Give My All to Jessie (Third in Outlaw Series)

Epilogue

           

Epilogue

    "Damn Marston. I don't think you were this nervous when Rose had Lucy or Max," Duke stated as he held Rose and Marston three month old baby son in his arms. Duke, Jeremiah, Marston, Langley and Jessie were gathered in the den. Rose, Delilah and Carol were in the bedroom off the kitchen helping Kaitlyn give birth. It was the middle of the night and Lucy had long since fallen fast asleep in her room. 

    "That's because Lucy and Max are my own children. That's my baby in there having a baby. It changes things," he assured the older man as he puffed furiously at his pipe—the same pipe Langley had given him their first Christmas together so long ago. 

    "Little Max there isn't worried about much of anything," Jeremiah observed. Everyone smiled at the boy who was cooing happily, sucking his fist and looking around at everyone with his blue eyes that showed more and more flecks of cold in them every day. He was chubby boy with red hair and a smile that never left his face. 

    "That's my boy," Marston said, winking at the baby. 

    "Marston!" Rose called from the kitchen. "Marston, I need you in here!" 

    Marston frowned, handed his pipe to Langley and strode out of the room. "What was that about?" Langley asked nervously. 

    Duke shrugged. "I'm sure your sister is fine, Langley. Women bring babies into the world every day." 

    "They die doing it too," Jeremiah added. Duke kicked his shin roughly. "Ouch!" Jeremiah bellowed. Then he grinned sheepishly at Duke's pointed glare. "I.. uh.. I'm sure Kaitlyn is just fine though." 

    "Do you want me to go check?" Jessie offered even though the thought of going into that room and witnessing someone giving birth made her stomach turn. 

    Langley must have noticed the green tint to his skin because he shook his head. "No, I'm sure they'll let us know how things are going soon." 

    As if on cue, Marston stepped back into the den with Pete thrown over one broad shoulder. "Did he do it again?" Duke asked with amusement. 

    "Yep. He did it again," Marston agreed, tossing Pete's unconscious body onto the sofa. 

    Jeremiah laughed as he grabbed a glass of water off the table beside him and splashed it on Pete's face. He woke with a sputter and sat up quickly. He growled and punched the sofa he was sitting on. "Did I do it again?" 

    "Yep." Marston chuckled. "You did it again." 

    Pete groaned and covered his face. "She was in so much pain and the blood....I didn't realize there'd be so much blood...." 

    Jessie's hand squeezed Langley's painfully and he patted her leg. "I should get back in there," Pete insisted, attempting to stand. 

    "Why don't you just stay out here with us a while and get some air? Those ladies can tend to your woman just fine," Duke assured him. 

    Pete nodded and flopped back down. A quiet tension filled the den as everyone simply waited. Max fell asleep on Duke's shoulder and Jeremiah fell asleep in the arm chair. 

    Finally Carol stepped into the sitting room and there was a smile on her face. "How's Kaitlyn?" Pete exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. 

    "She is just fine," Carol assured him. "And you have a very handsome baby boy."    

    Pete laughed and grabbed Marston's arm. "Did you hear that?!" He whooped and leapt in the air. "I have a son!" 

    The lawman's excitement was infectious and Marston laughed. "Well go on in there to your wife and son then." 

    Pete ran from the room, tripping over his feet and nearly falling but never stopping. 

    Carol's eyes fell on Duke and the baby sleeping soundly against her chest. Pain struck deep in her chest as she thought about what could have been. She shook her head quickly and smiled. "You all can go up to bed now, the excitement is over. Mama and babe are gonna be just fine. Marston, Rose said to tell you she'd be up shortly." 

    Marston nodded and lifted his slumbering son from Duke's arms. Jeremiah yawned loudly from the armchair and got to his feet. "At least now all the pregnant women are gone." 

    Delilah stepped into the den and laid her hand over her stomach. "That's not entirely true, Jeremiah." 

    Jeremiah fell back down. Hard. "Well goddamn," he blurted. His eyes were wide and his face pale as he seemed to struggle to find air to breathe and gasped like a fish out of water. 

    "Yeah..." Langley pulled Jessie closer. "It's uh.. it's not true at all." 

    "I told you there was something in the water around here!" Jeremiah exclaimed. 

    Delilah's expression was pained. "Are you that upset about it?" she whispered. 

    Jeremiah leapt to his feet and rushed to her. "I just.. I'm not cut out to be a pa! I don't even do uncle very well." 

    "You'll do just fine," Duke assured him, patting him on the shoulder. "Now take your woman upstairs and make your less than enthusiastic reaction up to her." 

    Jeremiah still seemed a bit green around the gills as he nodded, took Delilah's hand and led her up the stairs. Marston offered Jessie and Langley a smile. "Well, kid, I guess that means we'll get started on that house of yours if you want to. You've got that land waiting on you."

    "Thanks pa," Langley replied before kissing Jessie softly. Marston shook his head when the two become lost in each other's eyes. Young love. 

    "Come on then, Max," Marston said to his youngest child as he kissed the sleeping babe's head. "Let's go get us some sleep because this damned soup kitchen we're running gets busier by the day." 

    As Marston headed for the stairs his rough words were countered by the satisfied smile on his face.

A/N: thank you for reading this series! I hope you enjoyed it!