Page 29 of Coming Home Country
This was the kitchen of my dreams. The one I’d described to him when we were teenagers, back when I thought we had our whole lives ahead of us. He had promised me then that he would give it to me, but I never imagined he would hold true to that promise when he’d broken so many others. Though, technically, he hadn’t given it to me. I didn’t live here. I never would.
“Do you like it?” His tender voice had tears threatening behind my eyes.
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
Eyes dropping to the floor, Tucker’s chest expanded on a deep breath. “I’ll grab the wine if you wanna take a peek around.” Then he turned his back to me to complete his task. It was almost as if he knew I needed a minute to regain my bearings.
With only one entrance to the kitchen, I spun around and began to explore the family room.
I could tell the place wasn’t big from the outside, and if I had to guess, there were two, maybe three bedrooms. Living as a single man, he didn’t need much space. As the town physician, he likely spent most of his time at his office or making house calls when necessary. I wondered if he was lonely out here, isolated from the rest of the community.
Stepping through the family room, I moved toward the fireplace, where the mantle contained several framed photographs.
The first one I encountered made me smile. Tucker was pictured on the seat of a tractor, his arms looped around three redheaded babies in his lap.
Boots on hardwood sounded behind me, and I grabbed the picture frame, turning to face Tucker on approach. “Patients of yours?”
His blue eyes scanned the photograph, and I watched as a peace settled over him. “No, those little rascals belong to Evie.”
Now that I studied their faces more closely, I could see the resemblance. “Did she get remarried?”
I might have not wanted to hear news of the boy who’d broken my heart, but my mother kept me up to date on the rest of the goings-on in Rust Canyon during my absence. Last I’d heard, Tucker’s sister had gotten divorced and come back home to live with their parents.
There was a chuckle before he replied, “She did. To Jenner.”
“Oh.” My lips parted, and I couldn’t stop a surprised rush of air from escaping. Jenner was Evie’s first husband, and if what Tucker said was true, her second as well.
Having borne witness to their love, I’d been shocked to hear of their split. It made me wonder, if a couple like them couldn’t make it work, what hope did the rest of us have?
“Came as a surprise to the rest of us as well. But we couldn’t be happier they’ve found their way back together. Evie’s back where she belongs.”
My gaze dipped to the children in the picture. “And they have triplets?”
“Not exactly. They’re Irish triplets.”
I tried to work that out in my brain. I knew Irish twins were babies born less than a year apart, but three babies? And they all looked to be about the same size, so it didn’t make any sense.
When I looked to Tucker in question, he explained, “Hope’s adopted.”
Staring at the little girl, her red hair was very similar to that of the other babies. “You’d never know it, looking at them.”
“She fits right in, that’s for sure. The boys, Hunter and Hendrix, are identical and biologically Jenner and Evie’s, born only three months after their big sister.”
“Twins wasn’t enough?” I teased. “Had to throw one more on top?”
Tucker’s expression grew solemn. “It’s a long story, but they tried to conceive for a long time, and that’s what ultimately led to their divorce.”
My heart clenched in sympathy. “I had no idea.”
He nodded. “They kept it really quiet. It was a deeply personal struggle.”
I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain and heartbreak they must’ve suffered.
“When they reconnected, they decided to adopt. The boys were a bonus.”
“They’re adorable.”
“They’re the light of my life,” he replied.
