The Rancher's Unexpected Baby

And Emma was already witnessing a difference in Gage. It might be slight, but the softening and refining had begun, thanks to Hudson.

If he got out more, maybe he’d see that he could have a life and keep Hudson, too.

“The two of you should come with me to the talent show at church tonight.”

Ruby was participating in the Wednesday night church club talent show, and she’d been practicing her selection for weeks. Emma had already heard her poem more times than she could count because every time Ruby said, “Aunt Emma, do you want to listen to my poem?” Emma answered in the affirmative. At this point she had the whole thing memorized, but she wouldn’t miss the final product for anything.

Gage’s mouth tugged to one side. “Of course I’d like to see Ruby do her thing, but I don’t want to mess up our rhythm.” He nodded toward Hudson, who had crawled under the coffee table and was trying to back himself out of the predicament. So far he wasn’t complaining, so Emma left him to figure it out on his own if he could.

“Hudson would enjoy it, too. The kids have been working hard. He’ll be totally entertained.” Maybe totally was a stretch.

“You think?”

“He loves Ruby.”

“That’s true. But who doesn’t?”

Emma laughed. “She is precious. You should come tonight. Try it. You can always head home if it doesn’t work.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Are you just saying that so that I’ll stop bugging you about it?”

“Maybe.”

She chuckled. “Fine. I’m done.”

Emma said goodbye to Hudson—who had extracted himself from the table, smart boy—with a smattering of kisses and a tight hug. She gathered her things and put on her coat and shoes, then paused with a hand on the front doorknob. “I’ll see you later tonight. It starts at six thirty.” She scooted outside and shut the door before Gage could reiterate that he wasn’t planning to come.

Getting him out of the house to prove that he could manage an extracurricular activity with Hudson in tow was worth a shot.

And of course it had everything to do with that and nothing to do with seeing him again.

* * *

Gage scooped another mound of pureed peas onto the baby spoon, then deposited the load into Hudson’s mouth. The boy shuddered, then swallowed.

“I don’t blame you for not liking them. They don’t smell—or look—very good.” On the next bite, Gage added a taste of applesauce like he’d seen Emma do. That was better received.

The Bluetooth speaker on the kitchen counter shuffle-played Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors songs, but the house was too quiet.

Like it always was after Emma took off in the evening.

“What should we do tonight? Another round of knocking down towers? Or maybe we’ll read some books.” One full box of Hudson’s things had been children’s books. Zeke must have read to him often, because the baby was surprisingly content to sit in Gage’s lap and listen. He studied the pictures and touched the pages and babbled in his own little language. Reading before bedtime had become their norm.

Crazy to think it had only been six days since he’d moved Hudson to the ranch. Life had become a whirlwind of diapers and stinted sleep. Gage’s mind had been in constant prayer mode. Please comfort Hudson. Don’t let me mess up his life in the time he’s here. Help me find the right home for him. And thank You for Emma.

No way would he or Hudson be surviving any of this without her. When she arrived in the mornings, Gage’s muscles relaxed like overcooked pasta noodles. Hudson greeted her with waving arms and megagrins.

Emma made everything better. She couldn’t help it. It was just the effect she had on the world.

That had to be why his house felt so empty when she left.

Gage finished feeding Hudson, wiped his face and hands, removed his bib and plucked him from the high chair. It was six o’clock. He’d been putting Hudson to bed around eight—at Emma’s suggestion—and the schedule had been working.

“Well?” Gage held Hudson, tapping a finger against his nose, which Hudson promptly caught and then attempted to eat. “What’s our plan? Do you want to get out of the house? Go to the talent show and see Ruby?” Hudson’s two bottom teeth pressed into the flesh of Gage’s finger, and he removed it from the baby’s grasp, wiping the slobber on his jeans.

Maybe Emma was right. Gage could use a night out. And Hudson lit up around Ruby. Surely a bunch of performing kids would hold his attention for a little bit.

