“It’s okay. You have coffee, which is better.” She picked up her mug and took a sip, then went and sat next to Emmy. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Peanut butter toast.” Emmy leaned into Trinity.
“Excellent. I should add that to the menu at work. Maybe your dad will add some strawberries to both our plates, too.”
“Ooh, that sounds good.” Emmy smiled up at Trinity and petted Razzle, who had jumped up into her lap.
Jon took out two more slices of bread. “I’ll do that.” He appreciated that Trinity rounded out Emmy’s meal with some fruit without forcing it on her. If Trinity wanted it, Emmy did, too. He liked that she wanted to emulate Trinity. She couldn’t have picked a better woman to follow.
Better than her own mother.
Sad. It hurt Jon’s heart to think about how Steph harmed their little girl.
“So Emmy, your dad has something he has to do today, so you’ll be hanging with me. My sister Liz is coming over with the dress I need to try on for my brother’s wedding.”
“Do I get to go to the wedding?”
“Absolutely. We’re going as a family.” She met Jon’s gaze with a reassuring smile that erased his earlier glum when he thought about Steph.
He needed to start looking forward and not back. He needed to focus on the two people who loved and needed him.
He needed to put Steph in the past, because for the next however many years she was in prison, she didn’t need to be a part of their everyday lives.
“Do I get a pretty dress, too?”
“Of course.” Trinity sipped her coffee.
He served Emmy her breakfast and went to finish Trinity’s. “I can take her shopping for something tomorrow.”
“If you don’t mind, my sister said she’d pick something up in Emmy’s size that matches what I’m wearing.”
Emmy’s eyes brightened with excitement.
“I can give her some money for the dress when she stops by later.”
Trinity set her mug on the counter. “I’ve got this. I want to do it for Emmy.”
“Sweet,” he mimicked her.
“Are you guys going to get married?” Emmy asked, looking from him to Trinity and back.
“Yes.” He waited to see if Trinity contradicted him.
“When?” Emmy bounced in her seat with excitement, nearly toppling Razzle off her lap.
“Soon,” Trinity replied, though he hadn’t even asked her yet.
He planned to, right after her brother’s wedding. If she was ready, why wait any longer?
They ate breakfast together, Emmy chatting about everything and nothing to Razzle and them. It felt like this was how it had always been, yet it was new and . . . perfect.
Before he knew it, they were all dressed and ready to start the day when Tate drove in with the horse trailer.
“Who’s that?”
“Uncle Tate,” Trinity said, like it was a done deal, they were all family. She opened the front door and let Emmy loose to run right for Tate as he got out of the truck.
Tate scooped her up and held her to his chest. “I missed you, tiny tot.”
“You saw me yet-erday.”
“Yesterday,” he corrected. “And that’s right. I did.” He touched his nose to Emmy’s, then leaned back. “Today I brought you a surprise from your dad.”
Jon stared at the two and his heart grew too big for his chest. Emmy beamed with delight. Tate treated her like she was his little one. Emmy had an uncle. In fact, she had three. And aunties. Liz walked around the front of the truck, holding a garment bag over her shoulder, and hugged Trinity one-handed.
“What did you bring me?” Emmy asked Tate.
“Well, I think I’ll let your dad show you what he got you.”
“I got Razzle back yes-terday.”
“I heard. I can’t wait to meet her.” Tate handed Emmy over to Jon.
He walked to the back of the trailer and waited for Tate to open the gates.
Emmy squealed, “Horsies!”
Jon thought he might be deaf, but no.
Emmy hugged his neck. “Thank you, Daddy. I love them.”
“You haven’t even met them yet.” Jon backed up a few steps as Tate led the first horse out.
Trinity walked over and took the big white-and-gray mare’s lead rope. “This is my horse, Luna. She’s a sweet girl.”
Jon walked Emmy up to the horse.
Trinity took Emmy’s hand and helped her pat the horse down her long neck.
Emmy’s eyes went wide. “She’s soft.”
Jon backed up so Trinity could walk Luna down to the barn and Tate could bring out another of the horses.
“This one is yours, tiny tot. His name is—”
“Brownie,” Emmy called out to the chestnut horse.
Jon laughed with Tate. “No, sweetheart. That’s a great name, but he’s called Baxter. He’s very gentle. The little girl who used to ride him got too big for him, so she thought you’d like to have him.”
“I do want him.” Her sweet earnest little voice made Jon and Tate grin.
Tate handed the rope to her. “Then he’s all yours.”
Jon put his hand on the rope just to be on the safe side, though Baxter was more interested in watching his buddy Red come out of the trailer.
“He’s a nice one, too?” Emmy watched the larger horse come closer.
“Yes, baby. He’s real nice. His name is Red.”
“Hi, Red.” Emmy waved to him over Baxter.
Tate handed the rope to Jon. “Uh, you weren’t expecting this, but apparently she comes with Red.”
“Another horse?” He hadn’t expected four, but he had the stall space in the barn, so why not.
“Not exactly.” Tate disappeared into the trailer and came back out, but with the horses in the way, Jon couldn’t see what he led out until he heard a loud bleating noise.
“Is that a goat?” He couldn’t believe it.
Tate walked around the horses and, sure enough, at the end of another lead rope stood a very pregnant goat. “Her name is Pippa.”
“She’s not a pig.” Emmy frowned at the goat.
“No, she’s not, tiny tot, but she has a mad crush on Red despite her being in the family way from another goat.”
Emmy gave Tate a confused look.
“Pippa is going to have a baby goat,” Jon explained.
“Really? When?” Emmy wiggled to get down.
“In about a week,” Tate stated. “It cost you an extra fifty, but my friend threw in a bunch of feed. He thought he could separate Red and Pippa, but she had a cow.” Tate grinned at his joke.
Jon laughed. “So you thought why not bring her along to join the menagerie.”
“Trinity will probably start her own goat milk cheese business now.”
Jon laughed again, because Trinity was that enterprising.
She and Liz finally joined them.
Trinity took one look at the goat and crouched in front of her. “Look at you. I think you and Adria are both carrying twins.”
And just like that Jon realized he had no chance. He was now the proud owner of a goat, plus one. Or two. They’d see in the next week or so.
Emmy cooed to the goat. Pippa loved all the pats and attention. She didn’t try to bite Emmy or knock her down, so Jon relaxed.