“I’m further moved by Terrie Cloward’s testimony that if Mrs. Farraday hadn’t intervened on her behalf from the beginning of her stay at Girls’ Haven she would have run away, putting herself and the baby in jeopardy. Her plea that Mrs. Farraday become the adoptive mother has been duly noted.
“I would like to say I was particularly touched by the part in Mrs. Farraday’s deposition concerning her feelings for the baby while she was in the hospital those five weeks, fighting for her life. The depositions taken from the hospital staff and the temporary foster mother, Carol Wilson, not only verify her constant devotion, they assert that the baby has bonded with Mrs. Farraday. I’m of the opinion that if it’s at all possible, that bond should not be broken.”
He took off his glasses and leaned forward. “After weighing everything care fully, I hereby grant full custody of Bonnie Cloward to the Farradays. Let it be noted in the record that, as of today, she will bear the legal name Bonnie Farraday. Congratulations.”
“Cole-”
His hand squeezed hers until she felt the new wedding band she’d bought him pressing into her skin. He had a strength he wasn’t aware of, but she was so happy she didn’t care.
“Thank you, Your Honor,” they both said at the same time.
He smiled. “Mr. Darger? If you’ll come forward, I’ll give you the signed order allowing the Farradays to pick up their daughter at the Wilson home immediately.”
Cole crushed her against his hard body. “We did it, Catherine,” he murmured into her hair. “Little Bonnibelle is ours.”
Catherine sobbed for joy. “If it weren’t for you-”
“Bonnie needed both of us for this to happen.”
A beaming Jim walked over to them, waving the order in his hand. Cole clapped him on the shoulder while still holding onto Catherine.
“That was a brilliant piece of work you did, getting those other depositions, Jim.”
“I told you bonding was everything with this judge.”
She kissed the other man’s cheek. “We’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
COLE’S four-seater Cessna glided to a flawless halt at Elko Regional Airport. He flashed the pilot his thanks for a problem-free flight from Reno. With precious cargo in the seats behind them, he hadn’t wanted anything to go wrong.
He’d called ahead to his brother, asking him to meet him and bring the suburban. “Come alone,” he’d advised him. “I’ll explain when we see each other.”
From the co-pilot’s window he watched John get out and walk toward the plane. Since Catherine had agreed to marry him, the excitement filling Cole’s veins kept intensifying in quantum leaps. In about a minute his hatless brother was going to get the surprise of his life.
While Catherine was busy unbuckling Bonnie’s carrycot, Cole climbed out on the hot tarmac behind the pilot.
John spoke first. “Hey-long time no see.”
So much had happened in the time he’d been away that Cole didn’t know himself anymore.
“What’s up?” Though John sounded his same old self, lines of grief were still etched in the bronzed face that resembled their brother’s. It was the face of Cole’s little girl.
“Plenty.”
John stared at him quizzically. “You look…good. Different…” He tucked his thumbs into the side pockets of his jeans. “Mind telling me what’s been going on? The family’s starting to worry.”
Cole sucked in his breath. “Everyone can relax. You’re looking at a married man.”
While he left his brother standing there dumb founded, he turned to Catherine, who handed him the carrycot. Their eyes met in a private glance before he helped her to the ground with his free hand.
Those pure blue orbs reflected anxiety. His sent her a message not to worry.
“John?” He drew his new family toward his brother. “Meet my wife, Catherine, and our little girl.”
His brother did a double take. Beneath his tan, his face paled from shock.
With the advantage of surprise on his side, Cole drew the baby out of her infant seat and cradled her in his arm, being careful that the receiving blanket shielded her eyes from the rays of a blazing noonday sun.
“Bonnibelle?” He kissed her pert nose. She’d enjoyed the flight and was awake and alert. “Say hello to your Uncle John, who’s going to love you like crazy.”
His brother looked with wonder into her adorable face. Cole knew the second John recognized the Farraday brand, because a strange sound came out of his throat followed by a low whistle.
In the next instant his brownish-black head reared. Awestruck hazel eyes flew from Cole to the blond vision standing next to him. They filled with male admiration before switching back to Cole again, his gaze saying it all.
“Congratulations, you two.” John continued to stare at them. “You’re a dark horse, you know that, bro?” he growled, before breaking into a yelp of joy, erasing the grief lines noticeable a minute ago.
The noise made the baby cry, but she settled down quickly after Cole put her against his shoulder and rubbed her back. Since they’d picked her up at the Wilsons’ a few days ago, he’d spent day and night with her.
Between him taking cat naps on Catherine’s couch, and her in the bedroom, they’d alternated getting up with Bonnie for her feedings. Once in stalled at his house, however, their sleeping arrangements were going to change…
They’d already achieved a certain harmony that made him sensitive to the silent entreaty Catherine had just sent him.
He flashed his brother a glance. “Let’s get Bonnie out of the heat. Then we’ll answer all your questions.”
In another minute John had helped them with the luggage while Cole assisted Catherine into the backseat. With a minor adjustment of the strap through the base, he put the carrycot holding Bonnie next to her. But he found it impossible to be this close to his wife without touching her.
Since the ceremony he’d been living for the next opportunity to satisfy his increasingly growing hunger for her. Cole wasn’t above using his family to force her to play house with him. In time he would get her to respond to him when they were alone.
At the moment his brother provided a convenient audience for him to give her unsuspecting mouth a long, deep kiss. When he eventually tore his mouth from hers, John would have to have been blind not to see the blush that swept into her face before he started up the car.
Once out on the highway he gave Cole a furtive wink, obviously no longer wondering what his big brother had been doing away from the ranch all this time.
Cole grinned back. They’d always been close, and for the most part could read each other’s thoughts without speaking.
“Okay.” He relented at last, sensing his brother’s impatience for an explanation. “What do you want to know first?”
John shook his head. He looked through the rearview mirror at Catherine. “You’re the beautiful mystery woman Janine told us about-the one who came to the house the day of Buck’s funeral.”
Air locked in Cole’s lungs while he waited for his wife’s response.
“I was the un wit ting intruder, yes. From the beginning Cole and I had a stormy relationship because- Well, it doesn’t matter now why. But when he asked me to marry him, I turned him down flat.”
“That had to be a first!” John chuckled before glancing at Cole for his reaction.
Cole nodded. “Remember last fall, when you told me I was a hard man to be around some times?”
“Sometimes- I’ve said that to you more times than I can count, but I do recall you were particularly difficult to reach back then. I thought it had to do with the ongoing range war over grazing rights.”