Love’s Sweet Revenge(24)

Evie sat on a blanket with Brian under a huge pine tree that had its branches cut off at the bottom so people could use it for shade. Randy thanked God for Brian Stewart every night in her prayers. He’d been a godsend for their family, not only as a good doctor who’d literally saved Jake’s life more than once, but also as the perfect man for Evie—attentive, caring, steady, and solid. What happened back in Oklahoma might have destroyed some marriages, but not theirs. Evie was so good-hearted and trusting that she needed a man who had a delicate but sure way of handling her. Helping her through her ordeal was something few men could have managed.

Randy walked closer to Jake and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s nice to watch our growing family, isn’t it?”

Jake smoked quietly for several long seconds before answering. “Do all those beautiful children and grandchildren really belong to us?”

“All from your seed, Jake Harkner.”

He looked her over suggestively. “I believe you had a little bit to do with it,” he told her with a sly grin.

She squeezed his shoulder. “If you hadn’t forced me to submit to you in the back of that wagon all those years ago, we wouldn’t have all this.”

“Forced you?” He reached up and grasped her wrist. “Woman, you all but said, take me—take me!”

Randy pulled her hand away. “Oh, you can be so cocky sometimes!” They both grinned, and Randy sat down in a rocking chair nearby. She studied the man beside her. How he’d survived everything he’d been through in life she’d never understand, but here he sat, still tough and strong and sure and able. Only she knew how hard he struggled with physical pain he never talked about. His emotional pain was worse. A preacher back in Oklahoma had helped him deal with his inner demons, but it would never all go away.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Lloyd and Katie rode up to the porch, both sitting on a big roan gelding with only a blanket on its back. Lloyd kept an arm around Katie, who was perched in front of him and sitting sideways, a towel over her arm. “Can you two watch after Stephen and Tricia for a couple of hours?” he asked.

“While you and that beautiful woman sitting in front of you do what?” Jake asked teasingly. He loved to make Katie blush. She smiled and looked away.

“Nothing you and Mom haven’t done a hundred and twenty-five thousand times,” Lloyd shot back.

Jake broke into hearty laughter. “You underestimate us, son. I think it’s probably been more than that.”

“Yeah, well, you need to keep yourself out of trouble, or Katie and I will never catch up on more important things. Now that we know Evie is carrying, we have to keep this little contest going and have the next babies within a couple of months of each other, like Tricia and Sadie were. I can’t let Brian outdo me.”

“I have a feeling that will never happen,” Jake said with a wide grin. “And you know you don’t need to ask us to keep an eye on Button here.” He looked at Tricia and winked. She shot Jake a bright smile that showed the dimples in her cheeks Jake liked to kiss. “Now get going. We have a lot of work ahead of us starting tomorrow, but you’ll probably be too damn tired from the fun stuff.”

“That will be the day.” Lloyd turned the horse. “We’re going swimming down by the pond,” he called back as he rode off.

Jake watched after them. “He looks like a damn Indian,” he remarked.

Randy smiled. “You’re always saying that. He has beautiful hair, and Katie likes it long. They’re so happy now, Jake.”

“I’m glad.” Jake tossed his cigarette stub and rubbed at his eyes. “That thing with Beth—”

“It’s over, Jake.”

He rested his elbows on his knees. “Do you think he really has forgiven me for all of that?”

“Jake, that young man would die for you. So would Evie. And I love that he’s turning out to be so much like you—his sense of humor, his thoughtfulness, his ability to love.”

“Yeah, well, I have plenty of other traits I’d just as soon he didn’t take after.”

“He’s a good father and a good husband, and so are you.”

He grinned and shook his head. “Woman, you just won’t admit to the other Jake Harkner, will you?”

“Why should I? I know the real Jake, and he’s a good man.”

Jake glanced at his granddaughters, who were hugging their dolls. “I just hope being related to me doesn’t bring disaster to these precious little girls, or to Stephen or Little Jake.”

“It won’t. The past is past, Jake.”