Page 33 of Sweet Surprise

Jess chuckled. “Yes, apparently when her sister moved to Dallas from New York, the movers took the trash bags out of the cans and packed it in boxes.”

He hesitated, studying her expression. “I hope you’re not mad.”

For a moment, Jess said nothing, her gaze moving from the truck to Carson and back again. “I honestly don’t know what I feel right now, but no, mad isn’t it.”

Mason, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, suddenly darted forward. “Is my dinosaur collection in there? And my books? And what about—”

“Easy, buddy.” Carson laughed, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Let’s start unloading and see what we’ve got.”

To Carson’s immense relief, Jess stood on her tippy toes and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. “I had decided that what mattered most had come with me to the ranch. Mason, apparently, has other ideas. Thank you.”

Another man who had climbed out of the passenger seat held a small box. “Where do you want these?”

“For now, just set it all on the front porch. We’ll sort it out.”

“Look at this.” Jess stared down at the first box labeled kitchen drawers. “Mrs. Kellerman labeled the boxes.”

“I figure the stuff that will fit in the new house can be stored in the loft. Things you really don’t want can be trashed or donated, and things y’all will need now can be brought into the house.”

Jess nodded her agreement. “Okay. That,” she pointed to a recliner that had seen better days, “can be kindling.”

Laughing loudly, Carson nodded. “Works for me.”

She proceeded to read every box before directing the driver whether to put it on the porch or to the side.

“It’s here.” Garret came out, a hot mug in hand. His gaze looked over his brother from head to toe. “And you’re still alive so I guess you didn’t screw up.”

“He did not.” Jess smiled up at his brother. “It was very thoughtful of him.”

Garret grinned. “Yeah, that’s my thoughtful brother.” Setting his mug to one side, every time Jess said house, Garret lugged a box inside.

By the time the entire truck was emptied, all the siblings were moving items around like ants protecting the queen. A pile of furniture sat on one side of the porch to be donated, on the other side of the porch she placed bed frames and dressers that still had plenty of use in them to be stored in the loft. The trash items were tossed in the back of the ranch pick up to be hauled to the dump.

Mason found the box labeledtoysand within minutes had his new grandmother lugging the box inside and stabbing at it with a knife. Carson had to chuckle at the memory of the family at the breakfast table and Mason carefully broaching the subject of names. He had logically concluded that if his mother and Carson were married, then that meant Alice was sort of a grandmother. His mother had proudly announced she wasn’t sort of a grandmother, she was now his official grandmother. All had agreed that soon they would tell him the truth of his Sweet bloodline, but for now, the changes happening so fast seemed to be a lot for the adults to take in, never mind a little boy. Another few moments and they’d settled that her new name was Nonnie. All in all, by the end of the morning the front porch looked like a warehouse.

“I found it!” Mason’s triumphant voice rang out from the other side of the room, where he and Nonnie were digging through the box of toys. He emerged holding a plush Tyrannosaurus rex, its fabric worn from years of love. “Rex is here!”

“I thought we’d lost him forever. I’ve actually tried finding another one online, but no glory.” Jess smiled at her son’s delight. “Guess I can cross that off my to-do list.” She glanced up at Carson. “Thank you again.”

“Thank you for not handing my head to me on a silver platter.”

She took hold of his hand, squeezed it, and softly said, “Never.”

If Carson could stand here for the rest of his life, in this spot, with his wife and son smiling so happily, he would never ask God for another thing. Too bad, if wishes were horses.

Jess couldn’t stop staring at the boxes now piled on the living room floor. Her entire life in Dallas, packed up and delivered to her doorstep without her having to lift a finger. She knelt beside a box labeled “Photo Albums” in a hasty scrawl, carefully peeling back the tape.

She still couldn’t believe Carson had done this. In one gesture, he’d saved memories she’d resigned herself to losing, treasures from Mason’s childhood she thought were gone forever. More than that, he’d done it without being asked, seeing a need and filling it. “Oh my goodness,” she lifted a padded light blue photo album with a single baby photo on the cover from the box, “I haven’t seen this in ages.”

Carson immediately abandoned his organizational efforts and crossed to sit beside her. “What is it?”

“Mason’s baby book.” She opened it gently as if her world would crumble if anything happened, revealing a photo of a red-faced newborn swaddled in a hospital blanket. “Look how tiny he was.”

Carson leaned in, his shoulder pressing against hers as he studied the photo. “He has the same serious expression he gets when he’s drawing.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Jess laughed, turning the page.

Another photo revealed a sour faced infant, face scrunched, clearly about to let out a scream to wake the dead.

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