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“I had a busy day and night.”
He joined in, sipping coffee and digging into the biscuits. “Maybe I should’ve taken you out for a nice big breakfast.”
She shook her head. “This is perfect,” she said, reaching for the bag from his hand. “What kind of muffins did you get?”
“Banana and blueberry. So, you wouldn’t want to go out for breakfast with me?”
She chose blueberry. “It’s nothing personal, but showing up somewhere public at this hour will cause talk. You know what they say about small towns. All of it is true. And you don’t owe me anything, but I appreciate your gallantry.”
“Just call me Galahad.”
“I do.” She laughed before putting her teeth into the muffin.
He laughed, too, and was sorry he had to leave Ruby behind. She wasn’t like most females he’d met, and he had a feeling she wasn’t going to put up a fuss about saying goodbye.
He wasn’t entirely sure he liked that idea, but he had a new life waiting for him. His emotions were keyed up, and he was too damn confused to add a woman to the mix.
They drank coffee and chatted quietly about nothing in particular. And after they’d taken their last sips, Brooks rose from the bed and began packing his belongings. “Sorry, but I have to hit the road soon. I have an important meeting.”
Ruby rose from the bed and padded over to him. “Brooks,” she said.
“Hmm?”
She stood before him, her expression unreadable. “Don’t forget your shirt.”
Slowly she began undoing the buttons, her nimble fingers working one after another. Once done, she shrugged out of the shirt, and it fell easily to her feet. His gaze fastened on a beautiful body in red lace. “Ruby,” he said, sucking in oxygen and pulling her into his arms, her skin smooth and her muscles toned under his fingertips. “I wish I could postpone my meeting.”
“No problem.” Her eyes were soft and warm. He was never going to forget that particular deep cocoa color. Who was he kidding? He was never going to forget her. That was for damn sure. “I’ve got a busy day myself. I’ll take a shower. You’ll probably be gone by the time I get out.”
Like a fool, he nodded. That was the plan. He had to leave. Now.
He claimed her lips one last time, putting all of himself into that kiss. Then, mustering every ounce of his willpower, he turned away from her. But a thought struck, and he reached into his pocket to pull out a business card. “In case,” he said with a lift of his shoulder, “I don’t know, if you want to talk. Or need me or something.” He set the card on the bedside table.
By the time he turned back around, she had disappeared into the bathroom.
“Goodbye, Brooks,” she said just as the door was closing.
The lock clicked.
He closed his eyes. It was time to get on with the rest of his life.
Three (#u598f6169-c998-524b-ab91-0259ca9619a1)
Brooks pulled into the gates of Look Away Ranch, his gaze drawn to the size and scope of Beau Preston’s horse farm. The animals grazing freely in white-fenced meadowlands had a majestic presence. They were tall, their coats gleaming in browns and blacks and golds. Brooks didn’t know much about horses, but even an amateur could tell by looking at them that these stallions, mares and geldings were top-notch.
He smiled at the notion that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. If what he’d been told by Roman Slater, the PI he’d hired to find his biological father, was true, then Brooks’s drive to succeed above all else must’ve been in his blood. Because Look Away Ranch had all the makings of hard-earned success, much like his very own Newport Corporation.
He, Graham and Carson had worked their asses off for years in order to create one of the leading real estate and land development companies in the country. He was proud of what they’d accomplished, coming up the real estate ranks in Chicago and becoming genuine competitors of Sutton Winchester’s Elite Industries. Winchester was their biggest rival both professionally and privately. And Brooks had done his very best to take the ruthless older man down, more for personal reasons than professional.
For a time, Brooks had believed that the now ailing Sutton fathered him and his twin brother Graham. The knowledge only fueled his desire to destroy the man he believed abandoned his mother in her time of need, when she was pregnant. It turned out none of that was true. But paternity tests had revealed that his baby brother, Carson, was indeed Sutton Winchester’s biological child. Sutton and his late mother, Cynthia, had history together. She’d been his secretary once, and they’d had a love affair.
He hoped his true father, Beau, would fill in the rest of the blanks. After years of wondering and months now of tracking the man down, Brooks was ready to meet the man who’d fathered him.
