Page 52 of Revelry (Cowgirls Do It Better #2)

Gertie

One year later…

My orgasm rocketed through me and I screamed, my whole body spasming with release.

I don’t know how he did it. Every damn time. He took me to the edge and then flung me off it with abandon and I didn’t ever get enough. I never would.

A year later and we were as insatiable as if we’d just met.

It was sickening. We were giving Kat and Jack a run for their money on who could be the most unbearable to be around.

I felt bad for the rest of the girls but I knew one day they would find their happily ever afters and know exactly how this feels.

Especially Maddy and Leo, something was definitely going on there.

Tate popped his head out from under the duvet, such a proud smile on his face and I patted his cheek.

“Incredible. As always. Ten out of ten.”

His cheeks flushed with my praise. I’d discovered he actually loved to be told he’d done a good job, I think it was something to do with the perfectionist in him.

Tate had continued with his therapy, and his impulses had become easier to control over time, sometimes I forgot he even had them.

Only when he was really stressed did he have a severe flare up, especially now the root cause of his OCD had been confronted and resolved.

Between Neil and I, Tate had learned that he didn’t need to fight his OCD but learn to live alongside it.

We saw his dad and brothers once a week for dinner. At first, the meet ups had been stilted and difficult, no one knowing how to handle it and what to say, but that’s where I came in handy, smoothing everything over between them and easing the tension.

Tate spent time one-on-one with Scott and also with Jake who had become a little Tate shadow.

He looked up to him so much that sometimes the admiration in his gaze made my chest hurt.

I was so thrilled Tate had a family again, he had the father he deserved.

It hadn’t all been smooth sailing but after a year, they had gotten to know each other a lot better.

And what a year it had been. I’d been devastated to cut back on working at the ranch, it was a huge part of my life and would continue to be. Now I loved being a Redemption cowgirl when I had the spare time.

Living The Cream was up and running. Mom and Cathy sold up and moved to San Francisco permanently and we had a regular weekly Facetime, including Tate.

Mom and Cathy had kind of adopted him and checked in to make sure he was eating right and looking after me.

I’d taken over the contract on Cathy’s gallery and refurbished it into the ice creamery, hiring two assistants to help me.

The first summer there had been incredible.

I’d worked overtime making as much ice cream as possible.

I couldn’t keep up with demand but it had been so fulfilling.

It was such a beautiful thing to be exhausted by your own achievements and progress.

And it had proved to me that I could do this.

Now whenever I thought about Shithead Gary’s scornful words, I laughed.

What an idiot he was to try and dull my shine.

Over the winter months, I’d kept the customers coming in by making pumpkin spice and cinnamon everything .

My hot chocolates had become as legendary as my ice cream.

I held events which paid for themselves, birthdays, retirement parties and local book clubs all hired the space, and the café was packed most days.

I was well and truly living my glorious dream.

“Come on, get dressed. We’ve got to cross off a Fagenda item.” Tate rolled out of bed, tugging on his boxers. My eyes dropped to the massive boner he was sporting.

“You want me to do anything about that?” I asked, nibbling my bottom lip.

His stare locked on my mouth and he groaned before dropping a kiss to my forehead.

“Later. Absolutely later. We’ve got an appointment to stick to.”

I pouted. “Appointment? Boo. That doesn’t sound very Fagenda-friendly. Fun isn’t scheduled.”

He grinned at me, his smile coming so freely these days, my grump was a grump no more. Sometimes I missed his growly ways.

“This fun is, hop to it, sugar!”

Then he was gone, and I was grumbling and getting out of bed. I stood up too quickly, the room spinning and my stomach roiled. I eventually righted myself, dressed and found him downstairs waiting by the front door.

“Is this attire appropriate?” I asked, twirling for him.

His eyes roved over me. “You look perfect.” He patted my ass but I knew he was just secretly trying to shove me towards the door, he still didn’t like to be late.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked as we drove out towards the rolling fields.

He just grinned and shook his head. “It’s a secret Fagenda item.”

“Fine, keep your secrets and I’ll keep mine,” I taunted.

“Damn you,” he grumbled. “I don’t like secrets.”

“Now you know how it feels!”

We eventually pulled onto a back road, then to a big field with some kind of industrial hangar. I reluctantly followed Tate when he got out of the truck and over to the door rolling open of the loft.

“Ta-da!” He flourished when the door fully opened and I saw an airplane in the hangar.

My brow furrowed. “Ta-da?”

He came over and took my hand. “We’re crossing off the ultimate Fagenda item today. We’re going to jump out of a plane, sugar.”

My stomach dropped as the sonofabitch actually jumped up and down with excitement. When had he become such a daredevil? I gripped my stomach.

“No, I don’t think it’s such a good idea, Tate.”

