Gabe didn't think it possible to be any happier. As he held his three-week-old sons while Colleen played dolls with Allie and Daisy, he felt tears of joy sting his eyes. Little Ryan yawned big before letting out a content sigh. James snuggled closer to Gabe with a tiny coo.
It felt like experiencing a tiny bit of heaven.
Breathing a contented sigh of his own, Gabe sat in the rocker by the fireplace. The autumn evening was chilly, but the fire felt good. He leaned his head against the rocker, closing his eyes as he moved the chair back and forth.
His wife's voice soon sounded in his ear. "I think this look of yours is my favorite."
His eyes popped open to see her standing in front of him, a smile on her lovely face. He smiled back. "Is it now?"
She nodded. "Oh yes. Anytime I see you with our four children, I melt. Completely."
He grinned. "Duly noted, my love."
James began to squirm. His mouth opened and a soft cry came out. Colleen reached for him before he could disturb his brother. "Right on schedule. Ryan will probably need to eat as soon as I finish feeding this guy."
Gabe chuckled. That did seem to be the boys' routine. One would be hungry, and once Colleen fed him, the other wanted sustenance. So far, she hadn't had to employ the method Carson showed her to feed both twins at the same time.
With a spot in his lap vacated, Daisy toddled over to him and held up her arms. Gabe slipped his free arm around her and lifted her up. She snuggled against him, placing one hand on her baby brother. Though she didn't quite understand the concept of new babies, she displayed a tender love for the boys that made Gabe proud. Allie, on the other hand, seemed a little distant with her new brothers. He hoped it was simply a phase, a reaction to having her life disrupted by the arrival of two tiny humans. There were encouraging signs here and there that gave him hope she'd soon love the boys as fiercely as she did Daisy.
Noticing that her sister had abandoned her, Allie wandered over to the rocking chair as well. She barely glanced at Ryan. "Daddy, I sit on your lap?"
Gabe gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry, Allie-girl. My lap is full right now. We can snuggle in a little bit, okay?"
She made a sound like a grunt, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "But I wanna sit wif you now!"
Recognizing a soon-to-come meltdown, Gabe spoke firmly. "Allie, sometimes we don't get what we want right away. You have to be patient. Right now, it's James and Daisy's turn to sit with me. You will have the next turn."
She looked like she might argue, her face puckering up in protest. Just as quickly, it relaxed. "You pwomise?"
He nodded. "I promise."
"Okay." She skipped back to her toys. Gabe breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.
Just as Ryan began fussing for his food, Colleen returned for him. "James went right to sleep," she said. "I'll nurse Ryan and see if he'll sleep as well. Nathan and Elizabeth will be here soon to watch the kids." She smiled, lifting Ryan from Gabe's arms. "It's sweet of them to give us a dinner date tonight."
"I agree." Gabe squeezed her hand. "We haven't had a date in far too long."
She nodded. "I know." Leaning down, she kissed his forehead. "I'm looking forward to this dinner."
No sooner had she left the room than Allie made her way back to Gabe. "My turn!" She scrambled into his lap, careful not to disturb Daisy. He chuckled as she snuggled against him. Placing a kiss on her little head, he said, "Thank you for being patient, Allie."
She beamed.
He continued to hold his daughters until Nathan and Elizabeth showed up. At the sight of their aunt and uncle, the girls clamored for their attention, jumping off Gabe's lap and hurrying over to the door for hugs. He pushed himself out of the chair to greet his brother- and sister-in-law.
Nathan pulled him into a hug. When he drew back, he studied him for a moment. "You look tired."
Gabe laughed. "Of course I do. I've got two infants in the house." He glanced toward the bedrooms. "Though Colleen definitely has it harder than me. She seems to be up every hour or two at night to feed the boys."
His friend made a sympathetic sound. "That must be rough."
Gabe pushed his shoulder. "You'll be joining the dad club soon enough, buddy. Best start preparing yourself now."
Nathan chuckled. "Maybe so." His eyes traveled to his wife. "I know she wants a baby as soon as possible."
Raising a brow, Gabe turned to him fully. "And you?"
A smile tugged at Nathan's lips. "I might still feel some nerves at the thought of being a father, but I find myself wanting a child of our own as much as she does."
A grin spread over Gabe's face. "Nathan! That's great progress!"
A glimmer of uncertainty crossed his friend's face. "You think so?" The vulnerability in his voice made Gabe place a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes. I do." He looked directly into Nathan's eyes, gaze unwavering. "You will be a good father, my friend."
Nathan exhaled a slow breath, then smiled. "Thanks, Gabe. I don't know how many times I'll need to hear that before I believe it, but I'm thankful that you and Elizabeth and Colleen keep reminding me that I'm not my father."
Gabe nodded firmly. "That's right, you're not." He spotted Colleen walking into the room, Ryan in her arms. "And now's your chance to practice." As soon as she joined them, Gabe nodded toward Nathan. Colleen caught his silent communication, placing their son into her brother's arms. "Here you go," she said cheerfully. "By the time you're a father, you'll be a pro at handling babies."
Elizabeth came up to his side, Allie on her hip while Daisy held her arms up to Colleen, who obliged, lifting her daughter into her arms. "He's a natural with children," she said, smiling at her husband warmly. "I have no doubts our babies will be well loved once they come."
Nathan gazed at her with a look of pure love. Gabe bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Even after four months of marriage, it was clear his friends remained in the honeymoon phase. He glanced at Colleen. Who was he kidding? He felt the same way about his own wife, just as much in love as before. If not more.
As if reading his mind, Nathan turned and smirked. "Alright, you two, get outta here. Go enjoy a romantic evening together."
