Soul Deep by Pamela Clare Page B

rising to the challenge. He seems very
eager to prove his worth.”
    “A bit too eager sometimes. It can be
annoying.”
    Jack laughed. “He’ll get the hang of things
soon enough. I’m having a video surveillance system installed in
the barns next Monday. In the meantime, he and Chuck are taking
turns sleeping outside Chinook’s stall.”
    “A video surveillance system? That will be
expensive.”
    “Losing Chinook would be a lot more
expensive.”
    “True enough.”
    “I need to get to the kitchen. The biscuits
won’t make themselves.”
    “Before you go, I have some news.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Megan’s pregnant.” Nate didn’t sound happy
about it.
    Jack found himself smiling, but he bit back
his congratulations. He knew the two of them had agreed to wait
until after Megan finished law school. She was only halfway through
her first semester. “I take it this came as a surprise. When did
you get the news?”
    “This morning. We haven’t told Emily
yet.”
    “How does Megan feel about it?”
    “She’s excited but worried about how
pregnancy and a new baby will affect her ability to get through law
school.”
    “Understandable. You can reassure her, of
course, that we will do all we can to make sure she gets the
support she needs.”
    “This is my fault.”
    Jack chuckled. “Now, son, I thought we had
that talk. You knew going into this how it all works.”
    “She forgot to take a couple pills, and she
warned me. I thought there was no way a couple of pills could make
a difference, so I didn’t take extra precautions.”
    “Well, there’s only one thing to say now.
Congratulations. I’ll admit it. I’m excited. A new baby in the
house? That’s great.”
    Children brought chaos, but Jack did all
right with chaos. He loved being a grandfather as much as he’d
loved being a father, except that he was wiser now, more patient.
He probably made a better grandpa than he had a dad.
    “Thanks. I appreciate the support. Keep me
posted on the situation with Chinook.”
    “I will. Pass my congratulations and love to
Megan, and give Miss Emily a hug. We can celebrate your news when
you get home next weekend.”
    “Thanks, Dad.”
    Jack ended the call, then got to work in the
kitchen mixing up a batch of buttermilk biscuits, a big smile on
his face. He’d just pulled them from the oven when Janet appeared,
freshly showered, her hair glossy from having been blown dry.
    She’d put on a bit of makeup—just enough to
highlight her beautiful eyes—and a lavender turtleneck with a pair
of Levis. Damned if she didn’t fill out both the shirt and her
jeans to perfection.
    She smiled. “It smells delicious.”
    “The stew was made with beef raised here on
the ranch. I tossed in potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, and
my own special ingredient—hard cider brewed in Scarlet
Springs.”
    “If I lived here, I’d get fat.” Janet took
the basket of rolls from him and set it on the table, then found
the butter crock and did the same with it.
    “If you lived here, I’d keep you too busy for
you to get fat.”
    “Is that so?”
    “You better believe it.”
    Only when Jack saw the blush in Janet’s
cheeks did he realize how she’d taken his words. He’d been thinking
of her working with the horses. He wondered for a moment whether he
should correct her impression, then decided against it. He didn’t
want to embarrass her or hurt her feelings, and if her mind had
immediately gone to sex, he was okay with that.
    He served the stew and the salad, then got
two bottles of hard cider out of the fridge, poured them into mugs,
and set one at each plate. “Help yourself.”
    “Tell me about Nate and Megan and your
granddaughter—Emily is her name?”
    Jack told her about the news he’d just
gotten, then bragged about Nate’s accomplishments and how proud
he’d been when Nate had made the cut to serve as a special operator
with a Marines special ops team that worked with Navy SEALs.
    “That’s how he met