I stomp my feet against the packed snow and slap my hands against my thighs for warmth. A few snowflakes twirl down from above, but for the most part the sky is clear.

Nash closes the last barn and stomps across the yard.

“How we doing in there?” I asked.

He nods. “The new calf is good. Taking to the tit well.”

“Good. Let’s get our asses inside.”

We shuffle along the fence and towards the house. The kitchen lights glow, welcoming us and drawing us in. A few more minutes and the ranches will be fully dark.

We burst into the kitchen, bringing a gust of wind with us.

Cheyenne shrieks. “You’re getting snow everywhere!”

“We’re happy to see you too.” I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her in for a kiss. She playfully pushes against me and breaks away.

“Animal,” she mutters with a smile.

“Where’s my baby girl?” Nash huffs, hanging his coat up on the hooks.

Cheyenne wraps up the remains of our dinner’s casserole. “In the living room. Grandpa and Grandma brought her a surprise.”

I hang up my coat and follow Nash down the hallway. Natalie’s high pitched shrieks echo through the house.

In the living room doorway, my feet stop working. “Holy...”

“Uh-uh,” Cheyenne’s mom says, nodding at Natalie. Nash scoops our ten-month-old daughter up and bounces her in his arms. Her blonde curls fly around her face and she sticks her tongue out in joy.

“Where did you find that?” I ask, staring at the untrimmed Christmas tree. It’s higher than the room. It’s very top branch bends sideways and scraps along the ceiling.

“Tallest one they had at the stand,” Cheyenne’s dad proudly says.

“I see.”

“Only the best for our princess,” he goes on, beaming at Natalie.

I rub my jaw and think of the best way to put what I need to say. “It’s… kind of big, don’t you think?”

His face darkens. “And?”

Something swats my ass. Cheyenne appears next to me, an offending dish towel in her hand. She rests her elbow on my shoulder. “It’s a great tree. Thanks Dad.”

He mumbles something under his breath and looks away. Cheyenne and I catch eyes. The last few months have been hard. At Natalie’s six-month celebration, Cheyenne’s parents got a sense of what was going on between the three of us. It would be a lie to say they took it well, but at least they didn’t come out and speak against what we’re about. What we have works for us. No one else matters.

“Are we decorating this thing?” Nash asks.

Mrs. McGee wipes her hands on her pants and stands up. “Not tonight. Lord knows I can’t handle anything more.” She smiles at Natalie. “Come on, sweetheart. You staying with Grandma and Grandpa tonight? We’re going to have lots of fun.”

“No sugar, please,” Cheyenne says.

“You mean no fun,” her dad guffaws. “You’re trying to ruin your daughter’s life and she can’t even walk yet. Shame on you.”

Cheyenne rolls her eyes. “Dad, come on...”

“He’s kidding,” her mother inserts. “We’ll get out of your way.”

The three of them get bundled up and Nash, Cheyenne, and I help them out to the car. We stand on the front porch and watch the headlights go down the street and into the next driveway. The car arrives safely next door and we go into the house.

Cheyenne heads right for the tree. “This thing...”

Nash claps his hand on her shoulder. I join them and gaze up at the tree.

“What was he thinking?” I ask.

She twists her lips. “A grandfather’s love knows no bounds.”

I settle onto the couch and pat the seat next to me. Cheyenne takes it and curls her legs up on the cushion.

“What day is your last tutoring session?” I ask her.

Her eyes drift to the side while she thinks. “Thursday, I think… Yep. In two days. And then that’s it until the New Year.”

Nash takes the armchair to my left. “That Nelson kid giving you any trouble?”

Cheyenne rolls her eyes. “Are you going to beat him up for me if he is?”

“Yes,” we both say.

Cheyenne’s mouth falls open. “He’s twelve!”

Nash points a finger at her. “He said you have ‘sick tits’.”

She lifts a shoulder. “It was a compliment.”

“Give him a few years to grow up and then I’ll kick the shit out of him.”

“Nash, it’s Christmas,” she chastises him.

