Their Inherited Triplets. Cathy Gillen Thacker

could, Sam thought, with a ferocity that surprised him, if you would ever give us even half a chance.

      But Lulu wouldn’t, he realized, watching her long legs eat up the ground. Not back then, when they had loved each other, and clearly not now, given the lingering animosity between them.

      He caught up with her, overwhelmed yet again with the desire to sweep her into his arms and kiss her until she melted against him. Pushing the impulse aside, he retorted gruffly, “We need to think about what is right for the kids, Lulu.” Not what either of us wish could happen in some fantasy world.

      She shut one barn door, then the other. Over her shoulder, she sent him a contemplative look and said, “I am thinking, Sam.” She brushed past him and headed for the porch of her small and tidy cottage-style home.

      She settled on one of the cozy wicker chairs on the front porch. With a gesture, she invited him to make himself comfortable, too. “In fact, I haven’t stopped mulling over what to do since the moment I heard about the triplets being orphaned. Which is why I know in my heart that the boys need to be here in Laramie County, where they will be well cared for and loved. Not just by you or me but by the whole community.”

      Sam wasn’t surprised Lulu was feeling protective. She had always been sweetly maternal. An emotion that as of late had been bestowed upon her bees.

      She had also switched gears pretty quickly. From cantankerous ex slash opponent, to heartbroken business owner, to ferociously determined nanny-to-be. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were moving too fast, if they shouldn’t ask for an extra few days to think about what they wanted to do, before they gave Hiram their answer.

      Able to see how Lulu might take such a suggestion, however, he said only, “You’re really willing to go all out to lend a hand, even after what happened here at the Honeybee Ranch today?” A theft that had left her devastated?

      She gave him a look that said, Especially after this. “First of all, Sam,” she reflected sadly, “we owe it to our friends to do everything we can to protect and nurture their three little boys.”

      Renewed grief wafted over him, too. “I agree,” he said gruffly.

      “Second, it’ll keep me busy until I see if my hives will ever be recovered.” As she seemed to fear they wouldn’t be. “Third, to make this work, you’re going to need help. Lots of it.”

      He leaned against a post on the porch and studied her. Aware the impulsive, reckless, romantic side of her was simultaneously the most thrilling and the most irritating. Which made him wonder just how long she would last, in what was likely to be a very challenging—and potentially heartbreaking—situation.

      He sauntered toward her. “I don’t half do anything, Lulu.” A fact he’d made perfectly clear ten years before.

      Her lower lip slid out in a delicious pout. She rose with elegant grace to face off with him. “Unlike me, I suppose?”

      He let his gaze drift over her, taking in her luscious curves and lithe frame, her elegant arms and long sexy legs. “I wasn’t talking about our previous big mistake.”

      She sent her glance heavenward. Sighed, with what seemed like enormous regret. “It was that, all right.”

      He jammed his hands on his waist and lowered his face to hers, wishing she had realized that a whole lot sooner. Like at the beginning of their spring break, instead of the end. “It was your idea in the first place.”

      She glared back at him. “Yeah, well, you went along with me, cowboy. At least initially.”

      Until she’d begun to panic. And suffer regret. Then, well, it had been clear their relationship was all over.

      Emotion rose as their stare-down continued.

      Realizing she had almost goaded him into losing his cool, Sam shoved a hand through his hair and stepped away. Deciding it might be best to be more direct, he said honestly, “This is what worries me, darlin’. The fact we can hardly be around each other without quarreling.”

      Lulu nodded. Sober now. “It would worry me, too, if we didn’t have something much more important to worry about. The health and welfare and happiness of Theresa and Peter’s three boys.”

      She released a soft, empathetic sigh and compassion gleamed in her eyes. “You heard what Hiram said. They’re at the end of the line of the named guardians. If we don’t want them to end up separated and in foster care, you and I are going to have to find a way to make it all work.” She paused to draw a deep, enervating breath that lifted the curves of her breasts against her polo shirt. “I don’t think, under the circumstances, that this is too much to ask of us. Do you? Especially since Peter and Theresa named both of us in their wills?”

      “All right,” Sam said, deciding he could be as selfless as she was being and more. “I’ll agree to this arrangement for one month.” Which should be enough time for you to realize how unworkable a situation this is going to be for the two of us, and then decide to simply take on the role of close family friend. “At the end of that time,” he said sternly, “we reassess. And if we need to find a professional nanny, we will.”

      “Agreed. Although I have to warn you, I’m not going to change my mind.”

      That, Sam thought, remained to be seen. From what he’d observed, one two-year-old could be a lot. Three...at one time...who were also in mourning...? But in the short-term, there were other important things they needed to worry about, too. Her personal safety being paramount.

      “Where are you going to be this evening?” he asked, guessing she hadn’t yet told her family what had happened. Otherwise her cell phone would have been ringing off the hook and the place would have been inundated with McCabes.

      But they would know, as soon as the ranchers in the family got the alert from the cattleman’s association. “Are you going to stay with your parents?”

      She blinked, confused. “Why would I want to do that?”

      “In case the rustlers come back.”

      She pooh-poohed the notion, fearless as always. “They already took everything of value.”

      She had a point. They hadn’t touched her house. And they certainly could have looted it, too, if they had wanted to do so. Still... He gazed down at her. “I think until we know more about who did this and why, you’ll be safer elsewhere, Lulu.”

      “And I think I’ll be just fine right here.” She took hold of his biceps and steered him toward the porch steps, clearly done with this topic.

      But he was not satisfied. Not in the least. Because the need to protect her was back, stronger than ever. “Lulu...”

      She peered up at him from beneath a fringe of dark lashes. “You just worry about contacting Hiram and getting the triplets here as soon as possible. I’ll handle the rest.” She went into the house and shut the door behind her.

       Chapter Three

      “Sam’s still out there?” Lulu’s mother, Rachel, asked during the impromptu family phone call an hour later.

      Grimacing, Lulu peeked out the window of her living room, catching a glimpse of the ornery cowboy through the dusky light. Cell phone still pressed to her ear, she confirmed, “He’s sitting in his pickup truck, talking on the phone and doing something on what appears to be a laptop.” Looking as devastatingly handsome and sexy as ever with his hat tossed off and his sleeves rolled up, another button of his shirt undone. Not that she was noticing the effect the summer heat might be having on him...

      “Good for him,” growled her father. He had heard all about the theft from other members of the cattleman’s association before she’d even managed to call home to tell them. “Since Sam obviously doesn’t think you should be left alone right now, either.”