The Cowboy's Twin Surprise Read online

  “You bet it is.” His steady gaze, filled with mischief, locked with hers. “Especially that little redheaded girl who caught my eye when we were just kids.”

  Instantly, in one easy movement, he lifted her into his arms. Jessie gasped in sheer surprise, grabbing for his neck as her feet left the floor. “What are you doing?”

  “Sweeping you off your feet,” he said, suddenly quiet. “Something I should have done a long time ago.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jessie’s head lolled against Chase’s shoulder as he cradled her comfortably in his arms. She hadn’t said the words; she didn’t want to speak first. But she loved this man. Completely. Thoroughly. Forever.

  Suddenly, Barlow appeared in the doorway, barking excitedly. Then the dog turned abruptly and disappeared back into the living room.

  “The babies. Something’s wrong.” Jessie scrambled free and ran, following the collie up the staircase toward the faint sound of crying with Chase right behind her. “Daisy? Poppy?”

  “What’s wrong, sweetie? You okay?” she asked as she pushed open the door and hurried into the nursery to Daisy’s crib while Chase went toward Poppy. The canine brushed by Jessie’s legs, plodding in behind them and plopping down near the dresser.

  The distressed baby’s tears streamed down her face. She wiggled her fingers toward Jessie, seeking comfort.

  “C’mere, sugar.” She gathered Daisy into her arms, rubbing her back in a soothing motion.

  Chase scooped up a fretful Poppy and sank into the nearest rocker. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby girl. We’re here now. Old Barlow came to your rescue.”

  “Poor babies,” Jessie murmured softly. “You’ve been so upset all day, it’s no wonder you can’t sleep. Don’t worry, we’ll stay with you,” she assured them, settling into a comfortable chair.

  A long time passed before Poppy calmed down enough to drift off. Chase gently returned her to the crib. Then he kissed a drowsy Daisy Jane on top of her tiny head while she rested in Jessie’s arms. “Do you want me to take her?”

  ”No, I’m fine, thanks.” She continued to rock the weary little girl. “She’s almost out.”

  “So am I,” he admitted. “I’m going to lie on the floor here for a few minutes.” He stretched out on the plush carpet beside Poppy’s crib.

  “Go on to bed. Get some sleep. It will be morning before you know it.”

  “Nah, I’m good right here.”

  The soft, plum-colored carpeting did look so comfortable. “I’m going to put Daisy in the crib, but stay here beside her until she drifts off. Maybe that will work.”

  She tucked in the child, who immediately curled up with her thumb in her mouth, still fighting to keep her eyes open. Jessie relaxed on the floor next to the crib, rolled onto her side and prepared to wait the long stretch until the little girl dozed off. But the thick carpet was cozier than she’d expected. More than an hour later, she woke up. Everyone was sleeping soundly.

  After checking the girls, she grabbed a red plaid, fleece throw from a nearby stack and covered Chase. Then she picked up another for herself, snuggling in close by his side. Barlow raised his head and looked at her quizzically.

  All is well, Barlow. Back to sleep. Jessie winked. Then the dog shut his eyes again.

  A contented smile curved her lips. All felt oh, so right. One evening had changed everything. Utterly amazing. Just to be here, at this moment, next to the man she loved beyond reason. She could spend the rest of her life sleeping on this floor if it was beside Chase.

  He stirred in his sleep. “Jess,” he whispered in a drowsy voice, reaching for her hand.

  She nestled closer. “Hmm?”

  “I am so in love with you…”

  Hot tears flooded her eyes. “I love you, too.”

  “Good. That’s settled.” Chase brushed a warm kiss against her fingers. “Now, let’s sleep before we both die from exhaustion.” He chuckled quietly. “Just wait until we have three. They’ll outnumber us.”

  Us.

  She sighed sweetly. Nothing ever sounded better.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Look how well she’s doing!” Jessie exited the kitchen and headed into the living room with a cuddly Poppy in one arm and adventurous Daisy walking alongside, taking tiny steps while clutching tightly to her hand. “Much steadier this time. I’m so proud of you.” She turned her head toward the sound of the ringing doorbell, startled by an unexpected arrival. “Who could it be this early in the morning?”

