SURPRISE TIMES THREE!

Hollywood event planner Jade Scott can handle a crisis. But when her sister disappears, leaving Jade to care for her infant triplet daughters, Jade needs help. Lots of help. Specifically from Wes Slade, the sexy and not-so-anonymous sperm donor, who also made her teen years miserable. As the egg donor, she won’t abandon her children. Their children.

Wes was never supposed to be part of this family. At least he and Jade have another thing in common: busy lives outside of Saddle Ridge, Montana. He can’t wait to get back to the rodeo circuit. As they look after the triplets, Wes discovers they may have more in common than he ever expected—no idea how to imagine life without their precious babies...or each other!

AMANDA RENEE was raised in the northeast and now wriggles her toes in the warm coastal Carolina sands. Her career began when she was discovered through Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. When not creating stories about love and laughter, she enjoys the company of her schnoodle, Duffy, as well as camping, playing guitar and piano, photography and anything involving animals. You can visit her at amandarenee.com.

Also By Amanda Renee

Saddle Ridge, Montana

The Lawman’s Rebel Bride

A Snowbound Cowboy Christmas

Wrangling Cupid’s Cowboy

Welcome to Ramblewood

Betting on Texas

Home to the Cowboy

Blame It on the Rodeo

A Texan for Hire

Back to Texas

Mistletoe Rodeo

The Trouble with Cowgirls

A Bull Rider’s Pride

Twins for Christmas

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Bull Rider’s Baby Bombshell

Amanda Renee

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08473-4

THE BULL RIDER’S BABY BOMBSHELL

© 2018 Amanda Renee

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“Wes, meet Audra.” She held the infant out to him. “Please help me.”

The weight of Audra in his arms made her all the more real. Her cries stopped as a soft mew emanated from the tiny bundle. He didn’t want to look. But he couldn’t not look. He needed to see his daughter.

“Oh, my God.” His heart sprang back to life.

“What is it?” Jade frantically asked.

“She’s beautiful,” he whispered.

“They all are. We made quite the heartbreakers.”

He lifted his gaze to hers. The edginess had faded to a gentle softness. Even with her stained blouse and what appeared to be a black marker streak across her left cheek, she exuded beauty. “I guess we did.” He lowered his eyes to the other two girls contentedly sucking on the bottles Jade held for them.

And then he saw more black marker. “Did you write on their feet?”

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the fourth book in my Saddle Ridge, Montana series! The Bull Rider’s Baby Bombshell came together during one of my “thinking” car rides. Most of my brainstorming occurs on the road alongside Duffy—my four-legged sidekick. The changing scenery never fails to spark ideas. When I drove past a woman pushing one of those three-across triplet strollers down the main street of a little country town, Wes and Jade’s story immediately began churning in my brain.

I love characters who share a past, but not necessarily a romantic one. And Wes and Jade’s acrimonious history definitely gives them reason to keep their distance from one another...until they find themselves temporarily parenting six-week-old triplets.

I’ve always envisioned actress Kat Dennings as Jade Scott. Her take-no-prisoners attitude is a perfect match for a stubborn Slade man. And when I first saw fitness model Parker Hurley astride a steel horse in the pages of a fashion magazine, I knew he was my Wes.

I hope you enjoy The Bull Rider’s Baby Bombshell. Feel free to stop in and visit me at amandarenee.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Happy reading!

Amanda Renee

For Brad.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Call Jade.

I can’t do this.

Please forgive me.

Jade Scott read her sister’s note for the tenth time since arriving in Saddle Ridge. Almost an entire day had passed since Liv had vanished, leaving behind her month-and-a-half-old triplets. Jade would’ve arrived sooner if there had been more flights out of Los Angeles to the middle-of-nowhere Montana. She’d ditched the godforsaken town eleven years ago and had sworn never to return. But her sister’s children had annihilated that plan. Especially since Jade had been partially responsible for their existence.

“I didn’t call the police like you asked, but now that you’re here, I think we should.”

“No!” Jade spun to face Maddie Winters, her sister’s best friend and the woman who had taken care of the children for the past twenty hours. “As soon as we do, Liv’s labeled a bad parent and those girls go in the system.”

“Nobody will take them away with you here.” Maddie checked to see if there were any new messages on her phone. “I’m really worried about her.”

Jade scanned the small living room. A month ago, it looked like a baby—or three—lived there. Today it looked cold and sterile, devoid of any signs of the triplets. The crocheted baby blankets and baskets of pastel yarn were gone from the corner. Once covered with stacks of photo albums her sister couldn’t wait to fill, the coffee table now sat bare. Embroidered pillows with their cute mommy and baby sayings no longer littered the couch. Her sister had even removed the framed pictures of the girls along with their plaster hand-and footprints from the mantel. Except for the video baby monitor, nothing baby related remained in sight. Why? She knew Liv’s desire for order was strong thanks to their chaotic upbringing, but she’d never thought her sister would wipe away all visible traces of her children.

“I’m worried too. We don’t need to involve the police though. She wasn’t kidnapped.” Liv was a chronic planner and everything about the situation felt deliberate. “She made a conscious decision to walk away. She wrote a note, she called you to babysit and then left on her own accord. If we call the police, the girls go into the system. Hell will freeze over before I let that happen.”

