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“Twins?” Tai shouted, his voice cracking with excitement. “You’re having twin girls?”
“Copy that,” Bridger yelled out, beaming, pulling Jane close.
“Yup,” Kellen added, his usual grin missing.
The field erupted in cheers and laughter. Kate and Fenn embraced, pink paint smearing between them. Cody lifted Paige off her feet in a spinning hug. Mason and his girlfriend, Avery, shared understated grins. About as emotional as those two ever got.
Tai bounded over to Tenaya, grabbing her hands and babbling excitedly about twin flower girls for their wedding.
Tenaya raised her goggles, aiming a fierce scowl straight at her fiancé. “Those babies won’t be old enough for years. If I’d known we were going to wait that long?—”
“No! No. I didn’t mean—cancel that,” Tai blustered, quickly taking back his words. “My bad. No way I’m waiting any longer than I have to. I just meant ... how cute would that be?”
Tenaya kissed him on the cheek. “That’s what I thought, Big Man.”
Still wild-eyed, Tai caught Jason’s gaze.
“Nice save.” Jason mouthed the words.
Tai pantomimed wiping his brow. “Copy that, bro. Copy that.”
Jason was still laughing when Kellen bumped against his leg. The boy stood frozen, paintball gun hanging limply at his side, a look of utter betrayal on his face. “Mom and Dad told me a couple days ago. Girls,” he muttered. “Two of them.”
He looked up, paint-splattered and forlorn. “Uncle Jay, this is a disaster.”
Jason dropped his gun and knelt down to Kellen’s level. “Nah, buddy. It’s just the beginning of a new adventure. Besides, think of all the cool stuff you can teach your little sisters.”
“Girls don’t like guy stuff.”
“Says who?” He pointed at Paige and Kate. “Kate can fly better than any man here, and Paige loves anything with a computer chip. And you know your mom can drive a tractor or ride a horse as well as anybody in Redemption Creek, right?”
“Okay. But this is different.”
“Doesn’t have to be. It’s gonna be up to you to show them how to have fun.”
Kellen’s eyes lit up. “Like playing paintball?”
“Exactly like paintball,” Jason agreed, glancing over at Bridger, who was now being mobbed by well-wishers. “Though maybe wait a few years on that one.”
“Yeah. Prob’ly they need to be able to walk first.”
“For sure.”
As the excitement settled into a happy buzz, Jason found himself on the periphery of the group. He watched as his friends—his family—celebrated this new chapter in their lives. Tai and Tenaya, lost in their own world. Kate and Fenn, already discussing nursery designs. Cody and Paige, hands intertwined, faces glowing with more than just pink paint.
And Jane. She’d held everything together since their parents died. The hardware store. The town even. She was the center of everyone’s world. And now, the Lord had blessed her with the amazing, vibrant life she always deserved.
He wanted to be there to watch her enjoy it. To see his nieces and nephew grow up.
This was the life he wanted. The life he’d fought for, bled for. But even as warmth filled his chest, a familiar chill crept up his spine. The Consortium might be down, but they weren’t out. The Seven-Five was still out there, lurking in the shadows. How long before they regrouped, before they came after everything he held dear?
Jason’s jaw clenched. He knew what he had to do. One last mission, one final push to end this threat once and for all. He’d disappear again, but this time with a promise: he’d come back. He had to. For them. For this.
As if sensing his thoughts, Jane caught his eye from across the field. Her smile faltered, concern creeping into her expression. Jason forced a grin, giving her a thumbs up.
Later, he told himself. He’d worry about it later.
For now, there was pink paint to clean up, a nephew to console, and twin nieces to celebrate. The future—and its lurking dangers—could wait. At least for one more day.