The Cowboy's Triple Surprise

by Barbara White Daille

  She couldn’t keep from wondering if Tyler had been one of those helpers and what he was up to at the moment. Then she pushed the thoughts aside. She wasn’t going to let anything upset this special celebration for her babies.

  Ally, her dark eyes wide and sparkling, came up to Shay and gestured toward her stomach. “Chica, you’ve gotten so big since the last time I saw you.”

  “I know,” she said happily. “Stick around. My doctors have me counting kicks, and the babies have been active.”

  “We’re not going to have to cut this party short, are we?” Tina asked, smiling.

  Shay shook her head. “No, I think we’re good. And one day, Ally, we’ll be having a party like this for you.”

  “Oh, no, not me,” the other woman said in pretend horror. She fluffed her long dark hair and added, “Thanks, anyway. But between you and Tina, we’ll have enough babies around to last us for quite a while. That lets me off the hook.”

  At the echo of her own words to Tyler, Shay had to force herself to continue smiling.

  Think about the babies.

  Don’t think about the man who fathered them or what he might be up to right now.

  * * *

  SUNDAY WAS A day of rest for the hands on Garland Ranch, except for those whose turn it was to work with the hotel guests.

  For lack of anything else to keep him busy, Tyler had volunteered to help out this afternoon. With those guests now all saddled up and paired with a cowhand, he’d run out of things to do.

  He fought the urge to run. Restlessly, he paced the corral fence line.

  A dozen yards away, Jed stood with one elbow propped on the fence’s top rail and his Stetson tilted back, and somehow Tyler knew the older man was waiting for him. He walked in that direction, feeling like a kid being called on the carpet once again—though only grass and bare earth lay underfoot, and Jed wasn’t like his father.

  Shaking off the crazy thoughts, he walked up to the ranch owner.

  “You have a nice way with the guests,” Jed said.

  Not at all like his father. “Thanks,” he said, smiling.

  “’Specially the young ones.”

  The smile slid away.

  “Cole said you and he talked earlier this afternoon.”

  “We did.”

  “Good. Then there’s no need for me to beat around the bush about Shay and the babies, is there? What I want to know is, what do you intend to do?”

  He might have felt taken aback by what seemed like outright hostility on Jed’s part, except the man’s gruffness couldn’t hide the kindness in his face. Cole had long ago told him Jed had a heart of gold. He also knew Jed made a point of looking out for everyone in town. And then, of course, there was the man’s sideline in matchmaking. If Cole had been right, Jed planned to turn his attention to him.

  “I appreciate your interest,” he said sincerely, “but first of all, you need to know that where I’m concerned, there’s no sense wasting your time planning another wedding.”

  To his surprise, Jed nodded. “I agree. Son, the last thing I’d want to do is ruin my winning streak. But that doesn’t mean I want to see you shirking your responsibility.”

  There was that word again, the one Shay hadn’t hesitated to throw back in his face. “Yeah, well, at least you and I are in agreement there.” He leaned back against the fence and glared at the Hitching Post.

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “Try putting that idea across to the other party.”

  Now Jed chuckled. “That Shay’s a stubborn one, just like her grandma Mo. But don’t go telling anyone I said that.”

  “I won’t, if you won’t repeat any of this conversation.”

  “You’ve got my word on that.” After a while, Jed added, “Mo and Shay have been on their own for quite some time. Along with the stubbornness they share, Mo gave that girl a big helping of independence.”

  “That’s a good thing. But from now on, it’s going to be more than just the two of them—with the babies coming along,” he added in a hurry.

  “And isn’t that something,” Jed said wonderingly. “First time Cowboy Creek has had a family with triplets. It’s an amazing thought. It was a bit of a shock for you, I’d imagine.”

  “That’s an understatement. And as you said, it’s a responsibility. One I don’t intend to walk away from.”

  “Good.” Jed clapped him on the shoulder. “I have to say, I’m proud of you for wanting to man up and do the right thing.”

  For a moment, he couldn’t respond. After knowing him less than a year, Jed had given him a compliment his own father never had. “Thanks,” he said, now sounding gruff himself. For a minute, he watched the horses in the corral patiently carrying the weight of people on their backs and walking in circles. He could relate. “Guess I’ll head over to my room to clean up.”

  “And after that,” Jed said, “here’s what I’d recommend. You need to track Shay down and see if you can’t come to some kind of understanding. After all, it’s for the good of those babies. For their sakes, there has to be a way you two can set aside your differences.”

  Don’t you see the difference? Shay had asked.

  Maybe he couldn’t, not the way she had put things. But that couldn’t keep him from fulfilling his obligations.

  * * *

  THE CAKE HAD been cut and devoured by the attendees at the shower. One by one, the women had given Shay hugs and goodbyes before leaving the ballroom. Layne had gone into town for her shift at SugarPie’s, and Ally had left, too.

  Grandma and Sugar had stood at the doorway seeing everyone off. Now they, along with Jane, had disappeared. They had probably gone to the kitchen to help Paz and the waitresses with the leftovers—not that there were many of those. She wondered whether the men in the Garland family would get their share. Jed’s grandsons-in-law...and Tyler.

