Can a marriage of convenience…

…really last a lifetime?

Single mom Gabby Rogers needs help raising her newborn triplets, so when her best friend, Seth, proposes a marriage of convenience, she cautiously agrees—on the condition it doesn’t ruin their friendship. As far as the town of Eagle’s Rest knows, Gabby and Seth are the perfect couple, but the imaginary romance soon feels surprisingly real. With the triplets’ first Christmas drawing closer, will Gabby risk showing Seth how she truly feels?

PATRICIA JOHNS writes from Alberta, Canada. She has her Hon. BA in English literature and currently writes for Mills & Boon and Love Inspired lines. You can find her at patriciajohnsromance.com.

Also By Patricia Johns

Home to Eagle’s Rest

Her Lawman Protector

Falling for the Cowboy Dad

The Lawman’s Baby

A Baxter’s Redemption

The Runaway Bride

A Boy’s Christmas Wish

Montana Twins

Her Cowboy’s Twin Blessings

Her Twins’ Cowboy Dad

A Rancher to Remember

Comfort Creek Lawmen

Deputy Daddy

The Lawman’s Runaway Bride

The Deputy’s Unexpected Family

His Unexpected Family

The Rancher’s City Girl

A Firefighter’s Promise

The Lawman’s Surprise Family

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Her Triplets’ Mistletoe Dad

Patricia Johns

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90088-5

HER TRIPLETS’ MISTLETOE DAD

© 2019 Patricia Johns

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“What do we tell people?” Gabby asked.

What would they tell people? Everyone had a proposal story, and people loved to hear it. But their story wasn’t exactly romantic, and that wasn’t going to go over well, was it?

“Well, uh—” Seth swallowed. “Why don’t we move you into my place first, and then we can take some time to hammer out the details.”

“Something more palatable than we got married for health insurance?” she asked with a teasing smile. There she was—the old Gabby.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he agreed, and they exchanged mildly amused smiles. “We always did get ourselves into messes, didn’t we?”

And every single time, he’d been furious with her for dragging him along into trouble. A sparkle came into Gabby’s eyes, and he was gratified to see it.

“So we just…keep the secret for a bit?” she clarified.

“You okay with that?” he asked. “I mean, people will ask questions once you’ve moved in, but by then, I’m sure we’ll have something sorted out between us. United front, right?”

“United front.”

Dear Reader,

This is the last story in my Home to Eagle’s Rest miniseries, and I’ll be sad to leave this mountain town behind. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I hope you’ll pick them up.

If you’d like to connect with me, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and my website, patriciajohnsromance.com. I love meeting my readers, and you’ll find a few giveaways from time to time, too!

A very merry Christmas from my home to yours!

Patricia Johns

To my husband, my very own happily-ever-after.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

GABBY ROGERS AND SETH STRAIGHT had driven out to Benton, Colorado, for the privacy—because if they’d done this in Eagle’s Rest, their secret would be impossible to keep. Gabby pulled her honey-blond hair away from her face, then rubbed her hands over her arms. Her cream knit dress wasn’t warm enough in the chill of the courthouse. She shivered. The old building was decorated for the holidays—Christmas was only two weeks off—but there were drafts coming from windows, and Gabby found herself wishing she’d left her thick winter coat on. Except that didn’t seem quite appropriate for her wedding—even this wedding. In all her fantasies, her wedding day had never been like this—so sterile and logical. She’d been positive that when she did marry, it would be for love—what other reason made it worth it? But this was smart; they’d agreed on that much.

Times were tough right now. She was a mother to triplet newborns, and that had changed her life in every possible way. The father wasn’t in the picture. Just about the time she discovered she was pregnant, he’d revealed that he was already married. She’d been stunned, heartbroken. She’d been thinking he might be the one, only to find out he’d been lying from the start. So though she’d delivered her babies with his financial assistance, their relationship was over. Now she was on her own, back in her hometown of Eagle’s Rest, Colorado, with a broken heart and trying to figure out where her ex’s lies had started and ended. Recovering after childbirth and now realizing she had no way to afford her baby boys’ expensive formula… This idea of marrying her best friend had made so much sense a few days ago, when she and Seth Straight were making their plans. They were getting married for mutual benefits, and love didn’t have to factor into their arrangement. Love never steered her right, anyway, and Seth was the best man she knew. This was sensible…wasn’t it?

“Are we crazy?” Gabby asked, looking over at Seth. She fiddled with the flowers and realized belatedly that she’d been slowly shredding a rose petal.

“Maybe.” Seth shot her a wry smile. He had worn his Sunday best—a suit and cowboy boots, with his white cowboy hat tucked under one arm. The last five years had aged him, with some silver laced through his auburn hair, and eyes that were a whole lot sadder. He’d always been the guy who was so cautious and organized that she’d assumed heartbreak would skip him. But no one was immune, it seemed, so here they were, along with their mangled hearts.

Gabby missed her babies right now, and that lonesome feeling was squeezing out her other misgivings. This was the first time she’d been separated from her newborns since they’d been in the NICU at the hospital. Funny how the same feeling of panic seemed to rise even when they were healthy, growing, and safely being cared for by Aunt Bea for the afternoon. Gabby’s mother was working a double shift, which was actually a good thing. This wedding was top secret and she had no idea how she’d explain it. One thing at a time.

Gabby glanced at the clock. They had five minutes until it was their turn in the judge’s office. Then they’d be married. This would be very final, if she went through with it.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Gabby asked, stepping closer to Seth, searching his face. “Because we can still back out.”

Was she hoping that he would change his mind? Maybe. It would be easier to step away from this solution if Seth pulled out first. And he was the rational one—the guy who was logical to the extreme. If anyone could find a good reason not to do this, it would be Seth.

“Do you have a choice?” he asked.

“There’s always a choice.”

“Yeah, but…” He shrugged. “Your mom is broke right now, and she’d be the one you could normally rely on, right? If you’ve thought up a better solution…”

“I’d considered contacting my father,” she said quietly. “But he never paid my mother a penny of child support, so I doubt that he’d suddenly want to help with his grandchildren. And Uncle Ted said he didn’t have a job for me. I mean, he did give me some cash, but I need more than money—I need a way to support my kids.”

“And you need my health insurance, right?” he asked, his dark eyes meeting hers.

“You know I do,” she said.

Her newborn sons—Aiden, Beau and Andy—had been born prematurely and their digestive tracts hadn’t been ready for regular milk. Their formula cost a small fortune, and her savings had been bled dry in the past couple weeks just trying to keep them fed. Uncle Ted, who was actually more of a family friend than actual kin, had given her a financial gift that had helped, but their need for formula wasn’t going to end soon. Seth was the ranch manager at the Ross Ranch, and as management, he had decent health insurance. That was where this idea had come from.

Was it selfish of her to want to shield her sons from the gossip surrounding their conception, too? She wasn’t proud of that, and in a place this size, people were going to talk.

“I don’t see any other way you’re going to get the help you need,” Seth replied. “Unless you can suss up a job with benefits real quick. Besides, don’t they always say you should marry your best friend?”

They’d been best friends for years, but kind of an odd couple in that respect. She was the fun-loving risk taker, and he was the overly cautious worrier. They were direct opposites in so many ways, but somehow their personalities clicked.

“Marrying your best friend… Yeah, I’m not sure they had this in mind,” she said wryly. “I just need to know you aren’t going to regret this. I’d hate myself for taking advantage of your health insurance if you’re going to wish you hadn’t. I mean, what if you fall in love with someone and—”

“I won’t.” He paused. “Look, we talked about this. This whole modern notion of marrying for love sets people up for disappointment. It used to be that parents chose their children’s spouses by looking at the more practical things, like how well he could provide, how their personalities might click, how they could succeed if they worked together. And those marriages worked! We can’t say there were thousands of years of marital misery, because there wasn’t. I really think this is smart. We don’t have sky-high emotional expectations from each other. But we do have a really solid friendship.”

Look at him—logical to the extreme. But she did agree with him on this point. She’d already been burned by Craig, and it was her own stupid, romantic hopes that blinded her to reality. That wasn’t her worry here.

“You might meet someone, Seth,” she countered.

“I’ve already had the love of my life,” he said softly. “You know that. There isn’t going to be another love like Bonnie. Besides, you’re my best friend, Gabs, and I want to help. But if you don’t…”

The door to the judge’s office opened and a woman in a black robe smiled and looked down at a notepad. She was short and middle-aged, with chin-length brown hair. She looked tired, Gabby thought, as the judge studied her tablet.

