Rachel wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived for dinner at the ranch. She was worried that she might be bombarded with questions about where she'd been and why she left. But all anyone seemed to have questions about was her pregnancy. She suspected some of the more difficult conversations would come later, in private. Rachel knew Beth felt slighted. Not only by her, but by her husband. Both of them excluded her from the family time they'd been spending together. And Rachel could tell Monica's feelings were hurt as well, though she was doing a better job than Beth was at hiding it.
While Rachel felt her reason for leaving Jamie was legitimate, she knew now that running off in the middle of the night and cutting contact with everyone else in the family was wrong. She hurt people that cared about her. Especially Beth and Monica. Rachel thought about the two women often during her absence. But every time she picked up her phone to call one of them, she would hear her ex's voice in her head. Telling her she was worthless. No one would believe anything she said. And they probably were only lowering themselves to speak to her in the first place because of her association with Jamie. She could see now, that obviously wasn't true. But when she was deep into her pain and hurt, it was easy to believe.
Unlike her mother, Dakota wasn't nervous at all. With how much she was flapping her mouth, Rachel had no idea how the girl was able to hog her food down so fast. Tate finished eating as fast as Dakota did. And when they jumped up from the table, Carter scraped his chair backwards and went tearing after them, leaving half the giant mound of food he piled onto his plate behind in his hurry not to be left out of the fun. From their conversation, Rachel guessed the kids were heading for the barn to harass the baby birds they got at the feed store earlier.
"You kids leave those birds alone!," Rip called after them, shaking his head with a laugh.
"They won't hurt anything," John countered. "Just let them have their fun."
Her father's comment made Beth laugh. John the grandpa was an entirely different person from the John that brought her up. That man ruled this house with an iron fist. John loved her and her brothers. But he also pushed them. Nothing was ever good enough for him. Beth wasn't bitter or angry about it. She knew she wouldn't be the woman she was today if it wasn't for him. But it was still a little surreal to see how permissive and loving he was with the grandkids. She never knew he had it in him.
Rachel was sitting on Jamie's left. And he kept his hand on her throughout nearly the entire meal. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder until the food came out. Moving it down, he rested it gently on her thigh while they ate. It was as if he needed to reassure himself that she was really there. And despite the fact that his touch felt more loving than sexual, by the end of dinner, Rachel was squirming slightly in her seat.
Despite her suspicions about what or who Jamie might have been doing while she was gone, the last time she had sex was months ago. With him. She missed him like crazy. And her pregnancy hormones not only had her craving the protective feel of his arms around her, they were also increasing the blood flow to her pelvis. Lately, just the thought of a man to make her insides throb. Having not just any man, but the man she loved, not just close but actually touching her was making it hard for Rachel to focus on anything else. She kept sneaking glances at Jamie while she picked at her food, her eyes lingering on the strong line of his jaw and the way his shirt stretched slightly across his shoulders. As happy as it was making her to see everyone again, Rachel was also waiting impatiently for dinner to be over so she could be alone with Jamie.
"I know it's early," Rachel said, pushing back slightly from the table and rubbing her hand over her stomach. "But it's been a long day. I'm beat." She turned, smiling at Monica. "You're staying right? I was hoping we could have coffee in the morning and catch up…"
John didn't speak up. But his fork stopped in midair as he waited with baited breath to see what his daughter-in-law's response would be. The last time he saw Monica she was storming out of his house with a firm grip on Tate's hand, hollering about how they weren't ever coming back. She still hadn't grasped the concept that taking Kayce off the ranch didn't take the Dutton out of him. He would always be one of them, with all the bad and the good that came with it.
Monica hesitated, looking to Kayce for an answer. And Kayce looked at John, who finally managed to stuff the last bite of steak into his mouth as he discreetly nodded his head.
"It is a long drive back…," Kayce offered. Monica nodded her own agreement before she answered Rachel.
"I'd really like that," she said.
John pretended to wipe his mouth, using his napkin to hide the shiteating grin on his face. He made a mental note to thank Rachel later. Even though she hadn't done it as a favor to him, he still owed her for opening the door so he could mend his relationship with his youngest son. Or maybe he ought to bypass Kayce completely and appeal to Monica directly for mercy. She was the backbone of their relationship, just like John's wife was for him when she was still alive. He was willing to try anything that might get his daughter-in-law to start seeing him and the rest of the family as allies instead of enemies set out to corrupt her husband.
After she made her excuses to the rest of the family, Jamie let Rachel pull him towards the stairs. She kept a tight grip on his hand, not releasing him until they were in her room with the door locked shut behind them. He assumed that she would want to talk. Sort out everything that happened between them before she would officially agree to take him back. The most he was hoping for was to be able to sleep in the same bed with her. It took him by surprise when her lips crashed against his.
"You don't want to talk?," he asked, already kicking himself mentally for opening his big mouth. If Rachel wanted him, he ought to count himself as the luckiest fucker in the world and just go with it.
"We can talk later," she assured him, working his tie loose as she kissed her way down his neck. Jamie smiled, wrapping his arms around Rachel's waist and pulling her against him. He held her tight, enjoying the way she was wriggling against his crushing embrace. She wasn't trying to get away, she was trying to unbutton his shirt and couldn't with her hands smashed between them. He loved holding her in his arms. The feel of her rounded stomach against him was new. And Jamie loosened his grip, suddenly worried that he might be squeezing her too tight. The moment she had some wiggle room, Rachel continued to work her way down his shirt. She released each button until she was able to open his shirt and push it off over his shoulders.
Rachel ran her hands over Jamie's chest, the pounding heat between her legs intensifying at the sight of him. Eager for the feel of his skin against hers, she shrugged her sweater off first, letting it drop to the floor near her feet. By the time she reached for the hem of her shirt, Jamie was helping her. He pulled the material over her head, reaching for the clasp on her bra next. Her breasts were even fuller than he remembered, the darkened nipples already hard when he pulled the plain white cotton away to reveal them.
