Frisco Joe's Fiancee

There was a baby—and a woman—in his sheets now. He couldn’t figure what she might be wearing to bed. Something. Maybe nothing. He couldn’t identify the sudden surge of emotions he felt at that thought.

“Why?” Last asked. “Why do they have to go? What are they hurting?” The other brothers murmured, as well.

Frisco decided his brothers needed a cold bucket of water upside their heads. But then, they didn’t have a pile of diapers and a bottle on their bedside table. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and if a storm is coming in, they need to get back to their families. They don’t want to stay here for a week until the back roads clear,” he said sternly, as much to be sharp with them as to clear his head from the realization that he heard water running upstairs. He held his breath, waiting for the water to shut off, but it didn’t.

Water running upstairs meant Annabelle had helped herself to his shower.

She was now definitely naked.

Chills ran all over him. “Don’t ask questions,” he snapped. “Just help me think how we’re going to transport them all back to where they came from!”

“They might be worth keeping,” Tex suggested. “Have you ever considered that?”

Frisco shook his head, ignoring the butterflies he suffered at the suggestion. “Out of the question.”

Suddenly, the sound of a baby crying drifted to the kitchen. Frisco stiffened.

“Sounds like Emmeline’s colic has started back up,” Ranger said. “That poor little baby doesn’t give her mother much of a break, does she?”

Frisco glanced at the stove clock. Annabelle had been naked for approximately three minutes. Showering for approximately three minutes, he amended.

“I’ll go see what’s going on,” he said.

ANNABELLE SIGHED, unable to remember the last time she’d been able to enjoy ten minutes to herself. Em was a wonderful baby and she loved her dearly, but the colic kept her so upset that it was hard to snatch a moment alone.

Even though Tom left me for a Never Lonely Cut-n-Gurl, I’ve still got Em, she thought.

It was worth it.

The pediatrician had said Em would grow out of her colic—these things just took time. She just needed a lot of love and comforting, and reassurance that she didn’t have to suffer alone.

Annabelle completely understood her daughter’s needs, because she felt the same way sometimes herself.

Anyway, Tom was, as Delilah called him, a louse. She had a family of women to rely on now, and she had Em. Life was so much better than it had ever been for her.

Turning around for an extra stolen moment of bliss, she let the hot water pour down her back. The truth was, she didn’t want Tom back.

He hadn’t wanted Em, and she’d never forgive him for that.

Never.

TO FRISCO’S SURPRISE, the baby had managed to worm a piece of blanket over her head as she flailed. “That’s easy enough to fix,” he said quietly to the infant, with a hurried look at the bathroom door. The shower was still running, so it was safe. Annabelle wouldn’t come out in a state of undress he was certain they’d both rather avoid.

He was pretty sure the petite blonde looked good in a towel, though.

“Hey, baby, don’t be so upset,” he said, reaching out to stroke the tiny back. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Baby Emmeline—had Annabelle called her Emmie?—seemed to hesitate in her wails, either at the sound of his voice or the human contact. “Hm. I barely know what to do with an angry woman, but maybe it’s something a man has to work up to. Starting small might be the way to go.” Gingerly he reached to cradle Em in his fingers, and then balanced her in his palms until he was certain he had her positioned properly. Then he lifted her to his chest, cradling her as he hummed.

The crying completely ceased.

“Like falling off a log,” he sang to her to the tune of a low country song. “A man never forgets how to make a woman feel good. At least not if he’s smart.”

She snuffled against him.

“You like my singing, huh? You’re the only one who likes it, then. My brothers show no respect for my vocal attributes.”

Em didn’t object, so he hummed to her and stood, about to leave the room in case Annabelle should put in a towel-clad appearance. “Since you’re obviously a lady who likes late-night excitement, let’s go watch some Classic Sports Channel. I bet if you learned young enough, you’d love football.”

But when he slid into his leather recliner and turned the TV on softly, he realized Em was asleep. “You just wanted to know you’re not alone,” he murmured. “We all feel like that sometimes, little baby.”