He pulled up into the portico-covered drive that circled the stately ranch house and killed the engine. A man was waiting on the steps. Brooks’s first glimpse was of a tall rancher, his hair once blond and now dusted with silver, dressed in crisp jeans and a snap-down Western shirt. He immediately approached, marching down the steps, his gait extremely similar to his twin brother’s and probably Brooks’s as well. Warmth swamped his chest.
He was out of the car quickly, walking toward the man whose blood flowed through his veins. They came face-to-face, and Brooks took in the blue eyes, the firm jaw and the hint of a wicked smile bracing the man’s mouth. “Beau?”
Tears welled in the man’s eyes. His lips quivered and he nodded. “Yes, son. I’m Beau Preston. I’m your father.”
His father’s legs wobbled, and Brooks grabbed his shoulders to steady him. As emotion rocked him, Brooks’s own legs went numb, too. Then his father broke down, sobbing quietly and taking Brooks into his big, sturdy arms as he would a little boy. “Welcome, son. Welcome. I’ve been searching for you for a long time.”
A few seconds later, Beau backed away, wiping at his tears. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy, boy. Come inside. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes, I’d like that,” Brooks said.
They walked shoulder to shoulder into the house.
“Forgive me for not showing you around just yet,” Beau said.
“I understand. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
But Brooks noticed things about the rooms he walked through, the sturdy, steady surroundings, dark wood floors polished to a mirror shine, bulky wood beams above and wide-paned windows letting the outside in. The wood tones were brightened by the red blooms of poinsettia plants placed in several of the rooms, and his nostrils filled with the holiday scent of pine.
His father led him into the great room, which contained a giant flat-screen television, a corner wet bar, and tan and black leather couches. He got the feeling this was his father’s comfort zone, the room he relaxed in after a long, grueling day. “Have a seat,” the older man said. “Can I offer you coffee or iced tea? Orange juice?”
Brooks had had morning coffee with Ruby. A slice of regret barreled through him that he’d never see her again. He sat down on a tan sofa. “No thanks. I’m fine.”
“You found the place okay?” His father took a seat facing him, his gaze latching onto Brooks and gleaming as bright as morning sunshine. All of Brooks’s apprehension over this meeting vanished. Beau was as glad they’d found each other as he was.
“Yep, didn’t have any trouble finding Look Away Ranch. It’s pretty amazing, I have to say.”
“What’s amazing is that you’re finally here. And look at you, boy. You’re the spitting image of me when I was your age.”
“There are two of us, you know. But Graham wanted to lay back and let me make the first contact with you. We didn’t want to overwhelm you and, well...we have questions. He thought it’d be easier for you and me to speak privately before he joins us, since I was the one hell-bent on finding you.”
His father rubbed at the back of his neck, a pained look entering his eyes. “I have to explain. I didn’t know about you boys in the beginning. I didn’t know your mama, Mary Jo, was carrying my babies when she ran away from Cool Springs. And once I started receiving anonymous notes and photos, I wasn’t sure any of it was true, but as the photos kept coming, I saw the resemblance. It was unmistakable, and I moved heaven and earth to find Mary Jo. To find you boys.”
“It’s weird to hear you call my mother Mary Jo. As far as we knew, Mom’s name was Cynthia Newport.”
He shrugged a shoulder and got a faraway look in his eyes. “Mary Jo and I were desperately in love. She must’ve been scared out of her mind to run from me the way she did. That son of a bitch father of hers...” He paused to gauge Brooks’s reaction. “Sorry, I forget he’s your grandfather. But he was mean to the bone. Mary Jo was convinced if he found out she was seeing me, he’d kill both of us. I tried like the dickens to calm her down and tell her I’d protect her, but she must’ve panicked when she found out she was pregnant. God, I keep thinking how desperate she must’ve been back then. Alone in the world and carrying twins, no less. She wouldn’t have run off if she wasn’t terribly frightened of the consequences. That’s all I can figure. She must’ve thought her daddy would beat the stuffing out of her, and harm her babies, if he ever found out the truth.
“I didn’t know she’d changed her name and started a new life. I surely didn’t know she was with child. But I want you to know, to be clear, I searched high and low for her in those early days. Trouble was, I was searching for Mary Jo Turner, not this...this Cynthia Newport person.”
“I understand. I don’t fault you for any of this. I’ve, uh, well, I’m just now coming to terms with all of this myself. I must admit, I was a bit obsessed with finding you.”
“I’m glad you never let up, son.”
