by Jordan Marie
“There’s only one more thing that would make it perfect, Honey Girl.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you marry me?”
She rolls her eyes at me and grins. We both know her answer, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. She’s right. It’s just a piece of paper. I have her heart.
She pulls the covers off of us and takes the papers from my hand and puts them on the nightstand. My gaze moves over her naked body as she straddles me and positions herself so that my cock is pressing against her wet heat, and then slides between the lips of her pussy.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Cowboy that you don’t buy the cow if the milk is free?” she asks, and then she reaches down and guides my cock inside of her. My head goes back in pleasure as my gaze locks with hers.
“I love you, Ida Sue.
“I love you, Jansen,” she answers, and then slowly begins riding me, bringing us both into heaven.
I don’t know how I got so damn lucky in life, but now that I have Ida Sue and these crazy kids in my life, I realize that I’m right where I belong.
I’m home.
Ida Sue is what I was searching for my whole life.
I wish I could have met her sooner, loved her longer, but it worked out the way it was supposed to. She was meant to be a mother to those nine kids, who are so much like her that it is scary. I was meant to come into their lives when I did. I may not have been Ida Sue’s first kiss, or hell, even the first time she felt love. But, I’m damned sure her last, because I’m not a fool. I have her heart…
And I’m never letting her go.
Epilogue One
Jansen
Five Years Later
* * *
“Are you ready, Maggie love?” I ask my beautiful girl. She might not be mine by blood, but these last five years have just made these kids and Ida Sue mine in every way that matters.
“I’m scared, Jansen,” she admits quietly.
“You don’t have to do this, Maggie. You know that, right? Your Momma and I are right here for you to lean on. There’s no reason for you to go through with this marriage.”
“I’m pregnant, Jansen. My child deserves to grow up with both of his or her parents in the same home,” she says and it’s an old argument. Ida Sue and I both have tried to talk her out of this marriage, but we haven’t gotten anywhere. If there’s one thing I know about the Lucas women it’s that they’re headstrong and independent.
“That baby deserves to have a mommy that’s happy. That’s all that matters, little one. If you’re not happy there’s no way the baby is going to be.”
“Bryant will be good to me and the baby. He loves us,” she says and I have to wonder if she’s trying to convince herself more than she is me.
“You’re only twenty-one—”
“Mom had me by that age, and had White and Gray. She was a great mom and I’m going to be too, Jansen. I swear I will be.”
“You’ll be an amazing momma, Maggie May, but you don’t have to be married to be that mom.”
“You sound like my mother,” she laughs.
“I never told you, not once since you came to the ranch, Jansen.”
“What’s that, Sweetheart?”
“I had one man I thought of as my dad, but God blessed me with a second one when he brought you into my life.”
Emotion chokes me up and I’m not ashamed one damn bit that tears fall from my eyes.
“I never told any of you, either, that I may not have been able to father kids, but if I had, I would have wanted them to be just like you. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I love you like you were mine, Maggie—all of you. Never doubt that, Magnolia Tree Marie Lucas.”
“Ew, Jansen, you didn’t have to use my full name,” she laughs through her tears as I hug her, holding her close, if only for another couple of minutes.
“Well, okay, maybe I would have changed your names slightly,” I laugh, giving her one final squeeze.
“If only,” she says, laying her head on my shoulder.
Outside in the yard I can hear the bridal music begin to play.
“There’s still time, Maggie,” I murmur in her ear.
“I’m ready,” she answers and my heart hurts. She’s not ready, and not because she won’t make some man a great wife. It’s because the man she picked won’t make her a good husband, but her mother and I have both tried to get her to see that. The thing I’m learning most with kids is that you can love them, but when it comes down to it, you have to let them make their own mistakes. All you can do is be around to cushion the blow when they fall.
“Then we better get going,” I murmur kissing the top of her head one more time, wishing I could do more than just watch her make a mistake…
“You okay, Lovey?”
It’s after the wedding. And Ida Sue and I are out on the front porch in the swing, looking at the stars. All the guests have left. Blue is still suffering from a bad breakup with Meadow and Cyan is mooning over some girl at school, so they went off together—God only knows what they are up to. Cyan is wild as a mink and Blue has the same streak, he’s just quieter about it. Green and his fiancé, Marissa took Petal with them to the movies, and Black… I have no idea what girl he’s out with this week, and sweet little Mary is out like a light.
All of that means the house is quiet and my woman and I should be making the most of it all… but, she’s been quiet since Maggie and Bryant drove off with the just married sign hanging off the bumper of their car.
“She’s making a mistake, Jan.”
“She probably is.”
“He’s going to hurt my baby…”
“He probably is.”
“Will you stop being so calm!?!?”
“Lovey, what do you want me to do? If you can think of one damn thing I can do to make any of this better, I’ll do it. But, she’s as headstrong as you are and she wouldn’t listen to either one of us.”
“I know,” she finally sighs, falling back into me.
