Triplets for the Texan

by Janice Maynard

  His mother cocked her head. “Did I forget it’s my birthday? You look very handsome this evening, Hutch.”

  The senior Hutchinson nodded. “You clean up real nice. But I’m guessing you didn’t come to pull more weeds.”

  “Should I leave you two boys alone?” his mother asked.

  “No, ma’am.” Hutch might be closing in on his midthirties, but his mother still ruled their family with an iron fist. “I want you both to hear this.”

  “So serious,” she said, smiling. But he noted a trace of anxiety in her brown eyes that were so like his.

  His father frowned. “Spit it out, son. Bad news never gets any better in the waiting.”

  “Who said I have bad news?” Hutch ran a hand over his head, aware that he was starting to sweat.

  His mother leaned forward and patted his knee. “You look as somber as a judge. Tell us, son.”

  Hutch rubbed his damp palms on his pants legs. “Do you remember Simone Parker?”

  Both of the older adults flinched. “We do,” his father said. “Your grandmother never got over the way she treated you. Thank God she’s passed on. I have a feeling she wouldn’t like what you’re about to tell us.”

  “You raised me to believe that people deserve second chances.”

  “Yes, we did,” his mother said. “But that woman was wrong for you in many ways.”

  Hutch bristled. “Like what? I thought you were glad she convinced me to go to Sudan.”

  His dad drained his beer and set the bottle on the floor. “We were. We still are. Those years will make a huge difference in how you practice medicine. But this Simone...well, she’s...” He trailed off.

  “She’s selfish and shallow,” his mother said sharply. “She has a reputation around town as a bit of a snob. Only child. Wealthy parents.”

  “I’m an only child,” Hutch pointed out mildly, though he felt anything but calm. “I’m surprised to hear both of you speak so negatively. Simone might have been a little self-centered in her youth, but she’s changed.”

  His father shrugged. “If you’ve come to ask for our blessing, I don’t think we can offer it. But you’re a grown man and long past needing our approval. Give it some time, boy. Sleep with her, but don’t marry her.”

  Hutch’s mother punched her husband in the arm...hard. “Don’t talk like that, Edward Hutchinson. What’s gotten into you?”

  “You don’t like her, either.”

  “I don’t know her,” she conceded.

  Hutch stood up. He wasn’t sure what he had expected from his parents. Maybe he just wanted someone to tell him that what he was contemplating wouldn’t make a damn fool out of him. “I haven’t made any big decisions, so you can quit having heart attacks. I suppose I was hoping you’d tell me that true love lasts.”

  “Well, of course it does,” his father said. “The trick is to marry the right person in the first place.”

  * * *

  Hutch was not in a good frame of mind to go to a party. He was horny and agitated and completely confused. Just when he thought he had things figured out, something happened. Either Simone pulled back, or he did. And now his parents, thanks to him, had weighed in on the situation. With a big ol’ negative.

  He parked in Simone’s driveway and stared up at the house. The structure was attractive and neatly kept. Exactly like its owner. The golden brick with the mahogany shutters at the windows was modern and, at the same time, classic.

  Fumbling to slide his phone into his pocket, he told himself that tonight was not the time for grand gestures. Tonight was mostly business for Simone. He was only her escort, not her boyfriend. In fact, this wasn’t some romantic date where the two of them would be all alone.

  Two-thirds or more of Royal’s movers and shakers would be out in force tonight. Maybe they would come to show off their jewels and their trophy wives. Perhaps they really cared about the charity. Either way, the word of the evening was money...and lots of it.

  Simone answered the door as soon as he knocked. He took a step backward, feeling a mule kick to the chest. She looked incredible.

  “Hi, Hutch,” she said breathlessly. “Come on in. I’m almost ready. A phone call slowed me down.”

  She was fluttering, nervous, her eyes not quite meeting his.

