by Paige Warren
Ryan plunged into her wet heat three more times before he stilled, his face tense from his climax. He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck. She felt his breath puff against her skin and then he rolled off her, getting up to dispose of the condom. When he returned to the bed, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.
“Every time with you is amazing,” she said.
“You’re beyond amazing. There isn’t even a word to describe how I feel when I’m with you.”
She smiled and cuddled closer to him. Nothing could make her happier than lying in the arms of one of her men, except being sandwiched between them. Since she’d never stayed the night at their place, that didn’t happen often, but if Ryan was serious about her moving in, maybe it would be a possibility in the future.
Chapter Eleven
Three days later, they woke early and showered and dressed for the final day of the rodeo. Ryan looked handsome in his blue pinstripe shirt and Wranglers, a pair of scuffed brown boots on his feet. He held his white straw hat in his hands. Gemma wished she had a hat, but she’d just have to settle for pulling her hair back in a ponytail and hope the sun wasn’t unbearable. She’d dressed in a soft, pink tee and jeans with her old brown boots. She knew some women dressed up for the rodeo, but she wanted to be comfortable as she cheered on her man.
It didn’t take long to reach the rodeo and Ryan got her situated in the stands. Team roping was first, then steer wrestling. The bull riding would come later. Ryan sat with her for a while, watching the events and cheering on his friends, wincing if they did poorly. She knew a lot of these cowboys made their living by going from one rodeo to another. She wondered if that’s what Ryan had done just out of high school. He’d said he’d ridden pro, so she assumed he had.
A cowboy in a bright red shirt took a header off a bronc while riding bareback. Ryan shook his head and she wondered if he knew the guy.
“A friend of yours?” she asked.
“Yeah. He’s been riding since high school, just like me. Bareback bronc riding is new for him though. He used to do steer wrestling. I don’t know why he switched.”
“As if it’s any more dangerous than what you do.”
“True enough.” He grinned. “The difference is that I’m good and don’t fall off.”
“Famous last words,” she muttered. “You better not break anything while you’re out there. I like you in one piece.”
“No worries. I’m good at what I do, sweetheart.”
“Thought you said you hadn’t done this in a while.”
He shrugged. “It’s been about six months or so, but it’s kind of like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it.”
When the event ended, he leaned over to kiss her before standing. “I better go get ready.”
She watched him go, butterflies rioting in her stomach. She hadn’t realized that she would be nervous watching him ride. Gemma had been to enough rodeos to know that bull riding wasn’t exactly the safest event. She’d just have to trust that Ryan knew what he was doing and would be safe. If anything happened to him, she didn’t know what she’d do.
The bull riding started and the crowd went wild every time a cowboy made it until the buzzer went off. She hoped Ryan could hold on for eight seconds. It was finally his turn, and his bull burst out of the shoot, twisting one way then the other. It bucked so high it was a wonder Ryan didn’t go sailing over his head. The bull went into a right spin before coming to a dead stop and turning the other way, and then he took off across the center of the arena, bucking for all he was worth. It was the longest eight seconds Gemma had ever lived through, but finally the buzzer sounded and Ryan flew off the bull, landing in a crouch on one knee. He immediately stood and hurried for the side of the arena as the bull came after him.
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched in horror. The animal was so close to him! Ryan leapt for the rails and scurried up them just as the bull tore into the wood with his horns. Her heart was racing as he dropped to the ground and waved to the crowd, stopping to blow her a kiss.
“Folks, that was Ryan Black on Whirlwind with a score of 93,” the announcer said.
It was the highest score of the day, so far, and put him firmly in first place. Ryan grinned at her before returning to the chutes. She figured he was going to put his stuff away before joining her again.
“Is that your husband?” the older lady next to her asked.
“No, my boyfriend.”
She smiled. “Well, he certainly seems taken with you. He looks like a keeper. You better hold on with both hands.”
“Yes, ma’am.” And she fully intended to.
She saw Ryan heading her way, stopping here and there to sign autographs. She’d seen his buckles on display in a case in his house, along with the pictures in his office, but it hadn’t really sunk in that he would be popular with the crowd. It seemed almost everyone knew who he was. Gemma wondered why she hadn’t heard of him before meeting him in his office.
He finally settled on the seat beside her, lacing his fingers with hers and resting their hands on his thigh. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before turning his attention to the rest of the bull riding event. Five more riders competed and no one touched Ryan’s score. It seemed her cowboy had won!
“I’ll have to go collect my prize,” he told her. “Wait here for me?”
She nodded and watched him walk off.
The rodeo clowns came out and entertained the crowd as things wound down, most of the people around her gathering their things and leaving. She sat, waiting patiently for Ryan. When she saw him again, a blonde was hanging off his arm, pressing her cleavage against him. To his credit, he seemed to be doing his best to shake her loose. If he hadn’t looked so miserable, Gemma would have been fuming. Instead, she decided to go rescue her cowboy.
