Rancher's Twins: Mom Needed
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Barbara Hannay
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12
CHAPTER ONE
THEY were asleep.
At last.
Holly held her breath as she closed the storybook, then backed out of the childrenâs room with the stealth of a special ops soldier.
The caution was necessary. Really. These kids could sleep soundly through the familiar blast of car horns and sirens from the busy New York street below, but the tiniest squeak from within the apartment could rouse them to instant panicking wakefulness.
This evening, to Hollyâs relief, neither child stirred. They lay perfectly still in their matching bunk beds. In striped pyjamas, one dark head and one fair, they clutched their favourite fluffy toysâa kangaroo for Josh, a koala for Annaâand their eyes remained blessedly closed.
Holly reached the doorway without a mishap and quickly flicked the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. For once there were no responding squawks or protests. Just sweet, blissful silence.
She tiptoed down the hallâŠand the silence continued.
Fannnntastic. With a little luck, tonight would be a good night. No wet beds. No nightmares. In the past month thereâd only been a handful of good nights. But, before Holly could even think about letting out a sigh of relief, her cellphone rang.
No-o-o!
With the speed of a baseball short stop, she dived across the room, snatched the phone from the coffee table and darted into her bedroom, closing the door quickly but softly behind her.
The phoneâs screen identified the caller. Her boyfriend, Brandon. Wonderful.
âHi, Brand,â she whispered.
No squeaks emanated from the bedroom down the hall and she sank gratefully onto the bed.
âHolly, why are you whispering?â
âIâve just got the twins to sleep.â
âOh, right.â Brandon gave an audible sigh. âHow are they coping this week?â
âA little better.â
âThatâs great.â
Great wasnât quite the word Holly would have chosen to describe the small improvement in the childrenâs progress, but of course she wouldnât correct Brandon. Heâd given her fabulous support during the funeral and its aftermath.
âI got your message,â he said.
âRight. Thanks for calling back.â Holly took a moment to relax into the pillows and she deliberately lightened her tone. âSo, what do you think? Can you wangle a leave pass for this weekend?â
She crossed her fingers as she waited for his answer. Please come, Brand. I need you.
Brandonâs family owned a dairy farm in Vermont and his dadâs health wasnât the best, so the responsibility of running the enterprise had fallen squarely on Brandonâs shoulders.
So, yesâit was asking a lot to expect him to get away to New York again so soon. Last month, after Hollyâs cousin Chelseaâs sudden and tragic death, heâd taken almost a whole week off to be with her and to help with the children.
That was pretty amazing, actually. Holly had been touched and surprised. Since sheâd moved away from Vermont to study in New York, sheâd come to accept that if she wanted to see her boyfriend it was up to her to make the effort. Sheâd grown up on a dairy farm, too, so she understood the demands and sheâd been prepared to be the one who did all the travelling. Even so, sheâd only been able to see Brandon a handful of times in this past year.
If he came this weekend, she would make sure they had time alone together. She and Brandon had been an item since high school, almost six years. Very soon now, she would be finished with her studies, Anna and Josh would be settled in Australia with their father, and she was looking forward to going home to Vermont to settle down with Brand.
She could so easily picture their lives togetherâBrandon with his dairy herd, while she worked in the local school, the two of them balancing their day jobs with their life at home, and eventually, with a family of their ownâcopper-haired children like their dad.
Holly was very happy with that picture, and thinking about her boyfriend always made her feel cosy and safe.
Admittedly, most girls might not place cosiness and safety high on their wish list when it came to boyfriends, but Holly wasnât looking for a guy who spelled excitement and passion. Her cousin Chelsea, the twinsâ mother, had taken that risk and the result had been divorce and heartbreak.
âI donât know if I can get away this weekend,â Brandon said suddenly.
Holly suppressed a sigh. âI do understand, honey, butââ
âDo you?â His voice bristled with unexpected impatience. âBecause I donât understand why youâre complicating this, Holly. The childrenâs father is on his way at last, so why do you need me? Why do you need my help if heâs going to be there, too?â
âIt would just be good to have your support. Iâve looked after the twins for a month and now I have to say goodbye.â
Holly suppressed a sigh. She needed to be calm and composed when she talked with Gray about his children, and she would have liked a little backup from Brandon. She needed to explain to Gray about Anna and Joshâs schooling needs, their eating habits, their fearsâŠ
The twins had been at home on the day Chelsea had collapsed, and it was six-year-old Josh whoâd courageously dialled 911. They hadnât only lost their mommy; theyâd suffered a terrible trauma. Annaâs nightmares were truly terrifying.
Holly needed to explain all this to their estranged father, but it would be so much easier if her steady and reliable boyfriend was there as well. As a buffer. An anchor. A safety net.
âActually, Holly, I canât come this weekend.â
The sudden nervousness in Brandonâs voice penetrated the whirl of Hollyâs thoughts.
Why was he nervous? Brandon was never nervous. Was something wrong?
âThereâsâŠumâŠthereâs something I should tell you,â he said.
âWhat is it?â
âItâs really hard to explain. IâŠI donât know how to say this, butâŠâ
Hollyâs insides froze and she was gripped by a terrible deer-in-the-headlights fear.
Brandon cleared his throat.
She forced herself to ask, âBrandon, whatâs the matter?â
âI didnât want to tell you beforeâbecause of Chelsea and everythingâŠâ
âTell me what?â she almost screamed. He was scaring her.
Brandon cleared his throat again.
Holly gripped the phone tighter, squeezing her eyes to hold back threatening tears.
Was Brandon trying to break-up with her?
No. No. Surely not.
Like someone drowning, her mind flashed back through precious memories. The school dance when theyâd first met. Brandon helping her with algebra homework at the big scrubbed table in her motherâs cosy kitchen. The familiar, comfortable texture of his lips. The ruby heart locket heâd given her on Valentineâs Day three years ago. The way she liked to bury her nose against the warm freckles on his neck when he held her. The cosy sense of safety that sheâd always felt with himâŠ
Now, suffocating panic filled her throat.
She couldnât bear to think about losing him, especially not when sheâd just lost Chelsea. Fear pulled tight knots in her stomach.
Brandon said, âYou have to agree itâs not really working for us.â
âWhat do you mean?â she bleated.
âWe only see each other a few times a year.â
âBut Iâve almost finished my studies.â Her voice was shrill now. Pleading. âIâll soon be home for good and we canââ
âIâm so sorry, Holly. You see, the thing isâŠIâŠIâve met someone else.â
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