by Kennedy Fox
“I think it’s you, sweetheart,” I tease, standing to meet her. My palm automatically lands on her belly, and I’m overcome with pride. “You’re not only eating for three, but your hormones are raging.” I smile, thinking about the two babies inside her that I can’t wait to meet.
She pouts with a groan, and I pluck her bottom lip from between her teeth. “I’ll turn down the thermostat, baby. Go sit, and I’ll grab the fan, too.”
“You’re amazing.” She sighs. “I feel like a freaking oven.”
“It’ll pass,” I reassure her. It typically does anyway. “I’ll grab you a sweet tea, too.” Pressing my lips to her forehead, I grab the fan from our bedroom, then go to the kitchen for her drink. Lately, she’s been getting hot flashes all the time and even in the middle of the night. To combat it, Maize has started sleeping with the fan blasted on her face, nearly naked, while I’m wrapped in a blanket.
Once I’m back in the living room, I make sure she’s comfortable before I sit next to her. One hand rests on her bump as she sucks down her tea. Without even trying, Maize is the most stunning woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Making her my wife was the best day of my life, tied with the day we found out she was pregnant with twins.
We hadn’t expected it to happen so fast, but I was ready since I’m not getting any younger. Though if you ask Maize, she’d argue that her biological clock is ticking since she’s closer to turning thirty. Undoubtedly, she was ready to get knocked up as soon as humanly possible. Apparently, the Bishop legacy of having multiples lives on.
My parents were undoubtly thrilled when we told them the news. They visit at least once a month but I have a feeling they’ll be coming a lot more or even moving here after the twins are born.
I go back to our clothes. We’re finally having our housewarming party now that everything’s unpacked. We moved in right before the wedding five months ago, but it wasn’t completely finished. I helped the crew between shifts, and since I didn’t want Maize to have to juggle unpacking and working, I took care of it all.
Once we learned we were having girls, we started decorating the nursery. Now that it’s painted, it’s time for all the furniture to be built and baby gear stored. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about taking care of two infants at once, but Mila’s already offered to help as well as Grandma Bishop. They’re over the moon excited, and her mom can’t wait to be a grandma.
John keeps going back and forth about what he wants the girls to call him, and he’s excited about our growing family. Kenzie was her typical overdramatic self and screamed with joy.
“You excited for this weekend, babe?” I ask, trying to match socks.
“Yes, I am,” she says with a gleeful smile. “I can’t wait to show off my hot house-building husband.”
I scoff. “I helped, but I’m definitely not taking all the credit. The crew did the hard shit. I basically pointed and made sure nothing got messed up.”
“That’s pretty sexy in my book.” She waggles her brows while lowering her eyes down my chest.
I chuckle, shaking my head. Another symptom of pregnancy is raging hormones that make her want sex all the time. Not that I’m complaining, but we have a party happening in three days. We’ve invited the whole damn town, it seems, but I don’t mind. It’s a potluck, so Maize isn’t stuck preparing food for a crowd since her catering business is booming. Kenzie helps on the side, but Maize does all the cooking. Her doctor has warned her to take it easy with the stress of extra work since it’s likely she’ll go into preterm labor.
Moments later, my phone vibrates with a text, and I see it’s Connor.
Connor: Would you mind if I brought someone with me to your party this weekend?
I read the message to Maize, and her smile drops. “He’s bringing a date?”
I’m not sure what’s happened between him and Elle, but their work relationship hasn’t been the best as far as I've heard.
“I guess.” I shrug.
Gavin: No problem. The more, the merrier.
“I hope you told him absolutely not!” she pouts.
I snort. “Why not? Elle isn’t dating him.”
“Well, she could be if he wasn’t such a jerk. And now she’s gonna have to see him with another woman. It’s a dick move.”
I’m not sure how to reply and don’t wish to get in the middle of whatever’s going on, so I stay quiet.
“Whatever. I’m gonna tell her to bring someone then. Ha! See how Dr. Dickhead likes that.”
I narrow my eyes in confusion. “Thought you called him VetDreamy?”
