I turned to look at Rebecca who, was giving me a big smile. I reached over and hugged her. “Jesus, Rebecca that would be awesome if you could do that. I’m sure it would put Ari’s mind at ease!”

Pulling back, I placed a kiss on the side of her check. I felt like a ton of weights had just been lifted from my shoulders. I jumped up and grabbed the Home Depot bag and took the screwdriver out.

I jumped up and grabbed the Home Depot bag, taking out the screwdriver.

“What do you say we build ourselves a crib?” I said.

Rebecca started laughing as she stood up.

“That sounds great! Let’s do this.”

***

I heard Ari moving around in the kitchen. Fuck, why is she up so damn early? She barely spoke two words to me Saturday night after I got back from Rebecca’s. Yesterday, Gunner and I pretty much worked all day in the stables, so I hadn’t really talked to her in a couple of days.

Mr. Reynolds was coming tomorrow to check out everything. If I could work out a deal with him to breed our horses with a few of his stallions, then we would have the start we needed.

I heard Ari talking to someone on the phone. I walked into the kitchen and just stood there, watching her.

“Heather, goddamn it, just wear it. I don’t have time to argue with you about this. Ellie isn’t arguing. She’s being a good friend. Just do this for me! Yes! Okay, sweets. See you in a few.”

Then, she put her ear plugs back in and started up her iPod. Just barely, I could hear Wil.I.Am’s “Scream and Shout.” Ari started dancing, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. Damn, this girl can move. I’m a lucky son of a bitch. Then, she started singing. How does this girl make my knees weak just by dancing around and singing in a kitchen?

She was standing at the sink, cutting up vegetables and fruit.

I walked up behind her, putting my arms around her. I started to kiss her neck. Damn, she feels so good in my arms.

She spun around and gave me that beautiful smile of hers. She looked breath taking. I couldn’t really place it, but she just seemed so different to me lately.

She pulled her earphones out and reached up and gave me a kiss. I pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss. She let out a small moan that went right through my body. I picked her up, so she could wrap her legs around me. I turned her around and set her down on the kitchen island.

She was dressed in baby blue lace panties and a white T-shirt. Shit. She wasn’t even wearing a bra. Through her shirt, I saw when her n**ples instantly got hard. Reaching up, I grabbed some of her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck to me. I started to kiss from one side of her neck to the other. I could practically feel her coming apart in my hands. Slowly, I started to lift up her shirt. I broke our kiss only to pull her T-shirt up and over her head.

After another five minutes of just kissing the woman I loved, I started to unbutton my pants. Ari smiled against my lips, and I swore that I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

“Babe, I’m gonna make love to you on our kitchen island,” I whispered in her ear.

“I think that’s how we should start our day every day!” Ari said with a giggle.

Just then, my f**king cell phone rang. I ignored it. I pulled Ari closer to me. I just was about to enter her when the phone went off again. I closed my eyes, praying that it would stop.

We sat there for a second to see if it would ring again. When it didn’t, we both smiled, and Ari wiggled her eye brows up and down.

Then, someone knocked on the door. Motherfucker! All I wanted to do was slam my fist into a wall. Ari pushed me back and jumped off the island.

“Who the hell is here so early?” she asked.

“Well, I guess the only way to find out is for you to go answer the door in those sweet-ass panties and white T-shirt.”

“Fuck you, Jeff. There’s no way I’m going to the door half-naked. I thought we could walk around our home nak*d if we wanted to. Isn’t this the country for fuck’s sake?”

Ari stormed off into the bedroom, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. I loved it when she was spit and fire. I think it turned me on even more.

I pulled open the front door to see Josh standing there. He looked…well, honestly, he looked like shit.

“Dude, what the f**k happened to you?” I asked.

Josh just gave me a smile and pushed his way into the house. He walked over and sat down on the sofa, Putting his head down in his hands, he said,

“Jeff, I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m at a total loss with Heather. I want to say that I would sit here and wait forever for her, but I’m not sure she’s ever going to change her mind about me. I’m not sure if I even want her to.”

“What the hell does that mean? If you want her to? I thought you really liked her.”

Josh sat back and let out a sigh.

“I do. I mean, I’ve never felt this way for anyone in my life. A part of me just wants to take her and lock her in a room with me until she talks to me. The other part wants to push her as far away from me as I can. She deserves someone better than a damn man whore.”

Shit. I was having a déjà vu big time.

“Listen, Josh, if I can offer one piece of advice, it would be to fight for her. Don’t let your past stand in the way of what could be a really great thing. I’ve seen Heather look at you. I’m pretty damn sure that girl has feelings for you. Maybe it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with her. From what Ellie and Ari have told me, Heather pretty much put up a wall when her mom and dad died. Maybe she’s just afraid to let anyone in for fear of losing them. You need to talk to her and let her know your feelings, so she can let you know hers.”