  With so many people constantly around her this afternoon, she had hoped she could stop thinking about him. Instead, with every package she opened, she was reminded of the dreams she had so briefly built around him in the few days after they had met. Dreams she no longer believed in.

  She and Tina sat alone at the head table, both of them with their feet up on chairs.

  The gifts had all been opened, and every time she looked across to the table at one side of the ballroom, her eyes filled with tears.

  “You’ve got a lot of presents to take with you,” Tina said with a smile.

  “I sure do.” Each gift she’d received had been matched twice over. “Three playpens. A trio of car seats. And every outfit and accessory a baby could need, in triplicate. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank everyone for being so generous.”

  “Your reaction today was thanks enough. They’re all thrilled to know they’re helping to make you and the babies happy.”

  “They’ve done that, all right.” She felt tears welling again. “And thanks to Grandma, I’ve already got three cribs at home. But I don’t know how I’m going to fit all this into the babies’ bedroom.”

  “That’s the good thing about infants. Everything they own is in miniature. Of course, they don’t stay that way for long.”

  “Please, let’s not go there. I don’t want to look that far ahead. The thought of taking care of three infants, let alone dealing with three toddlers, is already enough to overwhelm me.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you adapt.”

  “I hope so.”

  Grandma and Sugar reappeared in the ballroom and approached their table.

  “How’s the cake?” Sugar asked.

  Shay took another tiny forkful from the plate in front of her, swallowed it and rolled her eyes. “Phenomenal, as usual. But I’m afraid to dig in or I’ll break the scale at my doctor’s appointment tomorrow.” Now that she was so close to her delivery date, sh
e was seeing either Dr. Grayden or the specialist in Santa Fe twice weekly. “I’ve decided I’ll have one good-size mouthful of cake for each baby.”

  “And one for yourself, as well,” Grandma said.

  Shay rolled her eyes again. “If you don’t stop,” she pretended to scold, “you’ll have me as big as a house by the time your great-grands come along.”

  “As long as they’re healthy, lass, that’s all that matters.”

  “We’ve just talked to Jed,” Sugar said. “He’s going to get some of the boys to help you load your car.”

  “That’s great.” Shay put her feet on the floor and prepared to stand.

  The sound of boot steps in the hall and then the appearance of a handful of men in the doorway made her settle back into her seat.

  Jed led the way into the room.

  Behind him followed both Tina’s and Jane’s husbands...and Tyler. Even seeing him from this distance made her heart skip a beat. He was the tallest of the three younger men and, no doubt about it in her opinion, the hottest looking. He had changed into a pale green shirt that contrasted with his dark hair. Up close, it would make his eyes look an even deeper blue. Deep enough to drown in, as the saying went.

  But now, at least, she had more sense than that.

  “Looks like you could use a trailer for all your loot,” Jed said.

  “I’m sure we can manage to fit it into my car,” she told him.

  “Not of all it. You’ll need another vehicle.”

  She had a sinking feeling she knew where this conversation was going. Tyler was the only unattached male in the room, aside from Jed. And Jed would never pass up a chance to fulfill his role as Cowboy Creek’s head matchmaker. “That’s fine,” she said hurriedly. “Grandma can—”

  “I left my car in town,” Grandma broke in. “Sugar drove, and she has to get back to the shop. We’re just leaving.”

  “Oh. Well.” She tried again. “Jed, please don’t have anyone go to any trouble. I can take some of the gifts home today and then pick up the rest tomorrow.”

  “Why do that when I’ve got an able-bodied assistant right here?” He clapped Tyler on the shoulder. “Son, you wouldn’t mind helping Shay get all her gifts to her house, would you?”

  “No, not at all.”

  She swallowed a groan of pure frustration.

  Tina led the younger men over to the side table.

  Jed remained standing beside Mo and Sugar.

  After one glance at their smiling faces, she knew there was no point in arguing. They were determined to have this happen. They had probably conspired to make this happen.

  Like it or not—and she didn’t—she would have to accept Tyler’s help.

  Chapter Eight

  As Shay entered through the front door, it was impossible for her not to know Tyler had come into the house directly behind her. The sound of his heels rapping against the oak flooring nearly drowned out her lighter steps.

  She switched on a table lamp near the doorway. The soft light accentuated the wooden accents of the couch and chairs and burnished the maple of Grandma’s rocker. The light played up the jewel tones of the afghan she had left in a heap on the cushions that afternoon. To her the lived-in room had always represented an equal measure of security and love. She hoped it would mean the same to all three of her babies.

  Tyler carried two armloads of packages while she, at his insistence, held only the handles of a shopping bag filled with boxes of baby clothes. Truthfully, she admitted to herself that even adding that small amount of weight on one side left her more unsteady than ever. So did being near Tyler again.

  For such a brief time, she had had so many dreams about him, so many hopes. Now she had only the need to keep him from ever knowing how hard she had fallen.

