Dean
“Matty!” I shout over the sea of people hurrying towards their trucks as the arena in Kansas empties out.
“Matty, hold up!” I skid to a stop and grab his elbow.
He turns to face me, his eyes flashing with surprise when he realizes who I am.
“Where is she?” I ask in a rush, trying to catch my breath.
I woke up to the sun beating down on me through my open blinds.
By the time I realized I left my phone on the counter of the kitchen, I knew I’d slept in late.
I barely made it in time to check in—the six hour drive from the ranch felt like it took me six days.
Hannah’s truck was already gone when I’d jumped in my own, throwing my bag in the backseat and dialing Owen to let him know I’d be back in a couple days and to take care of Ghost. I’d tried to find a moment to pull Hannah aside, not sure where we stood after how she hauled ass into the cabin yesterday and didn’t come out of her room.
I contemplated barging in and making her listen to me, my possessive side pounding against my chest to storm into her room and remind her how good we were together.
But I wasn’t sure if tying her to the bedpost and fucking her until she begged me to stop would convince her.
I was trying to play the long game, and it was killing me.
Every time I took a step towards the practice arena, I was pulled into an interview or some conversation with sponsors.
The moment her name was called and I caught a glimpse of Queen bolt down the alleyway, I shoved away from the men in clean boots talking my ear off about a new sponsorship and ran to the fence, pulling myself over the top to watch my woman.
I didn’t think she’d take off so soon after; she didn’t have any other rides after this one, and I knew she wouldn’t make the drive back to the ranch this late in the day.
At least I hoped that’s where she’d head back to.
I planned to convince her to do just that, but after yanking the check out of the announcer's hand and sprinting off stage, her truck was gone. I’d just made out Matty’s bow legged walk down the sidewalk and took off after him before he could disappear into the crowd.
Now he stood in front of me, a toothy grin on his face, eyes lit up like he knows a secret.
“Well?” I threw my hands out impatiently, dust flying off my chaps as I shifted on my feet. “You treat my girl right, you hear me?” I reared back at the sudden shift in his demeanor. He crossed his arms and his face slips into a mask of a protective father.
“I…I will,” I stammered, suddenly sweating under his scrutiny.
He takes a step towards me and places his hands on my shoulders. “She’ll come back to you when she’s ready.”
Instantly, my heart pounds. “What does that mean? Where did she go? When will she be back?” I fire off question after question, but the smile falls back in place and he turns to leave.
“Just give her time.” I jog after him, not ready to settle for that answer.
“Matty, you can’t just let her disappear on me!” I’m begging at this point.
“Son, I’ve known that girl for most of her life.
And I can promise you, you keep pushing and she’ll give you a ride that you ain’t prepared for.
No matter how many buckles you got shining on your trophy shelf.
” He turns again but pauses, then faces me again.
“I know her daddy ain’t around anymore.” Tears begin to pool in his eyes when he looks back at me.
“But I love her like my own, and that baby will be loved by me as if they are my own, too. Never let them go.” The last few words come out hushed, but everything fades around me.
Baby.
My boots stay glued to the sidewalk as I watch Matty blend into the crowd towards his truck.
People give me odd looks while they split around me, standing there in my dusty chaps with my mouth hanging open.
My whole world flipped upside down. I don’t even remember how I made it to my truck, now sitting inside in silence, blinking back tears and trying to fully understand if I heard Matty correctly.
“A fucking baby!” I shout, slamming my hands into the steering wheel in a frenzy of excitement.
My heart threatens to give out from beating so fast. I told her I’d put a baby in her one day, but didn’t really think it would happen this quickly.
My palm slips and lands heavy on the horn, startling the last few people filtering out from the arena.
I yell an apology at them that they probably can’t hear, but don’t really care.
Running a hand through my hair, I slam my head back against the headrest and let the tears run through the dust covering my face.
My fingers itch to snatch up my phone and call her, but Matty’s words from earlier ring in my ears.
You keep pushing and she’ll give you a ride you ain’t prepared for.
I turn my truck on and shift it into drive, starting to pull out of the lot and point me back in the direction of Colorado.
Instead, I slam on the brakes and put the truck back in park.
He said she’d come back when she’s ready.
Which means she isn’t headed back to Green Haven, at least not yet.
Biting my lip as I think about where she’s gone, knee bouncing impatiently, I try to calm the possessiveness building in my chest. She’s always been mine, but now that my baby grows inside her, I can’t just go home and wait.
I shift back in my seat, letting out a rush of air.
My keys slip from my pocket and disappear between the console and driver's seat.
“Shit!” I hiss, digging my hand in the small space, fingers just grazing the keyring.
I freeze. The night I ate her out on the barrel at the beginning of this summer flashes through my mind.
Her phone in the dirt. The way my heart clenched at the idea of having her once and then not knowing when she’d pop back into my world.
I can still feel the tremble in my fingers as I slipped the AirTag off my keyring and tucked it underneath her seat.
A sick feeling of accomplishment washes over me.
Abandoning the search for my keys, I instantly grab my phone and pull up the app.
“Come on…” I mutter, watching the icon search for my woman.
My hand pounds the padded ceiling of my cab the moment she pops up.
Half way to Amarillo. “Got you, darlin’. ”
The tires jostle me as I cross from the gravel parking lot onto a smooth black top, my wild heart starting to calm down now that I know where she is.
I make a quick stop at the gas station down the street, change into a clean pair of jeans and black tee, down an energy drink, and scroll through my phone while I fill up.
Leaning against the bed of my truck, I can’t help but pull up the photo I took of her in the wild flower field just the other day.
In a few quick clicks, I upload the picture to my social media page, the pump clicks off, and I push off with my shoulder and climb back into the cab.