Renie woke up to the sounds of Jake and Luke clomping down the stairs to throw their stuff from their “camp-out” in their bedrooms, and they were arguing.
“Jeez, have they ever heard of inside voices?” shouted Billy.
“You better get used to a lot of noise if you’re serious about us adding to our family.”
“You know what I realized?”
“What’s that?”
“We’re both only children.”
“You just realized that?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean I don’t have any experience with sibling rivalry, and that kind of shit. Do you?”
“We’ll buy books.”
“Yeah, I bet my mama’s already thought of that. You should see all the books she bought me after I brought Willow home. She was on my case every minute to make sure I read ’em too.”
“Billy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Let’s go. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
He got up and hugged her. “Sure, of course, we can go as soon as you want.”
Renie grabbed a duffel bag from her closet, pulled stuff out of dresser drawers, and threw them in the bag. “We can come back and get more later, but for now I want to have enough clothes with me so we don’t have to worry about it for a few days. Oh. Wait.”
Wait? What was wrong? Shit. He’d just started to get comfortable. He pulled her into a hug, and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Tell me.”
“It isn’t Thanksgiving yet. Maybe you need to get back to the ranch. I didn’t think…I’m sorry.”
“Everything you assumed was right. We aren’t goin’ to the ranch, until we decide we want to. I’m not on a timetable, baby. Willow’s here, you’re here, that’s all I need in life. Doesn’t matter where we are as long as we’re all together.”
Ben was in the kitchen making breakfast when they came upstairs. “Well, good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” they both answered.
“I hear congratulations are in order.”
Renie held her hand out for Ben to see her ring. The smile she had on her face melted Billy’s heart. That was happiness, right there. If happiness had a look, it was on Renie’s face.
The ring had belonged to Dottie’s mother. The art deco designed featured a single, round, two-carat diamond in the center, ringed with eight small sapphires. Between each of the sapphires were more, small round diamonds. On the outside were diamond-filled leaf patterns.
“Wow. Gorgeous. You picked that out all on your own, Patterson? Didn’t think the cowboy had it in him.”
“You throw that word around an awful lot for bein’ pretty close to one yourself, Rice.”
“Stop! Are you two going to spend the rest of your lives calling each other by your last names? That’ll be as annoying as it is confusing.” Renie put one hand on each of their shoulders. “And Ben, the ring belonged to Billy’s grandmother. I’ve never seen anything this beautiful. I’m so honored to have it.”
“Yeah, okay, it’s nice. I’ll give you that,” answered Ben. “But, I’m not very happy with him right at the moment,” he said with a growl.
“Why the hell not?” Billy answered with an equal amount of indignation.
“I heard all about your proposal last night. Put me and the little song I wrote for Liv when I proposed to shame.”
Renie hugged Ben. “Your proposal to my mom couldn’t have been more perfect, and you know it.”
Ben smiled.
“Ready?” Billy asked.
“Yep, let’s go. Bye, Ben. Say goodbye to the boys for me, too. They’re downstairs fighting, and I don’t want to get in the middle of it this morning.”
“Wait, what? You’re leaving? I made breakfast.” He waved his hands over the huge breakfast he’d just finished preparing.
“Sorry, Ben,” said Renie. “We’re having breakfast at home this morning.”
“Good luck with that,” he mumbled. “You don’t have a refrigerator, let alone anything to cook breakfast with.”
“Oh…yeah…I guess I left that part out. We don’t exactly have anything in the house yet. We just have the house.”
“Then we’ll stop and get coffee and some of your favorite pastries on our way.”
“See?” Billy said to Ben. “See how she is? And she’s mine. All mine. She’s perfect, and she’s all mine.”
Ben rolled his eyes but smiled as he waved them off.
22
“Well, hi there,” Liv said softly when Billy and Renie walked in the back door.
“Is she asleep?” he asked.
“Just dozed off,” she whispered.
Billy took Willow out of Liv’s arms. When he did, she rubbed her face against his chest. “Dadada,” she murmured and smiled. Her voice sounded so sleepy, but she picked up her head and looked at Renie.
“Bah,” she said and then continued on with an unintelligible string of babble.
Renie got closer to Willow and her daddy. “Hi,” she said softly.
Willow tucked her face into Billy’s chest again, then turned and gave Renie a shy smile.
Not knowing what her reaction might be, Renie took a deep breath, and held her hands out to see if Willow would come to her. She didn’t even hesitate.
Billy thought he might pass out, he’d been holding his breath so long. He watched as Renie walked over to the blanket Liv had spread out on the floor. It was covered with Willow’s toys and books. She sat down, still holding Willow in her arms, and picked up a stuffed monkey with one hand.
“Who’s this?” she asked.
“Mun,” Willow answered taking the monkey from Renie’s hand. She held it up to Renie’s lips. Renie gave the monkey a kiss. Then Willow brought the monkey to her lips and kissed it too.
Billy turned to look at Liv, who was trying to wipe the tears away before anyone noticed. They were falling from her eyes too quickly for her to catch them all.
He put his arm around her. “Thanks,” he said.
