When we walked in, Lincoln sat in the rocking chair and continued patting Hunter’s back.
I glanced around the nursery and really took it in for the first time. Earlier, I hadn’t paid much attention. Now I couldn’t help but grin as I admired the Winnie the Pooh–themed room. The walls were painted in a light yellow, with white trimmed-out panel boxes on the lower half. Adorning the room were photos of Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Roo, Piglet, Kanga, and Owl, as well as Christopher Robin.
White curtains framed the large window that overlooked the Shaw ranch. The view of the sky after the sunset was breathtaking, and I wondered if there was a single place on this ranch that had a bad view. My mind wandered back to the room, and I felt my hand go to my stomach. What theme would Dirk and I settle on for our baby? Animals? Baby animals, maybe?
Lincoln must have noticed me staring at the walls.
“Morgan and Blayze picked out the theme. Morgan’s obsessed with Tigger right now.”
Picking up a stuffed animal, I clutched it to my chest and leaned against the wall. My body suddenly felt heavy. “Lincoln, I need your advice.”
“Of course, what is it you need advice on?”
I looked down at the wood floors, and then back up at her. “You know Dirk gave up riding for a bit due to his father’s death. I can’t pretend to understand what he’s going through, and I think we can all agree it was a bit of a surprise that he walked away from bull riding for the rest of the year.”
She nodded. “Yes, Brock was stunned. That’s all Dirk has been focused on for years now. And he was on his way to possibly winning again.”
I frowned. “Yeah, I know. But now with the baby, he seems to be taking it…well…”
“Too good?”
“Yes! I figured he’d be spooked and would run back to the bulls the minute he found out. I mean, this is Dirk we’re talking about. I’m not stupid—I know the life he’s led the last few years. He hasn’t exactly been an angel. And from what I’ve heard, he’s made it clear in the past that settling down wasn’t something he was interested in. But, instead of getting spooked like I thought he would, he confessed all these feelings he has for me and we…well, we spent a good amount of time…um…”
Lincoln laughed as she said, “Getting to know each other again?”
I felt my face heat once again. “Yes. The last thing I want is for Dirk to give up something he loves because he feels pressure. I don’t think he feels pressure, but I want to make sure. If that makes any sense at all.”
Lincoln’s smile was so sweet and genuine. She tilted her head slightly as she replied, “But he didn’t give it up because of the baby. And he said he wasn’t going back until after the new year long before he found out about the pregnancy.”
When I didn’t say anything, Lincoln raised her brows. “Oh. You don’t want him going back at all.”
I closed my eyes and felt my body sink even more against the wall. With a sigh, I glanced back at her. “I would never ask him to give up something he loved, please know that. If he decides he wants to keep bull riding, I’ll stand by his side. If things work out between us, I mean.”
“If?” she asked, one brow arched.
“Not if; they will. I feel it in my heart they will. But I still can’t shake this feeling of being scared to see him go off and climb on the back of a bull, and I don’t want to feel this way. I truly don’t.”
Lincoln stood and placed a sleeping Hunter in his crib. “Let’s go outside for a bit.”
I followed her as we made our way back through the house. Lincoln stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine and one glass. Then, she reached for a bottled water and handed it to me. “Sorry, water is all you get.”
I chuckled and took the bottle.
Brock and Dirk both turned and looked at us.
“Merit and I are going to enjoy a beverage outside.”
Brock smiled, and I could practically feel his love for Lincoln when he looked at her. My gaze moved to Dirk, and my breath caught in my throat. He looked at me with a brilliant smile on his face. Our eyes locked for a moment before he winked, and I was broken from the spell.
“Ready, Merit?” Lincoln softly asked as she touched my arm.
I nodded and tore my gaze away from Dirk.
As we headed outside and over to the gazebo, Lincoln laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I asked as I sat down and opened my water. Lincoln poured a glass of wine and set the bottle on the large oak table that sat in the middle of the gazebo.