Her Cowboy's Triplets Read online

  India sat on the floor by Cal, one hand on her son, the other on the dog. Brody swallowed back the lump in his throat. Tanner was family. The three of them relied on each other—loved each other. And today had shaken that.

  “He needs to stay with me tonight,” Tandy said. “Just so we can keep an eye on him. Okay?”

  “As long as he’s gonna be fine. I don’t care if his eye is broken,” Cal said, his voice pinched and tight. “But he can come home tomorrow, though?”

  “Yes, sir.” Tandy stooped, looking the boy squarely in the eye. “Let’s shake on it? So you’ll feel better.” She shook his hand. “When you come to get him tomorrow, I’ll tell you what we need to do to take care of Tanner and get him back on his paws again, okay?” she said.

  Cal nodded and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. “Okay.”

  Brody hurt for the boy. And India. They’d had more than their fair share of loss and grief. Losing Tanner wasn’t an option. Just like standing by, doing nothing, wasn’t an option for him. He slowly made his way to where Tandy was making notes and whispered, “Can I do anything?”

  Tandy shook her head. “He’s had the antivenin and some antibiotics. Other than the topical ointment, there’s not much to be done.” She shrugged. “There’s no guarantee he’ll keep his eye, but he’ll adapt easily.”

  One eye or two, Cal wouldn’t care as long as he had his dog. But he remembered something India had said, something about paying for the truck repairs. “I’ll take care of the bill,” he whispered.

  Tandy’s brows rose. “Are you sure she’ll be okay with that?”

  He frowned. “No. She’ll fight me tooth and nail.” She was too determined to be independent—even when she could use the help. “Maybe you could help with that?” He paused. “You know, chalk it up to a family discount? Since she’s your cousin? Something?”

  Tandy glanced at India and Cal.

  “I’d owe you.”

  She nodded slowly. “I’ll figure something out. But you don’t owe me a thing.”

  “I don’t want to get you in trouble,” he argued.

  She rolled her eyes. “With who? I’m pretty much my own boss at this point. I’ll be taking over the practice next year.” She smiled. “Click told me, Brody. I know why you’re doing this. Maybe it’s time you told India how you feel?”

  He stared at the woman, reeling. He’d never told a soul about his feelings for India Boone. So how the hell did Click Hale know? “I don’t know what you’re—”

  “It’s the way you look at her when you think no one’s watching you. I’ve seen it myself, so don’t try to tell me otherwise. I see it now.” She patted his hand. “Click said it’s always been that way.”

  Brody shook his head, his gaze shifting to India and Cal. He had more than most folks—he knew that. But, seeing them, he couldn’t help but want more. He’d always loved her. He always would. And Cal? He was a good boy—a son a man could be proud of. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share your observations with anyone.”

  She nodded. “Don’t wait too long, Brody. I know India pretty well. She keeps her head down, planning what’s next and how to get there. You need to get her to look up and see what’s right here, in front of her. You, your girls and the family she’s always wanted.”

  “Is that all?” he tried to tease, Tandy’s words all too tempting.

  She shrugged. “Or you let her go and you move on.”

  His stomach tightened. He’d let her go before, he could do it again—if it made her happy. But he’d never moved on.

  “He’s sleeping, Cal. We should let him get some rest,” India said, pushing off the floor. “Tandy will call us if she needs us, okay?”

  Cal pressed a kiss to the top of Tanner’s head and stood, staring down at the dog. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tanner,” he whispered.

  “He’ll be feeling better tomorrow, Cal. And, when he is, we’ll come get him.” India nodded, looking worn out. “You ready?”

  They were a solemn, quiet group as they made their way back into the reception area. Cal did his best to put on a brave face, but by the time they left the clinic he was fighting back tears. One look at India told Brody she wasn’t in much better shape.

  “The girls are with their grandmother at the Soda Shop,” Brody offered. “How about some lunch and ice cream?”

