The Cowboy's Twin Surprise

by Cathy McDavid

  He entered the stall of the bay mare. Holding out a hand to calm her, he then ran his palm along her side, feeling the slight swell of her flank beneath which the foal rested. Did Mel have ultrasound equipment? He’d ask when he called.

  Probing the mare’s leg for any swelling or tenderness, he said, “It can’t always be easy for you.”

  “It isn’t, but I manage. Dad’s a big help. And now Dolores. She loves the girls, and they’re fond of her.”

  “That’s nice. When were they born, by the way?”

  “They’ll be four on December 3.” Her spine straightened. “That’s eight months after you left the last time, in case you’re doing the math.”

  “Hey, don’t get mad. I’m just curious.”

  Satisfied with the mare’s condition, Spence left the stall, planning on giving his other mare the same meticulous attention.

  Frankie put a hand on his arm as he passed her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been short with you. It’s reasonable for you to wonder. If you are, that is. You’ve been gone a long time, and I didn’t contact you when I learned I was pregnant.”

  He softened his voice. “I’m not wondering, Frankie.”

  “All right.” She nodded. “That’s good.”

  He searched her face. Leaned slowly in as if pulled by an undeniable attraction. Back when they were dating, he’d have taken a moment like this to steal a kiss. He didn’t now, certain she’d resist, what with their daughters close by, but that didn’t diminish the sudden desire coursing through him.

  “I should...find the girls.” Collecting herself, she withdrew her hand and effectively ended the moment.

  “Sure.” He didn’t protest. It was enough to know the sparks were still there.

  He’d barely unlocked the latch on the other mare’s stall when Frankie’s cries had him whirling around.

  “They’re gone!”

  “What?”

  “Paige and Sienna. They’ve disappeared.” She glanced frantically about. “They were playing with the saddle a minute ago.” She started toward the sawhorse.

  Spence hurried after her. “Where would they go?”

  “I don’t know.” Her voice had risen a full octave and panic filled her eyes. “I should have been paying better attention. This is my fault.”

  “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I distracted you.”

  “They’ve done this before. Run off when my back was turned. They think it’s funny and don’t realize they’re giving me a heart attack.”

  Heart attack? That must explain the explosive pounding inside Spence’s chest. He could hardly breathe.

  Striving to remain calm, he said, “They can’t be far.”

  “Do you think they could have gotten in with one of the horses?”

  “I doubt it.” He scanned the length of the aisle. “Most of the stalls have padlocks on the doors.”

  “We should check.”

  “You do that.” He noticed the tack room door was ajar. “I’ll look in here.”

  Frankie immediately darted from stall to stall, glancing inside and alarming the horses, who snorted and tossed their heads in annoyance.

  Spence pushed open the tack room door, flipped the light switch and waited for his eyes to adjust. The smell of leather combined with floating dust particles tickled his nose. He searched in the direction of scuffling noises but didn’t see anything. Probably one of the barn cats or even some mice.

  “Hello.” He checked behind the racks holding long lengths of harnesses. “Paige? Sienna? You here?”

  The sound of muffled giggling was unmistakable.

  He hurried to the door and hollered, “Frankie. I found them.”

  “Thank God.” She came running back.

  Two minutes later, she was brushing dirt and dust off the girls’ clothes and admonishing them for running off when she’d specifically told them to stay where she could see them.

  How could she be so calm? Spence’s heart still raced a mile a minute, and his shirt was drenched in sweat.

  He stared at Paige and Sienna, trying to make sense of his reaction. Was this what it felt like to be a parent? Intense worry one second and overwhelming relief the next?

  If so, he’d taken his first steps.

  Chapter Six

  Earlier today, Frankie had imagined how the afternoon would unfold. She’d predicted a certain amount of stress, along with awkwardness and discomfort. Best case scenario, they’d survive emotionally unscathed and try again. Never, ever, had she expected Spence, Paige and Sienna to get along like...a father and his children.

  He was good with them. Great, actually. When the girls went missing, Spence had reacted quickly. When they were found, she’d been touched by his obvious relief.

  Why, then, was she feeling confused and a little annoyed instead of happy?

  Standing on the steps to the office, she watched them play fetch with one of the many ranch dogs. From the level of the girls’ excitement, one would think they didn’t have two dogs of their own at home that regularly chased balls.

  The reason must be Spence. Did Paige and Sienna instinctively sense on some level that he was their father?

  No. Impossible. Bonds required time and close contact to form, right? The girls simply liked the attention he was paying them, which must account for why they hadn’t glanced once in her direction for the last twenty minutes.

  Frankie rubbed her temple where a small throb persisted. Examining Spence’s budding relationship with the girls was impossible without also examining his relationship with her. He’d returned to Mustang Valley in order to rekindle their former romance. Yeah, yeah, to start a racing horse farm, but for her, too. He’d made that clear.

  Had he changed his mind? Last night, he’d kissed her, and with a fair amount of passion. When they were standing at the horse stalls, their conversation had verged on intimate, and she’d wondered if he might kiss her again.

  Since finding the girls in the tack room, however, he’d focused entirely on them, and they, in turn, on him. Frankie might as well not even be there.