Jade knew all about the system. She and Liv had spent fourteen years in foster care, bounced from place to place until Liv had been old enough to become her guardian. Being two teenage girls on their own had forced them to grow up fast. Too fast.

Jade’s phone rang inside her bag jarring her back to the present. It wasn’t her sister’s ringtone, but she reached for it to be safe. It was her office in Los Angeles. She answered, praying Liv had called there by mistake instead of her cell and they were patching the call over to her. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Tomás, her British assistant, began. “I just wanted to let you know the Wittingfords have finally decided on their venue for their summer opener.”

Jade’s heart sank. Tomás’s call was great news, just not the news she wanted to hear at that moment. The Wittingfords were the most extravagant clients her event planning company had seen to date. And their showstopping party guaranteed to outshine all the celebrity weddings she’d produced this year.

“I’m glad to hear it. I just wish I was there to oversee it.” Jade tugged her laptop out of her bag and opened it on the dining room table. “Email me the contract and I’ll review it. I want you to look it over first. Flag anything you question. I need you to be my extra set of eyes while I’m away. And please call my clients and tell them I’ve had a family emergency. Give them your contact info and make sure they understand I haven’t abandoned them. But they need to phone you with any issues or changes and you can fill me in later.”

“I’ll get on it, straightaway. Any news about your sister?”

“Nothing yet.” Jade lifted her gaze to see Maddie glaring at her from the living room. “I need to go. We’ll talk later.”

“I can’t believe you’re putting work first.” Maddie picked up the baby monitor from the coffee table and checked the screen.

“I’m sorry you don’t approve of my multitasking.” Jade turned on the computer. “I know my sister. She doesn’t do crazy. Wherever she is, I’m sure she’s safe. While I try to figure out what’s going on with her and where she ran off to, I still have a business to maintain.”

“And walking out on your newborn triplets isn’t crazy?”

Not unless you knew the whole situation. “All right, tell me again. What time did you come over yesterday afternoon?”

“A little after three. Liv sounded frazzled when she called. I asked what was wrong, but she kept doing that answer a question with a question thing that drives me up a wall. I got nothing out of her.” Maddie ran both hands through her hair, on the verge of tears. “I tried to talk to her, but she took off the second I walked in. I found the note taped to the nursery room door a few minutes after that.”

“When did she remove the baby things from in here?”

“I don’t know.” Maddie shook her head wildly. “I’m trying to remember the last time I came over.”

“What do you mean? You’re her best friend and you didn’t check on her? When I left, you assured me you would. You only live next door.”

“She insisted on space so she could learn how to take care of the girls on her own. I guess it’s been a little over a week since I’ve been here. I’ll be honest, her abrupt dismissal hurt. I had been staying in the guest room after you left. I should have noticed something was wrong.”

Uneasiness grew deep within Jade’s chest. “I keep thinking the same thing. I missed our video chat on Sunday night because I was too busy with work.” Many of Jade’s ex-boyfriends had accused her of putting her career before anyone else. Had she selfishly done the same with her sister? Jade scanned her inbox, hoping to find an email from Liv. Nothing. “I’ll check her office. Are you able to stay for a little while longer?”

“For however long you need.”

Jade continued to walk around the old farmhouse. Her sister had set up three bassinets in the room next to her office in addition to an equal number of cribs in the former master bedroom, now the nursery. Liv had been prepared. Some may even say overprepared. She’d read every parenting book and magazine she found. Took infant care classes and had insisted Jade learn infant CPR too. From researching the best laundry detergents and baby shampoos to memorizing the symptoms of childhood illnesses and diseases, she’d planned for every contingency. It didn’t make sense why she left. Outside of neither of them not knowing what good parenting was.

Their father had been a drifter and their mother had been behind bars on and off since Jade was two. They’d seen the inside of more foster homes than they could count. Some good, some bad. Whenever they had made it into a decent one, their mother had gotten out of jail, claimed to be ready to raise them again after completing her therapy and halfway house program only to fail miserably weeks later and wind up right back in jail. Her mother had always wanted what she couldn’t have. That included Liv and Jade. Once in her care, she’d discovered they were too much work to support. Besides, her drugs were more important. She wanted those more than anything. More than her children.

The court system had reached a point where they said no more, and Jade and Liv had mixed emotions the day they learned they wouldn’t have to live with their mother ever again. Liv had handled it better than she had. Jade had been angry. All the time. It hadn’t helped that kids had picked on her constantly at school. One kid had been the ringleader. The one she had trusted, and then he betrayed her. And she had never forgotten him. Wes Slade.

Jade opened the bottom filing cabinet drawer and scanned the hanging folder tabs. The last one had BABY scrawled on it. The generic word surprised her. At the very least, she’d expected all three girls’ names to be written on the label, if not three separate files. She removed the thick folder, laid it on the desk and began looking through it. On top was the first ultrasound picture of the triplets. Jade ran her fingers over the black-and-white image. She could still see her sister holding up the photo to the screen during their video chat. Liv had been shocked, but thrilled just the same. She was finally getting the family she had always wanted. And it had been a long time coming.