She scowls. “Not anymore.”
That doesn’t sound good, but I also don’t ask. Connor and I see each other at least once a week at the ranch, and if there’s drama, I stay out of it.
“There,” she says as she sets down her phone. “Now it won’t be awkward, and she won’t be alone when he’s hanging on some other woman.”
After the clothes are done, I sit back and pull Maize into my chest. “Any kicks today?”
“I feel a little fluttering on my right side,” she tells me, and I move my hand around.
“You’re gonna be the hottest pregnant mama-to-be when you’re ready to pop. I can’t wait.” I smirk.
“Ugh, shut up. I’m fat and only gonna get fatter.”
“You’re growing two babies,” I remind her. “I can’t wait for a houseful of girls.” Smiling, I press a kiss to her cheek. Due to Maize being high-risk with twins, they took a bunch of bloodwork, and we found out the genders early on. “Which means we’re gonna have to try for a boy next.”
She relaxes against me and laughs. “I thought of what I want their names to be,” she says, then looks up at me. “Madison and Bailey, the middle names of my biological mother and my mama. Then their middle names should be Rose.”
“After my mom?” I ask, honored.
“Yes, and it’s Grandma Bishop’s first name too.” She beams. “I thought it was a perfect tribute to the amazing women in our life.”
My heart beats with pride and excitement. “I love them. It’s a great idea, sweetheart. Mila’s gonna love that you named one of the babies after her.”
“I wanna surprise her, though. Announce it after the babies are born.”
“She’s gonna cry.” I chuckle, and Maize does too.
“Oh, she definitely will.”
* * *
MAIZE
I can’t wait to see everyone today. Though I frequently see my family, I’m usually too busy working to visit for more than five minutes. Plus, I’ll get to spend more time with my cousins and sister without being interrupted by guests. Not that I mind, but a break is definitely nice.
Now that I’m pregnant with twins, I need to slow down, which is hard when I’m trying to keep up with my catering business too. I book parties for up to fifty people a couple of times a month, and it’s rewarding for me. I hope I can continue after the twins are born, but I’ll hire someone if not.
One of the best things about growing up with a ton of cousins is that our kids will get to grow up together just like we did. My grandparents are in their late seventies and want to be more hands-off with the business side of things. They’ve already discussed passing the operations entirely over to my dad and uncles, which is a significant milestone. Bishops have run the ranch for generations, and the legacy will continue.
Although the idea of getting pregnant again after twins seems crazy, I do want to try for a boy. My nephew Zach is two, and he’ll have a little brother soon since Riley and Zoey are expecting baby Zealand in just two months. There are Bishop boy cousins for him to grow up with, plus I know Gavin would love to teach our kids about bull riding and training horses. Mutton bustin’ is already on the list for the girls when they’re old enough. I’d be willing to give Gavin a houseful, but for now, I’m focusing on these two precious babies inside me and soaking up every minute I get to carry them.
“My girls,” Gavin says, wrapping his big hands around m
y belly and grinning into my neck. “You’re beautiful.” He looks at my reflection in the mirror, and I smile in return.
“This bump is cute now, but in a couple of months, I’ll be surprised if I can see my feet.”
“You’ll be waddling all over the B&B like a cute penguin,” he mocks.
“Thanks,” I deadpan, adjusting my dress so it covers my boobs that have doubled in size.
“Your mom’s here. Kenzie too.”
“Oh yay! Tell them I’ll be right down.” I turn around and kiss his lips. “Assuming it doesn’t take me an hour to climb down the stairs.”
“I could carry you. You’re on your feet too much as it is, no wonder they’re swelling.”
“My feet are swelling?” I squeal in panic, then look down at them. “Do I have chubby ankles already?”
“Uh…” Gavin removes his hat and brushes a hand through his hair, a tell that he’s about to bullshit his way outta this question. “I think I hear more people at the door. Meet ya down there, sweetheart.” He quickly kisses my cheek before leaving.
He’s lucky I love him too damn much to scold him. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more than I did the day we got married, but when I found out we were pregnant, I fell for him even deeper.
