Читать книгу: «Triple Trouble / A Real Live Cowboy: Triple Trouble», страница 2

Chapter Two

The following morning, the same limo driver picked Nick up promptly at 9:00 a.m.

“We’re here, sir.” The driver’s voice broke Nick’s absorption in memories and he realized they were parked in front of a white rambler with a fenced yard and worn grass. It looked lived-in and comfortable.

“So we are,” he muttered.

“Mr. Sanchez told me to wait and drive you all to the airport when you’re ready, sir.”

“Good, thanks,” Nick said absently, focused on what awaited him within the house.

A round young woman in jeans and green T-shirt answered his knock, a little girl perched on her hip.

“Hello, you must be Nick Fortune. I’m Christie Williams. My husband and I are…were friends of Stan and Amy. We volunteered to be temporary foster parents for the girls. Come in.”

She held the door wide and Nick stepped over the threshold into a living room, the green carpet strewn with toys. Two babies sat on the floor in the midst of the confusion of blocks, balls, stuffed animals and brightly colored plastic things that Nick couldn’t identify. The girls’ black hair and bright blue eyes were carbon copies of the child on Christie’s hip, who stared at him with solemn interest.

A woman in a gray business suit rose from the sofa as he entered.

“Mr. Fortune, it’s a pleasure to see you.” She stepped forward and held out her hand, her grip firm in a brief handshake. “I’m Carol Smith, the caseworker. As you can see, the girls are doing well.”

Nick nodded, murmuring an absent acknowledgment, his attention on the two little girls seated on the floor. Both of them eyed him with solemn, bigeyed consideration. They were dressed in tiny little tennis shoes and long pants with attached bibs, one in pale purple, one in pink. He glanced at the baby perched on the foster mother’s hip. She wore the same little bibbed pants with tennis shoes, only her outfit was bright yellow.

“They’re identical?” He hadn’t expected them to look so much alike. If it wasn’t for the color of their clothes, he wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

“Yes, they are,” Ms. Smith replied. “It’s quite rare, actually. In today’s world, many multiple births are the result of in vitro procedures and the children are more commonly fraternal twins or triplets. But Jackie, Jenny and Jessie are truly identical.”

“I see.” Great. How am I going to tell them apart?

“Fortunately, Amy had their names engraved on custom-made bracelets for each of them. She and Stan didn’t need to use them, of course, but any time the triplets had a babysitter, the bracelets were immensely helpful,” the foster mother added. “This is Jackie.” She shifted the little girl off her hip and handed her to Nick.

Taken off guard, he automatically took the child, holding her awkwardly in midair with his hands at her waist.

Jackie stared at him, blue eyes solemn as she studied him, her legs dangling. She wriggled, little legs scissoring, and Nick cradled her against his chest to keep from dropping her.

She responded by chortling and grabbing a fistful of his blue polo shirt in one hand and smacking him in the chin with her other. Startled, Nick eyed the little girl who seemed to find it hilarious that she’d found his chin. She babbled a series of nonsensical sounds, and then paused to look expectantly at him.

He looked at the foster mother in confusion. “What did she say?”

The woman laughed, her eyes twinkling. “I have no idea. She’ll be perfectly happy if you just respond in some way.”

“Oh.” Nick looked down into the little face, still clearly awaiting a response. “Uh, yeah. That sounds good,” he said, trying his best to sound as if he was agreeing with an actual question.

Jackie responded with delight, waving her arms enthusiastically and babbling once again.

Five minutes of this back and forth and Nick started to feel as if he were getting the hang of baby chat.

“Do they know any real words?” he asked the two women after he’d taken turns holding each of the little girls and had exchanged similar conversations with Jenny and Jessie.

“Not that I’ve heard,” Christie volunteered. “But at twelve months, I wouldn’t expect them to, necessarily.”

Nick nodded, watching the three as they sat on the floor, playing with large, plastic, red-and-blue blocks. Jenny threw one and the square red toy bounced off his knee. He grinned when she laughed, waving her hands before she grabbed another block. She tossed with more enthusiasm than accuracy and it flew across the room. Clearly disappointed, she frowned at him when he chuckled.

