Many months later…
Jamie eased back slightly in his chair, leaning around Beth to sneak a look at his ex. She was alone on the other side of the courtroom, looking like she hadn't slept in days if not weeks. The large dark bags shading her eyes were visible even under her thick layer of makeup. Her only companion was her attorney. And he was wearing a discount suit and fumbling through the messy stack of the paperwork Jamie had effectively buried him in. To Jamie's left was the best family law attorney in the state. And his entire family was sitting behind him, along with his father's full gubernatorial entourage. Jamie knew just their sheer presence in the courtroom had to be intimidating. That, along with the fact that his father was personally acquainted with the judge in their case, pretty much assured his success. He almost felt bad for the woman at the other table. Almost.
She brought this on herself, he thought. Jamie straightened up in his chair, reminding himself that he gave the woman every opportunity to play nice with him outside of court before resorting to this. No matter how nice he was, or how much money he gave her, his ex was determined to continue using their son as a bargaining chip. When he finally pushed back, she blocked contact with him completely and tried to flee the state with his son. That was the last straw for him. Jamie filed for full custody. And after a brutal trial that dragged out over the entire last year and a half, the judge was finally handing down his ruling today.
"All Rise," the court officer bellowed, entering the room just ahead of the judge.
Jamie stood, smoothing down the front of his suit and fastening the button that would hold his jacket closed. He knew he was only going to be standing for a moment, but he figured it couldn't hurt for him to look as presentable as possible. The judge was a heavyset older man with large jowls that was getting close to retirement. In anticipation of the reporters that littered the courtroom, the man had a fresh haircut and his black robes were neatly starched.
Given who Jamie's family was, the case made the news. All the dirty details were aired out on social media as well as in the courtroom. And while he hadn't come out looking exactly saintly, his ex was really drug through the mud. People were calling her a gold digger and a whore. He heard she even got some death threats.
"Please be seated," the judge said, settling into his own chair behind the tall wooden platform.
When the courtroom didn't quiet down quickly enough for him, he banged his gavel and warned the spectators that he was within his rights to close the trial to the public and throw them all out. The room settled down rather quickly after that. And as the judge began to speak, diving into the reasons behind the ruling he was about to make. Jamie felt his heart beating wildly in his chest. He turned slightly in his chair, stretching his arm out behind him. He didn't want to turn away from the judge. Especially at such a crucial moment. But he needed the reassurance of his wife's touch.
Rachel leaned forward over her rounded stomach and grabbed Jamie's hand in hers. She clutched it tightly, closing her eyes just long enough to say a silent prayer for him. Rip wrapped his arm around her shoulders, placing his other hand protectively over her belly as he whispered to her. Everything's gonna be okay. Rachel let out a grateful sigh. She kept her hold on Jamie's hand as she leaned into her brother. One way or another, at least this nightmare of a trial would be over after today. Though the possibility of the sweet happy little boy that she'd come to love as much as her own children being ripped away from them terrified her despite her brother's assurances.
The judge was still talking. Rachel noticed many times that the big man liked to hear himself talk. But as he was in full control of all of their fates, not a person in the room was going to challenge his right to blabber his mouth for as long as he desired. But finally, it seemed like his monologue was going somewhere. Rachel perked up, releasing Jamie's hand so he could face completely forward. She smiled softly when she saw that he gripped onto Beth instead, squeezing her hand under the table.
"In the case of Dutton vs. Gallagher I find in favor of the plaintiff," the judge announced. "He is awarded full legal and physical custody of the minor child. And as I believe the mother poses a serious flight risk she will be awarded two supervised visits a month until she establishes permanent residency in the state of Montana or until further order of this court."
"Thank god," Rachel gasped. Rip grabbed her, crushing her against his chest until she squealed. He released her just in time for her to see Jamie's ex-girlfriend Christina leap from her seat and run around to the front of her table. She started screaming at the judge, telling him he was corrupt and she knew the Duttons paid him off.
