to the nursery. There he found Emma, staring up at the animal mobile hanging over her crib.
“Hello, little Emma. Did you have a good nap?”
Since he didn’t expect an answer, he reached out and picked up the baby, putting her on his shoulder. He walked back to the kitchen with Emma kicking and waving her arms.
“Hey, there, look who’s up for dinner,” he said, swinging Emma down into his arms. “See, Dad? She’s as beautiful as ever.”
“Yes, you’re right, son,” Griff said, reaching out for the baby. “I think it’s time for me to hold her again.”
“I’ll fix her bottle, Mr. Randall. Then I can take her, if you’re tired of holding her.” Lucy jumped up from the table and began fixing a bottle.
“I’d like to feed her just this once, Lucy, if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not, if—if you really want to,” Lucy managed to say.
“Oh, I really do. I love feeding a baby. They are so perfect at this age, aren’t they?”
“Yes, of course.”
John laughed. “And I thought I’d get to feed her since I’m the one who heard her cry.”
“Age before beauty, son, except that applies to Lucy instead of you. And you’re right. Emma looks like her mama.”
Lucy’s cheeks turned bright red. “Thank you, Mr. Randall.”
“Let’s make it Griff, honey. There are too many Mr. Randalls in Rawhide.”
“Yes, sir.”
Griff looked at his wife. “Is she going to be this formal all the time?”
“No, dear. Just give her time to settle in,” Camille said with a smile toward Lucy.
“Here’s the bottle…Griff,” Lucy said with a reluctant smile.
“Good girl, Lucy. Now, watch an expert feed the baby!”
Lucy did exactly that. She sat down next to Griff and carefully watched him feed her child.
“Hey! I can do it as well as you, Dad.” John leaned in and smiled at Emma.
“She’s not going to pay any attention to you when I’ve got the bottle, son.”
“Next time I hear her cry, I’ll capture the bottle first and then go get the baby. Then she’ll stay with me.” John’s good-natured grin showed he was teasing.
“And if I’d known Emma would be this popular, I would’ve come here immediately after giving birth!” Lucy said, which brought laughs from the other three.
“I could’ve told you we’d be fighting over her. We haven’t had a baby around here in close to thirty years,” Camille said.
“Babies are special, aren’t they?” Lucy said with a soft smile.
“Just remember you said that when this little darling wants a bottle in the middle of the night,” Griff said.
“I don’t mind.”
“I suspect you’ll have volunteers then, too,” John said.
“Oh, no, I’m going to get up quickly so she doesn’t disturb your sleep. She’s already getting a little spoiled because she gets so much attention.”
John grinned even more. “That’s not going to change, Lucy.”
“Some people don’t like babies,” Lucy said hesitantly.
“That’s true, Lucy, but you won’t find any of them in this family,” Griff said. “And if you’re talking about that husband of yours, don’t even think about him. He’s all messed up. Just keep little Emma away from him.”
“Yes. I don’t intend for him to know that Emma survived. Caroline said he was trying to provoke a miscarriage.”
John shook his head. “That’s disgusting.”
“I—I’m so grateful to all of you for your caring and concern for Emma. She’s a lucky little girl.”
John gave her a sharp look. “And we’re going to keep her…and you—that way.”
Griff put Emma on his shoulder and helped her perform her incredible burping that brought laughter even from her mother.
“Yep, you’re a mighty talented young lady,” Griff assured the infant, giving her a small kiss on her cheek. He looked at his son. “Now, don’t tell me you can get that good a burp from her.”
“I sure can. That’s one of her particular talents.”
The ringing phone interrupted their laughter.
“Hello, little Emma. Did you have a good nap?”
Since he didn’t expect an answer, he reached out and picked up the baby, putting her on his shoulder. He walked back to the kitchen with Emma kicking and waving her arms.
“Hey, there, look who’s up for dinner,” he said, swinging Emma down into his arms. “See, Dad? She’s as beautiful as ever.”
“Yes, you’re right, son,” Griff said, reaching out for the baby. “I think it’s time for me to hold her again.”
“I’ll fix her bottle, Mr. Randall. Then I can take her, if you’re tired of holding her.” Lucy jumped up from the table and began fixing a bottle.
“I’d like to feed her just this once, Lucy, if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not, if—if you really want to,” Lucy managed to say.
“Oh, I really do. I love feeding a baby. They are so perfect at this age, aren’t they?”
“Yes, of course.”
John laughed. “And I thought I’d get to feed her since I’m the one who heard her cry.”
“Age before beauty, son, except that applies to Lucy instead of you. And you’re right. Emma looks like her mama.”
Lucy’s cheeks turned bright red. “Thank you, Mr. Randall.”
“Let’s make it Griff, honey. There are too many Mr. Randalls in Rawhide.”
“Yes, sir.”
Griff looked at his wife. “Is she going to be this formal all the time?”
“No, dear. Just give her time to settle in,” Camille said with a smile toward Lucy.
“Here’s the bottle…Griff,” Lucy said with a reluctant smile.
“Good girl, Lucy. Now, watch an expert feed the baby!”
Lucy did exactly that. She sat down next to Griff and carefully watched him feed her child.
“Hey! I can do it as well as you, Dad.” John leaned in and smiled at Emma.
“She’s not going to pay any attention to you when I’ve got the bottle, son.”
“Next time I hear her cry, I’ll capture the bottle first and then go get the baby. Then she’ll stay with me.” John’s good-natured grin showed he was teasing.
“And if I’d known Emma would be this popular, I would’ve come here immediately after giving birth!” Lucy said, which brought laughs from the other three.
“I could’ve told you we’d be fighting over her. We haven’t had a baby around here in close to thirty years,” Camille said.
“Babies are special, aren’t they?” Lucy said with a soft smile.
“Just remember you said that when this little darling wants a bottle in the middle of the night,” Griff said.
“I don’t mind.”
“I suspect you’ll have volunteers then, too,” John said.
“Oh, no, I’m going to get up quickly so she doesn’t disturb your sleep. She’s already getting a little spoiled because she gets so much attention.”
John grinned even more. “That’s not going to change, Lucy.”
“Some people don’t like babies,” Lucy said hesitantly.
“That’s true, Lucy, but you won’t find any of them in this family,” Griff said. “And if you’re talking about that husband of yours, don’t even think about him. He’s all messed up. Just keep little Emma away from him.”
“Yes. I don’t intend for him to know that Emma survived. Caroline said he was trying to provoke a miscarriage.”
John shook his head. “That’s disgusting.”
“I—I’m so grateful to all of you for your caring and concern for Emma. She’s a lucky little girl.”
John gave her a sharp look. “And we’re going to keep her…and you—that way.”
Griff put Emma on his shoulder and helped her perform her incredible burping that brought laughter even from her mother.
“Yep, you’re a mighty talented young lady,” Griff assured the infant, giving her a small kiss on her cheek. He looked at his son. “Now, don’t tell me you can get that good a burp from her.”
“I sure can. That’s one of her particular talents.”
The ringing phone interrupted their laughter.
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