The Cowboy's Twin Surprise. Stephanie Dees

quilt on the bed.

      She picked up one of the family photos that lined the dresser, her hand inadvertently going to her stomach. She definitely didn’t want to think about her babies and wonder if one of them would grow into a little boy with a head full of sun-kissed curls.

      This situation was such a mess. She’d been so angry—was still so angry—but cutting Devin out of her life wasn’t going to be as simple as a signature on some papers.

      She’d known it the moment she’d seen him.

      With a big sigh, she opened the door to the hall. It was still early evening but maybe she could make her excuses and just go to bed. She followed the scent of something incredible into the kitchen. She stopped short when she realized that it was Devin’s brother Tanner alone, flipping burgers on the stove.

      He looked up, not really with a smile, more just a deepening of the lines around his mouth. “Hi there. You hungry?”

      “Yes, actually.” She hadn’t realized it until she’d smelled the food cooking but she was starving. “Really hungry.”

      She looked around the room. Like the rest of the house, it had a fresh coat of paint, the cabinets a glossy bright white. A wire basket of multicolored chicken eggs sat in the center of a round oak table.

      Tanner slid a burger onto a plate and piled caramelized onions on top of it. “There are some freshly washed greens in the fridge if you want a salad. We’re trying to do better with the vegetables, now that we’re growing them.”

      She found the colander of lettuce in the fridge and added some to her plate. “We’re not waiting on the others?”

      “Devin will eat when he gets back. Garrett lives in town and he went home.”

      Lacey sat down as Tanner slid a glass of tea in front of her.

      “It’s decaf, in case you’re wondering.”

      “That’s fine, thanks.” As he joined her at the table, she tried to figure out a diplomatic way of asking where Devin was. As the silence stretched, she gave up and went for simplicity. “So, where’s Devin?”

      “He’s at a meeting. Sticking to a routine is really important for him right now.”

      She put her fork down on the table. “The doctor told me to take it easy for a few weeks before driving back, but if you think my being here is going to jeopardize Devin’s recovery, I can move to a hotel room tomorrow.”

      Tanner glanced up from his plate. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. You’re family.”

      Tears pricked in her eyes, and she blinked them away, horrified. More took their place until she was sniffling and swiping at her eyes. “This is so embarrassing. I’m sorry.”

      Tanner wordlessly stood, walked to the counter, picked up a napkin and handed it to her, his eyes kind. “Take a bite of your burger. I bet you’ll feel better after you eat.”

      “Thanks.” She sniffed again but took a bite, followed by another and another. And he was right. She did feel a little better. She licked her fingers before she remembered the napkin. “This is so good.”

      “Raised right here,” he said, then winced. “It’s been a while since we had mixed company. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned that at the dinner table.”

      Lacey let out a genuinely surprised bark of laughter. “I was raised on a ranch, too. Trust me when I say I’m not squeamish. And this is delicious.”

      He almost smiled, and she felt an absurd sense of accomplishment. “We’ve made a shift from raising cattle the traditional way to grass-fed beef and free-range chickens. Organic vegetables. Got a ways to go to make a profit.”

      He was a man of few words—until you got him going on a topic that interested him. She tucked that away to remember about her new brother-in-law. “You’re trying for a specific clientele.”

      He nodded, his mouth full.

      Devin had said that Tanner was changing gears. It made sense in a market where farm-to-table was the hottest thing going. “Very smart. I’d love to see the whole operation tomorrow.”

      Tanner nodded. “I’ll get Devin to show you around.” He paused again and she realized that it was a habit of his, thinking before he spoke. “He’s trying really hard, Lacey. I had my doubts, but that weekend in Vegas changed everything for Devin.”

      Suddenly, she lost her appetite. She put the burger down.

      That weekend in Vegas had changed her life, too. Permanently, irrevocably changed her life. She’d tried living in the moment for one crazy, romantic weekend.

      And she’d changed her future forever.

      * * *

      The sun was just coming up the next morning when Devin heard Lacey come into the kitchen. Without looking, he pulled a second mug down from the cabinet and filled it with coffee for her, but when he turned around, he hesitated. “Can you... I mean, is it okay for you to have coffee?”

      “Yep, I’m allowed one cup, which is good for everyone’s health and well-being.” She was dressed in jeans and boots and a loose T-shirt, her long dark hair in a ponytail. He tried to get a surreptitious glance at her stomach to see if there was any evidence at all of the babies growing there, but if there was, he couldn’t see it.

      She blew on the surface of the coffee and took a small test sip, her eyes closing as she swallowed.

      He wasn’t sure what to say to her or how to interact with her while sober and after...all that had happened between them. Which was one of the reasons he’d stayed away. How did you have a normal conversation with someone after... There was a reason that kind of stuff was saved for marriage. Of course, they were actually married, an event that Devin wished with all his heart that he could remember.

      Bringing the mug to his lips, he washed down the last of his sausage biscuit. “Tanner’s already out in the field, but he said you wanted a tour of the farm?”

      She nodded with just a flicker of a smile, but he was taken back. A flash of a memory, of Lacey smiling up at him, secret laughter in her eyes. Now, at best, those eyes were wary.

      “Grab a biscuit. Reggie’s the only horse here now, otherwise, we could ride, but you can see a lot walking.” He finished his coffee and swiveled to put his mug in the dishwasher before picking up his cane.

      Lacey looked at the biscuits loaded with sausage and turned a shade of green Devin wasn’t sure he’d seen before.

      “Ah... Maybe wait on the biscuit. I’ll make some plain ones tomorrow.”

      “You made those?”

      “I did. I had to pick up some skills to make myself useful around here. Not much call for washed-up bronc riders.” The words were getting easier, but letting go of the dream was still hard. He’d wanted to rodeo as long as he could remember. “I can make you something else?”

      “Coffee’s fine for now. And I’d love to see the farm.” She stepped through the door, coffee in hand.

      Devin pulled the front door shut behind them and stepped out into early-morning not-yet-stifling humidity. The birds were singing and he could hear the cows shuffling in the pasture. It was his favorite time of day.

      “Are you okay to walk all over the farm?”

      He shot her a grin. “Thanks for asking, but yeah, I make do.”

      She hesitated. Then asked, “What happened to you, Devin? You were favoring the good ankle, but you were competing. You were walking without a cane.”

      He went a few paces without speaking. There wasn’t a simple answer. “It might be easier if I start at the beginning.”

      They ambled together down the dirt road toward the back of the property, one of Tanner’s