Callahan Cowboy Triplets

“I was just going to say that once when we were young, Tighe went off for a while. I was six,” Ash said, “so I remember it well.” She smiled at River. “It’s all right. We’re used to him being independent.”

“If you were six, Tighe was eight when he went on this adventure. How long was he gone?” River was curious as to how he had fared in his childhood. “Five, six hours?”

“Two months,” Ash said softly. “He was gone two months, in the coldest part of the year. Most of us wanted to stay close to the fire at night. Tighe wanted to find out if he could build his own fire and survive on what he found and caught.”

River sucked in her breath. “No parent would allow that.”

“Oh.” Ash shook her head, got up. “No worries about that. Tighe was never really alone, though he doesn’t know that, so don’t tell him. It would totally crush him and blow his wild man conception of himself. But there were always scouts watching him. Not that the scouts would have interfered, unless there’d been severe danger. A test is a test, and Tighe wanted the chance to test himself.” Ash fluffed her silvery-blond, shoulder-length hair, not concerned in the least. “Grandfather said Tighe had the soul of a tiger, and that he would make many kills when he left the tribe. And he did. He was a pretty good sniper. Don’t worry about my pinheaded brother,” she said. “He’s more wolf than man. Tighe’s problem is that is he’s scared, maybe for the first time in his life.”

“Scared of what? Not rattlesnakes, or becoming a dried-out skeleton, with no food or water in the canyons.”

“My guess is,” Ash said, “he’s been a little scared ever since you came here.”

“Me?”

“Maybe. Tighe’s always seen himself as the uncatchable male. Also, I think it’s come to his mind that he might be the hunted one.”

“You know,” River said, looking back out the window, “it could be you, Ash.”

She shook her head. “Not me. But if it is, I hope someone shoots me and puts me out of my misery.”

“Shoots you?” River was horrified. “Who would do that?”

“I’m hoping you,” Ash said softly, looking at her. “You’ve always got your Beretta strapped to your thigh, don’t you?”

“I would never shoot you,” River snapped. “And how do you know about my gun?”

“I know everything,” Ash said, wandering out the door.

“I see,” River muttered, watching Sawyer stretch up to kiss Jace on the cheek on the ground below her second-story window. “Really nice to know I’ve fallen for some kind of hard-core survivalist wolf-man. And that woman is working an angle,” she said of Sawyer, watching her slink off, leaving a seemingly stunned Jace behind. “Don’t fall for it, handsome.”

Jace would probably fall like a ton of bricks. She watched Jace almost strut, all peacocklike, his gaze fastened on Sawyer’s backside. River sighed and got up from her perch. Ash’s wealth of information had unsettled her to some degree. Tighe wasn’t afraid of her—not in the least. That could be ruled out. He was stubborn and opinionated, but not afraid of a woman.

Now the other business...was he the hunted one? Ash was crazy if she thought River was going to shoot her, if it turned out to be her. “The only shooting I’m doing is at bad guys, and there may not be any of those,” River said, watching Jace rub his cheek where Sawyer had pecked him. “Just gullible ones.”

She went to hunt up Tighe, the resident wolf on the loose.

* * *

THE STONE CIRCLE showed few signs of anyone living there, though a small fire flickered, the embers glowing. There were no signs of foul play, but River felt uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. A man with a sore groin and a fractured leg should be right here where she’d left him.

“Hello, beautiful,” she heard someone say, and River turned.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. “Why are you standing up?”

Tighe smiled, feeling very much in control of the situation, obviously, by the devilish light in his eyes. “You were worried about me.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Why add to his already overburdened ego?

“You were.” He stumped forward, resting his weight on a crutch crudely fashioned from the forked limb of a tree. “I’m glad you were worried about me, but I could have told you there was no need.”

“Then I’ll be going.” She didn’t feel like putting up with his macho attitude when he’d worried her half to death for days. “I’ll let your family know you’re fine.”

“I may return with you for a bit. You got room in your ride?”

She’d driven the military jeep, which had plenty of space for cargo. “I suppose.”

He got in without needing assistance and grinned at her. “Unless you want a tour, I’m ready to head back.”

She looked at the cowboy, the man who invaded her dreams and kept her breathless whenever she thought about him. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“For the moment. That’s how I live—I’m totally in the moment.” He grinned, pleased with his lone-wolf persona.

