15. Chapter 15
Aspen
My heart is a steady thrum in my chest as I drive up to my parents’ house. Rhett’s truck pulls up next to mine, an act of solidarity. He agreed not to come in until I gave him the okay.
I wish more than anything he was doing this with me.
That we were actually together and I wouldn’t have to do it by myself.
If I wanted him to, I know he would. He has shown up for me time and time again since I’ve told him.
But with everything he has going on, I truly think waiting is the best thing.
Figure out what is going on with him and potentially our baby, and then move forward.
I can do this by myself. All of it. It’s nice I don’t have to, but I can handle it.
And I can handle telling my parents. Being the baby of the family, I don’t think I’ve ever really felt the pressure the way Weston did.
He wanted to take over the ranch, and while I love it, it was never going to be the rest of my life.
We figured that out when I gagged shucking stalls for the first time at six. I cried every time our cattle was sold. I even spent a whole year as a vegetarian once I realized what a steak actually was. I’m pretty sure that act alone produced my father’s first gray hair.
I was always outgoing, but I’ve made myself even bigger in an attempt to keep up with the swarm of boys in the house. I never wanted to be forgotten or left behind, and now that everyone has moved on and found their life partners, it seems that I have.
While I don’t have the picture-perfect families they all seem to be building, I was the first to forge a different path.
I was the first to graduate college, the first to choose something different, and the first to live off the ranch.
For that, I am proud of myself. I’m putting my brave boots back on again, now.
Choosing me. Choosing what I want my life to look like, even if it isn’t perfect to the outside eye.
I take a big deep breath, closing my eyes and steeling my nerves.
Walking into the house, I see my mom sitting on the couch; dinner must already be in the oven.
“Hey Mom, is Dad around?” I ask.
This is far from my usual ask when I walk into the house.
Anytime I ask for my dad, it’s because something is broken, and usually it’s my fault.
When it’s not my fault, I can go to Weston.
But Weston, as any big brother would do, likes to remind me of how much of a dumbass I am. Which is rich, coming from him.
“Uh oh, did you break your screen door off again?” She winces, recollecting the last time I forgot to close my screen door, and the Wyoming wind got the best of it.
I smile, but it feels forced and wavers a bit.
One thing about my mom is she is so incredibly perceptive. She can tell if something is wrong by a single crinkle of a brow. “Is everything okay?” She goes to get off the couch, but I walk over.
“Everything is fine; I just need to talk to both of you.”
Like his ears were ringing, he walks out from the hallway. “Look, it’s my two favorite girls.”
I plaster an overenthusiastic smile on my face. “Hey Dad, I was just talking about you.”
“Do I need to put my boots on to fix something?”
My eyes roll and I school my features into annoyance. “No, nothing is broken. Just because I want to talk to you guys doesn’t mean something is broken.”
I say this knowing good and well I am about to share news that will blow their socks off. I love kids, but they haven’t been on my ‘things to do sooner than later’ radar. Hell, I don’t even remember the last time I had a steady boyfriend.
Before Rhett.
My dad looks between my mom and me. “Well, it looks like your mom is a few seconds away from having a heart attack, so if you’d like her to be a part of the conversation, you might want to get on with this sooner than later.”
I fidget with my hands. “Okay, Uhm, I’m not really sure how to tell you this other than just say it.
” This is it; in a few seconds, everyone will know.
“I am pregnant. Weston knows, and Maverick knows because Ava knows and I really didn’t want you guys to hear it from anyone other than me. ” The words come out in a nervous rush.
They stare at me for a few seconds with blank faces and slow blinks; they look to each other, to have one of those silent conversations that used to annoy the crap out of me in high school, and then turn back.
“Well, first of all, congratulations. Growing your family is always a blessing. We’re more than ready for plenty of grandbabies,” my mom says with trepidation, “but I do have a few questions.”
Questions were to be expected.
My dad cuts right to the chase. “Who is the father? I didn’t know you were dating anyone.” Curiosity, with a bit of protectiveness, laces his tone. It’s what my dad does best.
This part I am dreading. “He’s a great guy, but for right now, I’m not sharing it. Not because I’m embarrassed or ashamed of him. We’ve just got some stuff to work out privately before the whole Taylor clan jumps him in an alley,” I joke quietly.
Both of their faces scrunch with what I can only assume to be discomfort. Which, again, is totally understandable on my end.
“Well, we’re ready to meet him when you guys are ready. You’ll be a wonderful mother.” My mom’s smile is gentle and soft. While I wasn’t expecting a fight, I was expecting some turbulence.
