Texas Lullaby (Texas Montgomery Mavericks Book 7) (7 page)

Jason had been great with the kids thus far, but his interactions had been for limited times only. He hadn’t seen the fits, the screams, the hysterics over cutting the sandwiches incorrectly—according to whichever twin happened to be screaming about it. He’d never had to deal with the heart-wrenching cries of two little girls who wanted their mommy and daddy.

And Levi was starting to cut teeth, a painful process for him and anyone around him. She wasn’t looking forward to that.

She loved Jason and she knew he loved her, but she worried he was acting out of obligation. He had asked her to marry him and she’d agreed, but that was before her entire world had taken a ninety-degree turn. Was it possible that he was merely being the honorable man she knew him to be and standing by the commitment he’d made, even if he wanted nothing more than to run?

How could she bring three children into a marriage with a man who’d always held firm that he didn’t want children? How was that fair to him or to the kids? Hadn’t the children been through enough upheaval and uncertainty?

Plus, she was still learning how to be a mother. There were some days when she rocked motherhood and lots of other days when she felt completely overwhelmed. The need to return to her job hung heavily around her. She needed time to adjust to the reality of being mother and doctor before she could think about adding the role of wife to the mix.

She simply could not take on anything else right now.

She couldn’t marry him, not now. There were too many unanswered questions, too many ways this could go horribly wrong.

She realized he was looking at her, waiting for her answer. She sighed. “I don’t know. I can only take it one day at a time.”

Chapter Six

They sat in the drive of Lydia’s house. The light from her living room lamps glowed through the windows across her darkened porch.

“We’ve been gone for hours,” she whispered. “They’re going to know what we’ve been doing.”

He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that was their plan when they offered to babysit.”

They climbed from his SUV and walked up to the porch hand in hand. But she released his before she opened the door. Tonight had been a great break from learning how to be a mother, but now it was back to reality…her new reality.

The television was playing low as they entered. Jackie was sitting on the sofa, flipping through today’s newspaper. In the rocker, Lane sat holding a sleeping Levi. There was an empty bottle on the coffee table, which she noticed had been cleaned of all the sticky mess usually there. The clean clothes that had been piled up were folded in stacks at one end of the sofa. Other than the whispered dialogue from the television, the house was shockingly quiet.

“We’re back,” Lydia said, stating the obvious.

“Did you have fun?” Jackie asked. “I bet all that tension is gone.”

Lydia’s mind flashed to the hot sex before remembering the wonderful massage that had preceded it. “Oh, the massage,” she said. “Yes, it was wonderful.”

Lane chuckled as though reading her mind.

“I see you’ve got the little man. Has he been any trouble?”

Lane shook his head. “Not too much. He was a little cranky earlier. Jackie thinks he’s cutting his baby teeth.”

“Oh, poor Levi. I noticed that earlier today. That’s not going to be fun.”

“For either of you,” Jackie interjected.

Lydia leaned over to give Levi a kiss on the top of his head. He smelled like baby powder and innocence.

When she straightened, Lane said, “Doesn’t this old man get a kiss too?”

Lydia chuckled and kissed his cheek, which was so different than kissing Jason’s face. Lane’s skin was tough and rough from years of running a ranch. His five o’clock shadow, which would better described as a nine o’clock beard, scratched her lips.

“Where are the girls?” she asked.

“They went to bed about an hour ago. They were tired, so I decided to give them their baths and read them a book. I think we might have made it to page five before they both conked out,” Jackie said.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“I enjoyed it.” She patted the sofa. “Come sit down and tell me all about Eden Spa. I’ve been dying to go there. I hear it’s really froufrou.”

Lydia laughed as she sat. “It’s really nice. It smells like fresh eucalyptus when you walk in. Lots of soft music and lighting.”

“Sounds just like you, Jason,” his dad teased.

Jason leaned on the hall doorframe. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

“So the massage was as good as advertised?”

“I don’t know how it’s advertised, but I was like melting ice when Rebecca was done. I wanted to ooze off the table into a puddle on the floor. But get Jason to tell you about
Brandi
.”

His mother arched an eyebrow. “Brandi?”

“Oh, she had it bad for your boy,” Lydia said. “Good thing I was there. She might still be rubbing on him.”

Jason’s cheeks flushed as his parents laughed.

“She wasn’t that bad,” he said.

“I didn’t say she was bad, but you have to admit, she was hot for you.”

He waved a hand down his body. “Who wouldn’t be?”

She giggled and realized it’d been a long time since she’d felt like her old self.

A scratching noise came from the hall.

“Where’s Jasper?”

“He was in with the girls.” Jackie started to rise.

“Stay, Mom. I’ll let him out.”

In a minute, a streak of reddish-blond vaulted into the living room and onto the sofa between Lydia and Jackie.

“What are you doing?” Lydia scolded. “You know you aren’t supposed to be on the furniture.”

