Home on the Ranch--The Colorado Cowboy's Triplets

by Laura Marie Altom

  “Ahh... You smell incredible.”

  “I smell like sweat and dirt and baby spit.”

  “And you...” He reached around her to take the pan off the stove, then turned her to face him. The deep V of her T-shirt invited him to kiss her sweat-sheened chest, moving up to graze his lips across her arched throat.

  “Should we be doing this in front of the babies?”

  “No clue...” He raised his attention to her lips. Her crazy full and sexy-sweet lips that he’d craved since earlier today.

  He glanced over her shoulder to find all three kiddos sleeping. Gesturing that way, he said, “Look...”

  “Think it’s a sign?”

  “For us to finally have the reunion that’s been years in the making? Hell, yes.”

  They carried the girls to the nursery, placing them all in the same crib, covering them with their mother’s blanket.

  Jed checked the monitor on his way out of the room, then pocketed the handset.

  “We’re free,” Camille said, with a long, slow exhale.

  “What do you want to do?” Was his tone too suggestive? He wanted her—all over—with a physical ache. But he wasn’t getting the same desperation vibe from her. What did that mean? Was she regretting her idea of their temporary hook-up?

  “Let’s eat,” she said.

  Her expression unreadable, she held out her hand to him.

  He took it, appreciating the connection—however brief.

  They ate at the booth.

  Camille had turned on folksy rock he didn’t recognize. No offense, but anything would have been preferable to the George Strait tune his nieces favored.

  “Know what I regret?” he said, between forkfuls of her delicious meal.

  “No clue.” She sipped the sun tea she’d had brewing on the front porch all afternoon.

  “Not taking you to prom.”

  “That would’ve been awfully tough, considering my high school was in Miami and yours was here.”

  “I know, but I should’ve saved up my allowance to fly you in. I figured we’d finally get to dance at our wedding, but that didn’t pan out, either.”

  “Let’s do it now.” She held out her hand to him.

  “For real?”

  “Why not?”

  Having no argument, he took her hand, easing her out of the booth and onto the highly polished pine plank kitchen floor. They’d both ditched their boots and only wore thick white socks. Not the most elegant of looks, but it worked for him.

  He settled his palms low on her slender hips, and he loved the feel of her hands exploring his back. The music had taken on a dreamy quality that perfectly suited his mood.

  Tired, but hopeful.

  Expecting nothing, but everything.

  Chapter 12

  Camille tried playing it cool, but how could she when she’d literally waited a lifetime to be once again held like this in Jed’s strong arms?

  During their brief engagement, they’d been too young to appreciate the magic of what they’d shared. Now, after being back with him for just a couple weeks, she wondered if not going with him after his basic training had been her life’s biggest mistake. Not that she could correct that—just that she had a sneaking suspicion that for a long time to come, no matter what paths their separate lives led, she’d always look back on this brief, tragic yet exhilarating time as one of the most special in her life.

  Did that make her a bad person? Without two of her dearest friends dying, she never would have landed in this position.

  But here she was, being led in her stocking feet around Emily’s serene country kitchen, and she couldn’t have been more content.

  The song ended with Jed landing the sweetest, softest kiss on her lips. “Thank you. That was nice.”

  “Yes, it was.” She looked down, unsure what to do with her hands. Her runaway pulse had galloped all the way to Aspen and her palms were damp with sweat. “Jed?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Would you be mad at me if instead of going straight to bed, we hung out a little? Maybe watched a movie and had that popcorn you earlier offered?”

  “Mad at you?” He laughed, tucking flyaway strands of hair behind her ears. “The only thing that would make me mad is if you complain about me putting too much butter on my signature popcorn.”

  “Too much butter?” She raised her brows. “Trust me, those are words you’ll never hear from me.”

  The night only got better from there.

  They laughed through the latest Will Ferrell comedy and grew teary during a surprisingly heartfelt sci-fi.

  What Camille struggled with was the rising tension that had nothing to do with movies and everything to do with expectations for what came after. She knew Jed was expecting to go all the way, but she wasn’t sure she was ready. Oh, she was 1000 percent sure she wanted him, but she also wanted their reunion to be special—not just a quick romp in the proverbial hay.

  Was she being overly sentimental?

  Was she asking for too much?

  Times like these she’d once turned to friends like Emily for advice, but with her gone and Camille’s Miami friends drifting off, the deeper into depression she’d sunk until there was no one left to turn to—certainly not her mom, who was old-fashioned enough to believe women shouldn’t have sex before marriage. If Camille had abided by that rule, she’d be the oldest living virgin.

  From the monitor came the sound of one of the babies crying.

  “Want me to go?” Camille asked, pressing Pause on the movie.

  “Let me.” He left the monitor on the coffee table.

  Next, came the thumps of him taking the stairs two at a time.

  From the monitor, she heard him as clearly as if she were in the nursery with him.

  “Hey, Callie cupcake,” he said in an adorable croon. Camille’s mind’s eye saw him take the baby from the crib, cradling her close. “What’s the problem?” There was a pause, then, “Diaper’s dry. It’s not time for your late-night snack. Needing a cuddle?”

