My mother laughed, and we both looked at her.

“Enjoy it no. In a couple days, you’ll wish it was all a dream when he wakes you up every two hours.”

The nurse, who was standing there, started to laugh.

“Oh my gosh, Mom, really?”

My mother moved to stand next to me, looking down at my little man.

“He truly is beautiful, Ari and Jeff.” Shall I have the others come in? You know your father is probably about to die.”

“Sure,” I said with a smile.

My mother left the room, and the only person who came back in with her was my father. He walked up to Jeff and shook his hand before he came to stand next to me. He gave me a kiss on the forehead and looked down at Luke.

“Daddy, meet Luke Drew Johnson.”

“Mon petit-fils belle.”

“Yep, you’re beautiful grandson.”

“Et ma belle fille.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

“Mom, would you like to hold him next?”

“Oui, I would.”

My mother held Luke while my father looked on.

Jeff leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“Are you hungry, baby? Do you want me to go get you something to eat?”

Oh, I could have jumped him and started kissing him that very moment. Just the fact that he asked if I was hungry turned me on.

“I’m so hungry that I’d eat my horse right now if I could.”

***

Gunner, Ellie, Josh, and Heather all came into the room and took turns holding Luke after I made them all wash their hands twice.

Jeff was back with Rudy’s Bar-B-Q. Oh my gosh, it smells so good.

I’d been hinting to everyone for the last hour that I was exhausted. I finally ended up just telling everyone to get the hell out.

“Are y’all driving back to Mason tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think so unless y’all want to crash at my place,” Heather said.

Gunner looked at Ellie and smiled. “I think we’ll just head to a hotel tonight. I’m too tired to drive. Oh, wait. Shit, we took your truck Jeff.”

“No worries, Gun. I got your truck keys from your dad, and I followed Heather here in your truck. I figured you were going to need it,” Josh said.

Gunner walked up to Josh and slapped him on the back.

“Dude, you rock.”

***

When the last person was out the door, Jeff collapsed onto the sofa that pulled out into a bed. I would have thought he had just given birth to an almost eight-pound baby. He fell asleep in less than two minutes. The nurse walked in, looked at him and smiled.

“It’s from worrying about you. It totally wears them out.”

“Uh huh.”

She let out a giggle. “Do you want me to wake him up, so I can open the sofa bed?”

“Nah, he’s alright.”

“Ari, I’m going to take Luke for a few hours to the nursery. When did you feed him last?”

“Just a few minutes ago.”

“Great. I want you to get some sleep, okay? If you need to get up, make sure wake up your husband or call me.”

The moment she left the room, I closed my eyes. I drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming about Jeff and Luke riding by the river while I followed behind them. Right behind me was a little girl, a bit older than Luke, riding on a white stallion. She had brown curly hair and emerald green eyes. When I turned around to look at her, she smiled at me, and I felt my whole body get warm. A feeling of complete peace took over.

“Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ll never leave y’all.”

My little angel would always be with us.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

HEATHER

Josh and I decided to head back out to Mason the day after Luke was born.

After we’d left the hospital, we had gone back to my apartment and did nothing but make love and talk until three in the morning. We woke up the next morning, went out for breakfast, and planned on heading out to the ranch. I had never in my life felt so complete and happy. It was the happiest I’d been since my parents passed away. Being with Josh was beyond amazing.

I called Jeff to see if there was anything they needed for Ari or Luke before they got home. I made a list of a few things, and Josh and I hit H-E-B before heading back to Mason

Josh’s cell phone died yesterday afternoon. We stopped and bought a charger, so it could charge on the way out to Mason.

We were just walking out of H-E-B when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Ellie calling.

“Hey, Ellie! Have you seen Luke and Ari today?”

“Yeah, they’re both doing wonderful, and I think they might get to go home today. If not, then they’ll be heading home tomorrow for sure.”

“Okay, well, I’m heading back to Mason right now with Josh, so I’ll be sure to cook up a few meals. I know Ari asked if I could stay a few extra days to help out, so I probably will.”

“Um, Heather, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay, is everything alright?”

“Is Josh not answering his phone?”

“His battery died yesterday. He just bought a charger, and it’s charging right now. Why?”

“Jim has been trying to get a hold of him. They came back a few days early from their trip.”

My heart started pounding. Lynda was back and probably trying to get a hold of Josh.

“Okay…”

“Heather, Lynda was in a car accident yesterday when she was heading over to Josh’s apartment.”

I stopped walking. Oh god, no.

“Is she.”

“She’s in the hospital, but she’s banged up pretty bad. She’s been asking for Josh.”

I looked at Josh. He had been smiling, but now, his smile faded.

“Which hospital?”

“Brackenridge.”

I handed Josh the phone and started to walk toward my car. I heard him talking to Ellie…and I heard the panic in his voice.

“I’ll have Heather take me over there right now.”

Josh hung up with Ellie and walked up to me. “Can you please take me to Brackenridge? I’ll figure out a way to get my truck later.”

“Um, sure. Yes, of course.”

He helped me put the items that I had picked up in my car, and then he jumped in on the driver’s side. I walked around and got in. I looked at him, but I didn’t even know what to say.

***

The ride over to the hospital was completely silent. It was clear Josh was not going to talk to me.

He looked over at me and gave me a small smile.

“Will you come up with me?”

“Why?”

“I need you with me, Heather, I’m not sure how bad she is, and I don’t know if I should say anything about us.”

“Josh, of course, I’ll come up with you, but Ellie said she was in bad shape. I don’t think now would be the time to tell her you want to break things off.”

Josh slammed his hand on the steering wheel and cursed.

“There is always something that gets in the damn way.”

***

As we walked into the hospital, he took my hand. He held on to it until the elevator doors opened, and he dropped it before he walked out.

Jim and Michelle were standing at the nurses’ station. Michelle turned around and saw Josh coming toward them. She walked over to him, gave him a hug, and started to cry. Josh looked at me. He looked so confused.

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” Michelle said.

“I’m sorry. My phone died. We left Mason in a rush yesterday when Ari went into labor, and I didn’t grab my charger.”

“Where were you last night, Josh?” Michelle asked.

“By the time we left the hospital, it was late and.”

“He crashed at my apartment since he drove in with me from Mason,” I said as Josh turned to look at me.

Michelle smiled at me and then turned back to Josh.

“She’s in bad shape. She has a broken leg, a few broken ribs, a concussion, and her left eye is black and blue.”

Shit.

Josh grabbed my hand right in front of Michelle, and he asked if I would go in with him. Michelle looked a bit confused, and it was not lost on me when she looked down at our hands.

“Of course, I’ll go in with you if you need me to,” I said.