My eyes search her face for any signs of distress. “So, you’re not disappointed in me?” Much to my dismay, my voice cracks.
“Oh honey, no. You’re a grown woman. Even if you weren’t, this is totally fine.
We are here to help you as you go through this.
Whatever you need, we're happy to help. It truly takes a village.” My mom gets off the couch and pulls me into a hug.
I eye my dad over her shoulder, trying to figure out if he feels the same way.
His eyes soften when they look up to me. He shakes his head, already reading between the lines. “Don’t even think about it, kiddo. I’m not mad at you either,” he says, voice steady and strong.
I feel myself relax into my mom’s hug.
“I’m a little offended you told your brother before me,” she chides, but I think she’s quite serious.
“Listen, if he didn’t just barge into my house like he owned the place, he would be finding out with the rest of you, but unfortunately, moving off the ranch didn’t help as much as I had hoped.”
While I love my family, I have always craved my own space. My own life. It hasn’t really worked out, but I’m learning I don’t hate it as much as I did in my early twenties.
“He never knocks,” my dad says, shaking his head.
My poor dad probably just wants to love his wife without his kids barging in. Bet he thought that once we were grown, we’d be out of his hair. We’re a nuisance that can't be exterminated.
The front door crashes open, and in walks Maverick holding a baby carrier. “Sorry, I still haven’t gotten the hang of it.”
A laugh escapes me at the sight of him. Maverick is handsome by conventional standards.
He is usually pretty pulled together. But today, his button-down shirt is only halfway tucked.
His head is missing the hat that usually sits atop it.
Every single hair on his head seems to be pointing a different direction.
“How’s parenthood treating you, Mav?” I ask.
“Listen, you aren’t allowed to judge me when I’ve only slept seven minutes in a week, okay?” He walks into the living room and sets the baby down gently on the couch.
Ava walks in carrying the diaper bag. Slightly more pulled together than Mav, but the dark circles under her eyes give plenty away.
The baby starts to fuss in the carrier and my mom moves at speeds I didn’t know were possible at her age.
My mom immediately offers her help. “How about for tonight, I’m on baby duty. You all can relax. Dinner won’t be done for about twenty minutes. If you guys want to go to the spare room for a bit and take a nap, we’ll wake you when it’s time to eat.”
“Are you sure?” Ava asks, while relief dances in her eyes.
“Yes, honey. Please, I love babies and it’s been far too long. Let me help.”
“Let’s go,” Mav says, grabbing Ava’s hand and dragging her down the hall to the bedroom.
I walk up to the baby, pulling her out of her car seat. While her parents are a bit of a hot mess tonight, she is perfect. A big pink bow on her head, and a pink floral onesie to match. It’s only been a couple of weeks since I saw her last and I feel like she’s already grown an inch.
Cradling her in my arms, she grabs onto my index finger. “Can’t believe I’m going to have one of you soon,” I say.
“Do you know how far along you are?” my mom asks.
“Yeah, I’m a little over three months,” I say without looking over to her.
“You’ve kept this a secret for that long?” She sounds completely aghast.
“I think that’s her new record for not spilling a secret,” my dad says from behind me. He never misses a moment to make a smart-ass joke. It’s exactly where Weston gets it.
“I’ve only known for a couple of weeks. I had to get my first appointment over and tell the dad first before I felt right sharing.”
With baby Grace still cradled in my arms, I plop down on the couch and pull out my phone to text Rhett.
Me: Coast is clear.
Rhett: Did it go okay?
Me: Yeah, they’re really happy for me. You can come in now.
The front door is basically a revolving door of my favorite people during family dinner night; I expect Rhett to be the next one through. Weston and Willow come in laughing.
“Do I even want to know what you two think is so funny?” my mom asks, not so subtly asking me for the baby by stealing her out of my arms.
“Rhett ate shit getting out of his truck,” Weston says, doubling over in laughter.
People falling isn’t usually hilarious, but when it’s someone in this group, it is. Trip once and you’ll be living it down forever.
“I didn’t even hit the ground,” Rhett's deep timber of a voice chirps in from behind.
When he walks in the room, it’s like every nerve ending on my body stands at attention. His eyes search for me, and the second they land on me, a gentle smile takes over his lips. His shoulders relax, and I wonder if he was more nervous for this, the whole telling my parents bit, than I was.
“Still counts as a fall,” Weston says, reminding me that it’s not just Rhett and me in the room.
West slaps him on the back as Rhett takes off his boots.
The door shuts behind him for the final time tonight; the whole gang is here. There may be a lot of unknowns in my life right now, but for now, I take pleasure in knowing all my favorite people are here, safe and happy.