The judge warned her, telling her that she better calm down or he was going to have the bailiff take her into custody. But that didn't seem to help matters. Instead of returning to her seat, Christina turned her hellcat anger on Jamie. Rachel heard Rip curse under his breath. Both he and John rose to their feet, pushing slightly in front of Rachel in case the deranged woman had any ideas about getting close to her. Rachel stood up just in time to see Christina launch a heavy insulated pitcher of water at Jamie's table. It hit the wood and splattered everywhere. There wasn't supposed to be any photography in the courtroom. But that rule was clearly being broken as every reporter in the place either pushed forward or leaped onto their seats in an attempt to get a video or picture of the wild confrontation.
The court officers were moving in, clearly intending to drag her away. Christina turned on the first one that grabbed her, clawing her fingernails down his face before she rushed the table and made a grab for Jamie. He backed up, still shaking the water from his suit. Beth stepped between them, her hand already balled up into a fist. She cocked her arm back and swung, punching Christina square in the mouth and sending her screaming and flopping down onto the floor. She hit the ground and spat out a tooth before the court officers managed to grab hold of her. As they drug her from the room, the judge finally stopped gaping at the scene and found his voice.
"Miss Gallagher! I find you in contempt of court. You are hereby sentenced to ninety days in jail."
"That's right!," Beth hollered. "...and when you get out I'm gonna kick your ass again!"
"Miss Dutton," the judge warned. "Unless you'd like to join her, I suggest you quiet down and show some respect for this court."
Beth held her hands up in surrender. Since one of them was dripping blood from where she cut it on Christina's tooth, Rachel had to fight the urge to laugh.
"Court is adjourned," the judge said, slapping his gavel down and hurrying back to his chambers before the next pitcher of water could be launched at him. Rip swung his legs over the small partition, pulling a hanky out of his back pocket and wrapping it around Beth's hand to staunch the bleeding. Jamie did the same, climbing over the railing in the opposite direction and pulling Rachel into his arms. She yielded to his embrace immediately, their bodies melting together as much as they could with the large hard swell of her stomach between them. He kissed her like crazy, forgetting for a moment that with all the reporters in the room, their embrace was probably going to end up on the front of a tabloid magazine tomorrow. Jamie finally released his hold on her, moving back slightly to rub his hand over her stomach.
"Should I take you out to dinner to celebrate?," he asked. Rachel shook her head.
"Let's go back to the ranch," she said. "I want to see the boys." She moved her hands to her lower back, attempting to stretch it out after sitting too long on the hard wooden courtroom bench. She wasn't due for another two weeks. But with the amount of pressure she was feeling in her hips and pelvis, she suspected that unlike her other two children, this baby would arrive well ahead of its due date.
"Of course we're going back to the ranch," John agreed, clapping Jamie on the back. "I have a whole celebration dinner planned." Jamie laughed as he briefly considered asking his father what he was going to do with his celebration feast if they didn't win. But it was clear that John walked into the courtroom already knowing what the outcome was about to be. How he was privy to such information, Jamie didn't know. And he quickly decided he didn't want to know.
On the way back to the ranch, Jamie and Rachel snuggled together in the backseat of his dad's large SUV. For the first time in what felt like ages, they didn't have anything to stress over. Rachel chatted a little with John about an event she was going to cater for him. As per usual, he didn't know what he wanted served. Or if he wanted a buffet or a plated dinner. Or how many people were going to be there. Or who they were. Rachel finally laughed him off, telling him she would email Clara later for the details.
Jamie gently gripped Rachel's elbow as she climbed the porch steps. And he kept his hold on her until she got all the way inside and sunk down into one of the overstuffed living room chairs. Just as she was getting comfortable, Beth emerged from the kitchen with a popped bottle of champagne. She poured full glasses for everyone except for Rachel and Monica. They each just got a small sip. Rachel was pregnant. And Monica was still nursing her daughter. They laughed as they clinked their mostly empty glasses together. And Rachel managed to get her one sip down before the boys came rushing at her, both of them trying to climb into her lap at once.
Jamie's older son had his mother's auburn hair and Jamie's dark eyes. In a sharp contrast, the younger of the two boys had Jamie's raven hair and darker coloring with Rachel's bright blue eyes. They looked so different, anyone that didn't know them likely wouldn't immediately realize they were siblings. But that didn't seem to matter to them. Jay was fascinated with his younger brother from the moment he was born. Dakota shared his infatuation with the boy. And she was always quick to correct her stepbrother if she felt he wasn't playing gently enough with their younger sibling.
