True Blue Cowboy (The Cash Brothers) by Marin Thomas

Author:Marin Thomas [Thomas, Marin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“The bus should be here any minute.” Mack tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. They’d arrived at the pecan farm with minutes to spare before the bus dropped off the twins.

“Are you nervous about taking care of the boys?” Beth asked.

“No, why?”

She nodded to his fidgety fingers.

“Sorry.” He set his hands on his thighs. “They’re good kids.”

She hadn’t interacted with any children since she’d babysat as a teenager. At sixteen, she got a job at a clothing store in the mall and quit babysitting. Later in life when her friends began having families, she declined invites to barbecues and Christmas parties if their little ones were going to be present. Even though she’d made peace with her sterility, children were a sad reminder of what she’d never experience.

“Are the boys difficult to tell apart?” she asked.

“I had trouble figuring out who was who until I got to know them better. Miguel is the talkative one. He’s always on the move. Javier is quiet. He hangs back and watches people.”

“You said they were in kindergarten.”

“Different teachers. Conway and Isi thought it would be best to separate them so they had a chance to make their own friends.”

“Are they happy in separate classrooms?”

“Miguel doesn’t mind, but Conway said Javi misses his brother. In preschool, Javi got picked on because of his shyness, and Miguel always had his back. Now Javi has to stand up for himself.”

“I hate bullies.”

“Were you teased in school?”

“The entire year of sixth grade.”

“Why?”

“I was chubby. When all the other girls were developing breasts, I was growing a muffin top.” Beth’s hormones had gone haywire, and it wasn’t until the beginning of seventh grade that doctors figured out why and diagnosed her with polycystic ovary syndrome. They’d put her on medication but she’d still experienced painful periods that had landed her in the ER, so the doctors determined it was best to remove her ovaries.

Mack pointed out the windshield. “Here they come.”

She held her breath and fumbled for the door handle.

“Wait in the truck,” he said. “It’ll only take a second to get them.”

Glad for the reprieve, she watched the bus come to a stop. The door opened and Mack exchanged a few words with the driver, then the boys got off with their backpacks. They wore matching shirts in different colors—one blue, one red. Both had jeans on and the same athletic shoes. They had dark brown hair—one neatly styled, the other messy as if he’d walked in front of a wind machine. The messy-haired kid’s shirt was untucked and his shoelaces untied. The other boy’s clothes were neat and tidy. If she had to guess—Javier was the well-groomed brother and Miguel the rumpled one.

Instead of ushering them to the pickup, Mack listened while both boys spoke at once. His gaze swung between the twins, and she wished she could hear the conversation. Then Miguel looked at her, his eyes assessing. When Javier noticed her, he leaned against his uncle’s leg. Mack waved as the bus

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