“They’re going to be a handful,” he murmured, more to himself than to the two women.

“Oh, they certainly will be—and are,” Christie agreed. “Have you hired a nanny to help you care for them?”

“Not yet. I called a Red Rock employment agency this morning, but they didn’t have anyone on their books. They promised to keep searching and call the minute they find someone.” Nick glanced at his watch. “I have reservations for a noon flight.”

“You’re going to fly the girls back to Red Rock?”

Nick switched his gaze from the girls to Christie. Her facial expression reflected the concern in her question.

“I’d planned to.” He didn’t miss the quick exchange of worried looks between the foster mother and social worker. “Is there a problem with taking the girls on an airplane?”

“I’m just wondering how you’re going to juggle all three of them, let alone their luggage, stroller and the carry-on bags with their things.” Carol Smith pointed at the corner of the living room closest to the outer door. The area was filled with luggage, a large leather shoulder bag, toys and three ungainly looking children’s car seats. A baby stroller for three was parked to one side.

“All of that belongs to the girls?” Nick rapidly considered the logistics, calculating what needed to be moved, stored, checked at the gate before the flight. “I can load their things into the back of the limo and get a redcap at the airport.”

“Well, yes, you can,” Christie agreed. “But Jessie has an ear infection and is taking antibiotics plus Tylenol for pain, and I’m not at all sure the pediatrician would approve of her flying. And even if he okayed the trip, you’d still have to take care of all three of them on the flight, all by yourself.” She eyed him dubiously.

“Is that an insurmountable problem?” he asked.

“For one person, it certainly could be,” Carol Smith put in. “Especially when one of them needs a diaper changed or if they all are hungry at once.”

“Is that likely to happen?”

“Yes,” the two women said in unison.

“I see.” Nick really was beginning to see why the women seemed dubious. Maybe they were right to be apprehensive about his ability to care for these kids. Just transporting three babies was going to be much more complicated than he’d anticipated. On the other hand, he’d organized and directed programs for large companies. How hard could it be to handle three little kids?

“You two have a lot more experience at this than me. Do you have any suggestions?”

“If I were you,” Christie said firmly, “I’d rent a car and drive back to Red Rock. And I’d hire someone to make the trip with me, because I can’t imagine any possible way you can do this without at least one other person to help.”

Nick instantly thought of Charlene and wished fervently that he’d gotten her phone number. But he had no way to contact her, and besides, he thought, she’d sounded definite when she’d turned down his offer of employment as the girls’ nanny.

He ran his hand over his hair, rumpling it. “Unless one of you is prepared to volunteer, I’m afraid I’m on my own.”

“Is there a family member who could fly here and drive back to Red Rock with you?”

“Maybe.” He considered the idea, realizing that he had no other choice. “But it will take time to locate someone, and they probably couldn’t get here until tomorrow at the earliest. I’d like to get the girls home and settled in as soon as possible.”

The three adults had identical frowns on their faces as they observed the triplets who were happily unaware of the life decisions being considered.

Nick’s cell phone rang, breaking the brief silence. He glanced at the unfamiliar number in his Caller ID and nearly ignored it. Instinct, however, had him answering the call.

“Hello.” The female voice was familiar. “This is Charlene London.”

While eating dinner with her mother and Lloyd, Charlene had felt distinctly like a fifth wheel.

She liked Lloyd and it was clear the man adored Angie. Her mother also clearly felt the same about the charming, gray-haired architect.

Which delighted Charlene. But it left her with a serious problem. Her plan to live with her mother while she searched for a job and an apartment of her own was no longer plausible. But Angie was sure to object if she abruptly changed her plans, and Charlene strongly suspected Lloyd would feel as if his presence had forced her from the condo. He really is a nice man, she thought, smiling as she remembered the besotted look on his face when he’d gazed at Angie over dessert.

