Kitabı oku: «Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets»

Chapter One

“Belle, would you get the door?” Marshall Graham held Ben in one arm and Max in the other. Both infants were crying as if they hadn’t eaten in hours. He’d tried to give them bottles fifteen minutes ago, but Ben had barely touched his, and Max hadn’t taken an ounce. The knocking on the front door persisted. “Belle!”

Grace joined in the chorus of wails. Great. Marshall glanced at the twin girls strapped in bouncy seats on the living room floor. Not you, too, Lila. So far, the most laid-back of the quadruplets merely blinked and shifted her tiny feet. Thank You, God, for one calm baby. Throw me some mercy with the other three. I’m drowning here.

The temperature in their remote part of Wyoming had dropped overnight, and if the baby nurse was outside, he’d better get her indoors before she changed her mind about taking the job. Since Belle hadn’t stirred from her room, Marshall debated what to do. Set the twins down? Attempt to answer the door? The wind howled, the crying became more urgent and his heart pounded like wild horses across the prairie. Before last week he’d never taken care of even one baby, let alone four.

He was terrible at this.

Gently bouncing both boys in an attempt to soothe them, he hurried to the entrance. Shifting Ben, Marshall unlocked the door and opened it.

The young woman standing on the doormat had sparkling green-gold eyes and a heart-shaped face. A red stocking cap topped with a pom-pom covered her long honey-blond hair. She smiled, and he did a double take. He hadn’t expected such an attractive woman to show up. The ratcheting cries didn’t let him linger on her appearance, though.

“Come in.” Marshall stepped aside for her to hang up her coat. “Follow me.”

He hurried to the open-concept living area, then looked down at the boys, their faces screwed up in distress. Now what? He was as close to surrender as he’d ever been.

“Let me.” Her soothing voice held authority. She took Max from him and made cooing noises. The baby calmed immediately, staring at her with one teardrop hanging from the outer edge of his eyelashes. “Aw, he’s precious. So tiny and sweet.”

Tiny, sweet and completely beyond him.

“Oh, you are a darling, aren’t you?” She cradled him and turned to Marshall, her eyes glowing with compassion. “I’m Ainsley Draper.”

“Marshall Graham.” He nodded gruffly. Ben was still crying, and Grace was, as well. Indecision made him hesitate. Did he pick up Grace? Or set Ben down so he could prepare more bottles? Were the babies even hungry? Did any of them need to be changed? Burped? Rocked? Anxiety gripped his torso, tying him in knots.

With Max in her arms, Ainsley carefully lowered herself to kneel in front of the girls. She made silly, kissy faces at them. Grace quieted, her tiny lips wobbling as she watched Ainsley. “Where is your wife?”

Wife? It had been years since he’d had a girlfriend, and he’d never had a wife.

“I’m not married.” Marshall placed Ben in a bouncy seat and locked the strap. The baby arched his back and cried louder. “These are my nieces and nephews. I’m helping my twin sister, Belle, and her husband, Raleigh, adjust to life with quadruplets.”

Adjust was one way of putting it. Ever since Belle had given birth to the two sets of identical twins five weeks ago, Marshall had been trying to help her any way he could. It was the least he could do given their miserable childhood. Although the quads had been home from the hospital for only a week, he was this close to running out to the barns and telling Raleigh it was his turn to deal with the infants. Marshall would rather check cattle for hours on end than change another diaper, which was saying something considering he didn’t relish his duties as a cowboy.

For the umpteenth time he wondered if his best friends, Clint, Nash and Wade, were right—maybe he shouldn’t be working as a ranch hand for Belle’s husband.

But memories rushed back of him and Belle when they were thirteen and fighting off abuse from their mother’s latest live-in boyfriend. Marshall had tried to stand up for Belle...and look where it had gotten him.

Separated from his twin. Sent to a group home for boys. Unable to protect Belle from that man.

He would never, ever let his sister down again.

“Oh, so you’re just here for a few days or something?” She moved Max to her other arm and turned Ben’s bouncy seat so he could face the girls. She began talking to Ben in a low, melodic voice. His crying ceased, followed by a pitiful sigh and a hiccup.