  The whimpers quieted, and then came the most precious thing she’d ever heard...

  “Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Uncle Jed’s gonna buy you a big green bird. I don’t know the words to this song, but hopefully you won’t know if I’m wrong. I love you and I hope you love me, you’re pretty lucky to be part of a group of three...”

  Her heart melted.

  Why had Jed hidden this tender side? Why didn’t he want her to know that he cared for the girls as much as she did?

  He returned five minutes later.

  She’d tried reading a magazine, but had been on the same page for most of the time he’d been gone.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “Fine. The wind kicked up. She was probably spooked by a branch against the window. I’ll get the ladder out tomorrow and trim the branches back.”

  “Good.”

  There was so much she wanted to talk to him about. Whether he felt like it would be hard walking away from the babies, with whom they’d grown so close. She tried telling herself leaving them in Barbara’s more-than-capable care would be no big deal, but what if she was wrong?

  “Where were we?” he asked, pressing Play on their sci-fi movie.

  “I think the Undersea Kingdom warriors were on the verge of rescuing their queen.”

  “Right.” He lost himself in the movie, but it no longer held her interest. The only thing she wanted was to get lost in him. To forget her job and the pain of losing him and never finding another man who’d in any way remotely measured up to him.

  Leaving her side of the sofa, she went to him, straddling him, pressing her superheated core against his fly. She dragged off his shirt, kissing his pecs and collarbone and throat.

  He grabbed her upper arms, pushing her lightly ba
ck. “You sure?”

  Camille nodded.

  With the movie still playing, casting the dark room in chaotic lights and shadows, he removed her T-shirt and bra, then dipped low to take one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking hard enough that she felt the drawing need between her legs.

  He unbuttoned her jeans, easing down the zipper, then helping her wriggle them past her hips and thighs, taking her panties along for the ride.

  While kissing her, he strummed his fingers along her core, stroking her, entering her, making her wild with need. She rode his fingers and then he was ripping at his fly, freeing himself enough so that she could slide atop him. It had been so long that at first his size hurt, but then she stretched and molded to him, hungering for even more.

  She no longer recognized the needy mews emerging from her throat.

  When he thrust up, she bore down.

  The pleasure of it drove her wild.

  He was kissing her again, plunging his hand into the hair at the nape of her neck that had long since escaped its ponytail holder.

  Outside, wind howled, but inside, all that mattered was riding him faster and harder until her every tension released in a white-hot burst of pure, heady sensation.

  Breathing heavily, she collapsed against him and he held her, whispering the sweetest words about how much he’d missed her and how in her arms he felt as if he’d finally found home.

  With her still clinging to him, he awkwardly struggled to his feet.

  Shrieking, she asked, “What are you doing?”

  “Taking us to the shower, where we’re having an epic do-over.”

  She kissed him again. “Carry on, cowboy.”

  * * *

  The day had arrived for the girls’ well-child check, and Camille couldn’t have been more nervous than if she were back in college taking an exam.

  The girls chilled in their stroller, but she and Jed shared a love seat in the Aspen pediatrician’s waiting area. Because Emily’s pregnancy and delivery had been high risk, the doctor had been at the delivery, along with her ob-gyn.

  The office catered to not only locals, but the children of elite tourists visiting the legendary ski destination. A massive saltwater fish tank took up an entire wall. The opposite wall held an assortment of old-school arcade games and pinball machines. On the far end of the vaulted-ceilinged room towered a massive window through which sunlight streamed.

  “Relax.” Jed placed his hand on Camille’s jiggling right leg. “You act like you’re getting an exam.”

  “I know. What if the doctor finds something wrong? What if we haven’t been feeding them enough or—”

  A door opened on the only side of the room not tricked out for kid pleasure.

  A nurse dressed in tie-dyed pink scrubs stepped through and consulted her chart. “Sallie, Callie and Allie.”

  “Relax,” Jed said again. “They’re going to be fine and so are you.” They got up to follow the nurse into the exam room.

  “Yikes.” The nurse eyed the two diaper bags Camille carried along with her purse. “Do you need help?”

  “We’re good.” Jed steered the stroller down a sky-blue corridor lined with Aspen’s hot air balloon festival prints.

  “At this point,” Camille said, “we’re so good at hauling baby gear we could start our own moving business.”

  The nurse laughed, pausing before a long counter. “Before seeing the doctor, let’s get weights and vitals.”

  One at a time, she placed the babies on a digital infant scale, then measured their length—or at least attempted to. Seemed like the girls grew more active with each passing day.

  “Are they a normal size for their age?”

  “In the seventieth percentile for triplets, so yes—you and their daddy are doing a great job.”

  “Oh—we’re not their parents.”

  “I’m their uncle. Their parents...”

  “I’m so sorry,” the nurse said. “I recall hearing the doctor mentioning your case. That must be why you’re in later than he usually likes. We see most newborns sooner, but no worries.” She ushered them into a room with black-and-white zebra print on the walls, polka-dotted curtains and white vinyl-covered chairs.

