Jacob's Joy: Men of Crooked Bend Book 9

by Taylor Rylan

  “Ty?”

  “Yeah?” he answered without looking up at me.

  “I’m taking the rest of the day off, okay?” That got his attention. He raised his head and gave me a questioning look.

  “You never take time off. Like, ever. Not that I mind if you do, I just can’t remember the last time you did.”

  “I’m going to be off a lot here soon enough. But I want to go see if I can convince my hubby to play hooky. He’s been distracted, and I haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time with him lately,” I said as I shut down my computer. I’d finished the financial statements as well as the balance sheets, and it was time to go spend time with my sexy sheriff.

  “Have fun. Hopefully you can convince him to relax a little,” Ty said as I got up from my desk. I observed him and thought again how he and Graham would be amazing fathers. They both doted on little Cujo and had even talked about maybe getting another papillon, but they had decided they did not want kids.

  Case in point, for Valentine’s Day this year, Graham whisked Ty off to the Bahamas for two weeks. They came back tan and very relaxed-looking. Something that Jacob and I couldn’t do, not without a lot of planning. But when all you had was a tiny little dog, you could easily up and go on an exotic vacation.

  I thought again about our honeymoon as I left Wild Creek. We’d spent a week in Hawaii, but that had been the last time we’d gone anywhere. Period. But really, I guess that’s how it was when you were parents to a toddler. Being married to the town sheriff didn’t help either. Jacob took his position seriously, and that meant he tended to take very little time off for extended periods. Maybe this summer? Yeah, probably not. We’d have a three-year-old and a newborn. Yeah, probably not happening.

  I made the drive into Crooked Bend without really thinking about it, and just like that, I was parking my truck in front of the sheriff’s office. Time to go see if I could corrupt my hubby. The way I figured, we only had a week or two left before we had a newborn in the house. I needed to make the most out of what time we had left.

  “Hey, Isaac. Long time no see,” Dalton said as I walked in. I immediately watched for Daisy, but I didn’t see her. “She’s with Collin today. He’s working in the office down the street, so he took her.”

  “Sorry. I guess I’m just used to her pouncing. It’s always a great way to be greeted. How have you been?” I asked, offering Dalton a smile.

  “Good. Please tell me you’re here to, I don’t know, do something about the big guy. He’s driving us all nuts,” Dalton said, and when Seth joined while nodding frantically, I shook my head at their comments.

  “Yep. I’ll see if I can’t get him out of your hair for the rest of the day,” I told the pair, and they immediately laced their hands and held them in front of me, begging. I laughed and walked over to Jacob’s office and poked my head inside. The door was open, and when I saw he wasn’t on the phone or had anyone with him, I entered and closed the door behind me. The look of surprise on my husband’s face as I came in let me know I’d made the right choice by coming here.

  “Hi, sweetheart. I wasn’t expecting you,” Jacob said as he got up from his seat at the desk and came around to greet me. I eagerly walked into his arms and raised my face for the kiss I knew was coming.

  “I thought I’d surprise you. Actually, I’m about to kidnap you honestly. We’ve had so little time together, and you’re always exhausted when you come home. I need to spend some time with you. It’s been weeks since we’ve made love. Hell, I’d go for a blow job if you’d be willing,” I told Jacob. His eyes darkened, which let me know that yes, he might actually be willing.

  “As wonderful as all of that sounds—”

  “Nope. Dalton and Seth have already said to take you away. I assume that means you don’t have any meetings or anything that Dalton can’t handle. So you, my sexy sheriff, are coming with me.” I gave his belt a tug. He pulled back a bit and raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Honestly, I’d love nothing more than that. Let me log off my computer first though?”

  I pretended to think about it, but I relented. I had no problems waiting. Especially since he had readily agreed to go with me. I watched as Jacob quickly logged off the computer and shut it down. He offered me a huge smile as he came around his desk.

  “Ready? What’s on the agenda first?”

  “Umm, lunch? You hungry?”

