The Nanny’s Temporary Triplets
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Granted, he could use another woman’s influence in Maggie’s life. Preferably it would be someone who could convince his daughter to stop cutting her hair shorter and shorter anytime she got the notion and someone who could teach her that there was nothing wrong with wearing dresses or acting feminine.
Of course, there were the triplets to consider now. The ten-month-old foundlings had been abandoned at the county fair last month. Their mother had left a note explaining that she was widowed, penniless and dying. No longer able to take care of the boys, she’d asked the Lone Star Cowboy League, a group of ranchers known for their compassion and ability to get things done, to take in her boys.
As a member of the league, David had stepped up to do exactly that when the folks originally charged with their care had to give up the babies because of an illness in their house. He’d gone through a lot of trouble to hire a nanny for them and his daughter. Maggie had a tendency to run wild when he wasn’t around. School being out for the summer only exacerbated that. He had a ranch to run, which meant that Ma was Maggie’s main caretaker for most of the day. At seventy-seven, Ma wasn’t as spry as she used to be, and keeping up with Maggie’s ever-increasing energy and mischief was becoming more of a challenge.
Of course, the truth was, even in her younger days Ma never had been able to find it in her heart to discipline her only grandchild. He understood. Maggie’s big blue eyes, honey-colored hair and button nose made her cute as could be. It also gave her an innocent appearance that unfortunately was too often only that—an appearance. Hence, the reason he’d been heading to the parsonage.
First, he needed to do the gentlemanly thing. That did not include leaving his new acquaintance by herself in this state. “Where is your brother?”
“He’s at the café with Emma. I should probably head that way myself.”
She made a motion as though to rise, so he jumped to his feet and caught her arm to help her stand. “May I escort you?”
“Oh, no. That isn’t necessary.” She brushed the dirt from her skirt, lifted her chin and offered one last faint smile. “Thank you again, Mr. McKay.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
He watched to make sure she was headed in the right direction before crossing the field to the parsonage. Brandon Stillwater answered the door with a welcoming grin. “Come in, David. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I need your advice on something.” David removed his hat and stepped inside the foyer.
“Let’s talk in my study. Can I get you anything? Coffee? A cookie? One of those little strudel things Mrs. Hickey is so fond of making?”
“Thank you, but I’m fine.” Entering the study behind Brandon, David paced back and forth on the bright square of light falling from the window onto the floor in front of the well-hewn desk.
Concern furrowed Brandon’s brow as he leaned his hip against the desk. “What’s going on?”
“Maggie put a snake in the nanny’s bed.”
“What?” Brandon asked in alarm.
“I know.” David sank into a nearby chair. “It was dead. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse. Before I could even try to discipline her, my ma stepped in and fired the nanny for being angry at Maggie. It was a formality, really. The nanny was already halfway up the stairs on her way to pack her bags of her own accord.”
“How long have you been without a nanny?”
“Two days. I’ve been racking my brain for a solution, asking around to see if any of the ladies in town would take the position. None of them are interested. In fact, I may have offended a few husbands and fathers by even suggesting their women might be able to use the extra income. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of anyone in need of a job? Perhaps someone in the congregation?”
Brandon glanced away, looking deep in thought, before he slowly shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The women in our congregation are mostly married or widows with their own children. The unattached women help out on their families’ ranches and farms. A lot of them are younger girls, too. Either way, you might run into the same problem of offending their menfolk. Of course, if we put the word out that you’re looking for help, a few of them might be willing to do so out of pure Christian charity—and a chance to catch the eye of one of the ‘wealthiest and most mysterious bachelors in Little Horn.’”
“Ugh.” David winced. “Is that really what they say about me?”
Brandon grinned. “I’m afraid so.”
“Well, nothing doing. I’m not letting those women into my house. The last thing I’m looking for is romance. There has to be someone else.”
“What about her?”
“Her? Her who?”
“Her.” Brandon tipped his head toward the window.
Confused, David followed his friend’s meaningful look. All he saw was an empty field with a few trees. It was the same field where David had been only a few minutes ago...holding Caroline Murray in his arms while she cried on his shoulder. Heat spread across his face. He met Brandon’s steady, amused gaze. “You saw that?”
