Читать книгу The Texas Cowboy's Triplets - Cathy Gillen Thacker - Страница 11
ОглавлениеWhen Dan arrived at Kelly’s home Saturday morning, she’d had plenty of time to reconsider their hastily made plan.
“You’re sure this is a good idea?” she asked, stepping onto the front porch. Luckily, they had a few moments to talk since the triplets were inside, putting on their socks and shoes. A task that always, no matter how much of a hurry they were in, seemed to take at least ten minutes.
Dan stood with one brawny shoulder braced against a post. In a short-sleeved polo that brought out the azure blue of his eyes, jeans and boots, his short hair neatly brushed, and the barest hint of stubble on his handsome face, he looked like any dad out to do weekend errands with his family.
Except he wasn’t her husband or the triplets’ daddy... He gave her an appreciative once-over, too, and flashed a reassuring smile. “Think of it as an unofficial welfare check on a neighbor we may or may not have good reason to be concerned about. Besides,” he said as he pushed away from the post and came to stand next to her, “it will be fun for your kids. The county auto mall is having a huge Father’s Day sale the entire month of June, and every dealership is participating. The open house today is supposed to feature some great deals. The showroom is air-conditioned. Most kids really like looking at all the different types of cars on display.”
Kelly frowned and ventured a look inside, to see her kids still dawdling over their task. Knowing that asking them to hurry would only slow things down considerably, she sighed and swung back to him. Why did he have to be so handsome? And inherently helpful?
Using her nerves as a shield against her attraction, she frowned. “There will also likely be salespeople bent on making a sale to me.”
His eyes tracked the downward curve of her lips. “So?”
Aware it was that kind of interest that had her heart racing, she pointed out, “I’m not in the market for a new vehicle. My SUV is only three years old.”
He stepped up to the storm door, peering into the house, too. Seeing the kids sitting on the floor, making little progress, he grinned cheerfully, waved and called in, “Hey, buckaroos, hurry up!”
Miraculously, the triplets began to move faster.
“Luckily, I am looking.”
For what? Love? She tabled the ridiculous thought.
“Are you serious?”
He braced his hands on his waist. “Yes. I’ve just been waiting for this sale since it sports the best prices of the year, across all makes and models.”
Kelly surveyed the vehicle at the curb. His truck did look like it was on its last set of tires.
“Then why aren’t you going alone? Since you have a valid reason.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because I don’t know Sharon Johnson and wouldn’t have a reason to talk to her. Since her daughter Shoshanna is in her class, you do.”
True, but... “You could always ask her out on a date,” Kelly pointed out, wondering what that gentle touch of his would feel like elsewhere.
He dropped his hand. “Cute. No. There’s only one woman I have my eye on right now.”
A delicious shiver of anticipation swept through her, but for all their sakes, Kelly pushed it away. “And she’s not about to date you.” She referred to herself in the third person, too.
Smug satisfaction radiated off him. “We’ll see.”
Behind them, the screen door banged open. To her relief, Michelle, Michael and Matthew came barreling out. “Deputy Dan!” they cried in unison.
“Hey, kids.” He hunkered down to greet them in turn. Giving out high fives and low fives all around. “’Bout time you buckaroos came out to say hi to me.”
“We couldn’t,” Michelle explained. “Till we had our shoes and socks on. Mommy said.”
“What are you doing here?” Michael asked a tad suspiciously.
“I’m shopping for a new pickup truck or maybe a large SUV. I’m not sure. Your mommy has agreed to advise me.”
“What’s ’vise?” Matthew asked, tucking his hand in Dan’s.
Michelle took his other.
“Advise me means to tell me which one is best,” Dan explained patiently.
Michelle rolled her eyes as she skipped down off the porch. “That’s easy, Deputy Dan! The pink one.”
Michael latched on to Kelly. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think they make pink SUVs,” Kelly said.
Michelle harrumphed. “Well, they should.”
“No, they shouldn’t,” Michael disagreed.
And they were off.
Since Dan was going to need his pickup truck to get a trade-in price, and all the safety seats were in her SUV, they both drove to the auto mall.
As planned, they parked at the dealership where Sharon was the new financial manager.
As Dan ambled over to help the triplets onto the ground, she couldn’t help but think what a good daddy he would make one day.
Assuming he ever chose a wife, that was.
Given his recent “one or two and done” dating history, it seemed in doubt.
Inside the air-conditioned building, couples and families milled about. The triplets, who had never visited the inside of a showroom, were in awe of all the shiny new vehicles. “Wow,” they breathed in unison.
Behind them, a man approached. “Going to get Daddy a new car or truck for Father’s Day?” he said.
Dan and Kelly and the kids turned to face him. “Whoops. Didn’t recognize you from the back,” the gung-ho salesman said.
