Chapter Eleven

“Good morning, Birdie,” Chase said, swiping a hand down his face. “Coffee ready?”

“As always. Where’s Jessie? I thought she’d have the babies up by now. They’re gonna love these scrambled eggs.”

Where’s Jessie? We’re all going to be asking that question plenty during the next eight hours or so. “I’m giving her the day off. Can you help out with the girls today?”

“Sure. I can stay the night, if need be,” she replied in a voice a bit too cheery for him that hour of the morning. “Can you handle getting them down here by yourself?”

“Yep.” I hope. He reached for a mug. “Let me get my morning caffeine first, so I have a fighting chance.”

“It will be good for Jessie to have a day to herself. A wise investment, too.” Birdie winked. “Make her happy, maybe she’ll stay.”

That was a satisfying thought. “Yeah, I don’t know what we’d do without her.”

“She’s a keeper.” Birdie cracked the first egg, and it slid down into a big blue bowl. “You might want to start figuring ways to make this arrangement permanent.”

Chase leaned back against the kitchen counter and took a drink of hot coffee. A life shared with Jessie? Not like he hadn’t spent a few nights dreaming about it. “Can’t say I haven’t considered it. But what if it’s something we start that doesn’t last? There’s a lot at stake with the twins.”

“It could last. You’re quite the catch.” Her voice softened. “My Violet knew that.”

He focused on the dark liquid in his cup, startled by Birdie’s mention of the name so rarely spoken. He hardly knew how to reply. “I’m an aging workaholic cowboy with more ranch to manage than I have time for and two baby girls I barely know how to keep alive. Quite a catch, right here. Any woman would think I’m just looking for a warm body to come in and mop up the mess.”

“No way.”

Chase met Birdie’s gaze as her warm hand touched his arm.

“You pay me to mop up. What you need is a partner. A friend. A companion. A wife. And this girl is the best thing I’ve seen come down the pike in ages. Pretty as a picture, too. Montana is filled with cowboys who’d be standing in line at this back door if they knew she was available.”

Another man in Jessie’s life? There was an image he wouldn’t get out of his head for a while. Ugh. Still… “I’m not sure how she feels about me. And who knows if she’s really done with old Brian from Seattle?”

“Were they married?”

“No.” What did that have to do with anything? “Why?”

She shrugged. “You’re a widower. Maybe the risk is more hers than yours. A first wife who lives on young and lovely in memory is a lot to compete with. A lot to accept. And a former mother-in-law underfoot? That’s a whole other problem.”

“You’re not a problem, Birdie.” He could hardly believe she viewed herself that way. “You’re part of the foundation of our lives around here.”

And more and more, so was Jessie.

The kitchen window seemed lit with bright pinks and oranges of a Montana sunrise. Could he imagine his world without Jessie in it? Man alive. He could barely even imagine making it through this one day. He took a last drink, then dumped the remainder and placed his cup in the sink.

“Take a chance with this gal. Surprise yourself. You might find true happiness.” She paused for an awkward moment. “If anyone deserves it, you do…after what you did for my Violet.”

Chase cleared his throat harshly, having a hard time meeting Birdie’s grateful gaze. Did she know the truth of it? Did she have any idea how guilty he sometimes felt for not truly falling in love with her daughter? If anyone had deserved better, it was Violet. But she had run out of time.

“My girl left this world believing she’d won her cowboy’s heart.” A few tears trickled down Birdie’s face. “A gift only you could give.”

If the mist in his eyes would just clear…

Chase stared down at his boots, grappling for what to say to this woman he loved like a parent. He swallowed hard. “Birdie…”

“No need for words.” She wiped her wet cheeks. “Not between us.”

A loud knock suddenly jarred the dishes on the counter, interrupting the moment. Birdie tossed the hand towel over her shoulder and walked toward the source of the ruckus. Yanking open the back door, she ushered in a cold blast of winter and Milo.

“Come in here before you freeze,” she insisted. “Want some coffee?”

“Don’t mind if I do. Is the boss around?”

“I’m right here,” Chase responded as relief swept over him. He was glad for a deviation from the difficult conversation. He reached into the dishrack for a clean mug. “Black, as usual?”

“Yep, thanks. I wanted to let you know a couple of the boys are going to be out today. Jake and Dutch caught the flu bug going around, so I told them to take it easy. If you need anything, track me down. I’ll get it done.”

“Thanks, Milo. I appreciate it.” Handing off a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee, he glimpsed a small plate of lemon bars back by the toaster. “Hey, Birdie, got any baked goods around here?” Chase winked.

“Oh, I just might,” she admitted.

He grinned. “I’m going upstairs to get the twins ready for breakfast.”

“Good luck,” Birdie and Milo called simultaneously after him.

“I’m gonna need it,” he mumbled under his breath and headed up the steps toward the babies and Jessie. He just hoped she was awake and dressed, not walking around in the nightshirt she’d had a tendency to wear. That thing was costing him sleep. It skimmed her soft curves and did little to cover those long legs. He didn’t need that distraction on a challenging morning like this.

“You’re still here?” Jessie asked as she stepped into the hallway wrapped in her thick, white robe tied securely shut.

Suddenly, he missed the nightshirt. “Still here.”

A puzzled frown furrowed her brow, and she glanced at her watch.

“I’m not working today,” he explained. “Milo is in charge. And you are free to do whatever you want. Birdie is going to be here, so we’ve got everything covered.”

She combed her fingers through her messy hair, looping it into a ponytail with the elastic band from her wrist. “But the twins aren’t up yet.”

“I’ll get them. You need a day to yourself, and I need to spend more time with the girls to improve my pathetic parenting skills.” Goodness knows, I need it. “So, go shopping, visit one of your siblings, have a chicken salad sandwich and hot chocolate with marshmallows for lunch.”

“Mmm…” She leaned back against the doorframe and casually crossed her arms. “My favorite. You remembered.”

“I did.” He smiled. There were so many things about this woman burned into his memory. What would he ever do without her? “Now, go enjoy your day. Have you seen your sisters since you’ve been back home?”

“Not really. Jade has been too busy with her new job and family obligations to get away for lunch. Maybe I could visit Jocelyn. And I’d like to get a look at the Taylor property to see what condition it’s in.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You’re sure you are okay with this?”

“We’ll get by for a day.” The Taylor house. A heaviness centered in his chest at the mere mention of it. Chase didn’t even want to think about Jessie moving out. “Just don’t find freedom too enticing. I want you back.”

“Definitely, but—”

“No worries.” He raised both hands, as if he could put an end to her doubts…or his own. “If there are problems, Birdie is here on standby. Now, go back to bed and get some extra sleep. I’ll take the girls downstairs for scrambled eggs.”

She rubbed her stomach. “Extra sleep does sound pretty amazing.”

“Okay, then. It’s settled,” he said, feeling proud of himself for convincing her. Now, comes the hard part. Actually getting through the day without her. “We’ll see you later.”

Later seemed a long time away.