Josh sat in the living room, listening to the laughter from the kitchen. The three women seemed to be working well together.

When Michael finally came into the house after his work day, Josh turned to him. “Who’s the new girl?”

Michael shrugged, his shoulders obviously sore from a long day of physical labor. “Marti. Heather’s youngest sister, who is known for her laundry issues.”

“Laundry issues?”

“She’d come home from college every month with a huge load of laundry for her mom to do. The other sisters made fun of her for it all the time.”

Josh grinned. “Mom’s been doing my laundry since I moved out six years ago.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “You’re pathetic.”

Josh looked toward the kitchen. “She’s beautiful.”

Frowning at his brother, Michael said, “She’s only here for long enough to help out with the quads.” Michael still had a hard time dealing with the fact that he’d gone from unattached a year before to being the father of four. It was a major adjustment, but one he was embracing. “I’m going to shower.”

“And when you get back down, you’ll introduce me?”

“No one has introduced you yet? They must think you remember each other from the wedding.”

“I don’t remember meeting her at the wedding. Maybe I did, but it was pretty hectic, and I was only in Texas for three days.”

“That’s probably what’s going on. Yeah, I’ll introduce you after my shower.” Michael looked at his sleeping wife. She had gotten into the habit of curling up into a ball wherever she was and going to sleep as soon as the babies were down. He hated how tired she always was, but there was no real solution. Other than hiring a nanny, which was doable, but who would be willing to nanny in the middle-of-nowhere Idaho?

Josh sat quietly, thinking about the pretty girl in the kitchen. They’d be introduced eventually, and he was just glad she was there for a while. Michael came back downstairs a few minutes later, and the two of them sat and talked while they waited for their other brother and for someone to announce supper was ready.

When Amos got there, Amy called them for supper. Michael had to go gently nudge Heather. “It’s time to eat.”

Heather nodded and got to her feet. She’d become used to sleeping when she could and waking instantly in the weeks since the babies were born.

When they were all in the dining room, Michael remembered his promise. “Marti, this is my brother Joshua and my other brother Amos. Guys, this is Heather’s youngest sister, Marti.”

Amos nodded to Marti, but Joshua hurried around the table to take her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“That’s not what you said when I told you to hush earlier.” Marti grinned up at him, realizing then he was even more handsome than his brother.

Josh grinned. “Well, I’m not used to meeting a beautiful woman and being told to be quiet all in one breath.”

Amos looked back and forth between Marti and Josh, and mischief filled his eyes. He hurried around the table and took Marti’s other hand. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you. I’ve seen pictures of all of Heather’s sisters, and I always thought you were the prettiest.”

Michael bit his lip against the laughter that threatened to spill out. Only Amos would flirt with a girl just to annoy Josh. The two of them had fought over many girls in school.

Josh glared at Amos. “Go away, big brother.”

“Not on your life.”

Marti felt a bit bemused standing between the two brothers. “I’m here to help with the babies, not to find endless love with one of you two.” She sat down at the table, not at all shocked when the two brothers sat on either side of her. “Are they always like this?” she asked Heather.

Heather shrugged. “I’ve never seen them around an unattached woman, so I couldn’t answer that, but it seems like they might always be this way.”

Michael shrugged. “What one wants, the other needs.” He ignored them and turned to his wife, seeing by the look on her face that something was up with her powers. She had the ability to tell when two people were meant to be together, and he had a feeling her kid sister was going to marry one of his brothers. Which one was the question.

Throughout the meal, they all talked and laughed, and Marti lamented about how difficult it was to find a job. “I graduated at the top of my class. Dean’s list every single semester, and I get out of school, expecting all of the companies in Austin would roll out the red carpet for me. Nobody wants me! It’s crazy!”

“You should move up here,” Joshua suggested. “I think you could find a job easily.”

Heather raised an eyebrow at that. “No one is going to find a job easily in this one-horse town.”

“She could be the business manager for my ranch,” Josh said quickly.

“Or mine,” Amos said with a grin.