  My God! Was she jealous? Frankie had to ponder that for a moment. Up until now, there’d been no one to compete with her for the twins’ affection. Not that Frankie and Spence were in a competition.

  She was merely getting used to the change in family dynamics. Yes, that was it.

  He tossed the ball for the umpteenth time. When the dog gave chase, the girls erupted with excitement. Frankie sighed. This could be a heartwarming scene from a Hallmark movie, other than the fact she wasn’t included.

  Once, she’d been head over heels in love with Spence. After he left and she recovered from the hurt, she’d assigned him the place in her heart reserved for a onetime boyfriend who also happened to be the father of her children.

  But now he was back, and possibly had his sights set on her. Could she love him again, the way she had before? Frankie didn’t know.

  One giant obstacle lay between them, and it was called trust. He’d have to earn hers before she’d take the leap again. His growing affection for Paige and Sienna was a start, she supposed. A small start.

  The next moment, Frankie spotted a white pickup truck pulling into the ranch, its familiar RodeoGal vanity license plate on the front announcing the arrival of Ronnie and Sam.

  She waited for her sisters while they parked in the designated area behind the stables. “Girls,” she called. “Aunt Ronnie and Sam are here.”

  In response, Spence waved. Paige and Sienna ignored her.

  That hadn’t happened since Santa Claus “visited” their preschool. They were mama’s girls, as Frankie’s dad was fond of saying. Frankie had always secretly delighted in the remark, liking that she mattered most in the world to her daughters.

  The
twinge of jealously she insisted she wasn’t feeling pricked her hard. She told herself this afternoon was simply a new and different experience. Paige and Sienna would be mama’s girls again as soon as they arrived home.

  Her sisters strolling casually toward the office steps were a welcome distraction. This soul-searching stuff was wearing on Frankie.

  “Hey, I didn’t know you two would be here.”

  “I told you last night,” Sam said, pausing at the bottom step.

  “Did you?” Frankie had forgotten amid all the excitement today. Truth be told, from the second she’d discovered Spence sitting at the café counter, she’d been suffering from memory lapses.

  “Today is Sam’s last chance to practice,” Ronnie said. “We’re leaving in the morning for Lancaster.”

  That was right. Sam was competing in the California Circuit Finals. With luck, she’d end her recent bad luck streak.

  Frankie would have to find another babysitter for tomorrow during those few hours between when preschool was over and her shift at work ended.

  She considered Spence, but immediately quashed the notion. Too much too soon. They needed to start slow. And besides, he was busy during the day with his mares and whatever was involved with starting a racing quarter horse farm.

  The throb in her temple resumed. “Are Dad and Dolores going with you?” she asked Ronnie.

  “Only Dad. Dolores isn’t supposed to put any weight on her foot for another couple weeks.”

  Ah, yes. Her stepmom’s minor surgery. Something else that had slipped Frankie’s mind. Her list of potential babysitters was dwindling at an alarming rate.

  “Is that him?” Sam pointed at Spence.

  “A little less obvious, please,” Frankie admonished. “And, yes, that’s Spence.”

  She’d told Sam about Spence. She didn’t have much choice; the teenager was living with her, after all. But Sam had been warned to keep her mouth shut in front of the twins until Frankie gave her the go ahead—which, if Spence got his way, would be soon.

  The thought of telling her daughters caused a knot to form in Frankie’s stomach. How would they respond? What if they were angry at her for lying, just like Spence had been, if not still was?

  Sam openly stared at him. “You didn’t mention how hot he is.”

  Frankie frowned. “He’s way too old for you!”

  “I’m just looking. No harm in that.”

  Ronnie peered over Sam’s shoulder. “We’re all just looking.” At Frankie’s deepening frown, she said, “Quit your worrying. He’s interested in you and you alone. Been that way for the last fifteen years.”

  Frankie straightened her spine. She couldn’t care less that other women checked out Spence. It wasn’t as if they were seeing each other or had an agreement.

  Changing the subject, she asked, “Shouldn’t you two be practicing or something?”

  Neither sister moved.

  “He’s a natural with Paige and Sienna,” Ronnie commented, shading her eyes from the sun.

  “They like dogs.”

  “They like him.”

  Frankie refused to admit having the identical thought mere minutes before.

  “Are you going to keep him around?” Sam asked, her voice at the same embarrassingly loud level.

  “Not my decision. He may be staying. He may leave. His choice.”

  “Can I meet him?”

  “Well, um...” She supposed there was no avoiding the inevitable. “I guess.”

  Suddenly, everyone’s attention was diverted to another truck and trailer pulling into the ranch. This one wasn’t nearly as big or impressive as the luxury transport truck delivering Spence’s mares.

  “Is that Cara Dempsey?” Frankie asked, recognizing the mustang sanctuary manager.

  Ronnie started down the steps. “She’s bringing a few horses by for Ethan to assess and possibly train. The adoption event is less than two weeks away.”

  At least twice each year, the mustang sanctuary put on a community-wide event that brought in supporters from all over the state and as far away as Colorado and New Mexico. The goal was to find homes for the tamer mustangs and to raise money for the sanctuary by auctioning off donated items. In addition, raffle tickets were sold for a particularly good-looking mustang that showed immense promise.

