Wide Open Spaces Read online

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Hey,” she says softly, then laughs when Braden grabs the book, lifting it in front of their faces and effectively cutting me off.

  “Someone has a crush,” Rhonda murmurs.

  “Can’t say I blame him,” I mumble back, hearing her laugh, then look toward the stairs that lead to the upper level where the bedrooms are located when I hear a loud curse that Braden just so happens to hear and repeat, making Rhonda groan.

  “Reservation’s in thirty minutes. You may want to go up and make sure we’re still on track to leave in ten,” Lea suggests, and I nod at her then head up.

  Once I’m at the landing, I turn toward the sound of voices and head across the expanse to find Austin and Ben both working on a white crib that is just about finished. Only the top rail is left to put on, yet they both look pissed.

  “What’s up?”

  “Fuck, I hate Ikea,” Austin grumbles, holding out a handful of screws toward me, and Ben laughs.

  “I told him we needed to follow the directions, but he insisted we could do it off the photo from the website. This is where that idea got us,” he says, pointing at Austin’s open hand, and I smile.

  “You do know you’re gonna have to take this shit apart, right?” I ask, and Austin growls.

  “Fuck.” He then looks from me to Ben. “I told Lea that Jacob could just sleep with us until he’s old enough for a big kid bed, but she insisted he needs his own bed and his own room.”

  “If you ever want to get laid again, brother, I wouldn’t suggest him sleeping with you as an option.” Ben pats his back, and Austin rubs his hands down his face, probably realizing Ben’s right, and hating it.

  “You don’t have time to fix this right now. Reservation’s in thirty. You know if we’re not there they’ll give our table to someone else, and then we’ll have a mob of hungry women and kids after us.”

  “You’re right, but I need to get this shit done before the opener tomorrow. Otherwise, Lea’ll do it on her own, even knowing the doctor told her to take it easy, and that shit will start a fight I don’t have time for.”

  “I’m off tomorrow. I’ll stop by and bring the boys. We’ll put it together while you’re out.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks, looking at the crib, and I put my hand against it and push slightly, feeling it sway.

  “I’m sure,” I mutter, and Ben laughs, gaining a glare from Austin.

  “I’ll help him take it apart when we get back tonight,” Ben assures, heading for the door, and I follow him out of the room then down the stairs, where everyone is waiting at the bottom with their coats on. Summer is ending, and the temp has been dropping by the day. The kids all start school in two days, and before long, snow will be on the ground.

  “Did you get it set up?” Lea asks, looking behind me, and Austin grumbles, “No, Zach’s gonna finish it up tomorrow.”

  “You were up there for hours.”

  “I told you not to buy the crib from Ikea.”

  “Not this again.” Lea tilts her head back, sighing at the ceiling, and my eyes go to Shel to see her fighting back a smile.

  “We don’t have time for you two to argue. We have a reservation to get to,” Rhonda cuts in, knowing Lea and Austin will argue because it’s what they do, and if she lets it go on, we’ll be here for hours and definitely miss dinner.

  “Way to be bossy, baby, and take charge.” Ben winks at his woman, catching Braden when he throws himself out of Rhonda’s arms then leans down, kissing her.

  Walking over to Shel, I wrap my arm around her waist and her head tilts back. “Was everything okay?”

  “Just a couple of guys who drank too much. They’re actually brothers by blood, and it’s not the first time I’ve had to settle a fight between them.”

  “Oh.”

  “Tom and Jerry back at it?” Austin asks, and I smile at his nicknames for them.

  “When are they not at each other’s throat?” I question.

  “When they’re messing with someone else,” Ben answers, with a shrug.

  “True,” Austin agrees, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch, then turns to look at me. “Ben will drive Rhonda and the kids in Shelby’s van, and I’ll take Lea with me, so you and Shel can ride together in your truck. That way you won’t have to come back this way after dinner.”

  “Works for me,” I agree, as Ben asks, “The minivan?” making a face filled with horror. “You drive the minivan. I’m allergic.” He shakes his head.

  “Oh, Lord, you’ll be fine. Besides, I told you I’m getting one after my lease is up this year, so you may as well experience it firsthand,” Rhonda says, smacking his chest.

