He hugged her again and as Erin looked around the room, none of the adults had dry eyes.
“Thank you,” he said. “But can I make a request? If we’re ever fortunate enough to have another baby, will you let me know right away? I don’t want to miss even a moment of our future family.”
Shane cleared his throat. “There won’t be another baby without another wedding.”
“Exactly,” Fernando added.
Lance kissed the top of Erin’s head. “In time. I intend for us to remarry, and I hope it won’t take too long to get to that place. But first we need to finish the counseling we started, and find healing for the wounds that separated us to begin with.”
His words confirmed the hope in Erin’s heart. He’d come here, looking to make peace with her, and now, she believed they’d both found it. She had no doubt that they would end up remarried and that this time, their marriage would be on a firm foundation that would last a lifetime.
Epilogue
The next Christmas
Erin felt slightly guilty for the gift she was going to give Lance. Technically, she had other things to give him, but yesterday, at the store, she’d had a feeling, so she’d picked it up. They’d only been remarried for a couple of months, but it was enough time that the possibility she hoped for just might be true.
Nicole burst into the kitchen as she was wrapping the item. She did her best to try to cover it up, but Nicole swooped in.
“What’s that?”
Erin covered it with the bag. “None of your business. It’s a Christmas present. Go away.”
“It looks like a pregnancy test.”
She’d promised Lance he’d be the first to know. And, actually, she didn’t know anything. That was the whole point. They were going to take it together. Well, she was going to take it, but her husband was going to be there, positive or negative, through it all, just like she’d promised.
“I said, it’s none of your business.”
Leah entered the kitchen. “What’s this about a pregnancy test? Who’s taking a pregnancy test?”
Erin gave an exasperated sigh, which gave Nicole the opportunity to pull the bag off the test.
“I knew it. Are you pregnant?”
Erin grabbed the test. “I don’t know. I haven’t taken it. I was going to give it to Lance, in private, and he was going to be the first to know. I promised.”
The guys came through the back door then, laughing and brushing snow off one another.
“What did you promise?” Lance said, grinning. But then he saw what Erin had in her hands and the smile left his face. “Is that...?”
Erin stood. “Yes. I picked it up on a whim, and I was going to give it to you tonight when we were alone.”
“Why don’t you take it now?” Nicole asked. “We’re all here. You should take it and let us know.”
She was going to kill her sisters. Most specifically, Nicole, but Leah’s mischievous grin wasn’t helping matters.
Erin looked over at Lance. “It’s your present. Your call.”
“Might as well take it.”
He looked nervous. Like he was afraid to hope. She didn’t blame him, they’d been through so much.
She took Lance by the hand then pointed at her sisters and their husbands. “You all stay here. Lance is going to wait for me in the bedroom. I am going to take the test, and he gets to read the results. Then we’ll tell you all. And if any of you break the rules and there is a baby, I won’t let you hold it when it’s born.”
Her threat worked, because her sisters nodded. They all loved babies, and they knew if they made her mad enough, she would make good on her promise.
After Erin took the test, she went to the bedroom and handed it to Lance. It wouldn’t show positive or negative for a few minutes, so she grasped his hand. “Whatever the result is, we’re in this together.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand. “I know. But until I saw that test, I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to be a dad again.”
She closed her eyes as he held her close to him. She wanted the same thing.
“Baby,” he whispered. She opened her eyes and looked down at the results. The big plus sign was unmistakable.
They hugged for a moment, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was glad she’d put her foot down to make this a private moment between her and Lance.
When they came out of the bedroom, Erin couldn’t help laughing at the sight of her sisters standing at the foot of the stairs, eagerly awaiting the news.
Lance held up the test. “We’re having a baby.” His voice cracked as he spoke and her sisters rushed her to hug her.
“This is so exciting,” Nicole said. “When I saw the test, I was really hoping for it to be positive, because I want to share this special time with you. Our babies will grow up together and be best friends and—”
Erin stared at her sister. “You’re pregnant, too?”
A wide grin filled Nicole’s face. “Yes. I just told Fernando this morning.”
Leah put her hands on her hips and glared at them. “And now you ruined my surprise. I had a big reveal planned for tonight’s dinner to share our news with all of you, so now it won’t be as exciting. But what does it matter? We’re all having babies. And the Three Sisters Ranch legacy is going to live on.”
Erin returned to her husband and he held her tight. When she looked over at her sisters, all snuggled up to their husbands, she was so grateful for the gift they’d been given in inheriting this place.
The door slammed open and the boys raced in, but then they stopped.
“Not this mushy stuff again,” Dylan said. “Mom and Dad can’t stop hugging and kissing each other. It’s kind of gross.”
Shane shook his head. “It is never gross for a cowboy to love his wife. The cowboy way is to love your wife with all your heart.”
