by Jill Kemerer
Eli and Henry were getting fussy; the babies always did this time of the night. She went to the kitchen and prepared three bottles, then returned and knelt on the floor, pulling the boys’ seats closer to her so she could feed them at the same time.
“Today was quite the day for my big boys, wasn’t it?” she cooed. “We’re not living with Granny anymore. It’s just us.”
Just us. A pit formed in her stomach.
She was now completely responsible for these tiny beings.
Take the side door, Nicole.
“We’re going to be fine. We’ve got a great place to live and friends who are here for us if we need help.” Eden, especially, had lent Nicole a hand more and more over the past month since moving in to the apartment above Brittany’s dance studio. “You’ll be in your beds tonight and Sissy will be in there, too. It’ll be the same as Granny’s, except quieter.”
Much quieter. This move might be a blessing in disguise. Mom and Steve often watched television until late at night, when he’d finally go home. And Stella was always slamming doors in the wee hours of the morning. Who knew where she’d been? Although the triplets had recently started sleeping through the night, Nicole never got uninterrupted sleep, and it was mostly because of her living arrangement.
But she wasn’t complaining. Mom had taken her in and given her a home all year. What would Nicole have done without her?
Her cell phone rang. Nicole tapped it then set it to speakerphone to keep her hands free. “Hello?”
“How did the move go?” Mom sounded frazzled. She and Steve had been packing his house all day.
“It went well. Everything’s in my new place. I haven’t made much of a dent in unpacking, though.”
“Wish I could help you, but we’re on a tight deadline. We’ll be leaving Wyoming right after Thanksgiving dinner. The U-Haul is bursting.”
“I’m going to miss you, Mom.”
“Me, too, honey. But you and the kiddos can come visit us anytime. I can’t wait to get down there and wear shorts every day. Steve found tennis courts near our apartment. I might learn how to play.”
“Sounds great.” Except it didn’t. Mom’s relationships never lasted more than a year or two. “Did Stella get her stuff over to Misty’s?”
“That’s part of the reason I’m calling.” Was Nicole imagining the restraint in Mom’s tone? “Your sister called earlier. Looks like she was offered an opportunity she can’t pass up.”
“What are you talking about?” Prickly sensations covered her skin. Stella had always been headstrong and flirty. She’d matured some since working for Gabby at the inn for the past several months, but Stella hadn’t taken Mom’s news about relocating well.
“Seems she got a job offer at a hotel in Vancouver. The owner really likes her. She’s coming home tonight, packing up and heading out.”
“She’ll be here for Thanksgiving, though, right?” Nicole couldn’t believe it. Her sister was moving away, too? “Wait. Does Gabby know? Don’t tell me Stella’s leaving the inn without giving notice.”
“You know your sister.”
That was code for yes, her sister was leaving without giving Gabby any notice.
A tension headache formed behind Nicole’s forehead. She’d specifically asked Gabby to hire Stella as a favor, and now her dingbat of a sister was going to leave her in the lurch.
“Did Judd help you move or was it just your other friends?” Mom asked.
“He helped.”
“Good. Now that you’re living on his ranch, you should spend as much time as possible with him. None of the other girls around here have snagged him. Here’s your chance. You’re a pretty girl, Nicki. Use it to your advantage. He’s one of the most eligible bachelors in town.”
She cringed, not daring to form a reply. Sometimes it boggled her mind how her mom’s brain worked. The thought of snagging Judd for security gave her a terrible icky feeling.
“Don’t unpack everything,” Mom said. “Who knows? If you’re smart, you could move in to his big house.”
“My hands are too full to think about getting married again, Mom.”
“Well, moving in could lead to marriage. You’ve got three babies and no income.”
Nicole wiped her finger over her eyebrow, praying for patience. As much as she loved her mom, she never, ever wanted to grow up to be like her. “I don’t think so.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Her mom yawned. “I’m beat. I’ll see you at the Riverview Lounge on Thanksgiving. One o’clock.”
“I thought we planned on four o’clock.”
“We moved it to one. Steve wants to get in as many miles as possible before it gets dark.”
She had so many questions, so many things to say, but what was the point? “Okay, see you at one.”
Her mom ended the call.
This was why Nicole had latched on to Aaron as a kid. She’d never been able to rely on her parents. Her mom changed plans on an hourly basis. Her father had left them when Stella was a toddler, and he’d only shown up once or twice a year until moving to the East Coast a few years later. Since then, Mom had clung to any man who would give her the time of day.
What if Judd got the impression Nicole was trying to snag him the way Mom suggested?
She shook away the awful thought and turned her attention to the boys. She’d have to be careful not to give Judd that impression. After burping and snuggling Henry, then Eli, she gave them their Binkies. Then she unstrapped Amelia, brought her over to the couch and fed her, too.
“And how are you, my tiny princess?” Amelia stared up with shining eyes that seemed to see into Nicole’s soul. “You’re never as hungry as your brothers, are you?”
