Cowboy's Secret Child

In February he had bought the ranch—including the house, which was only four years old—from a family moving to Arizona, and he had spent little time doing anything to it. He strode down the hall to his big bedroom. He had a king-size bed, a desk and little else.

Pulling on his running shoes he left the house, breaking into a jog. His nerves were ragged, his emotions still churning. Cherie.

What a bitch she had been! Hiding her pregnancy from him and letting him walk out without knowing about his baby. Giving the baby away instantly. Jeb wondered why she hadn’t had an abortion, knowing she would have no qualms about it. Maybe she didn’t realize she was pregnant until it was too late to get one legally. He was still surprised that had stopped her, but then he remembered Cherie had told him about a good friend in high school who had died from a botched illegal abortion. Maybe fear had deterred her. His thoughts jumped to Kevin.

Tomorrow night he was bringing his son to the ranch! The thought of having Kevin cheered him immeasurably and he began to plan. He would barbecue a chicken and get extra drumsticks since Amanda said that was one of Kevin’s favorite foods. He thought of Popcorn, a small, gentle pinto mare. Maybe Kevin would like to ride her.

Jeb yanked off his shirt and tossed it over a bush beside the road where he could pick it up on his way back to the house. Sweat poured off him as his thoughts danced around the possibilities. This Friday he was riding in the county rodeo. Would Amanda let Kevin come and watch? Jeb suspected that Amanda was going to be less than enthusiastic to learn about his rodeoing.

How would they divide the time? Kevin was so accustomed to being with Amanda, would he resent having to be with Jeb?

Question after question swirled in Jeb’s mind as he wondered about the future and went over the past few hours, from the moment he had first looked up and had seen Kevin standing in the doorway, staring sleepily at Amanda.

When his muscles were aching, Jeb jogged back home, knowing he was no closer to answers to his questions than he had been when he started. As he passed the barn and bunkhouse, a tall figure emerged from the shadows.

“Kinda late run, isn’t it? How’d it go with your son?”

Jeb slowed and wiped sweat from his forehead with his shirt as he faced Jake Reiner, a fellow saddle bronc rider and horse trainer who was working with some new horses Jeb had bought. Jake was shirtless, wearing jeans, with his shaggy black hair hanging loosely on his shoulders.

“Not like I expected.”

“When does anything go like you expect it to?” Jake drawled, lounging against the corral fence.

“I saw Kevin and talked to him a little. He’s shy.”

“He just doesn’t know you. What about his mama?”

“I’m sure she hates me, but she’s being cooperative, all things considered.”

“Cooperative? When you left here, you sounded as if you would storm her house and bring your son home with you.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t stop to think what I’d do if she and my son were very close and he loved her deeply. Which seems to be the case. And she was told that I abandoned him. My ex-wife was a congenital liar.”

“I’ve seen Cherie. Most men wouldn’t care whether she was a congenital liar or a kleptomaniac. She is one beautiful woman. Is her cousin as beautiful?”

“Not in the same way.”

“In other words, no.” Jake shook his hair away from his face. “So where is your son?”

“I’m bringing them both to the ranch for supper tomorrow night. Want to join us?”

Jake grinned. “No, thank you. I’ll leave the family gathering to you. She may look at you as possible marriage material.”

“No, she won’t. She was hurt by an ex-fiancé, and I think she’s as uninterested in marriage as I am.”

“If she is, she’d be the first female I’ve ever known. ’Course, I don’t know her yet, but there’s no such thing as a woman who doesn’t want to marry.”

Jeb laughed. “I should have come and talked to you instead of wearing myself down with all my running. Sure you don’t want to join us for supper?”

“I’m sure. I’m not much for the domestic scene.”

“If you change your mind, come to the house about seven. We should be here by then.”

“Sure.”

“How’s Mercury?” Jake asked, referring to a wild two-year-old sorrel he had acquired.

“He’s gentling down. Give me another day.”

“Good. You can’t sleep, either.”

“Naw. Some nights are good, some aren’t.”

Jeb nodded. “See you,” he said, wondering again about Jake’s past and what demons plagued him. They had known each other from the rodeo circuit and then they had grown close when they had been together through scrapes in the army. Jake had saved Jeb’s life once when Jeb had been shot rescuing an American diplomat who had been taken hostage in Colombia. Yet as close as they had become, there was always a part of Jake shut away from even his best friend. Whatever it was, that dark secret kept Jake on the move.