Dan extended his hand. “Hey, Pete.”
“And who is this lovely lady?” the salesman asked. “And three adorable kids?”
“Kelly Shackleford. Her triplets, Michael, Matthew and Michelle.”
“Deputy Dan is going to be my mommy’s new husband,” Michelle announced. “’Cause she needs one.”
Kelly blushed bright red.
“I see,” Pete said.
Bored, Michael looked up at Dan. “Can we climb inside one of them?”
“Check out the eight-passenger Suburban.” Pete walked over to open it up. “Perfect for the man with a big family.” He winked.
While the kids scrambled inside, Pete launched into a spiel about features. Kelly looked around. She’d only met Sharon Johnson a few times since the single mom generally used the car pool lane drop-off to leave and pick up her daughter from school.
“So what’s your time frame for buying?” Pete asked as the kids climbed into the rear row and practiced sitting and looking out the windows from that perspective.
“Most likely the end of the month,” Dan replied. “I’m in no hurry.”
They talked about competitors.
“What about financing?”
“Sharon Johnson’s in charge of that. Actually, here she comes now.” Pete waved her over.
Guilt at more or less spying on another single mom filled Kelly. Halfway there, Sharon was waylaid by the dealership’s sales manager. Kelly couldn’t make out what was said, but she could tell it wasn’t welcome news. Sharon appeared to be first taken aback, then upset.
Dan gave Kelly a look. Was this it? Work stress traveling from mom to child?
Sharon’s mouth tightened, and her face went from almost white to beet red. Kelly didn’t stop to think. Seeing another woman in need, she moved across the floor to interrupt what appeared to be a pretty thorough semipublic dressing-down. “Hey, Sharon!” she said, moving in to give the stunned woman a warm hug. “How great to see you today!” She moved back to address the white-haired sales manager. “I don’t believe we’ve met, though.”
“Walter Kline.” Abruptly turning on the charm, he shook Kelly’s hand. “Glad to have you out here today.”
Another salesperson approached, a sheaf of papers in his hand.
Walter glared at Sharon, a look even Kelly could read. “Figure it out,” he snapped, turned on his heel and strode away.
“Everything okay?” Kelly asked.
Sharon sighed and ran her hands through her short, perfectly coiffed auburn hair. “I only have a sitter until noon. They just told me I have to be here until closing or later.”
That was definitely a problem, and one Kelly fully sympathized with. “Could I help? Maybe pick up Shoshanna, take her to my place for a playdate?”
Sharon paused. “I don’t want to impose.”
Kelly waved away her concern. “We single moms have to stick together.”
Dan ambled up to join them.
Sharon shot him a curious look. Briefly, Kelly made introductions. “So you’re the sheriff’s deputy who spoke at the preschool,” Sharon concluded.
Dan nodded.
“You made quite an impression. Shoshanna told me all about your rescue of the two kittens caught in the hole in the trunk of that tree. And, of course, your herd of miniature goats.”
Dan grinned. “It was an easy crowd to impress.”
Beginning to relax, Sharon grinned back.
From across the showroom, Walter Kline glared at them impatiently. Sharon stiffened. “Let me know if you have any questions about financing options,” she said, loud enough for others to overhear.
“I will,” Dan promised.
“Me, too,” Kelly said, though she had no intention of buying a new vehicle at this time.
Sharon headed off. “I’ll call my sitter.”
She and Dan collected the kids from the interior of the family-size SUV. “Can we get this car?” Matthew asked excitedly.
“It’s cozy.” Michelle sighed.
“I like our old one,” Michael countered. “It’s red!”
“So do I,” Kelly said.
In fact, her whole life was so cozy and complete right now, with her kids, nice home and job, she hated to rock the boat by changing anything. Never mind bring someone new into it. So what if she didn’t have a love life? In the past, romance had ultimately brought her nothing but unhappiness, so she was better off without that complication.
Much better off.
Although, she couldn’t help but admit having Dan as a very good platonic friend, spending time with him on weekends, hanging out, kids and all, held a definite appeal.
“Want to meet somewhere for lunch after you pick up Shoshanna?” he asked as they walked out to their respective vehicles.
Kelly decided a little adult company while she supervised four kids might be nice. “Why don’t you come by my place?” she asked. “I’ll whip something up.” She figured she owed him that much.
“Sounds good.”
They left the dealership. Shoshanna had already talked to her mom about the change in plans and, looking intrigued by the possibility of a playdate with her preschool classmates, went willingly with Kelly back to her home.
Which made Kelly wonder.
Was Shoshanna without friends or an opportunity to make any outside the school day because her mom was working such long hours? Could that be part of the little girl’s unhappiness, too? Guiltily, Kelly realized she hadn’t done much to welcome the child to Laramie outside the school environment.
