Sometime during the night, Winona startled awake and bopped Riggs on the head. He didn’t even budge. He slept soundly on his stomach next to her, one arm thrown over her waist.
She’d been dreaming of her mother again, but for the first time in a long while, the dreams included her stepfather. All his leering, cruelty, insults. Whore. Slut. Tramp. Leroy had friends who’d come by the house and make drunken passes at her from the time she’d been twelve. She’d managed to fend them off, once knocking a man clear on his ass with the help of a handy fireplace poker. But later, she learned what men wanted from a woman. And she’d used that home-field advantage to get her out of Leroy’s house.
The memory and spirit of that young woman lived inside of her still, and she sometimes came out, ready to brawl. Ready to find a fireplace poker and kick someone’s ass. She wanted to see less of that woman and more of the one she would have been had her mother lived to raise her. Riggs would have loved that woman. She’d have been sweet and even-tempered. A good wife and mother.
She wasn’t sure what kind of mother she would be. There was always the possibility that she would royally screw this up.
Winona shifted to her side to face Riggs and played with his unruly hair. Dark and thick, it was always on the wrong side of a cut. His strong jawline was dusted with tough beard bristle.
Last night, he’d rocked her world.
Riggs was a wonderful lover but this time he’d been tender, too. Taking his time, kissing her long and hard, slowly whipping her body into a frenzy. She didn’t know what had happened, what switch had been toggled. But she’d take it. She’d take him being tender, his sweet words washing over her with hope.
She imagined it had to do with the fact he could have lost a child again. This time they were his own flesh and blood and she imagined a man like Riggs would bring hellfire on anyone trying to hurt his family.
Purely by accident, she’d wound up with a good man. She couldn’t have done better if she’d gone to a sperm bank and picked the best genetic qualities for a father. Riggs might not love her, except as a host for his children, but that didn’t matter right now. Because most of all, she wanted her children to have a good father. Someone solid and responsible. This wasn’t about her anymore. This was about her babies.
The next few months would be easy to get through this way. The warm rush of the body of a man sleeping next to her, making love to her, taking care of her. Winona wasn’t used to a man looking out for her and when Riggs first started trying, she’d seen it purely as control. From the time he’d burst in on her throwing up in the bathroom. And maybe it had been at that time. Now it felt different. Genuine.
Hungry again, which seemed to happen way too frequently, she shifted and tried to move his arm. The accidental bop on the head didn’t wake him but trying to move his arm did. Interesting.
“Winona,” he mumbled in a voice thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
She ruffled his bed hair. “Nothing. Go back to sleep, baby. I just… I want some more of that pie.”
Delores was a wonderful cook. Last night, the peach pie had been scrumptious. The crust flaky and buttery, the fresh sliced peaches caramelized. Her mouth watered.
“I’ll get it.”
“That’s okay…I…”
But he had already rolled out of bed and tugged his jeans on. Shame. Still, she watched him and his amazing body walk out the door. Holy Grand Ole Opry, he had a great backside. A few minutes later they were both back, her pie and her man. She didn’t know which made her salivate more.
“Thank you.”
Half asleep, he handed it to her, pie nicely plated, fork, napkin.
“You looked tired.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Within seconds he was back in bed fast asleep.
Yet another man blessed with “man sleep.”
Meanwhile, she’d be up for a while, both eating this slice of pie, and wondering how she got this lucky.
When Winona woke the next morning, Riggs was already gone. She hadn’t even heard him leave.
Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her nightshirt, and pulled it back on. She found her cell on the nightstand. Once in a while, Winona would get a flurry of text messages from Kimberly all at once, several days’ worth. They were always upbeat and encouraging:
Keep the end goal in mind!
Baby,baby,baby!
You can do this!
So, it was time to give Kimberly the latest.
Finding no bars on her cell again, Winona reached for the landline kept on the nightstand and dialed Kimberly’s cell. She didn’t answer and it went straight to voice mail. Rather than leave one, Winona hung up and tried again.
“Yes?” Kimberly said. “Who is this?”
“It’s me, Kim.”
“Winona! Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone. That’s not what I use it for.”
“Out here on the ranch, I’m lucky to get a signal. I’ll have to use the landline most of the time.”
“Listen to you. A landline. The ranch. How quaint. How are you feeling?”
“I’m not quite as sick as I was.” Winona settled back on the pillows. “You can issue the press release about my pregnancy. Everyone here already knows.”
“And how did that go over with the family?”
“Delores figured it out anyway. She’s very happy.” Winona cleared her throat. “Are you sitting down, Kim?”
“Why? Do I have to?”
“How’s your heart?” Winona winced, ready to drop the twin bomb.
“Holy popsicle, Winona, what did you do?”
“Oh, nothing much. I’m just having twins.”
There was a long and drawn-out pause in which Winona thought she’d been disconnected. “Hello? Kim? Hello?”
A long whistle followed. “What are we going to do?”
“Be happy? I’m getting two for the price of one.”
“But Winona…having twins is riskier. Recovery will take much longer. You should probably have a scheduled C-section.”
“The midwife in town thinks I can do it naturally.”