  Without overthinking it, Hutch captured her wrist and gently reeled her in. “You look stunning, Simone.” He kissed her softly, keeping a tight check on his caveman instincts. Her lips were soft beneath his. Her hands landed on his shoulders. For a few breath-stealing moments, he lost himself in the kiss. He wanted to carry her up the stairs and lock the door.

  His heart pounded, his entire body hard as iron. He wanted to take and take and take. The prospect of sharing her with hundreds of other people tonight was unappealing at best.

  She wore a red dress designed to make a statement. Simone Parker was in the building. In his arms she felt fragile and small, though he knew she was anything but. Simone was smart and strong and determined. Having triplets would be extremely challenging, but he had no doubts about her ability to cope.

  In the end, he had to force himself to release her and step back. Her silky black hair fell in soft waves about her shoulders. Her sapphire eyes, framed in dark lashes, sparkled.

  Her grin was self-conscious. “I really do have to finish getting ready.”

  He waved a hand. “Go. I’ll entertain myself down here.” He glanced at his watch. “You’d better hurry, though, if we’re supposed to be getting there early.”

  Simone rolled her eyes. “I’m not the one who started that kiss.”

  She disappeared before he could retaliate. With a smile on his face, he prowled the downstairs restlessly. Anticipation flooded his veins. He and Simone had things to discuss. Big things. Life-changing things. Maybe this time, they could rewrite the ending.

  * * *

  After the talk with Tess, Simone had begun to feel as if she finally had a handle on the mess that was her life. Seeing Hutch at her door just now in black tie knocked the wind out of her. He was so handsome, so brilliant, so unbelievably sexy. Why would a man like that want to tie himself to a woman like Simone? Nevertheless, she was going to give it a shot.

  She had built her business on taking calculated risks. Hutch cared about her. The fact that he wanted her physically was irrefutable. The only question that remained was how he would respond if Simone asked for more.

  Earlier, she had decided to break things off with Hutch, but that was the coward’s way out. Tonight, after the ball, she was going to lay her cards on the table. Love was a hard thing to offer outright, but maybe she owed him that. Above all, she was going to confess the truth. It would put her in a bad light, no doubt about it. Still, there was no hope for a future with Hutch unless she was completely honest.

  After tweaking her hair one last time and applying a bold lipstick to match her dress, she eyed her reflection in the long mirror on the back of her closet door. Not too shabby. She placed her hand, palm flat, against her belly. Feeling the tiny bulge filled her with wonder and humility.

  Despite everything she had done wrong in her life, here was a chance for a new start. More than anything else, she wanted to be a good mother to these three babies. Unlike her own upbringing, she was determined to be a hands-on parent. Though she would have to have help, professional or otherwise, she was going to be present.

  A quick glance at the clock told her there was no time left to linger. Lifting her skirt in one hand, she made her way carefully down the stairs. Hutch stood at the bottom, waiting. She held up a hand. “No more kissing. I’m camera ready, as Naomi would say.”

  His smile was wicked. “I can wait. Maybe.” He ran his thumb over her cheekbone. “Let’s just say I’m really looking forward to removing that dress in a few hours.”

  “Hutch!”
She gaped at him.

  He shrugged. “If you don’t want me to open the gift, you shouldn’t wrap it so nicely.”

  They made it to the hotel in record time. Because they were early, traffic wasn’t bad yet. In the parking lot, Simone handed Hutch the rectangular box that had come in the mail. “These are our masks. Will you hang on to them for the moment?”

  He grimaced, exhibiting the usual male reluctance for such things. “Sure.”

  The following hour was taken up with a variety of last-minute responsibilities. While Hutch cooled his heels in the bar, Simone met with Naomi and Cecelia for one final, excited rundown. Everything had fallen into place perfectly.

  At last, it was time to find Hutch and start enjoying the more personal portion of the evening. He had returned to the car in search of fresh air and his business card wallet. After a quick text to ascertain his whereabouts, she joined him there, relishing the moment of privacy inside the vehicle to catch her breath and collect her thoughts before the event began in earnest. “I missed you, my handsome doctor.”

