Quick N' Dirty (The Quick Ranch Book 1)

by Aden Lowe

  Long after she fell asleep, I lay there thinking as I held her against me. Was this what love felt like? I had no way of knowing. I couldn't remember seeing my parents show love or affection to one another. Most of my friends' parents as I grew up were divorced.

  But if this thing in my chest meant anything, I was pretty sure it was love.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ande

  I woke with Jake tangled around me, my body deliciously tender. He slept deeply still, his expression relaxed and peaceful. I carefully slipped out of his hold only because the sun already peeked in the window. The others would be anxious for breakfast, and I needed to check on the kids.

  Guilt assailed me. I hadn't even checked to be sure the guys could babysit last night. I let myself get too carried away in Jake. I couldn't let that happen again. Mother first. Woman second. I hoped he could understand that.

  I froze in the middle of brushing my teeth. How could I face them all? They would know exactly how Jake and I spent the night. Nerves rolled in my stomach. Then worse thoughts jumped into my head. What if Jake had no interest in me after last night? What if I didn't please him enough? Or if he wanted to experience other women? How could I live with that?

  Because at this point, I had no doubt, that man owned me, mind, body, and soul. No going back. I prayed he felt something similar. Otherwise, I would have to leave. I couldn't bear to see him every day and not have him as my own.

  I finished getting ready and left Jake sleeping in my bed as I hurried to get started on breakfast. As I chopped potatoes to fry, Johnathan came in and snagged a coffee cup.

  "Morning." He regarded me with a serious expression over the edge of his mug.

  I couldn't bear to look at him. "Good morning. I, uh, I'm sorry about leaving the kids with you last night. I should have asked."

  He chuckled. "Ande-girl, we had a blast with those little hellions. Don't apologize for that."

  I shook my head and finished up the potatoes. "I still should have checked first."

  "You can next time."

  My breath caught in my throat and fear jumped in. "If there is a next time." I meant to say it in my head, but somehow the words just spilled out.

  Johnathan scowled. "Did my boy not treat you with respect?"

  Startled, I looked him in the eye. "Of course he did."

  The frown relaxed. "Then why would you think that way?"

  Embarassment warmed my cheeks. I wished I could take those words back. "I'm not sure if he'll still feel the same."

  He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled. "Of course he won't. That boy is crazy over you, head over heels. He's going to feel stronger about you now. You might want to go out a cut a switch so you can beat him off of you. He'll be a regular pest now."

  "Oh, God." I ducked my head and turned back to cooking. "Breakfast will be ready in fifteen."

  "Time enough for me to feed ol' Shep, I reckon." He left, closing the screen door softly instead of letting it slam like normal. I appreciated the effort. The bang would surely have woken Ian.

  Things got busy then, and I didn't have time to think about how I felt, or worry how Jake felt about me. He came strolling in looking like the cat who ate the canary, just as the others started to dig in.

  "Morning, Baby." He took the spatula out of my hand and dropped it in the skillet, then drew me tightly against him. "I missed you this morning." His mouth came down on my mine in a languorous kiss before I had a chance to object.

  His touch was impossible to resist, and my body thrummed with instant need. "You looked peaceful."

  "Love'll do that to a man." He winked and released me, leaving me staring wide-eyed after him. "Come on, Baby, eat your breakfast." He patted the chair beside him and waited expectantly.

  Nate and Sam exchanged a significant look then went back to their conversation about cows and bulls as if nothing untoward happened. Johnathan gave me an encouraging smile and nodded toward my chair. If they could pretend nothing unusual was happening, I supposed I could too. I sat.

  Several weeks passed in much the same way, except I made sure to bring the kids back to sleep in their own beds every night. Jake spent every night in my bed, and he often slipped away from his work to steal kisses or a few moments of privacy with me. Only one thing was missing, and I didn't have the courage to broach the subject.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jake

  I followed Dad out to the field, something I hadn't done in years. He saw me coming and paused in his inspection of the fence. "Got a minute, Dad?"

  He pushed his hat back. "Of course. Something troubling you, son?"

