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The Littlest Wrangler
Belinda Barnes
HE WAS ONLY TWO, BUT HE KNEW A GOOD DEAL WHEN HE SAW IT!Will had never known a daddy before, but James Scott would be perfect for one. He knew how to ride bulls, how to ranch and how to scare away the monsters in the night. Toddler Will wondered why his mommy had brought him to this new home, but she and James kept talking about some perfect night long ago–a night that had changed their friendship forever.Will wasn't too sure about what was going on, but even the littlest of wranglers knew that sometimes grown-ups needed a little help in realizing what was meant to be!
So many times James had thought of her.
He had set out more than once to find Kelly, but each time had come back empty-handed. Now it was as if she’d never left. As if everything was the same.
Except for the child…
“Belinda Barnes delivers everything you want in a romance—a heart-tugging story filled with warm, wonderful characters.”
—Martha Shields, award-winning author
Dear Reader,
This June—traditionally the month of brides, weddings and the promise of love everlasting—Silhouette Romance also brings you the possibility of being a star! Check out the details of this special promotion in each of the six happily-ever-afters we have for you.
In An Officer and a Princess, Carla Cassidy’s suspenseful conclusion to the bestselling series ROYALLY WED: THE STANBURYS, Princess Isabel calls on her former commanding officer to help rescue her missing father. Karen Rose Smith delights us with a struggling mom who refuses to fall for Her Tycoon Boss until the dynamic millionaire turns up the heat! In A Child for Cade by reader favorite Patricia Thayer, Cade Randall finds that his first love has kept a precious secret from himstood frozen. He had to remind himself….
Talented author Alice Sharpe’s latest offering, The Baby Season, tells of a dedicated career woman tempted by marriage and motherhood with a rugged rancher and his daughter. In Blind-Date Bride, the second book of Myrna Mackenzie’s charming twin duo, the heroine asks a playboy billionaire to ward off the men sent by her matchmaking brothers. And a single mom decides to tell the man she has always loved that he has a son in Belinda Barnes’s heartwarming tale, The Littlest Wrangler.
The exciting DESTINY, TEXAS by Teresa Southwick and the charming THE WEDDING LEGACY by Cara Colter. And don’t forget the triumphant conclusion to Patricia Thayer’s THE TEXAS BROTHERHOOD, along with three more wonderful stories!
Happy Reading!
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
The Littlest Wrangler
Belinda Barnes
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my editor, Tina Colombo, with heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your insight and gentle guidance
To Rox, Kathie and Janet for your unwavering support
To Kristi, Sandy, Terri and Virginia for your endless patience and creative perception
Books by Belinda Barnes
Silhouette Romance
His Special Delivery #1491
The Littlest Wrangler #1527
BELINDA BARNES
A romantic at heart, Romance Writers of America’s 1999 Golden Heart winner Belinda Barnes grew up in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, on the banks of the Arkansas River, where she dreamed of faraway lands, castles and princes. Though Texas is not all that far away, it is there Belinda found her prince.Together in their two-story castle they have raised two sons, a daughter and a menagerie of pets, including dogs, cats, tropical fish, turtles, hamsters, ferrets.With sons whose interests run the gamut from bull riding to racing cars and motorcycles, Belinda is more than ready for her daughter’s more sedate passions of dancing, singing and acting.
Belinda lives in Elm Mott, Texas, with her husband, her daughter and spoiled cat, Precious. In addition to fiction, she is published in magazine and book-length nonfiction. In her spare time she enjoys clogging, painting, reading, country-and-western music, dancing, fishing, scuba diving, camping and getting together with other writers.
Belinda loves to hear from readers. Write to her at P.O. Box 1165, Elm Mott, Texas 76640.
Contents
Chapter One (#ud1a42d34-d810-5f30-bf27-91d737433e37)
Chapter Two (#u7e9ea4be-4b10-559e-8e0d-d51e88014244)
Chapter Three (#u43c74eea-5582-5bc4-934c-282fb5df7e85)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
She’d grown up in hand-me-downs, had a baby alone and left the only man she had ever loved, but this was the hardest thing Kelly Mathews had ever done.