She knew any one of her sisters or brothers would welcome her into their homes, but they all led crowded, busy lives. She really didn’t want to choose that option, either.

What she really needed was an instant job—and a place to live that wouldn’t make her mother or Lloyd feel guilty when she left.

“I could take Nicholas’s job offer,” she murmured to herself. Having retired to her bedroom early, she donned her pajamas. “But that means going back to Red Rock.”

She didn’t want to return to Red Rock. She wanted a new start, far enough away so there was no possibility she would run into Barry and his friends while shopping, dining out, running errands, or any of the dozens of activities that made up her normal life.

She slipped into bed and spent an hour trying to read, but her concentration was fractured as she continued to mull over her changed situation.

The antique clock in the hallway chimed midnight. Charlene realized she’d spent the last hour lying in the dark, unsuccessfully trying to sleep. She muttered in disgust and sat up to switch on the bedside lamp. It cast a pool of light over the bed as she tossed back the covers and padded barefoot across the carpet to retrieve Nicholas’s card from her purse.

The phone number on the back of the card was written in decisive, black slashes. Charlene flipped the square card over to read the front and gasped, feeling her eyes widen.

“Nicholas Fortune?” She stared at the logo on the business card. “He’s a member of the Fortune family?” Stunned, she considered the startling information.

Nicholas’s status as part of the prominent family eliminated many of her concerns. There was little likelihood she’d run into Barry if she worked as a live-in nanny for one of the Fortunes. The two men moved in far different circles. Which put a whole new slant on the possibility of going back to Red Rock, she realized.

It also explained why he’d offered a two-part employment bonus. Fifty-thousand dollars was probably small change for one of the Fortunes.

She tucked the card carefully into her purse and turned out the light. Working for Nicholas could turn out to be the opportunity she’d been looking for.

On the other hand, how would she deal with her attraction to him? Would she end up sleeping with him if she lived in his house to care for the babies?

She frowned, fingertips massaging the slight ache at her temples.

Surely she could handle living in close quarters with a handsome, sexy man for a few weeks, she told herself. And, given Nick’s good looks and probably wealth, he no doubt had beautiful women by the dozens waiting for him to call.

No, it wasn’t likely she needed to worry about Nick making a pass at her. The real question was, could she maintain a purely professional attitude toward him?

When she thought about the bonus he’d offered, she could only conclude she needed to set aside any emotional elements and make a purely practical decision.

The following morning, she waited until she’d showered and broke the news to her mother and Lloyd over breakfast before calling Nicholas.

“Hello.”

The deep male tones shivered up her spine, and for a brief second she questioned the wisdom of agreeing to work for a man as attractive as Nicholas Fortune. Then she reminded herself just how badly she needed this job. “If it’s not too late, I’d like to take you up on your offer of the nanny position,” she said briskly.

“You’re hired. How soon can you be ready to leave?”

“Almost immediately—I didn’t unpack last night. What time is your flight?”

“Change of plans. I’m not flying the triplets back to Red Rock, we’re driving.”

“Oh.”

“Give me your address and I’ll pick you up as soon as I have the car loaded.”

Charlotte quickly recited her mother’s address and said goodbye. For a moment, she stared at her pink cell phone.

Have I just made a colossal mistake?

At the sound of his deep voice, she’d felt shivers of awareness race up her spine and tingle down her arms to her fingertips.

Then she remembered Barry, and her body instantly calmed as if the reaction to Nicholas had never happened. She wasn’t ready to be attracted to another man. All she had to do was remind herself of her poor judgment and disappointment with Barry and she was safe, she realized with relief.

Reassured, she set her nearly full suitcase on top of the bed and tucked her pajamas into it. A quick trip into the bathroom to collect her toiletries, and she was ready to face her mother and Lloyd.

Squaring her shoulders and drawing a deep breath, she slung her purse over her shoulder, picked up her two bags, and headed downstairs.

Across town, Nick wrestled with the complexities of fastening three car seats into the SUV the rental company had delivered. Fortunately, the vehicle was big enough to have a third seat section and had enough room for an adult to sit between two of the triplets, if necessary.