“Naturally?” Kimberly squeaked.
She’d been the one to beg for drugs the moment she’d felt the slightest twinge. No wonder she assumed Winona would be the same. Unfortunately, the epidural block for pain relief was one long needle in the back. Winona had watched videos. She’d almost passed out during one. That needle would never find its way into her spine. No sir.
“I know, I know. But don’t worry. We’ll have a doctor on standby if things go south.”
“Oh, Winona. Geez. A midwife?”
“I’m happy, Kim. Be happy for me, okay?”
“What does cowboy lawyer say about all this?”
Winona wondered if she should mention how well she and Riggs were getting along, as in now sleeping together, but she hesitated. Kim would ruin this for her. She’d warned that an annulment would be harder to file after consummating the marriage. At this point, Winona didn’t care about any of that. She was the one spending a long year on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. She would like to be happy for at least a little while. The fighting and arguing had become exhausting. The kissing and make-up sex were so much better.
“You let me know if you need anything. Meanwhile, I’m dealing with the business end. You were asked to present again at the CMA Awards, and I was able to put them off. I told them you were unreachable, and I’d have to get back to them.”
“Tell them a big, fat no. I’m sick of them trotting me out once a year. Anyway, I’ll be as big as a house, and I don’t want to travel. Too dangerous in the last trimester.”
“I’m sure that cowboy wouldn’t let you travel.” She scoffed. “A few of your studio musicians are asking about you. I told them you’re on a sabbatical and would call when you had work for them.”
“Thanks.”
The worst part of taking time off was how many musicians might only be partially employed due to her. Some of them, and their wives, were dear friends.
“I’ll make a few calls, see if I can find them some other studio work for now.”
“I can’t imagine how bored you must be out there. Is it horrible?”
Well, she’d definitely found a fun new way of entertaining herself. She stroked the spot on the bed next to her, which still held his exhilarating scent.
“I’ve planted a vegetable garden. I’m working on it today after my breakfast.”
“That’s awesome!”
“You were right, Kim. I’m going to make it through this year and be a lot better off. I think Riggs might even like me now a little bit.”
She wouldn’t go so far as to saying love, but if nothing else, she hoped they would end their marriage as good friends. She’d stayed friends with Jackson, why not Riggs? Much easier to co-parent.
“See, I knew that would happen. How can anyone not like you?”
Winona snorted. Spoken from a best friend, but some folks seemed to do just fine.
A week later, on a Sunday, Delores was off to church. Too late to join her, Winona thought maybe she’d bring Riggs and Sean lunch today. She wasn’t sure what they normally did on Delores’s days off, but she figured Riggs would appreciate her thinking of him either way. Digging through the refrigerator, she found sandwich fixings, and prepared a lunch. Riggs often left the keys in the ignition and so she drove his truck up the hill to the pasture.
“Hey,” Sean called out since he seemed closest to the gate where several cattle were locked. “What are you doin’ here?”
“I brought lunch for y’all.”
Sean quirked a brow, his suspicion of her thick. “Why?”
“Delores is at church. It’s nothin’ fancy. Just bologna and cheese sandwiches. Some chips. Water.” She climbed out of the truck but before she could open the door, Sean had hauled the basket out for her.
“I haven’t had bologna and cheese since I was a kid.”
“Me, either.” Her mama used to make these sandwiches and cut the crust off.
Riggs joined them. “What’s this?”
“Your wife made lunch for us,” Sean said with a bit too much snark for Winona’s taste.
“Nothing fancy.”
She’d seen the lunches Delores packed and wondered if she got all her recipes from The Pioneer Woman. It wasn’t anything Winona would dare to attempt without help.
Another truck drove up then, driven by a beautiful blonde. “Hey, y’all! Sorry if I’m late.”
Sean rushed to the truck.
“Jolette Marie usually brings us lunch when Delores has the day off,” Riggs said. “I would have told you if you’d asked.”
Winona deflated. “Hers looks a lot better.”
Jolette Marie removed a pie, a whole cooked chicken, rolls, and… Winona didn’t even want to watch anymore. Sean went straight to feasting on that lunch. Jolette Marie waved Riggs over, but he took his sandwich and sat on the tailgate of his truck.
“I’m good.” He waved back.
Winona sat next to him, her heart squishy all over again. He had to stop behaving this way if he didn’t want her to fall in love with him.
“You don’t have to eat my inferior lunch.”
He snaked an arm around her and the smile he gave kick-started her whole heart. “I like bologna and cheese sandwiches. You can bring them to me anytime.”
Then it probably became hard for him to eat with her plastering her body against his, resting her head on his chest.
“Who is Jolette Marie? She’s very pretty.”
“Jo has had a rough time of it. She’s made some stupid decisions and now it seems she’s trying to find her way back. The Truehart family owns the horse ranch next to the Double C.”
“I heard that was owned by the wealthiest man in Stone Ridge.”
Riggs nodded. “Yep.”
That explained the Escalade Jolette Marie drove.