  “No wife of mine is driving a minivan.”

  “Sure.” She rolls her eyes, and I feel Shel’s shoulders shaking and look down at her to see her fighting back laughter.

  “You okay, baby?”

  “You can buy mine from me, Rhonda. I hate it.”

  “You hate it?”

  “It’s nice to drive, but I hate looking at it.”

  “See, babe? No minivans,” Ben states.

  “Whatever. Can we just go?” she tosses out, heading for the door.

  “Absolutely, and since I’m feeling generous, you can ride in Shel’s van tonight for a small fee I will take from you later.”

  “Ben,” Lea hisses, nodding at the kids, who are rolling their eyes.

  “Jesus, at this point, we’re never going to make it to dinner,” Austin growls.

  “Oh, yes we are,” Lea growls back, herding the kids in front of her toward the door. “I’m hungry, and the Harbor House is closing in a week, so I won’t be able to eat there again until next summer. So if we miss our reservation, I’m going to be one unhappy pregnant woman.” She then looks at Austin, who is grinning, and growls, “Come on, Mr. Wolf.”

  “Are they always like this?” Shel asks, as I lead her toward the door, following Austin.

  “Always.”

  “Hmmm,” she hums, then smiles. “I’ve always liked Lea, and since meeting Rhonda, I’ve gotten to like her too, but the guys are seriously funny.” She grins, and I lean down, kissing the grin off her face, and then take her keys from her and toss them to Ben, leading her to my truck as the kids, Rhonda, and Ben pile into the van.

  “So what’s you guys’ plan? Are you moving in together? I have a renter for you if you are,” Rhonda offers, and I feel Shel tense then look at the kids, who are all waiting for my answer, and hear Lea hiss, “Rhonda.”

  “What?” she asks, blinking and looking around, confused.

  “Are we moving in with Shel, Dad?” Aubrey asks, and my eyes go to my daughter sitting across the table from me.

  I didn’t plan on having this conversation tonight. I know Shel wanted to talk to Hunter first, so she could feel him out, before having me sit down with the kids to see how they felt about the idea. But with Max being here the last week, things have gotten off course, and neither of us has brought it up, even though I think about it every damn day.

  “We’re thinking about it, gorgeous, but won’t unless all of you agree it’s okay,” I say, then look at Steven, who is smiling at Aubrey, before moving my gaze to Hunter, hoping he’s not upset. Him being younger and only recently experiencing his parents’ divorce will make this a little more difficult for him, and I won’t move forward if he’s not ready.

  “We have more rooms at our house,” Hunter points out, then looks at his mom. “I vote they move in with us.”

  “Yeah, I say we move into Shel’s, but I call the room with the bathroom upstairs.” Aubrey grins, and Steven growls, “You can’t call that room. I call it.”

  “Too bad, already did. Plus, I’m a girl. I don’t want to share a bathroom with boys. I’ve already done that forever, and I’m so over it.” She rolls her eyes, and I feel Shel’s hand on my thigh grasp tightly, and then hear her giggle, only to laugh loudly when Hunter adds his two cents.

  “We don’t want to share a bathroom with you anyways. Girls have too much crap. You should see my mom’s bathroom.” He cringes, and I chuckle. Shel’s not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, and Hunter is right; her bathroom counter is covered in odds and ends.

  “That’s true.” Steven reaches out, giving Hunter a fist bump, and everyone at the table laughs.

  “So when are you guys moving in?” Hunter asks, and I look at Shel, who is biting her lip, then look back at him.

  “Not sure yet, bud. We’ll talk about it again in the next few days to make sure you’re all still good with the idea, and then go from there.”

  “I’m good with it,” Hunter says, and Shel’s hand tightens further.

  “Me too,” Aubrey agrees.

  “I’m good.” Steven shrugs, and I put my hand over Shel’s on my thigh then flip it over to wrap my fingers through hers.

  “Oh my, I think I might cry,” Lea breathes, and Rhonda mutters something that sounds like she’s already in tears, but I keep my eyes on the kids, wondering how the hell all of this is so damn easy. I assumed the kids would have concerns, but they just look content with the idea… even happy about it.