“James, this is Will. Your son.”
No, that wasn’t right, either.
She pulled her hand away from the doorknob to James Scott’s equine veterinary clinic and marched back to her truck, her baby braced on her hip. She couldn’t face the father of her child until she had it right. But what could she possibly say to make him understand why she hadn’t told him he had a child?
She wouldn’t lie. A lie is what had gotten her into this whole mess. Well, not exactly a lie so much as withholding the truth. Not telling James about Will before now had been a doozy of a mistake. It certainly wasn’t the first one she’d ever made, but most definitely the biggest, second only to falling in love with Dr. James Scott. Her best friend.
Kelly’s head pounded as Will wriggled, wanting down. A wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to lean against the dented front fender of her truck. She tightened her hold on her child and tried to rein in her escalating fear that something was terribly wrong with her. Something that might take her from her son.
She pushed off from the faded-blue pickup and crossed the thick carpet of grass, lush and green from Texas’s spring rains. If she didn’t keep moving, she’d fall asleep on her feet. And she had to talk to James before that happened.
It was now or never.
Kelly sucked in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. As she pushed open the office door, she vowed her sweet baby’s future would include his father.
As she took one step inside the veterinary clinic, her gaze settled on James standing across the room, head down, making an entry in a file. Memories of their one night together rushed at her, followed by the pain of all the lonely nights that had come after. Tears of what might have been stung her eyes, but she blinked them away, determined to see this through for her baby’s sake.
James wore faded jeans, scarred boots and spurs, an indication he was probably on his way to the rodeo. The trophy buckle he’d won three years ago glistened against the denim shirt that covered his washboard abdomen, a sure sign he intended to do a little honky-tonking after his ride.
Even after all this time she still hated that buckle. It served as a neon light, flaunting his need to compete, his need to take foolish risks and avoid commitment. It also served as a reminder of why she’d had to leave, when in his arms was the only place she’d ever wanted to be.
She tried not to stare at James, but found herself looking at where his jeans met his boots. Then her gaze traveled up the muscled length of his long legs. Everything about the man—his confident stance and his angular jaw—screamed Bad Boy.
He hadn’t changed.
And neither had the way he set her heart to pounding.
Kelly met his dark gaze. His face mirrored his surprise. For a long moment he said nothing but watched her with eyes the color of warm whiskey kissed by the Texas sun, eyes that touched her as thoroughly as his hands once had. He appraised her in a leisurely manner, eliciting unguarded feelings she’d given in to once, feelings she knew she shouldn’t acknowledge. But it had been so long since she’d last seen him, and she had missed him so.
What a fool she’d been to think she could waltz in here and see James again and be okay. Well, she wasn’t okay. And she didn’t know if she ever would be.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He dropped the folder and pen on a nearby desk and sauntered toward her, his lips turning up in a devilishly sexy smile, the same smile that had captured her heart. “It’s about time you showed up again.”
She wondered if James would still be smiling once he learned why she’d returned and if he would give her a chance to explain.
As though reading her mind, he bent to glance at Will. “Hey, buddy. How are you doing?”
Their son hunched one shoulder and buried his face in the curve of Kelly’s neck.
She gave Will a reassuring squeeze. “He’s a little shy.”
James straightened and sent her a questioning look. “Who’s this little fella?”
The sound of the air conditioner, the faint country music, served as a backdrop to his sudden silence while he stood waiting, watching, thinking only God knew what. She struggled to contain her anxiety.
“Kelly?” He tilted her chin with his forefinger and looked into her eyes.
She didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want to see the anger on his face. But most of all, she couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him any more than she already had.
Reminding herself why she’d returned, she forced back her apprehension. “This is Will, someone I want you to know. H-he’s my son.”
Something like disappointment clouded James’s eyes. “So you’re married?”
“No. Will’s two years old. He was born the fifth of May, two years ago.”