Riggs finished his sandwiches and chips. Then he practically guzzled the bottle of water in two seconds and crushed it with one hand. Lord, how she loved to watch this man drink a bottle of water. She could make a day out of just that.
“I’m knocking off early this Saturday so I can take you out,” Riggs said.
“Where to?” There weren’t any restaurants in Stone Ridge other than the Shady Grind, but there were more options in Kerrville.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He gave her a slow smile. “This is something you’re going to have to see with your own eyes.”
“Really. Wow. Sounds intriguing.”
“I better get back to it.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
She watched him as he walked back to his brother and grabbed Sean by the shirt sleeve, urging him to stop eating and get back to work.
Winona had just put up the tailgate when Jolette Marie walked over and offered her hand. “Hey, there. I don’t think we’ve met. Not officially. Congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you.”
It didn’t make sense to be jealous, but it so happened that Jolette Marie was decked out the same way Winona used to dress. This morning she hadn’t bothered with makeup or hair which had become the norm. Nothing seemed to fit her right anymore and she couldn’t face maternity clothes this soon. She’d taken to wearing her jeans unbuttoned at the top with blousy peasant tops. The thought of purchasing maternity clothes this soon was unthinkable.
“I can’t tell you what Riggs means to me.” Jolette Marie went hand to heart. “And to most everyone in town. When there’s a problem anywhere, Riggs is the first one anyone calls. We have a phone tree for the men when there’s help needed, and Riggs is always there. Not too long ago, he pitched in to help with the new school they built in town over at the old church.”
“You really only have one school? What about preschool?”
“Parents do preschool at home or in little co-ops with friends. All the kids used to get bussed to school the next town over.” She smiled. “That was me, all my brothers, Lincoln, Jackson, their sister, Daisy, Eve, Sadie. We grew up that way. It’s nice to have a school here at least for the little ones.”
“What about Riggs? Where did he go to school?”
“I heard he and his brothers only moved here when he was around thirteen?”
Yes. She remembered him telling her that he’d been a foster child when the Hendersons had taken him in.
“Did you know his wife?”
“He had a wife?” Her eyes widened. “I guess I don’t know everything about him. But he is a good thirteen years older than me.”
This meant Winona was ten years older than this lovely woman. She couldn’t believe that Riggs hadn’t ever been interested in her. Then again, maybe he had in the past. Considering the shortage of women, it might even be easier to understand him going after someone younger.
“I better get back,” Winona said.
“Sorry I kept you.” She crossed her arms and lowered her head. “I just… I…”
“What is it?”
Jolette Marie jumped a little. “Oh, I would like your autograph sometime, or maybe a selfie if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.” Winona went straight back into showbiz mode. “Right now? I would, but I don’t think anyone would recognize me without my fake lashes and hair extensions.”
“Those were hair extensions? They looked so natural!”
She laughed. “You better believe it. It costs a lot of money to look that good.”
For the next few minutes, Jolette Marie grilled Winona about hair products. Not surprisingly, money was no object. Jolette Marie wanted only the best.
“Do you know Twyla, the waitress at the Shady Grind?” Jolette Marie asked.
“Yes, we’ve met.”
“I hang out at the Shady Grind a lot. There’s no other place to go.” She shrugged. “Twyla is your biggest fan.”
“That’s very sweet. I love hearing from my fans.”
Party line, front and center. She never asked for privacy or to be left alone to sulk if she so felt like it. To be a celebrity in good standing, she could never have a bad day. It was exhausting.
“I was just…wonderin’ if you maybe could, I don’t know, help her out a little bit.”
“Sure. Help her out with what?”
“Well, this is a little awkward and she’d never tell you this.” Jolette Marie hesitated. “She wants to be a country music star, just like you. And she has the chops. I’ve heard her. Jackson lets her sing from time to time at the bar.”
“If she wants to be a country music star, she has to go to Nashville.”
“That’s what Jackson told her.”
“I’m not sure how much I can help from over here in Texas, but I’ll do whatever I can.”
“She’ll be so excited to hear that.” Jolette Marie grabbed Winona in a hug.
“I don’t have the pull in Nashville that I used to. It’s been a long time since I had a hit song.”
“It’s the same for Jackson. He’d love to help, but he’s done all he can for her. And I’m thinking it’s a whole different scene in Nashville for women than men.”
“You’ve got that right.”
“See, the thing is she’s entering that national contest. The one where they go all over the country with a bus? They’ve got the crew coming to audition in Dallas, and she’s going to drive on over there.”
“Winning a contest is how I got out of Oklahoma. Have her call me and she can come out sometime and talk shop. Or I can come to her at the Shady Grind. All I’m doing now is growing a vegetable garden.” She patted her belly. “And my babies.”
“Okay, well, maybe I’ll see you at the Founder’s Day parade this weekend?”
“Founder’s Day parade?”
“See you there.” Jolette Marie climbed in her Escalade. “You don’t want to miss this.”
This must be where Riggs would be taking her. “I’ve been told.”
But she’d been married in a Las Vegas drive-through by an Elvis impersonator, and once ran drunk-naked through the sprinklers in front of her mansion.
When it came to crazy stuff, the bar was set high.