“I love you, Honey Girl.”
“I love you, too, Jan.”
I reach down in my pocket and pull out the ring box that I’ve kept close the last five years.
“You going to marry me yet, Lovey?”
“In Texas, technically we’re already married,” she murmurs, closing the lid on the box.
“You’re a hard woman,” I laugh, I already knew her answer, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. This is who she is, and eventually she’ll know that I’m not going anywhere.
“Haven’t you heard that old saying about, not rocking the boat? Besides, I’ve told you and told you a million times over—”
“Ida Sue, don’t say it.”
“But it’s true. There’s no need to buy the cow, when you’re already getting the milk for free.”
I stand up, putting the ring back in my pocket. I’ll ask her when one of the kids get married again. Might as well make it a tradition. I bend down and scoop Ida Sue in my arms. She squeals and wraps her arms around me.
“What are you doing?”
“I figure if we’re going to live in sin, we might as well get to sinning.”
“I do like the sound of that, but we’ll have to be quiet. Mary is sleeping.”
“Grab that monitor,” I order her, leaning down so she can.
Ida Sue still keeps a monitor in Mary’s room, because she’s been sleepwalking.
“What’s in that deliciously wicked mind of yours, Cowboy?”
“We haven’t worshipped each other’s bodies in the old playhouse in a while. There’s a table in it. It might not be our table, but it is solid…” I tell her with a wink.
“Worshipped?” she giggles.
“Every time with you, Ida Sue, is close to a religious experience.” I smirk as I open the door and let us inside.
Once there, I let her slide to the floor, she puts the monitor down on the floor and I lock the door on the playhouse.
“I guess it’s my job to take you to church then
, Jan,” she says pulling her shirt off.
“I like the way you think, Honey Girl.”
“You’ll like it even more when you see what I do when I get on my knees and give thanks…”
Epilogue Two
Ida Sue
Right After Green’s Wedding to Marissa
* * *
“God, I’m glad that’s over,” Maggie says, collapsing on the swing. I sit down beside her with a heartfelt sigh.
“Me too,” I answer, as sad about the wedding we just attended as Maggie is.
Maggie’s back home now. Her marriage to Bryant didn’t even last a year. They lost their child and that loss drove a wedge between them. I have to say, I was wrong about Bryant and I was sad to see Maggie move back home, but she worked hard toward her degree. I’m proud of her.
Green, on the other hand I want to ring his neck.
“I don’t remember Marissa being such a bitch while her and Green were dating,” Black mutters.
“That’s because she wasn’t,” Cyan says, undoing his tie.
“Maybe it’s pregnancy hormones,” Blue adds in.
“Maybe it’s just because of the wedding and she’ll be better now?” Maggie says, but none of us really believe that.
The Marissa we saw today is nothing like the one we’ve gotten to know. It’s like a light switch went off and she changed completely. My boy is miserable. He only started dating Marissa when Cynthia broke his heart. At this point I wouldn’t give a hill of beans for either girl. I’m thinking my boy’s picker is broken. Either that, or he’s letting the wrong head do his thinking.
Whatever it is, it’s hurting him. I can see it in his eyes, but he’s got a baby coming and he’s bound and determined to give that child everything he can—even if it means tying himself to a woman who makes more demands than the Queen of England.
“She knows she’s got Green hogtied and now that he’s locked up, she’s letting it all hang out,” Jansen grumbles.
“Jan—”
“On this, I’m speaking from experience, Lovey,” he says and from the conversations we’ve had about his ex-wife, I can’t argue with him. If I ever meet her, I’m going to throat punch her, maybe kick her a few times just for fun and eventually thank her for being a complete idiot and letting Jansen get away.
“This is my fault,” I say with a sigh.
“How do you figure? Did you tell Green to do the mattress mambo without a raincoat?” Jansen asks.
“No, but instead of teaching them to work hard and always be a family, maybe I should have taught them to keep it in their pants,” I mutter.
“Or to keep their pants on,” Black adds, wiggling his eyebrows at Maggie.
“I’m going to go inside and check on Mary and Petal,” Maggie says, her voice sad. She walks in the house, the screen door slamming behind her.
“Smooth, Black. Real smooth, you douche,” Blue growls, elbowing his brother a little too hard.
“Shit, I wasn’t thinking. I’ll go make sure she’s okay,” he says and moves inside.
I just sigh. I’m feeling kind of defeated. I can’t seem to make sure any of my kids are happy. Damn it, that has to stop. If the next child of mine to walk down the aisle isn’t completely happy, I’m going to start making sure they get matched up with someone I know will make them happy—because it’s clear they can’t be trusted to decide on their own.
They deserve to find someone like my Jan. I stand up and go over and kiss him, just needing that contact.
“What was that for?” he asks, his hand sliding against the inside of my throat and his thumb brushing up against my cheek.
“I’m just incredibly thankful for you, Cowboy.”