She gazed at his rangy body, and his long hair, which hadn’t seen much of a brush in the three weeks he’d been gone. He looked as delectable as ever. It was annoying that a man could hunker in the wilderness and not suffer ill effects. “I have to admit I was afraid of what I’d find.”

“You don’t think I can live without Fiona’s cookies.” Tighe laughed. “I miss the comforts of home, but mostly the children, I have to admit.” He caught her hand as she put it on the shift. “Sometimes I even missed you.”

“Did you?” She shifted, moving his hand away. “I didn’t miss you a bit.”

It was a lie, of course, to save face.

“I think you did,” he said cheerfully. “But I understand you want to keep it to yourself. It was sweet of you to come find me. I’m surprised my family didn’t tell you there was nothing to worry about.”

He was so annoying she wanted to dump him out of the jeep. The thing was, everything he was teasing her about was true—she had missed him, and she had worried. Did anything ever get under his skin? “Hey, fun fact,” River said, “I’ve skipped my period.”

Oh, for a photo of Tighe’s expression. He looked...stunned. River kept driving, curious to see what he’d say, pretty pleased that she’d found the one thing that would shut him up for just a moment.

A loud whoop erupted from him. Tighe threw his straw Resistol into the air and laughed out loud, loudly enough to startle birds from trees, if there’d been any around.

Apparently he wasn’t so much the silent type as his siblings had claimed.

“That’s awesome! When will we know for certain? How long do these things take?”

“In a couple of weeks I’ll go to the doctor. I keep telling myself maybe I’m late because of worrying—”

“About me—”

“No. About things at the ranch,” River interrupted, “but I’ve always been completely regular.”

“You cute little thing,” Tighe said. “That night you and my brother and sister were plotting against me, you had your own little plot going.”

“Not hardly.” River was getting mad. “Perhaps you didn’t do a decent job wrapping up.”

“You helped, as I recall,” he said gleefully, “and I remember you seemed to be impressed.”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” River parked the jeep at the house, jumped down. “You can just wait there until one of your siblings finds you. Or Wolf. Right now, I don’t care.”

She went inside, aggravated beyond belief.

“Did you find my brother?” Jace asked.

“I found a jackass. It might have been your brother. You can go out to the jeep and see for yourself.”

With that, she went to check on the twins.

Chapter Four

“Whew. What’d you say to River to get her in a knot?” Jace asked, as Tighe helped himself down from the jeep, still grinning from ear to ear.

“That amazing woman is highly annoyed because she’s caught herself a man.”

“Who?” Jace glanced around. “Why is that annoying? Don’t women want a man like a bee wants a flower?”

“Yes, they do. They just don’t want to admit it.” Tighe’s heart was singing. “There’s a good chance I’m going to be a father.” He laughed, pleased.

“How did that happen?” Jace frowned. “You mean you may have gotten River in a family way?”

“I think she got me in a family way. As I recall, the two of you plotted against me. I just fell willingly into the trap.” He went inside to hit the cookie tray and gloat.

“What are you going to do?” Jace sat down at the kitchen counter next to him. “I don’t envision you settling down.”

“I didn’t say a word about settling down.” Tighe munched on a sugar cookie. “She didn’t say anything about that, either.” He looked at his brother. “We’ll know for sure in a couple of weeks, but I know now what the spirits were trying to tell me. I’m definitely going to be a dad.” He let out a wolf howl, bringing Fiona into the kitchen.

“Mercy!” She glared at her nephew. “I thought a wild animal got into the house!”

“One did. My brother,” Jace said drily. “He thinks he’s going to be a father.”

Fiona’s jaw dropped. “A father? Weren’t you supposed to be on a wilderness sabbatical, resting and considering the stars?”

“It’s what he did before the sabbatical,” Jace explained, and Tighe reached out to hug his aunt.

“I have you to thank, Aunt Fiona. If you hadn’t been so determined to keep me from my destiny—”

“Your destiny?” She frowned.

“Firefreak,” Tighe said reverently. “You sent an angel to keep me from my destiny, and my destiny was the angel. What a wise aunt you are.”

“Yes, well,” Fiona said, her voice uncertain. “You sound like you have dehydration symptoms and perhaps starvation issues. I’ll put in a meat loaf.”