Rachel laughed at her daughter, watching as Dakota gulped down the glass of champagne that Beth specifically instructed her to sip slowly. When Dakota was done, she headed for Jamie first, throwing her arms around him and squealing when he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. Her dark hair flew back from her face, just the tips of it still tinged with blue. From how happy Dakota was, Rachel guessed that Beth already informed her of the trial outcome. Either that or she was watching social media and saw it before they even got home. Dakota was quite attached to her stepbrother. And the moment Jamie set her down she rushed over to the chair and plucked the boy up off her mother's lap.
"Guess you're not going back to the cabbage patch after all," Dakota teased, peppering the boy's round cheeks with pink lipstick kisses. The boy struggled against her hold, wanting to be let down so he could climb back onto Rachel's lap.
"Lemme go," he squawked, kicking his legs. Everyone in the room cringed back when he let out an ear piercing shriek. Everyone except Dakota, who was laughing like crazy as she continued her assault on the boy.
"Put him down," Jamie huffed, pulling his son from Dakota's arms and returning him to Rachel's lap. "I've told you a hundred times not to make him scream like that." Completely unphased by the scolding she just received, Dakota bounced across the room and wrapped her arms around Carter, kissing him with an excessive amount of tongue until Rip launched a couch pillow in their direction and hollered for them to knock it off.
John shook his head as he poured himself a large glass of brandy, gulping down about half of it before he started trying to corral everyone towards the dining room for dinner. The room still featured dark wood and masculine accents. But over the last year, it had slowly been transformed into a less formal area. There were multiple high chairs scattered around the table. And the walls were now covered in framed prints of Tate's wildlife photography and drawings Dakota did of the ranch horses.
John's new cook entered the dining room, carrying a large platter of breaded chicken cutlets that were smothered in mozzarella cheese. Off to one side, there was also a selection of fried eggplant for Summer. Or whichever one of the kids that decided they suddenly didn't like chicken. A big bowl of spaghetti was passed around next, followed by the salad bowl. The food wasn't Gator good. But it was still good. And Rachel was careful to keep her comments about the menu to herself. She knew John was still a little salty with her for poaching his kitchen staff. But when she decided to branch out from the bakery and start catering, Gator was the obvious person for her to go into business with. And since they catered all John's events for him at a family discount, Rachel really thought he ought to just build a bridge and get over it already.
Rachel set her napkin down and scooted her chair back from the table. She tried not to laugh when Jamie practically leaped to his feet. He took the sippy cup from her hand, encouraging her to stay seated and eat instead of fetching more milk for their son.
"I can get it," Rachel insisted, "I have to pee again anyway."
Bracing one hand on the edge of the table, she grabbed Jamie with the other hand and hauled herself up out of her chair. Rachel made it about three steps before she felt the intense rush of fluid gushing down the insides of her thighs.
"Uh oh," she said, glancing down with some concern at the growing puddle between her bare feet. "I think it might be time."
Beth leaped from her seat, moving so fast that she knocked her chair over backwards. She rushed around to the other side of the table. One look at the puddle on the floor and she began immediately losing her shit.
"It's not supposed to be for two more weeks! Ohmygod! I'm not ready! Isn't the water supposed to break during labor? Does this mean something's wrong? Oh my god, is the baby coming out right now?"
Rip managed to get his arm around his wife. He rubbed her shoulders as he reminded her that the nursery had been ready for a good three months. At Rachel's last appointment, the midwife told them that the baby was considered full term and could come anytime between now and her due date.
"Could someone get me a towel?," Rachel asked, biting back her laughter as Beth's unnecessary panic. Summer came to the rescue, rushing from the room and returning with two large fluffy towels. She tossed the first one onto the floor between Rachel's feet and handed her the second one. Beth looked on in horror as Rachel laid the folded towel down on her dining chair and sat back down at the table.
"Shouldn't we leave for the hospital?," Beth asked, the panic rising in her voice.
"Lemme just finish eating first," Rachel said. "You know the hospital food is trash."
