Jamie’s huge SUV maneuvered easily over a light coating of snow on the way to the Dalton ranch—the Circle D. It was located about a half hour out of town.
Bella glanced over her shoulder at the triplets, who were in their car seats behind her. “They seem content for the moment.”
“Let’s wait and see what happens when we get into a crowd. I’m not sure this was a good idea.”
“They have to get out sometime, Jamie. Besides, did you really want to spend the holiday alone?” Sometimes she suspected it was more than protectiveness that kept Jamie from being out and about with his children. Was it grief or was there something else?
“I wouldn’t have been alone,” he said wryly.
“You know what I mean. Spending the day with the Daltons should be fun.”
“We’ll see,” he responded, obviously not sure of that fact. He glanced at her quickly, then moved his eyes back to the road. “I think this was more about you spending the holiday with Hudson.”
He had her there. Still, she said, “It’s not like we’ll have time alone.”
“I’m sure you can steal a few minutes. You’re getting more involved with him, aren’t you?”
If “more involved” meant sleeping with him, yes, she was. But she wasn’t willing to go into that with her brother.
When she was silent, Jamie said, “I worry about you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You gave up your life to help me. Of course I have to. You are going to go back to school, aren’t you?”
“Eventually.”
“Sooner, rather than later.”
“Jamie, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
“You mean with Hudson?”
She sighed. “With Hudson. With my job. With the triplets, even. I want to make sure you and the babies are stable before I consider doing anything else.”
“We have our routine. We’re doing well. If you go back to school, I’ll look around for somebody else to help. Even if I have to pay them.”
“You can’t afford to do that. The ranch expenses are up, not to mention everything you need for the triplets.”
“You’re not trapped, Bella. I don’t want you to think you are. I would figure something out.”
She was sure he would. Still, she felt that he needed her.
“Did you tell Hudson yet about your miscarriage and your...problem?”
“No.”
“How serious does it have to get before you do?”
“Everything with Hudson has happened so fast. I have to feel the time is right.”
“The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to tell him.”
“I know,” she said. But today wasn’t going to be the day, not in the middle of a family Thanksgiving celebration. She was sure of that.
Shortly after their conversation ended, Jamie took the turnoff to the Circle D. At the fork in the road, Jamie said, “One of the Dalton brothers lives over there in that white house with the green shutters.”
Each Dalton sibling was allotted land within the ranch borders. Although Ben Dalton and his wife, Mary, owned the ranch, Ben was a lawyer and didn’t devote much time to it. His son Anderson was in charge and managed it for him. As Jamie drove a ways, Bella wondered what it would be like to belong to a large family and have everyone live close by. That would be nice.
After driving farther, Bella caught a glimpse of the stables. When they reached the main ranch house, she stayed in the car with Katie and Henry, while Jamie took Jared inside. She expected to see Jamie come back out, but instead Hudson did.
He approached the car door and said, “Your brother trusted me to help get the babies inside.”
That was saying a lot, she supposed, because Jamie didn’t trust just anyone with the triplets. They detached both car carriers from the backseat and carried them into the house.
Already there was a group of adults gathered around Jared, oohing and aahing. When Hudson and Bella brought the other two over, everyone made room. Lindsay and Walker welcomed them, and then the entire Dalton clan descended on them. The parents, Ben and Mary, as well as Anderson and his wife, Marina, with their blended family of eleven-year-old Jake and baby Sydney. There was brother Travis, a bachelor; Lani Dalton with her fiancé, Russ Campbell; and Caleb Dalton and his wife, Mallory, and their ten-year-old daughter, Lily. And, finally, Paige and her husband, Sutter, who cast watchful eyes over their two-year-old son, Carter.
In the center of the crowd, Lindsay smiled. “And this is just the tip of the Dalton iceberg. Uncle Charles is having Thanksgiving with his five kids. My other uncles, Phillip, Neal and Steven, have big families, too, but they live in another part of Montana.”