She rested her head on his shoulder. “They’re beautiful,” she answered.
Willow put her head down on the pillow and stretched her little body out. She patted the pillow. “Seep,” she said pointing at the blanket.
Renie stretched out right beside her. She tucked her arm under Willow’s head, and the baby snuggled up against her.
“You okay?” Billy whispered.
Renie nodded her head.
He put a blanket over the two of them, and then kissed each of their foreheads. He went back to where Liv was standing, near the back door.
“That was a little slice of heaven, watching that,” he said while Liv gathered her things.
“It’ll take time, but if you let them get to know each other on their own terms, it’ll seem like no time at all.”
“Okay, Grandma.” He winked.
“And no interfering. As soon as you start telling Renie how to act around Willow, it’ll blow up in your face.”
Billy laughed. “Because I’ve always had luck telling Irene Fairchild how to act. Give me a break, Livvie.”
“I’m just saying, let her learn the way you did. You had time alone with Willow to figure it out. I’m not saying you should leave them alone, just be sure to give them enough space.”
“You done?” he smirked.
“No. I’m not. You screw this up, Billy Patterson, and I’ll tell your mother.”
He kissed Liv goodbye and came back to where his girls were stretched out on the blanket. He snuggled up on the other side of Willow, who had drifted off to sleep. “Can I join you?” he whispered.
Renie nodded again, and then closed her eyes. Billy closed his too, dozing, but shaking himself awake every so often, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Willow had her head on Renie’s chest, her little arm tucked into Renie’s side. He could tell by their breathing that they were both sound asleep.
When he woke up, the two of them were in the kitchen. He wasn’t sure how long he slept,
but he was starving.
“Find anything good to eat in there?” he called to them.
Willow came running at him and jumped on top of him, smiling and covering him with kisses. She stopped, turned toward Renie and held out her hand. “Bah,” she said.
“I’m dying to know what Bah means,” she laughed. “I think it’s her name for me.”
Billy looked at Willow, and then pointed to Renie, smiling at her. “Mama,” he said. He pointed back at his baby girl, “Willow.” Then back at Renie, “Mama.”
“Bah-ma,” Willow answered.
“Okay,” he said. “Bah-ma. We’ll start there.”
He looked back at Renie who appeared unfazed.
“You okay?”
“Yes, Billy.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m accustomed to your no-holds-barred approach to things. Willow and I met an hour ago, and you’re introducing me as ‘Mama,’ why wouldn’t I be okay?”
The look on her face told him she was kidding, or at least not mad at him.
“I’m starving. Are you as hungry as I am?” he asked.
“More.”
“Wanna have dinner with me?”
“Who’s cooking?”
“You are.”
Renie laughed. “Then we better go shopping. I’ll need a stove, a refrigerator, pots and pans…”
“Maybe we better eat out for the next couple of days.” He picked up Willow. “Or go to Grandma’s house. Wanna go to Grandma’s house, Willow?”
“If you’re referring to my mother, I can’t wait to see the look on her face the first time you refer to her as ‘Grandma.’”
“Too late.”
“Huh?”
“While you and Willow were sleeping, we had a conversation. I snuck it in to see how she’d react.”
“And?”
“I don’t think she even noticed. She continued right along with the lecture she was in the middle of givin’ me.”
Renie held out her hands and Willow maneuvered over to her. “Let’s go see Grandma then. And Grandpa too.”
“Oh, man. I’m gonna love this,” said Billy. “Grandpa Ben. This is gonna be good.”
“She likes you,” Billy said on the ride to Ben and Liv’s.
“I like her, too.” Renie turned around to look at Willow who had dozed off in her car seat. “She’s easy to like.”
“So are you.”
She was very easy to like. Easy to love too. But the likability part, Billy believed that was what Willow was responding to.
Even when she was a little girl, Renie had a sense of calm about her that soothed everyone around her. He hadn’t been worried as much about how Willow would respond to Renie. He had been more worried about how Renie would respond to Willow. So far, so good.
He wondered how long it would take before he’d let himself breathe easy, how long it would be before he felt they were really going to be okay.
When they got to the house, Luke was on the front porch waiting for them.
“Did you bring Willow?” he asked.
“Nope, we left her back at the house.”
“What?”
“Luke,” Renie said, messing up his hair. “He’s kidding. She’s in her car seat.”
“Are you gonna get her out?”
Billy started to say something, but Renie interrupted him. “Yes, Billy will get her out. What’s up, Luke?”
“Nuthin’,” he said, looking down at his feet. “She’s kinda fun to play with I guess.”
Ben came out on the porch. “Willow follows Luke around wherever he goes, and laughs at everything he says. Little bit of hero worship.”
Billy lifted Willow out of the car, who squealed with delight when she saw Luke. “Down,” she said, clear as could be.
“Hey, Grandpa, got any cold beer?”
Ben smiled at Billy and raised his hand. Renie closed hers around his before he could make a gesture that either of the kids might mimic.
“I’ll get even with him,” he whispered to Renie. “Thinks he’s so damn funny. I’ll get him when he least expects it.”
