Back Country (The Country Duet #2)(43)
I nod. That nurse nearly collapsed with the amount effort she used to help Dave, but there’s no sense in arguing with him. He runs his fingers over the package of candy, but never opens it.
“I just need some sleep, Hunter.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow, you ornery bastard.”
He gives me a half-cocked grin, but remains silent. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Dave, it’s that he always has to have the final word. Not tonight when he’s made the biggest decision of his life.
“I love you, Dave. You’ve taught me more about life than I thought possible.”
Epilogue
Hunter
Two Years Later
“Wide open spaces are good for the heart.” –Unknown
The tires on my work truck come to a stop in our driveway. I don’t even have one leg out before Teale and Baker come racing out of the house. It was a long day on Sweetwater working cattle on horseback. My body aches, belly is empty, and I’m in need of a good shower.
“Cowboy, we gotta run. Baker’s dress rehearsal is in fifteen minutes.” She pecks me on the lips, but pulls back in a flash. “The baby is sleeping, and there’s breast milk in the fridge.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Baker hops up on the running boards of the truck and taps my nose.
The simple action makes me smile, and I tap hers right back. It wasn’t until we were on our honeymoon that Teale told me about the gesture between the two of them causing me to break down. It seems like yesterday that Baker’s last name changed to Yates. Life is simple, yet perfect, in every aspect.
Not gonna lie, when our little one was born I was thankful he was a boy. Watching Abby and Quinn grow up, and knowing I have a daughter of my own has scared the shit out of me. I have no idea how Dad survived two of the wild cats. Now we have real talks about beating bully’s asses.
“Dinner is in the Instapot,” Teale says before dashing to her car.
Baker’s on her heels, excited as all hell for her dance rehearsal. I’m still amazed, day-to-day, how Teale has all the energy she does. She tells me every single night before we fall asleep how thankful she is to be living her dream. A family is all Teale ever wanted. A powerful marriage, house full of kids, and a ranch where she can wear real cowgirl boots. She’s quite the ranch hand, especially when she brings me lunch out on the tractor or in the barn, that’s where she shows off her real talents. It’s those rare moments we have alone, exploring each other’s bodies, that I hold dear.
It’s not my cow dog, Tux, who is my right-hand partner on Sweetwater anymore. He’s buried up on a hill that overlooks the Snake River. Now, I have Ruger who is just as good. If life has taught me anything, it’s that the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes. With the only thing mattering is how you rise to the occasion.
I slip my shitty work boots off at the door and creep into the baby’s nursery. My little, chubby cowboy is out like a rock. I pull off my dirty work shirt, then pull him from his crib even though he’s fast asleep. The little man is a spitting replica of me, from his hair and eye color, right down to his bow tie lips.
“Hey, Bubba.” I kiss his sweet smelling forehead.
Mom deemed him with my nickname right off the bat, and it stuck. The amount of excitement coursing through my veins on a daily basis is unreal, with the reality of being able to raise my kids on Sweetwater just like I was.
In quiet moments like these, I never miss the opportunity to tell my son a story about the man who taught me what life is all about. It hurts every single day not having Dave in my life. I miss his stinky house, taking care of him, and mostly learning from him. I still hate black licorice to this day, but always have a pack of it in my house. Tears often well up in my eyes with just the thought of him. Funny, how life throws you a curve ball when you least expect it, and it turns out to be the grandest learning adventure of your life, not leaving you the same person.
I rock slowly back and forth in a steady rhythm with baby Dave clutched to my chest, and then begin telling him one of my favorite stories about the man he’s named after.
“One of the last nursing homes Dave was in, two nurses came in to change him out of a gown and into his black shirt and sweatpants. The thing about Dave, son, was you never knew what to expect. These nurses were barely twenty-one, but that didn’t stop Dave. He flat out asked them if they’ve ever seen a man naked before.”
I pause, shaking my head and remembering the moment I was embarrassed for the nurses, shaking my head, and mumbling, “Jesus, Dave.”
“Well, they both admitted to seeing a man naked before, and ol’ Dave proudly told them, ‘well, this won’t be the last dick you’re going to see then.’ When they left the room, I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. The harder I laughed, the more Dave laughed along with me, even though he was in the worst shape of his life and he was barely hanging on. He turned to me and told me that it didn’t matter anymore. He used to cover himself up, but they’ve seen all kinds of dicks. Small, medium, and big ones, so he didn’t give a shit if they saw his.”
An odd story to be telling your newborn, but Dave wasn’t your typical man in any sense. He marched to the own beat of his drum and had no reservations about telling anyone to fuck off. It’s that fighting, country spirit I want baby Dave to have, with a bit of my finesse and good manners to round it out, of course.