his ass shots," David said.
"The other one prefers to scold and then just give one in the arm," Robert said.
"I'm not sure which one is worse," Adam Kendall said.
"You have two fathers?" Seth looked at him, his head tilted to the side. Robert was a pretty good judge of men, and he didn't read censure there. Just curiosity and a whole hell of a lot of fatigue.
"Lusty and Divine have more than one thing in common," Adam said then. He came all the way into the room. "There's a room waiting for you and your son at the bed-and-breakfast. Once the docs get Jayne settled, I'll be happy to take you over there."
"I'm not leaving her," Seth said.
Robert could appreciate the emotions running through the man at the moment. If it had been just the two of them, Robert would have no problem letting Seth stay all night. He nodded to the baby asleep in his arms. "You'll want to go and eat, and then get some rest. Spend some time with your son. We'll take care of Jayne. If you don't want her flown to the hospital in Waco - "
"I don't. Not unless it becomes absolutely, medically necessary." Seth sighed. He looked from his woman to his baby.
"It's not. We've a room here she can sleep in, and I promise you, she won't be alone, not even for a moment. But why not take my Jeep? You can follow Adam so he can show you where everything in town is, and that way you can come back when you're ready."
Seth looked down at himself.
Robert followed his gaze and knew the blood that had dried on his clothing belonged to his woman.
"Thanks, Dr. Jessop. Hell, I do need a shower and a change of clothes. I don't suppose there's a store in town here that sells clothes for both baby and man."
David laughed. He adjusted the IV drip that was providing Jayne with necessary fluids and the last little bit of happy juice as Robert finished stitching her wound.
"I don't think Seth is going to need a store, is he, Adam?" Robert asked.
"Hell, no. Waiting room is full already."
"I don't understand." Seth looked from him to Adam.
"Family tradition," David said. "Whenever something happens to one of our own, folks gather. Word would have already gone out that we'd have three overnight guests."
"Kate got on that before I could even ask her to," Adam said.
"Kate?" Seth looked like a man trying to keep up with the action at a fast and furious tennis match.
"Kate Benedict. We all call her Grandma Kate," Adam explained.
"That woman has better communication lines than the Pentagon," Robert said.
"She's amazing," David agreed.
Robert applied an antibacterial spray to the stitches he'd just finished, and then gently taped gauze in place over it.
"Kate is a force of nature," Adam said, "and the head of the combined families. Bottom line, everything you're going to need overnight - from the room, to clothes for all of you, and food for this little guy is out in the waiting room, ready when you are."
"But we're not family," Seth said.
"I think Kate would likely disagree with you on that one," Robert said.
"Seth."
Carter got to his feet and bent over Jayne. She smiled, and he gave her a light, reverent kiss. "I'll be fine here. You eat and take care of our baby."
Robert didn't have all the details, but something about the way she'd said that - or maybe it was the words themselves - put a look of pride on Seth's face.
"Okay, baby, but only because you asked it. I love you. And I'll never forget what you did for our boy."
Chapter 24
It's only been six months, but look how my life has changed!
As she stood with her cowboys waiting to greet arriving guests, it occurred to Carrie that something as simple as answering a newspaper ad for a job - which she had done mostly because the name of the restaurant had intrigued her - had been the beginning of an entirely new, and perfectly wonderful life.
"What's got you smiling, sugar?"
"Aside from the fact that practically the entire town is about to show up here," Brian said, "and congratulate us for becoming officially engaged."
"I was just thinking how sometimes the greatest moments in life come without fanfare. You make what you think is a simple choice and you have no idea that you're actually changing everything in the most profound way possible."
"Ah." Chase smiled. "Like answering an ad in the paper,