“How did you do that?” Marshall’s arms dropped to his sides as he stared at the back of Ainsley’s golden hair. She’d been there for—what, three minutes?—and she’d already quieted all four babies.

He suddenly understood the meaning of baby whisperer.

She peeked back over her shoulder at him. “Do what?”

“Get them to stop crying. I don’t think the house has been this quiet in a week.”

She laughed, the sound filling the air with tinkling joy. “I’ve been babysitting since I was twelve, and I worked at a day care center for years. I have a lot of experience. I will say quadruplets are a first for me, though.”

“For me, too.”

A flash of understanding passed between them, and he got lost in her pretty eyes. All the tension of being thrust into the role of babysitter dissolved. Help had arrived. He didn’t have to do this alone anymore.

He gestured to the kitchen. “I’ll get the bottles.”

“Is it time to feed them?” She’d turned back to the babies and was strapping Max in the fourth bouncy seat.

“I don’t know. What do you mean?”

“Are they on a schedule? When was the last time they ate?”

“I feed them constantly, but they barely eat anything, if that makes sense. All I do is prep bottles and try to feed them, then another fusses, and it’s just...” He didn’t bother finishing. He’d always considered himself self-reliant, but the past days had driven him to his limit.

“The sooner we get them on a schedule, the better. I’m assuming their mother is resting?”

Belle was resting all right. And avoiding her children along with the real world. He pinched the bridge of his nose. That wasn’t fair. She was recovering from their births and needed extra help and a lot of patience.

“Why don’t you get the bottles and then tell me their names? We’ll feed them together.”

Relief jolted through him. He loped to the kitchen and measured out the formula. When the bottles were ready, he tightened both hands around all four and returned to the living room. Ainsley had wrapped Lila and Grace in lightweight blankets. A pastel baby quilt was spread out between the couches, and Ainsley had propped each girl on the infant support pillows he’d never figured out what to do with. All the babies were getting fussy by the time she swaddled Ben.

“Go ahead and feed the girls.” Holding Ben, she took the other two infant support pillows out of the pile of baby paraphernalia in the corner. Within a few minutes, all four babies were snuggled on the floor, happily eating. Marshall held the girls’ bottles while Ainsley held the boys’.

“I can’t believe it.” He glanced at Ainsley, sitting a few feet from him on the floor. “They’re all eating at the same time. None of them are crying.”

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” She grinned. “They’re so itty-bitty. Tell me about them. What are their names? Are there any health problems I should know about?”

“They’re all healthy. Each one weighs around six and a half pounds, except for Lila. She’s the smallest of the bunch.” He pointed to one of the girls. “By the way, this one’s Lila.” He continued down the row. “Grace is here. That’s Ben. And Max is next to him.”

“How do you tell them apart?”

Heat rushed up his neck. His method was probably stupid.

“Don’t laugh, but every morning I mark Grace’s pinkie nail with a Sharpie. And I mark Max’s with one, too. It’s simple to tell the boys from the girls.”

She chuckled. “Smart. I would have done the same, except I would have used nail polish.”

“Nail polish might be better. I have to reapply the marker often.”

“Well, I’m sure these sweethearts will be napping before we know it. Then you can introduce me to your sister, and she can go over the babies’ care with me.”

He tried not to grimace. He supposed her reaction was normal. Of course a baby nurse would expect the mother to go over the infants’ needs with her. But Belle had barely lifted a finger to deal with the children since they’d come home from the hospital last week. If Ainsley was looking for guidance from his sister, she was going to be disappointed. He hoped Belle didn’t make a scene. If Ainsley left, he didn’t know what he would do.

* * *

She’d been there for two hours and still hadn’t caught sight of the babies’ parents. Was Marshall the only one taking care of them?

Ainsley carried Max and Ben down a hallway to a bedroom with four white cribs. Marshall held the sleeping girls and carefully set them in the same crib. He hitched his chin for her to put the boys into one with navy sheets. When she’d gotten them settled, she tiptoed out of the room with Marshall at her heels.

