29. Sawyer
SAWYER
- Third trimester!
- Horny dreams about my baby daddy
The familiar smell of horse shit and worn leather filled my nostrils the moment I stepped out of my car. Bright stadium lights shone down on the freshly dragged arena as an announcer called out their thanks to the many sponsors who made the event possible.
Beckett rounded the vehicle, standing by my side in a freaking cowboy hat, courtesy of Lukas.
Tonight, we were all gussied up and headed out to the rodeo.
Frank’s was a big sponsor of the Pinecrest Junior Rodeo.
When funds fell through two years ago, Duke and Liv funded the entire thing.
At first, they refused any and all credit, wanting instead to focus on the scholarships it provided, but after a few conversations, the committee talked them into having their logos displayed across the program.
Having all that attention on the bar made Duke nervous. He was very aware of the funds Liv brought to their partnership, and didn’t want it to seem like he was taking advantage of that. But Liv made him see sense by telling him he was being stupid.
I turned to Beckett, hooking my finger through one of his belt loops. “I can’t believe you’ve never been to a rodeo before.”
“Because we have so many of them in New York?” he asked. “Even if there were, it wouldn’t have been my parents’ scene, so they never would have allowed it.” He paused, shaking his head. “God. I can just imagine their faces as they got the first whiff of shit.”
Reaching up, I flicked the brim of his hat. “You know, this cowboy thing is a good look on you.”
When Liv invited us to join her family, I’d almost said no. I didn’t want Beckett to feel like he didn’t belong in the sea of starched Wranglers and worn-out Stetsons, but he had immediately turned to me and asked if I would feel up to it. How could I say no to that face? It was impossible.
Much to my surprise, I’d walked into his house only two days ago to find a sea of shopping bags in the living room.
Duke was talking to Beckett about the importance of heavily starched jeans and boot care.
I wasn’t sure when those two had grown close, but it seemed like they were always hanging around one another over the past few weeks.
Sometimes they even texted, which was just really weird for me to wrap my head around.
Beckett smirked, running the back of his hand down my arm. “You know, Duke told me there’s a rule about a man’s hat.”
“Did he now?”
Working at a bar in a small town, I was well acquainted with the tradition.
If you wore the hat, you rode the cowboy.
The only issue was that most of the men wearing them weren’t cowboys at all.
They just liked to put on a costume to pick up women.
Beckett wasn’t far off, except he didn’t even have to try.
I was already his, even if I hadn’t fully admitted that yet.
“Mmhm.” Beckett nodded, the smile never leaving his face. Then he leaned in and whispered, “Care to test the theory?”
My cheeks flushed as he pulled away. Since the night I mauled him in his dining room, we’d made out. A lot. More than I ever really thought possible. The issue? We hadn’t done anything else.
I loved the intimate feeling of lying in his arms as we poured all the words we couldn’t say into every kiss. Sometimes, the skin around my lips felt raw from his stubble, but it never stopped us.
However, I was now intimately acquainted with the phrase ‘blue balls,’ and it had nothing to do with Beckett.
He was a perfect angel who never complained about not finding a release, but I was growing restless.
There were only so many times a girl could very nearly reach climax from grinding on a thigh before losing her mind.
Yes, I’d often reach for my vibrator the moment I stepped foot into my room, muffling my cries against the back of my hand, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing could ever truly replace the feeling of his fingers, or the way he destroyed me with each languid thrust.
I didn’t know what his hang-up was. We’d gotten clearance from my doctor to have sex.
I even asked her at our appointment three days ago, while he was sitting next to me, in hopes it would clue him in about what I wanted.
So far, my attempts had not been successful.
Each time we were on the brink of going further, he backed off despite my pleas to keep going.
I knew we should just have a conversation about how I was feeling, but it felt silly.
I knew Beckett wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.
The proof was present in every single kiss and the tent in his sweats.
But that didn’t keep the unreasonable doubt from creeping in.
My body had changed so much since the last time he saw me naked.
My breasts had blown up, making the one that was already slightly larger than the other much more noticeable, and even my stretch marks had stretch marks.
Don’t even get me started on how if it weren’t for maternity jeans, there’d be no way to get denim over my ass.