  “Well, now that my wife’s drunk, I’m gonna take her home before she tries to set anyone else up or does something crazy I can’t apologize for,” Ben says, and I look at him then at Austin as he wraps his arm around Lea’s shoulders, and push my seat back as well.

  “We’ll have you guys over to the house for dinner soon,” Shel promises, standing and giving Rhonda and Lea each a hug.

  “Yes, but before that, we’ll get together for lunch or coffee.”

  “Sounds good,” Shel agrees, stepping back, and I wrap my arm around her waist then give the guys each a chin lift as they leave before walking Shel out of the restaurant to her van.

  “I’m riding with Zach and Steven, Mom,” Hunter says, as Bre gets into the passenger seat of the van, shutting the door, and Steven walks to my truck, with Hunter chasing after him.

  “See you at home, baby.” I drop my mouth to hers in a soft kiss, watching her eyes light up as I pull away.

  “This is way too easy,” she whispers when she leans back, but I shake my head and drop my forehead to hers.

  “I thought that too at first, but I’m starting to realize it’s just meant to be. We were supposed to be here now in this moment with our kids.” Her face goes soft and her hands on my tee at my waist tighten.

  “I actually think you’re right.” She closes her eyes. “I love you Zach Watters.”

  “You too, baby.” I lean down, kiss her forehead, and then move her to the side so I can open her door. Once she’s in, I look at Bre. “See you at Shel’s, gorgeous.”

  “Okay, Dad,” she agrees, and with that, I head for my truck parked a few spots over then follow Shel back to her place, where we end up finalizing our plans to move in starting the next day.

  Chapter 12

  Shelby

  “I thought you had to work,” I say, startled, holding my chest when I find Zach standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes on me as he wears his uniform of a plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. Today, he has a five o’clock shadow and a hat on his head, because it was really cold this morning when he went to work at five.

  “I got a couple hours before I need to get back,” he states, walking toward me, and I look at the clock, checking the time and seeing it’s only a little after ten. The kids all started back to school a little over two weeks ago, and around that time, Zach, Aubrey, and Steven started moving in. So far, most of their stuff has been brought over, but we still have a lot to go before we can rent Zach’s house out to a new doctor who is moving to town with his wife and kids, and that has kept us busy.

  “Oh well, I was going to make you some breakfast. Do you want some?” I ask, studying him as he slowly closes the distance between us.

  “Nope, not hungry. I ate a bit ago.”

  “Oh,” I mutter, backing up as he presses into my space, feeling my back hit the counter and his hands grip my hips. Then I’m up, with no choice but to wrap my legs around his hips. “Oh.” I smile, but he doesn’t smile back. Instead, he growls as his hands squeeze my ass. Dropping my mouth down to his, I feel his tongue touch my lips, and my core tightens with want and excitement. Walking us back to the bedroom, I hear the door close and I pull my mouth from his.

  “Thanks for getting the kids to school,” I tell him. I didn’t expect him to come home at a little after six in the morning, but when he came in, told me to sleep and that he was dealing with the kids, I was thrilled.

  “So fucking glad you didn’t have to work today,” he mutters, as my back hits the bed and he covers me, dropping his mouth to my jaw then licking and nipping along my neck as he spreads the flannel shirt of his I put on this morning over my nightgown. “Otherwise I would’ve had to come to your job to fuck you.” He nips my breast, making me gasp. “I swear I couldn’t get you off my mind all morning.” He pulls down the top of my nightie then licks around my nipple as his hand travels over the silky material covering my stomach.

  “Leaving you in bed… wearing this.” He looks down as his fingers slide under then edge of my panties near my core, so close to where I need him right now. “Do you know how fucked up it is to walk around half hard while trying to deal with petty bullshit around town?” he grumbles, making me smile at the idea of him doing just that. Then I hiss when he nips my nipple hard enough to sting and slides a finger softly through my folds. “Fuck, you’re already wet for me.” He pulls my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard as his fingers circle my clit. Moving my hands to his waist, I quickly undo the buttons of his shirt then drag the bottom out of his jeans, needing to touch him, needing to feel his warm skin against mine.

