I’ve never sobered up so fast in my life. The moment I saw River in pain lying in bed, it was like the whiskey never happened. God, I felt like the biggest piece of shit as soon as I heard she was having labor pains. Had I known, I would’ve never gone over to John’s house to check on things like he’d asked. I should’ve known better though. Jackson has a way of encouraging me to drink, and before I knew it, I was six shots and several beers in.

It’s noon before I wake up, and I immediately feel everything I ate yesterday start to come up. Rushing out of bed, I whip open my bedroom door and make it to the bathroom just in time. I empty my stomach contents but still don’t feel any better.

Fuck! Today’s gonna suck.

I hear the door creak and footsteps walk in, and when I peek up, it’s not River I see.

“Alexander Scott Bishop.”

Mama.

She’s pissed, to say the least. She taps her foot and crosses her arms over her chest. Her lips are in a firm line, and I know I’m about to get an earful.

I stand and grab the towel to wipe my face.

“What are you doing?” I ask, treading carefully.

“Came to see if my youngest son hit his head and suffered a concussion because that’d be the only excuse for your behavior last night.”

Partying with Jackson and nursing a hangover isn’t something new, but Mama hadn’t known about that side of me. At least not the extent of it, so I know she’s about to give me a lecture.

“I drank too much. I know, Mama. You don’t need to scold me.” I walk past her toward River’s room. When I peek inside, I see she isn’t in there. Mama follows as I walk to the living room then the kitchen next. “Where’s River?” I start to panic, and when I look at Mama’s face, I see disappointment all over her features.

“Benita drove her into the city, so she could get checked out by Dr. Granger.”

“Fuck.” I scrub my hands over my face and inhale deeply. I reach for a glass and fill it with water.

“She could have the baby any day now, Alex,” she warns me, even though I already know this. “You need to be here. No excuses.”

“Mama,” I say, setting my glass down harder on the counter than I mean to. “I know. I fucked up, and I plan to make it up to her.”

“Listen to me, son.” She grits through her teeth, her tone grabbing my attention to her face. “First, you will watch your language around a woman, do ya hear me? Next, you’ll be doing a lot more than making it up to her. You make things right, you get me?”

I furrow my brows, tilting my head. “Make things right?”

She nods, curtly.

“You want me to marry her,” I confirm, exhaling. “Mama, it’s not about me not wanting to marry her. It’s about if she wants to marry me. I love River more than anything in this world, and I’d gladly spend the rest of my life proving that to her.”

She flashes a relieved smile. “Good.”

“But just because she’s pregnant doesn’t mean it’s the right time to get married.”

“Fine, but you apologize to her for your behavior last night and vow to never do it again. She’ll forgive you. I see the love she has for you in her eyes. Your daddy has done countless things to piss me off, but I always forgive him. We’re human, after all.”

“I will, Mama. I promise. Last night was the first time in nine months that I drank like that. It’s never gonna happen again.” Nothing is worth losing River over.

She pats my cheek, a little too roughly, though, and smacks it. “Good boy. That’s what I like to hear.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“I imagine in a couple of hours. So take a shower and get cleaned up. You have some groveling to do.”

Three weeks have passed since River’s Braxton Hicks started, and even though I royally fucked up that night, she’s forgiven me. I’ve apologized countless times, but it’s more than just telling her. I’ll show her until the day I die.

I’m so grateful she’s given me a second chance because I don’t plan to leave her side ever again, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that to her.

“So how’re things going?” Dylan asks as we wrap up for the day. I’m covered in mud from working with the horses. It rained last night, and water pooled in the fields.

“Good, I think. River’s miserable, though.”

“Yeah, this summer’s been a bitch. Especially this month,” Dylan says.

“July is brutal. I feel bad she wasn’t able to watch the fireworks last week.” The central air has been cranked for weeks, and even though I offered to drive her out for the fireworks show and stay in the car with her, she was persistent on staying home.

“She’s gonna go stir-crazy if she stays holed up all day and night,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I know. On top of being hot as fuck, she can’t get comfortable sitting or lying down, so she’s not sleeping much. I read to the baby in hopes it’ll help her relax enough to fall asleep, but she always wakes up a couple of hours later with back pain.”

“That means it’s gonna be soon.” He pats me on the back.

“Doctor said she measured at three centimeters already, but that means it could be now or another two weeks. Honestly, though, I don’t think River has another two weeks in her.”

Dylan chuckles. “He’ll come when he’s ready.”

I snort. “Don’t say that ’round River. Natalie told her the same thing the other day, and she growled back at her.”

“Good to know.” He laughs. “Did you guys pick a name yet?”

“I think so, but we aren’t revealing it till he’s here.” I smile, thinking of our talk a few nights ago. River had a list of names she liked and asked for my approval on which ones I liked best.