Lindsay’s mom, Mary, was particularly welcoming. She picked up Katie from her car carrier and said, “Aren’t you pretty? With two brothers to treat you like a princess.”
“Or pull her hair,” her husband, Ben, said, and everyone laughed.
“We have high chairs so the triplets won’t miss any of the celebration.” She looked at Bella. “Do you want to come with me to see what else they might need?”
Hudson offered, “I can set up those high chairs.”
“Thank you,” Mary said. “Come on with me.”
“I’ll take Katie,” Lindsay offered. She whispered to Bella, “It will do Walker good to be around babies.”
For the second time in the last few weeks, Bella wondered if Lindsay might be wanting a child soon. Would Walker take to kids as his brother had?
Kids. It always came down to kids.
“What’s wrong?” Hudson asked her as they followed Mary to the kitchen.
“Nothing,” Bella said lightly. “I’m just hoping we can keep the triplets occupied during dinner so everyone can enjoy it.”
“We can always take one out at a time and walk him or her. The Daltons are used to kids. I’m sure everyone will be sitting around the table long enough that a little excursion in and out with a baby won’t spoil dinner at all.”
In the kitchen, Mary pulled dishes from the cupboard, and Bella chose the ones she thought would be best for the triplets. “I have baby spoons in the diaper bag,” she said. “Jamie will warm up their food right before we eat, if that’s okay. He likes to maintain a stable diet for them.”
“Maybe with a spoonful of mashed potatoes or two?” Mary asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“Maybe,” Bella agreed.
A peal of laughter came from the living room, followed by lots of chatter.
“This is a real Thanksgiving,” Hudson said.
“Your family doesn’t get together for the holidays?” Mary asked him.
“My brothers are scattered all over now, and Mom and Dad are traveling. So, no, we don’t. It’s rare that even Walker and I are together.”
“This must be a treat then. One of those holidays to remember. I’m glad you all could join us.”
Hudson picked up one of the collapsed high chairs that were leaning against a wall. “Any place special you want me to set this up?”
“No. Just fit them in wherever you can. I’m sure whoever is next to a baby will see to their needs. This is a child-friendly family.”
Hudson carried a high chair into the dining room.
Mary turned to Bella. “What about you, child? I suppose you and your brother spend most of your holidays together.”
“Yes, we do.”
“I imagine this one is particularly hard for him. I hope being among friends will help. I’ve heard about the baby chain that takes care of the triplets.”
“I don’t know what we’d do without them. Not only in the care of the babies, but they’ve helped Jamie not draw into himself even more. They’re kind and considerate, and he almost thinks of them as family now.”
“One of the things I like most about this community is that we help others. I’m sorry that Lindsay and the day care center were at odds for a while. You know, don’t you, that she was just doing her job?”
“Oh, I know that. I’m just glad everything turned out as well as it did.”
“I hear that’s your Hudson’s doing.”
“Oh, he’s not my Hudson.”
Mary laughed. “You can say that, but I see something else.”
When Hudson returned to the kitchen for a second high chair, Bella knew her cheeks were flushed. When he left again, Mary said to her, “After dinner, when everyone’s settling in to watch TV or chat, you and Hudson ought to take a walk down to the stables. There’s a new horse there you both might enjoy. Her name is Trixie...a fine quarter horse.”
As Hudson returned to the kitchen, he heard the last part of that.
“Wouldn’t you like to see our new horse?” she asked him.
“I’m always interested in a good horse. I’m sure Bella is, too. She doesn’t just ride them, she photographs them. She did some work for the Smith Rescue Ranch.”
“Really?” Mary asked.
“Jazzy and Brooks liked some of my shots, and they’re using them on their pamphlets and on their website,” Bella explained. “The redesigned website should be up by Monday. You should take a look if you get a chance.”
