The Cowboy's Twin Surprise Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing

  Also available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  From the back, she thought it could be him. His usual cowboy hat was missing, but the long, lean frame, dark hair, faded jeans, and scuffed boots with bits of mud clinging to them easily fit her memory. Typical Chase Tanner. But there was something—no, two things—making it very unlikely. Namely, a little girl with blonde curls peeking over his left shoulder and a second fair-haired cutie clinging to his leg who appeared to be mere moments away from a full-fledged meltdown. Twins, barely old enough to walk.

  No way would the fella she grew up with have allowed himself to be found in a situation like this. He was not the marrying kind, much less a family man. Whoever this guy was, buried in domestic responsibility, he could not be the man she remembered. Besides, why would a fourth-generation Montana rancher be standing in the middle of the local employment agency on a freezing January morning when there must be cattle, horses, and a million other things to tend to back at the homestead?

  The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise

  by

  K. T. Byington

  Boots & Babies

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise

  COPYRIGHT © 2019 by K. T. Byington

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Abigail Owen

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Yellow Rose Edition, 2019

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-2886-7

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2834-8

  Boots & Babies

  Published in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  Jessie McKinnon stepped inside the employment agency and let the heavy door fall shut behind her, glad for refuge from the bone-chilling cold. She ran her fingers through tousled curls and glanced at her watch. Nine o’clock. “Right on time.”

  Tugging her long, navy coat closer, she settled into a seat as a voice that sounded oddly familiar caught her attention. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood by the front desk, speaking to an agency receptionist in a quiet but insistent tone. She cocked her head to one side, straining to hear the conversation.

  From the back, she thought it could be him. His usual cowboy hat was missing, but the long, lean frame, dark hair, faded jeans, and scuffed boots with bits of mud clinging to them easily fit her memory. Typical Chase Tanner. But there was something—no, two things—making it very unlikely. Namely, a little girl with blonde curls peeking over his left shoulder and a second fair-haired cutie clinging to his leg who appeared to be mere moments away from a full-fledged meltdown. Twins, barely old enough to walk.

  No way would the fella she grew up with have allowed himself to be found in a situation like this. He was not the marrying kind, much less a family man. Whoever this guy was, buried in domestic responsibility, he could not be the man she remembered. Besides, why would a fourth-generation Montana rancher be standing in the middle of the local employment agency on a freezing January morning when there must be cattle, horses, and a million other things to tend to back at the homestead?

  She winked at the happier of the two toddlers, and the little girl flashed a grin before burying her face in the man’s shoulder. He turned around just as the other child burst into a wailing cry. The grimace that momentarily crossed the poor dad’s face tugged at her heart…so did those unmistakable slate blue eyes.

  “Chase? How are you?” She blurted out the words. And then wished she hadn’t. How was he? How did he look? Miserable. Trapped. As though if there were any way out of his predicament, he would have taken it. Gladly.

  “Jessie McKinnon? I didn’t know you were back in town.” He switched the one-year-olds, placing the mellower of the twins on the floor at his feet, and scooping up the weeping child. “Shhh, baby girl. You’ll be okay.” He brushed a soothing kiss against the top of the child's head. “What are you doing here?”

  “Checking to see if the agency has found anything for me yet.”

  Tears kept flowing as the toddler in his arms grew louder and more restless. That tired, don’t-know-what-to-do look had replaced his usual air of self-confidence from days gone by. “Hey, Jess, you grew up in a large family. Part of the McKinnon Mob, right? Any good with crying kids?”

  She flinched at his words, an ugly reminder of childhood taunts. Being called part of a mob had never appealed to her. Painful remembrances from school days should have a statute of limitations on them. She was somewhat surprised to find, deep in her heart, they did not.

  Trying to ignore the hurtful memory, she focused on a distressed little girl and reached for the child, who, amazingly, was also reaching for her with tiny outstretched arms. “C’mere, sweetie pie.”

  He handed over the weeping bundle. “That’s D.J.” Leaning down, he gathered up the other child. “This is her twin sister, P.J.”

  Jessie wrinkled her nose as she enveloped the crying little one in comforting arms. D.J. and P.J.? “Those initials make them sound like they’re in middle school. But you’re no more than babies, are you, sugar?” She spoke softly to the child whose crying faded to a whimper in the midst of all the affection.

  “Meet Daisy Jane.” He nodded toward the toddler quieting in Jessie’s arms.

  “Ahh…very girlie. I like it.”

  Then he ruffled short blonde curls on her twin. “And this is Poppy Jo, the more optimistic of the two, at the moment.”

  “Another pretty name.” She gently brushed messy ringlets from Poppy’s warm forehead.

