The Cowboy SEAL's Triplets

by Tina Leonard

  “That’s okay, boys. I know I got the best girl in town. You just swim your little hearts out and try not to let the waves I send back on you blow you out of the creek.” John felt pretty good about his chances. All the smack-talking felt great, too. He enjoyed the brotherhood and camaraderie of small-town rivalry.

  And it was all for Daisy. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. Spectators lined the banks of the creek, waving posters with the combatants’ names on them, cheering occasionally. The Haunted H might be gone from these banks thanks to the storm, but they’d rebuild it here, bigger and better. Everyone loved coming to Bridesmaids Creek, for the community and the happy endings, and yes, the fairy tales. There was a lot of fairy tale in BC, and it charmed him just as much as anyone else.

  To his astonishment, he spotted his mother, father and brothers on the banks, too, waving a banner with his name on it. John grinned. Oh, this had Daisy’s fingerprints all over it. She was all about family, and it warmed his heart in the best way that she wanted to be a part of his family, too.

  “On your mark!” Sheriff McAdams called. John took a deep breath. “Get set!”

  The pistol fired, and John took off like a Navy SEAL on a mission. He could hear the guys next to him churning up the water, flailing away, but he never had a doubt that there would only be one winner today.

  This race, this day, was for Daisy, the most beautiful bride a man could ever have.

  He felt great, swimming along like a salmon in a hurry. A roar went up from the banks, but he didn’t stop, he kept on going.

  At the finish line, he touched, came to the surface with a huge gasp for air. Sam pulled him out of the water.

  “Congrats, old son! You did it!” Sam told him, trying to hand him a towel.

  “Damn right I did,” John said, and took off running down the road.

  Behind him he could hear the roars growing louder. He heard car engines and a general melee breaking out. But he kept going, until he reached Best Man’s Fork. Up ahead he could see Sheriff McAdams in his truck, keeping an eye on the proceedings. Cosette and Jane were in the truck with him, and he thought he saw Jane videotaping him as he jogged down Best Man’s Fork.

  He ran the entire length of the race, if it had been a running race today, making sure everyone knew when they told this story over the years that this was the SEAL, this was the groom, who not only swam to win his bride, but ran to win her, too.

  Daisy’s gang had given up long ago, presumably taking the time to eye the lovely women Daisy’d had at the finish line that they hadn’t won today. They would have had to beat him to win their special ladies, but they hadn’t, so their stories would have to wait.

  Today was all about Daisy.

  He crossed the finish line, puffing for breath. The sheriff pulled up alongside him, with Sam in the back. Sam handed him a water bottle, which John grabbed gratefully.

  “Remind you of the old days?” Sam asked. “Training until you dropped?”

  “Not yet,” John said, and took off jogging for home.

  He had no intention of stopping until he ran right into Daisy Donovan Mathison’s welcoming arms.

  And that was his happy ending.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Daisy let out a yelp when her husband roared into the den where she was having a lovely tea and bridal/baby shower with the ladies. John looked wild, his hair askew, sweaty as all get-out—and he’d never looked better to her.

  “Excuse me, ladies, I have to kiss my bride,” John said, and Daisy flung her arms around his neck as he came to get a winner’s smooch.

  “That was something else,” Jane said, following John in with Cosette and Sheriff McAdams on her heels. “I wish you’d seen this bowlegged cowboy run, Daisy. He sure can get a move on.”

  “Really?” Daisy grinned at her husband. “I thought it was a swim I organized for today.”

  “I swam, I ran, I lived up to any charm Bridesmaids Creek cares to throw at me,” he bragged. “I’m all about the magic, beautiful.”

  “And now you’re stuck with him,” Sheriff Dennis said, and Suz handed everyone a glass of tea so they could toast the newlyweds.

  “It was really special,” Cosette said. “We have it all on video, so you can show your sons exactly what their father did for love.”

  Daisy beamed, feeling so much joy pour into her. She didn’t think she’d ever been happier. “Thank you, John.”