“I’m not much into computers, but my husband and all my kids have them. So sure, I’ll take a look. Now, come on. We have potatoes to mash, beans to dress and a turkey to carve.”
When they were all finally seated around the table for the Thanksgiving meal, it was loud and fun. Many conversations traversed the room, and Bella couldn’t keep track of them all. The triplets seemed mesmerized by all the people, let alone the food being passed around. So they were entertained while they ate.
She and Hudson had been seated next to each other. Every once in a while, Hudson would reach over and place his hand on her thigh. That simple contact sent a charge through her body, and she hoped it didn’t show on her face. Now and then, however, she saw Lindsay looking at her speculatively. And one time Mary Dalton gave her a wink.
The talk among the men turned to ranching for a while. The women shared recipes, as well as caught up with their careers. Bella felt as if she were somewhere in between. Managing the day care center was not going to be her career. She took care of the triplets with Jamie and could easily discuss that. But she had her foot in two different worlds. Throw in her feelings for Hudson, and it was difficult to come up with a life plan, especially when she didn’t know if he’d be staying or going...especially when she didn’t know if he could accept not having children of his own.
She joined conversations, but her thoughts were jumbled. The only thing she did know was that she loved being with Hudson. She loved making love with him. She loved him.
By dessert time, the triplets were getting restless. Bella, Jamie and Paige took them from the high chairs and set them on their laps, distracting them with rattles and little toys.
Paige said, “The pageant on Sunday is going to be a hoot. Imagine all those babies, kids, costumes and Christmas.”
“I’m going to have a look at the carriages tomorrow,” Hudson said. “They’re at the school and all decorated. I want to make sure there’s nothing the babies shouldn’t get hold of. I also need to get a few basic instructions to take to my staff. We aren’t having a dress rehearsal with the rest of the group.” He shrugged. “It’s not as if our little ones have a script.”
Everybody laughed.
“I’m sure they’ll cause a lot of ad-lib moments,” Ben said. “You can’t have babies around and expect everything to go as planned.”
“How about more whipped cream on that pumpkin pie?” Mary asked.
Mary and Ben had blocked off one area of the living room so the babies could crawl around and play with their toys in relative safety. Jamie sat on the floor with them, and Paige did, too. Jamie said to Bella, “If you want to go for a walk or anything, go ahead. We’re fine for a while.”
Paige waved at her. “We’ve got this.”
Bella looked up at Hudson, who immediately got to his feet.
“I’ll go get our coats,” he said. “We’ll take a look at that new horse.”
As they made their way from the house to the barn, Hudson took Bella’s arm. “Do you think you can get away for a few hours Saturday evening? I’d like to take you into Kalispell for a surprise.”
“I’ll have to talk to Jamie and see if he has other help.”
“That’s fine. I’d just like to take you on a real date. We can get dressed up, go to dinner, and then I’ll show you my surprise.”
Bella had no idea what Hudson was going to surprise her with, but whatever it was, the idea excited her.
The stables on the Circle D were a classic rectangular shape. Hudson opened the door for Bella and flipped on a switch just inside. The overhead light revealed a long center aisle with stalls on each side and a door at the other end, too. As they walked down the aisle, they saw plaques with the horses’ names. They passed one for a giant black horse named Zorro.
“I think they have the heater on in here,” Hudson said. “It’s not as cold as outside.”
Hudson was right, and Bella unzipped her parka as he unbuttoned his. They walked farther in, finally stopping in front of Trixie’s stall. She was a cute little chestnut. The horse turned from her trough and gave them an interested look.
Bella held out her hand. “Come here, pretty girl. Let me pet you.”
The horse apparently liked the sound of a friendly voice, because she turned and came to Bella, hanging her head over the slats so Bella could touch her nose. “No matter how many times I touch a horse’s nose, I’m always amazed at the softness.”
“I know what you mean,” Hudson said. But there was a huskiness to his voice that made her think he was talking about her rather than the horse.
