by BA Tortuga
Addie perched on the cushion arm rest, and Maddie sat next to Carrie Ann. Uncle Mark looked at Bodie. “Ain’t you that unlucky fella? The one with the dead girlfriends?”
Addie rolled her eyes. Jesus. Seriously?
Bodie just nodded, keeping it light. “I’ve had two up and die on me, yes sir.”
“That sucks, man.” Uncle Mark shook his head. “Well, iff’n you kill off Addison, you can have Maddie next. They’re twins, you know.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Maddie’s the good one, after all.”
“Hey! Hands off,” Maddie said, snorting.
“Come on, all of you.” Daddy Chris waved them toward the kitchen. “I got little munchies.”
Addie grinned. “That means bacon wrapped jalapenos for me!”
Carrie Ann snorted. “And grape jelly meatballs for Mads!”
“Well,” Bodie said, “meatballs are Italian.”
She looked at him. “This is our birthday dinner. It doesn’t have to go together.”
“Oh. So, is this traditional, then?” He lifted her like she weighed nothing, setting her on her feet.
“Yep. I fell in love with Daddy Chris’ jalapenos when I was five.”
Daddy Chris nodded, handing out paper plates. “She ate the whole damn pan—bacon, cheese, peppers and all. I thought for sure she’d have a tummy ache, but she never so much as belched.”
“She’s a stud, our girl.”
“They both are,” Bodie agreed easily, following her to the kitchen. He waited until everyone had gotten a plate to fill his.
God, he was a good man.
Genuinely.
Maddie caught her looking at Bodie, and Addie’s cheeks heated. Lord have mercy. Maddie winked at her, just plain as day.
Yeah.
Yeah, this was it for her, no matter what she’d told the dads. She knew it, deep down, even before Bodie put an extra jalapeno on her plate.
“Thanks, love.”
He grunted, one hand on the small of her back, and she saw her dads look at each other, nod.
Lord.
They made it through all the appetizers, through Daddy Chris’ lasagna and salad. When every last bit was demolished, Carrie Ann was napping in her chair, and Uncle Mark was groaning.
Maddie slapped her hand on the table. “Presents, please.”
“Demanding little beast.” Daddy Chris leaned back, boot heels on the floor. “Did we get the girls presents, Brandt?”
“I can’t remember. Maybe not.”
“Well, I can go get the ones we all brought,” Bodie said, standing and heading to the front room.
“I like him,” Uncle Mark rumbled. “He’s a good ‘un.”
“He is.” And he had an amazing ass.
Amazing.
Tight and hard and…Okay. Okay, focus, Addie.
“He’s okay.” Maddie chortled when Addie gave her an evil glare.
“He’s hot as hell, Addie, and you’d make pretty babies.” Carrie Ann massaged her belly. The woman was all about the offspring.
“Did you hear that, baby?” Dad Brandt said to Chris. “Grandbabies.”
Daddy Chris hooted. “We could spoil them rotten.”
“Oh, would y’all shut up!” God. Bodie was just going to run away. He was baby phobic, right?
“This one says Mads and this one Adds, so here you go.” Bodie was back and handing over Carrie Ann’s boxes. He gave Maddie the envelope she’d seen him bring in, then handed her the flat jewelry box. “Am I missing things?”
“The buttheads are all just teasing me.” She opened the box. Nestled inside was a lovely gold rope chain with a gold charm at the end. Addie chuckled when she made out what it was. A delicate golden horseshoe with a four leaf clover in the center. She’d never seen anything so pretty. “Oh, Bodie. It’s beautiful.”
She kissed the corner of his lips, then pulled the necklace out. “Put it on me?”
“You know it. You’re my lucky charm, honey.” He unhooked it, draping it around her neck and fastening it behind her head. It fell just at the top of her cleavage, which was perfect.
“Oh, that’s pretty, Adds.” Maddie gave Bodie a quick grin.
Carrie Ann had gotten her an iTunes gift card, Maddie a beautiful new competition shirt. From Uncle Mark there were matching boxes—little sapphire earrings. They had nearly forty pairs between them. Apparently in Mark’s world, nieces got earrings for birthdays. Sometimes for Valentine’s Day, too. There would be watches for Christmas every year. Or bracelets.
