good news for us.”
Or maybe not. Logan’s stomach dropped as he watched his brother stride swiftly across the room. His hair stood up at odd angles and his face was shadowed. Pop followed a step behind with the same grim expression.
The boys ran to Dominic and he squatted, drawing them both between his knees, squeezing their arms and kissing the tops of their heads.
“Are the babies here yet?” Kayden asked.
Dominic’s throat moved on a hard swallow. “Gwen is.” A smile flitted across his lips. “She’s got dark hair—” he tapped their noses “—but her eyes are as blue as yours.”
“What about the other one?” Jayden asked.
Dominic stood and nudged the boys toward Betty. “Grace will be here soon, too. Now, go sit with Traci and I’ll come get you when it’s time.”
“Come on, boys,” Pop said. He took their hands and led them over to join Traci.
Logan stepped close, eyeing the worried glint in Dominic’s eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Grace—” Dominic’s voice cracked. He bit his lip and looked away. “Grace is showing signs of distress. They said the cord prolapsed and she’s not getting enough oxygen so they took Cissy for an emergency C-section. If they don’t make it to Grace in time...”
“Oh, Dom.” Betty patted Dominic’s arm. “You hang in there. There are good doctors taking care of your girls.”
Dominic nodded, his gaze moving over her shoulder. Kayden scrambled into Traci’s lap. She hugged him close and surveyed Dominic with a worried expression.
“Cissy asked me to check on the boys,” Dominic said. “She wanted me to let them know everything was gonna be okay.”
“We’ll take care of them,” Betty said, moving away to drop a kiss to the twins’ foreheads. “You tell her not to worry.”
Dominic stood, watching the boys, shoulders sagging and mouth twisting. Logan’s throat closed.
“I’ve got to get back.” Dominic pressed his thumb and forefinger to his closed eyelids and dropped his head. “Cissy’s exhausted and worried sick about Grace. I’ve never seen her this terrified.” He looked up, eyes hovering on Logan’s, and whispered, “And there’s not a thing I can do to help either one of them.”
Logan froze. Sara was on Dominic’s mind. It was right there in every defeated line of his brother’s body. And seeing that kind of pain hanging on Dominic burned in his chest.
He gripped Dominic’s shoulder and squeezed, forcing sound out of his constricted throat. “Cissy’s strong. She’s gonna pull through this. And if Grace inherited even half of the grit you and Cissy have, she’ll come out either smiling or swinging a fist.”
There was no way to tell how much truth was in the words. The outcome would remain uncertain to the last second, no matter what anyone said. But it comforted Dominic and that was all that mattered.
Dominic nodded. “Cissy is strong. The strongest woman I’ve ever met.” He managed a small smile. “Aside from Amy.”
Dominic strode across the room toward the hall but stopped, turned back and said, “I’m glad I came home. Glad Cissy and I settled at Raintree. Don’t think we could make it through this without all of you.” He smiled, the fear in his eyes still present but determination overcoming it. “Having people you love around makes you stronger. No matter how tough it gets.”
Logan watched him leave. He’d never seen Dominic stand so tall or move with such strength. In that one moment, Logan was the proudest he’d ever been of his little brother.
Logan returned to his chair. Jayden leaned onto the arm of it, staring down at his boots and frowning.
“Hey,” Logan said, “wanna sit with me for a while?”
Jayden nodded, his blond curls slipping onto his forehead. Logan sat down and settled him in his lap. He caught sight of Jayden’s hat lying upside down on the floor.
“Did you lose your hat?” Logan reached for it.
“No.” Jayden stilled him with a hand on his forearm. “I just ain’t no bone-a-fine cowboy no more.”
“Why not?”
Jayden glanced up, blue eyes blurred with tears. “’Cuz I’m scared.”
“For your aunt Cissy and Grace?”
Jayden nodded. “Mr. Jed said bone-a-fine cowboys are always brave. That they don’t never get scared.”
Logan winced. He knew the weight of that worry. The need to be strong. The need to always be perfect and never make a mistake. Otherwise, what would there be for anyone to respect? To admire? To love?
Love. He tensed, Amy’s words returning.
Everything you offer comes with conditions and expectations.
Logan tipped Jayden’s chin up with a knuckle and peered into his eyes. “It’s okay to be afraid. Most everyone is at some point or another. It’s pushing through the fear that makes you brave.”
Jayden blinked and asked, “So I can still be a bone-a-fine cowboy?”
Logan nodded. “Yep. And a bone-a-fine cowboy always looks better wearing a hat.” He scooped it off the floor and placed it on Jayden’s head. “A man needs his hat.”
Jayden brightened, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He snuggled against the left side of Logan’s chest—Amy’s favorite spot—settling in for the long wait.
You only accept people when they live up to your standards and can’t forgive them when they don’t.
Logan cringed. He’d never lived up to his own standards. Had never pleased himself with his own actions, much less been impressed by anyone else’s. He’d been so fixated on flawlessness that he’d failed to see the good qualities in others.
Dominic had left the circuit for Cissy. Not because he had to but because he wanted to. For her and the boys.
Even though it’d almost broken him, Pop had stayed behind at Raintree instead of following Gloria. Not because he hadn’t still loved her but because he loved his sons more.
Amy had held the memory of their marriage in her heart for four years. Had remained loyal to it and to him. Not because she had to. But because she loved him.
You have to believe love exists to be able to feel it.
He had felt it. Every time he held Amy, hands shaking against her. Every time his body rebelled against his mind, reaching for her and getting lost in her over and over again. And he’d felt it burning in his chest when he’d held Sara.
He’d fought feeling it to avoid pain and regret. To avoid the risk of losing Amy and being hurt. Turned out, his heart was stronger than his head. It had remained steadfast to Amy through the worst.
I’m