“Gabrielle Rogers and Seth Straight?” she said, looking up.

“That’s us,” Seth replied, then he looked down at Gabby and lowered his voice. “If you don’t want to…”

Standing there in a knit dress that wasn’t quite warm enough, a bouquet of white roses that Seth had splurged on in one hand and the ring box in the sweaty palm of the other, she found her options sweeping through her mind.

She could continue her search for a job—any job—that offered decent health insurance, and then put her sons into day care. She could do what other moms did and get used to this hollow, lonely feeling of being away from her babies. And in the meantime, she could see if the bank would give her another line of credit to cover the cost of formula until she could sort something out… If she could sort something out. She couldn’t count on Uncle Ted to give more than he already had. She had three hungry newborns gobbling back bottle after bottle of specialty formula. God forbid they need more hospitalization or surgery… And Seth’s offer had been so kind and generous. He didn’t have cash to share, but he did have health insurance. Because of his offer, she’d felt genuinely cared for by a man for the first time in years. Besides, she wasn’t about to follow her heart again, either. What she needed was a logical marriage—one that actually had a hope of lasting.

“Gabby?” Seth murmured. “What do you think? You want to do this?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes. It’s a good plan.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” She sounded more decisive than she felt. “Let’s get married.”

Another couple slid onto a bench behind them. The woman wore a lacy wedding gown over a bulging belly. The couple’s fingers were entwined, and they leaned their heads together, whispering. They looked excited, those two. And young—so young. Good grief, were they even twenty? Her gaze lingered on the couple, and she sighed. By the looks of it, that bride was marrying the father of her baby. Gabby hadn’t managed that—the father of her babies was already father to two preteens in Billings. Still, even though Gabby wasn’t going to be an excited, dewy-eyed bride, she would be married. And life would be easier because of it.

“All right,” the judge said with a smile. “Let’s get started. Come inside, please.”

Gabby went into the office first, followed by Seth. He’d always been the polite sort—ladies first and all that. She used to tease him about his old-fashioned ways. He’d have to loosen up if he wanted to catch a girl, she used to say…but then he’d married Bonnie, disproving that theory. And watching Seth using those antiquated manners on his wife, she’d wondered if she’d been the one to miss out.

Gabby felt Seth’s warm hand linger on her back as the door to the spacious office shut behind them. Was he as nervous as she was? She glanced back and found his dark gaze drilling into the carpet in front of him. Whatever he was feeling, it was locked away.

A desk dominated one side of the room, but there was a nice open area by the window. There were two court-appointed witnesses sitting in visitors’ chairs—an older woman in sensible slacks and a bored-looking young man whose hair didn’t flatten all the way at the back. They each gave her a cordial nod. How many weddings had they seen today?

“Let’s just take a look at your paperwork,” the judge said, and Seth handed it over. They spent a couple minutes going over everything, and then the judge gestured for them to stand by the window.

“Let’s get started, then,” she said. “I normally do the vows over here by the window. It’s a little nicer for pictures.” She paused. “Do you have anyone to take a few photos?”

“Uh…” Gabby shook her head. “We didn’t really think of it.”

“Sorry,” Seth murmured.

It hardly seemed appropriate to be taking joyful photos of this sort of wedding. They’d look like those stricken couples in old black-and-white photos—the ones where the bride and groom stood a foot apart in every shot.

“I’ll take a few shots, if you like,” the older woman said. “I’ve got my phone right here. I could email them to you.”

Seth smiled. “Thanks. We appreciate that.”

Did they really appreciate that? She’d have her own stricken pictures to pass down to her sons… She wasn’t sure she wanted pictures. It was better to remember this day the way she wanted to—taking an intelligent step that would benefit them both—instead of seeing actual photos that might betray her memories somehow. But now wasn’t the time to quibble. They stood where the judge indicated, and the older woman came and took a couple photos of them facing each other. Seth seemed more stable than she did—more resolute. Mind you, he’d been married before, so he knew how all this worked.

“Join hands,” the judge instructed.

Seth held out his broad, calloused palms and he gave her a small smile. There he was—the best friend. It almost felt like a joke, an act they were putting on, two collaborators once more. Normally, she was the one who lured him into drama, and maybe that hadn’t changed. His hand was warm, and he gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.

“We’re here together today to join you in marriage. Have you both come of your own free will?”

Gabby nodded.

“We need you to answer aloud with a yes or a no,” the judge said.

“Yes,” they said together.

“As expected,” the judge said with a soft chuckle. “So let’s just get right into the vows then. Seth Straight, do you take this woman to be your wife from this day forth and for the rest of your life?”

Seth’s dark gaze met Gabby’s, but only briefly before he cleared his throat and looked toward the judge instead.

“I do.”

“And Gabrielle Rogers, do you take this man to be your husband from this day forth and for the rest of your life?”

Gabby licked her lips. “I do.”

“Rings?” the judge asked brightly.

Gabby picked up the ring box, which she’d set on the desk, and cracked it open. They’d bought very simple, cheap wedding rings. Gold, but barely, Gabby had joked earlier. But now, they seemed weightier, more important. She started to put the ring on Seth’s finger, though he had to shimmy it the rest of the way past his knuckle. Then he slipped the matching slim band onto her hand.

“Repeat after me,” the judge said. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed,” they murmured together.

“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Colorado, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The judge smiled warmly. “If you would like to share a kiss to commemorate your marriage, now would be an appropriate time for that.”

And that was the moment that Gabby realized she’d never kissed Seth before. Not when they agreed to this wedding, not when they first saw each other all gussied up. Even when she’d broken up with boyfriends and Seth had been the one to let her cry on his shoulder… They’d never crossed that line because they’d never been attracted to each other.

She’d never kissed the man that she’d just married!

“Brace yourself,” Seth murmured, as if reading her mind, then dipped his head down and caught her lips with his.

SETH DIDN’T KNOW what he’d expected kissing his best friend to feel like, but perhaps a little less wide-eyed shock on her part would have been nice. Her lips were tense at first, but after a moment, her eyes fluttered shut and they softened under his own.

Married. He hadn’t thought ahead to the kiss after the ceremony, but with a judge and two witnesses expecting something, he felt he’d better oblige. He didn’t want to embarrass Gabby on his very first day as her husband, after all.

He pulled back and Gabby’s eyes opened again, and they exchanged a serious look.

“Congratulations!” the judge said with a smile. “This is a big day. We’ll all just put down our signatures here—”

“I got that shot!” the older woman said with a brilliant smile, her phone held up in front of her. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Straight!”

A surge of guilt swept through him, and he attempted to push it back. He’d sworn he wouldn’t take these vows again, but this was different, wasn’t it? Bonnie had been his first love—his first kiss! He’d been a late bloomer in that respect. While the other guys were dating around, he’d been the serious one, focused on his career and not wanting to waste his time with the wrong girls. His parents had gotten divorced when he was twelve, and he’d never wanted to endure that kind of misery in his own romantic life. He’d always been cautious to a fault. And when Bonnie died in childbirth, the light of his life blinked out. He’d been prepared to keep their marriage healthy and strong for a lifetime, but he had no control over mortality. He’d lost a baby girl and wife all in one day, and he’d been in a fog of depression for two years.

Seeing Gabby again had flicked a light back on, scattered the fog and given him a bit more clarity at last, though he was determined to keep to his resolution to never fall for anyone again. But now, he’d just given his name to another woman for some very logical reasons, but it still felt like a betrayal to his wife’s memory.

What exactly had he gotten himself into?

The paperwork was quickly dispatched, and the older lady had already emailed her snapshots to Gabby’s account. They thanked her, thanked the judge, and headed out of the office, all without once looking at each other. The ring felt funny on his hand, and he fiddled with it with his thumb.

“Congratulations!” the young couple next in line said in unison. They got up from the bench and moved toward the office. “How does it feel?” the woman asked.

“Great.” Gabby smiled and nodded. “Congrats to you, too.”

Did she really feel great about this? He eyed her uncertainly. The judged called the next names, and the young, pregnant couple disappeared into the office.

Gabby shot Seth an annoyed look when she noticed his scrutiny. “What?”

“How does it really feel?” he asked, his voice low.

“Weird.” She shrugged. “But a good weird. We’ll be okay.”

Seth sure hoped so. He’d done it for her, and for those three little babies. They were so small, and when they cried, his heart clenched in his chest like he was the one causing their distress. They’d reminded him of his own baby girl—Hazel Marie. She’d been too tiny to make it, but he’d had the opportunity to hold her, at least.