She crossed the kitchen and pulled out some pans, not proffering him the excited congratulations Tighe thought he’d earned. “Aren’t you excited that there will be another Callahan tot around, Aunt Fiona?”

She looked at him as she unwrapped some meat. “I’ll have to talk to River.”

“My baby mama is going to be beautiful when she’s in full bloom,” Tighe said, very satisfied. “I’m going to love being a dad.”

“You’re going to have to figure out a way to get her to the altar then,” Fiona said.

“Piece of cake.”

“That’s what you’d been saying for the past year, that you had River all wrapped up,” Jace pointed out. “But then we figured out she didn’t have a boyfriend in Tempest, that she was just trying to stay away from you. And just because she slept with you once doesn’t mean she’s inclined to do it again. Especially since you showed deficient skills at simple tasks, like wearing a—”

“I have plenty of skill, thanks.” Tighe got up. “I’m going to go find her. You doubters will see, the woman is crazy about me. She’s just a little shy, doesn’t want to seem too eager about catching her a Callahan cowboy. But I like her eager,” he said, remembering the night he’d made love to her. “In fact, if you don’t see me again tonight, don’t come looking for me.”

“Best of luck,” Jace said, and Fiona flapped a dish towel his way, shooing him off.

He didn’t need luck. He had what his little lady liked—and it had nothing to do with luck.

* * *

“GO AWAY,” RIVER told Tighe when he walked into Sloan and Kendall’s house. She was playing with the twins, about to start their baths. “If you’re here to talk to me, I’m not in the mood.”

“Don’t be prickly, beautiful. You and I have things to discuss. Hey, boys.” He ruffled the hair on Carlos and Isaiah’s heads, a fond uncle, even if he was still gimping around and not able to get down and play with them the way he liked.

River put away the toys. “I’ve thought long and hard about this, and if we’re going to be parents, you’re going to have to do this my way.”

“Meaning?”

“Separately. Just because Falcon and Sloan and Dante got together with their—”

“Baby mamas?” Tighe said helpfully.

“I really don’t like that expression. How about mother of your child?” River said.

“Kinda formal, don’t you think?”

She refused to look at the handsome cowboy who might be bound to her forever now. “Let’s not discuss it more until we know for certain. I don’t have any intention of tying you down.”

“That’s fine,” Tighe said, “I’ll do the tying down, sweetheart, if there’s tying to be done.”

Her body seemed to lighten and expand at his words. Her friend Ana had mentioned that Dante had been forthright in his pursuit of her, and that she didn’t expect Tighe to be any different.

River didn’t want to be pursued, and she wasn’t certain how to get that through his head—or hers. She’d felt the unmistakable surge of excitement at the thought of being romanced by him. When he’d made love to her, it had been like magic, pure magic, and she’d adored every minute of it.

“You know you want me,” Tighe said, his voice teasing, and River looked at him, and thought, Yes, I do. But it’s just not going to happen.

* * *

“THIS IS SO going to happen,” Tighe said, following River to her room. “We need to get to know each other much better since we’re going to be parents.”

“We don’t know for sure.”

“I know for sure. And I can’t wait. Pack up your stuff, doll face. I need a night nurse.”

“You need nothing and no one. I have this on good authority from your sister.”

River wouldn’t even look at him, the cute, shy little thing. “Don’t listen to Ash,” Tighe told her. “She thinks she’s the family font of all knowledge, but we humored her growing up. She was sheltered, babied. She doesn’t know a thing.” He settled on River’s bed. “I can’t sleep here with you. It wouldn’t be appropriate for the twins.”

“Yes, I know,” River said sweetly, but he wasn’t fooled in the least.

“You’ll have to be my night nurse at the bunkhouse.”

“If you need a nurse, ask Fiona. I have a job. In fact, my job is the exact reason why nothing further is going to happen between you and me.”

He frowned, not liking the sound of that.

“The thing is, it’s unprofessional. In fact, it was unprofessional, what I did with you,” River said, her cheeks turning a becoming pink Tighe thought was adorable. “I shouldn’t have allowed your aunt and family to talk me into that little adventure, and I should have...turned you away when you came to my room that night.”

He laughed. She was just such a sexy fireball. “Sweetcakes, you wouldn’t have turned me away. As I recall, you scooted over and made room for me in that tiny little bed.”

