by Sharon Swan
She laughed, a tinkling sound. “That’s what Ike says every time he talks me into making brownies.”
“I don’t have to talk too hard,” Ike remarked around his own hefty scoop of dessert. “She’s always baking something.”
“And we’re both eating it.” Mabel patted her stomach. “Which is why we’ve gained weight since we retired and sold our farm a few years back.”
“Nothing like tramping through a corn field to keep you fit,” Ike agreed.
Mabel released another sigh. “What I need is something to keep me busy. Once it starts to warm up in earnest, Ike will have plenty to keep him occupied with his garden in the backyard. I enjoy my quilting, but it’s not enough.”
“Do you do much reading?” Amanda asked.
Mabel shook her head. “I never developed the habit, which is why you haven’t seen me in your store.”
“What she’s really into,” Ike said with a fond look at his wife, “is riding herd on kids and generally acting like a mother hen, except ours left the nest a long time ago. Now they live out of state—and all our grandkids, too.”
Well, before much longer a bunch of kids would be living practically on their doorstep, Dev thought. Except they didn’t know it yet. He slid a sidelong glance at Amanda and found her watching him with a thoughtful expression, as though her mind was running along the same lines. This could be a good time to ease into breaking the news about her half siblings. At least that was his take on it. Still, he was leaving it up to her, something he tried to convey with a meaningfully lifted brow.
After a moment she dipped her head in a short nod, then turned her attention back to Mabel. “Since you seem to be fond of children, you may be glad to hear that you’ll soon have some for neighbors.” Amanda followed up that statement with a brief explanation.
The grandmotherly woman beamed. “I certainly am glad to hear it. And if you need any help with them, just let me know.”
Dev and Amanda exchanged another pointed look before she spoke with slow deliberation. “Maybe, if you’re willing, we could try to work something out, Mabel.”
And that was how Dev came to be whistling a satisfied tune as he headed back to the Heartbreaker less than an hour later. Things were shaping up, he thought. With an outside service to deal with the cleaning, and Mabel Murphy eager to take on the job of part-time nanny and earn herself a good wage in the process, he and Amanda could leave those problems behind and concentrate on getting the house ready for the kids.
Would they like the place? Dev wondered. Not much reason why they shouldn’t, he decided. No, all things considered, he had little doubt on that score. Then another question surfaced.
Would they like him?
Dev frowned as he continued on his way. This time, he was a lot less sure of the answer.
Chapter Six
“We’re almost there,” Amanda told her four passengers. “That’s Jester straight up ahead.”
“It doesn’t look very big,” Liza offered in a quiet voice from the rear seat, where she sat with Patrick and Betsy.
“You’re right,” Amanda agreed, keeping a cautious eye on the road ahead. She was still getting used to driving a larger vehicle, having traded in her gray compact for a sandy beige minivan just days earlier. The man she’d married had, somewhat predictably, wanted to buy her a brand-new model, one that came with all the bells and whistles, but she’d dug in her heels and insisted that a used van would be more than adequate. She’d had to give up her turn to have her way in the effort, after which he’d wasted no time in having his when it came to furnishing the children’s bedrooms far beyond the bare necessities. Extravagant was the only word that came to mind, since four once-empty rooms were now almost filled to capacity.
“Why did they call the town Jester?” Caleb wanted to know.
She glanced at the five-year-old bundle of curiosity seated beside her. Like his siblings, he wore a light-weight jacket, cotton pants and running shoes, all of which had clearly gotten some good use. “Actually, it was named after a horse.”
“A horse!” the three older children said in the same breath.
Amanda nodded. “Jester was a wild horse that none of the men in the area could tame. But a woman by the name of Caroline Peterson managed to do it, much to their surprise, and a bronze statue of her and her horse was eventually commissioned and placed on the front lawn at Town Hall.” Neglect due to faltering government finances had turned that same statue a mottled green in recent years, Amanda remembered, until the lottery win had given a much-needed boost to the local economy.
