“So what now? Should we keep her chained to the bed until we get her pregnant?”
“Works for me.”
“It won’t work for her, or us for that matter, if we’re suiting up to play in the puddle.”
Rex gave him a quick glance. “That was a practice run. We need a lot of those until we have everything checked out under our hoods.”
Luke gulped. “I could’ve done without the comparison.” A beat later he asked, “And just what do you plan on telling Billy the Kid?”
“I’m offering him a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Lucy’s,” Rex replied. “That’s why we’re headed there now. I’d like to see if he’ll take Lucy’s place until she’s able to return to work.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Luke asked. “She’ll kill you!”
“Maybe, but if she does, then she’ll take the life of her baby’s father.”
“Oh dear God. You really have lost it.”
“No, but I’m determined to make her happy. If Lucy wants to have a child, I want to give her mine. Together, the three of us will raise the brightest boy this county has ever seen.”
“What if she has a girl?”
“We’ll give her to the kid. He probably relates well to girls. He has one. You heard the way he talked to his wife on the phone. He’s had plenty of practice in baby language.”
“I’m not kidding, Rex,” Luke said, stepping onto Lucy’s porch about the same time Rex hit the first step. “This won’t sit well with Lucy. That Nashville race is important to her. Handing over the company—a company that doesn’t belong to us, I might add—may make her furious enough to ditch you before you even have a chance to saddle up for a second rodeo.”
“There will be other races.”
“And there will be other opportunities to get her pregnant!” They stood there and stared at one another. Crickets sang their irritating song, and the full moon slid away from cloud coverage. It was a glorious summer night, quiet and peaceful. “This really is ridiculous. And it’s typical of us. You know that right? This is exactly how things always play out with Lucy.”
Rex frowned, rubbed his two-day-old stubble, and remained stubborn as always. “Maybe it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I don’t care. I won’t lose Lucy again, and while she’s staying at our house, in our bed, I plan to make it count. She’s not going anywhere until I know we can trust her to come home to us each and every time she leaves.”
“Well, at least she’s there by her own choice, right?” Luke asked, shaking his head.
Rex studied the stars. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“Okay, so you don’t wanna talk about this. Have it your way. You can deal with Lucy in the morning.”
“I have Lucy covered.”
“We’ll see,” Luke mumbled.
“Trust me. I can handle wild women.”
“Yes, but can you handle smart ones?” Lucy asked from behi
nd them.
“What the ever-lovin’ hell?” Luke asked, looking down at the handcuffs attached to the bedposts she dragged behind her.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out how to free myself?”
Luke blew out a hard and fast breath. “Told you.”
“I can’t believe you, Rex McDavid,” Lucy said, stomping toward the end of the porch, two slabs of wood following behind her. “Did you really think you could keep me bound to the bed until this weekend?”