'Daddy down,' she demanded.
He couldn't get to her in time. No matter how fast he moved, his baby was going to fall. There was only one thing to do. 'Chance!' he barked.
Chance knew immediately. He ambled forward, not making any swift movements that would startle her. When he was directly below her, he grinned at his cherubic niece, and she grinned at him. He was her favorite uncle.
'Dance,' she crowed, showing all her tiny white teeth.
'You little Antichrist,' he said fondly. 'I'm really going to miss you when you're in prison. I give you... oh, maybe to the age of six.'
Benjy, Josh's youngest, piped up behind them, 'Why did Uncle Chance call her Dannychrist? Her name's Nick.'
Nick spread her arms wide, bouncing up and down on her tiptoes. Chance held up his arms. 'Come on, cupcake,' he said, and laughed. 'Jump!'
She did.
He deftly snagged her in midair, and hugged the precious little body to his chest. Barrie burst into tears of relief. Then Zane was there, taking his daughter in his arms, pressing his lips to her round little head, and Barrie rushed over to be enveloped in his embrace, too.
Caroline looked at Joe. 'I forgive you for not having any female sperm,' she announced, and Joe laughed.
Josh was frowning sternly at Sam. 'How did the ladder get there?' he demanded.
Sam looked at his feet.
Mike and Joe began to frown at their boys.
'Whose bright idea was it to play on top of the house?' Mike asked of the seven boys who hadn't been inside, and thus absolved of blame.
Seven boys scuffed their shoes on the ground, unable to look up at the three fathers confronting them.
Josh took down the ladder, which was supposed to be in the barn. He pointed to the structure in question. 'March,' he said sternly, and two boys began their reluctant walk to the barn—and their retribution. Benjy clung to Loren's leg, blinking at his two older brothers.
Mike pointed to the barn. His two boys went.
Joe raised an eyebrow at his three youngest. They went.
The three tall, broad-shouldered brothers followed their sons to the barn.
Nick patted Barrie's face. 'Mommy cwy?' she asked, and her lower lip quivered as she looked at Zane 'Fix Daddy.'
'I'll fix, all right,' he muttered. 'I'll fix some glue to your little butt and stick you on a chair.'
Barrie giggled through her tears. 'Everyone wished for a girl,' she said, hiccuping as she laughed and cried at the same time. 'Well, we got our wish!'
Wolf reached out and plucked his only granddaughter from his son's brawny arms. She beamed at him, and he said ruefully, 'With luck, it'll be thirty years before there's another one. Unless ...' His dark eyes narrowed as he looked at Chance.
'No way,' Chance said firmly. 'You can turn that look on Maris. I'm not getting married. I'm not reproducing. They're starting to come by the bunches now, so it's time to call a halt. I'm not getting into this daddy business.'
Mary gave him her sweet smile. 'We'll see,' she said.
