She smiled. “I don’t think either of them have a clue what hog-tying is, but they seemed more than willing to try.”
“City boys,” Evan teased, to lighten the mood. That phrase could also apply to Jim, who was pulling the luggage out of the back of the SUV.
“Yes, but Adam was a navy SEAL. He probably has innumerable ways to subdue Jack,” said a woman on the other side of the SUV he didn’t know. She was medium height with wavy dark hair. He assumed she was married to Beth’s brother. She smiled and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Alexandra Boyer.”
“Good to meet you,” Evan said as he took her hand. He still marveled at the marriage of Beth’s brother to the sister of the teen who’d brutally raped Beth when she was fourteen.
Poor Beth. She hadn’t yet recovered when Jackson had met her years later at Laurel Glen. But the Lord and meeting Jackson had helped her finally heal. It didn’t seem fair that she should be struggling for life when her life had, in many ways, only just begun.
“Only you would call someone who grew up at Laurel Glen a ‘city boy,’” Meg drawled as she finally came around the luggage from the far side of the car. “And Adam grew up next door. He and Beth were on horseback before they could ride a tricycle.”
“Yeah, and I protest that city-boy reference, too, Evan,” Jim protested with a laugh. “I’m city born and bred, but I learned to hog-tie with the best of them.”
Evan grinned. “Only if someone else did the roping. I won’t soon forget you trying to lasso calves on that roundup. Kept us all entertained for the whole two weeks. Most fun any of us have had on a roundup in years.”
“So Cole and Adam stayed behind in Greeley to be near Beth,” he repeated, trying to mentally shuffle guest rooms.
Cris and Meg nodded and Jim said, “Which leaves you and me to tote and carry, Evan. Did you put Crystal and me in the cabin?”
Evan shook his head as he walked to the pile of luggage. Why did easterners travel so heavy? He picked up a couple of bags and led the way up the walk. Rather than go around to the formal entrance at the front of the house, he led them in through what he’d always thought of as the family entrance. Because Jackson and Cris had married, the definition of family had grown. He found, quite to his surprise, that he no longer minded the inclusion of the Taggerts.
Everyone made themselves comfortable around thebig table and he handed out hot coffee as Cris prepared tea for Xandra. “I’d been thinking Jim and I would stay in the cabin,” Cris said when she settled next to her husband on the bench. Jim, almost as if it were an unconscious movement, wrapped his arm around her waist.
Evan had to look away. They were so happy. What would Cris do if something happened to Jim? He was a cop, after all. He just couldn’t stand the thought of his kids feeling the kind of soul wrenching pain he had.
He turned his gaze back to Cris. “I moved back out to the cabin this afternoon, honey. I’ll still hear the twins in the middle of the night, so you don’t have to worry about that. The monitor works even beyond that distance, and this way you can all be in the main house with a well-stocked kitchen. Mine’s empty of staples right now, since I’ve been staying in the house.”
“Dad, you didn’t need to do that.”
Oh, yes, I did, he thought, but said, “It wasn’t any trouble.”
Cris grinned. “Well, good, because this’ll work out even better. Until Joy comes back to get us at the end of next weekend, the five of us are taking turns with the babies, and you and Meg are to rest and relax in between visits with Beth.”
Evan looked at Jim. A police detective, a navy SEAL, a veterinarian and two women who, as far ashe knew, had no experience whatsoever with babies? He didn’t think so.
His feelings must have shown on his face. “Before you get all protective, Adam helped out a lot with his son when he was a baby, Jim baby-sits
“City boys,” Evan teased, to lighten the mood. That phrase could also apply to Jim, who was pulling the luggage out of the back of the SUV.
“Yes, but Adam was a navy SEAL. He probably has innumerable ways to subdue Jack,” said a woman on the other side of the SUV he didn’t know. She was medium height with wavy dark hair. He assumed she was married to Beth’s brother. She smiled and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Alexandra Boyer.”
“Good to meet you,” Evan said as he took her hand. He still marveled at the marriage of Beth’s brother to the sister of the teen who’d brutally raped Beth when she was fourteen.
Poor Beth. She hadn’t yet recovered when Jackson had met her years later at Laurel Glen. But the Lord and meeting Jackson had helped her finally heal. It didn’t seem fair that she should be struggling for life when her life had, in many ways, only just begun.
“Only you would call someone who grew up at Laurel Glen a ‘city boy,’” Meg drawled as she finally came around the luggage from the far side of the car. “And Adam grew up next door. He and Beth were on horseback before they could ride a tricycle.”
“Yeah, and I protest that city-boy reference, too, Evan,” Jim protested with a laugh. “I’m city born and bred, but I learned to hog-tie with the best of them.”
Evan grinned. “Only if someone else did the roping. I won’t soon forget you trying to lasso calves on that roundup. Kept us all entertained for the whole two weeks. Most fun any of us have had on a roundup in years.”
“So Cole and Adam stayed behind in Greeley to be near Beth,” he repeated, trying to mentally shuffle guest rooms.
Cris and Meg nodded and Jim said, “Which leaves you and me to tote and carry, Evan. Did you put Crystal and me in the cabin?”
Evan shook his head as he walked to the pile of luggage. Why did easterners travel so heavy? He picked up a couple of bags and led the way up the walk. Rather than go around to the formal entrance at the front of the house, he led them in through what he’d always thought of as the family entrance. Because Jackson and Cris had married, the definition of family had grown. He found, quite to his surprise, that he no longer minded the inclusion of the Taggerts.
Everyone made themselves comfortable around thebig table and he handed out hot coffee as Cris prepared tea for Xandra. “I’d been thinking Jim and I would stay in the cabin,” Cris said when she settled next to her husband on the bench. Jim, almost as if it were an unconscious movement, wrapped his arm around her waist.
Evan had to look away. They were so happy. What would Cris do if something happened to Jim? He was a cop, after all. He just couldn’t stand the thought of his kids feeling the kind of soul wrenching pain he had.
He turned his gaze back to Cris. “I moved back out to the cabin this afternoon, honey. I’ll still hear the twins in the middle of the night, so you don’t have to worry about that. The monitor works even beyond that distance, and this way you can all be in the main house with a well-stocked kitchen. Mine’s empty of staples right now, since I’ve been staying in the house.”
“Dad, you didn’t need to do that.”
Oh, yes, I did, he thought, but said, “It wasn’t any trouble.”
Cris grinned. “Well, good, because this’ll work out even better. Until Joy comes back to get us at the end of next weekend, the five of us are taking turns with the babies, and you and Meg are to rest and relax in between visits with Beth.”
Evan looked at Jim. A police detective, a navy SEAL, a veterinarian and two women who, as far ashe knew, had no experience whatsoever with babies? He didn’t think so.
His feelings must have shown on his face. “Before you get all protective, Adam helped out a lot with his son when he was a baby, Jim baby-sits
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