The Texas ranger's twins Read online

  The babies slept on without heeding her comment. She'd named the eighteen-month-old girls Nicole and Sandra after her mother. For the hundredth time, she thought about calling her mother, then decided it wouldn't be a good idea. Her mother, who lived in Fort Wylie, had told Suzy in no uncertain terms that being pregnant and unmarried was a disgrace. Her mother and father were scions of Fort Wylie and reputation mattered to them. Appearances were important.

  Suzy's appearance was one of loose living, her mother had said, and they hadn't spoken since. She'd never visited the hospital to see the newborns. It killed Suzy, broke her heart, but it was her mother's right to feei as she did. i wasn't delighted when your father

  packed up, either," she murmured to her daughters. "I didn't foresee Frank being so afraid of responsibility."

  He'd liked her well enough for her family's money— but when he'd realized that the Winterstones were, well, wintry about their new grandchildren, cutting off even Suzy's trust fund she would have received at age thirty, well, Frank had disappeared like a puff of dust under a vacuum cleaner.

  "Speaking of vacuums," she said, closing her eyes, "just as soon as we finish our beauty rest, girls, we need to lug that monstrous canister up here and vacuum all the rooms thoroughly. Don't think it's been done in thirty years."

  She hadn't planned on napping, but the wind was howling outside, the snow sugaring the ground, and at the moment, she felt so blessed lying on the bed with her children that she drifted off to sleep.

  Dane walked in with a load of firewood, and remembering Suzy's caution about dirtying up the floors, swept off the snow and ice as best he could from the logs and his boots. Last thing he wanted was a further discourse on his cleanliness. He carried the wood upstairs. There were two fireplaces up, plus two downstairs. He'd take care of the upper level fireplaces first, particularly in his room. It was a great night for a nice, cozy fire in the hearth in Pop's bedroom, which he had decided to commandeer for himself as the only son in residence. He deserved some of the finer things in life. One, for

  living in this godforsaken backwater and. two. tor having Suzy and her tiny crew cast upon him.

  At the door of the bedroom, he stopped in his tracks. On his bed lay Suzy, her two little angels sleeping soundly beside her. Well, they weren't angels, they were more like time bombs, he reminded himself, backing into the hallway. Set to explode his world, drawing him in with their cherubic faces. Tingles ran over his arms. He allowed himself to give Suzy a thorough, yet lightning-fast once-over, avoiding the pink-wrapped dolls beside her.

  Holy smokes, that was close." He went down the hall, placed the firewood in the stacker in the smaller bedroom. What the hell was she doing in his room? On his bed ? She couldn't stay there, that was for certain. Somehow he was going to have to explain to her that she just couldn't fall asleep on the job. cushy employment though it was. in the first available reclining apparatus she came upon. His bed should be his domain—and anyway, hadn't she already read him the riot act about how she was never stepping in his room?

  His heart thundered in his chest. Pop stayed in France almost year-round, giving the boys a lot of time to gnash their teeth over his wily proposal. Dane was proud that he'd been wilier. Pop believed that money would buy love, like castles in France and sandboxes in the Caribbean, but Dane knew money and love were not always good bed partners.

  Dane intended to tell Goldilocks when she awakened

  that his bed was not "just right" for her. She could just stick that in her proverbial little pipe and move into a smaller, less-appointed chamber.

  No. Sighing, he knew he wouldn't do that. There were three of her family and only one of him. Besides, he could be a gentleman if it was absolutely required, and in Suzy's case, it probably was. Besides, he didn't actually need the gold-outfitted bidet and tub Pop had in his master bath; he didn't need the slipper sofa by the hearth, nor the lush rugs underfoot surrounding the massive canopied bed. One of the other starker, less decked-out rooms would be fine for him—like this one.

  Restlessly he rose to light a fire in the small fireplace. The tinder caught slowly, the cold, damp logs reluctant to take the heat.

  He realized that no matter how much he fought it, staying on the ranch for a year was not going to be the easiest assignment he'd ever had. He'd talked himself into this "cream puff of a situation, but Pop would certainly laugh if he saw him now, cowed into a small bedroom and padding around with clean, silent feet, all thanks to Pop and his Grandchildren Conspiracy.

