“Yes, that’s a badge,” Roy told him.
“You have a gun, too,” Charlie went on, his gaze on the pistol holstered to Roy’s hip.
“That’s right.”
“Are you a policeman?”
“I’m a sheriff.”
Charlie repeated the word. “What does a sheriff do?”
“He tells the other policemen what to do.”
Charlie grinned and plopped down beside Roy on the couch. “So you’re the boss.”
In spite of everything, Roy found himself smiling back at Justine’s son. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“Would you like for me to take the baby now, Mr. Pardee?” Kitty asked him.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He handed the twin over to the older woman, and was instantly struck by the emptiness of his arms.
“He looks like the one you have, Mommy,” Charlie said, pointing at the tiny boy in his aunt’s arms. “Is that his sister?”
“Yes, honey. I expect they are brother and sister,” Justine told him.
“I can’t get over it,” Kitty said as she strolled around the room like a doting grandmother. “Babies left on our ranch! Where do you think they came from?”
“I was hoping that you or Justine’s sisters might have some clues,” Roy told the woman. “Are you certain you don’t know anyone who’s had twins in the past six months? An old friend or distant relative?”
Kitty thought for a moment, then shook her head. “My old friends are too old to have babies, and most of my relatives live here on the Bar M.”
Sighing, Roy glanced at Charlie, who was sidled up to him the way a tomcat would a warm stove. The sight of the trusting child disturbed Roy almost as much as the sight of Justine.
Rising to his feet, he said, “Well, if neither of you can think of anything else, I’m going to get on the phone and find a place to take these babies tonight.”
Roy headed out the door. Justine glanced at Kitty, then quickly placed the twin girl down on the pallet and followed him out on the porch.
Hearing her footsteps, Roy turned, his brows arched with speculation.
“Was there something else you wanted to tell me?” he asked.
Justine met his eyes, moistened her lips, then glanced away. “Just that there’s no need for you to find a place for the babies to stay. We’d be happy to keep them here.”
He didn’t say anything, just kept gazing at her through narrowed eyes.
Justine heaved out a breath, then folded her arms across her breasts. “I love babies, but I wouldn’t go so far to steal a pair of them, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You don’t know what I’m thinking,” he said roughly.
And she didn’t want to know, Justine thought hotly. “Well, think about this. There’s not exactly a plethora of orphanages around here. As far as I know, there’s not any. You probably know a few foster parents who’d be willing to take the babies in, but I doubt they would be any more capable than four grown women would be.”
His gaze slanted downward from her face, to settle on the bulge of her breasts spilling over her folded arms.
“Don’t forget to point out you’re an experienced mother,” he added sarcastically.
At that moment, Justine was certain she hated this long-legged man with hard blue eyes and an even harder mouth.
“Is there something wrong with being a mother?” she asked him challengingly.
Roy didn’t know why he was behaving so churlishly. Just because seeing Justine again had thrown him off kilter, that didn’t mean he lacked manners.
“No. There’s nothing wrong with it,” he said. Then with a tired sigh, he lifted his hat and combed his fingers through his hair.
The sun had set some minutes ago, and the sky over the ranch had turned dusky. The day had been a long one for Roy. He should be looking forward to going home, taking a hot shower and fixing himself a steak for supper. But not even the prospect of those things eased the weariness that had suddenly come over him.
“I suppose it will be all right for the babies to stay here tonight,” he said after a moment. “I’ll have someone from social services come out to get them tomorrow.”
He stepped off the porch. Justine suddenly realized he was going to leave. “You’re not going, are you?”
A faint smile touched his lips, but not his eyes. For one brief moment, Justine felt a sadness she didn’t quite understand. She only knew that a long time ago, Roy had smiled at her. Really smiled. But she would never see that man again.
“There’s not much more I can do here tonight, other than speaking with your sisters. And since they obviously weren’t around when the babies were left, they may not know any more than your aunt. But just in case, I’ll question them later. Until then, if any of you come up with something, let me know.”
He took a step toward a Bronco with the sheriff’s department seal painted on the side. Justine called after him.
“How long do you think it will take you to find out who did this?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Not long,” he said grimly.
“But you hardly have any evidence to work with.”
“I’ve had less.”
Behind Justine, the door opened and closed. She peered around to see Charlie skipping toward her.
“Mommy, I’m hungry. When are we gonna eat?”
Justine took her son by the shoulders and turned him back toward the door of the house. “Go get a graham cracker. Aunt Kitty and I will fix supper in a few minutes.”
The child went back inside. Justine looked at Roy, and suddenly felt more awkward than she had since he first arrived. Maybe it was because he was leaving and she knew that she’d probably never see him again.
The idea should have relieved her, and it did, to a certain degree. But it also reminded her of how empty, how devastated, she’d felt when she lost him all those years ago. He’d been her first and only lover. Whether she wanted him to be or not, a part of him was still ingrained in her.
“Well, another hungry mouth to feed,” she said, with a faint smile and a shrug. “I guess I’d better get to work.”
Nodding, Roy turned and walked the remaining distance to his Bronco. He needed to get back to work, too. But he could feel her eyes on his back until he heard the door to the house shut
Roy climbed into the vehicle and reached to start the motor. Before he could, his eyes were drawn to the house, and his fingers paused on the ignition keys. Through the living room window, he could see Justine bending down and planting a kiss on the top of her son’s head. The boy took a bite of cracker, then offered it to his mother. She took a bite, then put her arm around the child and led him away from Roy’s view.
Annoyed with himself for letting his attention stray once again to the family inside the house, Roy muttered a curse and started the engine. It was high time he got home.
Justine was helping her aunt prepare supper when Rose and Chloe returned to the house. Both sisters were instantly captivated by the twins and insisted on feeding them mashed bananas at the supper table.
“Aren’t they the cutest things you’ve ever seen?” Chloe exclaimed as she scooped a spoonful of fruit into the boy’s mouth. “What do you think we should call them?”