“You and Mary seemed to hit it off,” he said.
“Yes, we did. She’s nice.”
He laid a hand on Bella’s shoulder. “I feel for you that you lost your mother.”
“Thank you. Lindsay’s lucky. This whole family is lucky that they’re still together and have each other.”
“I think they realize that. Anderson does a great job managing the place. He wants to do it not just for himself, but for his family.”
Bella had noticed more than the family atmosphere today. She’d noticed the couples in love—Lindsay and Walker, Anderson and Marina, Paige and Sutter, Caleb and Mallory. Had she been aware of them because of her own feelings for Hudson? If happily-ever-after was possible for them, maybe it was possible for her.
Suddenly she was very aware of Hudson beside her. He sidled closer and put his arm around her.
“Every time I’m close to you, I want to kiss you,” he murmured in her ear.
She turned into his arms. “I feel like that, too.”
Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers. This wasn’t one of those quick let’s-do-it-before-we-can’t kisses. It was one of those I-want-to-take-my-time-with-you kisses. He began it softly but with the firm pressure of his lips. Seconds later, his tongue teased the seam of her mouth.
Her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t breathe. But she didn’t have to breathe. Not when Hudson was giving her his air, his taste, his desire. Her hand slipped into the collar of his jacket, felt his sweater and then the skin of his neck. Hudson’s body was becoming more familiar now. She could feel the tension in it because of the need coursing through him, just like the need coursing through her.
His hand caressed the side of her face, then moved down her sweater to her breasts.
She nipped at his mouth, and he took that for assent of what he was doing. She was assenting all right. She couldn’t seem to get enough of him. The stable seemed to spin around her, and she clung to Hudson as if he were the only thing in her world that was stable. He took her tongue deeper into his mouth, and she melted against him. His palm on her breast was replaced with his fingers as he kneaded her and searched for her nipple under the sweater. When he found it, she knew it was hard, and she could imagine him doing things to it with his tongue.
He groaned, dropped his hands to the waistband of the sweater and dived underneath. Skimming her stomach, they came to rest on her bra. Masterfully he flipped open the front catch, and then he was holding her, caressing her breasts, making her want him with a need so strong she could only hope it would soon be satisfied.
He said roughly, “I want you.” He brought her hips tight against his so she could feel how hard he was and just how much he wanted her.
All of a sudden, Trixie neighed. The sound penetrated Bella’s passionate haze. Then she heard bootfalls and the clearing of a throat.
“I was going to turn around and leave, but you might as well know that I know.”
It was Walker’s voice.
Hudson backed away slowly, but made sure Bella’s coat was closed over her sweater. He wrapped his arm around her and faced his brother. “Don’t you say a word,” he warned Walker. “Not after what you and Lindsay did.”
Bella knew her eyes were wide, and she felt stricken. No matter what Hudson had said, Walker owned the Just Us Kids franchise. Would her job be in jeopardy?
As if Hudson understood what she was thinking, he said to Walker, “This won’t affect my working relationship with Bella.”
Walker focused on Bella. “Your job is safe. You don’t have to worry about that. No one could have handled everything as well as you have, especially with Hudson coming in to oversee you.” He motioned to his brother and then to her. “In fact, this attraction between you might have helped that along, encouraged both of you to work for the good of the center.”
“Then why does it matter that you know? You could have turned around and left and saved us a lot of embarrassment.”
“I could have. But I still need to know if you’re staying until Valentine’s Day, or if you’re going to leave before that for the job in Big Timber.”
“And you have to ask me now?”
“Maybe it’s a good thing I am, because Bella has to know, too, doesn’t she? Or is she just another diversion until you’re on your way?”
Bella’s heart sank because Walker knew Hudson’s history. And he knew Hudson’s nature, too. If she was just a diversion, was she going to let their affair continue?
“I have to give Big Timber my answer on Monday,” Hudson said. “I’ll give you my answer then, too.”
