Savage (Wolf Ranch 4)

I shrugged, pointing at the paper in Mom’s hand. “Me neither. But it’s a girl.”

“Ohhhhh!” Mom hugged the ultrasound to her chest. “I can’t believe it.” A film of tears filled her eyes.

Becky took my hand beneath the table, and I gave it a squeeze. We had shit to figure out, but everything was going to be fine.

Dad swallowed hard then looked over at Mom fondly. “You finally get your girl, Janny.”

Rand punched me in the arm again. “A girl who’s going to wrap you around her little finger? You’re fucked, dude.”

“Language, Rand,” my mom admonished, but this time there was a smile in her voice.

13

BECKY

“Oh my God, aren’t you beautiful?” I dropped to my knees in the warm stable in front of the baby foal, just three days old. I was sure it was the hormones—or maybe just coming from the warmth of Clint’s parents’ kitchen and all their joy over our baby—but tears filled my eyes at the sweetness in front of me.

The tiny horse stood on spindly legs, his black coat sleek. He had a white star-shaped marking on his nose, just like his gorgeous mama, Angelwing. She stood behind him and chuffed softly, proud to show her little black beauty off to us.

I thought of Clint’s parents, of how they were proud of him, even though he’d gotten a stranger pregnant. They’d embraced me with open arms. Literally. When my parents had found out I was leaving Todd, they’d been stunned. I’d found a doctor, and I should be thankful for the marriage I had.

As if. When I’d told my mother the list of reasons, like Todd hitting me, she’d asked what I’d done to make him mad.

They’d put their foot down, ashamed to have a divorced daughter, and said if I didn’t stay in my marriage, they’d cast me out. As if they were the example of a perfect marriage themselves.

Cast me out were the actual words they’d used.

Janet and Tom wouldn’t do that to their kids, no matter what they’d done. They didn’t say that, but I knew. They were a family. A real family, and it had felt special to be included.

Extra special, it seemed, when Janet had pulled out the big guns for dessert, brownies with homemade hot fudge. Rand had whined and asked why I got the hot fudge when he never did.

We’d all laughed at his fake pout, and Janet had told him if he made her a grandbaby, then she’d make him hot fudge.

We stayed an hour after that before Clint drove me down the hill to show me where he worked. And this gorgeous four-legged baby.

“Do you want to name him?” Clint asked. He stood beside me, a hand in his jeans pocket.

I glanced up at him. I’d been to the ranch before but never in the stable. This was where Clint spent his time. I delivered human babies, and he delivered foals. We had more in common than I thought.

I set my hand on my chest. “Me? Is that allowed?”

Clint chuckled, tipped his hat back. “Sure, it’s allowed. This is Rob’s ranch, but the horse breeding project is mine.” He crouched beside me and rubbed the little foal’s forehead.

“So his mama is Angelwing,” I said thoughtfully, considering. I reached out to stroke the star on his forehead, too. “Maybe he should be Starshine.”

“Starshine.” Clint stroked the foal’s neck. “What do you think of that, little fella?”

The sweet baby leaned forward and nuzzled my neck. I giggled at the softness.

“I think that means he likes it.”

The sweet scent of hay and the tang of animals filled the air, but it was cozy in here. Warm and safe. “What will you do with him when he grows up? Sell him? Or breed him?” I was suddenly overcome by the desire to beg to keep the animal, even though I’d only ridden a horse twice in my life. I might have grown up about fifty miles from here, but I wasn’t a true cowgirl, not like I would have been if I’d grown up here on Wolf Ranch. Visions of Clint lifting our daughter onto Starshine’s back filled my mind. She’d be a cowgirl. He’d see to it. A rush of longing for just that filled me, but they were only foolish thoughts.

I barely knew Clint. And while yes, he seemed like a stand-up guy and our attraction was off the charts, that didn’t mean we had a happily ever after in our future. I couldn’t let myself believe that, not even with a baby between us. I’d tried to talk myself into that scenario with Todd for years. I’d pretended he would change or could become the perfect father to a family. I’d tried to force my fate to happen for me, and it hadn’t gotten me anywhere except in a pile of dog poop.