Caleb stood by the large window, his muscled arms cradling a small bundle. He looked up, and a look of absolute joy shone on his face.
Mack’s focus locked on the bundle, and he moved forward. “Is this her?”
His older brother nodded, his finger brushing at the baby’s face. “This is Annie,” he whispered.
Never in Mack’s life had he felt so drawn to one individual. Step by step, he drew closer. Perfection. There was no other way to describe the baby in Caleb’s arms. He exhaled a shuddered breath. "She's so tiny," he whispered.
Caleb chuckled. “You want to hold her?”
Mack’s eyes snapped to his brother. “Can I?”
Without a word, Caleb shifted Annie into Mack’s arms. “Watch her head. You need to make sure you support it.”
Annie’s small, pouty lips opened wide, and she yawned. A small sound escaped her lips, and her face scrunched up like she was going to cry. For a moment, Mack tensed. He didn’t want her to cry. He didn’t want to hand her back to her father.
This feeling—the humming in his chest—it wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. He was just thrown off by learning of Lacey’s son.
And yet, he knew deep down that wasn’t the right excuse.
If he thought his little niece was amazing, how would he feel when he had his own children?
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Caleb murmured.
Mack gave him a questioning look, and his brother smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “I always thought you’d be the last to get married—the last to want a life like this. But watching you hold her…” His voice got emotional. “I can tell you would be a good dad.”
He blinked, reality settling in.
No.
Mack wasn’t cut out to be a father figure. At least not for several years. He shook his head and failed miserably at brushing his brother’s words from his heart. “Far from it,” he croaked, carefully placing his niece back into Caleb’s arms. “I’m a forever-uncle, through and through.”
Sammie laughed quietly. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting a family, Mack. Maybe you’re more ready for it than you think you are.”
“Nah.” He brushed off his arms, as if holding Annie had left him feeling unnerved. In truth, they felt too empty. “I can barely take care of myself,” he insisted. “What would I do with a kid?”
Caleb swayed slightly with his daughter before bringing her over to Sammie. He glanced at Mack briefly. “You don’t know until it happens. Believe me, I know.”
“Yeah, well, that’s just who you are,” Mack muttered, taking a seat in a chair that sat in the corner of the room. He crossed an ankle over his knee. “You’ve always known what you’ve wanted. From the moment you were born, I swear you were planning your future.” He turned to Sammie. “He knew what he wanted to be when he grew up the second he stepped foot on Sagebrush property. He didn’t even grow up there, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life there.”
Sammie glanced up at Caleb, adoration in her eyes. “Yeah, I know. And I love him all the more for it.” The way they stared at each other stirred something inside him. He’d watched from the outside while Caleb and Sammie fell in love. At first, he’d thought they were crazy.
But the more he paid attention, the more he realized that it wouldn’t be so bad to find someone who could love him.
Not that he was looking for love. He knew better than to go looking for something that was near impossible to find. Love took time and effort. He was perfectly happy to enjoy his life as a bachelor.
His attention landed on Annie again.
How long that opinion would last, he wasn’t certain. Maybe his brother was right. Maybe he would be ready sooner than he thought. He just needed to figure out a few things first.
What kind of a man didn’t know what he wanted for his future at the age of twenty-four? Not a man worthy of a wife and kids, that was for sure. But the more he tried to plan, the harder it became.
Lately, it felt like all he was good at was standing on the outside watching everyone move on in their lives. Caleb had graduated from college with honors. He had two patents under his belt. He was making a difference on ranches all over the country with his formula for feed. Now, he had a wife and a kid—and a house! His brother had everything.
And Mack? He still didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up.
He heaved a sigh and rubbed at a spot on his chest. “I’m going to let you guys get some rest. I just came to see the baby and let you know that Mom and Dad will come after the party’s cleaned up.” He smirked. “Everyone’s talking about how fast you had her. Some of the cousins are really jealous. I think Katrina said she was in labor for fourteen hours.”
Sammie grimaced, and Mack laughed. “You were here for what? Three?”
