by Susan Fox
“Says the girl who’s obsessed with horses,” he teased back. But his smile, when he looked at her, lit his face with the same emotion.
He was a strange-looking boy with a scrawny face and big ears, and his personality was downright odd, but his affection for Jessie was obvious. That was why Miriam liked him, and Wade had agreed to having him around—along with his positive influence on Jessie’s schoolwork.
Evan turned to Wade and Miriam, his expression serious again. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Bly.” A quick grin twitched his lips. “I mean, if you run into Santa Claus, would you tell him thanks?”
“We certainly will,” Miriam said.
Wade rose to poke the fire and toss another log on. The turkey smelled so good, he was hungry again. “Is it almost time for dinner?”
Evan didn’t say a word, but turned to Miriam eagerly.
She rose, tugging her red sweater over her curvy hips. She looked so sexy in those black pants and the bright sweater. “I’ll get the vegetables going. Then I want all three of you in the kitchen in ten minutes to help.”
Soon they were all working together. One thing Wade would say for Evan: He was always eager to help and he followed instructions precisely. Unlike Jessica, who was willing but more haphazard. Wade knew his own role after all these years of marriage, so he carried and carved.
Once they were all seated and had dished out the first serving, there was little conversation. When they went back for seconds, Evan said, “You’re an excellent cook, Mrs. Bly. I’ve missed your cooking.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry we haven’t had you out to the ranch before, but we’ve been so busy getting settled.”
In town, Evan had walked home with Jessie after school a couple of times a week. They played together and did homework, and Evan often stayed for dinner. He could put away food like no one’s business. God knows where it went; the boy was as skinny as barbed wire.
“It’s okay.” Evan’s busy fork paused and he hung his head. “It’s not like I can walk here, like I did when you were in town. But at least Jess and I will still see each other at school after New Year’s.”
“But that’s not enough,” Jessie protested. “You have to come out here sometimes.”
“We’ll work it out,” Miriam promised. “I can bring you out to the ranch when I pick Jessica up after school, you can stay for dinner if it’s okay with your parents, and then Wade can drive you back after.” Clearly, she’d thought it out, though she hadn’t discussed it with Wade. He had better things to do with his evenings, like chop firewood and repair equipment, not to mention bring himself up to speed on the latest government regulations and figure out his pa’s antiquated filing system.
“It’d be okay with my folks,” Evan said quickly. “Are you sure?”
The kid looked so eager, so hopeful. Jessie had said he didn’t make friends easily, which didn’t surprise Wade one bit. Oh hell, maybe he was getting as softhearted as his womenfolk. “Hey,” he said, “we need you, Evan. Without you, how’s Jessie going to pass second grade?”
“Pa-a.” Jessica rolled her eyes.
“I suppose that’s true, sir,” Evan said thoughtfully.
Wade and Miriam exchanged a glance of mutually suppressed laughter.
Jessica snorted. “Horses are more fun than homework.”
“Schoolwork’s important,” the boy said. “You have to learn and get good marks if you’re going to get ahead in the world.”
Was he parroting his parents? Parents had dreams for their kids. Wade’s had been that Jessica would love ranching as much as he did, but his girl had a mind of her own and it was set on horses, not cattle.
“Well said, Evan,” Miriam commented. “You’re right.”
“Yeah, well,” Jessie grumbled, “Ev’s a klutz when it comes to the stuff I’m good at.”
The boy shrugged awkwardly. “Yeah. I suppose we all excel at different things.”
Wade stifled a grin at the adult phrasing. Now that the kid had his own dictionary, God knows what might come out of his mouth.
“And it’s nice of you to help Jessica,” Miriam said. “Now, who wants more stuffing?”
They ate until they were as stuffed as the turkey had been. Then the kids went up to Jessica’s room to play with some of her new toys. While Miriam tidied up the kitchen, Wade went out to tend the horses. When he came back in, he called upstairs. “Evan, I should take you home now. It’s getting close to bedtime.”
The pair came downstairs a few minutes later, Evan wearing the navy sweater under his thin jacket, his backpack showing the outline of his dictionary, and the jigsaw puzzle clasped tightly in his arms.
As usual, Miriam handed him a plastic bag of leftovers, which he accepted with a muttered “Thank you, Mrs. Bly.”
Jessie was yawning and Miriam said, “Bedtime for you, my girl. I’ll tuck you in and we can start reading one of your new books.” His wife and daughter liked snuggling up together with a book at bedtime—and he liked sneaking a peek from the doorway while they did it.
Tonight, though, by the time he made it back from town, singing along to songs on CXNG, the local country and western radio station, he found his wife waiting for him in the front room.
“Jessie asleep?” he asked.
“Couldn’t keep her eyes open.” She rose and came into his arms. “Mmm, you smell of snow, all crisp and fresh.” She rubbed her warm nose against the cool skin of his throat.