Now the tribute to woman and horse had been restored to its former shining glory, and several other improvements had been made around town—although more still could be done, Amanda had to concede. She just wished Jester’s mayor wasn’t proposing to change the whole character of a place far closer to small-town quaint than big-city progressive by turning it into a tourist attraction on a grand scale. Yes, it would bring even more money into the economy. But at what cost?
“Horseee!” Betsy suddenly shouted out. “Me see?”
“You will, honey,” Amanda replied, flicking a look in the rearview mirror. She was pleased to find the little curly-haired blonde grinning from ear-to-ear. It heartened her, even though the rest of the children had barely cracked a smile since she’d picked them up at Family Services. She sensed their excitement, but there was wariness there, as well, especially on Liza’s part. The eldest of the Bradley bunch clearly had a wait-and-see attitude.
“There’s not much of Jester,” she told them, “but I promise to show all of you around once we get you settled in.”
“Will the husband you told us about be at our new home?” Again the question came from Caleb.
“Yes.” She and the man of the house had agreed that she would pick the children up and spend a little time with them first before she introduced them to him. “He’s anxious to meet you.” And he was, she knew. She might have even contended that he was a bit nervous, judging by the way he’d been tapping a long finger on the breakfast table that morning while they’d discussed their game plan for the day, but she simply couldn’t imagine Dev Devlin being nervous about anything.
As to her own nerves, they’d calmed at the sight of the four pairs of brown eyes she’d found waiting for her in Pine Run. Nothing could have reminded her more that her sisters and brothers were depending on her, and she wouldn’t let them down. Even another set of eyes, the sharp hazel ones belonging to Louise Pearson, hadn’t rattled her too badly as the social worker made no bones about the fact that she’d be keeping tabs on the Bradley case—close tabs.
They weren’t out of the woods, that was plain. Not yet.
“Here we are,” Amanda said as she pulled into a wide driveway minutes later. She could only be glad it was another sunny day. The house looked even more sparkling new, and somehow friendlier for that fact, than when thick spring clouds hid the wide sky above.
Dev appeared in the front doorway while she was helping the children out of their seat belts. He must, Amanda thought, have been watching from one of the front windows. Windows that, like most of those on both floors of the house, now sported the drapes she’d chosen. She wasn’t sure how she’d wound up as interior decorator, but somehow it had happened.
“Hi,” he called. His long legs, clad in his usual Levi’s, made quick strides toward the minivan.
Amanda no sooner set Betsy down than she toddled forward, heading straight for him. “Hi!”
A wide smile curved his mouth as she reached him. “You must be Betsy.”
The little girl nodded and raised her arms. “Up!”
He glanced at Amanda. “Does that mean she wants me to…”
“Pick her up?” she finished at his hesitation. “That would be my guess.”
Dev sucked in a breath. He wasn’t about to admit that he’d never held a small child who wasn’t much more than a baby before. And how difficult could it be? he asked himself. Yeah, just
be glad she’s not demanding a diaper change, Devlin.
He swallowed, hard. Then, reaching down, he caught her around the waist and lifted her into his arms. As light as a feather, that was how she seemed to him. Still, there was a soft yet sturdy feel to her, as well. As a test, he gave her a small bounce and was rewarded with a thin squeal, one of obvious enjoyment. It had him smiling again in no time.
Amanda introduced the rest of the children. They all stared back at him, eyes wide. “This is my husband, William Devlin,” she said, completing the business.
The younger boy stood his ground as Dev walked forward and extended his right hand. “Pleased to meet you, Patrick. You can call me Dev.”
After a second the boy placed his palm in a far larger one and a brief handshake followed. Repeating the process with the other two children, Dev kept his smile in place. No one returned it, but that didn’t bother him too much. At least they didn’t seem to be afraid of him, even though he was bigger by leaps and bounds.
