Conrad’s message came next, and a flash of love for the man filled Finn from head to toe. JJ’s birthday wishes followed, as did Trap’s and then Colt’s, and finally, Tyson’s. Finn wanted all of his friends to have everything they ever needed, and his eyes paused on Colt Franklin’s name.
The man had been married, had a son, and then divorced. His wife had moved to Amarillo, and Colt had full physical custody of Jonas.
Jonas still went and saw his mom a couple times a month, and Colt had taken over the apple orchards in full force this year. He’d added a café and a farm store, and to be honest, Finnwasn’t sure how the man had the energy, as he was only a few years younger than Finn himself.
Smiles Glover texted in his birthday wishes, as did Jake Ahlstrom, the full-time vet at Three Rivers. And then finally, his momma’s message came in on the family thread. It was more than just a quickHappy birthday, and Finn navigated over to it.
Happy birthday, my precious boy, she said.You made me a mother forty years ago, and that has been the best gift of my life. I love how good you are to everyone around you and how much you care for your friends and family and children. I love watching you with Edith and with your boys. I pray for you every single day that you will have what you need to be happy too.
Tears filled Finn’s eyes as a P.S. came in.There are no livestock gifts this year, just so you know, but we can’t wait to have you for dinner tonight.
She added a couple of laughing emojis, and Finn chuckled through his emotions. He’d been given some sheep a few years ago, and the running joke was what kind of animal he would need to load up and take home with him. His birthday had sort of become a hallmark at Three Rivers Ranch, and among his friends.
Finn quickly put down his phone as the bedroom door opened and started to creak inward. Whispering filled the room, and he heard, “Is he awake, Momma?”
“He’s awake,” Edith said, her voice a normal volume. “Go on in.”
Finn sat up and smiled at his boys and adjusted the pillows behind him so he could lean against the headboard. “What’s going on here?” he asked, taking in the radiance on Theo’s face. The boylovedto give gifts, and he was thoughtful and kind, just like Edith. He looked like her, too, with blonde hair and browneyes, a sort of combination that didn’t quite make sense to Finn, but was the perfect blend of himself and Edith.
Bubba, his seven-year-old, walked behind Theo with Finn’s big thermos, and he skipped and said, “Daddy, we gotted you breakfast.”
“Did you?” Finn grinned at his son and motioned for him to climb up on the bed.
Edith, who carried Dustin in her arms, set him on the end of the bed and said, “Crawl up to Daddy, buddy.”
“Come here, Dusty.” Finn took the thermos from Bubba and braced himself as his son crawled over him.
Dustin arrived, babbling something about eggs and chickens.
“Did you guys go out and get the eggs this morning?”
“I did it,” Theo said. “Bubs made the coffee, and Momma helped us make the omelet.”
“Dustin laid all the bacon in the pan,” she said. “And Theo got all the eggs and cracked them. Bubba made the juice and the coffee, and we all manned the omelet on the stove.”
“Wow, you guys are professionals.” Finn took the TV tray from his son, and it had legs that would sit on either side of his lap so he could eat. The omelet looked pretty good, and his bacon was perfectly crisp. Edith had included a sugar bowl and a small jug of cream for his coffee, and Finn reached for the tall glass of orange juice first.
“What are you guys having for breakfast?”
“I’m gonna make omelets for everyone,” Theo said. “And then Momma says we have to go school shopping today.”
“That’s right,” Finn said. “That’s your gift to me—going shopping with your mother without throwing a fit. School starts in a couple weeks, and you all need new shoes.”
“Momma said I can get those camo shorts,” Bubba said.
Finn reached for his wife as the boys piled on the bed with him, practically knocking the breakfast tray over. She leaned down and kissed him. “Happy birthday, baby.”
Finn felt like he had everything he needed right here in this five-foot radius around him.
“We’re going to go shopping this morning,” she said. “So I can finish the cake this afternoon.”
“Cake,” Dusty said, and then he babbled a bunch more stuff that sounded likepartyandGrandma.
Finn grinned at his boys and picked up his first piece of bacon. “Yeah, we’ve got a party tonight. You guys are going to be on your best behavior, right?”
“I am,” Theo said. “And Mason said he’s going to be there, and Grandma said I might be able to help with the apple booth.”
“What’s the apple booth?” Finn asked.