He pushed back the memory. He was doing this for those babies. They needed two things: food and their mother, and this time around, he was going to be able to protect a mother and her babies—make sure they had the long and healthy life that Bonnie and Hazel had deserved.

“I know I didn’t speak up when she called us Mr. and Mrs. Straight back there,” he said. Did he dare take that back? “It’s no pressure. I was just… I don’t know, acting the part for the audience, you know?”

“No, I get it.” She put a hand on his arm. “I was, too. But I think I’ll keep my own last name for now. It’s simpler. My sons have Rogers as their last name, so—”

“No, no, that’s perfectly fine.” A wave of relief crashed over him. His last name was something he could hold back for himself…for Bonnie. He looked down at Gabby again, and she gave him a tight smile.

What was with them? They’d known each other for decades, and here they were dancing around each other like painfully polite strangers, discussing what last name she’d have now that he’d married her. Gabby had always been the irreverent type, and here she was meeting him toe-to-toe with manners. He went over to the coatrack and took down their jackets.

“What do we tell people?” she asked, as she pulled her puffy, cream-colored coat around her shoulders. A few people passed them in the tall main entrance of the building, and Seth caught the smiles cast in their direction.

What would they tell people? Everyone had a “how we met” or even a proposal story, and people loved to hear it. But their story wasn’t exactly romantic, and that wasn’t going to go over well, was it?

“Well, uh…” Seth swallowed. “Why don’t we move you in to my place first, and then we can take some time to hammer out the details.”

“Something more palatable than we did this for health insurance?” she asked with a teasing smile. There she was—the old Gabby.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he agreed, and they exchanged a mildly amused smile. “We always did get ourselves into messes, didn’t we?”

And every single time, he’d been furious with her for dragging him along into trouble. A sparkle came into Gabby’s eyes, and he was gratified to see it.

“So we just…keep the secret for a bit?” she clarified.

“You okay with that?” he asked. “I mean, people will ask questions once you’ve moved in, but by then, I’m sure we’ll have something sorted out between us. I don’t want to look like I’m lying to my boss—I mean, our reasons for this marriage shouldn’t matter so much to our friends, but my reputation at work matters. If they thought I was scamming the system, or whatever—”

“No, I understand,” she said.

“United front, right?”

“United front.” She gave him a nod. “You sure you’ll be okay with three babies in your house? And me?”

“I’ll be fine.” He’d been prepared for one baby a couple years ago. He could stretch for three.

“I do appreciate this,” she said. “You have no idea, Seth. You’re a really good friend.”

Seth slid an arm around her shoulders, and for the first time today, some physical contact felt natural between them. He gave her a squeeze.

“Now that we have a marriage license, I’ll get you on my insurance right away. I’m sure we can scrape up enough money for the formula between now and when it kicks in.”

“I’m relieved.” Gabby put a hand against her chest and her gaze misted. “I’ve been alone in this, and I don’t think I even realized how worried I was until just now. I mean, to have the basics be almost out of reach… Milk! It shouldn’t bankrupt a woman, you know?”

“You’re not alone in this.” He dropped his arm and caught her hand in his. “It’s a burden shared, right? You’ve got me now.”

She nodded, and he felt a flood of relief, too. They would be okay. Gabby was a good person, and she didn’t deserve to be struggling on her own. Neither did those tiny boys. And for once, he was able to do something—fix something—and feel like he was making a bad situation better for someone he cared about.

They headed down the stairs to the main floor. As he held open the door for her, they were met by a rush of frigid air. It was snowing again—large flakes floating down in lazy pirouettes. Gabby pulled on a pair of gloves.

“How should we celebrate?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t mind a piece of cake,” Gabby said, glancing up at him. “To go, though. I miss my babies.”

Cake. Yeah, that was oddly appropriate. Years ago, they would go out for cake together—normally when Gabby was mourning a breakup from some unworthy boyfriend.

“Yeah, you bet.” Who was he to argue about what helped her feel better? As they turned down the street toward his truck, Seth spotted someone he knew ambling toward them. Heck, they both knew him, but what was he doing here on the one day Seth and Gabby needed a bit of privacy? He instinctively put a hand out to touch Gabby’s arm. But she’d seen him, too.

Taylor Shirk was dressed in a pair of jeans and a fleece-lined denim jacket. A cowboy hat was pushed back away from his face. They’d gone to high school with him, and they’d all known each other for years. He was staring at them with a look of shock on his face. Seth looked down at Gabby—she stood there with the bouquet in one gloved hand. She looked every inch a bride, even in a winter coat. They were in front of the courthouse, after all. He sighed.

“No way!” Taylor exclaimed as he approached. “Is this what it looks like?” Taylor glanced between them, then pointed at the bouquet. “Did you two just get married?”

So much for keeping a secret… Seth exchanged a helpless shrug with Gabby.

“We were hoping to keep it hush-hush for a little bit,” Gabby said with a grimace. “You don’t think you could keep a secret, do you?”

“Me? Yeah, of course!” Taylor laughed. “Wow. I mean, I had no idea you two were even an item. This is a total shock, I gotta tell you. How long were you hiding this relationship?”

“It’s new,” Seth said quickly. “We…uh—we just realized it was the right step, and we took it.”

Not a lie. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so hard, after all.

“Well, about time! Congratulations!” Taylor bent in and kissed Gabby’s cheek. “You, too, man. Really, from the bottom of my heart.”

Seth and Taylor shook hands, and Taylor belted out a laugh.

“But discretion, right?” Gabby pressed. “Taylor? I’m serious. Please.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Taylor nodded enthusiastically. “You got it. I won’t hold you up! Enjoy that honeymoon, you two!”

Seth caught Gabby’s hand again and checked over his shoulder as Taylor went on his way. He was still laughing aloud, shaking his head as he wandered off down the street and then crossed to the other side, but he’d pulled his phone out of his back pocket and was typing into it. Seth tugged Gabby after him and they made their way to where his red pickup truck was parallel parked. Honeymoon. Yeah, technically, that was what this was, but it wouldn’t be like anyone else’s.

“He’s not keeping that secret,” Seth said, opening the passenger side door for her. Taylor Shirk was a good guy, but he was a talker, and he was probably texting the news now. The town of Eagle’s Rest, Colorado, was about to be react.

“I know. I don’t think we’re getting the luxury of time here.”

Seth waited until she’d hopped up into the cab, then slammed her door shut and angled around the truck and got in. The engine hadn’t cooled off all the way, so the air that pumped into the cab as he started it was warm already. Seth looked over at Gabby. Her blond hair was tousled from the winter wind, and her cheeks were pink from the cold. On her left hand was the faint glimmer of that golden wedding band… His mouth went dry.

“What will people say?” Gabby asked after a moment.

“I guess we’re about to find out.” Seth tried to smile. “We’re about to be the talk of the town, Gabs.”

“I’d better tell Mom before she hears it from someone else,” Gabby said, and her expression turned grim. “I just need some time to think up our story. Something that sounds less…pragmatic. We don’t want to be charged with insurance fraud.”

He definitely didn’t want that! But this was a real marriage—maybe a convenient one, but they’d be living together, raising three kids together… How much more real did it get?

“Should we swing by today and tell your mother ourselves?” he asked.

“No. She’s working a double shift at the restaurant, anyway. Tomorrow morning is soon enough.”

“Right.” Seth fiddled with the back of his ring once more with his thumb. It was time to get home and face their new reality.

CHAPTER TWO

THE DRIVE FROM Benton to Eagle’s Rest was a quiet one. As Gabby stretched her legs out to feel the heat from the vents, Seth put on the radio to fill the silence. A few honky-tonk Christmas tunes about unrequited love were on various stations. She’d never been a fan of heartbreaking songs, but today they seemed more personal. She’d gotten married today, but she wasn’t in love with her husband.

“Could you change the station?” she said.

“Sure.” Seth flicked the station to an equally depressing song. He stuck it on a talk radio station and Gabby sighed. It was an improvement at least. Seth’s broad hand rested on the top of the steering wheel, and he looked about as somber as she felt.

Gabby turned away from Seth, staring the window at the snow-laden farmland. She was thinking about her babies, and about this legally binding step she’d just taken. While a woman could do far worse than Seth Straight, with his rugged good looks and his strong sense of personal ethics, she felt a wave of misgiving. She had terrible luck with men—and at the age of thirty, she could accept that her “luck” was rooted in her decision-making. She chose the wrong guys again and again. Whenever she followed her heart, it brought more pain. Her heart needed to stay out of this.