Bodie was grinning like a fool when Maddie opened his card. “Kickboxing lessons? You are a turd, Bodie Reaver.”
“That’s just what she needs, for fighting in the bar,” Addie grumbled.
“Hey, there’s a gift card for the feed store, too.” Bodie winked, just looking tickled with himself. “The lessons are from Ty.”
“Excellent!” Maddie bounced and clapped. “Thanks, y’all.”
Addie went around to the edge of the counter and handed Mads the bag with the radio. She’d even paid for the installation, down in town. Maddie handed her a box, too, the devil glinting in her eyes.
Oh, God, it had to be underwear or something.
She looked at her sister, distrustful. “Should I wait to open it?”
“Nah. It’s not obscene. Much.”
When she tore open the box she found adult-sized Wonder Woman underoos. Of course, there was also a picture of a camera, one she’d been lusting after for months. “I had to order it,” Mads said. “They’re shipping it.”
“Dude.” She held the Underoos up, the crazy sports bra making them all crack up.
To quote Carrie Ann, Maddie was made of pure, unadulterated win.
Then it was the dads’ turn. “Maddie. You’ll have to go to the barn for part of yours. The yearling barn,” Chris said.
“Oh. Oh, yeah? Now?”
Bodie chuckled softly. “That girl likes her horses, does she?”
“She does.” Addie leaned into him, watching everyone else troop off to the barn. It was adorable, like a little cowboy parade.
She took advantage of the sudden privacy, turning to offer Bodie a kiss. “Thank you for my necklace, cowboy. I love it.”
“Yeah? I was hoping you would.” He bent, kissing her mouth long and hard. “Happy almost birthday.”
“If you’re a very, very naughty cowboy, you can tell me happy real birthday tonight.”
“I like naughty.” His lips touched hers again, slower this time, more of an exploration.
“I know. I like you.” She cupped Bodie’s jaw, fingers sliding on the freshly-shaved skin. He’d even put on smell-good for her.
“Oh, honey, I like you too.” His arms slid around her, and he held her tight, this time curling her toes with his kiss.
“Tell me we get a private celebration at your house tonight, lover?”
“I got Shelly at the bakery to make éclairs. I got that champagne you like. Beer. Pork rinds. Movies.”
“Oh, you do love me best.” Éclairs. Watching her eat éclairs turned Bodie on, she knew it. Not to mention she loved them as much as ice cream cake but refused to share them with Mads. He was also made of win. Far superior to that jerk Jim, who she’d almost tied herself to. She sure hoped that asshole had left town once he got out of the county jail. Shit, after getting his ass handed to him Addie figured he’d just slink back home, crunch a shitload of numbers for folks with more money than sense, and move the fuck on.
“Uh-huh. I’m just hoping you give out on your birthday.”
“You know it.” She leaned in, lips near his ear. “I imagine I’ll get at least a couple of happy, under-the-blanket orgasms during the movie, then I can ride you ‘til I scream.”
He blinked, his mouth falling open, his cheeks going red hot. “I’m so there.”
“Where? Not at the barn with the rest of us.” Maddie stood in the kitchen door, arms crossed. “Dads won’t let me see my present until you come down.”
“Well, come on!” Maddie scowled at them, and Bodie chuckled, steering her toward the door.
Maddie grabbed their arms and they all ran down, the dads waiting impatiently. “Really? We have to send your sister to get you and your boyfriend?”
“Hush, Daddy Chris. Presents.”
“Okay, okay.” Daddy Chris nodded at Brandt. “Show ‘em.”
Brandt opened the barn doors, and the two colts came walking out, long-legged and beautiful, curious as anything.
Maddie stared, heading right for them. “Daddy Chris?”
“They’re from Katherine Lisle’s stock, baby. Their dam is Morning Glory Rises and their sire is Ritchie’s Last Song.”
“No shit? These—Daddy? The twins? For real?”
“Yeah, baby.” Daddy Chris looked so tickled. Then he whacked Brandt, who jumped.
“There’s something in there for you, too, baby girl,” he told Addie. “Go on.”
