The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

by Charlene Sands

  It was impossible. Connor and Aunt Mattie slept in the next room.

  It was dangerous, and normally, she enjoyed sexy games, but not now. Not with her son so close. It was madness. Justin tugged at her sweater, yanking the material away from her body. His hands found her skin and hot needy fingers pulled the underside of her bra down. He caressed her breasts, flesh to flesh, his firm rough palms teasing her soft nipples. Steam rose up, swamping her with heat.

  “You feel just like I remember,” he whispered. “Do you know how hard it was not sleeping with you that first night? Do you know how much I wanted you?”

  Kat’s mind filled with memories. She’d almost fallen for a hog farmer, a man with empty pockets, the kind of man Kat didn’t want in her life ever again. Dirt-poor and earnest. But now, it was different. Justin wasn’t Brett Applegate. And he was driving her crazy.

  “We...can’t, Justin.”

  His hands froze as he stared into her eyes. She could relate to the disappointment on his face. She felt it, too. With a reluctant nod and taking a deep breath, Justin removed his hands from her body. “You’re right. We can’t do this here.”

  Trembling, she wrapped her arms around her waist, still tingling from the places Justin had ignited on her body. “It’s complicated enough.”

  “It’s not that complicated between you and me. With us, everything’s pretty clear.”

  They locked gazes for beats of a minute. “I know,” she admitted quietly and then her mind drifted to Mattie and Connor and all the lies she’d told in the past for her own survival. And to insure a good life for her son. “I’ve got to check on Connor, would you mind putting out the—”

  “I’ll go with you. Then I’ll help you with the meal.”

  Kat couldn’t refuse him. He had a right to see Connor. While he wasn’t sure of it, Kat was certain that Connor was his son. She’d conceived him that weekend before she took up with Michael Golden. She gave him a small smile. “All right.”

  He followed her into the bedroom. Connor was just rousing. When he saw her, he rolled to a sit-up position in his crib. His eyes still drugged from sleep, his hair curling at his nape, the baby just looked around as if trying to get his bearings. “Hi, sweet baby.”

  His little face contorted as he rubbed his eyes with the full force of his palms, up and down, stretching the skin. Kat gently removed his hands from his face before he poked himself in the eye. “Takes him a few minutes to fully wake up,” she said to Justin.

  “Okay by me. I could watch him all day long.”

  She glanced at this tough soldier, this hero standing beside her, his eyes full of pride and warmth. How quickly he’d fallen under Connor’s spell. It wasn’t hard. Kat would move heaven and earth for her child. She had a feeling that Justin would do the same. A shiver of dread rode down her spine, but this time, she wouldn’t cave to those feelings. “Yeah, me, too.”

  She turned to Justin. “I have to change his diaper. You can leave if you’d like.”

  He gave her an are-you-kidding squint and shook his head. “I’ve seen worse in my day.”

  “Okay, but remember you asked for it. Smell that? It’s gonna be a good one.”

  A resounding chuckle rose from Justin’s throat and both she and Connor glanced at him. “You’re not scaring me. Diaper away.”

  Later, with all of them seated at the kitchen table, Connor in his high chair, the pot roast and potatoes served, Justin began talking business about the sale of Aunt Mattie’s outer land and how he wanted to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible with the equine retreat.

  The change in his demeanor gave Kat some breathing room. Up until that point, he’d been watching her every move, darting quick glances at her mouth and sending sexy secretive smiles her way. Worse yet, the adoring, yet cautious look in his eyes when he studied Connor was hard to miss. Aunt Mattie wasn’t born yesterday; Kat saw her watching them and wondered just what the older woman was thinking.

  “I’m having the papers drawn up and will bring them by in a few days,” he said to Aunt Mattie. “If you’re sure about this?”

  The money from the sale of the land would help pay Aunt Mattie’s medical expenses and give her a nice cushion for her old age. Aunt Mattie had no use for the neglected land anyway, and no one could’ve come up with a better plan than Justin’s to restore the land and do some good along the way.

