Detective Barelli's Legendary Triplets

She glanced down. “No. I never did get married. The babies’ father ran for the hills about an hour after I told him the news. We’d been dating for only about three months at that point. I thought we had something special, but I sure was wrong.”

Her voice hitched on the word wrong and he took her hand. “I’m sorry.” The jerk had abandoned her? She was raising baby triplets on her own? One baby seemed like a handful. Norah had three. He couldn’t even imagine how hard that had to be.

She bit her lip and forced a half smile, slipping her hand away and into her pocket. “Oh, that’s all right. I have my children, who I love to pieces. I have a great family, work I love. My life is good. No complaints.”

“Still, your life can’t be easy.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Whose is? Yours?”

He laughed. “Touché. And I don’t even have a pet. Or a plant for that matter.”

She smiled and he was glad to see the shadow leave her eyes. “So, what’s our plan for getting back our marriage license? I guess we can just drive out to Brewer first thing in the morning and ask for it back. If we get to the courthouse early and spring on them the minute they open, I’m sure we’ll get the license back before it’s processed.”

“Sounds good,” he said.

“And if we can’t get it back for whatever reason, we’ll just have the marriage annulled.”

“Like it never happened,” he said.

“Exactly,” she said with a nod and smile.

Except it had happened and Reed had a feeling he wouldn’t shake it off so easily, even with an annulment and the passage of time. The pair of them had gotten themselves into a real pickle as his grandmother used to say.

“So I guess this means you really didn’t secretly marry me to get your hands on your grandmother’s ranch,” Norah said. “Between renting a house the minute you moved here yesterday and talking about annulments, that’s crystal clear.”

He thought about telling her why he didn’t believe in marriage but just nodded instead. Last night, as he’d picked her up and carried her into that chapel, he’d been a man—Fabio the secret service agent—who did believe in marriage, who wanted a wife and a house full of kids. He’d liked being that guy. Of course, with the light of day and the headache and stone-cold reality, he was back to Reed Barelli, who’d seen close up that marriage wasn’t for him.

Reed envisioned living alone forever, a couple of dogs to keep him company, short-term relationships with women who understood from the get-go that he wasn’t looking for commitment. He’d thought the last woman he’d dated—a funny, pretty woman named Valerie was on the same page, but a few weeks into their relationship, she’d wanted more and he hadn’t, and it was a mess. Crying, accusations and him saying over and over But I told you on the first date how I felt. That was six months ago and he hadn’t dated since. He missed sex like crazy, but he wasn’t interested in hurting anyone.

They walked in silence, Norah gesturing that they should cross Main Street. As they headed down Norah’s street, Sycamore, he realized they’d made their plan and there was really no need for that coffee, after all. He’d walk her home and then—

“Norah! You’re alive!”

Reed glanced in the direction of the voice. A young blond woman stood in front of Norah’s small, white Cape Cod house, one hand waving at them and one on a stroller with three little faces peering out.

Three. Little. Faces.

Had a two-by-four come out of nowhere and whammed him upside the head?

Just about everyone who marries at the chapel becomes the parent of multiples in some way, shape or form.

Because he’d just realized that the legend of the Wedlock Creek chapel had come true for him.

Chapter Three (#u4acbeb57-77c7-5874-b1c9-a90e87e0256b)

Norah was so relieved to see the babies that she rushed over to the porch—forgetting to shove her hand into her pocket and hide the ring that hadn’t been on her finger yesterday.

And her sister, Shelby, wasn’t one to miss a thing. Shelby’s gaze shifted from the ring on Norah’s hand to Reed and his own adorned left hand, then back to Norah. “I dropped by the diner this morning with a Greek quiche I developed last night, and Aunt Cheyenne and Mom said they hadn’t heard from you. So I figured I’d walk the triplets over and make sure you were all right.” She’d said it all so casually, but her gaze darted hard from the ring on Norah’s hand to Norah, then back again. And again. Her sister was dying for info. That was clear.