  Chapter Three

  In the morning, Suzy was awakened by her children stirring. Nicole gently touched her mother's face. Sandra waved a tiny hand at some sunlight streaming into the room. Suzy smiled, enjoying the gentle wake up. "You must be getting hungry," she told her girls, and then realized they had slept the entire night in the house without any incident concerning Dane Morgan. "This is going to work just fine," she said, putting on her clothes.

  She helped her daughters dress, a slow process because they were at the age when they wanted to do things themselves. Their little fingers weren't quite ready for pulling on tights to keep their legs warm, or brushing their own hair. Finally, they were all ready to leave the sanctuary of their bedroom and head into the kitchen.

  "Hold my hands," she told her girls. "We have to be very careful on these stairs." She tiptoed by the other bedrooms on the hall in order to avoid a run-in with Josiah's son, breathing much easier when she made it to the kitchen.

  But the dark-haired, cold-eyed handsome stranger sitting at the table pulled a startled shriek from her. He jumped to his feet, spilling hot coffee on his hand and swearing a blue streak. Her daughters began to cry so she clutched them to her, glaring at the stranger. "Who are you?"

  "Who are you?" he demanded. "You don't live here."

  She raised her chin. "I do live here. And if you don't leave right this instant, I'll scream. There's a man sleeping upstairs and he'll come running down—"

  The back door opened. "It's durn cold out—" Dane stopped when he saw the scene in the kitchen. His gaze swept over her, registering her panic, and then went to the stranger. He calmly walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

  Suzy gasped. "What are you doing?"

  "Washing my hands to warm them up." Dane smiled at her. "Is there a problem?"

  She blinked. "Do you know this person?"

  The man took off his hat, nodding to her. "My name's Pete. I'm one of Dane's brothers," he explained. "I let myself in," he said to Dane who merely nodded. "I apologize if I frightened you." He gave Suzy what she supposed was a reassuring smile. "Dane says I unnerve him when I pop in, too. I didn't realize he had company."

  "I am not his company," Suzy said, stiffening. "I'm the housekeeper."

  Pete grinned hugely. "Pop," he said to Dane. "He's got you by the short—"

  "Ah, let's get some breakfast on the table/' Dane interrupted. "Is that in your job description?" he asked Suzy. Tm not quite sure of all the parameters yet."

  These two were quite the pair. There was some unspoken joke going on between them, but Suzy was in no mood to guess what it was. "I cook for myself and my daughters," she said, getting out a box of oatmeal. "You two are on your own."

  She waited for Dane to move away from the sink so she could fill a pot with water. He looked at the pot a trifle regretfully before turning to his brother.

  "We're still working out the kinks in this housekeeping thing," he said, and Pete nodded.

  "1 see that." Pete slouched into his chair and put his feet up on another one, making himself right at home. Suzy's irritation rose, because, after all. it was his home and she hadn't factored being in a house with one man much less two. But no one had been on the ranch in six months— surely both of these men weren't planning on staying long.

  "Hope I won't be any trouble," Pete said.

  Suzy whirled to look at him, ignoring how fast her heart had begun to beat as she'd stood next to Dane at the sink. "Trouble?"

>   "Living here."

  Dane grinned. "Come to sweat it out for your share?"

  Pete shrugged. His gaze went to Suzy for just an instant. "Hadn't planned on it, but you two need a chaperone. Pop clearly didn't consider that in his scheming, but I might be persuaded."

  Suzy's daughters stared up at the big man, completely perplexed by the presence of two males. They hadn't been around many, and the Morgan men had deep voices and large, masculine presences. Suzy decided to skip the chaperone comment and went straight to the ominous word in Pete's analysis. "Scheming?"

  "You know. To get you two to fall in love with each other."

  Suzy froze. "Are you implying that my job is nothing more than a sham? A cover to induce me into playing house with your brother so that we'd somehow end up together?"

