The Rancher's Rose: Ranchers Only Series

by Elle Christensen

  “Stop that,” I hissed and swatted his chest.

  “What?” His tone was colored with fake innocence.

  “Stop being so proud that you knocked me up even though I was on the pill. Your head is already too big.”

  He full-out grinned. “I can’t help it. My ‘super-sperm’ did my caveman duty and got my woman pregnant.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I grumbled as my eyes rolled so hard I was sure he could hear them. “You’re going to be impossible to live with now.”

  Garrison scowled at me. “You know I don’t like you dirtying up that pretty mouth. Now, you’ll be setting an example for our baby girl, so watch your mouth, baby.”

  “Sure, babe,” I agreed to placate him, and it worked because he went back to smiling. Under no circumstances would I ever tell him that I actually agreed about not swearing in front of our kids.

  “So, you’re okay with this?”

  “Are you kidding?” Garrison grabbed my face and kissed me hard. He sucked on my tongue before sweeping inside my mouth. I was panting by the time he was done ravishing my mouth. “I am fucking ecstatic. You’re bound to me for forever, all mine. And, I was bound and determined to knock you up as soon as I could talk you into it.”

  I hugged him tight, grateful that he was so happy.

  “Baby girl?” I asked as I remembered what he’d said before. “How do you know it’s not a boy?”

  He shrugged and grasped my waist so that he could lift me up enough to place a kiss on my belly. Then he smacked one on my lips before setting me down again. “I just do.”

  I started to tease him about it but clammed up as James and Lia walked back into the room. She was munching on a bag of crackers and winked at me as she sat in a chair by the privacy curtain. James winced at the sight of me sitting on Garrison’s lap but didn’t comment.

  The nurse followed right behind them and handed me a clipboard with forms for me to sign. Garrison moved me to the side of the bed and stood, his hand running through my hair as I went through the stack.

  When I got to a paper about my pregnancy, he asked, “Have you already done an ultrasound to check on the baby?”

  I dropped my head and squeezed my eyes shut at the sound of gasps from across the room. “I don’t think it’s my mouth that is the problem,” I chided as I glared up at Garrison.

  He looked shocked for a few moments. Then he just shrugged and smirked. “They had to find out sometime, baby.”

  “I was thinking we might give them some time to adjust to the idea of you and me before springing something else so big on them,” I argued, my voice raised to a shout.

  “Calm down, baby.” He tried to soothe me, but I gave him a dirty look before turning to face my brother.

  His face was red, and his hands were fisted at his sides. However, he wasn’t looking at me, his rage was solely focused on Garrison. “You got my baby sister pregnant?” he seethed.

  I looked to Lia for help, but she just shook her head and scoffed, “Not this time.”

  Seriously? She was hanging me out to dry? Shit times fucking infinity! I opened my mouth to try and mollify James, but he was already yelling again.

  “At least before, I could pretend you weren’t defiling my sweet, baby sister. Now, you’ve fucking knocked her up? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t put you in the ground, Garrison.”

  “James, stop yelling for fuck’s sake. It can’t be good for the baby. And relax, man. No need for a shotgun, we’re getting married.”

  It was my turn to gasp, but everyone ignored me.

  “You bet your ass you’re going to marry her. A week, Garrison. I better be at the courthouse watching you marry my sister before the end of next week.”

  Garrison frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “We will be getting married, but how and when we do it is not your call. I’m not going to rush it if that isn’t what Rose wants. If she wants a big wedding, she’ll get one.”

  That took some of the bluster out of James and melted my heart just a little. Still… “Um, I don’t recall anybody asking me to marry them,” I snapped. Garrison and James both glared at me while Lia snorted with laughter.

  “That’s because it’s not optional,” Garrison said.

  “Damn straight,” James agreed.

  I wanted to stick my tongue out at them like an obstinate teenager, but I reminded myself that I was a mature, grown woman. “If you two are so dead set on a wedding, why don’t you marry each other and leave me out of it,” I grumbled. Okay, not all that mature, but better than the tongue thing.

