Keeping Him

by Kennedy Fox

  “Not to mention, you were the ringleader,” Emily adds.

  “Just for that, you don’t get to hold him,” I tease, handing him off to River.

  “Don’t you dare,” Emily comes over to Knox and takes him out of his seat. “Don’t listen to your daddy,” she whispers to him. “Aunt Em will always get to hold you.”

  “You have your own babies,” I remind her with a smug grin.

  “Yes, but Ethan is eight months old, and these little guys are giving me baby fever all over again,” she admits, and I snicker, wondering what Evan thinks about that.

  “But at least all the babies are pretty close in age,” River adds.

  Right after Emily and Evan had their second baby, John and Mila had baby Mackenzie the following month. A few months before that, our friends Dylan and Jessica also welcomed a baby girl named Harper. It’s safe to say these kids are all going to grow up together and hopefully form close relationships.

  As I look down at my babies—my sons—I’m in awe. They’re special in more ways than one. It’s rare for an identical twin to have their own set of twins, but it’s even rarer for an identical twin to have their own set of identical twins. Not only that, but they were also born on February 29th.

  Identical twins born on a leap day. Damn special indeed.

  “Do you need anything, baby?” I ask Kiera, wanting to make sure she’s as comfortable as possible.

  “No, I think I’m okay for now.” She smiles when I lean down and kiss her.

  “Don’t worry about your vagina. The doctor reassured me he stitched ya up good. Nice and tight.” I flash her a wink, and she scowls.

  “You’re the worst,” she teases.

  I shake my head. “You’re the one who said you wanted to have six kids. I was just getting a jumpstart to make sure we could get started as soon as you’re healed.”

  “Six?” River gasps.

  “Well hey, with twins, that means you’re one-third of the way there.” Emily chuckles.

  Kiera laughs, holding her stomach. “Don’t make me laugh. It feels like my insides are going to fall out.”

  “Was I this way when I had Riley?” River turns and asks me with a grin.

  “From what I heard, yes. I think even worse, though.”

  She glares at me and scowls.

  “They’re seriously so perfect, Kiera,” Emily says, gazing down at them. “They look—”

  “All Bishop,” Kiera blurts.

  “Can’t fight those strong Bishop genes,” I declare with a proud smile.

  “That only means one thing,” River says.

  Emily smiles and continues. “Heartbreakers.”

  Less than an hour later, the house is filled with more family all taking turns holding the twins. Kiera breastfeeds between, and I’m so proud with how she’s adjusted to motherhood. She makes it look so damn easy, too. Meanwhile I’m internally freaking out about how I’m going to keep them alive.

  “So I gotta say,” Tanner speaks up, holding Knox. “I’m a little disappointed y’all didn’t name a baby after me.”

  Kiera snorts. “Sorry, I didn’t think naming one of my babies after an ex-boyfriend would reward me with bonus points in the bedroom.” She gives him a teasing grin.

  “Well, considering I’m the reason y’all finally got together, it would’ve been a small sacrifice.” He winks. Kiera and I look at each other confused.

  “Wait, what?”

  Tanner and John smirk at each other.

  “I’m the one who snuck your letter into Kiera’s bag that day. You’re welcome,” he says proudly.

  My eyes go wide, shocked. I always assumed it was John, but he never confirmed, and I never asked. At that point, it didn’t matter, but hearing it was Tanner all along has me bursting out with laughter.

  “You sneaky bastard!”

  “Wait, wait, wait…” Kiera says between a fit of giggles. “Why would you of all people do that?”

  “Well, for starters, everyone knew Jackson had a thing for you. It wasn’t a secret to me, at least. Even when we were younger, but when we went out that night, and he told me I was part of the reason he held back all those years, I knew I had to jump in and intervene, or at least thought you needed to know,” he tells Kiera. “I hoped that if you knew the truth about his feelings, you might not go through with your wedding, and well, let’s just say—I was right.” He holds up his arms like he’s a champ.