At last, the babies’ car seats were securely locked in place and the bags and boxes filled with the triplets’ clothes, toys and food were packed into the back of the SUV. The girls were buckled into their seats, each with a treasured blanket and a favorite stuffed toy in her arms, and their foster mother tearfully kissed them good-bye. Nick had a brand-new appreciation for the details of traveling with three babies when he finally pulled away from the curb.

Fortunately for him, the girls all fell asleep within minutes of driving off.

The motion of the car must lull them to sleep. Good to know.

If they had trouble sleeping at his house, he realized, he could always drive them around his neighborhood.

But he knew figuring out this clue about the babies wasn’t enough to make him a reliable substitute parent. If he and the triplets were going to survive until the attorney located Amy’s sister, he’d need all the help he could get.

Charlene London was his ace in the hole. He was convinced she had the expertise that he knew damn well he lacked.

He hoped to hell he was right, because he was betting everything on her ability to handle the triplets. If he was wrong, this road trip was going to turn into a nightmare.

Nick’s relief at the triplets falling peacefully asleep didn’t last long. The girls all woke when he reached the address Charlene had given him and the SUV stopped moving. They immediately began to loudly protest being buckled into their car seats. Charlene said goodbye to her mother and friend in the midst of chaos.

Ten minutes after pulling away from the curb, Nick was no longer convinced he’d found the magic bullet to lull the babies asleep. They cried and fussed nonstop, despite the motion of the SUV.

Several hours of driving south and many miles later, Nicholas turned off the highway into a rest stop and parked. The sun shone brightly, but the afternoon air was still chilly. He left the engine running and the heater on to keep the interior as comfortable as possible for Jenny and Jackie while Charlene changed Jessie’s diaper. The little girl lay on the leather seat, kicking her bare legs with obvious delight while Charlene stood in the open V of the door. Despite the churning little legs, Charlene deftly removed, replaced and snugly fastened a clean disposable nappy.

“I’ve done my share of tailgating at football games, but this is a new experience,” Nick commented as Charlene pulled down Jessie’s knit pants and snapped the leg openings closed.

“You’re in a whole new world, Nick.” She lifted the little girl into her arms, tickling her. Jessie chortled and Charlene laughed. They both looked up to grin at him.

Nick shook his head. Crazy as it seemed, he could swear their faces held identical expressions of feminine wisdom and mystery. “I’m not sure I’m ready for a new world,” he murmured as he took the diaper bag from Charlene and returned it to the storage area in the back of the SUV. “I’m getting some coffee,” he said, louder this time, so Charlene could hear him. “Want some?”

“Yes, please, I’d love a cup.”

Nick crossed the patch of grass between the curb where he’d parked the SUV and the concrete apron surrounding the low-roofed building housing the restrooms. Volunteers manned a small kiosk on one side and offered weary travelers coffee and cookies.

By the time he slid behind the steering wheel again, Charlene had Jessie fastened into her car seat and was buckling her own safety belt. She took the foam cup he held out to her and sipped.

“How bad is it?” he asked, unable to look away from the sight of the pink tip of her tongue as she licked a tiny drop of coffee from the corner of her mouth.

“Not too bad.”

He lifted an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

“Okay, so it’s not Starbucks,” she conceded with a chuckle. “But it’s coffee and I need the caffeine. I was awake late last night and up early this morning. I really, really need the jolt.”

Nick glanced at his watch as they drove away from the rest stop. “The attorney told me the girls are in bed and asleep by seven every night. You’re the expert, but I’m guessing it might be a good idea to find a motel earlier rather than later so we can keep them on schedule, if possible.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea.” She glanced over her shoulder at the triplets’ drowsy faces. “If we stop earlier, we’ll have time to feed them, give them baths, and let them play for a little while before tucking them in for the night.”