Liv had battled fertility issues for years. Married at twenty-three, she and her husband had tried everything to get pregnant. There was just enough wrong with each of them to prevent a successful pregnancy. Kevin had wanted to adopt, but it had been important to Liv to carry her children and have a physical connection to them. He’d refused the donor idea and their constant baby battles wound up destroying their marriage.

Jade sat in Liv’s ultralux, oversize perfect-for-pregnancy office chair and glanced around the room. Her sister had always been neat and organized. Not a pen or paperclip out of place. She peered inside Liv’s desk drawers hoping to find a clue to her whereabouts. Everything related to her job as a financial planner. Liv still had another two months of maternity leave until she had to return to work full-time. Working from home would help the transition although Liv had considered hiring a nanny during the day so she could talk to clients without interruption.

Her sister had a plan. A definitive plan on how her life would run smoothly as a single mom of three children. Walking away was completely out of character.

Jade continued to flip through the contents of the folder. The only item left was Jade’s egg donation contract giving her sister the biological link to the babies she wanted. She just hadn’t expected Liv to use all the embryos at once. Because of her sister’s long infertility battle, the doctor had believed her best chance for a successful pregnancy was to implant them all in hopes one would survive. The surprise had been universal.

“Dammit, Liv, where are you?”

She stood to put the folder back in the drawer when she noticed another one lying on the bottom of the cabinet. Sliding the other files forward, she removed the thin, unmarked and probably empty folder. She flipped it open to double-check and saw another donor contract. Why? Jade had been the only donor. Liv had used a fertility clinic for the father.

She began to read the document:

This agreement is made this 22 day of July 2017, by and between Olivia Scott, hereafter RECIPIENT, and Weston Slade, hereafter DONOR.

“No, no, no!” Jade’s heart pounded in her chest. “Liv couldn’t have.” She continued to read the contract. But she had. Wes Slade was the donor and the father of Jade’s biological children. Her sister had fertilized Jade’s eggs with the man she despised more than anyone.

* * *

A FEW HOURS LATER, Jade stood in front of the check-in clerk at the Silver Bells Ranch lodge. The woman whispered into the phone. “One of Wes’s fans is here to see him.”

“Excuse me. I am no fan of his.”

The clerk cupped the mouthpiece and whispered, “She may be an ex-girlfriend.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jade reached over the counter and snatched the phone. “This is Jade Scott. I need to speak to Wes concerning my sister, Liv. It’s...um...an emergency of sorts.”

Still reeling from her discovery, Jade needed absolute confirmation Wes was the triplets’ father. She prayed he had backed out or that Liv had changed her mind at the last second. Anything...just not this.

“Oh hey, Jade. It’s Garrett, Wes’s brother. It’s been what, ten years or more? I saw your sister and the triplets last week. They sure are beautiful. Reminded me of my two when they were born.”

You have no idea. Jade swallowed hard. “I’m staying with the kids for a few days while Liv is—is away on business. She’s unreachable today and I have a problem at the house. Since she and Wes are friends, I’m thinking he might have some ideas.” At least Jade assumed they were friends. Who would ask a casual acquaintance to father their children?

“He’s out with our guests on a trail ride. He should be back soon. You’re welcome to wait or maybe I can help you.”

“Uh, um. No. I appreciate the offer, but I need Wes. I don’t mind waiting.” Yeah, she did. The longer she waited, the more questions churned in her brain. “Where’s the best place I can catch him?”

“The stables.” Garrett paused. “Do you have the girls with you? I’m sure my daughter would love to me—”

“They’re with the sitter.” The last thing Jade needed was to introduce the triplets to their cousin.

The entire time Liv had been pregnant, Jade kept her part in the process tucked neatly away in the dark recesses of her brain. Surprisingly, Liv had carried to almost thirty-seven weeks. The day of her sister’s scheduled cesarean, Jade had been by her side in the operating room, cheering her on. But the moment Jade had held those tiny bundles of perfection and stared into their blue eyes, reality hit. She was the biological mother of three little girls and she had wrestled with it during the rest of her stay in town. They were Liv’s children. Not hers. It wasn’t until she was on a plane flying back to LA three weeks later that she finally breathed easier. Once she had returned to her normal routine, any lingering thoughts of being their mother faded and she gladly slipped into the role of auntie.

Until today.

She needed to find Liv...fast.

* * *

GARRETT TOOK THE reins as Wes dismounted. “Thanks for helping out.”

“No problem.” Wes didn’t mind filling in for other employees while he was visiting the ranch, considering they had covered for him plenty during his last few months of employment on Silver Bells. It had been an unbearable period in his life and he’d wanted nothing more than to get away from Saddle Ridge. And he had. He’d moved to Texas and escaped the drama he once called home.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Garrett snapped his fingers. “You have a visitor. Do you remember Jade Scott?”

Wes damn near tripped at the mention of her name. Even though he couldn’t think of one person he despised more than Jade, it was her sister he didn’t want to think about.

“What is she doing here?”

“I guess she’s babysitting the triplets while her sister’s away on business. She has some emergency at Liv’s house. I offered to help, but she insisted on talking to you.”

“Keep your distance from the Scotts.” Wes swallowed hard. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to come home for his brother Dylan’s wedding and his niece and nephew’s christenings. “They can call someone else. I have no business with Liv or Jade.”