  “Whoa...” Camille fought the urge to blink.

  “I know.” The nurse winced. “Since we see only infants in this room, the doctor likes it mentally stimulating so our babies are alert.”

  “Nailed it,” Jed mumbled. He parked the stroller next to the exam table.

  “I’m not sure if you’re aware,” the nurse said, “but the girls will be getting quite a few vaccinations today. I always tell our parents it hurts them more than their kids, but I did want to give you a heads-up.”

  “Thanks.” Camille fussed with the girls’ matching, color-coded unicorn shirts.

  “You’re welcome.” The nurse left the room, pausing on the threshold to say, “The doctor should be in soon.”

  Camille waited a few seconds to be sure they were alone, then freaked. “They’re jabbing needles into our girls’ tiny little arms and legs and fannies?”

  “I’m not sure of the logistics.” Sallie fussed, so Jed plucked her from the stroller. “But you heard the nurse. It won’t hurt them too bad and it’s kind of a big deal.”

  “Still...” She nibbled her lower lip in conjunction with jiggling her leg.

  “Stop.” With his hand on her leg, he said, “What was going through your head when the nurse assumed we’re married and the girls are ours?”

  “I was mostly caught off guard. Do you think she could tell we’re pretending to have a relationship?”

  Grinning, he shook his head. “I doubt she cares one way or the other. This is Aspen. I’m sure she’s seen about every configuration of parents it’s possible to see.”

  “True...”

  He slid his fingers between hers. “Would it make you feel better if I promised ice cream when we’re done?”

  “What flavor?”

  “Chocolate. Is that still your favorite?”

  She nodded, touched he remembered.

  “It’s a date,” he said.

  She held his hand tighter, wishing they were on a date instead of at a milestone doctor’s appointment that Chase and Emily rightfully should have been here for. It wasn’t fair. Especially when they’d had so much to look forward to seeing with their baby girls. First smiles and words and steps. So many firsts, yet for Emily and Chase, they’d tragically witnessed their lasts.

  A double knock sounded on the door, then a young, handsome doctor with a movie star’s perfect smile strolled through. “I remember you,” he said to the girls. Gotta love Aspen. Even the pediatricians were larger than life. “You little vixens gave me quite a scare.” He tickled tummies while he talked.

  The girls gave him their best gummy, drooling grins.

  “I recommend C-sections for most of my multiples.” He glanced up to Camille and Jed. “But your sister was determined to have them naturally. It was a helluva long night, but she did it. I was so sorry to hear of her and her husband’s passing.”

  “Thanks,” Jed said. “It came as a shock to us all.”

  “They were good people. Real salt of the earth.” He looked to his tiny patients, then sat on a rolling stool that he wheeled the short distance to a desktop computer. After pulling up the triplets’ charts, he said, “They’re looking great. I worried about failure to thrive—that happens sometimes when babies grieve—but whatever you two are doing, keep it up.”

  Was it wrong that Camille’s heart doubled in size with pride?

  Jed still held her hand and she was glad.

  “Developmentally,” the doctor said, “are you starting to see more smiles? More fun noises like cute coos instead of mostly cries?”

  She and Jed nodded at the same time.

  “Go
od.” He typed a note into the online chart. Wheeling alongside the babies, he clapped just outside of their view.

  All three girls turned to check on the sudden noise.

  “Perfect,” the doctor said. “Their hearing seems good and I like that they have the cognitive skills to follow the sound.” He took a hot pink rubber duck from the counter, then rolled his stool to the front of the stroller. He made a few squeaks, moving it from side to side while watching the girls’ reaction. “Fantastic. See how they’re tracking? They’re actually ahead of schedule for this skill.” Back at the computer, he made more notes. “How about when they’re on their activity mat for playtime—are you noticing them lifting their heads? Maybe kicking more when they’re on their backs?”

  “For sure.” Jed chuckled. “I’m dreading the day when they’re mobile. My sister’s house is going to be a nightmare to babyproof.”

  “Start now,” the doctor advised. “They grow fast and will be crawling and then walking before you know it.”

  The thought saddened Camille. Not because she wasn’t happy for the girls, but the thought of not being with them for the milestones shattered her heart.

  “Since everything looks great on my end, I’ll send in the nurse for their vaccinations. We’ll do DTaP, which wards off diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. From there, Hib for haemophilus influenzae type b, a little IPV which is the inactivated poliovirus. PCV for pneumococcal. And last, RV for rotavirus, which is an oral vaccine. Since their momma brought them for their one-month visit, they’ve already had HepB. Any questions?”

  “So many,” Camille said with a faint smile. “I’m more than a little overwhelmed. I should have made a list while we were still home. Now, I’m so flustered by the thought of the girls getting shots that I can’t remember a thing.”

  “That’s fairly common,” the doctor said, with another of his supersized smiles. “Tell you what, if you get home and think of what you wanted to ask, give us a call.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  “Are you two permanent guardians?”

  Jed froze. His expression hardened. “My sister left the girls to our mother. As soon as she returns from her latest mission, she’ll be assuming the girls’ primary care.”