glance in the living room. She didn’t want to know who saw her in this old, ratty nightgown.
Half an hour later, dressed in her normal clothes—with makeup for the first time in a while—she followed the trail of voices down the hall.
Wyatt’s household revolved around the big, airy country kitchen at the center of the house. Stepping into the familiar room, Amanda let the sense of home enfold her. Juanita stood at the giant gas stove stirring a pot that looked big enough to crawl into. Lovely, tantalizing smells wafted from it, filling the room.
Tara sat on the bench that ran the length of the big, wooden table, a cup of coffee steaming in her hands. “My play buddy conked out.” She smiled and tilted her head toward the baby swing in the corner where Lucas snoozed.
“He does that.” Amanda headed to the coffeepot and fixed her own cup.
“You. Sit down.” Juanita pointed at the bench across from Tara. “I’ll make you a good breakfast.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Don’t argue with her.” Tara laughed. “You know you won’t win.”
“Listen to your sister.” Juanita laughed, too. “She’s right.”
After a good night’s sleep, a warm shower and with one of Juanita’s amazing breakfast burritos under her belt, Amanda almost felt normal. It might have been an illusion, but it wasn’t the first time she’d let herself believe in delusions.
The quiet of the room surprised Amanda. “Where is everyone?”
“Everyone who?” Juanita was back at the stove putting biscuits in the oven. “If you wait another half hour, all the men will be back here for lunch.”
All the men? Amanda’s heart hitched. Lane?
“So, when are you going to share your secrets about you and Lane?” Tara’s eyebrows lifted as she sipped her coffee.
“There’s nothing to share.”
“Really?” She glanced over at Lucas. “He just appeared out of thin air?”
“Yep.” Amanda didn’t want to share anything with anyone. She’d grown up with next to no privacy. Tara might have turned into a beautiful, talented young woman, but she was still Amanda’s pesky little sister.
“Mom did explain the birds and bees to me, you know,” Tara teased.
“Good to know. Bet it was the same lecture I got.” She missed their mother and, looking at Lucas, her grief intensified. Not only had Lucas been conceived when Lane had comforted her as she’d grieved her mother’s death, but Lucas would never know any of his grandparents.
Lane’s mom had died when he was a kid, as had her dad. She’d always speculated that that shared loss was part of what made Lane and DJ such good friends growing up. Now, Mom was gone, too. She didn’t know about Lane’s father, and she wasn’t about to ask anyone and open that door. Admitting she didn’t know his family would not be a smart move.
“Where’s Addie?” she asked, hoping to stop the downward spiral of her thoughts and derail Tara’s curiosity.
Tara looked down with a frown. “She went back to Austin last night, after we got you home.”
That seemed strange. Addie had been with her all the way through this. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” Tara stood and put her cup in the dishwasher. “She’s acting strange. Has been since, well, since Lucas came along.”
“That’s odd. She was so thrilled, so looking forward to meeting Lucas before I had him.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not any better at sharing secrets than you are.”
Tara’s glare held a lot of meaning, but she wasn’t talking, no matter how much sisterly guilt Tara tossed her way. “At least she left us a batch of her cookies, so I’ll forgive her. Better get one before the guys find them.”
Tara stared out the window above the sink. “Hey, Juanita. Want some help? I see the dust cloud. Guys are headed back.”
And so they hustled. Amanda managed to carry the basket of biscuits and a gravy bowl to the table. She was disappointed when even that little bit tired her out.
“Thank you, but sit down.” Juanita pushed her to sit on the bench again. “I ain’t catching you if you keel over.”
“And I’m not explaining to Wyatt or Lane. You’d have to live with my version,” Tara said.
Amanda laughed. As a kid Tara’d had a reputation for never quite telling what really had happened. She’d embellished any story, creating magical worlds and fantastic images. Mom had been so surprised by the explanation half the time she’d forgotten what had happened in the first place.
The sound of half a dozen burly, dusty cowboys stomping their feet at the back door startled Lucas awake. He let out a tiny whimper, then, as the first of the men came through the kitchen door, he responded with a resounding wail. Amanda laughed, enjoying the look of total fear that transformed several of the men’s faces. Even though her nephew, Tyler, had been living here, it was clear these men were not used to babies.
“Well, now.” Juanita turned around from the stove where she’d been serving bowls of hearty stew. “That was brilliant. Well done, gentlemen.” She aimed her wooden spoon at them. “You’d all better get used to a baby in the house.” She turned back around as if the proclamation were now law, which it pretty much was.
The men filed in, filling the benches, leaving the captain’s chair at the head of the table that had been Dad’s when Amanda was a kid. “Where’s Wyatt?” Tara asked.
“He said something about going to town on an errand,” Paulo said.
“I’ll bet that errand takes him to the courthouse where there’s a pretty judge.” All the men chuckled.
“All right, boys.” Chet was the last one in. The older cowboy came over to stand beside Amanda as Tara settled Lucas in her arms. Chet made a silly face and the baby’s wail subsided to a whimper as he snuggled against Amanda’s shoulder. “There you go, little guy.” Chet tapped the tiny nose with a rough finger, which completely quieted the baby, then headed over to give his wife a brief kiss before settling in his seat.
The big kitchen table was covered with food, and the men attacked it with the same energy with which they herded steer and broke horses. Amanda leaned back and let Lucas stare wide-eyed at the men. Just as they had to get used to the new baby, Lucas had to get used to them.
The men’s friendship was warm and sweet. Amanda let herself enjoy the camaraderie. It had been years since she’d really spent any extended periods of time at the ranch, and back then her brothers had always hovered, making sure no one got too close. None of her brothers was here today. Besides, it was a bit late for their gate keeping. Unexpected though Lucas was, he was a sweet reminder of that fact.
The sound of another set of boots on the step barely broke the din of the cowboys talking and laughing. Lane stepped into the room, pocketing his phone just as she looked up