Dylan made a noise. “If having a wife means all that gross stuff, count me out. I’ll be the Lone Ranger. Come on, Ryan. Let’s go visit the animals.”
Lance gave Erin another squeeze. “Marrying you was the best thing I’ve ever done. Life around here is never dull.”
Erin pulled away. “The best thing? No, it was the second best. Marrying you the second time? Now that was the best thing.”
He laughed and kissed her again. “I stand corrected.”
As they continued their holiday preparations, Erin couldn’t help thinking how, each Christmas, life just got better and better. She glanced over at her binder, sitting on the counter. Even though Lance still made fun of her for having her checklist, he couldn’t deny that every year together, it was the perfect Christmas.
* * *
If you enjoyed this
Three Sisters Ranch story,
be sure to pick up the previous books in
this series to see how Erin’s sisters found
their happily-ever-afters:
Her Cowboy Inheritance
The Cowboy’s Faith
Available now from Love Inspired!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Hometown Christmas Gift by Kat Brookes.
Dear Reader,
Christmas is a hard season for some people, because while it is supposed to be a time of joy, for some, it is a reminder of pain and loss.
Grief takes many forms, and people express that grief differently. Erin and Lance deal with the loss of their daughter differently, but in the end, the thing they need the most is each other. We are better together when we can share the burdens of our heart.
As you enter the Christmas season, I pray that you will find peace and joy. For those of you who are reminded of your grief this time of year, I pray the Lord will bring you comfort. For those of you who are filled with the holiday spirit, be on the lookout for those who might need a little extra love. If we remember the spirit of love, and share that love with o
ne another, we can make the holiday brighter for everyone.
I love connecting with my readers, so be sure to find me online:
Newsletter: eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: www.danicafavorite.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/danicafavorite
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Facebook: Facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor
Amazon:Amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/eB00KRP0IFU
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite
May the blessings of the Lord be with you,
Danica Favorite
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
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Hometown Christmas Gift
by Kat Brookes
Chapter One
Lainie Michaels lifted the snow-dusted doormat again, thinking she might have missed the house key her brother was supposed to have left there for her. Nothing. She tried the door again, but it was locked up good and tight. Straightening, she blew on her chilled fingers to warm them and then slipped her gloves back on. At least she’d had the forethought to purchase winter coats for her and her son before moving back to Wyoming.
“I don’t want to be here!” Lainie’s seven-year-old son, Lucas, bellowed behind her, stomping his tiny foot in defiance.
Lainie turned from the locked front door and forced a smile as she prepared to face yet another one of her son’s emotional thunderstorms. “Honey, you’ll like living here in Bent Creek.” At least, she prayed he would. More than anything, she wanted her son to be the sweet, loving little boy he used to be before she’d taken his joy away.
“It’s cold here. I wanna go home,” he replied, his tiny brows furrowed into a deep-set scowl.
Early December in Bent Creek could be cold. Especially when her son was accustomed to California winters, but it was a little soon for any real snow accumulation. Lainie’s gaze moved past Lucas to the large, white flakes coming down from the wintry sky above. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. Cold or not, while living in California, she’d missed the beauty Wyoming winters could bring, the sight of the distant mountains and vast land surrounding her brother’s place, the home she had grown up in, glistening with newly fallen snow. Especially during the holidays.
Looking down at her son, Lainie suddenly felt overwhelmed by emotion and exhausted from having gotten up before dawn that morning to catch their flight. And then, after a three-hour layover in Denver before finally landing in Rock Springs, Wyoming, the nearest airport to Bent Creek, they’d had to take a taxi to her brother’s place a good fifty-minutes away.
“We are home,” she told Lucas. Or, at least what would be their home until they found a place of their own in Bent Creek. Even if she changed her mind about staying there permanently, which she hadn’t, they would have no way to leave. The taxi that brought them there had already driven off. They’d sold their two-bedroom condo in downtown Sacramento, sent a few boxes of their personal items ahead to her brother, Justin, a week prior to flying home and then placed the remainder of their things in storage until they found a home of their own and could have them brought out.
“This isn’t my home,” her son said, his voice cracking with anger.
“It is now, sweetie,” Lainie said softly, praying that she’d made the right decision in coming there.
“You take everything away!” her son sobbed, tears of frustration and anger now filling his hazel eyes. “Even my dad. I hate you!” Turning, he sprinted off the porch and disappeared around the side of the house.
