Chapter Twenty-Five
The following Wednesday, in preparation for today’s outing to Matt and Dakota’s ranch, Rico went to the Western gear shop where Franco had gotten Rico’s outfit. He bought Gina a pair of royal blue chaps, a sunflower-yellow shirt, a new pair of Wranglers, and a pair of basic brown cowgirl boots. Dakota had given him strict orders on the type of boots that would be acceptable. Good thing, because otherwise, he’d have bought her some flashy boots that Dakota said would scream city girl to anyone with a ranch or rodeo background. Apparently, that was a bad thing.
Watching her swagger around the corral earlier on this sunny Saturday in her getup—including the cowgirl hat Dakota had insisted on gifting her with—Gina had acted as if she were hot shit. Rico couldn’t help but grin.
At least she was doing a lot better this weekend than last, but then that might be because she’d kept Rico in sight most of the time. As much fun as she, Paul, and Mama J had last weekend, Gina’s therapist said to expect days when she’d feel certain she was going to lose Rico too.
Rico tried not to think about the aborted kink scene last Sunday and what Gina’s clinginess meant for future scenes with Franco, but Gina had to come first. Although Franco told him he’d ordered something that would help Rico think of his role as Franco’s submissive while they were apart. Rico had been afraid to ask what it was, but he’d find out soon enough.
“Anticipation is good for my boi,” had been Franco’s only response—well, that and an evil grin. Rico didn’t like having to wait but had no choice in the matter. Too bad Franco had gotten called out on an investigation this weekend, or he might have already given him the gift he’d ordered.
Rico hadn’t packed the chaps Franco had given him. He preferred that they remained bedroom attire, even though they seemed authentic enough to be worn here too. Rico wasn’t sure he’d be needing them out here, however. His horse didn’t seem to be too excited with him. In fact, the beast seemed to be half asleep. At this rate, Rico’s time on horseback might be short lived, but that was perfectly fine with him. He’d never be a cowboy, other than in Franco’s fantasies.
Rico had been looking forward to seeing his stud muffin on a horse too and missed him. Still, Franco had promised to join them at Matt and Dakota’s tomorrow if he could get out of Denver early enough. Maybe even later tonight. There was still a chance they’d have some time together, albeit not alone.
“No, Zio Rico. Like this.” Gina’s voice pulled him away from his thoughts. She showed him how to hold the reins the way Dakota had taught her. He wasn’t having much success. Being tall in the saddle wasn’t what he’d expected. The ground was awfully far down if he fell off—or worse yet, got bucked off. Not that this rather lethargic and stubborn horse seemed inclined to get rough with him.
Gina, on the other hand, had taken to riding like an old cowhand. She’d been trotting around the corral all morning and chomping at the bit to go on a trail ride with Matt and Rico.
Rico needed to catch up with her in more ways than one before that could happen. “Let’s go, Silver.” Was that the horse’s name? No clue. “I don’t want you making any sudden moves, though.” He tapped his boot heels into the horse’s sides.
Nothing.
“Remember to put your knees into Twinkle’s sides, Rico,” Matt instructed.
Twinkle. That’s right.
And oh, yeah. The knees.
He tried not to think about digging his knees into Franco’s sides if and when they ever had sex. Rico kneed the sides of the horse, and it miraculously started to walk around the ring. Rico grinned at Matt as if he’d just invented the wheel.
“That’s it!” Matt encouraged him.
Rico felt like a baby taking his first steps—and missteps. Maybe it was a blessing that Franco had to work. He didn’t want to look totally inept in front of his Dom. Hopefully, by the time Franco saw him on a horse tomorrow, Rico would look like he knew a bit about what he was doing. Then it would be Franco’s turn to make the same mistakes, because Rico knew from watching him at Matt’s wedding reception that Franco didn’t know one end of a horse from the other.
“Who wants to go in for some cocoa?” Dakota asked.
“I do!” Rico shouted, then realized Gina hadn’t responded.
Matt laughed. “I guess that makes one of you.”
“I might not get Gina out of that saddle all day,” Rico lamented. But hearing her laughing and having a good time warmed his heart too much to care.
