“Good Godalmighty, Jared, aren’t you full of surprises!” Rudy clapped his brother on the back. “You almost got shot, you stupid sonofabitch. Why did you plan your homecoming on the night we have the season’s only blizzard?”
Jared shook his head as if to clear it. “I… I didn’t know it was going to get so bad until I got halfway here.”
“We’re glad you made it safely, Jared.” Maria looked at him fondly and he returned her affectionate smile.
“I think it was a crazy thing to do, but I’m glad to see you anyway.” Gloria went to him with her arms extended. She was still piqued at his abandoning Lauren, but her natural fondness for him temporarily overcame it.
“Well, look at you, Sister. You’ve got your figure back. I’d better hug you before Rudy pumps you up again.” He took her in his arms in a bear hug despite her protestations.
“Come see what we’ve done,” she said, extricating herself from his embrace.
She had laid Benjamin in one of the two cradles set near the fire where the babies slept during the day when their brothers and sisters permitted it. Jared bent over the cradle and hesitantly stroked the baby’s cheek. “Who is this?” he whispered.
“That is Benjamin,” Maria said proudly.
“And this is Lauren,” Gloria said, turning Jared toward the twin still held by his wife.
Lauren hadn’t been able to move or speak, his presence in the room stunning her into silence. She couldn’t take all of him in at once and was glad to have had time while the others greeted him to look at him closely. He untied the bandana that held on his hat and ran his hands through the long, unruly hair still damp with snow before shrugging out of the shearling coat as he crossed to the cradle to view Benjamin. He looked gaunt and tired. The stubble on his face was twenty-four hours old at least.
But he was Jared. And he was here.
He dropped down to his haunches in front of her chair. He met her swimming eyes over the top of the baby’s head. A silent communication more puissant than words passed between them.
“Lauren delivered her, so we named her after her aunt,” Maria said.
“You delivered the baby?” Jared asked softly, incredulously.
Lauren nodded as she turned the small bundle toward him. He took the tiny fist in his and smiled as the baby made a sucking motion with her mouth.
He looked closely at Lauren once more before he straightened to his full height. He eyed his brother derisively, spread his arms wide, looked heavenward, and pleaded, “Is there no end? Twins!” Then he broke into a broad grin and slapped Rudy on the back as he congratulated him. “Does this entitle me to a drink?”
“You bet. I haven’t even celebrated properly. I’ve been waiting for you to get here.”
“Are you hungry, Jared?” Maria asked him.
“Yeah, but let me warm up a little first. It’s cold enough to freeze your… it’s cold out there,” he finished lamely, and everyone laughed.
He and Rudy shared a couple of glasses of whiskey while they caught up on general ranching business.
Gloria and Lauren took the babies into the bedroom that they shared with their parents for the time being. Maria kissed Rudy and Jared in turn and excused herself for the night.
A short while later, Gloria said, “Jared, please forgive me, but you have no idea how exhausting twins can be. I’ll see you in the morning and you can tell me everything that’s going on in Austin.” She leaned over him and kissed his cheek. He smacked her bottom soundly with the palm of his hand. “Jared Lockett, my husband is sitting right there,” she said indignantly.
“Yeah! Let’s do something that will make him really jealous.”
“You! You’re incorrigible.”
“Yes, but you love me.” He grinned winningly.
“A little bit,” she conceded, suppressing a laugh. “Coming, Rudy?”
“In a minute.” He ignored her exasperation as she stalked out of the room.
“I’m hungry, Lauren. Could you get me something to eat?” Jared’s voice was curt, and Lauren felt that she had been summarily dismissed. Rather than make a scene in front of Rudy, she nodded just as curtly and went into the kitchen.
She warmed the soup that was still on the stove, cut thick slices of bread baked that afternoon, poured a steaming cup of coffee, and, almost as an afterthought, added a large slice of apple pie that she had baked to the tray.
The men were talking low with their heads close together when she came back, and stopped abruptly when they saw her. A knowing glance passed between them. She read it to mean that they would continue their conversation later.