What about his responsibility to his family? When she needed him most, he’d completely failed her. “My mother became very ill when I was twelve,” she blurted out. “She had breast cancer, already at stage four when it was discovered. She endured aggressive chemo and radiation therapy, but,” Cora took a breath, “died two years later.” Those two years had been the fastest and the slowest of Cora’s life. Each day she watched her mother suffer even if she tried to hide it under a smile. By the end, she’d wanted her mother to be released from the pain even though, at the same time, she didn’t want her to be gone.
“Your father wasn’t there?” It was a perceptive question.
Cora shook her head and flicked away a tear. “He’d gone to the field on a month-long exercise even though he knew she was dying. I stayed with her to the end.”
“By yourself?”
Cora nodded, the memory so strong that she was unable to speak at that moment. She had held her mother’s hand until her last breath. The nurses had been kind, letting her say her goodbyes, and leading her to a waiting room while someone tried—over and over again—to contact her father. He’d arrived twenty-four hours later. Too late to console his child. She’d never quite been able to forgive him that, and they rarely spoke now even though he was retired from the service.
“That would be difficult for anyone, especially a girl of fourteen,” Judy sympathized.
“Yes, well, this isn’t about me,” Cora said, pulling herself together.
“Have you sought help? There are grief counseling groups specifically for people who lost a parent at a young age,” Judy suggested.
Cora was aware of those groups, but the one she’d tried to attend at the base hospital as a teenager had been focused on kids who had lost parents in combat. That wasn’t the case for her. After a few sessions, she’d stopped going. All that was in the past. The only thing she could do now was protect the girls.
“My immediate concern is for the triplets. They’ve suffered a tragic loss, and I’m afraid Mr. Royce will only contribute to their unhappiness.”
“Would you agree that Mr. Royce is capable of protecting the children and eliminating any threats?” Another perceptive question.
She thought of the muscles her hand had felt and the others she could see. He was obnoxiously confident and, she admitted, she had every reason to believe he was well-trained to handle security for toddlers. “Yes, I suppose he could.”
“Then, it’s probably best to allow him to become part of your household. He’ll either take care of the threat quickly and move on before the girls take much notice of him or he’ll become a stable part of the girls’ daily lives. I think he might surprise you and himself and become a sort of auxiliary family member.”
Cora’s face froze. Deal with a threat and move on might be okay. Stick around as part of the family, as what, some sort of uncle figure? Not likely. He wasn’t the type to put family first. He’d only disappoint the girls and her.
Unfortunately, she had no real reason to deny him the employment that the Lawrences had wanted him to have.
“He can come,” she finally said, wishing she could construct an argument to prevent it.
* * *
Another social worker had taken pity on William as he sat waiting for his interview with Judy and handed him some sort of magical wipe that removed the enthusiastically applied makeup from the triplets. He’d had no idea that their game would leave him looking like an incompetent clown.
“Thanks,” he said after returning from cleaning his face in the men’s room.
“No problem.” The woman smiled at him. “I think Judy’s ready to talk with you now.”
William saw the open door and was only a little sorry that he had missed Cora’s exit. He didn’t need another exchange with her yet, considering his confused feelings about this assignment.
“Come in, Mr. Royce,” the social worker invited.
The civilian form of address still didn’t feel right to him. He’d planned on a long military career for himself. If it hadn’t been for that bad jump on his last mission, he’d probably be deployed somewhere overseas and not sitting here with pins in his ankle facing a situation he’d hoped to avoid.
“You did fine with the girls.” Judy began with a compliment. “I don’t see any reason why your employment shouldn’t go through.”
She didn’t? He could think of four, all female. All different from each other, but equally difficult to read. Except maybe Paige. She made her feelings known. But why was he thinking about that? It wouldn’t be his job to make anyone happy. It would be his job to make sure no harm came to them. That’s what he knew how to do, what he was good at. The other business—family, kids, a household—he had no idea how to manage.
“You have some reservations?” Judy prompted.
“I’m not sure this is a good fit for me.” It seemed like a safe statement. “I’ve never been around kids much.” The situation was a Catch-22. He wanted to be successful with Alert Security. He could imagine himself working there long term, but not in this capacity. Yet, this was the opportunity to prove himself he’d been offered. Refusing it or doing a lousy job wouldn’t help his future with the company or in the security industry overall. No, if he accepted the mission, he’d do his best as he always had.
Knowing what his best was when it came to kids confounded him, a feeling he hated. He’d never had a sense of inadequacy in the Navy. But this? This, he wasn’t the right man for, wasn’t good enough for.
“That may be true,” Judy said, “but they responded well to you. The girls all have distinct personalities, which I think you realized quite quickly. Some people think that one three-year-old is like the next, but that’s not the case.”
He’d thought exactly that before meeting the triplets. They’d knocked that supposition out of his head in record time, which only reminded him of how much he didn’t know about kids and families. Someday, he’d always told himself, he’d find a wife and have a couple kids, have the family that had been missing from his life. Not yet, though.
“Are you concerned about getting along with Cora?”