“Yeah, Nash,” I tease. “Where’s your Christmas spirit?”

He flips me the bird. “Right here.”

“You two are animals,” Cheyenne says.

“Yeah we are.” I squeeze her hips and she squirms against me. “How about a romp in the hay?”

“We have presents to wrap.”

“You sure?” I raise my eyebrows at her. “I’m talking about the actual hay loft, by the way.”

Her lips twitch. “What?”

Nash leaves his chair to resettle on her other side. “The place where it all started.” He pushes some hair away from Cheyenne’s ear and blows softly against her neck. Her lashes flutter and her head droops.

I run my hands up and down her thighs. “We could take you out there right now and relive the moment.”

“No thanks,” she murmurs.

I slip my hand between her leg and press at her mound. “You sure?”

She moans a response.

I pick her up and hug her hips tight to mine.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

Nash leads the way upstairs. The master bedroom has been redone to make room for all three of us, with a second wardrobe and a California king sized bed. He shoves the door open and grabs something from the bedside table.

“Close your eyes,” he instructs.

I set Cheyenne on her feet and she closes her eyes. Nash wraps a silk scarf around her eyes and ties it tight.

He takes her hand and leads her over to the chair across from the bed. I watch in anticipation, my cock stirring beneath my clothes.

Nash starts to undress Cheyenne and I join him. She steps out of her clothes willingly. Her nipples are engorged and tight and bumps rise on her areolas. I gather a breast in one hand and bend down to suck on its nipple.

Nash does the same to her other breast. Cheyenne moans into the room.

We ease her down onto the chair. Nash pulls a box out from under the bed and retrieves his favorite toy. He swings the rope around his arm and saunters forward.

He loops the rope around Cheyenne’s naked shoulders and chest, squeezing her tight to the chair. Her boobs pop out between the rope. I take hold of a nipple and twist it. Cheyenne shrieks but opens her legs wider.

“You like this, huh?” I question.

She bites her bottom lip and nods.

Nash undoes his pants and kicks them to the side. I follow suit. We quickly undress and descend on Cheyenne again. With her arms bound to her sides, she can’t move her torso at all. Her face is perfectly at our hips’ height. Nash slaps one of her breasts and runs his cock along her cheek. She opens her mouth and turns it towards him.

His head enters her lips and slips into her mouth. She gags against his girth but he keeps pushing. He fills up her mouth and drives into the back of her throat. A bit of saliva runs from the corner of her mouth and down her chin.

Nash seizes Cheyenne’s hair and twists it into a ball. He tugs at it, using the force to hold her head in place. Each thrust he makes into her mouth causes her body to jerk.

I get down on my knees and push Cheyenne’s legs open. Her sweet bud, dainty and wet, exposes itself to me. I lift her legs above my shoulders, stretching them as far as they’ll go.

I bend forward and stroke my tongue down her opening. Juices flow out of her and soak the chair beneath her butt. I wiggle my tongue against her ass hole. It pulses against me, each throb stronger.

I languidly run my tongue up to her clit and swivel it around in circles. Her bud grows swollen and tender. I insert two fingers into Cheyenne’s opening and thrust them along her ceiling. I add a third finger and she moans in delight around Nash’s cock.

I suck harder on her clit. Her muscles clench around my fingers and she bursts. Her back arches and her legs lock onto my shoulders. Deep, guttural moans rack her chest.

I give her one more lick and stand up to untie her. Nash pulls out of her mouth to help me.

I toss the ropes onto the floor and carry Cheyenne to the bed. She collapses on her back, her limbs splaying out to the side. I rip off the blindfold and crash my mouth into hers. Our tongues frantically push together.

Breaking off the kiss, I fumble for the bedside drawer. My fingers close over what I’m looking for right away. Resting the condom beside me, I lace my fingers through her hair and lower her head to my dick. She parts her lips, wrapping her tiny fingers around my shaft, with her eyes fixed on me. She licks around the tip, and takes my cock head into her mouth, eagerly sucking inch by inch. Soon, all I want is to be inside of her.

