In the meantime, she was going to have to leave this examining room and ask Jake, with his dark blue eyes and that edge of aloofness about him, if she could stay at his place for a couple of days until her shoulder healed enough that she could make it back home.
There was no way she could take the chance of trying to drive home alone, no way once she got there that she could take care of the girls. She certainly couldn’t depend on Natalie. Her sister might be good for an hour or two of help here and there, but not the kind of care it would take for the next couple of days.
She’d have to depend on the kindness of virtual strangers and she hated that. The tears threatened to fall and she wasn’t sure if they were caused by her situation, by Justin’s reaction or the pain that radiated down her arm from her injured shoulder. She quickly swallowed against the tears as the nurse reappeared in the room.
Within minutes her arm was immobilized, and she’d called Natalie to let her know what was going on. Afterward she walked into the waiting room where Jake stood staring out the window. For a moment she didn’t make a sound, just stared at his broad back.
He looked so solid. For a fleeting moment she wished he would have been the handsome cowboy at the wedding that night. It was a ridiculous thought. She knew no more about Jake than she did about his brother Justin. But what little she did know led her to believe that Jake would never find himself out of control, drunk in bed with a stranger. And he would have never torn out of a driveway after screaming to some woman that she’d ruined his life.
He whirled around as if he’d heard her thoughts, and he couldn’t quite hide the scowl that had apparently ridden his features before he’d turned.
“Ah, there you are,” he said smoothly as he approached her. “It looks as if you’re going to be our houseguest for a few days. I’ve already called Jeff and Kerri to get things arranged at the house.”
“I’m sure after a good night’s rest I’ll be fine to go home in the morning,” she said as they left the hospital and walked outside.
“We’ll see in the morning.” He didn’t sound too sure about her being capable of leaving that soon.
“I’m so sorry about this,” she said when they were both back in his truck.
“You really have to stop apologizing.” He smiled then and unexpected warmth fluttered in her chest. He had such a nice smile. “Accidents happen, Grace. We’re all just going to have to figure out how to make the best of things.”
“That’s what I was trying to do by coming here. I’d hoped to take a difficult situation and somehow make it work in the best interests of my daughters.” She paused for a long moment, and then continued, “I was a fool to come here.” A touch of bitterness laced her voice.
“I’m hoping by tomorrow you and Justin will be able to sit down together and work things through.”
“If today was any indication of the way one works things through with Justin then I don’t think my body can take it,” she replied drily.
He shot her a quick glance. “We’ll just have to make sure you stay on your feet tomorrow.”
“Tell me about him,” she said. “What does Justin do for a living?”
Jake hesitated a minute. “He works for me at the ranch part-time.”
That didn’t sound great. She wondered what he did with his other time. “I’m assuming he isn’t married. Does he have a girlfriend?”
Jake shot her a tight smile. “Justin dates a lot, although he’s been seeing Shirley Caldwell for the last couple of months. She works as a waitress at a café in Cameron Creek.”
“I really don’t want to make any trouble for him.” Grace frowned and tried to focus on the conversation instead of the excruciating pain that racked her arm each time she moved. Surely by morning it would be okay and she could get home.
“Let’s just get you back to the ranch and settled in and we’ll sort the rest of it out later.”
They both fell silent for the remainder of the ride. What she’d wanted to ask him about his brother was if Justin was trustworthy and kind. Was he a good man who would make a good role model for his daughters? She didn’t want to judge him based on their initial interaction earlier that day. She hoped Jake was right, that Justin’s actions upon seeing her and the girls weren’t indicative of who he was as a man, and once the shock wore off things would be fine.
For now there was nothing she could do but rest her arm and hope that by the morning she could get back home. What she wanted more than anything was to get back to the Johnson ranch and make sure her girls were okay.
She shot a quick glance at Jake and once again couldn’t imagine how she’d mistaken him for his brother. Although their features were basically the same, Jake’s looked stronger, as if forged by a different metal than his brothers. Jake looked older and radiated a quiet confidence she found oddly sexy.
She moved her arm, welcoming the pain to banish any crazy thoughts about Jake that might enter her head. She released an exhausted sigh of relief as they pulled up in front of the house.
Kerri met them at the door. “You poor woman,” she said to Grace. “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’re going to take good care of you and the babies until you’re well enough to go home. I’ve got one of the guest rooms all ready for you, and Jeffrey got the old cribs out of the attic and has them set up in the room next to ours,” Kerri continued as she led Grace into the kitchen.
“I hate being such an imposition,” Grace said as she entered the kitchen to see the triplets once again playing on the floor with an array of plastic bowls and lids in front of them. The girls all smiled at the sight of their mother and continued playing as Grace sank down in one of the chairs at the table.
Thankfully the girls were used to being without Grace for hours in the day as she took them to day care while she worked. They were usually happy wherever they were as long as they were together.
Jeffrey and Jake came into the kitchen. Jeffrey sat at the table while Jake stood with his back against the counter, his gaze dark and enigmatic as he looked first at the children and then at Grace.
