Shoulda Been A Cowboy: Rough Riders, Book 7

by Lorelei James

  “I’m fine, Cam.”

  “You scared me half to death.” He cupped her face in his hands. His eyes searched hers frantically. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You’re busy and—”

  “I’m never too busy for you. Never ever ever too busy for my wife.” Cam glanced at the doctor. “What’s wrong with her? Is it serious? Is she gonna be okay?”

  “She’s anemic for one thing. Which explains the lightheadedness and fainting spells.”

  “You fainted?” Cam said incredulously.

  “Just once.”

  “How many times do you have to faint before you see it as a problem?” Cam turned to the doctor. “What else?”

  “Nausea. It sounds like she hasn’t been eating right or sleeping much.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Hypertension. Stress can create all sorts of different reactions in the body.”

  “So what do I do to make her better? I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Her tears pooled again. She didn’t deserve this man.

  “For the anemia I’ll prescribe iron tablets. For the hypertension, bed rest for a couple of days.” The doctor clasped the chart to her chest.

  “Thank you, Doctor Monroe.”

  “Yeah, thanks, doc, for seeing her right away. I owe you one.”

  She smiled. “Remember that when you see the bill. Take care. Both of you.”

  When the door clicked shut, Cam’s mouth was on hers, bestowing the sweetest, gentlest kiss that brought tears to the surface again. “Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, princess. I’d absolutely lose my fucking mind.”

  “Listen—”

  “No, you listen. I’m taking you home and you will not do a single goddamned thing but lay in bed for at least two days.”

  “Cam—”

  “I ain’t kiddin’. When Dave called me—”

  Domini placed her hand on his chest. “Wait. Dave called you?”

  “How do you think I found out?”

  So Keely hadn’t tattled. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Oh, but it does matter. I should’ve found out from you.”

  “Sorry. I just…wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Lucky thing you won’t have to think for the next two days, because, princess, I’m gonna be stuck to your side like a burr. So get dressed so I can take you home.”

  Cam made no move to leave the exam room. “Why don’t you wait out front? It’ll just take me a minute.”

  “Huh-uh. What if you fainted? And hit your head? I am not taking the chance that anything will happen to you.”

  “Fine.” She dressed quickly. Cam paid the doctor’s bill and escorted her—heck he practically carried her—to his truck. The sun burned her eyes. She slipped on her sunglasses.

  About halfway home, Cam said, “When I heard you’d passed out and were nauseous, I thought…maybe you were pregnant.”

  Domini froze.

  “I know we haven’t been married long, but if it’d turned out you were pregnant, I…well, I wouldn’t have minded. Not at all. I just wanted you to know.”

  She faced out the window. She had to tell him the truth.

  And if Cam decides to walk away?

  She loved him. Now she knew the true meaning of selfishness because she didn’t know if she could let him go.

  ***

  Cam tucked Domini in bed, called the station and requested a couple of sick days. He jotted down a grocery list. He paced until it was time to pick up Anton.

  At the school, he rested his butt against the passenger side of his pickup and kept his eyes peeled for the boy. Cam whistled and Anton looked his direction. The kid smiled as he hustled toward him. “Hey, Cam.”

  “Heya, sport.”

  “I didn’t know you were picking me up today.”

  “Your lucky day, huh?”

  “Uh-huh. We doin’ something fun?”

  “Not really, unless you love grocery shopping.”

  Anton groaned and hefted himself into the cab.

  “How was school today?”

  “Okay.”

  “Have any homework?”

  “Nope. Where’s Domini?”

  Cam turned the corner and waved at Mrs. Jackson walking her toy poodles. “She’s at home. She ain’t feeling too good.”

  Anton was quiet. Too quiet. “Is she gonna have a baby?”

  “No.” He sent Anton a sideways glance. “What makes you say that?”

  “People have babies after they get married. I thought maybe now she’s got a baby in her tummy.”

