Page 216 of Burn the Wild

“Ford,” Reese murmurs. She sounds dazed as she stares up at the two of us. “You should probably let in the cavalry.”

“Two more minutes,” I grumble.

Our entire family is camped out in the waiting room waiting for word on the new Montgomery. But hell, I’m a selfish bastard, wanting to keep my wife and my baby all to myself. A few more seconds ofjust us.

Finally, carefully, I place our son in Reese’s arms and whip open the door. “All right, get in here.”

Excited squeals and hushed whispers surround me as our family crowds inside the room, enclosing the bed in a loose semi-circle.

“He’s so precious,” Dakota breathes, one hand on her very pregnant belly. “How do you feel?”

Reese smiles. “Like a horse ripped me in half.”

Davis jostles both Duke and Lainie in his arms, always an excuse to show off his muscles. “Hands full, brother,” Davis says, somehow slapping me on the back.

I nod, tickling Lainie in the side. “Damn straight.”

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Charlie growls. “What’s his name?”

I look at my wife.

“His name is Ellis,” Reese breathes. “Ellis James Montgomery.”

“The most perfect name,” Ruby says, her voice quivering. She steps forward to place a bouquet of wild bluebells on the dresser. She looks down at us, then throws her arms around me. “I’m so happy for you.”

I squeeze her tight. “Thanks, Fairy Tale.”

Wyatt chuckles, grinning down at Ellis, wrapped tight in a blue bandana-print swaddle. “Kid already looks like an outlaw.”

Fallon, a dusty cowboy hat shading her eyes, lifts a bottle of whiskey and a box of cigars. Her limp is barely noticeable as she shuffles forward. “For when Mom and Dad need to party.”

Reese laughs. “Try me in about five years.”

“Excuse me.”

We all look down at the bright chirp of sound. Releasing her father’s hand, Meadow squeezes through Charlie’s legs. My three-year-old niece is all sass and sunlight. Thank fuck, she takes after her mother and not my grumpy-ass brother.

“Miss Merry Meadow,” I drawl, flashing a grin. “Fancy meetin’ you here.” The bond I have with my niece is forged in fucking steel. Anything that little girl wants, she only needs to ask.

With unabashed bravery, Meadow climbs up on the bed beside Reese. Smiling, Reese curls her in her free arm. With wide blue eyes, Meadow pokes Ellis’s blanket and asks, “Is this my brother?”

I chuckle.

Ruby and Charlie share an amused look. Meadow knows the story that Reese was a safe place for her to grow before she was born.

“Not your brother,” I tell her. “But you two are gonna be pretty close.”

“Then he’s my best buddy,” she announces, decided.

I press a hand to my heart, pretending to be offended. “What about me? I thought you and I were cool, kid.”

She giggles.

Charlie peers close at the bundle in my arms, his rugged face softening. “Looks like a Montgomery.”

Pride swells in my chest. There’s a burning sensation at the back of my eyes, and I don’t bother to chase it away. “He is.”

“Three more,” Davis says, evaluating our family. “And we’ll have a full baseball team.”

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