Slow Ride (Fast Track #5)(40)
Author: Erin McCarthy

But Suzanne was going to be pissed when she saw Tuesday’s blog, no doubt about it.

“Hey beautiful,” he told her, kissing her on the top of the head. Leaning over, he smoothed a finger over Track’s cheek and smiled when his mouth moved in a sucking motion. His son glanced up at him, and Ryder felt his gut clench. He didn’t want to leave, even though he had to.

“You all set for your flight?” his wife asked him, giving him a smile.

“Yeah, I guess so. I wish I didn’t have to go. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Suzanne had taken to motherhood with ease and she looked confident and very happy.

“I’ll be fine. I have all my girlfriends around if I need to call for advice, and your mom said she’ll be here tomorrow by two.” She glanced up at him as he hovered in front of her. “Something bothering you?”

“I just don’t want to leave both of you.” Ryder had known it was going to be difficult to travel every weekend once the baby was born, but he hadn’t realized just how hard it would be to tear himself away, especially when his son was only four days old. “And just so you know, Tuesday Jones announced Track’s birth. And she poked fun at his name.”

Ryder expected Suzanne to bristle but she just laughed. “I figured she would. No big deal, it’s her job to call ’em like she sees ’em. And people are going to think his name is dumb.” She looked down at Track. “But your mama will just tell them to go suck it, yes, she will. They can suck it hard. We don’t give a fat rat’s ass what they think.”

It was odd to hear his wife sounding just like his wife, but in a singsong mommy voice. Ryder laughed. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“That something better be a good thing.”

“It is. Trust me, it is.”

She lifted the baby off her breast to burp him. “So did you hear about Evan not being a baby daddy after all?”

“Yeah. I think he’s pretty torn up about it. While the whole damn situation was awkward, I think he’d started to like the idea of being a father.”

“I can see that. But Kendall must be relieved. She was the one getting the real shaft.”

“I guess in the end, it’s best for all involved.”

“All kinds of drama going on this week. Tammy says Elec brought up that maybe they should look into adopting a baby. Just clear out of the blue.”

Ryder sat down on the couch, running his hand across the diaper butt of his son. It still amazed him how he was just a miniature version of a person, every body part a tiny little piece of perfection. “Is that something Tammy wants?”

“She says she’s only thought about having more children in passing. But she’s feeling like how can she deny Elec the opportunity to parent a baby from day one. He’s a great stepdaddy but those kids were half grown when he stepped in.”

“I don’t think Hunter could qualify as half grown despite her sass, but I see what you mean. I also think that Elec knew Tammy might not want more kids and he married her anyway. You need to think long and hard before you bring a child into your life.”

Suzanne snorted. “Oh, like we did? I got knocked up in my car!”

Ryder felt a rush of lust just thinking about that night. “Yeah, but we were meant to be. We always wanted kids. We just took the roundabout way getting there.”

“God, we were dirty that night.” She grinned at him.

“How long until we can do it again?”

“Keep it in your pants, Jefferson. We have five more weeks.”

“That’s a hell of a long time.” Maybe he could talk her into giving him a little mouth action.

“And no, I’m not blowing you.”

Damn.

Track ripped off a loud burp, the rumbling setting his head to bobbling. “You take after your mother,” he told him.

“Shush.” As she brought the baby back to her other breast, Suz asked, “Hey, so what do you think about Tuesday and Diesel? Doesn’t that seem like an odd pairing to you?”

“Definitely. He’s so laid-back and she’s so . . . verbal.”

“Well, I like it. I know her blog ticks me off from time to time but I do appreciate that she’s honest. And in person, she’s a hoot. But you’re right, they’re all sorts of different from each other. But hell, maybe that works.”

“Maybe. Diesel is a good guy, I hope it works out for him. He hasn’t had an easy time of it.”

“Speaking of hard times, I forgot to tell you that Nikki Strickland was told she won’t be able to get pregnant until she gains some weight. Turns out she’s so underweight she’s anemic and doesn’t get her periods. Crazy, huh?”

That was crazy, but really not at all surprising. “Do you think she’ll be able to do it? Gain weight, I mean?”

“I guess if she wants a child badly enough. Maybe at the very least she’ll lay off her husband and let Jonas eat a chip now and again.”

“You’re right, there is a ton of drama going on.” Suddenly he wasn’t feeling so bad about having to go off to work.

“I think we should have a dinner party.”

Leave it to Suz. “You just had a baby! You’re not throwing a party.”

“I just think that everyone could use a social night together.”

“So you can pull people aside and try and interfere in their private lives.”

“Of course not.” Then she gave in. “Okay, maybe. But what can I say? I care about my friends, and if we hadn’t interfered, Elec and Tammy would have never gotten together.”

That was subject to debate, but he’d just let her have that one. “No one needs to be fixed up.”

“Diesel and Tuesday need to be observed to determine if they’re right for each other or not.”

Oh, Lord. “No.” Ryder brushed her hair off her face. “Now give me a big old good-bye kiss.”

“You can’t just tell me no, you know.”

“We can talk about it when I get home.” And he would tell her no all over again.

“Alright.”

She puckered up and he gave her a nice, long kiss, wanting to pour all of his heart and soul into it, so she would know what she meant to him. What she had given back to him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now kick some ass out there.”

With one last kiss for both his wife and newborn son, Ryder went to do just that.