  “I am actually. Was there anywhere in particular you had in mind?” Jacob asked as he reached for his jacket. It was April, but it was still cold.

  “I do have plans, yes. Follow me?” I gave Jacob a wink as we left his office and headed out into the front room of the station. Deputies Seth and Gavin were both there, as was Dalton.

  “Have fun, you two. And please, for the love of all that is holy, come back in a better mood, Jacob,” Dalton said as he got up from his perch on the edge of Gavin’s desk and walked into his own office. I simply tugged on Jacob’s hand when he started to argue. I didn’t let go until we were outside and beside his SUV, where I turned before pulling him down for a quick kiss.

  “See you in a bit,” I told Jacob before I moved out of his arms and walked back to my truck. I didn’t look back; I simply climbed in and started the engine. Once I had my seat belt on, I waited to make sure Jacob was ready. After he’d pulled out of his parking space, I put my truck in gear and did the same.

  We were on our way back to Wild Creek in no time and Jacob simply followed me the entire way home. After we pulled into the garage and parked, Jacob gave me a questioning look.

  “I thought you mentioned lunch?” Jacob asked as he looked at me and then at the door that led into the house.

  “I did. Lunch is inside.”

  “Are we having lunch with Mack and Morgan, then?”

  “Nope,” I said as I walked past my husband and brushed my knuckles across his cock. I was too quick, and he wasn’t able to catch me when he reached for my arm. He did catch up once we were inside the house though.

  “Hey, where’s Mack? Did Morgan take him somewhere today?”

  “Nope. I gave Morgan the day off this morning. Mom and Dad have Mack until tomorrow. He needed Nana and Pop time,” I told a surprised Jacob.

  “Just like that?” Jacob asked, appearing irritated.

  Shit, that wasn’t how I’d planned for him to react. I sighed before turning to my husband and staring him down. It was so damn difficult to stay strong and not just attack him. He was sexy all the time, but put him in his uniform and I was a goner.

  “Yes. Just like that. We’re about to become parents again and you’ve decided to work yourself into an early grave or something. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but you’re pulling longer shifts, and when you do come home, you’re completely exhausted.” I turned and walked to the stairs before quickly climbing them, knowing Jacob would follow.

  “Wait. Isaac,” Jacob said behind me as we walked down the hallway toward our bedroom. He needed to get out of his uniform if nothing else. I stopped and turned once inside our room, and Jacob all but plowed into me. When he instinctively wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling, I smiled at my husband. Even if he was upset with me, he still instinctively protected me.

  “I love you,” I told him, trying to get it through to him that no matter what, I did. “But I miss you. Even when you were short on deputies, you didn’t work this hard. What’s wrong?”

  Jacob sighed before he let go and removed his gun belt. Once his Glock was in the safe, he put the belt beside it on top of his dresser and started unbuttoning his shirt. He removed his vest and stood there in his undershirt and trousers. I sat on the edge of the bed and patiently waited.

  “I’m the sheriff, so the department is my responsibility. The fact that I’m taking six weeks off once the baby arrives is almost unheard of. It was never my intention to take you for granted, and I’m sorry I have.”

  I reached for Jacob, and he came to me without question. I wrapped my hands around hi
s waist and leaned my forehead on his stomach. “I don’t feel taken for granted. I do miss you though. You’re working too hard, and you have a great crew at the department that you should be utilizing. Mack and I need you. Colt is going to need you as well.”

  Jacob pulled away and glared down at me before he pushed on my shoulders, causing me to fall back onto the bed.

  “We are not naming our son Colt. You work with horses. Why do you have to name him after one?” Jacob asked as he loomed over me on the bed.

  I smiled up at him and raised my eyebrows before giving him a response I knew would cause him to roll his eyes. “Because it’s badass. Think about it. Colt McCoy. It even sounds like the name a sheriff in the old west would have. Come on, Jake. Please? He’s got a badass daddy, so why not?”

  “You’re actually serious? That’s why? Because it sounds cool?”

