Chapter 7
seven
O pal Crow stood in her kitchen, a small smile on her face as she stirred the potato salad one final time.
She’d been up since five that morning baking, chopping, and preparing the perfect Sabbath Day feast. The smell of slow-roasted beef filled the farmhouse kitchen, mingling with the scent of fresh-baked rolls and the apple pie cooling in the windowsill—just the way her grandma Hammond had done.
“Steele just texted to say they’ve left,” Tag said, his Alabama drawl wrapping around her like a warm blanket as he came up behind her and slid one hand along her waist.
“Great,” she said, abandoning the potato salad as it didn’t need to be stirred anyway. “Deacon’s bringing Mission, and Tuck and Bobbie Jo have Tarr with them.”
“Sounds like your idea of a great time.” Tag grinned at her as she faced him. “You feelin’ okay, honeybee?”
She nodded, though the scent of the mixed mayo and mustard had made her stomach turn that morning. And eggs? Forget about it. Opal would never eat another egg again.
His hand drifted down to rest lightly on her tiny baby bump, the one she’d kept covered with loose T-shirts and blouses in the past couple of weeks. “Are you going to wait until we’re done eating to tell everyone?”
“I don’t think I can keep it in much longer,” she said. Jane and Cord couldn’t come to lunch today, and Opal had told them about her pregnancy already. The more people she told, the easier it was to simply say things as if everyone already knew.
But they didn’t, not yet.
“At least wait until they’re all here,” Tag said just as the back door opened.
“Just us,” Mike called, the sound of little feet running into the house.
Little feet. Opal loved—absolutely loved —the sound of little feet coming her way.
“Ope,” West yelled. He’d turned three at the beginning of the year, and he could say her name properly now. He just never did. “Daddy says there be slithers out there.” He pointed back the way he’d come.
“Snakes,” Mike said as he followed his son toward Opal.
She bent down and picked up her favorite three-year-old. “Slithers? Were they hissing?”
“Hisssss,” West said, grinning at her.
“You’ve got a couple in your pumpkin patch,” Mike said.
“Nothing dangerous.” He hugged Tag, then took West from Opal and hugged her too.
Their parents lived hundreds of miles away, in another state, and Opal gripped her brother, inhaling deeply, as if she’d be able to feel or smell her father on him.
“You okay?” Mike asked. He held her tight for another moment and then stepped back.
“Everyone should be here soon,” Tag said loudly, and Opal got the hint. They’d already called her parents and told them about the baby too; Opal didn’t have to make the announcement several times.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said as she stepped out of her brother’s arms. “Where’s Gerty?”
“She was in the barn with Steele. They’re coming.” Mike snagged a black olive out of the pasta salad and popped it into his mouth. “Two salads?”
Opal swatted his hand away from swooping in for a second olive. “Gerty doesn’t like the potato salad, Mister. So I made the pasta.”
Mike grinned at her, something sparking in his eyes.
Thankfully, the doorbell rang, which diverted his attention.
Deacon entered the house, followed by Mission.
Neither of them said a word—not shocking—though they both lifted their hand in a wave before they hung their cowboy hats on the rack near the door.
“Howdy,” Tag said, going to greet their guests. He loved the cowboys at Opal’s cousin’s farm, and she smiled as they man-hugged and shook hands. Steele and Gerty arrived next, the two of them going back and forth about one of the horses on the farm.
“He needs his own stall,” Steele said. “There’s the stable out by me, and we should move him there.” He gave Gerty a blue-gray stare, and then moved over to Tag, Deacon, and Mission.
Gerty watched him with fiery blue eyes, her bluster falling when she turned toward Mike and Opal.
“Momma,” West said, rushing over to her. The boy never walked anywhere, that was for sure. He started rambling off a string of words, and Opal caught “Frog…hisses…pummins…” and not much more.
Gerty grinned at him as she lifted him into her arms. “Auntie Opal has snakes and frogs in her pumpkins?” She looked over to Opal, now all joy and sapphires. “Maybe we do too.”
“I look,” West said.
“We’ll look tomorrow, buddy,” Gerty said. “We’re having a party this afternoon, and then it’ll be time for bed.”
“No, Momma,” he said, his eyebrows drawing down into the cutest frown ever. “I look…slithers…pummins.”
“We didn’t even plant pumpkins, bud,” Mike said.
Opal’s stomach growled, and her pregnancy had definitely brought with it cravings and an increased appetite.
Gerty set West on his feet without arguing further with him, and Opal distracted him with his toy chest. Since she babysat him a few days each week, she had everything the little boy needed right here at her house, including a bright red race car bed in the spare bedroom.
Laughter came from the direction of the front porch, and Opal’s nerves vibrated at her. Tucker, Tarr, and Bobbie Jo had arrived. Her cousin had a very bright personality, and she’d recognize his laugh anywhere.
Sure enough, they came through the door a moment later, all three of them wearing smiles. Tuck and Bobbie Jo had been engaged for about three months now, with their wedding coming up in September.
She was as cowgirl as they came, and she took care of over one hundred goats on Tucker’s farm, though she didn’t live there yet.
He and Tarr trained rodeo animals, as well as humans, on a beautiful piece of property north of the city—and about an hour from Tuck’s family farm and what had become Gerty’s rescue ranch.
“Hey, guys.” Opal moved around to hug everyone hello, and then all eyes came to her. Her mouth suddenly felt like she’d been snacking on cotton all day.