  Lia snorted with laughter. “James is taken, Poppy. Garrison will have to make do with you.”

  Good grief. This was getting out of hand. “I’m really tired, can we pick this up another time?”

  Everyone’s faces transformed back to worried and I sighed. “Just a little tired, guys. It’s been a long day.”

  “Okay,” Lia said as she stood. “We’ll take off and see you tomorrow.” She slipped her arm around James and urged him toward the door. “Let’s go, babe.”

  When they neared the door, I spotted the nurse and realized she’d witnessed the whole scene. My face burst into flames. “We’re not usually like this.”

  Her mouth twitched, and her eyes were filled with amusement, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she told me that an orderly would be in shortly to take me to my room.

  13

  Garrison

  Once Rose was settled in her hospital room, I went down to the cafeteria to find us some dinner. I felt like I was walking around in a daze.

  A baby. Damn. It was incredible. For so long, I’d resigned myself to never being a father. Hope had sparked the first time Rose and I were together, but it had withered away the longer she was gone.

  Then when I gave in to my love for her, I started to think about it. But the reality was so much more than I could have ever imagined. Picturing Rose with a round belly was hot as fuck. I couldn’t wait to watch her grow with our baby.

  I bought a couple of sandwiches, some bottles of water, and a few snacks and took them back with me. Rose was resting in the bed with the back elevated so she could look out the window.

  There was a maroon, padded chair on one wall, and a blue, slightly more padded, yet equally uncomfortable looking chair next to the bed. I moved the bed tray over Rose’s lap and set down the food before taking a seat.

  She looked over at me with a pensive expression, her eyebrows low and her mouth flattened. “You don’t have to stay,” she informed me.

  “If you’re here, I’m here,” I responded as I unwrapped one of the sandwiches and pushed it toward her. “Eat.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She went back to looking out the window.

  “Okay,” I said, treading carefully. She was obviously upset about something and I’d learned that she wouldn’t be rushed, she’d talk about it when she was ready. “But, the baby might be.” I rubbed her flat belly and smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

  That seemed to get her attention and she finally picked up the sandwich and took a bite. After she’d chewed and swallowed, she studied me thoughtfully.

  I set down my own food and faced her, then took the hand closest to me and traced my fingers over the back. “What’s on your mind, baby?” I coaxed.

  She pursed her lips, her eyebrows dipping low. Then her features relaxed as she sighed. “Do you really want to get married?”

  I was completely taken aback by her question and found myself speechless for a minute.

  She seemed to take my silence to mean I didn’t because she frowned and whispered, “That’s what I thought.” Then she looked back to the window, but not before I saw her rapidly blinking her eyes to corral the moisture gathering in them.

  I stood up and moved the tray out of my way before leaning over Rose and putting my flat palms on both sides of her head, trapping her between my arms.

  “Rose, look at me,” I commanded, though I tried to keep my tone
soft. She swallowed hard before turning so we were face to face. “I thought I made it pretty clear that we are getting married.”

  Her blue eyes were sad as she shook her head. “Because of the baby,” she stated as though there was no other explanation.

  “Because I love you,” I corrected confidently.

  Her lips parted, and she shook her head as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You love me?” Her tone was dubious.

  I exhaled roughly, trying to expel some of my frustration so it wasn’t directed at her. “Rose, have you forgotten everything I said that morning in your kitchen?”

  Rose’s blues brimmed with a glimmer of hope as I went on. “I fell in love with you when we had our first kiss. I’m still in love with you and I fall harder every day. And, I’ll love you even more on the day you marry me. And even more on the day you give birth to our baby. And even more on the day after that.”

  I cupped her face before placing a sweet kiss on her lips. “Rose, I will love you until the end of time.”

  Tears leaked from her eyes and I gently kissed each one away. She sniffled, then drew in a long inhale. “Aren’t you going to ask me if I want to marry you?”

