Omega’s Refuge (Rambling Cow Dude Ranch #1)

Epilogue

(One week after the birth)

It was amazing how quickly Rex and I settled into life with a new baby. Rex was so proud of baby Scott. He took to fatherhood as if he was born into it. He didn’t seem to care at all that he wasn’t Scott’s biological father. I knew from the moment he laid eyes on Scott he loved him.

I felt exactly the same. It was weird how a baby could elicit unconditional love, frankly, even before we laid eyes on him. I’d love the baby almost the moment I’d known I was with child. There had been that brief moment in the hospital, when I’d been uncertain if I should keep the child, but from the moment Rex had asked to claim me, I’d been free to bond with the baby.

I was sitting on the couch with Rex one evening, both of us watching Scott sleep, when there was a knock on the door. When Rex opened it, Mrs. Rodwell stood there holding a vase with a big bouquet of flowers.

“Mrs. Rodwell,” Rex said, sounding surprised. “Come in.”

She stepped in, holding the flowers stiffly. “Sorry to just barge in, but I haven’t had a chance to give my congratulations yet.” She’d come to the hospital the day of the birth, but the baby had arrived before she could deliver the pregnancy suitcase. She hadn’t hung around, so she hadn’t seen Scott yet.

I smiled at her, hoping she might relax once she knew I held no ill-will against her. She’d bought us a beautiful crib, and as far as I was concerned, the past was the past. So long as she didn’t do anything like invite Steve to the ranch to meet baby Scott, we would get along just fine.

Rex took the flowers from her. “Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.” She twisted her hands. “I… I wanted to also tell you boys that Joe, Martha, and the others have all booked a week with us in a few months.”

“Really?” I was excited to hear that. I’d been talking on the phone with the gang every now and then, and loved the idea of seeing them again. “They actually finally booked the trip? I was afraid it would never happen.”

“It’s happening.” She smiled. “Everyone from the first trip has paid the deposit and everything.”

“That’s great.” Rex looked happy too. “They were such a great group.”

“They were.” I nodded. “Joe and Martha are like family.”

“I knew you both would be happy about a reunion with them.” Mrs. Rodwell came closer to me and the sleeping baby. She peered at him, looking as if she was viewing an alien. “He’s a beautiful baby,” she murmured, flicking her gaze to me. “He looks like you, Tanner. I see some blond fuzz on his head. From what I recall, Steve had dark brown hair.”

“That’s right.” I got the feeling she was trying to pay me a compliment by mentioning the baby’s coloring. It was the first compliment she’d ever given me. I appreciated the effort. “Sit.”

She hesitated, then perched on a chair near the sofa. “Is it sleeping through the night yet?”

I laughed at her use of the word “it” but chalked that up to the fact she was uncomfortable around me. Plus, she’d never had kids so the baby probably made her nervous. “No.” I grimaced. “Scott is still waking up every two hours to feed.”

“Ahh.” She nodded, clasping her hands. “How’s the crib working out?”

I smiled. “At the moment, Scott is in our room, but once I’m brave enough to let him sleep on his own, the crib will be a life saver. Thank you for buying it for us, Mrs. Rodwell.”

She sighed. “Well, it was the least I could do.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond and was glad when Rex sat beside me and joined in the conversation. “That cribs a beauty. You didn’t have to buy the bedding too, but we sure appreciate it.”

Mrs. Rodwell relaxed a bit when Rex came to sit beside me. “Oh, I wanted to add a personal touch to the gift. I thought the little zebras were adorable. ”

I laughed. “They are. Zebras are one of my favorite animals.”

Mrs. Rodwell lifted her brows. “Are they?”

“Yep.”

She looked pleased. “I’m so glad. That works out even better.”

She was being so pleasant, it was a bit unnerving. I hadn’t seen much of her since our talk at the laundry shed. But today I was getting glimpses of the actual warmth she usually only reserved for Rex and the guests.

“Would you like to hold the baby?” I offered.

She widened her eyes. “Oh, goodness, no. I don’t want to wake it. Plus, I don’t know a darn thing about holding a baby. My brother has two kids, but he lives in New York and I’ve never met them.”

“You’ve never met your nieces or nephews?” I squeaked.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she looked embarrassed. “I’m not close to my brother. He’s never invited me and I’ve never offered to visit. Now it’s just too late. The kids don’t know me at all.”

Rex nodded. “As I recall, your brother wasn’t the nicest guy growing up?”

Dropping her gaze, Mrs. Rodwell frowned. “No, he took after my father. He’s a rather misogynistic fellow, just like Dad. Never approved of me working. He almost had a stroke when I took over running the ranch. He wanted to sell after our parents died, but I bought him out and kept the place going.”

“That’s commendable,” I murmured.

She sighed. “I always loved this place. He never did. He always preferred the city, but I liked the quiet of the ranch.”

“I like it too.” I smiled. “I don’t miss the city at all.”

She nodded and then said softly, “I’m glad you ended up settling here with Rex.”

I hesitated. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I don’t think you always felt that way.”

“No, I didn’t. But I was wrong about you, Tanner.” Her cheeks were flushed as she met my gaze. “I was wrong about a lot of things.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

She grimaced. “I’ve thought about some of the things I said to you. If I’m honest, I’m embarrassed about how I behaved.”

I lifted one shoulder. “It’s okay, Mrs. Rodwell. We all make mistakes.”

