Cathy Gillen - Their Inherited Triplets

And when he greeted her at the door of his sprawling ranch house the following afternoon, his manner was appropriately circumspect.

Which left her free to forget about the heady aftermath of their passionate embrace and concentrate on the changes made to the Hidden Creek cattle ranch since she had last been there.

The thousand-acre spread was as tidy and filled with good-looking cattle as ever, the barns, stables, bunkhouse and other buildings meticulously well kept. He had updated the main house with dark gray paint on the brick, white trim and black shutters. She admired the beautifully landscaped front lawn and the circular drive directing guests to the covered porch and inviting front door. A quartet of dormer windows adorned the steeply pitched roof.

Most arresting of all, though, was the ruggedly handsome rancher who ushered her inside. The corners of his sensual lips lifted in an appraising smile. He came close enough she could smell the soap and sun and man scent of his skin. “A little early, aren’t you?”

Her heart panged in her chest. “I wanted to make sure I was here when they arrived, but if you’d like me to wait in my SUV...” Aware she was fast becoming a bundle of nerves, she gestured at the Lexus in the driveway.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He ushered her inside.

Aware the atmosphere between them was quickly becoming highly charged and way too intimate, Lulu turned her attention elsewhere. There’d been a lot of changes since she’d been here last, she noted as she followed him. The ecru walls and dark wide-plank wood floors were the same, but the fancy upholstered pieces and heavy custom draperies favored by his late mother had been exchanged for large leather couches, mahogany furniture and modern plantation shutters. A lot of the knickknacks and elegant paintings were gone, replaced by a handsomely redone white brick fireplace and mantel, a complete wall of built-in bookshelves and a state-of-the-art entertainment center.

His gaze dropped to the hamper in her hand “Planning a picnic?” he drawled.

Lulu’s hands curled around the wicker handle. “I’m open to whatever the kids need, although I don’t really know what to expect when they do arrive.” Which was one of the reasons she was so uncharacteristically on edge.

Evidently that was something they had in common. Sam sighed. “Me, either.” He led the way down the hall to the back of the ranch house, where changes also abounded. The kitchen’s flowered wallpaper and frilly curtains were gone, replaced by stainless steel appliances and concrete countertops and sleek white walls washed in sunlight. The breakfast room table and eight captain chairs were the same, although all had been refinished with a glowing golden-oak stain. The family room had become a work space, with file cabinets, a U-shaped computer desk, scanner/copier phone and printer.

He squinted at her. “Meet your approval?”

With effort, she met his probing gaze. She set the hamper on the island—also new—in the center of the large square kitchen. “It’s very nice. You’ve outdone yourself,” she said.

He shrugged, all affable male again. “Can’t take all the credit. My sister Lainey is an interior designer now, so she helped. Tara, the computer expert, set up all my business systems for me. Liza, the chef, taught me how to cook. Betsy, the innkeeper, showed me how to properly stock a pantry and freezer.”

Like the McCabes, the Kirklands always had each other’s backs. “Your sisters are scattered all over now, aren’t they?”

“Yep.” He lounged against the counter, arms folded. “I’m the only one left in Texas.”

Trying not to notice how well he filled out his ranching clothes, she asked, “You miss them?”

His gaze skimmed her appreciatively. “They visit.”

Not an answer. But then, he had never been one to own up to anything that hurt. He just moved on.

As he was about to do now...

He inclined his head. “So what’s in there?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sure what you had on hand or what they were sending with the kids, so I brought some toddler favorites like applesauce and kid-friendly mac and cheese for their dinner, just in case.”

Another nod. “Thanks,” he said, as a big, sleepy-looking Saint Bernard came around the corner. The brown patches of fur over the pet’s eyes and back and chest contrasted with the fluffy white coat everywhere else. An extremely feminine flowered pink collar encircled her neck.

Lulu watched the big dog pad gracefully over to stand beside Sam. She sat down next to him, pressing her body up against his sinewy leg and hip. Tail wagging, she gazed up at Sam adoringly. Waited, until he petted her head, then let out a long, luxuriant sigh that Lulu understood all too well.

Pushing aside the memory of Sam’s gentle, soothing touch, she asked, “Who is this?”

“Beauty. As in Beauty and the Beast .”

Unable to resist, Lulu guessed, “And you’re the Beast?”

Although he tried, he couldn’t quite contain a smile. “Very funny.”

Lulu chuckled. “I thought so.”

Although, the moniker fit. The 120-pound dog was absolutely gorgeous. And not really the type of canine she would have expected a rough-hewn rancher like Sam to choose.

“When did you get her?” Lulu smiled and made eye contact with Beauty, who appreciated her right back.

Tilting his head, Sam paused, calculating. “A little over four years ago.”

“As a puppy?”

“She was about six months old at the time.”

Lulu paused. “I didn’t know you wanted a dog.” He certainly hadn’t mentioned it when they were together. Back then, all he’d talked about were horses and cattle. And of course the importance of keeping one’s commitments. Which he definitely did not think Lulu had done.

He smiled as his dog stood again and then stretched her front legs out in front of her, dipping her tummy close to the floor in a play bow. “She’s not mine. She belongs to my sister Hailey.”

Hence, the romantic pet name.

Lulu turned back to him, confused. “But...you’re keeping her?” She watched Beauty rise again and turn back to Sam for one last pet on the head.

His big hand sank into the soft, luxuriant fur on the top of Beauty’s head, massaging it lightly in a way that made Lulu’s own nerve endings shudder and her mouth go dry.

“It was never the intention,” Sam admitted, oblivious to the effect his tender ministrations were having on Lulu. “But Beauty was too big for Hailey’s apartment, and she suddenly had to travel internationally for her job. Constantly boarding Beauty didn’t seem fair. My sister asked me to help out temporarily, since I have plenty of room. I agreed.”

Lulu observed the free-flowing affection between man and pet. “Looks like you made the right decision.”

And possibly, Lulu thought as Beauty lumbered over to stand next to her, the right decision regarding the three kids, as well.

Because if Sam wouldn’t turn out a dog who had come to live with him, she knew he would never abandon three little orphaned boys. And that meant if she was going to form a permanent, loving connection with Theresa and Peter’s triplets, she would have to forget the difficulties of their past and find a way to forge an enduring, platonic connection with Sam, too.

The next twenty minutes passed with excruciating slowness. Sam settled down to do something at his desk while Lulu paced, looking out one front window, then the next.

Finally, a large dark green van made its way up the lane. It stopped next to the ranch house. The doors opened. Hiram Higgins and three other adults stepped out. And even though there was no sign of the children they were going to care for just yet, Lulu’s heartbeat quickened.