Nicole tried not to be concerned about Amelia’s smaller size. The doctor assured her she was gaining weight and would likely be petite her whole life. But it was difficult not to worry when Amelia was so itty-bitty compared to the boys.
“Guess what, sweetheart?” She caressed her tiny head. “We’re living on our own again.” Nicole would be surrounded by her things and in charge of her days. No more sharing a bathroom with Mom and Stella. No more trying to quiet the babies at 6:00 a.m. so her mother could sleep.
She could follow any schedule she wanted because she didn’t have to answer to anybody else.
Her throat tightened uncomfortably.
She’d never wanted to be alone. And now she was. The thought almost choked her.
Amelia gripped a section of her long hair and was bunching it in her fist. Nicole took a deep breath. She wasn’t alone, not really, and it wasn’t only the babies keeping her company.
Gabby and Eden had told her time and again at their support group meetings that she could trust God. Her expectations didn’t always line up with His will, though. She’d never understand how God could let Aaron die while she was pregnant with three babies. She’d needed him. And he was gone.
I don’t have to know all the whys, Lord. You’re always with me. I’ll cling to that.
For the next hour, Nicole played with the triplets before changing them one more time. Soon they were sleeping in their cribs, and instead of doing the smart thing and going to bed, she padded to her room, changed into sweats and opened the first box stacked against the wall. She had no idea what was in it. Last January she’d packed her apartment in a haste without labeling the boxes. Aaron’s death and the pregnancy had left her barely functioning.
She peered inside. Aaron’s basketball trophies from high school. It was as if she was sitting on the bleachers in Rendezvous High’s gym waiting to cheer him on all over again. It had been their sophomore year when he began complaining of cramping in his legs. The basketball coach had gotten on him about his lack of stamina. Aaron had responded by training harder. Nicole hadn’t worried much about it. He was invincible. A basketball star. The hometown hero. Ev
eryone loved him, and she’d been his biggest fan.
They’d been inseparable since second grade, when he’d stopped Jeff Borland from pushing her on the playground. She didn’t know if it was possible to fall in love at eight years old, but she was pretty sure she had. Their junior year, when Aaron’s legs got weak and the cramping intensified, his parents took him to see doctors. The diagnosis was devastating—Becker muscular dystrophy.
At first it had felt like a death sentence, but after running tests on everything from his heart to his lungs, the doctors had assured Aaron he’d likely live to middle age or beyond. Nicole could still remember collapsing in his arms with relief when he’d told her his prognosis.
Not wanting to waste a minute, they’d married the summer after graduating from high school. His senior year of college, they’d decided to start a family. They hadn’t been successful. Two years later, she’d gone on fertility drugs. And then last year...
If she’d known she’d be a widow with triplets, would she have done anything differently?
Did she have any regrets?
Nicole put the trophy back and closed the box. She’d loved Aaron, but their marriage hadn’t been perfect. From third grade on, he’d called the shots, and she’d happily tagged along. Aaron had a larger-than-life personality. He loved to talk and talk...and talk.
She’d been the captive audience of the Aaron Taylor show most of her life.
He was the one who got a full-ride scholarship and earned a business degree while she worked at a bakery to help pay for their expenses. But later, while he was finding success at work, she was losing her voice in their relationship, and she’d never had much of one to begin with.
This year without him had been eye-opening. After months of grief and all the sessions with Mrs. Reeves, Nicole realized she missed Aaron, but she didn’t miss the dynamics of their relationship.
Sighing, she stood up, pressed her hand to her aching back and then carried the box out to the hall. She’d save the trophies for the kids. They’d want to see their daddy’s prizes someday. And she’d tell them all about his basketball days here in Rendezvous.
Turning on the light of the utility room, she glimpsed something streak across the floor. The box fell out of her hands and she jumped back, shrieking.
A mouse!
Her pulse raced so fast, she thought she might pass out. Slamming the door shut, she turned, raced to her bedroom and grabbed her cell phone with fumbling fingers. Quickly, she found Judd’s number.
He picked up on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s in there!”
“What?” He sounded confused.
“There’s a mouse in the house!” Oh, dear, she sounded like Dr. Seuss. “It’s running around the laundry room!”
If there was one mouse, there could be two, and if there were two, there could be entire families. What if the walls were full of them?
“I’ll be right there.” The line went dead.
Taking deep breaths, she used her phone’s flashlight feature to check on the triplets. Thankfully, her scream hadn’t woken them up. She hustled to the living room and turned on the porch light.
Come on, Judd. Get here!
What if he didn’t live a hop, skip and a jump away? What would she have done then?
It didn’t matter. He did live within arm’s reach, and she couldn’t be more thankful. Because she was not ready to be on her own if it meant dealing with mice by herself.
* * *
A mouse? Judd thrust his arms into a jacket, pulled on his boots, grabbed his hat and went outside. He was used to seeing mice in the stables, but Nicole sounded terrified.
Must be a girl thing.
The wind picked up as he strode down the lane to her cabin, so he tucked his chin into the collar of his jacket.
When Nicole called, he’d just gotten off the phone with Aunt Gretchen. He called her every night. She lived alone in town, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep not knowing if she was okay. His aunt had turned seventy this year.