Her face went bright red. He grinned. “I liked it. Made me feel very welcome. And that’s what I’m going to do for you tonight, when you come to my bed.”

“I won’t be doing any such thing,” she said, a little snappishly, but he wasn’t afraid of a girl with spirit.

Tighe got to his feet. “See you later.”

“I don’t think so.”

He headed out the door to the bunkhouse. He’d be seeing River all right—the lady liked him.

But not as much as he liked her.

Give me time. I’ll change her mind.

* * *

TIGHE HEARD HIS door open about midnight, and smiled in the darkness. This was awesome. He’d known River would come. She couldn’t resist him. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, they shared something special. He pretended to be asleep, so he wouldn’t ruin her surprise.

He’d act so surprised, and then make love to her until she admitted she was crazy about him.

The light flipped on, jarring his eyes open. River stood there, wearing a robe and high-heeled slippers. He grinned. “Well, hello, gorgeous. Come to nurse me back to a full-strength wild man?”

He watched her move his crutch away from his nightstand, a bit out of his reach. Of course, he wouldn’t need that tonight. River gave him a long gaze, then opened her robe, and he swallowed so hard he thought he might choke. Not a scrap was on her body.

“Holy smokes,” he said, “come to Daddy. And don’t take the long route. Jump right into my arms.”

River closed her robe.

He looked at her. “If you’re cold, I’ll be happy to warm you, darling.”

She gave him one last look, took his crutch and left the room.

“That little devil. What was that all about?” He hobbled out of his room, glanced around the bunkhouse. His nocturnal angel had gone, taking all the sexy joy away.

Now he was stiff in several places.

“That little lady and I have got to work some things out,” he muttered, and climbed back into bed, completely disgruntled.

And then he got it. She was trying to drive him mad. That was the plan, while he was in no shape to give proper chase. She was going to make him crazy, make him want her, until he begged her to be his woman.

* * *

“NO, YOU DOPE,” Jace said the next day when Tighe mentioned that he’d had the strangest dream in the night, wherein River had nearly killed him with a vision of divine beauty, then cruelly snatched it away. “She’s not softening toward you. I heard Ash and her discussing it. She was showing you how cruel it had been that you sandbagged her in her hotel room that night. Ash told her you had to realize that what happens in the night doesn’t necessarily translate to real life. Sort of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

“My sister put my girlfriend up to giving me a relationship lesson? Isn’t that the blind leading the blind?” Now that he understood what had happened, Tighe felt a whole lot better. It explained the wild look in her big eyes, as if she wasn’t totally committed to the caper, perhaps might have even been nervous.

“I wouldn’t put it so harshly. Ladies cook up these plans all the time. Guys do, too, but we’re more interested in getting into ladies’ drawers than staying out of them. River wants you to know that the two of you don’t have anything that translates to real life.” Jace kicked back in the bunkhouse, grinned at his brother. “This one’s gonna be tough, bro. And you’ve only got one leg to chase her on.”

“Won’t matter.” Tighe felt a bit deflated suddenly. Maybe River didn’t want him. Was that possible?

Nah. No way.

“Hey, give me a ride, will you?” he asked Jace.

“Heading back to the canyons?”

“No. Not yet.” He stumped toward the jeep. There was only one place to go when a woman was on the fence about a man, and if a man was smart, he got himself there and did the thing right. Big. Huge.

He could do impressive.

* * *

“THIS ISN’T A good idea,” Ash said, poking her nose into his business as she loved to do. “What message did you not receive during her midnight visit? What happens at night isn’t real life, bro.”

“Why did you come with me to Diablo, anyway?” Tighe muttered, wondering if his sister was right as he stared into the jewelry case at all the twinkling engagement rings. He was suddenly doubtful, and Ash wasn’t helping.

“You don’t even know if River’s having your child,” Jace pointed out. “This is premature. Maybe.”

“I want River to know that, baby or no baby, I want to marry her. Whatever happens, I’m the man she wants.”

“I don’t think so,” Ash said. “Not that I’m trying to knock your good leg out from underneath you, but I’m pretty sure she hasn’t changed her mind about you.”

Tighe shook his head. “She has a great poker face.” And a great body, but he forbore adding that.

“She’s not faking it,” Ash told him. “I believe in my heart that River thinks a real relationship isn’t built on nighttime shenanigans.”