Seth had made better choices in his own life. His wife had been a saint. She really was perfect for him, even if she’d never trusted Gabby. Gabby, of all people, wasn’t a threat to their marriage. She and Seth had never felt more than friendship for each other, but she could understand a woman protecting her turf. All the same, Seth had loved Bonnie deeply. It had been the kind of connection that people envied, including Gabby. If she could find a guy who looked at her like Seth had looked at Bonnie, she’d never complain again—as long as he was legitimately single. Sad that she now had to add that qualifier to her list. But Gabby had been taken advantage of one too many times, and while Seth wasn’t the type to treat her shabbily, she had an even bigger reason to keep herself in control of her emotions. Her new husband was still in love with his late wife. Gabby was willing to accept this arrangement for what it was—a convenience—but she wouldn’t hope for anything more. This was a favor, nothing else.

Gabby looked down at her wedding ring. It was just a simple band, but it was already taking on meaning. It certainly would to everyone else. They’d all expect a passionate love story, and Gabby wasn’t going to be able to deliver. How was she supposed to play this? Would their natural friendship look romantic enough to a casual observer? Would they have to amp up their physical contact in order to look the part? All things she should have thought through already, but she hadn’t had the time. Her boys were her priority, and they needed their specialty formula. Plus who knew what other medical help might be necessary down the road with premature triplets.

They arrived in Eagle’s Rest in the late afternoon and headed to the south side of town, where Gabby’s aunt Bea lived. Bea was her mother’s aunt, so unlike Ted, she was legitimate family. Small, boxy houses built in the sixties, with large yards and mature trees, ran up and down the street, and her aunt’s house was second from the end. Most of the houses had Christmas decorations on their lawns—inflatable Santas, lights on the trees, wreaths on doors… The snow had stopped and watery winter sunlight filtered through the overhanging boughs of the trees. Gabby fiddled with the roses in her lap, then looked down at them.

“What do I do with my bouquet?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Seth said. “Were you wanting to throw it or something?”

“No.” Gabby sighed. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it.”

“Bring it back with us. Stick it in a vase.”

He sounded so sure of himself that it actually sounded like a logical plan, as if that was what anyone would do with a bouquet after a secret wedding—stick it in the center of the kitchen table. But why not?

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll do that.”

Throwing it away seemed wrong, and tossing it over her shoulder wasn’t even a possibility.

“This doesn’t have to be complicated,” Seth said. “Keep it simple—isn’t that what we said?”

Yes, that was exactly what they’d said, but that was before she’d said vows for the first time in her life…before she’d realized that this was her first marriage, and even if she annulled it right now, it would always be her first marriage. Her heart ached in a strange way. She wasn’t sad, exactly, just overwhelmed by it all, and the only thing that would make her feel better was to pick up her babies and hold them close.

Bea Thibodaux’s little white house had a towering oak tree out front that dwarfed the structure but gave some beautiful dappled shade for the summertime. Seth pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine.

“Are you coming in with me?” Gabby asked.

“Do you want me to?” He looked over at her uncertainly.

“You might as well,” she said. “But mess up your hair, or something. You look too formal and wedding-ish.”

Seth chuckled softly. “I’m not the one dressed in white.”

Gabby shot him a smile. “It’s cream.”

“Same diff.”

“Let’s just try to get in and out without the neighbors asking too many questions.”

“You give them too much credit,” Seth shot back. “They won’t ask us, they’ll go ask your aunt once we’re gone.”

He had a point, and she shook her head. “I guess we can’t help that. And we’ll start telling people soon enough… Let’s go in. I miss my boys.”

She pushed open the door and hopped out of the truck. One of her aunt’s neighbors came out the side door of her house with a snow shovel at the same time and shot Gabby a curious look.

“Hi,” Gabby called casually, and headed toward her aunt’s place as if she’d just gotten back from a coffee or something. The neighbor raised her hand in a wave, but didn’t stop watching Gabby. Seth followed a moment later, and Gabby was relieved to see that he’d left the string tie behind and seemed to have dug out an older, more beaten up cowboy hat. Now he just looked like a really well-dressed cowboy. Hopefully, the neighbors would assume he was a date.

Aunt Bea pulled open the front door before Gabby even had a chance to knock, and the older woman looked immediately at Gabby’s left hand, then over at Seth’s.

“So you did it,” Bea said, stepping back. “Come in, then.”

Before they’d left that morning, Gabby had told her aunt the plan and sworn her to secrecy. Bea hadn’t liked it, but she hadn’t tried to stop them, either.

Gabby headed for the car seats where the babies were all lined up and asleep. Andy was sleeping with his tongue sticking out, and Beau and Aiden were turned toward each other in the car seats, breathing in unison. Gabby squatted down in front of them and reached out to touch their tiny feet.

“Mommy’s back,” she whispered.

“I just put them down after diaper changes,” Bea said. “So they should be dry. Except for Andy. He wets his diaper the minute I put a new one on… Lucky he doesn’t seem to mind being wet, unlike Beau.”

“Thanks, Auntie,” Gabby said, reaching for Andy. “I appreciate it.”

She put a hand under Andy’s little rump and the other under his downy head and scooped him up. He settled with a sigh against her chest, and she felt the tension seeping out of her. This was what she needed—to hold her babies.

“So you’re going ahead with the plan to move into Seth’s house?” Bea asked.

“Yes,” Gabby said.

“Well, I expect we can put Seth to work, then,” Bea said, turning toward him. “Can you start carrying out some baby things? I’ve got it all ready to go by the side door.”

“Sure.” Seth looked relieved to have something to do. “I’ll load everything up.”

“Auntie, we’re not telling people yet,” Gabby added.

“Oh.” Bea nodded. “Not even your mother?”

“I will tell her—tomorrow, though. I want a bit of time to think it out before I do.”

“She’s your mom,” Bea replied. “I don’t know why there’s any explanation necessary besides the actual truth. She’ll understand that you need to provide for your children. She knows what it means to be a single mother, after all.”

“No, she’ll feel like she let me down,” Gabby said. “And I don’t want her to think that.”

Gabby’s mother, Carol, had helped her get through college and earn her diploma to be a medical office assistant, and then Carol had lost a few jobs, one after another. None of it was her fault—just the fluctuating economy. She’d gotten into debt, and there was no way she could help Gabby pay for that expensive formula now. Gabby knew her mother would feel terrible if she found out that Gabby was marrying Seth only for health insurance.

“We just need some time to sort out our stuff,” Gabby said. “But we were spotted in Benton by Taylor Shirk, so it probably won’t stay a secret for long.”

“I’ll let you be the one to tell her,” Bea said, and as Seth picked up a couple garbage bags filled with clothes and linens, the older woman added, “Welcome to the family, Seth.”

Seth shot Gabby a half smile, then nodded to her aunt. “Thanks. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of these boys.”

“And Gabby, too, I hope,” Bea shot back.

“Most definitely.”

The warmth in his eyes, the private smile he cast in Gabby’s direction, and the way his muscles flexed as he hoisted the first bags—they were a combination that made it easy to pretend this marriage was something it wasn’t.

The screen door banged shut as Seth disappeared outside, and Gabby looked at her aunt with eyebrows raised.

“You’ve got your privacy now,” Gabby said. “What’s on your mind?”

“What’s on yours?” Bea quipped, and she reached for Gabby’s hand, looking down at the wedding ring. “Why did you do this?”

“You know why.” Gabby felt the tears rising up inside her. She was tired. She had missed her babies, and she really wasn’t in the mood to argue about something that was already done.

“I thought you’d come to your senses before you actually went through with it,” Bea said.

“Auntie, could you afford that formula for the long term?” Gabby demanded.

“No, but the church could have taken up a special offering—”

“No!” Then Gabby lowered her voice, because Beau and Aiden squirmed in their car seats. “Auntie, I’m not a charity. And I’m not going to be waiting on church collections to feed my children. Besides, I don’t want them growing up with the stigma of how they came into this world.”

“But you’ve married a man you don’t love.”

Gabby looked out the front window to where Seth was tossing the bags into the bed of the pickup. “Yes, I have. Look, he and I are good friends. We have been for years. We understand each other.”

“How long will you stay married?” Bea asked. “Is this truly until death do you part?”

“I don’t know. We’ll see, I guess. There are no false expectations here.”

“No?” Bea paced the living room, then turned back. “This is marriage. It isn’t supposed to be the sort of thing you take a day at a time!”