Her initial plan of meeting the mother and father, going over the babies’ schedules and getting a tour of the place before crashing in her room for a while clearly wasn’t happening. The long drive from Laramie had wiped her out, but she’d be able to rest later. She hoped so, at least.

She made her way to the living room, swiping up empty bottles and taking them to the kitchen. The sink overflowed with dirty dishes. Half-filled baby bottles littered the counter. A canister of baby formula powder with the cover off was next to the coffeemaker.

“Uh, sorry it’s such a mess.” Marshall slapped the formula cover on, then opened the dishwasher and unloaded the top shelf. “Been chaotic around here.”

“I’m sure.” Maybe she was overreacting about not meeting the actual parents. His sister might have had complications from the birth. Now wasn’t the time to make snap judgments. She’d simply do her best to figure out what was going on. “So it sounds like you’ve been really hands-on with the quads. Is their mother having a hard time with recovery?”

“Um, I guess.” He didn’t look her way as he shoved dirty plates into the dishwasher. “I don’t know much about that stuff.”

No, the gorgeous cowboy in front of her couldn’t be expected to know about recovering from birth, could he? His formfitting black T-shirt had a drip of spit-up on the sleeve. A belt buckle with a tractor on it kept his jeans in place. She could easily picture a cowboy hat on top of his short dark hair. She wasn’t sure if his stubble was the result of not having time to shave or if he kept it that way on purpose. Either way, it added to his appeal. Or maybe the fact he’d been holding two tiny babies when he’d opened the door earlier made him a solid ten in her eyes.

A man who protected the helpless was an attractive man indeed.

If Marshall had told her he was the quadruplets’ father, she would have quit. It wouldn’t be fair to the babies’ mother or father to have a nurse who had the hots for their daddy. But since he was their uncle and single, she could stay with no guilt on her conscience. It wasn’t as if she was looking for romance, anyhow. After Christmas her sole focus would be on going back to Laramie, getting into the nursing program and finishing her degree.

“How long do they usually nap?” She peered around for the typical infant supplies. No clean bottles were lined up. She didn’t see a container with nipples or pacifiers. Where were the bottle brushes?

“Nap?” He finished loading the dishwasher, popped in a cleaning tab and pressed the start button. “They don’t usually sleep at the same time.”

“What do you mean?” She circled him to get to the sink and began filling it with hot water. Unscrewing the bottles, she dumped out the old formula into the adjoining basin before tossing them into the soapy water.

“It depends on when they’re eating. It’s like if one is sleeping, another is hungry.”

She checked under the sink for cleaning supplies. A bottle brush and a package of rubber gloves hid behind the dish soap. She slid on a pair of gloves and began washing the bottles.

“How does your sister manage them?”

“Belle?” He wiped his hands on a towel and leaned against the counter. “She’s been real tired.”

She rinsed the first bottle and looked around for a place to set it. “Do you have a bottle dryer? Or dish towel?”

“Yes. Here.” He flicked open a drawer and grabbed two dish towels. Slung one over his arm and spread out the other next to the sink. “I’ll take that. If you wash, I’ll rinse.”

“What about their father? Does anyone else come in to help? A night nurse? Grandmother? Anyone?”

She watched him out of the corner of her eye. The muscle in his cheek leaped.

“No, Raleigh is busy. I wish his mother could have been here to help with the little ones, but she died last year. He inherited Dushane Ranch and has his hands full keeping it going, so he can’t be in here all day with the babies. And Belle and I don’t have a mother anymore. That’s why I hired you.”

He hired her? “I thought the babies’ parents hired me.”

“They’ll be glad you’re here. When Dottie Lavert told me she knew someone who might be willing to help for a while, I asked her to contact you.”

“Dottie made it sound as if your sister—Belle—wanted me to come.” A sense of foreboding spilled over her. If neither parent was stepping up to their responsibilities for these babies, Ainsley could be put in a no-win situation. “I don’t want Belle resenting me.”

