Claiming the Cowboy's Heart

by Brenda Harlen

  * * *

  Macy knew that Liam had hired her so that he didn’t have to be on-site at the inn 24/7. Notwithstanding that fact, for the first few weeks, he’d rarely ventured any farther away than Jo’s to pick up pizza. So she was understandably surprised when, on only the second weekend after opening, she didn’t see him at all.

  He did call to check in a few times, but their conversations were brief and to the point. He didn’t offer any information about where he was, and she didn’t ask. But she suspected she knew the reason for his sudden disappearing act when a woman stepped up to the desk around 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning and said, “I’m looking for Liam.”

  She was young—early twenties, Macy guessed—blonde, built and stunningly beautiful.

  “Liam?” Macy echoed, wondering why it bothered her that his name rolled so easily off the girl’s tongue. As if she’d had plenty of practice saying it—and maybe had done so in a sleepy voice when she rolled over in bed that morning and saw him beside her in bed.

  And how ridiculous—and inappropriate—a thought was that? It shouldn’t—didn’t—matter to Macy who Liam spent the night with or even if it was a different woman every night.

  “Liam Gilmore,” the girl clarified. “This is his hotel, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll see if he’s avail—”

  “No need,” the girl interrupted, a wide smile curving her glossy pink lips. “I’ve found him.”

  And she sashayed across the tile floor to greet the man who’d just exited his office.

  Macy had never seen anyone sashay before. She hadn’t been sure that type of movement ever happened outside of historical novels and romantic movies—until she saw Liam’s visitor sashay toward him, her short skirt twirling around her thighs with every gliding step. The blonde gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. He said something close to her ear, and she responded with a tinkle of laughter like a melodic wind chime dancing in the breeze.

  Macy heard the murmur of their voices pitched low, but she couldn’t make out any words of their conversation. Not that she was trying to eavesdrop, because that would be inexcusably rude. But she couldn’t deny that she was curious about the woman—who she was, where Liam had met her, if he was sleeping with her.

  He had a private suite of rooms on the third floor with a separate entrance, so it was entirely possible that he’d been curled up with his blonde bombshell all weekend while Macy had been greeting guests, setting up their activities and making their dining arrangements.

  And so what if he had been?

  That was his prerogative and absolutely none of her business.

  But she couldn’t tear her gaze away from them as they made their way toward the front door. They really did make a beautiful couple: Liam so dark and muscular; his female companion so slender and fair.

  Macy wasn’t jealous, she was just...surprised to realize that he was seeing someone. Especially when he’d been kissing her in the barn at the Circle G barely a week earlier. And even if those kisses had made her head spin and her toes curl, they’d agreed a relationship between them would not be a good idea. So there was absolutely no reason for him not to go out with other women. In fact, she should be relieved that he was dating, because now she could stop weaving inappropriate fantasies about any kind of romance developing with her boss.

  But did he have to hook up with someone who was so young and so pretty? Face-to-face with the beautiful girl, Macy couldn’t help but feel old and worn. Of course, she was a thirty-three-year-old mother of almost nine-month-old triplets, so if she looked tired it was because she was tired.

  And wasn’t this exactly why she’d decided to go ahead and have a baby without waiting to meet a man she might want to marry and have a baby with? Because men were fickle and untrustworthy. But being in Liam’s arms had reminded her of all the reasons that a woman wanted a man, anyway.

  She forced herself to watch them walk out together, and to acknowledge that whatever brief moment she’d shared with her boss had obviously passed. Now maybe she could focus on what was truly important: her family and her career. She didn’t want or need a sexy cowboy messing with her head or her heart.

  Not half an hour after Liam had gone, his sister came in with Tessa in her arms, looking frantic and stressed.

  “Please tell me he’s in his office,” Katelyn implored.

  Macy shook her head. “Sorry. He stepped out a little while ago.”

  “Where’d he go? When’s he going to be back?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “He didn’t share any of those details with me.”

  Katelyn muttered an expletive under her breath.

  “Do you need someone to keep an eye on Tessa?” Macy asked her.

  “Desperately,” the other woman admitted. “I drew Judge Longo for a bail hearing, and he’s generally pretty good about me bringing her into court when I have to, but she’s a little out of sorts today. She’s been fussing and squawking all morning, and I know that will not go over well.”

  “You can leave her with me.”

  “I’d feel too guilty asking,” Kate protested. “I’m sure you come to work to get away from fussy babies.”

  “I come to work because I love my job,” Macy said. “And you didn’t ask—I offered. Plus, the Stagecoach Inn prides itself on being a full-service hotel.”

  “The best thing my brother ever did was hire you,” Kate said. “You truly are a gem.”

  “Can you tell him that before my six-month performance review? And suggesting that I deserve a raise wouldn’t hurt, either,” she added.

  “I will,” Kate promised, already halfway out the door.

  Chapter Nine

  Macy really didn’t mind keeping an eye on Tessa while the little girl’s mother was in court. In fact, she was happy to have her company. While there were always innumerable details to take care of at the inn, there were also quiet times, and right now was one of them.

