Jingle Bell Babies

Jesse twisted around in the saddle to stare at his brother.

“It’s a long shot,” Clay continued. “I mean, you went to the cave on horseback and Tommy is on foot.”

Jesse’s mouth dropped open. “Cave?”

“Oh, don’t look so surprised. It wasn’t much of a secret. I followed you there all the time.”

“You followed me.” Jesse couldn’t believe it. He’d been certain the secret hiding place he’d discovered had actually been a secret.

The ranch had been his playground as a child, and he’d explored every inch of it. And not always with his parents’ permission or his siblings’ knowledge, either. At least, he thought it had been without his siblings’ knowledge.

“Of course I did.” Clay’s shoulder lifted in a casual shrug. “But I knew you wanted to be alone, so I let you think you were.”

Wanted to be alone…

Bits and pieces of a conversation he’d had with Tommy suddenly trickled through Jesse’s memory like the beginning of a rock slide. And then it all came crashing back.

Thanksgiving Day, Tommy had complained that Layla, Maya’s three-year-old daughter, was always following him. In the name of male bonding, Jesse had sympathized and told Tommy that his irritation was perfectly normal. He confided that as a boy he also had times when he needed to get away from his younger sister and brother.

“Did you go to your room and lock the door?” Tommy had asked.

Jesse had laughed at the question. He and Clay had always shared a bedroom, so there’d been no privacy there.

That’s when he mentioned his favorite “thinking spot” had been a secret cave, its location marked by a strange U-shaped tree whose roots formed the ceiling of the hideaway.

Jesse’s mouth suddenly felt as dry as dust. What he’d failed to mention to Tommy was that the last time he’d checked the cave—about five years ago—it had collapsed.

“Jesse? What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering, Jesse urged Saber down the hill.

“I really appreciate you helping out at the last minute, Lori.”

“I’m glad you called.” Lori Martin flashed a quick smile in Nicki Appleton’s direction as she peeled off her coat and hung it on a colorful, rainbow-shaped wall peg. “I worked today and missed the e-mail about the prayer vigil.”

“Reverend Garrison pulled it together pretty quickly, but when I offered to oversee the nursery tonight, I had no idea there’d be such a large turnout.” Nicki smiled and blew a wisp of curly blond hair out of her eyes. “I definitely have my hands full in here. I’ll give you a choice, though, since you came to my rescue tonight. Do you want to give the triplets their bottles or play demolition derby with the boys over there in the corner?”

The triplets.

Instinctively Lori moved toward the three infant seats arranged in a semicircle on the floor where Nicki sat. Sure enough, there were the Logan girls, a trio of adorable little blossoms dressed in various shades of pink.

She hadn’t seen them since October, when she’d volunteered to take a turn in the nursery during the morning worship service. She’d been thrilled at how much the girls had changed—but a little taken aback that the strong connection she’d felt for them hadn’t.

As a nurse who provided specialized care for premature infants, Lori walked a fine line between providing the best care possible while not letting herself get too emotionally attached. But from the moment she’d witnessed those tiny girls in the incubator, she’d fallen in love.

Maybe it was because Marie Logan, the babies’ mother, had spent more time sipping coffee and flipping through magazines in the family lounge than she had sitting next to her daughters’ cribs.

Lori tried to be understanding. It was never easy for a new mother to be released from the hospital and have to leave her children behind. But right from the beginning, Marie seemed to be consumed with her own needs rather than the needs of her daughters. She treated the nursing staff as if they were her personal servants, and her constant criticism frequently brought the aides to tears.

At the end of one particularly stressful morning, Lori took Marie aside and asked if she could pray with her. Marie’s bitter response chilled her.

“The reason I’m here is because God is punishing me for my mistakes. It’s not like He’s going to listen to anything I have to say.”

Before Lori had a chance to convince Marie that wasn’t true, the woman had fled from the room. Several days later, Marie’s body was recovered in the wreckage from the tornado.

Rumors flew around the pediatric ward that Marie had left her husband and the babies shortly before the tornado struck High Plains. Lori didn’t want to believe it, but the day Jesse Logan had arrived to take the triplets home, she’d seen the truth etched in the deep lines fanning out from his eyes.

Midnight-blue eyes that were a perfect match to the ones staring solemnly up at her.

“I’ll feed the triplets.” Lori reached for Sasha and was rewarded with a beautiful heart-melting baby grin.

Only three and a half pounds at birth, Sasha had been the smallest of the trio. She’d also fought the hardest to survive.

By the time Sasha left the hospital—a full week after her two sisters—she’d stolen the hearts of the entire nursing staff.

“Are you sure?” Nicki raised a teasing brow. “They remind me of a nest of baby birds who all want their dinner at the same time.”

“I help, too.” A bright-eyed, pajama-clad toddler drifted over and hugged Nicki’s arm.

“That’s the truth.” Nicki gave her foster daughter an affectionate squeeze. “Kasey has been a big help with the babies over the past few days.”

Lori grinned as Sasha latched on to the bottle with both hands, as if she hadn’t eaten for days. “When did you start taking care of the Logans?”

“It’s not permanent. I’ve been helping out with the girls while Clay and Jesse look for Tommy Jacobs.” Nicki’s expression clouded. “That’s why they organized the prayer vigil tonight. He’s been missing for three days and…it’s taking a toll on the family.”

Lori imagined that was an understatement. She’d heard about Tommy through the prayer chain at High Plains Community and wasn’t surprised to learn that Maya’s older brothers had taken an active role in looking for their nephew. Or that the entire congregation had reached out to the family.

“I don’t mind helping Jesse out when he needs a sitter now and then, but between Kasey and my job at the preschool, I have my hands full,” Nicki continued. “I’m not sure who is going to take over and be Nanny Number Six.”

Lori’s attention, which had been irresistibly drawn to Sasha’s tiny fingers, snapped back to Nicki.

Number six?

“Are you saying that Jesse Logan has gone through five nannies?”

“In five months.” Nicki nodded. “That has to be some kind of record.”

Lori silently agreed. And she couldn’t believe the five nannies had all been at fault. Anyone taking on the enormous responsibility of caring for triplets—and premature ones at that—would accept the job with a clear understanding of the challenges they would face.

What had happened?

A sudden image of the handsome but stern-faced rancher flashed in Lori’s mind. She couldn’t imagine Jesse being an easy man to work for.

“The last nanny Jesse fired had only been at the ranch for forty-eight hours,” Nicki continued. “She put in an application at the preschool where I teach, but was embarrassed to tell the director why Jesse had let her go. Apparently, he had a problem with the bedtime songs she sang to the triplets.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish I were.” Nicki sighed. “Anyway, the word is out, and no one has responded to the classified ad Jesse put in the newspaper for the last two weeks. Clay and I are praying that the right woman comes along. Soon.”