“In there?” She wasn’t sure what to think, and she went in, gasping as a sharp, tiny, scared bark sounded. There were two little, wiggling bundles of black and white in a dog crate, bright button eyes glinting.
“You remember, when you called me from the last trip in Afghanistan?” Dad came to her where she knelt to open the box, the puppies tumbling over themselves to get to her. “You said you wanted to come home, have dogs and babies, take pictures and have a real life.”
Tears stung her eyes at the pair of border collie pups who just settled in against her, licking and snuffling. Oh, they were adorable.
“They’re a boy and a girl, a breeding pair. Championship working line,” Brandt said, smiling like a fool.
“Oh, y’all.” She plopped her butt on the ground. “Bodie, love. You have to come see them.”
Bodie came on into the barn, kneeling down to have a look. “Gracious. Look at those bright eyes. They look like my Lucy when she was a pup.”
“We’ll have to name them. God, they’re so little.”
And soft. Fuzzy.
Cute.
“No, they’re pretty good-sized.” When she looked up at Maddie, her twin was scratching the colts’ noses, absolutely enraptured.
“You’re not paying attention, Mads.”
“She’s in love, baby girl.”
“They are pretty colts.” Her pups were cuter. Especially the one wallowing in Bodie’s lap. She had good taste.
“Lord, y’all.” Uncle Mark leaned against the barn, watching. “You boys did raise up two good women.”
“We did.” Daddy Chris looped an arm around Dad’s waist. “Good day, girls?”
Maddie looked up from the horses, grinned like an idiot. “Perfect.”
The little boy puppy was asleep in her arm, little face hidden in the curve of her elbow. “Y’all did good, dads. For real.”
“Good deal. You gonna help her take care of those pups, Bodie?”
Bodie chuckled. “I imagine I’ll need to. My dog passed away a year ago, so I have time.”
“You should name the little girl. This boy is going to be…Harry.” She moved over, leaned against her cowboy.
“As in fuzzy or Truman?” Bodie teased, letting the little girl dog chew his fingers.
“Truman. Which is even a better name than Harry.”
“There you go.” Bodie tilted his head, looking down at the baby girl dog. “We’ll call this one Maggie then, after Harry’s daughter. I don’t love Bess.”
Carrie Ann chuckled. “No, you love Addie, but Maggie’s a great name. Can someone feed the pregnant lady cake?”
Dad Brandt offered his arm. “Heck, yes. Chocolate or lemon?”
“Oh…” Carrie Ann stopped, frowned. “I. Oh. Bathroom. She’s tap dancing on my bladder.”
“Come on, honey.” Dad helped Carrie Ann on up to the house, and Mads put the colts away to hurry on after. Even new yearlings couldn’t keep Maddie from her pregnant friend.
“I guess I need to see what sort of set-up the dads left for the pups, huh?”
“Oh, I got it, baby. You go get cake.” Daddy Chris smiled, the look fond. “Maggie and Truman, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know you’ll call her Maddie about a thousand times.”
Bodie laughed, the sound downright evil. “Yes sir.”
Addie started laughing, then they were all howling like monkeys, the puppies barking along.
“Come on, honey. Let’s go get cake.” Bodie lifted her to her feet, and they handed the puppies over to Daddy Chris.
She kissed her daddy’s cheek. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”
“We love you, baby girl.”
“I know.”
She did. They’d never let her doubt it. Once.
When she turned to Bodie, he was watching them with a happy smile on his face. It was good to see, and she slipped an arm around her cowboy.
“Come on, girl. Cake, then…” He chuckled softly. “Our celebration.”
“Oh, God, yes.” She was having the best birthday ever. She couldn’t wait to make sure it ended as well as it had begun.
Chapter Eleven
The club was hoppin’, the little local Texas swing band packing them in, young and old. Hell, the band was why Bodie had brought Addie tonight. She liked to dance so much, and Bodie sure didn’t mind rubbing belt buckles with his girl.
He glanced across the table to where she sat laughing with Maddie, and the glint of the little gold horseshoe necklace around her neck made him smile. When Bodie made up his mind on something, he made it hard. She was his lucky charm, and he had decided to let go of his fear and just go with it. He loved her too much to miss out on a life with her, no matter what happened.