  “How about some French fries and a root beer float? Sound good to you, Cal?” India asked with as much cheer as she could muster. It made Brody’s heart hurt.

  “A little.” He paused. “He’ll miss us, Mom.”

  India took Cal’s hand in hers. “He will, but he’ll be mostly sleeping. Like when you get sick? It helps him heal.”

  Cal nodded. “Okay.”

  “Tomorrow will be here before you know it,” Brody tacked on.

  Cal was quiet as they walked down the street, then asked, “Think Tanner’ll be feeling well enough to ride with me in the cattle drive? If Papa lets me ride?”

  India looked lost and more than a little defeated. “I don’t know, Cal.”

  Cal nodded, his sniff echoing.

  “You’re going to ride?” Brody led them across the street, hoping the change in topic would rouse the boy’s spirits. “Good for you. I started about your age, if I remember right.”

  Cal shrugged. “I’m not a real good rider yet. Papa’s always real busy so...”

  Brody watched the tightening of India’s jaw. He’d gone and stuck his foot in it again. But, maybe, he could do something about it this time. “I can show you.”

  India came to a dead stop. “You don’t have time for that, Brody. The girls, your family businesses, the campaign—it’s not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” he and Cal asked in unison.

  He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. And, finally, Cal was smiling a little, too.

  “You know why not,” India pleaded, her gaze searching his.

  It would be so damn easy to pull her close and tell her all the reasons why it was a very good idea. He’d do just about anything to chase the defeat from her eyes. And holding her close and comforting her sounded like the perfect place to start.

  She seemed unwilling to share the weight of the world she shouldered—even if the weight might be crushing her. And he didn’t understand it. Did he want to hold her and kiss her and tell her he loved her? Yes, but, he knew—to her—they were just friends. And friends helped each other out.

  “Click has a bunch of horses. Your truck is at Click’s. I’m Click’s neighbor.” He shrugged, holding open the door of the Soda Shop. “I’m happy to help. Your boy should know how to ride. He’s a cowboy after all—from a founding family hereabouts.”

  “Then I could surprise Papa,” Cal said. “He’d be proud to see me on a horse.”

  “I know he’s already proud of you,” Brody assured him. “You’ve got the makings of a fine young man. Someone I’m proud to call my friend.” Cal lit up like a Christmas tree, trotting into the Soda Shop and heading straight for the girls to update them on Tanner’s status.

  “Brody.” India’s hand gripped his, stopping him. “I know you mean well, but...” She shook her head, searching for the right words. “He’s had a lot of people disappoint him.” India studied him, warning him away like a mother bear protecting her cub.

  There was steel in her voice, a certain stiffness in her posture that earned his respect. And made him long to show her how good things could be. He wasn’t her father. He wasn’t Cal’s father. He knew what it meant to love unconditionally. That was how he loved her—how he’d love Cal, if she gave him the chance.

  He squeezed her hand, cradling it against his chest. “I promise you, I won’t be one of them.”

  Chapter Ten

  India felt the beat of Brody’s heart against her hand. It was fast. No, not fast. Th
undering. The concern in those tawny eyes reached down inside and melted the ice around her heart. No. Dammit. No. She had to fight this. Fight him.

  “India?” he asked, tugging her aside of the door.

  “Stop, please,” she whispered. “You keep looking at me like that...”

  He grinned, one brow cocking up. “Like I want you, India. I do. To be here for you.”

  Her breath escaped on a shudder. The memory of his hands gripping her against him, his lips sealed against hers, flashed through her eyes.

  His eyes narrowed. “You want me to kiss you.” He swallowed. “I’m happy to do it. Right here on Main Street in front of the whole damn town—”

  “Stop.” She covered his lips with her hand, startled when he pressed a kiss to her fingertips. The touch was a jolt to the system—racing down her arm, into her chest and low in her belly. It was heaven. The heat in his eyes was all that mattered.

