45. Tyler
FORTY-FIVE
TYLER
“Lookin’ good up there, Big Daddy. Why don’t you do what Jake did and ride around them barrels?”
Becca, Darcy, and Ellie stand along the wall in Darcy’s family barn while Jake leads me through some basic riding techniques. They invited us to their farm for dinner and a trip through the barn, something Ellie hasn’t stopped mentioning since Darcy suggested it a month ago.
I’ve ridden horses plenty, but it’s been a long time. Probably since Dusty and I broke into Ms. McGreevy’s pasture and tried to ride bareback on her draft horses. Not sure my right hip ever fully recovered from the way my ass hit the dirt that day, and it’s been over a decade since it happened.
Jake already showed off this horse’s barrel racing skills.
I’m not doing anything near as challenging, just getting to ride him during the cooldown.
But even this feels good. I’m not the biggest animal guy, but since everyone else in my life is, I’m starting to warm up to it.
I think I’ve been so overwhelmed with life in the last few years that I haven’t been able to consider any other creature needing my attention.
But now, even T-Bone penetrated my hardened heart.
I shake my head. “Nah. He’s too tired for that.”
“I’m sure he is,” Becca teases.
“In fairness, he’d definitely throw you,” Darcy says. “He’s bonded to Jake, and that’s only barely.”
“Hey,” Jake objects. “Cane’s my best friend.”
Darcy whispers something to Becca and they both laugh. I’m getting hungry, so I’m sure Ellie is too. I stop Cane, then dismount, leading him to where we can untack him.
“Do I get a turn?” Ellie’s tiny voice asks. “I want to sit on the big one!”
I do not want to shut down my daughter’s love of animals, but that horse felt jumpy. He’s currently knocking his muzzle into my head and snorting at me.
“Maybe,” Becca says, picking Ellie up and looking at Darcy, “we can groom Freckle. Do you want to brush a horse?”
“No. I want to ride the big one.”
“Um, he’s a little . . .” Darcy starts, looking to Becca to figure out how to describe the other horse. “Feisty.”
Ellie looks confused, and Becca shakes her head. “Mean. He’s mean.”
“He doesn’t look mean,” Ellie insists. “Daddy rided him. He’s pretty. I want to ride the horsie.”
My jaw tightens. “El, I think we’re done with horse rides for the day. Miss Darcy made us some yummy chili, and I bet we’re all getting hungry.”
“But I’m a cowgrill,” Ellie pouts.
Darcy claps her hands over her heart, and Jake puts his hands on her shoulders with a kiss to her hair. I don’t know if there’s ever been a worse case of baby fever than what those two have.
And I get it. It’s contagious. It’s hard not to want a baby with Becca.
But though Darcy and Jake are newlyweds too, they’ve been together longer than Becca and I have.
As much as I want to be going after the same goal, my head’s telling me to slow down.
Becca assured me that Ellie is more than enough for now, and that there’s no rush.
I’d rather Ellie have a sibling close in age, but I know I need to give myself time.
I’m so grateful for the woman next to me for not pressuring me while I come back into myself.
“Daddy, I really want to ride a horsie,” Ellie whines.
Cane ducks his head to crash into my chest, then starts rooting around my abdomen.
“Hey, nice horse—” I put my hands up as the horse’s warm breath snuffles into my stomach. Suddenly, my pants go slack, getting caught around my ass before they can get too far.
The horse unbuttoned my jeans.
Becca and Darcy crack up and Darcy rushes to apologize. “Sorry about him. He’s really an,” she mouths over Ellie’s head, “asshole.”
“Cane, just had to show off your party tricks, didn’t ya?” Jake says, giving the horse a firm pat on his neck. “I think it’s time we put him up for the night.”
“He’s done that before?” I ask.
“All the time. It’s why Jake has to wear a belt,” Darcy sighs.
Jake smirks, his eyes cutting over to Darcy’s. Her cheeks and chest go red. How many more kinks do these two have? Every time I think it’s over, another one surfaces.
Ellie thinks this whole scene is funny, but her face drops again when Jake starts to lead Cane into a stall. Becca catches onto it and taps her lips.
“Darce, is the tack room open?”
Darcy tips her head, confused, but obliges. “Yeah, grab whatever you need.”
Becca shuffles off toward a door between the barn stalls, returning with a cowboy hat, a saddle and blanket, and a bright smile.
“Alright, cowgirl. I’ve got the perfect horsie for you.” Becca reaches my side and toes the floor. “Time to saddle you up, old man. Hands and knees.”
I glare at her and gesture to the sawdust floor below us. “Here?”
Becca raises her brows and leans in to mumble to me. “You going to be a brat about it? Or are you going to give your sweet baby girl what she wants?”
I scowl and slip my fingers into her belt loops with a tug, a quiet warning of what’s to come. “You’re going to hear about this later.”
Becca smirks and her voice is a low purr. “I hope I do. On your knees, Big Daddy.”
My toes curl with the sound of that, and my ears heat.
Getting back into a sexy relationship has been slow and steady. We can barely keep our hands off each other, especially now that we’re not using condoms. No need to stop the momentum, just a few caresses and everything’s getting shoved down and pushed to the side so I can claim my wife.
While that’s amazing and wonderful, I want to be enough for Becca’s adventurous side.
I miss my adventurous side. I test it with a spank here, a filthy threat there.
I trust her, and I know she trusts me, but I haven’t trusted myself to have the confidence to carry out a whole session where I order her around and make her pay for her bratty little stunts.
Like making me crawl on the barn floor, knowing full well that I won’t say no to my daughter.
With a sigh, I lower myself to the ground. “One horsie ride. Then we go eat Miss Darcy’s chili.”
Darcy arranges the saddle blanket on my back, then the heavy saddle on top of it.
Becca and Ellie beam at each other. “Come here, cowgirl.” She places Ellie on my back and plops the cowboy hat on top of Ellie’s head, tipping it back so she can see. “Give us a good ‘yee-haw!’”
“We actually don’t say that,” Jake grumbles, but when Ellie looks at him, he gives an enthusiastic, “Yee-haw!”
Ellie lets out her own yell as I start to crawl.
“Good choice, cowboy,” Darcy chuckles, patting her husband’s chest. “We don’t pop bubbles around here. We make dreams come true.”