Page 134 of Omega's Refuge

She hesitated, then perched on a chair near the sofa. “Is it sleeping through the night yet?”

I laughed at her use of the word “it” but chalked that up to the fact she was uncomfortable around me. Plus, she’d never had kids so the baby probably made her nervous. “No.” I grimaced. “Scott is still waking up every two hours to feed.”

“Ahh.” She nodded, clasping her hands. “How’s the crib working out?”

I smiled. “At the moment, Scott is in our room, but once I’m brave enough to let him sleep on his own, the crib will be a life saver. Thank you for buying it for us, Mrs. Rodwell.”

She sighed. “Well, it was the least I could do.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond and was glad when Rex sat beside me and joined in the conversation. “That cribs a beauty. You didn’t have to buy the bedding too, but we sure appreciate it.”

Mrs. Rodwell relaxed a bit when Rex came to sit beside me. “Oh, I wanted to add a personal touch to the gift. I thought the little zebras were adorable.”

I laughed. “They are. Zebras are one of my favorite animals.”

Mrs. Rodwell lifted her brows. “Are they?”

“Yep.”

She looked pleased. “I’m so glad. That works out even better.”

She was being so pleasant, it was a bit unnerving. I hadn’t seen much of her since our talk at the laundry shed. But today I was getting glimpses of the actual warmth she usually only reserved for Rex and the guests.

“Would you like to hold the baby?” I offered.

She widened her eyes. “Oh, goodness, no. I don’t want to wake it. Plus, I don’t know a darn thing about holding a baby. My brother has two kids, but he lives in New York and I’ve never met them.”

“You’ve never met your nieces or nephews?” I squeaked.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she looked embarrassed. “I’m not close to my brother. He’s never invited me and I’ve never offered to visit. Now it’s just too late. The kids don’t know me at all.”

Rex nodded. “As I recall, your brother wasn’t the nicest guy growing up?”

Dropping her gaze, Mrs. Rodwell frowned. “No, he took after my father. He’s a rather misogynistic fellow, just like Dad. Never approved of me working. He almost had a strokewhen I took over running the ranch. He wanted to sell after our parents died, but I bought him out and kept the place going.”

“That’s commendable,” I murmured.

She sighed. “I always loved this place. He never did. He always preferred the city, but I liked the quiet of the ranch.”

“I like it too.” I smiled. “I don’t miss the city at all.”

She nodded and then said softly, “I’m glad you ended up settling here with Rex.”

I hesitated. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I don’t think you always felt that way.”

“No, I didn’t. But I was wrong about you, Tanner.” Her cheeks were flushed as she met my gaze. “I was wrong about a lot of things.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

She grimaced. “I’ve thought about some of the things I said to you. If I’m honest, I’m embarrassed about how I behaved.”

I lifted one shoulder. “It’s okay, Mrs. Rodwell. We all make mistakes.”

“I guess, but still.” She winced. “I’ve seen how happy Rex is with you in his life. I was jaded and rude to you, Tanner. I don’t know if it matters, but I’ve changed my thinking on most things.”

I smiled weakly. “Hey, you bought us a really nice crib. I’m not holding any grudge against you.”

“I appreciate that.” She laughed stiffly. “But I want you to know I truly am happy for you and Rex. You’re a very good match, despite the nonsense I spouted before. I’m glad you knew what you wanted and ignored the foolish things I said to you.”

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