Whispers of Moonlight (22 page)

"Two boys!" Dr. Creamer's voice was Jovial. "Twin boys, Rebecca.
You're going to have your hands full!"

Rebecca managed a smile as her second son was passed into her arms. She had been so tired, but a jolt of excitement passed through her as she held him. Suddenly she felt like she could take on the world. Angel placed her first son in the crook of her arm.

"They're so tiny," Rebecca said with half a sob. "I can't believe how small they
are."

Both babies had been crying, but now one, the second to be born, stopped abruptly.

"It's all right," Rebecca crooned to the first baby, everyone else in the room forgotten. She noticed that her quiet son was staring at her.

"Hello there," she whispered, and laughed breathlessly. "You're here," she said in wonder. "You're finally here." Again she gave a soft, incredulous laugh, and the first baby stopped crying as well.

"Do you feel better?" Rebecca asked softly, her head turned into his face. His tiny brow was creased in evident concentration, and Rebecca laughed in delight. She startled both babies in the process, and after a few minutes they began to howl again. Angel laughed as well and Rebecca turned, only just realizing she'd been there all along.

"I did it," she told the older woman, a smile stretching the corners of her mouth. Angel felt something clench around her heart. She hadn't seen such a look of joy and hope on Rebecca's face in many weeks.

"You did it," she agreed softly, clearing her throat. She wanted to say more, but her emotions were too close to the surface. These babies were so tiny, so vulnerable. It was easy to see how the cemetery could be filled with little graves. How did ones so small and helpless make it to adulthood?

Dr. Creamer interrupted her thoughts, and Angel's attention came back to the moment. Both babies were now crying in full voice, but Angel listened carefully as he explained to Rebecca how to care for them in the hours and days to come.

"They're both hungry, Rebecca. Nursing won't be comfortable at first, but the sooner you start to feed them the better. Come for me, Angel, if there's any problem."

With that he was gone, and Rebecca, still flat on her back, was left to Angel's care. Angel propped her up immediately, jostling the wailing infants in the
process, and then helped Rebecca start nursing. It was a long process. Angel, bent over the bed, thought she would never be able to straighten her back again before the babies settled in and began to suck, but it was infinitely satisfying to have everything go quiet and to watch their little mouths work.

"Does it hurt?" Angel asked quietly. Her mother had never gotten this far.

Rebecca looked up, her face still alight with wonder. "Not really, but it feels strange."
Travis should be here.
The unbidden thought invaded her mind and wouldn't leave.
I've had his babies. I've had Travis' babies. I never dreamed how that would feel. Will I see his face when I look at them? Will they grow up and ask me where he is? Will they shoot up and lower over me with tall strength as he did?

"Rebecca, are you all right?"

Rebecca's eyes flew to her friend. "I think so. Why did you ask?"

"Your face," Angel told her. "You looked as if you were in pain."

"I was thinking of their father," she admitted with a deep throb of agony. "I wonder what he would think."

Angel's eyes grew hard. "He should have given consideration to that before he married a woman for her property and slept with her without giving a thought to the consequences."

But I ran from him,
Rebecca's heart reminded her. She didn't know what she was feeling. It was all too much to take in. She had given birth to Travis' twin boys. What if she'd been all wrong about him? She could be robbing the boys of a wonderful life with their father. Thanks to Aunt Hannah's and her father's choices, she had been forced to live most of her life without her own father. Could she really do the same thing to her sons?
You're a father, Travis,
her heart cried before she shook her head slightly to dispel the image of his face; it was all too painful right now.

One of the babies had stopped nursing and lay asleep in the curve of her arm. A large wooden cradle had been set up in the corner of the room, but when she asked Angel to take the baby, Angel kept him in her arms. Another ten minutes passed before the other baby joined his brother in sleep, and after Rebecca was made more comfortable, the women, each with a baby in her arms, sat and looked at the wonders before them.

"What are you going to call these little ones?" Angel asked after a quiet few minutes. "I don't think Sarah and Emily are going to work."

Rebecca laughed. Those had been the only names she could put to her babies for the last few days. She looked down into their faces, both sound asleep, her eyes thoughtful.

"Tell me again who was born first," Rebecca asked after a moment-Angel shifted the baby in her arms. "This one. He was born first, and I put him in your right arm. This guy," Angel now touched the downy soft head of the baby in Rebecca's left arm, "came about eight minutes later."

Rebecca nodded, her look content.

"You've decided," Angel said, smiling.

"Yes. You're holding Garrett, and this," Rebecca shifted her bundle, "will be Wyatt."

"Garrett and Wyatt Buchanan." Angel smiled as she said the names.

"Garrett Wagner Buchanan, and Wyatt Andrew Buchanan," Rebecca corrected her, and Angel's grin widened.

"Why Wagner?"

"It's my maiden name."

"And Andrew?"

"My father's name."

Angel nodded. "He would have been proud of you, Becky."

Angel's words brought tears to Rebecca's eyes, and seeing them. Angel knew her own were very close to the surface. She didn't want to cry. She stood, Garrett cradled close against her.

"I think maybe I'll put this one to bed."

Rebecca watched as she moved to the cradle, placing Garrett gently within. She did not protest when Angel came back for Wyatt. The young mother was suddenly very tired. Angel kept these kinds of hours on a regular basis, but Rebecca was often in bed asleep by 9:00.

"Sleep now." Angel, back at her side, easily read the fatigue in her eyes.

"All right. Thanks, Angel."

