Chapter Twenty-Nine
Two weeks later
Retta held her arms out, and Callie placed baby Levi in them. She was mostly confined to her wheelchair again, but she didn’t mind so much this time. It made her the obvious choice whenever Callie needed someone to hold him.
Travis grinned at her as she settled the little man more comfortably against her.
“Now you get it,” he said.
“I don’t,” she said with a laugh. “What do you mean?”
The way you hold him like that? The way it makes you feel when you look down into his eyes. That’s how I feel when I carry you around.”
“Aww! You big softy!” Kolby said with a laugh.
Travis shrugged happily. “I’m not denying it – it’s who I am, and I’m proud of it.”
Deacon slapped the back of his head. “We’re all proud of you, too, bud.”
Travis winked at him, making Retta laugh. “Go on, say it, Chief!”
Deacon rolled his eyes. “Alright! I love you. We all do.”
Retta nodded happily. “We sure do.” She looked at the others who were all gathered around smiling at them and nodding.
They’d come for Sunday lunch at the MacFarland Ranch. She felt at home here now in a way that she’d never known before. She had Travis, and Callie and Kolby, and now they had little Levi as well.
She didn’t just have family, she truly felt like a loved and valued part of the family. Everyone had rallied around to help find her when Jamie took her. And they’d rallied around to find Jamie afterward, too.
Some girl named Amelia who worked for Cash and Mav had somehow managed to find her, and Deacon and Ace had gone to bring her in. Retta didn’t know exactly what would happen to her, all she cared about was that she wouldn’t be free to come after her again.
All the MacFarlands had made a big deal of coming to see her while she was in the hospital, and after she came home. She hadn’t made it back out to work on cabin number six yet – she wasn’t sure how she felt about going back there, but it turned out that Zeke had taken a liking to the place just the way it was, and he was staying there.
She looked around for him and he nodded at her when she caught his gaze. She liked him, and it seemed that all the other guys were trying to persuade him to stay here in the valley. She hoped that they’d succeed – especially since he said that his daughter might be moving here.
Travis squatted down in front of the wheelchair and kissed her over the top of the baby’s head.
“Do you want me to make you a plate, darlin’?”
“Please.”
“I’ll get you one,” said Laney. “Do you want a bit of everything?”
“That’d be great, thanks.”
Travis rested his hand on her knee and looked deep into her eyes.
She raised her eyebrows. “What are you thinking?”
He chuckled. “Can’t you tell?” He ran his finger over the beautiful engagement ring he’d given her. “I’m thinking about making you mine.”
“I am yours.”
“I mean officially – I want to put another ring right there next to that one just as soon as you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”
“I’ll go kidnap me a preacher if you’re serious.”
She laughed. “Maybe not that soon – I need a bit of time. I’m not going to marry you while I’m in a wheelchair.”
She had to laugh when he looked around for Trip and called, “How long till we can get this cast off and start physical therapy, bud?”
Trip came over and gave them a puzzled smile. “It’ll be a while yet – and I thought you were all about taking it slowly and not overdoing things.”
He shrugged. “She won’t marry me till she can stand on her own two feet.”
Trip smiled at Retta. “Are you ready for that? I thought you ladies like to take your time and plan things.”
She squeezed Travis’s hand. “I think I’ve learned that it’s better not to move slowly. I know what I want – we might as well get on with it.”
Travis nodded happily. “Yep. Just as soon as you’re on your feet again, you’re going to marry me – and then we can get on with our happily ever after.”
Trip shook his head. “You know, he once told me that he didn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. Now that he’s found you, I hope you’re ready for the lifetime – you’re never going to shake him.”
She met Travis’s gaze and held it. “I’m ready, and I hope you know that you’re never going to be able to shake me, either. It took me a long time before I was open to it. Now, that I’m in, I’m all in.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, then another on little Levi’s head. “Me too, darlin’. Me too.”;