“She won’t. Look, Belle was desperate for these children. She’s going through a rough patch, but she’ll be thankful to have you helping with them.” He rinsed the bottles and placed them on the towel to dry.

Somehow, Ainsley wasn’t so sure. Something didn’t seem quite right on Dushane Ranch.

“So let me make sure I’ve got this straight.” She washed the final bottle. “You’re taking care of the babies pretty much by yourself?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m taking a break from my ranch duties to be here during the day. Belle and Raleigh handle the babies at night.” His eyes shifted to the side. Was he lying? And what did he mean by taking a break from his ranch duties?

She let the water out of the sink. “I’m sure your sister and her husband will tell me the system that works for them.”

“I don’t think they have a system.” He cleared his throat. “I come over in the wee hours once in a while if Belle texts me.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Where do you live?”

He pointed out the kitchen window, which showed views of frozen pastures and distant mountains. “In the second cabin. Right next to yours.”

“You work here?” She hadn’t expected him to be employed on the ranch. He nodded, but he didn’t look very happy about it. She tried to shake her thoughts into some sort of order. Grabbing the dishcloth, she wiped down the counters.

“Yeah,” he said. “For now.”

“What do you mean?”

Color rose to his cheeks. “Nothing. I’ll be here for as long as Belle needs me.”

“Well, we’d better get on the same page with these babies. You know I’m only here until after the holidays, right?”

His rich brown eyes looked sheepish. “Until New Year’s Eve. We’ve got you for just over six weeks.”

She almost grunted. He wouldn’t have her for even one week if she sensed dysfunction. Growing up with an alcoholic father had soured her on trying to fix other people’s problems. How many times had she tried to save her dad from himself? Too many. Worse, she’d put her own life and dreams on hold for years. And what had it gotten her?

Nothing.

That’s why she relied on herself. If she found a man who put her first and kept his word, she might be interested in starting a family someday, but finding a guy like that was a tall order.

The best thing she’d ever done was wash her hands clean of her father and his addiction. Three years ago she’d moved to Laramie and enrolled in the University of Wyoming to become a nurse. She’d finished her first two years of schooling, but she was still waiting to get into the highly competitive nursing program. Her college adviser had informed her of a position opening at the hospital in January, which would greatly increase her chances of getting accepted.

Ainsley had already applied for the job. She’d find out in a few weeks if she got it or not. In the meantime, working as a baby nurse would pay her bills and, hopefully, help her get one of the coveted spots in the program.

Marshall waved for them to go back to the living room. She sat on one of the couches. He sat on the other.

“I don’t want you thinking you’re here under false pretenses.” His knees were wide, and his elbows rested on them. “I’ve got a cabin ready for you, so you’ll have your privacy. The hours are long, but you’ll only be on days. No nights. Can you be here from eight in the morning until six?”

“Will I be taking care of the quadruplets all by myself?”

“No, I’ll help, too.”

Him? But what about their mother?

“Don’t you think Belle should be involved?” she asked. Six weeks would pass in a blink, and it would be better if Belle was as hands-on as possible. Ideally, Raleigh would be changing diapers and feeding babies during the day, too, but given his ranch duties, she doubted he’d have time. Hopefully when Ainsley left, Belle wouldn’t be overwhelmed trying to care for the children on her own.

“Yes, she should, and if all goes according to plan, I can resume helping Raleigh outside soon.”

Nothing ever went according to plan, not in her life, at least. That’s why she didn’t leave anything she could control to chance. As far as this situation went, she might as well take charge now.

“I suggest we color-code these babies. I’ve got stickers and markers in my car. I’m going to need you to show me where everything—bottles, bibs, diapers—is stored. When I arrive each morning, I’ll make up bottles for the next twenty-four hours and put them in the fridge. All we’ll have to do is warm them up. And we’re keeping track of how much and when each baby eats. Don’t worry. I have charts.”

A sense of empowerment rushed up her spine. Maybe she’d been looking at this all wrong. Instead of seeing the potential pitfalls—like four tiny infants and an absent mother and father—she’d focus on the pluses. No system? No problem. She’d impose her own methods on the quadruplets. She’d get them on a schedule.

