Down on the Ranch

Chapter 23

Jace's P.O.V.

Three years have passed, and man, these past few years have been busy, but a good busy. I have been working part time at the vet office, and part time here at the ranch for the last two and a half years. I passed the big exam in the top ten percent. Gage still has one more year left of college before he has his bachelor degree in business.

Mum is getting married to her long time boyfriend Ryan Andrews, next year in July. Ryan and mum have been dating for just over three years. Ryan is a great guy, and works as a photojournalist for the local paper. Ryan is a wonderful guy, and he treats mum like she is his queen, and mum treats him like her king. He and I get along well, too.

Warren and Ford still work on the ranch as does mum, and Ryan helps when he is here. Ford and Warren's lives have not changed much in the last three years.

Pop-op and nana are still running the ranch, and they have no desire of stopping any time soon. I cannot imagine them not running the ranch, but I know there will come a day that this will become reality.

Gage's parents have moved a mile from the ranch with their two adoptive children whom they adopted a year and a half ago. The two children are biological siblings. Micah Lee is 15-years-old, and Sean Edward is 13-years-old.

Dad moved a half a mile away from the ranch six months ago. Grams died eight months ago, and he sold her house because he could not stay there, and he wanted to be closer to me. Grams died of her cancer when it overran her body, and the treatments and medications were no longer working. I took her passing hard, but understandably dad took her passing even harder. Dad is now back working the ranch to help offset the time that I am at the vet office, and Gage is at school.

Gage and I are still together. We have built a small four bedroom, two bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and living room home on the back part of the ranch. We finished the home, and fully moved in a month ago. We needed our own home since I am eight months pregnant with a boy. Gage and I are going to name our son Gabriel James McCoy.

"Hey, baby boy?" Gage calls out as he enters the cow barn where I am mucking out the stalls.

"Last stall on the left side, babe!" I call back as I dump a pitchfork full of used hay into the wheelbarrow. 

Gage, in all of his sweaty glory, stops in front of the wheelbarrow with a frown gracing his plump lips. His fists are resting on his hips as he watches me for several seconds in silence while I continue my task.

"Why are you mucking stalls at eight months pregnant? I thought we agreed that you were not going to muck the stalls?" he questions gently, knowing how wonky my hormones and emotions have been my entire pregnancy.

"I can still do this, babe," I assure him with a smile over my left shoulder. "Mum worked on the ranch while pregnant with me, so can I."

Tossing that last pitchfork full onto the wheelbarrow, Gage grabs the handles before I can, and takes it out to dump it for me despite my playful glare. He brings the wheelbarrow back, so I can use it on the other side.

"After we finish this section, you are taking a break," he firmly states, and I know when to pick my battles with my love, so I let him have this one.

"Okay, baby, I will," I sooth him with a promising smile.

"Oh, hey, Kent texted me earlier saying that he and Callie will be here a little later tonight to hang out for a while, so are you up for their visit?" he says a couple of minutes later.

"Yeah! I am up for them visiting. What time?" I grin, excited that my best friend, and his lovely girlfriend are gonna visit us.

"They are gonna be here at 7 p.m., and Kent also wanted me to tell you that he is bringing some of your current craving foods," Gage grins.

"Awe, that is so sweet of him. He is gonna be a great dad whenever he has his own children," I coo with blurry eyes. "You are sweet, too, and so good to me."

My eyes fill completely with tears at the sudden rush of love that I have for Gage at how lucky I am to have this beautiful man in my life, and my baby's father.

"I-I l-love y-you so m-much!" I sob, unable to control myself, clutching the handle of the pitchfork in my fists as I stare at Gage.

"Oh, baby boy, come here," Gage soothes, pulling me into his yummy body as I drop the pitchfork onto the side of the stall, so I can wrap my arms around his waist tightly.

Sobbing into his firm chest until I have calmed down a few minutes later; "You are so wonderful to me even when I am an emotional mess. I don't deserve you!"

"Hush, and none of that baby boy. I love you, too," he confirms with a kiss to the top of my head. "You are so wrong, my love, I am the one who does not deserve you since you are such an angelic person who makes me want to be a better person everyday. You are doing an amazing job in caring for our son, and I know you are going to be the best parent ever when our son is in our arms."

That breaks the dam of tears open again, and I dig my face back into his chest. Gage gently rubs his big warm palm over my aching back as he gently sways us side to side. When I fully calm down, Gage leans back slightly, smiling fondly at me, pecks my lips before carefully drying my face with the sleeves of his shirt.

"You are gonna be an amazing parent, too," I sniffle as I stare wide eyed at my love. "You are the angel out of the two of us."

"We are gonna have to agree to disagree on this subject, babe," I giggle, leaning my head up slightly, wanting a kiss from Gage which he happily gives me.

Baby Gabriel decides to harshly kick causing Gage and I to loudly laugh as the baby continues to assault my insides. Gage squats down in front of me, lifts my shirt to rest it above my large belly. He places his warm palms on both sides of my belly as he gently peppers my extended belly making me giggle. Running the fingers of my left hand over Gage's short hair, lightly scratching his scalp as he starts talking to Gabriel, effectively calming the baby down.

"Hello, my little Gabriel," Gage coos with pecks to my belly. "I know your papa is taking such wonderful care of you, but you need to stop kicking him so much. Papa and I can't wait to meet you, but please stay in there until you have finished growing."

"Hey guys," Ford says entering the barn, and stops when he notices the intimate moment we are sharing. "Um, sorry for interrupting, but Jason and Rebekkah want to see you two in their office in an hour."

"Okay, thanks Ford," I reply as Gage stands, pulling my shirt back over my bump as he thanks Ford, too.