He dipped his head and kissed the top of her silky hair. “And you smell of turkey.”
“Turkey? That’s not so romantic.”
“Sure it is. It’s delicious.” He dropped a kiss by her ear and murmured, “Edible.”
She chuckled, then said suggestively, “Well then, if you’re not too full from dinner . . .”
“There’s always room for more dessert. When it’s you.” Talk about the perfect way to end a wonderful day. His lips moved across her cheek to meet hers for a long, sizzling kiss.
She smiled up at him. “You still make my heart skip.”
“Good to hear.” She made his heart do cartwheels. Her effect below his belt was pretty spectacular, too. “Let’s go upstairs and you can try on your new nightie.”
“Mmm, but what if it doesn’t keep me warm?” she teased, her dimple flashing.
He grinned, remembering their daughter’s innocent comment. “Wife, you’re going to be plenty warm.”
They broke apart and she cast one long look at the Christmas tree before he unplugged the lights. “Our first Christmas at Bly Ranch,” she said. “I’d say it was perfect.”
He twined his fingers with hers. “It’ll be perfect once we’re in bed together.”
Hand in hand, they went up the stairs. At the top, he kissed her again and said with satisfaction, “This is going to be the best year yet.”
Chapter 5
Again, Wade woke with a jerk, his neck stiff from falling asleep in the chair by Miriam’s bed. He checked her face. Still and white, almost as white as the hospital sheets. Her eyes were closed, but the fingers twined through his felt reassuringly warm.
His gaze went to Rose. She was awake, her face almost as pale as Miriam’s and far more strained.
“She moved a little and her eyes almost opened once,” she said. “I think she’s coming back to us.”
He glanced at his watch. Almost noon. Yes, Miriam was sure to be awake soon. “What are we going to tell her?” The words grated out.
“The truth.” Her bloodshot eyes filled with tears and she pressed trembling fingers to her brow and temples. Then she stood abruptly, said, “Ladies’ room,” and went out the door.
The truth. Yeah, they had to tell Miriam the truth. And it would break her heart.
It was his fault. He was supposed to take care of her, and he hadn’t.
Like him, she’d been working flat out. She was energetic and didn’t exactly complain, but she’d joked more than once that owning the ranch was sure different from going out there fo
r weekend rides. He saw her yawn over dinner, pick at her food, rub her back, move slowly and painfully. Though he hated to see her like that, what choice did they have? They needed the money from her job, he worked as many hours as he could stay awake, and they sure couldn’t afford to hire anyone to do the housework or bookkeeping.
Still, he’d been raised to believe that a man took care of his woman. Maybe it was an old-fashioned notion, but Caribou Crossing was ranch country and he was a rancher. Ranchers weren’t exactly known for being newfangled. Yeah, it had hurt his pride to know that his pregnant wife had to work her pretty little butt off so they could make ends meet. But he hadn’t found a solution. And now, here she was.
“I’m sorry, honey.” He squeezed her hand gently.
Why hadn’t he recognized the signs that she was more than just tired? Like they said, hindsight was twenty-twenty.
But damn it, if he could only go back in time. Maybe even one day would have been enough.
He thought back to last night’s dinner. It was only sixteen, seventeen hours ago, yet it seemed like a lifetime.
“Love this dessert,” Wade told his wife, digging into the rich devil’s food layer cake that followed a spaghetti and meatballs dinner.
“I know you do.” She smiled at him.
“The cake is stupendous,” Evan enthused. “Everything you make tastes like ambrosia, Mrs. Bly.”
Miriam met Wade’s gaze for a second. A sparkle of humor brightened her eyes as they shared the thought: Evan’s been using his dictionary again.
“Thanks,” she said. “You three are an easy audience to please.”
She’d given herself only a tiny piece of cake, Wade noticed. Though she was eating for two, lately she hadn’t had much of an appetite. He hoped it was just one of those weird phases of pregnancy.
He stretched tired muscles. Winter wasn’t as strenuous as summer on the ranch, but his days were still packed. With snow on the ground, he had to take feed to the cattle every day, break up ice on the creek so they could drink, and put out salt. He kept an eye on the animals’ health, checked and mended fences, tended to the outdoor horses and the ones they kept in the barn, and kept the outbuildings and equipment in order. Chopping firewood was another never-ending task. The only break from the daily routine was the couple of times a week that he drove the truck into town for supplies and met up with friends for coffee at the Round-Up.
Reluctantly, he swallowed the last bite of cake and shoved his chair back from the table. “Got to get back to work. Miriam, I’m going out to the office to tackle Pa’s files again.” They’d both been working in the ranch office out in the barn. She was putting financial information into the computer program, and she needed Wade to locate the papers that corresponded to the notes in his pa’s ledger. The handwriting was hard to read and his father used abbreviations that made no sense to Miriam, and sometimes not even to Wade.
