Betty leaned into the window between the dining area and the kitchen. “They’re finally here, Mel,” she called, her voice quavering with excitement.
“It’s about time!” he hollered back.
Betty was already heading toward the front door when it burst open and a seven-year-old dynamo came racing through it. “Gramma! Granpa! Guess what we did! We saw the Great Canyon place, it’s a big hole in the ground and Daddy made me hold his hand and Jennie got scared and she cried and then we saw—”
“You don’t have to tell them about our entire trip during the first five minutes we’re here, son,” came a deep voice behind him. The tall man with the sleeping baby nestled against his chest held the door open for his wife, who was guiding their three-year-old daughter through the door.
Betty was already receiving a bear hug by the time the rest of the family got inside.
She straightened just in time to sweep the little girl up into her arms. “Hi, Jennie. Do you remember me?”
The little girl had her thumb in her mouth. She nodded, but didn’t remove the comforting presence to speak. Still holding her, Betty walked over to the man and said, “You look plumb natural with a passel of kids hanging on to you, Jake. Let me get a peek at this little guy you’ve got there.”
Jennie removed her thumb long enough to announce, “That’s Joey.”
“Well, how about that? Joey, huh? Do you like having a li’l brother?”
Jennie popped her thumb back into her mouth and nodded.
Mel came out of the kitchen and hugged Rebecca. “I swear, woman, you get better lookin’ every day. Having kids certainly seems to be agreeing with you.”
Rebecca hugged him back. “Oh, Mel, you don’t know how much that means to me to hear!”
Jake looked around at her, affronted. “I’m always telling you how good you look, ‘Becca. Why’s it any different coming from this ol’ buzzard?”
“‘Cause she knows I’m sincere. Just as she knows that you’re always sweet to her ‘cause you generally want something from her, ain’t that right?” Mel asked Rebecca.
Her cheeks flushed as she looked at her husband, his black-eyed gaze daring her to comment.
Betty motioned to them and started toward an empty booth in the back. “Come on back here and sit. I bet those young ‘uns are hungry by now.”
“They’re always hungry,” Jake muttered.
“I’ve got a high chair for Jennie and a booster chair for Jason, and if you want me to, I can hold Joey for you while you eat.”
“He’s fine where he is,” Jake growled.
Rebecca held out a hand to each of the children. “Let’s go wash up, kiddos, so we can eat, okay?”
Jake folded his long length into the back booth, his arm cradling the baby. Mel turned back to the kitchen while Betty arranged the children’s chairs.
“So you stopped by the Grand Canyon on your way home this time. I guess the kids really enjoyed it.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “I don’t know about Jennie, but Jason is already planning his next trip back. He intends to ride one of the mules to the bottom of the canyon.”
Betty paused, beaming, and studied Jake. “You’re looking mighty good these days. Pretty pleased with yourself. It’s a wonder that shirt has any buttons left on it.”
“I can’t complain. Of course I’m always glad to get back home. Now that Jason’s in school we have to plan our summer visits around his schedule.”
“Do you mind it so much, being there in Seattle the rest of the time?”
He grinned. “Not really. For some strange reason ‘Becca seems to feel she has to make it up to me, so she works real hard at making sure I’m not pining away for my mountain home.”
The children came running back into the room just ahead of their mother and clambered into their chairs. Rebecca looked at Jake and grinned. “Keeping them cooped up in the car all day isn’t the smartest thing we could do. They’re so wired we’re going to need a butterfly net to catch them.”
“They can run it off once we get to the valley.”
Betty spoke up. “I bet you’re glad the forest service people built some more roads up there, so you don’t have so far to walk these days.”
“You’re telling me,” Rebecca replied. “It made building the new house a great deal more simple. All of us couldn’t have fitted into that one-room cabin any more.”
Betty said, “You never did tell me how you managed to get the government to let you lease your land all legallike.”
Jake winked at Rebecca. “Well, I married into a pretty influential family, who know some fairly important people who knew what strings to pull to get me a hearing.”
“His charm did the rest,” Rebecca added, batting her eyes at him.