She could do better, as well.
* * *
“SO YOU THINK that’s all it is,” Dan said. He had returned to Kelly’s house, and the four kids hit the playroom while she bustled about the kitchen, putting together a quick meal. “You think Sharon is worried about keeping her new job and Shoshanna is picking up on that?”
Although they were out of earshot, Kelly had a good view of the children. They were getting along nicely and having fun, so she began to relax. “I had the feeling Sharon’s boss might fire her if she didn’t comply.”
Dan kept an eye on the kids, too, as he moved back to watch her add chopped celery and apples to the chunks of roast chicken already in the mixing bowl. Quietly, he reflected, “Sadly, that wouldn’t surprise me. Walter Kline is not from around here. He came in when the family that owned the place for years sold it back to the automobile maker’s corporation. From what I’ve heard around town, he’s putting enormous pressure on all the salespeople.”
Kelly whipped together a mixture of plain yogurt, lemon juice and honey. “So Sharon came here for a more low-key life than she had back in Houston, and ended up in what could very well be worse straits.”
She watched Dan turn to look at Shoshanna, who was trying on some of the dress-up clothing. Big floppy hat, heels, a long strand of pearls and some clip-on earrings. Michelle had on her favorites—a pint-size princess gown and jewel-encrusted crown. Both girls were grinning and preening before the play-mirror. “Sharon’s little girl sure seems happy and engaged today.”
She did, Kelly noted in satisfaction.
Dan hung around for another hour. Long enough to partake in chicken salad sandwiches, and chips and fruit. Then help with the cleanup as the kids retired again to the playroom, this time to build structures out of wooden blocks. Shoshanna was smiling and talking as readily as the triplets.
“Feel better?” Dan asked.
Kelly hung up her dish towel to dry. “I do.” Maybe she’d been projecting some of her own childhood fears and troubles onto the child.
She watched Dan drain the last of his iced tea. “It’s possible she just needs time to adjust. And more of an effort from me and some of the other moms to include her in activities after school hours.”
She walked him to the door, realizing how much this felt like a date, albeit a family one. Resisting the urge to step in and give him a big hug for fear how that would be seen, she smiled instead and said, “Thanks for asking me to go today. I feel a lot more at ease.”
“Good.” He grinned at her with a tantalizing sparkle in his eyes. “Maybe now we can go on that date you owe me.”
Owe! Kelly drew herself up to her full five feet nine inches. “I don’t remember promising...”
His low chuckle sent another shimmer of awareness drifting through her.
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “I stand corrected.” He bent his head and lightly kissed the back of her knuckles before lifting his head to look into her eyes. Murmuring playfully, “But it’s only fair, don’t you think? That you give me a chance to woo you?”
Feeling her knees begin to quiver, and wondering what the impact would be like if he really kissed her, Kelly repeated the old-fashioned term in surprise. “Woo me?”
He rubbed his lips across her knuckles even more seductively this time. “Mmm-hmm.”
Aware how easily this man would be able to seduce her, she jerked her hand away. Sent him a deadpan look from beneath her lashes. “I’m not woo-able.”
He stepped back, his hearty chuckle hanging in the sizzling air between them. “Famous last words.”
Were they?
Was she woo-able after all?
“But,” he allowed patiently, still holding her eyes, “if that is true, then you have nothing to lose, do you?”
“You have a point,” Kelly countered just as mildly. Although, she thought in amusement, maybe it wasn’t the one he was trying to make. “There’s only one way to put an end to your current quest.” Only one way to prove to him that she had already failed at matrimony once and wasn’t about to give it another go.
The meaning of her words sinking in, his eyes radiated pure pleasure. “Give me what I want?”
“Once,” Kelly stated. So he would see what she already knew, that she was not “the one” for a marriage-minded man like him.
He could then put her in the Rejected Candidates column. Move on to the next female hopeful. And she could put this crazy, ill-conceived attraction she felt for the sexy husband-wannabe behind them.
* * *
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DAN stopped by his sister Lulu’s Honeybee Ranch to pick up a gift en route to his date. The petite dark-haired spitfire looked him up and down. “Aren’t you all fancy!”
He stayed a good distance from the hives where she had been working. “It’s just a shirt and jeans.”
Lulu stripped out of her protective white bee suit, hat and gloves. Surveyed him with a wry smile. “Ironed shirt and jeans. Shirttail tucked in. Your good brown leather boots. Freshly shaven and showered, smelling of aftershave, and did you also get a haircut by the way?”
He grunted. “It was time.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Lulu rolled her eyes. “Who’s the lucky lady this time? Must be someone special if you’re going to this much trouble.”
“Kelly Shackleford.”