Plus, Emma would be there, so Gage would have help with the baby. And her company. “One later night won’t hurt, will it?” He’d make sure they were home by eight thirty or nine at the latest.

Hudson crawled around Gage’s room while he laced up his leather boots and changed into a button-down checked shirt. The boy was dressed in a onesie that proclaimed he was “cute as a button”—true story—along with soft pants made of the same material. He wore socks that resembled tennis shoes, and since he couldn’t walk yet, Gage assumed shoes weren’t necessary.

The drive to the church was uneventful, and Gage’s lungs leaked with relief when they arrived unscathed. They’d managed step one. Now on to the next. Should he take the car seat in? Or unbuckle Hudson?

Questions like this shouldn’t be so hard, but he was a newbie. Gage decided to rescue Hudson from the car seat since the boy didn’t love being strapped into it. He tugged a winter hat on him and wrapped him in his blanket in lieu of a coat. The idea of wrestling the little monkey into a jacket didn’t appeal to him.

He and Hudson arrived in the sanctuary just as the children’s director was making announcements. They should probably sit in the back so he could escape at the first sign of trouble.

But then Emma waved at him from near the front. The skin around her eyes crinkled, her lips bowed and she looked like home. How could he resist? Gage hurried to their row, greeting Luc, Cate and Mackenzie as he scooted past all of them to the open seat next to Emma. Had she saved him a spot? Based on the packed pews, he’d say yes.

“I’d just about given up on you two.” Hudson lunged into her arms, and she removed his hat and smoothed the static from his hair. “Hey there, handsome.” She smooched Hudson’s cheek, creating a noise that made him giggle.

Emma had changed her clothes since she’d been at Gage’s. She wore black leggings and boots, a loose wrap with dotted shirtsleeves peeking out. Her hair was down, tempting him to explore the level of softness, and, to top it all off, the woman smelled like dessert. Sweet. Cinnamon.

Gage leaned in her direction as he took off his coat, skin tingling at the close proximity to her. “You changed clothes.”

That’s what came out of his mouth? He’d been aiming for more of a compliment than an observation.

“I had Hudson drool and a bit of plum on my shirt from today, so...” Her shoulders lifted.

“You look really nice.” There. That was better. Though pretty would have been a more fitting—albeit trouble-inducing—description.

Her chin jutted back slightly in surprise. “Thanks.” And then the lilting lips were back, mesmerizing him for a full three seconds. Emma had really great, full lips. She rarely wore anything on them, but tonight they were glossy and as distracting to him as earrings were to Hudson. The boy was currently going at Emma’s like a cat after a laser light.

She slipped them free from her ears. “Can you hold these?” She dropped the silver dangles into his hand. His fist closed around them as the first performer took the stage and Emma’s attention registered up front.

Gage tucked them into his front shirt pocket. How could something as simple as Emma removing her earrings without complaint intrigue him so much? She would do anything for Hudson—or really anyone—without a second thought. Emma loved big. She’d make a great mom one day. And an amazing wife. Surprising there wasn’t a line of men at her door waiting to ask her out.

Come to think of it, Gage didn’t hear much about her dating at all. Why not? Emma was a catch. For someone more fitting, of course. But he could observe, couldn’t he? As long as he didn’t get any crazy ideas that they were right for each other.

He could just imagine what Luc would have to say about that. No way would he consider Gage, with his messy past and cynical attitude about love, a match for sweet, innocent Emma.

The first couple of talents—a juggler, a tap dancer, a little girl who sang remarkably well and then one who sang precisely the opposite—all went by pretty quickly. Hudson got passed down the row, and Cate held him for a bit. When Ruby walked onstage, she sent the baby back their way so she could record the performance. Emma kept Hudson when he made it to her. She retrieved a teething ring from the diaper bag, and Hudson chewed on it.

Before Ruby started, she waved at Luc and Cate, then her aunts, as if greeting her fans before she could proceed. Cate laughed, whispering something in Luc’s ear. Man, what a change. The two of them had turned a one-eighty, completely renewing their relationship in a way that Gage hadn’t thought possible.

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