Twins for Christmas Read online

  “Hannah, I don’t think—”

  “Mom, please. We have to learn how to get along if this is ever going to work.”

  Noah’s jaw twitched. He appreciated Hannah’s efforts to keep the peace, but they didn’t ease any of his concerns. But there was a time and place for this conversation and he agreed with Hannah’s silent declaration...this was not it.

  “I loaded Restless in the trailer.” Clay wedged himself between them, stopping to lift the twins out of Noah’s and Hannah’s arms. “Abby and I will take the girls for ice cream, and then I’ll ride home with you. Noah, I’m assuming you came here with my sister. I’ll be a gentleman and find you a ride back to Ramblewood with someone.”

  “That’s not necessary, Clay.” Hannah sighed.

  Noah would give her this much, she definitely had a team of supporters rallying around her. Too much so.

  “Yes, it is,” Clay said through clenched teeth. “There are some things we need to discuss and they can’t wait.”

  Noah didn’t need a pine tree to fall on his head to understand that some things meant him.

  “Fine.” Hannah closed the truck door and leaned against it. She waited until her brother and the rest of the family were out of earshot before she spoke. “How would you feel if I came into your world and started criticizing everything?” Her chin began to tremble. “You do realize the day will come when that will happen to you. If not by me, certainly by a social worker who will scrutinize every inch of where you live and then weigh in on your job.”

  Noah hadn’t thought that far ahead. Avery had advised him to retain his own attorney, which he planned to do on Monday. The idea of a stranger determining his suitability as a parent frightened him. The same way his actions were frightening Hannah.

  “You’re right. If the situation were reversed, I’d probably feel the same way. And I’m sure I’ll be just as terrified of my own home inspection.” Hannah’s renovations aside, her home was located in a much more kid-friendly location than the steep banks of the Willamette River that his house overlooked.

  Hannah’s body visibly relaxed somewhat and her face softened. “I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t think twice about taking the girls up in a helicopter. I’m not talking about taking them heli-logging. I mean a helicopter joyride over the Oregon mountains. What I’m doing isn’t any different. I don’t want the girls to grow up scared of the world. I want them to fly in a helicopter and ride a horse at forty miles an hour...if they want to. I want them to make their own decisions and they need to experience life in order to do so.”

  “You don’t understand. They’re not a part of you.”

  Hannah’s head snapped as if he had physically smacked her. “You may have contributed to their DNA, but that doesn’t make you a father. You haven’t earned that title yet. You helped create them, nothing more. I have been with Charlotte and Cheyenne almost every day of their little lives. When they went to Boston, my heart broke. I lost a piece of myself. Don’t you dare tell me they’re not a part of me. They’re definitely more a part of me than they are of you. You just met them.”

  “Through no fault of my own.”

  Hannah crossed her arms. “Oh, really. You had a one-night stand with Lauren. If either of you had taken the time to get to know the other before jumping in bed, you would have known about your children. I blame both of you.”

  He couldn’t argue with her logic. And she was right. Hannah was more a part of the girls than he was and he needed to acknowledge it before he lost any chance of custody.

  “You’re riding home with me and the twins.” Fern jabbed him in the arm. “I don’t want to hear any arguments about it.”

  “Mom!” Hannah looked around. “I thought you were with Abby and the girls.”

  Fern waggled her finger at Hannah. “I don’t want any arguments from you, either. Noah and I have a few things to discuss. And wipe that expression off your face. I’m not going to do anything to him.” Fern turned to face him. “But we do need to come to an understanding and there’s no better time than today.”

  After ice cream, Noah said goodbye to Hannah and hesitantly climbed into the front seat beside Fern. If Charlotte and Cheyenne weren’t with them, he would have bailed. He wasn’t afraid of Hannah’s mother... Okay, maybe he was a little bit. It was more that he didn’t want the girls to pick up on their tension. Five minutes into the drive the twins were fast asleep, leaving Noah alone to deal with Fern’s wrath.