  “I’ll get it.” A rush of cold air swept over the room as Chase opened the front door.

  “Hello. You’re one of Jessie’s sisters, right? Come in.” He stepped to the side. “Jill, isn’t it?” He closed the door.

  “Jade.” The visitor corrected. “Jade Robbins. I’m a social worker for the local—”

  “Hey!” Jessie smiled broadly. What an odd surprise. Jade here? At this hour? “How nice to see you.”

  “Nice to see you, too, but I’m actually here to speak with Mr. Tanner.”

  She froze, confusion taking hold as her heartrate ticked up a notch. Something was off. Jade’s voice sounded peculiar, almost stilted. Her sister wasn’t a gushy, emotional person, but neither was she typically so cool and indifferent. The sudden chill in the air had little to do with the winter scene just outside the door. Something else is brewing. But what?

  “You need to speak to me?” Chase’s brows knit into a distinct frown. “About what?”

  “I’m here for a welfare check on Daisy Jane and Poppy Jo Tanner. We understand the babies were unexpectedly left in your care.”

  Welfare check? Jessie’s feet felt glued to the floor. What on earth is she talking about?

  Chase shrugged, concern darkening his countenance. “The girls are my nieces, and my sister—their mother—is away for a while. She arranged for me to take care of them while she’s out of town.”

  But a stab of pure fear gripped Jessie. This could be worse than she’d imagined. Much worse. “Jade, what’s this about?”

  “This is not a personal visit. It’s business.” Her tone was brisk, matter-of-fact. “I was just telling Mr. Tanner—”

  “His name is Chase. You know that.” Why is she being so formal?

  He scooped up Daisy as she gathered up Poppy, and they placed them into the nearest playpen together as Jade scribbled something on the file in her hand.

  “And which twin has the head injury?”

  Jessie flinched. This is not good. “The bruise? Poppy just took a little tumble and bumped her forehead. It’s not serious.”

  The flicker of anger smoldering in her sister’s eyes made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. Jade could be very unforgiving. Even as a child, she’d had a vengeful side. Whatever was going on with her, it wouldn’t be an easy fix. Not with this sibling.

  Jessie glanced from Jade to a befuddled Chase and back to her sister again. She had to think quickly, talk fast. The last thing they needed was for it to come out he hadn’t latched the baby gate properly the day of the injury.

  “Poppy is learning to walk,” she explained. “All children get a few bumps and bruises along the way. You know that, Jade. You have kids.”

  Her sister barely acknowledged the response. “Yes, but—”

  “Why are you here asking these questions?” She frowned in a mixture of frustration and fear. “This man is doing a wonderful job with his nieces. It’s true Charlotte left rather suddenly on a trip, but she could return any day now. It’s just a matter of time—”

  “Are you forgetting you are the person who voiced concern?” Jade looked up from the file in her hand, peering briefly at Jessie over red-rimmed glasses.

  “Me?” Her mouth dropped open in sheer shock. “Concerned? What are you talking about?” Jessie caught a brief glimpse of Chase’s stunned expression. She had some serious explaining to do. “I would never—”

  “As I recall, you said you didn’t believe Mr. Tanner was capable of taking care of twin
s when I spoke with you.” Jade flipped through the scant papers in her manila folder.

  Jessie’s temper flared, white-hot and furious. “That was weeks ago! The last time I spoke with you was that morning I first ran into Chase with the babies in the employment agency. I’d only been around him a matter of minutes when I said that. I couldn’t adequately judge his abilities in such a short amount of time. But I’ve been staying here, since he’s hired me to look after Poppy and Daisy, and I’ve seen him in action. He’s great with the girls.”

  “And the two of you looking after them has resulted in quite a nasty bruise on Poppy Jo, from what I can see.”

  “Jade, what are doing? I swear—” She stopped short. Threats would get her nowhere, no matter how good it would feel to issue one to her little sister. But they weren’t kids anymore. “I practically raised you, and you survived. I’ll guarantee we can take care of these girls just fine without any agency involvement or interference from you. And I’ll stay here long enough to see the job is done right.”

