Free Cowboy Come Home by judy christenberry Page A

was going, in terms of the children. Not that he contributed a lot. The others tried to spare him since he’d been out on the range all day. But he helped.
    What amazed him most of all was the love the three adults showed the little ones. Their patience seemed endless. And a lot of patience was needed at bath time. But Griffin couldn’t hide his laughter when the twins created a tidal wave and he and Red were splashed.
    An hour later, the house was silent. Griffin discovered he needed a change of shirt after the bath hour. He’d just shrugged into his shirt when there was a knock on his door. He opened it before buttoning up, thinking Red had something to tell him. Instead, Camille stood there, her gaze fastened on his chest.
    Tension immediately flowed between them. Griffin hurriedly began buttoning his shirt, feeling overexposed as Camille’s cheeks flamed.
    “Yes?” he snapped.
    “Oh. Um, telephone. Butch wanted to check with you about tomorrow.” She whirled around and rushed back into the kitchen.
    He followed, thinking about her words. Butch. Butch was a good-looking cowboy, one of Jake’s most trusted employees. Griffin liked him.
    But he didn’t like the casual way Camille said his name.
    “Butch? Griffin here.”
    They discussed the plans for tomorrow. Griffin felt everything was taken care of. He was about to hang up the phone when Butch said, “So how’s life at the big house with the beautiful Camille?”
    “Fine.” The beautiful Camille? It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was beautiful, but he didn’t like hearing that Butch had noticed, too.
    “I had plans of asking her out until everyone left. Now I suppose she won’t have time for socializing until they get back.”
    If Butch was asking him to fill in for Camille so she could spend an evening with him, he was barking up the wrong tree. “You’re right. Too many babies.”
    “Why don’t you call her back to the phone? I’ll make plans for after their return.”
    Griffin was an honest man. At least he’d always thought so. Until now. “She’s already gone to bed, Butch. It’s been a long day.”
    “Hell, it’s only nine o’clock,” Butch protested.
    “Babies sap one’s energies,” he returned coolly. “I’ll be glad to give her a message.”
    “No, I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Earlier.”
    “Fine. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hung up the phone, a satisfied smile on his face.
    Until he turned around and found Camille staring at him.
    “Who’s gone to bed?”
    “Uh, I thought—That is, you disappeared after coming to get me, so I thought you’d gone to bed.”
    “Butch wanted to talk to me?” Camille looked puzzled. “Why?”
    Griffin groaned. Did the woman have no idea how attractive she was? “He wanted to take you out,” he admitted, anger filling his voice.
    “Now? I can’t go anywhere until everyone returns.”
    “That’s what I told him.”
    She tilted her head to one side. “You thought I wouldn’t know to tell him that?”
    “Of course you would. I was just trying to help out.” He hoped she bought his lame excuse, because he’d run out of reasons. Other than the truth.
    And he really didn’t want to admit that he was jealous as hell.
    With a shake of her head, she changed the subject. “Red and Mildred are in the den and asked if we wanted, I mean, if you wanted to watch ER with them. It’s just starting.”
    “Sure.” Anything to get him out of the conversation about Butch.
    And he’d try to keep Butch so busy tomorrow he couldn’t think about a certain blond beauty. Griffin frowned. Keeping busy hadn’t worked as an antidote for him. But he’d think of something, because Camille and Butch together wasn’t something he could accept. And he didn’t bother asking himself why.

Chapter Seven
    G riffin was in the barn, grooming the horse he’d ridden that day. He’d spent a lot of time in the barn since the Randalls’ departure three days ago. It was safer. He looked up in