  Aunt Mattie glanced at Connor in his high chair, eating vegetable puffs that looked suspiciously like Cheetos, and her eyes narrowed to thin slits. Her face fell short of the contented expression she usually wore. “I don’t think I realized up until this moment,” she said, easing the words out slowly, “that I might be robbing the boy of his birthright.”

  Justin shot Kat a sharp look.

  Kat’s cheeks burned.

  No one had thought of this before and of course, Aunt Mattie wouldn’t be robbing Connor of anything, since he wasn’t really her great-nephew. “Oh...but Aunt Mattie, we don’t want anything from you. You’ve already done too much, putting a roof over our head.”

  “Nonsense, girl. You came here and immediately took over my care. You’ve brought joy to this old woman’s life. You’re doing more for me than I could ever do for you.”

  “But Aunt Mattie, I told you when we arrived here, we didn’t expect anything.”

  “But the boy’s my kin. He deserves—”

  “Not run-down parched land that won’t do anybody any good,” Justin said gently. “Remember, I’m giving you a fair price for the land. It’s like trading one thing for another. Connor’s not losing out. And you’ll still have this house, fully refurbished as I promised.”

  Aunt Mattie leaned back in the kitchen chair, her wrinkles bunching up as she nodded. “I suppose you’re right. It’s hard making these decisions at my age.” She looked at Kat with such trust that Kat’s heart swelled. “If you think it’s a good idea, Kat. I’ll take your advice.”

  Kat drew a deep breath. She had no right making decisions for Mattie, but the look on her face said otherwise. She was banking on her advice. “Connor won’t know the difference. And the equine retreat would help heal a lot of good men.”

  “I suppose you’re right. It’s a good thing.”

  “It is a good thing.” Kat rose from her seat and drew open the box of weekly pills she had sorted out for Mattie’s care. She plucked two out, one to regulate her heart, the other a blood thinner. “Here you go,” she said, placing the pills on the tablecloth, “time for your medicine.”

  “Thank you, dear.”

  Justin was back to watching her every move again.

  “So then, it’s settled?” Kat asked.

  “Yes,” Aunt Mattie said, swallowing her medicine. “I’ll sell Justin the land.”

  After the dishes were cleaned, Justin bid Aunt Mattie good-night. Kat, with Connor in her arms, walked him outside. They stood on the porch, the moonlight and chilly air casting a momentary spell. Connor was warming up to Justin now. He no longer shied away and he’d begun to recognize the sound of his deep voice.

  “This works out in your favor, doesn’t it?” he asked Kat.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’d stand to win, no matter what. If that woman dies, you’d get everything she owned. A quarter of a million dollars for dried-up acreage would serve you well, wouldn’t it?”

  “That’s not why I’m keeping the secret, Justin. I came here—”

  “Yeah, I know the story. What I can’t figure is what took you so long to decide to find Brett’s family. Connor was what...nine months old when you came to Silver Springs? What were you doing for all that time?”

  I lived with Michael Golden, who’d promised to raise my son in the lap of luxury.

  Kat would lose all credibility if she confessed the truth. She kept her lips
buttoned tight. With the mood Justin was in, she wasn’t going to win this argument.

  “If he’s my boy, he’d be worth eighty times the sale of the land, but you know that, as well, being that you dated Luke.”

  “I told you, Luke and I were...just friends.”

  Justin’s lips pursed, but she noticed a hint of relief in his eyes. “He confirmed it. Wouldn’t have kissed you in the kitchen the way I did if it turned out otherwise.”

  “You wouldn’t believe me when I told you that very thing,” Kat said, hoisting her chin up.

  “Sugar, I don’t know what to believe.”

  His eyes softened when he looked at the baby. Slowly, he put his hand out to touch Connor’s ruddy little cheek. His fingers lingered there. “Better get him inside. It’s cold out here.”

