Chapter Seven
Bobbi spent the next morning helping out at the Kids’ Korral. It was one of her favorite places on the ranch, and not only because three of her grandchildren were there all day. She arrived early in the morning. “I’m here to hold babies,” she announced.
Debbie laughed. “You’re welcome to hold babies all day if you want. Are you willing to feed and diaper them as well, or will you just sit quietly and hold them?”
Bobbi grinned. She liked Debbie a lot. They were close to the same age, and she enjoyed talking to her. “I will do whatever you need. It doesn’t even have to be babies, though I would like a few minutes to hold my granddaughters.”
“Go ahead and start out in the baby room then. Tori is being true to form and wiggling the morning away, while Willow sleeps. Tori could use some extra cuddles from Grandma.”
“Just think, you’ll be on grandma duty soon, too.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that!” Debbie grinned as Bobbi disappeared into the baby’s room.
Bobbi found Tori lying on a mat on the floor on her tummy, wiggling like crazy and fussing at random intervals, then smiling broadly. She scooped the baby up and walked over to one of the gliding rockers, snuggling her close.
Tori looked up at her with the Weston ice blue eyes, a look of laughter filling them. “How’s my baby? How’s my little girl?”
Tori started giggling, which surprised no one. “You are the happiest baby in the whole world, aren’t you?”
The baby teacher, Alexis, laughed softly. “Willow’s a pretty happy baby too. They aren’t old enough to get excited when their mother comes, but they do! She comes in to feed them around ten-thirty every morning, and I could swear those babies can tell time. They start wiggling and giggling about ten-twenty.”
Bobbi let Tori sit up on her lap as she liked, and she thought back to when her twins were that small. Tori was just like Dani, always sitting up and wiggling and trying to do more than she possibly could for her age. Willow was more like her mama, happy to just be there. Kelsi seemed to dress them as if they were like her and Dani as well. Willow would wear pretty pastels and always had a bow in her hair. Tori wore darker, more “masculine” colors.
She rocked the baby back and forth, and her mind wandered off to many years before. She and Wilber had made it farther up into the mountain than she’d ever been, and she stood looking down at the ranch in awe. “I can’t believe all that land belongs to your family.”
He grinned. “We’re about to buy that area over there, too. It’s been in the Cooper family for generations, but their only son, Tim is in prison and probably never getting out. He’s a wastrel.”
She frowned, thinking of her dad. Was he a wastrel too? “Does your family constantly buy land?”
“Yeah. If it’s on the border of the ranch, and it goes up for sale, we’re the first in line to buy. There’s so much more we want to do. The Coopers’ land we’re buying will eventually be made into a row of houses. We’ll rent them out or use them for employees. Not sure yet, but we’ll put it to good use.”
“I’m stunned by the magnitude of the ranch. It seems like so much for just one family to be in charge of.”
He smiled. “That’s why we need lots of sons, and we need to raise them to love the ranch as much as we do. We need help running the place.”
“What about daughters? Daughters can help too, you know!”
“I won’t forget the daughters, but I sure hope the boys come first. If the girls are as beautiful as their mother, I’m going to be beating potential boyfriends off with a stick, and it would be nice if I had sons to help me!”
She grinned. “You sure do know the right things to say to reach my heart.”
He pulled her against him, her back to his front, and just wrapped his arms around her waist. “I could stand here like this with you forever.”
She leaned back against him, completely at ease. “If we stand here like this forever, how will we search for Bigfoot?”
He laughed. “You and your Bigfoot obsession. I hope our children don’t inherit that from you.”
“Why not? I think at least one of them should join me in my search for Sasquatch.”
“If you say so.”
She turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It can’t be just the two of us looking for him forever, after all.”
“I don’t have a choice in the matter, do I?”
She shook her head. “Not until one of the children joins my quest. Then you can stop.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly. “If we’re now talking about our future children, don’t you think it’s time for us to start talking about a wedding date?”
“Not yet. I want to just enjoy being a couple for a little while longer. Marriage starts the years of work and raising children. Can’t we just be in love for a while?”
