by Amanda Renee
Until today.
She needed to find Liv...fast.
* * *
GARRETT TOOK THE reins as Wes dismounted. “Thanks for helping out.”
“No problem.” Wes didn’t mind filling in for other employees while he was visiting the ranch, considering they had covered for him plenty during his last few months of employment on Silver Bells. It had been an unbearable period in his life and he’d wanted nothing more than to get away from Saddle Ridge. And he had. He’d moved to Texas and escaped the drama he once called home.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Garrett snapped his fingers. “You have a visitor. Do you remember Jade Scott?”
Wes damn near tripped at the mention of her name. Even though he couldn’t think of one person he despised more than Jade, it was her sister he didn’t want to think about.
“What is she doing here?”
“I guess she’s babysitting the triplets while her sister’s away on business. She has some emergency at Liv’s house. I offered to help, but she insisted on talking to you.”
“Keep your distance from the Scotts.” Wes swallowed hard. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to come home for his brother Dylan’s wedding and his niece and nephew’s christenings. “They can call someone else. I have no business with Liv or Jade.”
“What’s with the attitude?” Garrett asked. “I thought you and Liv were good friends. Besides, it’s too late. Jade’s about ten steps behind you.”
Wes turned to see her weaving through the ranch guests walking back to the lodge. His stomach somersaulted at the sight of her and he wasn’t sure if it was because of their past or how much she had transformed since high school. The mean girl who had once made his life miserable had gone from a rough, chip-on-her-shoulder teen to a California knockout.
Sleek, rich mahogany waves replaced the frizzy curls she used to have. But that body and those curves...good Lord Almighty! Her black polka-dot chiffon blouse revealed just enough of her ample cleavage to make any man look twice, and her tailored black pants hugged her hips in perfection. She exuded an edginess combined with old Hollywood glamour and if she had been any other woman on the planet, he would have moved in for the kill. Their past made her off-limits and his connection to her sister sealed that deal.
“Wes.” Deep blue eyes held his gaze before traveling the length of him and back.
Transfixed upon her matte ruby-red lips, it took every ounce of strength he had left to respond. “Jade.”
“Hey, kids. A conversation requires more than that.” Garrett laughed. “Try hello, how are you.” He nudged his brother in Jade’s direction before walking away.
“What do you want?” Wes hadn’t meant his tone to be as harsh as it sounded.
“It’s about Liv. Is there someplace private we can talk?”
Wes stiffened. “I have work to do.” He turned to tend to his horse, but it wasn’t there. Silently, he cursed his brother.
“I thought you were on vacation from your job in Texas.”
He reeled to face her. “Who told you that?”
“The rodeo school where you work.” She stepped toward him and wobbled in her ranch-inappropriate four-inch heels. He reached for her arm to steady her and instantly regretted the contact. “I looked you up online. I need your help.”
Wes released her and rubbed his palm, wanting to erase all traces of her from his body. “On second thought, I don’t care what your reasons are. I’m asking you as politely as possible to leave.”
“Wes, please.” A half-foot shorter, even in those ridiculous heels, she stared up at him.
“What could you possibly need my help with?”
“Tell me I can trust you first.”
“No. You can’t trust me, so let’s end this now. Goodbye, Jade.” The intoxicating scent of her perfume wasn’t enough to entice him to hear more.
“I know.”
It wasn’t so much the words, but the firm way she said them that stopped him in his tracks. “Do you care to expand on that?” He prayed it wasn’t what he thought.
“I found the contract today at my sister’s house,” Jade whispered. “Before I go into details, promise me everything I tell you will stay between us.”
Wes wanted to argue and deny his role in Liv’s daughters’ paternity, but the worry etched into Jade’s face gave him pause. “Okay, you have my attention. And yes, you can trust me.”
Jade assessed him sharply, making him more uncomfortable than he already was. She had no reason to take him at his word considering their past had thrived on a mutual loathing of one another after their brief high school romance. Her shoulders sagged as she closed her eyes momentarily, shielding him from the pain that reflected in them.
“Liv left the triplets with Maddie yesterday and hasn’t returned.”
“That doesn’t sound like Liv.” Wes’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Have you called the police? Or checked the hospitals?”
“I called every hospital within a two-hundred-mile radius while I waited for my flight last night. I don’t want to involve the police. This isn’t a case of her getting in a car accident. She left a note saying she was leaving. Do you have any idea where she might’ve gone? Has she ever mentioned a place she enjoyed going to when she was under a lot of stress or anywhere she always wanted to visit?”
“Not offhand. I can’t believe she left the girls.” Wes propped a booted foot up on the fence rail and stared into the corral. “I was afraid this would be too much for her.”
“Wait a minute.” Jade grabbed him by the arm and forced him to look at her. “You suspected she was in trouble?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” Wes checked over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “I was long gone before those babies were born. And for the record, this wasn’t an easy decision on my part. There was never anything romantic or sexual between your sister and me. We were good friends. She was there for me during the darkest time of my life.”
