Chapter Three
“Hello, beautiful. How’s my boy?” Gage said over the phone, sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through Hope.
She loved hearing his deep voice, especially when he expressed any sweet endearments.
From the day she met Gage, she’d been addicted to him.
He was her protector, her hero, the love of her life.
Her voice became airy and saccharine whenever he called her out of the blue.
“He’s playing with his teether, drooling everywhere.
” Their son was five months old, born on a cold night in January, and a blessing for both of them.
Little Ethan Gage Gibson had his father’s looks that made his grandmother shed a tear for the past every time she saw him.
“Good, and how are you, my treasure?”
“Feeling wonderful now. Someone is being too effusive with their endearments. What’s going on?” He’d been irritated with her last night and told her that they’d finish their conversation when he came home, so she couldn’t figure out why he was being extra loving.
“Because I love hearing the way your voice softens, and I can see the smile that graces your face when you know how much I love you. Your happiness is my goal, Hope.”
“What else, Mr. Gibson?” She insisted, knowing he was going to say something she wouldn’t like. They had only known each other about a year and a half, but she knew her husband inside and out. He was about to upset her with some news.
“Well, Mrs. Gibson, it’s going to be a long, brutally busy day, but I promise to be home by dinner,” he finished quickly, hoping to soften the blow.
Hope could picture her husband’s face squinting as he braced for her anger.
She loved her stolen minutes with him when he worked out in the field with his ranch hands.
“You’re not going to eat?” With the heat and hard work, Hope freaked out a little more than she knew she should when it came to Gage, but her reasoning was sound.
The man hadn’t been ranching that long, even though it had been a part of his life as a kid.
He’d spent many years in an air-conditioned office and courtroom as a District Attorney.
“We’re going to be on the far end of the pasture. One of the guys will run to the diner and bring back food to our truck,” Hope sighed with relief. At least he wasn’t going to work hungry.
“Thanks. I’d hate for you to forget to eat.”
“Do I ever really forget that?” He chuckled. Gage loved food as much as any other hardworking man. “I should say the same to you. Air conditioning or not, you let being a mom and my sexy assistant get in the way of eating.”
“Well, I am going to have a chicken salad for lunch since I’ll be eating alone. Besides, I’ve finished the billing and paid all the invoices, so after some filing, I’ll be done for the day.” Hope wiped her hands as if he could see her movements.
“Except for our little cowboy, who will keep you on your toes.” As a mother, her day didn’t end until he fell asleep, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Besides, Hope had both Gage and his mother taking Ethan any time they got a chance.
Gage was the dad he’d always wanted and needed, stepping up even when he was bone-tired after working all day out on the ranch.
Hope knew how important fatherhood was to him after everything that had happened with his father.
Hope wished that her mother could see what a man she had married.
She would have loved Gage and would absolutely have adored her grandson.
Thinking about her mother’s death left tears in her eyes.
There were days when she’d visit her mother’s grave and tell her all about Gage and Ethan.
She’d grown close to Gage’s mother, but it could never be the same.
She stared at Ethan and grinned. Hope was lucky that so far he’d been an easy baby. Getting pregnant so soon after the first baby made Gage a little nervous for Hope’s well-being, but she wasn’t fazed by it at all. “Yes, but he’s not crawling away yet, so I’m pretty good.”
“I still want you to take it easy. You should be a spoiled princess.” Hope couldn’t fight the smile that came over her face. She loved how much he needed to take care of her. After years of abuse and neglect, it was a welcome treat.
“I will. I promise. I won’t do anything to incur your wrath.”
“Oh, and you will. I’ll bend your pretty ass over and show you how disappointed I am if you don’t rest.”
She grew wet, instantly turned on, pressing her thighs closed. To equally torment him, she teased, “When you say it like that, maybe I should scrub the floors on my hands and knees.”
He let out a needy groan, and she heard him rustling with his jeans more than likely adjusting himself before he choked out, “Enough. My dick can’t handle picturing your bottom up in the air. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He ended the call as she let out a howling laugh. She loved to know how worked up he got over her. As they got older and she was no longer new and shiny, that lust would fade, so Hope would take what she could get.
