wasn’t exactly a joke.
The red-haired girl made a beeline for Abbie. “Hello, Max.” She got on her tiptoes to kiss Abbie’s very pregnant belly. “When can he come out and play with us?”
“Hopefully, very soon,” Abbie said at the same moment Mason said, “Not soon enough.”
The little girl made a hmm ing sound. “You sure Max knows how to get out of there?”
Gage sputtered out a cough, laughing. Sawyer covered a laugh, too. Mason just looked his normal ornery self. Well, until he patted his wife’s belly, and some of the orneriness vanished.
“Don’t worry,” Mason told Kimmie, ruffling her curly red hair. “The doctor will give Max directions.”
That answer seemed to satisfy Kimmie, and her attention landed on the baby. “Aw, she’s still sleeping. When’s she gonna wake up?”
“Pretty soon if you don’t lower your voice,” Gage teased.
But Kimmie gave her uncle a play punch on the arm and peered into the basket again. “Can we name her Emma?”
“Isn’t that your doll’s name?” Abbie asked.
“Yeah, but she could share it. It’s a good name, and I can spell it already.” Kimmie did exactly that and looked at Sawyer, obviously waiting for his approval.
He finally nodded. “All right. We’ll call her Emma until we find out what her real name is. But you know that she can’t stay with us, right?”
That sent some yelps and rumbles of disapproval from the three girls and Noah. It was amazing that with all these playmates, they would want more.
They were family.
And that hit Cassidy hard, too.
It had only been Bennie and her for the past fourteen years. Their parents had been killed when she was only a teenager. Bennie had been just ten. Hard to make a family under those circumstances, but Cassidy had tried.
For all the good it had done her.
Now Bennie’s life was on the line, and she might not even be able to save him.
The touch on her arm nearly caused her to gasp, until Cassidy realized it was Sawyer. “Ready to go?” he asked over the chatter of the children. She wasn’t sure when he’d done it, but he had the baby, basket and all, tucked beneath his arm.
She nodded and managed to say, “It was nice to meet you,” to the Ryland clan.
“Social Services will probably be by your place first thing in the morning,” Mason told them. “You’re sure you don’t want her to stay with one of the nannies tonight?”
Sawyer shook his head. “The nannies and the rest of you have your hands full. But I’ll need a vehicle with an infant seat. Is there one out back?”
“Several,” Gage verified. “The keys are in the mudroom. Pick one with a pink key chain.” He shrugged when Sawyer and Cassidy stared at him. “Hey, with this many kids, you gotta keep things simple.”
Sawyer smiled, shook his head and brushed a kiss on Abbie’s cheek before he ushered Cassidy out of the chaos and back into the hall.
“You okay?” he asked her.
She nodded, but it was a lie. “I’m worried about tomorrow.” First, though, she had to get through the night.
“Yeah.” And that’s all he said. It seemed to be enough, especially considering she’d just witnessed how important family was to him. Still, Bennie wasn’t just her family. He was more like her own son.
When they reached the mudroom off the kitchen, she spotted the key rack near the door, and there were indeed two sets with a pink plastic key ring. Sawyer plucked one, opened the door and clicked the keypad. The lights on a dark green SUV came on, and they hurried to it. It had finally stopped raining, but there was a cool mist in the air, so it was best to get the baby inside.
She watched as Sawyer moved the baby from the basket to the car seat. “I’ve gotten good at this,” he mumbled when he caught her staring at him.
Yes, he had, and somehow it didn’t hurt his bad-boy image.
Sawyer took a narrow dirt-and-gravel road that led away from the main house. They passed several other houses, some barns
The red-haired girl made a beeline for Abbie. “Hello, Max.” She got on her tiptoes to kiss Abbie’s very pregnant belly. “When can he come out and play with us?”
“Hopefully, very soon,” Abbie said at the same moment Mason said, “Not soon enough.”
The little girl made a hmm ing sound. “You sure Max knows how to get out of there?”
Gage sputtered out a cough, laughing. Sawyer covered a laugh, too. Mason just looked his normal ornery self. Well, until he patted his wife’s belly, and some of the orneriness vanished.
“Don’t worry,” Mason told Kimmie, ruffling her curly red hair. “The doctor will give Max directions.”
That answer seemed to satisfy Kimmie, and her attention landed on the baby. “Aw, she’s still sleeping. When’s she gonna wake up?”
“Pretty soon if you don’t lower your voice,” Gage teased.
But Kimmie gave her uncle a play punch on the arm and peered into the basket again. “Can we name her Emma?”
“Isn’t that your doll’s name?” Abbie asked.
“Yeah, but she could share it. It’s a good name, and I can spell it already.” Kimmie did exactly that and looked at Sawyer, obviously waiting for his approval.
He finally nodded. “All right. We’ll call her Emma until we find out what her real name is. But you know that she can’t stay with us, right?”
That sent some yelps and rumbles of disapproval from the three girls and Noah. It was amazing that with all these playmates, they would want more.
They were family.
And that hit Cassidy hard, too.
It had only been Bennie and her for the past fourteen years. Their parents had been killed when she was only a teenager. Bennie had been just ten. Hard to make a family under those circumstances, but Cassidy had tried.
For all the good it had done her.
Now Bennie’s life was on the line, and she might not even be able to save him.
The touch on her arm nearly caused her to gasp, until Cassidy realized it was Sawyer. “Ready to go?” he asked over the chatter of the children. She wasn’t sure when he’d done it, but he had the baby, basket and all, tucked beneath his arm.
She nodded and managed to say, “It was nice to meet you,” to the Ryland clan.
“Social Services will probably be by your place first thing in the morning,” Mason told them. “You’re sure you don’t want her to stay with one of the nannies tonight?”
Sawyer shook his head. “The nannies and the rest of you have your hands full. But I’ll need a vehicle with an infant seat. Is there one out back?”
“Several,” Gage verified. “The keys are in the mudroom. Pick one with a pink key chain.” He shrugged when Sawyer and Cassidy stared at him. “Hey, with this many kids, you gotta keep things simple.”
Sawyer smiled, shook his head and brushed a kiss on Abbie’s cheek before he ushered Cassidy out of the chaos and back into the hall.
“You okay?” he asked her.
She nodded, but it was a lie. “I’m worried about tomorrow.” First, though, she had to get through the night.
“Yeah.” And that’s all he said. It seemed to be enough, especially considering she’d just witnessed how important family was to him. Still, Bennie wasn’t just her family. He was more like her own son.
When they reached the mudroom off the kitchen, she spotted the key rack near the door, and there were indeed two sets with a pink plastic key ring. Sawyer plucked one, opened the door and clicked the keypad. The lights on a dark green SUV came on, and they hurried to it. It had finally stopped raining, but there was a cool mist in the air, so it was best to get the baby inside.
She watched as Sawyer moved the baby from the basket to the car seat. “I’ve gotten good at this,” he mumbled when he caught her staring at him.
Yes, he had, and somehow it didn’t hurt his bad-boy image.
Sawyer took a narrow dirt-and-gravel road that led away from the main house. They passed several other houses, some barns
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