Ginger dressed Martha Belle in a frilly little pink dress for church that morning and put the band with the bow that Sloan had bought around her head. She had just finished putting a pair of booties on her when Sloan came into the bedroom.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” he said. “I forgot to tell you that this morning at breakfast.”

“Thank you. It is my first Mother’s Day, isn’t it?” She kissed the baby on the cheek. “And you are the reason I get to celebrate this day, you sweet little doll.” She turned her attention back to Sloan. “Are the presents and the diaper bag ready to go? I’m so eager to get out of the house for a few hours. It’s only been eight days, and I know that we’ve had company every day, but I’m ready to get out, get a ride somewhere in the new vehicle.”

“The gifts are in the back of the SUV, all ready to deliver to the Banty House ladies after we have dinner, and the diaper bag is right behind the passenger seat. Honey, we can go anywhere you want,” he said.

“I still can’t believe that you went out and bought an SUV,” she said.

“If the ladies hadn’t let us borrow their car, we’d have had to hire a taxi to get us home. Besides, you’ll need it when you go back to work. I can take the truck to San Antonio, and you and Miz Punkin can use the SUV.” He picked the baby up and settled her into her car seat. “I’m not sure the world is ready for all your beauty this mornin’,” he told her as he gripped the handle with one hand and crooked his other arm for Ginger.

She looped her arm into his, and they went out into the bright sunshiny morning. “I’m glad Edith dropped that restraining order so we can go to our own church.”

“Flora said that James told her to drop it or else he’d have to leave town and find a church that he could afford to preach at,” Ginger said.

“I bet the ladies got a kick out of that.” Sloan took care of getting Martha Belle’s car seat clicked into the base, and then he opened the door for Ginger.

“Kate said that she laughed so hard that she got the hiccups and that Betsy said she’d go back if Edith apologized to her in public at church in front of the whole congregation. Connie wanted her to stand on the altar and ask God Himself to forgive her for judging their mother. Flora convinced them all that it would do more good for them to be ladies than to demand stuff like that,” Ginger explained.

Sloan laughed at the visions in his head of the old gals making Edith do all that, but he was most interested in Ginger that morning. “You sure look cute this morning in that dress.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I did some online retail therapy for it, like you taught me. It just came in yesterday. I wanted me and Martha Belle to wear the same color on Mother’s Day. It may turn out to be a tradition, like Easter at the Banty House.”

Sloan made his way around the SUV and got behind the wheel. “Then I’ll be sure to take a picture of the two of you before the day is over. You can put it in the book that you’re making for her. Maybe we can talk Kate into taking one of the three of us.”

“I’d like that.” Ginger had to say what was in her heart or else she was going to flat-out explode. “I love you, Sloan. I think I fell in love with you that first day when you came to the Banty House to work for the sisters. I don’t want you to think I’m saying this because of a new car or what all you’ve done for me this past week since the baby was born. I couldn’t ask for a better friend, but I want you to know that I love you”—she stopped and took a long breath, then blurted out—“for more than just a friend.”

The way he whipped around and looked at her made her wonder if he’d even heard her. Finally, just when she’d begun to think that he was trying to figure out how to let her down gently, he said, “Are you sure about that?”

“We can stay just friends. I guess everything depends on what you want. I have no right to ask for more. I was eight months pregnant when we met, and all we’ve shared is a few kisses,” she answered.

“Well, honey, those few kisses about knocked my socks off, and I’ve dreamed about you every night.” He started the engine of the new SUV.

Her heart fluttered like it might jump right out of her chest. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Me too. What are we going to do about us?”

“Well, I could make a suggestion, but you might think it’s too soon. After all we’ve both been through, I don’t believe in wasting time. We’re living together, and we’re getting along really, really good.” He drove from the house to the church and found a parking spot not far from the door. “Except when you get all stubborn with me about Ferris wheels and how much work you can do after surgery.”

“You can’t expect to live with someone twenty-four hours a day and not have a few arguments,” she told him. “I bet you and your granny even had words at times.”

“Oh, yeah.” He smiled, turned off the engine, and faced her. He took both her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. “This isn’t a very romantic time or place, and church starts in ten minutes so we’re a little rushed for time. But here goes: Ginger Andrews, I love you. I don’t know what the future holds, and I’m willing to wait until you are ready, but will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She unfastened her seat belt and leaned over the console to seal her answer with a long, passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

Epilogue

Twenty years later

Ginger dressed in a cute little pink sundress and matching sandals. She’d just finished running a brush through her shoulder-length blonde hair when Sloan came into their bedroom and slipped his arms around her waist from behind.

“Happy early anniversary,” he said.

“Thank you, darlin’.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “It hasn’t been a good twenty years. It’s been a wonderful twenty years. Did you calm our oldest daughter down?”

“I tried, but she’s pretty nervous. It’s a dream come true for her and Kate both. I swear she was marked from birth. I wanted her to go to college, but oh, no, she and her Nanny Kate had different plans.” He kissed Ginger on the forehead. “We’d better round up the crew and start moving in that direction.”

“I just have to get my purse,” Ginger said. “You get the SUV started, and I’ll yell at the girls. You know, we could try one more time for a boy. I’m not quite forty yet, and more and more women older than I am are having babies.”

“No, thank you,” Sloan chuckled. “I’m happy with our three girls. In a few years, they’ll probably all be living at the Banty House and we’ll finally have time just for each other. When we get Lizzy and Annie raised, I’m going to retire, and we’re going to do some traveling.”

“That sounds exciting, but, Sloan, I don’t want them to be old maids like the nannies were. I want them to have what we’ve had all these years,” she said.

“Don’t worry, honey.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles. “They’ll find their way, just like we did. If we don’t leave pretty soon, I’m going to lock the door and crumple up that pretty dress you’re wearing.”

She shoved him out the door with a giggle, picked up her purse, and yelled down the hallway of the new addition they’d built onto the house when the twins were born.

“All right, girls. The wagon train leaves in two minutes.”

Martha Belle came out of her bedroom with a worried look on her face. At almost twenty, she looked more like Sloan than she did her mother. Even though he wasn’t her biological father, her blue eyes were almost the same color as his. She was six inches taller than Ginger and built with curves in all the right places.

“Mama, you’ll be where I can see you when they interview us, won’t you? I’m so nervous that my hands will be shaking.” Martha Belle slung her arm around Ginger’s shoulders.

“I promise that your daddy and I’ll be standing right behind the cameras so you can see us both,” Ginger told her. “You’ve got this. You’re as strong as all three of your nannies put together.”

“I’m so glad that Nanny Kate and Nanny Betsy are here to see this day.” Martha Belle sighed. “But I miss Nanny Connie so much.”

“Don’t you dare start crying,” Ginger scolded. “You know I can’t let anyone cry alone, and tears will ruin our makeup.”