by RJ Scott
He expected Jack to be torn, but he was in full on Pappa-bear mode and just growled. Everything was quiet in the room, and Riley itched with the need to go in and see what was happening. Josh and Anna arrived.
“Eden said Hayley is talking to Logan,” Josh said, “what happened? Is the wedding off?”
Jack shrugged at his brother, and Riley couldn’t find the words to say anything.
The door opened, and Riley was the first one in, the others close behind. Far from crying, Hayley was smiling, hesitant, a little unsure, but smiling. Logan was as well, although he was pale. They held hands, the two of them, and it didn’t seem they were contemplating calling the wedding off.
“Logan?” Josh asked.
Logan tilted his chin and hugged Hayley into his side. “Change of plans,” he said, and Hayley looked at him adoringly.
“Is the wedding canceled?” Anna asked. “What happened?”
“No,” Logan smile widened. “Not a change of wedding plans, of our plans. You tell them, Hayley.”
Riley stared at his daughter, thought he saw more tears, but she was smiling, like Logan.
“I’m pregnant,” she said.
The room went quiet, and then Anna stepped forward, as if she’d almost expected the news, worked it out from them standing there like idiots grinning. She hugged them, and then it hit Riley and Jack and Josh all at the same time, their kids were pregnant.
The hugs were hard, and Riley was lost for words again, unable to do anything except hold Hayley close.
Because hell, he and Jack were going to be grandparents.
The wedding was beautiful.
But Riley was sure he missed so much. As the moment they said I do, because he was blindly reaching for Jack’s hand. Or the point when he was supposed to turn and follow husband and wife down the aisle between the decorated chairs, but couldn’t move because he was so overwhelmed.
And happy.
So happy.
The wedding was under a large awning decorated with fairy lights and winter roses, and even though it was still warm outside there was the feel of Christmas in the soft light. He remembered teasing Jack about which side he’d sit, bride or groom; he remembered Jack kissing the smile from him and laughing.
He recalled the photos, and the cheers, and the vows where Hayley said just a few words. That was what got to him the most.
I promise I will always love you as much as my dad and pappa love each other.
But the fact that their daughter, in her gorgeous dress, which draped her in lace and voile, was pregnant?
That was all he could think about. How was she? Was she well? How did they know for sure? When was the baby due?
“Oh God,” he took the nearest seat. Jack sat next to him and held his hand and they didn’t talk at first. They simply sat and watched Hayley and Logan talking to guests and every so often Riley saw Hayley touch her belly, as if she had to reassure herself of the life that was inside her.
They’d said they wanted to keep the news quiet for a while, just their parents, but Riley was nearly bursting with love and the need to shout it from the rooftops.
“How many people do you want to tell right now?” Jack said under his breath.
“Everyone. Like, I want to take out an ad in the Dallas Morning News or something.”
“I think I’m in shock,” Jack added.
Riley shoulder bumped his husband. “Grandpa Jack,” he whispered and then bussed his cheekbone. “And Grandpa Riley.”
“Has a nice ring to it,” Jack turned his head so that this time the kiss was on his lips.
The party went on into the night, and Hayley and Logan left for their honeymoon, a week on the same island where Riley and Jack had been when they’d first heard the news of Hayley even existing. Some things worked well in a full circle.
The kids were in bed; the family had left, all except Josh and Anna. The four of them sat on the porch, Jack and Josh nursing beers, Riley with a whiskey and Anna with the remains of a bottle of champagne.
“Well,” she began and lifted her glass. “We should toast to a happy, healthy pregnancy and to the fact we’re all getting old.”
They all raised their glasses to the toast, and then sat back and stared into the night.
“We should have seen this coming,” Josh said.
“Logan/Hayley was always going to happen,” Anna mused out loud. “And now a baby.”
“A baby,” Riley added softly.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed.
A wedding and a baby all in one day.
This family never did things by halves.
Chapter 24
The call came at three am, the absolute worst time for calls, and Jack awoke immediately, fear gripping him the same way with any middle of the night call. All he could think was that this was about Hayley, but she was only thirty-seven weeks pregnant. She’d been healthy so far, but the diabetes was always a concern. They were all due to meet up tomorrow to celebrate his and Riley’s fifteenth wedding anniversary, and Hayley had planned it all despite her advanced pregnancy and still working part-time at CH on JJ’s team.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, instead of his normal hello.
“Uncle Jack, I’m at the hospital.” Logan didn’t sound panicked, but the baby wasn’t due yet, so this had to be an emergency, right?
“What’s wrong?” he asked. Riley sat up next to him.
“Is that Logan? What’s happened?” Riley asked, and Jack shushed him with a wave of his hand.
“Hayley had a migraine, and they took her to the hospital, nothing to worry about, but they want to keep her in for observation.”
“We’re coming now,” Jack said, and both he and Riley scrambled off the bed.
