A Baby of Her Own (Dundee, Idaho #1)(72)
Author: Brenda Novak

Conner crossed the lawn, put an arm around her and, even with Grady, Ben, Isaiah, Dottie and Roy looking on, lifted her chin with one finger. “I love you, too,” he said, and gave her a kiss.

“Now beat it,” he growled to the others, who had started to clap.

EPILOGUE

CONNER SAT ON HIS HORSE, partway up the mountain, and watched the tractors in the valley below start to grade and level the dirt where the lodge would soon stand. He could hardly believe it was happening. The ground-breaking was a little later than he’d scheduled—he’d run into problems with the engineering of the golf course—but construction was now under way, and if everything went according to plan, they’d have their grand opening in May of the following year.

He thought about Stephen, Dwight and Jonathan, and grinned. They’d been so skeptical at first, so sure he’d never get this far. They pretended not to care that he was even trying, but he heard bits and pieces of what they said through his mother, and he knew it was driving them crazy that he’d figured out a way to save the ranch. Not only to save it but to make it pay off with such potentially high returns.

Or maybe it wasn’t the money that bothered them. They had plenty of money. Maybe it was the words of praise his grandfather lavished on his efforts. Either way, Conner didn’t really care. Somehow his uncles and even his past seemed like such a small part of his life now. He had other things to think about, bigger things, like his wife, his baby, his dreams.

He heard the QuadRunner he’d bought for Delaney—to keep her off a horse until after she had the baby—and turned to see his wife slowly driving up the hill. She was coming to join him for the big moment. It was something they wanted to share.

“Don’t tell me they’ve already started,” she said, her voice tinged with disappointment as she cut the engine.

Conner got down from his horse and held out a hand to help her off the squat, four-wheeled motorcycle, admiring the healthy glow the dawn light lent her skin and the bright smile that never failed to reach inside him and tell him the world was good.

“They just started a few minutes ago,” he said.

“So I missed it?”

“You haven’t missed anything. Come see.”

He took her hand and led her to a better vantage point and together they watched the machinery and men below.

“It’s going to be great, isn’t it,” she said.

Conner shifted to stand behind her, slipped his arms around her and locked his hands beneath the bulge of her belly so she could lean against him. “It’s going to be better than great.”

“Your mother called. She caught me just as I was leaving the house. She wanted to congratulate us on the big day.”

His mother. She’d been so happy since he’d turned his life around. “Grandpa mentioned she was seeing someone, when I talked to him on the phone last night. Did she say anything about it?”

Delaney shook her head. “She told me about a trip she’s taking to the Coast, and I doubt she’s going alone, but she didn’t say anything about who might be going with her.”

“I guess she’ll tell us about him when she’s ready. Grandpa really likes him, so I’m sure he’s a good guy.”

“She deserves to find love.”

“Now that she feels I’m on the right course, maybe she will.”

They stood in silence for several minutes as Conner thought about his mother marrying and living a fuller life. Then he imagined the land before him in its finished state, the lodge filled with vacationers, the golf course buzzing with white golf carts. It was going to be so perfect—

“Conner?” Delaney said, breaking into his daydream.

“Hmm?”

“What if all this doesn’t work out? What if, in five years, we lose everything?”

“Then, we start over someplace else,” he said.

“You’re sure? You won’t take it too hard? It’s just land and buildings and money, you know. Those aren’t the things we need to be happy.”

He nuzzled her ear. “I know, babe. Don’t worry. I can never lose everything as long as I’ve got you.” He kissed her, only to be interrupted by Roy and Josh.

“We come all the way out here to enjoy the ground-breaking, and what do we find? The two of you necking like a couple of teenagers.” Roy clicked his tongue and shook his head, but even in the shadow of their hats, Delaney had no trouble making out their smiles.