Brooks gave him a nod. “Mom, she was a survivor. She did whatever it took to keep me and my brothers safe and cared for. She hid so many things from us during our lives. But Graham and I and our younger brother, Carson, who has a different father, don’t blame her for any of it. We had a good life, living on the outskirts of Chicago with our Grandma Gerty. That woman befriended Mom when she was at a low point, and she took all of us in. She let us live with her in a modest home in a nice neighborhood, and she helped get us through school. We were a family in all respects. My brothers and I always looked upon her and loved her as if she was our real grandmother. I have a sneaking suspicion she was the one sending those updates and photos to you.”
“Sounds like a wonderful woman.” Beau sighed as he leaned farther back in his seat. “If she was the one, then I owe her a great debt. I’d long believed that your mother was gone to me forever, but just knowing you boys were out there somewhere gave me hope. I wish like hell Gerty would’ve just told me where to find you, but your mama probably held her to a promise to keep the secret.”
“Grandma Gerty died about ten years ago.”
“That’s about when the updates stopped coming. It makes sense,” his father said, “as much as any of this makes sense.” He laughed with no real amusement.
“Grandma Gerty had a keen sense of duty. She must’ve believed in her heart she was doing the right thing. She only wanted what was best for my mom.”
“I’m sorry Mary Jo isn’t with us anymore. We were so young when we were in love, and...well, I have fond memories of her. Such a tragedy, the way she died.”
“The aneurism took us all by shock. Mom was pretty healthy all of her life, and to lose her that way, after all she’d been through...well, it wasn’t fair.” Brooks took a second to breathe in and out slowly. After composing himself he added, “I miss her like crazy.”
“I bet you do. The Mary Jo I remember was worthy of your love. I have no doubt she was a wonderful mother.”
“Do you know what ever happened to my grandfather?”
“Still kicking. The mean ones don’t die young. He’s in a nursing home for dementia patients and being cared for by the state of Texas. I’m sorry, son. I know he’s your relation, but if you knew how he treated your mama, you wouldn’t give him a second of thought.”
Brooks closed his eyes. This part was hardest to hear. His mother had never mentioned her abuse to him or any of her children. She’d shielded them all from hurt and negativity and made their lives as pleasant and as full of love as she possibly could. She’d come to Chicago hell-bent on changing her circumstances, but those memories of her broken youth must’ve haunted her. To think of her as that young girl who’d been treated so poorly by the one person who should’ve been loving and protecting her burned Brooks like a hot brand. “I suppose I should visit him.”
“You can see him, son. But I’m told he’s lost his mind. Doesn’t recognize anyone anymore.”
Brooks nodded. Another piece of his family lost to him. But perhaps in this case it was for the best that his grandfather wouldn’t know him. “I’ll deal with him in my own way at some point.”
“I’m glad you agreed to stay on at the ranch awhile. You’re welcome at the house. It’s big enough and always open to you. But when we spoke on the phone, you seemed to like the idea of staying at the cabin right on our property and...well, I think it’s a good choice. You can take things at your own pace without getting overwhelmed.” His father grinned and gave his head a prideful tilt. “Course, here I am talking about you getting overwhelmed when you’re the owner of a big corporation and all.”
Brooks grinned. That apple not falling far from the tree again. “And here you are with this very prosperous horse farm in Texas. You have a great reputation for honesty and quality. Look Away Ranch is top-notch.” Aside from having Beau Preston investigated by Slater, Brooks had Googled him and found nothing lacking.
“It’s good to hear you say that. Look Away has been a joy in my life. I lost my wife some years ago, and this place along with my sons helped me get through it. You’ll meet your half brothers soon.”
“I’ll look forward to that. And I’m sorry to hear about you losing your wife.”
“Yeah, it was a tough one. I think you would’ve liked her. I know Mary Jo would’ve approved. My Tanya was a good woman. She filled the hole inside me after losing your mama.”
“I wish I could’ve known her, Beau.”
His eyes snapped up. “Son, I’d appreciate it if you called me Dad.”
Dad? A swell of warmth lodged deep in his heart. He’d never had the privilege of calling any man that. While growing up, he, Carson and Graham had always been the boys without a father. Grandma Gerty had made up for it in many ways, her brightness and light shining over them, but deep down Brooks had wanted better answers from his mother about his father’s absence in their lives. “You’re better off not knowing,” she’d say, cutting off his further questions.
