Yeah, what do you have to say now, Horse? My inner voice was snide and pissed off at everyone lately.
Horse looked right at me when he said, “I’ve been there, man. That’s a shitty place to hang out. You must be feeling all kinds of fucked up.”
“Been where?” I asked callously.
His eyes were soft with kindness even though my tone was shitty. “Where you are, mired in my own shit.”
“What does that mean?” I asked again.
Jamison clarified for me. “It means, you’ll fuck her. You might even love her. But you’ll come out swinging if she even considers loving you.”
“Oh no,” Maddie said again, and she reached out and covered the hand I had resting on the table with hers. “I’ve been there too. That’s the worst.”
“We’ve all been there,” Jamison said. “Sucks to be you right now.”
I rolled my eyes at them. And then forcefully argued, “Y’all, I am not dick knotted or mired in my own shit. Caroline and I are just friends.”
“Sarah and I were just friends, too,” Horse said.
“My son wasn’t Cody’s.” Jamison practically cackled.
Maddie looked down at her soon-to-be growing belly and said, “I couldn’t give Luke a family.”
Fuck these lovable idiots. I took a deep breath and said nothing, hoping they would let this go.
Finally reading the room—or rather the candlelit picnic table—Horse nonchalantly said, “So, I asked Sarah to marry me.”
Maddie laughed.
“You did?” Jamison asked in shock.
I just sat there with my mouth hanging open.
“Wait,” Maddie said, seeming almost panicked. “She’s not wearing a ring. Did she say no?”
Horse shook his head. “No, she said yes. But then she said she wouldn’t wear my ring until I told Duke.”
“Told Duke?” Jamison laughed.
Horse shook his head. “Yep. No asking. She wants me to tell him. Says she’s a grown woman who makes her own choices, but she respects and honors his role as her father so he needs to be informed.”
“Makes sense.” I shrugged, still trying to wrap my brain around the idea that my baby sister was going to get married. Then, knowing how Sarah loved Horse and how much my dad loved love, I said, “So tell him. He’ll be happy. He likes you. Plus, if she’s happy, he’s happy.”
Horse looked at me. “No offense, dude. Your dad is an amazing guy, and I straight-up love the man, but when you are not actually a Morgan, he’s a little intimidating.”
“It’s all the love,” Maddie said. “Us Morgan-in-laws are just not used to being loved like that. It’s terrifying.”
“Oh my God,” Jamison said, cradling her face in her hands. “And the judgment-free forgiveness. How does he do it? He’s like freaking Jesus or some shit.”
I chuckled. “I’ll tell him you said so.”
Maddie smacked my arm. “Don’t you dare. We are letting you see behind the curtain right now. Don’t you dare reveal the secrets of Oz.”
I crossed my heart and put my arm around her. “Got it, sis.” I paused for a moment, and then I added, “We are all lucky to have y’all.”
The others started approaching the table. They were laughing and chatting. I glanced at Caroline; she was absolutely fine, holding her own as I knew she could. She looked bright and shiny, really glowing like she was enjoying herself. She glanced at me and when we locked eyes, we smiled, those small, sweet smiles that lovers give each other across a crowded room.
Jamison reached out to put her hand on mine like Maddie had earlier. Lowering her voice so that only the four of us could hear her, she said, “I’m glad you like us, Wyatt, because I’m hoping that affection you feel will keep you from hating me when I say I’m absolutely sure you are the smartest Morgan brother and you don’t have a fucking clue.”
12
Caroline
I was standing in the Morgans’ backyard, chatting and actually having a pretty good time. When I first arrived, Wyatt’s brothers circled around me like a pack of curious hounds, hot on the scent of something but they just weren’t sure what. Wyatt’s sudden celibacy and the awful lot of time he was spending working on my rodeo had their eyebrows raised, but no matter how they tried, they didn’t get anything out of me. After a few completely unsubtle attempts to pick my brain, Kat and Sarah stepped in, scolding them all and forcing them to relent their search for the hint of something tawdry.
Like everyone else in Conway, I’d known Kat Bennett all my life and I wasn’t one bit surprised when she got famous. Sarah’s fame was a little bit of a jolt. In my mind she was Wyatt’s baby sister, so when she started to top the billboard charts, I had a small wow moment, but honestly, standing among them, I was so much more amazed that somehow, despite the fame, they were both still totally down-to-earth.
After they scolded the boys, we all just talked. To my absolute delight, no one mentioned my above-average intelligence once. Luke asked Cody if he liked being a father and that conversation snowballed into everyone talking about parenting and pregnancy.
“I don’t know how you women do it,” Luke said. “Maddie just had her embryo transfer a few weeks ago and I’m already a barrel of nerves.”
Bill glanced at Kat. “I feel every minute of the entire nine months like a boulder on my shoulders.”
Rubbing her very round belly, Kat joked, “You should try having a bolder in your pelvis.”
“How far along are you?” I asked. “About thirty-seven weeks?”
“Wow. Yes, thirty-seven exactly.” Kat smiled. “How did you know?”
I shrugged. “I could say that I have a doctor’s intuition and look all psychic, but honestly, it's your breathing.”
“My breathing?” Kat laughed.
“Yes, the baby has already dropped. So she … he …”
Bill interrupted me. “A girl. Apparently, my father’s swimmers had a knack for boys and I’m sending in badass X chromosomes.”
I laughed and then continued. “She is no longer pushing on your lungs. You’re taking deep breaths.”
Kat made a huh face. “Cool, and very observant of you, Doc.”
I smiled. “That’s the job, I guess. I loved my obstetrics rotation. Sometimes I still think I should have gone that route. The whole creating life thing is outstanding.” I looked to Luke and Bill. “Yes, nerve-racking, but really the female body is ingenious. Most of the time delivering babies is the happiest kind of medicine.” Kindly, I offered my advice. “Don’t worry too much. Be amazed. It’s so fucking cool.”
“Language, Caroline,” Duke said next to me.
Instantly embarrassed, I felt my face heat. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I was just caught up in the moment.”
All the Morgans started laughing and Sarah scolded her father, “Dad!”
Duke smiled at me as he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Don’t tell my kids, but I’ve got the worst fucking potty mouth in this house.”