chest.
“Yeah, I feel bad for him.”
“When did his mom die?”
“She didn’t die—that I know of, anyway. She just took off when Beck was really young. He never talked about it.”
“Poor thing. Does he have siblings?”
“He has two older sisters, Mallory and Amy. But they don’t live close enough to help out every day.”
“Does Beckett ever date?”
“I think he had a girlfriend for a while in New York, but since he moved back here, there hasn’t been anyone serious. He’s always so busy with the ranch, and now with his dad.” I played with her hair, letting soft auburn strands slide through my fingers. “In high school, he was always hung up on this one girl—Maddie Blake. Not that he’d ever admit to it.”
“Yeah?”
“She lived across the road from the ranch and they had classes together, so she hung around his house a lot, although he claims they only did homework.”
Bianca snorted. “Which you cannot imagine doing, if you were alone with a girl in high school.”
“Precisely.” I tugged a lock of her hair. “ But actually, I believe him. She had a boyfriend, and Beckett was not the kind of guy to go after someone else’s girlfriend.”
“What was he like back then?”
“Pretty much the same as he is now. A workaholic. Crazy smart. An awesome athlete. Busy all the time. When he wasn’t at school or practice, he was working. He used to get up at fucking five a.m. and milk cows before coming to school.”
“He never had a girlfriend?”
“Not really. I think he was always hung up on that Maddie girl.”
“And he never told her?”
“Nope. Not his style.”
“What was she like?”
“She was nice. Pretty, but not in a super showy way. Kind of quiet.” I thought back. “Everyone liked her, but she only dated losers—I never understood it.”
Bianca sighed. “You never know what’s going on in someone’s head.”
“I guess. Anyway, Beckett said she eventually married a loser and had a kid with him. But she’s divorced now, and she’d coming back here in a couple weeks to sell the house she grew up in.” I told her that Beckett had asked me to give an estimate on some improvements, and I’d agreed to give her a good price.
“Aww. Of course you did.” She kissed my chest. “You’re a good friend.”
“Beckett’s a good guy.”
Bianca was silent a moment. “Hard to believe a mom could just abandon their child like his mother did, but . . . I guess it happens.”
“Yeah.”
“As intense as our parents can be, we’re lucky we grew up the way we did.”
I was about to agree with her, when it struck me our child would not grow up the same way.
That twinge in my side returned, and I frowned. “Let me up for a second,” I told her. “I need to stretch.”
She sat up and I leaned over, stretching one arm over my head, hoping the pain would alleviate.
“You okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. I must have hurt myself at the gym this morning.” The pain eased up slightly, and I switched off the lamp. When I leaned back again, she returned to my side, and I put my arm around her, listening as her breathing slowed.
“Do you think we’re going to fuck up our kid?” I blurted.
“What? No.” She sat up. “Why would you say that?”
“Because we’re not going to raise it together.”
“Yes, we are.”
“You know what I mean—in one house.”
“Oh.” She was silent a few seconds. “No, I don’t think we’re going to fuck up our kid. Plenty of children grow up in two different households. The important thing is that they know they’re loved.”
What she said sounded good, but something wasn’t sitting right with me tonight.
“Are you—are you changing your mind about having a baby?” she asked nervously.
“No.” I rubbed my face with both hands. “No, I’m still good with the plan. Sorry, I think I’m just worried about Beckett, and it’s fucking with me.”
“That’s okay. I understand.” She lay down on her side of the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders, facing away from me.
“Hey. What are you doing over there?”
“I don’t know. I’m giving you some space.”
“Well, I don’t want it. Come here.”
She rolled over toward me, and I gathered her into my arms. “I just want you to know, and I mean this with one hundred percent sincerity, I’m not sick of you yet.”
Her laughter made the ache in my side disappear. “I’m not sick of you yet either.”
“Okay. Good.” I kissed her once more and went to sleep.
Twelve
Bianca
Cheyenne