The Texas Cowboy's Triplets

Hell, yes. Unfortunately.

The irony wasn’t lost on him, either.

He’d spent a lot of time going out with women he suspected might be all wrong for him, just to be sure he wasn’t missing out on a chance to get married and have a family. Now that he finally felt differently about a woman from the outset, she was preparing to simply go through the motions with him in order to officially eliminate him as a viable romantic prospect.

Much to his chagrin, there was no denying the universal payback of that.

Lulu gently patted his arm. “Want my advice?”

Lord knew he really appeared to need it in this case. “Always.”

Lulu handed him a gift set of four kinds of honey. “Make every second count, cowboy.”

Dan planned to.

* * *

UNFORTUNATELY, THE MINUTES were ticking away before they even got started.

Kelly’s teenage babysitter was late and had not arrived yet. The triplets—who had been sent to let him in the door—were thrilled to see him yet very unhappy he was taking their mother out.

“It’s not fair,” Michelle pouted. “We wanted to go to the park, too.”

Dan was trying to figure out how to handle that when Kelly came breezing down the staircase in a burst of flowery perfume.

Damn, she was gorgeous. Her full-skirted sundress hugged her torso, accentuating her full soft breasts and slender waist. She was still fastening her earrings.

She accepted the four-pack of Lulu’s famous Honeybee Ranch honey from him with thanks and a smile. Set it aside. Then turned back to her daughter, her caramel-blond hair flowing over shoulders, explaining gently, “I told you. Dan and I aren’t going to the part of the park where the playground is. We’re going to the bandstand to listen to music.”

“But I like music!” Michelle folded her arms in front of her and pouted all the more.

“Are they going to sing ‘Farmer in the Dell’?” Matthew wanted to know. “Or ‘Hokey Pokey’?”

“No,” Kelly said firmly. “In fact,” she said levelly, with a telltale look Dan’s way, “I’m pretty sure it’s all very boring music. Isn’t that right, Deputy Dan?”

Getting her cue, he nodded soberly. “I think your mommy is right. You all would be really fidgety if you had to sit through that for two whole hours.”

“Well, then,” Michael declared, independent as always, “I don’t want to go.”

A knock sounded.

Kelly opened the door and Tessa Lowell came in, hair still wet and smelling vaguely of chlorine. Briefly, introductions were made. “Sorry, Ms. Shackleford,” the sitter said. “The swim meet ran late, and I couldn’t leave until I got my ribbon.”

“I completely understand,” Kelly said.

Dan looked at his watch. It was nearly seven thirty. “Any chance you could stay until nine thirty then?”

“No problem.” Tessa grinned.

Kelly looked like she wanted to interject. Then grabbed her shoulder bag instead. “You know where all the emergency numbers are.”

“I do. But not to worry, Ms. Shackleford.” Tessa beamed. “We’re going to have even more fun than you-all are!”

“Walk or drive?” Dan asked as they hit the driveway.

He’d waited for this moment for so long, he could hardly believe his good fortune. Kelly seemed to be having a similar “is this really happening after all” moment.

With a shrug, she tilted her head at the clear blue sky with a few scattered white clouds. “Well, it’s not that hot or humid. Parking along the town square can be hard to find, and,” she said, drawing a breath that lifted and lowered the enticing swell of her breasts, “it’s only four blocks.”

He fell into step beside her. “Then we walk.” He debated whether to take or hand or not. Decided not. “You look pretty tonight.”

“Thank you. So do you.” She shook her head. Tried again, more succinctly this time. “I mean you look handsome.”

He grinned. “Good to know.” And deep down it delighted him that she was obviously as acutely aware of him as he was of her.

She swung to face him. The sexual vibe between them intensifying, she raised a cautioning hand. “I know I agreed to do this, Dan. But—” her lower lip took on a rueful curve “—I think it may have been a mistake.”

Chapter Four (#u375c829f-713d-5f28-b3d5-b9716885b5b1)

“A mistake?” Dan had been ready for this kind of reticence, given how high Kelly had her guard up. But he hadn’t really expected it until the end of the evening. He reached over and took her hand in his, wondering all the while what it would take to make her feel as crazy with longing and giddy with desire as he did at this instant. “Why is that?”

Color swept her cheeks. “Because I know that you’re looking to settle down and get married.”

He stepped even closer. “And?”

She kept her eyes on his a disconcertingly long time. “I’m not marriage material,” she evaded finally.

It wasn’t the first time she had told him this. He hoped it would be her last. “Who told you that?” he scoffed. “Your ex-husband?” If so, he’d like to wring the jerk’s neck.

Her teeth raked across the soft lusciousness of her lower lip. “How do you know I’m divorced instead of widowed?”

“I figure if you’d already been married to the love of your life and didn’t want to date for that reason, you’d just say so. Plus, there would likely be photos of the triplets’ daddy around the house. There aren’t. At least not that I’ve noticed. Or some mention of him, either from you or the kids.”

She retreated into scrupulous politeness. “I might have never gotten married at all.”

He wasn’t surprised to find her still holding him at arm’s length. Slanting her a sidelong look as they began to stroll in the direction of the town square, he noticed how the dwindling sunlight caught the shimmer of blonde in her caramel hair. “Was that the case?”

Another shadow crossed her face. Their eyes locked, providing another wave of unbidden heat between them. “No.”

Dan savored her nearness and the pleasure that came from being alone with her. “How long after you had the kids did you divorce?”

She shoved her hands in the pockets of her skirt. “It became final one week later.”

One week? He let his glance drift over her slender form to her spectacular legs. “After giving birth to triplets?” He couldn’t hide his astonishment. His gaze returned slowly to her face, pausing on her lips before returning to her long-lashed amber eyes.

Sadness came and went in her guarded expression. “It’s a very long story.”

“We’ve got at least three more blocks.”