Page 57 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

“Sounds like a good time to maybe tell each other some stories. Some good stories, some not so nice. Just whatever feels right,” he suggested.

Jinx nodded. “That sounds like a really good plan.”

Before he could rise, though, she slid her fingers behind his neck and held him in place, gaze dancing over his face earnestly. “One more kiss before we get back to work?”

Hell, yeah. He leaned in again, just as eagerly.

Kisses and talking. Weeding and words. It was exactly where they needed to be, here and now.

13

Josiah stood beside the Silver Stone arena where Dustin led a new filly through training circles. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the tumbling thoughts that kept distracting him. “Sorry. Can you say that again?”

At his side, Caleb wore a far too amused expression.

“I didn't hear you,” Josiah complained.

“No, you didn't. And Tucker didn't hear the last three things I said. And Luke?” Caleb’s lips twitched.

“Hell, I don't think he's heard anything you've said for the past two days,” Walker offered dryly.

Another sign of how befuddled Josiah’s thoughts were, it took a moment for him to clue in to what they were talking about. He glanced around at the gathering of Stone brothers then examined Tucker and Luke a little more closely.

They both wore the same expression he’d caught on his own face. Distraction, yes, along with a whole ton of worry and even outright fear—that one weighed heaviest on Luke.

“Yeah. That makes sense.” Josiah offered his friend a wry smile. The fact Lisa had brought the kids with her and was visiting with Tamara made things easier. His extremely pregnant wife wasn’t somewhere far, far away. “I know we've done this before, and I know I can't possibly be more ready for this to be over than Lisa, but damn it. Could this be over already?”

“Hopefully soon,” Walker offered. “In the meantime, Caleb, I think we need to not ask the doctor here to do anything too mentally challenging.”

“Or give me something extremely mentally challenging, to get my mind off the things I’m worried about,” Josiah suggested. “You want me to look through gene charts and long-term dynasty planning?”

“How about I give you calculus problems and you can distract yourself with those?” Caleb looked far too amused.

One foot propped up on the arena fence, Tucker jumped as his phone went off.

Josiah would have sworn that everyone including the horses froze.

It took only seconds for Tucker to haul out his phone and press it to his ear. “You okay?”

His eyes widened, but before he could speak a loud burst of music rose from Luke’s pocket.

“Shit.” Luke snatched out his phone, moving so fast that he fumbled and sent it flying through the air. It landed on the other side of the fence, three feet into the arena.

Luke was up and over the railing before the thing could ring a second time.

To Josiah’s right, Tucker was nodding and speaking calmly to Ginny, “I'm on my way. Don’t move. Stay there.”

“I don't think she's going anywhere without you,” Walker assured him, smirking slightly.

The guys without pregnant wives were all far too amused, Josiah decided, patting Tucker on the back as he hurried past. “Everything okay?”

“Ginny’s water broke. We’re headed to the hospital.”

“Kelli? You OK?” Luke's face turned white. “I'm coming.” He damn near levitated over the railing, landing with a grunt before focusing on Caleb. “Kelli says she’s been having contractions all morning and they’re getting more intense. Doc said she should come in. I gotta go.”

Caleb laid his hands on Luke's shoulders and stopped him from dashing off. “You guys have to bring Kyle over to our house for us to watch, remember?”

“Right. Right.” Luke's chin jerked up and down like a bobblehead. He glanced around and frowned. “Where’s Tucker gone?”