Chapter 29 #3
Maggie's face broke wide open. "Oh dear," she whispered, already bending down, arms widening. "Come here, all of you. Come here to me."
Klaus hesitated only a moment before he allowed her to fold him to her chest. Axel followed, then Hilde, who whimpered at first but melted the second Maggie stroked her hair.
"You poor little ones," she soothed. "You must be starving, tired to your bones. Well, you're safe now. All of you." She pressed kisses to three dusty heads.
"My goodness, children! Finally, children! I've been waiting decades for grandchildren. Your sister—Lord love her—she won't settle down, stubborn girl."
Gideon snorted. "Molly'll love this."
Maggie looked up at me, eyes shining. "You came bringing me four blessings," she whispered. "Four. I don't know how to thank you."
I opened my mouth to correct her—that the blessings had come from Gideon, not me—but emotion clogged my throat. She smiled softly, wiping at her eyes. "Welcome home, Inga. Welcome home, all of you."
Two riders appeared on the ridge before the house, horses kicking up dust as they galloped closer.
The sun hit them just right, and for a moment they looked like silhouettes from a moving picture, tall, sure, powerful.
One rider wore a wide-brimmed hat and swung it in a wide arc as they turned into the yard.
The kids gasped.
Hilde's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Eine Kuh… kuh… Kuhfrau?" she whispered, stumbling over the word.
I couldn't blame her. A cowgirl was something none of us had imagined outside of picture books. As they got closer, the dust cleared enough to reveal faces.
"Molly?" Gideon breathed beside me.
The woman on the left pulled her horse to a stop, grinning so wildly she looked half-feral. She had a long black braid, sun-browned skin, and the kind of confidence that radiated off her like heat.
"Gideon?" she hollered. "Is that you, big bro?"
She didn't wait for an answer. Molly swung herself out of the saddle mid-gallop, hit the ground running, and launched herself at Gideon like she'd been waiting ten years just to tackle him.
He caught her, staggering back with a laugh. "Easy, Molls. You'll break my ribs."
"Serves you right for disappearing across the ocean!" She slapped the back of his head affectionately. "We heard rumors you were coming home, but you didn't send word. You could've at least—"
Her words cut off when she noticed me, then the children peeking from behind my skirt. "Oh!" she said, blinking. "Who's…?"
Before I could speak, another voice joined us. "Well, I'll be damned."
The second rider dismounted smoothly, tall, broad-shouldered, weathered like the mountains themselves. Gray threaded his dark hair, and his eyes were the same warm amber as Gideon's. The resemblance was unmistakable; this had to be his father.
"Hank," Maggie said with a smile, "this is Inga."
He looked me up and down, not in judgment, but in appraisal, the careful assessment of a man who'd lived long enough to recognize truth when he saw it.
He stepped forward and pulled me into a strong, warm hug.
"Welcome to the family, darlin'," his deep voice rumbled in his chest. "You've brought my boy home. Can't ever thank you enough for that."
I choked up instantly. When he stepped back, he turned to the children. "And who're these young'uns?"
"This is my brother Klaus," I said, guiding him forward, "and Axel and Hilde. They're—"
"Family," Gideon finished firmly. "All of them."
Hank nodded as if that settled everything in the world. He knelt down to their level. "Well, now. Look at you fine little folks."
He shook Axel's hand solemnly, then Klaus's, and hugged Hilde when she reached for him with surprising boldness. Hilde clung to him like she'd known him forever. Hank's eyes softened. "A granddaughter," he murmured, voice thick. "Imagine that."
He looked up at Molly, "Looks like you got competition now, Molly. Maybe I'll have better luck teachin' this one not to break horses before breakfast."
"Fat chance, old man," Molly said, elbowing him.
"Hi sis," she turned to me with a wide, mischievous smile. "I'm sorry you're going to have to put up with him for the rest of your life, but I'm sure glad to have a sister now."
I laughed loudly; I couldn't help it. The love I felt from these people surrounded me like a cloak, and I instantly knew Molly and I would get along; she had too much Gideon in her for us not to.
Molly turned, eyes sparkling at Klaus. "You ever been on a horse before?"
He froze, and a small gasp escaped him, a joyful, magical sound. My eyes stung from threatening tears.
Gideon's hand found mine instantly, steadying me before the tears could fall. Molly didn't wait for permission. She scooped Klaus up as if he weighed nothing, swung him in front of her onto the saddle, and mounted in one fluid motion.
"We'll take turns!" she announced to Axel and Hilde. "Hang on, kiddo!"
And then she galloped off. Fast. Fearlessly. Laughing.
Klaus's whoop—half terror, half pure delight—rang across the entire ranch.
He came back flushed, breathless, shouting in German so quickly I barely kept up. "Es war unglaublich! Der Himmel war überall und—und—das Pferd! Ich will ein Cowboy sein! Ein richtiger Cowboy!"
I translated breathlessly as he poured out his excitement.
"He says it was incredible. That he wants to be a cowboy. A real cowboy."
Hank let out a booming laugh. "Well now," he said, planting his hands on his hips, "first thing we'll have to do is teach him proper English. Horses around here don't understand German." He winked. "And neither does your old grandpa."
Klaus froze. His mouth dropped open. "Grandpa?" he echoed in German-accented English.
Hank grinned and opened his arms. "If you'll have me."
Klaus launched into him like he'd been waiting his whole life for the word. And Hank held him tight, eyes glistening. I covered my mouth to hide a sob.
This—this right here—was the moment everything inside me finally healed.