Page 114 of A Rancher's Heart
He tore his gaze off the woman he loved to answer his daughter. “Yes, pumpkin?”
“Are you and Tamara getting married?”
Tamara answered before he could. “I asked him if it would be okay, because I’d like to be his wife. And I’d like to be you and Emma’s mommy, so it would kind of all work well if we got married.”
Emma spoke. Quiet but clear above the other low voices in the room. “Yo…you want to be our mommy?”
Caleb’s throat was closing up. Tamara gave his hand a squeeze before letting go and lowering herself to kneel at eye level with his little girls. “With everything in me. I would love to be your mommy.”
Emma threw herself at Tamara, Sasha following a second later, and Caleb caught them before they hit the ground. The four of them in a heap like a pile of puppies.
Like a family.
A sound broke through the laughing and crying. It was clapping, rising from Luke and Walker who both wore unabashed grins. Dustin wiped at his eyes and tried not to look like it before he joined in as well.
Caleb wrapped his arms around his precious family and held on tight. He wasn’t ever letting go.
It had taken a while to settle everyone down, but after the handshakes and hugs and the kisses and questions were over, they’d finally got everybody to the table and figured out something to eat.
Tamara kept catching herself on the verge of tears, happy ones, and took a moment to slip away to send an email to her sisters.
Have decided to stay permanently in Heart Falls. Asked Caleb to marry me; he said yes. Seems I’ve got a new home and two little girls without having to go through labour. Karen, remind me to kiss you when I see you next. Lisa, when are you coming to visit?
They both responded almost instantly.
So happy for you, although I’m not sure what I did. Call me when you can talk— Karen.
I’m working on it, the visit part. Andyouasked him to get married? Just double-checking, because I’ve got fifty bucks riding on it. Love you, love to the girls, and to the big grumpy cowboy, although I bet he’s not so grumpy anymore. <3 <3 Lisa
Laughter bubbled up. Of course Lisa had money bet somewhere, but Tamara didn’t need to know the details.
What she needed was to enjoy the cuddles she was getting from both Sasha and Emma, arranged on the couch so they could curl up beside her. That left Caleb sitting kitty corner to them, but the contented smile on his face made it clear he was happy to watch from a bit of a distance.
Sasha of course decided to try to prolong bedtime by saving her questions for then. Lying in bed she reeled them off rapid-fire. “Do Emma and I get to be flower girls? Are you going to get married here at Silver Stone? Are you going—?”
“We haven’t figured it all out, yet,” Tamara warned her. “But you will definitely be in the wedding. You’re part of the family, aren’t you?”
Sasha seemed happy enough with that answer. She lay back on her pillow and examined Tamara with that Caleb-like gaze. “You’re going to stay.”
Not a question. Not a demand. Satisfied and content, as if she’d decided the trial period was over, and Tamara had passed.
Tamara was very glad.
Sasha blew a kiss at Caleb who stood in the doorway then rolled over. All her protests and complaints gone—at least for now.
Emma had a little more to say about the subject. She insisted both Caleb and Tamara accompany her to her bedside to tuck her in. All her boldness in speaking out loud had evaporated, but it was clear she had something on her mind.
“What is it, button? Caleb asked softly. “You want to tell me?”
She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, his eyes darkening as he glanced at Tamara who had settled herself in the chair next to the teeny bed. “Emma wants to know if she can call you Mama.”
It was nearly impossible to swallow past the giant knot in her throat. “I would like that very much.”
Emma didn’t seem to be done. She patted Caleb’s hand, then spoke louder. “That makes you my Papa.”
Tamara bit her tongue. Maybe they’d read the Berenstain Bears too many times lately.
But Caleb just laughed. “That sounds fine with me.”