“I know.” Gabby rubbed a hand over her face. “Trust me, I’m aware. I’m not a child anymore, Bea. I’m thirty.”

The door opened again and the women fell silent as Seth grabbed a folded playpen in one hand and a baby swing in the other. He met Gabby’s gaze, then turned back to the door and disappeared outside once more. Bea pushed it shut behind him.

“There’s no point in arguing about it,” Bea said, adjusting her tone. She reached out and touched the back of her finger to Andy’s cheek where he lay snuggled on Gabby’s chest. “But I feel like I should at least warn you.”

“Of what?” Gabby asked tiredly.

“You’re playing with fire, dear. Those vows—they’re no joke. When you vow to belong to a man as long as you live, whether you mean it or not, it joins you to him in a way you don’t understand yet. It’s not just business. It can’t be.”

“Well, it’s too late now,” Gabby said with a bitter laugh.

“You have to know that I wish you only happiness,” her aunt replied earnestly. “All I can say is that you’re in for the ride of your life.”

Of that, Gabby was absolutely certain, but whether it would be exhilarating or a wild regret, she wasn’t sure. Still, her boys would be fed, and they’d have doctor’s visits and medicine if they needed it. And that was what mattered. She’d deal with the fallout later.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Gabby said quietly. “Cross your fingers for me, or say a prayer for me, but for crying out loud, don’t tell your church my business, okay?”

Bea smiled wryly. “Wouldn’t dream of it, dear. But the prayer chain is very discreet if you change your mind.”

“Auntie!” Gabby caught the teasing glint in her aunt’s eye. “I’m not going to tell anyone about the health insurance. You’ve got to keep my secret, okay? I don’t want Seth getting charged for insurance fraud or something like that. We can’t afford those legal fees. Besides, it’ll only hurt Mom if she knew. So I’m asking for a huge favor—keep my secret.”

Bea nodded. “I can do that. But just know, secrets have a way of coming out, anyway.”

“I’ll take that risk.”

The side door opened again and Seth poked his head in.

“So how are we going to do this?” Seth asked.

“I’ve got the car seat bases in the back of my car,” Gabby said. “And I think I’m ready.” She gave her aunt an appreciative smile. “Thanks for everything, Auntie. I’ll call you, okay?”

Bea nodded. “And if you need someone to mind the babies while your mom is working, I’m here.”

Gabby leaned over and kissed her aunt’s cheek. “I intend to take you up on that.”

THE ROSS RANCH was about forty minutes outside of Eagle’s Rest, out of the mountains and down in the snowy foothills. Seth was the ranch manager, and his little cottage was just up the road from the ranch hands’ bunkhouse and canteen. As he drove past the main house and around the bend, he came to another cottage—what used to be an in-law arrangement, from what he understood. This was where Billy Austin lived—a ranch hand and a good friend.

Billy’s wife, Grace, had just pulled up to the cottage. She was a teacher in town, and their daughter—now in kindergarten—hopped out of the car and turned to wave at Seth’s truck as he came around the bend. He smiled and waved back. Poppy was a cute little girl, and he had a soft spot for the kid. But then Grace and Poppy both turned their attention to Gabby’s car following his truck, and Grace brightened and waved. Here was hoping that in the car, with only a coat visible, Gabby didn’t look too much like a bride…

It wasn’t that he wanted to hide their arrangement, exactly, but he did want a few minutes with Gabby alone to adjust, at least. They didn’t have their story straight yet, and Grace and Gabby were good friends. What they decided to tell people was going to matter, big-time.

The ranch manager’s house was a small affair with two floors, and it was located on the other side of the bunkhouse and canteen. The last woman to share this house with him had been Bonnie. Pregnant Bonnie, always knocking water glasses and towels off the counter with her belly. It drove her crazy, and the memory brought back the sad ache. They’d set up a nursery together, all decorated in yellow and green because they’d wanted to be surprised about the baby’s gender. When Bonnie and little Hazel Marie hadn’t come home with him, he’d shut the door on that nursery and hadn’t gone inside again.

Seth parked in his regular spot and waited for Gabby to park next to him. The next few minutes were spent getting the babies out of her car and unloading a few necessities. They carried the car seats into the kitchen, and he glanced back at Gabby to see her appraising the place.

“Grace saw you coming here,” Seth said. “How long until she drops by?”

“She texted me already.” Gabby lifted her cell phone with a small smile. “I told her I’d give her a call later on, but I can’t tell her until I’ve told my mom. You and Billy are pretty good friends. He’ll require some explanations, too.”

“Yeah.” Seth shrugged. “This is just the start.”

Gabby bent down to uncover the babies, and she smiled down at them. All three were sleeping. Right now, the least of his worries should be the explanations. He now had three infants in his home—and their mother.

“I’ve got two bedrooms upstairs,” Seth said. “I thought you might be okay sharing with the babies.”

He hadn’t shown her the upstairs when he brought her here for dinner a week ago and they’d come up with this idea. That had still felt like private space.

“Sure, that works.” Gabby nodded. “I need to be close by for those feedings, after all. Every two hours. Did I mention that?”

“Yeah, I think you did.” Energetic, fun-loving, free-spirited Gabby was a mom on bottle duty all night. Hadn’t she sworn she didn’t want kids once upon a time? Kids are great, so long as they belong to someone else. You and Bonnie should have ten, Seth. Now she was the mom, and his daughter was gone.

“Let me take that,” he said, removing the bouquet from her shoulder bag. He retrieved a vase from the cupboard under the sink and filled it with water. He used to do this for Bonnie when he brought her flowers. Every two weeks. That was one of the things a book advised about keeping a marriage strong—regular flowers. And he’d always been particular about maintaining his marriage. Thing was, marriage was a whole lot more complicated than he’d anticipated, and flowers every two weeks weren’t quite the magic answer he’d hoped for.

Seth put the bouquet into the vase and slid it onto the table. It felt right, having flowers in here again. And it also felt like a bit of a betrayal to Bonnie, too.

One of the babies opened his eyes and let out a whimper.

“It’s about that time.” Gabby reached for the diaper bag that sat next to the car seats. “Why don’t we feed them first, then get settled?”

She was already adjusting to the space, and Gabby hoisted the bag to the counter next to the fridge and pushed aside a fruit bowl. It shouldn’t irritate him—she lived here now, after all, but Seth liked things to stay the same, even if that was unrealistic. He and Bonnie had always had the fruit bowl just there because Seth would reach over from his spot at the kitchen table and grab a banana. His attachment to a fruit bowl’s position had nothing to do with being picky. It was linked to his grief. And maybe his irrational guilt over arranging Gabby’s flowers like that…

Gabby took out a can of formula powder, then went to the sink. In a few minutes she’d shaken up three bottles, then caught his gaze lingering on her. “What?”

He’d rather not start out with an argument. And he’d be wrong—it was only a fruit bowl.

“Nothing. Which baby do I feed?” he asked. This had been his idea, and he’d just have to get used to Gabby’s touch about the place. Still… He moved the baby bag and slid the fruit bowl back into its rightful place. There. That felt better.

Gabby unbuckled the first baby and scooped him up. She planted a kiss on his forehead, and the infant’s eyes opened and gazed up at her.

“This is Aiden,” she said. “You’ll know him because he’s a little bit smaller.”

She passed him to Seth, and he reached out awkwardly, his fingers splayed. It took a moment of careful adjustment to get the baby into his arms. The little guy barely weighed anything. His heart clenched, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat. He’d imagined doing this with his own daughter a thousand times before she was born, and he’d never gotten the chance.

“Hi, there…” Seth said, looking down into the squished little face. Aiden opened his eyes again and his mouth opened into a tiny O, nudging toward Seth’s shirt, a baby’s instinct for milk. It took him a few tries to get the bottle’s nipple into Aiden’s mouth, but once he did, the baby set to sucking.

“There,” Seth said, and he felt a rush of unexpected satisfaction.

Gabby was cuddling another baby close as he slurped hungrily at a bottle. With a foot, she rocked the third car seat.

“This here is Andy,” she said, looking down at the infant she was feeding. “Beau might hate a wet diaper, but he’s a little more patient for his bottle.”

Aiden stretched out a tiny arm—remarkably strong for such a little fellow. Their marriage might be a unique arrangement, but part of Seth’s willingness to help her had been because of these babies, and he looked down at the infant in wonder.

“I’ve fed calves, and a couple of newborn goats, but I’ve never fed a baby before,” he admitted.