  I wish. Maybe then Cam could believe she’d stick around. She hadn’t called him today when she’d gotten ill, but she had called him when she had car trouble? That bugged the crap out of him. Add in the fact she wouldn’t share a bank account with him, she insisted on buying all the groceries and Cam wondered if they had a marriage or a business arrangement.

  It is a business arrangement. She only married you for Anton. Once she gets him she’ll be gone.

  Cam didn’t believe that. He half believed Domini loved him. But the last thing she needed right now was the added stress of him demanding to know how she felt about him.

  “Cam?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She’s tired and it’s making her sick.”

  “What do we hafta do to make her get better?”

  Cam smiled at Anton’s use of “we” and his offer to take care of the woman who took such good care of both of them. “Make sure she rests and eats right. We’ll be eating a lot of steak. And burgers.”

  “Who’s cooking?”

  “Me. Why?”

  He blurted, “Because you’re a really bad cook.”

  Cam said nothing.

  A hint of fear shone in Anton’s eyes. “Are you mad?”

  “Because you told the truth? Hell no. But you’re right, sport, I’m a shitty cook.” He shot him a look. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to swear in front of you.”

  The kid actually rolled his eyes.

  “So, I’m a bad cook, yet I need to feed my wife…what do you think we oughta do?”

  “Eat at Dewey’s every day?”

  “Nope. Try again.”

  “We could ask Dave to help us. He knows everything about cooking.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  Anton’s face lit up. “Really?”

  “Yep. We’ve gotta stop at Dewey’s and get Domini’s purse anyway, so we’ll see if Dave can give us some pointers.”

  Armed with detailed instructions, Cam and Anton picked up several steaks before they headed home. Domini was sitting on the front deck when he pulled up.

  Gracie barked and waited by the truck for Anton. Damn dog was completely smitten with the boy. And Anton had done a one-eighty when it came to Gracie’s behavior. The dog minded Anton better than him sometimes.

  Cam unloaded the grocery bags. Anton hauled them in the house, leaving Cam alone with Domini. He climbed the steps slowly. “You wanna explain what you’re doin’ out of bed, Mrs. McKay?”

  “I was lonely for my boys. Gracie was antsy so I thought I’d sit out in the fresh air.”

  My boys. He leaned down and kissed her. “Getcha ass back in bed, woman. Now.”

  “I love it when you go all caveman on me, Deputy. Makes me all tingly.”

  Does that mean you love me?

  Not going there. Not now. “I could toss you over my shoulder and drag you inside.”

  “Will you wear a sexy jungle print loin cloth too?”

  “You have a filthy mind, woman. That’s why I—”

  Love you.

  Shit.

  Domini’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why you what?”

  “That’s why I plan on doing nasty, raunchy, dirty things to you for hours when you’re better. Now get in bed.”

  After Anton finished chores, which the crazy kid seemed to enjoy, they unwrapped t
he meat and fired up the barbecue. They read through Dave’s instructions—twice—but it didn’t help.

  By the time they finished “cooking” the steaks were burned beyond recognition. Both he and Anton stared at the charred chunks of meat. Finally Anton said, “We suck.”

  “Yep. We seriously suck.”

  “I don’t think Gracie will even eat it.”

  Gracie whined.

  “Can I make a suggestion?” Domini said from the doorframe.

  Cam wheeled around. “You’re supposed to be—”

  “In bed. I know. I’m anemic, not an invalid. You don’t have to wait on me. And I’m thinking it might be best if you don’t try to cook for me either.”

  Cam and Anton exchanged a glum look.

  “Here’s the deal, how about if I cook and you guys do everything else.” She shook her head at the burned disks. “Was that…steak?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Choice cut steak.”

  She winced. “We definitely cannot afford for you guys to massacre any more meat. Do we have a deal?”

  “Deal.”

  ***

  “…sparsely…” Anton looked up at Domini. “What does that mean?”

  “Umm…very little?”

  She glanced over at Cam and he nodded.

  “You don’t know?”

  She bumped Anton with her shoulder. “English isn’t my native language, remember? It takes a minute for me to translate.”