LAREDO AND TEX STOOD beside the recliner, staring down at Frisco. The chair was tipped back, his mouth was open, his boots were pointed tips to the ceiling, and there was a baby on his chest. The remote, which would usually lie where the baby was, had fallen to the carpet.

“Are my eyes lying to me?” Laredo whispered.

Tex shook his head, dumbfounded.

“Where’s the camera? Get me the camera. I need a picture of this! No one will ever believe that my foul-tempered brother actually let a baby crawl onto his person.”

Tex handed him the camera and Laredo squeezed off a shot.

“You wake that baby, and Frisco’s gonna chew your head, Laredo.”

They both froze for a second as the baby sighed. Neither brother nor infant awoke, however.

Laredo gestured to Tex to follow him back into the kitchen. “I just had a brainstorm.”

“I’m wary of storms, myself.”

Laredo eyed him wryly. “I’m thinking about all these women.”

Tex raised a brow. “You and all the rest of us. Glad to hear you’re normal, Laredo.”

“I’ll ignore that for the moment, in the spirit of brotherhood.”

Tex grinned.

“I’m serious here. Give me a listen before you shoot this down, Tex. What if a woman was the way to get Frisco in a better frame of mind?”

Tex gave him his most sober look, which was nearly ruined by the twinkle in his eyes. “Frisco’s frame is bent. Totally. I do believe there’s not a woman alive who can make him hang on the level.”

Laredo sighed, used to his brother’s clowning.

“But maybe some womanliness is the way to get Frisco to act like a human being.”

“Like a shot of instant female hormones to counteract his overload of testosterone?”

Laredo shook his head. “No, I’m talking flesh-and-blood woman. Like sweet Annabelle.”

Tex burst out laughing.

Chapter Four

Tex stopped laughing as he took in Laredo’s focused expression. “Frisco has women all the time, or at least he could, if he’d pay them any attention. They practically fall out of the pew in church on Sundays.”

Laredo shrugged. “That’s pretty much a chain reaction to all of us walking in. When twelve men walk in, I’m sure the testosterone quotient in the room shoots up appreciably. You don’t know that it’s because of Frisco. He’s been so foul lately that I doubt any woman would keep him for long, anyway.”

Tex scratched his head. “I thought he was being a pain in the rump on principle.”

“I’m suggesting that maybe it’s been a while since he’s had a woman.”

Long while was embedded in the way Laredo stressed the time frame. Tex frowned. “I don’t think any of these girls are going to sleep with our brother just to get him out of a bad mood. And even if they wanted to, Mother Delilah would freak. She’s going to keep her flock safe from us wolves.”

“I don’t know that it has to be a sexual thing, exactly. Maybe he needs his own woman to balance him out.” Laredo’s expression turned thoughtful. “And apparently, we were looking for a housekeeper.”

“Are you hinting that we should hire one of these women?” Tex shook his head. “If Mason was here right now and could see Malfunction Junction-turned-Petticoat Junction, he’d be figuring out a way to get rid of them, not keep them.”

“But then Mason’s got Mimi keeping him all ginned up. How much excitement can a man stand, anyway? So all I’m saying is that having a woman around might make Frisco happy.”

“Frisco being ginned up all the time does not sound like a recipe for happiness.”

“But this Annabelle girl isn’t like Mimi,” Laredo pointed out. “She’s not the type to keep Frisco in a knot just for fun.”

“Annabelle’s your choice for a housekeeper? Mimi’s going to eat your heart. I distinctly got the impression that the new housekeeper was supposed to be elderly. Not a sweet young thing living here with me, you, Frisco—and Mason.”

Laredo rubbed his chin. “It could be dicey,” he admitted. “The unknown factor in this is Mason.”

Sudden pounding down the stairs alerted the men that Annabelle had discovered her baby was missing. “Quick! Intercept her before she wakes the baby!” Laredo commanded, jumping to his feet.

“She’s not a football, damn it!” But Tex shot out of the kitchen, no more anxious to have baby Em awakened than Laredo was.