Michael shook his head. “She could manage all of our ranches and Heather’s dance studio. Problem solved. I guess you’re staying here, Marti.”

Marti shook her head. “Mom said she’d give me a thousand dollars if I promised not to move out of Texas.”

Everyone at the table laughed at that. “I’m not sure that’s going to keep you out of Idaho,” Heather said, a grin on her face that belied her exhaustion.

Marti looked at her big sister. “There’s something you’re not telling me, but we’re going to be alone with all four babies in the middle of the night, and you’re going to have no one to talk to but me. I’ll pry it out of you.”

Heather just laughed. “You will, huh?”

It was at that moment that Marti realized how she knew Josh. He’d been at Heather’s wedding, but she’d also had visions about him just that afternoon. She had no idea if the visions meant something or if he was just showing up in them for some crazy reason. Sometimes she felt the need to act on her visions, and sometimes, she felt like they were just for her amusement. It was hard to tell. “You were both at Heather’s wedding in Texas, right?” she asked the brothers.

Josh nodded. “We were. I don’t know how you avoided being introduced to me there, but you can’t avoid me now.”

Amos exchanged a look with Michael. “But even though she met you, I’m all she can think about. Right?”

Marti blushed and looked down at her plate. At first the attention of both men had been a little flattering, but now it was downright embarrassing. “Just don’t duel at dawn, all right?”

Heather laughed. “Been reading Regency romances again, little sis? No one really does that kind of thing anymore.”

“Are you sure? Because it sounds like something a couple of blockheaded men would do for a woman.”

Josh stared at her with shock for a moment, while Amos laughed hysterically. “Are you calling me a blockhead?” Josh asked.

“Are you acting like one?” Marti returned.

“I thought I was acting all suave and debonair.”

Marti wrinkled her brow. “Maybe you should look those words up in a dictionary and get back to me.”

Amos choked on his laughter. “Would you care to go for a walk with me after supper, Marti?” he asked.

“You want me to walk with you in the wilds of Idaho late at night in the middle of winter?”

“Winter? It’s still early fall!” Amos returned.

“I refuse to get eaten by a bear,” Marti said, pushing her hair back from her face. “Think of something indoors to do, and I might consider it.”

“Would you go see a movie with me on Saturday afternoon, Marti?” Josh asked, beating his brother to the punch. Deep inside, he knew that Amos was only flirting with Marti because he wanted to get his goat, but truthfully, his goat was gotten. He wanted his brother out of the picture immediately.

“I’m not sure. Heather might need my help with the babies.”

Heather shook her head, her lips twitching with uncontrolled laughter. “Nope. You go ahead to the movies. You’re on night shift, remember?”

“I figured I’d be on day and night shift like you are.”

“I can’t ask that of you. No, you go have fun at the movie.”

Amos frowned. “Would you care to go out to dinner with me on Saturday night?”

“She’s got a date with me on Saturday,” Josh said, a grin on his face as he put his arm around the back of Marti’s chair.

Marti turned to Amy Muir and frowned at her. “Did you raise them to have the manners of pigs, or did they come by it naturally?”

“Oh, it was all natural. You’ll see what I mean if you ever have sons. They are beasts through and through.” Amy continued eating as if she didn’t notice what her sons were doing, and she obviously cared even less.

Barbara grinned at her youngest daughter. “So it looks like you have four jobs lined up and two gentlemen callers. Sounds like you’ve had a good first few hours in Idaho.”

“I feel like I’ve entered the Twilight Zone.”

“Do do do do,” Josh said, mostly under his breath. He’d never been able to hear anyone mention the Twilight Zone without making the sound effects.

Marti looked at Josh and burst into laughter. “I think I like you.”

“Good, because you’re spending the entire day with me on Saturday. You hear me? All day!”

“Then I get Sunday,” Amos said, calmly taking a drink of his water. “We have to take turns after all. My mama taught me to share.”

“I didn’t teach you to share young women, so you can stop with that line of reasoning,” Amy said, glaring at her sons.

“I’ll take you snowmobiling,” Amos said.