“No?” Gabby wrinkled her nose. “Are you serious? I thought you used to babysit your cousins.”

“They weren’t babies,” he said, casting her an incredulous look. “And Ian is only four years younger than me. His sister was like five at the time. So they all fed themselves pretty efficiently.”

“Right. You just seem so much older than him.”

“Thanks.” He rolled his eyes.

“You know what I mean—you’re more mature. He’s always been a perpetual boy. I mean, he’s fun, don’t get me wrong, but…”

She was right about that. And Gabby would know—she’d dated Ian for a few months. In her defense, there weren’t a lot of single guys to choose from in Eagle’s Rest.

They were silent for a few beats, and Seth sobered, adjusting the baby in his arms.

“I was all set to figure out bottle feeding with my daughter,” he said quietly. “I never got the chance.”

When Seth looked over at her, he saw her eyes misting. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and her chin trembled ever so slightly. It was the mom in her reacting.

“I can’t imagine losing a child, Seth,” she said softly. “That’s a heartbreak I don’t think you’d ever recover from.”

“Yeah, it’s bad.”

Understatement of the year. Losing his wife was one kind of grief, but losing his infant daughter was another. It was an aching emptiness—a loss of a hundred things he’d never gotten to try. A pregnancy was different from a baby for the father, and while he’d felt his child squirm in Bonnie’s belly, he’d known that meeting the baby would make it all concrete. He’d be a dad in earnest then. When the doctors put her in his arms, she had suddenly become real…and so had the depth of his loss. All in that one moment. Because little Hazel Marie hadn’t survived the delivery, and his hello and goodbye had to happen all at once. He realized then it wasn’t the length of a life, but the depth of it, and his tiny daughter had sunk down into his soul.

He didn’t know how to put all those feelings into words, and he’d never tried. He’d just covered the pain over as best he could with work and keeping busy. People had expressed sympathy, and Billy had spent quite a few evenings in this house, sharing beer and some companionable silence. It had helped more than Billy probably knew. A few aunts had brought casseroles, but mostly he just sank back down into a bachelor’s life—meals for one and a whole lot of working. There was enough to do on a ranch that he could go day and night if he wanted to. And sometimes he did.

Aiden finished the bottle, and Seth put it on the counter.

“You’ll need to burp him,” Gabby said, putting her own bottle down and tipping Andy up to her shoulder. “Like this. Just pop him up there and pat his back a little bit. Aiden’s a gassy one. He’ll burp twice.”

Just pop him up there… That was easier said than done. The baby was so small that Seth was scared of hurting him. He managed to get his hand under Aiden’s head and when he tipped him up onto his shoulder, the tiny head tipped forward, too. Seth felt his gut drop. But then Aiden lifted his head and settled it down again in a more comfortable position, and there was a surge of relief.

“Okay, buddy,” Seth said softly, and he gently tapped the tiny back the way Gabby was doing with his brother. Almost immediately, there was a resounding belch.

“Wow,” Gabby chuckled. “Keep that up. He’ll do it again.”

Seth continued the soft tapping as he watched Gabby finish burping Andy. She put him back in his car seat and scooped up Beau.

“You’ve been so good, Beau,” she crooned, tucking him into the crook of her arm. “Are you a hungry boy?”

Her voice was different when she talked to her children—softer, sweeter, more intimate somehow.

Aiden lifted his head again, and then he burped again, this time leaving a dribble of milk to soak into Seth’s shirt.

“Sorry,” Gabby said with a wince.

“No problem.”

“You don’t have to help with baby stuff, you know,” she said. “Just having us here is enough.”

“If you don’t want me to—” he started, then breathed a sigh. “Thing is, Gabs, I kind of want to. If I’m going to be your husband, I guess that makes me a dad to them…sort of. Right?”

“Do you want to be?” Gabby eyed him, and he couldn’t tell what she was feeling. But she was waiting for his answer, all of her body tensed. He’d learned a few things in his first marriage, like never to assume he knew what a woman was feeling. Honesty was probably the best call right now.

“Am I allowed to be a dad to them?” he asked cautiously.

“How long-term is this?” she asked.

“Uh…” He smiled hesitantly. “As long as we want it to be.”

“That’s not an answer, though.”

“I’m assuming we’re going to keep this going for as long as the boys need the insurance,” he said. “That’s on a purely practical level. As friends, though, we can stay married for the rest of our lives, if it suits us.”

“If it suits us…” She sucked in a breath. “Kids needs stability.”

“Yeah, I get it,” he said with a quick nod. And emotional connection and passionate promises gave at least the impression of stability. But he and Gabby weren’t there; they weren’t promising undying passion for a lifetime.

“I did grow up with a really great godfather,” Gabby said. “You know how much Uncle Ted meant to me. I was thinking maybe you could be like him… That way, if we do decide to end this after a while, it won’t be as traumatic for the boys, and you could stay in their lives in a meaningful way.”

Uncle Ted. That had been a weird setup with Gabby’s family—not that Seth had told her his real feelings there. Godparents mattered a lot in her family—more than in his, that was for sure.

“Okay, well…so I’ll be a godfather kind of figure. And I can help out with the bottles and stuff.”

When they got older he could teach them to ride a horse, and to fix a truck, and to use their manners. Maybe she was right, and being a godfather would be a longer-lasting relationship than a stepdad.

“Okay…” Gabby’s voice softened, and she met his gaze with a gentle smile. “We’ll just learn as we go.”

That seemed to be parenting in a nutshell, really—learning as you went along. Billy’s daughter had been dropped on his doorstep, and he came back to Eagle’s Rest to raise her before Seth and Bonnie had started trying for a baby. Watching his old friend adjust to fatherhood had taught him a thing or two—namely, that a whole lot of love made up for whatever limitations a dad might have. If Seth had had the chance to raise his own daughter, he’d have bumbled along, he was sure, but the chance to bumble and mess up and fix stuff—that was more precious than most people realized.

When the babies were fed, Gabby changed diapers again. Seth stood back and let her do that one on her own. He was easing into this, and a bottle was enough to stretch his skill set right now.

“I guess I should show you your room,” Seth said, when the babies were dressed once more.

“That would be great. They normally sleep after a bottle,” Gabby replied. “I’ve got the collapsible playpen in your truck—”

“There’s a crib,” he said, and he swallowed against a lump in his throat.

“Oh…” Understanding registered in her eyes. “Hazel’s?”

He nodded. “If that’s okay.”

“It’s perfect,” she said. “They’re small enough we can lay them down sidelong and they can all sleep together. For now, at least. That’s how they sleep in the playpen, anyway.”

Hazel’s crib… He hadn’t looked at it in a long time, and his chest tightened at the thought of it being put to use after all this time. But these boys needed a home and a bed, and it was better to have that nursery used than to leave it empty of life and filled with grief.

Seth cleared his throat. “Should I carry one of the babies?”

“Please. Here’s Beau.”

She passed the infant into his arms, and Seth looked down at the tiny face of yet a different boy who needed him. Seth was a dad. Sort of. That was how he was seeing himself right now. He might not be biologically linked, but he was here…and he was married to their mother. He gave the baby a little pat on the rump.

“Hey, Beau,” he murmured.

Beau was sleeping, pale eyelashes brushing his cheeks. Seth waited until Gabby had the remaining two babies in her arms, and then he led the way up the creaking stairs to the second floor.

“That’s my bedroom,” he said, nodding toward the closed door. “And this is…yours.”

It was hard to say that Hazel’s room belonged to Gabby and her sons now, but he opened the other door to reveal the nursery. It was spacious and bright, and there was a double bed pushed against the far wall. He’d come through the room and dusted all the surfaces, did some sweeping and generally tried to make it hospitable before he left to get married. Originally, this used to be the guest room, and he and Bonnie never did move that bed out. They’d figured it might be useful for feedings or something. But Gabby could use that bed, and the babies would share the crib until they could squeeze in another couple cribs.

Gabby stepped into the room ahead of him and looked around.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “So bright. I love it.”

He’d always liked that room, too, and he stepped forward to lower the side of the crib one-handed so she could put the babies into it. It took him a moment of fiddling—he wasn’t used to actually using any of this stuff, but before Hazel was born he’d familiarized himself with it all. He was nothing if not prepared—his life motto, for all it had worked out.

Gabby laid the boys carefully on the yellow-sheeted mattress. Andy stretched out tiny limbs and Aiden exhaled a comfortable sigh. Gabby took Beau from his arms and laid him next to his brothers. Beau and Aiden turned toward each other.

