Nate stirred it with the wooden spoon she’d left behind, and she flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks.” She took the spoon from him, easily swishing it through the water with the baby in her arms.
Nate gazed down at the baby, and Hannah made a quick decision. “Would you?” She passed him the baby before he could protest, though alarm registered in his eyes.
“I can’t—”
“You’re going to be a dad in little more than a month,” Hannah said. Nate met her gaze, and when he looked back at baby Frannie, he wore a brand new softness in his eyes and around his mouth.
“See?” she said, turning her attention back to the pot. She drove the spoon down to the bottom of it to make sure she got any stuck pasta off and smiled. “You’re a natural already.”
The baby grunted and snuggled right into Nate’s chest, and Hannah swore she heard him sigh in contentment. Whether he did or not, Hannah knew he’d be a very good father, because she’d seen the love and attention he gave to his brother’s son.
Nate had had Connor for a few years now, and everyone on the ranch loved the little boy, but no one more than Nate. Hannah had no idea what it would be like to lose a sibling, as she had two older sisters she couldn’t get to stop calling and texting her.
Did she want to go to lunch on Wednesday?
Could she watch Maisey and Diane for a few hours on Saturday?
Why couldn’t she come on Sunday for dinner?
Honestly, no one could understand why she didn’t want to drive forty-five minutes to be assaulted with questions about who she was dating, when she’d get married, or why she’d broken up with the last guy she’d been with.
She’d stopped texting her sisters the moment a new man asked her out, and she’d stopped telling Mama about them right from the beginning. Now, Hannah waited at least three months before even mentioning she’d started seeing someone new.
She hadn’t mentioned Chuck at all, and they’d been dating for three and a half months. She probably should, because Chuck treated her like a queen, and telling her family about him would open doors Hannah had kept closed.
Purposefully closed.
She frowned as the image of the handsome cowboy who’d come to the ranch last year blitzed through her mind. Luke Holt.
She hadn’t told her family about Chuck, because she still hoped Luke would come back to the ranch.
Ridiculous, she thought. It had been months since he’d left, and while she’d seen him over the New Year holiday, they didn’t speak often. Hardly ever would be a more accurate description of their level of conversation.
Hannah hadn’t been able to drive him from her mind, though, and she could admit she hadn’t even tried.
She brought the spoon up and separated one noodle from the others to test how done it was. She’d dumped the pasta in the boiling water only moments before Emma and Ted had walked through the front door at the West Wing, and she’d forgotten to set a timer.
The rigatoni barely had any bite left, and she quickly turned off the flame and lifted the pot off the burner. She hadn’t gotten out the colander yet, and she cursed herself for getting distracted. At the same time, a baby was a worthy distraction, and she set the pot in the sink and turned to get the colander out of the cupboard.
With the pasta draining, she stepped over to the slow cooker to check on the marinara and meatballs. She’d put that together this morning, in anticipation of Ted and Emma bringing their baby back to the ranch today.
Everything looked ready in the slow cooker, and she took out her phone and sent a text to the group string. Dinner’s ready. Come when you can. There’s plenty for all.
Before she knew it, the back door opened, and voices filled the space. Hannah scurried about getting down plates and setting out forks. She opened three bags of Caesar salad and mixed it all up.
Ginger came to stand beside her. “This looks amazing, Hannah.” She put her arm around her shoulder, and Hannah grinned at her. She leaned into her friend’s hug, because she enjoyed the human touch.
“This is going to be you in a month.”
Ginger put her hand on her very pregnant belly and smiled. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Hannah asked. “What do you mean?”
Anxiety blipped in Ginger’s eyes. “I just mean…I’m silly, of course.” She tried to laugh, but it honestly sounded like a strangled croak. “Most women survive childbirth. Heck, Emma’s done it twice.”
“Survive childbirth?” Hannah stared at Ginger, trying to make her words like up. “You’re worried you won’t survive?”
Ginger swallowed. “It’s irrational, I know. Some people do die giving birth.”
“Ginger, you’re going to be at the hospital,” Hannah said in a firm voice. “There will be a lot of doctors and nurses, and you’re going to be fine.”
The redhead nodded, and Hannah couldn’t quite believe the normally strong, powerful, and knowledgeable woman was scared of having a baby. She wanted to wrap Ginger in a tight hug and reassure her over and over.
“Hey, beautiful,” Nate said, sweeping his arm around Ginger and stealing her away. He surely told her she’d be fine, and Hannah understood having unexplained fears. After all, she lived in fear every day that she’d never find the right man for her, no matter how many dates she went on and how many men she went out with.
“All right,” Jill said, setting a huge tray of garlic bread on the counter. “Quiet down. Quiet!”
The chatter in the house stopped then, because Jill had a loud voice and a fun, vibrant personality. Everyone loved her, and she loved everyone she met. She and Slate Sanders, Luke’s best friend, had gotten engaged just before Christmas, and Jill wanted a spring wedding with a lot of flowers. Bluebonnets, poppies, lilies, roses, daisies, everything. Those had been Jill’s words.
They’d selected a date in late April, to make sure both babies had come, and that life would be somewhat normal before Slate and Jill left the ranch for their honeymoon. The time between seasons was one of the busiest, but Ginger had assured Jill that she could have her spring wedding.
Hannah wanted her to have it, even if it made her throat tighten and squeeze as if she’d swallowed a capful of vinegar.
“All right,” Jill said, looking at Hannah. She smiled and nodded, as if to say, Go on, now. Tell ‘em what we’ve got.
Hannah smiled back at her, feeling the world narrow. Jill still lived in the West Wing, but in just two more months, she’d be gone. Only Hannah would be left, and she wasn’t sure she could survive in the huge house alone.
She’d told herself over and over that her friends lived nearby. Heck, Ginger and Emma lived in cabins only a hundred yards from the West Wing. Jess and Dallas lived in town, but it only took ten minutes to get there. Jill and Slate had claimed a cabin too, and Hannah wouldn’t truly be alone.
She would be, though, and she knew it.
Talk about irrational fears, she thought just before opening her mouth. “It’s nothing fancy, but one of Ted’s favorite foods is spaghetti and meatballs, and I’ve heard Emma say more than once that she could eat garlic bread for every meal.” She smiled at her friend, working hard to keep the emotion out of her voice.