“That don’t surprise me none,” Betty said. “That boy’s always been one to go after what he wants without ever givin’ up.” She glanced around. “Looks like our lunch rush is about over. Let me go take some of these people’s money and I’ll be back to catch up on all your news. Mel should have your meals about ready.”
Rebecca waited until Betty was out of earshot before she murmured, “Do you think those two are ever going to slow down? Retire? Maybe do some traveling?”
“Traveling? No. No way. This place is what keeps ‘em young. Things slow down in the winter, but they both enjoy the bustle and noise of the families who come through.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take the baby?”
Jake gave her a mock-ferocious stare. “What’s all this push to get Joey away from me? Can’t you tell he’s doing just fine?”
She grinned. “Well, I have to admit he’s found one of my favorite places to curl up and nap.” To her delight she actually saw his cheeks redden. “I can’t believe it. You’re blushing!”
“Am not. I’m just getting a little sun is all.”
“Sure. Right here in the café.” She laughed. “I want to compliment you on how patient you are being with this stop. I know if you had your way you’d already be racing up the mountain to be sure everything’s the way you left it last fall.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Almost. All you have to do is say the word and we can move over here year-round. We’ve even got phone service up there now. We can move our computers, our faxes and stay in touch with the plant if you want.”
“What about Jason’s schooling?”
“It might mean a little commuting, but I wouldn’t mind. You’ve lived in my world for the past eight years without complaining. I can certainly do the same thing for you.”
“I didn’t have anything to complain about. I’d rather live in Seattle with you, rain and all, than in the mountains alone.”
“But what about living in the mountains with all of us?”
He smiled wistfully. “That would be a dream come true.”
“See? Your every wish is my command. I’ve been talking with the other officers in the company about the possibility of phasing us out of the daily operations. We’ve already learned that I’m not indispensable when I took my maternity leaves.”
“You’d do that for me, ‘Becca?”
“I’d do anything for you, Jake. Anything at all.”
Betty brought a tray with all their lunches. She’d brought the adults the luncheon special, Jake’s favorite meat loaf and mashed potatoes, and the children got hamburgers and french fries. Now that the place had cleared out, she dragged up a chair and sat down, plying them with questions.
Part of Jake joined in the conversation while another part detached and looked around him. He was surrounded by the people he loved and who loved him.
No one could ever have convinced him that his life would have taken such a turn. He couldn’t possibly have imagined having a wife and children.
Some nights he still sat beside their beds and watched them sleep, still in awe of the miracle that he’d been a part of. He marveled at how tiny and trusting they were, so filled with love and affection f
or everyone around them.
They’d helped him to deal with his fears by their simple presence in his life.
And ‘Becca. Where would he be without her? A part of him must have known that she was to be his future. Why else would he have been so careless about something as important as birth control? Hadn’t his own life taught him what could happen with an unwanted pregnancy?
None of these pregnancies had been unwanted. Unexpected, maybe, but each one had been a blessing he’d been afraid he didn’t deserve.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, ‘Becca was willing to consider moving permanently to Texas. Maybe he didn’t need it so much now. He’d still have his summers here. Besides, the business needed him. Maybe he needed the business just as much.
Did it really matter where they lived? The important thing was that they had created a family together. Just imagine, they had been two “only” children—both alone—who after finding each other discovered they had so much love to give.
Joey stirred, stretching and yawning, making little noises. Jake kissed him on his fuzzy little head and smiled.
He’d finally discovered what was really important in life.
Jake glanced up and saw Rebecca watching him, her smile so full of love that he struggled with the lump that suddenly filled his throat.
“Well, Papa Jake, are you tired of holding your squirming son yet?” she asked.
“‘Fraid not, but since I’m not equipped to feed him, guess I’ll have to give him up, anyway, at least for the moment.”
Betty and Rebecca laughed, and he was able to hand the baby over and quickly wipe away the moisture in his eye before the women in his life caught him being sentimental.
Mountain men had to keep up a certain image, after all.
* * * * *
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8662-7
Mysterious Mountain Man
Copyright © 1995 by Annette Broadrick
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