Page 21 of His to Own

“I’m right here. I’ll leave the stitches alone, but I can’t make any guarantees on not getting back on Ghost while I heal.” He dips his head, lips grazing mine for a fleeting moment.

“Okay, fine. I’m grasping that you’re not going to see things my way. I’m going to tell you the reason I’m damn near afraid to let you out of my sight. Mainly your child. I do not want to navigate this part of our life alone. I do not want our daughter to only know her father from retellings, pictures, or be introduced as somewhere above the sky or in the ground six feet under.” He remains quiet, stoic, and I see the way he clenches his jaw, the bobbing of his Adams apple, so maybe he’s seeing a different point of view.

“You get that I saw you in a worse way. It tore me up, and I had no idea about the life you were growing inside of you. Let alone the love I already had for you. I’m not going anywhere, not ever.” Freaking finally, he gets it.

“Good, and you’ll stay off Ghost and any other horses or animals?” I tack on the animal part because I know these Johnson men. The second a fair or rodeo comes into town, they think it’s fair game to enter an event.

“I’ll keep my ass off Ghost and any other animals until I’m completely healed.” Holding out hope for him to stay off of a bucking bronc or bull forever was little to no use.

“Good, because I can’t lose you, and I won’t lose you. I’m not above kidnapping you, even if that means putting some antihistamine in your coffee, getting help from the girls, and kidnapping you to the cabin.” His head tips back, laughter exploding from deep in his chest, and I relish watching the show. In the rare moments Lawson lets loose, I want nothing more than to hold it close to me and never let it go. He’s the oldest Johnson brother. With the name and age comes a lot of responsibility. Now that we’re together and a baby is on the way, he holds back even more. I’ve yet to see him pick up a bottle of beer or liquor. There isn’t even any at his place or mine. I’m not sure if he’s punishing himself for the last time he let go and had too many or what, but I do know we’ll eventually need to have a conversation about it.

“Anytime you want to kidnap me to the cabin, I’m game. No drugging needed.”

“And another thing.” I hold my hand up in front of him so he can’t use his wily ways on me and make me forget everything I was going to tell him when I first walked into the bathroom.

“What’s that, babe? You going to threaten me with something else that’ll no doubt make my dick hard, have me pulling your pretty little dress up, and fucking the attitude out of you?” My legs start to wobble when a whole-body shiver takes ahold of me. I’m already envisioning Lawson unzipping his jeans. The top button is already undone in what I’ve come to know as his signature whenever he wears only denim in the house. My panties are freaking useless, and my pussy is begging for him to take me exactly how he describes, except it’ll pull at his stitches, which means I need to do some quick thinking or be fast on my feet. “Fuck, I can see it in your eyes. Just had me this morning, and now you need me again.” He moves closer, dipping his hips and caging me in with his forearms pressed against the wall.

“How about a friendly bet? I mean, after all, the reason you ended up drunk and in bed with me was because of a wager placed with Trey.”

I’m about to slide down the wall to duck out of the way when he says, “Best damn bet I won in my life. Got more than not working nights. I got the woman I love more than life itself, our child, and our future ahead of us.”

“Well, then, I think you’ll like this one even more. The last one with any clothes on has to pack and move my stuff here, permanently.” I’ve been sitting on this long enough. There’s no use in having two places when we’ve been here more than at my place. Lawson has told me time and time again there’s room for my macrame room, plus a couple of spares for the nursery. Then we went into a long conversation about how we may need something bigger if we decide to have half of a baseball team. Of course, he has a solution to every problem and stated very clearly, without missing a bit, that we can go up and out.

“Then I guess you better strip because you won’t so much as lift anything over five pounds, and, babe, you were moving in regardless. The only thing I was waiting for was for you to get with the program.” His mouth touches mine, kissing me in a way only a man can, possessing the woman he loves, and when he spreads my thighs, notching his cock at my entrance, I forget every single thing except him.

TWENTY-SIX

LAWSON

“Move it, Lawson,” JW grumbles behind me. He’s waiting to use the boot scraper before we walk into our parents’ house. Mom doesn’t mind shoes in the house. Mud and dirt are another story entirely. One time too many one of us has brought a mess into the house, and she’ll look at us, point to the closet where a broom, mop, bucket, and vacuum would be waiting for us inside. We’ve all had our fair share of time cleaning, and none of us, especially me, enjoy it. The last thing I want to do is clean when my woman is inside.

