Texas Rebels--Paxton

by Linda Warren

“Thanks, Rico.” Miss Bertie had been sending peach cobblers and Rico would text him when one came to the bunkhouse. Paxton would tell him to just eat it.

  The next hour was the longest of their lives. They ate breakfast and then finished dressing. Paxton called his mother to let her know what was going on and Remi called her grandmother and her parents. She canceled her interview. Paxton turned on the TV and quickly turned it off. Remi paced and Paxton watched her. She was hurting all over again and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  An hour later there was no phone call.

  “Why isn’t she calling?” Remi asked. “What if they decide to put Annie through the whole adoption process again?”

  “Hey, where’s all that confidence I heard earlier?”

  “I just get so mad when I think of what’s been done to Annie’s life and now...”

  He kissed her cheek. “She will call. Just stay calm.”

  But an hour and fifteen minutes later there was still no phone call. Paxton’s confidence was beginning to waver, too.

  Remi threw up her hands. “I’ve had it.” She reached for her phone on the table, and the moment she touched it, it buzzed. “It’s Ms. Baxter.” She picked up her phone and put it on speakerphone.

  “I have you on speakerphone. What’s their answer?” Remi came right to the point.

  “I’m sorry it’s taken me longer to call you back, but Judge Tomlin was busy and I had to wait to see her. But she agrees that Annie doesn’t need to spend Christmas in the hospital. She’s awarding temporary custody of Annie to you and your husband until all the paperwork is finished. There will be lots of paperwork. But it’s a done deal. I will have papers ready to sign Friday morning for you to take her home, but in the meantime you’re free to visit her anytime.”

  “Thanks, Ms. Baxter,” Paxton said. “You’ve just made this the best Christmas ever.”

  “I’m just glad this has a happy ending. One more thing—they still have to do an interview with you guys and they have to come to your home to see where Annie will be living. And there will be more visits until the adoption is finalized. But you can handle that, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I specifically asked that they make the interview and visit in mid-January to give you time to settle in. I don’t foresee any problems.”

  “Thank you,” Remi said, and placed her phone on the table. Then she jumped up and down with joy. “We’re going to be parents and we just got married. I hope I’m ready for this. I hope you’re ready for this.”

  He gathered her into his arms. “Oh, beautiful lady, I’m always ready.”

  * * *

  ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, they brought Annie home. Paxton had asked that everyone stay away until Annie was adjusted. Annie had certainly grown since they had seen her. She wasn’t walking but she was pulling up on everything. And her hair was longer and was curling more. When she saw Remi the first time, she pulled up on the crib and held out her arms. At that moment Remi knew everything was going to be okay.

  When they arrived home, they had a pleasant surprise. Phoenix and Jude had picked up Annie’s crib and all her baby things from Remi’s parents’ house. They’d even painted the room white and pink and a beautiful Disney border graced the top of the walls. The white crib had Disney sheets and a blanket; there was also a changing table, diapers, toys and anything a baby would need, even a baby monitor. There was a note on the coffee table: hope you like it. If you don’t, you can change it. It was signed, The family. Remi was overwhelmed they’d taken the time to do this. But they were her new family. The Rebel family always stood by each other, Gran had said, and she believed it.

  Looking around the room, she saw all the love they had put into fixing it up. Remi wouldn’t change a thing. She loved it.

  She picked up her daughter, who was playing with a stuffed animal on the floor. “Look, this is your room.”

  Annie reached out her arms to Paxton, and he quickly took her. She watched them. Annie played with the pocket on his Western shirt and Paxton held her as if she was the most precious thing on earth. Her heart filled with love and happiness and she didn’t think it was possible to be this happy or fulfilled.

  She stroked Annie’s hair, looking at her husband. “How does it feel, Daddy?”

  Paxton smiled the biggest smile she’d ever seen. “Like heaven.”

  She knew what he meant. Their lives would change once again, but this time it would be for the better. They say that dreams don’t come true, but Remi now believed in dreams, fairy tales and happy endings. And she saw everything she ever wanted in Paxton’s eyes and in the eyes of her daughter.

  * * *

  ON CHRISTMAS EVE, Paxton, Remi and Annie went to his mother’s to celebrate the holiday. The whole Rebel family and Jericho were there. Kids were running everywhere and Annie fit right in. She was enthralled with her new cousins. Martha Kate was nine months old and crawling. No one knew how that happened since Quincy and Grandpa never put her down.

  The two girls hit it off instantly. Martha Kate would take off crawling and Annie would follow. Then Annie would stop and turn and go the other way and Martha Kate would chase after her. They would stop every now and then to kiss each other. Remi and Jenny were filming everything like crazy.

