Thea straightened the flat sheet on the baby crib stationed in the hospital room, every corner pulled into a crisp wrinkle-free line, then grabbed the cloth doll from the bedside table and sat it against the railing.
Two muscular arms circled her waist and pulled her back into the familiar warmth of her husband’s chest. “You really think she needs the doll?”
“It’s her favorite, Mack. She’s already going to be in a strange place. I thought it might help.”
He dropped a soft kiss on her cheek. “If you think that it will make her feel better, then I’m all for it. I just can’t stand to see you so worried.”
Thea turned toward him, relaxing against him, her hand pressed to his chest, the sure, steady beat of his heart a comfort to her rattled nerves. “I just need to keep busy. Anything to get my mind off of all the things that could go wrong.”
“I’ve got an idea to help with that.” Mack cupped her cheek in his hand, tilted her head back until his lips caught hers.
In the three months since they’d made their marriage into a real one, Thea had found she never grew tired of Mack’s kisses. Or the shoulder he gave her to lean on, or the talks they shared after they’d returned from visiting Sarah every night. If possible, she’d fallen even more in love with him as she watched him tenderly care for their daughter and her mother.
Thea broke off the kiss, slightly thrilled by the disappointment registered on her husband’s face, and laid her head back on his chest. “Do you know how much I love you?”
She felt his soft kiss against the top of her head. “Almost as much as I love you?”
Thea started to respond, but a knock on the door interrupted them. A young nurse—Corrine—poked her head around the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Worthington, there’s someone here to see you.”
Thea lifted her head to look up at Mack. They’d both agreed that until Sarah was further along in her recovery, they would limit her visitors. Besides, the Danielses, Hickses and Davenports were camped outside the delivery room, waiting for Maggie to give birth while Ms. Aurora kept busy with Mrs. Miller and the kids.
“Did they give a name?” Mack asked.
“A Judge Wakefield.”
Mack threw Thea a quick look before turning back to the door. “Send him in, please.”
“Yes, sir,” the young nurse answered.
Thea glanced up at Mack, her knees wobbly beneath her, her hands suddenly cold. “What do you think he’s doing here? The last time we talked with him, a couple of weeks ago, he said it might take a few months before we heard anything about finalizing the adoption.”
Mack gently backed her into a nearby chair, his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. Almost immediately, she leaned her head back against his midsection, drawing strength from him for whatever news Judge Wakefield brought.
Another knock on the door, and the judge walked in, his overcoat thrown over one arm while in his hand he held his gray felt hat. He bowed his head slightly. “Sheriff, Mrs. Worthington. How’s the baby doing?”
“She’s in recovery right now,” Mack answered. “Dr. Medcalf says the surgery went very well. We should be able to take her home in a few days.”
“Good, good.” The judge smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”
The knots in Thea’s stomach pulled tighter. Why couldn’t the man simply tell them whatever news it was he had and be done with it? Why was he drawing this out? Unless he had bad news and didn’t know how to tell them.
Mack squeezed her shoulder. The man had to be on pins and needles, yet his first thought was always of her. She reached up, took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. No matter what happened, no matter what life threw at them, Mack was her family, the man of her dreams, her love. They would get through this together.
“I was down this way on another case and thought I’d drop by to give you the news myself.”
Thea’s chest tightened and she could barely breathe. “What news would that be, Your Honor?”
The judge reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to Mack. “This came in the mail this morning. I thought you might like to have it.”
Thea felt Mack tremble and stood, linking her arm through his, wanting to give him a small portion of the strength he always gave to her. He pulled out a set of thick papers and unfolded them, skimming over the first page.
“What does it say?” Thea managed to squeak out.
Before she knew what was happening, she was in Mack’s arms, rocking side to side as if in a slow dance. “She’s ours, sweetheart,” Mack whispered in her ear. “She’s really ours.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to cry. She’d wept enough over the past few years to fill the seven seas, now was a time of unbelievable joy!
“We’ll still have a more formal signing of the papers once the baby has recovered,” the judge said with a smile in his voice. “But as far as the State of Georgia is concerned, you are legally the parents of Sarah Eileen Worthington.”
Sarah Eileen Worthington. Thea smiled. Mack had been the one to suggest the baby’s middle name, a tribute to the sister she had loved, a way to start healing from the loss. She might never learn the truth about what had happened to Eileen’s baby, but Thea had forgiven herself for the mistakes she’d made with her sister.
Still holding Thea close to his side, Mack held out his hand to the judge. “Thank you, sir. We can’t begin to tell you how much we appreciate you coming all this way to give us the news.”
“No problem at all.” The man glanced down at his watch. “I’d better get going if I hope to make my next appointment.” He slipped his hat on, then touched the brim. “Sheriff. Mrs. Worthington.”
Before the door had even closed, Mack swung her up in his arms again, his blue eyes bright with untethered happiness, his smile the most beautiful she’d ever seen. “You’re a momma, sweetheart.”
“And you’re a daddy.” Thea’s heart soared as she dropped a quick kiss to his lips.
They stood wrapped in each other’s embrace, an unimaginable joy passing between them, drawing them ever closer, twining around them, forging them together.
“If someone would have told me this time last year I’d be a happily married man, completely in love with my wife and father to a beautiful little girl, I would have thought they were nuts,” Mack whispered. “But God had another plan.”
“I wondered at times. But then He gave me you and Sarah.” She chuckled. “What have I ever done to deserve this much joy?”
“You haven’t done anything. None of us have.” Mack dropped a kiss on her head. “It’s only through God’s goodness to us that He gives us our heart’s desires.”
“I’m glad he gave you to me.”
A knock on the door was followed by the door being held opened wide by Nurse Corinne. “Mr. and Mrs. Worthington, we’re bringing your baby back from recovery.”
Our baby. Thea and Mack glanced at each other, the smile they shared full of love and hope for the future. Fingers entwined, they walked to the door to greet their sleeping daughter.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE TEXAS RANGER’S SECRET by DeWanna Pace.