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“Where’s Trey?” Blaine asked.
“Here,” he said. “I can’t get past anyone.”
“Let him up here.”
People shifted and moved, and Trey made his way through them to the front. Beth and TJ had been busy while he’d been outside with his brothers, because two long tables had been set up in the dining room and living room. They’d been covered with TJ’s favorite color—blue—and a table setting had been placed in front of each chair.
A scrumptious-looking cake sat at each setting, every dessert with a six-shaped candle in it. They hadn’t been lit yet, and Trey finally got to the part that had caused Spur and Conrad to stop.
Beth and TJ stood directly in front of the doorway leading into the back of the house from the front. She held a cake in her hands, as did her son.
The tops of the cakes hadn’t been decorated, but the front. Beth’s said,Marry me?And TJ’s said,Be my dad?
Trey’s emotions surged, and he couldn’t speak or move.
He’d already married Beth, besides. He’d thought of himself as TJ’s father before, and he and Beth had already been talking and making arrangements for the three of them to be a permanent, legal family.
“These are yes or no questions,” Spur murmured. “What’s it gonna be, Trey?”
“Yes,” he said, striding forward with the strength of his family behind him. He took both cakes and turned to set them on the counter. Then he swept Beth and TJ into his arms, the three of them laughing together. “Yes,” he whispered into her ear. “Always yes.”
She stepped away and he lifted TJ up with a big roar. “I love you, bud,” he said while his brothers cheered and clapped.
“I love you too, Trey,” TJ said, smiling at him. “Can we have cake for breakfast?”
“I think you already have it out, bud,” Trey said, grinning at the child.
“Hello,” Kait called from the front of the house. She brought more noise with her, and everyone started to file into the kitchen. Within minutes, his parents had arrived. Clyde came with Sally and her kids.
TJ’s other grandparents arrived, and his mother moved right over to Trish and Taylor Dixon and hugged them hello. TJ ran over and showed them the cowboy hat Trey had bought him for his birthday, and they smiled and hugged him tightly.
Trey hadn’t thought about how much they’d be involved in TJ’s life, but watching them, he wasn’t worried. Their son had been TJ’s father; they belonged there as much as he did.
“We’re ready, baby,” Beth said quietly, looking at him.
He pulled himself together and cleared his throat. “Yeah? You’re ready?”
“Yes,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “If I start to cry, you’ll finish for me, right?”
“Yep.”
She nodded, her jaw set with determination. She looked at Lawrence, who she’d clearly worked something out with, because he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Quiet down now,” he said. “Beth has an announcement.”
“Oh, brother,” Trey said. “That’s how you decided to start this?” He looked at Beth and Lawrence, but both of them just smiled back at him. “You know they’re going to think you’re pregnant.”
Beth turned to face the crowd gathered in the farmhouse for TJ’s birthday. “Thank you so much for coming. It’s amazing to see how many people love TJ.” She reached down and ran her fingers through her son’s hair. “He’s very blessed to have all of you.”
She cleared her throat. “Welcome to the new Triple-T Ranch. Trey and I just wanted to announce that we’ll be getting new rings and renewing our vows this summer in a real ceremony.” She looked up at him, tears in her eyes but so much joy shining through them. “He’s also—” Her voice shut off, and her face folded as she tried to hold back her tears. It was a losing battle, but Trey gave her another few seconds.
He squeezed her hand and looked up at everyone. “We talked to TJ about it, and I’ve filed to adopt him. That way, he can be mine, and I can be his.” He smiled, because he thought he might start to cry too.
“Will you change his name?” Trish Dixon asked, anxiety all over her face.
“Yes,” Beth said. “Once the adoption goes through, we’ll file for a new birth certificate. It will still list Danny as his father.” Her voice shook on the last word. “Dannyishis father. He just gets to have two in this life.” Her hand tightened in Trey’s again, and he knew it was his turn to continue the explanation.
“He’s going to be Taylor John Dixon Chappell.” It wasn’t that much of a change. They’d basically moved his current last name into his middle name position. Trey knew he didn’t understand everything though. Trish and Taylor Dixon had lost their son, and in a lot of ways, they probably felt like they’d lost Beth and TJ too.
Trey didn’t want to take any more from them. “Dixon will be his middle name now,” he said. “He wants it. We want him to have it.” He powered through the emotion in his throat, making his eyes burn. “It’s a good name, with a long legacy, and we want him to know who he is and where he came from.”
