“When she found out she was pregnant, Elsie didn’t even know how to get in touch with him. Turns out, the address and phone number that he gave at the hotel when he registered were both fake.”
Rita had been standing by quietly all this time, but now broke her silence and shook her head. “That does not surprise me.”
Well, they had the parentage straightened out, such as it was, Cole thought.
“So, now what?” he asked the sheriff.
“Now I can get in touch with social services,” Rick told them. “It might take a few days, but they’ll send someone out to take the twins—”
“No,” Stacy cried.
Rick looked at her, surprised by the fierceness of her reaction.
“That’s the next logical step,” he told her, “since their mother obviously has given up all claim to them and no one knows where their father is.”
“No,” Stacy insisted. “The next logical step is to make sure that they get a good home.”
“That’s what I just said,” Rick began.
“With me,” Stacy stressed.
Rick looked as if he was trying to understand what she was saying. “Let me get this straight. Are you saying you want to be their foster mother?”
“No, Sheriff. What I’m saying is that I want to adopt them.”
Rick might have been surprised by her declaration, but Rita appeared to take it in stride, as if she had expected this all along.
“They don’t need a foster home or to be passed around from one home to another,” Stacy continued. “Or to be separated. What they need is a stable home. They need me,” she insisted. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them.”
“And I will help her,” Rita said, speaking up authoritatively.
“Stacy,” Rick began, “I understand how you feel, but it’s not up to me—”
“Elsie obviously wanted to leave them with me,” Cole interjected. “She had her pick of places to leave the twins—a lot more accessible places than the side of the bunkhouse at the Healing Ranch,” he pointed out to the sheriff. “The fact that she sought me out and left them on what amounted to my doorstep means that she wanted me to look after her twins.”
“Go on,” Rick said gamely, listening.
“So, in essence,” he told the sheriff, “she was asking me to adopt them.”
Rick seemed to mull over what Cole had just said. “You have a point.”
“And I have the twins,” Cole told him. “Possession is still nine-tenths of the law, right?”
“We’re not talking about property,” Rick pointed out. “We’re talking about children—”
“Who are in real danger of getting swallowed up by the system if we turn them over to social services,” Stacy insisted. She looked plaintively at Rick and made her appeal. “These kids need a break.”
“And you’re it?” Rick asked her. Did she realize what she was asking to take on?
“We’re it,” Stacy corrected him, stepping closer to Cole.
“So, you’re each going to take one?” Rick questioned uncertainly.
“No,” Stacy told him. “I’m going to answer the question that Cole was asking me when you knocked on the door earlier.” Turning toward Cole, she smiled up at him and said one word. “Yes.”
“You’re sure about this?” Cole asked, almost afraid to jump to the conclusion that was shimmering right in front of him.
“Very sure,” Stacy answered.
He needed to be sure himself. “You’re not just saying yes because—”
She wouldn’t let him finish. “I’m saying yes because it’s been yes for a long time. And if you hadn’t gotten cold feet, you would have known that, you big idiot—”
Cole turned toward the sheriff and said, “Hold on to Mikey for me.”
Before he could say anything to Cole, Rick found his arms filled with baby.
Taking Katie from Stacy, Cole turned toward his family housekeeper and told her, “Hold Katie for a minute.”
“What are you doing?” Stacy cried.
“A man doesn’t just propose to a woman and then go on as if it’s business as usual,” he told her. “At least, not without sealing the bargain.”
“And just how do you intend to do that?” Stacy asked.
“Like this,” Cole answered, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly.
“I guess that means that Olivia and I are invited to the wedding?” Rick asked.
Neither party answered, being far too occupied to talk at the moment.
Rick smiled and looked at the baby in his arms. “Looks like you and your sister have got yourselves a brand new mommy and daddy, Mikey,” he told the baby.
“Sheriff,” Rita said, addressing Rick. “Come with me, please. I have just finished making a pie that you have to try.” She began to leave the room, then glanced over her shoulder to make sure the sheriff was following her. “You should know this could go on for a bit. You might as well eat something.”
“I like the way you think, Rita,” Rick said with a laugh.
Carrying Mikey, he followed the housekeeper out of the room.
Epilogue
The moment she heard that Cole had proposed to Stacy, after announcing a self-satisfied “I knew it!” Miss Joan insisted on throwing the wedding.
“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to live out some fantasy,” she assured Cole when he protested that it would be too much trouble for her. “I got the wedding of my dreams when Henry came to his senses and finally married me.”
Everyone in Forever knew it was actually the other way around and that it was Henry who had finally managed to wear Miss Joan down so that she accepted his proposal, but Cole was not about to be the one to point that out to her.
However, he felt that he did have to make an attempt to protest. “Stacy doesn’t want a fuss,” he told the woman who had been like a surrogate mother to him.
