I never want to let River go, not when she’s giving me her heart and opening herself up to me. The emotions she shared were raw and deep, and I knew she’d been harboring those feelings for a while. After we drove home, I thanked her for sharing herself with me and reassured her I’d always be there for her, no matter what. That’s one promise I intend to keep.

The next morning, Benita picks up River, and they head straight to the dining hall to make sure everything and everyone are in place. Considering most of my family can’t keep a secret to save their lives, I’m more than shocked when I pick up Mama, and she has containers of muffins packed and ready to go.

“What’s this for?” I ask as she hands them over to me to carry.

“I made dessert for the spaghetti benefit. No one even mentioned that, so I thought I’d surprise everyone and bring my famous muffins.” She smiles, actin’ real proud of herself.

I try hard to hold my poker face because the moment she realizes she baked muffins for her own party, she might die laughing or at least everyone else will.

“Where’s River?” Mama asks politely.

“Benita asked her if she’d help, and she agreed.” I smile, actually telling the truth.

Mama’s pleased with that answer. “That’s real sweet of her.”

After I place the muffins in the backseat of Mama’s Cadillac, I open the door for her.

“Patsy told me a ton of tickets were sold for the benefit. That makes me so happy,” Mama says with a big smile, climbing in. On the drive over, I play along, and she doesn’t suspect a thing, chatting about how much money they’re gonna raise. The story Aunt Patsy and Aunt Charlotte came up with is flawless, and I can’t wait to see the look on Mama’s face when she realizes everyone’s really there to celebrate her birthday.

As we pull into the parking lot, Mama smiles big, excited to see it jam-packed with cars. People are parked on the grass, and some are lined on the street, and I’m almost shocked by how many people showed up. But it’s a small town, and there’s not too much more for people to be doing on a Saturday afternoon.

She looks over at me as we unbuckle. “I don’t think I made enough muffins.”

“Mama, they aren’t even expectin’ dessert. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

She nods. “You’re right. I just don’t like people goin’ without.”

We get out of the car, and I grab the muffins then follow behind her. The temperature is perfect, and the sky is blue without a cloud in sight as we walk across the parking lot toward the entrance. Making sure to be a gentleman, I open the door for her, and she walks in. The room is packed full, and people yell, “Surprise,” just as balloons fall from the ceiling. At first, Mama is confused because she really believed the lie, then she immediately puts the pieces together. She never really makes a big deal about her birthday, and over the years we haven’t either, so it’s bound to be a shock to her for so many people to care. Covering her mouth with her hands, her emotions take hold, and she holds back tears of joy as Benita, Patsy, and Charlotte all walk up and tell her happy birthday.

“I shoulda known you three were up to somethin’,” Mama tells them with hugs. “But I have to admit, you got me. I even made muffins!” She turns and points at the containers I’m holding. I smile, and Benita takes them from my hands and carries them to the kitchen.

Across the room, I see River is laughin’ to the point of tears and sitting next to her is Jackson who’s obviously running his mouth. Whatever he’s saying to her is probably about me and embarrassing as fuck. By how John keeps rolling his eyes, I know it is.

I walk toward them, trying to break up whatever is goin’ on, but it doesn’t really work. As soon as I make it to the table, River swallows down her laughter, but the big smile on her face doesn’t falter. Honestly, Jackson can keep talking, especially if whatever he said makes her this happy.

“What’s so funny?” I lift an eyebrow at her, and she snorts.

“Nothing, cow patty,” Jackson says with a smirk. Now I know why John had that reaction. It’s the story that’ll never die, apparently.

“And he walked around with cow shit on his ass all day and had no idea. He looked like he shit himself. Even went to town like that.” Jackson pats his leg, overly amused with himself.

“River, if you keep encouraging him, he’ll never stop talking!”

“There was another time Alex decided he was gonna be a big rodeo star,” he continues.

I walk over to River, grab her hand, and pull her away.

“Wait, I wanted to hear that story,” she says with a grin.

Mama walks up to us, and I give her a big hug. “Love you, Mama. Happy Birthday!”

“Happy Birthday, Mrs. Rose,” River says.

Unexpectedly, Mama pulls her into a hug. “Thank you, hon. Thanks for helping set up too. Benita told me. It’s beautiful. The decorations. Everything.”

“You’re welcome.” River hugs her back while looking at me over Mama’s shoulder with wide eyes. I give her a wink and a grin. It may have taken a little while for Mama to start coming around to the idea of us being together and River having my baby, but I think everything’s gonna be just fine.

Soon Aunt Patsy announces it’s time to eat and everyone starts lining up and grabbing plates. I take it as my opportunity to introduce River to aunts and uncles, cousins, and family friends. Considering there are so many people here, and our family is so large, I don’t imagine she’ll be remembering anyone’s names, which is okay. We fill our plates with food and grab big glasses of sweet tea, then sit with Benita, Aaron, and Dylan.

River instantly starts chatting with Dylan like they’re old friends. “Not been in any large bodies of water lately, right?” River kids.

“No, ma’am. I’m staying away from all beaches and lakes unless I’m in a boat.” Dylan laughs, continuing to make small talk.