“Your rooms are all ready for you,” he told the kids as they walked to the front door as a group.
“Mandy said we each get to have our own,” Caleb said.
Mandy? Dev glanced at his wife. “Well, if…Mandy says so, you can believe it.”
Liza, who’d been mostly silent so far, spoke up at that point. “Maybe Betsy and I should stay together.”
“She’ll be right across the hall from you,” Amanda assured her. “And I’ll keep a close eye on her, too, I promise.”
Still holding Betsy, Dev joined Amanda in conducting a quick tour of the downstairs area. As they went from room to room, he didn’t miss the way the three older children kept trading looks, as though they couldn’t quite believe they’d landed in a place like this. It didn’t surprise him, not taking into account the snapshot he’d seen of them with those few presents scattered around a Christmas tree. He’d been forced more than once while he was growing up to do without a tree or so much as a single present, and maybe that’s why he’d given in to the urge to go all out when it came to buying things for these kids.
He didn’t regret it, either, not for a second.
They climbed the center stairs and were steps from the top when Rufus poked his furry black head out to view the new arrivals. “Kit-kat!” Betsy offered in a joyful shout, and the cat took off in a heartbeat.
“That was Rufus. He’s a little shy,” Dev explained. He looked at Betsy, who was hopping up and down as best she could with the secure grip he had on her. “I guess you like, ah, ‘kit-kats,’ huh?”
“Me and Patrick like them, too,” Caleb told him, “but Liza likes them best.”
Dev turned and settled his gaze on the girl who was bringing up the rear. “Did you ever have a cat?”
She shook her head, sending her golden curls fluttering. “We couldn’t have one because our mom was allergic to them.”
While Betsy babbled softly, the other kids fell silent at that point, as though the reference to their mother had brought their orphan status home to them. Then Amanda rushed into the breech, her voice staunchly upbeat. “Why don’t you look at your rooms and we’ll see what you think.” She pointed to the left. “Yours is over there, Caleb. And yours is across from his, Patrick.”
“We’ll take Betsy to see her room while you guys check them out,” Dev told the boys. When they took off, obviously curious, he headed in the opposite direction with Amanda and Liza at his side.
“That’s your room, Liza,” Amanda said with a short gesture as they approached another doorway.
Liza hesitated, then left them to investigate. Dev and Amanda walked into the smallest bedroom and quickly found themselves surrounded by a scene that featured sparkling white furniture paired with sunny yellow drapes and bright pictures of children’s characters placed around the room.
“Big Bird!” Betsy declared, aiming an arm at a tall framed poster.
“Guess she likes Sesame Street, too,” Dev murmured. Leaning over, he carefully set the pint-sized girl down on a colorful braid rug.
Amanda dropped to a crouch and placed a hand on a crib the shade of fresh snow on a Montana winter morning. “This is where you’ll be sleeping, Betsy.”
“And these,” Dev said, striding over to a white wood chest decorated with more bright characters, “are some toys to keep you busy.” With that, he opened the lid and watched sheer delight cross a chubby-cheeked face.
Dev trained his gaze on Amanda while Betsy rushed forward as fast as her tiny legs would carry her and dug into the chest. “Seems as though you knew what she’d like.”
“But you’re the one who insisted on buying so much.” Amanda lifted an eyebrow. “Just don’t forget it’s my turn to have my way next.”
He had to grin. “Looking forward to it…Mandy.”
That earned him a fast frown. “As their big sister, I asked the children to call me that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I meant only the children,” she added in a brisk tone as she straightened.
“Got it.”
He crossed his arms over the front of his denim shirt, thinking that even when she was frowning up a storm at him he had a difficult time seeing her as the formidable female he’d locked horns with on a regular basis. It didn’t seem to make a difference that she hadn’t lost the habit of dressing for success, either. Today she had on another of her tailored outfits, this time a honey-colored pantsuit, but the soft glow he’d spied in her eyes every time she’d looked at the kids was a long way from businesslike. He had a hunch that remembering that sight would make it even harder for him to keep his hands off her. And it was getting plenty hard, already.