Brooks gave Beau a smile. “All right, Dad. I’m happy to call you that after all these years.”
His father’s eyes lit up. “And I’m happy to hear it, son. Would you like to get settled in? I can drive you to the cabin. It’s barely more than a stone’s throw from here, only a quarter mile into the property.”
“Yeah, that’s sounds good.”
“Fine, and before we do, I’ll give you the grand tour of the house. Tanya did all the decorating and she loved the holidays, so we’ve kept up the tradition of putting out all her favorite things. We start early in December, and it takes us a while to bring the trees in and get the house fully decorated in time for our annual Look Away Ranch Christmas shindig. C’mon, I’ll show you around now.”
“Thanks. I’ve got no doubt I’m going to like your place.”
“I hope so, son.”
* * *
After his father left him at the cabin, a rustic, wood-beamed, fully state-of-the-art three-bedroom dwelling that would sell for a million bucks in the suburbs of Chicago, Brooks walked his luggage into the master suite and began putting away his belongings in a dark oak dresser. Lifting out the shirt Ruby had worn just this morning, Brooks brought the collar to his nose and breathed in. The shirt smelled of her still, a wildly exotic scent that had lured him into his best fantasy to date.
He’d hold on to that memory for a long time, but now he was about to make new ones with his father and his family. Brooks walked the rooms, getting familiar with his new home—for the next few weeks, anyway—and found he was antsy to learn more, to see more.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, noting that Beau Preston didn’t do things halfway. The fridge was filled with everything Brooks might possibly need during his stay here. If Beau wanted him to feel welcome, he’d succeeded.
Locking the cabin door with the key his dad had given him, he headed toward the stables to explore. What he knew about horses and ranching could fit in his right hand, and it was about time to change that. Brooks didn’t want to admit to his father he’d seen the saddle side of a horse only once or twice. What did a city kid from Chicago know about riding?
Not much.
Huddled in a windbreaker jacket fit for a crisp December day in Texas, his boots kicking up dust, he came upon a set of corrals first. Beautiful animals frolicked, their groomed manes gently bouncing off their shoulders as they played a game of equine tag. They nipped at each other, teased and snorted and then stormed off, only to return to play again. They were beauties. His father’s horses.
The land behind the corrals was rich with tall grazing grass, strong oaks and mesquite trees dotting the squat hills. It was unfamiliar territory and remote, uniquely different from what Brooks had ever known.
He ducked into one of the stables. Shadows split the sunshine inside, and a long row of stalls on either side led to a tack room. The stable was empty but for a dozen or so horses. Beau had told him to check out Misty, an eight-year-old mare with a sweet nature. He spotted her quickly, a golden palomino with blond locks, not too different in color from his own.
“Hey, girl, are you and I going to get along?” The horse’s ears perked up, and she sauntered over to hang her head over the split door. “That’s a girl.” He stroked the horse’s nose and looked into her big brown eyes. “Hang on a sec,” he said and walked over to the tack area. The place smelled of leather and dust, but it was about as clean and tidy as a five-star hotel.
That told him something about his father.
“Can I help you?” A man walked out of the tack room and eyed him cautiously. “I’m Sam Braddox, the foreman.”
Brooks put out his hand. “I’m Brooks Newport. Nice to meet you.”
The man’s expression changed to a quick smile. “You’re one of Beau’s boys.”
“Yes, I am. I just got here a little while ago.”
“Well, welcome. I see the resemblance. You have your daddy’s eyes. And Beau only just this morning filled the crew in on the news you’d be arriving.”
“Thanks. I’m... I’m just trying to get acquainted with the place. Learn a little about horses.” He scratched his head and then shrugged. “I’m no horseman, but Beau wants to take me out riding one day.”
Sam studied him. “How about a quick lesson?”
“Sure.”
“C’mon. I’ll show you how to saddle up.” He led Misty out of her stall and into an open area.
“Misty’s a fine girl. She’s sweet, but she can get testy if you don’t show her who’s boss from the get-go.”
“Okay.”
The foreman grabbed a worked-in saddle and horse blanket and walked over to Brooks. “Here we go.”
Sam tossed the blanket over the horse just as one of the crew dashed in. “Hey, Boss. Looks like Candy is ready to foal. She’s having a struggle. Brian sent me to get you.”