“What’s with the attitude?” Garrett asked. “I thought you and Liv were good friends. Besides, it’s too late. Jade’s about ten steps behind you.”

Wes turned to see her weaving through the ranch guests walking back to the lodge. His stomach somersaulted at the sight of her and he wasn’t sure if it was because of their past or how much she had transformed since high school. The mean girl who had once made his life miserable had gone from a rough, chip-on-her-shoulder teen to a California knockout.

Sleek, rich mahogany waves replaced the frizzy curls she used to have. But that body and those curves...good Lord Almighty! Her black polka-dot chiffon blouse revealed just enough of her ample cleavage to make any man look twice, and her tailored black pants hugged her hips in perfection. She exuded an edginess combined with old Hollywood glamour and if she had been any other woman on the planet, he would have moved in for the kill. Their past made her off-limits and his connection to her sister sealed that deal.

“Wes.” Deep blue eyes held his gaze before traveling the length of him and back.

Transfixed upon her matte ruby-red lips, it took every ounce of strength he had left to respond. “Jade.”

“Hey, kids. A conversation requires more than that.” Garrett laughed. “Try hello, how are you.” He nudged his brother in Jade’s direction before walking away.

“What do you want?” Wes hadn’t meant his tone to be as harsh as it sounded.

“It’s about Liv. Is there someplace private we can talk?”

Wes stiffened. “I have work to do.” He turned to tend to his horse, but it wasn’t there. Silently, he cursed his brother.

“I thought you were on vacation from your job in Texas.”

He reeled to face her. “Who told you that?”

“The rodeo school where you work.” She stepped toward him and wobbled in her ranch-inappropriate four-inch heels. He reached for her arm to steady her and instantly regretted the contact. “I looked you up online. I need your help.”

Wes released her and rubbed his palm, wanting to erase all traces of her from his body. “On second thought, I don’t care what your reasons are. I’m asking you as politely as possible to leave.”

“Wes, please.” A half-foot shorter, even in those ridiculous heels, she stared up at him.

“What could you possibly need my help with?”

“Tell me I can trust you first.”

“No. You can’t trust me, so let’s end this now. Goodbye, Jade.” The intoxicating scent of her perfume wasn’t enough to entice him to hear more.

“I know.”

It wasn’t so much the words, but the firm way she said them that stopped him in his tracks. “Do you care to expand on that?” He prayed it wasn’t what he thought.

“I found the contract today at my sister’s house,” Jade whispered. “Before I go into details, promise me everything I tell you will stay between us.”

Wes wanted to argue and deny his role in Liv’s daughters’ paternity, but the worry etched into Jade’s face gave him pause. “Okay, you have my attention. And yes, you can trust me.”

Jade assessed him sharply, making him more uncomfortable than he already was. She had no reason to take him at his word considering their past had thrived on a mutual loathing of one another after their brief high school romance. Her shoulders sagged as she closed her eyes momentarily, shielding him from the pain that reflected in them.

“Liv left the triplets with Maddie yesterday and hasn’t returned.”

“That doesn’t sound like Liv.” Wes’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Have you called the police? Or checked the hospitals?”

“I called every hospital within a two-hundred-mile radius while I waited for my flight last night. I don’t want to involve the police. This isn’t a case of her getting in a car accident. She left a note saying she was leaving. Do you have any idea where she might’ve gone? Has she ever mentioned a place she enjoyed going to when she was under a lot of stress or anywhere she always wanted to visit?”

“Not offhand. I can’t believe she left the girls.” Wes propped a booted foot up on the fence rail and stared into the corral. “I was afraid this would be too much for her.”

“Wait a minute.” Jade grabbed him by the arm and forced him to look at her. “You suspected she was in trouble?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Wes checked over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “I was long gone before those babies were born. And for the record, this wasn’t an easy decision on my part. There was never anything romantic or sexual between your sister and me. We were good friends. She was there for me during the darkest time of my life.”

“So how did you get from point A to point B?” Her face soured. “She told me she used an anonymous donor.”

“Liv hated the thought of a stranger fathering her children. I had initially said no, then I realized she wanted this more than anything and relented. I felt I owed her for being there for me over the years. But that’s where it ended. I couldn’t continue our friendship, knowing she was carrying my—” Wes shook his head. “They are not my children. I refuse to say they are.”

“I’m not asking you to raise them.” Thick sarcasm laced her assurance. “Just tell me what happened.”

Wes hesitated before answering, not wanting to sound callous. “Liv and I went our separate ways. She called me once I was in Texas and told me she was having triplets. I’ll admit, I had my concerns and asked if she could handle that many babies. She said she was a little overwhelmed by the news, but even more excited. I could hear it in her voice. She also had you and her friends. So, I continued on with my life.”

“Turns out she was more overwhelmed than we both thought.” Jade’s phone rang. She removed it from her bag, checked the screen and then rejected the call. “No matter how long it takes to find her, I’m not abandoning those babies. You can’t, either.”

“I am not getting involved. I did my part and then got out of town for a reason. Many reasons. They are not my responsibility. She should have gone with an anonymous donor like she had with the eggs.”

“She didn’t use an anonymous egg donor.”

“Then whose were they?”

“Mine. You and I are those girls’ biological parents.”

Chapter Two

Jade never saw a person pale so fast. “Don’t you dare faint on me.”

