“Don’t overdo it, Cammy,” Griff growled, using his pet name for his wife.
“Of course not! All I’m hoping is she’ll let me rock the baby every once in a while.” The sweet smile on Camille’s face told her men how much she wanted to hold Emma.
LUCY GRADUALLY CAME AWAKE, thinking the nurses should be in soon. When she finally opened her eyes, she remembered that she no longer was in the hospital. John had brought her to his family’s home early this afternoon.
She immediately got out of bed, in spite of her soreness, and hurried to Emma’s little room next door. She panicked not to find her child in the crib. Immediately, she rushed to the family room.
Once there, she came to an abrupt halt. Camille sat in the rocking chair, Emma on her shoulder, as she talked the child into burping.
“Come now, little Emma, show Grandma what a good burper you are. Your Uncle John has been bragging on you.”
As if she understood those words, Emma burped loudly, much to Camille’s praise.
“She does that well, doesn’t she?” Lucy said with a chuckle, startling Camille.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were there, Lucy,” Camille said, smiling at her. “Emma and I were enjoying ourselves.”
“It sounds like it. But you should’ve awakened me so I could take care of her. I don’t want to add to your burdens.”
“And I don’t want to steal away your time with Emma. But I thought you could use a little extra sleep today. Moving is hard on us.”
“Yes, I guess so. And I appreciate the care you’re giving Emma.”
“She is such a darling. Here, you take the rocker and visit with her a little. I’ve got a load of clothes I can bring in here and fold.”
“I’ll be glad to fold the clothes if you want—”
“No, no, I’ll be glad to listen to you and Emma while I fold clothes. It’ll be fun.”
Camille gave up the rocker to Lucy and handed Emma down to her. “Now, I’ll go get the clothes.”
Lucy gathered her child to her, loving the soft, warm feel of her infant in her arms, inhaling her baby scent. “How are you, Emma? Do you like your new room? It’s very pretty, isn’t it?”
With Emma kicking her legs and waving her arms, Lucy imagined she was agreeing with her. “It was nice of Camille to feed you your bottle. Your appetite is growing, isn’t it?”
Then she laid Emma down in her lap, so she could look at her face. “Did you behave yourself?”
Camille came in with a load of clothes as Lucy asked that question. “Of course she did. She was a darling.”
“I’m glad. I’ve already discovered she has a little temper when she doesn’t instantly get her bottle.”
“All babies do. You should’ve heard John when he didn’t get his bottle at once. He could raise the roof the first few months. Griff and I were so completely inexperienced, we’d run ourselves ragged to get the bottle to him as soon as he awakened. Then Mildred—she was Griff’s family’s housekeeper—was over here one day and told us crying was good for him. Let him cry a little.”
“Really?” Lucy asked, her eyes wide.
“Really. After a little while, he stopped crying so vehemently. He knew we would come when we could.” Camille had a smile on her lips as she reminisced.
Lucy thought John had certainly improved over the years. She thought of how he’d cared for her and Emma, how he’d looked after her that night in the truck. At the memory, shivers coursed through her body.
Why was she thinking of John that way?
To overcome those feelings, she asked, “How about Melissa?”
“Oh, she was terribly spoiled. If Griff or I didn’t get there in time, John would be beside her bed, patting her, telling her we were coming.”
“I’ve seen him pat Emma, too, telling her to be patient. How funny that he cautions patience in others when he was very demanding,” Lucy said with a smile.
“I know. But he’s such a caring soul. He always wants to make those around him feel okay.”
“Yes, he does,” Lucy said with a frown, remembering his care of her again, “even if they aren’t his responsibility.”
“But, Lucy, in John’s mind you are his responsibility. After all, he’s the one who found you when you were stranded on the road. He’s the one who got you to the hospital and he’s the one who discovered you are Harry’s sister. He’s going to be your brother until Harry comes back and can do that job.”
She didn’t want to think of John as a brother. That wasn’t the feeling he evoked in her. But she didn’t want to reveal that to John’s mother. “I don’t want him to be responsible for me. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I’m responsible for me. I blamed my marriage on my mother. But I’m the one who made that decision. Not her. I’m in charge of my life from now on.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
At the sound of John’s voice she started. Looking up, she saw him at the entrance to the family room. He looked so handsome, so strong, so male…She swallowed the desire to fly into his arms.
She breathed deeply before she spoke. “I was telling your mother that because she said you felt responsible for me. But you’re not.”
“Nope. I’m just trying to help out where I can. Be sides, I’m Emma’s Uncle John. She should get to know me while she can,” he teased, leaning down to stroke Emma’s cheek.
Emma turned her head in his direction, though her eyes didn’t quite register where he was.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered.
The nearness of John, the smell of his aftershave, the whisper of his breath on her face was all too much for Lucy.
She had to get away from John before she embarrassed herself and kissed him—right in front of his mother.
She jumped up from the rocker, putting Emma on her shoulder. “I’m going to go put Emma down so I can help you get dinner on the table.”
She was out of the room before either adult could protest.
“Did you upset Lucy?” Camille asked, frowning.
“Not intentionally. I’ll go ask her.”
