by Amanda Renee
“What did she say?” Jade asked against the softness of his shirt.
“She was thrilled for them. A few days later she had our embryos implanted. But she didn’t think this through. I have a lot of respect for Liv, but I think she was so in love with the idea of having a baby, she didn’t see the whole picture. Like what happens when Travis and her daughters are in the same class together? Someone’s bound to comment on the resemblance. What happens if one of those girls wants to date him when they get older? They’re cousins. What is she going to do? How will she explain that?”
“Oh my God! I hadn’t thought of that.” Jade pulled away from him.
“You shouldn’t have to.”
Wes brushed her hair away from her face, allowing it to fall behind her shoulder. His touch tender and kind, as if they’d actually been friends. She hadn’t thought he was capable of so much compassion.
“You were a donor. I was a donor,” he continued. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve replayed that scenario in my head these past couple days. Your sister either has to move out of town, or she needs to face the cold reality that people will discover the truth. As much as I don’t want to reveal my role in this, I realize I can only control a part of it.”
“That had to have weighed on Liv.” People had babies every day without complication, yet Audra, Hadley and Mackenzie were surrounded by it. Any decision she, Wes and Liv made affected them.
“I’m sure it did. It’s too big of a secret to bear. Up until five days ago, she was the only one who knew the entire truth.”
“It’s killing me not to be able to talk to her.” Ironic since she had subconsciously avoided speaking with Liv for weeks. “I have so many questions.”
“She may not have any answers.”
“I got so mad at her this afternoon.” Jade hugged her arms to herself. “I lost another major client because I’m not in LA. Tomás is wonderful and I trust him with my life, but I had contracts with people who expected me to handle their events personally. And to a large degree I had. There’s a lot I can do remotely, but I can’t hold someone’s hand through a catering or cake testing or walk them through a venue. My face on Tomás’s iPad just wasn’t enough to convince them to stay. We had already invested quite a bit of money in this one. I took a big hit.”
“That doesn’t seem right. Can’t you fight that?”
“Sure.” Jade bitterly laughed. “And then that celebrity will tell their friends not to use us. LA may be a large city, but it’s a small town at heart. Everyone knows everyone else and reputations can be destroyed with one phone call. I have to suck it up.” She inhaled deeply. “I’m mad at my sister for putting me in this situation. I’m not mad she has postpartum depression. But let’s be honest, she made some big mistakes. And let me tell you, I pass some of that blame on the fertility specialist she went to. Counseling should be mandatory, especially when implanting three embryos in a single mother. I find that irresponsible. So, yeah, I’m mad. And the guilt eats at me for feeling that way because Liv had to be a complete wreck over this.”
Wes gathered her into his arms again and held her tightly. “You’re human first. That’s why I’m asking you to move in here.” His voice smooth and insistent as he rested his head on hers. “By staying at Liv’s you’re doing exactly what she did. Let me and my family help you. And if they figure out the truth, we’ll handle it then. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Don’t wait until you’re so strung out, both emotionally and financially, to do something.”
“What about Maddie? She’s personally invested in this. She loves the children.”
“She should come with you so you’re not alone at night.”
Because you’ll be in Texas. Jade wanted to be selfish and ask him to stay. A small part of her loved the connection they shared. Wes Slade, of all people, was the one person who completely understood. The pretense had slipped away and she wanted nothing more than to lean on him for support.
She lifted her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. Could she really put the past aside and trust him?
“Maybe moving here isn’t such a bad idea. But it’s only temporary.”
Wes cupped her chin, his mouth inches from hers. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll talk to my brothers and we’ll figure this out. Together.”
“Together?” Jade had never yearned to kiss a man so badly. “But you’re leaving.”
“I’ll call you every day.” He stroked her cheek, brushing away what remained of her tears. “You’ll still have me.”
If only she had him... Her sister would never forgive her. Jade sat up straight and gripped the steering wheel. “Okay, um, yeah, talk to your brothers and we’ll take it from there. How about you show me where to drop you off.”
Wes cleared his throat and adjusted his jeans. “Make a left at the stables and follow that road to the end.”
Jade shifted the car into gear and stepped on the gas. The engine revved, but didn’t move. “Please tell me I didn’t break Maddie’s car.”
“Try putting it in Drive instead of Neutral.” Wes laughed under his breath.
Jade stared down at the glowing N on the shifter. What was it about Wes? She took pride in always remaining in control, yet whenever she was around him, she made a fool of herself. He was charming, thoughtful, handsome—okay, downright sexy—but he was off-limits. A relationship, even a fleeting, one-night sexual one, was out of the question with the father of her children.
Damn.
She braked the car abruptly in front of his cabin. “Get out.”
Wes laughed, making no move to open the door.
Jade flipped up the armrest and reached across his lap for the door handle, pushing it open. “Get out before I do something we’ll both regret.”
Before she could retreat to her side of the car, he gripped her waist and tugged her onto his lap, the full extent of his arousal evident against her hip. “What if we don’t regret it?”