“So how did you get from point A to point B?” Her face soured. “She told me she used an anonymous donor.”
“Liv hated the thought of a stranger fathering her children. I had initially said no, then I realized she wanted this more than anything and relented. I felt I owed her for being there for me over the years. But that’s where it ended. I couldn’t continue our friendship, knowing she was carrying my—” Wes shook his head. “They are not my children. I refuse to say they are.”
“I’m not asking you to raise them.” Thick sarcasm laced her assurance. “Just tell me what happened.”
Wes hesitated before answering, not wanting to sound callous. “Liv and I went our separate ways. She called me once I was in Texas and told me she was having triplets. I’ll admit, I had my concerns and asked if she could handle that many babies. She said she was a little overwhelmed by the news, but even more excited. I could hear it in her voice. She also had you and her friends. So, I continued on with my life.”
“Turns out she was more overwhelmed than we both thought.” Jade’s phone rang. She removed it from her bag, checked the screen and then rejected the call. “No matter how long it takes to find her, I’m not abandoning those babies. You can’t, either.”
“I am not getting involved. I did my part and then got out of town for a reason. Many reasons. They are not my responsibility. She should have gone with an anonymous donor like she had with the eggs.”
“She didn’t use an anonymous egg donor.”
“Then whose were they?”
“Mine. You and I are those girls’ biological parents.”
Chapter Two
Jade never saw a person pale so fast. “Don’t you dare faint on me.”
“For God’s sake, I’ve never fainted a day in my life. A bull has knocked me unconscious a time or two in the rodeo ring, but I’ve never fainted.” Wes’s hazel
eyes narrowed. “You’re the biological mother of those children?”
“Believe me, when I saw your name on the donor contract I was none too thrilled. It’s like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me.”
“On you?” Wes snapped. “You’re the last person I would have chosen.” His abhorrence for her darkened his features. Features she probably would’ve found attractive under normal circumstances.
“At least I provided a biological link. You, on the other hand—”
“Go on. Finish what you were going to say.” The muscles along his jawline pulsated.
“No, because regardless of our feelings toward each other, we created three beautiful lives. I will not insult them by insulting you.”
Wes tilted his hat back, revealing an errant lock of dark blond hair. He folded his arms across his chest, causing his formfitting gray T-shirt sleeve to ride up and expose the hint of a colorful tattoo on his biceps. Biceps that were much larger than she remembered from high school.
“As much as I want to argue with you, that’s a very mature attitude and one I should adopt myself.” Wes stepped away from the fence, giving her his full attention. “When I agreed to do this, I did so under one condition. Total anonymity.”
“I have no intention of saying anything.” Jade had wanted the same condition, but she and Liv had discussed the possibility of one day telling the children. Especially if a medical reason arose. That was most likely why she wanted the father to be somebody she knew. Just in case. “The truth may come out, regardless.”
“It can’t.” Wes’s eyes widened. “I had second thoughts shortly after I did it. First of all, I never wanted kids of my own. And second, my family would never forgive me for not being involved in their lives. Even though that’s what Liv wanted.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” Jade wondered if her sister’s feelings for Wes ran deeper than she’d admitted. “Had you already planned to move away when she asked you to be the donor?”
“No. I mean, we discussed how unhappy I was living in Saddle Ridge for reasons I won’t get into right now. My bull riding schedule keeps me on the road a lot too, so she knew I wouldn’t be around much.”
“How did she react when you told her you were moving to Texas?”
Wes winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I told her over the phone after I had already left. It was all of a two-minute conversation. One I purposely kept short because I couldn’t handle being involved in her pregnancy or the baby’s life. Then she called and told me she was having triplets.”
“You had to have been as shocked as I was.” The thought of Liv carrying and raising one of Jade’s children had been surreal enough. And even though she’d been fully aware they’d harvested three of her eggs, Jade never saw beyond one child. She’d automatically assumed it was a one-time deal. At the very least she’d expected her sister to have told her they’d used all three the day of the procedure.
“That’s an understatement. Look, I just came off a full week of competition and I’m only here for another week and a half before I head back to Texas. My family has two baby christenings this weekend and Dylan’s wedding is the next. And I’m competing midweek in South Dakota. I’ll help you in whatever way I can, but I’m not going anywhere near those babies. I can’t do it. Despite what you think Liv’s intentions may have been, she stressed I was to be a donor only. Nothing more. I can’t get emotionally involved.”
“I don’t know what to do. Maddie said Liv had been adamant about caring for the babies on her own, so she sent her home. Aside from some brief text messages over the last two weeks, I haven’t really spoken to her. Based on the little information I have, Liv may be suffering from postpartum depression.”