  Dane winced. 'That might be putting it a bit bluntly—"

  "Actually, I think she nailed Pop's plan," Pete said. "That seems to be the gist of it."

  "Now that we're all feeling very awkward, why don't we eat some oatmeal? Matters will probably seem less complicated on full stomachs." Dane glanced longingly at the pot Suzy still held in her hand.

  Suzy frowned. "Let me be perfectly clear on something. I am not here for anyone's amusement. Nor did your father seem like the type to be so underhanded. I'm shocked you would suggest it," she said to Pete. "And I'm annoyed that you don't refute it" she told Dane.

  Both brothers shrugged.

  "I think you two are troublemakers," Suzy said, "and if you're trying to run me out of this house to spite your father, a man I know neither of you got along with. I

  suggest you take your problems up with Mr. Morgan." She took a deep breath, set the pot on the stove. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to feed my children/'

  Suzy felt her hands tremble ever so slightly. Nicole and Sandra clung to her legs, probably sensing the tension in the room. She had a good mind to call Mr. Morgan and directly ask him what his sons were up to— but decided against it just as quickly. A check had been included with the letter in which Mr. Morgan had hired her, with a very generous three months* salary.

  She'd deposited the check. For the first time, she was feeling more comfortable financially. Mr. Morgan had given each of her children what he called inheritances, money that was tucked away in savings accounts for their education. What business arrangements existed between Mr. Morgan and herself were none of his sons* business. It was the brothers' fault if they felt uncomfortable around her—they should be ashamed of the stories they'd concocted about their own father!

  "Suzy. maybe we jumped to conclusions," Dane said. She ignored that and went on stirring oatmeal into the pot. "You don't know Pop like we do, though."

  "It doesn't matter. Your story is implausible. There's no way your father knew you'd be here, Dane. You didn't even know Pete was coming to stay."* She glanced at him. "I don't want to be dragged into your family issues, and from the way I see it, you have issues with your father. He doesn't really have them with you."

  Dane and Pete stared at her, their jaws slightly slack.

  She could tell she had shocked them—but wasn't that a good thing? These men were taking some childish anger out on an old man who cared for them deeply. "It's none of my concern," she said, putting brown sugar and butter into bowls. "Let's just go on like none of this ever happened." Even though it had already been said—and Dane had even kissed her! "As far as Pete's idea of a chaperone, it's a good one. I'll take care of that."

  Dane didn't look too happy, and Pete seemed to realize he'd caused his brother some type of predicament, but what he didn't realize was that Suzy herself had been reminded of her own mother's direct criticism of her "looseness." Suzy was an embarrassment to her wealthy family. She glanced at the brothers—too handsome and too cocky for their own good!—as she seated her daughters at the table and put their bowls in front of them.

  Without another glance at the men staring hungrily at the children's breakfast, Suzy began humming under her breath.

  Pete sighed as he and his brother went out to one of the barns. "Sorry if I'm cramping your love nest. I assumed you'd be alone."

  Dane held in a groan. "I didn't realize I had company, either, until yesterday. Needless to say, Pop's probably laughing in the French countryside, enjoying the grapes and the excellent cuisine."

  "I bet. You know, I've never liked this place. It was

  never a home. We were too far from town to have friends, and Pop was too busy to he a father. I wouldn't even he here if it wasn't for the money."

  "Got yourself in a hind?" Dane asked curiously, and Pete nodded.

  "You. too?"

  "Yeah," Dane said, thinking about his partner. "You'd think with Pop as a role model, I wouldn't have gotten sucked into a con game, but I did. Lost my savings." Dane shook his head. "And now it seems we're getting sucked into another."

  "Not me," Pete said. "I never got a letter from Pop asking me to look out for a woman. I figure I'm in the clear by now."

  Dane shook his head. "If I were you, I'd be even more wary."

  Pete stopped in the motion of slinging a saddle across a wooden horse. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "I've always feared the unknown most with Pop." Dane grinned at his brother, enjoying the chance to have the upper hand, if only for a moment. "I know what my full downside is—Suzy. The other shoe has yet to drop for you."