  “I know you do, baby.” I gave her a firm look, then went on. “Besides, I don’t recall giving you a choice.”

  She huffed with indignation, her face pulled into a cute pout. “Are you, at least, going to ask me if I love you?”

  “I know you do, baby,” I repeated my answer from before. “I’ve just been waiting for you to know it too.”

  She was silent for a couple of heartbeats, then she smiled, almost shyly. “I love you.”

  I touched my forehead to hers and sighed. “Say it again.”

  “I love you.”

  “I’ll never tire of hearing you say that, baby,” I rasped. I was overcome with emotion and if I hadn’t just planted my baby in this gorgeous woman, I might have wondered if I’d lost my balls.

  I cleared my throat and gave her a long, passionate kiss. When I pulled away and saw her hazy eyes, pink cheeks, and swollen lips, need gripped my balls in a vise—yeah, they were still there—and my cock stiffened. I gingerly moved back to my chair, wincing when the zipper of my jeans dragged against my sensitive skin.

  Picking up my sandwich again, I tried to distract myself from her delectable body. She needed rest. “I’ll get a license and we can go to the courthouse in a few days and get married.” I took a big bite of my food and tried to think about anything other than our wedding night.

  “What?” Rose snapped, her tone drawing my attention to her face. She looked incredibly annoyed and it was directed at me.

  “What, what?” I asked, confused about her reaction.

  She poked me in the shoulder and glared. “I am not letting you drag me to the courthouse like a caveman and have what basically amounts to a fucking shotgun wedding.”

  “That mouth is going to get you spanked,” I warned. I hated when she dirtied up that gorgeous mouth.

  She bit her lip, clearly holding back a comment. After a few seconds, she sighed. “I want a real wedding, Garrison. Our family and friends gathered in a pasture on our land, me in a white dress, you in a suit, flowers and cake. I want it all.”

  She looked so wistful and dreamy, I knew I wouldn’t deny her. I would give her anything.

  “How long do you need to plan your perfect wedding?” I asked, resigned to my fate. Although, the joy on her face made it much easier to swallow.

  “A year?”

  I was already shaking my head before she could say anything else. “Baby, I want you to have anything you want. My only requirement is that we are married before the baby comes.”

  Rose scrunched her nose and puckered her lips in annoyance as she considered what I’d said. She was so fucking cute. I wanted to laugh, but I held it in because I wasn’t sure how she would react.

  “I want to fit into my dream dress, Garrison.” She stared at me with those big, hopeful, blue eyes and I felt my resolve slipping.

  I dropped my eyes to her lips and steeled myself before our gazes met again. “When will you start showing?”

  She tipped her head to the side, looking at me curiously. “It’s different for every woman, but probably around four months, I guess.”

  “Then you have three months to plan a wedding. Because you will be Mrs. Keeler before you have our baby.”

  “Three months!” she sputtered. “But-but…I can’t.”

  I gave her a hard kiss. “This is not up for negotiation. Now, eat your lunch.” I pushed her tray back over her lap and turned to focus on my sandwich, making it clear I was done with this discussion. She muttered under her breath while glaring at me but picked up her food and took a big bite.

  A few hours later, a nurse bustled in, pushing a machine with a computer screen and a bunch of wires attached. My heart leaped into my throat as anticipation and delight filled my body.

  I moved to stand near Rose’s head, wanting to be out of the way, but still near her. When I reached for her hand, she clutched mine tight and looked up at me. Her blue eyes were dancing with excitement. Leaning down, I kissed her sweetly before whispering, “I love you.”

  She beamed at me until the nurse drew her attention. “Are you ready to see your baby?” she asked kindly. Rose squeezed my hand and gave her a jerky nod. She pulled her hospital gown up until her belly was exposed and shivered when the nurse squirted some gel stuff on it. “That’s cold!” she laughed.

  “Sorry about that,” the nurse murmured absently as she put a sensor in the goop and started moving it around, watching the screen of the machine intently.