  “Until their mother returns or they turn eighteen?” Jade adjusted her frames. “Are you prepared to make such a commitment?”

  “If that’s what it takes,” she announced, ensuring determination was clear in her tone. A quick look at the glint of anger in Chase’s narrowing eyes made her heart skip a beat. After this incident, staying may not be an option. But before that discussion could even begin, Jade had to go. “Now, I think you should leave.”

  “You can’t simply order me out because I’m your relative. I’m here in my official capacity.”

  Enough. “I’ll bet your boss would be interested in knowing about your own not-so-stellar child-rearing incidents,” Jessie snapped. “How once you drove all the way to the grocery store and did half of your shopping before you remembered the two nephews you were babysitting? You’d left them home alone, sleeping on the living room floor? Or how about the time you left your baby girl on the sofa, and she rolled off while you went to get the mail? As I recall, Jocelyn told me she had a pretty good bump on her head, too.”

  “How dare you? Those were accidents.”

  “So was Poppy’s injury.” She simply had to get Jade out of there. Immediately. She couldn’t take another minute of this ridiculous inquisition. Jessie yanked open the heavy wooden door and made a sweeping arm gesture waving through the front exit.

  Jade didn’t move. “Did your sister leave authorization forms with you, Mr. Tanner, so you can have the babies properly treated for medical issues, if necessary?”

  Chase shot a questioning look of betrayal Jessie’s direction that sliced through her. She lowered her head in pure misery. Her heart was breaking, and her dream of a life with this man may be in ruins. All thanks to this bratty little sister, who had apparently grown up with the exact same personality she’d been afflicted with as a child. Insufferable. “Jade. Outside. Now.”

  Her sibling stared her down for a moment, then jammed the thin file under one arm, gripped her purse with the other, and stormed out of the house with Jessie right behind her. The front door fell shut.

  “That conversation we had was weeks ago, Jade! If you’re so worried about the twins, why didn’t you do your job in a timely manner and check into it before now? I’ll bet your supervisor would like to know what’s taken you so long to follow up on so-called ‘endangered children.’”

  “I saw no reason to take immediate action. I knew they were in safe hands as long as you were caring for them.”

  “So what’s changed? I’m still here. I’m still caring for them. Why cause this unnecessary upheaval?”

  “Well, you’re a lawyer, not a nanny. And when you left him alone with the twins the other day, Jocelyn said—”

  “Jocelyn?” So that’s the issue? “Did my visit with her stir up some kind of problem for you? I mean, she mentioned you were interested in Chase years ago, but—”

  “What?” Jade scoffed at the suggestion. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

  Or maybe Jocelyn had been deadly accurate about their younger sibling’s infatuation. Not that that piece of insight would help her one bit. “C’mon, Jade. Don’t do this to punish him. We’ve all been hurt at one time or another. But let’s not upset the happy home of this good man and these babies because of a little jealousy between sisters.”

  “How dare you say that? Just because you’re the successful McKinnon doesn’t mean you can come back here and treat me less than professionally.”

  Jessie took a half-step back, a bit startled by the green-eyed monster that loomed between them. She rubbed her arms against the cold both outside and in. “What are you talking about? There’s plenty of success in our family.” She stared at her sister. “I’m no shining example of anything.”

  “And I am a social worker. A good one. I’m here doing my job—responding to a complaint from a concerned citizen. You.”

  Jessie put her hands on her hips. Anger won’t solve anything, but maybe a bit of negotiating? “Okay, okay. Well, this alleged concerned citizen withdraws the ridiculous complaint, as you like to call it. Can I do that? Can you put an end to this investigation?”

  Jade’s mouth twisted into a cynical grin as she flipped open the file. “My recommendation is significant.”

  How can I end this? What can I do? Then it occurred to her. She did have something to offer, something of value.

  “You know, as your sibling, I’ve been considering offering free legal services. It seems like a sisterly thing to do, and I remember you mentioned once wanting to start a family trust. Those legal fees could get quite expensive.” Jessie cleared her throat harshly. “And, in regard to that matter, my recommendation is the only one that counts.”

  The first hint of relief flowed over her when her social worker sister’s eyes sparked with interest, not anger.

