The Cowboy's Twin Surprise

Wha... Wait. That was true. Frankie remembered reading the terms and conditions. All donations were guaranteed by credit card or an online payment system. Spence couldn’t have donated a single cent unless he actually had it—or a substantial limit on his credit card.

“I refuse to let you go into debt simply to prove a point,” she snapped.

“First off, I won’t go into debt. I have the money, and a fair amount more where that came from. Second, I’m not trying to prove a point. Unless I did.” He winked at her. “In that case—”

“You’re broke. You’re always broke.” It was another of the reasons Frankie hadn’t told him about the girls. He couldn’t afford the child support payments, and she hated the idea of a long, drawn-out court battle, only to have him default.

“I’ve had a run of good luck lately,” he said.

“You rob a bank?”

“Come on. Give me a little credit. How ’bout I tell you what’s been happening with me over dinner tonight?”

Frankie’s sisters were literally sitting on the edges of their seats.

“No.” Dinner sounded too much like a date. “I’ll bring some brisket and ribs to the park. The picnic area. You recall where it is?”

“I do.”

Something flashed in his eyes. A memory, perhaps. He had plenty to choose from involving the park and the picnic area and the two of them. What had possessed Frankie to suggest that as a meeting place?

Mel abruptly straightened. “I’ll watch the g—” She caught herself in the nick of time. “Feed the dogs. I’ll feed your dogs if Sam can’t.”

“Sam?” Spence’s eyes lit up. “The new sister? Mel and Ronnie mentioned that she’s living with you. I’d love hearing about her at dinner.” He was at it again, teasing her in order to get his way.

“We’re not having dinner,” she stated. “Consider the food a sample. If you’re going to be an investor in my company, you should taste the wares.”

Where had that come from? Frankie was clearly losing her mind.

She quickly jotted her down her phone number on a paper napkin and handed it to him.

“I can’t wait.” He scooted out of the booth.

She wasn’t fast enough, and he brushed up beside her. The electric shock, even from such fleeting contact, was intense. Frankie sucked in a sharp breath.

Tugging on the brim of his cowboy hat, he ambled over to the counter where, thank goodness, the other waitress served him his breakfast order.

She didn’t realize she was staring until Mel hitched a thumb at her. “Look at that, Ronnie. She’s still hung up on him.”

Frankie pivoted in time to see her younger sister nodding in agreement.

“For the record,” she muttered, “you two couldn’t be more wrong.”

Hurrying off, she went to properly introduce herself to the new manager. It was that or deal with Spence. At the moment, Tia Maria’s nephew seemed the lesser of two evils.

Chapter Two (#uead4fa66-b991-5a78-9c2e-25a73000103a)

“Feed the dogs?” Frankie rolled her eyes at Mel, who shrugged in reply.

“It was the best I could come up with spur of the moment.”

The two of them were in Frankie’s kitchen. Mel sat at the table while Frankie stood at the counter, packing the picnic dinner. Coleslaw? Seriously? Had she chosen that side dish simply because Spence liked her recipe?

She purposely included a small jar of bread-and-butter pickles in the cooler. Her favorite. Spence preferred kosher dills. She did, however, select the best pieces of barbecue beef. Only because she had a reputation to consider. And, were she honest with herself, an ego that knew no bounds when it came to her specialties.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get the manager job.” Mel tugged on the empty adjacent chair, bringing it closer and elevating her feet. “That’s just not right.”

“It’s her restaurant. Tia Maria can hire whomever she wants as manager.”

“But her nephew?” Mel snorted. “I heard he hasn’t worked in the food industry since college and then as a waiter in a pizza joint.”

News did travel fast in a small town. “He has a degree in business,” Frankie said.

“Not the same.”

“I didn’t have any experience when Tia Maria hired me.”

“You didn’t start out as manager, either. You worked your way up. The hard way, I might add.”

“There’s no point rehashing this. She gave the job to someone else. End of story. Seeing as I’m not prepared to quit, I’m staying.”

Mel looked contrite. “And here I am pouring salt in the wound.”

Frankie closed the lid on the remaining brisket and returned the storage container to the refrigerator. At the last second, she grabbed a triangle of leftover cherry pie. Adding that to the cooler, she checked the time.

“I’d better hurry.”

At the thought of seeing Spence again, her stomach twisted into a knot and sweat broke out on her brow. This was a crazy idea. Maybe she should call and cancel.

No. She had to find out why he was here, how long he intended to stay and if he’d by chance become father material in these past four years. Only then could she tell him about Paige and Sienna.

From the living room, she heard the girls playing animal hospital with their stuffed toys, a game inspired by their veterinarian aunt. Giggling and lively chatter assured Frankie that her daughters were getting along for a change.

“I appreciate you watching Paige and Sienna.”

“Are you kidding? I love babysitting. And it’s good practice.” Mel patted her protruding belly. “Besides, Aaron’s on duty until ten tonight.”

“You two set a date yet?”

Her cheeks colored. “Actually, we did.”

“When?” Frankie hurried over to give her sister a hug.

“The Saturday before Thanksgiving.”

“Why didn’t you say something? That’s only six weeks away. You can’t possibly pull off a wedding by then.”

“We’re having a small ceremony,” Mel assured her. “Family and close friends. Aaron already had the big shindig with his late wife. I wanted something different. Special and unique for us two.”