“Everyone wants a fuss,” Miss Joan contradicted him. “But it’ll be a small fuss,” she promised, patting him on the cheek. “Just right for the occasion. Leave everything up to me. Just give me a date.”
“As soon as possible,” Cole answered.
He thought that would dissuade her, but he should have known better.
“Perfect,” the whiskey-voiced woman said. “I’ll call you with the details once I have them. Now shoo.” She gestured him out of the diner.
“Careful what you wish for,” one of the waitresses murmured to Cole as he walked to the door.
But Cole could only smile. He already had what he wished for. He had Stacy. The fact that he was also going to be the instant father of twins only seemed to make the entire thing that much better.
As far as he was concerned, the wedding ceremony was just an afterthought.
* * *
“IT’S BEAUTIFUL,” Stacy told Miss Joan as she looked at her reflection in the mirror in the tiny room right off the church vestibule. She was wearing an empire-waisted wedding gown she could have never afforded to buy on her own.
Pleased, Miss Joan smiled. “Just because I wear that old uniform at the diner every day doesn’t mean I don’t have taste, girl,” she told Stacy.
Stacy was afraid she might have insulted Miss Joan. “I didn’t mean to imply—”
Miss Joan was quick to assuage her guilt. No harm had been done. “I know, I know. Just get yourself out there and marry that young man. Cole’ll be good to you—and to those babies,” she told Stacy with unshakable certainty. Miss Joan allowed herself just a hint of a smile as she added, “You all deserve each other.”
She looked up as the strains of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” came floating through the air, reaching the tiny back room of the church. “That’s your cue, girl. Time to go out and meet your fu
ture.”
Stacy turned toward the woman. “Not without you, Miss Joan.”
“Excuse me?”
“Walk out with me,” Stacy requested. “You can give me away,” she told the for-once-speechless older woman. “You put this together for us. That makes you the closest thing I have to family.” She paused and then added, “Please?”
Miss Joan sighed. “We’d better go before that old woman gets tired of playing,” she mumbled, referring to the church organist.
Stacy threaded her arm through Miss Joan’s, and together they came out of the back room and to the back of the church.
Everyone in the church rose in unison. If some were surprised to see Miss Joan leading the bride to the altar, they gave no indication. Everyone had come to expect the unexpected when it came to Miss Joan.
Besides, they were more taken with how beautiful the bride, someone who was, ultimately, one of their own, looked in her bridal gown.
Certainly Cole couldn’t take his eyes off her. He could hardly breathe as he watched Stacy slowly walk toward him.
Each of his brothers were holding one of the twins, Mikey, who was dressed in a miniature tux, and Katie, who had on a tiny bridesmaid’s dress. As if aware of the special celebration they were part of, both babies were quiet and taking in their surroundings with wide-eyed wonder.
Finally, Stacy reached the front of the church and the man she had been heading toward all of her life.
“Ready?” Cole whispered to her as Miss Joan handed Stacy over.
“More than you could ever possibly know,” Stacy answered.
“Then let’s get married.”
They turned as one to face the minister, ready to say the words that would unite them today and for all eternity.
* * * * *
Don’t miss Connor McCullough’s story,
A BABY FOR CHRISTMAS
coming December 2017!
And catch up with the rest of the
McCullough siblings:
THE RANCHER AND THE BABY
THE COWBOY AND THE BABY
Available now wherever
Harlequin Western Romance books
and ebooks are sold!
Keep reading for an excerpt from STEALING THE COWBOY’S HEART by Debbi Rawlins.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Western Romance story.
Do you love small towns and cowboys? Harlequin® Western Romance books are contemporary stories of everyday women finding love, becoming part of a family or community—or maybe starting a family of her own.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Western Romance every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards & Instantly earn a FREE ebook of your choice.
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever & whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Register Today & Earn a FREE BOOK*
*New members who join before December 31st, 2017 will receive 2000 points redeemable for eligible titles.
Click here to register
Or visit us online to register at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
Stealing the Cowboy’s Heart
by Debbi Rawlins
Chapter One
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cute dress. Just kinda conservative.”
Kylie Richardson glanced down at the simple blue sheath and sighed. She almost always wore jeans. She liked jeans. They were comfortable, casual, easy. Dresses always made her think of Easter and holding her stomach in. Why on earth had she agreed to go on this date? Just the thought of it made her palms clammy.
“If I were you, I’d be showing off those curves,” her friend Mallory said before taking a bite of her apple fritter.
“Well, that’s a nice way of putting it,” Kylie said with a laugh that ended in a groan. Since moving to Blackfoot Falls, Montana, and opening The Cake Whisperer thirteen months ago, she’d gained six pounds. Obviously from enjoying too many of her own cupcakes.
Mallory stopped chewing and swallowed. “What do you mean?”