“For God’s sake, I’ve never fainted a day in my life. A bull has knocked me unconscious a time or two in the rodeo ring, but I’ve never fainted.” Wes’s hazel eyes narrowed. “You’re the biological mother of those children?”

“Believe me, when I saw your name on the donor contract I was none too thrilled. It’s like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me.”

“On you?” Wes snapped. “You’re the last person I would have chosen.” His abhorrence for her darkened his features. Features she probably would’ve found attractive under normal circumstances.

“At least I provided a biological link. You, on the other hand—”

“Go on. Finish what you were going to say.” The muscles along his jawline pulsated.

“No, because regardless of our feelings toward each other, we created three beautiful lives. I will not insult them by insulting you.”

Wes tilted his hat back, revealing an errant lock of dark blond hair. He folded his arms across his chest, causing his formfitting gray T-shirt sleeve to ride up and expose the hint of a colorful tattoo on his biceps. Biceps that were much larger than she remembered from high school.

“As much as I want to argue with you, that’s a very mature attitude and one I should adopt myself.” Wes stepped away from the fence, giving her his full attention. “When I agreed to do this, I did so under one condition. Total anonymity.”

“I have no intention of saying anything.” Jade had wanted the same condition, but she and Liv had discussed the possibility of one day telling the children. Especially if a medical reason arose. That was most likely why she wanted the father to be somebody she knew. Just in case. “The truth may come out, regardless.”

“It can’t.” Wes’s eyes widened. “I had second thoughts shortly after I did it. First of all, I never wanted kids of my own. And second, my family would never forgive me for not being involved in their lives. Even though that’s what Liv wanted.”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” Jade wondered if her sister’s feelings for Wes ran deeper than she’d admitted. “Had you already planned to move away when she asked you to be the donor?”

“No. I mean, we discussed how unhappy I was living in Saddle Ridge for reasons I won’t get into right now. My bull riding schedule keeps me on the road a lot too, so she knew I wouldn’t be around much.”

“How did she react when you told her you were moving to Texas?”

Wes winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I told her over the phone after I had already left. It was all of a two-minute conversation. One I purposely kept short because I couldn’t handle being involved in her pregnancy or the baby’s life. Then she called and told me she was having triplets.”

“You had to have been as shocked as I was.” The thought of Liv carrying and raising one of Jade’s children had been surreal enough. And even though she’d been fully aware they’d harvested three of her eggs, Jade never saw beyond one child. She’d automatically assumed it was a one-time deal. At the very least she’d expected her sister to have told her they’d used all three the day of the procedure.

“That’s an understatement. Look, I just came off a full week of competition and I’m only here for another week and a half before I head back to Texas. My family has two baby christenings this weekend and Dylan’s wedding is the next. And I’m competing midweek in South Dakota. I’ll help you in whatever way I can, but I’m not going anywhere near those babies. I can’t do it. Despite what you think Liv’s intentions may have been, she stressed I was to be a donor only. Nothing more. I can’t get emotionally involved.”

“I don’t know what to do. Maddie said Liv had been adamant about caring for the babies on her own, so she sent her home. Aside from some brief text messages over the last two weeks, I haven’t really spoken to her. Based on the little information I have, Liv may be suffering from postpartum depression.”

“Oh man.” Wes shoved his hands in his pockets. “That’s pretty serious.”

“I don’t think she’d harm herself, but Liv doesn’t do well with failure.” They’d grown up with failure in every way imaginable and they both worked hard to avoid it now. “I’m wondering if she recognized what was happening to her and removed herself from the girls to protect them. Possibly to get help.”

“Would she have had that much clarity?”

“She called Maddie and asked her to come over and babysit. And then there was the note she left telling Maddie to call me. When I checked her room, her luggage was missing. Her closet and quite a few drawers were partially empty leading me to assume she packed for a trip of some sort. She planned every step. It’s not erratic behavior. She’s either on a long vacation or she checked herself in somewhere.”

“What did the note say?” Jade withdrew the folded slip of paper from her bag and handed it to him. He read it, then turned it over as if expecting to find more. “This is all she wrote?”

Jade nodded. “That’s it.”

Wes scrubbed the day-old scruff on his chin. “This sounds permanent. I’ll talk to Harlan and see what he can find out.”

“Your brother? Why? What can he do?”

“He’s a deputy sheriff.”

“Then keep him out of it.” Jade snatched the note back from him, suddenly wishing she hadn’t come to see Wes. “The police and social workers always believe they’re doing what’s best for the children when they don’t see or understand the whole picture. I’ll handle this.”

He stared at her as if she had two heads. “Look, I don’t like the idea of involving my brother, either, but you can’t do it alone. Triplets are hard enough for a conventional family, let alone a single parent. Your sister’s a prime example of that. Do you have help at the house?”

“Maddie said she’d be willing to stay for however long I need her.”

“Unless Maddie quit her job since I left in January, she works full-time.”

“Are you offering your help?”

“As in physically be there with you?” Wes held up his hands and stepped back. “Oh no. I don’t want to see them and please don’t force them on me.”

“I would never force a child on anyone. They deserve better than that. I only came here because I thought you might have an idea where she went. My mistake.”

