Page 17 of Hard To Love

“Please tell me that the woman who you have been holed up with these last weeks is Sandy.”

“It is,” Sandy’s voice sounded from behind me.

A millisecond later, the warmth of her hand touched my back. I turned to look at her, and as if I had conjured her up, there she was, at my side. Her eyes were soft but held a whisper of worry. I knew what she was stressed about. She thought she’d overstepped letting the cat out of the bag.

Truth was, she had nothing to be worried about.

“We most definitely are, Mom.” I hugged my angel, pulling her tighter to my side. On the regular, my mom was a nut. She was known for it all over town. She had a lot of sides to her. She was goofy and dramatic and funny as well as stubborn and opinionated as hell. She was no one’s doormat, and she made that very clear. Having grown up on the ranch and then helping run it, she’d had to be. Especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

But one thing she wasn’t was quiet.

I didn’t know my mom had that in her.

Yet she stared at us quietly, with a warmth in her eyes and love so grand shining through it was the only way I knew for a fact she wasn’t having a stroke or something. Shit, she seemed happier than I felt, and that was saying something.

“Mom?” She put a hand out in front of her and took in a visible deep breath. When she exhaled, she smiled and walked right toward us.

Not slowly.

Her rushed steps moved her right to us, and she didn’t stop until she pulled us into a tight group hug.

“I knew it,” she whispered at my ear. “I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. Finally, my boy has the girl of his dreams,” she added before kissing my cheek. With her arms still wrapped around us, she pulled back and looked at us. “Now, you better be good to her, or I will kick your butt. I don’t care how old you are,” she threatened playfully. I scowled while I felt Sandy’s body shake with soft laughter at my mom’s shenanigans.

“Shouldn’t you be tellinghernot to breakmyheart?” Mom rolled her eyes and cupped Sandy’s face.

“My girl would never break your heart.” She smiled before kissing her on the cheek.

“What’s going on here?” My dad’s deep voice asked. I looked over my mom’s head, and sure enough, he was there.

A grin worked its way across his face as I took in the sight of my old man making his way toward us. His eyes bounced back and forth between Sandy and me. I looked a lot like my dad, both in height and body structure. His own dark hair was peppered with a little salt at the edges. There was no denying he looked good for his age.

“What’s going on is that you owe me a date at Serrano’s and a hundred bucks,” my mom answered. His bushy brows bunched at his brow. Not that my mom was fazed in the least. She grinned from ear to ear as my dad rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah? And why’s that, Ma? You placing bets on Sandy and me?” I felt Sandy’s body lock tight next to me.

“Wait, does that mean you bet against us, Mr. West?” Sandy asked, but my pops was already shaking his head before she was done asking.

“Not even a little bit, honey. We bet on when you would finally tell us, but I got a feeling your mom pried it out of you, which would mean—"

“I did no such thing!” My mom was aghast and totally playing the old guy, with her hand at her chest and the fakest scowl plastered on her face. “The fact you would even—"

“Son?” His eyes locked on mine. My lips twitched, and I shrugged. I’d learned a long time ago not to get in the middle when they argued.

“Sandy’s my girl,” I announced.

“Auggie!” Sandy giggled but pressed the side of her head deeper into my chest.

“Finally!” My mom jumped and hugged my dad.

“’Bout time!” My dad winked, and I kissed the top of Sandy’s head.

“We’re also having a baby,” I added and watched my parents freeze. Their eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. The whole thing would have been funny if I hadn’t felt my girl’s body lock up in my arms.

“Auggie,” Sandy whispered when neither of them said anything. I didn’t like the concern in her voice.

We had talked about telling them about the baby. There was no way that was something we could or even wanted to keep a secret. That little stud muffin or cupcake was going to be the twinkle of not only mine and Sandy’s eye but of my parents.

This was something my angel wasn’t sure of, but I was certain enough for the both of us. I felt it in my bones. I knew the people who had raised me wouldn’t blink at accepting this child as their own grandchild.