“Ew gross. Can’t you guys take it to the playhouse?” Cyan mutters.
“What do you know about the playhouse?” Jansen asks as I giggle.
“Oh please, everyone knows what you two do in that playhouse. Haven’t you noticed how we all avoid it like the plague?”
“We’re just having a little meeting with the Lord. Ain’t that right, Jan?”
“Amen,” he says with a naughty wink.
“Hey Blue?”
“Yeah, Jan?”
“Back my truck close to the porch, will you?”
“You better not kill my grass, Jansen Reed,” I warn him as Black grabs Jansen’s keys and goes running to the driveway. “If you do, there won’t be enough altar calls to save you.”
“Your grass is safe, Lovey. I have a surprise for you.”
“What kind of surprise?” I ask, eyeing him skeptically.
“First things first,” he says and he gets down on one knee.
Crap.
“Ida Sue Lucas? Will you marry me?” he asks, holding our ring up.
He asks often, so often I now think of the ring as “ours” even if I have never agreed to wear it. Sometimes I think he just asks to annoy me. Sometimes I want to say yes, but things are so wonderful, I’m scared to. If I say yes that’s like waving a red flag at fate and telling them to come fuck with me, and I don’t want that.
“Jansen, I told you we’re already married according to Texas law,” I mumble lamely.
“Yes or no, Ida Sue.”
“No,” I tell him gently. “I already told you there’s no point in buying the cow if the milk is free.”
“Gross, Mom!” Cyan yells.
“The last thing I want to think about is my mom’s milk,” Black mutters, coming back out of the house.
“You didn’t complain when I was breast feeding you. Hell, you hung on to the titty more than any other kid I had. I think you were like four. Probably would have kept going, but I refused. You kept trying to bite my nipple off.”
I’m lying of course, Black was eight months, but I’m enjoying the way he’s turning green and looking sick.
“Excuse me while I go throw up now,” Black growls.
“You left me with no other choice, Ida Sue,” Jansen says, getting my attention again.
“What does that mean?” I ask, scared he might try to leave again. I won’t let him. He’s stuck with me if I have to tie him to my bed until he sees things my way…. That’s actually not a bad idea… I might try that tonight.
Blue finishes backing the truck up and I frown as Jansen stands and goes and lets his tailgate down.
“What’s that?” I ask, motioning to the huge cage in the back with an old blue sheet draped over it
“That’s your surprise,” Jansen says, yanking the sheet off.
My breath catches as I look at the prettiest little calf I’ve ever seen. It’s solid white, except its hooves, ears and nose. Those are all black as coal. The top of its head is a mixture of both colors.
“Jansen, its beautiful. Is this one of ours?”
“Hell no, it’s too scrawny for that. She’s a different breed than what we run. I bought her today off of an old friend,” he says, and that makes sense, because I doubt this little girl would weigh more than sixty pounds.
“You bought her?” I ask, now standing beside him, petting the baby calf and admiring how soft its hair is.
“I did, which brings me to the rest of your present,” he says reaching into the bed of the truck to pull out a big starter bottle with an even bigger nipple on it.
“Damn don’t show that to Black, he’ll steal it,” Cyan laughs and Black shoves him. I take the bottle and run my finger over the teat, looking at Jansen confused.
“The mommy died. My buddy didn’t have a replacement cow to feed it, and wasn’t about to handfeed the little booger. So, it’s now your responsibility.”
“You bought me….” I trail off, confused.
“I bought the damn cow, Ida Sue and let me tell you something the milk in that bottle is definitely not free.”
It takes me a minute, but when it hits me I throw my head back and laugh.
“God, I love you,” I tell him, when my laughter finally dies down enough so I can talk.
Jansen wraps me up in his
arms and kisses me quickly on the lips.
“And I love you, Honey Girl. I’ll always love you,” he vows and I know he means it, because Jansen never says anything that he doesn’t mean.
I look at my new pet cow. I have plans for that little thing. I’ll have the only cow around that thinks he’s a dog. I wonder if I can train him to fetch? I bet I can. He’s smart, you can see it in his eyes. Maybe I’ll even teach him to fetch Jan’s slippers at night. Of course, Jan doesn’t wear slippers, but I’ll pout until he starts.
After all, I have to keep him on his toes. I promised him that years ago and it’s a promise I intend on keeping…
For the rest of our lives.
* * *
The End.
Read More Jordan
With These Titles:
Lucas Brothers Series
* * *
Perfect Stroke
Raging Heart On
Happy Trail
Cocked & Loaded
* * *
Doing Bad Things Series
* * *
Going Down Hard
In Too Deep
Taking It Slow
* * *
Savage Brothers MC—Tennessee Chapter
* * *
Devil
Diesel
Rory
* * *
Savage Brothers MC
* * *
Breaking Dragon
Saving Dancer
Loving Nicole
Claiming Crusher
Trusting Bull
Needing Carrie
* * *
Devil’s Blaze MC
* * *