"Sure, Becky. If you need something, pound on the wall. If not, I'll see you in the morning."

Rebecca thanked her again and watched as she turned the lantern low and left the room. Feeling tired herself. Angel walked down the hall, looking forward to a good night's sleep. She had always called herself the world's hardest sleeper, but the babies cried three more times in the night, and Angel woke every time in order to assist Rebecca. It was the longest night of the women's lives.

Boulder

"You don't look like you've slept at all!" Lavena accused Travis the next morning.

He didn't answer her or even look up, but tucked into his breakfast without comment. While it was true that he hadn't slept all night, he didn't care to talk about it. He'd just about given up looking for Rebecca. He'd ridden to other towns and run another ad, but to no avail. But after last night, he thought he might search again. He had not been able to get her from his mind. So tortured was he that sleep had been miles away. Maybe she died last night. Maybe she'd been hurt. He didn't know, but that his heart told him something profound had happened.

Lucky Harwell chose that moment to join him at the breakfast table. Both men were silent as Lavena put a plate in front of the Double Star foreman. Lucky had little to say this morning, and that suited Travis fine. He was in no mood for small talk. They ate, reached for their hats, and walked to the barn, all without need for speech. In Travis' mind, the days stretched on without purpose or hope, but Lucky's mind was in a different place all together,

Travis gave little thought to this as the day progressed, but when evening came and they sat again at
Lavena's perfectly prepared table and evening meal, Lucky spoke.

"Margo is pregnant. Her father says we have to get married."

Travis looked at the younger man.

"You're certain it's yours?"

Lucky's face flushed with anger. "Margo's not like that. She doesn't see anyone else and never has."

Although Travis felt angry much of the time now, he was sorry he'd said anything. He had no reason to think that Margo's baby might be some other man's, but he was spoiling for a fight and spoke the first words that came to mind. He knew it wasn't fair to take out his own feelings on Lucky.

"How serious is her father?"

"Freeman Roderick? You know what his temper is like. He's threatened me twice."

"Well, do you love the girl or not?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then what's the problem?"

Lucky wouldn't speak or even look at his boss. It wasn't hard for Travis to figure out. He even managed a note of kindness when he said, "No man wants to be forced. Lucky, but if you love her, you'll put your pride away. I would guess from the little I've seen of Margo that she loves you too. Don't let that slip away,
Lucky. You may never find it again."

Lucky looked at his employer with surprised eyes. He'd never heard Travis open up like that. Indeed, since Andrew Wagner had died and Rebecca had left, he was one of the most
closed-mouthed men Lucky had ever known.

"I would probably be living in town," Lucky said seriously.

"That's fine. You'll still have your job. I may even see my way clear to give you a raise."

They fell silent again now, each busy with his own thoughts—Lucky thinking how much he did love Margo, and Travis trying to picture Rebecca with a child. In some ways she had been little more than a child herself, so for him the image was impossible. Considering how short a time they'd lived as husband and wife, it was also improbable. By the time
Lavena brought dessert, he'd dismissed the possibility from his mind.

Dan held Wyatt in his lap and smiled at the intent way the boy watched the red ribbon in Dan's large hand. No matter where he moved the satin strip, the baby's eyes followed. He was captivated with the red object. Dan had been holding three-month-old Wyatt for nearly an hour, and the little guy hadn't made a sound. He'd been so quiet that he'd given his mother a chance to fall asleep while nursing Garrett.

Dan looked across the room at her. Rebecca was in the rocking chair, a quilt over the baby and herself. From the lack of movement under the blanket, Dan guessed that Garrett had fallen asleep as well. It seemed to Dan that that was all Rebecca and the babies did lately. The house was not as clean as it had been, and Rebecca was taking even less notice of her clothing and looks. Dan shook
his head.

He'd never had an interest in any woman who wasn't a picture of loveliness, style, and grace. Well, Rebecca was lovely and she was graceful, but Dan thought that a hound dog would probably have more interest in the latest fashions. But what was even more remarkable were his feelings. He loved this woman. He loved her as he'd never loved anyone in his life.

He'd been completely flabbergasted when she'd had the babies while he was away. The boys had been nearly 24 hours old by the time he'd seen them. And a part of him had been very hurt. There was nodiing Rebecca could have done to stem the tide of their delivery, but Dan had dreamed of being there for months, thinking as always that his presence was the way to show her his heart.

The hardest part of all was that it still wasn't working. He'd told himself that with time he would win her, but it had been nearly a year. His feelings had not lessened in any way, but he was starting to lose hope. He knew she cared for him and appreciated his help and friendship, but she wanted nothing more personal. From time to time Dan had tried in subtle ways to court her and show his love, but she always saw through it. In her sweetest voice she would tell him to find a better woman, one who could give him her whole heart. He never said it aloud, but in truth he would have taken whatever portion of her heart she could give. The fact that she was a married woman didn't bother him in the least.

He knew she'd come from Boulder, and the times he had been tempted to ride there and find Travis Buchanan were legion. One thing stopped him: What if Travis had never wanted her to leave? What if the faceless Mr. Buchanan wanted Mrs. Buchanan back? Dan knew that such a thing could happen and happen easily. After all
he
wanted her with every fiber of his being. What man wouldn't? No, Dan was no fool. He was not about to take the risk of bringing on a reunion by doing something so foolish as confronting Rebecca's husband. Curious as he was, he would remain in Pine Grove and try to claim Rebecca's heart, futile though his efforts seemed.