Page 76 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

Epilogue

Eight years later

“Mama, look at me!”

Meri gazed up from her lawn chair, in time to see her eldest daughter standing on her horse’s saddle, holding her arms straight out and loping around the corral.Seven-year-old Jenny had been practicing this trick for weeks, and this was the first time she made it work.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart.But if you don’t want to give your mother a heart attack, you’ll ride Cheyenne the way he was meant to be ridden.With your seat in the saddle.”

Jenny laughed, but she slid back to a sitting position.

Thank God.

Meri returned to knitting a little bootie in yellow.They didn’t want to know the sex of the baby, especially when this would be their last.This baby was an accident.Though she and Chase already love him as much as their children.It happened on the night of their eighth wedding anniversary.They had celebrated in style.Her mother was keeping their three children.Chase had flown them to San Francisco for dinner at her favorite seafood restaurant.One glass of wine too many and nine months later, they were having another child.Despite her excitement about the baby, the fact was she was forty, and she thought it was too old to be having babies.

At forty, she was supposed to have all the children she was going to.Being in labor at her age scared her.What if something went wrong?

Chase dropped into the chair beside her.He took her hand and kissed it.“What has you thinking so hard that you missed our youngest riding her pony for the first time without a lead rope?”

“Oh, did I really?”She leaned toward him, pregnancy hormones causing her eyes to tear up.“Tell me you’re teasing me.I couldn’t have missed Danni on her own for the first time.”

He kissed her hand again.“I’m teasing you.I didn’t let her do it by herself, but she’s ready.I want to make sure her mama is watching.”

“I’ll pay more attention.I promise.”

He lifted his eyebrow in that irritating way he had of making her feel that whatever she’d said was wrong.But this time, he wasn’t wrong.She was missing out on her other children’s successes because she was so worried about the new baby.

“I can’t help it.I’m worried.I’m too old to be having a baby.Danni is five now, Jenny is seven and CJ is six.I finally had everyone out of diapers.”She scooted forward to get out of the chair.

“Here, let me help you.”Chase took her by the sides of her waist, or what had been her waist, and lifted her with ease.

“You’re as strong now as the day I met you.”

“I do my best.”He let her go.

She stood and placed her hands at the small of her back and stretched backward.

“Does your back hurt?”

“Yes, it aches something terrible.”

He narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips.“How long have you been in labor?”

“I’m not…” As she was about to deny it, she remembered this was how her labor had started with Danni.“Oh, good grief.Oh, my goodness.”She waited until the pain subsided.“We need to get my mom or Rose here now.You need to keep track of the time between the pains, especially since I’m such an idiot.I’ve been worried about this baby coming and he’s on the way.”

“She’s on the way.”Chase corrected her.

She frowned.“I’m not having this argument right now.Do you have your phone?Mine’s in the house.”

He tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest and didn’t say a word.

“Okay, that was a silly question.Youalwayshave your phone on you, or at least where you can pick it up in one or two rings.So call Mom or Rose.One of them has to get here, and fast.”

He looked down.“Good grief.”

“I know.My water just broke.”

Chase whipped his phone out of his jacket and pressed a number.A couple of seconds later, he told the person on the other end.“It’s time.How soon can you be here?”