“They always do that,” Gabby whispered.

“I wonder why,” Seth said.

“They shared a womb.” Gabby shrugged. “They all did. I’m sure their relationship—the three of them—will be one we’ll never fully understand.”

“Yeah.”

We. That was the word she’d chosen, and it felt awkwardly endearing to be included like that. We.

Seth glanced around the nursery—at the owl decals on the walls, the rocking chair in the far corner holding a pile of knitted blankets he’d never actually put away—and he realized that it didn’t feel quite so sad anymore. It wasn’t that Hazel’s memory was gone from this room exactly, but perhaps her memory had some company in the form of triplet boys.

CHAPTER THREE

GABBY CHANGED OUT of her wedding dress and into a pair of jeans and a sweater. That felt better—more like herself. She went downstairs and helped Seth unload the last of the baby supplies from the back of the pickup and brought them into the house. Next, Seth emptied a couple cupboards for her, and over the next hour, Gabby went up and down the stairs at least ten times carrying things to the nursery and taking a peek at the sleeping infants.

Seth was stomping around, not looking exactly welcoming. Three times now, Gabby had put something down and he’d moved it—a bag of baby clothes, containers of formula, her purse…and she was a little worried that he wouldn’t be as able to adjust to her being around here as he claimed. It might be easier to have him out of the house for a while. When he came back, he could reel under the shock all at once.

“You have the week off, right?” Gabby asked as she sank down into a kitchen chair.

“Yep,” he said. “I haven’t taken my vacation time in a while, so Mr. Ross was glad to give it to me.”

So much for having him out from underfoot. It felt different now—it wasn’t the same as before.

“You’re definitely uncomfortable,” she said with a small smile. Might as well face this head-on.

Seth cleared his throat. “I’m used to facing marriage a little differently than this.”

“I know…”

“I mean, my parents had that vicious divorce when I was twelve, so Bonnie and I—” He swallowed. “We really took our marriage seriously. It was top priority. We read marriage books and had our own plan that was supposed to keep us divorce-proof, and now…” He met her gaze. “I’m not sure how to do a marriage like ours. You know?”

“We said this was going to be pragmatic,” she said.

“And it is,” he agreed. “I honestly think this is smart, but I’m not sure how to do this now that we’re…home. There aren’t a lot of books on how to make a practical marriage work.”

Right. Seth and his love of research.

“We should probably talk about money,” she suggested. “You know, now—before there’s any resentment.”

“Probably,” he agreed.

“Obviously, I’ve got to contribute,” she said. “I could get my aunt to watch the boys while I work part-time somewhere. With them so young, it would be hard to do more than part-time, but—”

“No.” His tone was closer to a growl, and she stopped, surprised.

“No, what?” she asked.

“No, you don’t have to work. Three newborns are enough on your plate, and I didn’t do this expecting you to pay me back.”

“Yes, but I still need to contribute,” she countered. “Realistically speaking—”

“How about…” he interrupted, and she saw the discomfort on his face. “With some cooking and stuff?”

“Are you asking me to be a housewife?” she asked, expecting to laugh when he did.

“Yes?” He smiled bashfully. “I know this marriage is a practical one, but it’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve come home to a hot meal.”

“A housewife…” She rolled that thought around in her mind, and found that it felt rather nice at the moment. She could spend her days raising her boys and taking care of this farmhouse…

“I’m not sure you’d actually like that,” she countered. “I’d change things.”

“Hmm.” It sounded more like a grunt, and when she searched his face for a reaction, all she saw was granite. He was hiding his feelings from her—something she’d never cared too much about before, but it wouldn’t make living together easy if she couldn’t read him.

“I’d rearrange stuff,” she pressed on. “I’d cook food that I like, and I’d probably want to paint some walls, or plant a garden, or—or…” She cast about, searching for the sorts of things that would occur to her, and she’d be halfway through before Seth even got to voice an opinion. “I might want to decorate for the holidays.”

“Not yet,” he said with a sigh. “No painting. No rearranging. I like things the way they are. Just for now. For a while.”

So she was a houseguest, not a housewife. Good to know. He met her gaze with a hesitant smile. The sparkle in his eye made her breath catch ever so slightly, though, and she broke eye contact.

“Hey, we’re making some ground rules here,” he went on. “So if you’ve got something that’s nonnegotiable, now’s the time to put it out there.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’m not waiting on you hand and foot. That’s something I won’t budge on. I’m technically your wife, but I’m not your servant.”

Seth grinned. “I never thought that was an option, Gabs.”

“No slipper-fetching or reverence in your presence,” she said, only halfway joking. “I’m not standing by with a plate of food warmed in the oven. So if that was in the back of your mind, you might want to encourage me to find a job to contribute financially.”

“Gabby.” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. His dark gaze met hers and pinned her to the spot. She could make out the sandpaper of his stubble across his chin, and the few gray hairs that had worked their way into his beard. His hand moved slowly around her palm as if he didn’t even realize how he was touching her—an absentminded kind of caress from a man who’d been married before. “You aren’t that good of a cook.”

That broke the moment, and she pulled her hand back with a laugh. “I’m better than nothing, you lout.”

Seth seemed to realize how he’d touched her, and he closed his fingers into a fist, flattening his lips. “I’m just saying. We can make this work, but don’t stress about me expecting you to be a servant. You know me.”

Gabby did know him, but she’d never been married to him before. And when he was married, Bonnie had kept Gabby at a good distance. She hadn’t seen too much of them. Maybe Gabby was worrying for nothing. He was offering a great deal here, and he’d already made it possible for her to feed her boys without worry. Now he was letting her raise them without worry, too. Maybe she felt a little guilty for all she was getting from this deal. She could do something in return, and maybe she wasn’t entirely closed to the idea of keeping some food warm for him in the oven…

“I’ll probably be cleaning up and stuff while you’re working,” she said. “Anything you don’t want me to touch—like at all?”

“My bedroom.”

There was a finality in his tone that sobered her, and she nodded quickly. He was giving her access to the house, but not to his private space. It was fair, but it also drew a solid line.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “I leave your bedroom alone. And I won’t change too much around here. I’m just warning you. I’m here. I’ll…leave a mark, I guess.”

“Yeah,” he said, his gaze meeting hers again. “You’re right. Look, I know you’ll change a few things. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll adjust.”

It was good to talk this stuff out. They had a friendship worth protecting, and marriage was going to complicate that.

“We have about an hour before the babies wake,” Gabby said. “Want to watch TV?”

Seth shrugged. “Sure. Why not.”

It might help to get them back to where they used to be—buddies hanging out, appreciating each other’s humor. Not husband and wife. Maybe in public they’d be the Straights and keep up some sort appearance of romance, but in private, they had to protect their careful balance. Because right now, that balance was the one thing that might help Gabby stay afloat.

“Be right back,” she said. “I’ll just check on the babies.”

SETH PAUSED TO look up the stairs toward the nursery. Outside the kitchen window, the sun was sinking in the west, golden rays pooling on the kitchen floor. This was their first day married, and it was almost over. He felt a weird mix of happiness and guilt at the same time. It felt good to have company in the house again—maybe too good.

He glanced around the kitchen, and it seemed like some of those old memories had dimmed a little, just by having Gabby here, and that felt wrong. Like he was letting Bonnie down. Bonnie deserved to be remembered—vividly. But Gabby was even more vivid right now, the smell of her perfume already seeping into the other scents of the house. Gabby was here. He’d gotten so used to living with a memory that having a woman physically in his home made him uneasy.

And yet, Gabby had always been a good friend, and before Bonnie, when times got tough or one of them had a breakup, they’d always gravitated toward each other again. They built each other back up when life knocked them down. When he’d gotten married that became his wife’s domain, but he’d missed Gabby in his life. Maybe too much; Bonnie hadn’t ever been comfortable with their friendship.

Losing his family was the hardest knock he’d ever experienced. Gabby had been here for the funeral, but she’d had to go back to her life in Denver. So having Gabby here now felt like a bit of salve on a wound that had never healed. It wouldn’t magically cure him, but it would ease the pain somewhat, even while the chaos she and the babies would cause grated on his orderly personality.

His gaze landed on her purse, sitting on the table next to those roses. There had to be somewhere to keep her purse out of sight. He glanced around but didn’t have time to do anything about it, because Gabby’s footsteps came creaking back down the stairs and she emerged into the kitchen again. Her hair tumbled down around her shoulders, and he noted how she carried the extra weight from her pregnancy. She was rounder, softer. The extra padding certainly didn’t hurt.