Rachel pressed her body against his, groaning softly when she felt his warm skin rub against hers. She pulled Jamie towards the bed. She'd long since given up being able to fit into her regular jeans without using some sort of maternity button extender. Rachel laughed as she moved to unhook the silly looking thing, thinking she certainly hadn't dressed for her day with a sexual encounter in mind. Her cotton panties were as practical as her bra. She was more than happy to wriggle them down along with her jeans.
Jamie removed his own pants. And Rachel sucked at her bottom lip as she watched his erection spring free. She scooted backwards onto the bed until she was resting against the pillows. When Jamie crawled up the bed and started to lie down next to her, she tugged him on top of her instead. He kissed her as he settled between her thighs.
Rachel writhed under him as their tongues tangled together in his mouth. And when she rocked her hips against him, he could feel her wet heat pressing against the base of his dick. She was shifting and rocking her hips, trying desperately to get his head length inside her. Jamie moved, supporting his weight on his elbows to give Rachel a little more room to maneuver. The moment he felt her line the head of his dick up with her opening, he lost control. Jamie pushed in, burying his dick inside her completely with one hard thrust. He froze when Rachel cried out, her back arching as her nails dug into the muscles of his arms.
"Are you okay?," he asked. "I'm not hurting up am I?"
Rachel was breathing hard and fast. She didn't speak but she did answer his question by moving her hands down and gripping his ass. When she pulled him as deep as he could go and bucked her hips against him, he decided that was answer enough. Her inner walls were fluttering as they squeezed down around him. Jamie began to move, forgetting his concerns about being too rough with her after the first few thrusts. Rachel's cries of pleasure were driving him wild with lust for her. And when she arched her back and came for the second time, he toppled over the edge with her. After the intensity of his orgasm, Jamie barely managed to roll off her before his body went limp against the bed.
Being with Rachel was an entirely different experience from being with any other woman. The urge to hold her close after the act itself didn't surprise Jamie as it had the first time. And he sighed in sated satisfaction when she rolled onto her side, letting him tuck his body in behind hers. His hand was resting on her hip but he quickly moved it so that he could feel the rounded bulge of her stomach. He couldn't feel any movement under his palm. Not at the moment anyway. But it still gave Jamie a warm feeling in his chest when he thought about the tiny baby he knew was nestled safe under the surface of her skin.
"Are you happy?," he asked. Rachel hummed her response, snuggling just a little closer to him. Within a few minutes, both of them were fast asleep.
It was after midnight when Jamie woke up to the feel of Rachel's hand tugging on his dick. They made love again, though the second round was gentler and less frenzied than the first. Rachel got up after, intent on rinsing off in the shower. Jamie followed her example. And when they were both clean and snuggled under the covers together in the moonlight, they finally started talking.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I realized I was pregnant," Rachel said. Her head was resting against his chest and her voice was soft and sweet. She was trailing her fingers up and down his torso, reading his skin like braille.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth," Jamie told her, tilting his chin so he could press a kiss into her hair. She smelled like sugar cookies and he took a deep breath, savoring the delicious scent. "I'll never lie to you again."
There was a quiet pause. The silence wasn't awkward. They were both just relaxed enough to be able to take a little time to think about what they wanted to say before they spoke. Rachel appreciated Jamie's words. But she didn't want him to make a promise that he might not be able to keep.
"I won't pretend to understand what your family has going on with the ranch and the politics and everything," Rachel said. "And I know there's some times you won't be able to tell me everything. Maybe because as a lawyer you can't tell me. Or maybe even times when it would be dangerous for me to know what you know. But you can just say that. Okay?"
"That sounds like a plan," Jamie agreed, rubbing hand in soft circles over her back. "And if I do something that upsets you, I want you to talk to me instead of taking off."
"I can do that," Rachel promised, tilting her head back so she could kiss along the line of his jaw.
Jamie held Rachel in his arms, thinking over the conversation they just had. Their talk went so well, Jamie knew he ought to just let it be. But there was still something else he wanted. And he knew it was going to keep eating at him until he at least asked.
"I want you to move in with me," he admitted. There was no way they'd be able to raise a baby together if they were living in two separate houses. When Rachel didn't answer right away, Jamie felt his nerves getting the better of him.
"Okay," Rachel finally said. He rolled into her, hugging her and kissing her like crazy until she started giggling and trying to fend off his advances.
"You really mean it?," he confirmed. Rachel laughed again.
"I do. I think that will be best for the baby. And for Dakota. She's a good girl. But I'm worried about her living in the same house with Carter. I think we better move her out before this isn't the only baby on the way."
Jamie flopped back onto the pillows, his body shaking with laughter. If Carter got Dakota pregnant, that poor kid would have a line of cowboys a mile long waiting to kick his ass. And that's if his dad didn't get to the kid first. Jamie noticed the man was particularly fond of Rachel's daughter, just like he was with Beth when she was younger. Kayce was the baby. But Beth was his favorite.
"My dad won't be happy," Jamie worried aloud. Rachel rose up on her elbow, leaning over to kiss him. "He'll want us to raise the baby here."
"I'll talk to John," she offered. She knew the man would much rather have his new grandchild born and raised on the ranch. But Rachel was sure he would understand Jamie wanting to raise his child under his own roof. And it wasn't like they were going very far away. She was sure the promise of a few family dinners a week would suffice him.
"Thanks," Jamie said, smiling when Rachel settled back down with her head on his chest. "I love you," he added, giving her another kiss before he pulled the blankets back up over both their bodies. She wrapped her arm around him before she repeated the words back to him.
"I love you too."