“Hey, there. Didn’t want to order takeout tonight? Can’t say I blame you,” said Liv.
“Hey, Mom.” Renie hugged her hard. “Thank you so much.”
“Oh, sweet girl, I’m not exactly sure what you’re thanking me for, but you’re welcome anyway.”
“For everything, basically.”
They heard a loud crash, followed by a wail out of Willow. Billy went running toward the porch, Renie and Liv followed. Ben was out in front of them.
“I’m sorry, Dad, I don’t know what happened.” Luke was standing near Willow, and he was crying too.
“What did she hit?” Billy shouted as he tried to find something to stop the blood that was flowing from the gash in her head.
“Here.” Ben handed Billy his shirt. “Head wounds bleed like crazy. It looks worse than it is.” He turned to Liv, “Go get the keys to the truck, baby.”
Renie walked over to Luke, who buried his head up against her. “She’ll be okay, it’ll be okay,” she said to him over and over again.
Billy caught her eye while he was waiting for Liv to bring the truck around. “You can stay here—”
“No, I’ll go with you.” Renie leaned closer to Luke. “You stay here with your dad, okay? We’re taking Willow to see a doctor, but I meant what I said. She’ll be okay.”
“Okay,” he said, still sniffling.
“Renie, can you drive?” Billy asked her. Willow was still screaming and trying to wiggle out of Billy’s arms.
“Of course.” She took the keys from her mom and started to get into the truck.
“Bah-ma,” Willow screamed between her wails, still trying to wiggle away from Billy, who was as white as a sheet.
“Mom, can you come with us?” Renie asked. “Can you drive please? Billy, get into the back seat with Willow.”
Liv took the keys from her, and Renie climbed into the back seat with them. Since there wasn’t a car seat in Ben’s truck, she could scoot to the middle, and sit right next to them.
“Are you okay?” Billy asked.
“I’m fine, and you are too, aren’t you, precious? You’re gonna be fine, aren’t you?” Renie kept repeating soothing words to Willow who continued to do her best to escape her father’s grasp.
“How’s the bleeding?” she asked.
Billy lifted Ben’s blood-soaked shirt up, afraid of what he’d find. “Looks as though it stopped.”
“Let’s keep the shirt where it was, but why don’t you try to move her over to me.”
“Are you sure?” Billy looked down at his daughter who he was holding around the waist with one arm while he kept the shirt pressed against the gash with the other. It dawned on him that he was holding her so tightly he might be hurting her.
“You want to come sit on Bah-ma’s lap, Willow? You can if you want to.”
Willow reached out to her, and Renie lifted her to her lap.
“You’re gonna get blood all over you.”
Renie glared at him.
“Sorry, here.” He handed her the shirt to put up against Willow’s head.
“You doin’ okay back there?” Liv asked from the driver’s seat.
“We’re okay, Mom. Thanks for driving.”
“I’m a better driver than a nurse,” Liv answered. “The time I had to take you to the emergency room, Bill had to go with me. Do you remember that, Billy? You were a teenager.”
“I remember every second of it,” Billy answered looking out the window.
“You do?” Renie whispered.
“We thought you broke your arm. I’ve never been so scared in my life. Until now.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why were you scared?”
“Because you were.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I had no idea how to make you feel better.” He rubbed Willow’s back. “She’s calmed down now that she’s with you.”
Reni
e kissed Willow’s forehead. “Feeling better, little one?” she whispered. Willow was still crying, but the wailing had subsided.
“You’re so good with her,” he said and looked back toward the window.
“The town clinic is open. They should be able to take care of her here,” Liv said, pulling into the parking lot.
“I’ll pull up to the door. Billy, if you’ll get out and help Renie, I’ll go park.”
Billy was already halfway around the truck before she finished her sentence. Willow let him take her, but looked back to make sure Renie was following.
Willow needed six staples to close up the gash in her head. When the doctor asked them what happened neither Billy nor Renie could answer him. They hadn’t pressed Luke to tell them, they were more worried about getting Willow into town.
Billy didn’t look as though he was getting any more color in his face. “Are you okay?” Renie asked softly. The doctor had given Willow a shot to numb her before he put the staples in. That had been rough, but Willow had calmed down and was playing with the buttons on Renie’s shirt.
“I don’t know,” he answered. He got up and paced in the small space of the room.
“She’s doing better, Billy. She’ll be fine.”
“I know she is.”
“Then what is it?”
He turned and stared at her for what seemed too long. “Can we talk about it later?” He averted his eyes from hers.
They both sat in the back seat with Willow again on the way home while Liv drove. By the time they got to the house, Willow was sound asleep.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Liv asked. “Ben can run to town and get her porta-crib. That way you can sleep in a bed tonight instead of on an air mattress. And if you need anything we’ll be here to help.”
Renie looked at Billy, who didn’t appear to be listening. “Billy, would that be okay?”
“What? Yeah, sure. Whatever you want to do is fine.”
“Billy—”
“It’s fine. Okay?” He got out of the truck and carried Willow inside.
“What’s going on?” Liv whispered.
Dance with Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte Book 2) Page 22