Jasper’s tongue lolled out of his mouth. He dropped flat and then rolled onto his back for someone to scratch his belly. Jackie immediately did.

“Hmm. I see what’s been going on.”

Levi let out a loud fart and shifted in Lane’s arms.

“I think that’s my signal to hand him over,” Lane said.

Lydia chuckled, stood and lifted Levi onto her shoulder. “I really thank you both for tonight. I don’t think I could have left them with anyone better. And believe me, it was hard to walk out that door.”

Jackie and Lane stood.

“We understand,” Jackie said. “I thank you for trusting us with your precious children.”

Jackie kissed Lydia’s cheek, as did Lane.

“Come on, Grandpa. It’s past your bedtime,” Jackie said.

When they were gone, Lydia looked at Jason. “Thank you. I needed tonight more than I realized.” She indicated Levi with a tilt of her head. “I’ve got some dirty work to do. Can you lock the door when you leave?”

Jason’s head snapped back. “Oh. Okay.”

“Thanks, babe,” she said and stepped up to give him a kiss. “I enjoyed tonight.”

Jason turned the lock and shut the door as instructed, or more like ordered. He’d planned on staying over, but it was clear from Lydia’s comment that she didn’t have the same expectations. For a little while this evening, he’d seen the woman he’d fallen in love with—funny and sexy and so hot in bed she melted him every time.

As he drove away, he wondered if he was losing her to another man, a much, much younger and smaller man who was getting a clean diaper at the moment.

The next day, he went to see his brother Travis. He needed to ride some of his stress away and his brother always had a horse or two that needed the exercise. He pulled up to the house in time to see Travis chasing a naked Austin out the front door. Jason climbed from his car with a grin stretching his mouth wide.

“Come back here, you little hellion,” Travis hollered.

Wearing only a pair of cowboy boots, Austin screamed with laughter and raced down the stairs toward Jason. “Unca Jason. Help.”

His nephew slammed into Jason’s legs, and Jason leaned over and lifted the two-year-old into his arms. Austin wrapped his arms around Jason’s neck and clung, pressing his little lips into Jason’s neck as he laughed.

A pain hit Jason, so hard and so deep it almost dropped him to his knees. Sometimes life sucked, and his wonderful nephew was a hard reminder of that. It wasn’t so much that Jason had made a firm decision to never father children. He hadn’t. That decision had been taken out of his hands when he was twenty. Now it was easier for him to say he didn’t want kids. He’d said it for so long and so loud that even he believed it most of the time, until moments like this, and the one yesterday when he’d fed Levi. Those hurt.

“What are you doing to my favorite nephew?” Jason demanded, which made Austin giggle. “And where are his clothes? You making him go naked all the time?”

Travis stopped and grinned. “Yep. We took away all his clothes and now he only gets cowboy boots to wear.”

Austin wiggled to turn around. “Don’t want a bath.”

“Too bad, cowboy. Your mom says you get a bath because you stink.”

“I don’t stink.”

Jason made a major production out of sniffing his nephew. He jerked his head back, rolling his eyes in a dramatic fashion. “Good Lord, boy. When was your last bath? You smell like one of the horse stalls.”

Austin giggled.

Actually, he smelled like a sweaty little boy, and right now, that smelled like heaven.

“Come on, cowboy.” Travis held out his arms. “Let’s go.”

“No. I want Unca Jason to do it.”

“You heard him, Travis. I’m the cool one now.”

Travis chuckled. “More power to ya, bro.”

The brothers headed for the front door only to be met by Travis’s wife, Caroline.

“There you are,” she said to Austin. She held out her arms. “Come here.”

“You talking to me?” Jason asked. “I mean, I’ll come with you, but it’s kind of rude to do this in front of your husband, isn’t it?”

Travis growled, which made Austin giggle.

“Nice try, Counselor.” She wiggled her fingers at Austin. “Come on, Austin. Your private pool awaits.”

Austin allowed Caroline to take him, and then she kissed Travis. “Thanks for giving a good chase.”

“Hey,” Jason protested. “I’m the one who caught him.”

“She’s not allowed to kiss other men,” Travis said with a deep voice.

Caroline laughed, leaned forward and kissed Jason’s cheek. “Thanks.” She left with a wiggling Austin, who was trying to escape from his mother.

“A bath?” Jason asked. “This early in the day? Won’t the kid be stinky and filthy by bedtime?”

Travis snorted. “That’s your idea of children? Stinky and filthy? No wonder you never wanted any. But, yeah, he’ll need another bath before bedtime. Caroline’s taking the twins over to Olivia’s. She’s hosting something called a trunk show…maybe? I think that’s what it is. Something to do with buying winter clothes for the kids on the cheap. I don’t know. I don’t ask too many questions.”

“Hmm. I wonder if Olivia invited Lydia.”