He stuck his hand in his pocket, feeling the tiny jewel box, relieved that it was still there. He’d bought the ring a couple weeks back, at the same time he’d bought the necklace, and he was tickled that Mr. Sturm at the jewelry-Western wear-boot and watch repair store had kept his secret all this time. Lord knew it was tough in a small town.
The ring was simple—a good-sized diamond on a tiny band. Classic, fiery. Fine. Like his girl. It looked delicate, but it was strong enough to hold up to her photography work, and her chewy new puppies.
Those little shits were something else. He and Addie had put a run in over at his house, food bowls and beds and tiny toys. He loved Maggie’s curiosity, Truman’s clumsiness.
“Huh?”
Maddie poked him again. “Beer, daydreamer. More beer.”
Bodie laughed, holding up his hands before she could poke anymore. “Okay. Be right back.”
Addie chuckled. “No poking my cowboy! Get your own!”
Maddie snorted. “What if I get myself a lawyer? A doctor?”
“Indian chief?” He heard Addie tease as he walked away.
Snorting, he got another pitcher of beer, since it was half price, and three new frosted mugs. Carl smiled at him from across the bar. “Seems like you’re awful serious about that Grainger girl, Bodie.”
“You have no idea, Carl.” He winked before heading back to the table. Everyone was about to see how serious he was. He just needed a slow waltz.
The lights were turning her hair bright, her little tank top showing off her pale tan. Her breasts bounced when she swayed the music, her arms up in the air, her smile shining so like the sun. It all made his chest hurt.
Her eyes met his, the look playful. “Here comes the beer man!”
“I try not to disappoint the ladies.” He plonked the beer down just about time the music changed. “Dance with me, Addie.”
“I’d love to.” She pushed up into his arms, gratifyingly eager.
Bodie swung her out on the floor, the butterflies in his belly making him a little queasy. He was afraid she’d say no.
“You okay, cowboy?” She looked up at him as he spun them, his hand on her hip.
“I am. Been waiting for a waltz.” He’d wait and g
ive her a whole dance, too, before he signaled to the band to give the prearranged chingaling.
“Mmm. Long, short-short. Long, short-short.”
He hummed with her, waltzing her to the center of the floor at the end of the song.
She followed right along, looking at him as the band stopped. “I love that song.”
“I do, too.” He waved at the band, and sure enough he got his “da da da da”. Bodie pulled the ring box out of his pocket, his heart racing. He wasn’t given to grand public gestures, but he wanted all the damned gossipers to know what was happening. He made sure no one was right behind him so he could back of a step and get down on one knee.
“Bodie?” Addie looked at him, her eyes wide, so pretty and blue.
Thank you, God, he thought. Thank you for sending her home.
He had to clear his throat. “Um. Addie. I got something to ask.”
The whole place had gone quiet, and Maddie stood right behind Addie, dark brown eyes bright, maybe a little teary. He could see his buddy John behind Maddie, there for moral support.
“Oh.” She stood there, staring at him for a long second, then gave him one of those smiles, warm and sensual and easy. “So ask, cowboy. I’m made of ready.”
That was his girl, straight up and straight forward.
Bodie grinned, popping the ring box open. “I love you, honey. Will you marry me?”
“God, yes.” Addie didn’t make him wait for her answer, her auburn curls just bobbing away. She held her hand out to him. “Put the ring on me, Bodie. If the roof caves in, think of the story we can tell our grandchildren.”
The whole club just busted out laughing and applauding and he thought, maybe, the curse was fixin’ to be broke, just a bit.
“There you go.” He loved that about her, the way she just charged right in. Bodie put the ring on her finger, a perfect fit, and stood to kiss her, so happy he could bust.
His girl pressed close, kissing him like he was going to get laid tonight. Maybe more than once. Bodie could live with that.
A loud pop made him jump, made him wonder if the roof was about to cave. It was just Carl, opening a bottle of champagne. “Congratulations, y’all!”
He swung her around, and she squealed. “Cowboy!”