“Fuck off. We all know Maeve isn’t going to come over here empty handed and not bring you your prized cinnamon rolls.” The minute he saw her company van coming down the long driveway, work ceased to exist. Not like we were doing much. Ghost’s feet needed to be done, and seeing as how I couldn’t very well ride him for the next few days, now he’ll be ready. Juniper has been hinting at going back to the cabin, and the minute she takes these damn stitches out, I’ll be back in action. There won’t be Juni on my case for doing too much, or her feeling the need for me to be careful while I’m taking her with my cock. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take my woman any way I can have her, but when I know she likes it hard and rough, and it's my injury making me go soft and sweet because she demands it, well, I don’t fucking like it. Even yesterday in the bathroom. As soon as she came down from her orgasm, she was pushing me back and checking my stitches. And my woman wonders why I tried to take the damn things out by myself.

“Have you seen the way the women in this family have been attacking sweets lately? I’d bet my left nut one of them will get a hankering for cinnamon, and Maeve wouldn’t tell them no. Hell, neither would I.” We both let out a laugh. Tallulah has a penchant for chocolate croissants, and Birdie is more or less whatever comes her way, unless Lane is eating brownies. Then she’ll snag his from underneath him just to be a pest. As for Juniper, her obsession with lemon-flavored anything is now bleeding into drinks, candles, and the sort.

“Stay away from Juni’s desserts, then. She’s liable to kick you in the balls.” Mom called Juniper last night asking what her plans were for the day. Juni let her know she’d be at the clinic. Mom told her no she wasn’t, Maeve would be over for them to do a cake testing for the baby shower they’d be throwing for her. They want her included, asking the theme, what she’d like to have for lunch and dessert. After they were done talking, Juniper handed me the phone, and Mom told me to get my shit together, and in turn I told her Juni’s stuff would be with mine this weekend. Mom quieted down, took a deep breath, and proceeded to say, "About damn time." And to get the nursery in order, because she has a granddaughter to spoil. The last time we were over for dinner, Juniper decided it was time to spill the beans, unable to hold it in much longer. Kind of like when she found out about her pregnancy. The minute we were solid in our relationship, there really were no more secrets, not between us and not between our family.

“Oh, Juniper, this might sound a little crazy and coming from left field, but are you planning on breastfeeding?” I walk in on their interesting conversation. The Johnson women are sitting around the big kitchen table, not another male in sight except for Case. He’s sitting in a highchair with some kind of food in front of him, attempting to pick it up with his chubby little hands. Mom mentioned it's to help with dexterity and when I mentioned he barely had any teeth, she said these snacks melted in his mouth. It looks like he’s getting the hang of it today. Drool is dripping down his chin and he's babbling away. I already know Juniper is planning on breastfeeding. We’ve talked about it. She wants that bond with our daughter, and I want nothing more than to watch as their relationship grows stronger.

Juniper’s eyes find mine. I see her, everything she isn’t saying. Gray eyes lighting up from the inside, and pure happiness is radiating from her. I tilt my lips, give her a nod, and let her answer Maeve. I’m tempted to say, ‘Fuck yeah, my woman is, and not a fucking soul will see her nourishing our daughter except me.’

“I want to, and that’s the goal.” Juni looks down at her chest, then back at me. Yep, she’s still getting used to the changes in her body. Meanwhile, I’m fucking over the moon with how she looks pregnant. She has always been beautiful, but her body growing with our daughter inside of her, well, it’s a whole new ballgame, one that I don’t ever want to end. My goal is going to keep her pregnant as long as possible. Juni and I may have settled on four, but I bet I can change her mind.

“Well, I found this new recipe that’s supposed to help increase milk supply. I’ve had a few others ask about them, and I was hoping you could help me make sure they taste okay?” JW, who I notice is digging his way through the boxes, stops and looks up at Maeve.

“I wouldn’t mind at all. Anything you bake I’m more than happy to help sample.” I watch as Juni takes a bite of a lemon bar. I’ve got a need for a taste of my own.

“JW, get out of here! Your cinnamon rolls are on the counter in the box. Good grief, son,” Mom admonishes. JW does as she says. He may think I didn’t see the look he gave Maeve, but I did. One day, he’ll grow a set of balls and go after the woman who has his dick tied in knots.

“Hi, honey.” Juniper turns her head toward me as I take my place beside her.

“Hey, you having a good time?” I ask. My mouth goes to hers, dropping a quick kiss to her lips.

“The best. I could do with an afternoon nap, though.” Her eyebrows wiggle. Apparently, napping has a new meaning, and I’m damn sure going to take her up on the offer.

“Who’s been in my cinnamon rolls?” JW’s voice carries through the kitchen and dining room.

“I did,” Maeve says without a hint of regret.

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