“We can’t.” She splayed her hands on his chest and pushed away from him, her back against the dashboard.
“Because you don’t want to, or because of your sister?”
“Oh, I definitely want to.” Her eyes wandered down his abs to his belt buckle as his thumb grazed the side of her breast. In seconds, she could have his jeans unzipped and end the tension between them. She closed her eyes, relishing the thought. She’d never understood that deep sexual yearning she’d heard her brides talk about...until now. A shrink once told her it had been because of her past. She’d always believed she just hadn’t met the right man yet. But despite the unfamiliar desire raging deep within her, she couldn’t betray her sister any more than she was already.
“We can’t do this to Liv. It’s not fair to her.”
“Okay.” He nodded silently and released her. “Just for the record, I don’t think it’s fair that your sister gets to dictate how we feel about each other.” Wes reached for the door. “Before I say any more, I’m going to go take a cold shower.”
Jade slid back to her side of the car. “You and me both.”
“We could always take one together.” Wes snatched his hat from the dashboard. “But then we’d get all steamy again. Good night, Jade. I’ll call you after I speak to my brothers.” He stepped out of the car and closed the door, giving her a pleasant view of his backside in the process. He leaned in the window before walking away. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”
“You too.”
“I do believe you’re blushing.”
“Good night, Wes.”
Jade pulled away from the cabin before he tempted her further. If he could melt her resolve without even kissing her, she could only imagine what would happen to her if he did. Wes was right, he needed to go back to Texas. She was safer that way.
Chapter Six
Jade stepped outside the large log guest cabin and admired
the rising sun over the Swan Range. Okay, maybe Wes was right, the view was photoworthy. She sipped her mug of coffee as Belgian horses grazed lush green grass in the corral twenty yards from the expansive wraparound porch. Dylan and Garrett had been gracious enough to offer her the place for free, but she refused. She could afford to pay their more than reasonable rate, although a part of her wondered if they had discounted the cost. Wes had been insistent on paying the entire bill, but Jade relented and allowed him to share half the expense.
Wes had only been gone a day, and she surprisingly missed him. The ranch, vast as it was, seemed empty without him there. Not that they had spent any time there together, except for the day she arrived and their heated exchange in Maddie’s car.
She glanced over at the maroon Ford parked alongside the cabin. Her body began to tingle at the memory. She’d almost had sex with Wes Slade in the front seat of a car. What the hell was happening to her? They weren’t in high school. Regardless, the man had already affected Jade and the girls. He hadn’t been a part of their lives for very long, but the triplets seemed more content and settled when he was around. Nothing would replace their mother though.
For infants, they’d had so many changes in their little lives and Jade was grateful Maddie agreed to stay at the ranch with her. She had been their one constant. It also didn’t hurt that the woman had a major crush on a ranch hand she met at the christenings who just happened to live on the other side of the property.
“Here you are,” Maddie said from the open doorway. “Wow. That view’s worth a million bucks and then some.”
“Are the girls awake yet?”
“Not yet.” She padded barefoot to the railing and inhaled the fresh scent of morning dew. “This has to be the first night they’ve slept more than four hours in a row.”
“Maybe it’s the country air.” Jade had the best sleep of her life after feeding and putting the triplets to bed around two thirty. “I should brace myself for the dirty diaper onslaught while you get ready for work.”
“I don’t know.” Maddie, still in her sleep shorts and T, flopped into one of the porch rocking chairs and closed her eyes. “I may play hooky today and just admire the landscape.”
“You mean admire Jarrod.”
Maddie glared at her and narrowed her eyes. “Do you see Jarrod anywhere, because I don’t.”
“No, but I’m sure you’ll know his schedule by tonight. And if you get dressed fast enough, you can catch him at the breakfast buffet up at the main lodge.”
“Really?” Maddie shot upward. “I mean, breakfast sounds like a good idea.”
Jade stifled her laughter as Maddie ran back inside the cabin. She wished she had a friend like Maddie in LA. Tomás and his husband were always around for business or pleasure, but Jade felt like a third wheel whenever they went out together. Her social calendar was packed almost every night so she couldn’t complain, but most of those events were business related in some way. She had to out-network the competition to remain relevant, which didn’t leave much time for dating.
“Good morning!” A woman called out from an ATV as she drove up to the porch. “It’s refreshing here, isn’t it?”
The voice and the face were familiar, but Jade couldn’t place the woman. Then the realization hit her. “Delta?”
“I know, I look different with a pixie cut, but I didn’t have much say in that.” She eased off the ATV and unfastened a large tote from the back before climbing the steps. “How are you? I’m sorry I wasn’t around when the babies were born.”
Jade gave the woman a hug, then held her at arm’s length. “Wow! You look amazing.” Delta had been stunning before, but her deep mahogany close-cropped hair accented her slender neck, perfect breasts and mile-long legs. “You look more like a supermodel than someone recovering from cancer.”
“Well, thank you.” Delta mock-strutted a mini catwalk and spun around. “Cancer forces you to take better care of yourself. Besides eating healthier, I’m working out more and kicking some major butt. Life’s too short not to. I’m really sorry to hear about Liv. I wish I could have been around more during her pregnancy.”
