“Boy, if your momma comes out here and sees your feet on the table, she’ll hit you upside the head, and me.” Mr. Jennings shakes his head before finishing his statement, “Welcome to the family. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to.”
The three of us shoot the shit until Braxton comes back outside, then we all talk more shop, have a couple of shots of bourbon. Braxton’s garage is doing well, Nighthawk is flourishing with Bridger and the guys, and we talk about expanding Adams Construction and how it might take Peyton and me away a month or so at a time.
“Not sure that will matter any. We’ll just have to start traveling in the RV again. It seems half our family lives in different states these days.”
“What are you talking about, Daddy?” Peyton comes over, hugs her dad, and then moves to sit on my lap. Her arms loop around my neck. There’s a sparkle in her eyes, and I know what that means—my woman has had a couple of glasses of wine. I’m done drinking. The last thing I want to do is get into a vehicle tipsy and something happens to us.
“You and Chance here going back and forth to South Carolina,” he responds.
“That just means more traveling for us.” Peyton’s mom finds her way to her seat and takes her husband’s hand in hers.
“Don’t I know it,” he agrees.
“How much have you had to drink, baby?” I whisper into Peyton’s ear. Her cheeks flush, a giggle coming from her.
“A few. You guys were talking for a while, and us women didn’t want to interrupt. Though, Kellie was starting to bring out the margaritas. That’s when I tapped out. She was running for the bathroom by the time we came out.” God, do I love a tipsy Peyton, but I know now isn’t the time for it. She needs food in her, or she’ll really lose her filter, and with those her inhibitions go out the window.
“Love the way you’re looking at me, baby, but I’m thinking you need some food. You wanna let me up so I can go get the food and bring it out?” I offer.
I no sooner say those words when Kellie opens the back door with two trays in her hand.
“Saved by the food,” I joke with Peyton.
“There’s always next time.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek before diving into the food, but not before she shimmies her ass on my hardening cock, making it mighty uncomfortable for the remainder of the night while her family surrounds her. And I know just how I’ll be paying her back later on this evening. I’m thinking something in the form of multiple orgasms, until she’s pleading for me to stop.
Oh yeah, payback is going to be what dreams are made of.
Epilogue
Peyton
Six Months Later
“Hey, what has you so lost in thought?” Chance asks. I’m standing out on the deck to the house we have in South Carolina. It’s on the beach, another fixer-upper that we scooped up. My thoughts are back on that test I took hours ago while Chance was working on something that went wrong in the house. It was supposed to be an easy fix, but much like everything that happens in a place that needs a shit ton of work, it took hours. Nothing says honeymoon like the plumbing failing in the master bathroom. I laughed, grabbed the box that held a pregnancy test, and scurried into the other bathroom.
“Oh, just thinking about how in nine months, there’ll be another person living in our home and you’ll really have to watch your mouth when something goes wrong.” Chance spins me around in his arms.
“Fuck, woman. Are you telling me we’re going to be parents?”
“Yes.” I think back on the day we celebrated our wedding, all of our family together, congregating in the small church in Lodgeview. I walked down the aisle to Chance. He was wearing a light gray suit, a white button-down shirt opened up at the throat, standing there. The look in his eyes, knowing I was the one who put it there, took my breath away. I wore a white lace and form fitting dress with a sweetheart-style neckline. Of course, this was all Aspen’s doing. My hair and makeup, definitely a mix from Berkley and Rowen. It was hard for both Chance and me to choose who would stand up with us. His brother would be an obvious one, so would Paul. That would have still made it difficult for me, with my sisters and cousin. It was easier for it to be about us and not have the hassle of hurting anyone’s feelings. Even my dad choked up when he gave me away, though I’m not sure if they were happy tears because all of his girls are married and out of the house now. After our ceremony, we went back to Chance’s parents’ house and had food and desserts. The open bar was a plus. That was also when I told Chance I threw out my birth control pills. He picked me up off my feet and marched us out of their house so fast, I think I got whiplash.