  “So when you’re thinking in your head, are you thinking in Ukrainian? Or in English?”

  “When I first moved to the U.S. I only thought in Ukrainian. But the longer I’ve been here away from people who speak my language, it’s English that pops into my head first. But there are always words that throw me off. Like sparsely.” She tousled Anton’s hair. “Did your mom speak to you in Bosnian?”

  “Nope. He didn’t like it.”

  “It’s about time for bed, sport.”

  “I know.” Anton jumped off the couch, securing his book under his arm, and lingered in front of Domini. “Are you gonna tuck me in?”

  “Yes. Then I’m tucking myself in.”

  Anton opened the front door and Gracie bounced in. Her tail wagged so hard her body swayed as she followed Anton down the hallway to his bedroom.

  “Sometimes I forget that English isn’t your native tongue,” Cam murmured. “Will you teach our kids to speak Ukrainian?”

  Domini let her head fall back on the cushion and closed her eyes. “Do you think Anton will ever talk about Rex? Or will he just avoid the issue if we let him?”

  Kind of like she’d sidestepped his question. Cam decided not to push it. “Give him time. I know we all wanna be one big happy family from the get go, but it’ll take us all time to adjust.”

  “Are you adjusting, Cam? Now that you’ve got a kid and a wife? Do you want us to be a big happy family? When all this chaos you never wanted is destroying the serenity of your haven?”

  No, now I’ve got everything I ever wanted.

  Domini wasn’t the only one who’d mastered the art of deflection. “I’ll double check I shut the grill off while you tuck Anton in.”

  Domini was already in bed when he returned to their bedroom. Cam stripped, unfastened his prosthesis and slid beneath the covers.

  Immediately Domini wrapped herself around him. She kissed his biceps. And his collarbones. Her lips skimmed his throat. “Cam?”

  “Mmm?”

  “Touch me.”

  “Domini. Baby, you’re supposed to take it easy.”

  “So love me nice and easy. And slow. You love to torture me. Take your time with me, Cam.” She sank her teeth into his earlobe. “Please. I need you.”

  Cam was helpless to resist. He didn’t want to resist. He kissed her. Teased her. Showed her with his hands and his mouth and his body how much he loved her.

  When he slid inside her, surrounded by her warmth and softness and strength, he realized she made him a whole man and it didn’t have a damn thing to do with his missing leg. It had everything to do with filling his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “We don’t have to go. In fact, I think we oughta stay home. You have been sick.”

  Domini tied the laces on her tennis shoes. “Not sick, Cam. Anemic. I’m feeling much better after being babied by you guys for the last two days. I want to enjoy the gorgeous day. I’m tired of being cooped up inside.”

  “There are gonna be a million people there,” Cam warned. “And my family will grill both of us on our marriage, if we’re gonna start havin’ kids—”

  Her stomach knotted, but she tossed out a breezy, “Maybe they won’t, since we already have a kid.”

  Anton and Gracie burst into the kitchen. “Is it time to go yet?”

  Domini gave Cam a we-don’t-want-to-disappoint-Anton look.

  Cam sighed. “Fine. But if you look the slightest bit faint, we’re comin’ home and I’m tyin’ you to the bed for a solid week.”

  She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Her lips slid to his ear and she whispered, “Is that a promise, Deputy?”

  “Yep.”

  “Good because I miss that side of you. You’ve been too careful with me lately. You know I won’t break.”

  He eased back to look at her face. “Domini, I—”

  “Are you two gonna suck face or are we going?”

  “Suck face. Definitely.” Cam teased his mouth over hers and her heart jumped.

  “Yuck. We’re outta here.” The sliding glass door slammed.

  Domini stepped back. “We’ll be lucky if any of the doors in this house survive until his teen years.”

  Cam went still.

  “What?”

  “Ah. Nothin’. I just can’t imagine Anton a teenager.”

  That was weird. Didn’t he expect to be around then?

