Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Patrice Lewis (best large ereader .txt) 📕

They stopped at the rail fence, where the cow grazed in the pasture with the calf close by.

“Can’t we see him up close? Pleeeease,” Mason begged.

“I don’t know.” Ross put plenty of caution in his tone. “Some mama cows are pretty protective. She might not like us getting any closer than this.”

“Uncle Ross has a point.” Stacia shrugged. “But I bottle-fed Bluebell after her mama died. This is her third calf and she hasn’t minded us getting close so far.”

“Just in case she has a change of heart, let me go first.” Ross held his hands up, motioning for the twins to stay put. “I’ll make sure it’s safe.” He climbed the fence, jumped down on the pasture side and slowly approached the cow. “Easy girl, we just want to see that fine baby you’ve got there.”

“Uncle Ross loves us, doesn’t he?” Madison said.

“He does.” Stacia’s agreement warmed his heart. “What makes you say that?”

“Because he wants to keep us safe, just like you do.”

“You’re very astute.”

“What does that mean?” Mason asked.

Ross inwardly chuckled, then continued sweet-talking the cow. No show of aggression and he was almost on them.

“You should be able to pet her,” Stacia coached from the sidelines.

“Hey pretty mama.” Ross set his hand on the cow’s back. She didn’t stiffen or twitch. “You’re just a big softy, huh?” He motioned for the twins. “She’s calm, cool and collected.”

The twins climbed over the fence and scampered toward him.

“We got a couple more coming to see your handsome fella.”

Stacia stayed put. The farthest she’d been from him when he was with the twins.

Were they finally getting somewhere? But he couldn’t let it go to his head. Or his heart.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It had been hard for Stacia watching from a distance as Ross and the twins interacted with the calf yesterday. But he was their uncle, and she needed to work at giving him free access to the twins, even if it killed her.

With the coffee bar she’d stayed to finish freshly painted, Ross still at the workshop and Daddy on twin duty, Stacia drove to Larae’s.

Since her friend had been home from the hospital for a day, Stacia really should stop in and see the new baby. She wanted to. Just didn’t trust her emotions, as she turned down the long drive. Hopefully, she’d cried all her tears out the night of little Rand’s birth.

Stella’s and Lexie’s cars were parked by the house. Gripping the steering wheel, she drew in a deep breath and killed the engine.

Rance met her at the door, wearing an apron. “Hey Stacia. Come on in.”

“I’m cooking supper with Daddy.” Wearing a matching apron, Jayda squeezed around him.

“I see that.”

“They’re in the bedroom.” Rance ushered her in. “You can go on up.”

“And stay for supper.” Jayda wiped her hands on her apron.

“I don’t think so. We’re going to Bible study and I promised the twins we’d eat at Dairy Queen in Bandera afterward. Maybe you could go with us.”

The longing was there in Jayda’s pale blue eyes. “No, I have to help Daddy with supper and Mama with the baby.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind, Stacia, we’re good here. Jayda loves her Wednesday night class and there’s no need for her to miss church. Or anything else.”

“Mason and Madison would love for her to join us.” As much as Larae had helped out with the twins, it felt good to return the favor.

“Good idea.” Rance squeezed Jayda’s shoulder. “Your mama and Rand will be here when you get back.”

“Yes please.” Jayda smiled.

“It’s settled then.” Rance ushered Jayda toward the kitchen.

“I’ll come get you before I leave.”

Stacia closed her eyes, drew in a calming breath and headed up the stairs. By the time she approached the open door of the master bedroom, she was all smiles.

“Hey everybody.”

Larae reclined in the bed, propped on pillows, with Lexie holding little Rand and Stella sitting on a loveseat nearby.

“Hey.” Larae reached for her hand.

“You doing okay?” She clasped her friend’s fingers.

“Just sore and tired. But good. Really happy.”

“I told her we don’t care if she sleeps, since we didn’t come to see her.” Stella chuckled.

“Want to hold him?” Lexie asked.

“That’s what I came for.” She took the warm bundle from her friend, wrapped in blue with a little face peeking out. His eyes, framed by inky hair, matched his blanket. Would little Rand keep Larae’s eyes or would they change to green like his dad’s? Baby shampoo and sweetness wrapped up in tiny innocence.

She’d never have this. Never have a child to wonder if he or she would look like her or her husband. Since most men probably wanted kids eventually, she’d likely never have a husband, even if she eventually found a man she could trust.

“Are you okay, darlin’?” Stella handed her a tissue.

Oh dear. She dabbed her eyes. “I need to tell y’all something.”

“What is it?” Stella patted the loveseat beside her. Always on alert at mothering all three of them, even though Lexie was her only child.

“I have the same heart defect that my mom and my sister had. My doctor recommended that I don’t have children.”

“Oh hon.” Stella put an arm around her.

Stacia leaned on her stand-in mom’s shoulder and let the tears come as Lexie swooped in to reclaim Rand.

“We suspected,” Larae said.

“You did?” Her voice came out wobbly.

“Well with what happened to your mom and Callista. Childbirth was the common denominator.”

“But we thought maybe we were wrong.” Lexie shrugged. “You’ve always talked about getting married and having kids. Even since you’ve had the twins, you’ve mentioned having cousin siblings for them.”

“Wishful thinking.” Stacia pulled away from Stella and mopped her face with the tissue. “Doctors caught the defect when my mom died, and found mine and Calli’s. But Daddy didn’t tell us until we were a little older. I didn’t want y’all to feel sorry for me. Or weird around me if one of you ever had a baby. Like you do now.”

“We don’t feel weird.” Lexie perched on