“Me too,” Josh said. “I’m not sure I could have endured the stress poor old Teddy was under this morning.”
Filly wiped tears from her eyes and then handed a hankie to Emma. “We’ll keep this for the day your daughter gets married. Our tears are blended on it. It will bring her good luck. Let’s cut the cake and have a party.”
Josh slipped an arm around Emma. “They can have the cake. I have you.”
“Oh, no,” Sophie declared. “We’ll cut one side. Y’all can do the other one.”
“But there’s only two champagne glasses,” Emma whispered.
“I always liked beer out of a red plastic cup better anyway,” Josh said. “Let’s do this our way.”
“Forever and always, let’s do everything our way.” Emma smiled up at him.
Epilogue
Five years later
Emma awoke that Thanksgiving morning to bright sunlight pouring into the bedroom, the aroma of bacon and coffee floating through the small trailer, and the sound of children giggling. Josh was such a good father, and despite her upbringing, Emma wasn’t doing too bad at being a mother. Josh often accused her of being worse than a mother bear with the kids, but she couldn’t help being a little overprotective.
“Good mornin’, darlin’.” Josh peeked into the room with Lia on his hip and Gracie hanging on to his leg. Four-year-old Jody made a flying leap right onto the bed with her. She hugged him tightly and then reached out her arms for the baby. Josh handed the blonde-haired little girl to her, and then helped three-year-old Gracie up on the bed. By the time he joined the family, there wasn’t enough room to wiggle.
“I love mornings like this.” He leaned across Lia and kissed Emma.
“Yuck,” Jody said.
“You just keep thinking that until you’re about thirty.” Josh grinned.
“Or forty,” Emma said and then pulled Josh over to her for another kiss. “I give thanks every day for what we have.”
“One more kid and we’re going to have to build another room onto the place,” Josh whispered.
“Well, then, darlin’, we’d better start building, because I took a test last night and number four is on the way,” Emma told him.
“I’m the luckiest man in the world. Can I be the one to tell your father?” Josh shoved the kids to the foot of the bed and gathered Emma into his arms for a steamy kiss.
“Of course, but not until Sophie gets here. I want her to be the second to know,” Emma answered. “If we can throw this passel of young foxes off our bed, I’d like to follow my nose to the kitchen.”
“Bacon and pancakes are on the stove. I’ve already fed all the kids, even Lia.” Josh kissed her one more time. “I love you, Mrs. Corlen.”
“I love you, Josh.” She caught the right moment and wiggled her way out of the maze of kids to the edge of the bed. “Let’s just hope I’m not as sick with this one as I was with Lia.”
“This is a boy,” Josh said, “to even things out. Remember, you weren’t sick a single day with Jody.”
Emma crossed her fingers and held them up for him to see. “We can always hope.”
Sophie was more excited about going home for Thanksgiving than the two kids in the back seat of the SUV. Two-year-old Anna Rebel didn’t understand as much about the trip as four-year-old Johnny did, but she picked up on his excitement. When they turned off the road onto Hummingbird Lane, Johnny said, “Are we almost to the hum bird place? Is Jody still there?”
“Of course he is, and your auntie Em says he’s waiting on the porch for you. He’s got a brand-new puppy that he wants you to see,” Sophie answered.
“Hurry, Daddy,” Johnny said. “Go faster.”
“Puppy. Go fast,” Anna Rebel squealed.
“I can’t wait to see Em. Seems like forever, and yet it’s only been a month,” Sophie said. “And your dad and my mama are already here. It’s going to be a wonderful holiday. I’m so glad the sun is shining so the kids can play outside.”
“Josh says Filly has been cooking for a week,” Teddy said. “We kind of lucked out since the snowbirds aren’t coming in for a few more days. We can stay in your old trailer. I understand Wyatt and Betsy are sharing one of the others. My dad is in the second one, and Rebel is staying with Filly. We’ve pretty well got a full house.”
“Look, I see the trailers, and there’s Em standing on the picnic bench waving at us,” Sophie said.
“You and Em. You’d think you were blood sisters,” Teddy chuckled.
“Honey, we’re more than that. We are sisters of the heart,” Sophie said and hopped out of the SUV the minute he parked.
She and Emma met in the middle of the yard and hugged each other just like they had when they were girls. “Guess what? I’ve got wonderful news. Number three is on the way. I’m about to catch up with you. I couldn’t wait to tell you in person.”
“Well, if you’re going to catch up with me, you’d best have twins. I’m due in June with number four,” Emma laughed.
“That’s fantastic. For the first time, we get to have babies in the same month,” Sophie said. “But twins or not, this is the last one for our family. How about yours?”
“We agreed in the beginning that four was our magic number.” Emma looped her arm in Sophie’s and led her toward Filly’s house.
“Have you heard from Victoria?” Sophie asked.
“She called about a month ago. She said she might fit a short visit in next year. She really doesn’t like this place or what I’ve done with my life,” Emma answered.
“You are fast becoming the famous artist you always wanted to be,” Sophie assured her.
“I’m happy, and that’s what matters.” Emma smiled.
Arty set Lia on the ground, and she toddled over to Filly and put up her arms to be held. Josh came around the end of the trailer with Gracie right behind him. Jody bailed off the porch, grabbed Johnny by the hand as soon as Teddy freed him from the car seat, and led him off to the porch, where two puppies tumbled around playfully. “Mine,” Jody said seriously, pointing at one, then turned his finger toward the other one and said seriously, “Yours.”
Teddy carried Anna Rebel across the yard and handed her off to her grandmother. “Here you go, Rebel. She’s all yours for the next while.” He turned to focus on Sophie. “I guess we just got a dog, Sophie.”
“Looks that way,” Sophie laughed. “Next Thanksgiving, we’ll have a baby to add to this circus.”
“That’s fantastic news.” Jonathan stepped off the porch of one of the extra trailers. “I always wanted a big family, but all I got was Teddy. I’m glad that I get lots of grandbabies.”
“So am I.” Rebel snuggled her face down into her granddaughter’s wispy blonde hair. “We’ve all sure got a lot to be thankful for this year.”
“Yes, we do,” Filly said. “Me and Arty are about to bring out the food. Arty’s turkey is perfect this year, and my pumpkin pies turned out great. I swear, it’s always better when you kids all come home for Thanksgiving.”