“I was wondering where you’d got to,” Rob said, shaking his hand. “It’s good to see you, man. How’d you like traveling the world?”
“I feel mighty lucky to have had the chance, but now I’m happy to be home. I heard all about your vineyard and plans for a winery from Jamie. I’m impressed. I’d like to see the vines.”
“Not a whole lot to see at this time of year, but I’d be glad to take you out for a look around.” Rob opened the front door and they moved inside. “But you’ll need Morgan to get the full picture. She’s the mastermind behind this operation.”
“Don’t let Rob fool you. He’s a wizard with the grapes,” Morgan said, coming to greet Cole. “It’s good to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you I feel like we’re already friends.”
“I hope we will be.” Morgan had dark, wavy hair, blue eyes, and a way of moving that hinted at athleticism. Cole was pleased to see the way she and Rob smiled at each other when she came to lean against her husband, an arm around his waist. They were obviously in love. Cole was still surprised to find all his old friends settled down with wives when they used to be such bachelors.
Sunshine came to meet him, too, with a baby boy on her hip that had to be Jack. Cole’s heart melted at the sweet picture they made, especially when she bent down to rub noses with the little boy and Jack squealed with laughter.
They really needed to have that talk about their future plans—including when to have kids. Sunshine would make a wonderful mother someday.
And he… he looked forward to being a father.
That idea startled him. Was he really ready? He hadn’t thought so previously. To cover his confusion, he said, “Look at him. Big and strong like his daddy. You’ll make a rancher out of that one.”
“Damn straight,” Rob said. “Jack loves horses.”
“Jack loves everything,” Morgan said. “We’re so lucky. We’ve got the smilingest baby ever.”
“He’s darling,” Sunshine said. “Aren’t you?” She snuggled the little boy again, who grinned.
That smile hit Cole like a sucker punch. I’m glad we don’t have kids. Had he really said that just last night? He was an ass. He wished they could get started on a family right away.
First, they needed to get married.
No, first he had to make up his fight with Sunshine, he realized. As soon as possible.
“Cole wants to see the vines,” Rob told Morgan. “I’ve got some time. Let’s head out to take a look.”
Morgan bit her lip. “I have to change Jack and get him into his snowsuit.”
“I’ll keep him,” Sunshine broke in. “You and Rob go on. I’ll be fine.”
Cole shot her a look. Why was she lagging back? Was she still tired? She seemed to be tired all the time these days. It was like she’d held it together for the entire trip, but now that they were home, Sunshine was collapsing under the strain. Maybe she needed a day or two in bed.
That sounded like a brilliant idea if he could get her to let him join her there.
“It’ll take a while,” Rob warned her. “It’ll be slow going for us through the snow.”
“Take as long as you want. We’ll have fun, won’t we, Jack?” Sunshine jiggled him on her hip and he crowed with laughter. Cole relaxed. Maybe she was fine, after all.
Maybe her biological clock was ticking, too.
Morgan showed Sunshine where to find diapers, wipes, food and juice, and imparted a hundred other bits of information, until Rob finally took her hand and tugged her playfully to the door. “We’ll be back in an hour. I’m sure Sunshine can handle it.”
“I’ll be fine; don’t worry about a thing.”
When they finally made it outside, Rob fell back with Cole. “Mothers,” he said in a low voice. “It’s like they lose their minds when they have babies.” His indulgent tone told Cole he adored Morgan’s protective attitude. He seemed to love every minute of fatherhood.
Cole wanted to love it, too.
Why, oh why hadn’t she turned on the television before she walked Jack to sleep? Sunshine paced the length of the living room, turned around and paced it again. If she turned it on now she’d wake him up. Could she lay him down in his crib without waking him? She wasn’t sure. Sunshine paced the room again.
Nearly two hours had passed since the others left, and the quiet house was beginning to get to her. Even when they’d stopped in villages in Africa and Asia, there were always grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins around. Only in a North American house did you get this kind of isolation. She was beginning to feel like she was the only person left in the world.
The only grownup, anyway.
She’d enjoyed playing with Jack. He certainly was an easy baby. Once he’d started to fuss she’d picked him up, changed him, fed him and then carried him around, delighting in the way he snuggled easily into her arms, trusting her to know what to do. She’d swayed and danced with him until he’d fallen asleep, a lovely experience, but now her arms ached from the unfamiliar exercise and she was growing tired. Aside from that, an idea for a new recipe had sprung into her head while she was pacing the floor with Jack and she itched to write it down before she forgot about it.
Sunshine tiptoed up the steps to the second floor where Jack’s room was located next to the master bedroom. She eased him into his crib and was pleased and proud when he didn’t wake up. Stepping carefully to the door, she swung it partway closed.
She made it halfway down the steps before Jack began to wail.
Sunshine stopped, torn between the desire to race downstairs and jot down the recipe, and the need to placate Jack immediately. After all, Morgan had put her son’s well-being into her care.
With a sigh, she retraced her steps, chanting the ingredients for the new dish in her mind, and scooped Jack back up from his crib. He laughed with glee and hugged her.
“You need a nap,” she told him, but one look into his bright, cheerful eyes told her naptime was over. Jack was refreshed and ready to go again.
Too bad she wasn’t.
Nausea had crept up on her, which frustrated Sunshine. Wasn’t morning sickness supposed to happen in the early morning?
She’d also hoped to find a way out to the ranch to look around again today. She needed to make up her mind about whether to keep it or sell it to Carl. Claire and Autumn were standing by for a phone call. She needed to get Morgan alone to let her in on the secret, too.
She told herself the others would be home soon enough and she brought Jack back downstairs, gave him some toys and placed him on the living room rug. She ducked into the kitchen to find her purse, in which she had a pad of paper and a pen.
“Don’t get into trouble,” she called out to Jack as she jotted down the recipe in a kind of shorthand she hoped she’d be able to decipher later. She shoved the pad and pen back into her purse, and trotted back to the living room, ready to give Jack her undivided attention again, when her cell phone rang. Stopping, she fished it out. She didn’t recognize the number, but she answered it—it could be Autumn or Claire.
“Sunshine? It’s Carl Whitfield. Ready to make that deal yet?”
“I… haven’t made up my mind.” She hadn’t had time to think about any of it properly.