She headed down the path that wound through the woods. The dirt road had ended about a quarter mile back, which meant that it was a long walk out to the cabin, but the path was clear, courtesy of Jack and his buddies. She knew the brothers still came up to the cabin regularly for fishing and hunting trips, or loaned it to friends in the area provided they’d handle the upkeep. She’d been surprised when all three brothers had elected to stay in Painted Barrel, but it was nice to have family around to call upon. Back home, Caleb and Jack were going to check in on the builders since Becca and Hank wouldn’t be home for a while. The expansion on their house was coming along, and she was ready to have extra bathrooms and a bigger living room and kitchen. With three people in the house, it had been a cramped fit. With the new baby? Extra bathrooms and a bigger kitchen were a necessity. They’d looked at getting some land and Doc had offered for them to build on the Swinging C lands, but with Libby in school and Becca’s business thriving, it just made more sense to stay in town for now.

Becca touched her slightly rounded stomach, where another baby was now growing. With frequent doctor visits between Henry Junior and now this baby, it was another reason to stay in town. She was only two months along and had yet to tell Hank. She’d tell him on this trip, and she hoped he was as excited as she was. Her dream of a huge family was becoming a reality, and she couldn’t be more thrilled. She kissed Henry’s head, thinking of pregnancy and childbirth and going through it all again. Pregnancy had been surprisingly easy. She’d gotten pregnant after about a year of marriage, and Hank had been so excited that her normally taciturn husband had told everyone in town. The pregnancy itself had been a breeze. She hadn’t been sick, hadn’t felt bloated or had weird cravings—she’d just plumped up like a Christmas turkey. And, really, that was all right, too. Most of the weight had come off with breastfeeding, and what hadn’t, Hank loved to squeeze. He said he loved her big butt and thick thighs, and she hoped he was ready for them to become even thicker. Just thinking about the baby filled her with anticipation.

“Da!” Henry said, pointing ahead.

“I see him,” she murmured, watching Hank’s hat bob through the trees.

She headed down the path, and Libby came racing back toward her, Alaska dancing at her heels. “Mama, the stream is so close! I forgot how close it was! Can I go fishing?”