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She watched those in the room, listened to them laugh and saw the smiles on their faces and felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. This is what she’d longed for her entire life. To be a part of a family that loved each other unconditionally and once she was old enough to know why she was so drawn to Aaron Hilam, she’d wanted him to be part of that family. Was it possible Ben was right? Is that why Aaron had shown her the land and asked if she liked it?
When he crossed the room and kissed her cheek, then handed her Samuel, she remembered all those wishes she’d always made on shooting stars. They’d all been about Aaron—about this. Them, together as a family, and if Ben was right, she might get her wish but life always had a way of stomping her when she was down and with Harrison McBride and that blasted contract she’d signed hanging over her head, she might be the one to crush this dream herself.
Chapter Twelve
Lunch had gone exactlyas he’d thought it would, with one exception—instead of being focused on nothing but Betsey and Samuel, all he could think about was Harrison McBride. Who was he and what was he doing at Betsey’s house?
When they left and started toward Jesse and Alex’s place, he’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t realized Betsey hadn’t said a word until they were in front of Rafe and Grace’s house. She was staring ahead with a somber look on her face. An uneasy feeling started filling his head with things he didn’t want to think about like—was she seeing someone? Did Betsey have a beau no one told him about? He sighed and turned off the main road to the path leading toward Jesse and Alex’s house by the creek.
He readjusted his hat and glanced over at Samuel when he grunted in his sleep. Since the day he found out Samuel was his, he’d thought of nothing but the future. Of what he wanted and how he’d go about getting it and he’d done what he could to see those plans work out. The sale of their old home place made it seem as if those plans were meant to be, especially when Betsey seemed to like the land he’d wanted to buy. He’d been ready to ask her to marry him right then and there but was afraid rushingthings would just bring about bad luck. He still had a lot of wrongs to make right and a marriage proposal wasn’t enough to repair the damage he’d caused, but now he wondered if waiting was foolish. If some strange man was visiting Betsey, he might already be too late.
Jesse was out by the small barn nestled under the trees when they reached the house. He smiled when he saw them, a look of genuine surprise on his face. He laughed when Aaron set the brake on the wagon. “Alex has been nagging me endlessly to either take her around to see you Betsey or go fetch you and bring you out here. You’ve saved me from another day of her ruthless glaring.”
Betsey grinned. “Well, you’re welcome.”
Jesse headed around the wagon and helped Betsey to the ground, then reached in for Samuel’s basket. Aaron wrapped the reins around the brake lever and jumped down and rounded the wagon.
“He’s getting big.” Jesse handed him the basket. “Shame he looks like you, Aaron.”
They all laughed as Jesse motioned them to the house. He wasn’t aware Jesse had seen Samuel before and he wondered if Jesse had known Samuel was his before Betsey had finally admitted it. He’d have to ask him later.
Jesse and Alex’s little cabin wasn’t much bigger than Betsey and Ben’s place but the new construction showed here. The house was bright and homey and still looked brand new, whereas Betsey and Ben’s place was a bit on the bleak side. Their pa had been a useless human being and as much as he hated to think it, they were better off without him.
Alex was in an overstuffed chair holding a tiny bundle in her arms when they walked in, Grace, Rafe’s wife and Jesse and Alex’s sister-in-law, was sitting opposite her with the other baby. They both looked up when they walked inside.
Aaron set Samuel’s basket down and all three women startedtalking at once. Jesse gave him a look and motioned back outside with the nod of his head. “Come on. They’ll not even realize we’ve left.”
He followed him back outside and around the house to where he left the buckboard. They tended the horse, gave him fresh water and a bit of oats and went into the barn.
“I’m surprised to see you up walking around.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Jesse laughed. “Well, Ben’s been claiming for the past year that he was going to stick his boot so far up your ass you’d be hopping in place to try and dislodge it.” He glanced at him. “You seem to be walking just fine.”
Aaron grinned. “He did plant his fist upside my head but that was about it, which is a bit surprising. I was expecting more myself. He’s still not happy with what happened, though.”
Jesse snorted. “I’m just glad you weren’t here when we got back from that cattle drive.”
“Why’s that?”
Jesse set the feed bucket down and headed toward the creek that ran in front of the house. There were two chairs nestled under a large shade tree and they’d both sat down before Jesse said, “When Ben found out something had been going on with you and Betsey while we were gone, he’d actually looked a bit happy about it. Until he found out you ran off and she was expecting. Way I heard it, he took off for your place, shotgun in hand, with Betsey right behind him begging him to stop.”
Ben was going to shoot him? “No one told me that.”
Jesse chuckled. “Guess they didn’t want to stir up trouble that seemed to be buried.”
“I guess.” He leaned back in his chair and propped one heel on the toe of his other boot. “So, how’s married life? Is it everything you’d thought it would be?”
“It’s exactly what I thought it would be. That woman is as ornery as the day is long.” Jesse gave him a sly look andgrinned. “What about you? You going to ask Betsey to marry you?”
The twins were sotiny compared to Samuel. He’d been a big baby when he was born and had grown even more so over the last three months. Holding Alex and Jesse’s babies made them seem so fragile she was afraid to handle them much.
Grace helped Alex get them fed and said she was heading back home to get Rafe’s supper on. When she left, Alex sighed.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes, I’m just tired. If it weren’t for Grace, I’d probably be in a corner somewhere crying and yanking my hair out by the handfuls.”
