Coming Home (41 page)

“I can live with that,” Roxanne muttered, looking wan.

“Go back to bed,” Jeb said, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “There's nothing that needs doing that I can't take care of or that can't wait until you're feeling better.”

She followed his advice, crawling gratefully back into bed.

Of course the news of the finding of Dirk's buried stash brought another round of telephone calls from family and friends. Roxanne had to laugh as the story was passed from lip to lip and grew out of recognition. Shelly called her on Friday and demanded, “What's this I hear that a million dollars in drugs and jewels and gold was found on your place?”

Roxanne made a mild comment about valley gossip and Shelly remarked, “Well, I knew it couldn't be entirely true. The Oak Valley rumor mill absolutely amazes me sometimes.” She paused. “How are you feeling? When I bumped into Jeb at McGuire's last night he said you were down with the flu. Feeling any better?”

“Some.”

“Feel like a little company tomorrow night? I' making up a big pot of vegetable-beef soup and if you'll supply the French bread we can make a meal of it.” When Roxanne hesitated, she added, “I'll bet I can even pilfer one of Maria's apple pies from the freezer.”

“Deal,” Roxanne said with a laugh. “Provided you don't expect me to do much more than lay around and look pale and interesting—or Jeb hasn't made other plans.”

“Deal!”

She hung up the phone and went looking for Jeb. She found him outside, measuring off a portion of land with a steel tape. Several steel fence posts tagged with yellow plastic tags had already been driven into the ground.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she strolled up.

He glanced back at her and grinned. “Laying out corrals and a possible site for the barn. Don't forget I've got those two mares and that one of them is due to foal in May. We need to get them over here as soon as possible.”

“Oh, right.”

She walked up to him and put her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. Together they glanced down at the valley below them.

Spring wasn't far off and though March could bring storms and endless days of rain, right now the scent of spring was in the air. More and more fields below them were turning green, more and more trees were sprouting fat buds, and there was a feeling that one morning you'd wake up and the winter would be behind and nothing but sunshine and flowers lay ahead. That's how Roxanne felt today. Actually she felt as if for her spring had already arrived.

“So you feeling a little better than you did this morning?” Jeb asked, pulling her a little closer to him and brushing a kiss on the top of her head.

Roxanne nodded and said, “So much so that when Shelly called and offered to bring along a pot of soup for dinner tomorrow night I didn't say no.” She grinned at Jeb. “But it was her promise to bring one of Maria's apple pies that sealed the deal. You have any objections?”

“Are you kidding? Forgo a piece of one of Maria's apple pies?” A thought occurred to him. “Acey won't be coming along, will he?”

Roxanne laughed. “No, Acey won't even know about the pie.”

“Just as well—he takes a rather proprietary interest in Maria's baking,” Jeb said, smiling—and only half teasing.

Dinner Saturday night was most enjoyable. It was a relaxing evening. Shelly's soup was excellent, full of almost crisp vegetables and chunks of tender beef in a tomato/beef broth seasoned with garlic, onions, rosemary, bay leaf, and even a little cilantro to give it a faint taste of Mexico. Coupled with warm French bread and butter it made a wonderfully simple but filling meal. Followed by Maria's pie they decided it was a perfect end to a perfect meal.

Afterward they scattered around the great room, sipping coffee and talking and laughing about nothing in particular as friends do. The finding of Dirk Aston's stash was naturally discussed, as were the plans for the new barn that Jeb and Roxanne were having built and the new house that Sloan and Shelly had under construction. And of course, the sudden marriage.

“I still can't believe that the pair of you just picked up and ran away to Reno,” Shelly said for perhaps the tenth time. “Sloan and I considered it, but in the end we gave in to pressure.”

“It was different for you guys,” said Roxanne, setting down her cup of coffee on an end table. “Too many people knew about the pair of you—no one had a clue that Jeb and I weren't still sniping at each other every time we saw each other.”

“I beg your pardon,” Jeb said from where he sat in the big black recliner brought over from his house. “That was love play—you just didn't recognize it.”

Roxanne smiled at him, the love between them almost palpable.

Sprawled in the other chair near the end of the couch, Sloan cast a mocking look at Jeb. “I did. I always thought that the two of you disliked each other
too
much. Had to be some reason you both kept pecking at each other.” He grinned. “I, for one, am delighted that you discovered the reason in such a timely fashion. Congratulations!”