“So you haven’t made up your mind?” Walker asked as if he expected nothing less.
“I’m still considering the pros and cons.”
Again Walker looked from one of them to the other. And then he nodded and walked away.
They both heard the barn door close. They’d been so engrossed in their kiss, they hadn’t heard it open.
Quickly Bella reached under her sweater and fastened her bra. She moved away from Hudson, thinking about everything Walker had said. Then she looked up at the tall cowboy and asked, “So you really don’t know yet if you’re staying or going?” Though she knew that if he stayed until Valentine’s Day, that didn’t mean he was going to stay longer.
He took her by the shoulders. “Bella, there’s a lot to think about. Believe me, I’ll tell you before I tell anyone else what I decide.”
She supposed that was something, but it certainly wasn’t enough.
“Are we still on for our date Saturday night?” he asked.
She thought of saying no and ending it then, so she could start nursing her heart back to health. But her heart wouldn’t let her say it.
“Yes, we’re still on for our date.” Whether he stayed or whether he left, she loved Hudson Jones. For this weekend, that was going to be all that mattered.
* * *
Hudson glanced over at Bella on Saturday evening as she stared out the front windshield, eagerly anticipating where they were going. So far, everything had gone smashingly well. She’d joined him at the dress rehearsal for the pageant, so she’d be able to give teachers direction, too. Although there was tension between them because his decision about Big Timber was still in the offing, they’d seemed to put that aside during the dress rehearsal as well as at dinner tonight.
He’d taken her to the fanciest restaurant in Kalispell. She’d dressed festively in a beautiful long-sleeved red dress. Although the dress seemed modestly cut, its folds accented all her curves in just the right places. When he’d picked her up, she’d looked at him as if he were some kind of GQ model, which was crazy since he was wearing a Western-cut suit and bolo tie, a Stetson and boots. She’d given him a smile that had practically twirled his bolo.
Dinner was incredible, but the night wasn’t over. He still had one more destination. To make conversation while he drove, he asked, “Do you think we’re really ready for the pageant tomorrow? All those babies and kids at one place at one time—”
“We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be. Sometimes the more you regiment children, the more chaos you provoke. For the most part, all we have to do is make sure the babies are in their carriages and hope that the carriage decorations don’t fall off. The one that looked like Santa’s sleigh was pretty elaborate.”
“The older kids really worked hard on them.” Hudson was finding that he liked kids more and more...from babies to high-schoolers. And when he thought of kids, he thought of Bella. He didn’t examine that thought too closely because he knew exactly where it might lead—Bella as a mom, him as a dad, a family like the Daltons had someday.
He glanced at Bella again and decided to concentrate on the here and now—on his attraction to her and on her surprise.
There were several cars parked in front of the building already. He pulled up to the curb in front of a bakery storefront.
Bella looked puzzled as he went around his truck and helped her out. She was wearing high-heeled boots, and he didn’t want her to slip or fall.
“The bakery’s closed,” she said in a puzzled voice.
“We’re not going to the bakery. I’d have you shut your eyes, but there are some icy spots.”
“Why would you want me to shut my eyes?”
“You aren’t used to surprises, are you?”
“Not good ones.”
Hooking his arm into hers, he guided her along the sidewalk until they came to the Artfully Yours gallery. She looked up, saw the name and blinked. “You want to buy a painting?”
“You never know,” he said with a smile.
They went up the steps, and he opened the door to lead her inside. At first, there didn’t seem to be a huge selection. The gallery owner was selective on what he hung where, on what sculptures he positioned on pedestals.
The gallery manager came to greet Hudson, and they shook hands. Hudson had spoken with Jim Barringer on the phone several times. Jim gave Hudson a nod, and he led Bella to a side exhibit set in an alcove.
“Aren’t you going to let me look at the paintings?” she started to ask, but then her eyes settled on the photographs hanging in the alcove. “Oh my gosh! They’re mine. My photos. They’re matted and framed.”