His sister did a double take. “Well, what do you know, stud. The pretty preschool teacher finally agreed to go out with you?”
With way too many stipulations.
Dan nodded, happy after months of trying to have gotten that far. “She has.”
Lulu’s eyes narrowed. “On a school night?”
“She was only able to get a sitter from seven to nine.”
“Where are you going?” Lulu led the way into her ranch house.
“The concert in the town square.”
Another pitying glance. “Your choice or hers?”
“Hers,” Dan allowed.
A smirk. “That’ll be nice. And public.”
Beginning to lose his temper, Dan groused, “What’s your point?”
His only sister sobered. “I’m just saying Kelly’s put a lot of safety nets into this outing. Weeknight. Setting with a lack of intimacy or privacy. A short overall time period and early end.”
Put that way... “You’re saying I should read something into this?” Other than the fact she’d been so eager to go out with him she couldn’t wait until the following weekend?
“Aren’t you?”
Hell, yes. Unfortunately.
The irony wasn’t lost on him, either.
He’d spent a lot of time going out with women he suspected might be all wrong for him, just to be sure he wasn’t missing out on a chance to get married and have a family. Now that he finally felt differently about a woman from the outset, she was preparing to simply go through the motions with him in order to officially eliminate him as a viable romantic prospect.
Much to his chagrin, there was no denying the universal payback of that.
Lulu gently patted his arm. “Want my advice?”
Lord knew he really appeared to need it in this case. “Always.”
Lulu handed him a gift set of four kinds of honey. “Make every second count, cowboy.”
Dan planned to.
* * *
UNFORTUNATELY, THE MINUTES were ticking away before they even got started.
Kelly’s teenage babysitter was late and had not arrived yet. The triplets—who had been sent to let him in the door—were thrilled to see him yet very unhappy he was taking their mother out.
“It’s not fair,” Michelle pouted. “We wanted to go to the park, too.”
Dan was trying to figure out how to handle that when Kelly came breezing down the staircase in a burst of flowery perfume.
Damn, she was gorgeous. Her full-skirted sundress hugged her torso, accentuating her full soft breasts and slender waist. She was still fastening her earrings.
She accepted the four-pack of Lulu’s famous Honeybee Ranch honey from him with thanks and a smile. Set it aside. Then turned back to her daughter, her caramel-blond hair flowing over shoulders, explaining gently, “I told you. Dan and I aren’t going to the part of the park where the playground is. We’re going to the bandstand to listen to music.”
“But I like music!” Michelle folded her arms in front of her and pouted all the more.
“Are they going to sing ‘Farmer in the Dell’?” Matthew wanted to know. “Or ‘Hokey Pokey’?”
“No,” Kelly said firmly. “In fact,” she said levelly, with a telltale look Dan’s way, “I’m pretty sure it’s all very boring music. Isn’t that right, Deputy Dan?”
Getting her cue, he nodded soberly. “I think your mommy is right. You all would be really fidgety if you had to sit through that for two whole hours.”
“Well, then,” Michael declared, independent as always, “I don’t want to go.”
A knock sounded.
Kelly opened the door and Tessa Lowell came in, hair still wet and smelling vaguely of chlorine. Briefly, introductions were made. “Sorry, Ms. Shackleford,” the sitter said. “The swim meet ran late, and I couldn’t leave until I got my ribbon.”
“I completely understand,” Kelly said.
Dan looked at his watch. It was nearly seven thirty. “Any chance you could stay until nine thirty then?”
“No problem.” Tessa grinned.
Kelly looked like she wanted to interject. Then grabbed her shoulder bag instead. “You know where all the emergency numbers are.”
“I do. But not to worry, Ms. Shackleford.” Tessa beamed. “We’re going to have even more fun than you-all are!”
“Walk or drive?” Dan asked as they hit the driveway.
He’d waited for this moment for so long, he could hardly believe his good fortune. Kelly seemed to be having a similar “is this really happening after all” moment.
With a shrug, she tilted her head at the clear blue sky with a few scattered white clouds. “Well, it’s not that hot or humid. Parking along the town square can be hard to find, and,” she said, drawing a breath that lifted and lowered the enticing swell of her breasts, “it’s only four blocks.”
He fell into step beside her. “Then we walk.” He debated whether to take or hand or not. Decided not. “You look pretty tonight.”
“Thank you. So do you.” She shook her head. Tried again, more succinctly this time. “I mean you look handsome.”
He grinned. “Good to know.” And deep down it delighted him that she was obviously as acutely aware of him as he was of her.
She swung to face him. The sexual vibe between them intensifying, she raised a cautioning hand. “I know I agreed to do this, Dan. But—” her lower lip took on a rueful curve “—I think it may have been a mistake.”