  “I can’t believe it.” He shoved fingers through his dark hair in frustration as he stared at them. “She’s been crying off and on for hours. But Daisy calmed right down for you. What’s your secret?”

  “A woman’s touch. Maybe she’s just missing her mama,” she added casually, like she wasn’t dying to know who the mama of these twins actually was. She couldn’t even hazard a guess. A good-looking and charismatic man like Chase must have married a beauty queen. Or, perhaps, he’d landed the dazzling daughter of some wealthy rancher, who came with an attractive inheritance package. This guy didn’t do anything without a motive. She was convinced of it. Although, how did these darling children fit into his life plan? “I didn’t know you’d settled down with a family. I didn’t expec
t that from you.”

  “Me, neither,” he agreed as the receptionist called Jessie’s name loudly.

  “Okay if I take Daisy up front with me?”

  “Sure.” Chase watched Jessie McKinnon walk away, effortlessly managing the child with one arm while adjusting her leather purse strap with the other. She seemed a natural with babies. Looked like she’d had a kid on her hip her entire life.

  Hell, maybe she had. With that many siblings, the poor gal probably never caught a break.

  Poppy extended her arms and wiggled her fingers as if she could somehow will them back her way; her lips puckered into a threatening pout.

  “She'll be right back with your sister, babe. In a minute.”

  But more than a minute with this woman would be nice. How about a couple of hours, maybe? So he could get some work done at the ranch without bouncing a kid on his knee? Or without hoping their nap would last just a little bit longer? That’s why he’d made his way to the employment agency this morning. In search of one thing: H-E-L-P! A sitter. A nanny. Someone who was willing to watch kids. Deliverance of some kind from this mess he’d found himself in.

  Chase rubbed a hand down his face. He knew he practically reeked with desperation. But encountering his former childhood crush here? A female who’d grown up in a family of half a dozen kids? Talk about meant to be. At least, that’s as close as he’d ever been to believing in such a thing. She could probably write a book on child-rearing. She’d been around youngsters most of her life and had already worked her magic with a tearful Daisy. Wasn’t afraid to speak her mind either. He’d always liked that about her.

  A corner of his mouth tugged up. Maybe help had arrived in the form of this spirited redhead from his past? Beauty, brains, and baby know-how—all in one package. Could he be that lucky?

  Suddenly, liquid warmed his arm as it dampened a shirtsleeve. He patted the soggy bottom of pink pants. “Overdue for a diaper change, Poppy Jo. Let’s head out to the truck.” He glanced up as Jessie returned with Daisy.

  “Here, I need to give this little darling back to you and be on my way.” She smiled and pushed wisps of bangs from her eyes.

  “Okay, just give me a second.”

  Chase sat the babe at his feet, grabbed his black cowboy hat from a nearby chair, and put on his jacket before gathering up two tiny, matching pink coats. Jessie reached for one of them, and he worked to get the other on Poppy through her very vocal protests. Pulling a knit hat over the blonde little head, he wrangled with the mittens until they slid into place. Kind of. Then he quickly scanned his old friend, from her lovely crimson curls to the dressy gray heels. “Any damage to your job-hunting outfit?”

  “Not enough to matter.” She slid the small coat onto Daisy, zipped it shut, and then dusted some lint from her charcoal skirt and white blouse.

  “Any chance you could stick around to hold her while I change a diaper on her sister real quick?”

  “A real quick diaper change?” Her eyes practically sparkled with amusement. “By you? That, I’ve got to see.”

  Chapter Two

  Jessie pulled Daisy’s hat and mittens into place. “Where to?”

  Chase inclined his head toward the exit. The hint of a grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. “My rig is in the side parking lot.”

  She hesitated for a split second. Good instincts. Gut reaction. Years ago, an offer to accompany this guy to his truck could have easily meant something entirely different. Back then, she didn’t accept the dare. Or invite. Or whatever it was. But now? How times had changed. Diapers and babies and infant seats…and Chase? She had to check it out for herself.

  “Lead the way.”

  “Are you headed to a job interview?” he asked.

  Why did he need to know that? “Awfully nosy, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe I can save you some time.” He pulled open the front door. “I might have a better offer for you.”

  “I doubt that. I’m an attorney.” Stepping outside into the biting winter air, she raised a hand to shield little Daisy’s face from the cold blast. “Brrr! How far?”

  “Right around the corner.”

  The noisy wind whipped over them as she hugged the child close. Within moments, Jessie had climbed into the extended cab to strap Daisy into her infant seat while Chase struggled with Poppy’s diaper change on the front seat. With the engine running, warmth soon flowed freely.

  “Hey, can you put this on the rear floorboard? There should be a bag to stick it in.”

  He passed the pee-soaked diaper back, and she stuffed it into the lone grocery sack she found on the floor. “You can’t leave plastic bags around where the girls could get their hands on them. Too dangerous. Here, keep that up front.”

