I brought my hand up to my mouth to hide my smile. Once I got it under control, I asked, “What did you mean, she was screwing everything up?”
Kaylee paused for a moment and then turned to me and screwed up her face in an innocent way that said, “Please don’t smack me when I tell you what I did.”
“Promise you won’t get mad?”
I felt my shoulders slump, and I sighed. “Kaylee, you were not trying to set up me and Dirk, were you?”
“Yes! I was! Because apparently I’m the only person who sees the way the two of you look at one another—and don’t you dare say he doesn’t look at you that way or feel like that about you. The man clearly has feelings for you.”
“Kaylee, he doesn’t know what he wants right now. His father passed away, he took a leave from the PBR, he—”
“He did what?” Kaylee nearly shouted as she spun back to face me.
I furrowed my brows together. “He didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head. “No. I figured he was missing a few rides, but that he’d be heading out after they hired another ranch hand.”
A part of me was elated that Dirk hadn’t told Kaylee, but he’d told me. Childish, I knew, but it still made me feel strangely happy.
“When I saw you guys at the restaurant, he told me that he took the rest of the year off. He’s already spoken to his sponsors about it.”
Kaylee’s mouth dropped open and she stared at me in disbelief. “But Dirk lives for bull riding. It’s his entire life! He breathes it. Needs it. What is he thinking? His daddy wouldn’t want this.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know—that’s what he told me, and I haven’t really spoken to him since.”
“Oh God!” Kaylee cried out again.
“Well, gosh, Kaylee. I mean, he’s had a lot on his mind, and maybe he wasn’t ready to tell you and everyone else? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t get upset over it.”
“Motherfucker!”
I widened my eyes and held up my hands to get her to calm down. “Okay, wow. You really don’t like being kept in the dark about things. Ah, one thing—will you not tell him I was the one who told you?”
Kaylee waved her hand around. “I don’t give a shit about that. I just had a contraction. A big one! I’ve been having small ones all day, but I thought they were nothing. That one was big. Really, really big.”
I looked down to her stomach, then back up to her face. “Contractions? As in…the baby is coming?”
Kaylee laughed and rubbed her stomach. “Oh, gosh no, I’m not due for another week.”
Suddenly, Kaylee looked down—and I followed her gaze.
I felt my upper lip curl as I saw liquid running down Kaylee’s leg. “Did you just pee?” I asked. Then it dawned on me, and I jerked my head back up. “Oh my gosh. Your water broke!”
Kaylee continued to stare down at the small puddle of water forming on the floor.
“Kaylee! Your water broke! Your water broke!” I called out.
Her head lifted, and our eyes met. A wide smile grew across her face, and she took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. I did the same—not quite sure why, but it felt like the best thing to do.
“Okay, Merit, I need you to calmly walk out to the barn and let Ty know it’s time. I’m going to call the doctor and let them know my water broke.”
“Right! I’m on it!”
I spun around and headed through the living room to the front door.
“Merit?”
Stopping, I looked back at her. “Yeah?”
“Calm. That is the key word here, okay?”
I waved her off. “Please, I’m as calm as a cucumber!”
Kaylee frowned and then started to dial a number on her phone.
I slowly made my way out of the house and down the steps of the front porch. The barn wasn’t too far away, so I walked briskly, yet without panic. I had this, easy-peasy.
The moment I walked into the barn, I searched for Ty. I didn’t even care about Amy and Dirk or where they were or what they were doing. Fine, that was a lie. I did care. I cared more than I should, but I didn’t have time to worry about them right now.
I saw the three of them standing at a stall, Amy laughing as she attempted to flirt with Dirk. I couldn’t help but notice that when she went to touch him, he stepped away from her.
“Ty?” I called out, causing the three of them to turn and look my way.
He smiled. “Yeah?”
I smiled, trying to keep my voice calm. I opened my mouth to speak—and what came out was certainly not calm at all. For some reason, the panic I had been trying to keep inside rushed out.