Jade trudged back to her car, almost twisting her ankle in the process. What the hell had possessed her to wear high heels to a ranch? Stupidity along with vanity. She’d wanted to show Wes that despite the horrible rumors he’d spread about her in school, she had made something of herself. Eleven years later and she was still letting his opinion matter.

* * *

FOR A SMALL TOWN, the drive back to Liv’s house felt like an eternity. Except for a handful of neighbors, her sister lived fairly isolated on the outskirts of Saddle Ridge. Maddie greeted her at the door, tense in anticipation of good news.

“How are the girls?”

“Still asleep. I expect them up soon. Once one’s awake, the rest follow. Did you hear anything?”

“No.” Jade slipped off her shoes and kicked them aside. “I ran into a friend of hers, though. Wes Slade.”

“He must be home for the wedding and christenings.”

“You know about them?”

“They only invited the entire town.”

Of course, they had. There was nothing like living in a small town. “So, they were good friends?”

“Until he moved to Texas. His leaving really upset Liv since he hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. He’s a hottie and a half, but the two of them never hooked up. Probably because he was hooking up with everyone else in the county.” Maddie’s face turned pink. “Present company excluded.”

Jade was all too familiar with Wes’s libido.

“My sister never mentioned him. When did they become friends?”

“I’m not really sure since I didn’t live here then, but based on different things she’s said, I’ve always assumed it was around the time Wes’s father was killed.”

“I remember Liv mentioning that, but I didn’t realize they knew each other that well.” Jade had never discussed Wes or the rumors he had started. The rumors that led to one of his friends assaulting her. Liv had had enough going on between school and working whenever she could to save for college. Regardless, Liv had to have heard the rumors from her friends. Saddle Ridge was too small of a town not to. Was that why she kept her friendship with Wes from her? Or had Wes said something?

“I tried calling Liv again, and it went straight to voice mail. I left a message telling her you were here and that the girls were fine.”

“Nothing about them missing her?” Jade asked.

“I—I don’t remember exactly what I said. Should I have?”

Jade dropped her bag on the antique hall table in the foyer. “If she’s suffering from some form of postpartum depression I’d like to believe hearing the children miss her would prove how much they need her. That’s just speculation on my part.” She wondered if her sister would interpret their being fine as confirmation she’d done the right thing. But Maddie blamed herself enough already. Jade didn’t need to add to it. “Why don’t you head home, take a shower and relax for the night. I appreciate you going above and beyond like you have.”

“Are you sure?” Maddie gnawed on her bottom lip. “I realize you were here when the girls were born, but do you know how to take care of an infant? Let alone three?”

“I’m sure I can handle feeding them, changing a few diapers and putting them to bed.” Jade’s hands flew to her chest. “Oh my God! Liv was breast-feeding.”

Maddie shook her head. “No, it didn’t work out. She wasn’t producing enough milk and was unbelievably sore. They started on formula pretty early.”

Jade had headed back to LA eight days after the girls were released from the hospital. “She never told me.”

“She probably wouldn’t have told me if I hadn’t been staying here. It really upset her.”

“I bet.” Jade imagined her sister thought not being able to breast-feed as the ultimate failure.

“Have you ever mixed formula before?”

“Can’t say that I have.” Jade sighed.

“Come on.” Maddie motioned for her to follow. “There’s kind of a formula to making formula and it all starts with boiling water.”

By the time Maddie walked her through the steps, Jade understood why women opted to breast-feed. Even though the can came with directions, she took detailed notes, not wanting to risk a mistake.

“Just remember to toss out any mixed formula after twenty-four hours. You can make a large batch of it, but it’s not like milk. You can’t keep a gallon in the fridge for a week. If any of them don’t finish their bottle, toss it because their saliva can contaminate the formula.”

“Got it. I’m assuming this is the bottle sterilizer?” Jade pointed to a large dome-shaped appliance sitting on the counter.

“Yes. You can also run their pacifiers through there. But—” Maddie opened the cabinet next to the sink and removed three bottomless bottles and a box “—it’s more convenient to use these with the liners. That way the nipples are the only thing you’ll need to clean. Just toss the liners in the trash.”

After a crash course in infant feeding, Maddie left for the night. Jade peeked in at the girls before heading to the guest room to change. She stood in the doorway as she’d done earlier, almost afraid to get any closer to the children who were biologically hers. She still had a tough time wrapping her brain around it. If she intended to take care of them until Liv returned, she needed to remember Liv was their real mother, not her.

She tiptoed across the room to their cribs, choking back tears. They were beautiful, and she’d help create them. The inexplicable desire to hold them overwhelmed her. She wanted to tell them how much she loved them and that she’d never abandon them. How bad had things gotten for her sister to walk away from her children?

She reached over the side of the crib and lightly ran her hand over one of their matching white-and-pink cotton bunny onesies. Matching! How would she tell the girls apart? They were fraternal triplets, but they looked alike to her. Especially at this age. Liv and Maddie could tell them apart, but Jade hadn’t spent enough time around them yet. If it wasn’t for the large A, H and M stenciled on the wall above their respective cribs she wouldn’t have known who was Audra, Hadley or Mackenzie.

“What if I mix them up?”