He saw her coming and his eyes widened, a panicked look entering them. She figured he thought she was mad about the woman. Annoyed maybe, but not mad. It wasn’t his fault the buckle bunny had attached herself to him. With him winning his event, it was bound to happen. Besides, he’d admitted he’d been popular with the ladies before, no reason that would change now.
“There you are, honey,” she said, looping her arm through the one that didn’t have a barnacle attached to it.
The blonde glared at her. “Who the hell are you?” the woman demanded.
“His girlfriend. And I’d appreciate it if you’d get your paws, not to mention your boobs, off my boyfriend. Go find someone else to harass.”
The woman narrowed her eyes before turning a simpering gaze up at Ryan. “You don’t want me to go anywhere, do you? Don’t you remember all the fun we had?”
Ryan looked extremely uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was heading. “Jenny, I told you I was taken. Very taken.” He tried to pull loose again.
Her gaze raked over Gemma. “I don’t see a ring on her finger. You can’t be that taken.”
“Just because I haven’t asked her to marry me yet doesn’t mean I’m not committed to her.” Ryan tried to shake her off again. “If you don’t let go, I’m going to have you thrown out.”
The woman released him, her lips pursed. “You’re going to regret this. You won’t be with her forever, and when you’re single again, I won’t let you back in my bed.”
Ryan mumbled something under his breath that sounded like I could only be so lucky. The blonde stomped off and Gemma smiled up at him.
“Haven’t asked me yet, huh?”
He gave her a sheepish smile. “That wasn’t quite the way I’d planned on telling you. I think you know how much I care about you. I can see this relationship lasting a long while, maybe forever.”
Her heart warmed at his words, but she knew it was too soon to be thinking of forever. She just smiled up at him and kissed his cheek, thinking not commenting would be the best thing for the moment. Hand in hand, they walked to his SUV. They’d already checked out of the hotel and put their bags in t
he back of the vehicle. It was a few hours to drive home, and she wondered if he was up to it after competing, but he seemed to fine. She supposed she could drive, if he would trust her with his SUV.
“Do you want me to drive home?” she offered.
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine to drive. My knee’s a little sore from my landing, but otherwise I’m okay. If it starts bothering me, I’ll pull over and let you drive.”
She buckled her seatbelt and settled in for the trip home. Gemma wasn’t sure if he was going straight to his house, or dropping her off at the ranch first. She wouldn’t mind going to his house, in hopes of seeing Synclair. She’d missed him the past few days. Ryan had called to talk to him and Gemma had spoken with him briefly, but it wasn’t the same as feeling his arms wrapped around her, or getting one of his scorching-hot kisses.
The sun was setting by the time they arrived in Grizzly Pines. When Ryan pulled up in front of the house, Synclair was sitting on the front porch, as if he were waiting for them. He looked concerned and she wondered what was wrong. Had something happened while they were gone? They exited the car and approached him.
“What’s up?” Ryan said. “Why are you sitting out here?”
“We need to talk,” Synclair said.
“About what?”
The screen door banged open and a small boy, maybe around four or five, came barreling out. He skidded to a halt next to Synclair and stared up at Ryan.
“Is he my daddy?” he asked Synclair.
Synclair winced and looked up at his brother. “About that.”
Gemma felt as if the earth were tilting beneath her feet. Ryan had a child? Where was the boy’s mother? Was she going to be part of Ryan’s life now, too? Or had she been all along? Gemma would have sworn that Ryan would never lie to her, but maybe she’d been wrong. She stood frozen, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t like she could jump in her truck and take off.
“I don’t understand,” Ryan said. “I don’t have a kid.”
Synclair pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to his brother. “Read it.”
Ryan skimmed the letter, a frown marring his brow. “This makes no damn sense. There’s no way I’m the kid’s father.”
Gemma’s gaze strayed to the little boy. His hair was close in color to Ryan’s, but she didn’t see any other similarities. Was it maybe a mistake? Synclair was shaking his head though, and she figured that didn’t bode well.
“I have a copy of his birth certificate,” Synclair said. “You’re listed as the father.”
“Mommy told me my daddy was a bull rider,” the little boy said. “Are you my daddy?”
Ryan stared at the kid, looking lost, before returning his gaze to Synclair. “You don’t understand. I remember his mom. We went out once and she got so plastered she passed out in my truck. We were never…” His gaze strayed to the child again.
“Well, for some reason, she’s listed you as the boy’s father. As you read in the note, she has stage four cancer. She couldn’t even travel here. Her friend brought Isaac and dropped him off. She didn’t even stick around to make sure the kid was okay, just rang the bell and ran.”
“Jesus.” Ryan raked a hand through his hair.
Gemma didn’t understand. If he’d never slept with the woman, how could he be listed as the father? Maybe they’d both been drunk and he just didn’t remember? She couldn’t understand why the woman would have lied. She looked at the boy again, who looked both confused and on the verge of crying. As angry as she was at Ryan, it wasn’t the boy’s fault. She moved closer and knelt in front of him.
“You’re name’s Isaac?” she asked.
He nodded. “Isaac Black.”
She fought not to wince at the name. “I’m Gemma. Why don’t we go inside and let your Uncle Synclair and daddy talk?”