“I’m all right,” Norah said. “Everything is a little topsy-turvy, but I’m fine.” She bent over and faced the stroller. “I missed you little darlings.” She hadn’t spent a night away from her children since they were born.

Shelby gave her throat a little faux clear. “I notice you and this gentleman are wearing matching gold wedding bands and taking walks at 6:30 a.m.” Shelby slid her gaze over to Reed and then stared at Norah with her “tell me everything this instant” expression.

Norah straightened and sucked in a deep breath. Thank God her sister was here, actually. Shelby was practical and smart and would have words of wisdom.

“Reed Barelli,” Norah said, “this is my sister, Shelby Mercer. Shelby, be the first to meet my accidental husband, Detective Reed Barelli of the Wedlock Creek PD...well, starting tomorrow.”

Shelby’s green eyes went even wider. She mouthed What? to Norah and then said, “Detective, would you mind keeping an eye on the triplets while my sister and I have a little chat?”

Reed eyed the stroller. “Not at all,” he said, approaching warily.

Norah opened the door and Shelby pulled her inside. The moment the door closed, Shelby screeched, “What?”

Norah covered her face with her hands for a second, shook her head, then launched into the story. “I went to the carnival on Mom and Aunt Cheyenne’s orders. The last thing I remember clearly is having a corn dog and winning a stuffed dolphin, which I lost. Then it’s just flashes of the night. Reed and I drinking spiked punch—the entire bowl—and going to the chapel and getting married.”

“Oh, phew,” Shelby said, relief crossing her face. “I thought maybe you flew to Las Vegas or something crazy. There’s no way Annie or Abe would have let you get drunk-married to some stranger. I’m sure you just think you got married.”

“Yeah, we’d figured that, too,” Norah said. “We just got back from Annie’s house. Turns out she knows Reed from when he spent summers here as a kid. Apparently she was friends with his late grandmother. She called him a saint last night. Annie married us with her blessing! And our marriage license—along with sixteen others—is already at the county courthouse.”

“Waaah! Waah!” came a little voice from outside.

“That sounds like Bea,” Norah said. “I’d better go help—”

Shelby stuck her arm out in front of the door. “Oh no, you don’t, Norah Ingalls. The man is a police officer. The babies are safe with him for a few minutes.” She bit her lip. “What are you two going to do?”

Norah shrugged. “I guess if we can’t get back the license before it’s processed, we’ll have to get an annulment.”

“The whole thing is nuts,” Shelby said. “Jeez, I thought my life was crazy.”

Norah wouldn’t have thought anything could top what Shelby had been through right before Norah had gotten pregnant. Her sister had discovered her baby and a total stranger’s baby had been switched at birth six months after bringing their boys home from the Wedlock Creek Clinic. Shelby and Liam Mercer had gotten married so that they could each have both boys—and along the way they’d fallen madly in love. Now the four of them were a very happy family.

“You know what else is crazy?” Norah said, her voice going shaky. “How special it was. The ceremony, I mean. Me—even in my T-shirt and shorts and grubby slip-on sneakers—saying my vows. Hearing them said back to me. In that moment, Shel, I felt so...safe. For the first time in a year and a half, I felt safe.” Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked hard.

She was the woman who didn’t want love and romance. Who didn’t believe in happily-ever-after anymore. So why had getting married—even to a total stranger—felt so wonderful? And yes, so safe?

“Oh, Norah,” her sister said and pulled her into a hug. “I know what you mean.”

Norah blew out a breath to get ahold of herself. “I know it wasn’t real. But in that moment, when Annie pronounced us husband and wife, the way Reed looked at me and kissed me, being in that famed chapel...it was an old dream come true. Back to reality, though. That’s just how life is.”

Shelby squeezed her hand. “So, last night, did the new Mr. and Mrs. Barelli...?”

Norah felt her cheeks burn. “I don’t know. But if we did, it must have been amazing. You saw the man.”

Shelby smiled. “Maybe you can keep him.”

Norah shook her head. Twice. “I’m done with men, remember? Done.”

Shelby let loose her evil smile. “Yes, for all other men, sure. Since you’re married now.”