okay, kiddo. You and your brothers are just fine.”
At the sound of his smooth, deep voice the little girl stopped crying and just stared at him with big, wide blue eyes. Dawn wondered if all females were like that—putty in his hands. Susceptible to a handsome face that hid the heart of a self-indulgent, narcissistic snake.
He smiled reassuringly. “There’s nothing to worry about. Their lungs sound great, completely normal. New parents sometimes are critiqued for being overprotective but in your case that isn’t a bad thing. I always recommend taking steps to keep them as healthy as possible. It’s just basic common sense.” He leaned a hip against the exam table, apparently in no hurry to put the baby girl down. “Anyone who’s sick should keep their distance from the triplets. Stay away from places where people and germs tend to gather—churches, malls.”
That got another smile out of the single dad. “Not a problem there. Shopping isn’t high on my list.”
“Didn’t think so.” Clifton grinned but the amusement disappeared as quickly as it had come. “Day care centers, too.”
“Thanks to the baby chain I don’t need day care.”
“The what?” The doctor absently rubbed baby Kate’s back as he listened intently.
“It’s a group of volunteers. They’ve set up a schedule and folks come out to my place to take care of the triplets while I’m working the ranch.” He had a firm hand on each of his boys, preventing them from rolling away. His eyes had a faraway look before filling with shadows. “I always wanted a family, but I never thought it would happen like this.”
“Losing your wife must have been difficult.” When Jamie looked up he explained, “It was in the babies’ charts.” His eyes held a man-to-man expression of sympathy.
“It was hard. For a lot of reasons. And now there are three little lives depending on me. Hasn’t been an easy adjustment.” The grieving father shook his head and started to dress one of the boys. “The baby chain is a lifesaver. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them.”
“You’ll never have to find out.” Dawn moved beside him and began dressing the other boy. “This is Rust Creek Falls and people here take care of each other.”
“It’s a lot of work now, but that will get better,” Clifton assured him. “Granted, there will be new challenges. When they’re mobile it will be like roping calves.”
“That’s something I have experience with.” Jamie secured the boys in the carrier, then looked up and grinned.
Dawn was shocked. She didn’t think she’d seen this guy ever smile and the new doctor had gotten three out of him, the last one practically a laugh, for goodness’ sake. Clifton was charming everyone around him and still holding that little girl. Kate seemed completely happy in his strong arms and Dawn felt herself melting. It was like déjà vu. She’d been taken in once by a handsome doctor, only to find out the hard way that he played fast and loose with the truth. She knew better than to go soft on Dr. Dreamboat.
The dreamboat in question handed Kate over to her father. “Right now the mission is to keep these three healthy. And I can’t stress enough the importance of hand washing. It’s a simple thing but very effective.”
“Got it, Doc.” Jamie dressed his daughter, then secured her in her carrier. “Appreciate it.”
From the desk beside him Clifton grabbed a scratch pad with a pharmaceutical logo at the top and scribbled something on it. Then he handed the paper to the other man. “This is my cell number. Call me anytime, day or night, about anything. About the babies. Or if you just want to talk.”
Jamie glanced at it, then stuck the paper in his pocket before shaking the doctor’s hand. “Thanks. See you next time.”
“I look forward to it.” He sounded very sincere.
Dawn went outside with Jamie and helped secure the triplets for the ride home. As she watched him drive out of the parking lot, she sighed. Raising three babies would be a challenge for a husband and wife together but he didn’t have a wife. What he had was the baby chain. And thank goodness for that.
Walking to the clinic door she braced herself to go inside. If only she could get the sight of the new doctor holding that sweet baby girl out of her mind. It was enough to make the average female heart beat a little too fast and Dawn’s was no exception.
She reminded herself that she had an immunity to his type, the kind of man who was shallow as a cookie sheet. Never again would she allow a man to use her. And now she was in a similar situation, but this time she knew what to do.
Be professional at work.
Ignore his charm.
And most important, never see him outside the clinic. That was nothing but trouble. But her free time was her own and keeping her distance from him away from the job should be easy.
Dawn parked her hybrid compact car behind her mom’s in front of the house on South Main Street, not far from the elementary school. She’d bought the fuel-efficient vehicle for her long commute to the hospital but now her job was located two streets away. A tank of gas would last her months.
Unless she had to change jobs because of the new doctor.
She hated to be a whiner, but things had been going so well at her new job until he sashayed through the door.
But that was a problem for tomorrow. She grabbed her purse and headed up the walk that bisected the lush, neatly trimmed front grass lined with colorful flowers. Dawn didn’t know the names of the plants; her mom was the gardener.
She walked inside. “Mom?”
“In here.”
Dawn passed the unfurnished living and dining rooms on her way to the kitchen where the voice had come from. “Hey.”
Glory Laramie was sitting at the small, inexpensive dinette set in the breakfast nook. She was in her forties but looked at least ten years younger. Her strawberry blond hair was cut in a pixie style that highlighted her high cheekbones and pretty blue eyes. Folks said Dawn had her mom’s eyes and she hoped so. They were the window to the soul and Glory’s was honest, hardworking and loyal.
“There’s a plate for you in the fridge. I can microwave it.”
“I’ll do it in a little while. Right now I just want to get off my feet for a few minutes.” She sat across from her mother and noticed there were sample paint chips on the table. Glory always picked them up when she was frustrated about the length of time it was taking to accumulate enough money to do a fixer-upper project.
“You look tired. More than usual.”
Dawn chalked that up to the strain Clifton created, but she didn’t want to talk about it. “I have a rent check for you.”
Glory heaved a sigh. “It doesn’t seem right to take your money. I love having you here with me.”
“That’s