Settling their baby down for a nap in his crib, Hope tried to take one as well. She nestled down onto the sofa, throwing a light blanket over her legs. Within minutes, she passed out.
She hadn’t realized how tired she was because the clock struck five when she heard her baby boy’s cries on the monitor. Walking into his bedroom, she smiled at Ethan and said, “Hey. What are you doing in here? Why are you causing a ruckus? How long have you been awake?”
Ethan’s tears stopped, and a toothless grin brightened up his face.
Despite the missing teeth, he looked just like his daddy, making Hope’s heart swell.
She teased him about the baby not looking like her, but honestly, she loved that her son had his daddy’s great looks.
Gage would be home soon, so she needed to get dinner started like she promised.
After changing Ethan, she carried him into the kitchen and sat him in his highchair so she could cook.
“Come on, buddy. You can help me make Daddy dinner.”
For the next hour she worked on dinner, taking time to feed Ethan before settling him back in his highchair. She put some toys on there to keep him occupied and he giggled as he reached for the squishy colorful blocks.
The sound of the front door brought a smile to her face.
“Where’s my woman?” Gage hollered, roaming through the house.
The sound of his footfalls letting her know he was getting closer until he reached the kitchen.
“Ah, there you are. I’ve missed you.” He crossed the distance, dragging her into his arms and slamming his mouth down onto hers.
He pulled back, gripping her waist. “So, beautiful. How was your day?”
“Lazy.” She didn’t know how much she needed the rest until her head hit that pillow.
“Really? That’s good. You need easy days.” Gage tasted her lips again and then let go to play with his boy. “Missed you too, little man,” he whispered on the sleepy baby’s head.
“Thank you. It looks like Ethan needed it as well. Dinner’s about done.” They knew that he would be up late tonight. They learned early on that babies kept their own schedule.
“Okay, I’ll go clean up and be right back.” He left her with one more kiss to wash up.
When he came back, Hope had the table set up and dinner served. “Damn, it smells so good.”
“Thank you. Eat up.” They had a pleasant dinner, but tension in Gage’s shoulders told her there was something bothering him.
As she stuffed the dishes into the dishwasher and he picked up the suddenly bright-eyed Ethan, Hope asked, “What’s going on?
You seem different, tense and edgy.” She waved a knife she was about to put in the machine as she asked.
“First, put that in there, crazy woman. I am going to be gone all day again tomorrow. My mother is going to come over and spend the day with you.”
“Why? What’s going on, Gage? You’re not telling me something.”
“What? She can’t visit her grandbaby and her daughter-in-law?”
“The diner is super busy all the time. There’s no way she has the time to visit while it’s open. Try again.”
“Fine. Let me put our boy in his play yard while you take a seat.” She started the dishwasher as he walked out of the room.
Unable to sit and wait, she wiped down the kitchen table and then swept the floor.
A hundred thoughts entered her mind. Something was wrong and she worried that somehow he’d betrayed her.
As he came back into the room, she blurted out her fears. “Did you meet someone else? Are you leaving me?”
“No. What the hell has gotten into you? Of course not! Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” He stared at his wife as if she’d lost her mind, closing the distance between them, sliding one hand around her waist and with the other, he took the broom from her hand and leaned it on the edge of the counter.
“No. It’s just the baby and then another on the way. You seem upset. I understand that guys end up thinking that babies so quickly can make their wives unattractive.”
“Listen. I want a house full of babies and only with you. Fuck, I was deep inside of you this morning when I should have been sleeping because I can’t get enough of my wife.
I’m not my father.” He cupped her face that was cracking his heart.
“I married you because you’re the one for me.
Face it. We’re in this together. I’m not letting you go no matter what.
The day they put me in the ground is the day you’ll be free of me. ”
“I never want to lose you. I just freaked out. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of being your father.”
She was about to start rambling on when he put his finger on her lips to stop her. Clearly he wanted to say something, but Hope was too emotional to let him. “I know. I know, but speaking of fathers…”
“Oh, no. Please tell me they didn’t drop the charges.”