John reached the door to Emma’s room, finding Lucy bending over her daughter’s crib.
“Lucy? Are you all right?”
She kept her face averted. “Yes, of course. I’m just putting Emma to bed.”
“Need any help?”
“No, of course not.” She wanted him to come to her without a reason. “She just takes a little time to settle.”
By the time she’d finished speaking, she discovered John at her elbow. “She’s staying awake a little bit more, isn’t she?” she asked.
“She’s only three days old.”
“I know, but she’s already changed a lot.” Hard to believe that she’d only known John for four days. It seemed so much longer. He seemed so important to her…and to Emma.
“Yeah.”
“I think she’s asleep now,” Lucy said, backing away from the crib.
“Okay. Are you going to help Mom put dinner on the table?”
“Yes, I thought I would.”
“Okay. I’ve got to go back to the barn, but I’ll be back in time for dinner. I’m starving.”
She couldn’t prevent a response to his remark. “It seems to me I’ve heard you say that before, John,” she said with a chuckle.
“You’re right. It seems to be a normal state for me.”
As for her own state, she thought, it would be arousal.
Chapter Five
They were sitting down to eat when John heard a sound he was beginning to recognize. He excused himself and hurried to the nursery. There he found Emma, staring up at the animal mobile hanging over her crib.
“Hello, little Emma. Did you have a good nap?”
Since he didn’t expect an answer, he reached out and picked up the baby, putting her on his shoulder. He walked back to the kitchen with Emma kicking and waving her arms.
“Hey, there, look who’s up for dinner,” he said, swinging Emma down into hi
s arms. “See, Dad? She’s as beautiful as ever.”
“Yes, you’re right, son,” Griff said, reaching out for the baby. “I think it’s time for me to hold her again.”
“I’ll fix her bottle, Mr. Randall. Then I can take her, if you’re tired of holding her.” Lucy jumped up from the table and began fixing a bottle.
“I’d like to feed her just this once, Lucy, if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not, if—if you really want to,” Lucy managed to say.
“Oh, I really do. I love feeding a baby. They are so perfect at this age, aren’t they?”
“Yes, of course.”
John laughed. “And I thought I’d get to feed her since I’m the one who heard her cry.”
“Age before beauty, son, except that applies to Lucy instead of you. And you’re right. Emma looks like her mama.”
Lucy’s cheeks turned bright red. “Thank you, Mr. Randall.”
“Let’s make it Griff, honey. There are too many Mr. Randalls in Rawhide.”
“Yes, sir.”
Griff looked at his wife. “Is she going to be this formal all the time?”
“No, dear. Just give her time to settle in,” Camille said with a smile toward Lucy.
“Here’s the bottle…Griff,” Lucy said with a reluctant smile.
“Good girl, Lucy. Now, watch an expert feed the baby!”
Lucy did exactly that. She sat down next to Griff and carefully watched him feed her child.
“Hey! I can do it as well as you, Dad.” John leaned in and smiled at Emma.
“She’s not going to pay any attention to you when I’ve got the bottle, son.”
“Next time I hear her cry, I’ll capture the bottle first and then go get the baby. Then she’ll stay with me.” John’s good-natured grin showed he was teasing.
“And if I’d known Emma would be this popular, I would’ve come here immediately after giving birth!” Lucy said, which brought laughs from the other three.
“I could’ve told you we’d be fighting over her. We haven’t had a baby around here in close to thirty years,” Camille said.
“Babies are special, aren’t they?” Lucy said with a soft smile.
“Just remember you said that when this little darling wants a bottle in the middle of the night,” Griff said.
“I don’t mind.”
“I suspect you’ll have volunteers then, too,” John said.
“Oh, no, I’m going to get up quickly so she doesn’t disturb your sleep. She’s already getting a little spoiled because she gets so much attention.”
John grinned even more. “That’s not going to change, Lucy.”
“Some people don’t like babies,” Lucy said hesitantly.
“That’s true, Lucy, but you won’t find any of them in this family,” Griff said. “And if you’re talking about that husband of yours, don’t even think about him. He’s all messed up. Just keep little Emma away from him.”
“Yes. I don’t intend for him to know that Emma survived. Caroline said he was trying to provoke a miscarriage.”
John shook his head. “That’s disgusting.”
“I—I’m so grateful to all of you for your caring and concern for Emma. She’s a lucky little girl.”
John gave her a sharp look. “And we’re going to keep her…and you—that way.”
Griff put Emma on his shoulder and helped her perform her incredible burping that brought laughter even from her mother.
“Yep, you’re a mighty talented young lady,” Griff assured the infant, giving her a small kiss on her cheek. He looked at his son. “Now, don’t tell me you can get that good a burp from her.”
“I sure can. That’s one of her particular talents.”
The ringing phone interrupted their laughter. Camille got up to answer it. “Oh, how nice. Just a minute and I’ll ask her.” She covered the receiver. “Lucy, the ladies at the ranch wondered if you and me and Emma would like to come to lunch tomorrow.”
“Do you think Emma is old enough to go out?” Lucy asked anxiously.