  "Maybe Suzy's my dream girl." Pete said, then laughed at Dane's shocked expression. "Oh, come on. Pop's not picky about who pairs up with whom, just as long as we pair up with some woman and provide him with grandchildren."

  Dane stopped his work to give his brother a full glaring. "What is a secret agent going to do with a wife?"

  "Be very happy," Pete said. "I'm thinking about settling down."

  Dane laughed. "Like hell you are." His brother was only thirty and still had the call of the wild written all over him. Tough and sinewy, with glacial dark eyes and cheeks sculpted by demons—at least that's what Pop had always said—Pete was no ladies' man.

  No man lor a lady, and certainly not tor a lady like Su/y.

  "Feel like a gentle wager?" Pete asked.

  Dane raised a brow. "As a former Texas Ranger, I should say no, but curiosity compels me to ask what you have in mind."

  "Suzy falls for me, and you owe me a night of babysitting her little angels so I can romance their mother."

  "That's heinous," Dane said, feeling a flicker of jealousy that shook him. "Betting on a woman's feelings is ungentlemanly."

  Pete laughed. "Bro, you're taking a leaf out of Gabriel's book."

  "Meaning?"

  "You're already down for the count."

  Dane snorted and grabbed some neatsfoot oil to clean and shine the saddle. He completely ignored Pete and his dumb observation. The thing that Pete didn't know was Dane was moving to Mexico where the palm trees waved and the sun shone hot, the tortillas were soft and the ladies were sweet. He hated Texas and

  nothing—and no one—was ever going to entice him to stay for long.

  Unlike Pete, whose job chasing international baddies might be wearing thin. Maybe Pete's wandering feet were beginning to cool off.

  "Listen, Pete," he said suddenly and abruptly, as if to underline his own mental game, "If you're frustrated and lonely and looking for a good time, by all means, put on your best show for Suzy. And I might add she's probably not the only single woman in town. Best part is, these days all roads lead to town pretty quickly, and you've got a shiny truck to get you there for all the womanizing you can stand during your break."

  Pete laughed and went looking for something in the barn. Dane put the whole incident out of his mind for a moment, then took a pocketknife out of his back pocket. With a careful stroke, he notched two lines on the wood rail beside the saddle.

  Only three hundred sixty-three more days to go.

  Cricket Jasper had known Suzy Winterstone a long time, and if Suzy said she needed help, then Suzy needed help. So with
out hesitation Cricket packed her bags and headed out from Fort Wylie to spend a week with Suzy at an old house in the deep country.

  Cricket wasn't sure why Suzy wouldn't come back to Fort Wylie. The Winterstones weren't the most affectionate clan, but that they missed their only daughter, Cricket was certain. They were still mad about the unplanned

  pregnancy, but that was over two years past. Surely it was time to put all those hot emotions in the past.

  Cricket could feel forgiveness since she was a deacon. And Suzy was like a sister to her—she wanted Suzy to be happy. Family matters weren't important at the moment, Cricket decided, and parked her little Volkswagen beside the two big trucks in the Morgan ranch driveway, and the smaller, older car that Cricket recognized as Suzy's.

  Suzy came out on the porch, waiting with a big smile and her two little girls beside her. Cricket hadn't seen the girls since they were born—just tiny babies—so she hurried to sweep them into her arms. "I'm so glad to see you, Suzy. And these two little dumplings!"

  Suzy smiled, grateful her friend had arrived. 'Thank you so much for coming out."

  "No problem," Cricket told her with a hug. "The minute you said you needed help, I penciled in vacation time...." Her words trailed off as two large men walked toward the house from an outlying barn. "My goodness, they grow them big in the country, don't they?"

  Suzy frowned. "At least the Morgans seem to be larger than life. They're the reason I need help."

  "They live here?" Cricket's eyes were huge.

  She nodded. "You'll quickly understand why their father despairs of them."

  "Well, I—" Cricket glanced at the men again. "Do you have to live here with them?"

  "I didn't know they'd be here when I took the position. I've deposited my three months' salary, and

  frankly, I need the money. Not to mention I was eager to find a position where I could stay home with my children while they're so young."