  “It was nothing,” he said, and everyone in the room laughed, because it was more than something.

  It was everything.

  “Wow, look at all these booties and teddy bears.” John was amazed by all the wonderful gifts stacked around. He held up a teddy of a different sort, filmy and white and lacy. Daisy blushed a bit. “This isn’t for my sons,” John said.

  Everyone laughed again, but Daisy saw a spark of something she remembered very well jump into her husband’s eyes.

  “It won’t be too long before I fit into that,” Daisy said. “Just a few months.”

  John laid the sexy teddy back down. “Clearly someone in this room wants me to have a heart attack. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

  They dug into the cookies and tea, and sat around sharing stories and enjoying each other’s company. John went to shower, and when he returned, his parents had arrived for the party.

  Daisy held her breath, but John went right to his family, wrapping them in big hugs. Robert milled around, introducing himself.

  Her big, sexy husband loved her enough to make sure she had her own magical day.

  He plopped down next to her, leaning over to give her a smooch that curled her toes and left her breathless.

  “So, Mrs. Mathison, you’re certainly full of surprises.”

  “Yes. And I plan to keep on surprising you.” She looked at him. “You had a few surprises yourself. What inspired you to run the Fork, too?”

  “You, beautiful.” He kissed her full on the lips. “And the sheer joy of beating your gang all over again. Setting up a record so big they’ll never be able to touch it.” He grinned. “And I outdid even my SEAL brothers.”

  “Yes, you did.” She laughed. “You’re part of BC history, now.”

  He sat up. “I am. I’m part of BC history now!”

  She smiled. “I’m glad that makes you happy.”

  “You have no idea.”

  He had a funny little smile on his face, and Daisy wasn’t sure what it meant—but the smile left in a hurry when she kissed him long and slow and sweet. Their guests applauded, and Daisy knew that, even if she’d never thought she’d have her big day, the magic had woven its spell for her just the way she’d always dreamed.

  And it was absolutely, completely Bridesmaids Creek–perfect.

  * * *

  OF COURSE THE babies were in just as much of a hurry as their father had been, and John found himself the recipient of three bundles of joy a week later. He could hardly believe it, but he had three—three!—sons of his own to hold.

  It was a miracle. In fact, it was magical.

  “Daisy, look at their toes!” John couldn’t believe anything could have toes so tiny. And their fingers were so small he couldn’t believe they would ever hold a baseball, rope a steer, play a guitar or touch a woman.

  But they’d grow.

  He looked at his beautiful wife. “You’re the most amazing woman on the planet. I swear I’m the luckiest guy around.”

  “You are.” Daisy glowed at the praise. “I’m pretty lucky myself.”

  He couldn’t stop staring at the babies. The nurses had to convince him to let them take them to the neonatal nursery, and finally they shooed him out of the OR so they could finish whatever it was they were doing to Daisy. Delivery by C-section was supposed to have been the best choice, conside
ring they’d suddenly decided the babies needed to be born. There’d been a question of heartbeats and distress, and John had known a few moments of terror, but it had all worked out. Now he had three healthy boys. They’d stay in the hospital for a few weeks while their lungs became more developed, but even so, John thought his sons were perfect.

  So was his wife. He followed the nurse down the hall to wait in the room where Daisy would be, pacing until they finally wheeled her in.

  “I love you,” he told her. “The best thing that ever happened in my life is you. Hands down.”

  A luminous smile brightened her face, though he could tell she was tired. “I hope you’ve picked out names.”

  “Names!” John straightened. “You’re the matchmaker, you do the picking. But please do it quickly. I didn’t realize we had no names for our boys!”

  The nurse, overhearing all this, laughed. “You can take a few days if you need to.”

  “That’s all right,” Daisy said. “I was thinking John, Cisco and Sam for first names. We could choose Robert, Justin and Tyson for second names. We want to include your father, as well,” she continued, but John waved a hand.