“Again with the outdoor stuff. I’m a Texas girl. I don’t even own a winter coat.”

“Then I’ll spend Sunday watching movies with you. At my place,” Josh said softly.

“That’s not very turn takery,” Marti said.

“Turn takery?” Barbara asked, an eyebrow raised. “And this is the education I paid for?”

“Oh, please, Mother. Even Shakespeare made up words when he couldn’t think of a good one to suit his purposes.”

Heather shook her head. “I’m clearing the table, so I can escape from this ridiculous conversation.”

Barbara and Amy jumped to their feet to help, but when Marti tried to get to her feet, Josh caught her hand. “Stay and talk to us.”

“But you’re scary! I feel like I’m in the middle of a stalker movie, and there’s a stalker on each side of me!” Marti looked over at Michael. “Can you vouch for these two . . . unusual human beings?”

Michael grinned at her. “I can vouch for them a little. I’m going to go get the Trivial Pursuit game and get it set up. It’s game night.”

“Marti’s on my team!” Josh called out quickly. “You can have Mom.”

“If you’re taking Marti out both Saturday and Sunday, don’t you think it would be kind of you to let me have her for a partner on game night? I’ve never known you to be quite this selfish, Josh.”

“I saw her first!”

Marti shook her head. “I think you two are getting younger by the minute. Of course, I have six sisters, so I totally understand why. How can you be around a sibling and not revert to childhood immediately?” She took another sip of her water and smiled when Michael came back. “Please tell me you’re here to rescue me!”

“I can’t rescue you. They’re my brothers!”

“And I’m your new favorite sister!”

“You are?” Michael asked, a frown on his face.

“No one else drove twelve hundred miles to help you with the quadruplets. Three days on the road. I’m here for you!”

“You’re here for Heather. Fine, you can be my favorite for today. Boys, leave her alone. You’re smothering her and scaring her.” He smiled sweetly at Marti. “How was that?”

“Perfect!”

As the night progressed, Marti realized the brothers were truly in some sort of competition over her, but she didn’t quite understand it. Amos hadn’t seemed interested at all, and then suddenly he was all over her.

At the end of the evening—and she’d partnered with each of Michael’s brothers for one game—she was ready for them both to leave. They were making her head spin, and she had the whole night shift with the babies ahead of her. She would need to take the kind of nap that Heather had taken all day.

As he was getting up to leave, Josh caught her hand. “Walk with me to the door.”

Marti looked at her mother with a beseeching look on her face. She was not impressed with her mother’s shrug. “You’re an adult. Walk him to the door if you want to.”

Marti sighed. “I’d be happy to.”

Josh kept her hand in his as he tugged her through the kitchen and to the door where they’d all entered. “I’m glad I got a chance to get to know you a little better,” he said softly.

“You and your brother are creeping me out.”

He laughed. “Well, Amos has this thing where if I’m interested in something, he has to compete with me for it. It’s a sibling rivalry kind of thing. But he’s not really interested in you. I am.”

“Really?” Marti had gotten that impression throughout the evening, but she wasn’t completely sure it was true.

“Really. He backed off pretty quick on the dates both times.” Josh pulled her closer to him. “May I kiss you goodnight?”

Marti swallowed hard. Josh was moving awfully fast for her. “I . . .”

“You’re trying to take unfair advantage!” Amos called from across the kitchen. “You don’t get to kiss her goodnight unless I do, too.”

Josh wanted to kick his brother, but there was no way he was going to let him kiss her goodnight. “I don’t think so.”

“Then we both walk out of here together, neither of us getting that kiss. That’s fair, isn’t it, Marti?”

Marti shrugged, still unsure of both of them and the entire situation. “Yeah, I think it’s fair. Probably.”

Amos laughed, and Josh groaned. “Fine, we’ll leave together, but the next time you need help mending fences, you can ask Karen.”

Amos rolled his eyes. “You’ll help me, and you know it. G’night, Marti.”

“Good night.” Marti watched them both leave, wondering what she’d just gotten herself into.