Hawk's Way: Rebels: The Temporary Groom. Joan Johnston

and the name had stuck. Colt was the only one of them who had been adopted as a baby. The rest of them had all known at least one other parent before being abandoned, orphaned, or fostered out.

      “Is anybody there?” Jewel asked breathlessly. “If this is the kidnapper, we’ll pay whatever you ask.”

      “It’s me, Jewel.”

      “Cherry! Where are you? Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

      “I’m fine. I’m at Billy Stonecreek’s ranch.”

      “So he did kidnap you! I’ll send Daddy to get you right away.”

      “No! I mean…” Cherry had turned her back to Mrs. Trask and kept her voice low thus far, but she figured there was no sense postponing the inevitable. “Billy didn’t kidnap me. Last night we flew to Las Vegas and got married.”

      She was met with stunned silence on the other end of the line. Which was a good thing, because Mrs. Trask gave an outraged shriek that brought the two little girls back downstairs on the run.

      “Nana! Nana! What’s wrong?”

      “I have to go now, Jewel,” Cherry said. “Tell Zach and Rebecca I’m okay, and that I’ll come to see them soon and explain everything.”

      “Cherry, don’t—”

      Cherry hung up the phone in time to turn and greet the twins a second time. Again, she identified the twin taking the lead as Raejean, which meant the one standing slightly behind her was Annie. “Hello, Raejean. Hello, Annie.”

      “I’m Annie,” Raejean contradicted.

      Before Annie could misidentify herself as Raejean, Mrs. Trask snapped, “Don’t bother trying to tell them apart. They’re identical, you know.”

      “But—” From Billy’s descriptions of them it was so obvious to her which twin was which. Couldn’t Mrs. Trask see the difference?

      “What’s wrong, Nana?” Raejean asked. “Why did you scream?”

      Mrs. Trask’s face looked more like a beet or a turnip than a human head, she was so flushed. It was clear she wasn’t sure exactly what to say.

      “Your grandmother was just excited about some news she heard,” Cherry said.

      “What news?” Annie asked.

      “It’s a surprise I think your Daddy will want to tell you about himself when he gets home,” Cherry said.

      “We’re not going to be here that long,” Mrs. Trask retorted. “The girls and I are leaving.”

      “Not until Billy gets back,” Cherry said firmly. “I’m sure Raejean and Annie want to wait and say goodbye to their father.” Cherry turned to the girls and asked, “Don’t you?”

      Raejean eyed her consideringly, but Annie piped up, “I want to wait for Daddy.”

      Mrs. Trask made an angry sound in her throat. “I hope you’re happy now,” she said to Cherry. “My grandchildren have had a difficult enough time over the past year, without adding someone like you to the picture.”

      Cherry reminded herself that Mrs. Trask was always going to be Raejean and Annie’s grandmother. Throwing barbs now, however satisfying it might be, would only cause problems later. Zach and Rebecca would have been astounded at her tact when she spoke.

      “I’m sorry we surprised you like this, Mrs. Trask. I know Billy will want to explain everything to you himself. Won’t you consider waiting until he returns before you leave?”

      “No.”

      Of course, there were times when being blunt worked best. Cherry crossed to stand beside the twins. “I’m sorry you have to leave, Mrs. Trask. The girls and I will have Billy give you a call when he gets home.”

      Cherry saw the moment when Mrs. Trask realized that she had been outmaneuvered. She wasn’t going to make a quick and easy escape with Billy’s children. Cherry was there to stand in her way.

      Billy chose that moment to pull open the screen door and step into the kitchen.

      Annie and Raejean gave shrieks of joy and raced into his wide open arms. He lifted them both, one in each arm, and gave them each a smacking kiss. “How are my girls?” he asked.

      Raejean answered for both of them.

      “Some man got mad at Mrs. Motherwell because she didn’t know where you were and Nana came and Mrs. Motherwell packed her bags and left and Nana said we should pack, too, and go live with her until you came back home, only this lady came a little while ago and said you were coming home really soon and we had to wait for you because you have a surprise for us. What’s our surprise, Daddy? Can we have it now?”

      Cherry had watched Billy’s narrowed gaze flicker from his daughter to Mrs. Trask and back again as Raejean made her breathless recital. When Raejean got to the part about a surprise, his gaze shot to her, and she thought she saw both panic and resignation.

      “What are you doing back here so soon?” Mrs. Trask said. “I was told you were going into town for sup plies.”

      “I got stopped by the police long before I got there and arrested for kidnapping,” Billy said.

      “Then why aren’t you in jail?” Mrs. Trask demanded.

      Billy’s lips curled. “I showed them my marriage license.”

      “Who got kidnapped, Daddy?” Annie asked.

      “Nobody, sweetheart,” Billy replied. “It was all a big mistake.”

      “Then, can we have our surprise now?” Annie asked.

      He knelt down and set them back on their feet. Keeping an arm around each of them, he said, “The surprise is that you have a new mother.”

      Annie’s brow furrowed. “A new mother?”

      Raejean frowned. “Our mother is in heaven.”

      “I know that,” Billy said in a sandpaper-rough voice that made Cherry’s throat swell with emotion. “I’ve married someone else who’s going to be your mother from now on.”

      Raejean and Annie looked at each other, then turned as one to stare with shocked, suspicious eyes at Cherry.

      Raejean’s head shot around to confront her father. “Her?”

      Billy nodded.

      Raejean jerked free and shouted, “I don’t want another mother! Make her go away!” Then she ran from the room.

      Annie’s eyes had filled with tears and one spilled over as she stared at Raejean’s fleeing form. Cherry willed the softhearted child to accept her, but Annie paused only another moment before she turned and ran after her sister.

      Cherry met Billy’s stricken gaze. She felt sick to her stomach. The two charming and innocent little girls she had married Billy to save from harm, didn’t want anything to do with her.

      “You’re a fool, Billy,” Mrs. Trask said, grabbing her purse from the kitchen counter. “I don’t know what you hoped to accomplish with this charade, but it won’t work. I’m more convinced than ever that my grandchildren belong with me.” She gave Cherry a look down her nose. “I’ll see you both in court.”

      She made a grand exit through the doorway that led to the front of the house. Cherry and Billy stood unmoving until they heard the front door slam behind her.

      “She’s right,” Billy said. “I always intend to do the right thing, but somehow it turns out wrong.”

      “This wasn’t wrong, Billy. If I hadn’t gotten here when I did, Mrs. Trask would have taken the children and been gone before you returned. At least Raejean and Annie are still here.”

      “And angry and unhappy.”

      “We