That was an understatement. “She doesn’t appear to want me anywhere near the kids.” Or her, he silently added.
“She expressed that.”
He would bet she did, considering their interaction the day before. She appeared to have a pretty harsh preconceived idea of exactly what he was like—and the worst part was that she might not be that wrong. He had spent his military career moving on from one mission to the next, not getting emotionally attached to anyone. What business did he have homing in on a family? “I see my relationship with Cora as a problem without a solution.”
“You might be right, but I believe your assignment to the Lawrence triplets will be good for all of you. Cora did agree that if there was a threat, you could end it,” Judy said, surprising him. He wouldn’t have thought she’d trust him that much. “And for your own sake,” Judy added, “it would prove your worth to Alert Security. Isn’t that what you want?”
Judy reminded him of a commanding officer he’d once had who possessed the ability to see straight through a situation and sort it out in neat piles.
“That is important to me.” And he didn’t like the idea of the triplets being in danger. They were cute kids and completely innocent. If there was a threat against them, he could eradicate it and give them a better future. The same was true of Cora. She would need his protection as well, whether she realized it or not. She was a natural target if someone took aim at the girls since, without Cora, the triplets would be more vulnerable. William’s concern for the Lawrence household magnified instantly with that thought, helping him make his decision.
“So, the best case scenario is that you take the position, save the day if it needs saving, and move on to another assignment with Alert Security?” Judy’s phrasing cut to the heart of the matter.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll let my supervisor know that I’ll take the
job.” He accepted the situation. His reservations might be unchanged, but after meeting the girls and Cora his motivation had increased.
Judy eyed him. “William, you know you might get something else out of this assignment.”
“Such as?” As far as he could tell he’d get career benefits and probably a daily tongue-lashing from Cora. He controlled his grin at that image, realizing that he might enjoy sparring with her.
“They’re great kids,” Judy smiled, “who need more people to love in their lives and more people who love them. You might find that the love of a child is a truly wonderful thing.”
He didn’t doubt she was right about that, but it wasn’t something he expected or deserved. He’d given his service to his country and his dedication to his team. That was a type of love he understood. The family kind she described was a place he couldn’t allow himself to go.
Four
William hoisted his duffel bag from the bed of his pickup and stared up at the Lawrence house in the fancy suburb of Norfolk, Virginia. It wasn’t at all what he’d expected. From his research, he’d learned that the couple had made a fortune in the technology world by creating and marketing a digital platform that allowed companies to more easily integrate the work of their different departments such as human resources, training, and payroll. It wasn’t a world William understood, but he’d made an assumption about the Lawrences based on that knowledge that their home would be ultra-modern and high tech.
The traditional-looking brick colonial style house surprised him. He scanned the area, automatically assessing the perimeter. The street was fifty yards away, the nearest house about a hundred. From his location, he could see four other homes on the cul de sac, all of similar design. No fences separated the properties.
Trees and hedges made natural barriers and great places for a potential assailant to hide. He studied the front of the house. If there were security cameras, they were well hidden. Something in his gut told him there weren’t any. That was going to change.
William shouldered his bag and headed for the front door. When he pressed the doorbell, he could hear chimes from deep within the house. Half a minute later, Cora answered the door, wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. Haley was in her arms with Melody trailing a few steps behind her. He wasn’t an expert on kids, but these two looked a little miserable.
“Hi,” Cora said, brushing hair from her face. “Come on in. We’re making pancakes for breakfast.”
“Everything okay?” he asked. It was nearly ten, and if he didn’t miss his guess, those were tear tracks on Melody’s face. Plus Cora looked fatigued with shadows under her eyes.
“Of course. A guy from the gas company was here is all. It threw off our morning. No big deal, right?” She tapped Haley on the nose and smiled at the girl, but Haley only pressed her face against Cora’s shoulder, a small sob escaping her. “The girls will be better once I get some food in them.”
William followed her into a formal foyer where a wide staircase led to the second floor. To the left, he could see a living room with big comfortable couches, a fireplace, and large windows facing out the front of the house. A formal dining room was on the other side of the foyer with mahogany furnishings. It was a room that looked magazine-perfect except for a kid’s puzzle spread on the table’s shiny surface.
“This way,” Cora said in a more pleasant tone than he’d expected. Neither of them wanted this forced co-habitation, but he was glad to see she was no longer fighting it. “I need to check on Paige in the kitchen and then I’ll take you to your room.”
The kitchen was a large modern room with an eat-in area and a breakfast nook looking onto a back terrace. Paige stood on a chair next to the kitchen island with a bowl in front of her and a large wooden spoon in her hand. Her little face was scrunched up as she concentrated on stirring the mixture. When she saw William, she pointedly looked away, her pert little nose going straight in the air. This one was trouble, William decided, suppressing a grin. She was adorable, too, in a snooty kid way.
Suddenly, Paige lost control of the bowl. It flew off the table and hit the floor, flinging batter everywhere. A moment of silence reigned…followed by a sharp, angry cry from Paige and muted sobs from Melody and Haley. Paige climbed down from her chair and stomped through the mess. Cora closed her eyes briefly as if gathering her strength before putting Haley down.