Josh turned and looked at me. He was giving me a strange-ass look.

“What the hell has happened to you and Gunner? He said the same damn thing to me yesterday. Fuck, I just need to get screwed.”

“Well, there’s the Josh we all know and don’t love,”Ari said from behind us.

I turned to see her standing there, wearing a pair of capri jean’s and a black t-shirt that said “Dear Math, I’m not a therapist. Solve your own problems.”

“Yeah, hello to you, too, Ari. Are you going to see Heather today by any chance?” Josh asked.

I noticed when Ari tensed up. I knew she was worried about this appointment and it was killing me she wouldn’t let me go with her.

“Yep, she’s going with me to a doctor’s appointment. Do you want me to remind her of how much of an ass-wipe you are or something?” Ari said with a wicked smile on her face.

Josh jumped and turned to face Ari. “Are you telling her that?”

I thought Josh was about to cry. Pussy.

Ari let out a laugh and shook her head. “Calm down before you break down and start crying, you big p**sy. No, I’m not telling her that shit. I’m not really sure what that girl sees in you, Josh, but I do think she is smitten with you.”

Josh let a small smile play across his face. Then he shook his head. “I asked her to be my date to Garrett and Emma’s anniversary party, and she said no. I don’t know what else to do. Every time I ask her out, she just flat turns me down. I don’t get it.”

Ari walked over and gave Josh a hug. It somewhat surprised me, but I think it shocked the hell out of Josh.

“Let me talk to her, Josh. I really think the issue is more than just your man-whoring ways sweets.” Ari let out a laugh before she, turned to walk into the kitchen.

I started to laugh as I slapped Josh on the back. “Don’t worry, dude. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, Gunner needs help feeding the cows and repairing the fence in the south pasture. You in?”

“Sounds good. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll meet y’all at Garrett’s place.”

I watched as Josh drove off in his p**sy truck. Damn, why did that boy get a Dodge gas truck? I turned to walk back in as Ari was heading out.

“Wait. You don’t want to finish what we started, baby?” I said.

I grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. She pulled back and laughed.

“As much as I would love to do that, babe, I really have to go. Ellie and Heather are waiting for me at Emma and Garrett’s place.”

“Let me grab my hat, and I’ll ride with you. I have to meet Gunner and Josh at the house anyway.”

***

One the way over to the ranch house, Ari barely spoke two words to me. When she did talk, she was a nervous wreck. I really hated that she wouldn’t let me go with her.

I watched as Ari drove off with Ellie and Heather. The moment she saw Ellie, I could see her relax. Emma hugged her and whispered something into her ear while Gunner just stood there and stared at me. I felt like the f**king black sheep of the herd. I was part of it, yet I was also an outcast because I was trying to do the right thing by Rebecca.

The rest of the morning, all I could do was think about Ari. I kept checking my phone to see if I might have missed a call. I silently said a prayer for her tests results that she wasn’t a carrier of the Fragile X gene. Ari was so stressed over it. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t love any child we had together because I would. I adored Matthew with all my heart.

I walked over to the Jeep and pulled out a bottle water from of the ice cooler. I took a long drink, pulled out my cell again and hit dial.

It was time for me to make plans with my little buddy to go fishing. The moment Susan put Matt on the phone, my heart swelled up with love.

Yeah, it really didn’t matter. I just wanted kids with Ari, I just wanted our home to filled with laughter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ARI

Sitting on the table in Dr. Wyatt’s office, I just stared at all the pictures of pregnant women, babies, and big tummies. The whole bulletin board was covered in pictures. I smiled when I saw a picture of my mother holding Matt from nine years ago. I was standing in the picture next to them, holding up rabbit ears behind my mother.

Dr. Wyatt came and sat down on the stool. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, but I felt like I wanted to throw up.

“Well, Ari, we drew all the blood we needed, and I should get the genetic tests back in two weeks. Your urine test came back positive for pregnancy. The next thing I would like to do is a transvag**al sonogram, so that way we can take a look and maybe see how far along you are. From our earlier conversation and the date of your last period, I’m guessing that you’re about nine weeks. That would put us at a due date of January thirtieth.”

My head was spinning. Nine weeks! Oh. My. God. I have a little baby in me…growing inside of me...holy hell.

“Um, when do you think I’ll start showing?” I asked as I pulled at the gown I was wearing.

Dr. Wyatt reached up, taking my hands in his.

“Ari, I know you’re scared for a number of reasons. Let’s just take this one step at a time, okay? There’s nothing we can do about Fragile X until we get the results back. Don’t stress yourself out. Now, to answer your question, you’ll probably start showing around the first week of October. Keep in mind though that everyone is different though.”