  No, it wasn’t. They were out in the open, for crying out loud. Her gaze darted around what appeared to be an empty street. But half a dozen storefront windows lined the opposite side of the street. For all she knew, twice as many eyes were watching them—taking notes and making phone calls. And still, the feel of his lips kept her captive. What was she thinking? What was he thinking?

  His eyes blazed with raw hunger, a hunger she shared.

  “Behave,” she whispered, tugging her hand from his and hurrying into the Soda Shop.

  Cal sat with Brody’s girls, talking animatedly. Ramona Wallace listened as well, looking a little shell-shocked and in need of reinforcements. Small puddles of ice cream covered the tabletop—along with a mountain of napkins and wet wipes.

  “He’s wearing a pirate patch over his bad eye, but he’ll be okay,” Cal finished.

  She gripped the chair back, doing her best to steady her heart and her breathing. Even now, the look in Brody’s eyes had her weak-kneed.

  The girls clapped and laughed.

  “I’m so glad,” Mrs. Wallace said. “Suellen said he was quite the hero, knocking you out of the way before the snake struck.”

  Cal puffed up with pride. “He was a hero.”

  “You’re lucky to have him.” Mrs. Wallace smiled.

  “We all were.” Brody’s voice made India jump, clinging to the chair back. “I told India and Cal to have some ice cream with us. Maybe some real food, too.” He took a seat between his girls, his gaze finding hers.

  “Mom wants French fries,” Cal said. “Come on, Mom, sit down.”

  “Why bite Tanner?” Amberleigh asked.

  “Snakes don’t have arms or legs or hands or feet so I guess they have to do something to protect themselves,” Cal said.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard it explained that way, Cal,” Brody said. “But I’d say that’s about right.”

  India wavered. She wasn’t the least bit hungry for food. What she was craving sat four feet away, grinning like a fool—knowing damn well she was struggling.

  It was the most awkward meal she’d ever shared. Poor Mrs. Wallace did her best to keep a conversation going, but India was too distracted by Brody. Brody, who seemed perfectly at ease. He laughed and talked with the kids, munched his cheeseburger and listened to all of Cal’s dinosaur facts without batting an eye.

  By the time she’d finished half of her French fries, the yearning of her body had spread. With every laugh and smile, every bad joke and eye roll, Brody Wallace made her yearn. Badly.

  “Are you okay, India?” Mrs. Wallace asked, her voice low.

  India nodded. Except she wasn’t. Not in the least. “I think... I just need a minute? It’s been a...day.” She pushed back her chair and hurried into the bathroom.

  The burn of tears took her by surprise. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, frowned at the red-rimmed, wide-eyed woman staring back and hurried into one of the stalls before her sobs found her.

  There was no reason to cry.

  Cal was safe. As long as she had Cal, everything was fine.

  The girls—curious Marilyn, sweet Suellen and fearless Amberleigh—were safe, too. They might be Brody’s, but she cared about them. They’d been in harm’s way today, just like Cal.

  And Brody. Everything about Brody. He’d been incredible. So strong, so fast, so damn capable. He’d taken control before she’d realized what had happened. What could have happened.

  She pressed her eyes shut and leaned against the stall’s wall.

  It was okay. And now that it was over and everything was going to be okay, she didn’t need to fall apart. But she was. Right here, right now, in a bathroom stall of the Soda Shop.

  Sobs racked her, loud and pathetic. Every time she felt like she was getting control of her life, something knocked her feet out from under her. And this time it wasn’t a something, it was a someone. Brody. Not that it was his fault. It was her own traitorous heart.

  No, not her heart. She couldn’t let him in her heart. Her heart had nothing to do with this. It was about being lonely, that was all. She hiccupped, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “India?” Mrs. Wallace spoke softly.

  She’d been crying too loudly to hear the woman come into the bathroom? Which meant Mrs. Wallace was fully aware of her meltdown.

  “Are you all right? Can I help?” The sincere concern in the woman’s voice only made it worse.

  “I—I’m fine,” she managed.