He didn’t even end the call, but when he checked, Logan had gone. They made it to the hospital in silence.
“It’s too soon isn’t it?” Riley said.
“I don’t know,” Jack answered. Because he didn’t. Yes, he knew that babies were nine months from conception, but he didn’t know if only reaching thirty-seven weeks was good or bad. He’d read so much in the way of conflicting evidence, trawling his way through the stack of baby books Riley had bought when the twins were due to arrive.
The hospital was quiet, but then at four a.m. it would be, Josh and Anna were already there, sipping hot coffee in the waiting room.
“It’s okay,” Anna said as soon as Jack and Riley walked in. “They suspect pre-eclampsia, but she’s in the best place and if she has to have the baby now, then that’s fine.”
Jack sat in the nearest chair, the cheap plastic grumbling under his weight.
“What can we do?” Riley asked, looking from them to the door marked Staff only. “Pre-eclampsia is bad, right?”
The door opened, and a disheveled Logan walked out, his blue eyes bloodshot, his dark hair sticking up as if he’d been twisting his hands into it.
“She’s okay. They’re looking to induce her because her blood pressure is too high, and her liver function is messed up. Not to mention her sugar levels are all over the place.” He scrubbed at his eyes. “I need to go back in.”
“Logan?” Jack called after him as he opened the door.
“Yeah?”
“Tell her we all love her.”
“I will.”
The night turned to morning, and the mood between the four of them had lightened with good reports delivered with every visit from Logan.
Jack and Riley went to find something to eat, then Josh and Anna took their turn, and there was a long time when there was no news of anything, and lots of texts back home to reassure the rest of the family that everything was okay. Eden arrived a little before midday.
“I managed to persuade everyone that only one of us should visit,” she sat next to Riley, pulling out her phone. She typed out a message and sent it, then sat back. “I’ve told everyone that everything is fine. I’m not lying, am I?”
Jack shook his head. “We haven’t heard anyt
hing for the last couple of hours.”
The five of them sat in silence, until Eden went for a coffee run, and a pediatric nurse stopped to chat with them. She didn’t have anything to do with Hayley but she was interested to know who they were waiting for and reassured them that she was sure everything was okay.
All Jack could think was that it had now been three hours without news, and next to him Riley was getting twitchy. Jack was going to give it ten more minutes, until his watch passed noon, and then he was going to go all irate grandparent on someone’s ass, because they needed to know.
Eleven-fifty-seven passed to fifty-eight, and just as he was ready to stand, the door opened, and a flushed Logan nearly fell into the room.
“A boy, we’ve had a boy, and Hayley is fine, Hayley is beautiful, and you have to come in, but you can’t, and I’ll come back for you.” He spun and went back in, but the door swung open again. “Six-pounds-eleven, a boy. Did I say it was a boy?”
And then he left.
“Six-eleven is a good weight,” Anna mused.
“We have a grandson,” Josh elbowed Jack in the side.
“Oh my god,” Riley murmured.
But Jack had no words that he wanted to share, because if he opened his mouth he would shout out with joy and then would likely cry.
Cowboys didn’t cry.
Except for the tear that slid out unbidden as he buried his face in Riley’s hair.
But, one tear? Hell, he was a granddaddy, and his daughter was fine, so that one tear was allowed.
Mason Christopher Campbell was beautiful. From the tip of his tiny button nose, to his wispy dark hair, to the tiniest of fists that curled as he fed. Only three hours old and he’d already stolen the hearts of everyone in the room. Jack took a couple of photos, even though Hayley said she was exhausted. Maybe he wouldn’t send them to anyone, but he wanted to capture the absolute perfection of his new grandson.
“I’m sorry about the party,” Hayley said, sounding tired.
Jack shook his head, holding Riley’s hand tight. “You gave us the best gift.”
When Mason had finished nursing, Logan held him for a short while and the love the new dad had for the baby and his wife was obvious. He was so completely proud of how his little family was doing, and Jack knew they had to give the new parents some space. Hayley was coming home in a couple of days, they wanted to keep an eye on her kidneys and her sugars, but her diabetes had been steady and well-taken care of and they were happy to say that by Saturday she would be home.
Jack kissed her goodbye, pulled Logan into a hug, and then held baby Mason for the shortest of times, before passing him to Riley, who then passed him onto Josh and Anna. Eden was in charge of corralling everyone, and Jack didn’t want that job.
They stopped on the way home at a toy store, but what did you buy a baby less than a day old?
When the debate was between a near life-size baby giraffe and an entire litter of stuffed Dalmatians, they realized things were getting out of hand.
Of course, carrying the five-foot giraffe to the car, and then fitting it in the car was hilarious, given Jack and Riley were both on very little sleep and at the same time hyped-up on coffee and love.
