She paid Brandi, then walked out of the tidy hair salon room. The twins were curled into Brandi’s daughter’s lap, while the girl read them one of the board books Becky had brought over in the diaper bag.
“Mama,” Luna called, scrambling up to toddle over to Becky.
She crouched down to hug her daughter, then glanced at Sasha, who studied her with a wary expression. “It’s still Mommy, sweetheart,” she said gently.
Sasha’s features relaxed and she held up her arms. “Mama.”
“Your girls are adorable,” Sarah said as they walked up the stairs. “But I didn’t get much of a chance to watch them.”
“They’re so sweet,” Lilly, Brandi’s daughter, murmured. “I hope I have twins someday.”
“Shush your mouth,” Brandi told her daughter in an exasperated tone. “I don’t want you thinking about babies for another decade.”
The girl groaned. “Duh, Mom. I’m just saying—”
“Don’t say another word.” At the top of the stairs, Brandi wrapped Lilly in a tight hug. “You’re going to give me a heart attack otherwise.”
Becky laughed at the obvious affection between mother and daughter. She hoped she’d have that kind of open relationship with her girls one day.
She said goodbye with a promise to call Sarah if she needed a babysitter and headed home. Callum had invited her and the twins to dinner at his family’s ranch tonight. She felt both nervous and excited about being around the Fortune siblings en masse. While Callum made it easy to forget about the differences in their backgrounds, she wasn’t certain things would be the same with the rest of the family. But she wanted to know the people who were important to him and see for herself how they interacted. The role he’d played as a caregiver in his family clearly had shaped the man he was today.
He seemed to believe he was a failure at commitment, yet somehow also remained a steadfast rock for his siblings. Who was the real Callum Fortune? The man who was attentive with her girls and so tender and sweet that Becky couldn’t help but fall for him? Or the shrewd businessman who’d move onto the next challenge and town instead of putting down roots?
Becky had to figure out the puzzle of Callum before her heart was truly at risk.
* * *
“Stop pacing,” Stephanie said, dipping a tortilla chip into the guacamole Manny had prepared before heading to his bunkhouse for the night. “You’re like a nervous schoolboy.”
Callum ran a hand through his hair as he stared out the window above the kitchen sink that offered a view of the long driveway leading away from the ranch. “I am nervous,” he admitted. “It’s weird. I’ve never really considered our family name or what it means to have money. I don’t want Becky to think I’m some kind of rich snob living out here in this gated community.”
Stephanie sniffed. “That’s right. Women are so turned off by men with money.”
He gave her a narrow-eyed glare over his shoulder. “You know what I mean.”
“I do,” she agreed after a moment. “I always hated girls fawning over my brothers because of our last name. And that was before we landed in Texas where the Fortunes are something of a dynasty.”
“She doesn’t care about any of that, which is refreshing.”
“You really like her.” Stephanie stepped closer.
“Is that such a surprise?” he demanded quietly. If his sister wanted to lecture him on getting involved with a single mother or a woman who’d experienced more than her share of tragedy, Callum would put up one hell of a fight.
“No,” Stephanie answered without hesitation. “Becky seems great and her daughters are precious. I just can’t figure out if this means you’re planning to stay in Rambling Rose long term.” She put a hand on his arm. “You convinced us to come to Texas, and now it looks like the triplets will be here, too. This town feels like home, Callum. But you’ve never been one to put down roots.”
“Why does everyone keep harping on the future?” He blew out a long breath as dust whirled up at the edge of the horizon and Becky’s minivan crested the hill and made its way toward the house. “She and I are enjoying the moments we have together. It doesn’t matter to either of us what comes next.”
When Stephanie didn’t respond, he turned to find her staring at him, arms crossed over her chest and one foot tapping on the floor in apparent exasperation. “You know nothing, Callum Fortune.”
He rolled his eyes. “Just be nice tonight. Make her feel welcome.”
“You say that as if I’m normally a social ogre. Remember, brother, I’m a proud rescue animal mom. Between the dogs, the cats and the bunny, those twins are going to love me.”
With a chuckle of assent, Callum moved past his sister toward the front door. The property was perfect for him and his siblings. It allowed them to be close but still have their own space. He wouldn’t have traded it for another home in the area and hoped Becky wasn’t overwhelmed by its size.
He jogged down the steps and came around the front of her vehicle just as she climbed out. The afternoon was clear, with only a few puffy clouds floating along the wide expanse of Texas sky. The temperature hovered in the low fifties, cool enough for long sleeves, but still comfortable. He couldn’t wait to take the twins to the barn and see their reaction to the horses.
“Wow.” He stopped in his tracks as Becky turned to face him.
She tugged self-consciously on the ends of her hair, which had been transformed since the last time he’d seen her. Her chestnut hair now gleamed with gold highlights that gave it a cohesively warm look.
“I got my hair done,” she said as if he needed clarification.
“You look beautiful.”
“You tell me that every time we’re together,” she said with a laugh.
“It’s always true.” He closed the distance between them and kissed her, threading his fingers through her soft locks. “I like the new do.”