The conversation wandered onto Sloan's breeding program for spotted cutting horses. They touched briefly on Jeb's mare that had been bred to Sloan's prize black and white paint horse the previous summer.

“What are you hoping for?” Sloan said.

“Healthy,” Jeb replied instantly. “But after that, I think I'd like a colt—spotted or not. Something that would make a nice gelding when he grows up.”

Leaving the two men talking horses, Roxanne and Shelly gathered up the cups and walked back to the kitchen. As she poured fresh coffee for everyone Roxanne asked, “So everything is OK with the pair of you?”

Shelly smiled. “Couldn't be better. I had that talk with Sloan that you suggested and I think we both feel as if a weight has been lifted. We agree we both want children—probably desperately, but if it doesn't happen it'll be a blow, a huge disappointment, but it won't be the end of the world. As long as we have each other we'll be more than satisfied with life. I don't feel quite so guilty now about not conceiving.” Shelly made a face. “Just as well—my period started on Thursday. It's gotten so I dread the sight of it.” She sighed, her expression pensive. “I know Sloan and I discussed the subject thoroughly and I can't stop thinking about it. Getting pregnant is still at the front of my mind.” She laughed wryly. “And worse, despite my best intentions, I carry around one of those quick pregnancy tests you can buy at the grocery store. I haven't gotten so bad that every time we make love I run and pee on the stick, but almost. I guess having one always at hand means that someday when I least expect it, I'll take the test and the damn thing will finally turn blue.”

Roxanne smiled at her and handed her a cup of coffee. Taking a sip, she said, “Well, here's to blue. My fingers are crossed for you.”

“What about you and Jeb? Babies on the agenda?”

“It's been mentioned,” Roxanne said, “but I don't know that we're in any hurry.” She grimaced. “We probably should be since we're both older than you but we'll see what happens.”

“I wish I could take that attitude,” Shelly said, picking up Sloan's cup. When the two women entered the great room, Sloan and Jeb were still talking horses.

“You know,” Sloan was saying, “you really ought to think about starting a small horse operation of your own. If you keep it small this place would be ideal. You've got, what, twenty-thirty acres of fairly level ground? You could easily breed three or four mares a year. There's a lot of rough ground, but some of the hillside isn't so steep that you couldn't fence it and put it to use, too. Many old ranchers used to turn their yearlings and two-year-olds out in the hills for the winter to get them used to uneven terrain and creeks and things like that. You could take a page out of their books.”

Jeb rubbed his chin. “Something to think about.” He looked up and grinned at Roxanne. “But I've got my hands full right now, thank you very much. My brand-new wife is going to demand a lot of my attention.”

“I should hope so,” Roxanne replied tartly.

“Can you believe this?” Shelly asked. “The four of us married. This time last year Roxanne was still in New York, I was still in New Orleans ….” She swallowed hard. “Josh had just committed suicide and my life was in a turmoil. Now Granger Cattle Company is on the road, I've discovered Nick is my brother, and we're all married. Incredible, isn't it?”

“Incredible,” Jeb agreed, a teasing glint in his dark eyes. “The bachelors of Oak Valley are falling like flies right into the traps of wily females. This time next year I wonder how many will be left?”

Sloan nodded. “Yeah, if this trend keeps up, a bachelor in the valley is going to be a vanishing species in no time at all. They'll be snatched up by some wide-eyed innocent-looking woman and herded down the aisle and led around by their noses for the rest of their lives before they even know what happened. Sad, sad fact of life.”

“Oh, gimme a break,” Roxanne groaned. “Nothing less than an atomic bomb would have stopped you from marrying Shelly and—” She slanted her eyes at Jeb. “I don't remember anyone holding a gun to your head.”

“Guilty as charged,” Jeb said, grinning. “You just gotta let us complain about it a little—let the world know that we put up a good fight before being overcome by an irresistible force.”

“I like that, an irresistible force, don't you?” Shelly said smiling, glancing at Roxanne.

Roxanne made a face and put down her cup of coffee. “Sorry, right now the only irresistible force I'm thinking about is dinner.” She jumped up to her feet and muttered, “I think it's about to make another appearance.”

She took off at a good clip toward the bathroom.