He froze, staring into her eyes. “That’s the first time you’ve told me you love me. Do you mean it?”
She grinned, nodding emphatically. “Of course, I do. I don’t think there’s a girl alive who could resist falling for you. Why, if Mother Theresa had met you as a young girl, she’d have fallen in love too!”
He laughed. “I’m not sure I could have convinced a devout nun to leave her course of life. I wouldn’t have fallen for her, after all. You were the one the fairies sent to me. I know that because Jaclyn told me.”
She brushed her lips against his. “Are we going to believe Jaclyn and her fairies? Or are we going to decide for ourselves?”
“Well, I believed her immediately, but you seem to be taking your own sweet time. We’ve known each other forever, and my ring is not yet on your finger.”
“Ring? You haven’t shown me a ring.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “I’ve been carrying it since a couple of days after I met you. Do you want to see it?”
She bit her lip. She did want to see it. Of course, she did. But…she also wanted to be surprised when it was time. “No, I’ll wait.”
“Are you going to let me know when I’m allowed to propose?” he asked. “I don’t know how else I’ll be able to tell that I’m supposed to.”
“I’ll make sure you know when I’m ready.” Bobbi knew she didn’t need a lot more time, but a bit longer would make her very happy. She was in love and enjoying it. Marriage would come…soon. But not today. She needed more time to just enjoy being in love.
Tori wiggled in Bobbi’s arms, reminding her where she was. She jiggled the baby on her knee, overwhelmed at the idea that this baby would never have been born if not for her love for Wilber. The second generation was being born now, and she was going to love every second of it.
When Kelsi came in to feed the twins, Bobbi moved out of the second chair. “They’re all yours.”
“Thanks, Mom. What are you doing here?” Kelsi asked as she quickly began to nurse Tori.
“I came to see my grandbabies today. Willow slept all morning, but I played with Tori.”
“Willow’s a really good sleeper. Tori is a wiggler. Is there any doubt about why I called her Princess Wiggles?”
“None.” Bobbi walked over to peer into Willow’s crib, seeing her lying wide awake with her fist in her mouth. She unlatched the crib and picked the baby up, cooing to her softly. “I’m going to change your diaper, and then your mama’s going to feed you the good stuff. Are you getting hungry?” The girl was dressed in a pink dress, complete with a bow in her hair. Tori was wearing blue overalls with a green shirt. “You never leave anyone in question of who’s who.”
“Well, they’re not identical, but they do look quite a bit alike. It’s just easier this way.”
Alexis walked over as Bobbi finished changing Willow. “Do you want me to take her?”
“No, I’ll hold her until Kelsi’s ready for her. Then I’m going to run over to the school-aged children and steal Vivian. I think she needs a grandma day, don’t you?”
“You just want to spoil her rotten. What are you planning?”
“Oh, I thought I’d grab a four-wheeler and take her up into the mountains to search for Bigfoot. It’s time to get the next generation interested, don’t you think?”
Kelsi nodded emphatically. “I got the twins onesies that say, ‘Bigfoot doesn’t believe in you either.’ Blue for Tori and pink for Willow. If they have matching outfits, they’re never the same color.”
“I didn’t mean to scar you girls for life by dressing you alike. I thought that’s what you did with twins.”
“We’ll get over it. Five or six years of intense therapy should do just fine.”
Bobbi sighed. “I think you’re about to learn that babies don’t come with manuals. You just do what you think is right at the time, and pray that they don’t hate you when the therapy bills start to come in.” She handed Willow off to Kelsi and picked up Tori, who had fallen asleep while nursing. “I’m going to change her diaper, and put her to bed.”
“No, Mom! If you change her she’ll wake up and think that a five-minute nap was enough. Just put her down and she’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m the mama this time around.” Kelsi blew a kiss at her mother.
Bobbi did as she was told, slipping the baby into the crib and securing it. “I know you are, and I’ll do things just how you want.” She leaned down and kissed Kelsi’s cheek. “Now I’m going to steal Vivian, so we can go Bigfoot hunting. She’ll love it.”