“Sure did.”
“Why didn’t you come out to help me?”
Brandon shrugged. “You seemed to have everything well under control, so I didn’t want to intrude.”
“You wouldn’t have been intruding.”
“Are you sure about that?”
David glanced out the window and frowned. “Of course I am.”
“Who is she?”
“Matthew Murray’s sister, Caroline. She’s just here for a visit.” He shook his head. “There has to be someone I can hire.”
“Maybe, but not locally. Have you checked the newspaper? That’s where you found the first nanny, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s the first thing I did. I found the latest papers from Houston and Waco at the general store. None of the personal ads mentioned anything remotely close to a nanny, nurse or governess.”
“Governess.” Brandon held up a finger, then rounded the desk to open a drawer. “I saw something in an Austin newspaper about a governess.” He pulled out a newspaper and rifled through it. “Here it is. ‘Former governess of good reputation and character seeking Christian...husband.’ Oh. She’s a mail-order bride.”
“I didn’t say anything about marriage.” His ma had, though, countless times. She wanted her son to be happy and for her granddaughter to have a mother. Why she thought marriage would ensure his happiness after what he’d been through was beyond him, but there was no denying Maggie would love to have a mother.
“Now hold on. Don’t reject the idea without thinking about it first. You need someone to take care of the triplets until they find a permanent home, but you also need someone to help out with Maggie. This woman may have the experience you’re looking for.”
David gave him a doubtful look. “What else does the ad say?”
“‘Please inquire at—’ She doesn’t give a name. Just a PO Box in...” A wistful look flickered across his face. “Boston.”
“Well, that’s certainly straight to the point, isn’t it? Almost businesslike in a way. It doesn’t mention anything about love or feelings.” Hope started building in his chest. “Maybe I don’t have to, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“If she’s willing, we could have a marriage in name only.”
Brandon frowned. “David, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
That was too bad because the idea had real merit—not the least being the woman wouldn’t be able to run away as soon as Maggie got into trouble. If she did, she wouldn’t take his heart with him. Of course, there was a chance Maggie would get hurt if that happened. He could do his best to rule out that chance, though. In talking to this potential bride first and laying out all the parameters, they would both know from the start where they stood with each other and the marriage. There would be no passion or emotions getting in the way to confuse things. It would be a nice, straightforward marriage of convenience.
Decision made, David glanced up at Brandon. “May I borrow a pen and paper? I have a letter to write.”
Chapter Two
Caroline had lost her mind. There was no other explanation for why her thoughts kept straying to a man she’d barely met—a stranger...with the most amazing green eyes. The comfort she’d found in David McKay’s embrace had been a blessing in the moment and downright disconcerting in retrospect.
“Caroline, the potatoes.”
Blinking away her thoughts, she refocused on the skillet filled with potatoes in danger of being burned to a crisp. She removed it from the fire and stirred frantically. “I told you I’m a disaster in the kitchen, Emma.”
“You are not.”
“I am, but you’re much too sweet to say so.” She scooped the potatoes onto the serving dish and sent her sister-in-law a smile as Matthew breezed into the room just in time for lunch. “Matt, tell your wife I’m hopeless when it comes to cooking.”
Matthew stopped in his tracks. “She has you cooking? And for Sunday dinner, too? Oh, Emma, sweetheart...no.”
Emma frowned at them both. “It’s just takes practice.”
“No amount of practice will help my sister.”
“Well, thank you for the support, Matthew. I’m not sure if I should be grateful or insulted.”
Matthew patted Caroline on the back, then kissed his wife’s cheek. “I still can’t believe we’re finally all together in my favorite place.”
“I’ve visited here before, Matthew.”
“Once. Three years ago for the wedding.”
She lifted a brow. “That’s still more frequently than you visit Austin.”
“I have a ranch to take care of.”
“And I have a job, too...” She bit her lip. She’d given up her position at the prestigious Harmony School of Music to marry Nico. “I had a job.”
Emma’s voice was soft with sympathy. “Maybe they’ll let you have it back.”