  Maybe you won’t be once you tell him the truth.

  “Do we have everything?”

  “I guess.” Cam caught her staring at his pants. “What?”

  “I’ve never seen you wear those.” His baggy dark khaki pants appeared to be made out of shiny, lightweight parachute material, with cargo pockets everywhere and elastic bands at the knees and ankles. “Are they new?”

  He snorted. “Hell no, they’re old. I couldn’t face wearing jeans today, sweats are too casual and every other pair of pants is in the hamper, so this is what was left.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to do laundry this week. I’m slacking on all sorts of wifely duties.”

  Cam tipped her chin up. “I didn’t marry you so you could wash my clothes, Domini.”

  No, you married me because you’re selfless, perfect and a good man.

  He pecked her on the mouth. “Let’s go before I find another reason to stay.”

  “Another?”

  “Tyin’ you to the bed and keepin’ you there all day is mighty tempting.”

  Outside, Anton was already in the truck bed with Gracie.

  “Come on, hop in the front,” Domini said.

  “Aw, do I have to? Everybody rides in the back of pickups with their dogs.”

  “Everybody except for you.”

  Anton turned his puppy dog eyes to Cam.

  Cam shrugged. “I don’t see the big deal. It’s only ten miles.”

  “In the back of a bouncy pickup on a gravel road!”

  “So he’ll be dusty. He won’t be the only one.”

  “Ky rides in the back of Cord’s truck all the time,” Anton added.

  “We all did. We all turned out fine.”

  She knew she was outnumbered. And when she really thought about it, they’d been siding together a lot in the last week. “All right. But you stay down. No hanging off the side, I mean it.”

  “I promise.”

  Domini couldn’t help but turn round every couple of minutes to check on Anton.

  “Stop worrying. He’s happier than a pig in shit,” Cam drawled. He plucked up her hand from
the middle seat and kissed her knuckles. “Is the honeymoon over? We’ve only been married two months and you’re not sitting close to me in the truck anymore.”

  She scooted closer. “Better?”

  “Much. I’m always better with you by my side.”

  A sigh of contentment drifted out. She rested her head on Cam’s shoulder. He draped his arm across the back of the seat and lightly stroked the outside of her arm. Sometimes the silences between them were more revealing than words.

  Vehicles crowded the yard at the Carson McKay ranch. Kids and dogs ran everywhere. With all the questions they’d be facing about future kids, she wished she’d talked to Cam before they’d left home.

  Anton beat on the window. “Can I get out now?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Suddenly shy, Domini kept a death grip on Cam’s hand as they wended through the chairs and tables.

  Carolyn McKay hopped up the instant she saw them.

  Because Domini’s schedule and Cam’s schedules hadn’t meshed, they’d missed out on all the McKay family dinners in the last two months, so this was Domini’s first official family function as Cam’s wife.

  “Cam! Sweetie, it’s good to see you.”

  “Hey, Ma.”

  She hugged him for a long time. Then she hugged Domini. “It’s good to see you too, Domini. I heard you’ve been under the weather.”

  “She’s anemic, which makes her tired. She’s taking heavy duty iron.”

  “Oh, you poor thing!” Carolyn said. “What can I do?”

  “Don’t be upset if we leave early. I have to take her home and get her back in bed.”

  “Spoken like a true McKay man,” Keely said.

  Domini blushed.

  “I hope you’ll stick around for a little while,” Carolyn said. “I hardly get to see you. I’ve thought about doin’ something wild to get myself arrested by you, just so we’d have time to chat.”

  “Great plan, Ma.”

  “You are welcome to stop by our house anytime,” Domini offered.

  Carolyn gave her a puzzled look, almost as if she didn’t believe Domini’s invitation. Not that Domini blamed her. Cam wasn’t known for his hospitality and Carolyn probably assumed Domini was the same way, especially since she and Cam had little to do with his parents since they’d gotten married.

  A herd of boys, ranging in age from eight to three, barreled up. Domini was happy to see Anton in the thick of things.