  As masquerade parties went, this one was going to be ultrasophisticated, no costumes or elaborate ensembles allowed. The men had been instructed to wear traditional tuxes. With so many of them in the room, anonymity would be upheld. The women, on the other hand, had been asked to choose a color. The masks for the female guests would complement their gowns. Simone’s mask was scarlet trimmed with delicate black lace.

  Her heart beat faster when Hutch put on his black mask. It made him look remote and dangerous. “Will you help me with mine?” she said. “So I won’t mess up my hair?”

  Hutch took the mask from her trembling fingers and carefully fitted it over her head, smoothing any strands of hair that were pushed out of place. Then he bared the side of her neck and pressed a kiss just below her ear. “I could eat you alive,” he muttered.

  His hot breath against her skin and the subtle rake of his teeth against her sensitive flesh flooded her body with heat and yearning. “I could say the same to you,” she whispered. “I used to think your white lab coat was the sexiest piece of clothing you owned. But tonight you’re seriously hot. I’ll have my hands full keeping other women from stealing you away.”

  He cupped his hand around her breast, using his thumb to tease the nipple that beaded beneath the fabric. “Does that mean you want me all to yourself?”

  Simone shuddered. Arousal stole through her veins and made her reckless. “I dare anyone to lay a hand on you, Troy Hutchinson. For tonight, you’re mine.”

  He groaned, resting his forehead against hers. “What are we doing, damn it? I can’t walk in there with an erection. Hell, Simone, you make me crazy.”

  For once, he didn’t sound too happy about that. She sat back in her seat and tried to steady her breathing. “I’ll go in alone,” she said. “You can follow when you’re ready.”

  Beneath the mask, his jaw was like iron. “I’m ready now,” he growled, deliberately misunderstanding her suggestion. The words were forced beneath clenched teeth.

  Helpless to stem the tide of insanity that had overtaken them, she touched him lightly through his trousers. His erection was as hard as his jaw. “Oh, Hutch,” she said. “What I wouldn’t give to walk away from all of this. I don’t know if I can wait.”

  “Maybe you don’t have to.” He leaned over her. The windows of his black SUV were tinted. No one was around to notice when he slid a hand beneath her skirt and ran his fingers from her ankle up her thigh to the edge of her satiny underpants.

  “Um, Hutch...” She gripped the door handle with her right hand.

  “Relax, Simone.”

  That was easy for him to say. Her entire body clenched in anticipation of what he was about to do. When he pressed two fingers against the very heart of her yearning, she gasped. Carefully, he pleasured her.

  She should have made him stop. Cecelia and Naomi were expecting her inside. But none of that mattered. Hutch took her somewhere dark and visceral and so compelling, she lost everything except the feel of his hands on her body.

  When she came, her fingernails left marks in the leather seat. Chest heaving, she opened one eye. “You’re some kind of sorcerer,” she said.

  His grin was a slash of white teeth beneath his mask. “All the better to seduce you, my dear.”

  Heart pounding still, she hesitated. This was where her lack of experience failed her. “Do you want me to...”

  “No.” He said the word forcefully, though his body spoke otherwise. “When I have you in bed tonight, and I’m deep inside you with you crying out my name, then I’ll get what I’m waiting for...but not before.”

  Simone nodded, unable to find the words to tell him what she felt. With all her heart, she wanted to believe Hutch would forgive her when she told him the truth. Honestly, she wanted to tell him now and get it over with...end the suspense. That wasn’t an option, though. She had a party to execute.

  They barely spoke after that. Hutch brooded, gaze trained out his window as Simone fussed with her hair and makeup. When she was reasonably certain she was back to normal, she picked up her small clutch purse. “I’m ready.”

  * * *

  The Bellamy was magnificent. From the vast, sophisticated lobby, down the wide hallways covered in luxurious Oriental rugs, to the entranceway into the ballroom, the place was awash in flowers and tiny white lights and golden gauze bows. Pale orchids in cream and lavender emitted a subtle fragrance. Cecelia’s touch was on every bit of design and decor in the building. This new hotel was destined to become a centerpiece of Royal’s social scene.