At home, Jack showed Connor and Lexie their new nephew, and he and Riley talked to Max about the baby in Hayley’s tummy coming out to say hello.
And then, somehow it was time for bed, and Jack couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned and stared at the wall. Until Riley’s arm came across his chest and held him tightly. He turned in his husband’s hold, and they cuddled for the longest time.
And finally, Jack slept.
Epilogue
Mason’s fifth birthday coincided with Jack and Riley’s twentieth wedding anniversary, and the party was huge.
They’d lost Toby, Riley’s black lab, the year before, but the twins had a dog each, not much older than puppies, so the ranch wasn’t without a dog. In fact, Buttons and Henry were fighting over a chew stick that Jack was holding just out of their reach. Of course, he ended up on the floor with them, and then Mason joined in, as did Mason’s younger sister Diana who’d just turned three, and Riley finally went over to help, extricating Jack from the two toddlers and the puppies with ease.
“You’ll have to help me up.” Jack held up a hand.
“I’m not falling for that again.” Riley crouched next to his husband. “You are not pulling me down so we can make out on the ground.”
Jack pouted then grinned, rolling to a stand and brushing himself down. “I was never going to do that,” he said, but Riley could tell he was lying.
Hand in hand they followed children and puppies back to the party, catching up with Diana and Jack swinging her up into his arms.
Jack let Diana down, and she toddled over to Hayley and the puppies, and the rest of their family waiting to start the anniversary/birthday party.
Their family was bigger.
Max had his own apartment attached to the house, and was mostly self-sufficient with some care and had the biggest collection of Thomas figures Riley had ever seen. He was happy in his own world, and loved his family, and that was all they’d ever wanted for the boy who’d stolen their hearts.
Connor was at college studying geology like his sister, but his real talent lay in Math which, God knew where he got that from, as Jack often said.
Lexie went full time to a performing arts school. She was born to be on stage and would always be Jack and Riley’s spitfire of a daughter.
But at the core of it all, the melding of two families, the children, the marriages, the loves and all the trials that came with family, were Riley and Jack.
They walked toward the party area, with balloons and cake and face painting, and Riley’s heart was so full he didn’t think he’d have room for more people to love.
Then Connor came over to them, as if he’d been waiting for them, holding hands with someone that Riley couldn’t see at first, half hidden behind Connor. As they drew closer, Riley recognized Elliot, a kid from Connor’s school, an old friend who had clearly become more.
“Dad, Pappa, I want you to meet Elliot. My boyfriend.”
And somehow, Riley’s heart expanded a little more and made room for someone else, and next to him Jack was probably feeling the same way. They talked a little; Elliot and Connor seemed besotted with each other, and it was so lovely to see. They went off to find food, and Jack turned to Riley to say something.
He was smiling widely, and Riley stopped walking.
Jack didn’t look any older than the day Riley had asked him to come to the offices of Hayes Oil. Yes he was gray at the temples, yes the laugh lines were deeper, but in Jack’s blue eyes he was still that man that Riley had fallen for twenty years ago.
“What’s wrong?” Jack cradled Riley’s face.
They kissed gently, the brush of lips and the familiar taste of each other, just like home.
“I love you,” Riley said, hoping the words meant more to Jack each time he said them. “I’ve always loved you, and I always will.”
“I love you, too,” Jack said, softly, “I’ve always loved you, and yeah, I always will.”
And like that, hand in hand, they joined everyone else and celebrated what they had worked so hard to make.
Family.
THE END
RJ Scott - have you read?
Crooked Tree Ranch on the banks of the Blackfoot river, is home to the Todd brothers and extended family. This best selling series has secrets, lies, love, the dude ranch, horses, and above all, family
When a cowboy, meets the guy from the city, he can't know how much things will change.
On the spur of the moment, with his life collapsing around him, Jay Sullivan answers an ad for a business manager with an expertise in marketing, on a dude ranch in Montana.
With his sister, Ashley, niece, Kirsten and nephew, Josh, in tow, he moves lock stock and barrel from New York to Montana to start a new life on Crooked Tree Ranch.
Fo
reman and part owner of the ranch, ex-rodeo star Nathaniel 'Nate' Todd has been running the dude ranch, for five years ever since his mentor Marcus Allen became ill.
His brothers convince him that he needs to get an expert in to help the business grow. He knows things have to change and but when the new guy turns up, with a troubled family in tow - he just isn't prepared for how much.
Book 5, Second Chance Ranch, the last in the series, coming 2018
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N.R. Walker - Have you Read?
The Red Dirt Heart is one of N.R. Walker’s best-selling series. Where the Outback Australian landscape is its own character, and there’s blistering heat under the summer sun and in the bedroom. With over 3880 ratings on Goodreads, do yourself a favor and meet Charlie and Travis and the rest of the crew at Sutton Station.
Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.
Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.
American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely, it’s the man with the red dirt heart.
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