She’d moved from California and opened the bar next door about the same time and they’d become fast friends. Tall and slim with honey-colored hair that Kylie coveted with unabashed envy, Mallory didn’t have to worry about indulging her sweet tooth.
The bell above the door jingled, saving Kylie from having to reply.
Aunt Sally, who owned the Cut and Curl—the only beauty parlor in town—walked into the bakery and frowned at the dress. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you still have that old thing?”
“I was hoping you didn’t get that at the new consignment boutique.” Rachel Gunderson, another friend who knew practically everyone within a hundred miles, entered right behind Aunt Sally. “It doesn’t flatter you at all.”
Kylie spotted the elderly Lemon sisters across the street, squinting and trying to see them through the window. “Lock the door, will you, Rachel?” The bakery was closed for the day but Kylie should’ve known better. People around their small town didn’t pay any attention to signs or wait for invitations.
Usually Kylie didn’t mind, and she certainly welcomed these women. Her aunt was the main reason Kylie had chosen to settle in Blackfoot Falls. But she sure didn’t need any more opinions about her dress.
Rachel’s attention had wandered to Mallory. “Did that just come out of the oven?”
“Tastes like it,” Mallory muttered around another bite of the fritter.
“They’re from this morning,” Kylie said, grateful for the distraction. “I have a couple left in the back. Some scones too, I think. Go help yourselves.”
Sally looked as if she was struggling with temptation. “Good Lord, girl, I don’t know how you learned to bake like an angel,” she said, smoothing a hand over her ample hip. This month her naturally brown hair was tinted auburn...kind of close to Rachel’s color. “Your mom sure didn’t teach you. That sister of mine could burn ice cream.”
Rachel emerged from the back with a tray of goodies. “What about the turnovers? Are they off-limits?”
“Nope. Just forgot about ’em.”
Sally sighed and snatched one with a dark golden crust. “Sassy’s should still be open. Get on over there and find yourself something sexy,” she said before taking a bite. “By the way, who’s the lucky guy?”
“Oh, you expect me to volunteer a name?” Kylie brought out a stack of napkins from under the counter. “You really think I’m that stupid?”
“Well, I figure it’s better than us asking around until we find out.”
Kylie groaned.
“You know what? Sassy’s is a good idea,” Rachel said. “Beth Landers dropped off a bunch of clothes yesterday. Nice stuff. Some of it designer.”
“Then hell yes, you’d better get over there before the Sundance guests get wind of it.” Sally licked the tips of her long red-painted fingernails. “They’ll be swarming the place like vultures.”
Rachel chuckled. “Good point,” she said, clearly taking no offense. Her family owned the Sundance. Back when the town had faced hard times, it had been Rachel’s idea to turn a portion of t
he sprawling cattle operation into a dude ranch.
“Beth has to be five inches taller than me.” Kylie was tempted, though. Beth owned a cute boutique inn on Main Street and always looked so great.
“You’re close to the same size in every other way. All you’d have to do is hem,” Sally said. “When’s the big night? Tomorrow, right?”
Kylie nodded.
“Good. Once you find a dress, come over to the Cut and Curl. I’ll put some highlights in your hair.”
“Tomorrow really isn’t a big deal,” Kylie muttered, but couldn’t help glancing longingly at Mallory, who was checking the time. Probably needed to go open the bar soon. It gave Kylie a moment to wonder if her own hair was too dark to pull off some honey-colored highlights.
“Of course it’s a big deal. You waited a whole year before diving back in after you got rid of Gary. That was very sensible.” Sally smiled gently. “And don’t let your mother tell you otherwise. I love my sister dearly, but that woman doesn’t know how to live without a man. I hope she’s not still harping on you to take back that no-good cheating bum.”
Heat flooded Kylie’s face. The other two women knew about most of her past. But it wasn’t a topic she liked discussing. Especially now that the year she’d given herself had stretched to nearly fourteen months. She wasn’t ready to date. She barely even knew how. Gary had been the only guy in her life since high school.
“Hey, I’ll go with you to Sassy’s,” Rachel said with an understanding smile.
“Oh, hell, I didn’t mean to upset you, honey.” Her aunt set the turnover aside on a napkin, a worried frown creasing her heavily made-up face.
“You didn’t.” Kylie shrugged. “I just don’t want to spend money on a dress I’ll probably never wear again.”
“You will.” Mallory wiped her hands. “Do you know how many cowboys who come to the Full Moon are dying to go out with you?”
“Oh, God.” Kylie rolled her eyes. Just what she needed. Another cowboy.
Mallory grinned. “Go to Sassy’s with Rachel,” she said. “I’d go, too, but I have to open soon. Besides, I’m hopeless at shopping for dresses. You know me, I’m always in jeans and T-shirts.”
Twins on the Doorstep Page 16
