Sarah
Page 22
There really wasn’t a need for words between them, but Sarah put their thoughts into words.
“I never knew happiness was something I could hold and touch every day of my life. I have only to look at Rio and—”
“And love is waiting there in his eyes, in his arms and his lips,” Catherine finished for her.
“You know,” Sarah said, looking at her.
“Oh, yes. It is the same for Greg and me and Mary here,” Catherine said with a short laugh as she poked a finger into Mary’s side. “She knew it first.”
There was more laughter then, for Mary merely winked. She rose and stood on tiptoes to see that Beth was standing. Tall for her age and already showing hints of the lovely young woman to come, she managed to extract little Robert, a sturdy four-year-old the very image of Rafe. Mary smiled to see them, blessing each day for the love they had given her, but the smile went to her eyes when she saw her handsome husband rise and tower over the tangle of bodies.
“I have been blessed,” she shared with the others, knowing they felt the same.
Catherine came to stand beside her, slipping her arm around Mary’s waist just as Sarah joined them to do the same. “My twins won’t want to leave here. The girls don’t have this kind of freedom back home.”
“Then stay with us. Greg could make money anywhere. Rio and Rafe have done very well with the horses they’re breeding. And Rafe still has other business interests, doesn’t he, Mary?”
“Some. He’s sold off quite a bit. Contentment, or so he tells me, does that to a man.”
“So think about it, Catherine,” Sarah said.
“Well, we have,” she answered softly, her gaze picking out the honey blond heads of her twin girls. Gabriel already had MaryKate by the hand and Lucas was lifting Sarah Beth into his arms. Moments later she saw Greg offering Rio a hand up.
They watched their men coming toward them, the children close by their sides, faint sounds of voices reaching them.
“Actually, we can’t give Greg too much choice. You see I want you two with me this time.”
It took Sarah a moment to tear her gaze from Rio’s lean, hard body coming closer and looked into Catherine’s eyes. Mary reached the same conclusion she did.
“A baby, Catherine? You’re going to have a baby?”
“Yes.”
The word was almost lost in the squeals of joy and laughter that followed, for the children reached them, crowding close.
Over the children’s demands to be told the news, the three men stood apart, whispering among themselves.
“You’re real sure about this, Greg?” Rafe asked.
“Look at Catherine. I can’t deny that woman of mine anything she wants.”
“Nor I, Mary.”
Rio was silent, for his gaze had locked with Sarah’s. Then he smiled. He understood what Rafe and Greg meant. A heart overflowing with love could refuse the giving woman nothing. Nothing at all.
“We’ll stay. But, true to tell, I don’t know if I can survive all this togetherness.”
Rafe, laughing, slapped Greg on his back. “We’ll show you. Won’t we, Rio? It’s all a matter of knowing when to run. Disappear. Like now.”
And while their women were distracted by bending to answer smaller children, they made good their escape.
“Where were you, Rafe, when I was trying to escape Catherine’s wiles?”
“Busy loving my wife,” Rafe answered as he led them around to the nearly completed barn.
Only Rio paused as they entered the dim interior and made for the loft’s ladder. He looked back to see that Sarah watched him. She blew him a kiss, her dark eyes sparkling with joy as she mouthed the words. “I love you.”
Escape? Rio didn’t think so. He never wanted to be without his woman, his Sarah and her love.
No silent mouthing for him. No whisper would do. He shouted out the words to her.
“Sarah, I love you.”
And the warm breeze carried the words throughout the hidden valley.
* * * * *
More from Raine Cantrell
The Merry Widows Series
The Kincaid Series
Novels
Novellas
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