“No, no, please. You had your own struggles. I get it.”
Delta nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.
“I have something for you.” She held up the bag. “Belle—Harlan’s wife—has been teaching me how to bake whole grain bread and muffins, so our kitchen is overflowing with all sorts of yumminess. I thought you and Maddie would like some.”
“Absolutely. She’s inside getting ready for work.”
“Ready for work or ready for Jarrod?” She fanned herself as she said his name.
“Oh, you know, huh?”
“Honey, I had a ringside seat to the drool fest. And yes, dear Maddie was drooling.”
“Why don’t you come in and you can tell me about it over coffee.” Jade opened the screen door and held it for Delta. “We may actually get a chance to talk before the girls wake up.”
Delta followed her to the large family-sized eat-in kitchen. Jade loved the cabin’s thoughtful little details, like easy-to-sterilize solid core countertops and child safety latches on all the cabinets, top and bottom in case someone’s child was a climber.
“Besides wanting to pawn my food off on you, I sort of have a favor to ask.”
“Okay.” Jade poured two mugs of hot coffee and set them on the table. “Do you take cream or sugar?”
“Just black, thank you.”
Jade peered into the tote and pulled out a bag of blueberry muffins. “Oh, these look amazing,” she said before taking a bite. “These are incredible. I love the addition of the orange zest. It really brightens the flavor.”
“I thought so too. Normally you see lemon and blueberry paired together, but the orange is a nice citrus twist.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.” Jade wiped her fingers on a napkin. “Please ask me the favor.”
“Um, okay.” Worry lines creased Delta’s forehead as she death-gripped her mug. “I’m sure you can imagine the first half of the year was really rough for Garrett, me and the kids.”
Jade reached across the table and covered her hands. “What is it? Did something else happen?”
“It’s nothing bad at all.” Delta’s caramel-brown eyes met hers. “It’s just a big favor to ask. June has been our turning point of sorts. I’m done with chemo, my scans look great and we can finally move on with our lives.”
“I have an idea where this is going.” Jade hoped she was correct.
Delta returned her enthusiasm. “Garrett and I have been talking and we really want to get married this summer. The problem is, the kids leave to visit their grandparents in Wyoming on Monday, and they won’t be back for a month which would give us more than enough time to squeeze in a honeymoon. It’s important his kids are in the ceremony, so eloping is out of the question.”
“And you want to have the wedding this week.”
Delta’s smile widened. “After the christenings on last Saturday, we asked Dylan and Emma if they would mind us getting married this weekend too. We thought it would be the perfect time since many of the same people we’d invite are already in town. They loved the idea.”
“I’m so happy for you!” Jade gave Delta another hug. “Dylan and Emma have their wedding planned and set for Saturday afternoon and the reception goes into the evening. We don’t want to disrupt that, but we also realize that many people are flying or driving home on Sunday. We just want a simple ceremony, at sunrise Sunday morning and then a quick breakfast reception before everyone leaves.”
“It sounds wonderful. I’m jealous I haven’t thought of that idea before. I’ve planned a lot of double ceremonies, but yours is a much better idea. One wedding doesn’t encroach on the other.”
“Exactly. And we’d each have our own anniversary date.”
“Okay.” Delta beamed. “I know you’re super busy with the triplets and your company in LA, but would you be willing to help plan our wedding? I realize it’s only four days away, but—”
“But nothing. I would love to.” This was the pick-me-up Jade needed. To physically get her hands on a project instead of doing it remotely. “I have a ton of ideas already.”
“We’re on a tight budget though.” Delta winced. “I know you do big, lavish Hollywood ceremonies. That’s just way out of our reach.”
“You’d be surprised how many celebrities want small weddings. My assistant had an intimate ceremony last year, and it meant so much more than the bigger ones.” Jade lowered her voice to a whisper. “But don’t tell anyone I said that. It would kill my business.”
“I promise I won’t.” Delta giggled. “I feel bad that Liv won’t be here for it though.”
“Liv’s happy if you’re happy. I won’t even tell her when I see her. I’ll leave that for you.”
Delta nodded. “Thank you for doing this for us. One more thing, my dog Jake has to be in the ceremony. I can’t get married without him.”
“You’re welcome and I’ve added many dogs to wed—” The sound of one baby, followed by another, rang out from down the hall. “They’re playing my song. I think Emma had the right idea putting us so far away from the main lodge.”
“It’s loud when there’s three of them, isn’t it?” Delta stood with Jade. “Do you mind if I help? I haven’t seen them in a month.”
“Sure.” Jade swallowed hard, hoping Delta didn’t pick up on the similarities between the girls and Travis, especially Mackenzie. “Just be forewarned, they can pack an odoriferous punch.”
“Oh!” Delta waved her hand in front of her face as they entered the bedroom. “That they do. Chemo annihilated my sense of smell and taste buds, but I’ll tell ya, I can definitely smell that. Is that normal?”