Their jaws dropped as they realized they were too late. Annabelle stood staring down at the sleeping man cradling her baby. Her expression was one of amazement. Maybe even wonder.

Best yet, Annabelle’s hair was wet, she’d thrown her robe on over her towel so it had caught, and the legs that had previously been concealed by jeans and boots were totally exposed. She had wonderful legs and sparkly pink toenail polish on dainty toes.

Laredo and Tex backed up slowly into the kitchen.

“Last had it right,” Laredo said, his blood pressure darn near shooting out of his head. “We gotta keep her. For Frisco’s sake.”

Tex swept a hand across his brow as he leaned up against the pantry. “Oh, God, yes. She’s too adorable to send back. I don’t care how cranky the baby is. We’ll all take turns holding her. But to save my brother from himself, I gladly volunteer my services.”

“To rock the baby,” Laredo said pointedly.

“Just to rock the baby,” Tex agreed. “But damn, if any of those women are hiding such charms under those frumpy country dresses, I get first dibs on the next one we see undressed.”

Annabelle peeped around the corner, the robe fully pulled down over the towel now. “What are you guys doing in here?” she asked. “And why does Frisco have my baby?”

Laredo jerked straight. He arranged his face in a Boy Scout expression. “Frisco just loves babies, Annabelle. Loves them beyond anything you can imagine. I think he misses having young’uns in the house, if you want to know the truth. And when he heard your little Emmie up there wailing, why, he just raced to comfort her.”

She looked at him uncertainly. “That was nice of him.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tex said. “And right before he dozed off, he said he hoped you’d help yourself to anything you need in the house.” His Adam’s apple jumped as he swallowed. “And furthermore, he said not to bother moving Em. He said you’re to get the rest you need, and he’ll watch her tonight. Since she’s so colicky and all.”

Annabelle’s lips parted, which Laredo thought was an expression Frisco would surely have to appreciate.

“That’s awfully nice of him.”

She didn’t sound certain. Laredo nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. That’s what people say about Frisco. He’s such a…nice…person.”

He held his breath.

“I suppose I’ll head back upstairs, if you’re sure about this?”

The two brothers nodded quickly.

“Well, all right. Come knock on the door if Frisco changes his mind.”

They nodded again. Annabelle left the kitchen, and the brothers high-fived each other.

She poked her head back around the corner, and they stiffened guiltily. “I’ll leave the diaper bag in the hall. I doubt Em will sleep much longer, and he can bring her to me when she wakes up.”

“Excellent. We’ll be sure to see that Frisco gets it,” Laredo said. “Don’t you worry about Em. She’s in good hands.”

Annabelle didn’t look all that likely to agree, but with a last glance at the man holding her content child, she went back up the stairs.

“Frisco’s gonna whup your hide.”

“No, he isn’t,” Laredo said with a grin, “because you’re not going to tell him. In the morning, she’ll thank him for watching her baby, and he’ll puff up with pride and say it was nothing, they’ll see each other in a rosy light, and boom! Instant happiness for Frisco.”

Tex shook his head. “I don’t remember you being so good with relationships, Laredo. Since when did you become the inventor of the mysterious perfect match?”

“I’m not looking for a woman, Tex, so shut up. In fact, never try this on me, because I won’t fall for it. But then, I’m a pleasant person in general.” He glanced out at his brother. “It’s Frisco who’s had a problem. Unless I miss my guess, it’s well on its way to being fixed.”

“You’ve missed more than your guess before,” Tex mumbled as he cracked open a beer.

But Laredo ignored him. “There’s just two things that worry me,” he murmured.

“Can’t imagine that it’s just two.” Tex sighed. “They must be big, combo worries.”

Laredo looked around the corner to check on Frisco and Em. “One,” he said thoughtfully, “We’re going to have to figure out how we talk Mother Delilah into leaving Annabelle here. She distinctly said she wasn’t leaving without her—and there’s a reason she’s being so over-protective.”

“I knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Tex said with a sigh. “And, two?”