  “Good point. Sorry.” He took the sack. “As you can tell, I’m not used to having them full time.”

  “No, no, no,” Poppy declared suddenly.

  “That must be your favorite word, babe,” Chase remarked. “One of your only words right now. Okay, little girl, let me adjust your diaper, and you’re ready to go into the back with your sister.”

  “Give her to me over the seat. I can fasten her in back here.”

  He handed off the squirming child.

  Jessie snapped the buckle into the harness. “Pretty soon you’ll miss the days of single syllables and wish for some peace and quiet.”

  “And I might be missing clean diapers tonight. That was the last one in this bag, and I don’t know how many packs are left at the ranch. I need to stop at the store.”

  “But there’s a snowstorm coming.” Why did he seem to be so completely on his own?

  Where is the mother of these kids? Doesn’t the woman care he isn’t really doing a great job?

  “You need to get these children home out of this weather. Can’t your wife pick up diapers somewhere rather than you hauling these babies in and out of a store?”

  “Wife?” He chuckled. “Maybe, if I had one.”

  “Wait…you have these beautiful twins and no partner?” Too surprised by his response to even think of an appropriate question, she simply waited for his explanation.

  “That’s why I’m looking to hire some help. Interested?”

  “Chase?” She wanted to stomp her foot in frustration, but there was no room. Too much baby stuff everywhere. “How can that be? Where is their mother?”

  “Remember Charlotte? My sister? The twins are hers. She kinda left them on my doorstep.”

  Jessie’s hand flew to her mouth. Their mother had abandoned them? “You mean, literally?”

  “Damn near.” His forehead creased in a frown. “Charlotte and the babies were staying at the ranch with me. Suddenly, she announced she couldn’t handle motherhood anymore and walked out.”

  “How could she do that? These poor children!”

  “She ran off with some guy she’d just met. Man of her dreams, I’m sure. They always are for a while.”

  Just as Jessie pushed on the back door, a strong gust of wind caught it, blowing it wide open. She climbed out, tugging her coat closer, and shoved hard to shut the door tightly, nearly losing her balance in wobbly high heels.

  I should’ve bought those new boots I saw yesterday instead of waiting for today’s sale.

  Bad decision, Jess.

  Once steady on her feet again, she hurried around the truck and climbed into the warm cab. “Are the girls okay?”

  “Doing fine,” Chase assured her as he settled onto the driver’s seat.

  Jessie shook her head, still mystified by Charlotte’s actions. These little darlings have no mommy in their lives? Unimaginable.

  “So what about the father? Is he in the picture?”

  “No, he doesn’t have a clue. She wants to keep it that way.” Chase looked skyward. “That storm is rolling in. Do you have time to wait in the truck with the girls while I run into the grocery and grab a few things?”

  Jessie glanced out the window. With no job prospects from the employment agency and no
place to be at the moment, why not? “Sure, it will keep them out of the cold, at least.” She took a glimpse at the babies, who were babbling back and forth to each other. “That’s adorable. Do they do that very often?”

  “Yeah, a lot.” He put the truck in gear. “The store isn’t far from here.” He glanced at her and gave a sheepish grin. “Guess I’m treating you like a first-time visitor when you know exactly where it is.”

  “Same place it was when we were kids?” She peered down the street as he headed in the direction of the market.

  “Sure is. Not much has changed since you’ve been gone. Except, remember Old Man Taylor, the attorney on the corner of Oak and Main?”

  “I always thought of him as Mr. Taylor. A little more respectful,” she added, shooting him a deliberate look of displeasure.

  “Unfortunately, he’s the late Mr. Taylor, now. He died a few months ago. His widow has their home up for sale and his law office was—”

  “I had no idea he’d passed away! Oh, I hate to hear that. He was such a good man. His office was right there in his house. I did secretarial work for him when I was in high school. Typing, filing, general stuff.”

  “I remember.”

  How did he know that? She scrunched her brows together. “Why would you know anything about my part-time job when I was a teenager?”

  “When we were kids, I worked at my Uncle Dalton’s lumber mill on the edge of town after school.” He shrugged. “Once in a while, I’d take a break at the café for a burger. Sometimes you’d come in to buy coffee for your boss.”

  Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she studied his profile. “Were you stalking me, Chase Tanner?”

  He chuckled. “Just enjoying the scenery. That’s all.”

  A lazy smile teased the curve of his mouth, and alarm bells went off in her head. There was just something about this guy. He could still too easily set her heart hammering against her ribs. And she hated it. Most of the time.

  “Hey, a guy has to eat. Lucky for me, I had the early dinner break, so occasionally I got to see the pretty assistant walk from that office to the café and back again.”