  “Well, yeah. I mean, Colt McCoy. Come on already,” I said before I pulled Jacob down on top of me. I caught him off-balance and he hit me harder than expected. “Oomph.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t expect you to pull so hard,” Jacob said as he started to push up and off me. I wasn’t having that though, so I wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed my hips up into his.

  “Where are you going? I like you here,” I said before pulling my husband’s mouth down onto mine. Jacob groaned into my mouth, and after changing angles, took complete control of the kiss. I readily gave it to him, I honestly didn’t care who was on which end, just as long as we both ended up naked, sweaty, and messy.

  “Naked, now,” Jacob said as he pulled away from my mouth, panting. I could only nod in agreement before unwrapping my legs from his waist. We both got up and quickly stripped out of our clothes before we climbed back into bed. I gasped when our cocks met as we lay on our sides, touching, kissing, and exploring each other once again.

  “Need you, Jacob. So much,” I said as I kissed my way down his throat before I pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. I detoured and gently kissed the scar on his bicep, remembering what it felt like to be told he’d been shot, before I went back to kissing my way down his torso. My life changed drastically that day, and I didn’t want to imagine a day without the man below me.

  “Isaac, pick a position, but you have got to get the lube before I come from the friction you’re putting on my cock,” Jacob said in warning. At his words, I realized I’d been grinding my cock into his, and it simply felt too damn good to stop.

  “Jacob, I don’t think I can stop,” I warned as I sat up and started frotting against him. He circled the heads of our cocks, and using the precome as lube, wrapping his hand around both our cocks and started stroking.

  “Fuck!” I shouted before I started rolling my hips faster as Jacob stroked quicker. Jacob moaned and pushed up from the bed as I felt his cock start throbbing and pulsing before there was a sudden warm wetness that was covering our dicks. I gazed down at the beautiful man below me and saw ribbons of white on his chest and covering his fist, and that’s all it took to send me over the edge. I shuddered as I came, adding to the mess that was already on Jacob’s chest.

  Jacob — 3

  I was tired. No, I was more than that. I was exhausted because I’d started working like a madman hoping to get ahead enough that I’d not feel guilty about leaving everything to Dalton when I went on paternity leave. All I’d managed to do was fail my husband. He was right: it’d been weeks since we’d been together. Something that I took full responsibility for.

  Speaking of my husband, I looked for him and it was then that I realized I was clean, still naked, but I was under the covers. When I glanced at the clock on the nightstand, I saw that it was after three in the afternoon. Shit. I’d fallen asleep. Definitely not my best moment. Isaac had…okay, he’d orgasmed too. At least there was that.

  I threw the covers back, and after I went to the bathroom to empty my bladder, I quickly got dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. My stomach started relentlessly growling while I was pulling on my socks, so I slipped on a pair of boots and then took off in search of my husband. I was hungry, but more importantly, I’d woken up in bed, alone.

  I found Isaac in the kitchen, sitting at the island while playing on his laptop.

  “There’s the sleepyhead. Feel better after your nap?” Isaac turned on his stool and spread his legs. I walked right to him and wrapped him up in a hug. Isaac was smiling when I leaned down to give him a kiss.

  “I feel better, yes. But I wish I wouldn’t have fallen asleep. Or woken up alone. We didn’t get to finish what we started,” I said. My stomach let me know again that it wasn’t happy with me.

  “Let’s get that taken care of. I made sandwiches. Have a seat and I’ll get yours,” Isaac said as he got up from his stool and walked around the island. After he’d pulled out what he called a sandwich—I called it a meal, the thing was so huge—he slid the plate he’d put it on toward me.

  “Wow. This looks…wow.”

  “Good? You’re not taking care of yourself like you should be. I need to do better in making sure you do. That starts right now.”

  It took a lot for me to not smile at Isaac. He was so serious, but more importantly, he was right. I needed to take better care of myself. For not only our family, but for myself as well. I nodded and dug into my sandwich. I moaned when the first bite hit my tongue. It was piled high with roast beef, cheese, mayo, tomatoes, and lettuce.