“Of course it is. Come on, let’s go and meet Dave, he’ll be our pilot and guide.” He tugged me over to a man in dirty overalls with a toothpick sticking out the corner of his mouth. He didn’t exactly look qualified, but I tried not to judge him. Tried really hard.

I tugged Tate’s arm. “No, seriously Tate, I can’t do it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me my rebellious, chaos demon girlfriend is actually afraid of jumping out of an airplane.” I didn’t appreciate the volume of his laughter.

I wasn’t afraid, really, I wasn’t.

“I’m not afraid. I just don’t think I can do it.”

His face softened and he cupped my cheek. “Of course you can, sugar. I know it’s scary but I’ll hold your hand and scream with you the entire way down, I promise.”

I took his hand cupping my jaw and placed it over my stomach.

“No, sugar. You don’t understand, I can’t .”

His brow furrowed in confusion.

“But how about we try again in another six months?” I gave him a watery smile. Part of me had been terrified of how he would react. Part of me was excited to watch him become the most amazing father. The father we’d both needed.

He glanced between my face and his hand resting on my belly before his eyes widened.

“You’re kidding! Tell me you’re kidding!”

I shook my head.

He whooped loudly and lifted me into his arms, running us round in circles before gently setting me down.

“We’re having a baby?”

I nodded, smiling through my tears. “We’re having a baby.”

He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tight. I trembled and cried and laughed, the emotions rolling through me.

“You’re happy, right?” I asked nervously.

He pulled back, tears running down his cheeks. “The happiest,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my lips, rubbing my stomach. He broke the kiss and turned back to Dave.

“Sorry pal, we’re going to have to reschedule.”

“No, you should still do it!” I wanted him to do it, I felt like he needed to. He had such a taste for fun now that I wanted him to have this. Just because I had to wait a little longer didn’t bother me.

“No, Gertrude,” he said. “It’s our Fagenda, we cross the items off together or not at all.”

We canceled our jump with Dave who wasn’t the least bit bothered because apparently, he got to keep our deposit. Then we went home and curled up together on the couch, Tate’s head rested on my stomach, and I stoked his hair while he chatted away to the baby.

I’d been so terrified when I found out. We had talked about children in our future but we hadn’t planned it, it had just happened. But there was no other man I could ever fathom having a family with. No man who I knew would love his child more.

Eventually Tate fell asleep, and I worked in the kitchen, making some more ice cream and trying out new flavors. Once I finished, I grew restless and went out into the garden and stared up at our tree.

I needed to climb.

I was careful. The fact that Tate had put footholds into the thick trunk was the only reason I would attempt this.

I had practice and knew what I was doing.

Making my way carefully to the branch where our seats were, I sat there watching the stars, rubbing my belly and talking to our baby.

I wasn’t sure how long I was there, but I heard rustling and then Tate’s adorable scowl appeared.

“Woman, you lulled me to sleep,” he scolded.

“Seems like you needed it to me. You can’t be mad at me for climbing the tree.”

He settled next to me, his hand covering mine on my non-existent bump.

“I’m not mad you climbed the tree; there’s no point trying to stop you.”

“Then what are you mad at?”

“That I didn’t get to do what I was planning on doing when we jumped out of that airplane.”

I smirked at him, intrigued. “Oh yeah?” I nudged him. “And what was that, sugar?”

He locked his eyes on mine, the intensity in them warming me in the cool evening air.

“Ask you to marry me,” he said and then produced a small box.

I gasped, one hand covering my mouth as he popped it open and inside was the most gorgeous diamond ring. The violet shimmer glistened in the light, and I knew he’d matched the color to my eyes. It was stunning.

“Tate, this is a big commitment…”

He snorted. “And a baby isn’t?”

“Yeah, but we didn’t plan the baby, you planned this.”

“I did indeed.”

He wanted to tie me to him. After everything his parents had put him through, I never expected him to want this level of commitment. I had accepted it. But this changed everything. He wanted me, forever.

And forever sounded pretty damn good.

We had history and now, we had a future.

“Ask me.”

“Are you gonna say yes?”

I huffed. “That defeats the point of asking.”

He shrugged. “I just like to know going in, call me controlling.”

“You’re controlling. Now hush up and ask me, nicely.”

He shifted to face me, taking my hand in his.

“Gertrude Phyllis Hartman, sugar, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

I tilted my head and tapped my chin thoughtfully, pursing my lips.

“I’m not sure about this, what kind of future can you promise me?”

He pushed out a breath. “A future full of annoying me while I horseshoe, making ice cream, getting all the good lovin’, pushing ourselves to our limits, zero sticks in asses, and all the fun that could possibly be had.”

“A lifetime of revelry?” I squinted at him in the night and he nodded. “Sounds perfect, sugar.”

The End.

Want more tales of our Cartwright cowgirls on Redemption Ranch?

Click here for Cowgirls Do It Better Book Three: Resonance – Maddy and Leo’s story coming 2026…