Aunt Gretchen was the sister of his dad and Uncle Gus. Her husband had died a few years before Judd arrived in Rendezvous as an awkward, withdrawn teenager. She always thought the best of Judd. As time went on, he depended on her for advice and her unwavering support, and he helped her out whenever she needed anything. She acted like he was the son she never had. He was closer to her than anyone.
How much longer would Aunt Gretchen be around?
An owl hooted as the cabin came into view. The front windows glowed in cheery welcome. No one else lived nearby. One of his full-time ranch hands had a house five miles away. The other stayed in a cabin on the east side of Judd’s property. The arrangement suited him fine. The men, both single, could take care of themselves.
But Nicole and the babies... She had her hands full and needed all the help she could get. He picked up his pace and rapped on the front door.
Nicole opened it. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she’d changed into gray sweatpants and an oversize pink sweatshirt. She looked even prettier and more vulnerable than she had before.
“Oh, thank you. Come in!” She pulled him by the hand and dragged him down the hall.
Her fingers in his hand chased all logical thoughts out of his head. The same protective feeling he’d had earlier when he’d stared at her baby girl flooded him. This woman needed him. It might only be to get rid of a mouse, but she needed him all the same.
“It’s in there.” She pointed to the closed door leading to the utility room. Then she took a few steps backward with her hands over her heart. Her eyes were as big as the plates she’d unpacked earlier.
“Stay back,” he said. “I’ve got this.”
“Oh, I’m staying back. You couldn’t pay me to go in there.”
He almost chuckled as he slipped inside the room. A box with a couple of plastic trophies blocked the path. He nudged it to the side with his foot. He grabbed the broom he kept on a rack behind the door and crouched down to figure out where the critter went.
There it was. In the corner. He opened the door leading to the backyard then poked the broom at the mouse, causing it to race ahead straight toward the door. With one swipe, he brushed it outside, shut the door and locked it.
After putting away the broom, he opened the door. “All clear.”
She’d wrapped her arms around her waist. “Are you sure? What if it has a wife and family? What if there are babies in the walls? Mice could be everywhere.” Her voice rose in panic.
“I don’t think mice get married.”
“You know what I mean.” Her deadpan look made him tuck his lips under to avoid laughing.
“I’ll get some traps in here tomorrow. In the meantime, I think you’ll be okay.”
She chewed on one of her fingernails. He doubted she’d sleep a wink.
“Why don’t I check the house before I go?” He took a step toward her. She was more petite up close. A good six inches shorter than him.
“Would you?” The breathy quality in her voice spoke to the masculine side of him that relished hauling hay and roping calves and working with his hands.
Yeah, he’d gladly go on a mouse hunt for her.
He nodded and moved toward her bedroom, hesitating before entering. “Is it okay if I go in?”
“Yes, do your thing.” She beamed. “I won’t be able to sleep if you don’t.”
He wanted to say something, to reassure her, but he never had the right words, so he merely went into her room and looked along the baseboards. No signs of any mice. He scouted the living room with her at his heels and checked the rest of the cabin, minus the babies’ room since they both agreed it would be best not to wake them.
“I’m guessing the mouse sneaked in yesterday while we were moving the furniture out.” Now that his duty was done, he’d better not linger. H
e headed toward the front door. “I’ll get traps tomorrow in case he brought a friend.”
Her lips had pursed into a cute little heart shape. “Thank you. You must think I’m silly. I really appreciate you coming over.”
“I don’t think you’re silly.” He wanted to say more, to tell her she didn’t need to worry, he’d gladly stop by anytime she was scared. But the words stuck in his throat. He opened the door and stepped outside.
“Bye.” She wore a wistful half smile and shivered in the door frame. “Thanks again.”
“Sleep tight.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode toward home.
Nicole and her babies felt like his responsibility, the same way the animals on his property were, the same way Aunt Gretchen was.
He might not be good with words, but he’d been born to protect. If Nicole needed him for anything, he’d be there. No questions asked.
Crushing his hat tighter on his head, he strode down the path. He thought back on their agreement. Starting next Monday, he’d be picking up his supper from her. He had to admit home-cooked meals sounded better than the frozen dinners he’d relied on for years. It would also give him a chance to check on her, make sure she and the babies were okay. It wasn’t like he had to eat with her or anything. She’d hand him a plate and he’d be on his way. No big deal.
But something whispered inside him that it was a big deal.
What was done was done. Nothing he could do about it now.
Chapter Three
The following Monday evening at six o’clock sharp, Nicole wiped her hands on a dish towel and surveyed the table. She’d fed the babies before cooking supper, then lined them up in their seats right outside the kitchen so she could safely keep an eye on them. Tonight’s menu? Country-fried steaks, corn and mashed potatoes with gravy. With pop music playing, she’d lost herself in the delight of cooking, only stopping twice to give Henry his stuffed doggy and Amelia her pacifier. Now the food was on the table along with two place settings. It was her first night feeding Judd. He should be here any minute.