“I guess, but still.” She winced. “I’ve seen how happy Rex is with you in his life. I was jaded and rude to you, Tanner. I don’t know if it matters, but I’ve changed my thinking on most things.”

I smiled weakly. “Hey, you bought us a really nice crib. I’m not holding any grudge against you. ”

“I appreciate that.” She laughed stiffly. “But I want you to know I truly am happy for you and Rex. You’re a very good match, despite the nonsense I spouted before. I’m glad you knew what you wanted and ignored the foolish things I said to you.”

Rex took my hand. “We didn’t have much choice. We couldn’t let each other go.”

“Thank goodness,” she said, eyeing the sleeping baby. “This feels like a happy home. The child is lucky to have such wonderful parents.”

“You’re sure you don’t want to hold the baby?” I asked.

“I’m sure. Babies always cry when I hold them.” She made a little face.

“Let me know next time you want to drop by, I’ll make sure the baby is awake.” At her uneasy expression, I added, “I’ll show you how to hold him. I didn’t know anything about babies until I had one.” I gave her an encouraging smile.

“I guess I could try,” she said, looking at the baby with trepidation.

I laughed at her wary expression. “You’re probably nervous and tense when you hold a baby. I think babies can sense that.”

She nodded. “I see. They’re like horses. Horses can sense fear too.”

Rex chuckled. “Babies are a little different from horses, but I see what you’re getting at. ”

“I’m glad you can decipher my meaning.” Mrs. Rodwell laughed. “Anyway.” She stood, shooting me a conciliatory smile. “Thank you for showing me grace, Tanner. You had every right to hold a grudge.”

“Negativity is a waste of energy.” I looked at Scott. “And right now, I need all the energy I can get.”

She smiled. “Right. I’m sure that’s true.” She moved to the door, and Rex followed. “I wanted to let you know, Rex, Seth has been doing a good job with the guests while you’ve had some time off. He’s really coming along.”

“That’s great.” He smiled. “Knowing he can fill in for me, if I need time off with the new baby, gives me peace of mind.”

“Me too.” She sighed. “I’ve come to depend on you a whole lot, Rex. I suspect that was partly why I acted like such a fool with Tanner. I worried he might take you away, back to the city.”

“I wouldn’t have done that to either of you,” I said. “I know Rex loves it here. He belongs here.”

She met my gaze. “Yes, and so do you, Tanner.” She opened the door and gave a little wave as she left.

Once she was gone, Rex returned to me. “That was a surprise,” he said, settling beside me again.

“You didn’t know she was going to do that?”

“Heck no.” He laughed. “I’m as shocked as you. Relieved too. ”

“It means a lot to me that she went to the trouble of saying all of that to my face. Buying us the crib was a kind gesture, but it felt nice actually hearing her say she was sorry, and that she regretted the things she said.”

He lifted his brows. “I’ve never seen Mrs. Rodwell apologize to anyone. You should consider yourself special.”

“I do. For so many reasons.”

He took my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Life sure can keep you guessing sometimes. You think things will go one way and they go another.”

“So true.” I sighed. “I’m so glad I didn’t go to Hawaii.”

Rex looked confused.

I smiled. “I mean instead of coming here.”

“Oh. Right.” He laughed.

“I hinted to Steve a million times that I wanted a tropical vacation. But fortunately, he was a cheapskate. He had a coupon, so he brought me here instead.”

“That was a close call.” He nodded. “But, if I hadn’t had that misdiagnosis four years ago, I wouldn’t have been here when you arrived.”

“God, that’s true.” I widened my eyes. “Thank goodness for cheapskates and quack doctors.”

“Yep.” He put his arm around me .

I rested my head on his broad shoulder. “I guess this really was meant to be.”

He ran his fingers gently through my hair. “Isn’t it weird how all the actions of other people brought us together? It’s like we didn’t have to do a thing. Other people did things, and here we are. It’s remarkable if you really think about it.”

“It is.” I glanced at the sleeping baby. “Even the pregnancy. While the baby wasn’t yours, it’s what made you offer to claim me. Without that happening, would we even be here?”

He smiled down at me. “Of course we would be. We’re fated mates, remember?”

“That’s right.” I sighed. “Too bad we weren’t fated to meet in Hawaii though.”

He chuckled. “That would have been sweet. How about I take you on a tropical vacation once the baby is old enough to travel?”

I perked up. “Really?”

“Sure. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, but there wasn’t anyone I liked enough to travel with.”

I smirked. “Ooh, you like me, Rex?”

He grinned, ruffling my hair. “You’re okay for a city boy.”

I fake scowled and moved to straddle him. He chuckled, resting his hands on my hips. “I’m just okay?” I teased. “I’ve heard I’m much better than just okay. ”

“Are we still talking about you being a city boy, or have we changed subjects?”

“I can’t remember,” I murmured. “I’m distracted now.” I kissed his full lips, sighing. “I love you so much, Rex.”

He tugged me closer, wrapping his strong arms around me. “And I love you, city boy,” he whispered against my ear. “With all my heart.”

It was weird how sometimes things in life seemed very bad, but then they turned out very good. When I’d first arrived at the Rambling Cow Dude Ranch, I’d been disappointed that my dreams of a tropical vacation had been dashed.

And that had seemed very bad.

But, while I hadn’t found ice-cold Mai Tais or palm trees waiting for me at the end of my destination, I’d still found paradise.

With Rex.

And that was very, very good.