Reckless Love (Cowboys & Angels 7)

I stared at Maebh, who looked at Cord, then me, then back to Cord. “You eejit! You told her I was pregnant?”

Melanie spun on her heels and yelled. “Wait! No opening of presents!”

Chloe groaned.

Cord closed his eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t tell anyone anything.”

Melanie walked over to Cord and Maebh, dropped onto the sofa next to them and stared at Maebh.

“Mom, what are you doing? That’s creepy,” Cord stated.

Maebh’s eyes filled with tears, and she gave Melanie a smile that told the whole room that she and Cord were expecting.

Mitchell jumped up. “Holy shit! You’re gonna be a Papa Smurf!”

Everyone in the room looked at Chloe and shouted, “No, Chloe!”

She held up her hands and said, “I wasn’t going to say hell, shit, or fuck!”

Steed groaned while Paxton reprimanded Chloe.

“Chloe Parker!”

Covering her mouth, Chloe giggled. “Sorry!”

The attention returned to Maebh and Cord.

“So, are you going to be a Papa Smurf?” Trevor asked.

Looking at each other with so much love you could feel it pouring off of them, Cord and Maebh smiled for the longest time before Cord looked at the rest of the family.

“Maebh and I are going to have a baby in about seven months.”

Cheers erupted around the room, making Aurora jump from her peaceful nap and causing Shep to cry for what I swore was the first time ever.

“Oh, come here, little man,” Mitchell said as Merit ran over to her baby brother to make sure everything was okay.

While everyone was waiting to congratulate Cord and Maebh, the twins got busy with their previous plan for the Christmas tree.

“Um, Uncle Tripp, Aunt Harley?” Chloe said, loud enough to get everyone’s attention. “Max and Rose are fixin’ to pull the tree down.”

The only thing I saw after that was Max’s smile when the tree started to topple, and Tripp dove to stop it.

Smiling, I took it all in. Another beautiful, crazy, amazing day in the Parker family.

18 years old

My parents and Gage were the first to pull me in for a family hug. I’d done it.

Graduated with high honors from Oak Springs High School.

Oak Springs hadn’t changed much since I moved here as a young girl with my father. It was still a small town, maybe a bit bigger than it used to be, but everyone still knew everyone. The only real difference was that they had built another building for the high school, and it was now completely separated from the elementary and middle school. A change most loved, but the older folks hated. It meant growth. I loved it, though. There was nothing like growing up in a small town.

The thought of going off to Texas A&M for college was daunting. I was excited, but everything was changing. For the good, of course, but it still meant I was leaving my family…and Rip.

My eyes caught a glimpse of him over my mother’s shoulder. Rip Myers. My best friend and secret crush since kindergarten. He waved to me while my parents crushed the breath out of my body.

“Y’all, I can’t breathe!” I gasped. Gage was the first to let go. My little brother wasn’t really so little. Although he was six years younger than me, he was tall and beginning to fill out with muscles. Not only from his love of football, but from working on the ranch.

“I’m next!” Gage announced, doing a fist pump.

“And Merit and Liberty! But not for a few more years little brother,” I added.

With an eye roll, Gage sighed then gave me a wink. “Minor details.”

I glanced around. “Where is everyone?”

It was unlike the Parker clan not to be out in full force. I certainly heard everyone when my name was being called to walk across the stage. I was pretty sure my Uncle Cord and Uncle Trevor had been trying to see who could yell the loudest.

With a smile that said he was proud as all get out, my father replied, “They all headed back to the ranch. Granddaddy has the pit going and wanted to make sure everything was good with it. Your Grammy wanted to make sure everything was ready for the party.”

The party of the century my Grammy called it. The first Parker grandchild to graduate high school and go off to college. I swear she’d been planning this for two years.

“Speaking of the party, we should head on back to the ranch,” my mother said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “You didn’t drive. Do you want us to wait for you?”

Swinging my gaze back to Rip, I nodded. “Let me talk to Rip really quick… I’ll meet y’all back at the ranch?”

My father turned to Rip. He smiled and asked, “Is Rip coming to the party?”

I shrugged. “Not sure. I’ll ask.”

“Don’t be long, Chloe!” My mother called out as I made my way over to Rip and his family. Aunt Waylynn was standing in the crowd along with Uncle Jonathon, Rip’s older brother. Liberty caught sight of me before Rip did and made a beeline right to me. She slammed her body into mine as we both laughed.