Hawk's Way: Rebels: The Temporary Groom

“I should get dressed,” Cherry said, tightening the belt on her robe. “The girls will be up soon.”

“You’re right about that.” Billy searched for something else to say, because otherwise he would have no excuse to linger.

“By the way, I never got around to telling you, but you’ll need to go grocery shopping today. The ranch has an account at the store in town. I think Harvey Mills already knows we’re married—I doubt there’s anyone in the county who doesn’t know by now—but just in case, I’ll give him a call and tell him to put your name on the account. Feel free to get anything you think we’ll need.”

It was more than Cherry had heard Billy say at one time since she had met him at the pond. But the words had nothing to do with what he was saying with his eyes. His eyes were eating her alive. Her heart was pumping hard. Her breasts felt full. Her mouth felt dry.

She cleared her throat and said, “Shopping. Got it. Anything else?”

“Not unless you’d like that cup of coffee.”

Cherry slowly shook her head. She had to send him away or she was going to invite him into her room. “I need to shower and dress before the girls wake up. Have a nice day, Billy.”

“Yeah. I’ll do that.”

When he didn’t leave, she raised a brow and said, “Is there something else, Billy?”

“If you want, I can go with you later today to see your family…to explain things.”

Cherry felt a sense of relief. “Thanks, Billy. I’d like that.”

“Well. I guess I’d better get started.”

It took him another moment or two before he moved away from the door. She watched his sexy, loose-limbed amble until he was gone from sight, then scurried up the stairs to the shower.

However, when she reached the bathroom, it was locked. She would have to wait her turn. She leaned against the wall, a towel over her arm, one bare foot perched atop the other and waited. And waited. The door never opened.

She leaned her ear against the door, but there was no sound coming from inside. She knocked and said, “Is someone in there?”

No answer.

“Raejean? Annie?”

Nothing.

She walked down the hall to the girls’ bedroom. Their unmade twin beds were empty. She checked the other doors along the hall and found an office and Billy’s bedroom, but no sign of the children.

“Raejean!” she called loudly. “Annie! If you’re hiding somewhere up here, I want you to come out right now!”

Nothing.

She crossed back to the bathroom door and listened intently. She thought she heard whispers. She banged on the door. “I know you two are in there. I want you to come out right now.”

Nothing.

She grabbed the doorknob and yanked on it, then slammed her shoulder against the door as though to break it open. “Open up!”

Nothing.

Cherry leaned back against the wall and sighed heavily. She hadn’t counted on this sort of misbehavior when she had nobly volunteered to rescue Billy’s daughters from their grandmother’s clutches. Right now, Mrs. Trask was more than welcome to the two of them!

Cherry smiled. Actually, she had pulled the same trick on one of her foster parents. She had spent almost two days in the bathroom before hunger finally forced her out. Which gave her an idea.

“All right, fine, stay in there. But you’re going to get awfully hungry before the day is out. I’m going downstairs to make myself some blueberry pancakes with whipped cream on top and scrambled eggs and sausage and wash it all down with some hot chocolate with marshmallows.”

Loud, agitated whispers.

The bathroom door opened and one of the twins stuck her head out. “Whipped cream on pancakes?”

Cherry nodded.

An identical face appeared and asked, “Big marshmallows? Or little ones?”

“Which do you prefer?”

“Little ones. Mrs. Motherwell only bought the big ones.”

“Then we’ll cut them into little pieces,” Cherry suggested.

“All right.” Annie shot out of the bathroom before Raejean could stop her and took Cherry by the hand. “Let’s go.”

Cherry waited to see what Raejean would do. The twin obviously wasn’t happy to see rebellion in the ranks. She seemed unsure whether to stay where she was or abandon the fort. Her stomach growled and settled the matter. Raejean left the bathroom and headed down the hall toward the stairs, ignoring the hand Cherry held out to her.

Cherry realized as she followed Raejean down the stairs, Annie chattering excitedly beside her, that she might have won this battle, but the war had just begun.

CHAPTER SIX

BREAKFAST WAS A HUGE success. Cherry sat at the kitchen table giving herself a pat on the back for having pleased both girls so well. Two plates had been licked clean. Annie must have eaten almost as many additional marshmallows as the two of them had cut up together for her hot chocolate. Raejean had devoured the entire batch of whipped cream. The kitchen was a mess, but Cherry would have time to clean it once the twins were at school.

“Uh-oh,” Annie said.

“Daddy’s going to be really mad,” Raejean said.

Cherry followed the direction of the girls’ gazes out the kitchen window and saw the school bus at the end of the lane. It paused momentarily, honked, and when no one appeared, continued on its way.

“Oh, no!” Cherry raced to the back door, yanked it open and shouted to the bus driver. “Wait!”

He didn’t hear her, which was just as well, because when she turned back to the kitchen she realized the girls weren’t dressed and their hair wasn’t combed.

Billy hadn’t asked much of her—only that she feed his children breakfast and get them to school and be there when they got home in the afternoon. She couldn’t even manage that.

She looked at the clock. Seven-thirty in the morning and she was already a failure as a stepmother. Before despair could take hold, it dawned on her that elementary school surely couldn’t start this early. Maybe she could still get the girls there on time.

“When do classes start?” she asked Raejean.

“Eight o’clock sharp,” Raejean answered. “Mrs. Winslow gets really mad if we’re late.”

“You still have time to get there if we move like lightning,” Cherry said.