  Annie had a big red bow in her hair to match the new dress they’d bought her. Martha Kate had a bow in her hair but she’d pulled it out a long time ago. Jenny had tried to put it back in, but Martha Kate kept pulling it out. Paxton thought that probably showed the temperaments of the two girls. His little angel was going to be easygoing while Martha Kate would break the rules all the way.

  The adjustment phase with Annie was easy. She slept through the night and when she woke up she would start playing. She cried very little and that worried them. But when they talked about it they were sure the nurses at the hospital had something to do with it. They didn’t have the time to pamper her and she’d learned to be independent.

  Sadie was her number one fan. She now slept in Annie’s room and the moment she woke up Sadie would bark to alert them. He’d never known Labs were so good with kids.

  The family had eaten a big supper and had opened gifts and now they were just sitting around talking. Zane, Jude’s son, and Eden, Falcon’s oldest child, had Christmas music cranked up high. Elias was doing the jitterbug with Eden, and everyone was watching. Even though Elias didn’t drink around their mother, he was acting crazy tonight and Paxton wondered if he’d put something in the spicy apple cider their mother had made. But crazy was normal for Elias.

  Their mother stood up and tapped her glass with a spoon. “Does anyone have news to share with the family?”

  Phoenix popped up like a jack-in-the-box. “Rosie and I are pregnant!” he shouted and raised his arms. After that, there were kisses and hugs all around. Rosie wiped away tears. Paxton was happy for them and he wasn’t envious. He had what he wanted—Remi—and it didn’t matter if they had Annie or not. He loved her that much.

  Jude stood up. “No hugs or kisses required, but Paige and I are expecting, too.”

  Elias grabbed Jude around the neck and kissed him. Everyone laughed.

  Jenny stood up next. “I’d like everyone to know what I’ve decided to do about Quincy’s possessiveness of Martha Kate.”

  “I know. He won’t let me hold her more than five minutes,” Grandpa grumbled.

  “That’s about to change,” Jenny added. “We’re expecting our second child in August.”

  “Good heavens, y’all are populating like rabbits,” Elias said.

  “Elias.” His mother looked at him, and Elias held his glass up for a toast.

  “To all the new little rug rats!”

  “Elias!”

  Elias smiled stupidly. There was just no other way to put it.

  “Merry Christ
mas, everyone.” Their mother held up her glass as did everyone else.

  Annie rubbed her eyes and Paxton knew she was getting sleepy. Suddenly, she turned on all fours and crawled directly to him, pulling on his jeans. He was surprised because she usually went to Remi. Lifting her into his arms, every fatherly instinct he had came to life and he couldn’t love this little girl any more even if she was his biological child.

  Remi patted Annie’s back. “She loves her daddy.”

  “She’s asleep. Maybe we should go home.”

  Remi hooked her arm through his and leaned against him. “She’s fine, and Eden’s about to make an announcement.”

  “Hey, everyone.” Eden clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’re going to turn out the lights and sing ‘Silent Night’ with only the tree lights shining. Everybody ready?”

  Zane flipped off the lights and everyone started to sing. Grandpa’s deep voice rose above the others. The tree lights sparkled on the nine-foot Douglas fir as happy voices filled the room.

  “I love you,” Remi whispered.

  He kissed her lips. “Sweet lady, I’ll spend a lifetime telling you how much I love you.” Paxton looked toward the double French doors to the sky and could see a quarter moon hanging low like a big old smile. And he knew his dad was watching over the Rebel family. How else could they have gotten a miracle? They’d gotten Annie.

  Now all they had to do was the living.

  Paxton Rebel was a happy man.

  * * * * *

  There’s only one bachelor brother left!

  Read Elias’s story in TEXAS REBELS: ELIAS,

  coming December 2017, only from

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  Keep reading for an excerpt from COWBOY DOCTOR by Rebecca Winters.

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  Cowboy Doctor

  by Rebecca Winters

  Chapter One

  “Last on the program is Dr. Rocelin Clayton, who worked closely with Hannah for the last three years, right up to her death.”

  Pastor McKinney nodded to Roce, who walked to the lectern.

  The Presbyterian church on Spruce Street was filled to overflowing. People from all over had come to pay their respects to the eighty-three-year-old veterinarian who’d practiced here in Missoula, Montana, for over fifty years.

  Roce stood before the audience, some of whom he’d helped after Hannah had taken him into her practice. This was a sad day for him. The only other time he’d ever spoken at a funeral was at his father’s, almost two years ago. He was forced to clear his throat several times before speaking.

  “A paragon has left us, and no one is more bereaved than I am. Dr. Hannah Larabee, owner of the Larabee Veterinarian Hospital, was not only a legend in these parts, she was the best boss a man could have hoped to work for right out of veterinary school.