William wanted to help her with the girls, but he couldn’t see how. He had no skills at cooking. But it did strike him that the girls were probably hungry—maybe bordering on hangry if this was their breakfast. Why not just admit the morning was a wreck and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Didn’t all kids like those? He grabbed a roll of paper towels from the counter to begin the cleanup. It was the only thing he could think to do.
“I’ve got this.” Cora took them from him with a forced smile. “We’ll mop up and start again. And this time,” her sing-songy voice quickly got the girls’ attention, “we’ll put chocolate chips in the batter. We’ll even pour chocolate syrup over the pancakes and maybe add a scoop of ice cream. It’ll be dessert pancakes. Let’s get busy so we can start eating ice cream. Who wants to help me?” She handed out paper towels and pointed to batter smears on the tile floor and wooden cabinets.
“Let me help,” William offered as the girls began wiping up the mess. Since they were mostly just spreading it around, it was obvious Cora would have to do most of the work.
“I’ve got this,” Cora repeated, scooping up the bowl and putting it in the sink. “Your room is up the stairs on the right. Third door. It’s open, so you can’t miss it.”
The dismissal was clear. He took another look at the triplets. They were helping with what looked like weary resignation. None of them seemed happy even with the promise of ice cream. Nothing he could do about that, so he returned to the foyer and climbed the stairs. Just as Cora had said, a door stood open. He went inside, dumping his duffel on the double bed. The furniture was white and dainty. The curtains were lace and the walls painted lavender.
His surroundings didn’t matter. He was here to do a job. He peered out the window, studying the side yard. Open lawn, a hedge border with the neighbors and a big oak tree with a treehouse perched in its branches. It was both a fun place for kids to play and a great location for an assailant to hide. He’d have to find a way to secure that.
Willian yanked clothes from his duffel and placed them in the dresser. Since his civilian wardrobe didn’t contain much, the task was soon done. He placed a few mementos of previous missions in the top drawer. He didn’t want to display them, didn’t want to answer questions about the small clay frog from Ecuador or a snapshot taken in Afghanistan, but he wanted them close, so he’d brought them from his apartment.
When he headed into the bathroom to put away his toiletries, he noticed a door on the other side of the bathroom stood open. He went through, stopping dead in the doorway.
Cora’s room. There was an unmade queen-sized bed, a pile of folded clothes on a chair, and about ten pairs of shoes scattered around. He retreated back through the bathroom, noting scented lotions and makeup on the counter as he went.
He hadn’t lived in close proximity to a woman in twenty years. Now he was sharing a house with four females, one of them a very attractive adult. He plopped down on the bed to think. In some ways, Cora was a bigger concern than the girls. Sure, he was supposed to protect the girls, but he knew how to handle that aspect of the job. He’d start a review of the home’s security that day.
But Cora, even in the few minutes he’d spent in the kitchen, had made it clear she didn’t need him around. It was probably her way of shielding the girls, but it was going to complicate his job and make for an uncomfortable living arrangement.
So was that joint bathroom.
He had a brief mental flash of Cora stepping out of the shower, her naked body glistening and wet. He shook his head to clear the image. They would need a schedule for bathroom use and the doors connecting to the b
edrooms would need to be kept shut. Or he was never going to be able to sleep in this room.
As William returned to the kitchen, he caught a whiff of something that set off alarm bells in his head. Something wasn’t right. He picked up his pace, almost jogging the last few feet. He surveyed the room quickly. The mess was gone, the girls were sitting on booster seats at the table, playing. Cora’s hand was on the knob of the gas stove.
Gas! That was the smell. He charged across the room, grabbed Cora around the waist, and yanked her away from the stove before she could ignite it.
“What are you doing?” She tried to wriggle free of his hold.
“Don’t fight me,” he whispered in her ear as he half carried her to where the girls sat.
“Is something—”
“Get Haley,” he commanded. Letting Cora go, he picked up Melody and Paige, one in each arm. Their little mouths opened in surprise, but no sounds came out.
Registering the urgency in his tone, Cora picked up the remaining toddler without argument and looked to him for direction.
William rapidly assessed their potential exits. “Out. Now.” William hustled them all out the French doors that led onto a terrace. He didn’t pause there, moving into the yard at nearly a run, the girls jostling in his arms. With a glance over his shoulder, he could see Cora keeping pace with him. When he deemed they were at a safe distance, he stopped, put the girls on their feet and reached for his phone.
“Do you want to tell me what this is about?” Cora demanded a little breathlessly before he could dial.
“The house was filling with gas,” he said succinctly. “You probably didn’t notice over the smell of the pancake batter and cleaning products.” Some pine scented cleanser effectively masked the scent in the kitchen, but outside the room, it had been strong.
“But how could that have happened?” she questioned, putting Haley down to join her sisters. “The gas company was just here this morning.”
The SEAL’s Unexpected Triplets Page 3