With a nod, I tug her hair back and move her off my dick, quickly rolling on the condom. I lift her and turn her around to take her from behind. Fuck, she’s dripping wet and ready for us. Cheyenne moans as I position her pussy against my dick. Gripping her hips, I slowly pull her body closer, entering her tight cunt inch by mind blowing inch. Cheyenne cries out, that sound seems to get Nash’s attention. He stalks back to the bed, positioning his groin at her face.

I smile at Cheyenne’s eagerness as she holds on to him by the ass cheeks and pulls his cock to her face. Nash groans, thrusting his hips forward, ramming his cock into her mouth. With a tilt of her neck she adjusts, taking him down her throat with each bob of her head up and down his shaft.

With one hand on her upper thigh, I slide my other hand to her ass and press a finger into her asshole. She’s stuffed to the brim, each of her three holes filled.

I drive into Cheyenne at an upward angle. Each stroke increases my pleasure. Ragged breathing fills the room. Cheyenne lets out a gurgly moan around Nash’s cock. Her nails are sure to be scraping red lines across his ass. Her muscles tighten around me and a second orgasm travels through her.

I let loose, pound into Cheyenne at a punishing pace. Release rips through me as I empty inside of her, eyes only able to take in her pleasure and mine.

Nash groans and stills above her. Her hands fall to her sides.

We both climb off of Cheyenne and collapse on either side of her. I throw one arm across her chest and work to get my breathing back to normal.

“The gifts,” Nash mumbles.

“Huh?” I ask.

“There are presents to wrap,” Cheyenne explains.

I roll over on my side and prop my head on my elbow. “I already gave you the biggest package of them all.”

She presses her fingers against my lips. “You’re ridiculous.”

Nash runs his fingers between her legs. She parts her thighs and relaxes into the mattress. “You’re good,” she moans.

Nash winks at me.

I walk my fingers across Cheyenne’s stomach. “It’s not too late to go down to the hayloft. We could give it a visit just for old time’s sake.”

Cheyenne turns her face into her pillow. “You two go,” she sleepily says. “Have fun.”

I pinch her hip and she yelps. “Hey!”

“You don’t miss your very first time?”

“Why would I? Each time since then has been better.”

“Bullshit,” Nash says.

“It’s not bullshit,” she tells him. “It’s the honest truth.”

She raises up and kisses him then turns and briefly presses her lips against mine. She drops back against the pillows and faces me. “Do you miss the rodeo?”

“No,” I quickly say.

“Fuck the rodeo,” comes Nash’s half-awake voice.

Cheyenne’s forehead wrinkles. “Never at all? You don’t miss having freedom?”

“This isn’t freedom?” I ask her, gesturing at the room. “We’ve got more acres than anyone else out here.”

She raises her eyebrows. “It’s still two ranches and a baby.”

I cup her chin and level her gaze with mine. “It’s what we want.”

Her lips press together in a smile.

“You’re what we want,” Nash groggily says. He throws an arm over her shoulder.

Cheyenne smiles wider and snuggles closer to me. I envelop her lips with mine and her familiar taste runs across my tongue.

Light snoring interrupts our kiss. Nash is out cold.

Cheyenne presses her palm against her mouth and giggles. I gather the loose strands of hair around her face and tuck them behind her ear.

“You’re all we need, Cheyenne. Really. Making you ours is the best thing we’ve done.”

Her face grows serious. Two big brown eyes gaze up at me. I look back into them and see the story of my life. The story of our lives.

From the days growing up to my coming back with Nash in tow, to the drama over the summer, to the family we’ve grown. It’s all there.

And it’s perfect. It’s freedom, but not in the form I expected freedom to come in. My life doesn’t involve a never-ending road or a new, exciting romp each night. It’s full of dependability and comfort.

The things I have are mine. I’ve pledged my heart to Cheyenne. It’s a promise which will never be taken away.

I wrap my hands around her curves and kiss her with everything I’ve got, making up for lost time, with a silent promise for future together.

That is my freedom, right there.