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“It’s a rental,” Tyler explained impatiently and placed Cara in her car seat. It had stopped snowing by now, but the air was chilly and he didn’t want to keep her outside unnecessarily.
“License and registration,” she said again, tapping a booted heel. “Or I’ll have to get this vehicle towed.”
Was she serious? He didn’t like his chances of getting another rental car on a Saturday afternoon. Cedar River was either the most uptight town on the map or it had to be a joke. Or a scam. Just like the fake double-booked hotel room. He got a good look at her face and quickly realized he’d seen her before. Just like the blonde at the hotel.
The photo on the mantel.
“You know, Officer, you and your blonde accomplice will need to get better at this kind of subterfuge if you’re going to be truly convincing,” he said and handed over his license.
“What?”
“There’s a picture of you both on Brooke Laughton’s mantel. There was another woman in the photograph too...a curly haired brunette. What was her part in this plan?”
“I don’t know what you—”
“Tell Indigo Eyes she’ll have to do better than that,” he quipped.
The officer smiled, caught out and unapologetic. “It’s strange, I’ve known Brooke for twenty years and never realized her eyes were exactly that color.”
They were...and they’d been haunting him for twenty-four hours.
“Can I go now, Officer?” he asked.
She half smiled and handed back his license. “Well, we gave it a shot.”
“The other hotels?” he asked. “How did she manage that?”
“Her cousin Brant owns the Loose Moose—and he’s engaged to the curly haired brunette,” she explained. “And she knows the owner of Rusty’s. It’s a small town...and small town folk stick together.”
Yes, they certainly did. “What exactly is she after?”
“You,” the officer replied and hooked a thumb toward the back of the car. “And that cute baby. She wants you to stay at the ranch while you’re here. It’s not such a big ask, is it, Counselor?”
He nodded at her badge. “You know very well that in cases like this the less personal involvement, the better.”
“I know that people aren’t cases,” she replied hotly. “You’d know that, too, if you stopped thinking like a lawyer for a moment and thought like a human being. She’s a good person...she’s honest and loyal and has a heart as big as this state. Brooke wants to bond with her niece... You’d realize that was a good idea if you could get out of the way of your own ego and stop acting like you’re in the courtroom.”
It was quite the accusation and he was tempted to ask the redhead exactly what Brooke Laughton had told her. But he didn’t. Brooke had friends...allies...people willing to go to bat for her. It was admirable. He looked at the baby happily gurgling in the backseat and saw the same chin as her aunt’s. He had to do what was best for Cara...and was beginning to suspect that for the moment, Brooke Laughton was exactly that.
He watched the cop walk away and grinned a little. After getting into the car, he drove back to the hotel and checked out. Then he headed for her ranch.
* * *
Brooke was finishing up repairing the chicken run out the back of the stables when she heard a car pull up. She instinctively knew who it would be. Ash and Kayla had both given her a heads-up. She dropped the tools and walked around the building, eager to see Cara again. But not so eager to see Tyler Madden.
Because he’d be as mad as hell with her for starters.
And he had every right, if she were being honest with herself.
She shouldn’t have tried to swindle him into coming to the ranch. He was too smart for that kind of underhanded approach. And as much as she appreciated her friends coming to her aid, she suspected she’d made a bad situation worse.
She harrumphed under her breath and squared her shoulders when she spotted his car parked in her driveway. He was resting against the hood and had the baby in his arms. Cara was wrapped in a pink coat and blanket and had a fluffy hat on her head. Her cheeks were bright and against the backdrop of snow on the ground, the two of them made an enchanting picture. In jeans, boots and a dark wool jacket, Tyler Madden looked relaxed and way too gorgeous for her peace of mind. The dogs were jumping around, clearly delighted to see him again and not threatened in the least. Brooke stopped about ten feet from him and planted her hands on her hips.
“Um...hi there.”
He didn’t say a word. But he looked at her. Out of his suit he possessed a kind of innate confidence that unnerved her. It took her about two seconds to figure out she wasn’t immune to it. Or to him. She’d been under a rock for two years, off the grid when it came to men and dating and sex. But right then, in his low-riding jeans and with the baby on his hip, Tyler Madden was just about the sexiest and most attractive man she’d ever seen. And her hibernating libido was immediately kick-started out of its slumber.
She knew it was foolish. She didn’t know anything about him. He’d said he didn’t have children but he could certainly be married. Or at the very least have a girlfriend. She glanced at his left hand. It was bare. Still, plenty of married people didn’t wear rings.
“You wanted me,” he said, not moving, not doing anything other than keeping his blistering gaze connected with hers. “So, you have me.”
“I don’t know what you—”
“You know perfectly well,” he said, cutting her off. “Your friends both gave award-winning performances today. The cop also gave me an earful of advice and said you wanted me here...so, I’m here.”
Brooke’s breath caught. “It’s about Cara,” she said breathlessly, taking the need and the want out of the conversation. “And my friends—”
“Care about you,” he said, cutting her off. “Yes, I can see that they do.”
Shame crept up her neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have involved them in this. It’s complicated enough without—”
“I’ll stay.”
Brooke stilled instantly. “You’ll stay?”
He nodded. “You went to a lot of trouble to get me here. So, yes. I’ll stay. We’ll stay.”
It should have made her day. And part of her was delighted—but another part was nervous. She’d lived alone for two years and the prospect of sharing her home with a man, a stranger, tied her belly in knots.
This is about Cara...not him.
“You’re not angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
“And you’ll stay for a week?” she asked.
He nodded again. “Have you heard from your brother?”
Unease pitted in her chest. “Not yet. But he’ll call... I know it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Ignoring the cynicism in his voice, she stepped forward and held out her arms. Cara reached for her immediately and Tyler passed her over—hesitantly, Brooke could tell. She was such a placid, adorable baby and Brooke’s heart melted a little more each time she held her.