“Of course she is. It’s better to go when all the children are in school and the men are out working. Then it will just be us ladies who want to hold her.”
“Poor little girl’s going to come home exhausted,” Griff said with a smile.
“Will it make her too tired?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, but it won’t hurt her any. It just means she might sleep a little longer tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s all right. But what does Camille mean by the ladies at the ranch?”
“She’s referring to the main Randall ranch, where my cousins live. There are four ladies married to the original Randalls and several of the next generation of Randalls, too,” Griff explained.
Camille returned to the phone and made arrangements.
When she got off the phone, Lucy said, “It’s very nice of all of them to invite us over.”
Camille smiled. “Yes, it is, isn’t it? It’s been a couple of years since they’ve had a brand-new baby there, too.”
“It’s probably time for Jim and Patience to have another one,” Griff said. “Their little girl is two, isn’t she?”
“I think so,” Camille said. “She’s the cutest little thing.”
“She’ll be there tomorrow?” Lucy asked.
“Oh, yes, along with Patience and Jim’s sister, Elizabeth, too. They wanted to come see you at the hospital, but Caroline said she thought you needed your rest.”
“I had no idea anyone wanted to visit me.”
“That’s okay, Lucy,” John assured her. “You’ll get them sorted out tomorrow.”
“I’ve never known such a large family,” she muttered.
“I’m sure there are other large families,” Griff said, “but what makes this family special is that we all get along and help each other.”
“Yes, that is special. My family is small, but we don’t get along.”
“Harry is a really nice guy,” John said.
“Yes. And you’ll notice he didn’t hang around his family,” Lucy pointed out.
“She’s got a point there, son,” Griff said.
“Oh, look. Emma’s gone to sleep. I’ll go put her in her bed,” Lucy said, getting up at once.
She gently lifted the little girl from Griff’s arms, thanking him for feeding her, and hurried out of the kitchen.
“She’s a cute little thing, isn’t she?” Griff asked to no one in particular.
“I told you she’s a beautiful baby,” John said.
“I wasn’t talking about Emma,” Griff said, looking at his son.
“Oh, you mean Lucy. Yeah, I told you the baby looked like her mother. But Lucy doesn’t think so.”
“And she and Harry come from the same family?”
Camille nodded. “Yes, some women treat their daughters different from their sons.”
“I think we should claim Lucy and Emma for our family. They deserve to be Randalls,” Griff said.
John said, “They’ve got my vote. I don’t think Harry will object, either.”
“I doubt that Harry has any idea of the life Lucy has led. He was six years older than her. He left home to go to college when she was twelve. He probably doesn’t know her very well.”
“That still seems weird, Mom. I mean, didn’t he go back home for holidays and summers?”
“I doubt it. He probably worked while he went to school. I don’t believe he was on scholarship.”
“I forgot that some families aren’t as fortunate we are.”
“True, son,” Griff said. “Not everyone has a trust fund.”
“Or a dad who’s an expert investor to keep it growing.” John grinned at his father.
“Thank you. I’ll take those words to heart, son. We’ll—” He broke off as Lucy came back in. “Did she stay asleep?”
“Yes, Griff, she did. You did a very good job.”
“Good. It was a pleasure, Lucy.”
“You are all so good
about Emma. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, but you don’t have to pretend. Babies can be difficult, and I’ll understand if you get irritated by her crying…or anything.”
John and Camille started to protest, but Griff held up his hand. “Lucy, we love babies, all babies. Emma won’t wear us out, and we’re delighted to help you with her.”
“Thank you,” Lucy said. But her eyes filled with tears. A second later she turned and ran from the room.
JOHN PULLED HIS HORSE to a halt and shoved back his sleeve to check the time. It was two o’clock. The ladies should be back from the luncheon. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number at the house.
Listening to the unanswered rings, he frowned. Why weren’t they back? Emma needed to sleep in her own crib, and Lucy would be exhausted. After all, she had a baby less than a week ago. His mother should know better than to keep them out so long.
“Hey, John!” one of his cowboys called, drawing his attention. He supposed he should pay attention to what was going on, but he had trouble keeping his mind on cows lately. He was worried about Emma and Lucy.
Fifteen minutes later, he called the house again. Still no answer. He waited another fifteen minutes before he called his mother’s cell phone. When she answered, his first question was, “Why haven’t you brought Lucy and Emma home, Mom? They need their rest.”
“Hello, to you, too, John.”
“Sorry, Mom, but I’m worried about Emma and Lucy.”
“Emma is sleeping peacefully. Lucy is a little tired, but I’m putting her to bed as soon as we get home.”
“When will that be?”
“Probably by three, or maybe three-thirty.”
“I hope she doesn’t overdo it. She’ll have a hard time if she does.”
“Quit fussing, John. I’ll get her in bed as soon as we get home, I promise.”
He could hear laughter in his mother’s voice. “I’m not being difficult, Mom. I’m just worried about them.”
“I know. We’ll be on our way in a few minutes.”
“Good to hear.”
He put his phone away and went back to herding cows. But his mind was on Lucy and Emma. And he was wishing he was at home to wait for them.
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