“Did you have Bob make lunches?”
Bobbi nodded. “They’re waiting at the café. We’ll pick them up after we get the four-wheeler.”
“You’re not letting her ride her own?”
“I may be blonde, but I’m not stupid!” Bobbi hurried from the room before Kelsi had a chance to retort. She loved her youngest child, but she was quick with comebacks.
When she got to the room for the school-aged children, she found Vivian curled up on a sleeping bag, reading a Nancy Drew book. “Haven’t you read all of those yet?”
“I’m close. I’m starting on Trixie Belden next.”
“I thought maybe you’d like to go on an adventure today.”
Vivian nodded slowly, obviously a bit apprehensive. “What kind of adventure?”
“Well, I thought we’d borrow a four-wheeler, get a picnic from the diner, and go up into the mountains to search for Bigfoot.”
“You know Bigfoot’s not real, don’t you?”
Bobbi shook her head. “He’s as real as you and me. I saw him in the mountains one day, right after I married Grandpa. We’re going to find him.”
Vivian sighed, shaking her head. “Grown-ups are so easily duped. Let’s go.”
Bobbi quickly spoke to the teacher and told her what the plans were. She knew she was on the list to take Vivian out of the Kids’ Korral, so that wouldn’t be a problem. After she was finished, she looked back at Vivian. “Okay, we’re all clear!”
They two of them left the center hand-in-hand. Vivian had her book tucked under her arm so as not to lose one precious minute of reading time. They got the four-wheeler and two helmets, a blue helmet with a star for Vivian, and a lavender helmet for Bobbi.
They rode over to the café in silence, and went in to pick up the lunches Bobbi had ordered that morning. “We’re going on an adventure,” she announced to Joni, who was behind the counter.
Joni pushed the boxed lunches at Bobbi. “I hope you have a wonderful time, Mrs. Weston.”
“I’m sure we will. I have the best companion in the world, you know.”
Vivian was beaming as they walked out to the four-wheeler. “Are we taking a picnic blanket?”
Bobbi frowned. “We can run by the cabin to get one if you want.”
Vivian nodded, her face very serious. “I need to have some place to lie on the ground and read while you hunt for Bigfoot.”
Bobbi sighed. It was just as well. One of the other grandchildren was sure to share her fascination with Bigfoot. She wasn’t about to give up. “We’ll get a quilt from the cabin, and then we’ll go on our adventure.”
“Where’s Grandpa?”
“I’m sure he’s off pestering your dad and telling him he has to do something differently. That’s what he’s always doing at this time of day.”
“How come? He seems like a nice Grandpa.”
“Oh, he is! His parents did the same thing with him, and their parents before them. As frustrating as it is, that’s just how things are done at the ranch.”
“My dad won’t. When it’s his turn to pass it on to his kids, he’s going to be nice about it and not be so mean. I know it.” Vivian accepted the quilt Bobbi gave her and hugged it to her chest, climbing back onto the four-wheeler. “I’m ready.”
Bobbi frowned at the girl before getting on. She’d never really questioned the practice before, other than being frustrated about it with Wilber when they were going through it. Maybe it was time someone did.
As they drove along the winding path that took them to the area she wanted to picnic in and where she’d search for Bigfoot, her mind couldn’t stop thinking about what the little girl had said. Sometimes children were so much smarter about things than adults were.
She had spent many days all those years ago following this same trail up the mountain with Wilber, and they’d both loved it. They would climb, and he would immediately pick her a bouquet of wildflowers.
One afternoon, he tucked a flower behind her ear. “There. That flower brings out your natural beauty.”
Bobbi had laughed, shaking her head. “No, that flower is the beauty.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “I wish I had the ability to let you see yourself through my eyes. I look at you, and I see someone that I’ll never stop loving. I see someone who I will spend my entire life with, never caring to look at another woman. I see none of your past, which seems to be all you see when you look in the mirror. I see the real you, and I wish I could show it to you.” He kissed her softly, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “I wish I could paint, so you could see what I see.”