“Oh man.” Wes shoved his hands in his pockets. “That’s pretty serious.”
“I don’t think she’d harm herself, but Liv doesn’t do well with failure.” They’d grown up with failure in every way imaginable and they both worked hard to avoid it now. “I’m wondering if she recognized what was happening to her and removed herself from the girls to protect them. Possibly to get help.”
“Would she have had that much clarity?”
“She called Maddie and asked her to come over and babysit. And then there was the note she left telling Maddie to call me. When I checked her room, her luggage was missing. Her closet and quite a few drawers were partially empty leading me to assume she packed for a trip of some sort. She planned every step. It’s not erratic behavior. She’s either on a long vacation or she checked herself in somewhere.”
“What did the note say?” Jade withdrew the folded slip of paper from her bag and handed it to him. He read it, then turned it over as if expecting to find more. “This is all she wrote?”
Jade nodded. “That’s it.”
Wes scrubbed the day-old scruff on his chin. “This sounds permanent. I’ll talk to Harlan and see what he can find out.”
“Your brother? Why? What can he do?”
“He’s a deputy sheriff.”
“Then keep him out of it.” Jade snatched the note back from him, suddenly wishing she hadn’t come to see Wes. “The police and social workers always believe they’re doing what’s best for the children when they don’t see or understand the whole picture. I’ll handle this.”
He stared at her as if she had two heads. “Look, I don’t like the idea of involving my brother, either, but you can’t do it alone. Triplets are hard enough for a conventional family, let alone a single parent. Your sister’s a prime example of that. Do you have help at the house?”
“Maddie said she’d be willing to stay for however long I need her.”
“Unless Maddie quit her job since I left in January, she works full-time.”
“Are you offering your help?”
“As in physically be there with you?” Wes held up his hands and stepped back. “Oh no. I don’t want to see them and please don’t force them on me.”
“I would never force a child on anyone. They deserve better than that. I only came here because I thought you might have an idea where she went. My mistake.”
Jade trudged back to her car, almost twisting her ankle in the process. What the hell had possessed her to wear high heels to a ranch? Stupidity along with vanity. She’d wanted to show Wes that despite the horrible rumors he’d spread about her in school, she had made something of herself. Eleven years later and she was still letting his opinion matter.
* * *
FOR A SMALL TOWN, the drive back to Liv’s house felt like an eternity. Except for a handful of neighbors, her sister lived fairly isolated on the outskirts of Saddle Ridge. Maddie greeted her at the door, tense in anticipation of good news.
“How are the girls?”
“Still asleep. I expect them up soon. Once one’s awake, the rest follow. Did you hear anything?”
“No.” Jade slipped off her shoes and kicked them aside. “I ran into a friend of hers, though. Wes Slade.”
“He must be home for the wedding and christenings.”
“You know about them?”
“They only invited the entire town.”
Of course, they had. There was nothing like living in a small town. “So, they were good friends?”
“Until he moved to Texas. His leaving really upset Liv since he hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. He’s a hottie and a half, but the two of them never hooked up. Probably because he was hooking up with everyone else in the county.” Maddie’s face turned pink. “Present company excluded.”
Jade was all too familiar with Wes’s libido.
“My sister never mentioned him. When did they become friends?”
“I’m not really sure since I didn’t live here then, but based on different things she’s said, I’ve always assumed it was around the time Wes’s father was killed.”
“I remember Liv mentioni
ng that, but I didn’t realize they knew each other that well.” Jade had never discussed Wes or the rumors he had started. The rumors that led to one of his friends assaulting her. Liv had had enough going on between school and working whenever she could to save for college. Regardless, Liv had to have heard the rumors from her friends. Saddle Ridge was too small of a town not to. Was that why she kept her friendship with Wes from her? Or had Wes said something?
“I tried calling Liv again, and it went straight to voice mail. I left a message telling her you were here and that the girls were fine.”
“Nothing about them missing her?” Jade asked.
“I—I don’t remember exactly what I said. Should I have?”
Jade dropped her bag on the antique hall table in the foyer. “If she’s suffering from some form of postpartum depression I’d like to believe hearing the children miss her would prove how much they need her. That’s just speculation on my part.” She wondered if her sister would interpret their being fine as confirmation she’d done the right thing. But Maddie blamed herself enough already. Jade didn’t need to add to it. “Why don’t you head home, take a shower and relax for the night. I appreciate you going above and beyond like you have.”
“Are you sure?” Maddie gnawed on her bottom lip. “I realize you were here when the girls were born, but do you know how to take care of an infant? Let alone three?”
“I’m sure I can handle feeding them, changing a few diapers and putting them to bed.” Jade’s hands flew to her chest. “Oh my God! Liv was breast-feeding.”
Maddie shook her head. “No, it didn’t work out. She wasn’t producing enough milk and was unbelievably sore. They started on formula pretty early.”