Just as Dylan starts talking about Key West to Benita, River takes a huge gulp of sweet tea and starts coughing. “What the hell!”

“What?” I ask, sipping my tea.

“How do you drink that? It tastes like overly sweetened toilet water.”

The three of us burst into laughter. “No, it doesn’t. It tastes like a delicious honey drink.” I clink my glass with Dylan’s, and we drink it down like it’s the sweetest nectar in the south. She pretends to throw up in her mouth a little.

“You better get used to it, River. Us Southerners drink sweet tea by the gallons,” Dylan tells her.

“I’d throw up because apparently, I don’t have the taste buds for it. Can you get me a bottle of water, pretty please?” River turns and asks me sweetly.

Dylan looks at me like I’m whipped, and maybe I am, but I don’t hesitate to get up and grab a bottle of water. When I sit back down, River’s laughing at Benita’s twins who are too busy playing with their food instead of eating it.

“They’re so cute,” River says.

Benita winks, then fixes Beau’s hair that’s sticking up in all different places. “You’ll have one of these in about four months. You’re going to have the most beautiful baby; I know it. It’s fun to imagine what he or she will look like. Do you want a boy or a girl?” She tilts her head and looks at River and me.

“Maybe we’ll just have one of each,” I joke, but River doesn’t laugh.

“I swear, I’m going to hurt you if you keep joking about us having twins.”

Benita chuckles. “You’re not big enough for twins. No way, especially not Bishop twins. You’d be twice as big and twice as miserable. Aunt Rose talks about how they all weighed ten pounds each, like big ass turkeys.”

River stops eating and glares at me. “You were an eleven-pound monster baby? Oh my God.”

“Oh yeah. Mama’s been taking it out on us ever since. Ask Evan,” I tell her.

“Twins. Giant babies. Anything else I need to know?” Her eyes meet mine, and she laughs nervously.

“Nothing I can discuss in front of our current company.”

Benita rolls her eyes. “Thanks for sparing me.”

As soon as Mama’s finished eating, Patsy carries in one of Mrs. Betty’s famous chocolate cakes from the kitchen with candles lit. Everyone starts singing “Happy Birthday” just as the cake is placed down in front of her. Mama looks around the room at all the family members and friends, and I can see tears on the brims of her eyes ready to spill over. Dad places his hand on her shoulder with a big grin. She’s so damn happy that it’s contagious, and there’s not a face without a smile in the entire room.

“Make a wish!” I hear Jackson yell from the back of the room, causing everyone to laugh just as Mama leans over to blow out the candles. As soon as she does, we start clapping and hooting and hollering.

“Real quick,” Mama says, holding up her hand getting everyone’s attention. The room quiets, and she stands and speaks. There’s a softness in her tone as she makes eye contact with each person in the room. “I just want to thank every single one of you for comin’ out to celebrate my birthday. This is a day I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Chatter fills the room, and Aunt Patsy immediately leans over and cuts the cake then slaps it on plates and hands them out. River and I take a slice and walk to a table that has pictures of Mama from over the years spread around.

“Wow, your mom is beautiful,” River whispers then looks at a photo of her and my father together in high school. “They were so young. Wow! You look just like your dad.”

I place my hand on the small of her back. “A lot of people say that. Especially the older ladies that thought my dad was a looker back in the day.”

She snickers. “I can’t imagine growing up here. Reminds me of a movie. Cowboy hats, horses, ranch life, and your parents are a real-life Southern love story.”

I burst into big, hearty laughter, and all I want to do is pull her into my arms and kiss the fuck out of her. “You’re too cute.”

Tucking hair behind her ears, she looks up at me. The constant pull between us is becoming too much. When her eyes meet mine, everything that surrounds us disappears. In a room full of people, it’s just her and me, and I know she feels it too. With one single look, River causes my heart to race, my head to spin, and my body to react.

“You two are plain ol’ disgustin’,” Jackson says, walking between us and breaking our trance to look at the photos on the table. He’s eating his cake real loud with his mouth open like a savage.

“Do you always just appear at the exact wrong time?” I ask, slightly annoyed by him.

“I try my damnedest!” He chuckles, and somehow River and I escape his presence without him noticing too much.

Just as we’re about to walk back over to Mama, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I see it’s Courtney trying to FaceTime me. I instantly answer it, and it’s so loud in the building that I can barely hear a word she’s saying, so I walk her over to Mama and hand over the phone. They exchange I love yous and I miss yous then she hands the phone back.

“Tell River I said hi!” Courtney shouts, and River pops her head into view.

“Hey, Court!”

I have no doubt that if Courtney lived closer, the two of them would be the best of friends. So far, everyone in my family seems to adore River and especially now that Mama seems on board.

“Take care of my dumb brother,” Courtney teases with a laugh.

“I’m the smartest brother you have,” I tell her defensively, and she just giggles.

“I’d say you’re the biggest pain in my ass. Always annoyin’ the hell out of me when we were kids.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “You’re right. I can’t even argue about that one.”

After we end the call, I pull River close, just needing to be by her. John and Evan walk up to say their goodbyes, and I can tell the party is coming to an end because the room isn’t as loud.

