Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets

“Should I talk to her?” Ainsley’s confused face eased his tension. She didn’t seem horrified by his sister’s behavior, although he certainly was.

“No, I’ll handle it.” He entered the babies’ room, and his annoyance vanished. Silent sobs racked Belle’s back as she stood with her face in her hands over the girls’ crib.

“What’s wrong?” The girls were crying, too, but he figured they could wait.

“I don’t know which one is which, Marsh. I don’t know my own babies.” She stared up at him with those eyes that had pleaded with him so many times over the years to fix it, and he muttered under his breath.

“We’re going to change that.” With his finger, he raised her chin to look at him. “Four infants are a lot. And I can’t do this all by myself, Belle. I know you don’t feel well. I don’t expect you to be some superwoman. But I’m clueless—I don’t know what I’m doing. Ainsley is good with the babies, so let her stay.”

He picked up one of the girls. “Here’s Lila. The one with the black pinkie nail is Grace. Let’s change them.”

She swallowed, looking as if she faced a rattler instead of a baby.

He took Grace to one of the changing tables and began unsnapping her coverall. “Who’s the prettiest little cowgirl this side of Sweet Dreams, Wyoming?” He cooed. “You’re going to break hearts, darlin’.” When he’d finished, he picked her back up and turned to see how Belle was doing with Lila. She wasn’t in the room. He checked the crib. Lila wasn’t either.

He held Grace to his chest and returned to the living room, hanging back at the sight before him. Belle was handing the baby to Ainsley.

“I’m not feeling well.” Belle’s face was pinched. “I’m sorry I was rude earlier. Of course we want you to stay.”

Ainsley’s eyes widened, but she nodded and took the baby. “Why don’t you tell me what your expectations are? I want us to be on the same page with their care. I did some research before driving here, and I’d like to use a color system to help manage them.”

Belle fidgeted with her wedding ring. “Yes, the color thing sounds good.”

“Sit with me?” Shifting Lila to her other arm, Ainsley patted the couch. “Tell me about the babies. What are their personalities like? Should I be concerned about anything?”

Belle’s throat worked. She shook her head. “I...I don’t feel well. We’ll talk later.” Then she spun and fled past Marshall down the hallway to her bedroom.

He exhaled, his cheeks puffing out. At least she’d apologized to Ainsley. But what if the damage had been done? Was the apology enough to make Ainsley stay?

“I’m sorry,” he said. “This must be the worst first day ever for you.”

“No, I’ve had some doozies.” Her lips curved up and, though her eyes twinkled, concern radiated from them. “Do you think your sister is all right? Should I check on her?”

“I’ll do it. Be right back.” Still holding Grace, he retreated down the hall to speak with Belle. Grace blinked up at him, and he kissed her little nose. Then he knocked on Belle’s door.

“Go away.”

“I’m coming in.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

“Too bad.”

He slipped into her room. The closed curtains, unmade bed and darkness made the air feel thick, stale. She sat slumped on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands. He lowered his body to sit next to her, keeping a firm grip on Grace as he did.

“What’s going on, sis?”

“Nothing. I’m tired.”

“I know you are. It’s not easy being a mama.” He patted her knee. “Are you okay with Ainsley staying?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I wish I felt good enough to take care of all the babies myself.”

“Well, four is a lot. You’re being too hard on yourself. I don’t think most people could do it all on their own. But eventually you will, and in the meantime, I’ll pop in and out to help Ainsley—until you’re up to it yourself, okay?”

“Thanks, Marshall.” She looked ready to cry again. “I guess I could use help with the babies.”

“Good. Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll show Ainsley her cabin later.”

“Cabin?” Her spine went rigid. “She needs to sleep here. In the main house. How else will she take care of the babies at night?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. Did his sister think Ainsley was going to work round the clock? “I hired her to help during the day.”

“But you’re here during the day.”

All the sympathy he’d mustered disappeared. He tightened his hold on Grace.

“Belle, I can’t do this. Not by myself. Not all the time.”

“Well, I can’t either. Do you know how hard it is to feed four babies at night?”

“Yes, I do, because you text me to come help every single night. I’m exhausted.”

She dismissed his words with a backward wave. “Well, it’s worse for me. You don’t know. I’ll have Raleigh put the blow-up mattress in the babies’ room for her.”

He gaped at her. “Do you hear yourself? She’s not sleeping on the floor in the babies’ room. She needs her own space.”

Belle glared at him.

“Look, Ainsley already agreed to work ten-hour days, which is more than most people would. She’ll be here from eight in the morning until six at night. You two can get the babies figured out, and when she leaves after the holidays, you’ll be an old pro at it.”

“But January is so soon.” She looked nauseous. “You need to hire someone else. Someone permanent.”

“I tried. No one replied to my ad.”

After a few minutes of silence, she gave him a sheepish grin. “You couldn’t have found an ugly baby nurse, could you?”

An unattractive helper would make things easier on him, but he wasn’t concerned about romance. He didn’t think he was capable of having a loving, committed relationship. He hadn’t found a woman who understood his devotion to his sister, and he doubted he would. The only family he had was Belle and the quadruplets, and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.

He patted her shoulder. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re the most beautiful woman around.”

“Yeah, right.” She held out the bottom of her faded blue T-shirt. “You’re such a liar.”

“Me? Nah. I’m going back out there and making sure you didn’t scare her off. Now give Grace a kiss, and we’ll let you rest.”

Fear flashed in her eyes so quickly he wondered if he’d imagined it. She kissed Grace’s forehead and squeezed Marshall’s hand. “Thanks.”

He stood, hitching his chin to her. “I’ll always be here for you.”