Short Rides (Rough Riders #14.5)(45)

“Exactly the perfect thing.” She placed her hand over his heart. “How did I get so lucky that you fell in love with me? And you’re still with me after my random bouts of craziness?”


He gave her a gentle, loving kiss as her answer.


She rested her forehead against his chest. “Sorry I ruined our sexy time.”


“You didn’t. We just had a break in the activities. Which is a good thing because my stamina sure isn’t what it was two months ago.”


“I don’t care.”


“So let’s pick up where we left off, right here in the shower. That way if it happens again, we won’t care. We’ll already be wet.”


Keely reached behind him and turned the water on.


Jack yelped when the cold hit his back.


But the water heated up. So did the kisses and the frantic touches between them.


Jack grabbed her ass and urged, “Jump up.” Then he pressed her against the wall, using his body strength to hold hers in place. He locked his burning gaze to hers and impaled her. “God I love the look in your eyes when I do that.”


“So do it some more.” She raked her nails down his back. “And then do it some more again. Because we have a lot of time to make up for.”


Two months later...at Piper’s four-month checkup


“I hate bringing her to the doctor with all these sick people around,” Jack said after they’d checked in at the clinic.


“Just keep the cover over her carrier and no one will bug her.” But Keely chose seats in the corner just to be safe.


“Are you going to work tomorrow?”


“If I feel better.” She’d caught a nasty flu bug in the last week that’d knocked her flat. Luckily she hadn’t passed it on to either Piper or Jack. She’d made light of it, but it worried her because it’d lingered longer than normal.


Jack flipped through a parenting magazine before setting it aside with a sigh. “You sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone? Because I can postpone the trip.”


She grabbed his hand. “We’ll be fine. We’ll miss you, but our work lives didn’t end just because we have a baby.” Keely had returned to her rehab clinic last month. Two days a week she took Piper to work with her and on the full schedule days, Piper went to the daycare at Sky Blue, which should be renamed McKay daycare, since nearly all the kids were family members.


“I’m just having a harder time than I thought leaving you guys.”


“Well, we are pretty damn cool.”


Jack lifted a dark eyebrow.


“Pretty darn cool,” she amended. They’d been trying to clean up their language around Piper, figuring it’d take them both two years to get a handle on it.


“Piper Donohue?” the nurse called out.


Jack picked up the carrier and they followed the nurse through the maze leading to the examination rooms.


After they were settled, Doc Monroe poked her head in. “I’m running behind today guys, if you want to see Griffin the PA, I’d understand.”


“We’ll wait,” Jack said.


“Maybe you should run a flu test on me while we’re waiting.”


Doc Monroe came all the way into the room and scrutinized Keely. “Did you get a flu shot this year?”


“Yes.”


“Typical flu symptoms?”


“Nausea. Headaches. I throw up, which is weird because I don’t eat much. I’m clammy then I’m hot. Tired.”


“How long has it been going on?”


“Over a week,” Keely admitted and shot an apologetic look at her husband.


“We’ll run tests so if you test positive we can offer Piper and Jack preventative treatment. I’ll get you to the lab.”


Keely had a blood sample taken. A urine sample taken. The worst one was the nose mucus sample. She slipped back into the exam room and sat next to Jack, who’d—big surprise—taken Piper out of her carrier and was holding her.


Piper grinned and kicked her feet at seeing her mama. Their daughter was beyond adorable—however she looked nothing like Keely or Jack with her dark red hair and big green eyes.


“Hey, beautiful girl. Those smiles are gonna disappear when they come in and stick you with needles.”


“How many shots does she get today?” Jack asked.


“Three, I think.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, GQ. Hurry back.”


“I will. But you could give me something to remember you by tonight.”


She lifted her head. “When did you start taking testosterone? Because you are as horny as a teenage boy lately.”


Jack kissed her, sweet and slow and deep. “What can I say? My wife is smoking hot.” He kissed her again. “Guys complain about their wives losing interest in sex after having a baby. But what do any of them do to fix it? If it’s important it’ll be a priority. It’ll always be a priority for me. For us.”


“I love that about you.”