Page 5 of Her Cowboy's Valentine

Her heart squeezed. He was calling her mommy less and less.

“Yes, honey?” She brushed back his dark hair. For the most part, the boys favored their father’s good looks, but Aaron had her lips.

“I want… beach.” He laid his head back down.

Rebecca chuckled. “It’s not beach weather right now.”

“Hmm?”

She shook her head. She doubted he would remember their conversation later.

Rebecca kissed his forehead and eased off the bed. She went to the kitchen. Yesterday, she had made pancakes, enough for leftovers, and she placed some on a plate to heat up when Liam entered the kitchen.

“Good morning,” she said. “I was just about to make us coffee.”

“I got it. How did you sleep?”

“My back’s a little sore,” she admitted.

“But more rested? You look it.”

“I think so. I hope so.”

Liam smiled. “Good.”

“Any chance you can pick up the kids from your mom’s today?” she asked.

His grimace answered for him.

“It’s fine,” she said quickly.

She had hoped for a little bit of time to go out and find Liam a gift, but maybe she could slip away during her lunch break. It wasn’t as if she had an idea what to get him.

Whenever she was nervous or anxious, Rebecca would rub the back of the small cross on the necklace she always wore, and she rubbed it now.

Liam took her hand in his. “I can do it. I’ll just have to bring them back to the ranch with me.”

“They’ll love that.”

“If Aaron didn’t tend to run off, I would bring him to the ranch every day,” he said.

“I know. By the time he’ll behave enough for that, he’ll be in kindergarten.”

He snorted. “I know. I’ve already thought that. Not many kids running around the ranch anymore.”

A few of the other cowboys had brought their kids to the ranch. The laughter and their delight day in and day out had always made Rebecca feel happy. Having three children of her own fulfilled her.

So did being a wife and all of the other hats she wore.

“Mommy? When can I go to the ranch all day?” Aaron asked, entering the kitchen.

“We’re going to on Saturday, aren’t we?” Mary asked. “I want syrup please.”

Rebecca nodded and eyed her husband. “Any pancakes for you?”

“I need to head out. Mary, you and Jacob will take the bus here. I’ll be waiting, and we’ll head over to Mimi’s to grab Aaron, and then I’ll take you all to the ranch today. How does that sound?”

“But Mimi was going let me help make cookies today,” Mary protested.

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