“Well, good luck.” He gets into his truck, and I follow suit getting into mine. I need to shower badly. Once I’m cleaned up and eat, I plan to rub River’s back and feet and anything else she needs. She’s texted me about fifty times today, and even though the heating pad helps, it’s not enough. I feel awful.

“River?” I call out as soon as my shoes hit the floor of the kitchen.

“In here,” she shouts from her bedroom.

I quickly strip down to my boxers to avoid getting mud on the carpet. Setting my hat down, I brush a hand through my hair to remove the dust. When I round the corner and see her lying in bed, my shoulders fall.

“How ya doin’, sweetheart?” I walk over and kneel beside her.

“I went walking today.”

“In this heat?” My eyes widen.

“No, Benita picked me up, and we walked around the dining hall.”

“Why?”

“It’s supposed to help jump-start labor. Then I did squats and bounced on a big ball.”

“Oh man.” I suck in my lower lip to hide my smile. “Didn’t work, huh?”

She groans. “Well, do you see a baby?”

I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head. “Sorry, darlin’. He’s just not ready yet.”

“I’m thirty-seven weeks. That’s technically full-term. He can come any day now,” she whines.

“I know, but according to the book, you could go as long as two weeks over your due date.”

She tightens her lips and scowls at me. “Fuck that book. I am not going another five weeks. I will pull this baby out myself if I have to.”

Swallowing hard, I realize there’s no reasoning with her right now. I know not to take it personally when she snaps at me like this. Hormones, I remind myself.

“I’m going to take a shower quickly, then how about I rub your feet for a bit?”

Her shoulders relax, and as she nods, she starts crying.

“River?” I hold her face in my hands and kiss the top of her nose. “Baby, it’s gonna be fine. We’ll get through this, okay?”

“Whoever said pregnancy was beautiful is a liar,” she grumbles.

“If I remember correctly, you said those exact words last month.”

She blinks and looks up at me, her scowl on point as she groans. Okay, probably not the best thing to say.

“Do you need anything before I hop in the shower? I’ll be ten minutes tops otherwise.”

“Could you get me some of that Butterfinger ice cream in the freezer?” she asks, wiping her eyes.

“Oh, um…I think you finished that off last night after dinner.” I cringe, regretting not buying another pint when I was at the grocery store.

Her head falls back on the pillow as she mutters, “Fuck.” I’d offer to run into town and buy her more, but I have a feeling she’d change her mind by the time I returned and want something else.

I quickly shower and scrub all the dirt off my skin. Being outside all day has me covered in sweat. I try to dry off throughout the day, but it’s not easy keeping up with the heat.

Once I’m washed and dried, I walk back to my room and grab a pair of gray sweats and a dark blue T-shirt. I shake out my hair, and when I walk back to River’s room, I see she’s finally fallen asleep.

Oh, thank God.

I know she probably won’t sleep for long, but she needs it.

Stepping into the nursery, I look around and smile. River’s been working hard on getting it ready. All the baby clothes are washed and hung. The diapers and wipes are both stocked. She picked out the cutest crib bedding set with a ranch theme. Cows, horseshoes, and cowboy boots are displayed on the quilt. The sheet has cowboy boots and stars on it—perfect for our little guy.

Mama, Aunt Charlotte, and Aunt Patsy have all made us blankets. Benita made a special blanket, too, with Bishop crocheted on it. This baby is definitely going to have everything he needs and more. As the days tick by, I find myself more and more excited, but I’m nervous too. I haven’t been around babies like River, but I like to think I’ll catch on and already plan to be up with River when he wakes up for feedings or changings.

The rocking chair is in the corner next to the nightstand and lamp. I made some floating shelves for all the books we received and are displayed next to the chair as well. Everything’s in place and perfect. I can’t wait to hold him for the first time and bring him home finally.

After I grab myself something to eat, I peek in on River once more and am relieved when she’s still asleep. I head to my room and decide to watch some TV and relax.

I’m dozing in and out, my head bobbing up and down when I hear footsteps in the hallway. My door slams open, and River walks in like she’s on a mission. Her long, blonde hair is pulled up, and she’s breathing heavy.

“What’s wrong?” I pop up, looking at her. “You okay?”

“Take off your clothes,” she demands as she starts pulling down her shorts.

“Wait. What?” I ask, jumping up.

“You heard me, cowboy.” She kicks her shorts off and flings them across the room.

“River, what are you doing?” I tread carefully, making sure I’m reading the situation correctly.

“I want to have sex.”

“Now?” I arch a brow. “I thought we were waiting, taking things slow and all that.”

“Slow ended weeks ago. Any slower and my vagina is going to fall off.” She’s completely serious, but I’m certain this is the hormones talking again.

“Sweetheart…” I walk toward her, closing the gap between us and cup her face in my hands. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I absolutely want to make love to you, but I want to respect your wishes. Building our relationship from the ground up, starting fresh, and having a solid foundation. We don’t have to have sex to prove our love to each other. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“It’s time,” she says softly.