She watched him digest that, could see the wheels turning in his head as he mentally did the math. And she waited.
Fear made her tremble. Fear of what he would say, of the effect on her son. Had she made a wrong decision over two years ago? No, not about leaving. She’d had no choice. But she should have told James about Will a long time ago. He’d had a right to know.
Kelly locked her knees against the weariness that threatened to buckle her legs. She prayed James wouldn’t blame their child for what she had done. She prayed that he would grow to love Will. And she prayed he never discovered that, even after everything that had happened between them, after what she’d done, her feelings for him had never changed.
James’s smile faded. His eyes narrowed in question, shifting from her to Will, then back. “Are you telling me—”
“Will is your child.”
His child.
James Scott stood frozen. He had to remind himself to breathe. His head buzzed as if he’d taken a hard fall off the back of a bronc. The country music playing on the radio behind him faded into the background as her words hung in the air between them.
If he’d seen even a hint of a smile, he would suspect this to be one of the pranks they’d always played on each other, but the fear and exhaustion in Kelly’s eyes told him otherwise.
Her betrayal twisted his gut into a tight knot. “Why, Kelly? What made you think you had the right to keep this from me?”
She flinched. “I didn’t think—”
“You’ve got that right. You didn’t think or you would have known how I’d feel, what I’d say.”
“If you’ll just give me a chance to explain—”
“Why should I? You didn’t give me a chance,” he said, not allowing her the opportunity to defend her actions. He managed to keep his voice low enough not to frighten the boy. “And why are you telling me now?”
Her face was as pale as the white T-shirt she wore over a pair of blue jeans. She swayed, and he caught her elbow.
He muttered a curse. “You okay, Kel?” he asked, surprised at how calm his voice sounded when anger still pounded in his ears.
“I’m a little tired is all.” She stepped away from his touch, then looked from him to the child in her arms. “This is William James. He goes by Will.” Her eyes turned soft and warm as they lingered on the boy.
He studied the child’s chocolate-brown eyes, thick mahogany hair and olive complexion—too many similarities to ignore.
The boy watched him from the security of Kelly’s arms. Their eyes met and held until the toddler lowered his head against Kelly’s breast.
Something shifted in James’s chest, flooding him with an intense need to protect and something else he wasn’t sure he wanted to examine. “You should have told me before you left.”
“I didn’t know then.” She stifled a yawn.
He caught Kelly’s elbow and steered her to a chair, her arm fragile in his hand. “Let’s sit down where we can talk, before you fall asleep on your feet.”
Kelly sat on the edge of the chair. “I’m sorry. I’ve studied hard the past two weeks, even pulled several all-nighters. I loaded the truck yesterday after my last final and drove straight through from College Station to Willow Grove.” She tried to hide another yawn behind her hand. “I’m really, really tired, but I had to tell you.”
“Look, we’ve got some things we need to talk about, but you can barely keep your eyes open. Why don’t we go to my place? You can sleep for a while, then we’ll talk.” It would give him some time to think this whole thing through. After he cooled off.
She stood and blinked several times, as if focusing was difficult. “No, there’s so much to explain, so much I need to say. Just let me go splash some cold water over my face.”
He caught her arm when she tried to pass him. “Kel, I’ve already waited a couple of years. I reckon I can wait a while longer.” Maybe by then he would have regained control of the old feelings that had suddenly resurfaced. It was almost as if she’d never left. Only, he knew she had.
And now he knew she had also betrayed him.
The child began to fuss, and Kelly kissed his brow. “Just a second, sweetie, and we’ll leave.” She gave James an apologetic smile. “There’s a hotel not far from here where Will and I can get a room.”
“There’s no need for that,” he said, wondering at her reluctance to go home with him. Maybe it made her feel uncomfortable to go back to the place where they’d made love. “Look, Kel, you don’t need—”
“Thanks, but I can’t impose on you and your, uh, roommate.”
“Roommate?” Why would she think he had a roommate? He’d never had one before. “You care to explain that?”