  She took Tessa into the library and let the little girl choose a book from the shelf. Although most of the rooms were designed for couples rather than families, they occasionally had younger guests, so Macy had ensured there was a modest selection of books for them in the library, too. They sat together on the sofa and Macy read the story aloud to Tessa.

  As the little girl studied the colorful illustrations, Macy studied the child, noting that Tessa’s delicate features favored her mother, but there were obvious hints of her father in the shape of her eyes, the color of her hair, the stubborn tilt of her chin. Tessa was obviously a mix of both her parents, as Macy suspected her own babies were. Everyone commented on the similarities between Ava and her mama but suggested that the boys favored their father.

  Macy wasn’t sure that “father” was an appropriate title for the man who had contributed to the triplets’ DNA. Truthfully, Donor 6243 had done nothing more than deposit his specimen in a cup. She didn’t even know if he knew that his donation had succeeded in mating with an egg and creating a child—or three.

  Ava, Max and Sam weren’t his babies—they were her own.

  Tessa turned the page, drawing Macy’s attention back to the book in her hands. When the story was done, the little girl decided that her mama had been gone long enough and called out for her. Of course, Macy’s patient explanations about Katelyn’s whereabouts and responsibilities did nothing to appease the child, who grew distressed when her increasingly insistent demands failed to result in her mother’s appearance.

  Thankfully, Macy had read a lot of parenting books, so she put on some music and began to dance, encouraging Tessa to move her body, too, hopeful that the activity would work to both distract the little girl and burn off some of her excessive energy. Since there were only a handful of guests staying at the inn and they’d all departed for their chosen activities, she cranked the volume a little and got into the groove. And when one of her all-ti
me favorite songs came on, she added vocals to the dance routine.

  She picked Tessa up and twirled her around, making the little girl grin and giggle. So she twirled again, still singing, until the music abruptly shut off.

  “Ma-ma!” Tessa announced.

  Sure enough, the little girl’s mother had returned and was standing in the doorway of the library, amusement in her eyes, her briefcase and a large take-out bag from Diggers’ in her hands.

  Macy was admittedly a little embarrassed to have been caught belting out tunes and shaking her booty—and relieved that it was Katelyn rather than Liam who had come in during the impromptu song-and-dance routine.

  “How do you do it?” Kate wondered aloud.

  “Are you referring to my complete and total lack of rhythm or my ability to sing so boldly off-key?” Macy asked her.

  Tessa’s mom laughed. “I was referring to your ability to effortlessly roll with the punches. I have honestly never seen you flustered by anything.”

  “Believe me, I get flustered,” Macy said. “I just try not to show it when I’m at work.”

  “As a mom, you’re always working,” Kate said. “You’re just not always getting paid.”

  “But there are other perks.”

  Kate’s lips curved as she looked at her little girl. “You’re right about that,” she agreed. “And thank you, again, for watching Tessa for me.”

  “We had a good time, didn’t we, Tessa?”

  When the little girl nodded and leaned forward to plant a sloppy kiss on Macy’s cheek, her heart melted just a little.

  “Trade you,” Kate said, offering the take-out bag in exchange for her daughter.

  Macy handed over the child, who squealed as she reached for her mother. “How was the hearing?”

  “My client was remanded in custody,” Kate told her. “I figured she would be, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least try to get her released. And since her fate was sealed before noon, I decided to pick up lunch for us.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Macy said, but she took the bag and followed the other woman into the kitchen.

  “Are you kidding?” Kate set her briefcase on the floor and settled on a stool at the island with her daughter in her lap. “It’s the very least I could do to thank you for bailing me out today.”

  “It’s not easy, balancing a career and parenting, is it?” Macy remarked.

  “It’s not at all,” the lawyer agreed. Then, as Macy began to unpack the bag: “There’s a chicken Caesar wrap and fries for you.” Because, of course, all the staff at Diggers’ knew the usual orders of their regular patrons. “Cheeseburger and fries for me.”

  Macy distributed the food and Tessa immediately stretched her arms out, reaching for the fries.

  “You have to wait a minute,” her mother cautioned. “They’re still hot.”

  The little girl pursed her lips and blew out puffs of air.

  “That’s right.” Kate selected a fry and, following her daughter’s example, blew on the hot potato to cool it.

  “Reid keeps nudging me to register her for daycare,” she confided, picking up the thread of her conversation with Macy. “But that seems too much like handing her over to someone else to raise. And Tessa is still so young—and vulnerable—that the idea of leaving her with strangers makes me shudder.”

  “Believe me, I know how fortunate I am that my parents stepped up to help out with the triplets,” Macy acknowledged.

  “You are lucky,” the other woman said. “I lost my mom when I was twelve, and you’d think that seventeen years should be enough time to come to terms with her death, but it seems like I miss her even more now that I’m a mom myself.”

  “I can imagine. I’m constantly asking my mom for advice and reassurance. I don’t always follow her advice,” she admitted. “But it’s nice to have somebody to talk to.”

