Page 77 of The Cowboy and the Baby

“H-hi Cora.”

“Cade’s sister.” Cora jerked a thumb to me. “He’s a jerk and hasn’t introduced me to you and Lily yet, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. Hi!”

Her perky personality lit up the room, as it always did. Hawk and I shook hands, exchanging our usual wry smiles at Cora’s bubbly antics.

“Chill, Cora,” I said with a soft elbow in her ribs. I nodded toward Noelle’s bundle. “There’s a baby in the house now.”

Cora’s nose lifted. “And something that smells like heaven! What smells so wonderful?”

“I’m just finishing up dinner,” Noelle said, edging back into the kitchen. She faced Cora as she said, “You’re welcome to stay and eat. There’s plenty to go around.”

“Oh! Let me help you.”

Cora dissolved into babbles and questions while draping her coat around the back of a chair and hauling her sleeves up her arms. Hawk leaned against the wall, gesturing to her with a nod.

“She’s been dying to get over here since we heard the rumors.”

I sighed.

Small town life.

Hawk grinned a devil-may-care smile that pegged me the way an older brother might. “You kissed a girl while dancing at the Dance-Hall-Slash-Bar. What did you think would happen?”

I grunted. Kissing Noelle so thoroughly in front of the whole town hadn’t been my best way to honor and celebrate her, but neither could I bring myself to regret it.

Hawk clapped me on the shoulder.

“And now we get to hear about it over dinner. Good to see a little life stirring on the ranch again, Cade.”

26

NOELLE

A third round of laughter rippled around the table, starting with Cora, zipping to Hawk, Cody, Wyatt, and through Cade, who smiled so wide that I thought his cheeks might burst. I’d never seen this bubbly, blushing side of him.

Cora brought chagrin, embarrassment, and delight in vibrant shades out of her brother. I couldn’t help wishing she lived with us; I had a feeling I’d get to meet a whole side of Cade that only showed around Cora.

Hawk set down his fork, leaning against his chair as the hilarity of Cody’s bull-wrangling story subsided. I basked in the comfortable and familiar quiet that swamped the room, something that I hadn’t experienced anywhere but this house.

Naomi and I had been close enough, but we didn’t enjoy a lot of family activities, and most of our dinners were quiet, stilted affairs, if we ate together at all. Naomi resented having a twin; she always wanted to be known as her own person. Dad was often in a business meeting, eating in his office, or Mom busy with friends. By the time we became teenagers, we fended for ourselves out of the fridge, or ate out with others.

But this gathering of family? This was something altogether . . . lovely. Unexpected, with Cody and Hawk ganging up on Wyatt, Cora teasing Cade, and Cade’s arm resting across the back of my chair. I could do this every day, and it would never be enough. Lily gurgled happily from her bassinet between Cora and Cade, and Cora spent over half the dinner cuddling with her. Brother and sister argued over who got to hold her while I ate.

Occasionally, Cade’s fingertips brushed the back of my neck, sending fiery shivers through my spine. It seemed accidental. He was often defending himself against his sister and moving around whenever it happened, but I couldn’t help wondering if it was. He had no reservations about showing affection in front of the boys, nor did I sense any in front of Cora.

Earlier, he laughingly murmured against my lips, “It’s good for the knuckleheads to see what real affection looks like,” while I burned through a blush and he dipped me into a kiss in the middle of the kitchen. Wyatt whistled; Cody disappeared.

Cade was Cade, no matter who stood nearby.

Cora blew out a breath, her eyes still alight from a joke, and set her chin on her folded hands. Her elbows propped on the table, and she set me a determined stare.

“Noelle, welcome to the family. I’m happy that you’re here, even if I think you’re crazy living with these hoodlums. Once this renovation business dies down, I’ll invite you to our place for a game night!”

“Hoodlums?” Cody cried. “Did we fall back in time to 1940?”

“Hoodlums,” Cora insisted with a wink. “Don’t know what else to call you.”

“Knucklehead 1 and 2,” Wyatt supplied. “Though a lot of women in town call me charming.”