A Daddy For Her Triplets. Deb Kastner

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СКАЧАТЬ ’triever. He likes to catch balls in his mouth.”

      “Pav?” Olivia was barely keeping up with the babbling triplets, but it didn’t take a genius to add the boys’ thoughts together and come up with a frightening sum.

      One man plus one woman plus three young boys and a dog named Pav.

      Oh, no.

      “Boys,” she said, hoping the tone of her voice alone would corral their high spirits. But it was too late. With a whoop and a holler they took off, sprinting across the room as fast as their legs could carry them.

      Straight toward Clint without a single detour.

      From bad to worse to a total disaster in a matter of seconds.

      Olivia groaned and absently combed her fingers through her hair, then realized what she was doing and immediately dropped her hands to her side. She was not going to worry about how her hair looked, or if her makeup had smeared, because it didn’t matter how Clint saw her. His perceptions wouldn’t make a bit of difference to her.

      That was her story and she was going to stick to it.

      * * *

      Clint kept his hand on his foster mother’s elbow, not so much because she needed an escort as that he did. This whole Valentine Roundup thing made him antsy and uncomfortable, even if the league had promised there’d be no matchmaking this year. At a mixer like this with most if not all the members of the Lone Star Cowboy League and their families present, there were bound to be single women on the prowl for a husband, and Clint wasn’t interested. He was a confirmed bachelor with a capital B.

      He was not in the market for a wife. Unfortunately, women weren’t so quick to pick up on that.

      He’d had a few relationships over the years, but it never worked out long term—and he readily admitted he was the reason. He’d start dating an attractive woman only to have her go and get all serious on him, usually sooner rather than later. She’d start pushing him to “define the relationship.” Or worse yet, she’d go and use the L word. Even the thought made him shiver.

      He didn’t like feeling boxed in, and there was nothing like a woman trying to hog-tie him to make him claustrophobic. Freedom to come and go as he pleased was paramount to him. Women just didn’t get that. Or want it.

      Which suited him just fine. He liked his life the way it was. His golden retriever, Pav, was all the company he needed. Marriage and family? He had nothing to offer.

      As they passed through the room, Clint took a moment to shake hands with Grady Stillwater, a wounded ex-army special ops buddy who, up until recently, had also been a certified bachelor—at least until he’d fallen head over heels for his physical therapist, Chloe Miner. Now, suddenly, he was all but crowing about the virtues of matrimony.

      “How’s Ben?” Grady’s twin brother, Ben, had been in a horse riding accident that had left him in a coma for several months. Thankfully, he’d recently awakened, but he’d had a mini stroke and was fighting to regain full use of all his faculties.

      “Grumpy,” Grady replied with a shrug. “Which Chloe tells me is a good sign. He’s getting better every day.”

      Clint clapped a hand on Grady’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it, man.”

      Clint returned his attention to Libby, who was deep in conversation with the elderly Miss Betty Leland. He didn’t realize Miss Betty was speaking to him until Libby swatted him on his biceps with her palm.

      “Clint, pay attention,” she admonished. Libby Everhart was the one and only woman who ever got to tell him what to do. He loved her like a mother and she’d earned his respect. “Miss Betty just asked you a question.”

      “Yes, ma’am. I apologize, Miss Betty. My mind was miles away. You were saying?”

      “Just wondering where your thoughts were, sweetheart. Oh, and I wanted to give you this.”

      Clint automatically took the paper heart Miss Betty offered him, although he couldn’t fathom why she would want to give him a valentine. Oh, well. He couldn’t help it if his natural charm affected ladies of all ages. He gave her his best grin.

      “Got your perfect match on it,” she explained.

      “My what?” The smile dropped from his face.

      “Be a good sport.” Libby’s voice held a note of warning he couldn’t ignore.

      “I—er—okay.” There went any possibility of getting through this night unscathed. He watched his freedom fly right out the window along with any peace he’d hoped to maintain.

      He glanced at the paper and immediately wished he hadn’t. He took a breath and choked on it.

      Olivia Barlow

      Clint Daniels

      What was that about? Miss Betty couldn’t possibly think he ought to spend time with Olivia Barlow. The very thought was preposterous. Olivia being a match for Clint was about as far out for him as suggesting the moon was made of green cheese. The woman was a widow with three young sons. Surely Miss Betty didn’t think he’d—

      “Just talk to her,” Miss Betty said with a crisp, knowing nod and a mischievous sparkle in her pale blue eyes. “That’s all I’m asking.”

      Oh, so that’s all it was.

      On what planet? Clint wanted to huff in protest, but with Libby there, he didn’t dare.

      “Ask her to dance,” Libby said in a tone that was much too severe to be a mere suggestion. How was he supposed to ignore the mother voice? Clint winced inwardly.

      What could Libby be thinking, agreeing with Miss Betty in this? And why were they ganging up on him?

      His asking Olivia anything was so not going to happen, no matter what the older ladies thought was best for him. He had no inclination whatsoever to spend time with the triplets’ mama, even if she was a pretty woman with dark brown curls and sea-blue eyes. No one outside of Miss Betty—and Libby, apparently—would fault him for sitting this one out.

      He scanned the room. Maybe Olivia wouldn’t even be here. A man could hope.

      But no. There she was, over by the Sweetheart Wall, her palms pressed to her flaming cheeks.

      And she was staring right at him.

      Of course she was. Miss Betty had probably delivered an identical missive to her.

      Their gazes met and locked. His heart thudded in an irregular tempo, but he refused to be the first to look away. He raised an eyebrow.

      She shook her head, so briefly he wasn’t positive he’d seen it.

      Had Miss Betty gotten to her, too? Did Olivia have any idea what the old woman had planned for them?

      “Mr. Clint! Mr. Clint!” Three young, identical blond-haired boys accompanied those boisterous voices. Clint immediately recognized them as Olivia’s triplets.

      And just when he’d thought things СКАЧАТЬ