style="font-size:15px;"> “Not offhand. I can’t believe she left the girls.” Wes propped a booted foot up on the fence rail and stared into the corral. “I was afraid this would be too much for her.”
“Wait a minute.” Jade grabbed him by the arm and forced him to look at her. “You suspected she was in trouble?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” Wes checked over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “I was long gone before those babies were born. And for the record, this wasn’t an easy decision on my part. There was never anything romantic or sexual between your sister and me. We were good friends. She was there for me during the darkest time of my life.”
“So how did you get from point A to point B?” Her face soured. “She told me she used an anonymous donor.”
“Liv hated the thought of a stranger fathering her children. I had initially said no, then I realized she wanted this more than anything and relented. I felt I owed her for being there for me over the years. But that’s where it ended. I couldn’t continue our friendship, knowing she was carrying my—” Wes shook his head. “They are not my children. I refuse to say they are.”
“I’m not asking you to raise them.” Thick sarcasm laced her assurance. “Just tell me what happened.”
Wes hesitated before answering, not wanting to sound callous. “Liv and I went our separate ways. She called me once I was in Texas and told me she was having triplets. I’ll admit, I had my concerns and asked if she could handle that many babies. She said she was a little overwhelmed by the news, but even more excited. I could hear it in her voice. She also had you and her friends. So, I continued on with my life.”
“Turns out she was more overwhelmed than we both thought.” Jade’s phone rang. She removed it from her bag, checked the screen and then rejected the call. “No matter how long it takes to find her, I’m not abandoning those babies. You can’t, either.”
“I am not getting involved. I did my part and then got out of town for a reason. Many reasons. They are not my responsibility. She should have gone with an anonymous donor like she had with the eggs.”
“She didn’t use an anonymous egg donor.”
“Then whose were they?”
“Mine. You and I are those girls’ biological parents.”
Jade never saw a person pale so fast. “Don’t you dare faint on me.”
“For God’s sake, I’ve never fainted a day in my life. A bull has knocked me unconscious a time or two in the rodeo ring, but I’ve never fainted.” Wes’s hazel eyes narrowed. “You’re the biological mother of those children?”
“Believe me, when I saw your name on the donor contract I was none too thrilled. It’s like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me.”
“On you?” Wes snapped. “You’re the last person I would have chosen.” His abhorrence for her darkened his features. Features she probably would’ve found attractive under normal circumstances.
“At least I provided a biological link. You, on the other hand—”
“Go on. Finish what you were going to say.” The muscles along his jawline pulsated.
“No, because regardless of our feelings toward each other, we created three beautiful lives. I will not insult them by insulting you.”
Wes tilted his hat back, revealing an errant lock of dark blond hair. He folded his arms across his chest, causing his formfitting gray T-shirt sleeve to ride up and expose the hint of a colorful tattoo on his biceps. Biceps that were much larger than she remembered from high school.
“As much as I want to argue with you, that’s a very mature attitude and one I should adopt myself.” Wes stepped away from the fence, giving her his full attention. “When I agreed to do this, I did so under one condition. Total anonymity.”
“I have no intention of saying anything.” Jade had wanted the same condition, but she and Liv had discussed the possibility of one day telling the children. Especially if a medical reason arose. That was most likely why she wanted the father to be somebody she knew. Just in case. “The truth may come out, regardless.”
“It can’t.” Wes’s eyes widened. “I had second thoughts shortly after I did it. First of all, I never wanted kids of my own. And second, my family would never forgive me for not being involved in their lives. Even though that’s what Liv wanted.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” Jade wondered if her sister’s feelings for Wes ran deeper than she’d admitted. “Had you already planned to move away when she asked you to be the donor?”
“No. I mean, we discussed how unhappy I was living in Saddle Ridge for reasons I won’t get into right now. My bull riding schedule keeps me on the road a lot too, so she knew I wouldn’t be around much.”
“How did she react when you told her you were moving to Texas?”
Wes winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I told her over the phone after I had already left. It was all of a two-minute conversation. One I purposely kept short because I couldn’t handle being involved in her pregnancy or the baby’s life. Then she called and told me she was having triplets.”
“You had to have been as shocked as I was.” The thought of Liv carrying and raising one of Jade’s children had been surreal enough. And even though she’d been fully aware they’d harvested three of her eggs, Jade never saw beyond one child. She’d automatically assumed it was a one-time deal. At the very least she’d expected her sister to have told her they’d used all three the day of the procedure.
“That’s an understatement. Look, I just came off a full week of competition and I’m only here for another week and a half before I head back to Texas. My family has two baby christenings this weekend and Dylan’s wedding is the next. And I’m competing midweek in South Dakota. I’ll help you in whatever way I can, but I’m not going anywhere near those babies. I can’t do it. Despite what you think Liv’s intentions may have been, she stressed I was to be a donor only. Nothing more. I can’t get emotionally involved.”
“I don’t know what to do. Maddie said Liv had been adamant about caring for the babies on her own, so she sent her home. Aside from some brief text messages over the last two weeks, I haven’t really spoken to her. Based on the little information I have, Liv may be suffering from postpartum depression.”
“Oh man.” Wes shoved his hands in his pockets. “That’s pretty serious.”
“I don’t think she’d harm herself, but Liv doesn’t do well with failure.” They’d grown up with failure in every way imaginable and they both worked hard to avoid it now. “I’m wondering if she recognized what was happening to her and removed herself from the girls to protect them. Possibly to get help.”
“Would she have had that much clarity?”
“She called Maddie and asked her to come over and babysit. And then there was the note she left telling Maddie to call me. When I checked her room,