  Cara’s truck drew nearer. Before Frankie could holler for Paige and Sienna to get out of the way, Spence grabbed one squealing twin in each arm and carried them to safety, tucked close to his sides like a pair of footballs.

  Frankie simply stared. Did daughters need their father? She’d always assumed her guidance and influence would be enough. What if she was wrong?

  “Are you okay?” Ronnie asked. “You look a little frazzled.”

  “Just a headache.” A whopper.

  All three sisters made their way to Spence and the girls. Sam didn’t wait for an introduction.

  “Hi.” She beamed at him. “I’m Samantha.”

  He tugged on the brim of his cowboy hat. “Nice to meet you, Sam. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  While they chatted, Frankie gathered up the girls. They were less than enthused.

  She bent down in order to put her face on their level. “Ready to go home?”

  “No-o-o!” they cried in unison, their babbled reasons for wanting to stay drowning each other out.

  “Okay, okay. But only for a little while longer.”

  At this point, Ethan and Spence wandered over to help Cara unload the horses and give them a closer look. Frankie had absorbed enough equine knowledge from her other family members to see that these three, while not gorgeous, were solid, sturdy stock and would probably bring in a decent amount of money at the adoption event.

  Ethan instructed Cara to put the mustangs in the outdoor stalls. She headed off, leading them with the same ease and competence she might have if walking a trio of puppies.

  When Frankie next looked over at Spence, he and Ethan were engaged in what seemed like a serious conversation. Curious, she took the girls’ hands and maneuvered closer in order to—okay, she admitted it—eavesdrop.

  “Have you ever raced any of the mustangs?” Spence asked.

  Race them? What was he thinking?

  “No.” Ethan laughed good-naturedly. “Never considered it, either.”

  “That buckskin gelding has some length on his legs. I think he might give my mares a run for their money.”

  “Not likely.”

  “Maybe we should give it a try one of these days. After my mares have delivered.”

  That wouldn’t be until the first of next year. Was Spence implying he’d still be here three months from now?

  “Mustangs are capable of surviving some pretty harsh terrain,” Ethan said thoughtfully. “And they can outrun the fastest predators.”

  “Like I said.” Spence grinned broadly. “You may have some racing stock.”

  “It did take four of us to capture Prince. He put up a heck of a fight.”

  “Have you ever clocked him?” Spence asked.

  “No reason.”

  Frankie couldn’t believe her eyes and ears. These two were getting along as if they’d been buddies for years. To her further astonishment, within the next minute, they were hatching a plan to race Prince across the arena. For fun, of course. Just to see how fast he was.

  “I don’t have a racing saddle,” Ethan said.

  “I do. In my truck.”

  “You want to ride him?”

  “Nah.” Spence shook his head. “I’m too heavy. We need someone smaller. Lighter.”

  “I’ll do it!” Sam piped up. She’d obviously been listening to the conversation, too.

  “Have you ever ridden a racehorse?”

  “No, but I’m a b
arrel racer. I run horses at a full gallop every day.”

  Spence’s grin grew. “Good enough for me.”

  There was no reason Frankie couldn’t, or shouldn’t, load the girls into her vehicle and head home. Except now, bad joke aside, wild horses couldn’t drag her away.

  * * *

  FRANKIE STOOD AT the fence on the south end of the arena, along with about two dozen other spectators, including her sister Ronnie, Ethan Powell and Cara Dempsey. Beside her, Spence played with a stopwatch.

  On her other side, the twins alternately sifted through the loose dirt for pebbles and draped themselves over the lowest fence railing. Frankie wasn’t convinced they fully understood what was happening. They only knew that Sam was going to ride a big horse really fast down the length of the arena.

  Frankie’s gaze went to Sam, who sat atop Prince at the opposite end. Two ranch hands were busy clearing away barrels, poles and orange training cones in preparation of the mini race. Despite never riding the stallion before, or sitting in the tiny scrap of leather Spence called a racing saddle, the teenager appeared completely at ease. Prince also looked as if he couldn’t be bothered by all the fuss. Lowering his head, he rubbed his nose on his front leg, probably to relieve an itch.

  “You ready?” Spence hollered to Sam, when the ranch hands signaled they were done.

  She waved in reply and readied herself by leaning forward over Prince’s neck and elevating the lower half of her body.

  Spence had given her a few pointers beforehand, expressing confidence in her abilities. Frankie worried nonetheless. The stallion was big. Sam was small and young and inexperienced when it came to racing.

  “What if she gets hurt?”

  “She’ll be fine,” Spence absently replied, his eyes glued to Sam and Prince.

  Wasn’t that just like a guy? Frankie’s father had said the same thing right before they took the twins riding. Then the horse had spooked at a rattlesnake, and the girls ended up hurt and scared.

  “Shouldn’t Ethan be in there with her?” She chewed on a thumbnail. “Something could go wrong.”

  “We don’t want Prince’s attention on anyone else except Sam.”

  “Go, Sam, go!” Sienna shouted in her high-pitched voice.