“And who else did you tell?” Mila let go of them and stepped back.
“She’s due in July,” Luis said. “And Mama knows. So does Greta, since it would’ve been mean to make her leave the room.”
“Yeah, it would’ve.” She was touched that she’d been next in line after their mother. She would have been okay if he’d gone to Adam next, but he’d chosen her. The bond forged in their complicated childhood remained strong. Jordan clearly felt the same about Cole.
Luis glanced past Cole and rose from his chair. “And here comes the family.”
Adam, Tracy and Claudie hurried over. Claudie was in the lead, but Adam spoke first. “Hey, bro, got something to tell us?”
“You guys were next on the list. Mila blew my cover.” Luis went to meet them. “We’re having a baby.”
Claudie squealed and threw herself at Luis, then headed for Jordan.
“Wow.” Adam looked thunderstruck. “That’s…that’s…” Abandoning his search for words, he pulled Luis into a fierce hug. Then he let him go as he dragged in a breath and turned to Jordan. “You both look so happy.” His voice was gruff with emotion.
“We are.” Jordan’s blue eyes glistened as Adam embraced her.
“I’m getting choked up.” Tracy’s voice sounded clogged as she hugged Luis and then held out her arms to Jordan. “What an unexpected and fabulous Christmas gift.”
“An unexpected gift?” Rio arrived, followed by Zay and Monty. “My guess is either a baby or a winning lottery ticket. I can’t say which is better, but?—"
“A baby, doofus.” Zay gave him a punch on the arm. “The lottery’s just money. A baby makes you an uncle.”
“Hey, it does, doesn’t it? That would be super cool. Which is it, bro?”
“Baby.”
“Excellent!” He hugged Luis and Jordan before turning around and high-fiving Zay and Monty. “Uncles! We’re all gonna be uncles!”
“Move aside, boys. Move aside.” Tia Kat parted the group with a wave of her hand, making way for Grandma Doris, Tia Carmen and Tia Ezzie. “Las ninaras have arrived.”
Cole leaned toward Mila as the Dazzling Damsels fussed over Luis and Jordan. “What’s ninaras mean?”
“Babysitters.”
He chuckled. “Nice. This is gonna be one lucky kid.”
“You have no idea. Mama must be over the?—"
“Hey, Bridger Bunch!” someone called out from the crowd. “Sounds like baby news over there. Care to confirm it?”
Luis glanced at Jordan. “Should we announce it to the crowd?”
She laughed. “Might as well.”
“Believe I will.” He headed for the bandstand where the Rooty Toots had just finished playing Run, Run, Rudolph.
Hopping up on the stage, he took the mic Sam handed him. “As most of you have probably guessed, Jordan and I just got the best Christmas news ever.” He paused to suck in a breath. “Next July we’ll have a baby!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and the Rooty Toots started playing Amy Grant’s Baby, Baby. Folks left their seats and made tracks for the Bridger Bunch gathered around Jordan.
At the outpouring of love from friends and neighbors, Mila’s stalwart brother who mostly kept his emotions to himself, ducked his head to thumb tears from his eyes. Which brought tears to her eyes. Then a strong hand reached for her, drawing her close.
Cole’s image was a little blurry but his warm arm around her waist communicated more than words that he treasured this special moment. She blinked and her vision cleared. Glancing up, she met his gaze. Call her crazy, but this man looked an awful lot like her future.
Chapter Seventeen
Cole wasn’t surprised about the baby. His sister adored Luis and Laughing Creek Ranch. A baby made perfect sense.
