arms around him. He felt her relax into his embrace and marveled at how right it felt to hold her this way. Reluctantly, he let go, hoping he hadn't embarrassed her too much.
Cheeks flaming, she smiled. “Come see your niece.”
They went into the bedroom together, quietly, so they wouldn't intrude on Gabriel holding his daughter for the first time.
Trina smiled at her brother. “Isn't she beautiful?”
“ Just like her mother,” Tom said quietly.
She beamed at that. No, she glowed. With satisfaction and happiness and fulfillment.
Obviously having decided it was time for supper, the baby opened her tiny mouth and let out a woman-sized yell. Gabriel handed her to Trina, who eased her beneath the covers to one breast. Complete contentment came over her features when the baby began to nurse.
“ Gabriel, I want to name her Hannah.”
Gabriel's lips parted as though he might speak, but he pressed them tightly together and squeezed his eyes shut instead. Tears streamed from his eyes and his shoulders shook as he bowed over the bed and cried. Trina patted his back affectionately.
Rosalie couldn't imagine such a reaction to a baby's name.
Tom nudged her elbow and motioned toward the front room. “Let's give them a minute.”
Back in the front room, Rosalie had to ask.
“ Tom, I know first babies are special, but I've never seen a man cry like that.”
“ The baby is special, but so is the name. Hannah was Gabriel's first wife. A couple of years back, Gabriel came home and found an outlaw he'd sent to prison years before. Otis Blackburn shot Gabriel, then slit Hannah's throat. She died at his feet, with no way for him to save her.”
“ Horrible.” She'd seen a lot of terrible things in the Acre, but never anything like that.
“ After Gabriel mended, he tracked Blackburn to a mining town called Silver Springs. He met Trina on the train. Blackburn took Trina hostage and hauled her off into the mountains. Eventually, she got away.”
“ Did he ever find Blackburn?”
“ He found him at our ranch and set off after him again. Blackburn died, leaving Gabriel free to get on with his life.”
“ With Trina.”
“ And now, with little Hannah.”
Rosalie couldn't imagine a woman wanting to name her daughter after her husband's dead wife. Truly, Trina was an extraordinary woman.
Gabriel came back to the front room, drying his eyes on one sleeve. “I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry.”
“ Me, too. Are there any of those dumplings left?”
“ Probably. As I recall, dinner was interrupted, and we never quite got around to supper.”
They found the pot of chicken and dumplings still on the stove, cold and congealed, but Rosalie knew she could revive the leftovers. It would be plenty for them to have for supper.
In less than an hour, she and Tom had eaten . He persuaded Gabriel to let Rosalie take supper to Trina. She emptied the bowl and asked for more. Hannah, full of milk, nestled in the crook of her mother's arm.
“ I'll bring you another bowl in a little while. You don't want to get too full and make yourself sick. How are you feeling?”
“ I could lift a mountain! There's no way I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Rosalie. If you hadn't been here—”
“ I suspect Gabriel would've figured out what to do.”
“ He would've been about as useful as tits on a stallion.”
They laughed together and it felt so good, Rosalie wanted to shout.
“That's about how useful he was, all right.” Rosalie wiped away tears of joy. “Tom, too.”
Trina squinted a bit.
“ What is it?”
“ I've been wondering about you and Tom.”
“ There's nothing to wonder. He's going to escort me to Denver. When he said he planned to visit his sister, I asked to come along. It's been a month of Sundays since I've been out of Fort Worth. And at least that long since I've had the chance to visit...a real lady.”
“ I'm glad you came. We both are!” She stoked Hannah's velvety cheek with one
Cheeks flaming, she smiled. “Come see your niece.”
They went into the bedroom together, quietly, so they wouldn't intrude on Gabriel holding his daughter for the first time.
Trina smiled at her brother. “Isn't she beautiful?”
“ Just like her mother,” Tom said quietly.
She beamed at that. No, she glowed. With satisfaction and happiness and fulfillment.
Obviously having decided it was time for supper, the baby opened her tiny mouth and let out a woman-sized yell. Gabriel handed her to Trina, who eased her beneath the covers to one breast. Complete contentment came over her features when the baby began to nurse.
“ Gabriel, I want to name her Hannah.”
Gabriel's lips parted as though he might speak, but he pressed them tightly together and squeezed his eyes shut instead. Tears streamed from his eyes and his shoulders shook as he bowed over the bed and cried. Trina patted his back affectionately.
Rosalie couldn't imagine such a reaction to a baby's name.
Tom nudged her elbow and motioned toward the front room. “Let's give them a minute.”
Back in the front room, Rosalie had to ask.
“ Tom, I know first babies are special, but I've never seen a man cry like that.”
“ The baby is special, but so is the name. Hannah was Gabriel's first wife. A couple of years back, Gabriel came home and found an outlaw he'd sent to prison years before. Otis Blackburn shot Gabriel, then slit Hannah's throat. She died at his feet, with no way for him to save her.”
“ Horrible.” She'd seen a lot of terrible things in the Acre, but never anything like that.
“ After Gabriel mended, he tracked Blackburn to a mining town called Silver Springs. He met Trina on the train. Blackburn took Trina hostage and hauled her off into the mountains. Eventually, she got away.”
“ Did he ever find Blackburn?”
“ He found him at our ranch and set off after him again. Blackburn died, leaving Gabriel free to get on with his life.”
“ With Trina.”
“ And now, with little Hannah.”
Rosalie couldn't imagine a woman wanting to name her daughter after her husband's dead wife. Truly, Trina was an extraordinary woman.
Gabriel came back to the front room, drying his eyes on one sleeve. “I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry.”
“ Me, too. Are there any of those dumplings left?”
“ Probably. As I recall, dinner was interrupted, and we never quite got around to supper.”
They found the pot of chicken and dumplings still on the stove, cold and congealed, but Rosalie knew she could revive the leftovers. It would be plenty for them to have for supper.
In less than an hour, she and Tom had eaten . He persuaded Gabriel to let Rosalie take supper to Trina. She emptied the bowl and asked for more. Hannah, full of milk, nestled in the crook of her mother's arm.
“ I'll bring you another bowl in a little while. You don't want to get too full and make yourself sick. How are you feeling?”
“ I could lift a mountain! There's no way I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Rosalie. If you hadn't been here—”
“ I suspect Gabriel would've figured out what to do.”
“ He would've been about as useful as tits on a stallion.”
They laughed together and it felt so good, Rosalie wanted to shout.
“That's about how useful he was, all right.” Rosalie wiped away tears of joy. “Tom, too.”
Trina squinted a bit.
“ What is it?”
“ I've been wondering about you and Tom.”
“ There's nothing to wonder. He's going to escort me to Denver. When he said he planned to visit his sister, I asked to come along. It's been a month of Sundays since I've been out of Fort Worth. And at least that long since I've had the chance to visit...a real lady.”
“ I'm glad you came. We both are!” She stoked Hannah's velvety cheek with one
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