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CHAPTER 15 - Jacob
15 MonthsLater
Tinny babbling comingfrom the baby monitor on the nightstand woke me from my deep sleep. With my eyes still closed, I stretched my hand out to the place next to me. I groaned. It was empty and cold. She’d been up for a while.
More garbled noises burst from the baby monitor.
I groaned again, and rubbed my hands across my bearded face.
“’I’m coming, I’m coming,” I said to the empty bedroom. I pulled the covers back and put my feet on the floor. “I’m coming,” I mumbled.
With a tired shuffle, I made my way down the hallway to the nursery. The door was cracked open just a bit.
I padded across the carpet and turned on a table lamp. “Hello, you little gremlins. Why are you up so early today?”
Two cherubic faces stared up at me from individual cribs, gummy grins spreading wide.
There was a note on the changing table, I have a lesson this morning – come to thearena.
“Want to go see your Mama? Should we put you on a horse soon? No? OK, how about if I take you sledding, instead?” I reached for Sophia. Slobber dribbled from her mouth as she cooed. Her fat little legs pumped furiously with excitement. “Oh, my little princess, you are going to be the death of me.” I kissed her fuzzy blonde head, a few curls leading me to believe she would look a lot like me.
I held her against my chest, her sweet baby smell, with a hint of something that would need changed, wafting up to me. “Yep. The death of me.”
Carter howled for attention. “Two seconds, little guy.”
I changed Sophia’s diaper, and dressed her in a snuggly onesie for the day.
After I placed her back in her crib, she shoved both her fists in her mouth and cooed.
Carter cranked up the volume, his patience wearing thin. I reached in his crib and pulled him out. “C’mon little dude, let’s get you changed.” He raised his fists and squealed. “Oh, you want to be a wide receiver, huh?” He pumped his legs. “We’ll need to talk to your Uncle John about that but I think you should be a defensive tackle.”
He babbled as I carried him to the changing table.
When they were both dressed and fed, I put their hats on, strapped them into the twin baby carrier on my chest, and headed outside.
Crisp, early-morning air greeted us. I held the two of them close. Later today, warm spring sunshine would melt away the last of the winter snow.
I reached the barn, serenaded by baby coos and babbles.
A truck and a minivan were parked in front of the barn doors next to a ranch truck and Camille’s own Land Rover.
Camille waved at me from the center of the arena as I walked toward her on the dirt pathway. Two students, one on Betty Blue, the other on our recent purchase, Hush Money, were riding around the edges.
I made my way to the small set of bleachers on the outside of the arena fence. Two women were already seated, watching their daughters learn to ride.
“Morning, ladies.” I sat on the bottom bleacher.
“Twins keeping you busy, Jacob?” One of them laughed.
I sighed. “Yes, ma’am.” Sophia gave a happy scream as if she knew she was the subject of conversation, then she stuck her fist back in her mouth.
The other woman added, “Camille belongs here. I’m glad the two of you could make it work.”
“Me too.” I kissed Sophia’s head. “Me too.”
Camille hadn’t originally wanted the house. She told me to give it back to her dad, so I told her I would, just to get her to the alter. I was hoping she would come around. I really liked this house.
At first, she’d insisted we stay in my apartment. Then, when she found out she was pregnant, she changed her mind, and said it was time to renovate the big house. By renovate, it turned out, she meant build an arena on the property for the school.