  “That’s true. I have been thinking about it.”

  “Uh-huh, uh-huh.” Jessie held her sibling’s curious gaze. “Then I guess I could save you a lot of money.”

  Jade stared back for a cold-blooded moment. Then she shut the manila folder. “I’ll be in touch.” She turned on her heels and walked away.

  Yeah, love you, too, sis. Jessie raised a hand to her aching forehead and took a deep breath of wintry air. Breathe in, breathe out. Everything will work out. It just has to.

  She reentered the house and the door fell shut quietly behind her.

  “What in the world is going on? What started all this fuss?” Birdie exclaimed as she headed toward the babies just as Poppy began crying, followed quickly by her sister. “It’s okay, Twinny, Daisy Jane. Don’t cry.”

  Chase’s heart raced. He was so furious he could hardly find words. “What the hell—”

  Jessie shook her head. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  “All righty, then, maybe we should head to the kitchen.” Birdie reached for the twins. “C’mon, kiddos. Let’s get some juice and bananas.”

  He kneaded the back of his neck with one hand, trying to contain his anger as he waited for the room to clear. “Did you say that about me? To a social worker? What were you thinking?”

  Jessie clapped a hand to her cheek. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just chatting away with my sister, like an idiot. It was when you went into the market to buy diapers, and I sat in the truck with the girls. I made the offhand comment because it didn’t seem like you were doing so great with the babies at that particular moment.”

  “So you threw me under the bus?” He shook his head in utter disbelief. How could she have done that? “I can’t believe—”

  “No! I didn’t mean to hurt you. I mean, it never occurred to me Jade would do something like this.” Jessie reached for him, but he pulled away. “She heard one of the babies in the background, so the topic came up. I was scrambling for something to talk about so—”

  “So you picked me? And my nieces? And what a lousy job I was doing? Why do you think I was in the employment agency? I knew it wasn’t going well. I didn�
��t ask for this responsibility of raising my sister’s kids.” He raked a hand through his hair. “But I’m all they have. And I knew if I hired someone to look after them, that person could help me learn how to do better.” What had she done? What does this mean? “I love those girls. I mean, what more could I have done?”

  “Nothing. You did exactly the right thing.” She hugged her arms to her middle. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  “I don’t think that agency is going to be moved by how sorry you are,” he all but growled. “They are going to check up on my inadequacy as a caretaker for these kids. Maybe take them away.” A terrible, sinking fear settled over him. What will happen to the girls? How did everything go so wrong with one careless comment?

  “I know, I know how awful this is. And I’m so sorry. I’m trying to fix it.” She raised both hands to her temples, her face bleak with sorrow. “I made an offer. A trade-off. I’ll do free legal work for Jade. Whatever she wants. She definitely seemed interested, and if she accepts, that will be the end of it.”

  “So, that’s what we’re down to now? Bribery?” His mind raced. But could it work?

  She nodded. “If that’s what it takes. I don’t believe Jade is really concerned about the girls. I think her motivation is more jealousy than—”

  “Jealousy?” What was she talking about? “Over what?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Tears welled up and overflowed. “Maybe it’s better if I just leave—”

  “No, Jess, I don’t want to lose you. Dammit.” His shoulders slumped. Life without Jessie? He couldn’t imagine it. Didn’t want to imagine it. “We’ll figure this out. Find a way.”

  “I don’t see how.” She pulled a crumpled tissue from the pocket of her jeans. “I’m so sorry.”

  As angry as he was, his heart ached for her, too. The anguish in her eyes was painful to witness.

  She cleared her throat harshly, her lovely face pale, almost ghostly. “I think leaving is the right thing to do.”

  “That’s the worst idea yet.” Birdie leaned in from her obvious eavesdropping in the kitchen doorway. “Look, the saving grace here, ironically, is you, Jessie. You may be responsible for the agency’s involvement in this, but you’re also the only person who can fix this mess. You have to stay and help us, or he really could lose custody. Your sister has to admit how good you are with children. Chase and I can’t take care of the girls on our own. He has this ranch to look after, and I can’t be running around after these beautiful babies all day. You’re it.”