Country Frost (King Creek Cowboys #8)

Chapter 14

14

L eeann rushed to Haylee as Tyson put an arm around her shoulders amid the excited voices around them.

Haylee held her hand to her belly. “Looks like the baby decided to be born on Christmas Day after all.”

“Let’s get to the truck, honey.” Tyson guided her toward his vehicle, the snow coming down around them, illuminated by the porch light.

Leeann and Jill walked by their sister’s side. Jill said, “How are you feeling?”

“Having any contractions yet?” Leeann asked.

“I’m nervous, terrified, relieved, and excited.” Haylee shook her head. “No contractions yet.”

Leeann looked at her brother-in-law as they reached the truck. “How are you doing, Tyson?”

“I’m not worried about me.” His mouth tight, he opened the door for Haylee. “It’s Haylee I’m concerned about.”

“I’ll be fine.” Haylee smiled at her husband. “Just get me to the hospital.”

“We’ll be right behind you.” Leeann watched Tyson helping her into the big truck. He shut the door and jogged around to the driver’s side.

The truck tires spun in the driveway gravel before Tyson drove the truck toward town, clearly in a nervous hurry.

“Wow.” Leeann shook her head as she and Jill walked back to the house. “Our baby sister is going to be a mommy.”

Jill smirked. “As much of a tomboy as she was growing up, I never visualized her as having kids.”

Leeann nodded, then smiled as she met up with Porter and Ashley. “Would you like to go to the hospital?”

Ashley nodded vigorously, but Porter dragged his hand down his face. “We’d like to, but it’s late for Ash, and I need to get her home.”

“Awww, Porter.” Ashley looked at him pleadingly. “I want to go with everyone else.”

“Sorry, kiddo.” Porter rested his hand on her shoulder. “Doc said you need to stay rested to make you stronger.”

“Okay.” Her shoulders slumped.

He turned his attention to Leeann. “I can drop you off at the hospital.”

“Why don’t you take me home, and I’ll drive myself so that I can leave the hospital after the baby is born?” Leeann nodded toward the house. “Let’s get our loot and go home.”

“It does feel like a pile of treasure in there.” Ashley smiled. “Your family is so nice.”

“They’re a great bunch.” Leeann brushed Ashley’s shoulder. “You have a lot of snow on you now.”

“Cool.” Ashley headed for the house and glanced back. “Come on.”

Porter helped Leeann and Ashley carry their gifts back to his truck. They used the empty bags Leeann had brought filled with gifts for her family, plus two more bags that Julie gave her.

When they came back out, the porch light shone on the white landscape as the snow accumulated. Come morning, it would likely all disappear, but it was a treat to have a white Christmas Eve.

Their shoes crunched on the snow as they headed out to the truck, and the air felt eerily silent as the snow fell. Porter helped Leeann into the passenger side while Ashley climbed into the back seat of the vehicle.

Ashley chattered with enthusiasm most of the way to Leeann’s home. She talked about all the fun she’d had that evening, how much she liked Leeann’s family, and Haylee having a baby on Christmas Day.

When she quieted, Leeann looked over her shoulder and saw that Ashley had fallen asleep.

Lights from Leeann’s own small tree shone through the living room window. Snow had accumulated on her mailbox and front lawn.

Porter carried her two bags of gifts as he escorted her to her front door, their shoes leaving prints in the white stuff on the walkway and steps.

“Thank you for inviting us tonight.” He set the bags down and brought her into the circle of his arms. “It meant a lot to Ash, and it means something to me, too. You have a generous and welcoming family.”

“I’m glad you came.” She looked into his eyes. “Everyone enjoyed having you there.”

Porter cupped her face and brushed his thumb over her lips. “Merry Christmas, honey.” He kissed her softly and slowly.

When he raised his head, he gave her a rare smile. “Let me know when Haylee has her baby.”

“I will.” She unlocked the door, took the bags he handed her, and set them inside the house. “I’m going to change into something more comfortable and then head to the hospital. ”

“Good night.” He gave her another kiss, then she smiled at him and slipped into the house.

His steps faded away. She went to her bedroom and took off her boots before changing out of the slacks and sparkly blouse she’d donned for Christmas Eve. She put on a pair of worn jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater, then pulled on her boots again. She went out into the snowy night and headed off to see her sister.

By the time she reached King Creek Hospital, the snow had stopped. A good two inches lay on the ground, a miracle in this place in the world.

Warm air flowed over her as she walked in through the automatic doors. She greeted the receptionist, whom she’d known for years, and continued to the maternity ward waiting room.

When she walked through the doors, most of her siblings and parents were there, seated or standing around and talking. Having a baby in the McLeod bunch was a family affair. Spouses were home with their kids since it was the middle of the night.

Leeann strode up to her mom and Jill. “How’s Haylee?”

“She’s in labor.” Julie smiled. “Tyson is with her, of course.”

“I take it I didn’t miss anything?” Leeann asked.

Jill shook her head. “It’s the usual waiting game.”

Leeann, her mom, and Jill sat in a corner and chatted about Christmas Eve, and Haylee and Tyson soon to be new parents.

Just after 2:30 a.m., Tyson came into the waiting room. He looked tired but elated. “Twins.” He appeared to be shell-shocked. “Boy and girl.”

Leeann and her family erupted into cries of delight and exclamations of surprise.

“Wonderful.” Julie hugged Tyson. “Have you named our new grandbabies?”