  “I have two rules,” she began. “Don’t hurt my daughter, and don’t hurt the girls.” Fern held up her hand to prevent him from responding. “If you take them to Oregon, you will be hurting everyone in their lives. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter...today. I want to hear more about you, your family and where you see yourself in five, ten and twenty years.”

  Twenty years? Noah couldn’t even see clearly to tomorrow, let alone two decades from now. Charlotte and Cheyenne would be almost twenty-two years old. The same age their mother had been when he met her. He glanced over the seat at them. He’d run down any man who ever tried to get close to his daughters. Whoa! When did that happen? When did he go from the man who was dating girls to the man protecting his girls?

  “I know that look.” Fern clicked her tongue. “Gage had it when our kids were born. More so with Hannah. You’re scared and you should be. You have a long and terrifying road ahead of you, Noah. But if you stick around long enough, you’ll realize you’re not in this alone. Believe it or not, we’re here for you, too. I think you have a good heart and good intentions. They just might be a little misplaced at the moment.”

  Noah took comfort in her words. He’d never had a large family, but the brief time he had spent around Hannah’s had taught him to respect and even envy her extended family support network to a certain degree. A few days ago, he had been certain taking his daughters home to Oregon was the right thing to do. Now he wasn’t so sure he wanted to. Maybe they were better off in Ramblewood. But how could he leave them behind?

  * * *

  HANNAH AWOKE SHORTLY after midnight. Almost a week had passed since she brought the twins home. She’d insisted she didn’t need her mom or Abby to stay over any longer and it was Hannah and the girls’ first night alone. The conversation with Clay on the way back from the rodeo churned in her head. He’d been unsuccessful in his efforts to dig up any further information on Noah and had advised her to play as nicely as possible if she wanted to remain in the girls’ lives. She’d had the same conversation with Avery, but she’d held out hope Clay would find something to use in their favor. In a way, she was relieved. She would hate for Charlotte and Cheyenne to grow up knowing they had a father unable to care for them because of some scandalous past. They deserved to have a relationship with him. It didn’t make it any easier, though. The likelihood she’d retain full custody grew slimmer by the day. It wouldn’t have been any different if Lauren were still alive and she’d found Noah.

  She thought of a million chores she needed to do outside, but she didn’t dare leave the children unattended. Not even with the high-tech baby-monitoring system Clay had installed when Lauren had moved in. She had never bothered to take the Wi-Fi cameras down from the girls’ room, figuring they’d come home to visit.

  Hannah shivered. The house still seemed cold without her best friend’s laughter, even this early in the day. She dropped a paper filter into the coffeemaker followed by three scoops of ground beans. Better make it four, as Lauren would say when they were studying for finals. Hannah tried to swallow the sob that threatened to break free. She hadn’t let herself truly grieve for fear she wouldn’t be able to stop. Clearing her throat, she pressed the on button. “Keep it together, Hannah.”

  She marched into the living room, where she needed to start if she planned to pull off a successful Christmas. She reread the social worker’s notes. Repair floor. The old peg and gro
ove wooden floor was in dire need of refinishing, but Constance had only been concerned with three planks that had split and could catch tiny fingers. Clay had said he’d replace those today and the carpet company in town had a large beige remnant they would bind and have ready for pickup Monday afternoon. She’d considered wall-to-wall carpet in the room anyway, so covering the majority of the floor with an area rug until she decided if she wanted to refinish the floors had suited her fine. She’d asked the carpet guys to check for other remnants she could use in the dining room and upstairs hallways. She was open to any quick and cost-effective solutions. She’d spend her prize money before the end of the week if she weren’t careful.

  The owners of the rodeo school had been gracious enough to give her as much time off as she needed after they learned of Lauren’s death. As much as she appreciated their support, it didn’t pay the bills. She charged a monthly fee for the horses she boarded, but it wasn’t enough. Competing in Vegas this year would have given her the money she needed, except leaving the girls for a week wouldn’t help her custody case. Besides, she couldn’t possibly desert them when they were still grieving for their mother.