  Hutch was deeply grateful he was wearing a mask. He felt raw and gutted. If he hadn’t known he was in love with Simone before, he knew it tonight. She was incandescent. Pregnancy gave her a glow of contentment. His physical need for her was only outweighed by a gut-deep certainty that she was the only woman who could make him whole.

  After his stunt in the car, which slowed Simone and him down, a crowd of guests already gathered in the lobby and moved toward the ballroom.

  The Bellamy had hired ample staff for the big evening. In addition to its own roster of chefs and waiters, tonight’s event demanded even more. Every guest would be expecting perfection.

  Even with attendees wearing masks, it was easy to pick out a few here and there. He was almost certain he identified Harper Lake with one of the Tate brothers, though he couldn’t tell the twins apart. Clay Everett limped in with his gorgeous secretary. That might raise a few eyebrows.

  Thirty minutes after the official starting time of the masquerade ball, the room was packed. Old friends and new. Octogenarians whose history went way back in Royal. Young, hip entrepreneurs who had made their mark in reshaping the town. Everything in between.

  After twenty minutes of mingling and chatting, Simone was flushed and sparkling with excitement. “Let’s dance,” she said.

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Hutch led her onto the floor and tucked her against his chest. With Simone wearing heels, they could have kissed easily. He inhaled sharply, dizzy from the scent of delicate perfume and warm female skin.

  He held her firmly, confidently. As they twirled around the room, he saw people watching them. All male eyes were on Simone. She would stand out in any crowd with her dark hair and sexy dress. His arms tightened around her. No man in the room was good enough for her, not even him.

  Over the past few weeks, Simone had told him stories about the headaches involved in planning tonight’s event. The committee had squabbled over which band to hire. A few people wanted a modern, trendy group. But in the end, given the stately atmosphere of the hotel and the knowledge that the crowd would include a variety of ages, the decision was made to go with a small orchestra. The playlist included songs from all decades, primarily the kind of romantic pieces that encouraged slow dancing cheek
to cheek.

  Hutch thought it was a brilliant strategy. When a man dressed up in a monkey suit and took a woman out on the town, he wanted to be able to hold her. Vertical foreplay. That’s what it was. And he couldn’t wait to get Simone horizontal.

  Occasionally, the band would break into a fast, snappy number so the folks who really knew how to dance had a chance to shine out on the floor. Simone was a good dancer, and Hutch was decent...but she begged off because of the babies. Her lengthy illness had sapped her stamina. Now she appeared to be slowing down. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m dying of thirst,” she said, leaning into him. “And I wouldn’t mind sampling that menu I’ve spent weeks planning.”

  Sixteen

  Hutch steered a path to the buffet with Simone in tow. The spread was amazing, even by Royal’s standards. Prime rib, of course. After all, this was cattle country. But also chicken kebabs skewered with vegetables, crab puffs and enormous prawns iced down in a magnificent crystal bowl. Not to mention all the usual accoutrements.

  “Well,” he said. “Anything you want me to avoid?” He was keenly aware that even the sight of certain foods was enough to set off Simone’s nausea. This was her special night. He didn’t want to take any chances.

  She leaned her head against his shoulder momentarily. “That’s sweet of you, Hutch. I think I’m okay, though. I won’t attempt the caviar, but everything else looks good to me right now.”

  They filled their plates to overflowing and sought out a table for two in a distant corner. Large potted plants provided cover for discreet trysts. “Was this your idea?” he asked as he held out her chair and helped her get seated. They were sheltered, although not completely private, of course.

  She popped a carrot stick in her mouth and grinned. “Romance is alive and well in Royal...didn’t you know?”

  “I’ll grab us a couple of drinks.”

  “Plain tap water, please.”

  When he returned moments later, Simone sat with her chin on her hand staring at a large stuffed mushroom with a frown. He handed a glass. “What’s wrong?”