With a contented sigh, I leaned my head on her shoulder.
“The day I found out your momma was pregnant again I was living in California. I had just left the doctor’s office and had been told I would never be able to have kids.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
She forced a smile. “It was a tough day, for damn sure. When I got home, your daddy had left me a message with the news. Twins. I thought for sure God was playing some cruel joke. I let myself cry for a good two hours then I plastered on a smile and called your folks back and told them how happy I was for them. And I was, don’t get me wrong. I was over the moon, but when you’re feeling so overwhelmingly sad, your head plays tricks on you. From that point on, I told myself I was going to just live my life like I was going zero to ninety without a damn care in the world. I went through men like candy and used sex to cover up my hurt.”
She turned to look at me. “Now don’t get me wrong, I do love sex. The best times of my life have been when a dick has been slipped inside my pink pocket. And let me tell you, I’ve had some pretty nice ones.”
My mouth dropped. “For fuck’s sake, Aunt Vi! The visual. I didn’t need that.”
She let out a roar of laughter.
“Why didn’t you ever adopt?” I asked, once she stopped laughing.
“I don’t know. I guess I got a bit lost in myself and didn’t really think about it. I’m so very proud of you. But I know the emotions you must be feeling.”
“It’s a little crazy. I mean, you go from thinking your life is going to go one way, to it not going that way, to oh, wait…it’s going that way after all! Just not the exact way you thought it would.”
She placed her hand over my leg and gave it a squeeze. “Do you love Jonathon?”
Drawing my head back, I pinched my brows together. “Of course! Why are you even asking me that?”
“Just double-checking. I figured you did with how you look at him all puppy dog eyes.”
“I do not look at him like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, keep telling yourself that. Come on, stop hiding out. If you’re going to hide anywhere, hide where the damn booze is, for Pete’s sake.”
I watched my aunt head to the front door. Even though my life had been a rollercoaster of emotions, it hit me how blessed I truly was. No, I’d never be able to have my own biological child, and that would always make my heart ache, but I was surrounded by the most amazing family a woman could ask for. And I had a beautiful adopted baby coming as well as a man who loved me unconditionally and who had taught me how to love again.
Life was about to get good…no doubt about it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jonathon
“Jesus, dude, could you move any slower? My father moves faster than you,” Trevor shouted.
“Well, for fuck’s sake, I’m not driving the damn stack cruiser like Tripp, Mitchell, and Steed! Why are we doing this by hand?”
Wade laughed. “They’re breaking you in. Think of it as a welcome to the family.”
Removing my cowboy hat, I wiped the sweat off my forehead. “It’s sixty degrees out, and I’m fucking sweating my ass off! And what do you mean breaking me in? How long is the break-in process? You’ve been married to Amelia since last summer and it’s March!”
“Less talking, keep stacking, assholes,” Trevor said.
Wade laughed again. I had a feeling I was the one he was laughing at.
Another thirty minutes went by, and we had the ranch truck and trailer completely stacked with square bales of hay.
Leaning against the truck, I lifted a bottle of water to my lips and drank the whole thing.
“Thirsty, Turner?” Wade asked.
“I bet I lost ten pounds from sweating.”
Wade and Trevor chuckled as they drank. “Shit’s hard work, but every now and then a little bit of hard work is good for you.”
I stared at Trevor. “I work hard every day, asshole. Just because I’m not in a field doesn’t mean I don’t work my ass off.”
Trevor lifted his hands in defense. “I wasn’t saying you don’t. For the record, we’re bringing this hay to the barn in the south pasture, so we need to unload it, as well.”
I was pretty sure my jaw hit the ground.
“I hate you right now, Trevor.”
A honking horn made us look down the road at John’s truck, flying toward us.
“Man, does your dad always drive like a bat out of hell?”
Trevor put his cowboy hat back on and pushed off the truck. “No, he doesn’t. Something must be wrong.”
Wade was the next to push off the truck. “Shit, I hope the girls are all okay.”