Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Forty: The Perfect Life

"Hey, Travy, honey, can you hand me that box there, please?"

"Sean says that you shouldn't lift anything in those boxes, let me carry it for you, Miss Lucy!" Travis hefted the box in his arms and she winced as she watched him struggle with it.

He wasn't quite as big and strong as he thought he was yet.

"Careful, sweetie, that's fragile."

"It's-it's okay, Miss Lucy! I got it!" And he toddled off determinedly with it in his little arms.

She sighed. He was just as stubborn as Sean, they really might as well be related to each other.

###

The next few weeks passed and it all felt like a surreal, delirious dream to Lucy.

How had she gotten so lucky as to have somehow gotten what she'd always wanted most?

A family of her own; a life with Sean Kallaghan.

She got to wake up in Sean's arms every morning and he'd make her and Travis a big, hearty breakfast, when he had time, anyway. Then he'd kiss her goodbye and kiss Travis on the top of the head before rushing off to work. Meanwhile she drove Travis back to Sunrose Creek Ranch to run the daycare.

In the afternoons, Travis helped her unpack everything and Sean would rearrange the heavy furniture to her liking when he got home in the evening.

They took turns making dinners and then they'd sit around in the living room, playing games with Travis or watching TV if they were all simply too zonkered from their days.

Sometimes they would all fall asleep together, snuggled on the couch under throw blankets.

Another favorite activity was exploring their new property; they had both a big front yard and an even larger back yard with plenty of trees.

Travis helped Lucy dig garden beds in one portion of the yard and she wanted to get her own chicken coup, though perhaps a bit smaller than the one her grandparents had.

Travis soon had Sean hanging a tire swing on rope from the old oak tree and next he had him starting a giant treehouse in the sturdy ash tree.

It would take her some time to get used to living this far into town, but she was glad to see that Travy was adapting, faster than she was, certainly.

Lucy sat in her lounge chair, sipping lemonade as she watched them building the treehouse together. She smiled to herself when she felt one of her twins kick. Then they both started kicking and she giggled softly; it tickled, in an odd, twinging fashion.

It made her toes curl and her heart skip a beat. Nothing could be more magical than the sensation of life moving within her.

Life that she and Sean had created together.

It made her hungry to do it all over again.

She had read just about every book in existence, had heard every shred of advice anyone had; every horror story and every old wives' tale.

Suffice to say, she knew what to expect, but it was still her first pregnancy and she was getting increasingly nervous as her due date approached.

She felt better when she remembered that Sean would be there the whole time, holding her hand. With him at her side, she thought that she could probably do anything.

More so even than anyone else, Lucy just wanted Sean to be there at her bedside when she was bringing their children into the world.

A recent ultrasound had revealed that the twins were actually paternal and so would be of different genders.

She and Sean had discussed it and they had decided on the names; Sunny, for the boy, and Rosa, for the girl.

###

Amanda and the other girls organized a big home warming/baby shower for Lucy and Sean the following weekend.

The weather was just starting to turn a bit snappy, the leaves just slightly tinged with reds and golds. It was the perfect time to get in one last summer BBQ, so they held a big one in their back yard to celebrate their new family.

Travis had all of his friends over and happily screaming children were soon running rampant with hot water balloons and bubble guns. Several barking dogs chased after them and Lucy grimaced a bit whenever the raucous parade went by. Travis kept asking for a puppy and Sean was all for it, she just didn't think with the new babies that it was really the best time. A puppy for Christmas, though, now that might be something realistic in Travy's future. Their first Christmas together as a family was going to be huge. She couldn't wait.

Sean was manning the grill with a 'Kiss Me, I'm Irish' apron, drinking beer with Matt and some of his other cop buddies.

Earlier, he had decorated the trees with pastel paper lanterns and streamers, under the careful supervision of Amanda, of course. She had decorated the whole inside of the house herself, hanging up balloons and putting big bouquets of pink and blue flowers everywhere.

Pretty much everything was pink and blue, to honor the double gender of the twins.

Lucy always enjoyed the oddly sadistic baby showers games they traditionally played, and opening up all her babies' presents was a highlight of the day. Her favorite gifts were the articles of baby clothing, mostly in pink and blue, of course. She could positively not wait to start playing dress up with her baby daughter and son.

But the absolute best part was the moment when Sean walked up behind her and slid his arms around her. He nuzzled her throat lovingly, his big hands gently caressing her massively swollen tummy as he rocked her side to side.

She was his.

It felt so unreal, but this was really, truly her life now.

Sean was hers, here, in this normal, domestic lifestyle. Everything felt healthy and safe and easy. It was perfect.

It all just felt too good to be true.

~ ~ ~

Oh no! And usually when something feels too good to be true...stay tuned for Lucy and Sean's twins being born!

*Comment to let me know if you think if everything is good in paradise now or if you scent more trouble on the horizon!

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HRH