“As well they should be. This isn’t your own show...yet. But it is a showing. Notice the little red dots on two of them? That means they’re sold.”
Bella’s mouth dropped open as she noticed the two sold prints—the landscape she’d shot at sunrise at the Stockton ranch and the close-up of one of the horses. The frames were perfect, rough-hewn like barn wood.
Bella turned to Hudson. “Did you do this?”
Hudson wondered again if he’d been too high-handed by doing it without her permission.
But then she threw her arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you did this.”
He squeezed her hard. “I didn’t do the framing. I left most of that up to Jim, though he did ask my opinion. I just happened to know the gallery owner and asked him to take a look at your photographs. He thought they were well worth showing. You could have more than one career, if you want it, Bella.”
Unmindful of where they were and who was around, Bella gave him a smacking kiss on the lips. When she broke away, she said, “Thank you.”
“I’d do it again for another kiss like that,” he teased.
She looked around the gallery. “I can’t believe my photographs are hung here with all these talented artists.”
“You’re talented, too. You have to know that.”
“Maybe I’m starting to.”
For the next hour, they went from painting to painting...from sculpture to sculpture...from photograph to photograph until Bella had her fill.
On the drive back to Rust Creek Falls, Hudson thought that Bella might want to call Jamie and tell him her news. But she didn’t. She just kept glancing at him, putting her hand on his thigh, looking at him as if he was Christmas all wrapped up in a cowboy package.
“Do you want to stop at my place?” he asked as they neared town.
“More than anything,” she answered with such fervor that it took Hudson’s self-control to the limit not to press down hard on the accelerator.
When they reached his house, he hurried out of the truck, going around to her side. When he opened her door, he saw longing in her eyes, too. He lifted her down from the truck and held on to her as they walked to the door. He fumbled with the keys as he tried to get the door open. All he could think about was holding her in his arms...naked. Time alone with her was precious, and honestly, he didn’t know how much more they’d have.
After he punched in the code for the alarm, he took her into his arms, kissing her the way he’d wanted to kiss her all night. The ride home had seemed endless. He shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. She was still unzipping her parka when he helped push it from her shoulders and let that fall, too. Her breath and his heightened and so did every look between them, every brush of their fingers, every touch of their skin. Bella’s ability to return his hunger still amazed him. She undid his tie while he found the zipper at the back of her dress and ran it down its track. She unbuttoned his shirt while he pushed her dress down off her shoulders. It weighed on her arms as she was trying to undress him.
He laughed and said, “I can probably do it faster.”
By the time he finished undressing himself and her, their clothes lay in a pile in the foyer. They couldn’t seem to wait to reach the living room to touch each other. When her hands slid up his chest, he was a goner. He kissed her hard, and she returned his fervor, clutching his shoulders, pressing against him until he thought he’d die from the wanting. Lacing his fingers into her hair, he angled her head for another kiss.
When he broke away this time, she murmured, “I’m ready. We don’t have to wait.”
“Yes, we do,” he said. “I have to grab a condom. Don’t move.”
She didn’t.
“Turn around,” he said, and she followed his gentle order, bracing her hands on the wall.
He wanted to give Bella every experience, every pleasure, every peaked orgasm. He just had to hold on a little longer. Stepping close behind her, he ran his hands over her breasts, teased her nipples, then slid his hands down her sides to her hips.
She understood what he wanted to do, and in the next second, he was thrusting inside her, pulling back, then doing it again until she moaned with as much pleasure as he felt. The wall braced them both as he felt her release come first, and then his followed. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and then he just held her.
When he could breathe again almost normally, he said, “Now we can try that in bed and take it a little slower.”
She turned into his arms, wrapped hers around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips so tender that he thought he’d fall apart at the seams.
Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her to the bedroom, wanting to make each moment they had together last as long as it could.