He gripped her hand and walked into the house with her. Gemma led him into the kitchen and poured him a glass of milk before snagging some cookies from the jar on the counter. She sat at the table next to him, watching him munch on his snack. He seemed like a sweet kid, but she still felt betrayed. Gemma knew she had no right to feel that way. It was obvious Ryan didn’t know about the boy, so it wasn’t like he could have told her he was a father. But still… he’d sworn that he’d always worn a condom when he was with a woman. If Isaac was here, there had obviously been a time that he hadn’t. Or it had broken. She didn’t want to think about it.
“How old are you, Isaac?”
“Four.”
She didn’t know a lot about Ryan’s rodeo days, but she did know he hadn’t been riding bulls as frequently by then, focused more on his studies. Of course, that didn’t mean he hadn’t picked up some buckle bunnies at the events he went to. Had Isaac’s mom been a buckle bunny? The kid was cute so it stood to reason that his mom was pretty. She felt bad for the boy, losing everything he knew and being dropped into an unknown situation. His mother was dying and he’d been dropped off to a father that didn’t even know he existed, leaving behind his friends and family. Or maybe he didn’t have any family. Surely, if there had been anyone else, his mother would have never left him with Ryan.
Not that Ryan would make a bad father. It just seemed cruel four years after the fact to say, “Surprise! You have a son!”, and in a note, no less. The boy studied her as he ate his cookies.
“Are you married to my daddy?” he asked.
“No.”
She could claim to be his girlfriend, but after this turn of events, she wasn’t sure where she stood with him. He would obviously need to spend a good amount of time with Isaac, and she wasn’t sure where she would fit into the picture. Should they even continue their ménage relationship? It wasn’t exactly conventional and she didn’t know how it would affect a little boy. He’d be confused, she was sure.
The guys entered the kitchen, Ryan looking less than pleased. Synclair didn’t look too happy either and she wondered what they had decided. She didn’t know a lot about how this worked, but if Ryan was listed as the boy’s father, he would go into the system if Ryan decided not to keep him. Gemma hated to think of that happening. He seemed to be a good boy.
Her gaze focused on Synclair. “I need a ride home.”
He nodded. Ryan looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he knelt next to Isaac. She decided to give them some privacy and followed Synclair out of the kitchen. He didn’t say a word as they went to his truck. Of course, she wasn’t sure there was really much to say. The situation wasn’t going to be changed overnight. And maybe it shouldn’t be. Whether Ryan was ready for fatherhood or not, it had landed on his doorstep. Gemma on the other hand didn’t think she’d make a very good mother. Not that Ryan had asked her to be one.
It was time to distance herself from the guys, at least for a little while. They obviously had some stuff to figure out and she had plenty to think about as well. The ride to the ranch was silent. When they pulled up in front her cousins’ house, she opened her door and slid out of the truck.
“Gemma.”
She turned to face Synclair.
“Ryan didn’t ask for this.”
“No, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has a little boy counting on him now. Our relationship is different from what society normally accepts. I can only imagine what a little boy would think of it. I think it’s time we took a step back.”
“What if I don’t want to take a step back?”
“Are you saying you want to see me without Ryan?”
He sighed and looked out the windshield before turning to her again. “I won’t pretend to know how this is going to play out, Gemma. But I think I know Ryan well enough to assume he isn’t going to ditch that little boy just because he’s determined that he isn’t the father. According to a piece of paper filed with the state he’s the daddy and that’s all that matters right now. Isaac can’t go back to his mom, and according to the letter, there’s no other family to take care of
him. She did the only thing she could think of to take care of her son.”
“I don’t blame Isaac, or his mother, for what’s happened. But the fact is that I don’t know where this relationship was heading before this. Having a little boy changes things, Synclair. It isn’t like we can continue the way we’ve been so far. I’m sure as hell not having sex in your house with a four-year-old down the hall. And how are we supposed to go on dates? You don’t have any family here who could take care of him while you’re gone. As it is, you’ll have to figure out what to do with Isaac while the two of you work.”
“Will I still see you at the shop?”
“I think it’s best if I stay away for now. At least for a few days. I’ll call you.” But even as she said the words, she had to wonder if she really would. Her heart ached, as if someone had plunged a knife into her chest. She’d thought things were going so well, that they were on track for a lasting relationship, but this changed things. Gemma had never been good around kids, not for longer than an hour or two. There wasn’t much point in dating Ryan and Synclair if she wasn’t prepared to stick it out until the end, which would eventually mean being a mother to Isaac. It was more than she could think about right then.
She closed the truck door and shoved her hands into her pockets as she watched him drive away. It felt like he was taking a piece of her with him. With a sigh, she trudged up the steps and walked into the house. Elodie was sitting on the sofa, flipping through channels on the TV. She took one look at Gemma’s face and hurried to her side.
“What’s wrong?” Elodie asked.
“I don’t think I can talk about it right now. I think I just broke up with the guys.”
Elodie gasped. “But why? Things were going so well!”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have all night. Dinner is in the Crock-Pot, so it isn’t like I have to watch it.”