By the time I enter the living room, it’s filled with Bishops and friends of the family. I greet people and swipe Rory out of Rowan’s arms. He’s seven months now, and his little personality reminds me so much of Diesel.
“Hey buddy.” I blow raspberries on his cheek, and he giggles. Rory is a perfect blend of his parents with adorable little dimples. Rowan and Diesel got married two months ago, and I hope they’ll try for baby number two soon. Grandma Bishop hasn’t stopped reminding them.
“Is Elle here?” Rowan asks.
I look around. “I don’t see her yet, but…” My eyes widen when they land on Dr. Wallen, her boss. “Oh my God,” I mutter quietly, and Rowan’s gaze follows mine.
“I thought you said he was bringing a date?” Rowan whispers, taking Rory from my arms when he starts to fuss.
“I-I assumed he was…” I have to pick up my jaw from the floor at the little girl’s hand he’s holding. “He asked to bring someone.”
“Elle’s gonna be so mad at you.” Rowan chuckles.
Kenzie comes over to us, and we fill her in. “Wow.” She eyes Connor up and down. “He’s somehow hotter now.”
“Kenzie, ew. He’s way too old for you anyway.” I scoff.
“Really? You gonna talk to me about age?”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up. I better text Elle and warn her.”
“Too late,” Kenzie mutters, staring at the front door.
“Shit.”
Elle walks in with a man I’ve never seen before, and he’s dressed in black slacks and a sleek black button-up shirt. He’s tall, with broad shoulders, and fit. He looks like a guy her mom would set her up with. Perhaps he’s a doctor from the hospital Aunt Emily works at, but nevertheless, things are about to get awkward.
“Maize…” Gavin comes to my side and brushes my elbow.
“I saw,” I say before he can speak. “Is that his…daughter?”
“Yeah, Olivia. She’s six. He shares custody with his ex-wife,” he informs me.
Well, fuck.
Elle spots us and walks over with a bright, friendly smile. “Hey, guys.” We exchange a hug.
“Hey, who’s your date?” I ask.
“This is Stephen. He’s a doctor and works with my mom.”
Nailed it.
“Hi, Stephen, nice to meet you.” I shake his hand. “I’m Maize, Elle’s cousin.”
“A pleasure to meet y’all.”
He shakes Kenzie’s, then Rowan’s, and Gavin’s hand next.
“You have a lovely home. Elizabeth’s informed me it was recently built.”
Elizabeth? I nearly cringe at the way he uses her full name, considering none of us do.
“Yes, well, it’s been a few months, but it took some time to finish. Plus, the Bishops love any reason for a party.” I chuckle because it’s true.
I turn to Elle, and my eyes widen. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”
“Uh—sure.” Just as we’re about to walk off, Connor comes over with a pointed glare as he holds his daughter’s hand.
Elle’s eyes bug out of her head as she stares at Dr. Wallen and the little girl next to him.
“Hey, Connor,” I greet sweetly. “I heard you brought a little guest with you.” Smiling, I lean down and take her hand. “I’m Maize. Thanks for coming to our party.”
“Hello, ma’am. I’m Olivia.”
“Oh my gosh, what a sweetheart,” Rowan coos.
“How did no one know you had a child?” Kenzie blurts out.
“Well, you never asked.” He shrugs. “Her mother lives in New Mexico, and we share custody. She visits over the summer and holidays. I picked her up early for our Thanksgiving celebration.”
That explains why he asked at the last minute.
“She looks a lot like you,” Elle says, breaking the awkward tension. “Hi, Olivia. I’m Elle. I work with your daddy.”
Olivia shakes her hand with a cute smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Connor,” Stephen says curtly.
Dr. Wallen stands up straighter with furrowed brows. “Dr. Burk.”
“You two know each other?” I ask, waving a finger back and forth between them. I shouldn’t be that surprised, considering we live in a small town, and everyone knows everyone.
“We were friends in high school,” Stephen explains.
