Page 90 of A Rancher's Vow
“Sasha?” Luke’s jaw hung open.
Dustin dipped his head. “Knows everyone of Caleb’s pet phrases, and a bunch I’m sure she learned from Tamara, and can toss them off like a sailor on shore leave.”
“I’ll be damned.” Luke grew a little serious. “Everyone is growing up, aren’t they? The girls are both well into their teens. Tyler’s not a baby anymore. Walker and Ivy have a full-blown family. Tucker and Ginny’s baby will arrive soon.”
“Kelli’s and your kid later this year…”
Luke nearly tripped over his own feet in the middle of guiding Thunderbolt into his stall. “What?” He glanced around then glared at Dustin. “Who told you?”
“You. Right now. Congrats.” His cheeks were going to be sore tomorrow from smiling so hard.
“Goddammit, Dustin.” Luke rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
Dustin grinned harder. “Didn’t know a thing until you opened your big mouth, bro, but hey, I’m happy for you.”
“You’re an ass.” Luke slid the clinches loose.
“I won’t tell a soul,” Dustin promised as he got to work on his own horse. “So…tell me more.” Because it was clear his brother wanted to share, now that the beans had been spilled.
Luke took a quick peek around, then spoke softly. “She just found out. We were going to wait a bit before announcing anything. Don’t want to steal Tucker’s thunder right now.”
God, it was too funny. The whole competition thing between Tucker and Luke was never going to go away. “He beat you on that one, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, well, Ginny is older than Kelli, so we weren’t in as much of a rush. Besides, in this family, it looks as if we’ll have babies showing up on a steady basis for a few years if things work out with you and Charity.” Luke paused. “God. That’s a thought.”
“What?”
“You as a dad. Not that you won’t make a great one,” Luke hurried to add. “You’re awesome with kids, and always have been. Right from the get-go with Caleb’s girls.”
“I was more brother than uncle to them a lot of the time,” Dustin pointed out. “But yeah, I like kids. I know Charity does too, but that’s absolutely not a conversation we’ll be having for a while.”
“Of course not.” Only Luke flashed that evil smile again. “I might casually ask what her thoughts are on big families.”
Dustin stared him down. “You tell Kelli yet about your plan to have five kids?”
“She knows I want more than a couple,” Luke returned. “If she doesn’t kill me after delivering the first one, bartering will begin at that point.”
“Smart plan.” Dustin resisted the urge to comment that he was certain the ‘more than a couple’ actually meant one more than Tucker.
They chatted for a few more minutes, getting ready to head back out to finish their list when a sudden ruckus rose from farther in the barn. Loud voices back and forth, shouting and calls of, “Wait.”
Dustin braced himself. More social media bullshit?
“I know where the hell I’m going. Now get out of my way.” The voice was familiar, but completely unexpected at Silver Stone.
Dustin blinked. His gaze snapped to Luke’s. “Uncle Frank’s here?”
Luke shrugged. “I guess.”
The older man was still muttering as he rounded the corner and spotted them. He marched right up to Dustin. “There you are. I came to drop off some animals and heard there’s been trouble. Why the hell didn’t you call me?”
Shocked speechless, Dustin had no time to do much more than open his mouth before his uncle was moving again, gaze snapping around the barn.
“Where is she?” Uncle Frank’s eyes were on the wild side, his hair a mess as he lifted his hat and ran his hand through it for what must have been the twentieth time, it was such a tangled mess. “Tamara said to look in the barn, but she’s not in the damn office.”
“Uncle Frank,” Luke stepped forward “who are you talking about?”
“His girlfriend.” He jerked a thumb at Dustin then whirled on him. “What the hell is going on? I heard her place was trashed. Is she okay? Who did it? What’s being done to catch them?”