“All right,” she said, stifling a yawn. “They’re still sleeping soundly.”

Seth pulled his eyes away from her figure. Wife or not, her body wasn’t his business. It never had been.

“So… TV?” Seth asked.

The TV was in the living room. It wasn’t very big; he didn’t tend to watch that much TV, truth be told. He hadn’t spent much time in this house since Bonnie’s death, preferring to be on horseback checking herds and cowboy teams. Horseback riding was something he and Bonnie had never done together, so riding alone was an escape from grief, too. He’d given himself permission to not think about all he’d lost when he was on horseback. He could be present in the moment and just ride.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “I’m exhausted.”

He led the way through to the living room, feeling mildly self-conscious. This was to be her home, too, but it didn’t feel like it yet. This still felt like his turf.

“Still not up to a Christmas tree?” Gabby asked. She sank into the couch—the one spot where you could see the TV without a glare.

Seth sat down next to her, the warmth of her arm surprisingly comforting next to him. “I don’t know. I didn’t feel up to it this year.”

Or last year. He’d obstinately avoided Christmas last year, and he’d refused to decorate at all. It wasn’t like it would cheer him up to sit alone in this house with some tinsel and mistletoe, after all.

Gabby nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”

She’d mentioned wanting to do some holiday decorating, and he eyed her for a moment. Last year, he’d been alone. This year, it wasn’t just him rattling around in the house.

“Maybe a little bit of celebration would be okay. Did you want to put one up?” he asked hesitantly.

“It’ll be the boys’ first Christmas,” she said. “It might be nice.”

Of course—there was more to consider than his own grief this year, and a first Christmas was important. Maybe that was a good thing, because he was getting a little too accustomed to his bare, cold sadness.

“Okay,” he said. “So we’ll get one.”

“I can take care of decorating things around here,” she said. “You know, part of the housewife deal.”

He smiled faintly. “Sure. Okay.” He glanced over at her. “Have you been in contact with the babies’ dad?”

“Nope.”

“He hasn’t reached out to ask about the boys? Nothing?”

Gabby shook her head. “He didn’t come to the hospital, but he did pay the bill for my delivery. From what I understand, his wife found out about me before I found out about her, and she made a few demands—one of which was to cut ties with me completely.”

“Huh.” Seth sucked in a deep breath. “Maybe for the best. For his marriage, at least. Not for the kids.”

“You think so?” she asked curtly, sitting up. “I had no idea he was married! It’s not like I was trying to steal him or something. I think I deserved a few explanations, and if he’d wanted his wife in the room for that, all the better. But frankly, treating me like the bad guy was immature and cruel!”

“Yeah… Yeah…” He blinked at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I guess I just figure you’re better off without him. You know—like a Band-Aid. Just rip it off.”

“I was with him for a full year, Seth.”

“I know.” He swallowed.

“I deserved some closure, at the very least!”

“He deserves to hurt just as much as you do,” he said. “I’m not on his side. I think he’s garbage. And now his wife has him back. If I were her, I wouldn’t be feeling so lucky.”

“Fine…” Gabby leaned back again.

“He owes you, you know,” Seth added.

“I could sue him for child support, I suppose,” she said. “But then I’d have to let him—and his pissed-off wife—into the boys’ lives, and I’m not interested in that. Is that good for kids, to be around a stepmom who hates them? She’s blaming the wrong person for his unfaithfulness. I wasn’t the problem—he was. He was the one capable of lying to two women at once and getting away with it for a year, but she blames me. So I’m assuming she’d hate them, too, fair or not. And it’s not that I begrudge her that, either…” Color tinged her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze.

“It’s complicated,” he concluded.

“It’s complicated,” she agreed.

“Will you tell the boys the truth about their dad?”

“I’ll have to. Eventually. Right? I mean, I always knew about my dad, even if he wasn’t in my life. It’ll be the same for them.”

Seth picked up the remote and flicked on the TV. There was a commercial with Santa Claus and spilled milk. For paper towels, maybe?

“I feel like an idiot,” Gabby said with a sigh.

“For what?” he asked. “Trusting a guy who was supposed to love you to tell you the truth?”

“Something like that.” She didn’t take her eyes off the screen. “You know my track record with men. I feel dumb for thinking Craig would be any different. I attract one kind.”

“You aim too low,” he said. She always had. She chose cowboys who partied hard and never fully grew up. She was always attracted to the bad boys.

“I had my reasons,” she replied softly.

“Like what?” He adjusted to turn toward her a little bit.

“You have your bedroom, and I have my personal issues,” she replied with a wry smile. “Privacy, Seth.”

He chuckled and turned back toward the TV. He changed the channel a few times. “What do you want to watch?”

“Whatever. I’ll fight for the remote another day.”

Seth flicked the channel another couple times, then he glanced at Gabby.

“You said you don’t want to find someone,” Seth said. “And it might seem kind of late to ask, but why?”

“I always dated loser cowboys before,” she said, glancing toward him. “No offense to your cousin.”

“A fair assessment,” he said.

“With Craig, I was actively trying to break the mold, to go for a better kind of man. And look what that got me. I’m not good at dating, or romance. But Craig… I really loved him. He was perfect—at least he seemed that way. He was sweet, attentive, adoring… I thought I might actually marry him.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Turns out he was husband material…just someone else’s.” She sighed. “But I have these boys now, and I seem to be good at being a mom.”

“You’re really good at being a mom,” he confirmed.

“So I’m sticking to that,” she replied. “I don’t need a steady dose of romance and rejection. I just need some calm and a solid friendship.”

Gabby tipped her head against his shoulder and he could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his arm. They used to sit like this when they were both single—a luxury they wouldn’t allow themselves if one of them was romantically connected. So maybe it made sense that they could still sit like this. He reached over and smoothed her honey-gold hair down. Her head felt warm against his palm and she smelled sweet—a mixture of shampoo and that perfume she liked. Touching her head had been an automatic reaction, one rooted in a few years of marriage, he realized. He froze, then pulled his hand back. That was too familiar.

Gabby’s breath slowed and deepened, and he glanced down at her again. Her eyes were shut, and she looked so incredibly tired. They’d had a big day, after all. Getting married, moving in. Who knew how much sleep she got with the triplets eating every two hours? He would let her rest. She obviously needed it, and he craved some quiet.

He flicked through another few channels, then chose an episode of a comedy show he’d recorded on the DVR. The tinny laugh track was just what he needed right now—someone to point out the humor he couldn’t see.

Her head slipped from his shoulder and she jolted, then settled against his shoulder again. This wasn’t the most comfortable position, after all, and he eased his arm free and put it around her so that her cheek rested against his chest instead. She shifted, still sleeping. Yeah, this was better.

But she was closer now, and with his arm around her, his hand rested comfortably on her hip. He pulled it back. That wasn’t going to work, either…

What was with him? This wasn’t the plan; marrying her was supposed to be safe, not tempting. He needed to get up, put some physical distance between them, but she was settled against him now, fast asleep.

It was ironic that their marriage was based on a mutual understanding that they’d keep things platonic. She was counting on him. Gabby had been through a lot, both romantically and physically. She’d been betrayed by her boyfriend and had been struggling to provide for her children. She’d married Seth for health insurance, not for anything he could offer otherwise. Besides, their arrangement was smarter than most other couples’. Even when he’d married Bonnie, he’d been in for a few jolts and surprises, all because of different expectations and hurt feelings when hearts were involved. His deal with Gabby made more sense. They weren’t going to go over all those bumps and have all those stupid fights that newlyweds normally endured.

“Gabs,” he murmured.

“Hmm…”

She wiped a little trail of drool from the side of her mouth. It was oddly endearing, and he chuckled.

“Shut up,” she muttered. “I haven’t slept a whole night in weeks. You’d drool, too.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “Rest here. You deserve some sleep. I’ve got a few things I need to do.”

He eased himself up out of the couch and she slipped down into a more comfortable position to nap. He looked at her for a moment, watching her face relax as she dropped back to sleep before his eyes.

Seth didn’t actually have anything he needed to do, but he had to get out of her space, away from that sweet scent that enveloped her. He needed to get outside to cold air and a clear head.

This was day one of marriage, and so far he thought he’d done pretty well. They’d take some adjusting, but he and Gabby might actually make this plan work. They’d managed to move in together, take care of the babies together, and even talked through some pretty delicate issues like money and bedrooms. There was something to be said for pragmatism, but it lasted only as long as they followed their rules.

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