  “Zach,” I moan, as he slips one then two fingers into me, pumping up against my g-spot.

  “Fuck, I can feel you clamping down on my fingers,” he groans, then slowly moves down my body, and I know what’s coming. It’s something I love, something I crave from him; his mouth on me while his fingers are in me is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. His mouth covers me over my panties as his fingers work my g-spot. Needing more, I start to reach down to pull the fabric out of the way and pause. “Go ahead. Show me your pussy and tell me what you want.”

  Closing my eyes, I slowly reach down, slide my panties to the side, and wait, but all I can feel is his breath against me and I open my eyes, meeting his.

  “Tell me what you want,” he demands.

  Biting my lip, I build up the courage, then whisper, “I want you to eat me.”

  His eyes flare then his mouth is on me, nipping the lips of my pussy then licking, pulling, sucking my clit while his fingers inside of me move in sync with my heartbeat that I swear I feel everywhere. I come hard, so hard that stars flash before my eyes and I scream loud, thankful the kids aren’t home, because I don’t know if I would be able to control it if they were. Floating back to myself, I find Zach standing next to the bed with his eyes on my pussy, where my fingers and his still are.

  “Clothes off then on your knees at the edge of the bed.”

  Rolling, I slip off his shirt and my nightie then lean back and take of my drenched panties, tossing them to the floor. I roll again, getting up onto my knees in front of him. Looking at him over my shoulder, I watch him slip off his shirt that is already spread open and then unbuckle his jeans. The second he’s free, his cock points right at me, the tip red, with a drop of precum I want to lick off. “You can have my cock in your mouth anytime, baby. You’re forced to be quiet when it’s in your mouth. But when I’m fucking you, you’re loud, and I don’t get to fuck you like I want too often.”

  He runs his hand over his length and I feel my pussy clench. He’s right; when he fucks me—really fucks me—I can’t help but be loud, even when I try to fight it. Lining up behind me, he runs his fingers through my folds, making my hips jerk as he trails over my clit. “Sensitive?”

  “Yeah,” I breathe, as he strums over it again and again, each pass of his fingers making it hard to stay upright. Then I feel him glide deep into me, inch by slow inch. Moaning loud as he fills me full, my arms slide forward on the bed and my ass tilts toward him, giving myself over to him completely, but I lose his fingers on my clit.

  “Fuck, I love seeing you like this,” he growls, holding the cheeks of my ass as he slides out and back in. “So beautiful.” His hands slide out to hold onto my hips so he can pull me back roughly onto his cock. Gripping the bedding under me, I hold on as he fucks me hard. This is not making love; this is him owning me.

  “Zach.”

  “I feel it, baby. You’re close. Hold on for me,” he demands, going harder and faster, feeling as if I’ll split in two and making it hard not to come.

  “Oh, God.” I panic, knowing I can’t hold back much longer. He feels too good and he’s hitting my g-spot with every single thrust. “Touch yourself. Take yourself there.” Resting my forehead on the bed, I slide my hand between my legs. The moment I touch my clit, I come hard, shouting his name, hearing him groan mine after one… two… three more thrusts, and planting himself deep.

  Panting, my body slides forward on the bed, my knees unable to hold me up. I feel his lips against my lower back then hear the sound of clanking from his belt. Then his warmth’s gone and his footsteps are heading toward the bathroom. I don’t even know when I hear or feel him when he comes back to clean me up, and I barely open my eyes when he tells me he’ll be back at four, that he loves me, and then kisses me goodbye.

  Rolling over, my sore muscles ache as I lean over the side of the bed and look at the clock.

  “Crap,” I groan, rolling to my back. It’s already twelve and I still need to shower and get to the store before picking up the kids from school. I learned a week ago not to take them with me when I go shopping. They all tend to load the cart with junk food then complain a day later that there is no food in the house.

  Stumbling to the shower, I get in, leaving my hair up so I don’t have to go through the process of drying it, then wash up quickly, wishing Zach was home to shower with me. Getting out, I dry off then get dressed in a pair of jeans, my college hoodie, and sneakers. I have a few errands to run besides grocery shopping, and since fall is in the air, there is nothing better than being able to dress comfortably.

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