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, her luggage was missing. Her closet and quite a few drawers were partially empty leading me to assume she packed for a trip of some sort. She planned every step. It’s not erratic behavior. She’s either on a long vacation or she checked herself in somewhere.”
“What did the note say?” Jade withdrew the folded slip of paper from her bag and handed it to him. He read it, then turned it over as if expecting to find more. “This is all she wrote?”
Jade nodded. “That’s it.”
Wes scrubbed the day-old scruff on his chin. “This sounds permanent. I’ll talk to Harlan and see what he can find out.”
“Your brother? Why? What can he do?”
“He’s a deputy sheriff.”
“Then keep him out of it.” Jade snatched the note back from him, suddenly wishing she hadn’t come to see Wes. “The police and social workers always believe they’re doing what’s best for the children when they don’t see or understand the whole picture. I’ll handle this.”
He stared at her as if she had two heads. “Look, I don’t like the idea of involving my brother, either, but you can’t do it alone. Triplets are hard enough for a conventional family, let alone a single parent. Your sister’s a prime example of that. Do you have help at the house?”
“Maddie said she’d be willing to stay for however long I need her.”
“Unless Maddie quit her job since I left in January, she works full-time.”
“Are you offering your help?”
“As in physically be there with you?” Wes held up his hands and stepped back. “Oh no. I don’t want to see them and please don’t force them on me.”
“I would never force a child on anyone. They deserve better than that. I only came here because I thought you might have an idea where she went. My mistake.”
Jade trudged back to her car, almost twisting her ankle in the process. What the hell had possessed her to wear high heels to a ranch? Stupidity along with vanity. She’d wanted to show Wes that despite the horrible rumors he’d spread about her in school, she had made something of herself. Eleven years later and she was still letting his opinion matter.
* * *
FOR A SMALL TOWN, the drive back to Liv’s house felt like an eternity. Except for a handful of neighbors, her sister lived fairly isolated on the outskirts of Saddle Ridge. Maddie greeted her at the door, tense in anticipation of good news.
“How are the girls?”
“Still asleep. I expect them up soon. Once one’s awake, the rest follow. Did you hear anything?”
“No.” Jade slipped off her shoes and kicked them aside. “I ran into a friend of hers, though. Wes Slade.”
“He must be home for the wedding and christenings.”
“You know about them?”
“They only invited the entire town.”
Of course, they had. There was nothing like living in a small town. “So, they were good friends?”
“Until he moved to Texas. His leaving really upset Liv since he hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. He’s a hottie and a half, but the two of them never hooked up. Probably because he was hooking up with everyone else in the county.” Maddie’s face turned pink. “Present company excluded.”
Jade was all too familiar with Wes’s libido.
“My sister never mentioned him. When did they become friends?”
“I’m not really sure since I didn’t live here then, but based on different things she’s said, I’ve always assumed it was around the time Wes’s father was killed.”
“I remember Liv mentioning that, but I didn’t realize