Protecting Her Curves Page 4
“No ma’am. Sorry. This one is all mine.” I say with finality as we begin to walk around the fairgrounds once more.
I finally found something worth sticking around for. I’m not giving it up for anyone.
“Now come on. I saw something about a root beer flavored funnel cake ice cream sandwich.” I tug on her arm, dragging my smitten girlfriend along for the ride.
“Unless it comes with a serving of huge, hot, and hung man, I don’t want any.” Brie pouts.
“Oh sweety, this is Texas. You never know what you’ll find here.” I pat her arm as I drag her along. “Trust me.”
Chapter 8
Extended Epilogue: Five Years Later
Jackson
As I push open the door of my favorite diner, I’m greeted by silence.
Instantly, my mind flashes back to the last time silence welcomed me. Five years ago to the day — the most important day of my life.
The day I met Sage.
There’s apprehension in this silence. It’s full. Pregnant.
I glance around the diner, but there’s no obvious source of the quiet. Nobody has a gun drawn. Instead, there’s just the furtive sound of people pointedly not looking at me.
I sigh as I walk up to the counter.
“Sage, I know you’re back there. I can hear you breathing.”
Silence answers me, but it’s the furtive sound of someone distinctly not answering me.
“I’m going to count to three, lil’ lady, and then I’m going to come back there, toss you over my shoulder, and carry you home like a sack of potatoes. In front of all of your customers.”
Sage pops her head up from behind the counter at that, her green eyes glinting with outrage.
“You wouldn’t dare.” She seethes.
“No, it’d be terrible for the baby,” I say with a smirk. Then I frown at my wife. “Almost as bad as being on your feet when you’re due in three weeks.”
“Jax, I done told you a thousand times, this baby is perfectly healthy.” Sage has her hands on her hips, glaring up at me with every ounce of feisty energy she can manage.
“Easy, sweetheart.” I hold my hands up placatingly. “Let’s just settle down. You did promise you’d take it easy once you got far enough along.”
“I did, and I will. But I’m still fine, Jackson. Honestly. This is nothing like the first two times, I promise.”
I roll my eyes at her understatement.
“Sorry if your extremely difficult pregnancies have made me protective of you.”
Sage relaxes immediately, all the fight draining out of her at my serious tone.
“Oh you big idiot. I’m far too hormonal for you to be saying sweet things in front of customers. Now I’m going to start crying behind the counter again.”
One hand on the countertop and then I’m across it, vaulting over to wrap my wife up in my arms.
“There, now no one can see. Not that they were looking anyway, I swear, everyone in this town does their level best to cover for you. I’m halfway surprised there isn’t a crime spree going on just to distract me.”
Sage melts into my embrace, her curves even fuller than normal due to her approaching due date.
“Alright. I’ll take it easy, but Jax, someone has to keep this place going.” She murmurs into my chest.
I try to stifle a groan, but it’s too late.
“Walked right into that one, didn’t I?” I ask rhetorically.
“Well, you did say you’d do anything you could to help make it easier on me. I’ll stay off my feet, but only if you stay and help.”
I grimace. “Fine. How hard could it be?”
Eight hours later, slumped against the countertop, I lift my head to survey the empty diner.
“Is it finally over?” I ask, before letting my head hit the top again.
“Yes baby, it’s over. All the mean people are fed and gone.”
“How do you do it, honey? If people were that stupid with me every day, I’d shoot them.”
“It used to be harder, but then we started dating. They’re not so bad in comparison.”
“Ha. Ha. Ow. Oh god, my feet are destroyed.”
“Wrong shoes. We’ll get you some non-slip shoes for tomorrow.”
That makes my head shoot up, staring at my wife in abject horror.
“Tomorrow? This was a one-day thing, Sage.”
There’s an evil glint in her eye as she smirks down at me.
“Well, you did so well today, I thought we’d just keep this arrangement up until the baby comes. Now come on, we’ve got to go pick up the kids from your parents.”
Her voice is saccharine sweet. It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard.
“Nope. Come on, we’re going home.”
“Jax, we can’t just abandon the kids.” She says, rolling her eyes at me.
“My parents will be fine. I’m taking you home and doing whatever it takes to induce labor.” I grin up at her from my slumped spot across the countertop.
That makes her pause.
“Well, I can think of a few things we can try…” She eyes me up and down, the gleam in her eye shifting from vicious to aroused in a split second.
“Good. Come on, if we hurry, we can try them all.”
Without waiting for an answer, I scoop her up in my arms bridal style while she shrieks with laughter.
We don’t get through them all, but in the end, we get there.
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Also by Regina Wade
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About the Author
Regina Wade writes steamy, short romances that can be devoured in one sitting. She likes her heroines curvy and smart, her heroes big and bad, and her love stories as OTT as she can make them. Sometimes tongue-in-cheek, always tongues in cheeks.
Texas Sized Playlist, Vol 1.
Playlist:
God Blessed Texas, Little Texas
If You’re Gonna Play in Texas, Alabama
Amarillo by Morning, George Strait
Bluest Eyes in Texas, Restless Heart
Luckenbach Texas, Waylon Jennings
She’s Like Texas, Josh Abbott Band