Josh grabbed a bridle and put it on Sweet Pea, and then jumped up on her.
“You’re riding bareback, dude?”
Josh smiled and took off toward the river.
“Do you know where she’s at along the river?”
“Ari just said Heather went for a ride to the river to read. ”
“Wish me luck!”
“You got this, Josh. Just be honest with her. Wait!”
Josh stopped Sweet pea while I ran over to my truck and opened the door to the backseat. I smiled when I found the folded-up quilt. I ran over to Josh and handed it to him.
“What the fuck do I need a quilt for?”
I just looked at him.
“Oh, um, right. Thanks, dude!”
I watched Josh gallop off on Sweet Pea. I was hoping for two things: the first, that he made it to Heather in one piece and didn’t fall the fuck off the horse, and second, that those two got their shit together once and for all.
By the time I got back to the house, I walked in to see my very pregnant, very sexy wife standing at the kitchen sink. She was listening to her iPod, and those hips were just moving to the beat of the song. I walked up closer to see if I could hear what she was listening to. I could hear Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy. ”, Then, she started to sing, or rather scream the words. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her, but when I came up behind her and put my hands on her hips, she jumped and yelled.
She pulled her earbuds out as she turned around. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you asswipe. You scared the shit out of me!”
I put my hand on her round belly.
“How are you and little bit doing this afternoon?”
She smiled and moved my hand to the right side of her stomach. Right then, the baby kicked…hard.
I smiled as I looked at Ari.
She smiled back at me. “I would say he’s doing well. Me on the other hand…I’m so ready for this baby to be out of my stomach. I’m so glad Dr. Wyatt is inducing me in two days. I don’t think I could carry him around another day. ”
I still couldn’t believe it. In two days, and we would be having a baby at the hospital in Austin.
“Jeff, we really need to decide on a name. ”
I rolled my eyes and sat down on the bar stool. Ugh…baby names kill me. Even after we found out we were having a boy, we still couldn’t agree on a name.
“You still set on Luke, Ari?”
“Yep. Are you still set on Hunter?”
“Yep. ”
“Okay, how about we wait until we see his face, and then we decide. Fair enough?”
Ari smiled and walked up to me. She kissed me so sweetly and softly that I think I would have settled on Luke if she asked again.
“Fair enough, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be walking out of the hospital with the name Luke Drew Johnson. ”
“I’m pretty sure you’re right baby. ”
“Is Josh still down at the barn?”