“I’ll look after the horses,” Jessie volunteered. She was happy to do any task involving horses, and Wade was mighty grateful for her assistance.
“Have you finished your homework?” Miriam asked, looking not at her but at Evan for confirmation.
“We have,” the boy said.
She turned back to her daughter. “Okay, then. But, Jessica, I want you in bed by the time I get home from class.” Miriam drove into town two nights a week to take a bookkeeping course. She sighed. “Wish I didn’t have to go out. A warm bath and early to bed with a book sounds way better.”
Her days were as busy as Wade’s. They were both up before dawn on these short winter days. She made breakfast and packed lunches, then drove Jessica to school and went to her job at the vet’s office. She finished midafternoon when the vet’s mom came in for two or three hours, which meant Miriam could pick Jessie up at school—with Evan on the days of her evening classes. She did whatever shopping was needed, then came home to cook dinner and do housework. After dinner, she was either back into town for her classes, or at home doing homework or entering financial data into the computer.
Even with both of them working flat out, they were barely making ends meet. And there’d be more expenses when the baby came.
But Wade couldn’t worry about that. Miriam was pregnant, and they both loved kids. They’d manage somehow. Once the long, cold winter was over, things would look brighter.
“Pa?” Jessica said impatiently. “Are you coming?”
Wade realized Evan was clearing the table and Miriam was at the sink, rinsing the dishes he handed her. When she bent to put them in the dishwasher, her movements were slow, and she paused to rub her lower back.
“Yup, I’m coming.” He rose and went over to kiss his wife. “Drive safe and stay warm, hon. Bye, Evan, see you soon.” Miriam would drop him at home or the library before going to her class. “Okay, Jessie-girl, let’s head out to the barn.”
In the mudroom, as they pulled on boots and heavy coats, his daughter said, “I’ve been thinking, maybe I won’t be a horse breeder.”
“No?”
“I think I should go on the rodeo circuit.”
“Uh-huh.” He didn’t bother trying to talk her out of it. Her dreams changed every week or so. He’d bet, though, that whatever she ended up doing, it would relate to horses, not cattle. “Sure hope your baby brother or sister turns out to be rancher material.” He wanted one of his kids to carry on the tradition. He’d hate to see Bly Ranch leave the family.
“I can’t wait for the baby to come. And to get big enough so I can teach it how to ride!”
“Me, too.” He smiled contentedly at the thought of another bright, healthy, enthusiastic child like Jessie. Yeah, things were a little tough now in terms of work and finances, but life was great and there was so much to look forward to.
Chapter 6
This time it was pain that prodded Miriam’s cocoon. It tugged at her belly and she shifted position, trying to ease it.
The baby . . . She remembered now, it was the baby moving....
It really was a kicker, this little one.
Wincing as the baby kicked out again, Miriam pulled on her heavy down coat, scarf, woolly hat, and gloves. She said good night to several fellow bookkeeping students as they passed her on their way to the door of the high school, and wondered if they were as overwhelmed by the classes as she was. It turned out that while bookkeeping did involve adding and subtracting there were a bunch of other concepts that confused her. Too bad she hadn’t inherited her dad’s aptitude. Though she hated to beg him for help, she just might have to. The instructor, Mr. Benson, a retired accountant, really wasn’t very good at explaining things.
A humorous thought made her lips quirk. Too bad Evan Kincaid wasn’t ten years older. She’d bet he could figure out all these accounting concepts and tutor her.
She hurried across the plowed parking lot to the car. At least its engine roared to life, though the heater had packed it in last month and they couldn’t afford to fix it. Even bundled up as she was, tonight the chill seeped into her bones, aggravating the nagging ache in her lower back that had bothered her for the last couple of days, along with the crampy twinges in her belly.
When the baby had first stirred, with a gentle fluttering, she’d been so happy. Now the little one had graduated to doing aerobics in her body, which was far less pleasant. Jessica had been an active baby, but not like this. Oh well, just as long as the baby was moving, all was well.
Still, bed was going to feel awfully good tonight. Especially if it contained her husband’s warm, firm body to curl up against. She hoped he wouldn’t work too late.
It used to be Wade put in long days at the ranch working for his dad, but he usually made it home for dinner and didn’t go back. They’d play with Jessica, maybe watch a child-friendly TV show. After tucking their daughter in, they’d cuddle up on the couch together, watching something more adult and chatting about their day. Every week or so, her parents or sister Andie would come baby-sit so Miriam and Wade could go to a movie or to the L
ucky Strike, their favorite country and western bar. But most of the time they were content to stay home. Often, they’d go to bed early themselves—but not because they were sleepy.