36. Isabella
36
ISABELLA
B ella wrapped her coat tighter around her as Travis parked in front of the dining hall at Wolf Creek Ranch. Energy zinged through her body, leaving her elated one second and tired the next.
Bright lights shone through the windows into the dark night. The full moon lit up the hills and valleys surrounding the buildings at the center of the ranch. She’d been to Wolf Creek Ranch once before with Hadley, and the place was always bustling with wranglers and guests. Even now, well after dark, the parking lot was filled with vehicles.
Travis shut off the diesel engine and turned to her. His wide smile was visible even in the dim light. “Are you ready to tell everyone?”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand. It was sweaty, but he didn’t mention it as he wrapped it in his. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“I do. I mean, we would be meeting with them for Bible study tonight anyway.”
“Yeah, but ten people is a little different from thirty. We can tell Hadley you’re tired if you want to just go home.”
“No, no. I’m fine. I just… I just can’t believe she was able to round up so many people to come to our gender reveal party.”
“More people wanted to come, but they’re still working,” Travis reminded her.
“I still can’t believe I have this many friends,” she whispered.
Her life in Omaha had screeched to a stop when she entered the world of the Iron Fist. No family, no friends, no community. She was alone, except the people the club allowed her to see. Having control of her own life still conjured that old fear that she would be punished for stepping outside of the club’s clearly defined lines.
“Why? Everybody loves you,” Travis reminded her.
She stared at the glow through the windows of the dining hall. She had real friends and a home now, but it was still difficult to accept.
“I haven’t earned this. I don’t deserve it,” she whispered.
Travis cradled her cheek in his hand, and the touch sparked against her skin like dry kindling. When she looked up at him, fire burned in his eyes.
“You deserve to be happy, and I’m going to make sure you always know it. I love you, Bella. I love you so much.”
If he had more to say, she didn’t wait for him to finish. Wrapping her hands behind his neck, she pulled him to her and pressed her lips to his. Travis not only promised to stand beside her, but he showed his love with actions every day. Her heart swelled with love for him so intensely that she worried it would burst in her chest.
Travis returned her kiss with the same affection and intensity. He held her tightly but gently, firmly but softly. Wrapped in the safety of his arms, every pain of the past melted away until they didn’t exist anymore.
A bright light shone onto the cab of the truck, and Bella broke the kiss. Hadley stood in the open doorway of the dining hall, shrouded in shadow.
“Stop making out in the parking lot and get in here!”
Bella covered her face and fell into a fit of giggles. The embarrassment she should feel was mysteriously absent. Hadley could always be counted on to say exactly what was on her mind, and it was one of the traits that Bella appreciated about her friend.
“I guess that’s our cue,” Travis said with a huff.
Bella continued to giggle until they met Hadley on the porch. She could be intimidating for a woman who wasn’t over five and a half feet tall.
“I can’t wait another minute,” Hadley said, shoving a cake knife into Bella’s hand. “Come on. Let’s cut the cake and figure out what kind of baby y’all are having.”
Bella turned to glance up at Travis, who was doing a poor job of hiding his grin.
“What kind of baby are we having?” Bella asked jokingly.
“I think we decided on a puppy. Maybe a duckling.”
Bella made a show of looking sad. “I thought you said we could have a salamander. I’ve always wanted one.”
Hadley ignored their laughter as she led them to a round, two-tier cake. White icing covered it with pink and blue alternating swirls around the rim and base of each tier.
“Here they are, folks! The guests of honor have arrived,” Hadley announced.
The entire crowd gathered around them, reaching for hugs, handshakes, or slaps on the back. Bella was pulled from one embrace to another until her cheeks tingled from smiling. Was that even a thing? It had never happened to her before now–before this town filled with wonderful people wrapped their love around her.
Nothing in the past mattered if this was her present and future. If the rest of her life was filled with the love of a good man and the friendship of an entire town, she could let go of the hurt and praise God for lifting her out of the darkness.
Hadley appeared at Bella’s side and crowded her toward the cake table. “Now, we’re all here to learn the good news. Let’s cut that cake!”
A round of cheers echoed through the large room as Hadley rounded on Bella and Travis. “You did call the bakery and tell them which color to make it, didn’t you?”
Travis made an unsure humming noise, but Bella swatted his chest.
“Yes, we called,” he said, rubbing the spot where she’d playfully hit him.
Hadley smiled and wrapped Bella in a tight hug. “I’m so excited!”
Bella’s breath hitched. These people were celebrating her and her baby. They’d all come here to share in the good news.
Travis was even standing by her as her boyfriend. One day, he would take on the role of the father of her baby. There wasn’t any doubt in her mind that Travis would love her no matter what, and the confidence stole the breath right out of her lungs.
Bella stepped up behind the cake, and Travis took his place at her side. She gripped the handle of the knife and poised it above the top tier.
She tilted her head to look up at Travis behind her. With a handsome grin, he wrapped his hand around hers and they pushed the knife into the cake together. Careful to pull it out straight so no one would see the inside too soon, they slid it back into the top of the cake and positioned the serving knife below the piece.
“You ready?” he whispered against the shell of her ear.
“So ready.” They lifted the slice of cake together, and the entire room roared in cheers and applause as they held up the pale pink dessert.
“It’s a girl!” Tammy Benson shouted the moment before a tear slid down her cheek.
The sight of her friend’s happiness was like a hot rope around Bella’s chest. Her own mother wouldn’t have been as excited as Tammy, and she suddenly saw their relationship in a whole new light.
God had brought them together so they could experience the full joy of moments like these. Tammy never got to be a mother, and Bella needed one. It was silly to think she craved the nearness of a mom in her twenties, but the void in her life was suddenly filled.