“Darlin’…”

“Hey, you owe me.”

“Huh?

“You said you’d do anything to make it up to me when you went out and got drunk that night.”

I try to hide my laughter but fail. “River, you’re acting like making love to you would be a chore. Trust me when I say I’ve had to pray for some serious willpower to stop myself around you. I’ve dreamed of making love to you again, so believe me, I fucking want to—desperately. But I want to make sure it’s what you really want and not just because you’re hoping it induces labor.”

Her shoulders drop, and she pouts. “Damn, I forgot you read that book cover to cover.”

I smirk. “Twice.”

“Okay.”

I bring our mouths together and tangle our tongues as we kiss deeply. She fists her hands in my T-shirt and pulls us closer. Fuck, she tastes good. I feel the way she arches her hips against me, and that willpower I was just talking about is diminishing by the second.

“River, stop.” I pant against her lips.

“No.” She wraps her hands around my waist, pushing my erection into her stomach. “Please, Alex.”

Goddamn, is she begging? Fuck me.

“I want to make you feel good, sweetheart, I do. But I’m afraid after all this time waiting, I’m going to end up hurting you. Or the baby.”

“You won’t, I promise.”

She reaches for my cock and begins rubbing it. Considering I’m wearing sweatpants, there’s not much fabric between us.

“I’m so damn horny, Alex. My hormones are going insane.”

I snort, pressing our foreheads together and moaning when she increases her pace.

“So take off your damn pants.”

“River.” I plead with my voice, though I don’t want her to stop. Fuck, it’s been way too goddamn long.

“TAKE. OFF. YOUR. PANTS,” she demands slowly. Her eyes shift, and I watch the rise and fall of her chest. She’s as worked up as I am, and I’m not sure I can deny her much longer.

“You tell me if I’m hurting you?” I look in her eyes and demand.

“I will,” she vows.

“And darlin’?”

“Yes?” She swallows, her breaths growing shallower.

“As mad as I was that first time I saw you at the diner, I still wanted to fuck you so goddamn bad.”

She licks her lips as she looks at me with hooded eyes. “Then what are you waiting for, cowboy?”

Wrapping a firm hand around her neck, our mouths crash together, and I carefully guide her to my bed. The only way this is going to work right now is if she’s bent over the bed.

My lips trail along her jawline before lingering to her ear and pulling the lobe in between my teeth. “Turn around and bend over,” I order.

She happily spins around and digs her elbows into the mattress, spreading her thighs wide for me. I slide a hand down her spine and carefully lower her as much as she’s able without putting any weight on her stomach. She’s hanging off the edge of the bed with her fingers gripping the sheets. Once I make sure she’s comfortable in this position, I graze my hand down to her ass and pull her panties to the side until I can press a finger along her slit.

“Fuck, baby,” I growl as soon as her wetness coats the tip. I rub along her pussy and find her clit. The pad of my finger circles it, and she immediately starts trembling. “You okay?”

“Yes,” she pants. “I’m overly sensitive down there.”

“I can tell.”

My cock is rock hard and throbbing that it’s becoming painful. I slide her panties down her legs before spreading them wide again. Once I remove my pants and shirt, I align my cock with her entrance and grip her hips, slowly guiding myself inside.

“Oh my God,” River moans.

“Relax, sweetheart.”

She does, and when her hips arch, I thrust in farther. “Christ,” I hiss, grinding my teeth down. Her pussy feels like a vise grip as she clenches down on me, and I know it’s not going to take long to get either of us off.

“That feels so good. Shit, really good.” She rests her cheek on the bed, and her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Once I’m all the way in, I pull out and in again. Keeping my grip on her hips, I make sure to keep my stance and not lean over her like I usually would. Smacking of skin against skin fills the room along with our heated moans, but I can feel the orgasm building inside her. I squeeze her ass cheeks and spread them wide.

“Holy fuck,” I growl, keeping up with her pace as she rocks her hips back and forth against me.

“Right there,” she says. “Don’t stop.”

I thrust harder, chasing the release I know she’s desperate for. My cock gives her what she’s begging for, and when I wrap a hand around to her pussy and rub her clit, her entire body shakes as she screams moments later.

“Fuck.” That was so damn hot. “Goddammit,” I curse between my teeth as she tightens her pussy around my cock, and I can no longer hold back my own release.

My entire body jerks as I come inside her. I feel her muscles relax as we both come down from the high. Once I slide out, I help her stand up and turn her to face me.

She’s flushed, and I love that I made her feel that way. Wrapping my hand around her neck, I bend down and kiss her lips. She moans softly, and I can tell she’s relaxed and sated.

“Darlin’, you’re sleeping in my bed tonight,” I say against her mouth, and she nods, happily. “In fact, you’re sleeping in my bed every damn night.”