She could only imagine what was going on in his mind. He’d been invaded by unwanted children, by an unwanted woman. Was it any wonder he appeared rather grim?
“Don’t look so worried,” Kerri said to Grace. “We’ll get them taken care of and all you need to be concerned with is getting that shoulder well.”
Grace smiled at the woman gratefully. She cer tainly wouldn’t be feeling as comfortable about things without Kerri here.
“Now, I’m going to make dinner,” Kerri said.
“And you should take one of those pain pills the doctor gave you,” Jake said to Grace.
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I really don’t like to take pain pills. They make me groggy.”
Jake pushed off the counter. “I’m heading out to the barn.”
“Dinner in an hour,” Kerri said.
He nodded and then left the kitchen. Once again Grace felt some of the tension ease out of her body. There was no question about it, something about Jake Johnson put her on edge. She felt a vague sense of disapproval wafting from him. Could she really blame him? For all he knew she was some kind of bimbo who made a habit of falling into bed with handsome cowboys.
He probably thought she was here for money despite her claims to the contrary. He had no reason to believe anything she’d told him.
They had a quiet dinner and then at about seven o’clock, with Jeffrey and Kerri’s help, the girls were bathed, put into their pajamas and laid down in the cribs where they fell asleep almost immediately.
Jake had disappeared right after dinner, muttering that he was going into his office where he’d remained. With the girls asleep, Kerri showed Grace to the spare room and Jeffrey offered to bring in her suitcase and anything else she needed from her car.
The guest room was nice, decorated in shades of yellow and with a sliding glass door that led out to a small balcony. Grace stowed her things and by eight o’
clock she, Kerri and Jeffrey sat in the living room. The television was on, but Grace’s thoughts were far away from the drama unfolding on the screen.
In this single day her life had held enough drama to last her a lifetime. She was more than eager to get back to her home in Wichita, raise her daughters by herself and help her sister find her way through life.
Her shoulder throbbed with a pain that made any real depth of thought next to impossible. She’d already decided that before she went to sleep that night she’d take one of those pain pills the doctor had given her. Hopefully the girls would sleep through the night as they usually did and Grace would feel well enough to head home the next day.
They all turned as the front door opened. Grace’s stomach clenched as Justin walked in. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the sling she wore. “What happened?”
“I fell and hurt my shoulder,” she replied. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy or angry to see him again.
He looked at Kerri and Jeffrey. “Do you mind? Can I talk to her alone?”
Kerri looked at Grace, who nodded slightly. “Come on, Jeffrey, let’s go into the kitchen and have a piece of pie.”
Grace looked back at Justin. He seemed calm and contrite, although she thought she caught the scent of beer wafting from him.
“I’m sorry,” he said once Kerri and Jeffrey had disappeared from the room. “About how I acted earlier. I was a real jerk and I truly do apologize.”
She gave a curt nod, not exactly ready to accept his apology but at least willing to acknowledge it. He slid into the chair across from where she sat on the sofa.
“Man, what a freak-out.” He released a sigh and raked a hand through his thick, dark hair. “So, how did you find me? I don’t remember us exchanging too much personal information that night, although obviously we exchanged enough.”
“Actually, I didn’t find you. A friend of mine did.” She quickly explained to him about MysteryMom.
“Wow, it just gets freakier,” he exclaimed when she was finished. “So, I got three kids.”
“Three daughters. Justin, I don’t care about child support if that’s what you’re worried about. I just thought you should know about them. I thought maybe you’d want to be a part of their lives.” Her heart hurt in her chest as she watched his expression, as she clung to the belief that somehow, some way this man would step up.
“Can I see them?”
Her hope found a bit of purchase at this request, although she shook her head negatively. “They’re sleeping right now. I really don’t want them disturbed tonight. Unfortunately, with my shoulder injury I won’t be going home for a day or two.”
“Then why don’t I plan on being here at ten in the morning and spend a little time with them.” He stood from his chair. “And we can talk then about where things go from here.”
The tentative hope blossomed and she offered him a smile. “I’d like that.”
“Then I’ll see you at ten tomorrow.” He disappeared out the front door and Grace breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all.
She turned to see Jake standing in one of the doorways nearby, apparently the door that led into his private study. “You were right,” she said. “He just needed some time to process it all, I guess.” She smiled.
“I’m just heading up to my room so I’ll say good-night,” he said.
“Good night, Jake, and thank you for everything. Justin is going to be here around ten tomorrow to get to know the girls, so it looks as though things are going to be just fine.”
“Let’s hope so,” he said, his eyes once again dark and unreadable. There was something in his tone and in the darkness of his gaze that made Grace realize maybe she shouldn’t get her hopes up too high.
It was ten-thirty the next morning and there was still no sign of Justin. Jake wasn’t surprised. What did surprise him was the ping of compassion in his heart as he watched Grace standing at the front window looking outside.
She’d been there for the last twenty minutes, her demeanor slowly shifting from eager anticipation to unmistakable discouragement.
