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 what you say every month. And my response is always the same.”
“I know.” Her mom went into the shtick. “You’re a grown woman and should have your own place but there’s not a lot to choose from in this small town and the money will help me fix this place up.”
“That’s right.” Dawn glanced around the room at the new drywall that had yet to be painted. “The extra money will speed up your timetable.”
Glory nodded and smiled when she looked around. “I only feel a little guilty that someone’s misfortune made it possible for me to buy a home of my own.”
“You’re not responsible for that awful flood a couple years ago that damaged so much of the town.”
“I know.” Glory sighed. “But I hope the family who walked away from this house has a nice place to live again.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. And it’s not like this place was move-in ready when you bought it from the bank. You’ve already got a lot of sweat equity in it.”
“It had to be
