Seth had made better choices in his own life. His wife had been a saint. She really was perfect for him, even if she’d never trusted Gabby. Gabby, of all people, wasn’t a threat to their marriage. She and Seth had never felt more than friendship for each other, but she could understand a woman protecting her turf. All the same, Seth had loved Bonnie deeply. It had been the kind of connection that people envied, including Gabby. If she could find a guy who looked at her like Seth had looked at Bonnie, she’d never complain again—as long as he was legitimately single. Sad that she now had to add that qualifier to her list. But Gabby had been taken advantage of one too many times, and while Seth wasn’t the type to treat her shabbily, she had an even bigger reason to keep herself in control of her emotions. Her new husband was still in love with his late wife. Gabby was willing to accept this arrangement for what it was—a convenience—but she wouldn’t hope for anything more. This was a favor, nothing else.
Gabby looked down at her wedding ring. It was just a simple band, but it was already taking on meaning. It certainly would to everyone else. They’d all expect a passionate love story, and Gabby wasn’t going to be able to deliver. How was she supposed to play this? Would their natural friendship look romantic enough to a casual observer? Would they have to amp up their physical contact in order to look the part? All things she should have thought through already, but she hadn’t had the time. Her boys were her priority, and they needed their specialty formula. Plus who knew what other medical help might be necessary down the road with premature triplets.
They arrived in Eagle’s Rest in the late afternoon and headed to the south side of town, where Gabby’s aunt Bea lived. Bea was her mother’s aunt, so unlike Ted, she was legitimate family. Small, boxy houses built in the sixties, with large yards and mature trees, ran up and down the street, and her aunt’s house was second from the end. Most of the houses had Christmas decorations on their lawns—inflatable Santas, lights on the trees, wreaths on doors… The snow had stopped and watery winter sunlight filtered through the overhanging boughs of the trees. Gabby fiddled with the roses in her lap, then looked down at them.
“What do I do with my bouquet?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Seth said. “Were you wanting to throw it or something?”
“No.” Gabby sighed. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it.”
“Bring it back with us. Stick it in a vase.”
He sounded so sure of himself that it actually sounded like a logical plan, as if that was what anyone would do with a bouquet after a secret wedding—stick it in the center of the kitchen table. But why not?
“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll do that.”
Throwing it away seemed wrong, and tossing it over her shoulder wasn’t even a possibility.
“This doesn’t have to be complicated,” Seth said. “Keep it simple—isn’t that what we said?”
Yes, that was exactly what they’d said, but that was before she’d said vows for the first time in her life…before she’d realized that this was her first marriage, and even if she annulled it right now, it would always be her first marriage. Her heart ached in a strange way. She wasn’t sad, exactly, just overwhelmed by it all, and the only thing that would make her feel better was to pick up her babies and hold them close.
Bea Thibodaux’s little white house had a towering oak tree out front that dwarfed the structure but gave some beautiful dappled shade for the summertime. Seth pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine.
“Are you coming in with me?” Gabby asked.
“Do you want me to?” He looked over at her uncertainly.
“You might as well,” she said. “But mess up your hair, or something. You look too formal and wedding-ish.”
Seth chuckled softly. “I’m not the one dressed in white.”
Gabby shot him a smile. “It’s cream.”
“Same diff.”
“Let’s just try to get in and out without the neighbors asking too many questions.”
“You give them too much credit,” Seth shot back. “They won’t ask us, they’ll go ask your aunt once we’re gone.”
He had a point, and she shook her head. “I guess we can’t help that. And we’ll start telling people soon enough… Let’s go in. I miss my boys.”
She pushed open the door and hopped out of the truck. One of her aunt’s neighbors came out the side door of her house with a snow shovel at the same time and shot Gabby a curious look.
“Hi,” Gabby called casually, and headed toward her aunt’s place as if she’d just gotten back from a coffee or something. The neighbor raised her hand in a wave, but didn’t stop watching Gabby. Seth followed a moment later, and Gabby was relieved to see that he’d left the string tie behind and seemed to have dug out an older, more beaten up cowboy hat. Now he just looked like a really well-dressed cowboy. Hopefully, the neighbors would assume he was a date.
Aunt Bea pulled open the front door before Gabby even had a chance to knock, and the older woman looked immediately at Gabby’s left hand, then over at Seth’s.
“So you did it,” Bea said, stepping back. “Come in, then.”
Before they’d left that morning, Gabby had told her aunt the plan and sworn her to secrecy. Bea hadn’t liked it, but she hadn’t tried to stop them, either.
Gabby headed for the car seats where the babies were all lined up and asleep. Andy was sleeping with his tongue sticking out, and Beau and Aiden were turned toward each other in the car seats, breathing in unison. Gabby squatted down in front of them and reached out to touch their tiny feet.
“Mommy’s back,” she whispered.
“I just put them down after diaper changes,” Bea said. “So they should be dry. Except for Andy. He wets his diaper the minute I put a new one on… Lucky he doesn’t seem to mind being wet, unlike Beau.”
“Thanks, Auntie,” Gabby said, reaching for Andy. “I appreciate it.”
She put a hand under Andy’s little rump and the other under his downy head and scooped him up. He settled with a sigh against her chest, and she felt the tension seeping out of her. This was what she needed—to hold her babies.
“So you’re going ahead with the plan to move into Seth’s house?” Bea asked.
“Yes,” Gabby said.
“Well, I expect we can put Seth to work, then,” Bea said, turning toward him. “Can you start carrying out some baby things? I’ve got it all ready to go by the side door.”
“Sure.” Seth looked relieved to have something to do. “I’ll load everything up.”
“Auntie, we’re not telling people yet,” Gabby added.
“Oh.” Bea nodded. “Not even your mother?”
“I will tell her—tomorrow, though. I want a bit of time to think it out before I do.”
“She’s your mom,” Bea replied. “I don’t know why there’s any explanation necessary besides the actual truth. She’ll understand that you need to provide for your children. She knows what it means to be a single mother, after all.”
“No, she’ll feel like she let me down,” Gabby said. “And I don’t want her to think that.”
Gabby’s