Cathy Gillen - The Texas Cowboy's Triplets

He dropped his hand. “Cute. No. There’s only one woman I have my eye on right now.”

A delicious shiver of anticipation swept through her, but for all their sakes, Kelly pushed it away. “And she’s not about to date you.” She referred to herself in the third person, too.

Smug satisfaction radiated off him. “We’ll see.”

Behind them, the screen door banged open. To her relief, Michelle, Michael and Matthew came barreling out. “Deputy Dan!” they cried in unison.

“Hey, kids.” He hunkered down to greet them in turn. Giving out high fives and low fives all around. “’Bout time you buckaroos came out to say hi to me.”

“We couldn’t,” Michelle explained. “Till we had our shoes and socks on. Mommy said.”

“What are you doing here?” Michael asked a tad suspiciously.

“I’m shopping for a new pickup truck or maybe a large SUV. I’m not sure. Your mommy has agreed to advise me.”

“What’s ’vise?” Matthew asked, tucking his hand in Dan’s.

Michelle took his other.

“Advise me means to tell me which one is best,” Dan explained patiently.

Michelle rolled her eyes as she skipped down off the porch. “That’s easy, Deputy Dan! The pink one.”

Michael latched on to Kelly. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think they make pink SUVs,” Kelly said.

Michelle harrumphed. “Well, they should.”

“No, they shouldn’t,” Michael disagreed.

And they were off.

Since Dan was going to need his pickup truck to get a trade-in price, and all the safety seats were in her SUV, they both drove to the auto mall.

As planned, they parked at the dealership where Sharon was the new financial manager.

As Dan ambled over to help the triplets onto the ground, she couldn’t help but think what a good daddy he would make one day.

Assuming he ever chose a wife, that was.

Given his recent “one or two and done” dating history, it seemed in doubt.

Inside the air-conditioned building, couples and families milled about. The triplets, who had never visited the inside of a showroom, were in awe of all the shiny new vehicles. “Wow,” they breathed in unison.

Behind them, a man approached. “Going to get Daddy a new car or truck for Father’s Day?” he said.

Dan and Kelly and the kids turned to face him. “Whoops. Didn’t recognize you from the back,” the gung-ho salesman said.

Dan extended his hand. “Hey, Pete.”

“And who is this lovely lady?” the salesman asked. “And three adorable kids?”

“Kelly Shackleford. Her triplets, Michael, Matthew and Michelle.”

“Deputy Dan is going to be my mommy’s new husband,” Michelle announced. “’Cause she needs one.”

Kelly blushed bright red.

“I see,” Pete said.

Bored, Michael looked up at Dan. “Can we climb inside one of them?”

“Check out the eight-passenger Suburban.” Pete walked over to open it up. “Perfect for the man with a big family.” He winked.

While the kids scrambled inside, Pete launched into a spiel about features. Kelly looked around. She’d only met Sharon Johnson a few times since the single mom generally used the car pool lane drop-off to leave and pick up her daughter from school.

“So what’s your time frame for buying?” Pete asked as the kids climbed into the rear row and practiced sitting and looking out the windows from that perspective.

“Most likely the end of the month,” Dan replied. “I’m in no hurry.”

They talked about competitors.

“What about financing?”

“Sharon Johnson’s in charge of that. Actually, here she comes now.” Pete waved her over.

Guilt at more or less spying on another single mom filled Kelly. Halfway there, Sharon was waylaid by the dealership’s sales manager. Kelly couldn’t make out what was said, but she could tell it wasn’t welcome news. Sharon appeared to be first taken aback, then upset.

Dan gave Kelly a look. Was this it? Work stress traveling from mom to child?

Sharon’s mouth tightened, and her face went from almost white to beet red. Kelly didn’t stop to think. Seeing another woman in need, she moved across the floor to interrupt what appeared to be a pretty thorough semipublic dressing-down. “Hey, Sharon!” she said, moving in to give the stunned woman a warm hug. “How great to see you today!” She moved back to address the white-haired sales manager. “I don’t believe we’ve met, though.”

“Walter Kline.” Abruptly turning on the charm, he shook Kelly’s hand. “Glad to have you out here today.”

Another salesperson approached, a sheaf of papers in his hand.

Walter glared at Sharon, a look even Kelly could read. “Figure it out,” he snapped, turned on his heel and strode away.

“Everything okay?” Kelly asked.

Sharon sighed and ran her hands through her short, perfectly coiffed auburn hair. “I only have a sitter until noon. They just told me I have to be here until closing or later.”

That was definitely a problem, and one Kelly fully sympathized with. “Could I help? Maybe pick up Shoshanna, take her to my place for a playdate?”

Sharon paused. “I don’t want to impose.”

Kelly waved away her concern. “We single moms have to stick together.”

Dan ambled up to join them.

Sharon shot him a curious look. Briefly, Kelly made introductions. “So you’re the sheriff’s deputy who spoke at the preschool,” Sharon concluded.

Dan nodded.

“You made quite an impression. Shoshanna told me all about your rescue of the two kittens caught in the hole in the trunk of that tree. And, of course, your herd of miniature goats.”

Dan grinned. “It was an easy crowd to impress.”

Beginning to relax, Sharon grinned back.

From across the showroom, Walter Kline glared at them impatiently. Sharon stiffened. “Let me know if you have any questions about financing options,” she said, loud enough for others to overhear.

“I will,” Dan promised.

“Me, too,” Kelly said, though she had no intention of buying a new vehicle at this time.

Sharon headed off. “I’ll call my sitter.”

She and Dan collected the kids from the interior of the family-size SUV. “Can we get this car?” Matthew asked excitedly.

“It’s cozy.” Michelle sighed.

“I like our old one,” Michael countered. “It’s red!”

“So do I,” Kelly said.

In fact, her whole life was so cozy and complete right now, with her kids, nice home and job, she hated to rock the boat by changing anything. Never mind bring someone new into it. So what if she didn’t have a love life? In the past, romance had ultimately brought her nothing but unhappiness, so she was better off without that complication.

Much better off.

Although, she couldn’t help but admit having Dan as a very good platonic friend, spending time with him on weekends, hanging out, kids and all, held a definite appeal.

“Want to meet somewhere for lunch after you pick up Shoshanna?” he asked as they walked out to their respective vehicles.

Kelly decided a little adult company while she supervised four kids might be nice. “Why don’t you come by my place?” she asked. “I’ll whip something up.” She figured she owed him that much.

“Sounds good.”

They left the dealership. Shoshanna had already talked to her mom about the change in plans and, looking intrigued by the possibility of a playdate with her preschool classmates, went willingly with Kelly back to her home.

Which made Kelly wonder.

Was Shoshanna without friends or an opportunity to make any outside the school day because her mom was working such long hours? Could that be part of the little girl’s unhappiness, too? Guiltily, Kelly realized she hadn’t done much to welcome the child to Laramie outside the school environment.