  I hesitated, not sure how to say it. "A little." I took a deep breath for courage and just spit it out. "What would you think if I asked Ande to marry me?"

  He regarded me for a long minute. "You love her?" I nodded. "She feel the same?"

  I wished I could give him the answer. "I'm not sure. I haven't actually said the words to her. I don't want to rush her."

  He shook his head at me, clearly disappointed. "Son, you love that girl, you have to tell her. Women don't pick up on things like that without hearing the words. You can show her in a billion different ways, and she'll have doubts until you say it."

  I looked at the ground, considering. "But what if she doesn't feel the same? I don't want to pressure her to say it just because I did."

  "She's a strong woman, son. I don't see her as the type to just say something because you did first. Regardless, it's a step you have to take before you ask her to marry you."

  Now that he pointed it out, I felt stupid for not putting things in the right order. "But—"

  "Stop overthinking it, Jake. Tell her. See where it goes from there. Now get out of here. I got work to do and you do too." He turned his back, dismissing me.

  That night, after we tucked the kids in, I settled on the couch and Ande joined me. "You seem distracted. Is everything okay?"

  I reassured her with a kiss. "Perfect. You ready for bed?" At her nod, I drew her to her feet and led her to our bed where I made love to her, trying with every touch to show her how I felt. And after, while we both dragged in air, recovering, I brushed her hair back.

  "Ande, I love you." Everything stopped. My heartbeat. Time. Everything. I knew right then. I would do anything, no matter how dirty, to have Ande.

  Tears glistened in her eyes. "Jake, I feel like I've waited forever for those words. I love you." I took her again, determined to express it clearly, more than mere words could possibly do.

  In the morning, I slipped from the bed before she woke and hurried into the main house to put together a little surprise for Ande, and stashed it in my truck. Dad and my brothers came through on their way out for chores as I entered the kitchen. "Hey, uh, you guys think you could do me a favor?"

  The three of them exchanged a meaningful look. "What is it?"

  "I want to do something special for Ande today. Think you can keep up with the kids for a couple hours?" I waited, knowing full well the timing sucked. There was a ton of work that needed done as soon as possible, and here I was asking them to waste time. "It's important, or I wouldn't ask."

  Dad nodded. "Sure, son, take your time." He slapped my shoulder as he passed and went on outside.

  I started coffee and hurried to my old room where I dug the ring out of the back of my closet where I stashed it several weeks ago. Fuck, I hoped she liked it. With the little box in my pocket and a cup of coffee in each hand, I went back to the little house. I slipped inside just in time to find a sleep rumpled Ande pulling on her clothes.

  "Change of plans today." I handed her the coffee I'd brought for her. "We're going for a ride."

  She took a grateful sip. "Okay. Just let me get breakfast—"

  "No, we're leaving now. Dad and the boys are going to keep an eye on the kids for a bit. Come on." I didn't give her a chance to refuse, ushering her out to my truck and helping her inside.

  When I climbed behind the wheel, I had to wipe m
y sweaty palms on my jeans. Nerves assailed me harder with each passing instant. I might not survive this.

  "Is something wrong?" Her voice startled me.

  "No. Why?" I glanced at her, alarmed.

  "You look really grim this morning. Has something happened?" Her nervousness showed plainly on her face and in her white knuckles where she twisted her hands together.

  I made a supreme effort to smile. "Nothing's wrong, baby. Just something important I have to do. Don't worry." Shit, I had to get myself under control before I scared her to death. I put the truck in gear and headed down the bumpy track to the little meadow where I took her for that first picnic.

  After a few moments, she recognized the washboard grade down a long slope. "Are we going to the meadow?"

  I nodded, wishing I'd thought to blindfold her.

  "Why?" Suspicion combined with anticipation on her beautiful face.

  "You'll see. Stop worrying." No matter what she suspected, I was pretty sure my plan would come as a complete surprise. I just hoped she would agree.

  The meadow came into sight, rich with the gold of ripening seed heads and late-blooming wildflowers. Ande gasped as she took it all in. "It's even more beautiful than before."