“We have the food in here,” Tag started, and his voice thawed the freeze that had come over Opal. His hand landed on her hip, giving her a steadying warmth, and she managed to draw a breath.
“But I’ve set the table out on the back deck,” she added. “It’s completely shaded, and we’ve got overhead fans too.”
She loved her covered back deck, and it was such a beautiful time of year. The summer hadn’t gotten too hot yet, and the view of the rolling farmland stretching out behind their little house was too perfect not to share.
“Thanks for cookin’ for us, Opal.” Tucker grinned at her, and she took a quick step to block him from being the first to pick up his plate. He blinked at her, and Opal had no idea what showed on her face, but Tucker fell back to Bobbie Jo’s side.
“We have an announcement before we eat,” Opal said. She looked over to Tag, knowing he wouldn’t tell their loved ones unless she made him.
She didn’t want him to anyway.
Her soul filled with love as she gazed at her husband, and she transferred that out to everyone who’d come for this Sabbath Day luncheon. “Tag and I are going to have a baby.”
After a single beat of silence, Gerty squealed, and Mike whistled shrilly through his teeth. Bobbie Jo started to whoop and clap, as did everyone else.
“Daddy, too loud,” West complained, pulling on the hem of Mike’s shirt. He didn’t look down at him at all, and Opal stepped away from Tag to receive Gerty’s hug.
“When are you due?” she asked.
Opal sniffled, her tears seemingly so close to the surface all the time lately. She pulled back and wiped her eyes. “December,” she said.
“Right after Christmas,” she heard Tag tell Mike and Steele.
She turned to face her brother, and Mike had nothing but joy in his expression. “Congratulations, sissy,” he said as he engulfed her in a bear hug. “I guess you’ve told Momma and Daddy.”
“Yes.” Opal once again clung to him, so many of her dreams coming true with this one thing. She’d tried not to attach all of her happiness on being a mother, but it had happened all the same.
She moved back, and Bobbie Jo took Mike’s place, beaming as she hugged Opal. “I’m so happy for you both.”
Deacon offered a rare, full smile. “Congratulations,” he said simply, but the warmth in his eyes spoke volumes. Mission and Tarr added their congratulations, both looking genuinely pleased despite not being as close to Opal as the others.
Steele hung back, but when Opal caught his eye, he gave her a shy smile and a thumbs up that made her laugh through her tears.
“Westy,” Mike said, turning to his son. “Did you hear? Auntie Opal is going to have a baby. You’re going to have a little cousin to play with.”
West looked up, his big brown eyes curious. “Baby?” he repeated.
“That’s right, sweetheart,” Opal said, sinking into the couch near where he played. She got right back to her feet, because she had no time to rest right now. “Let’s eat.” She scurried into the kitchen, ready to move on with the day now that the news didn’t live inside her anymore.
In the kitchen, Gerty cornered her with a knowing look. “How have you really been feeling? And don’t give me that ‘I’m fine’ business.”
Opal sighed, allowing herself to be honest now that the announcement was made. “Exhausted. Nauseous. Terrified.” She smiled weakly. “But also happier than I’ve ever been.”
Gerty nodded, understanding in her eyes. “The first trimester is the worst,” she said. “It gets better, I promise. We’re just down the road for anything you need.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Opal said. “I have about a million questions.”
“Ask away,” Gerty said, stacking plates in the sink. “Though I’m no expert.”
“You’re here, though,” Opal said, missing her mother powerfully in that moment. She told herself women all over the world went through pregnancies and had babies without their mothers living next door. She could too.
“Molly’s not far away,” Gerty said. “Are your parents going to come down?”
“At Thanksgiving,” Opal said. “They’ll stay until the baby is born.”
“And then some,” Tag said, sidling up to them. “Baby-bee, I’m gonna pray, okay? Tucker’s already eating his second roll.”
“Sure.” She looked over to Mike, and she didn’t even have to ask her brother to whistle through his teeth. He did, and into the resulting silence, she said, “Tag is going to pray, and then we can eat.”
Tucker shoved half a roll in his mouth and froze, his eyes falsely widening in innocence. Tag chuckled and ducked his head. Her brother and cousins and the other cowboys had removed their hats and hung them on hooks when they’d arrived, and a sense of peace and serenity fell over the farmhouse.
Opal truly felt the hand of God in her life in that moment, and while she didn’t hear all the words of her husband’s prayer, she certainly felt the spirit of it.
After the resounding, “Amen,” people swarmed the island, picking up plates and piling them with food. Opal stayed out of the way until everyone had what they needed, and then she followed everyone out onto the back deck.
Tag had gotten her lunch for her, and she slid onto the end of the bench, with West in his highchair on the end and Tag on her right.
“Have you thought about names yet?” Bobbie Jo asked, sliding into the spot opposite her.
“A few,” Opal said. “But we’re keeping those to ourselves for now.” She and Tag had spent countless nights whispering possibilities for both boys and girls to each other in the dark, but those felt too precious to share just yet.
“Smart,” Bobbie Jo said with a nod. “Once you tell people, everyone has an opinion.”
Tucker leaned over, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Just remember, Tucker works for a boy or a girl.”
“We are not naming our child Tucker,” Opal said firmly, but she couldn’t help laughing with everyone else.
Thank You , she thought, because God had blessed her with a very good family, and she couldn’t wait to expand it with a precious son or daughter of her own.