“Thanks.” She grinned up at him. “It was time for a change.”
The style might be a subtle update but the shift in Becky’s confidence felt massive. Of course, he liked her no matter what, but was thrilled to see the light in her eyes that made him know she liked her new look.
“Do you two like Mommy’s hair?” He took a step toward the open door of the minivan and Luna and Sasha. His chest pinched as both girls kicked and squirmed at the sight of him.
“Cawl,” Sasha shouted in her high-pitched voice.
“Up,” Luna demanded.
“They’re so excited to see you.” Becky leaned into the minivan to unstrap the girls. She wore a simple yellow sweater and a pair of snug jeans tucked into cowboy boots.
“The feeling is mutual,” he assured her, ignoring the fast thumping of his heart as his sister’s words played on repeat in his head. Was he considering staying in Rambling Rose? He couldn’t think about the future without sweaty palms and a nagging feeling that he was bound to mess things up with Becky. That’s what he did.
He might want to commit, but he knew there was something broken inside him that prevented him from giving himself fully. Too deep of an independent streak perhaps or he lacked the gene for commitment. Either way, he didn’t want to consider the idea that he could hurt or disappoint Becky and her daughters. They meant too much to him.
“Are you okay?” Becky asked softly.
He squeezed shut his eyes for a quick moment, then grinned at her. “Sorry,” he said automatically. “It’s been a long week with the finishing touches on the Paws and Claws clinic and the triplets’ constant barrage of texts and calls with ideas for the restaurant.”
“If you want to reschedule dinner...” She bit down on her lower lip, and he cursed himself for the doubt that flashed in her dark eyes.
“Not at all.” He lifted his arms, gratified when Sasha reached for him. “I’ve been looking forward to showing the three of you my hom
e.”
Becky took Luna from her car seat, then hit the button on the vehicle’s interior to shut the side door. “It’s really great.” She cleared her throat. “I actually don’t think I’ve ever been in a house this big.”
“The footprint makes it seem larger than it is,” he assured her, earning a laugh.
“I don’t care that you’re rich,” she told him, going up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I like you despite the gobs of money, not because of it.”
“I wouldn’t describe it as gobs,” he said, looping his free arm around her shoulder.
“Massive piles?” she suggested playfully.
“You’re funny.”
She giggled. “I try.”
“What would you like to see first? The house or the barn?”
“I think the twins would love to visit the animals, if that’s possible.”
“Anything is possible for you.” He dropped another kiss on the top of her head and led the way to the barn that sat adjacent to the main house.
His sister was waiting inside the wide row of stalls that connected to a spacious arena. The previous owner had been a show jumping enthusiast, and although the arena went largely unused by the Fortunes, Callum appreciated having it available. Unbidden, an image of Sasha and Luna a few years from now popped into his brain. They had the same dark hair as their mother and wore matching riding costumes as they trotted ponies around the arena.
He felt a muscle tick in his jaw as he forced away the mental picture. By the time the girls were old enough for riding, he’d be a distant memory to them and their mother.
“I hope you don’t mind me crashing your date,” Stephanie said, shooting him a curious glance. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get my hands on these little cuties.”
“It’s nice to see you again,” Becky said as Luna waved. Sasha, always the more cautious twin, snuggled against the soft fabric of his chambray shirt, but smiled shyly when his sister tickled her leg.
Luna was happy for Stephanie to hold her, and the look of delight on his sister’s face gave him a bit of a start. He knew Stephanie liked babies and young children, but the mix of happiness and yearning in her blue gaze as Becky’s daughter relaxed into her arms seemed oddly intense. Stephanie wasn’t dating anyone seriously, at least as far as Callum knew, but she certainly looked like a woman ready to become a mother.
“Your hair is so great,” Stephanie told Becky. “I need a reference for your stylist.”
“She’s a local,” Becky explained quickly, “who works out of her house. I’m not sure she’d be—”
“Perfect.” Stephanie grinned. “I’d love to give her a call.”
At the sound of a soft whinny, Luna squealed and Sasha sat upright, her eyes widening. “Do you hear the horsey?” Callum asked.
“That’s Buttercup,” Stephanie told the girls and Becky. “He likes visitors.” She reached into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out a handful of baby carrots. “And treats.”
They walked forward to where the sleek bay had popped his head over the wall of the stall.
“Sweet boy,” Becky murmured. “Isn’t he a beauty, girls?”
She stepped forward and held out her hand, palm out. The horse snuffled and rubbed against it. The twins watched in obvious awe as their mother loved on the large animal.
“Do you want to pet him?” Stephanie asked Luna gently. “He loves little girls.”
“Uh-huh,” Luna murmured, spellbound.
Callum stayed back with Sasha, who seemed less willing to investigate the big horse close up. She watched with fascination as Stephanie helped her sister reach out a hand to touch the animal’s soft nose.
Buttercup blew out a contended breath, reveling in the attention. Stephanie placed a carrot in Luna’s chubby hand and uncurled the girl’s fingers so that the horse could snuffle it up.