  Then he turned around and climbed down the steps, leaving Kat to wonder at the conflicting emotions stirred up inside her belly.

  * * *

  The next morning, Justin clicked off his cell phone and stared at the darn thing for a full minute, before striding behind the bar in the corner of the parlor. He pulled out a bottle of fifty-year-old whiskey and glanced at the label.

  “The good stuff,” he mumbled and then grabbed a tumbler. Placing it on the polished surface, he poured himself two inches of liquor and raised his glass. “To fatherhood.”

  The first sip he swallowed slid down his throat easily. Unfamiliar tears wet his lashes and he blinked them away. “And to Connor. My son.”

  Taking a steady breath, he absorbed the truth and grinned like a silly old fool. He was Connor’s father. Man, it felt good to know for certain about the boy.

  Images of his own father popped into his mind. He’d had a good relationship with Randall Slade. The man was stern in some ways, but Justin always knew where he stood with him. He always knew his father had his back. He wanted that for Connor, too. He wanted his boy to know that no matter what, Justin would be there for him.

  Love—that had probably surfaced since the first day he’d met the little guy—filled his heart. The strong emotion stifled him a bit with its powerful intensity.

  Connor had to be his son. He looked just like him. Had the same eyes, hair and skin coloring. But hearing it confirmed by Dr. Barrington sent a string of emotions barreling through his system. He was happy. No denying that. He wanted that beautiful boy to be his son. Through a twisted set of circumstances they’d been kept apart and there was no going back to make up for the time lost. It was a convoluted mess, more complicated than anything he could’ve imagined.

  He couldn’t do a darn thing about it now, what was done was done. But now that he knew about Connor, he’d damn well change the things he had the power to change.

  * * *

  “I want my son to know his family.”

  Kat had shuddered at the demand when Justin called this morning and told her to make it happen. He would come pick her and Connor up. She’d begged him not to, and made a compromise to drive to Sunset Ranch this afternoon. She’d wanted at least that much on her terms. If things got too weird and awkward or if Aunt Mattie needed her, she could leave anytime she wanted.

  Justin had balked at that solution, but finally agreed. It wasn’t as easy as Justin thought to come up with a viable excuse to leave Aunt Mattie at dinnertime and to make arrangements for one of the neighbors to drop in on her at a moment’s notice.

  Aunt Mattie always assured her she was fine when left alone, and Kat didn’t argue, but she also didn’t leave her for more than an hour or two at a time and rarely in the evening. She liked knowing Aunt Mattie and Connor were sleeping before she headed into the sewing room to work on her designs for Babylicious.

  When she’d come to Silver Springs, she’d vowed her lying days were over. She’d done enough of that in her early years to last a lifetime. She hated that she’d broken her vow not to lie to Matilda Applegate about anything else. And to add to her problems, today Connor’s paternity would come to light, at least among the Slades now that Justin knew the truth. His prideful tone and the proprietary way he spoke to her this morning still rang in her ears. She’d begged for secrecy and Justin promised that his family could be trusted with the truth.

  But she’d learned the hard way that no one could be trusted.

  It was five o’clock when she pulled up in front of the main house at Sunset Ranch. The sun dipped low, nearly hidden behind the rocky mountain wall surrounding the property. “Okay, sweet baby, let’s get you out of the car.”

  She leaned into the back and unfastened the car seat straps. Connor flung his arms out, eager to be lifted from the contraption. He wrapped his arms around her neck and she nuzzled him as she straightened with him in her arms. His sweet baby smells filled her nostrils, blocking out the pungent sent of manure, earth and straw. She slung the loaded diaper bag down next.

  The ranch was grand, with stately buildings, corrals, barns and a sprawling one-story main house. She’d been here once before, on Luke’s arm. But that had never taken off and it was a good thing.

  Connor caught sight of movement in the corrals. He loved horses and he began pointing and grunting and bouncing in her arms, urging her in his own little way of communicating. “Okay, sweetie. We’ll go see the horses.”