  “I don’t know whether to smack you or hug you for stealin’ that letter,” I joke. “But right now, I’m gonna let you off, considering it all worked out in the end.”

  Kiera laughs, shaking her head. “When Jackson told me he wasn’t the one who put that letter in there, I for sure thought it was John or maybe even Mama Bishop.”

  “Oh, if I was going to intervene, I’d have done it years ago, honey,” Mama says matter-of-factly. “I’ve been telling Jackson long before that to get his shit together, but do you think he ever listened to me?”

  We all laugh.

  “I can only hope that Kane and Knox give him the same treatment.” She snickers.

  “Oh, come on. Don’t wish that on me. I was good!” Kiera pleads with a laugh.

  Shortly after, I push everyone out so Kiera can get some rest. The twins need to be fed and changed before bed.

  “I’m proud of you, honey,” my mama tells me when I walk her to the car. “You two are going to do just fine. But don’t hesitate to call if you need help, okay?”

  I wrap my arms around her for a hug. “You got it, Ma. Thank you.”

  Once I’m back inside, I bring the boys to Kiera so she can try tandem breastfeeding with her special pillow, and honestly, it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. “Your tits are ginormous.”

  “Can you stop staring at me like that? You aren’t getting into my pants for two months, mister,” she warns.

  “Two months? Doc said six weeks.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Play your cards right, or it’ll be three months.”

  Leaning over the chair, I kiss her lips. “Playing my cards right is what brought us here.”

  She smirks and looks down at the boys who are successfully eating. “You got that right, Cowboy.”

  Kiera and I eventually get into a somewhat decent schedule with the boys, though it’s organized chaos to say the least. Knox is a night owl and Kane is an early riser, so it’s safe to say we aren’t getting much sleep. After two weeks, I’m forced to go back to work, and even though we have Braxton’s extra help around the ranch and Alexis fully took on Kiera’s workload, we need to start preparing for how we’re going to juggle this all long term.

  When Kiera entered her second trimester, she stopped training. It was too risky with the wild horses needing to be broken in, so I happily took on her clients because I didn’t want her to lose them. She helped where she could by doing easy tasks that wouldn’t have her straining herself, but once she hit the third trimester, she was mostly too uncomfortable to keep working outside in the heat. She liked helping at the B&B, so John let her stop in a few times a week to feel productive. Once she hit thirty-four weeks, she went on bedrest, and the twins came four weeks later.

  After I took over Kiera’s job, Colton took on my chores, including the B&B horse riding and lessons. It’s been a smooth transition for the most part, but now I’m a new dad getting little to no sleep.

  I managed to get the blueprints drawn up for the new training facility we’re going to build on the ranch. It’ll be huge, and I can’t wait for it to be done because I know Kiera will absolutely love it.

  Thankfully, the insurance money from the fire paid out. Though a lot of the equipment was sentimental and, therefore, irreplaceable, Dad was able to rebuild the barn and buy new machinery.

  So much has happened, but the past eight months have been some of the best months of my life. Making Kiera my wife, finding out there were two heartbeats on the sonogram, waking up every day with a smile on my face—I didn’t know it was even
possible for life to get any better.

  Then the boys arrived, and somehow it did.

  A YEAR AND A HALF LATER

  My alarm goes off with a piercing sound, and I’m quick to turn it off before it wakes the twins. I turn over and grab my beautiful wife, wanting to soak in these last few minutes before I have to get ready for work. There have been a lot of adjustments within the past eighteen months since the boys arrived, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love being a husband and a father.

  “Mmm…” She moans, crossing a leg over my my hip. Our morning traditions stopped long ago, but I’m no stranger to morning sex—especially when Kiera moans like that.

  “Good mornin’, gorgeous.” I kiss her temple and grin when I feel her hand slide down my body.

  “Hmm…looks like it’s a very good morning.” She pulls my dick out of my boxers and strokes it in her palm, adding pressure as she slides her hand up and down.

  “Kiera,” I growl. “You better finish what you start.”

