“Dammit, Carse, why didn’t you say something?”
“Because it’s embarrassing. I put off askin’ him and now I see I shoulda kept my mouth shut. Jesus. I hate that I damn near begged for a few extra bucks and he didn’t even consider it.” Carson closed his eyes. “Casper f**ks up, knocks up a chick that he doesn’t even like and he gets a house? I don’t know where Casper gets the idea I’m the favorite child because from where I’m sittin’ in my cramped trailer? He is.”
“I’ll give you some of my salary if it helps. I just spend the extra on stupid shit anyway.”
Between his frustration and his brother’s kindness, he might just break down. He took in a deep breath and let it out before he patted Cal on the back. “Thanks. I mean it. But I can’t take your money.”
“Carson—”
“But I will let you buy me a bottle or two of whiskey if you promise to drink it with me when I drown my sorrows about bein’ broke.”
“That I can do.”
“Gotta get home and check on my wife.”
Cord had sacked out by the time Carson pulled up to the trailer. He carried the boy inside and placed him in the crib—boots and all.
Carolyn was stretched out on the bed in their room, a washrag over her eyes, a package of saltines on the dresser next to a Coke.
He perched on the edge of the bed. “Hey, sugar. How you feelin’?”
“A little less like dog poop than I did when you left.”
“Sorry. What can I do?”
She lowered the cloth from her eyes. “Where’s Cord?”
“Sleepin’ off a drunk on the tractor. That boy needs to learn how to hold his whiskey.”
“Funny.”
“He crashed.” Carson slipped off his boots and crawled up next to her. “C’mere. I need to hold you.” He tucked her under his arm and she rested the side of her face on his chest. He closed his eyes and breathed her in. Within a few minutes the world of the McKay ranch faded. She gave that to him. Calmness. Softness. She was the one thing in the world that was completely his.
“Carson, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Money is tight, my father is a controlling ass, I’m pissed off at Casper, money is tight, I’m worried about you with this pregnancy and have I mentioned money is tight?
But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—add extra stress on her. He’d sworn to her on the day they married he’d spend his life making her happy, and taking care of her, so he’d keep his worries to himself.
“Nothin’. Everything is as it should be when we’re together like this.”
“I agree. But you’re not telling me everything. So start talking, cowboy.”
Where to start? “Looks like you’ll be getting a sister-in-law in the next couple weeks. I’d say she’s lucky since she’ll be movin’ into a real house down on the new south section of the McKay Ranch and not a shithole trailer, but the fact of it is, she’ll still be married to my ass**le brother Casper no matter where they live, so maybe she ain’t as lucky as she seems. I just wish…”
Carolyn sat up.
Carson kept his eyes closed. Then he felt her straddling him and her hands landed on his chest.
“You wish what? That I hadn’t gotten pregnant again?”
His eyes flew open and he put a protective hand over her belly. “God no. I love that we’re adding to our family.”
“You wish we were moving to that ranch house you showed me? Because to be honest? I’m happy we’re staying here. This is our home. It’s small but it’s ours. I love my garden spot. I can drop Cord off at Agnes’s place whenever I have work to finish for Maxine.”
“I wish I was makin’ enough money that you didn’t have to take those jobs. It feels like I’m failing to support you and our family.”
She slammed her hands down by his head on the mattress so they were eye to eye. “It falls on both of us to provide for our family. I won’t watch you kill yourself while I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs whenever Cord naps. Doing piece work keeps me sane, keeps my skills fresh. I imagine things will get busier with a new baby, but I don’t ever want to hear you say you don’t support this family. You love me. You love our son. You work hard. You make me happy. If that’s not support I don’t know what is.”
“Caro—”
“You listen to me. Everything I want—everything I need is right here. With you. It does not matter where we live. It matters how we live when we’re together.”
Maybe her pregnancy hormones were contagious because her sweet, heartfelt words made him misty-eyed. “I love you. So damn much.”
“Show me.” She swept her lips over his in that not-so-innocent way that he craved. “You needed to hold me? I need this.”
“You sure?” He stroked the swell of her belly. “You were sick—”
“Hours ago. I brushed my teeth, washed myself up and I need your mouth and your hands on me.”
Instant erection.
Carolyn shed her blouse and oh yeah, she hadn’t worn a bra. Her tits were enormous during pregnancy.
“Gimme.”
“Huh-uh. Take it if you want it.”
So she wanted to make him work for it? Fine by him. He jackknifed and nestled his face in her cle**age. He slid his hands down her naked back and beneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms. His fingertips connected with more bare skin—no underwear either. He started his assault on her ni**les. Softly sucking on the rigid tips, using his teeth, then backing off to rub his face against that abundant flesh and not giving her ni**les any attention at all. He followed her ass crack to the wet opening of her cunt, slipping two fingers into her from behind.
“Carson.”
He grabbed her hand and placed it over her mound. “You want it, sugar, take it.”
She tightened her other hand on his shoulder, letting her head fall back as she rubbed that spot. Her hair swayed, teasing his forearm as she bumped her hips forward.
“Sexy f**kin’ woman. That’s it.”
Carson plunged his fingers into her pu**y, sucking her nipple, then easing back to lightly flick it the same way he did when his mouth was on her clit.
The woman was so in tune with satisfying her sexual needs, her body so responsive to his, that it wasn’t long before goose bumps beaded across her skin. She released a tiny whimper, the one that drove him insane because he knew she was about to come. He loved watching her get off.