The motel Nick pulled into was just off the highway. Behind the motel, the tree-lined streets of a small town were laid out in neat blocks, and fairgrounds with an empty grandstand were visible a dozen or so blocks away. Nick was familiar with the motel chain and, as he’d hoped, the staff assured him they could accommodate the needs of three babies.

With quick calculation, he asked for two connecting rooms—one for the girls and Charlene, and one for him. He hoped the babies would sleep through the night.

Not for the first time, he thanked God Charlene had agreed to be the girls’ nanny. If he could manage to ignore the fact that she was a beautiful woman, she made the perfect employee.

“If we both carry the girls in first, I can transfer the luggage while you keep an eye on them in the room,” he told Charlene when he returned to the SUV. “We’re on the ground floor, just inside the lobby and down the hall.”

He handed her a key card. “Why don’t you carry Jessie, I’ll take Jackie and Jenny.”

After unhooking the girls and handing Jenny to Nick while he held Jackie, Charlotte lifted Jessie and followed Nick into the motel.

“Our rooms are through there.” He led the way toward the hallway on the far side of the lobby.

Distracted by her view of his back, Charlene forgot to reply. Beneath the battered brown leather jacket, powerful shoulder muscles flexed as Jackie and Jenny squirmed in his hold. The jacket ended at his waist and faded Levis fit snugly over his taut backside and down the long length of his legs.

Get a grip, she told herself firmly. Stop ogling the man’s rear and focus on the job—and the babies.

“Have you got the key?”

Nick’s question startled her and she realized he’d halted outside a room.

Feeling her cheeks heat and hoping he hadn’t caught her staring at his backside, she quickly slid the key card through the lock slot and opened the door.

“After you.” Nick held the door while she carried Jessie inside.

“Nice. Very nice.” She halted at the foot of the queen-size bed and glanced around, taking in a round table with three chairs tucked into one corner near the draped window.

Nick swept the room with a quick, assessing gaze. “Yeah, not bad. The connecting room is ours too.” He bent and carefully set Jackie on the carpeted floor, then Jenny. Straightening, he took another key card from his back pocket and crossed the room to open the door to the room on the side. “They’re exactly the same,” he said after briefly looking. He returned and halted next to Jackie, bending to remove a handful of bedspread from her mouth. “Hey,” he said gently. “I’m not sure you should be chewing on that.”

“She’s probably hungry.” Charlene set Jessie on her diaper-padded bottom next to Jackie, and handed both girls a small stuffed bear each. Both beamed up at her and Jackie instantly shoved a furry bear leg into her mouth. “Hmmm, make that she’s definitely hungry.”

“I’ll bring up the bag with their food before the rest of the luggage. Anything else you need right away?”

“If you could bring up the diaper bag too, that would be great.”

He nodded and left the room.

“Well, girls, let’s see what we can do to make you comfortable.” Charlene laughed when Jessie blew a raspberry before smiling beatifically. “Are you going to be the class clown?” she teased.

Jessie gurgled and tipped sideways before righting herself and reaching for Jackie’s bear.

“Oh no you don’t, kiddo.” Charlene made sure each little girl had their own stuffed animal before calling the front desk. The clerk assured her he would arrange to have three high chairs from the restaurant sent to the room immediately. He also confirmed that Nick had requested three cribs during check-in and that someone would be delivering and setting them up within a half hour.

Satisfied that arrangements were under way, Charlene barely had time to replace the phone in its cradle before Nick returned with the box containing baby paraphernalia and two bags.

For the next two hours, neither she nor Nick had a moment to draw a deep breath. The high chairs were delivered while he was bringing in the luggage. Later, Charlene and Nick spooned food into little mouths, wiped chins and sticky fingers and tried to keep strained carrots from staining their own clothes.

Neither of them wanted to tackle eating dinner in the restaurant downstairs while accompanied by the triplets, so they ordered in. Nick insisted Charlene eat first, and she hurried to chew bites of surprisingly good pasta and chicken while he lay on the carpet, rolling rubber balls to the triplets. By the time Charlene’s plate was empty, all three babies were yawning and rubbing their eyes.