“I doubt it. Not after I handpicked my replacement. That’s fine, though. I don’t need the work.”
“You needed it,” Matthew interjected. “Just not for the money.”
She smiled. “It did give me a sense of accomplishment, I suppose, and something to do while Mother and Father were involved in their rehearsals.”
“Well, then,” Emma said. “We’ll all pray that a new opportunity presents itself soon.”
“Yes, I think we’d better.” Caroline clapped her hands. “Now, my lovely potatoes and the actually palatable food Emma cooked are getting cold. Let’s eat.”
Lunch was a simple and delicious affair. Caroline did her best to listen while Matthew and Emma conversed about the everyday ins and outs of ranch life. Her mind kept wandering back to Austin. Had the men who’d gone after Nico captured him? If so, what had happened to Lucette and that sweet little baby? She hoped they were on their way to France and that their family would welcome them. It wasn’t her concern. She knew that. Yet she would forever be grateful that Lucette had shown up to put a stop to the wedding, as harrowing as that experience had been.
Caroline couldn’t keep thinking about it, though. It would drive her crazy just as surely as her thoughts about—
“David.”
Glancing up from her plate, she met her brother’s gaze across the table. “What?”
He nodded toward his wife. “I was telling Emma that our neighbor David McKay rode by to ask how we were handling the drought. The creek that cuts through both of our properties has been running low. He has another spring closer to his ranch house. He wanted me to know he would be keeping his cattle closer to that so as not to tax the creek.”
“Oh. I...I didn’t know he was your neighbor.” So much for taking comfort in the fact that she’d likely never see the man again except for across the aisle at church like she had this morning. “Does he stop by often?”
“Now and then.” Matthew tilted his head to survey her. “I didn’t know you knew him.”
“I don’t.” Watchful silence descended on the table until she finally gave in to Matthew’s silent probing. “I met him once.”
“You did? When?”
“Yesterday. I ran into him on my walk. He was very kind.”
“Was he? How so?”
“Well, I was obviously upset and he—Honestly, what does it matter?”
He grinned. “Just curious is all.”
“Beware, Caroline. Your brother is on a campaign to get you to move to Little Horn by any means necessary.”
He shrugged. “All I’m saying is it would be awfully convenient to have you living practically next door.”
Caroline let out a disbelieving laugh. “So now you already have me married to a man I hardly know and living next door.”
“Well, I think you’d know him pretty well by then.”
“Matthew, give her some time to breathe. She just barely escaped marrying a—”
“No-good, low-down skunk of a man,” he finished for his wife. “David is the exact opposite of that, from what I can tell. Besides, he’s been a widower for five years now. He’s likely to be of a mind to take another wife soon.”
“The last thing I need is to start thinking about another man.” Yet she already had, and Matthew wasn’t helping her stop.
“All I’m saying is you could do worse.”
She sighed. “That much I know.”
He paused. In that moment, she was certain he saw how much she’d been hurt, because his jaw tightened. “Mother and Father were so blinded by that Nico fellow’s talent that they couldn’t see his real character. If I’d been around to have my say, he never would have gotten anywhere near my little sister.”
“Yes, well, you weren’t around. I don’t fault you for that. You have a life to live here.” Caroline gestured to her auburn-haired sister-in-law, who was kind enough to illustrate the point by already having one hand on her belly. “What’s more, it isn’t your responsibility to keep me from making a fool of myself. It isn’t our parents’, either. They might not have seen him for who he really was, but neither did I. I’m the one who let myself be taken in by a...a would-be bigamist.”
His brown eyes filled with worry and concern. “You didn’t make a fool of yourself. He wasn’t honest with you. That’s on him. Not you. And you’re right. It isn’t entirely our parents fault, either. Though, in my opinion, they should have been paying more attention. That doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that you have to find a way to stop blaming yourself. You have to put this behind you.”
“That’s easier said than done, and it will be practically impossible to do if you keep bringing it up.”
“Then I won’t bring it up.”
She leaned forward to press her advantage. “It also isn’t helpful to have you pushing me toward a man I’ve only met once.”