Trouble was, he kept wondering whether that wedding kiss was just an accident. Maybe if he kissed her again, he wouldn’t be ready to gobble her up whole. Maybe he’d wind up concluding that it wasn’t even much to write home about. Maybe.
“Holy cow!” Caleb said as he raced in from the hall, his eyes as round as saucers. “My room’s got all kinds of things in it. Is that stuff really mine?”
Dev brought himself back to the matter at hand. “It sure is. And that goes for you, too,” he told Patrick, who was one step behind his brother.
“I can’t believe it,” Liza murmured, walking in with a dazed expression. “My room is like a fairy tale, all blue and silver, and there’s a dollhouse that looks like a castle.”
“I’ve got a train set,” Caleb told her, awe underscoring every word. “A big one.”
“And I got a whole ranch, with animals and everything,” Patrick chimed in, jumping up and down.
Betsy joined him with a plump teddy bear held in her tiny arms. “Yippee!”
Dev met Amanda’s gaze over the heads of the children. “It’s all yours, kids. Your big sister and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Holy cow!” Caleb managed to get out one more time.
THAT EVENING, Dev arrived back home a little after ten o’clock. And home was the word that described the place, he decided, aiming an assessing look around him. A real home with some genuine warmth—and style, too, with small pillows in a leafy print to match the new living room drapes scattered about and a large rug the color of late-spring grass stretched across most of the floor. It was as if the outdoors had been brought inside. He damn sure would never have hit on the idea of doing anything like it, but he had to admire the results.
Having a wife, he thought, had its advantages.
He tipped his head back and glanced up the center staircase, wondering whether Amanda had gone to bed. Probably, he told himself. It was bound to have been a long day for her, what with getting the kids settled and all. As for him, he was looking forward to opening a beer and kicking back by the fireplace in the family room off the kitchen. Despite the abundance of liquid refreshment served at the Heartbreaker, he seldom drank anything more potent than club soda at the saloon. That was business, as far as he was concerned. Still, he enjoyed relaxing with a good brew when his day was done.
/> With that in mind, he started for the small bar the contractor had built next to the sliding doors leading to the rear deck. He’d nearly made it to the back of the house when he saw a light on in the normally dark family room. His usual habit was to turn on the widescreen TV there and see if there were any late-night movies he wanted to watch. But no sound from the TV reached him now. Instead the stereo tuned to an easy-listening station filled the air with a deep voice singing a soft ballad. It wasn’t the country-western he favored. No, it was far more likely, he figured, to be Amanda’s choice in music.
Turning a corner, he saw her seated on the sofa. Here, as in the living room, she’d brought the outdoors inside with tailored drapes and scattered pillows, this time in a floral print. But it was the long, belted robe she wore that captured his attention in a heartbeat. Its shiny, clinging fabric was close enough to dusky rose to stir memories of the book cover he’d gotten a glimpse of the night he’d traded blows with a drunk before walking Amanda home. That novel, he had no trouble recalling, had passion as part of its title. He had to count himself lucky that it wasn’t the book she had her nose in tonight. His wife was looking way too tempting as it was.
“Hi, there,” he said, keeping his tone mild.
Obviously startled, she flashed a glance up at him. “You’re home early.” She hesitated. “I meant, aren’t you usually at the saloon at least until midnight?”
He nodded. “That’s been the case, yeah. Without the third bartender I just hired,” he explained, “I’d have to be there when things got busy to take up any slack. Now I have more options, and tonight I got to thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to start coming home sooner.”
She shut her book. “It’s your choice, but don’t feel that because I’m changing my schedule with the children to consider, you have to change yours. The bookstore doesn’t do that much business between four and six anyway, and by closing it two hours earlier, we can eat dinner at a more reasonable time.”