  “I could have carried another bag,” she said. “It would have evened out my load. Besides, I told you it was just a short walk to the front door.”

  “You didn’t need to tell me. I’ve been here before.”

  “I haven’t forgotten,” she snapped. Too late, she realized it was probably the wrong thing to say. He didn’t need to know that night still lingered in her memory. Grimly, she held on to her anger and irritation, knowing they would keep her safe from so many other emotions she couldn’t afford to feel. “Well, it was easier for me to agree to carry a lighter load than to stand there arguing with you.”

  “And the faster we unload the car, the sooner I can leave, right?”

  He wasn’t asking. He had mocked her tone, telling her he knew what she was thinking. She pretended to misunderstand. “You know,” she said as pleasantly as she could manage, “no one’s forcing you to do this. You can leave everything down here in the living room. There’s nowhere to put the gifts in the bedroom, anyhow, except in piles on the floor.”

  “That’s good enough. They’ll be near at hand for when you need them.”

  Swallowing a groan, she crossed the room but came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. She might as well have stood looking up at a mountain soaring above her. Already short of breath after the brief walk from the car to the house, she would have no chance of quickly leading the way up to the second floor.

  “You go ahead. I’ll only slow you down. I switched rooms a few months ago, so the babies could have my bigger bedroom.” Her face flamed from a mixture of awkwardness at the reference to their past and her irritation now. She gestured to the staircase. “Second door on the left. You probably remember the way.”

  “Yeah.”

  He moved swiftly up the stairs. She followed much more slowly. Her head filled with images of what had happened between them the last time—the one and only time—he had been here, images she didn’t want to remember but couldn’t make herself forget.

  Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed at having him in the house with her again. Physically, he took up too much space, upsetting the comfort she normally felt here. His presence brought back too many memories, too many emotions, and she was hit with the realization of why she had brought him home with her in the first place. She hadn’t made the decision based on just how well they got along, how easily he made her laugh, how close she felt to him after only a few days.

  She had brought him home because she had fallen in love with him the night she met him.

  And he had fallen far short of the man she’d thought he was.

  Before she reached the landing, he returned and started down again. While she wouldn’t change her current physical state for anything in the world, she wished she could recall the last time she’d had that much energy.

  Keep it light. Keep him from knowing how much you care.

  “Show-off,” she muttered.

  With a laugh, he stopped beside her. “I’d be slow, too, if I were carrying that much weight.”

  “Gee, thanks. You’re really good with an insult.”

  “You know what I mean.” He touched her arm. “Hey, you okay? You look all in.”

  “I’m all right.” Or she would be, if only he would never again touch her or look at her the way he was looking at her now.

  He stood a couple of steps below her, which put them on a level. On this side of the living room where the lamplight couldn’t penetrate the shadows, his eyes appeared darker than ever, blue-black and gleaming and filled with something she didn’t want to think of as concern.

  “I’m fine,” she said firmly. “It’s just been a long day.” A longer weekend. An even longer eight months.

  “Why don’t you sit and let me take care of everything.”

  Oh, no. She wouldn’t fall for that line, no matter how good it sounded. He would be gone soon, and good riddance, and she would be on her own again. “You’re letting Jed’s compliments go to your head. You might be able-bodied, especially compared to me right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

  “I
never thought you were. And I wouldn’t let Jed’s words concern you. He was only being nice so I’d go along with him.”

  “Now, why does that seem familiar, cowboy?”

  He frowned. “That’s hitting below my champion belt buckle, Shay.”

  She couldn’t keep from glancing at that buckle.

  “Impressive, huh?”

  She snapped her gaze up and found him grinning at her. “Not at all. It’s just a reminder you’re only a rodeo cowboy, which still doesn’t impress me. And I don’t make things up, I just call them as I see them.”

  “So do I. That night at Cole’s wedding, I saw a woman who was as ready to flirt with me as I was to flirt with her.” She refused to react or even to look at him, but he touched her chin, bringing her gaze to his again. He leaned closer and said quietly, “I saw a woman who wanted me as much I wanted her. How do you call that one, Shay? Are you planning to deny it?”

  She couldn’t speak, let alone deny his words. Arguing would only make her a liar. For the first time in her life, she had let herself get close to a cowboy. And she had wanted him, almost from the minute she had met him. Only she had been thinking about forever and he had wanted a one-night stand.

  Even now, she longed to lean closer—an irrational thought but one she struggled to control. His hand on her chin and his face so close to hers revived the most special memories she had ever known.

  As if he’d read her mind, he said, “We had a good time, Shay. And when it comes to what happened as a result, I’m willing to take some of the blame. But not all of it.” He dropped his hand. “For the record, when I said you should sit and let me take care of things, I wasn’t attempting to get anything out of you, just giving you a chance to rest. Don’t judge me by what happened in the past. We’re in the here and now, and I’m trying to do what’s right.” He moved past her and continued down the stairs.

  As the front door closed behind him, she patted her stomach with an unsteady hand. “Don’t worry, babies, I’m not falling for any of that. He’s just trying to make himself look good. Your da—”