This enjoyable romance deposits three feisty little boys
onto an unmarried lady in 1896. Just like today, they've
got colds and ear-aches, and at nine months they take a lot
of holding and feeding. THE RANCHER'S SURPRISE TRIPLETS are
left by an unfortunate woman who is beggared by drought. A
charitable body, the Lone Star Cowboy League, takes them in
at the request of rancher Bo Stillwater who found the
triplets at the county fair.
Louisa Clark is the daughter of the town's new doctor.
She's been her father's assistant for some years and in her
late twenties, she's not expecting any more from life than
nursing her mother and helping with female patients.
Louisa has already been doing some midwife work so she is
the first port of call for Bo and the babies. The townsfolk
of Little Horn don't know of a woman delivered of triplets,
but they still rally around to say the boys should be
raised in their community. All very well but Louisa is
stuck with the boys until a family can be found to take all
three - or, since times are hard, more likely to split them
up between families. She just has to trust that God sent
them to her for a reason.
I enjoyed the lively summer fair, with everything from
baked goods to leatherwork on display and chances for the
folks to relax, dance and meet their neighbours.
Entertainment was sparse in those days so I can imagine
this would be a big occasion. This is the first in a linked
series called 'Lone Star Cowboy League: Multiple Blessings'
and the next books will also feature triplets; must be
something in the water in Texas. Certainly Linda Ford does
an admirable job at depicting human nature. And at
depicting the endless work of caring for three cranky,
croupy babies.
Bo Stillwater is a nice straightforward man, sought after
by all the young ladies but keener to be a community leader
than a husband and father. He takes responsibility
seriously, but having an unpleasant father has made him
reluctant to start a family. Maybe it's surprising that Bo
tells Louisa about his decisions, but it's almost like
telling a doctor, right? And she's the one lady in town who
has not been angling to dance with him at the fair. See how
the threads of the story tie together in THE RANCHER'S
SURPRISE TRIPLETS which is a wonderful summertime romance
suitable for any age.
Three Little Matchmakers
Rancher Bo Stillwater has no plans of becoming a husband or
a father…but he can't turn away from the three babies he
finds at the county fair. After leaving the abandoned
triplets in the care of the doctor's daughter, Louisa Clark,
his duty should be done. So why can't he seem to stay away
from the babies and their pretty caregiver?
Watching the town's most eligible bachelor with the little
trio reawakens Louisa's unmet dreams. She's found
satisfaction in spinsterhood and caring for others,
convinced that motherhood passed her by. Do she and Bo only
work so well together for the children's sakes…or could they
both find courage to make this sweet temporary arrangement
something truly lasting?