  “I didn’t get the opportunity to meet her beloved Tom, her veterinarian husband who started the hospital with her. He died two years before I was hired. Hannah’s sudden fatal heart attack is proof that she gave her all to the animals big and small that God put on this earth for our comfort and enjoyment.

  “Not long ago she told me that she never met an animal she didn’t like, and that when she got to heaven, she planned to visit every one of those creatures who’d already passed on.”

  His eyes smarted.

  “I bet that right now they’re all standing in line to see her again. It’s possible that, at this very moment, she’s talking to them in her loving voice, commiserating with them about the ailments they’d suffered on earth.”

  He heard gentle laughter from the audience and saw a lot of people wiping their eyes. The church was filled with animal lovers from western Montana who knew exactly what he was talking about.

  “We’re all going to miss her and the great blessing she was to this community. Her family has to be so proud of what she accomplished on this earth.

  “If we were all as good as Hannah, what a beautiful world this would be.”

  When he took his seat, the pastor stood before them once more. “We’ll now sing our parting hymn—it was known to be Hannah’s favorite—‘Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd.’”

  During the singing, one line stood out to Roce: “Dear are the sheep of His fold.” That sounded like Hannah.

  After the prayer, everyone followed the funeral procession to the cemetery. Roce rode with his mother and Toly. His youngest brother had a rodeo to get back to in Omaha and was in town for only a few more hours. His other two brothers, Eli and Wymon, trailed them in their cars with their wives. Hannah had touched all their lives.

  Roce hadn’t felt this lost since his father had died. With Hannah’s death, the time had come for him to go his own way and make decisions, whether he wanted to or not. This was a day he hadn’t thought would come for several more years. If Roce didn’t buy the veterinary hospital and take over, Hannah’s family would put it up for sale and someone else would be in charge. They might not want to keep Roce on. In order for him to buy the practice, he would have to take out a big loan.

  But in his heart, his secret hope had been to open his own hospital on the Clayton Cattle Ranch outside Stevensville, Montana. Besides serving as vet to the ranch, as well as the people in Ravalli County, he could help out his mom and brothers with ranching activities. To do that, he would have to discuss it with the family, and he didn’t know how they would feel.

  Even if it were possible, he had to consider that moving to the ranch would mean he’d lose clients who lived in Missoula, a half hour away. To start a new practice on the ranch would take time. And there was the question of where to build a new structure that wouldn’t impose on the family.

  Whatever happened, he would have to put his small condo in Missoula up for sale. The location near the hospital had made life easier when there’d been emergencies that had called him out in the middle of the night. It wasn’t fully paid for, but he needed as much money as he could put together no matter what direction he chose to go. All these thoughts bombarded him as they drove away from the cemetery.

  Later, after they’d dropped Toly off at the airport and he was alone with his mom on the drive back to the ranch, she turned to him and said, “Roce—your talk had everyone in tears. I’m so proud to be your mother. But now that we’re alone, I can tell there’s something serious on your mind, so let’s talk about it.”

  He smiled. “What do you think you know?”

  “That you’ve come to a fork in the road. Your dad hoped you’d become our ranch veterinarian. Whe
n the time came, he had a spot all picked out for you.”

  Roce’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. This was the first he’d heard about it. “What area would that be?”

  “The old sheep station house.”

  His thoughts reeled. “The bungalow right off the highway?” Long ago there’d been no road there, only trampled ground from bringing through the sheep.

  She nodded. “When they built the highway, the house was boarded up, and blocked off by the fencing.”

  “Why didn’t Dad do something with it?”

  “He wanted all our homes and outbuildings to be centered together, higher on the mountain. But when you became a vet, he told me he hoped to make renovations on the station so you could open up your practice on our property. As you can see, it would be the perfect place for a hospital, with easy access to the highway. Let’s take a look at it.”

  Roce was in shock. He’d almost forgotten it was there. A bank of trees camouflaged most of it. At her urging he drove past the entrance to the ranch and on to the boundary of their property. After parking on the highway shoulder, he got out with his mom and walked over to the fence.

  Roce rested his arms on top and took a good, long look at the one-story log house they could see through the leaves. His mother stood next to him. “All you’d have to do is remove part of this fencing and a few trees. Then a new road into the parking area could be constructed, with a sign that says Clayton Veterinary Hospital.”

  While his mother kept talking, Roce’s heartbeat began to pick up speed.

  “Besides equipping a new surgery, you’d have to put in new plumbing, and the building needs new paint. Your brothers and I have been talking. With their help, you could be in business in no time.”

  He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t ask them to do that.”

  But all the time she was talking, he could see adding an office next to the surgery. He would have to install electronic locks for the front and back doors because of the drugs he would have to keep on the premises.