  “Why is Sam part of this?”

  “Don’t you know?” she asked curiously.

  “Know what?”

  “Sam helped Cosette set everything up for all you guys. Laid the traps, he called it. You, Cisco and Ty—”

  “Were like lambs being led to their shepherd,” Sam said, walking in, his arms full of teddy bears.

  “Hey, buddy,” John said, slapping his friend on the back. “You already brought us one bear. In Austin, remember?”

  “What’s an uncle without a bear?” Sam grinned. “Besides, these are monogrammed with each baby’s name on them.”

  Squint lifted a brow. “We just chose names. How can they be monogrammed?”

  “Cosette told me their names.” Sam held up a cute brown bear with a blue T-shirt. “This one’s named Sam. But I call him Handsome.”

  “Oh, brother.” John shook his head. “Don’t tell me. The other two are named Cisco and John.”

  “How’d you know?” Sam went to kiss Daisy’s cheek. “I just stopped by to see the little cowboys. They’ve already roped the nurses like true wranglers.”

  Daisy took a bear from Sam. “I wish you weren’t leaving, Sam.”

  “Leaving?” John perked up, his heart dropping a bit. “Leaving for what?”

  “Hitting the road, buddy. My job here is done.”

  “You can’t go. We haven’t paid you back for what you did to us,” John said. “I mean, for us.”

  “I’m going.” Sam’s grin went huge. “I’m not the marrying kind, like I’ve always said.”

  “I really wish you wouldn’t, Sam,” Daisy said. “But I understand, too. Everyone has to find their dream.”

  “I guess.” John frowned. “But we’re a team. The three of us stick together.”

  “I’ll be around.” Sam kissed Daisy on the cheek, thumped him on the back and went down the hall, whistling.

  He looked at Daisy. “You knew he was leaving?”

  She nodded. “He’ll be back one day. Bridesmaids Creek doesn’t leave anyone untouched.”

  “I hope so.” John was a little dumbfounded that his friend had hung around just long enough to see his babies born. “It’s not fair that he gets away without getting dragged to the altar.”

  Daisy laughed. “Yeah, like you were dragged.”

  “We’re getting married again this summer. I hope you know that. With full regalia. Wedding dress, lots of guests, huge cake. The works. Just like we said we would.” John considered that for a moment. “You know, I never asked Sam if he really is certified to perform weddings. You can’t trust him, you know.”

  “Oh, you can trust him. You always have.”

  It was true. No one had your back like Sam. Now that he looked back over their time in Bridesmaids Creek, he realized Sam had been doing the same thing he had when they’d been serving: keeping everybody in line, moving forward, spirits light, eyes on the prize.

  “He needs a wife,” John grumbled. “It’s the least we could do for him. Ask Ty and Cisco if they don’t agree.”

  She took a long drink of water, lay back against the pillow. “So, did you know that my dad bought the Martin place?”

  “The ghost house?” He shuddered. “I’d be a little superstitious about that.”

  “You’re superstitious about everything.” Daisy’s eyes drooped. “Dad’s got big plans for that place.”

  “Your father always has a big plan working.”

  “And he’s put Betty Harper in business selling her frosted Christmas cookies through mail order. She and Jade are going to be growing as fast as she can bake and design.”

  “You know, I live in this town. I live with you. I should know something that’s going on,” John said.

  “You’ve been busy. I think you slept for a week after the big races.”

  “I could do it again tomorrow,” he bragged. “But I feel like Rip van Winkle. I woke up, and everything had changed.”

  “It’s Dad. He says that now that he has all these grandchildren, he’s got a lot to do.”

  He shook his head. “We’d better put him to work babysitting as soon as we can, before he decides to buy another town or something.”

  Daisy’s eyes were starting to flutter closed. “I’m going to sleep now, my sexy husband.”

  He touched her skin, needing to connect with her. “When you wake up, beautiful, I’ll still be your sexy husband. Just like the prince in the fairy tale. See how that works?”

