The Trouble With Twins. Jo Leigh

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СКАЧАТЬ with that dark stubble of a beard and his tousled hair, Gray looked even sexier. Like that was fair.

      “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

      She shrugged, very aware of the shortness of her sleep shirt. If she wasn’t careful to keep it tugged down, he’d see the scars on the backs of her thighs. “I was reading. Then I got thirsty.”

      He nodded, shuffled barefoot to the fridge and opened the door. The light from inside illuminated the front of him. Every excellent inch. He wore loose striped pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. On him, it worked.

      “Well, I guess I’ll be heading back.” She was anxious to leave, to be away from his pheromones, or whatever was making her so nuts.

      “Don’t. Not yet.”

      There wasn’t enough light to see his expression. All he did was confuse her. It was clear he wanted nothing more than to be friends. Temporary friends, at that. Which was fine. Except that she didn’t know if she could be friends with him, even for one night. Every time she saw him her body shifted into sex mode. It was getting rather tiresome.

      “Sit with me,” he said, his voice husky, as if he’d been asleep. “Talk to me.”

      “About?”

      “Anything. Your family. This mother you’re looking for.”

      “Ah, a light topic.”

      “It brought you a long way. It sounded like it was important to you.”

      She had to give him that. It was important. She pulled out a chair and sat while he foraged in the fridge. He ended up with several packages of cold cuts, mustard, cheese, a loaf of bread and a soda.

      “So, talk,” he said as he sat across from her and began to prepare his sandwich.

      She wasn’t quite sure where to start. “I called my brother Garrett to tell him what I found. He was pretty upset.”

      “Aren’t you?”

      She nodded. “But not as much as Garrett. He’s determined to get to the bottom of this little mystery. You have to admit, it’s unusual. To leave a child on a doorstep is one thing. To leave four kids is something else entirely.”

      “Why? It actually makes more sense to me. Your parents might have been able to handle one. But four? That’s a lot of diapers and bottles.”

      “Yes, you’re right. But… You see, two months ago, our mother made contact for the first time. Not directly, though. Through a friend. Megan Maitland. You’ve probably heard of Maitland Maternity in Austin?”

      Gray nodded. “The baby on the doorstep thing, right?”

      “And not the first baby. That’s where we were left.”

      He put a slice of roast beef on his plate and leaned forward. “And your mother got in touch with you now?”

      “She sent some items to Megan. Hand-knitted sweaters for me, Michael and Lana, and an old teddy bear for Garrett. She sent a note, too.”

      “What did it say?”

      Shelby closed her eyes and remembered sitting in Megan’s study, hearing her mother’s words. “‘Dear Mrs. Megan Maitland,’” she began, recalling every word by heart. “‘Thank you for finding my babies a good and loving home all those years ago—I knew you would. The teddy bear was Garrett’s, and these three baby sweaters have the triplets’ names embroidered on them. The only fancywork I ever had time to do. My only wish is for the children to know I loved them. Yours in gratitude.’”

      She opened her eyes and gave Gray a small smile. “You can see where it would pique one’s curiosity.”

      “No kidding. So tell me again, how did you end up here?”

      “My brother Garrett did some research on triplets born in Texas the same year we were abandoned. They weren’t so common then. Not like today with all the fertility drugs. He found five sets of fraternal triplets that could have been us. We decided to look them up, so Garrett and I split up the list.”

      “What about Michael and, who is it, Lana?”

      She nodded. “Lana just got married, and she has a little one to look after. Michael wasn’t very interested at first, not until he got married last month—”

      “Boy, this has been some year for you guys.”

      “You have no idea.”

      “So who’s left? On the list, I mean.”

      “One couple, by the name of Larrimore. We know the husband’s dead, but we have no idea how to contact his wife.”

      “So you think she’s the one?”

      “I don’t know anymore. Someone sent the sweaters and the bear to Megan. If it was her, she’s certainly managed to keep her identity a secret.”

      “And if it’s not her?”

      “There’s really nowhere else to look. We could have been born out of state, but where on earth would we begin to search?”

      “Are you okay with that?”

      “I’ll have to be, won’t I?”

      He frowned. “I guess that answers my question.”

      “I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to get used to, that’s all. I loved my parents very much. They took us in heart and soul, and we never felt ‘less than,’ ever. But there is still a part of me that wonders. I’d like to know the answers, but it won’t kill me not to know. I’ve been very lucky all my life.”

      His gaze darted to her waist, then quickly to his sandwich.

      “I know. It doesn’t seem very lucky when you look on the outside. But I was. I’ve had so much joy and so much satisfaction in my life. Only—”

      “Only?”

      “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

      “Sure it does. Come on. Spill.”

      “Nothing every other single woman my age hasn’t felt,” she said, trying to make things light. “I’d like to find someone. Get married. Have children.”

      “Ah, that.”

      “Yes. That.”

      “It’ll happen for you, Shelby. I know it will.”

      She felt her face flush, knowing he was just saying the words, not meaning them. “It’s time for me to hit the sack.” She stood up and got her water glass. “Enjoy your sandwich.”

      “Shelby?”

      “Hmm?”

      He shook his head. “Nothing. Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

      She СКАЧАТЬ