Her Secret Twins. Janette Foreman

some window blinds beyond repair, chip the counter and knock the screen door off its hinges.

      Rachel had watched the kids so Kallie could at least surface clean this place after the employee left, but that’s as far as she’d gotten. And unfortunately, by then, she’d been the only one who could’ve worked on the cottage because Dad wasn’t able-bodied. She could have hired someone to help, but that had just been too much to deal with at the time.

      No way could she handle a list of repairs right now just because Grant had decided he didn’t want to stay in town.

      Then again, she reminded herself she didn’t need to repair things right now, because Grant wasn’t going to be here that long. Obviously longer than she’d thought, but not for forever.

      Grant shifted Peter higher in his arms, but the poor boy wasn’t interested in staying with him. Grant set him on the floor and let him toddle into the living room. Kallie wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t had a chance to clean that carpet.”

      “He should be fine, right?”

      She eyed Grant, not amused. He seemed to get the message and picked Peter up again. They moved out to the porch and let the kids down to look around. A faint breeze whispered in the cottonwoods nearby, intermingling with the distant song of sparrows and finches. Kallie longed to relax into it, but how could she when Grant rattled her?

      “So…” Breaking the silence, his voice came quietly as they stared over the expanse of prairie and trees. “When’s their birthday?”

      “May third,” she said.

      “What are their full names?”

      “Peter Allen and Ainsley Elise.”

      “When did they take their first steps?”

      Her heart began to tug. “Eleven months.”

      “First words?” His voice sounded gravelly this time, and a burn started behind Kallie’s eyes.

      “Ainsley says ‘Mama,’ but Peter hasn’t said anything discernible yet.”

      “Well, soon, they’ll learn ‘Daddy,’ too.”

      Kallie closed her eyes. “It takes a while for them to learn new words at this stage, Grant.”

      “I don’t mind.”

      “How long are you planning to stay, exactly?”

      “Oh, I’m not leaving.” He matched her stare. “I just found out I’m a dad to twins. You couldn’t drag me out of here with a crowbar and a winch.” He turned to face her full on. “And another thing. I’ve decided to keep my half of the inheritance. I’m planning to pay child support, and I’m getting a paternity test and seeking joint custody.”

      “Are you serious?”

      “Dead serious.”

      Fear rippled through her, the surety of his list shaking her foundation. Everything she knew was changing so fast. Too fast. Turning on her heel, she scooped up the children, then marched down the porch steps and deposited them inside the stroller.

      Her hands shook as she tried to secure their harnesses. Grant’s boot falls sounded behind her.

      “You can’t hide from this, Kal.” This time, his voice was soft yet firm. “We’re going to have to talk about things like custody at some point.”

      She whirled toward him. “Don’t you dare take my children away from me!”

      His gaze narrowed. “They’re our children, and who said anything about taking them away? I’m staying right here on the farm, remember?”

      Yes, she remembered. But how long until his wanderlust got the better of him and he decided to take off? He was only here for the kids, not for her. There was nothing keeping him on the farm. “What about your job in Iowa? I thought you loved it.”

      “I do.” He shrugged. “I’ll try working it from here for a while, see what happens. I’ll figure something out.” His sobering gaze met hers. “I’m not taking them out of your life. It’s not right for them to grow up without a dad, but it’s also not right to be without a mom. We need to be serious about coparenting and somehow making this family thing work.”

      Family? Kallie’s mouth ran dry. How could they possibly become something like that?

      “Okay, Kal? You’re going to have to trust me on this.”

      What could she say? Nothing made sense in her jostled thoughts. She said good-night and pushed the kids back toward her house. Because the truth was, she had trusted him to stick around—after he’d asked her to marry him. He’d broken that trust. And with it, her heart.

      The stroller’s wheels crunched softly over the gravel in an otherwise soundless evening, the moon high overhead. Any summer night that she came outside and saw the moon positioned here, she thought about Grant. Counting stars in his truck bed and eating s’mores around homemade campfires. Talking about life, love and the future. So many good memories under that moon. So many slipups, too. Two flawed human beings trying to forge ahead into a marriage when they’d had no idea how to do so effectively.

      And now he was planning to stay on the farm. For the foreseeable future. For the kids.

      She should be happy about that. Relieved. She’d been so scared that he would reject Ainsley and Peter, but he’d actually done the opposite. He’d embraced them, jumped in full force.

      So why did she feel uneasy about it?

      She knew why. She was worried he wouldn’t stick to his devotion. That he’d prove her right and be discovered as untrustworthy. Of course, Kallie wasn’t innocent in this whole situation either, but all the same, she wasn’t sure she’d ever fully trust Grant again, no matter what.

      Kallie glanced upward again, searching the darkening sky for a moment of clarity. Lord, help me know what to do now.