“No clue. If she didn’t, it’s only because she didn’t think of it. We’re not used to thinking of Lydia with children.”

“Think I should call Olivia and ask?”

“You can if you want to. I have no idea what the protocol is with these things.”

“I don’t either. Screw it. I’m going to call.”

“Follow me to the kitchen. I need another cup of coffee.”

“Sure.”

Jason dialed his sister’s house as they walked.

“Hello?” Olivia’s husband, answered her cell phone.

“Mitch? What are you doing answering Olivia’s phone?”

“It’s a madhouse over here. I don’t even know where my wife is at the moment.”

“What’s going on?”

“That damn clothing thing she’s doing. There are stacks of crap everywhere.”

“I don’t guess you know if she invited Lydia to this today, do you?”

“Hell, I’m pretty sure she invited the entire county to our house.”

Jason paused, feeling nosy for pushing the issue, then asked, “Can you find Olivia and ask?”

“Sure. Hold on.”

Travis pointed to the coffee maker. Jason nodded and Travis set a fresh mug in the single-serve machine and pressed start. The machine hissed and steamed. In a few seconds, the aroma of heaven filled the room.

“I’m back,” Mitch said into the phone.

“Great. What did you find out?”

“She did and Lydia’s coming. That help?”

“Yup. I’m over at Travis’s. Want to come here? I thought I might take one of the horses out for a while.”

“God, yes. Be there shortly.”

After disconnecting, Jason shoved his phone in his jeans pocket.

“Feel free to invite people over to my house, bro,” Travis said.

Jason shrugged. “It’s not people. It’s Mitch.”

Travis laughed. “I’m just pulling your chain. You really want to ride today?”

“Yup. That’s why I’m here. I need to clear my head. You mind?”

“Of course not. I always have horses that need exercise.”

Halo M ranch, and specifically Travis, was known for the excellent cutting horses raised and trained here. Halo M supplied horses to many of the local ranches, riding clubs and tourist trail-ride outfits. Because of the reputation Travis had built for quality horse flesh, the ranch’s stud business had quadrupled over the past couple of years.

The brothers sat at the kitchen table, talking spring training for the Dallas Cowboys and their chances for the Super Bowl next year. Both their heads jerked toward the door at the knock on the doorframe.

“Hey,” Mitch said. “I met Caroline going out as I was coming in. She said to head on back.”

“Coffee?” Travis asked.

Mitch shook his head. “Olivia had me up at the crack of dawn. I’m pretty much coffeed out. What are y’all talking about?”

“Cowboys,” Jason said. “Think they’ll make the Super Bowl next season?”

After a spirited discussion on the most current NFL rule changes, the guys headed down to the stable area. Travis picked out three horses he assured them needed some exercise and they headed out. They took off in the direction of the original Montgomery homestead founded by Jason and Travis’s great-great-grandparents.

As they neared the ranch where their brother Cash lived, Jason asked, “Do you guys mind if I stop by and see if Cash is around?”

“Nope,” Travis said, turning his gelding toward the house Cash had recently rebuilt.

The three men rode into the yard and were met by a yapping mutt.

“Hey, Buster,” Jason called down to the dog. “Where’s your owner?”

Buster danced around the horses, who didn’t react to the barking, hyper dog. Another testament to Travis’s horse skills.

“Buster,” Cash yelled. “Stop all the barking.” Cash appeared at the backdoor dressed only in a pair of jeans.

“We come at a bad time?” Jason asked.

“Nope. Paige just left for something at your sister’s house. Something to do with clothes. I don’t know.”

“Let me guess,” Travis said. “You don’t ask.”

“You know it. I learned a long time ago to choose my questions carefully. God knows, I didn’t want to get dragged into some girl thing.”

The three men laughed.

“What’s up?” Cash asked.

“I wondered what your schedule looks like these days.”

After a successful career as world champion bull rider, Cash had settled back in Whispering Springs and had opened his own construction and building rehabilitation company.

“I’ve got a couple of small projects going, but nothing major. I promised Paige we’d take a long vacation in June, so I’m trying to clear my work calendar before then. Why? What’s up?”

Jason swung off his horse. The other guys did the same.

“I wanted to talk to you about Lydia’s house.”

Cash frowned and then nodded. “Okay. Y’all want to come in? Better yet, let’s go to the lanai. Want some water? Cokes?”

“Lanai?” Travis hooted. “Woo-hoo. Fancy, bro.”

Cash gave him a one-finger salute. “Bite me.”

The other guys laughed.

“I’d love a Coke,” Jason said.

“Yeah, me too,” Mitch echoed.

“Okay. Come on.”

The four men walked into the kitchen and left carrying glasses of fizzing soft drinks. Jason, Travis and Mitch headed through the dining room out to the covered deck at the side of the house. Cash detoured to grab a shirt and then joined them.