  Suddenly, the room filled with sound. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

  Rose sucked in a breath and stared at the black and white screen with awe. It looked like a bunch of ink blots to me, but then the nurse pointed to a little black blob that looked a little like a jelly bean. There was a small pulse that matched the beat of the sound I was hearing.

  “Our baby’s heartbeat,” I breathed. My head started to spin, and I planted my feet apart so that I wouldn’t fall down.

  Rose glanced up and me and started laughing. “Do you need to sit down, cowboy?” I couldn’t believe it when I felt my cheeks heat, but I didn’t trust myself to speak yet, so I just nodded. She winked, then returned to staring at the screen with a beautiful smile on her face.

  “Everything looks good so far,” the nurse reported. “The attending OBGYN will take a look at the sonogram to be sure though.”

  Rose and I were silent as we watched the nurse pack everything up and wheel the machine out of the room.

  When we were alone again, I bent down and slid my lips across hers, murmuring, “Thank you.” Then I slipped my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. My body tightened as liquid heat flowed through my veins, straight to my shaft. I was counting every fucking minute until we could get home and truly celebrate. Naked. In bed. Preferably for several days.

  After I’d had my fill of her sweet taste, I withdrew a couple of inches and drank in the sight of her beautiful face.

  “For what?” she asked breathlessly.

  “For giving me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Her eyes brightened, and face flushed with pleasure. Then she lifted one black brow and eyed me inquisitively. “Three months, huh?”

  “Three fucking months,” I confirmed in a hard tone. “Do I need to convince you the way I did last time?”

  She shivered, obviously remembering our steamy negotiations in the kitchen. Then she sighed and shook her head in exasperation. “Alright, three months. Then I’ll be yours.” Her lips shaped into a saucy smirk. “But, I might need reminding later…”

  “Count on it,” I said with a laugh. I pressed my forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. “You’ve always been mine, baby.” I grinned. “I want a ring on your finger so everyone else knows it too.”

  Epilogue

  Rose

  Our wedding day was
everything I’d dreamed it would be. But, the truth was, I would have married Garrison anywhere, at any time if he’d really pushed the issue. The only thing I really needed was him as my groom. Of course, I didn’t tell him that. If he was willing to wait and let me plan a perfect wedding, I wasn’t going to complain.

  We’d set up a tent in the middle of an open pasture on Red Hill Ranch. It was an intimate gathering with less than twenty-five guests. I wore a simple, strapless white dress that hugged my curves in a mermaid style and just barely showed off my boots underneath. Garrison put on a suit like I’d asked, but he’d squirmed in it all through the ceremony making me hold in giggles the entire time. Until we got to the vows.

  They were traditional, but Garrison’s eyes had shined so brightly with love and adoration that I’d choked up and could barely say my own. When they pronounced us man and wife, he kissed the hell out of me amid the sound of clapping, hoots, and catcalls. Except my brother. I laughed when Garrison finally let me up for air and I saw James standing with everyone else but glaring at the groom rather than smiling.

  I traipsed over to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I love you, big brother,” I said with a squeeze. “Thank you for everything. For being the best brother anyone could ever ask for.”

  His features softened, and he kissed my cheek. “I love you, Primrose.” He sighed. “Just tell that husband of yours to keep his wandering hands to himself when you’re around me.”

  Lia laughed and patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Let it go, babe. She’s all grown up and I doubt her husband could keep his hands off his wife any more than mine could with me.”

  He harrumphed, but one side of his mouth kicked up into a lopsided grin as he let me go and pulled his wife into his arms. “Well played, Mrs. Locke.”

  Laughing, I hugged them both before finding my way to Garrison again. We mingled with our guests as the sun set, then we headed back to the main house on Locke Creek Ranch, where Cookie had prepared a delicious spread of savory and sweet treats. Lia and I had helped her make everything earlier in the morning so that she could take the night off and enjoy the wedding like everyone else.