If this was my only chance to get it through his thick skull, then I’d take it.
Reaching up, I grabbed Beckett’s hat and placed it on my head. He pulled his lip between his teeth, staring at me with blatant desire. “Ball’s in your court now, cowboy. What’re you going to do with it?”
His hands traveled to my waist, tugging me forward until our bodies were as flush as he could get them. Then they dipped lower to my ass, squeezing. “Is that right?”
“Mmhm,” I nodded. He grabbed the hat, gently removing it before capturing my lips in a searing kiss. I opened my mouth, welcoming his tongue as it swept across my own.
“Get a room!” someone bellowed. We broke apart just in time to see Lukas sauntering up beside us. His eyes darted between us with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Hello, lovebirds. How are you on this fine evening?”
Beckett shook his hand, placing the hat back on his head. “Lukas,” I said, taking in his polished attire. “You look nice tonight.”
“You know, I was walking out of the house in my work clothes when I remembered how hot the moms are at these things. Figured it’d be worth dusting off my good boots for,” he said, giving us a wink.
“You’re the worst,” I teased. “Can’t you do anything without thinking about your next lay?”
Lukas placed his hand over his heart. “Sawyer, I am a multifaceted man. I’m offended you think so little of me.”
“Am I wrong?” I deadpanned.
“Nah. You’re pretty spot on, but hey… At least women know what they’re in for when I take’em for a ride.”
Thankfully, Duke pulled up beside us in his new truck before Lukas could say anything else, cutting the engine and hopping out. He greeted both men with a firm handshake as Liv helped the girls climb down.
“Mom, are we gonna see the barrel racers?” Charlie asked. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a better look at the arena to no avail. “I wanna tell Auntie Lennox about them.”
Liv placed her hand on top of her daughter’s head. “Yes, sunshine. Don’t worry. You’ll see plenty of that tonight.”
“Can we take videos? I think she misses them.”
“Whatever you want,” she said, laughing. Charlie and Harper cheered as Liv leaned in to give me a hug. Then she turned to Beckett, doing the same. “You ready for your first rodeo?”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I guess that’s what we’ll find out tonight.”
“I think you’ll enjoy yourself. If anything, consider it a must-have small-town experience.”
As Duke stole Liv’s attention for a moment, Beckett and I glanced at one another, breaking out in giggles as we mouthed bucket list? at the same time. We really should write all of these down at some point. It’d be kind of funny to see how many he knocked out in one night.
When Liv turned back to us, she gestured her head toward the arena. “Y’all ready?”
Beckett placed his hand on my back, steadying me. “Lead the way.”
We fell into step as a group, save for Charlie and Harper, who each grabbed one of Lukas’ hands and skipped ahead. For as much shit as we all gave him, he loved those girls something fierce. There wasn’t a single thing he wouldn’t do for them.
“So, Olivia,” Beckett started. “Did you grow up in this life?”
“God, no,” she laughed. “I have just enough knowledge about horses to know that, as much as I love looking at them, I damn sure don’t want to ride them. I’ll leave that business to Grady’s side of the family.”
“Won’t have a choice if the girls have their way,” Duke cut in. “They’ve been saving every dollar they’ve earned in hopes we’ll finally break and buy them a pair.”
“A pair?” she asked, whipping her head toward her husband. “Why can’t they just share a horse?”
Duke grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss there. “They said it’d need a friend. Who am I to argue?”
I’d known Duke for a long time before I ever started working for him. He was married to Harper’s mom before Olivia ever came into the picture. I could honestly say I’d never seen the man happier. Knowing them and seeing the love they shared was enough to make me believe in soulmates.
“You’re such a pushover when it comes to those girls,” I laughed. It was true. Just like Lukas, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Charlie and Harper. I was surprised they didn’t have a menagerie of animals by now.
When Duke looked at me, I could see how happy he was with that distinction. It didn’t bother him in the slightest. “You’re damn right I am. Just wait until your little guy is running around, asking for shit he has no business having. You’ll be just as gone as I am.”
I took the opportunity to glance at Beckett. “Is that really going to be us?”
His lips curled into a soft smile that said more than his words ever could. “I’m already gone.”