Bobbi felt tears drifting down her face. “My grandparents couldn’t even look at me after my mother’s death. They said they looked at me and saw only the man who had killed their daughter. I think maybe I’ve been looking at myself through the same tainted glasses they were using.”
“Stop. Please.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll try. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask.” He kissed her once more, quickly. “Well, that and for you to marry me, of course. You need to marry me.”
Bobbi wrinkled her nose. “You know I’m waiting for a real proposal. I’m not going to let you ask me to marry you that way and agree.”
“Does that mean you’re ready?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Maybe. I’ll let you know.”
He sighed. “You’re always going to let me know. Always.”
She shrugged. “Well, I never said I was perfect.”
“No. I did.”
Bobbi pulled the four-wheeler off the path and stopped at a big meadow. The wildflowers grew abundantly, and she grinned at Vivian. “Let’s pick all the flowers before we put the picnic quilt down. We don’t want to squish them.”
“And I can give them to my mama!”
“I think that’s a great idea. She’ll be so happy!”
“I know she will!”
Together, they hurriedly picked flowers, making two huge bouquets. “This one is for my Grandma.”
Bobbi sniffled, taking the flowers. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for coming to take me out of the Kids’ Korral today. It’s fun to play there, but it’s more fun to have a grandma day with you.”
Bobbi hugged the girl. “Okay, we’ll put the bouquets on the four-wheeler, and then we’ll spread the blanket out. Are you ready?” They each took one end of the blanket. “One. Two. Three!”
They fluffed the blanket up into the air and then gently set it down. Bobbi put the boxed lunches into the middle of the blanket. “I should have thought to bring the picnic basket. Wouldn’t that have looked nicer?”
“It’ll taste just as good!”
“That’s true. And we know it’ll be yummy because Bob made it. Bob can be a pain, but he sure can cook!”
“That’s the truth,” Vivian said, looking at the boxes to see which had her name. Bob remembered the tastes of everyone, and always customized their lunches to suit them.
She pushed Bobbi’s box toward her. “I think he included root beer, Grandma!”
“He certainly should have! He knows we Westons can’t eat a meal without a swallow of root beer.”
Vivian nodded solemnly. “And I’m a Weston now.”
“Yes, you are. So root beer it is!” Bobbi popped the tab back on her drink, then traded with Vivian. Once they were both holding a root beer, she clinked her can against Vivian’s. “A toast. To happiness.”
“To happiness,” Vivian echoed, taking a swig of the root beer. “Yummy!”
They got down to the serious business of eating, both of them hungry after the long trip up to their picnic spot. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a ballerina,” Bobbi said.
“Why weren’t you? You’re as pretty as a ballerina.”
“I’m not exactly what you’d call graceful. My mother put me in lessons for a little while, but I kept tripping over my own big feet. We decided the art wasn’t for me.”
Vivian giggled. “Grandpa loves you anyway. He gives you the same kind of look my dad gives my mom. The look that always makes them kiss.”
“Yes, your grandpa loves me a great deal. Do you know we’ve been married almost thirty-five years? That’s almost forever!”
“That’s longer than my dad is old!”
“Isn’t that a coincidence?” Bobbi said with a sparkle in her eye. “I’m glad you’re happy here at the ranch.”
“Everyone is happy at the ranch,” Vivian said matter-of-factly. “The ranch is a happy place. People would have to try to be sad here.”
“It really is a special place, isn’t it? I think I’m going to stay here forever.”
“But you live in an RV with Grandpa. You’re just visiting for a while. I know because I heard Aunt Kelsi telling Kaya.”
Bobbi frowned. “That’s been the plan. You see when I agreed to marry Grandpa, we decided that we were going to travel the world as soon as our children were old enough to run the ranch. So we have been driving from state to state, trying to see as much as we could. But now that we have grandkids, I want to spend more time on the ranch to be with them.”
“Does Grandpa want to?”
Bobbi shrugged. “He loves you grandkids as much as I do, but he doesn’t want to stay here all the time.”
“Well, then you should do it some of the time. It’s as simple as that.”
“Maybe you’re right.”