Page 54 of Texas Splendor
“I think our announcement took him by surprise,” she said.
“Yeah, you might say it took us all unawares, but then Austin always did have a hard time figuring out when to open his mouth and when to keep it shut.”
“How long were you planning to stay out here with the horses instead of bringing your wife to the house so I can meet her?”
Austin spun around at Amelia’s welcoming voice. She waddled toward him, a girl in each arm. Houston strode toward her and took both girls from her.
“I told you not to carry them,” he said.
“You tell me a lot of things,” she said, her voice laced with teasing.
Austin grinned at her swollen stomach. “I’ll be. When I was home before, Dallas said you had to be carrying another one ‘cuz you weren’t eating.”
Amelia laughed. “I can’t eat anything for the first three months. You’d think I’d get skinny, but I just keep getting more plump with each girl we have.” She turned slightly and smiled. “You must be Loree. I’m so grateful Austin has someone to love.”
Austin watched his wife’s face blush becomingly. “Well, I’m not certain—” she began.
“I am,” Amelia said, interrupting her. She threw her arms around Loree and hugged her closely. “Welcome to the family.”
Then she stepped back, grinning. “And look at this. Someone I can actually reach. Dee’s as tall as a tree, and these men here are no different.” She slipped her arm through Loree’s. “Why don’t you come into the house for a spell? Our other two girls are baking cookies. They won’t be edible, but we can pretend to nibble on them.”
Austin listened to his wife’s laughter as she walked toward the house with Amelia. Amelia had always had a way of putting people at ease. He’d never been more grateful for it than he was now. He glanced at Houston. “Want me to take one of those girls?”
“Sure.” Houston handed the smallest one over.
“Which one is this?” he asked.
“A. J.”
Austin shifted her in his arms. “Hello, A. J. I bet you don’t remember your Uncle Austin, do you?”
She covered her eyes and buried her tiny nose against his shoulder. Lord, she was incredibly small and warm. A knot rose in his throat with the thought that he’d soon have one of these of his own.
“Since you came in Dallas’s buggy, I reckon the two of you mended your fence,” Houston said.
“He told you about that, did he?” Austin asked.
Houston gave him a lopsided grin. “Yep.”
“What’s so funny?”
“The whole world is afraid of Dallas. He’s only been hit twice in his life—and both times the fist was attached to one of his brothers.”
Austin chuckled. “I’d forgotten that you’d hit him. I never knew why.”
Houston shrugged and started walking toward the house. Austin took off after him. “Whydidyou hit him?”
“He questioned Amelia’s virtue. I took exception to his doubts.”
Austin was relieved to know Loree wasn’t the only one whose virtue Dallas had doubted, but he also knew that Amelia had been long married before she began to swell with a child. Austin swallowed hard. “Loree’s pregnant.”
Houston glanced over at him. “I know.”
“She’s a decent woman—”
“Never doubted that for a minute. Hell, Austin, I took you to your first whorehouse, and you walked out as pure as you were before you went in. Decent women are the only kind that ever appealed to you.”
“Don’t suppose you happened to mention that to Dallas when he came by.”