  The next item on Constance’s list: Radiator hazard. The radiator had had a cover until Hannah broke it when she’d removed the covers to clean them. She’d been painting the living room anyway, and though she’d finished the walls weeks ago, she hadn’t gotten around to replacing the damaged cover. Her dad said he’d take care of it. Painting the trim molding wasn’t on Constance’s list, but it was something she could do while the girls slept. Once the carpet was down tomorrow, she’d have another room completed and safe for the little tykes to play in so they wouldn’t be confined to their bedroom and the sunroom The sunroom had been everyone’s favorite spot in the house, since it overlooked the stables and corrals. It was also where Lauren had read to Charlotte and Cheyenne each evening and the place they seemed most at peace.

  The long night faded into dawn as Hannah resealed the paint can. It was almost seven. Time to wake the twins and get them dressed and fed before her family and friends arrived to help work on the house. She climbed the staircase to their bedroom and peeked in the partially open door. Cheyenne rubbed the sleep from her eyes while Charlotte stood in the crib, contemplating how to escape. She was more curious and exploratory than her sister. Always touching everything around her. Including Noah’s face. She couldn’t blame the kid. The thought had run through her mind on numerous occasions. Namely the night they met at Finnegan’s Pub. Hannah had noticed Noah first and had been about to approach him when Lauren bumped into him at the bar. An actual bump, spilled drink and all. Within minutes, it was obvious her friend had fallen hard for the guy. The rest was history...or so they thought.

  “What are you doing, little monkey?”

  “Mommy!” Charlotte jumped up and down.

  Hannah froze as déjà vu rocketed through her. Charlotte had that same reaction whenever Lauren had come home. Hannah knew Lauren wasn’t behind her. She knew, but she looked anyway, wishing—praying—it had been a bad dream. The doorway was empty and Charlotte began to cry at the realization Mommy wasn’t following her into the bedroom.

  “It’s okay, baby.” She lifted Charlotte into her arms as Cheyenne silently stared up at them. Her sweet heart-shaped face watched, emotionless. She maintained eye contact while Hannah attempted to soothe her sister. Some response from her would have been better than none, but the child just watched and waited.

  “Hannah?” Fern called from downstairs. “Honey, I’m here now. Do you need some help up there?”

  Hannah knew her mother heard and saw everything from the baby monitor sitting at the bottom of the stairs. “I need more help than I realized, Mom,” she admitted.

  * * *

  NOAH PARKED BEHIND Fern’s SUV, hoping she’d already spoken to Hannah about him stopping by today. His ride back to Ramblewood with her yesterday had turned out better than he’d anticipated. He’d had the opportunity to spend time with Charlotte and Cheyenne and learn more about Hannah. “What are you doing here?” Hannah remained on the other side of the screen door, Cheyenne perched on her hip. In a matter of days, the girls’ subtle differences had become more obvious to him. Charlotte seemed to always reach for him, whereas Cheyenne was much more uncertain if she wanted to be friends.

  Well, that answered his question. “I take it your mom didn’t mention I was coming over.”

  “Mom!” Hannah called over her shoulder. “Did you forget to tell me something?”

  Fern pushed her way past her daughter and opened the screen door. “Hi, Noah. It’s good to see you.” She carried Charlotte in one arm while looping the other through his and leading him toward the kitchen. “Come on and have a cup of coffee and something to eat.”

  Hannah’s cheeks puffed in annoyance. Noah shrugged, not quite knowing what to make of Fern’s chipper demeanor. Charlotte stretched her tiny arm across Fern’s chest and grabbed a firm hold of his shirt.

  “Wait a minute.” Hannah scooted past them and blocked the kitchen doorway. “Will one of you start explaining what’s going on here?”