Jeb turned and jogged to the house, glad Jake was with him, because his friend was one of the best horse trainers in the country. Jake wouldn’t put down roots anywhere long enough to really build up his reputation with horses. Jeb knew he couldn’t worry about Jake’s wanderlust—when Jake was ready to move on, he would move on.

Thinking about Amanda, Jeb showered and sprawled across his big bed, sleep as elusive as ever. Neither one of them was going to like dividing Kevin’s time between them.

Jeb stared into the darkness, his thoughts racing over possibilities. What if he talked Amanda into moving to his ranch? With three bedrooms and three baths, there was plenty of room. During the day when she was at work, he would be as good as any nanny. While he worked, he could take Kevin with him, and if he couldn’t, he had Mrs. Fletcher, who cooked and cleaned for him four days a week. She was a grandmother to ten kids, so she would be good to Kevin.

Jeb sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. He slid off the bed and began to pace around the room, switching on a bedside lamp as he thought about the idea of having Amanda Crockett share his house and his life. If they weren’t married or dating, they probably wouldn’t get in each other’s way and they could share Kevin. His ranch house was sprawling and roomy. They would have to share their lives, but maybe they could manage it for Kevin. All week she would be gone during the day. He would be gone all day Saturday.

He shook his head at the thought of a woman underfoot all the time, and he guessed she would take an even less enthusiastic view about having him around. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. Scratch that idea.

Half an hour later the idea came back to him and he mulled it over until the first rays of daylight grayed the night and spilled through the windows. He debated with himself about talking it over with her, but the thought of presenting the idea of them living together at his ranch gave him a queasy stomach. And he could imagine it would take her all of three seconds to kill the notion.

Tuesday evening he was again on Amanda’s porch, his nerves jangling as he punched the doorbell. When she opened it and smiled, his pulse jumped. Revealing her even white teeth, her smile held so much warmth, he wanted to reach out and touch her.

“We’re ready. Want to come in a moment while I get my purse and Kevin’s things?”

“Sure,” Jeb answered, and stepped inside. Without the screen door between them, he could get a better look at her. She motioned him toward the living room. “I’ll get Kevin.”

She wore a blue sundress that left her pale shoulders bare, and with her hair tied in a ponytail, she looked about twenty years old. She didn’t have the breathtaking dazzle her blond cousin did, but she was incredibly good-looking.

“Hi, Kevin,” Jeb said warmly when the little boy ran into the hall. Instantly Kevin slowed and looked up at Jeb.

“’Lo,” he said. Amanda appeared and took his hand.

“I’ll lock up, so go ahead and we’ll be right out.”

Jeb nodded and stepped outside to wait.

Amanda locked the house, switched on the alarm and took Kevin’s hand. Dressed in a yellow sunsuit, Kevin clutched his blanket and a small book. As Amanda strolled toward the car, carrying Kevin’s car seat, Jeb took it from her, their hands brushing. “I’ll buckle this in.”

Opening the door, Jeb put the car seat in the back, and Amanda went around to the other side to help.

“These aren’t the easiest things to fasten in place,” she said. When her hands brushed his again, a current shot through her, and she looked up to meet his gaze.

He was only inches away from her and his dark eyes bore into her. While he studied her, there was no denying that she felt something, yet she didn’t believe in chemistry between men and women and she didn’t want to feel any magic with this man.

With an effort she looked down at the seat and tried to catch her breath. Jeb had placed a strap in the wrong place and she took it from him, too aware of each contact with his warm fingers. She fastened the strap quickly. “Come on, Kevin.”

He climbed into the seat and buckled it while she fastened her own belt and Jeb slid behind the wheel.

“My ranch is southwest of town. It’s in the direction of your office.”

“You know where I work? Oh, the detective you hired told you. I forgot for a minute. I suppose you know a lot about me.”

“A lot of statistics. Where you work, where you go to church, that from all indications you’re a good mother now.”

“How could a detective decide I’m a good mom?”

“The statistics prove that—you take Kevin places on the weekend, see that he gets to visit his friends, have him on a waiting list for private school, that sort of stuff.”