On the other side of the table, Kayce burst into laughter. He'd watched everything else that was happening with his usual quiet detachment. But for some reason, Rachel wanting to finish her chicken parmesan before she left for the hospital to give birth got him right in his funny bone.
"Yer sure you don't need me to be there, right?," he asked. Rachel nodded, smiling at his obvious relief.
"I think we have everything in order," Jamie added. "If there's anything else you need to sign, you can do it when you and Monica bring the kids up to visit after the baby's born."
Kayce had a nod for him and a brief smile for Rachel before he went back to eating his dinner. Rachel guessed that he wasn't sure quite how to feel about the birth of her baby. Especially since he was the biological father. He'd mostly kept away from her during her pregnancy, which was hard since he and Monica lived with them on Jamie's ranch. But there were a few times he asked for Rachel's permission to place his hand over her stomach, feeling the baby move under his palm with a soft smile on his face.
After Rachel heard Beth's version of the events that led up to her being permanently unable to ever have a child of her own, she finally understood the long standing feud between her and Jamie. There was an old festering wound there that seemed to have grown worse over time. And after thinking on it for a while, Rachel decided there was only one way to heal it. The hard part about pulling off her plan was not what she expected. It wasn't getting Jamie on board, though that was a challenge. Or telling John the entire truth about what happened all those years ago. Or convincing Beth to tell Rip the truth, which was heartbreaking for them both. It was talking Kayce into ejaculating in a plastic cup at the doctor's office. Monica was the one that coaxed him into it. And whatever her involvement was in the act, Rachel didn't want to know. The important thing was that she was pregnant with Kayce's baby. A baby that Rip and Beth were officially going to adopt the moment Rachel got herself down to the hospital and had it. Since Rachel was Rip's sister and Kayce was Beth's brother, this baby would be the closest thing to a biological child that the two of them would ever be able to have.
Despite her nonchalance over her water breaking, Rachel realized on the long drive to the hospital that this labor was progressing much faster than her last two. By the time they pulled up outside the Bozeman regional medical center, she couldn't even climb down out of the truck by herself. Rip lifted her up into his arms, rushing through the automatic doors and hollering at the poor woman that had the misfortune of being stationed behind the reception desk at the time of his arrival. The woman stuttered and fumbled with the computer in front of her, asking for Rachel's name and insurance information while Beth hovered nearby, using all her willpower not to hop the desk and strangle her. Rachel cried out in pain as her body tensed with another hard contraction.
"Is this a hospital or a fucking barn? She's about to give birth right here," Beth hollered. "Do your goddamn paperwork later!"
Upon hearing Beth's loud panic, a nurse rushed out from the small check in room. She slammed her hand down on the button that opened the emergency room area up to the waiting area and ushered the noisy group back into an open room. There wasn't much space inside the small exam room. And with three people hovering protectively near the bed, she hardly had room to maneuver her equipment around.
"Which one of you is the father?," she asked. Rip answered affirmatively, raising his hand. The nurse nodded. "Okay, the rest of you need to wait outside the room," she ordered. Rachel gasped slightly, reaching for Jamie and getting a firm grip on his shirt. She needed him to stay.
"I'm not going anywhere," Jamie argued. "I'm her husband."
The nurse glanced between Jamie and Rip with a look of concern, suddenly regretting her willingness to stay past her shift for a little extra overtime.
"Are we going to have a problem in here?," she asked. Beth snorted, eying the nosy bitch with a death stare.
"She's our surrogate," Beth snipped, gesturing to herself and Rip. "This is her husband," she said, pointing to Jamie. Beth wasn't sure if that was a totally accurate description of the situation. But it seemed to be enough to convince the nurse that there wasn't going to be a brawl in her exam room. Rachel released Jamie, grabbing the metal bars on the bed and screaming in pain.
"Alright," the nurse said, gently lifting Rachel's dress up. "I'm going to check you and see how far dilated you are." Rachel nodded, gasping for breath. The nurse pulled the wet towel from between her legs and slid her underwear down. She moved her hands between Rachel's legs, intent on checking her cervix. It wouldn't be the first time a woman had come in dying in pain only for her to find out they were barely even past the first stage of labor. But as she leaned forward to look, the nurse's eyes widened.