“Are you ready to go?” I ask River quietly.

“I thought I’d help Benita clean up,” she says, looking around at the mess that’s left over.

Confetti is sprinkled everywhere, and it looks like a party train wreck happened with all the streamers and decorations. It’d take Benita a good hour to clean this up alone.

“That’s a good idea, and she’d probably appreciate it.”

After we help Benita clean the dining hall and all the tables are put back in the storage room, River and I make our way home. It’s barely after five in the evening, but we’re both exhausted. As soon as we walk through the front door, we both plop on the couch and let out a sigh of relief. The day was busy and full of fun, but it’s good to sit in quiet for a minute and decompress after being around so many people.

“I think I need a shower,” River finally says. “I just feel…sticky.”

“Welcome to Texas, darlin’.” I smirk.

River stands, and I can’t help but look at her cute little tummy. She notices and gives me a smirk with a quick little eyebrow raise. “Do you want to see?” she asks.

Her question takes me off guard for a moment, but I look back and forth from her belly to her eyes and nod. “Yeah.”

Slowly, she lifts her shirt and reveals the cutest little bump. “It almost doesn’t look real.”

“Trust me, it’s real.” She chuckles. “The skin is stretching and itching like hell though. Not to mention all the stretch marks that are starting to form.” She sighs, curling her lip in disapproval.

I reach for her hand and pull her between my legs. I place a palm on her tummy and press a soft kiss on top. “Stretch marks or not, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” I wink, meaning every word.

Biting her lip, she pulls her shirt down before she walks to the bathroom.

Damn, she’s so sexy. I close my eyes and imagine her straddling me on the couch. Just the fantasy of her has me adjusting myself. It’s to the point where being with her is no longer a want. It’s a burning need that’s poisoning my mind with dirty thoughts.

As the door to the bathroom opens, I turn my head, and soon she’s stepping out with a towel wrapped around her petite body. My mouth slightly falls open, and I have to force myself to close it. My eyes don’t leave her until she walks into her bedroom.

After she’s dressed, we warm up leftovers and eat in front of the TV like an old married couple. Once we’re finished eating, River lets out a big yawn.

“I think I’m going to lie down and read my book,” she says with excitement in her tone. “I left off on this one chapter, and now I have to know what happens next.”

“Oh, what kind of book?”

Her eyebrow ticks up. “Romance.”

“Dirty romance?” I tease.

“Let your imagination wander then go ten steps past that.”

“Oh, that’s real dirty,” I tell her as she walks to her room.

Taking off my boots, I place my feet on the couch and flip through the channels, not able to focus on anything until I hear River calling my name.

“Yeah?” I instantly stand and go to her, not even waiting for a reply.

When I walk into her room, she’s lying there with a sweet smile on her face. Her blonde hair surrounds her head, and she looks so damn sweet.

“Everything all right?” I ask.

“Yes, come here. Hurry. I think I felt our little peanut flutter,” she says, waving me over.

“Really? Will I be able to feel it too?” I sit on the edge of the bed, and the heat of her skin touches mine.

“Oh, I felt it again.” River places my hand on her belly, and I almost feel the air still around us as my hand feels her soft skin. We both sit in silence, waiting.

“I don’t feel anything,” I tell her in a hushed voice.

“Keep talking. It happens every time you say something like he or she’s excited to hear your voice!”

I smile at how happy she is. “Okay. So once upon a time, there was a Bishop kid.”

“There it is again! Keep going,” she encourages, but I don’t know what to say.

My eyes flicker to her Kindle, and I pick it up and begin reading out loud.

“I love it when you’re a greedy whore, sugar lips. Your cunt is so tight and wet and tastes so fucking good. Your body just aches for my cock.” I gasp, laughing. “River! What the hell is this book you’re reading?”

She begins laughing as a hint of blush hits her cheeks, and I continue because I love hearing the sound of her laugh.

“He rubs his thumb down my pussy and back up again before circling my rosebud between his fingers. He knows it drives me wild, and he won’t stop until he feels me come once again.” I cough, needing to breathe a moment. “Woman. This is some kinky shit. But I kinda like it.”

I take a deep breath, and as I get ready to continue, she stops me.

“Okay, okay. Don’t read that anymore. It’s not appropriate for the little one. But every time you talk, I feel movement. I think he or she likes the sound of your voice. It’s good for the baby to hear you talk because then he or she will recognize it after their born.”

I grab her hand in mine and squeeze. “I can start reading your books to you every night if you want me to.”

“Oh my gosh, no. But then again, it did sound pretty sexy in that accent of yours. Especially when you say ‘sweetheart’.”

“What was that, sweetheart?” I lick my lips, wanting, no—needing to taste her.

“Oh, there it is again!” She presses my hand harder on her stomach.

“I can’t feel anything yet. But wow. Just knowing there’s a life growing inside you right now is making me feel… I can’t explain it. It’s indescribable. Grateful? Excited? Whatever it is, I’m just so fucking happy I get to experience it with you.”

Her green eyes meet mine as we share this special moment together.

We’re going to be parents, and every single day it becomes more real.