Cowboy's Triplet Trouble

“Yeah, she does,” Jake agreed reluctantly. Grace Sinclair was lovely and seemed nice and she was probably in for a world of hurt thanks to Justin.

“Hopefully Justin will step up.” Jeffrey looked at the little girls still in their high chairs happily finishing their meals. “What a mess,” he muttered under his breath.

What a mess, indeed. Jake’s stomach knotted as he thought of the moment of realization on his brother’s face and his ensuing race out of the kitchen.

He shouldn’t be surprised. That’s what Justin did best … make trouble and then run from whatever the consequences. Even though there was only a seventeen-minute difference in their ages, sometimes Jake felt as if his brother was seventeen years younger.

Jake had cleaned up plenty of Justin’s problems in the past, but he wasn’t running to the rescue this time. He couldn’t. Justin was just going to have to suck it up and deal with the fact that he was now the father of three little girls.

“Maybe I should go check on her,” Kerri said and started to get out of her chair.

“No, I’ll go check. You stay here with the kids.” Wearily Jake pulled himself out of his chair.

“Bye-bye,” Bonnie said as Jake started toward the kitchen door.

For a moment he paused and stared at the three consequences of two adults’ carelessness. It had to be difficult for a third-grade teacher to be single-handedly raising three babies. Hell, it would be difficult for any woman alone, no matter what her profession.

Despite her words to the contrary, Jake had no idea if Grace needed financial help or not. Surely just buying diapers and essentials for three little ones would be a hardship on a teacher’s salary.

Girls need fathers in their lives. That’s what she’d said to him when she’d thought he was the daddy. Jake didn’t know what little girls needed, but he’d always believed that he and his brothers would have been better off with far less father in their lives.

“Bye-bye,” Bonnie said again, snapping him out of his momentary reverie.

He muttered a goodbye and then left the kitchen. Time would tell exactly what Grace needed from Justin and how his brother would step up to provide what she needed, what the little girls needed.

He was halfway to the front door when he heard Grace shriek from outside. With a burst of adrenaline he raced out the door. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her crumpled on the ground by the porch steps.

“Grace!” He rushed to her side as she sat up, her face unnaturally pale as she grabbed her left arm with her right. He glanced around but didn’t see Justin, and his truck was gone.

“What happened?” he asked as he reached a hand out to help her up off the ground.

“It was stupid. I missed the step and fell.” She winced as she got to her feet.

“What hurts?” he asked.

“I hit my shoulder.” Her face was still bleached white even though she attempted a smile. “I’m sure it’s fine.” As she tried to drop it to her side she hissed in obvious pain and pulled it back up again.

“That doesn’t look fine,” Jake replied with a scowl.

“I’m sure I’ll be okay. I just need to collect the girls and we’ll all be on our way.” They started up the stairs to the front door.

“I guess it didn’t go so great with Justin?” he asked even though he knew the answer.

She shot him a glance and he was surprised to see tears brimming in her eyes. She quickly looked away, as if embarrassed. “He basically just screamed that I’d ruined his life and then got into his truck and peeled off down the road. Yes, I think it’s safe to say that things didn’t go so great.”

“He doesn’t handle surprises very well,” Jake said as he opened the door for her. He cursed his natural impulse to make excuses for Justin. “I’m sure once he calms down he’ll be more reasonable.” At least that’s what Jake hoped would happen. But he figured Justin had probably done what he always did when he got upset—headed directly to Tony’s Tavern.

Grace slid through the door in front of him. “Once he calms down and is more reasonable he can call me or find me in Wichita. As soon as I pack up the girls, we’ll be on our way back home.”

He didn’t try to change her mind. Maybe the best thing would be for her to head home and give him an opportunity to talk some sense into his brother.

This wasn’t a speeding ticket that could be taken care of with the writing of a check. This wasn’t a drunk and disorderly charge where Jake could talk the sheriff into not locking Justin up in jail for the night.

“Everything all right?” Kerri asked worriedly as they reentered the kitchen.

“Fine,” Grace replied. “I want to thank you all for your wonderful hospitality, but it’s time the girls and I get back on the road. If I leave now I’ll be able to get home to Wichita before dark.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather spend the night here and get a fresh start in the morning?” Kerri asked as she got up from the table. “We certainly have plenty of room.”

Jake watched Grace, who shook her head negatively. “Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather just get back home,” she said.

Her cheeks hadn’t regained any color. He didn’t know if the paleness had to do with the situation or if it was the pain from her fall.

His question was answered the minute she tried to get Abby out of the high chair. Grace started to lift the child, but immediately cried out and grabbed her left shoulder instead.

“What happened?” Jeffrey asked as he jumped out of his chair and hurried to Grace’s side.

“I took a little tumble in the yard.” Her voice was filled with pain.

“Justin didn’t push you, did he?” Kerri asked, a touch of outrage in her voice. Jake looked at Kerri in surprise. As far as he knew his brother had never laid a finger on any woman, but of course he’d never found out he was the father of triplets before either.

“No, nothing like that,” Grace replied hurriedly. “I just missed a step, stumbled and went down.”

“We need to get you to the hospital and have that shoulder looked at,” Jake said, deciding somebody had to take control of the situation. There was no way he could let her leave knowing she couldn’t lift the little girls. It wouldn’t even be safe for her to drive her car.

He expected Grace to protest. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, she nodded, which let him know that it had to be hurting her quite a bit.

“Maybe you’re right. It’s really painful.” Still she made no move. She gazed at her three daughters, who were happily smooshing and playing and eating what was left on their plates.

“Then let’s go.” Jake dug his truck keys out of his pocket. “The girls will be fine here with Kerri and Jeffrey.”

“Absolutely,” Kerri replied with a reassuring smile. “It will be good practice for us.”

“I promise you, they’ll be fine,” Jake said to Grace. She held his gaze, as if trying to peer inside him to see if she could trust him. “Come on,” he said with a touch of impatience. “You can decide what you want to do about heading home after the doctor takes a look at you.”

He could tell she was reluctant to go, but it was obvious she was in a fair amount of pain. She was going to the hospital if he had to throw her over his shoulder and carry her there.

They didn’t speak as she followed him out of the house and they got into his truck.

A new surge of irritation filled him. He shouldn’t be the one taking her to the hospital. It should have been Justin. His brother should be the one taking care of the mother of his children, no matter what the circumstances.

“I’m so sorry,” she finally said as he pulled out of the drive and onto the main road that would take them to Cameron Creek.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t fall on purpose,” he replied. He could smell her, the scent of a bouquet of wildflowers that was far too appealing.

“True, but the last thing I wanted was to be any kind of a bother to anyone.” She leaned back against the seat. For a moment she looked so achingly vulnerable Jake wanted to reach out and touch her, assure her somehow that everything was going to be fine.

Instead he clenched the steering wheel more tightly. “Look, I know Justin behaved badly. But I meant it when I said once he’s had time to digest everything I’m sure the two of you will be able to work something out.”