“Dakota, would you prefer to give lessons or sling mugs of cocoa?” Matt asked.
“If I can’t be on the horse, there’s no better place than here in the corral giving lessons.”
Matt turned to Rico. “I’m happy to make the cocoa.”
“Thanks.” Dakota went back to instructing Gina on the finer skills of being an equestrian.
Matt held the bridle near the horse’s jaw as Rico got down using a mounting block.
Thank God that’s over.
The two men walked toward the house. “Gina’s adorable.”
“That she is,” Rico agreed.
“What’s it like suddenly being in charge of a grown kid?” Matt asked.
Rico glanced sideways and noticed Matt seemed more serious than usual.
“Well, it might be easier to start out with a newborn, like you and Dakota plan to do. But I’m figuring things out as I go. Trial and error—lots of error, it seems.”
Matt opened the door for Rico to precede him into the house “I think Dakota’s reading fifteen books at the same time on how to raise a baby.” He swept his arm to take in the kitchen and living room area. “Everywhere I look, she has a different how-to book with bookmarks at various places in each.” Rico glanced around and counted five within this small area.
“I tried to read a couple of them,” Matt continued, “but I got overwhelmed. There’s so much that can go wrong. Mama tells me babies are stronger than they look, but still…” He shook his head as his voice trailed off.
Rico clapped him on the upper back and squeezed Matt’s shoulder. “Everything will be fine. You two are going to be amazing parents. And trust me, with your mama around to help, you have nothing to worry about.”
“I think Mama’s expecting us to put in a spare room for her or a mother-in-law tiny house nearby so she can live here full-time in the early months. Our only saving grace is that she has to divide herself between two grandbabies. On the other hand, I’m sure Tony and Carm are getting a double dose of Italian nonnas with Mama D’Alessio.”
“Mama J is over the moon, that’s for sure. Is Dakota’s nana excited about her new role as a great-grandmother?”
“It’s a little harder for Nana to go back and forth from North Dakota often, so I’m sure she’ll want to stay a while when she comes, but she wants to wait for the weather to get better, so that will give us a few months for our family to adjust.”
All that love for one little baby. Lucky kid. “Consider yourself blessed. I don’t know how Michelle did it on her own all those years. I’ve been taking any help I can get.”
Matt set two mugs on the counter and turned to Rico. “You’re doing an amazing job. Gina’s pretty well-adjusted, despite all she’s been through. You’ve been a fantastic parent to her so far.”
“I’m giving it my best shot. Sometimes I feel like a surrogate, rather than a parent.”
“Nonsense. You’re the only father figure she’s ever known.”
Rico decided to change the subject, not wanting to talk about his parenting skills with anyone yet. “Wait until you see all the stuff Mama J and Gina bought for the babies last Saturday. Not just newborn clothes and toys but probably enough diapers for the first year of both babies’ lives.”
“Seriously? We got so much stuff at the joint baby shower last month, I can’t figure out where we can put anything else.”
“You might have to clean out one of the stalls in the barn.”
Matt laughed but didn’t discount the idea aloud.
“I’m sure you’ll manage, Matt. Once you and Dakota have that baby to hold and love, everything else will fall into place or fade away. And you’re lucky your mama will be here for you when you need her. I’ve never found her to be intrusive with me, although we aren’t exactly related. But ever since I became friends with Angie, she’s been there whenever I reached out to her.”
“Mama has an enormous heart, and knowing she’s gone through this childbirth thing five times tells me she will be a big help.”
Matt took a pot down from the rack above the stove and pulled the milk jug from the fridge to fill the pot. He must be making some for the girls too. “I’ll admit that when I bought this ranch with this house already standing on it, it seemed enormous. I figured I’d remain a bachelor forever because I didn’t have time to date. But then Dakota showed up Christmas Eve a year ago and now we have a baby due in January”—he shook his head in wonder—“we’ve been through a lot of change in a short time.”
“How are you handling everything?”
Matt grinned. “I’m the luckiest SOB around. Don’t deserve her or the baby, but I’ll fight to the death to keep them in my life.”
Rico wasn’t sure he’d ever experience what it was like to be married, but he had been able to see what parenthood was about these past six weeks and could relate on that front for the first time in his life.
