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CARA HAD BEEN RIGHT, ROMAN decided. Christmas dinner at Prosperity Ranch was amazing. Cara’s mother was an excellent cook, and everything else contributed by the other family members was delicious as well.
Mia and Ruby were quickly becoming inseparable, and they’d had a lengthy discussion about their favorite foods. They’d quickly determined to like all the same things and to hate all the same things. So their plates had been filled with exactly the same items, to everyone’s amusement.
Roman could only hope that Mia would start to like some of Ruby’s hated foods again when they returned back home to Wyoming. He was about to offer to take over dishes duty when Holt tapped his glass with his knife.
Everyone fell silent.
Was a round of toasts going to happen?
“I’ve an announcement to make,” Holt said. “Or we have an announcement to make.” Next to him, his wife Macie flushed pink.
Holt glanced over at his brother Knox, who was sitting a couple of seats down. Knox pushed back his chair a few inches. He leaned back, folded his arms, and gave a small nod to his brother.
Roman looked between the pair, wondering what was going on.
Holt reached for Macie and set their joined hands on the table’s edge between them. “We wanted to wait a bit before saying anything so that we could be sure things were going well.”
Macie gave a little laugh, and Holt shared a smile with her.
Then Holt looked back at the rest of the family. “We’re expecting another Prosper kid.”
“Baby,” Macie said quickly.
He corrected himself. “That’s right, darlin’. Baby.”
Heidi clapped her hands together. “Oh my goodness. That’s wonderful!”
Congratulations burst out from various family members around the table. For some reason, Roman was drawn to looking at Knox again. He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t unfolded his arms, but it was clear that he’d been told in advance.
It made sense, and it was a courteous thing, he guessed. The love between Holt and Macie was obvious, and it must be a strange thing to have one’s ex-wife married to one’s brother.
After the congratulations died off, and the conversation turned to matters such as the due date, and if it might be a boy or girl, Mia said to Ruby, “You’re so lucky. I won’t ever get a brother or a sister, since my mommy died.”
Ruby didn’t seem fazed by the sad little comment. “Well, I’ll share my baby with you every time you come to Texas. We can babysit him together!”
“All right,” Mia said with a slow nod. “Do you think it will be a brother?”
Ruby shrugged. “I think a brother will be more fun because a little sister will just take all my toys.”
“I hope it’s a brother, too,” Mia was quick to say.
Roman was grateful that no one at the table decided to correct Mia and tell her that she could very well have half-siblings someday. If he remarried.
Evie and Carson stood and began to clear plates—apparently it was their assignment.
Next to him, Cara leaned close. “I’m going to start getting ready for the sing-along. Do you want me to help with Mia?”
Roman turned his head slightly. She was so close to him, he could reach for her hand right now. Squeeze it in thanks. But they were surrounded by the entire family. “I’m sure she’d love that,” he said. “I’m going to clean up here.”
“Oh, you don’t have to, Roman,” Cara said, resting a hand on his forearm.
“I know, but I want to.”
She lifted her brows. “You know, you’re our famous guest, and everyone wants to spoil you.”
Roman placed his hand on hers and squeezed. Then he stood from the table.
Several pairs of eyes followed his actions. He picked up his plate and Cara’s, then added Mia’s and Ruby’s to the pile.