  She set the diaper bag down beside the car and walked the distance to the corrals. She stopped at the fence post and turned Connor so he could see, bracing him against her chest. His eyes rounded, filled with fascination as he studied three mares.

  She enunciated slowly, “Hor...ses.”

  “Oh...sees.” Connor mimicked.

  “Yes, that’s good, baby,” she said, squeezing him tight.

  “Must be in his blood.”

  She turned to find Luke Slade coming up beside her. She froze. She’d dreaded facing him and the rest of the family. “Wh-what’s that?”

  “His love of horses.”

  She gave him a quick nod. “This is weird, Luke.”

  “I know, but don’t feel strange around us. Me, in particular. I spoke with Justin and told him how it was between us.”

  “Thanks for that.” Her nerves settled a little. Luke had always been fair to her. He was a nice man. “But the circumstances are pretty...extraordinary.”

  He smiled at Connor and ruffled his hair. “They’re downright bizarre. But now, here you are and this little guy is my nephew.”

  “Crazy, isn’t it?”

  He shrugged. “I guess. But life’s like that. It’s not always neat and tidy.”

  “No, it’s not. So, I hear you’re marrying the fainter?”

  Luke laughed. “I am. Pretty happy about it, too. And don’t mention the fainting, okay? Audrey was embarrassed about that. She thought she’d never have to face you again. She’s pregnant.”

  “It’s a good reason to faint. I went through a light-headed phase when I was pregnant. Some people might say I never got over that.”

  Luke shook his head, amused. “You’ll keep my brother on his toes. Good thing, too. I was afraid he’d be bored when he got home. Nothing’s further from the truth.”

  She smiled. “Congratulations, Luke. I’m truly happy for you.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Justin approach. She swiveled halfway around, adjusting Connor in her arms.

  Justin stared into her eyes.

  Her body reacted, zinging with memories of the kiss that would’ve taken them to wicked places if there were opportunity. He looked handsome as ever, his military crew cut having grown out enough to drop a lock of dark hair onto his forehead. Dressed in faded jeans, a black shirt and a black hat, he looked like the villain in a spaghetti western.

  The baby craned his neck and pointed his finger toward the corral.

  His gaze softened the second it landed on Connor. “Likes horses, does he?”
<
br />   Luke walked over to him, grinned and gave him a slap on the back. “Congratulations, Papa. He’s a beautiful boy.”

  Justin nodded as Luke walked away. “See you at the house.”

  Justin moved closer to her. “I’m glad you brought him.”

  “You didn’t give me much choice.”

  Justin could always hold the truth over her head, maybe even reveal it to Aunt Mattie, and it was a vulnerable place to be.

  “You said you’d make sure I knew my son.”

  “You. Not your family. It’s risky.”

  “No, it’s not. They know the situation. They’ll keep quiet.”

  Kat allowed her gaze to flow to the horses in the corral. Connor, still captivated by them, bounced in her arms, kicking his legs.

  “I want to hold him. Do you think he’ll come to me?”

  The look of longing in Justin’s eyes nearly did her in.

  “We can try. Just keep him facing the horses. He’s fascinated.”

  “I can see that,” Justin said softly. “Come here, son.”

  Justin put out his arms and Kat did the transfer.

  Kat had never had to share Connor with anyone before. Not like this. Not with knowing that Justin had every bit as much right to Connor as she had. But their son barely noticed that he was being held by Justin. Instead, the little boy’s eyes honed in on one gray mare in particular that had ventured closer.

  Justin stood stiff, his grip on the baby awkward. He was treating Connor like a delicate gem that would break if he made a wrong move. It was another monumental moment in her life, watching father and son bond for the first time.

  “That’s Starlight,” he said to Connor. There was awe in his voice, and a gentleness that Kat understood, as well. “She’s about as old as you are, son.”

  Connor lifted his eyes to his father. “When you get older, I’ll teach you to ride.”