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She moved toward the second bay, where a light gray truck had been lifted up so Cord could work underneath it. He came around the front of it, a blue rag in his hands. He saw her, and his face brightened. “Hey, sugar.”
As soon as he’d spoken, his face fell. “What’s wrong?” He tossed away the cloth and came toward her quickly. “Your parents? An uncle?”
She shook her head, her tears thick now. “Cord.” She reached him and grabbed onto him. He easily folded her into his arms, the strength she found there beyond measure.
“Talk to me,” he said.
“A baby,” she whispered through a too-tight throat. “I’m going to have a baby.”
Cord held very still; he didn’t even seem to be breathing. “Did I hear you right? Because it sounded like you said you were going to have a baby.”
She pulled back and grinned at him. She nodded, and his face broke from the stoic mask she knew so well to one of pure joy. He started to laugh, and oh, how she loved that sound. “Janey,” he said, and that was all he needed to say.
He said her name like that when he was happy, like he was now. When he had something serious to talk about. When he wanted her opinion. When he was worried and needed her reassurance. When he needed her to know he loved her. For everything.
“You’re in your head,” he said next.
Jane blinked and looked at him. “I’m having a lot of thoughts,” she admitted.
“Yeah, you’ve stopped talking.” He grinned at her. “Let’s go to lunch.”
“I forgot to stop for lunch. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“Nothing sounds good,” she said as he led her toward the big sink at the back of the shop. He started to wash up. “Everything makes me sick.”
“Everything?”
“All the smells,” she said.
“Here in the shop?”
“Food smells,” she said. “I was just going to get you some hamburgers and fries.”
“And that doesn’t sound good? You love French fries.”
“I can try them,” she said. “I’ve been like this since Thanksgiving. Remember I thought the stuffing was undercooked?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed a couple of paper towels and dried his hands. He faced her again, pure radiance pouring from him. “Janey, I can’t believe you’re gonna have my baby.” He brought her close again and swayed with her. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” She touched her lips to his. “I hope it’s a boy, and we can raise him to be a cowboy mechanic just like you.”
“I hope it’s a girl and that she looks exactly like you,” he whispered back. “You’re my everything, Janey.”
“And you’re mine,” she said. “Let’s go to lunch, and I want to talk about building a house.”
He stepped back and lifted his eyebrows. He didn’t have to say anything for her to know what ran through his head.
“For real, Cord-baby,” she said, threading her fingers through his. “I know you’ve just glossed over it, but there’s nothing in Cherry Creek or Ivory Peaks that we want. And if we build, then there will be exactly what we want.”
“You never get exactly what you want,” Cord said.
Jane grinned at him as they left the shop, and he turned back to lock the door. “You’re wrong about that, baby. I got you, and we’re having a baby.”
six
Opal glanced up as her cousin Jane sat beside her. An instant smile came to her face. “Hey.” She leaned over and touched her cheek to Jane’s as her husband Cord sat beside her.