When Ainsley left, Belle would be comfortable caring for her babies. A surge of purpose filled her chest.

A shuffling sound came from the hallway.

“What is going on?” A beautiful woman with flashing brown eyes and a mane of long black hair appeared in the archway. “Why is this stranger in my living room, Marshall?”

* * *

Just when he’d been concentrating on the delicious phrases of color-code these babies and don’t worry I have charts, his sister had to go and kill his good mood. He’d told her he was hiring a baby nurse. He’d gotten Raleigh’s approval, too.

“This is Ainsley Draper, the baby nurse we hired. Ainsley, this is my sister, Belle Dushane.” He held his breath, waiting to see how Belle would react. His twinstincts told him not well.

“Your babies are beautiful.” Ainsley sailed across the room to shake Belle’s hand. Her smile brightened the atmosphere. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Belle regarded her with distaste and limply shook her hand. Glaring at his sister, Marshall clenched his jaw. She merely raised an eyebrow. He’d always wished he could do the same. His sister certainly had the haughty gesture down pat.

“We don’t need a baby nurse.” Belle made a shooing motion. “So thank you for coming, but—”

One of the babies let out a cry. Marshall rubbed his temples. Here we go again.

Ainsley gestured to the hallway. “Since I’m here, do you want me to stay awhile and help change them?”

Belle’s face flushed. “Marshall and I can do it.”

Was his sister crazy? Did she honestly think they were in any way succeeding at taking care of quadruplets? They were in way over their heads.

“I understand.” Ainsley slowly turned to leave.

“Ainsley, wait.” Marshall thrust his hand out. “Stay for a while. We’ll sort this out.”

Belle snapped her fingers at him. “Come on.”

That did it. His sister had crossed many lines lately, and he’d had enough. One of the other babies joined in with the crying. His head began to throb.

“No, Belle.” He widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t snap your fingers at me. And don’t even think about sending Ainsley away. We need help.”

Her chin inclined, and her eyes glinted. “I don’t need anyone taking care of my babies.” Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she stormed down the hall. Marshall debated whether to follow her. If he hadn’t shared a womb with her, he’d be tempted to run out the door.

“Should I talk to her?” Ainsley’s confused face eased his tension. She didn’t seem horrified by his sister’s behavior, although he certainly was.

“No, I’ll handle it.” He entered the babies’ room, and his annoyance vanished. Silent sobs racked Belle’s back as she stood with her face in her hands over the girls’ crib.

“What’s wrong?” The girls were crying, too, but he figured they could wait.

“I don’t know which one is which, Marsh. I don’t know my own babies.” She stared up at him with those eyes that had pleaded with him so many times over the years to fix it, and he muttered under his breath.

“We’re going to change that.” With his finger, he raised her chin to look at him. “Four infants are a lot. And I can’t do this all by myself, Belle. I know you don’t feel well. I don’t expect you to be some superwoman. But I’m clueless—I don’t know what I’m doing. Ainsley is good with the babies, so let her stay.”

He picked up one of the girls. “Here’s Lila. The one with the black pinkie nail is Grace. Let’s change them.”

She swallowed, looking as if she faced a rattler instead of a baby.

He took Grace to one of the changing tables and began unsnapping her coverall. “Who’s the prettiest little cowgirl this side of Sweet Dreams, Wyoming?” He cooed. “You’re going to break hearts, darlin’.” When he’d finished, he picked her back up and turned to see how Belle was doing with Lila. She wasn’t in the room. He checked the crib. Lila wasn’t either.

He held Grace to his chest and returned to the living room, hanging back at the sight before him. Belle was handing the baby to Ainsley.

“I’m not feeling well.” Belle’s face was pinched. “I’m sorry I was rude earlier. Of course we want you to stay.”

Ainsley’s eyes widened, but she nodded and took the baby. “Why don’t you tell me what your expectations are? I want us to be on the same page with their care. I did some research before driving here, and I’d like to use a color system to help manage them.”