"Oh my god I think that's the baby's head," she gasped. Grabbing the little walkie on her shoulder, the nurse pressed the button and started hollering for a doctor. Rachel let out another scream, gripping the metal bars as her face turned about ten different shades of red. And between her legs, a small slippery looking baby appeared. The nurse poked her head out of the room, hollering for the doctor again.
"I've got to get the doctor," she exclaimed as she fled from the room. Beth stared after the woman in disbelief. There was no way that bitch just actually took off running while Rachel was literally shoving a whole baby out of her vagina. And not just any baby. Her baby.
"I'm gonna kill that bitch," Beth huffed.
Seeing that there was still no doctor entering the room, Rip turned and began ripping drawers open. He never had any cause to be present for a human birth. But he'd seen enough cows squeeze one out that he had least had some idea of what to do. He grabbed a blanket from one of the drawers, carefully lifting the baby off the hospital bed and wrapping it up to keep it warm. Since Jamie was busy freaking out over Rachel, Rip handed the baby off to Beth before he turned back and started rifling through the drawers for something to clamp the cord off with.
By the time the poor resident doctor on duty rushed himself into the room, the birth was over. Rachel and the baby were both wrapped in blankets. And the cord had been clamped and cut. And behind him, the runaway nurse had the audacity to show her face again.
"Hold the baby," Beth ordered, handing her small precious bundle off to Jamie. She lifted the edge of the blanket, gripping the afterbirth between her fingers and pulling the big bloody mass up off the hospital cot. She shoved it forcefully at the woman, nearly slapping her in the chest with it. "Do something with that, will ya?," she suggested as the woman looked down at the veiny blob in her bare hands with her face turning pale. Rip cursed under his breath and the young doctor stood there staring at the mess with his mouth open. It was Rachel that broke the silence, exploding into laughter and clutching her stomach.
After some shuffling and some slightly less offensive behavior from Beth, Rachel and the baby were moved a few floors up, to the labor and delivery recovery area. The baby was weighed and declared to be a girl. Rachel was able to rinse off in the shower. And when John, Monica, and Kayce arrived with the kids, there was no evidence left to indicate that the birth had been anything other than routine.
Baby Evelyn was named and passed around so that everyone could admire her big gray eyes and tiny hands and feet. She was officially Beth's daughter. But from the way all the ladies were holding and cuddling her, Jamie suspected that mothering his niece might end up turning into more of a group project.
"I almost forgot," Beth said, fishing a thin folded stack of papers from her purse. She handed them to Jamie with a big smile on her face. He took the papers, feeling slightly nervous as he unfolded them and took a look. He and Beth made their amends. And she seemed sincere about wanting a real relationship with him. But being suspicious of her was a hard habit to break.
"Ohmygod," he gushed. "Is this for real?" Beth laughed.
"Yep," she said, popping the p at the end of the word. "...and me and Rip are gonna watch all the kids for you while you go."
"Go where?," Rachel asked. Jamie turned towards her, his face lit up like it was christmas morning. He handed her the papers, leaning down to kiss her on the lips before he turned back to Beth.
"I've always wanted to go to Alaska," he said. And this was not only a trip to Alaska. It was an all expenses paid trip on the most upscale cruise ship available. With chartered ocean fishing trips and a luxury suite. Plus a first class flight there. The whole thing must have cost Beth a small fortune.
"I know," Beth admitted. Jamie had been talking about going to Alaska someday since they were kids. And since Rachel gifted her a literal entire human, she thought the least she could do was buy them a nice vacation. Especially since she knew they got married in a hurry because of Jamie's custody case and never got to have any honeymoon at all.
"Thank you so much," Rachel said, wiping at her eyes as she flipped through the papers. "You didn't have to do all this." Beth moved in, hugging Rachel first. Then she let Jamie wrap his arms around her, squeezing Beth against his chest and lifting her up off her feet. John watched them from the rocking chair, his newest grandchild nestled safely in his arms with a wide knowing smile on his face. There were always more trials ahead. But as long as they were together, they could face anything.