“The other baby isn’t with her. It’s with a different woman, which is what’s behind the custody fight.”
“Oh.”
“You think things are complicated in your lives, wait ’til you hear more about mine, or my brother’s. I don’t have time for my life to be complicated.”
“Your brother would probably think our lives are more complicated than his.”
“Yeah, ’bout right, I guess. Anyway, I’m sorry to be leavin’ again, but I got everything mapped out for ya.”
Lyric went over a list of upcoming rodeos with Blythe who then researched websites to see who would be posting scores in real time and who wouldn’t. Lyric also gave Blythe a list of contacts she could text for results at the smaller rodeos.
“You can keep your eye on Jace too this way, without him knowing about it. You’ll, at least, know if he bucks off or gets a score.”
It took Tucker three weeks of looking at houses daily before he found one he wanted Blythe to see. It wasn’t far from Billy and Renie’s ranch.
Tucker carried her to his truck, where he had pillows lined up to prop around her.
“You’re going overboard.”
He glared at her.
“Never mind,” she laughed. “This is perfect. I’ll be well-padded on every side. Will I be required to be wrapped in bunting whenever we go for a ride in your truck? Or do you think bubble wrap would work better?”
“You’re on bed rest. Do you remember that part? I’m sure, if we asked the doc, he wouldn’t approve a twenty-minute ride on a dirt road.”
She smiled and winked at him. “I love you, Tucker Rice.”
“And I love you, Blythe…Cochran.”
The house was spectacular. It was under construction, but it was almost finished.
“I don’t understand. Did the people building it decide they didn’t want to live in it?”
“Financial issues. Anyway, it’s surrounded by a little over one hundred acres, mostly forested. Isn’t it great?”
“One hundred acres? I don’t even know what that means.”
“Well, your parents’ place sits on about five acres. So we’ll have twenty times more than that.”
“For what? Don’t tell me you want to have horses, Tucker. I’m not as into horses as Renie.”
He laughed. “We don’t have to have horses, Blythe, but I need space. I may add a barn at some point, but it would be more of a workshop and art studio for me than it would be to board horses.”
He walked around and opened her door. “Are you ready to go inside?”
“You aren’t going to carry me, are you?”
“Of course, I am.” Tucker carried her up the steps and nudged the front door open with his knee. “I think this counts as carrying you over the threshold, doesn’t it?”
She held up her left hand. “I don’t see a ring on this hand, Mr. Rice. It doesn’t count until we’re officially husband and wife.”
“Okay, then.”
“Okay, then, what?”
“Let’s look at the rest of this place.”
They walked from room to room in the two-story house.