“Hush.” She tapped him on the chest and pushed back, offering a wink.
They walked another while, dealt with more contractions, before Becky pulled the conversation back to what she needed to share. “When I lived with Mark, before he dropped me off at the house here in Rocky? We talked a bunch. You know that. But while he shared some information about his home, it always seemed as if something about what happened here with his family was missing. I want to help him if he needs it. I want him to be happy.”
Trevor nodded. “Of course we will. He’s a good man, and he’s family.”
“He was family to me before I ever met you.” Becky’s throat was tight. “I need him to know that.”
Trevor squeezed her fingers. “We’ll make sure he does.”
Not long after, Rachel showed up. Her sister-in-law was nearly ten years older, but she’d become more than family. She was pretty much Becky’s best friend.
“Too bad I’m not working any longer. I could’ve come straight with you from the café,” she teased.
“Where are your babies?” Becky asked. Rachel and Lee’s children had come ten months apart from each other, which meant Liam had just turned one, and Ava was barely two months old.
“Mom and Dad have them,” Lee said as he patted Trevor firmly on the shoulder. He waited for Rachel and Becky to untangle themselves from their massive hug then swooped in and squeezed Becky tight. “You’ve got this. We’re here for you, and Rachel’s ready to give you tips.”
“Since you’ve practiced a couple of times already,” Becky teased before adding, “You should get pregnant again soon, so you don’t forget how it’s done.”
Rachel visibly shuddered. “No. Please no. I love the babies, but that would be too soon.”
“Didn’t Ashley almost do that?” Trevor asked.
“She waited a full three months between starting the next baby,” Lee said before adding dryly, “I’m surprised it took that long since she’s got two guys to deal with.”
Becky had to stop snickering to breathe through a contraction.
The wonder of it hit. So much had changed over the past years. What she had lived through in the cult and their strange sexual norms had nothing to do with the loving relationship that Travis, Cassidy, and Ashley shared. Knowing that to be an absolute truth was amazing.
Love was love, and it could shine out in many different ways. Without love, nothing was right.
The distraction of having Rachel and Lee there was good, but when push came to shove, literally, it was just Trevor in the room with her. The nurse practitioner helped, the doctor arriving barely in time. Moments later, Dr. Kinkaid laid a sweet, squirming little girl on Becky’s chest.
A few precious moments of quiet followed after the baby was cleaned up, her little pink mouth moving in a bow as she attempted to latch on and nurse.
The physical tug at Becky’s breast was nothing compared to the one squeezing around her heart. Seeing the precious life she and Trevor had made—Becky felt as if she’d been reborn.
She glanced up to discover tears trickling down Trevor’s face. Softly, Becky touched a fingertip to one.
He caught her by the wrist and brought her hand to his lips, tenderly kissing the moisture away. Even as he stared at the baby, he gave a small shake of his head and spoke with his heart in his voice. “I love you so much, Rodeo. That was one hell of a thing. Seeing you bring our baby into the world—damn. I always believed you were strong, but now I know you can move mountains.”
Becky swallowed hard. “Love you.”
They both lowered their eyes to the sweet wonder of life. “You ready to share her name?”
Of all the joyful blessings, it was one Becky had never imagined she would get to experience. “I think so.” She gestured toward the door. “You want to go let Rachel in?”
Trevor laughed heartily. “I’ll also see if the rest of my family might be out there.”
His amusement was entertaining, yet the truth was another part of the perfect joy Becky let surround her in that moment. “Nope. Not even going to apologize. Rachel’s especially mine.”
Trevor stood, pausing to give Becky a kiss. Then he leaned a little lower, pressing his lips to the baby’s temple. “You better get ready for some loving, little lioness.”
The joy inside Becky’s heart was pouring over the edges so hard, not even the room could contain it.
And as all of the people she had come to know as immediate family filed into the room, her gaze touched on each of them. Marking them as blessings beyond anything she could’ve imagined.
Rachel hurried to her side, baby Ava cradled in her arms. But she still had room to reach in and brush her fingers against the newborn’s cheek before leaning down and kissing Becky on the forehead. “I am so glad you have your beautiful little girl.”
Becky blinked back tears. “I didn’t want to cry anymore,” she complained.
Lee was there, infant son braced on his arm. He also offered a kiss to both the baby and Becky. “I don’t see any tears,” he assured her. “Look, Liam. Another pretty baby.”
Liam twisted his head, looking at the newborn and at his baby sister in his mom’s arms. “B’bies?”
“Yes. This one is Auntie Becky and Uncle Trevor’s.”
Pudgy little fingers reached forward before jerking back partway. “Gen’tle.”
Laughter swelled as more people joined them.
“Yes. We have to be gentle with babies.” Becky looked up to see her mother-in-law, Kate, paused beside the edge of the bed with one hand pressed over her chest. “Look at you. Look at this precious little bit of perfection.”
Trevor’s dad, Randy, stepped into view behind her, arm sliding around her shoulders. “You grow good crops when you start with good seed. Ouch.”
Kate shook out her fingers after having slapped his arm, but she twisted with a smile. “Hold off with your ranch parables. This is all Trevor and Becky’s doing.”
“All Becky.” Trevor was there, easing beside her. He rested on the edge of the bed as he tucked his arm around her and laid a hand over their little girl’s body. His hand was so big, fingers callused from years of hard labour, yet Becky knew that he would never be anything but gentle with their child.
He was never anything but gentle with her, and Becky’s heart filled.
The room grew busier as the oldest children of the Moonshine clan arrived. Steve with two-year-old Jason in his arms. Melody’s baby belly was bigger than the last time Becky had seen her.
Trevor’s only sister, Anna, her belly a near match for Melody’s, leaned back against her husband, Mitch, their two-year-old girl, Kasey, resting easily on her hip. “So. We’re all here and suitably delighted with your little girl’s arrival.”
Lee spoke softly. “Trev? You going to let us know what you’re calling her?”
Becky met Trevor’s gaze. This man had been her savior in spite of herself. A man who had never thought himself worthy or able to be anyone’s hero, but who had turned out to be the only one who was absolutely everything she needed. “Her name is Arabella.”
“Beautiful lioness,” Trevor added, his gaze falling to their daughter. “Because we’ll teach her to be beautiful inside and out—it’ll probably come naturally because she’ll take after her mama. But she’s also going to be strong like a lion. Able to take on the world and care for herself and everyone around her.” Then he lowered his voice, just for Becky’s ears. “Also like her mama.”