  Daisy rolled her eyes, her lips curved in a gentle smile, and the next thing he knew, a deep, sweet snoring came from his beautiful bride.

  This was bliss. This was heaven. John sank down into the chair next to her and held her hand for a moment. He was a father. She’d made him a dad. And he had three sons.

  How great was that? For as long as he could remember, he’d wanted a home, a place that was solid, one hearth to call his own. And he had that and more now.

  John pulled off his boots to ease the blisters he’d developed the day he’d run all over Bridesmaids Creek to win his bride, and realized Sam had left one last gift behind, pinned to one of the teddy bear’s ears.

  He reached for the small envelope and opened the note.

  John, ol’ son, when I first met you, I thought you were the most hammerheaded dunce I’d ever met. Then you saved my life with that squint eye of yours. I can still hear the shots you squeezed off, and how you hit those marks I’ll never know. No one shoots like you do, that’s for sure. I guess you’re still shooting good, or you wouldn’t have those three bundles of joy. That’s the thing about you, John, you’re steadfast, you hang in there until the end, after everyone else has quit and gone home. You’re a friend, a good man and you’ll be a helluva father. Be happy, stay sane and always remember home is where the heart is. It was the only thing you were missing. And now you’ve got it. Congratulations. Three little boys to follow your footsteps and learn from you, and become men like their dad. I call that a happy-as-hell ending. Sam

  John closed his eyes. Shoved the note into his pocket. And picked up Daisy’s hand again, placing it over his heart.

  Sam was right: it was a happy-as-hell ending.

  * * *

  “SO I NEVER did figure out exactly what an unmatchmaker does,” John said, a month later, after they’d brought the boys home from the hospital and began settling them into the castle where his princess lived. John was getting used to living in the Donovan mansion, though some days he felt as if he needed a compass and a treasure map just to find the kitchen.

  “An unmatchmaker unmakes matches.” Daisy looked at him as she finished diapering little John.
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  He sat down, popping the bottle into John’s mouth right before he let out the squall of the century. “But there aren’t any matches in BC that were unmade, except for Mackenzie’s—”

  “Which wasn’t Cosette’s fault.”

  “And Cosette’s own match.”

  Daisy nodded. “I know. It’s hard to feel like we’ve had a happy ending without Cosette and Phillipe being together. So much of that feels like it was my fault.”

  John didn’t think so. “I ran for them, too, you know. I thought that if we could get the magic back in Cosette’s wand, get her belief in herself back, she and Phillipe might find their way back together. Which would be good for Bridesmaids Creek.”

  Daisy went to lay her head against his shoulder. “You did your best. And everyone knows it. You’re a huge part of BC because of it.” She leaned up to kiss him. “And I love you for it.”

  Life didn’t get better than a wife kissing you until you could feel your insides practically melting from love, desire, anticipation—everything that was Daisy.

  He sneaked his hands into the waistband of her skirt, the promise of “later” revving his heart rate further.

  “Daze, I’m going out to Phillipe’s for a while. He wants me to help him look over an area of his yard for some chicken coops. He’s decided he wants to raise his own organic chicken. Really going granola, is Phillipe.”

  “We’ll all be eating farm-fresh eggs soon. Go ahead and go. Your family’s coming over to dote on the babies for a bit.”

  “They’ve stayed in BC a little longer than I thought they would.” John looked at Daisy. “Did you notice?”

  “I did.” She had a big smile on her face. “I think they want to talk to you about staying on here.”

  John raised a brow. “Staying on?”

  She nodded, her eyes twinkling. “Putting down stakes in BC, is how they put it.”

  “My parents, who have never owned a house that didn’t move, want to put down stakes.” He was stunned. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  “They really like it here. Your brothers, too. They want to help with the rebuilding of the Haunted H down on the creek, and I think Justin’s been hiring them to do some stuff at the Hanging H, especially helping with the roof repairs.”