  Fern poked Hannah in the ribs, causing her to step aside, and then motioned for Noah to follow. “Stop being so melodramatic, Hannah.” She pulled out a seat for him and plopped Charlotte in his lap. “Noah and I came to an understanding on the way home yesterday.”

  “We did?” Confused, Noah shook his head in an attempt to tell Hannah he had no idea what Fern meant. “We talked on the way back, but—”

  “But nothing.” Fern set a cup of coffee on the table along with cream and sugar. “I got to know more about Noah and I filled him in about you and our town...and Lauren.”

  “Mom, we’re not a travel brochure.” Hannah sat Cheyenne in the high chair and placed a colorful divided dish of fruit and what he assumed was some sort of cereal mixture on the tray. She strode into the mudroom off the kitchen and tugged on a pair of green knee-high rubber boots. “You two chat while I tend to the horses and the chickens.” She smiled at Noah as he bounced Charlotte up and down on his knee. “I’d be careful if I were you. I just fed her and if you jostle her too much she’ll—”

  No sooner did she say it than Charlotte did it. Wonderful. At least it hit the floor and not his clothes.

  “Welcome to fatherhood.” Hannah laughed as her mother tossed him a roll of paper towels. “I’ll be out back.”

  Fern lifted Charlotte out of his arms. “Hannah, aren’t you going to help Noah?”

  “No. A little barf is nothing when you’re a parent. He’s got this,” she said. He detected a hint of a challenge behind her matter-of-fact tone. And that was fine—at least it was until the sour milk smell hit him. “Oh, then again, maybe he doesn’t.”

  “I’m good.” Noah stood. Queasy but good.

  “You think that’s bad, wait until you have to change a stinky diaper.” Hannah laughed. “I’ll have to record that for posterity.”

  “At least have some breakfast with us.” Fern set Charlotte on a chair and began to clean her face. “Hannah’s already painted the living room trim this morning. Such a busy thing. Around here, she does it all. I always had my Gage to help me when we had the sheep far—”

  “Mom!” Hannah stared at her. “Stop forcing me down his throat.”

  Fern’s sudden flirty attitude and singsong voice gave him the impression she was playing matchmaker. What was the old saying? If you can’t beat them, join them. Somehow he didn’t think Hannah subscribed to that same philosophy. At least not where he was concerned.

  “Do you need any help?” Noah asked.

  Both women turned to him. “I’ve got it, but thank you for asking,” Fern replied. He meant Hannah, and judging by the look on her face, she knew it.

  “I think we’ll leave Egg Collecting 101 for another day.” Hannah’s genuine and throaty laugh came at hi
s expense, but it was nice to hear. For someone who’d already worked on the house and wrangled two children and an overprotective mother today, she looked remarkably calm. He didn’t know if he’d have the same reaction if this entire scenario had happened at his house. He couldn’t even envision the girls there. He shook the thought from his head. It was because it was too soon. He hadn’t adjusted to the situation yet. Of course they would fit in there. They had to.

  By the time Hannah returned from her ranch chores, Noah had rehung two front shutters and was almost finished working on the second-floor banister with Clay. She squeezed past them on the stairs, leaving behind the scent of dirt and what he assumed was horse shit.

  Clay caught him mid nose wrinkle and smiled. “Welcome to ranch life. Between mucking the stalls and the manure composting necessary for the organic farm, things tend to get a little ripe, if you know what I mean. You become immune to it after a while.”

  A door closed at the top of the steps, followed by the faint sound of running water. She reemerged less than fifteen minutes later, dressed, her damp hair in a loose braid, without a stitch of makeup. Not only was she the fastest woman in the bathroom, she was a knockout without any effort. So this is what they mean by natural beauty.

  Clay cleared his throat as if reading Noah’s thoughts. There was nothing like having an entire family and town around when you were trying to get to know someone...strictly for Charlotte and Cheyenne’s sake, of course. He had no personal interest in Hannah whatsoever.