She turned slightly in the seat to look at Jeb. Dressed in a pale blue shirt and tight jeans, he was ruggedly handsome. He didn’t seem as intimidating as he had during those first few hours, although he was blatantly masculine. She glanced at his long legs and then shifted her gaze outside.

“Will I see horses?” Kevin asked.

“Yes, you’ll see horses, and we have a pond with ducks and baby ducklings,” Jeb replied.

Kevin clapped his hands, and Amanda twisted in the seat and saw a sparkle in his dark eyes.

“He’s going to have fun,” she said solemnly, turning back to look at Jeb again. Was he going to win her son’s affections swiftly? With a twinge of guilt, she wondered about jealousy, but she knew that, instead of jealousy, it was more fear that she felt, fear that she might lose Kevin completely. But that was ridiculous. Jeb might be very good for Kevin, but she didn’t see how she could ever lose the bond she had with her son. She didn’t know what his teen years would hold, but she didn’t have to worry about them yet.

Later that evening the same fears and questions rose in her mind as she watched Jeb playing ball with Kevin in his backyard. Laughing, Kevin kicked a big red ball and it rolled along the ground, hit a rock and bounced beneath the rail fence. Jeb’s long legs stretched out as he dashed to retrieve the ball. He jumped the fence easily, scooped up the ball and threw it back to Kevin. She watched Jeb leap back over the fence with ease and realized how strong and agile he was—how very male. Kevin needed a man in his life, and Jeb Stuart was going to be good for her son. That thought both tore at her and cheered her. But she didn’t need a man in her life and she didn’t want to find Jeb attractive or appealing or allow him to become an important part of her life.

Later, she perched on a fence and watched Kevin ride Jeb’s gentle pinto mare. Next, they went to the pond to see the ducks, then walked back to the house where they had bowls of ice cream. Afterward, they moved to the family room and Kevin got out a coloring book Amanda had brought for him. In seconds he was asleep on the floor.

“It’s time for us to go home,” Amanda said. “I suppose we should have left when we finished the ice cream, but he was having a good time. You won him over tonight with the horseback ride and the ducks and playing ball with him. He’s always loved to play ball.”

“He’s a great kid, but then I’m prejudiced.”

“Yes, he is,” she said, looking at Jeb. He was seated in a large leather chair, his booted feet propped on an ottoman in front of him. He appeared as relaxed as Kevin until she looked into his brown eyes. His determined gaze made her heart a skip a beat.

“Kevin is already asleep, so why don’t we take this time to talk about what we’re going to do. I thought about it all last night.”

“So did I,” she answered quietly, wondering if he had slept as little as she had. She wished she could put off ever making decisions about how she would share her son with this forceful stranger.

“Good. I’d like to tell him that I’m his father.”

“Isn’t it a little soon?”

“I don’t think so. Kids accept life as it comes to them. I want him to know the truth. Can I come get both of you and bring you here for dinner again tomorrow night and tell him?”

She knew it was useless to tell him that he was rushing her. She gazed into his dark eyes and could see the steely determination, so she merely nodded. A knot burned her throat once again. She wished she could just gather up Kevin and run too far away for Jeb Stuart to find them. He was talking to her and she tried to focus on him.

“Kids adjust to whatever life hands them. You’ll see.”

She knew he was right, but she was having difficulty adjusting to anything concerning Jeb Stuart. There was, however, no point in postponing the inevitable. She nodded. “Fine.”

Jeb stood with an easy grace. “I’ll be right back. I have something to show you.” He left, and she looked around the large family room that she could almost fit half her house into. The stone fireplace was immense. Bookshelves lined one wall—all empty. He said he had only lived here since February and he hadn’t bought much furniture. That was an understatement. He had a large leather sofa and a big matching brown leather chair, two end tables, lamps and nothing else. The plank floor held a shine and everything looked neat and clean, but the room was so bare it looked as if he had moved in yesterday. She thought about her home, which was filled with pictures and books and plants, and wondered if he found it cluttered.

She was already saving money for Kevin’s education and she didn’t want to use her savings. In any case, she would have to hire a lawyer to help her with the legalities of whatever arrangement they worked out. She rubbed her temples. She had had a dull headache since yesterday when she had opened the door and looked up at Jeb.

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