The Cowboy's Secret Twins. Carla Cassidy

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СКАЧАТЬ had taken a potshot at him. His mount had reared and taken off for the stables as Henry had pulled his gun to defend himself from the unknown.

      He was still outside checking the area when the sheriff’s car pulled up. Sheriff Jimmy Harrick lumbered out of his patrol car like a sleepy bear exiting a favorite cave. He pulled his collar up against the cold night air as Henry approached him.

      “I’ve checked the area. There’s nobody around now. The shots came from that stand of trees over there but it’s too dark to see if there’s any shell casings or evidence.”

      He pointed toward the house. “Let’s go inside and talk.” Henry didn’t wait for a reply but headed for the door. He hadn’t felt the cold when he’d first burst outside, but now the damp December air seeped into his bones.

      “Got company?” Jimmy asked as they passed the older model car in the driveway.

      “Yeah, an old friend.” Henry’s stomach kicked with nerves as he thought of the woman who had stood on his doorstep carrying twins who looked remarkably like he had when he’d been a baby.

      Damn, what mess had he gotten himself into? He had a feeling his life was about to get extremely complicated.

      As he and the sheriff walked into the living room he saw Melissa seated next to his mother on the sofa, each of them with a baby in their arms.

      Melissa’s blue eyes were wide with fear. He couldn’t blame her. There was nothing like a welcoming committee of bullets to put that expression in a woman’s eyes.

      Henry tore his gaze from Melissa and focused on the sheriff. “Something’s got to be done, Jimmy. This is the second time somebody has taken potshots at me in the past week.”

      Jimmy shoved his meaty hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’m not sure what to do about it, Henry. There’s no question that you’ve made some enemies with your decision to run for mayor.”

      “And so it’s okay for somebody to try to kill me? Because they don’t like my politics?” Henry was acutely aware of Melissa listening to every word, watching him with those amazing eyes of hers.

      Jimmy pulled his hands out of his pockets. “Now, you know that’s not what I’m saying,” he protested. “I’m going back out there with my flashlight and I’ll take a look around, then I’ll head back to town and start asking questions. I’ll let you know if I find anything. If I don’t then I’ll give you a call sometime tomorrow.”

      “Fine,” Henry said curtly. He knew nothing more could be done tonight and in any case he was having a difficult time thinking about anything but the woman who sat next to his mother.

      He walked Jimmy to the door, then closed and locked it and drew a deep breath to steady himself. How had she found him? They’d only exchanged first names on that crazy night they’d shared a little over a year ago and he hadn’t even given her his real first name.

      And then there were those babies. Henry had decided he was never going to marry and he’d certainly never planned to be a father, but there was little question in his mind about the paternity of those twins. Now he had to figure out what he was going to do about it.

      He returned to the living room, where the two women on the sofa didn’t appear to have moved, although Melissa and the two little boys no longer wore their coats.

      His mother had that look on her face she used to get when he was a kid and had done something he knew he shouldn’t do. He definitely had some explaining to do.

      She stood and walked over to him and thrust the baby she held into his arms. “I’m retiring to my room. It appears you and Melissa have a lot to talk about.”

      The little boy smelled of baby powder and gazed up at him with curious blue eyes. As Henry stared down at him the little boy’s lips curved up in a sweet smile.

      “That’s Joey,” Melissa said. “And I have James.” She said the name with forced emphasis and he remembered that the night they’d been together he’d told her his name was James.

      That night he hadn’t wanted to be the wealthy Henry James Randolf III. He’d just wanted to be an ordinary cowboy named James. “My name is Henry. Henry James Randolf,” he said.

      As he looked at her several things struck him. She was still as pretty as he’d remembered her with her long blond hair and those big blue eyes, but she seemed tired and stressed.

      Her cheeks grew pink beneath his scrutiny. “I don’t quite know what to say. I didn’t expect you.”

      He frowned and tightened his grip on Joey, who wiggled like a little worm. “What do you mean, you didn’t expect me? You came here. You knocked on my door. Who else would you be expecting?” He sat in a chair across from the sofa as Joey leaned his head against his chest. To Henry’s surprise his heart knocked hard.

      “I thought I was coming to spend the holiday with a woman I met last year on the computer.” Once again her cheeks warmed with color. “We met in a chat room for single pregnant women and she’s been a wonderful source of support through my pregnancy and single parenting. She goes by the name of MysteryMom. She gave me this address, e-mailed me directions and told me to come here.”

      He eyed her suspiciously. The story certainly didn’t have any ring of truth to it. “And how did she find me?”

      Melissa raised a hand that trembled slightly to tuck a strand of shiny hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. When we first got close I told her about the blizzard in Rockport and you coming to my rescue. All I knew about you was that your name was James and that you drove a black pickup with a license plate number that started with tin.”

      TIN-MAN, that’s what his plate read. An old girlfriend who had proclaimed that he had no heart had dared him to get the personalized plate, and he never backed down from a dare.

      “When I first realized I was pregnant,” she continued, “I went back to Rockport and asked around about you, but nobody had any clue who you might be. Somebody tried to kill you.”

      He blinked at the unexpected change of topic. “I think it was a warning, not a real attempt on my life. Our current mayor was diagnosed with cancer and has decided to resign. The city council has called an emergency election to be held in two months. I decided to run for the position and somebody apparently doesn’t like my politics.”

      James began to fuss, waving his fists in the air and kicking his legs. “They’re hungry,” Melissa said. “If you could just show me to the kitchen, I’ll fix them bottles, then we’ll be on our way.”

      “On your way? You can’t leave now,” he protested. “It’s dark and getting later by the minute and I don’t know if the person who fired that gun earlier is really gone from the area.” He stood with Joey in his arms. “You’ll stay here tonight and we can discuss everything further in the morning.”

      She stood and gazed at him with somber eyes. “You haven’t even questioned if they’re yours or not.”

      For the first time since he’d opened his door to her, he offered her a smile. “They look just like me. They even have my cleft chin. And I know we used no protection that night.”

      “I’m not here to cause you any trouble,” she replied.

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