“Fine.” This time the reluctance in his voice was almost palpable. “I’ll stop, but I hope you don’t rule it out.”
Caroline let out a huff of exasperation. Emma jumped in with a little distraction. “Caroline, I remember that the last time you were in Little Horn, you mentioned how much you enjoyed riding. Are you still taking lessons in Austin?”
“I had to stop the lessons after I started working at the music school, but I still ride as often as I can.”
Emma gave a satisfied nod. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that. About a year ago, Matthew bought me a beautiful palomino mare. Her name is Dulce, and she’s as sweet as they come. You’re welcome to ride her whenever you like.”
“Thank you. I’d love to ride her.” In fact, a ride was exactly what she needed to clear her head.
After they were finished eating, Caroline headed to the barn to saddle up. She intentionally refrained from asking Matthew about anything more than the basic layout of his land. She wanted to explore it herself as she hadn’t had the chance to do when she’d arrived for his wedding three years ago. She soon found herself alone on a landscape that was a mixture of open land and tree-covered hills.
With the sun bearing down on her and Dulce from a cloudless sky, she headed for the path that led through the trees. It brought her to a creek. The sound of water rushing steadily downstream over rocks and the occasional downed tree soothed her tattered nerves.
A barking dog dashed across the path. Caroline started, and Dulce spooked a little, shying away from the puppy that was now splashing into the shallow creek. Caroline almost had the mare under control when a little boy burst from the trees yelling, “Come back!”
Dulce bolted into a gallop. Heart lurching into her throat, Caroline automatically slouched into the saddle and held on for dear life. The ground flew by beneath them. Dulce dodged through the trees and careened into open land. A fence appeared in front of them. She braced herself for the jump. Instead the mare ground to a jarring stop and lowered her head. The world turned end over end. Caroline landed on the ground with a thud.
Staring up at the sky, she couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She was dying.
“Breathe, Caroline. Just breathe. Take a breath.”
The voice was deep, soothing, commanding. She forced herself to obey it. She took in a small breath. Her lungs eased. She gasped in air.
“Calmly now. That’s it. Nice and deep.”
Slowly becoming aware of the strong hand holding hers, she lowered her gaze from the sky until she found David McKay’s. He offered her a reassuring smile that made her breath hitch again. She concentrated on the task at hand. Did she have enough air in her to speak? If so, she’d like to ask what was wrong with her.
“You got the wind knocked out of you. On top of that, you’re probably a little stunned. You’ll be all right in a few minutes.”
He was right. She was starting to feel better already. She tried to sit up. He pressed a hand to her shoulder to stop her. “Whoa now. Take it easy. Before you get up, tell me—does anything hurt?”
She paused to take inventory. Her voice came out a little breathlessly. “Everything hurts a little, but nothing vital seems injured. Just my pride.”
“Not much you can do when a horse decides to bolt other than stick to your saddle and try to calm her down.” He helped her sit up. “You did that pretty well until she decided to throw you.”
“Where is she?”
Approval filled his eyes. Apparently, the way to this rancher’s heart was through worrying about her horse. “My men will round her up for you.”
“Thank you.” She rubbed at the burning sensation on her arm.
He caught her hand and pulled it away to look at the spot. “Looks like you’ve got a pretty bad scrape there.”
“How?”
“Probably the fence. You flew right over it on your way down. You didn’t notice that?” After she shook her head, he placed a knuckle under her chin and lifted it slightly. “You’ve got another scratch on your chin. Come back to my ranch house. My ma will fix you up. Then I’ll escort you back home.”
“Oh, I’m sure that isn’t necessary.”
“Maybe not, but it’s neighborly, and that’s how we do things around here.” He stood, then reached down. “Shall we?”
She hesitated only for a moment before placing her hand in his. He pulled her up. The world tilted before settling in place. She instinctively caught his free arm to steady herself, then let go. “I’m sorry.”
“Dizzy?”
“A little.”
He took hold of her elbow. “You didn’t hit your head, did you?”
“No. My equilibrium needed to catch up. That’s all.”
He gave a reluctant nod. “Let’s get you to the house.”