Hadley stirred at the sound of her voice but didn’t wake up. Jade scanned the room. She needed something to distinguish them from each other. Nail polish came to mind, but she feared they’d chew it off. She ran back downstairs to Liv’s office and dug a black permanent marker out of the drawer. She’d have to write their first initial on the sole of their foot until she researched a better solution online. Maybe the pediatrician could offer a suggestion. She had to call there anyway to find out when the babies’ next appointment was. First, she had to fabricate a plausible excuse as to why she was calling and not her sister. She didn’t want to arouse suspicion about Liv.

One triplet began to cry as she reached the top step. She ran into the room, pulled off the marker cap with her teeth and wrote a large H on the bottom of Hadley’s foot when the odor of a full diaper smacked her square in the jaw.

“Good heavens. For a tiny little thing, that is one big stink.” Jade lifted Hadley into her arms as Audra began crying. Within seconds, the room was full of shrieks and smelly diapers. She couldn’t pacify or change the girls fast enough. She wasn’t even sure how to get them downstairs to feed them. Maddie would. Jade went to pull her phone from her pocket before remembering she left it in her bag. “Okay, I guess we’re going down one at a time.”

Mackenzie started crying louder than the other two before she reached the hallway. “What is it, sweetheart?” She cradled her against her chest, afraid to put her down. “You have a clean diaper and I will feed you in a few minutes.” Mackenzie’s tear streaked face turned red while her tiny arms flailed in the air. Jade adjusted the baby’s position and sat in the rocking chair. “Shh, I’ve got you. I know you miss your mommy, but I’m here.”

Mackenzie’s cries continued along with her two sisters and Jade wondered if Liv had postpartum depression or if she’d needed a sanity break. She easily saw how this could try even a saint’s patience after a while. Jade couldn’t do this alone. She needed help.

* * *

WES SAT IN LIV’S driveway for ten minutes before he got the nerve to walk up the porch stairs and knock on the door. Once he did, he heard a baby cry from inside. He hadn’t even considered he might wake them up. He hadn’t considered much on the drive over except that he hadn’t given Jade his phone number and he didn’t have hers. His concern for Liv was worth the risk of seeing the girls.

Wes’s heart pounded in his chest as a cold sweat formed across his brow. His biological daughters were inside that house. It was the closest he’d ever been to them and all he wanted to do was run. Why hadn’t he called Liv’s house and left a message on the answering machine if Jade didn’t answer? Because he hadn’t thought this through. The reality he’d created three children with the bully responsible for the beatings he’d received in the high school locker room struck him harder than a runaway Mack truck.

“Maddie, I need you!”

A chill ran down Wes’s spine at the sound of Jade’s desperate plea. He grabbed the knob and flung the door open, causing it to bang against the interior wall. “Jade!” He ran toward the baby cries, uncertain what he might find. He stuck his head in the numerous rooms that branched off the center hall of the old farmhouse. “Jade, where are you?” he asked as he reached the kitchen, only to find Jade, barefoot and disheveled holding one screaming infant in her arms while the other two wailed from bouncy chairs perched on top of the table.

His heart stopped beating at the sight of them. His daughters. His. They had his DNA, his genes, his—Wes grabbed the doorjamb.

“Thank God you’re here.” She took a step toward him.

He shook his head, trying not to break eye contact with her for fear he’d look into the eyes of one of his daughters. “Why are they crying?”

“Wes, meet Audra.” She held the infant out to him. “Please help me.”

His arms rose automatically to take her without hesitation as his body betrayed his will. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the life he’d helped create. The weight of Audra in his arms made her all that more real. Her cries stopped as a soft mew emanated from the tiny bundle. He didn’t want to look. But he couldn’t not look. He needed to see his daughter.

“Oh my God.” His heart sprang back to life.

“What is it?” Jade frantically asked.

“She’s beautiful,” he whispered.

“They all are. We made quite the heartbreakers.”

He lifted his gaze to hers. The edginess had faded to a gentle softness. Even with her stained blouse and what appeared to be a black marker streak across her left cheek, she exuded beauty. “I guess we did.” He lowered his eyes to the other two girls contentedly sucking on the bottles Jade held for them. And then he saw more black marker. “Did you write on their feet?”

“I had to. I couldn’t tell them apart. They’re not identical, but they sure look that way to me.”

Wes cautiously stepped forward as if walking on ice. He’d held a baby before. He’d been around plenty of children in his twenty-nine years. Somehow, these three seemed more fragile than any of the others combined.

“The nose on that one is a little more upturned.” Wes glanced at the infant’s foot. “What does the M stand for?”

“Liv never told you their names?”

“She sent me a birth announcement, or what I assumed was one. I never opened it.”

“Wow, you really haven’t spoken to her in months because she chose those names in January.”

“I stopped taking her calls when she told me she was having triplets.” He reached for the third bottle sitting on the table and held it up. “May I?”

“Be my guest. She refused to eat for me.”

Wes sat in the chair across from her and held the bottle to Audra’s tiny lips. She hesitated for a second before eagerly drawing on the nipple. Her eyes reminded him of Jade’s...big, blue and the color of the Montana sky on a bright summer day. He wished somebody would pinch him because feeding his daughter was the most surreal experience of his life.

“I hate that I didn’t call. It bothered me then, but it bothers me more now. I can’t help wondering if my abandonment contributed to her leaving.”