Their friends started making their way over for hugs and celebration, but Bella put down the piece of cake and wrapped her arms around Travis first. He’d been with her all day, and even though they’d already shared the excitement together, she wanted to shower him with her overflowing joy first.
He pressed a kiss to her head and leaned down to her ear to be heard over the cheers. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She released him and met their friends with hugs. After everyone had shared their congratulations and indulged in finger foods and cake, the crowd started to dwindle until only Hadley, Gage, Anna, and Olivia remained.
Hadley and Gage were throwing out girl names while they wiped down tables and straightened chairs. Bella sat beside Travis and let out a big yawn.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Wait! We haven’t decided on a name for the baby yet,” Hadley said.
Anna stopped sweeping and rested her hand on the top of the broom. “There is no way they’re naming the baby tonight. Give them time to think about it.”
“We’re just giving them options,” Hadley said with a smirk to Gage.
“I appreciate all the name suggestions. We haven’t really talked about it yet,” Bella added before covering her mouth to yawn again.
“You need to go home and rest,” Anna said. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
“Yeah, and I’ll call you to see what name you decided on,” Hadley added.
Travis took Bella’s hand as they stood. “We’ll be sure to post it in the newspaper once Bella decides.”
“Once we decide,” she corrected.
Travis wrapped an arm around her waist and waved to their friends.
When they stepped out into the cold, dark night, Bella wrapped her coat tighter around her. “Have you thought about baby names?”
Travis opened the passenger door for her and shrugged. “A little.”
Why did her heart want to break out of the cage of her chest and fly at the thought of Travis coming up with names for the baby?
“What do you think?” she asked as she slid into the seat of his truck.
He rounded the front of the vehicle and got in on his side. “I think you should name your baby, and I don’t want to take that away from you.”
Bella grabbed his hand, catching his attention before he could start the truck. “I want us to do this together.”
He squeezed her hand back and lifted it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “Anything you want. I just don’t want to overstep my bounds.”
“I don’t want any boundaries between us,” Bella whispered.
Travis leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. The brief touch left her head spinning and wanting more.
“What are your favorite names?” His low whisper rumbled through her.
She sat back as he started the truck. “Well, I have a few I like.”
That wasn’t the whole truth. There was one she really liked, but Travis’s reaction would tell her whether it was the one or not.
“Start with your favorite,” he said as he turned onto the main road.
“I want to give her a name that means something, but I don’t have any family names I’d want to pass on. Do you?”
Travis huffed. “Nope.”
Considering his family situation, she’d expected that answer. “Well, what about someone we know?”
Travis thought for a few seconds as he stared at the road ahead. “What about Anna?”
Bingo . “I was thinking about Anna too. What do you think of the name Ariana?”
“Ariana,” Travis said slowly. “I love that. It’s not pronounced the same way as Anna, but it’s still similar.”
“You really like it? You’re not just saying that because I suggested it?”
“I really like it. In fact, I think it’s perfect. I could see you with a little Ariana.”
That settled it. She’d been thinking the same thing about him. She’d even imagined him saying the name, and somehow, it was even better in real life. “What about a middle name?” she asked, trying and failing to stop the fidgeting from her excitement.
“What about your middle name? Lauren.”
“Ariana Lauren.” It was a simple middle name to go with a unique first name. “I never thought about using mine. I’m surprised you remembered it.”
Travis slid his fingers between hers until they locked into place. “It’s tough to forget anything about you.”
The excitement she’d been riding all night came crashing down in the dark cab on the drive to Silver Falls Ranch. She woke to Travis whispering beside her.
“Stay right there. I’ll carry you in.”
Bella lifted her head from the cold window and blinked through her blurred vision. “What?”
Travis opened her door a moment later and slid his hands behind her back and knees.
“What are you doing? I can walk.”
“Yeah, but you don’t have to,” Travis whispered low as he pulled her to his chest as if she weighed no more than a grocery bag.
Bella rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m too tired to argue with you.”
“That’s my girl.” He kicked the truck door closed and carried her up onto the porch.
Bella rose up when they reached the door and pulled the key out of her pocket. “Making a romantic entrance is tough when you have fifteen locks on your front door.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Travis said, completely unapologetic for going overboard with the security system.
She held on as he gently lowered her to the couch and pulled her shoes off. Sinking into the plush pillows, she let out a relaxed sigh. “This is so comfortable.”
“It really is. Sleeping on the couch never felt so good,” Travis said as he leaned over her and kissed her forehead.
“I’m so sorry you don’t have a bed. You know, we could share the bed.”
Travis sat beside her and rested his arm across the back of the couch. “Don’t tempt me.”
Bella covered her eyes with her hand. They’d discussed sharing the bed before, but Travis was adamant that they needed distance before they were married. Even the mention of marrying Travis had her fighting the urge to squeal like a little girl.
After being forced to sleep with a man she despised for years, the fact that Travis was careful to resist and be a good, God-fearing man only made her love him more. His dedication to stay true to his faith gave her the strength to do the same.
The baby moved inside her, and she reached for Travis’s hand. “She’s happy.”
She placed his hand over her belly and watched as his breaths came deeper. “Ariana, you have no idea how much you are loved,” he whispered.
The baby stretched again at the sound of his voice. “I think she likes it when you talk to her.”
Travis leaned down and rubbed his hand over the movement beneath her skin. “And you have the best mom in the world. Just wait until you meet her.”
Bella pressed her lips together and inhaled a steady breath. Travis might not be the father of her baby, but he was going to be the best dad.