She grew steadier by the minute as he guided her through the tall, yellowing grass toward the two-story house in the distance. “Thank you for coming to my rescue yet again. I promise I’m not usually this much trouble.”
He smiled. “No trouble at all. Do you have any idea what made your horse spook like that?”
“A dog ran across the path with a little boy chasing him.”
“A little boy?” His eyes narrowed as he scanned their surroundings. “That’s mighty interesting. I don’t suppose you got a good look at him?”
“Nothing more than a glimpse.”
He opened the door for her. An acrid smell reached her nose. Since she was a horrible cook, it was one she knew all too well. “Something is burning.”
“Uh-oh. Why don’t you wait in the parlor while I take care of this?” David rushed away, presumably to the kitchen.
Left alone in the foyer, Caroline caught a glimpse of the parlor through the half-open door on her right. Her eyes widened as she stepped inside. She crossed the room to where the upright piano stood against the wall. She pressed middle C. The note filled the room until a discordant cry drowned it out. Was that a baby?
As though in confirmation, the cry seeped down through the ceiling above her head. Hadn’t Matthew said David had been a widower for five years? What on earth could he be doing in possession of a baby? She was halfway up the stairs before realizing it was bad manners to explore someone’s house uninvited. Still, she couldn’t ignore the baby. Not when she was so close and willing to help. She followed the cries to the nursery, then stopped short when she discovered there were three babies and that they weren’t alone after all. An older woman with a cloud of white hair sat in a rocking chair. The baby in the nearby crib caught sight of Caroline and stopped crying in order to watch her attentively.
She gave a little gasp. “Oh my! How adorable! Are they triplets?”
The woman blinked in surprise, then offered an amused smile. “Why, yes, they are. And who might you be?”
“Caroline Murray. I promise I didn’t just walk in here off the street...or range. David invited me in.”
“Did he?” Surprise filled her warm brown eyes, followed by a speculative look. “Well, then, welcome to our home. I’m Ida Winthrop.”
Not David’s mother, then. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Winthrop. Are you the triplets’ caretaker?”
Ida laughed. “I’m everyone’s caretaker. I’m David’s mother.”
“Oh, I—”
“It’s confusing, I know. My late husband and I adopted David when he was only a little tyke. We knew that David had been separated from his two brothers. We tried to find them. When we couldn’t, we decided we’d better keep David’s last name McKay in case his family came looking for him.”
“Eventually they did,” David chimed in as he stepped into the room and immediately lifted the baby from the crib into his arms.
Ida’s face lit up with love for her son. “Yes, they did. They were both grown with families of their own and living in Little Horn. We decided to sell our old ranch and move nearer to them. And so here we are.”
“Yep, here we are.” David stole a quick glance at Caroline before turning back to Ida. “I took our lunch off the stove, but I think it was too late to save it.”
“Oh, no! I completely forgot I had something on the stove when I came up here. Maggie could have gotten burned.” Ida shook her head in dismay when David tried to reassure her. “No. It isn’t fine. I can’t believe I did that. It’s just that I don’t know if I’m going or coming these days.”
It was obvious that David’s mother was overtired and in need of a break. Caroline stepped forward to take the drowsy baby. “Why don’t I take the triplets for a little while?”
Ida looked relieved. “Would you mind? I really do need to figure out what I’m going to do for lunch.”
“I wouldn’t mind at all.” Caroline carefully laid the baby in the crib.
Ida sighed. “Thank you, dear. I’ve tried rocking them, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much good.”
“Are they sick?”
“No.” Ida handed Caroline the baby with the little green booties. “They aren’t sleeping. Not on any kind of schedule anyway. I think that’s what has them so fussy.”
Caroline held the sweet weight close to her chest. “Well, I can understand that. I’d feel grumpy, too, if I was in their shoes.”
“Louisa—she cared for the triplets before us—said they like to sleep touching each other, but when I put them down, one will inevitably start moving around and awaken the others. I’ve done everything I know how to do—rocking, pacing, singing and praying. We need to put them back on their schedule. They need their naps.”
“Caroline and I will work on it, Ma. You go on and do what you need to do.”