The Bull Rider's Baby Bombshell. Amanda Renee

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