“Em is only two months old.” He came and sat down across the table from his brother. “And that means that somewhere, there’s a father who just might show up any time.”

Tex swallowed. “Suppose he doesn’t?”

Laredo shook his head. “Think of Annabelle in that towel, and then ask yourself how long you’d stay away.”

“Five minutes, tops.”

“I’d last three. Not that she’s my type, but all things being equal, you know, three minutes. I’d want my baby and my woman all to myself.”

“Maybe he’s married.”

Laredo shook his head. “I don’t think so. Annabelle doesn’t seem the type to fall for a married man, and Mother D didn’t strike me as putting up with monkey business.”

“Could be she dumped him, I guess.”

“Or he dumped her.”

They stared at each other.

“That would explain Mother D’s protective stance.” Laredo considered his beer for a moment. “There is a father involved, but he wouldn’t be the first man in history who turned tail and ran at the thought of commitment.”

“Witness the twelve of us.”

“Precisely. Except we’d live up to our responsibilities,” Laredo said sternly.

“And wear condoms,” Tex agreed easily. “Don’t get your dander up. I’m just saying none of us have been keen to marry anyone. Possibly, neither was Annabelle’s boyfriend. As I mention, this is the problem. No matter how much we might think occupying Frisco with a woman might be just what he needs, the fact is, we don’t know anything about this girl. She could be a real disaster. And even if she’s not, even if we discovered she was the sweetest thing since southern tea, Frisco might resist her just on principle.”

“He’s that ornery.” This was something none of the brothers would deny. Not that Frisco had ever been an easy brother to live with, but he had been known to lighten up occasionally. These days, it seemed a pattern was set: Mason rode Frisco, and Frisco rode anyone within earshot.

It made for damn unpleasant living conditions. With it being winter, and them cooped up more than usual, Frisco’s mood needed a shot of sweetness.

“Does it really matter who she is or what her problems are?” Laredo mused. “We’re not looking for her to be Frisco’s dream woman. We would hire her as the housekeeper. Whatever happens after that would have nothing to do with us.”

Tex nodded. “Mason apparently thought we needed her.”

“Well, someone. Preferably middle-aged, though I’m not sure why he’d feel that way. Annabelle would be much easier on the eyes than Delilah. Not that Delilah’s unattractive, but Annabelle’s kind of hot.”

A cough escaped Tex. “I’d agree with you there.”

“Annabelle might get lonely here, but she has the baby to keep her occupied.”

“And all of us.”

Laredo eyed him. “In a brotherly sort of way.”

“Exactly. And the minute she’s unhappy, we’ll personally take her back to her home.”

“Think we can get Frisco to buy it?”

“Hell no,” Tex decreed. “That’s why you’re going to have to go around him on this one.”

“Me?” Laredo straightened. “Am I the twin with the brains?”

“I’m the twin with the good ideas. You merely execute them.”

“I was born first.”

Tex shrugged. “Technically, only because the doctor reached in and grabbed you first. It doesn’t give you leverage or bragging rights. You figure out a way to convince Frisco that Annabelle is just what he needs.”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Yes. She just might be what we all need, but since that sounds kinky, we’ll say she’s for Frisco.”

“You know,” Laredo said slowly, “this isn’t a half bad idea. In a way, Annabelle is perfect for us. None of us are interested in settling down. But the ad Mason wrote clearly illustrates his belief that we need a housekeeper, a woman to set things straight around here. You can figure that Annabelle is no more interested in us than we are in her, simply due to the fact that Em is about two months old. That means Annabelle’s been through some difficulty recently, and more than likely another man is the last thing she needs!” He sat up, snapping his fingers. “It’s a win-win situation!”

“Do you know how few of those there really are?” Tex warned. “Think about it. Every time someone tries to manipulate us into a so-called win-win, it’s usually when someone wants something from the Union Junction ranch.”

“This time, we’re doing the negotiating. Piece of cake.” Laredo got up, peering out the kitchen at his brother. “If that baby’s father walked out on her, she’ll have twelve men to make up for it.”

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