alone.
With him were two men, both as tall as he, with the handsome but rugged
features of ranchers, of men who eked their existence from the land and
the elements. They were talking, the three of them were talking, the
darkest of them saying something about yon Hensen.
Then Dolly emerged' from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.
'Those twins!' she proclaimed.
'The little darlings are going to eat us out of cookies and cakes, they
are!
Oh!
Oh, Tess! Jamie, Lieutenant Slater, why you're home! You're home!' There
were tears in her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.
'I knew Tess wouldn't come home without her lieutenant. I knew you
wouldn't!' Dolly flung her arms around Jamie, and then Dolly and Jane
were fighting to hug Tess, and she was trying to hug them back.
But she still couldn't help staring at the strangers who were suddenly
filling her house. Twins? What twins?
The two blond women were kissing and hugging Jamie. Jamie was laughing
in return and thanking both for coming.
Tess wasn't sure if she would lose her temper or her mind first.
'Excuse me!' she said, but there was too much noise. 'Excuse me!' she
shouted. The room went still. She looked around, and then said frankly,
'Excuse me, but--who are you?'
'Jamie!' the taller woman wailed.
'You didn't tell her?' Tess smiled sweetly.
'No. No, he didn't tell me.'
Jamie stepped forward.
'These are my brothers, Cole and Malachi. And their wives, Kristin and
Shannon. And that's my nephew, Gabe. And I take it that Shannon and
Malachi's twins are in the kitchen' -- 'The little darlings!' Dolly said
rapturously. 'We've come because Jamie sent us a wire about von Heusen,'
Cole Slater told her.
Tess gasped. She stared at them all. So this was having a family.
They were so close. They knew one another so well.
They were happy and content, she could see it on their faces; they were
serene with their world.
She shook her head.
'Thank you, but' -- She swung around on Jamie.
'Jamie, you can't--they could get killed here!'
'Well, ma'am, I'm not planning on getting killed,' Malachi told her,
tipping back his hat.
'I'm not planning on it at all. You see, we came to kill them if need
be.'
'You don't know von Heusen.' 'Oh,' Kristin said cheerfully, 'we have
known men a great deal like him.' She smiled, stepping forward.
'We're family, Tess. And that's what it's all about.' She flashed Jamie
a quick grin.
'My brother-in-law was always there when I needed him,' she said.
'Oh!' Shannon said suddenly.
'Smell that! Oh, no, Jamie and Miss. Stuart have come home at last, and