  "You have to see it under snow. I think that's my favorite. Everything is still." First snowfall, I would bring her out to see it. If she stayed that long. I parked the truck and tried to hide how my hands shook. "Wait here. I'll come get you in just a minute. And cover your eyes. No peeking."

  The truck served as cover while I spread the blanket under the old tree and set out the picnic I'd packed. It was nothing fancy, but I hoped it would do. I took one last look around, then hurried back to the truck. "Okay, come on." I helped her out and kept one hand over her eyes. "Keep them covered." Guiding her over to the blanket served as a perfect excuse to pull her close, and I took full advantage. At the edge of the blanket, I stopped her. "Stand still now, and don't look." I dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring. "Okay, you can uncover your eyes."

  She looked around with delight. "Oh, Jake, this is wonderful!" Then her gaze dropped to me and her eyes widened as the significance of my position sunk in. "Jake?" Tears glistened in her eyes.

  "Ande, I know it hasn't been all that long, but I love you. I want to spend my life with you, and with Ian and Janna. Will you marry me?" I choked then, unable to speak another word. I could only offer up the ring.

  "Oh, God. Yes! I'll marry you." She slipped her trembling finger into the ring and dropped to her knees, flinging her arms around my neck. I hugged her close and smothered her with tiny kisses. "I love you."

  I kissed her for real then, taking, demanding, and giving everything. Our passion built quickly, as always, and in moments, we were both naked and showing each other the depths of our love. We made love, hard and fast, and then slow and passionate and sweet. God, I would never get enough of this woman. The whole damn world was perfect in those moments.

  Afterward, we ate the little lunch I had made. "Do you think your Dad and brothers will be okay with us getting married?" The worry in her eyes floored me.

  "Ande, Dad already loves you like a daughter. We might as well make it official. And Sam and Nate looked at you as a sister from the beginning." I paused before asking the bigger question. "How do you think Ian will react? Will he even understand?" I wasn't worried about Janna yet. That would come later, when she had questions about her father.

  She gave a slow nod. "He remembers Chris. And has nightmares about him sometimes. That's faded since we've been here, and it's been a while now. He's going to be thrilled. He needs the security, and he loves you and the other guys." Sudden shyness overcame her, and she looked like she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

  "What is it? Is something wrong?" God, she couldn't have second thoughts!

  She took a long moment to answer. "Do you want kids of your own?"

  The air went out of my lungs like she'd sucker punched me. "Ian and Janna are mine. But if we have other kids, I'll be over the moon. Either way, I love you, and that's all I need." I didn't know what else to say. I'd never even seriously considered whether I wanted kids or not, let alone more.

  Ande

  The terrified look on Jake's face said far more than his words. I only hoped he wouldn't change his mind about us getting married. I'd known for four very long days now, and never could find the right time to tell him. Each time I started to say it, the words clogged my throat and I ended up keeping them inside. What if he didn't want kids of his own? Worse, what if having his own made him feel differently about Ian and Janna? Oh, God, I couldn't do this.

  I had to. I couldn't agree to marry him without sharing this with him, even if it meant he might change his mind. So I just spat it out. "Well, you're about to take a ride on a rocket, then."

  His eyebrows went up in shock, then he went pale. "You mean…"

  "I mean I'm pregnant. I'm sorry. I've been on the pill, but it's not a hundred percent." I looked at the blanket we sat on and studied the pattern of the weave. "I'll understand if you change your mind."

  He made a sound like a sob, and suddenly swept me into his arms. When I looked up, tears wet his cheeks. "I didn't think I could be any happier than having you say you'll be my wife. I was wrong. Nothing can top this feeling."

  Relief made my muscles weak. "I've been afraid to tell you, since we hadn't talked about it."

  "Ande, I wouldn't have made love to you if I wasn't prepared to accept the responsibility of what could happen. If a baby is meant to be, it will be, no matter what kind of protection." He laid his palm across my still-flat belly. "Hey, in there. This is your Dad. I can't wait to meet you."