“Having Gina to look out for, I know some of what you’re feeling.” He wanted to say the same about having Franco in his life now, but until they were able to spend more time together and flesh out this budding relationship, he wasn’t sure that they’d ever get beyond being good friends and occasional hookups.
Oh, come on! After last Sunday, you know there will be more—eventually.
Rico could almost hear Franco telling him how fucking fantastic all this anticipation would be for him, but Franco had been more than a little frustrated too after they’d been interrupted in the middle of that hot scene.
Rico’s ass hole twitched just thinking about Franco’s mouth—
“Can’t wait to see Mama and everyone at dinner tomorrow.”
Matt’s words brought him back to the present. He needed to stop daydreaming about his Dom.
Matt scooped cocoa into the pot. “Will you and Gina be able to make it?”
“Um. Yeah. Looking forward to it.” He and Gina were becoming regulars at the Giardano dinners. “Your family has been a godsend for us during all this,” Rico said. “I see why they say it takes a village to raise a child. I’ve sure needed that village and have been blessed to have found one, thanks to Franco letting your mama know what was going on.”
Matt stopped stirring and grew serious. “We all know how hard this has been for you, Rico. Glad Dakota and I could help distract you both this weekend, even in this small way.”
“Don’t think this is a one-and-done or small in any way. As soon as Franco told her you two have horses, she’s been asking when we can go riding. Considering how well she’s taken to the saddle, I’m not sure Gina will give you a moment’s rest before you agree to let her come back and ride some more.”
“Don’t worry about it! I’m sure we can work things out for you two to come and ride as long as one of us is here. I think today has been a good distraction for Dakota too. Even though she can’t ride until after the baby is born, she loves being able to teach others.” Matt grew pensive again. “I want Dakota to go full term and give the little one every chance possible to grow inside her where it’s safer. But she misses riding—a lot.”
“I’m sure your baby will be born healthy and happy, and then she’ll be right back in the saddle again.”
Thoughts of health took Rico’s mind to Michelle and Gina and how short their time together had been. Rico hoped the little girl stayed healthy and that Michelle’s cancer wasn’t hereditary. He should ask Michelle’s oncologist. Rico would never survive anything happening to Gina too.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Rico added, “Anyway, just saying I’m not sure how long Gina will let us go between visits.”
“We’ll be here most of the time,” Matt said, “both before and after the baby’s arrival. As soon as Dakota gets home from the hospital, I’m sure she’ll strap the baby on and be ready to ride at a moment’s notice. If Mama moves in—until we turn that bedroom into a nursery—you’ll have to stay at your place in Aspen Corners and drive down for the day.”
Gina and Rico planned to stay at the ranch house tonight, but it wasn’t that much farther for them to stay in Aspen Corners. “That’ll work. I appreciate everything, but we’ll try not to intrude on you newlyweds too often.” Rico remembered Dakota making it clear she wanted time alone with her man. Rico could relate!
Matt laughed. “Our newlywed status might be over quick, once the little one arrives. Even now, finding time to ourselves throughout the week has been tricky with our schedules.”
Rico wanted to say something about how much easier it would be to find time for intimacy with a baby in the house than it had been for Rico and Franco who had to deal with a ten-year-old’s curious eyes and ears but didn’t think Franco had come out to Matt yet.
“Oh, before I forget, Gina’s also hoping to wrangle a tour of your firehouse this weekend. Think we could arrange that tomorrow or should we wait for another visit? She’s pretty impressed that there are so many firefighters in Franco’s family.”
“Our doors are open twenty-four seven, so we can stop by on the way to Mama’s tomorrow.”
“That would be great. Maybe Franco will get here by then.”
Rico asked Matt if the guys on shift were the same ones who had worked with Franco when he’d been stationed there. Some of the things he’d overhead Franco say made him wonder if there might not be some tension for him on a visit to the firehouse.
“He mostly worked with my shift crew, but we know everyone on all three shifts. We’re a family.”
“Sounds nice.”
Would Franco join them early knowing they’d be going by the station? Or was that part of the reason for his reluctance to come down this weekend?
Time will tell.