Page 100 of Roping Her In

Edith burst into tears, and Finn dropped her hand and exploded to his feet, his own emotions unable to be contained as he pumped one fist and yelled, “Heck yes, we are!”

Dr. Richards laughed, as did the ultrasound technician. “It seems like that’s what you wanted.”

“Yes.” Edith’s voice pitched up, and Finn took the warm towel from the doctor and turned toward her. He lovingly cleaned the gel off her belly, pulled her shirt down, and then leaned over and hugged her.

His joy was only matched by gratitude. It seemed he simply couldn’t stop praying because he said right out loud, “Thank you, Lord.”

Then he pulled back and looked into Edee’s eyes, a grin filling his face, and his soul, and the room beyond. “We’re going to have a baby girl.”

Her smile matched his. Finn’s testimony that God was real and aware of each of His children multiplied, because why did it matter what gender a baby was for one random farmer and his wife in the Texas Panhandle?

But it mattered to them, and therefore it mattered to God.

Finn rode in the back seat of Henry’s truck along with Joelle. Ty rode in the passenger seat, and while the three of them had been conversing on the way here, Finn had been mostly quiet. He’d have to lead the ranch owners’ meeting today as usual, but the cowboys at Three Rivers Ranch were in charge of the food, with Colt, Ty, and Alex in charge of the coffee cart.

He and Edith had only told their parents the news about their little girl, but he’d share with his friends at today’s meeting. Henry pulled into the lot at the IFA and continued straight through the gate and around to the back. Upon turning the corner, Finn saw that Alex had just arrived, his truck easing to a stop in a stall up ahead.

Nikki got out of the passenger side, and all at once he remembered that he wasn’t the only one with news today. He rolled down his window and waved as Henry turned into a spot a couple down to give them room.

Nikki waved back before moving to the back door as Joelle asked, “What’s going on with her?”

“They got their girls,” Finn said.

“Did they?” Henry asked, his voice practically a gasp. “He didn’t say anything.”

“He wanted it to be a surprise,” Finn said. “They got them on Tuesday, I think. Even Edith and I haven’t been over there yet.”

Henry came to a stop and put the truck in park, and Finn got out just as Nikki lifted a little girl onto her hip. She had white-blonde hair, which was nothing like Nikki or Alex, though her brother definitely carried more of Edith’s blonde genes. She bent her head close and smiled at the girl, and then Finn.

“This is your uncle Finn,” she said. “Can you wave hello?”

The little girl waved with pudgy fingers, and Finn knew she’d just turned three. “You must be Ellen,” he said, and he moved right into Nikki, hugging her with one arm and Ellen with the other.

“This is Ellen,” Nikki said with a laugh. “And this is your uncle Henry.”

“I didn’t know you’d gotten the girls,” he said, and he took Finn’s place in embracing Nikki and Ellen.

Alex came around the back of the truck with a little girl’s hand in his. Finn wanted time to stop, so he could see this moment forever.

His brother-in-law was younger than Edith, but they’d taken care of each other here in the Texas Panhandle after their family had moved to Florida. Finn had always been close with Alex, and he loved him as if he were his blood. He crouched down as Alex came to a stop at the bumper, and said, “That’s your uncle Finn, Daisy. You go on over and give him a hug.”

He spoke in his low, slow cowboy voice, though Finn knew that Alex had cried real tears over this foster situation. He and Nikki had wanted more kids for a lot of years, as their twin boys were nine now.

“Howdy, Daisy,” Finn drawled. “Remind me, are you five or six?”

“I’m five,” she said in the cutest little girl voice in the world.

Finn opened his arms to her, and she seemed less shy than Ellen, as she stepped right into them and hugged him. He chuckled against her body, and said, “I’ve got a five-year-old. His name’s Dusty.”

Daisy pulled away. “Dusty?” She looked over her shoulder to Alex. “You showed me some pictures of him.”

“I sure did, baby.” Alex met Finn’s eyes, pure joy shining on his face. “We’re going over to their house for dinner tonight too.”

Finn nodded, because Edith had already put in the beef roast for that night’s dinner. He straightened and moved over to Alex to hug him too.

“Congratulations, my friend.” His voice broke, and he tried to cover it by pounding Alex on the back.

“We’re just bringing the girls to introduce them to everyone,” Alex said. “Then we’re going to lunch.”