Page 157 of Buckin' Around

“Spencer Lockwood, is my baby girl here?”

I can’t hold back the grin that springs to life. “Yes ma’am.”

She’s peeling herself from me a heartbeat later. The door bangs on the wall as she flies through it and out into the downpour. I follow, closing the door as I go. She slams through the back door to the homestead. Crossing the threshold, I almost run straight into her back.

“Oh, Ives, you came all this way?” She drops to her knees.

Ivy turns away from the toy she’s playing with by Chloe’s side on the floor. The instant her gaze finds Riley, she’s up on her feet, running for her.

“Mama, mama, mama, mama.”

Riles sobs, sinking to her seat on the hard floor as Ivy flies into her arms.

“Ivy baby, my clever girl,” Riles says through sobs.

Chloe’s crying, swiping at her cheeks as Connor stands in the hallway, arms crossed, the ghost of a smile on his face.

Two girls come tumbling out of a bedroom somewhere, skidding to a halt when they see us.

“Oh shite, the cowboy came,” one says, elbowing the other.

They must be Lizzy and Elouise.

“Hey girls,” I say with nod.

“Ah, Chloe! Why didn’t you tell us Ivy’s here? Hoggin’ her for yerself?” the other chimes in.

Riley loses Ivy to her sisters as they carry her to the living room.

I can’t resist the chance to wrap myself around the fiery little woman I love. So I close in behind her as she glances over her shoulder.

And I do.

I wrap my arms around her, sink my face into her hair, and breathe her in before I utter, “I love you, Riley O’Malley. More than anything else in this life.”

A hand slaps my head.

“Ay!” I jerk my head up.

“As much as Ives, Spence. Not more.”

I chuckle.

“Always fecking right, Riley O’Malley.” I give her my best Irish accent, and everyone turns. The matching looks of horror on their faces has laughter bursting from me and Riles.

Right here in this moment, I know one thing. Whatever happens, I will be okay. Ives and Riles will be okay, too. All we need is to be together.

No more buckin’ around for this cowboy.

Home is in the heart of the woman who saw me at my worst and stayed for the glow-up fatherhood afforded me. The only person in the world who’s been there when I was vulnerable and hasn’t hurt me for it or simply walked away. She walked through every step of it with me and didn’t blink an eye. Didn’t criticize my mistakes. And there were many.

I quit the circuit in favor of coaching future bull riders, which I have been doing from Brady’s ranch. Guess it will have to be in Clady now.

My degree hangs on the wall in the cottage.

It only took ten weeks to get my last two courses finalized, and the diploma arrived in the mail. I sold my truck to fund thetrip and give Ives and me some money for living expenses while we get set up over here.

Who knows what the future holds.