  “Don’t I always?” she taunts, her tone laced with seduction and hunger. “We have about thirty minutes before the boys walk in here demanding breakfast.”

  “In that case…” I’m on top of her before she can say another word, pinning her body down with mine. “Slide your panties to the side,” I demand. She does as I say so I can position myself at her entrance.

  “Mmm, God.” Her head falls back with a throaty moan. I thrust deep inside her, jerking my body back and forth to drive harder against her hips. “Yes, just like that. Don’t stop.”

  I know exactly what it takes to get my girl off. We’re a pro at these quickies now, and though I miss the days when we could be together for hours without interruption, I wouldn’t change this life for the world.

  “Fuck, I love when your hormones get needy like this…” I whisper into her ear.

  “It’s uncontrollable,” she says as if she’s apologizing for it, squeezing her legs tighter around my waist.

  “No worries, baby. I’m here for whenever you need it.” I grin against her lips before claiming her mouth.

  I continue driving into her, over and over until I feel her falling over the edge. She reaches for a pillow and screams into it, knowing she’ll wake the twins otherwise. Her pussy squeezes my dick, and soon I’m releasing deep inside her.

  Once we catch our breath, I reluctantly slide out of her and press my lips to her forehead. As soon as I roll off her, I place a hand over her belly and kiss it.

  “Sorry, baby girl. Your mama likes to attack me, and I’m a sucker for pussy.”

  “Jackson!” Kiera swats me immediately. “Do you have to tell our daughter that every damn time?”

  “I’m sure she’s gonna learn it from her brothers eventually.” I grin, and she rolls her eyes. “I’ll go check on the boys quickly. You stay in bed.”

  I tiptoe down the hall to the twins’ bedroom, and as soon as I open the door, I see two bright-eyed faces staring up at me.

  “Do you two ever sleep past five a.m.?” I walk in, smiling. “Of course not, right? You’re born ranchers!”

  I grab them from their cribs and set them down. I can’t believe they’re eighteen months already, running everywhere and causing craziness wherever they go. It’s a life I love so much, and I can’t wait until we add a third precious bundle in about four months.

  “Diapers, boys. Let’s go.” They each grab a diaper and I take the pack of wipes. We’re working on some early potty training so we don’t have three kids in diapers, but they’re not overnight trained yet.

  Once the boys are changed and dressed, I start making breakfast so Kiera can get a few extra minutes of sleep. We have eggs almost every morning, and the boys like theirs scrambled, whereas Kiera likes to dip her toast into the yolk.

  “Alright, boys. Applesauce or grapes?” I ask with the fridge open, so they can pick their sides. They both pick grapes, and once I rinse them off, I set everything on the table.

  “Well look at this sight…” Kiera’s voice has me looking up from pouring milk into the boys’ cups, and when I see her leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, I smile from ear to ear. “My boys take such good care of me.” She walks over and kisses Knox and Kane, then comes to me and wraps her arms around my bare waist. “Smells delicious.”

  I bury my face in her neck and inhale the scent of her soap. “Yes, it does.” Flashing her a wink, she gives me a knowing that look that tells me not to even think about it.

  “Truth or dare?”

  “Jackson,” she warns, glancing over at the twins who are currently shoveling food into their mouths.

  “You know the rules, Pippi,” I remind her with a seductive grin, holding her tightly.

  “Truth.” She groans.

  I lean down, bringing my lips to the shell of her ear, and whisper softly, so the boys don’t overhear. “How do you feel about anal?”

  “Dammit, Jackson!” Kiera tries pushing against my chest, but I don’t budge. She’s laughing. “You’re exhausting.”

  I laugh with her, wrapping a hand around her neck and crashing our mouths together.

  “Dammit!” a small voice echoes, and we both turn to look at Knox. He’s the troublemaker of the two.

  Kane starts giggling and right on cue, repeats after his brother. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!”

  They’re both in a fit of giggles, and although we’re supposed to tell them not to say that word, Kiera and I can’t help laughing at their cuteness.