“Thank you for agreeing to this,” she said to Tyler. “If you want to get your things I’ll show you to your room.”
He pushed himself off the hood and walked around the car. He looked as good from the back as he did from the front and her wayward belly immediately did another loop-de-loop. She took a deep breath, ignored the feelings and headed inside.
The ranch house had four bedrooms and she walked down the hall to the room opposite hers. Next door to that was a smaller room, where they could set up the crib. She waited while he came in behind her and dropped a bag at the end of the wide bed. He looked around the walls and at the two glass cabinets filled with trophies and awards.
“Yours?” he asked.
She nodded fractionally. “I used to be a barrel racer,” she explained. “My parents had a thing for keeping all my awards.”
“They were proud of you,” he said and dropped his keys on the bedside table. “Understandably.”
She smiled. “I suppose. I thought we could put the baby in the room next door to this. It used to be my mom’s sewing room but I cleaned out all of her things and now it’s the office. Or we could use Matt’s room.”
“Next door will be fine,” he said and roped the baby bag over his shoulder. “I have a portable crib, a playpen and a stroller in the car.”
He followed her to the adjoining room and dropped the baby bag on the desk before he disappeared outside. When he returned he had the crib and stroller and quickly set the crib up in the room.
“Looks like you’ve had plenty of practice doing that,” she remarked.
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “I guess so. I’ve spent a lot of time with Cara over the past few months.”
She nodded. “The other night you said you came from a large family.”
He finished expanding the crib. “I said that?”
Brooke shrugged. “I think so.”
“It was more of an extended family,” he said and put sheets and blankets in the crib.
“You’re so lucky. I only have an aunt and a couple of cousins in town,” she said and sat on the chair in the corner, holding Cara close. “And of course Matt. I would have loved one of those big extended families, though, especially around this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family very much. Although, since my parents were killed and Matt left town, there’s only about half a dozen of us when we all get together.” She swallowed hard as a surge of loneliness swept through her. Five years on and she still missed her parents and only sibling. “But, Thanksgiving and Christmas time is always filled with lots of laughter and love. But with a big family you must have had a happy childhood?”
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. There was a sudden gust of awareness in the room, an intimacy that defied logic and made her feel hot all over. His gaze held her captive and for a moment she thought how mesmerizing he would be in the courtroom. No wonder he was such a legal hotshot. That green-eyed stare of his riveted her in the chair. She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t do anything other than stare back.
“My life isn’t up for discussion,” he said flatly. “I’m here because of Cara.”
Brooke raised her chin. Boy, he might be gorgeous, but he was also incredibly uptight. “You don’t need to scold me in your best lawyer voice. I wasn’t being nosy. Tell me, or don’t... I have no opinion about it either way.”
“Good.”
“Are you married?”
His brows came up. “Didn’t I just say my life wasn’t—”
“It’s not a discussion,” she said, cutting him off. “It’s a question. I’m only asking because I thought that if you were married perhaps your wife would—”
“I’m not married,” he answered quietly.
She was stupidly relieved and then scolded herself. “Girlfriend?”
“Not at the moment.”
No wife. No girlfriend. Available. That’s what her friends would be chanting. But Brooke was determined to not be swayed by a gorgeous face and sexy body. Not after Doyle. She didn’t have what it took to hold on to a man long term. And she’d had the broken heart to prove it. But still, she did wonder why he wasn’t attached. He looked to be in his mid-thirties; surely he’d been close at some point. Maybe he’d had his heart broken, too? Although, he didn’t come across as the sentimental type. And from what Kayla had found out about him, he was top in his field and legendary in the courtroom, which might not leave him a lot of time for relationships.
And I’m not going to think about the fact that he’d probably be legendary in the bedroom, too.
“Any more questions?”
She gave herself a mental jab. “I just thought that someone might be missing you while you’re here.”
“No,” he said tersely. “Only...”
His words trailed and she raised both her brows. “Only?”
Tyler took a second and cleared his throat. “Mr. Squiggles.”
Brooke bit back a smile. “Who?”
“A cat,” he said and waved a disinterested hand. “Yelena’s cat. I inherited him when she passed away.”
Brooke was amused by the color creeping up his neck. “Mr. Squiggles? I see. And is he a big fluffy white feline who insists on sleeping at the end of your bed?”
His lips twitched slightly. “Black-and-white. And yes, he’s known for liking his comforts.”
She grinned. “And where is he now?”
“With a neighbor,” he replied. “Who will hopefully want to keep him by the time I return to New York.”
“You’re not a cat person?”
He shrugged one broad shoulder. “I’ve never thought much about it. But I’m not home much so pets aren’t a good idea.”
“You work long hours?”
“I do,” he replied and pulled a pair of baby monitors out of a bag. Clearly, he was attempting to close the door on this brief glimpse into his personal life. “I’ll set one of these up in here and keep the other in the living room or kitchen.” He pointed to a small button on the front. “Just make sure this light is on at all times.”
“Okay. Does she sleep through the night?”
“Generally,” he replied. “She’s had a lot to deal with since Yelena died and was unsettled at first. But the last month or so has been better.”
Brooke held Cara close and the baby chatted away, murmuring indecipherable words. “And she’s been living with her great-grandfather?”
“Yes,” he said. “Ralph hired a nanny to care for her.”
“Poor little monkey,” Brooke said and smoothed her blond hair. “That’s a lot to deal with.”
“Yes, she’s remarkably resilient.”
“She’s got you, though,” Brooke said and smiled. “You seem to care for her a great deal.”
Tyler stiffened a bit. “I care what happens to her, of course. She’s my responsibility.”
“Until Matt gets here?”