  “No, dear, you’re not,” she argued gently, knocking on the stall door. “Come on out, now. It’s not that bad, surely.”

  It was. It really was. And it reaffirmed the need to get out of Fort Kyle as soon as possible. She had to—she could not fall for Brody Wallace. Maybe this idea to see where their attraction would take them wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  “India, please,” Ramona Wallace said. “I remember when Brody was real little. He got pneumonia and ended up in the hospital. I was so strong for him, of course. But I cried buckets whenever I was alone. Even after the doctors assured me he’d be just fine, I cried. From relief then, I guess.” She paused. “Today was a shock, I’m sure. But your boy is fine—”

  “And the girls.” Her voice cracked.

  “Oh, India, yes, they are right as rain. Right now, your boy is telling stories and making them all smile. He is a downright delight.”

  India smiled, wiping tears from her cheeks.

  “I can’t imagine how hard it must be, on your own. Times like this must be especially hard. Having friends is a great comfort.” She paused. “Friends like Brody?”

  Brody. Her heart was beating again, rapidly.

  “Come on out, India,” she repeated.

  India wiped her face and opened the stall door. “I’m sorry. I just... I knew I was going to cry and didn’t want to upset the kids.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you.” Mrs. Wallace nodded. “Better now?”

  “I think so,” she admitted, washing her face and hands.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Mrs. Wallace leaned against the bathroom counter. “You and Brody were in school together here, weren’t you?”

  She dried her hands and face with paper towels and glanced at the woman. “We knew each other.” What was Mrs. Wallace looking for?

  Her gaze was tawny, almost gold, like her granddaughters and her son. And equally intense. “Were you friends?”

  India hesitated, but then nodded, smiling softly. “Yes, ma’am. Brody was a good friend...one of the few people I could count on back then.”

  “Was he?” she asked, offering India a tissue. Where had that smile come from? And what did it mean? “Well, I should get back to Brody and the girls,” she said, patting India’s hand before she left the bathroom.

  India washed her face again, ignored her reflection and returned to the table. To find Jan Ramirez in her seat.

  �
��Oh, did I take your seat?” the woman asked, smiling up at her.

  “No, not at all,” India said. “Cal and I were just leaving.” She took care not to look Brody’s way. If she was lucky, she might just be able to keep herself together.

  “Your truck is still at the fort,” Brody said. “I can drive you two back to the fort—”

  “It’s okay,” she said, smiling at Cal. “I bet Tandy can give us a ride when she’s done.”

  Cal smiled back. “Think I can see Tanner again?”

  “We’ll have to see what she says.” She prayed her cousin was still at the clinic. Her phone, her purse, everything but her keys, were still in the truck at the fort. “Let’s head that way.”

  “Cal is leaving?” Suellen asked.

  “No horny toads?” Amberleigh asked.

  “Not today,” Mrs. Wallace said. “But I’m sure we can try again soon.”

  “When Tanner is better.” Cal nodded. “See you soon, Brody? For lessons?”

  India squeezed Cal’s hand. “Oh, Cal, I think Brody’s too busy for that.”

  “Not at all,” Brody said. “We should get started soon so you can ride in the cattle drive.”

  He was using Cal to bait her. And it was working. If she said no now she’d be the one to lose out—disappointing Cal and crushing his excitement.

  “Brody’s going to teach you to ride?” Mrs. Wallace asked. “He’s a good rider, Cal. Every Texas boy should know how to ride.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Cal agreed. “If I’m good enough, maybe my papa will let me ride in the cattle drive.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Mrs. Wallace said. “I think I might have one of Brody’s old saddles, too. Might help you sit better.”

  India couldn’t help but look at Mrs. Wallace in disbelief. As nice as this was, why was she acting like this? She was a Wallace—Cal was a Boone. If anyone was aware of the feud, Ramona Wallace surely was.

  She glanced at Brody then, relieved to see he was just as confused as she was. Once his tawny eyes locked with hers, she tore her attention from him. Her control was in short supply.