  “Boys, that’s a naughty word,” Kiera finally explains once she’s able to compose herself.

  “Dammit!” Knox repeats with a shit-eating grin on his adorable chubby face.

  “Argh. What am I gonna do with you, Jackson Bishop?” Kiera shakes her head at me though I know she’s secretly amused.

  “Keep me forever?” I grin.

  “I suppose I will…even if you gave me a run for my money.” She flashes a cute smirk, and we both know what she’s referring to.

  “Couldn’t make it easy for you, baby.” I give her ass a smack.

  “Trust me, you haven’t.” She snorts. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

  “It’s a good life, Kiera Georgina Bishop.” I wink, knowing she hates when I use her middle name.

  “Promise me we aren’t going to give our daughter my horrible middle name?”

  “It’s not horrible at all,” I protest, noticing the way Kiera’s eyeing down my chest, and when she notices my cock stirring, she looks up at me with an arched brow. “In fact, I think we should name our little girl after her beautiful mommy.”

  “Not happening.” She shakes her head. “Now go shower before you start getting ideas…”

  Kiera walks around me, swatting my ass, but I quickly grab her arm and pull her back. “You still didn’t answer my question,” I remind her in a low voice.

  “I think…” She takes a couple of steps backward, tapping a finger to her bottom lip. Spinning around, she shakes her ass while she walks toward the fridge.

  “Kiera…” I growl.

  She looks over her shoulder and smirks. “I’ll get back to you in about fifteen years.”

  Epilogue

  Kiera

  FOUR YEARS LATER

  “Kaitlyn Rose Bishop! You best not be playin’ in the mud in your brand-new dress!” I shout from the back door with my hands on my hips. “We have to leave in ten minutes!”

  Knox and Kane are God knows where, and the party starts in twenty minutes.

  “What’s a pretty woman like you doin’ out here screaming? The only time you should be screaming is when your legs are wrapped around my face.” Jackson snakes his arms around my waist and softly speaks into my ear. He instantly makes me smile.

  “Would you contain your children? We have to go soon, and Kaitlyn’s out there in the dirt.” I frown. “Go figure, I have a girl, and she’s ninety-nine percent tomboy. I had to bribe her with three suckers, two popsicles, and she even got a five dollar
bill out of me in order to get her to wear that dress.”

  Jackson chuckles against my neck, pulling me tightly to his chest. “Are you really surprised? She’s just trying to catch up with her brothers. Not to mention, she’s been raised on a ranch and around horses her entire life.”

  I turn around to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Well, I know. I was never a girly girl either, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping to dress up my little girl in bows and tiaras and play Barbies. She won’t even let me braid her hair!” I stick my bottom lip out and fake a pout. “I do love that she’s adventurous, though. She’s a spitting image of you, too, of course.”

  “Nah, she’s a perfect mixture of us. She has your gorgeous blonde hair and my blue eyes. She’s sweet and witty and knows how to throw a punch. She’s the exact replica of a future heartbreaker.” He looks over my shoulder, his eyes go wide, and then he sucks his lips into his mouth.

  “What?” I furrow my brows.

  “And she’s a total troublemaker.”

  I turn around and see my little girl skipping toward the house in her cowboy boots and her pink dress covered in mud. There’s dirt in her hair and on her face, and she’s smiling wide as she makes her way to the back door.

  “Excuse you, young lady. Who said you could leave the house and play in your new dress?” I place my hands on my hips and give her my best firm look.

  She looks up at me with the most innocent smile that she’s mastered. “Daddy did.”

  Jackson chokes behind me, and as soon as I look over my shoulder, I see him narrowing his eyes and shaking his head at her.

  “Is that so?” I ask, directing my harsh tone toward my husband.

  “To be fair, she put her little fingers under the door while I was trying to pee and then asked if she could come in. When I told her no and to wait, she then proceeded to ask me where the baby horses come from and how they’re made. I had no other choice.”