Hitching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 1)

Diesel presses a palm to his chest and frowns. “Now that just hurts. You wound me.”

Rowan rolls her eyes and pushes past him toward the door.

“Alright, children. Let’s get this shit done so I can go back to my pregnant wife.” Zoey’s eight months pregnant and ready to burst any day. She’s been miserable in this Texas heat and having my sister close will be helpful, even though Rowan will be spending most of her time managing the bar and getting some business experience under her belt.

“I can’t wait to meet my nephew!” Rowan looks over her shoulder with a wide smile as I follow her out into the hallway.

“I’m over the moon excited.” I grin.

“You know that means you’ll need to give him a little sister right away? Just like Mom and Dad. They had you and realized they needed me to complete their family.” She turns around and smirks.

“Har, har. You were a whoops baby.”

“Liar! You were!”

We laugh all the way back to the trailer and grab another round of her stuff.

When Zoey told me she was pregnant, I cried tears of joy. We’d been trying for months, and while we didn’t want to rush into having kids, we took the if it happens, it happens approach, but I was more than ready to start a family with her. After she moved here permanently, Mary Sue gave her a part-time position at the salon and Zoey had been working three to four days a week until a month ago when her feet couldn’t take it any longer. She was happy she was able to continue cutting hair here and loved meeting new people in town. She’ll eventually go back to work, but for now we’re staying focused on the baby.

Zoey has made me the happiest man on the planet, and just when I think our life together can’t get any better, something else amazing happens and proves me wrong.

Grandma Bishop nearly fell to her knees because she was so damn excited about the news. After we told our parents, she was the first up on the list and probably the most thrilled. She’s told everyone at church; hell, she’s announced it to the whole town that she’s gonna be a great-grandmother. Being the first grandkid to have a baby and giving her the first great-grandchild is one of my proudest moments. All of my aunts and uncles have been celebrating the new Bishop addition and have gone above and beyond with buying gifts and making Zoey and me feel loved. It’s been so long since there was a baby Bishop that they’re borderline going overboard, but I can’t complain. That’s just how my family is.

But more than anything, I’m excited our little family is growing, and if I have it my way, we’ll have a house full of kids sooner than later. Growing up on the ranch shaped who I am, and I’m excited to share this life with my son and wife, keeping the Bishop traditions alive.

Diesel walks into Rowan’s room, carrying a box that has the word clothes written in black Sharpie on the side. “I went through this one too.” He shoots me a smirk. “You have a thing for red thongs, huh?”

“You ever gonna grow up?” Rowan snaps at him.

I sure as hell could’ve gone my entire life without knowing that information.

He shakes his head and shoots her a wink. “Never, baby.”

“Why is he here again?” she asks as we walk outside to the lowboy that’s still stacked full of boxes. Diesel lingers a little too long just so he can check out my sister’s ass, which infuriates me to no end. He’s relentless and has kept this act going for years, making me wonder if he’s serious. Better not be because Rowan is off-limits. Though she’s turning twenty-three soon and is a grown ass woman, she’ll always be my little sister. I will stand up and protect her no matter what. Even when she doesn’t think she needs it.

“Because Mom and Dad love him for some reason,” I say sarcastically, but I have to give credit where credit is due. “He has grown up some since he got promoted, though.” I give her a smile, pretty damn proud of my best friend. “Overseeing the cattle operation is a big job. Lots of horseback riding, fence fixin’, branding, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. One of the reasons he got the old cabin to fix up too. He’s really stepped up,” I remind her. Diesel has been busting his ass over the past two years, showing that he was ready for more responsibility. Everyone’s impressed, even me, though it still hasn’t stopped his shenanigans and relentless flirting with my sister.

“He’s still immature,” she retorts, but her voice is much softer when she speaks.