Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets. Jill Kemerer

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      “What’s so funny?” Belle sounded irritated.

      Marshall peered at his sister over the open refrigerator door later. Her mussed hair and puffy eyes told him she’d woken from a long nap. He hadn’t seen her for hours, not since he’d talked to her about Ainsley staying. Speaking of Ainsley, she was holding one of the girls and had propped bottles up for the other three in their bouncy seats. Not one of them made a peep. Usually they took turns crying all afternoon. But the on-and-off crying session had lasted only forty-five minutes today—all because of Ainsley.

      Maybe with more peace and quiet, Belle would get more involved with them. And maybe the strain between her and Raleigh would go away.

      Marshall stepped back. “Oh, Ben’s tongue curled over his lip when he woke up. He looked silly.” He motioned for Belle. “Check this out. All the bottles you’ll need for the night.”

      “I’ll need?” She popped a hand on her hip and glowered at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      His good mood collapsed. “Let me rephrase that. You and Raleigh will need.”

      “Like Raleigh will do anything.” She pushed her hair behind her ear.

      “Did I hear my name?” Raleigh came in through the back breezeway, his cheeks red from the cold and his hair flattened against his head from the hat he’d taken off. He shivered and rubbed his palms together. “Wait. Something’s different.” He squinted. “Why aren’t the babies crying?”

      Belle studied her fingernails.

      Marshall waved for Raleigh to join him in the living room. “Come and meet Ainsley Draper.”

      “Oh, right, the baby nurse.”

      Ainsley winced as she hauled herself to her feet. Guilt tugged on Marshall’s conscience. She’d been helping with the babies since the minute she’d arrived, and she looked worn out. After Raleigh grinned and wiggled his fingers at the babies, Marshall made the introductions.

      “I sure am glad to have you here, Ainsley.” Raleigh jerked his thumb toward Marshall. “It’s been brutal not having him helping me with the cattle.”

      She smiled politely. Marshall didn’t know what to say. These were Raleigh’s babies, for crying out loud. Didn’t the man care that the quadruplets needed him more than the cows did? He had other ranch hands. It wasn’t as if Marshall was indispensable out there.

      “Seeing how the ladies have the babies under control, you’ll be out tomorrow to prep for the cattle sale, right?” The tall, lean man with piercing blue eyes had tough written all over him. Raleigh had grown up on this ranch working the land with his father.

      “No, Raleigh, he won’t.” Belle charged into the room. “Marshall promised he’d be around to help Ainsley.”

      “Why can’t you?” he asked quietly, a defiant glint in his eyes.

      “I can’t believe you even asked that.”

      Marshall could feel the tension building. Grace’s bottle rolled out of her mouth and she began to cry.

      “See what you did?” Belle pointed to the baby, then to Raleigh. “She was fine until you marched in here. You’re so loud.”

      “Come on,” Marshall said to Ainsley. He knew where this was heading, and he didn’t want Ainsley getting any more reasons to leave. “It’s been a long day. I’ll show you to your cabin.”

      She nodded, setting Lila in her seat before going to the hall to get her coat and bag.

      He glanced over his shoulder. “Belle, there’s a casserole from one of the church ladies in the oven. Give it thirty minutes. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

      “You’re leaving?”

      He didn’t respond. Instead, he swiped his coat and cowboy hat before ushering Ainsley outside. He led the way to her car. After opening the door for her and waiting for her to get in, he leaned over. “Follow the drive around the house and stay left. You’ll see a row of cabins. Park in front of the first one. I’ll unlock it for you.”

      “Don’t you want a ride?”

      “Nah, I like the fresh air. Clears my head.” He straightened and shut her door.

      Once her engine started, he hiked down the driveway to the cabins. Darkness had fallen, and the wind drove small snow pellets to the ground. He shrugged into his jacket collar and shoved his hands into his pockets.

      What was going on between Belle and Raleigh? Part of him wanted to rush back to the house and make sure she was okay. But Raleigh had never gotten physical with her, unlike their mother’s boyfriends. Still, Marshall didn’t like the dynamic he’d been seeing lately. Raleigh seemed to resent Belle, and Belle sassed him on a regular basis. Not that Marshall blamed her...

      He sighed. He’d keep trying to do his best to make life easier on them. He’d quit a job he’d enjoyed to help out with the quads, and it wasn’t like Belle had planned on having four babies at once. Who could have predicted the two embryos implanted would split into two sets of identical twins?

      Belle needed him.

      And he’d be there for her. Even if he didn’t like the ranch life very much and wasn’t good at baby care.

      Ainsley’s car passed him, and he pushed his legs to move faster. When he reached her cabin, she was standing behind the open trunk. He unlocked the front door of her cabin and adjusted the thermostat higher. He’d stopped in last night to give it a quick cleaning. The one-bedroom log structure should meet her needs.

      The stomping of feet made him pivot. Snow outlined her shoes on the mat inside the front door. She passed through the short hallway lined with a bench and hooks for coats and scarves.

      “This is cute.” She craned her neck side to side to take the space in.

      The gleaming log walls gave it a cozy feel. Lighter hardwood floors matched the wooden beams of the ceiling. The right half of the room consisted of a square wooden table with two chairs next to the rustic kitchenette. The left half was a living area with a tan-and-white-checked couch, recliner, coffee table and a television on a stand. Windows hid behind tan curtains on each wall, and area rugs protected feet from the chill.

      “Here, let me get your bags.” He took the suitcases from her grasp, his fingers brushing hers in the process. A surge of warmth raced up his arms. “Follow me. I’ll give you the tour. Dining. Living. Kitchen. Sorry, no dishwasher, but everything else works fine. Anything not on the open shelves, you’ll find in the cupboards.” He strode through the small space to the back. “Bathroom to the right. Bedroom to the left.”

      “Oh, I wasn’t expecting this.” She set her purse on the bed. With her finger trailing the puffy white duvet, she rounded the footboard and pushed open the curtains of one of the windows in the snug bedroom. “It’s lovely.”

      He lined her suitcases against the wall and stepped back to survey it. He supposed she was right. The white curtains had a tan curlicue design. Fluffy white rugs were on the floor—nothing a cowboy would buy for sure.

      “I’m СКАЧАТЬ