“I won’t criticize you for walking away because if Liv and I weren’t sisters, I may have done the same thing.”

Jade’s candor surprised him. “So, you still haven’t told me what the M stands for.”

“Mackenzie and the other is Hadley.”

“Audra, Mackenzie and Hadley.” His cheeks hurt from smiling. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m—” He wasn’t sure how to introduce himself.

“You’re a friend of their mother. That’s all we can ever be.”

Ten minutes ago, Wes didn’t even want to be a friend to anyone connected to the children, now it hardly seemed enough.

“How is this supposed to work? You can’t even feed the three of them on your own.”

“That’s not fair.” Jade held a bottle up to the light to see how much formula remained in the liner. “This was my first try. Although I’m not sure what my sister was thinking when she told Maddie to call me. I’m not exactly mother material. My job’s super demanding and consumes most of my time.”

“What do you do?”

“I own a high-end event management company in Los Angeles. You could say I’m a party planner to the stars. I’m surprised my sister didn’t tell you.”

He would never have guessed she’d chosen that career path. He figured she would have chosen... Wes stared at her, not recognizing the woman she was today. He’d never given much thought to what she did after high school. Once she’d moved away, he had been thrilled to have her out of his life. Even though her cruelty still stuck with him.

“Your sister rarely mentioned you.”

Jade recoiled at his comment. “Well, that’s nice. At least you didn’t tell her how much you hated me.”

Just as much as you hated me. “I met your sister the day of my father’s funeral. We were both at the Iron Horse, saddled up to the bar. She recognized me and offered her condolences. At the time, I was too lost in my grief to realize who she was. That was the night she and her husband called it quits. She was hurting and I couldn’t see past my anger over my father’s death.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but I’m glad you two found comfort in each other.”

Wes nodded. “That old saying about misery loving company is true. We were two lonely souls drowning our sorrows. The next day I didn’t even remember her name, but we kept meeting there night after night and as time went on, we met less at the bar and more in a booth with coffee and a bite to eat. It was only then I realized she was your sister. I couldn’t have gotten through those days without her.”

“I tried talking her into moving out to LA when Kevin left. She refused to leave this place. We’d bounced around so much in foster care that once she had this house, hell would freeze over before she left it.”

“She didn’t really discuss where you two had lived while growing up, but I got a real sense that home meant everything to her.” Liv had sidestepped most references to her childhood, and he’d assumed she’d wanted to keep that door closed forever. He understood where she’d been coming from and never pressed further. “Our friendship started out consoling each other over what we’d lost. My father and her husband. Once we got that out of our systems, our conversations shifted to the future and what we wanted out of life. She talked a lot about wanting a family of her own.”

“Liv’s not one to dwell in the past.” Jade sat both bottles on the table and lifted Mackenzie into her arms.

“No, she’s not.” Wes waited for Jade to grab a burp towel, but she didn’t. “You need to hold her a little more upright and against your shoulder. And you should have something to protect your shirt because she will spit up.” He stood, still cradling Audra in one arm while he opened and closed drawers until he found what he was looking for. He draped a towel over Jade’s shoulder, noticing the softness of her hair against his hand as he did so. “Watch me.” Audra had finished her bottle. He set it on the counter and shifted her in his arms. “Hold her like this and lightly pat her back.”

“How did you get so good at this?” Jade mirrored him.

“I’ve had practice. More than a man who never wants kids should.” Wes had seen enough dysfunction in his own family to kill any desire he’d ever had of settling down. His father’s death had fractured the final fragments that had held the Slades together. Getting tossed off a bull hurt a lot less than losing someone you love. Three of his four siblings had maintained a close relationship to each other, but their mom had taken off for sunny California. Much like Jade had. Nevertheless, he’d learned to keep an emotional distance ever since. “Any more thoughts where your sister might be?”

“Tomorrow I’ll call every postpartum depression treatment center I can find, including over the border in Canada just to be on the safe side. She’s an adult, so I’m not sure if anyone can legally tell me if she’s there, but I at least have to try.”

“Well, the reason I came here tonight was to give you my phone number and to get yours.”

“You could’ve called the house and given it to me seeing as you didn’t want to meet the girls.”

“That dawned on me while I was knocking on the front door.” Wes sniffed the top of Audra’s head. She smelled like new car smell for humans. “From the looks and sounds of things, it’s a good thing I did. Where’s Maddie?”

“I sent her home. She’d been here for over twenty-four hours. The woman hadn’t even had a shower or change of clothes.”

“It looks like you could use the same.”

“Thanks a lot.” Jade attempted to smooth the front of her shirt.

Wes laughed as he settled Audra into the empty bouncy seat and lifted Hadley into his arms. “I didn’t mean that to sound as insulting as it did. It was a poorly worded offer to watch the girls while you take a few moments for yourself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Considering I made a commitment to help bring these three into the world, I think I can commit to babysitting while you shower.”

“Thank you.”

“But...this is a onetime deal, Jade.” He didn’t want to delude her into thinking he’d changed his mind about being involved in their lives. “I’m here now, but once I walk out that door, I’m not coming back.”

He couldn’t—wouldn’t—risk his heart. It was already on the verge of shattering into a thousand pieces.

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