  My heart melted. I pulled his head down for a kiss, which quickly turned into more. We made love yet again. Afterward, as we lay side by side resting, I turned to look at him, only to find him frowning. "Jake? Is something wrong?" He was having second thoughts already.

  He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I need to tell you something now." I waited. "I played dirty."

  "Played dirty?" The words made no sense. "How?"

  "Well, I guess played isn't the right word. Remember when you told me about Chris, and how he wouldn't sign for your divorce?"

  "Of course. Admitting all that wasn't easy." I frowned, trying to follow his thought process, and growing uncomfortable with worry.

  "I know." He turned and brushed the back of his knuckles over my jaw. "First, know that I love you, more than anything, and I will do anything, absolutely anything to keep you and the kids safe. When you told me all that, I was furious. I wanted to go and make him sign, or kill him. Kyle talked me out of it. But that didn't stop me from making a phone call." The words took my breath away, and I put my fingers over my mouth to stop the sobs from seeping out. He stopped and looked intently into my eyes. "Ande, I asked my friend to either make him sign, or make you a widow. I know it was dirty. It was a crime. But it felt right. He needed putting down."

  I stopped breathing and let the words soak in. "You would have killed him yourself? For me?" It sounded awful, but it made me feel treasured, loved. All of that feeling spilled over through my entire being.

  He nodded. "I would do it all over again, too. You deserved to be free of the fear."

  Tears welled in my eyes, then the sobs came for real. He held me for a long time, soothing me, until I managed to get myself back under control. "Jake, I love you. Thank you. Maybe I should run screaming, but the fact you're willing to go so far, just for me, is probably the hottest thing I could ever think of." I kissed him and pushed him onto his back. His eyes widened when I straddled him.

  When we finished, I lay on his chest. "You know, this meadow is a really special place. We have to protect it, always." I couldn't bear the thought of anything changing this place.

  He nodded. "You're right, we do." Then he smiled and sat up. "How do you feel about outdoor weddings?"

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jake

  The whole
damn town crowded into the meadow, some standing, some sitting on blankets or lawn chairs. Ande had suggested we make it an open invitation, and everyone could bring their own seating. We didn't want to mow the meadow just for the comfort of our guests, but stronger wills prevailed. Dad mowed the grass in sections, leaving about half of it untouched.

  I waited under the branches of the tree where I proposed, shifting from one foot to the other. What if she changed her mind?

  Ian looked up at me and tugged on my belt. "Jake, stop. Momma doesn't like when I fidget."

  I took my best man's advice and stood still, just as the music started. The curtain of the tent opened, and Dad stepped out with a smile, then turned and offered his hand to the most gorgeous creature on the face of the earth. He'd cried when she asked him to give him away, saying she wished her own father had been like him.

  Ande had chosen a flowy dress that accented her curves, but didn't put them on display. Flowers from the meadow crowned her head and trailed from her hands. She looked like an angel sent from Heaven to save me.

  My mouth went dry and Ian clutched my hand. "Momma's beautiful."

  "Yes, she is." I couldn't take my eyes off her, and when she came to a stop in front of me, my heart nearly stopped. Yet again, I knew for certain, no matter how dirty I had to fight to keep her, nothing was going to come between us, ever.

  Kyle started talking, and I immediately tuned him out, able to focus on only one thing. Moments later, Ian tugged on my hand to prompt me to say my part. I hoped to hell I said the right things, because my pulse pounded so hard in my ears, I could hear nothing else. Apparently, I managed, because a moment later, Ande was in my arms and the crowd cheered when I kissed her.

  "God, I love you, Ande." Those words would never be enough to tell her how I felt, but they were the closest I could come.

  Ian reached up for hugs, and Sam passed Janna to us so she could join in too. My heart felt full to bursting. I couldn't imagine being any happier than at that moment.

  We moved through the crowd and accepted hugs and congratulations from friends and neighbors. At the other side of the meadow, some of the women from Gramma's church had set up a table with a wedding cake. We cut it and helped pass it around, chatting with guests.