“I’ll take that one,” he said to the jeweler, pointing to the biggest sparkler in the case. “Bigger is always better.”

Ash sighed. “Your head is bigger than most men’s, and that’s not better.”

“True,” Jace said. “Why don’t you wait another month, so you don’t crowd her? You know how sometimes if you try to rush an animal, it goes in the opposite direction?”

Tighe debated whether he was getting good advice from his siblings. If he was, it would be the first time.

“Since our family came here to Rancho Diablo,” he said softly, “we’ve changed. All of us have worked hard. We’ve done what Running Bear wanted us to do. The mission was understood, and we’ve kept to it. But River is outside of the mission. And she makes my heart whole. That’s the only way I know how to explain it.”

Ash nodded. “I know. But we were just trying to keep you off of Firefreak,” she said gently. “We didn’t expect that the plot would go as far as it appears it did.”

He swallowed hard. “River didn’t sleep with me to keep me off a bull. Nothing and nobody could have kept me from that ride.”

“I know.” Ash sighed. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Tighe looked at the ring he’d selected with some regret. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Probably this once, she is,” Jace said. “You hate to jump the gun. Ladies can be so giddy.”

“Not really,” Ash said. “We’re just practical. We can see the forest for the trees. We can—”

“Come on,” Tighe said. “Drive me back, Sophocles.”

He felt a bit roughed up and heartbroken. No man wanted to think a woman wouldn’t be thrilled with his proposal and a beautiful ring. But Ash knew River better than he did. Feeling like a dog with a tucked tail, Tighe allowed his brother and sister to usher him out of the jewelry store.

By the jeep stood their uncle Wolf, grinning at them with his typical up-to-no-good grimace. Tighe wished he wasn’t using a crutch, hated to appear weak in front of the enemy. “Look what the summer wind blew in. Pollution.”

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite family members,” Wolf said.

“Spare us,” Ash said, getting into the jeep. “When are you going to give up? We’re not going anywhere. Rancho Diablo is our home.”

“Just wanted to warn you that we saw some strange things in the canyons, me and my men.” Wolf looked at them. “Might have been some birds of prey. Never can be sure at a distance.”

“What are you getting at?” Tighe demanded.

“Have you checked on Running Bear lately?”

Tighe settled into the back of the jeep, and Jace got in the passenger seat while Ash switched on the engine. “No one needs to check on the chief. He checks on everyone, including you. Even black sheep get watched by the shepherd.”

Wolf’s expression turned peeved, though he shrugged. “Just a thought.” He walked away, went inside the Books’n’Bingo Society bookshop and tearoom. Up the main street, Tighe saw a few of Wolf’s merry stragglers staring them down.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said under his breath.

“So do I,” Ash murmured. “For one thing, Wolf’s gone into Fiona’s tearoom, which means he plans to stir up trouble. But that bit about Running Bear—”

“Is a trap,” Jace said.

“Agreed. Head for home.” Tighe shoved his hat low on his head, settled his leg more comfortably, trying to ignore the sudden yawing pit in his stomach. No one could get to Running Bear; their grandfather was part of the canyons and the wind and the sun.

They knew Running Bear wasn’t immortal. He just seemed like it.

Closing his eyes, Tighe tried to envision his grandfather as Ash sped toward Rancho Diablo. Searched his mind for the old chief’s spirit.

Something didn’t feel quite right. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

It felt as if change was coming.

* * *

THE RANCH WAS alive with women when Tighe returned with his siblings. Ladies of all shapes and sizes filed into the house, carrying bags and boxes and notebooks.

“Wow.” Ash parked the jeep, staring. “Has Aunt Fiona got one of her meetings today?”

Jace grunted. “Looks like every woman in Diablo is here. Maybe she forgot to tell everyone the meeting is at the Books’n’Bingo tearoom, as they always are.”

Tighe got down out of the vehicle, ignoring his brother’s help. “I’ve got a crutch,” he snapped. “Anyway, my leg is almost healed.”

“Not until Galen examines it and says so. No heroics. We’ve had enough of those.” Jace headed toward the house with Ash, leaving Tighe to stump along behind.

Inside, the ladies were an excited gaggle of happy faces and energetic voices. His aunt was in her element in the middle of the crowd Tighe estimated to be somewhere around thirty. He kissed her on the cheek. “Aunt Fiona, did you forget to send me an invitation to the party?”