It was weird how the cow’s tail suddenly started to wag—excessively—once Jovy had arrived.
“We’re heading back today,” he said.
Until her dad retired in a little over a year and her parents moved to Texas, Kaydee and Leo had decided to live in Dallas to be close to her grandfather. It meant an hour commute each way for him, but he didn’t care. It was worth it to come home to a happy wife.
He’d proposed not long after he’d moved in with her, and three months ago, they said their I dos right here on the ranch, just like all his buddies before him.
“How’s your grandmother and Nate?” Vince sat back in his chair and grinned. “They’re my heroes, deejaying at the rec center.”
Kaydee grunted. “Until music blares through the walls at two a.m. because they’re ‘mixing.’ I told them that was so not happening when the baby’s here.”
“For sure,” Jovy said, then her face brightened as a large truck rumbled to a stop in the driveway. “Oh, good. He’s here.” She clapped her hands, glee claiming her expression. Her discomfort was apparently forgotten as she stood and walked around Lula Belle without batting an eye.
That was new. No Lula Belle barbs or death glares.
“He? He, who?” Stone frowned, rushing after his wife as she practically skipped to the truck…which wasn’t easy to do considering her baby belly.
Kaydee rose to her feet, and Leo silently gave thanks as he rose, too, shaking out his numb leg, urging the blood flow.
Leo glanced at Kaydee. “Do you know about this?”
“No.” She shook her head and patted her swollen belly. “All I know are bathrooms at this point. And that you give the best back rubs.”
He moved behind her to dip his head and brush his mouth to her ear. “That’s not all I’m good at rubbing,” he whispered.
She laughed and set her head to his chest. “I remember those days.”
He snorted. “You forgot last night?”
She’d enjoyed herself last night. He knew it. So did the neighbors.
“Jovy, what did you do?” Stone’s shocked tone brought Leo’s mind back to the present and he watched as the truck drove off, leaving a smiling Jovy and a very big brown-and-white cow in the driveway.
“What does it look like?” She snorted.
Or was that the cow?
“I bought Lula Belle a boyfriend.” A smug smile curved the woman’s lips. “Let’s go, Raging Moo. Get up. It’s time to meet Bucky.”
Kaydee laughed. “Great name.” Amusement lit her eyes as she smiled at him.
He groaned, far less amused.
Seriously? Would he ever get away from the Marvel references?
“Could’ve been worse.” Brick snickered. “Could’ve been Sebastian.”
“Or Stan.” Vince grinned.
He mentally flipped them both off. Cord, Vince, and Brick laughed, and Bucky turned toward the sound, and watched as Stone managed to coax Lula Belle to her feet. She stretched, then slowly made her way to the driveway.
“Yes!” Jovy smiled, patting Bucky’s back. “Here she comes, boy. Go get her.”
Kaydee inhaled. “He’s actually doing it.”
Leo shook his head, wondering if anyone from their old unit would believe him if he told them about this. Holding back a snicker, he watched as the two cows moseyed closer and sniffed each other. Everything looked promising, until they mooed, and Lula Belle turned and walked back to Stone.
“No.” Jovy frowned. “No…that’s not what’s supposed to happen.”
