Tempted by the Texan

“You’ve got my attention,” Sam spoke up.

Lane nodded. “What do you have in mind?”

“I think we should buy some land and build the Hank Calvert Memorial Last Chance Ranch,” Jaron answered.

“We’ve got a board of directors right here,” T.J. said, nodding.

“And it’s not as though we don’t have our own psychologist to oversee the programs the kids would need,” Ryder added.

“I think Hank would approve wholeheartedly,” Sam said, looking thoughtful.

“If there’s a chance of giving kids the lives that Hank gave us, I say go for it,” Nate agreed.

“Then, it’s settled,” Jaron said decisively. “We can get things set up and look for a piece of land as soon as Mariah and I get back from our honeymoon. Why don’t we bet on how long it’s going to take to get the ranch up and running?”

“Sounds good to me,” his brothers said almost in unison.

“We’ll start the betting pool and get things set up as soon as you get back from your honeymoon,” Ryder said.

Jaron grinned as he set his beer bottle on the bar. “If my wife is ready, we’ll go get started on that right now.”

Walking over to Mariah, he took her in his arms. “Are you ready to leave, Mrs. Lambert?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she said, kissing his chin.

Saying their goodbyes, they walked hand in hand out to their newly purchased minivan. “I’m glad we decided on Hawaii for our honeymoon,” Mariah said as he helped her into the passenger seat. “It may be the last time I get to wear a bikini for a while.”

“Why do you say that, darlin’?”

“I’m going to be having lots of little Lamberts in the next several years,” she said.

Staring at the woman he loved with all his heart, he grinned. “I’ll be more than happy to help you with that, darlin’.”

“I love you, cowboy,” she said, giving him a smile that sent his blood pressure soaring.

“And I love you, darlin’. Forever and always.”

Epilogue

One year later

As Jaron looked around the reception hall following the ground-breaking ceremony for the Hank Calvert Memorial Last Chance Ranch, he smiled. The turnout couldn’t have been better. Several politicians had shown up, as well as the head of the Texas foster-care system and most of her staff. There were also quite a few members of the media covering the event. Jaron wasn’t surprised. Hank had been well-respected for the difference he’d made in the lives of the kids most people had given up on as lost causes. Jaron hoped that the ranch he and his brothers were setting up for troubled youth carried on Hank’s legacy.

“It looks as though the ranch is well on its way to becoming a reality,” Sam said, checking the bottle he was giving to his new baby son.

Jaron nodded. “I think Hank would approve.”

“I know he would,” Lane said, setting his little boy on his feet to run over to his mother. “Hank would be proud to know the boys he saved from a life behind bars or an early grave were going to give other troubled kids the same chance he gave us.”

Nate patted his sleeping daughter’s back when she raised her head a moment before falling back to sleep. “Hank always told us to do something about it whenever we saw a need,” he added quietly to keep from disturbing the baby.

They all nodded a moment before Ryder’s groan drew their attention. “The smell of a clean shirt nauseates this baby the same as it did her big sister.”

“I think that’s true for all babies,” T.J. said, joining them. He was wearing a different shirt than the one he’d worn for the ground breaking. “Heather always puts an extra shirt in the diaper bag for me the same as she does for the boys.”

“Try keeping your shirt clean with twins,” Jaron said, laughing. “It’s just not going to happen.”

Nate grinned. “Since you always insisted that our babies would be boys and Mariah argued that they would be girls, it’s only fitting that you ended up with one of each.”

“Our family sure has grown a lot in the past few years,” T.J. said, looking around the reception hall.

“No kidding,” Sam agreed. “Between the six of us, we have ten kids.”

“And they’re all under the age of four,” Lane added.