“Ruthie isn’t eating with us?” Jedidiah asked Jaclyn.
“No. She said she had a book club meeting but she knows what the family meeting’s about. When I asked her about it she said, ‘Yes, and I’m not telling.’”
During the meal they touched on a variety of topics. Both things that had to do with the ranch, and their new plans for the businesses and Cole’s business, which was doing very well. He surprised them all by telling them he’d brought someone else in who could take care of some of the traveling. Though Cole worked on oil rigs in Texas predominately, his company had recently expanded to other states.
“You mean you’re going to be in Whiskey River full-time?” Marshall asked. “What brought that on?”
“I’ll still travel but not as often or for as long. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for so long I’d like to see what it’s like staying home more.”
“Thinking about settling down?” Damaris asked.
Cole laughed but said, “You can never tell.”
“We haven’t seen a lot of you lately, Jedidiah,” Chantel said. “But I suppose that’s no surprise considering you’ve embarked on a—What did you call it, Damaris?”
“A mad, passionate, love affair,” Damaris said.
Jedidiah knew if she overreacted the family would tease her forever. “Sorry to burst your bubble but we’re just dating. Nothing special.”
“That’s no fun,” Damaris complained.
“You’ll survive,” Jedidiah told her.
After they finished dinner and took care of the dishes, Marshall said, “All right, Gabe. What’s going on?”
“Come into the den, everyone. Mom and Dad are going to be video-chatting with us.”
That sounded serious. They all talked to their parents regularly but not often en masse. Gabe looked excited; however, not upset.
Taking a seat on the couch beside Damaris, with Nate standing beside her, Jedidiah asked her, “Any clue what this is about?”
“No. And no one else knows either. Except Ruthie. And Gabe and Chantel, of course.”
“By the way, thanks for tattling to Cole about me and Trevor.”
“He’d have heard it from someone else anyway. The whole family knows now and besides, it’s all over town.”
“Why is it all over town?”
“That’s a silly question. Because it’s Whiskey River. And because there are lots of women who wouldn’t mind being in your shoes. Not to mention men who wouldn’t mind being in Trevor’s.”
“They need to get a life.”
“You really have forgotten what living in a small town is like, haven’t you?”
Apparently.
Meanwhile, Gabe had gotten their mom and dad on video and everyone was exchanging greetings. Their parents looked as mystified as everyone else.
“Okay, Gabe,” Chase said, “what’s going on?”
“Sit down and I’ll tell you.” He put his arm around Chantel. “We had Chantel’s twenty-week anatomy scan yesterday and it didn’t show what we were expecting.”
“You mean you’re having a girl and not a boy?” Damaris asked.
“Oh, we’re having a boy,” Chantel said and looked at Gabe with a smile. “Two of them, in fact. Identical twins.”
For a moment there was a stunned silence, then everyone started talking at once.
