said—”
“Stop. Ma wants me to go up to the main house for family dinner this week.” He blew out the breath he was holding. “I can make it to Jessie’s, too. It’ll be a good test run for me.”
I knew that was a stretch, but I was grateful for how quickly he was willing to try. For me.
“Oh, there is another rule, and I just thought of it,” Lach said as he sipped his coffee.
“Okay. What is it?”
“Definitely tell me if you think you’re going into labor.”
“I can’t imagine a mechanic being afraid of getting his hands dirty,” I teased, but the way Lach’s face fell nearly had me in tears.
“Yeah, well. I’m not a mechanic anymore.”
No. I wasn’t about to let him get away with that statement. “Tell that to my car. I could probably live in it now with how cold the air conditioning runs—”
“You’re not living in your fucking car.”
Lord, the whiplash… “Of course not. You let me sleep in your guest room, and now I’m spoiled by that mattress.
It’s the first time this entire pregnancy I haven’t tossed and turned all night.
But that’s probably because you make me feel—” I cut myself short.
Jesus. I’d gotten so lost in how connected I felt to him right now, how easy he was to talk to, that I almost said something ridiculous.
“How do I make you feel, Trouble?”
Lachlan’s hand was a hair’s width away from mine on the table, and when his pinky brushed against my wrist, I felt like all the air between us had just vanished.
“Safe,” I let myself admit it. “You make me feel safe.”
“Good,” he said as he leaned back, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are safe here. I’ll keep you both safe.”
“Hey, Trouble? Can you come downstairs with me?” Lachlan’s voice pulled my attention away from my phone. I was trying to get a list of things together that I’d need for the baby, but it was all so overwhelming.
“What’s going on?”
“Colt is here, to take your statement.”
So much for taking my mind off of things. “Okay. Give me one second, and I’ll be down.”
I waited until I heard him head down the stairs to walk out of the room and across the hall.
I turned the cold water on, splashing it over my face.
Looking in the mirror, I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me.
But I knew that heading downstairs—making sure everything Greg did to me was documented—it was the start of getting myself back.
“Hi, Colt,” I said to Lachlan’s oldest brother as I stepped off the last stair. His arms wrapped around me before I even finished my greeting.
“Hey, Lainey. I’m so glad you’re here. You doing okay?”
He released me from the hug and I turned, finding Lachlan on the sofa and Nate Jones sitting in a chair across from him. Nate was a deputy, like Colt, but he also worked with my sister and her charity to support survivors of domestic violence.
“As okay as I think anyone could be in a situation like this,” I answered Colt. “Nate, I didn’t know you’d be here, too.”
He nodded. “I don’t have to be, if you’d rather it just be family.”
I smiled. “You’re as much a part of this family as I am.”
It was true. Nate had earned his spot as an honorary Ford when he helped save Colt’s wife from her stalker. That spot was cemented when Birdie was attacked and fighting for her life. Nate was there every day with all of us, waiting for her to get better.
My legs carried me over to the sofa, and I sat down at the opposite end as Lachlan.
“I want you to walk us through what happened the other night, Lainey. And if this wasn’t the first time, I’d like you to tell us about the other times, too. Once we have everything documented, you’ll sign the report, and Nate will submit your order of protection request. Okay?”
I nodded, my throat sore as I tried to swallow. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to talk about it, but the second the first word left my mouth, I couldn’t stop. It just came pouring out of me.
I couldn’t tell how much time passed as I shared every detail I could remember, but I felt somehow completely drained and lighter than I ever had before when I was finished.
“I know that was incredibly difficult, Lainey, but you’re doing the right thing reporting it.” Colt took the pen back from me as soon as I finished signing my name on the report. “You’re safe here on the ranch, with us. I hope you know that.”
I looked right at Lachlan as I nodded. He’d sat quietly the entire time I’d talked through everything, fists clenched in his lap. But he never exploded. Never reacted in a way that made me nervous. I knew I was safe on the ranch, because I was here with him.