“Yeah, well…that was ages ago.” Connor takes Olivia’s hand. “Anyway, I’m gonna get a couple of snacks for her. It was nice seeing y’all.”
Before anyone can say another word, Connor walks away and heads toward the kitchen.
Rowan, Kenzie, and I exchange a look. “I’m gonna go say hi to Grandma and make sure she gets something to eat.”
An hour later, people are scattered throughout the house having a good time. Some are outside on the deck and admiring the views of the ranch.
“Hey,” Gavin whispers in my ear behind me as I stare out at the orange and blue sky. “You wanna sneak into the guest room?”
Chuckling, I glance at him over my shoulder. “Are you crazy? We have a house full of guests.”
“So? You used to like sneakin’ around with me.” He winks.
That causes me to laugh hard. “That’s true.”
I grab his arm and lead him down the hallway into the room. Once the door is locked, he latches his mouth to mine, and our tongues feverishly fight for control.
“Think you can stay quiet, baby?” he asks in a growl.
“If you cover my mouth.” I grin.
Gavin lifts my dress and moves my panties to the side, then plunges a finger into my wet pussy. I’m already aching for him, desperately needing his cock to fill me.
He wraps his hand around my head and slides his tongue between my lips as he finger fucks me hard and fast, building the orgasm until I fall over the edge. I moan out his name, and he quickly covers my mouth with his.
Without wasting another second, he undoes his jeans and boxers, and when his cock comes into view, I immediately wrap my hand around him.
“Mmm…baby.” His head falls back on his shoulders. “As much as I love that, we need to make this quick.”
He lifts me until my legs wrap around his waist, and his cock presses between my thighs. The tip rubs against my clit before gliding down and entering me.
With a throaty groan, I take in all of him, and we rock together in rhythm.
“You make me so damn happy,” he mutters in my ear. “Happier than I ever thought I deserved.”
I’m on the verge of tears as he fucks me against the wall. “You make me happier than I ever thought was possible,” I tell him.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you and our girls are always happy. No matter what, sweetheart.”
&
nbsp; “I know you will.”
I have no doubt Gavin will do anything to give us everything we could ever want and need.
He captures my lips once more, and soon, we’re falling over the edge, moaning out our release as quietly as possible.
“Fuck, baby mama. That was hot.” He smacks my ass after I adjust my dress.
I snort and shake my head.
“You think anyone noticed we were gone?” I ask, smoothing down my hair as he zips up his jeans.
“Nah. I think everyone’s distracted as hell from seeing Connor with his daughter, Olivia. Especially Elle and Stephen.”
I cringe, feeling awful that I’m the one who told Elle to bring someone. “Elle’s gonna murder me. I still can’t believe no one knew he had a kid.”
“Connor’s a private guy.” Gavin shrugs, pulling me into his arms once he’s dressed.
“As if things weren’t tense enough between Elle and Connor, it’s about to get a lot more awkward,” I say.
“Considering that Stephen guy seems like the type Evan and Emily would approve of, I imagine he could be here to stay.”
“You think so?”
“And if I’m being honest, Stephen seems more of her type than Connor.”
“I wonder why he’s always so short-tempered and rude to her. If he truly didn’t care for her personality or the way she does things, why would he have hired her in the first place? Unless…”
“You think he likes her?” he asks.
“He could purposely be pushing her away like I did you when I didn’t want to admit my feelings. I’ve had this theory before, but I think it’s safe to say he just might be doing the same.”
“Maybe.” Gavin shrugs, pressing a sweet kiss to the tip of my nose. “We should go back out there.”
I nod in agreement.
“Well, either way, when they go back to work on Monday, it’s gonna be hella interesting.” I cackle. “And I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
We hope you enjoyed Gavin & Maize’s story! There’s a lot more to come in the Circle B Ranch series, featuring the Bishop’s and finding their happily ever afters. Even though this can be read as a stand-alone, some of the characters will interconnect to the next one, so we hope you’ll join us for Elizabeth Bishop & Dr. Connor Wallen’s story next in Bossing the Cowboy!