Jeb jumped up, but Shelly rose to her feet and said, “Stay here. No woman, especially a bride, wants a man around while she's being sick.”

Jeb rubbed the back of his neck. “You're right. But I'm really worried about her. She won't go to the doctor, tells me it's only the flu, but I think she should be getting better by now, but she's not.”

“Don't worry about it,” Shelly said. “I'll check on her. She's going to be fine, Jeb. It's only the flu.”

Finding her way into Jeb and Roxanne's bedroom, Shelly found Roxanne bent over the bathroom sink, throwing water in her face and rinsing her mouth with Listerine.

“Feeling better?” Shelly asked as she walked up to the doorway.

“For the moment,” Roxanne replied. Wiping herhands and face, she hung up the towel and walked over to her bed. Sinking down onto it, she said, “My mom said that it was bad—I just didn't think it would be this bad. I feel pretty good most of the time, but it's the nausea and vomiting that are getting me down. Seems like everything is fine and then all of a sudden, boom, I'm racing for the bathroom—especially in the morning or at the sight or smell of food.”

“Just as a matter of interest,” Shelly said, “you and Jeb
are
practicing birth control, right?”

Roxanne flashed her a wan smile. “You have babies on the brain, Shelly. We've always been very careful about that sort of thing, except for.….” Roxanne paled. “But I couldn't be pregnant,” she said dazedly. “I had several periods after the first time. And after New Year's ….” She looked up at Shelly, her eyes getting very big and very round.

“And after the second time?” Shelly prodded.

Roxanne swallowed. “A-a-after that, I don't th-th-think I've had a period. It was New Year's Day. After your party.”

Shelly giggled, her eyes dancing. “I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that you don't have the flu at all.”

Roxanne clutched her arm. “Didn't you say you carry one of the test things around with you?”

Shelly nodded and dashed out of the room. A couple of minutes later she came rushing back in, her purse in her hand. “I told the guys that I had some Maalox tablets in my purse—that you were going to try them to settle your stomach.”

Roxanne grabbed the package Shelly handed her and disappeared into the bathroom. She was in there for what seemed like a very long time to Shelly. When Roxanne finally opened the door, she pounced on her. “Well? Are you?”

Roxanne seemed stunned. She looked at Shelly, but Shelly had the impression she didn't even see her. Slowly Roxanne nodded her head. “Yes. I'm pregnant.”

Saying the news aloud seemed to make it real. She laughed and clutched Shelly's arms and they danced crazily around the room. “I'm pregnant,” Roxanne crowed. “I'm pregnant. I'm
pregnant!”

Shelly hugged her tight when they finally slowed down. “Oh, Roxy, I'm so happy for you. This is great! Jeb is going to be blown away. And Helen and Mark are going to be ecstatic. A grandchild. How wonderful.”

Roxanne's bubble burst. She looked at Shelly and saw behind the joyful facade the pain, the deep longing. “Oh, Shelly! I feel terrible. You're the one who should be pregnant.”

Shelly sniffed back a tear. “Nope. This is your time.” She shook a finger at her. “You be happy for you and Jeb. Don't you worry about me.” She put her arm through Roxanne's and wearing a gallant smile said, “So? We gonna go tell the guys?”

When the two women entered the great room, Jeb stood up and hurried over to Roxanne. “How are you feeling, Princess? Did the Maalox help?”

Shelly and Roxanne looked at each other and burst out laughing. Shelly left Roxanne and walked over and sat down in Sloan's lap. Grinning from ear to ear she waited for Roxanne's announcement.

“No, I'm afraid that Maalox didn't help. Shelly made a diagnosis and we're afraid that nothing will help me. It'll be a lifelong situation and I'm afraid there's no cure.”

As Jeb stared blankly at her she broke out in the biggest, most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. She hugged him; rained kisses on his cheek and mouth. “I'm preggers,” she cried joyfully. “We're going to have a baby.”

“Jesus Christ!” Jeb shouted, only half aware of what she'd said. “You scared me to death. I thought something was really wrong with you.” Then the import sank in. “Pregnant?” he gasped, his eyes widening. “As in a baby?”

“Yes sir. If calculations are right in about seven months or so, you should be bouncing your first offspring on your knee … Daddy.”

With a whoop, Jeb caught her up and swung her around. Their joyful laughter filled the house.