Silent Night, Star-Lit Night (Second Chance at Star Inn)(6)

That was all? The scenario would be dicey, for sure.

“And I promise.” She teased him with a smile. “If I go into labor, you will be the first to know. I couldn’t possibly be in better hands, could I? Think of all the cows you’ve delivered.”

“I don’t want to think about that in human terms; it’s different. It’s got to be different,” he insisted, but her expression said he might be wrong. “I’ll gas up while you—”

She moved toward the store’s double doors. “It’s a plan.”

By the time they arrived at the inn in Klamath Falls, Oregon, she looked beat. She stepped out of the car, grabbed the side, and just breathed.

“What’s wrong?” He hurried around her side, sure this was it, and hadn’t he told her to bring things for the baby? Fortunately, he’d been smart enough to grab a box of newborn diapers and baby wipes at a convenience store while she was in one of the many restrooms they’d frequented on the trip.

A good rancher is always prepared for the unexpected on the trail, and this baby wasn’t one bit unexpected, which meant one of them had to be on top of things.

“Leg cramp. I just have to flex my foot.” She stretched her leg out, heel down, toes up. “It’ll go away in a minute.”

“Cows have it easy.”

She lifted amused, tired eyes his way. “They might disagree.”

“I mean logistically. Four legs versus two. Baby in supine position rather than upright or upside down. More surface area, less pressure on smaller, specific region for weight distribution. Do you think we’re a flawed design?”

She burst out laughing as she tugged on a worn zippered plum-toned hoodie, a leftover from her Cle Elum–Roslyn High School days. He noted the throwback-style jacket with two brows up. “I think we’re just as God intended, but you’re used to cows, not women. And Grandpa bought this for me when I was watching you guys hustle for touchdowns every week. He saved part of his government check every month to get this. I’ll never part with it.”

She humbled him.

He grabbed the laptop and roller bag and his backpack.

He knew her grandfather was on assistance while they were going to school, but he didn’t get what that really meant back then.

And then she was off to nursing school, Dan had enlisted in ROTC, and Jed had stayed home on the ranch, muscling cattle and charting strong genetics and retail pricing at the store. Dan and Mia had reconnected when she was working in Portland before Dan’s first deployment. It seemed like a perfect ending, because that meant Dan had grown up. If he was marrying Mia, then he’d stopped being a ladies’ man, uncommitted to anything but looking good in a uniform and having one-night stands.

That was five years ago. And here he was, bringing Dan’s widow home.

It felt wrong and right, so Jed shoved the thoughts aside and carried the bags into the lobby. “You okay with a six o’clock wake-up call?” he asked her. “I tracked that snow on my phone and we should just miss it if we get out of here about then.”

“You’ll miss the free breakfast,” the desk clerk told them. “And Ronnie is on tomorrow. He’s Jamaican and he makes the best custom omelettes and French toast known to man. We open the breakfast at six on the dot, so if you take time to eat, you should still be on your way at a reasonable hour.”

Jed scrubbed his hand to his neck, but when Mia’s eyes lit up at the words “French toast,” he caved. “Breakfast at six, then we’re on the road. Sound all right?”

“It sounds marvelous. I’m too tired to think about food right now, which is ridiculous after doing nothing but sitting for twelve hours.”

“Sitting is the most tiring thing there is,” the clerk assured her as they went through the registration process. “Especially when you’re expecting.”

“So, yes, Jed.” Mia faced him and fought a yawn. “Breakfast would be awesome. Then we’ll toss the stuff in the car and get on our way. And by tomorrow night, we’ll have you back to your assigned duties at home and the store.”

He flinched, because she’d read his mind. “They’re both fine, I’m sure, despite Uncle Pete’s texts to the contrary. Mom would say I need to let go and let others step in. And she’d be right,” he admitted. “With Dad gone, things are different. You’d think after two years I’d be used to it.” He lifted his shoulders and grimaced. “I’m not.”

“Your dad was a cornerstone of Taylor industries. The ranch and the store. I’m really sorry you lost him, Jed.”

“Me, too. He loved this time of year, even though it all gets a little bit crazy. He used to say working the cows grounded him in God’s reality after dealing with retail for a few days. The barns and the cows made him think of Bethlehem, and simpler times. He loved that.”

“What a beautiful thought.” She laid her hand on Jed’s arm as the desk clerk slipped magnetic keys into two slim envelopes. “Do the girls help at the store?”

“Grace and Marty help. Kate’s got two kids and she stays busy on the ranch, working with Mom at the house and in the barn. They share kid duty.”

“That’s some real family right there, Jed.” She moved ahead of him toward the elevator after thanking the friendly clerk. “And while working with family might be a pain sometimes, I bet it’s mostly fun.”