  Kate nodded and chewed. “My grandmother stepped in to fill the void as much as she could, but as I’m the oldest sibling, my brothers more often confide in me—if they confide in anyone.”

  Macy smiled as she watched Tessa sneak another fry and carefully blow on it.

  “As a result, I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking I know what’s best for them when I don’t,” the other woman continued.

  “Why do I get the feeling this is leading to some sort of confession?” Macy wondered aloud.

  “Because you’re both smart and astute—and because I saw Liam having lunch at Diggers’.”

  “There aren’t many other places to eat in this town,” she remarked, her tone deliberately casual.

  “When I stopped by earlier, you didn’t mention that he was with Jenna.”

  “I didn’t know her name.”

  “She’s Emerson’s cousin, visiting from out of town,” Kate said. “I asked Liam to show her around, as a favor to me.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be a great tour guide,” Macy said.

  “But there’s nothing else going on.” Kate nibbled on the end of a fry. “Though, if I’m being perfectly honest, I’d hoped there might be.”

  “It’s really no concern of mine,” Macy told her.

  “Are you sure about that?” the other woman asked. “Because I don’t usually butt into things that aren’t any of my business—at least, I try really hard not to,” she allowed. “But when it comes to family, it’s not always easy to know where to draw the line.”

  “I can understand that,” Macy agreed cautiously.

  “And I’ve been worried about Liam for a while now.”

  “I don’t think there’s any cause for concern—when he and Jenna walked out of here, they looked as if they were completely wrapped up in each other.”

  “She’s a nice girl—and totally his type,” Kate confided. “Or what I thought was his type.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Macy wondered.

  Tessa’s mom pretended not to notice as the little girl stole another french fry. “The problem is that I tried to set him up with Jenna because I wanted him to forget about you.”

  “Me?” Macy echoed, stunned.

  Kate seemed amused by her reaction. “You can’t tell that my brother’s completely smitten with you?”

  She shook her head. “He’s not. I mean, there was a moment...a kiss,” she said, and that acknowledgment was enough to bring the memories of that first kiss rushing to the forefront of her mind—and heat rushing through her veins. And a few days after that first kiss, there’d been a second. “But then...nothing.”

  “Because I told him that if he pursued a relationship with you, he’d be opening himself up to a sexual harassment lawsuit,” her boss’s sister confided.

  Macy was aghast. “You think I’d sue him?”

  “My concern wasn’t specifically about you,” Kate explained. “I just think anyone in a position of power should be hypervigilant to ensure they don’t abuse that power. And I wasn’t just looking out for him—I was also looking out for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said dubiously. “But I don’t think you need to worry about your brother harboring any romantic feelings toward me—when I reminded him that I was a single mom, he was eager enough to back off. And even if that hadn’t dissuaded him, my children are my priority, which means I’m not in any position to be thinking about a romantic relationship right now.”

  “That makes perfect sense,” Kate decided. “But logic aside...how do you feel about him?”

  Macy sighed. “Confused.”

  Kate’s smile didn’t completely erase the worry in her eyes. “Reid confused the hell out of me when I first met him. Four hours later, we were naked.”

  “Well, that’s something I didn’t know,” she noted.

  The other woman chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not something many people do know, but since that’s how we ended up with
Tessa, I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

  “You lucked out,” Macy said, a little enviously.

  “I did,” Kate agreed. And then, “I guess your situation was a little different?”

  “My situation was very different.”

  “The dad didn’t want to have anything to do with his kids?”

  “His involvement began and ended with the donation of his sperm.”

  Of course, most people didn’t take the words literally, so she wasn’t surprised when Kate’s follow-up question indicated that she hadn’t, either.

  “Any chance that he’s going to change his mind about wanting to know his kids in the future?”

  Macy shook her head. “Definitely not.”

  Kate opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say more, but she shoved a fry inside and closed it again.

  Macy wished she could tell Liam’s sister the truth about the father of her baby. She wasn’t ashamed of the choice she’d made—how could she be when that choice had given her Ava, Max and Sam? But for all its recent growth and changes, Haven was still a small town where some old-fashioned beliefs were held dear. Proof of which was demonstrated by her own parents’ shock and disapproval of her baby news.

  She’d never meant for the paternity of her babies to be a big secret. But since coming back to Haven, she’d accepted that her actions were a reflection on her family. And though she was undeniably frustrated by their disapproval, she realized their attitudes were indicative of the larger community.

  Maybe the residents would sympathize with and support a couple with fertility issues who opted for IVF or adoption in their desire to have a family, but she suspected they’d be less likely to understand or approve of a single woman choosing the same path. As a result, whenever Beverly was asked about the father of her grandbabies—because yes, there were people in town bold enough to ask the question—she was uncharacteristically cryptic.

  “I don’t know anything about Macy’s relationship with him,” she’d say. “She doesn’t say much, and we never had the opportunity to meet him.”

  Of course, all those details were true—albeit deliberately misleading.