Colleen reached up to kiss his cheek, then hugged Elizabeth. "Thank you both for giving up your home for the evening to give us some time together."
"Our pleasure," Elizabeth said. She took Daisy and settled her on her other hip. "Now scoot!"
Colleen hesitated a moment. "Don't hesitate to come get us if the boys get hungry."
Gabe wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sweetheart, you just fed them. They'll be fine for a couple of hours." He smiled at their friends. "Thank you. See you in a bit." He steered his wife out of the house, then reached down to take her hand as they walked the short distance to the Grant house.
Colleen leaned her head against his shoulder. "When was the last time we had a date?"
"I have no idea, but I do know this is long overdue." He smiled at her. "Dinner and a kid-free conversation. Can you imagine?"
She laughed.
They made their way into the warm house. A trail of rose petals led them to the dining room, where a delicious-smelling dinner awaited them. His wife sighed happily beside him. "This is lovely."
Gabe turned to pull her into his arms. It was an unexpected gesture, and Colleen squawked briefly before settling into him with a smile. "Why, Sergeant, what are you doing?"
Her flirtatious smile heated his heart. Bending down, he paused an inch from her mouth. "I plan on serving the first course before we sit down."
A pretty grin stretched over her face, and he captured it with his lips. It felt good holding her and kissing her, knowing there would be no interruption. When he had thoroughly kissed his wife, he pulled back slightly. "Alright, I think we're ready for food now."
Her soft laughter teased him until he pulled her back for another sweet kiss.
Nathan blew sawdust from the table he was crafting for transport to a friend of Benjamin Forsythe's. The new client paid as well as Benjamin, and Nathan was still stunned that his work stayed in such high demand among the wealthy clientele. Though he never thought he'd be a rich man, he watched in amazement as month by month, his savings added up. Combined with Elizabeth's teacher salary, they were making a very comfortable living. He shook his head, a little smile on his lips as he thought of everything that brought them to this moment. It hadn't been an easy road, but things had finally turned a corner. Hopefully for good.
Knowing he needed to change for that afternoon's wedding, Nathan went to the upstairs apartment, where he'd stashed his suit that morning. He changed quickly. Just as he tried to make sure the blasted tie was straight, footsteps sounded on the stairs. He turned in time to see Elizabeth come through the door.
He caught his breath. She was dressed in a sapphire blue dress that fell to her ankles, with long sleeves to keep the late autumn chill away. Her hair was swept up in a pretty hairstyle, with only a few tendrils of hair hanging in curls around her face. He forgot about the tie and made a beeline for his wife.
"You look beautiful," he said, resting his hands at her waist.
She smiled. "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself." Her eyes sparkled. "We match."
He glanced at his navy blue suit and grinned. "I guess we do."
She reached up and began straightening his tie. "You really hate these, don't you?"
"With a passion." The muttered words made Elizabeth laugh. She patted his chest, smoothing the material of his shirt. "I don't blame you." She winked. "But it does make you look quite dashing."
He wanted to kiss her, but one look at her lips told him she was wearing lipstick, and he didn't want to mess it up. Instead, he pressed his mouth to her forehead. "As much as I'd love to keep you all to myself the rest of the day, we have another couple's love to celebrate." He offered her his arm. "Ready?"
She nodded. As they headed to the church, she let out a happy sigh. "I'm so glad Carson and Faith are getting married. Those two are made for each other."
"I agree. Carson was all but bursting at the seams when I saw him this morning. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy."
Elizabeth smiled. "Good. This should be the happiest day of their lives." She looked up at him, tenderness shining from her eyes. "At least until they discover how amazing it is waking up every morning with the one they love."
He disengaged their arms, opting instead to wrap his around Elizabeth's waist and pull her close as they walked, his heart singing at her sweet words.
The ceremony for the Shepherd wedding was traditional and beautiful. Carson and Faith's feelings for each other were written plainly all over their faces. He'd never seen Faith so radiant, never seen Carson smile so widely. When they were pronounced husband and wife, Carson drew Faith in for a kiss that elicited a few gasps of surprise from the older ladies in the congregation. Nathan chuckled. He didn't blame Carson. The man was caught up in the joy and love of the moment, utterly taken with his new bride.
After congratulating the happy couple outside the church, everyone headed to the saloon for the reception. Tom had turned the space - with plenty of help from Rosemary - into the perfect place to celebrate. The food, provided by Bill and Abigail, was delicious. Carson and Faith wanted a more laid-back reception, so the guests freely talked and laughed amongst themselves, while the Shepherds mingled with the crowd. After dinner, a space was cleared for dancing.
Nathan smiled at Elizabeth, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance?"
She curtseyed slightly, looking at him through her lashes. "You may."
Warmed by her playfulness, Nathan led her out to the dance floor. He held her close as they began swaying to the music. He took in the other couples around them. Carson and Faith seemed lost in a world of their own, as did Gabe and Colleen. Caleb danced with Katie, and while they were in the awkward stages of early courtship, it was clear they were forming a strong attachment. Ned eyed them as he danced with Florence, but Elizabeth could see a light of approval in his gaze. Lee and Rosemary grinned at each other as they twirled around the floor at a clip slightly faster than the music allowed. Elizabeth laughed softly as they flounced by. "Those two have more energy than most people I know."
Nathan nodded. "They sure do." He glanced around the room, taking note of the teens in one corner keeping little ones entertained. Allie and Daisy were with them, as was LJ. He found Ryan and James in the arms of Bill and Abigail, respectively, as the two adults chatted.
Peace settled over his soul. He rested his head against Elizabeth's, grateful that he could call this tight-knit community home, where he'd found love and healing beyond his wildest dreams.