  “Mmm, so good,” I mumbled around a mouthful of food. Isaac knew exactly how I liked my sandwiches, and this one didn’t disappoint. But I noticed that Isaac wasn’t eating. When I raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged but smiled.

  “It’s after three. After I cleaned us up, I curled up with you, but I didn’t nap. I tried, but I couldn’t fall asleep and I didn’t want to wake you, so I came down earlier and ate.”

  I swallowed the bit of sandwich I’d been chewing before replying. “That makes sense, and I’m glad you didn’t wait for me. You shouldn’t feel you have to. I do owe you an apology though,” I said and shook my head when Isaac shook his. “Yes, I do.”

  “I don’t know that I agree, but go on,” Isaac said with a smile.

  “I know I’m trying to do everything, and I promise I’ll start giving Dalton more tasks. I feel really bad about how I’ve let things get this far, and I am sorry.”

  Isaac walked around the island and stopped next to me. “Apology accepted. Although, I think you’re too hard on yourself.” Isaac picked up my sandwich and held it out to me, and I took the hint that I needed to eat.

  “What are you doing there?” I asked as I nodded in the direction of the laptop.

  “Oh, I was ordering diapers. I realized we only had one package of newborn and one of size one. I figured it might be good to get another one of each.” Isaac walked back to the other side of the island and turned the laptop toward me so I could see what he was doing as well.

  “Okay, I’m curious. Why wouldn’t we just buy them at the store like we did others?” I asked before taking another big bite of my sandwich.

  “I was bored and didn’t really have a whole lot to do, so I went shopping online.” Isaac shrugged before he turned and walked to the fridge. He pulled out a water bottle and handed it to me.

  “Thanks.” I opened the bottle and took a big swallow before I set it down and picked what was left of my sandwich back up. “Do we have everything else we need? I thought we did, but I’m not sure. I’ve only ever babysat when it came to new babies. Even then, they were almost always at least a couple months old by then.” I shoved the rest of my sandwich in my mouth. It was probably too big of a bite, but I didn’t care. It was delicious and Isaac had made it for me.

  “Yeah, we’re good. Remember, I’m basically in the same boat. Mack was three months old when I got him, so this new newborn stuff, I’m clueless.”

  I’d finished my sandwich, so I picked up my plate and carried it over to the sink. After I picked my water bottle back up, I dra
nk what was left of it before placing the bottle in the bin under the sink. I walked over to Isaac, wrapped my arms around his shoulders, and gave his neck a quick kiss.

  “Thank you for the sandwich. It was perfect,” I whispered in his ear before I gave the lobe a tug with my lips. Isaac whimpered as he leaned his head to the side, giving me access to his neck. I swept his hair around his neck, moving it out of my way, before I took up the invitation to work my way down.

  Unfortunately, we were interrupted by Isaac’s phone chiming. When he reached for it, it dinged again, and we both chuckled.

  “Someone’s impatient. Or hit Send too fast,” I said as Isaac picked up the phone and unlocked the screen. We’d never had to bother about locking our phones until Mack had started showing an interest in them.

  “It’s a text from Kristy. She said she’s been having contractions all day and they’re steady at fifteen minutes.” Isaac peered at me with huge eyes. “Holy shit! This could be happening soon. But the baby isn’t due for another ten days.”

  At that I did laugh before I took the phone and replied to our surrogate. I let her know that we’d be there just as soon as she needed us.

  “Sweetheart, very rarely do babies come on their actual due date. Ten days early isn’t too soon. Especially since this is Kristy’s third pregnancy,” I said, running my fingers through Isaac’s hair and kissing his forehead. On the inside, I was jumping for joy. On the outside, I was trying to remain calm.

  “I know, but…you’re right. We’re ready for this. Have been for a while now.” Isaac sighed, then got up from his perch on the stool. I handed him his phone back and tugged him to the living room.