He dragged his hand down his face, then shook his head as if in disbelief. “Channing and Brittany. ”

“Cute names.” Jill smiled. “When can we see them and Haylee?”

“You can visit her and the babies now.” He inclined his head toward the doors he’d just come through.

Leeann followed him with her family, and they gathered outside the room.

“Two at a time,” Julie said, but they knew the drill.

Joe and Julie went in first to meet their grandbabies.

Ten minutes later, Leeann and Jill went in as their parents came out. Haylee was propped up in bed, a twin in each arm. They were in yellow blankets, one with a pink knitted hat and the other with a blue one.

“You look radiant.” Leeann took the girl from Haylee. “What a little doll she is.”

“And you look exhausted.” Jill took the boy and touched his tiny nose. “To think I’ll have one of these in seven months.” She shook her head. “I’m hoping just one baby.”

Haylee gave a tired but happy smile. “The doctor only heard one heartbeat, so this was a surprise to everyone.”

Leeann and Jill spent the next ten minutes holding the babies and chatting with Haylee.

After they left the room to let their brothers take turns coming in, Leeann texted Porter to let him know not one but two babies had arrived. Considering it was close to 3:00 a.m., she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t text her back.

By the time her head hit the pillow, it was after 4:00 a.m., and she was grateful it was a holiday, and she wouldn’t have to go to work come daylight.

The last thing she thought about before drifting off to sleep was Porter’s kiss beneath a shooting star .

Porter leaned back in his office chair come Monday morning, waiting for Ellie McLeod to arrive, his thoughts on the weekend and Leeann.

Leeann had spent Christmas Day with him and Ashley at their home. He and Ash had prepared a roast beef dinner with all the fixin’s. It hadn’t been as fancy as the night before, but it was a pleasant evening, and Ashley had a thoroughly good time.

Leeann seemed pleased with the cowboy caricature he’d whittled for her, and Ashley gave her a decorative birdhouse that looked as if it had been made out of books. Leeann’s present to Porter was a roadrunner ornament, and she gifted Ashley with the tiger-eye jewelry she’d shown him that night the first time they’d made love.

By the time Porter had taken Leeann home, Ash was in bed, sound asleep.

Ellie would be here any time now. He’d offered to go to her, but she’d said it would be easier to come to him.

Things had gotten way out of hand with this social media business, and he didn’t know what the hell to do. This morning, Ashley had fretted that all of this could hurt Leeann on social media, something that had never occurred to him. He didn’t understand how or why, but it was something to consider.

A knock sounded. He headed for the front door and opened it. A pretty woman with sea-blue eyes and blonde hair stood in front of him and smiled.

She held out her hand. “I’m Ellie McLeod. I’m betting you’re Porter.”

“You’d bet right.” He took her hand, her grip firm and warm. He released her hand and stepped aside to let her through. “Come on in.”

“Do you have a place we can sit and go over your situation?” she asked. “The kitchen table would be good if that works for you. ”

“Right through here.” Porter directed her to the kitchen, and they sat at the table. Ashley was in her bedroom, for which he was thankful—she didn’t need to get more upset listening to a discussion about the issue.

When they were seated, Ellie took a tablet out of her oversized purse, then set it on the table and put out the kickstand. She positioned her chair closer to his so that she could go over things with both of them able to see the screen.

“I researched your problem, and I see what you mean.” She pointed to the text, and Porter scanned it.

He ground his teeth, his gut tightening as his anger grew while he read comment after comment. He went over posts that stated he was a monster, that he’d endangered the adopted girl in his care, that the police should lock him up, and on and on.

When he reached the bottom of the screen, he looked at Ellie. “How do I fix this?”

Ellie pushed the tablet aside. “To be honest, your attorney’s advice is probably best. If you come out and say anything, it will be turned around and used against you. These people get off on controversy and by doing their best to destroy people’s lives.”

Porter’s gut burned, and he clenched his jaw. “I don’t like the idea of sitting and doing nothing.”

“I get it, but right now, that’s the best thing to do.” She closed her tablet.

“Ash is worried that this could affect Leeann and her career.” Porter focused on Ellie. “Can that happen?”

“There’s a good chance it could if things get even more out of hand.” Ellie blew out her breath. “If you keep your head down and don’t interact with anyone about it, you’ll probably be safe, and Leeann won’t be affected.”

Porter clenched his fist on the tabletop. “It goes against how I like to handle things, but I’ll follow your advice. The last thing I want to do is harm Leeann’s career.” He dragged his hand down his face. “Unless police find the real culprit, I don’t see an end in sight.”

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this.” She slid her tablet into her purse. “Call me if anything else happens, like someone landing on your doorstep and confronting you. If anyone films an interaction, that could be bad.”

His instinct was to take his fist to the jaw of someone trying to hurt Ashley or Leeann, but he wouldn’t do anything that would make things worse for them.

Ellie pushed back her chair and stood, and Porter walked her to the door.

“Thank you.” He opened the door, and she stepped through. When he’d called her, she’d flat out refused payment for her services. “If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”

“I’ll do that.” She gave him a little smile. “I hope the rest of your day is better.”

Porter gave Ellie a nod and watched her leave. She waved as she drove away, and he went back into the house.

He pushed his fingers through his hair. Whatever he had to do to make sure Leeann wasn’t affected by this mess, he’d do it. No matter what it might mean.