The girls were playing on a blanket on the living room floor, surrounded by toys and any other item in the house that Kerri thought they might enjoy and wouldn’t hurt them. Kerri had helped get them up and out of bed, fed and dressed in cute little outfits he suspected had been specifically chosen to meet their daddy.
“You want a cup of coffee or something?” he finally asked.
Grace whirled around, green eyes wide. “Oh, I didn’t know you were there. No thanks, I’m fine.” She turned back to face the window. “He’s apparently running late.”
“Justin is one of those people who would be late to his own funeral.” Jake wasn’t sure he believed his brother would show up at all. Thank goodness the babies were young enough not to know that already they’d been let down by the man who had fathered them. The one man in the world they should be able to depend on. Jake feared it wouldn’t be the last time.
“How’s the shoulder this morning?” he asked.
Once again she turned from the window and this time took several steps away and sat in a nearby chair. “I think it’s a little better,” she replied, but as she tried to move it to show him how much better it was a spasm of pain crossed her features.
“I think maybe you just told me a little fib,” he noted.
She hesitated a moment and then flashed him a quick smile. “Maybe,” she admitted. “Actually, I think it’s worse this morning than it was last night.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve always heard the second day of an injury is the worst.” He should be outside, riding the ranch, checking fencing, doing a thousand chores that awaited his hands. But he’d been unable to leave her alone standing at the window waiting for a man who might not show up until evening.
What he shouldn’t be doing was standing there admiring the play of sunshine in her hair, enjoying how her yellow T-shirt, which made her green eyes even more vivid, clung to her breasts.
She got up from the chair and returned to the window. “Surely he’ll be here any minute now,” she said softly.
He heard the hope in her voice, the same hope that he’d heard the night before, and it disturbed him. He didn’t want her depending on Justin for anything. Jake would like to believe that for once in his life, for something so important, Justin would step up. But Jake had been burned too many times. He knew about the hope Grace felt, and he knew the bitter taste left behind when it faded away.
He stepped up to the window next to her and was engulfed by the clean, sweet scent of her, a scent that instantly created a faint pleasant fire in the pit of his stomach.
But he’d also noticed the tiny fatigue lines that radiated from her eyes, the slender lines of her body that indicated a woman who had little time to eat or sleep. She probably wasn’t taking care of herself the way she should. How could she with a full-time job and triplets to raise all alone?
“He’s here!” she exclaimed at the same time Jake saw his brother’s truck pull into the driveway. “Oh, it looks as if he’s brought somebody with him.”
As the truck drew closer to the door Jake could see that Justin had Shirley with him. Jake swallowed a string of curses. Why on earth would Justin bring with him the woman he was dating, a hot-tempered, overly jealous drama queen with big hair and bigger breasts?
Justin and Shirley both got out of the truck. Shirley was dressed in a bright pink blouse, a pair of short shorts that exposed overly tanned legs and overly steep, sparkly high heels.
The two of them spoke for a moment and then Shirley got back into the truck and Justin headed for the front door. Jake was grateful his brother at least had the sense to leave Shirley cooling her heels outside. Although the odds of Justin spending any quality time with the triplets weren’t good.
Grace met Justin at the door and the bright smile she gave him ached inside Jake; just below the heady scent of her he smelled disappointmen
t in the air.
“Hey,” Justin greeted her, not quite meeting her eyes. “Uh, something’s come up and I really don’t have time to hang around here today. I was wondering if maybe we could set something up for tomorrow?” He glanced over his shoulder to the woman in the pickup who appeared to be glaring daggers at Grace.
“Justin, you know where I am. I’ll be here probably through tomorrow, so let’s just leave it loose and I’ll see you when I see you,” Grace replied, a faint weariness in her voice.
He gave her a grateful glance, never making eye contact with Jake. “Great, thanks. Then I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He turned and ran back toward the truck.
For a long moment Grace remained at the front door, and Jake dreaded seeing the depth of the disappointment in her lovely green eyes when she turned around. “So much for that,” she said softly as she walked away from the door. She offered Jake a tentative smile. “I guess the good news is his girlfriend didn’t get out of the truck and try to beat me up.” She touched the sling on her arm. “I’m not exactly on top of my game right now.”
The thought of the elegant Grace involved in a girl fight was so ludicrous a small burst of laughter escaped Jake’s lips. It surprised him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually laughed out loud.
Unfortunately the laughter lasted only a moment and then they faced each other awkwardly. “I’ve got work outside to do,” he said, realizing that he’d once again been admiring the shine of her hair in the sunlight, vaguely wondering if it would feel as silky as it looked.
“And I should check with Kerri to see if I can help with lunch.” She stepped aside so he could go out the door.
As he headed for the barn he carried with him a vague irritation at Justin and a faint simmer of something quite different for Grace. Both emotions were equally unwanted.
Despite the fact that she’d obviously gone through the pregnancy and the first ten months of the triplets’ lives pretty much on her own, there was a soft vulnerability about her that called to that old, familiar protective instinct in him, a protective instinct he’d been trying to banish for the past year.
Cowboy's Triplet Trouble Page 4