Lainie ran over to the railing and leaned out, watching as Lucas ran away from the house, no doubt to the fort his uncle had built for him two summers before. “Lucas!” she called after him, hot tears blurring her vision. It wasn’t the first time he had run off, and it wasn’t the first time her baby boy’s words had left her feeling broken. Her son hated her, and she couldn’t even blame him for it. He’d lost his father, and it was all her fault. A lump formed in Lainie’s throat as the memory of that night surfaced, making it hard to swallow. No amount of “I’m sorrys” could ever make up for the pain she had caused her little boy. She’d never forget the look of confusion on his face when she’d told him his father was gone, and then fear and bone-deep sorrow that slowly settled in as her son processed her words. It had nearly broken her. A mother’s words were supposed to wrap their child in love and make them feel safe, not shatter their entire world.
The sudden sound of hoofbeats had Lainie turning, a small gasp leaving her lips as she took in the sight of a man seated astride a beautiful buckskin gelding. He came to a stop just on the other side of the porch at the far end of Justin’s house. Although he wore his cowboy hat low and the collar of his leather duster lifted to block the icy, whirling flakes, she’d recognize those dark green eyes of his anywhere.
“Lainie,” Jackson Wade greeted her, his voice so much deeper than it had been when he’d spent time at her house when they were growing up. Jackson had always been her brother’s best friend and also her heart’s greatest weakness.
Her stomach felt as though she’d just taken a steep drop on a roller-coaster ride. The last time she’d seen Jackson had been in the hospital in Las Vegas after he’d been injured while bull riding at Nationals. Only Jackson hadn’t known she’d been there, because she’d not been able to step beyond the open door. Just seeing him lying there, eyes closed, machines surrounding him, had been more than she could take. Especially since she blamed herself for his being there. Had lived with the self-imposed guilt of it for years. Oh, why did their paths have to cross at that very moment?
Lainie turned away, looking off into the direction her son had run, trying desperately to collect herself. “Justin’s not home,” she said as she hurried to swipe a poorly timed tear from her cheek with her gloved hand. Jackson Wade was the last person she wanted to see her in such an emotionally vulnerable state. In fact, she’d prefer not to cross paths with him altogether, now or ever. Unfortunately, “ever” wasn’t in the realm of possibility, considering they were both going to be living in the same small town.
“I know,” he replied as the sound of booted footsteps treading up the porch steps came from a few feet behind her.
She cast a fretful glance back over her shoulder as he strode toward her, her attention drawn to his slightly off-kilter gait. A limp she had caused, she thought to herself, guilt making her turn away once more. She couldn’t bear to see the man who had broken her heart. The man she had in turn broken physically.
A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Lainie,” he said, his voice filled with concern.
Jackson, she thought in silent response. Her first love. An unrequited love. But one her heart had never quite gotten over. Even after she had married Will Michaels, a kind, supportive man, the handsome cowboy standing behind her had still maintained a special place in her heart. One of the reasons she had done her best to come home to visit only when she knew Jackson would be away, running stock to the various rodeos. And then after her husband’s death not quite two years before, she had avoided Bent Creek altogether. For her son, who was not dealing well with his grief. She thought that she needed to keep his routine as unchanged and normal as possible. And, if she were being completely honest with herself, it was also because of the feelings she still harbored for Jackson. Feelings she should have been able to put to rest after she’d gotten together with Will, but her stubborn h
eart had refused to cooperate. Staying away from Bent Creek, away from Jackson, had been the only way she could think of to assuage the guilt she felt.
“Are you okay?”
No, she wasn’t. But it was no less than she deserved. She nodded. “I’m fine.” How much of her conversation, of her son’s resentful words, had Jackson overheard? She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone thinking badly of Lucas. “Just a little family disagreement.”
His large hand fell away, and she found herself wishing it back, needing the comfort that small gesture had provided her. “I’d be happy to have a talk with him if you think that would help matters,” he offered.
Lainie forced herself to turn and face him, but kept her gaze fixed on the front of Jackson’s shirt instead of on the pity she knew she would see in those eyes. When had his shoulders grown so incredibly wide? “Thank you,” she managed, “but no. I need to see to this on my own.” Just as she had been since her husband’s passing.
“Then can I at least help you go look for your son?”
“No,” she said a little more adamantly, shaking her head. She didn’t want Jackson’s help. It had been hard enough turning to her brother as it was. She was Lucas’s mother. She should have been the one to make things right again for her son. “I know where he’ll be.”
“In the fort?” he replied.
Of course Jackson would know about the small, wooden fort her brother had built for Lucas in the woods behind his house, just beyond the edge of the yard. He and Justin knew pretty much everything about each other. But then they were close. Had been since Justin’s first day of school in Bent Creek, after their parents had adopted him and Lainie and brought them to the small, welcoming town to live.
“Yes,” she said with a sigh. The counselor she had taken her son to not quite six months before had told Lainie that there would be times when Lucas would need time and space to grieve and sort through his feelings. She’d given him that, but it hadn’t seemed to make a difference. Her son’s resentment toward her was always simmering close to the surface.
His Christmas Redemption Page 18