“I’ve never seen her look so happy,” Becky said with a wide grin.
“She’s horse crazy already.” Stephanie dropped a gentle kiss on top of the girl’s head, then turned to Callum and Sasha. “What about you, sweet girl? Do you want to give Buttercup a treat?”
Sasha looked less confident than her sister but nodded nonetheless and reached for Stephanie.
“I’ll trade you,” Callum said with a laugh as he and his sister switched twins.
Becky pulled out her phone and snapped photos of the girls taking turns petting and giving carrots to all the horses housed in the barn. When they’d visited with each of them, Stephanie introduced them to her personal menagerie, which included two cats, Violet and Daisy, plus two dogs, Mack and Tallulah, not to mention a bunny named Orville who charmed both her daughters.
By the time they were finished, the girls were sticky, sweaty and covered with a fine coat of dust. Becky beamed from ear to ear, and Callum’s heart felt full to bursting.
The rest of the evening was just as perfect. He’d purchased two high chairs in town, which seemed to make Becky inordinately grateful. She slayed him with her low expectations. If he had his choice, he’d give her anything in his power. Except the one thing that deep inside he feared she wanted the most—his heart.
It was getting more difficult by the moment to ignore his inability to commit to making Rambling Rose his permanent home.
Once again, he focused on the present. They ate the chicken fajitas Manny had prepared, and Becky seemed to be entertained by Steven and Dillon. His brothers flirted with her and the twins, and it was obvious she was both delighted and embarrassed by their attention.
They stayed later than the girls’ normal bedtime, and Luna and Sasha had already dozed off by the time they loaded them into the car seats. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told Becky as he kissed her under the sliver of moonlight.
She shivered when a breeze kicked up, and he pulled her closer.
“I’m working tomorrow,” she told him.
“It’s Sunday. You don’t work on Sundays.” He wasn’t fazed at having her schedule memorized. The moments he spent with Becky, even on her lunch break, were always the best of his day.
She laughed. “I know, but one of the other nurses needed the day off for her son’s birthday. The girls like going to the day care center, and it shouldn’t be busy.”
“How about lunch?” he asked.
“You don’t have to—”
“Please.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “Let me see you again.”
“You see me all the time.”
“I can’t get enough.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “That makes me happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“Lunch tomorrow,” she promised. “I should be able to take a break around noon. Does that work?”
“I look forward to it.” He smoothed his hands over her cheeks. How could she be so precious to him after such a short time? There was no explaining the deep connection he felt, but no denying it, either. He’d take her to lunch, to dinner. Hell, he’d drive her to the gas station to fill up her minivan if that’s what she needed from him.
He watched her drive away, then turned to walk back up the porch steps. Funny how one evening with Becky and her girls had made his big house finally feel like a home.
Chapter Ten
As she and Callum drove toward the pediatric center the following afternoon, Becky stole glances at her fingers entwined with Callum’s larger, tanned hand, her heart hammering in her chest. They’d had lunch at the diner in town and then Callum had taken her to see the feed and grain building he’d just bought with a plan for his younger sisters to convert into a restaurant.
More Fortunes were coming to Rambling Rose, causing nerves to bubble up inside her. She wanted to meet Callum’s younger sisters, both because he talked so fondly of the triplets and also due to her curiosity about the bond of adult multiples. Would h
er girls always be as close as they seemed now? She hoped so, and from what Callum had told her, Ashley, Nicole and Megan might provide great insight.
But each time her ties with the Fortune family deepened, she worried about what that would mean when and if Callum decided to leave Rambling Rose.
Although her love for him seemed so sure and strong, she still had no idea how he felt about her. Certainly she knew he cared for her and her daughters. But that was different from being in love. She thought about broaching the subject even though the doubtful part of her heart worried about what answer she might get.
“Looks like trouble at the center,” Callum said, his tone laced with concern.
She looked up from their joined hands to the pediatric center’s entrance. Two police cars, lights flashing, were parked in front of the building.
Becky’s first thought went to her daughters, although she knew Luna and Sasha were safe in the building’s secure day care center.
“Will you drop me off in front?” Adrenaline pumped through her.
As soon as Callum pulled to a stop, she bolted from the truck, flashing her employee badge to the officer who stood just inside the sliding doors when it looked like he might stop her.
Grant Martensen stood near the information desk with another officer. Shannon Goering, the young admissions attendant, stood next to him, wiping at her cheeks.
“What’s going on?” Becky’s instinct was to rush to check on her girls, but she forced a deep breath. Nothing good would come of her panicking. She placed a hand on the woman’s arm, wanting to offer comfort for whatever was so upsetting.
“I didn’t know,” Shannon said miserably, shaking her head. “She wanted to leave the baby and we learned about the Safe Haven law in training. If I thought the mom might be a danger to herself, I would have tried to keep her here.”
Becky looked from Shannon to the thin-lipped police officer to Grant.
“The baby’s with Dr. Green,” the older man said. “He can give you the details.”
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