The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

by Charlene Sands

  The baby looked a little confused, and turned to her, his lower lip quivering. His arms jutted out, reaching for her at the same time his body lurched in her direction. “He wants his mommy.”

  Justin slid Connor back into her arms and Connor squeezed her neck as tight as he ever had. Rocking him prevented his tears. She swayed back and forth. “He’ll warm up to you. It’s just been him and me for so long.”

  Justin’s stare lingered on Connor for a few seconds more. Then he inhaled a sharp breath. “The family’s waiting. Are you ready to come inside with me?”

  Mustering her courage and burying her dread, she gave him a nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  With a hand to her waist, he guided her toward the house. She clung to the warmth of his touch, taking what little comfort she could grab.

  This was going to be awkward with a capital A.

  Five

  Connor banged the keys on the LeapFrog piano, making dogs bark, ducks quack and the letters of the alphabet sing out in the middle of the parlor floor. He was surrounded by stacking cups, a plastic giraffe teething toy and a Baby Elmo, along with half a dozen other gifts. Sophia and Audrey, women Kat had already met before any of them had known the truth, made her feel comfortable right away. Logan was equally charming, offering her a hug when she’d walked into the house, and Luke gave her a friendly smile. Connor received unconditional love from the entire Slade clan immediately. He was a sweet little boy, so she wouldn’t expect any less, but it was strange to say the least, knowing that these people were his family. For the longest time, she’d thought he would never have a family other than Aunt Mattie.

  Despite the cordial reception by the Slades, Kat’s stomach twisted and she felt out of place. She didn’t have a clue where all of this was leading. Justin made her nervous, period. Seated next to him on the sofa, she was aware of his every move, his every breath, the scent of his lime aftershave wafting by her nose. The kiss they’d shared the other day was embedded in her mind so forcefully, she couldn’t recall any other man’s touch. It was bad. She wanted more kisses, his hands on her and all the things that went along with it, but she couldn’t forget that they had to tread carefully. One wrong move, one bad decision and Connor could get hurt in the long run.

  Seeing the look of adoration in Justin’s eyes as he leaned forward on the sofa, his elbows braced on his knees, fully smitten with Connor’s symphony of noise, should’ve made her feel better about things. Yet a string of nerves kept her on the edge of her seat. Her entire life had been turned upside down. She’d come to Silver Springs to make a fresh start. And look how well that had turned out! Now, the Slade family was entwined in a web of lies, too.

  “He loves making music,” Luke’s pregnant fiancée said. Audrey’s small baby bump was high and round. She stood behind the sofa, her hand on her belly, watching Connor poke at all the knobs and buttons on the toy.

  “If you can call it that,” Luke said, a glint in his eyes. “Sounds like a racket to me.”

  “Baby sounds,” Kat offered. “I don’t even hear it anymore. It all blends into the background.”

  Audrey nibbled on her lower lip. “Oh, boy. I have a lot to learn for when our baby arrives.”

  “It kind of comes at you in small doses. You don’t have to know it all, right away. A lot of it is instinct,” Kat reassured her.

  Audrey glanced at Luke. “That’s good to know. I can handle anything in small doses.”

  Luke gave her a quizzical look and Logan burst out laughing. “I’m sure you’ve had to deal with a lot of small things, with Luke.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes and pointed her finger at him. “Don’t start with me, Logan. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I didn’t take offense,” Luke said. “It’s your pregnancy brain talking.”

  She whirled on him. “I do not have pregnancy brain!”

  Luke’s expression faltered and he glanced at the women in the room for help. “I thought that was a good thing.”

  Slowly, Kat and Sophia shook their heads. Luke sent Logan an I’ll-get-back-at-you glare, but Logan continued grinning and switched his attention to Connor and the piano.

  Kat watched the Slades in action with sweeping sadness. She’d never had a family surrounding her with love, teasing her mercilessly, offering her advice or giving support when she was pregnant. She’d had no one to rely on. It was pretty much how she’d lived her life after her mother died. Alone. Fending for herself.

  Now Connor’s every whim would be granted and Kat didn’t know how she felt about that. Justin had mentioned giving him a filly for his first birthday, a thoroughbred he’d already handpicked for his son, so that child and horse could grow up together.

  It was too early for such a gift. Connor was still a baby. Justin couldn’t make up for lost time with lavish gifts, and she would have that discussion privately with him at some point. She had to be careful how she broached the subject, though.

  Justin’s fatherhood had been thrust upon him instantly, with no preparation, and now he wanted to give Connor the world, but some of that eagerness and enthusiasm had to be tempered. It was hard for Kat to share the decision-making regarding Connor. It was something she’d never had to do before.

  Lately, she’d begun to really wonder if things might’ve turned out differently had she known the hog farmer she’d gotten involved with was really Justin Slade, wealthy rancher. Would she have wanted a long-distance relationship with Justin, even though he was a soldier? She wasn’t going to delve into what that said about her. She’d heard it all and most of it had come from her own father when she was a child.

  “You whorin’ little bitch, you mind me now, or that stupid smile will be minus two front teeth.”

  From the age of five, she’d learned how to let the bad words slide off of her.

  The Slades’ housekeeper, Ellie, walked in. “Dinner’s ready. The dining room’s all set up with the good dishes and everything.”

  Logan raised his eyebrows. “We rated the good dishes?”

  “I made Justin’s favorite. It’s a good way to celebrate his homecoming,” Ellie said. The housekeeper’s eyes filled with a warm glow as she looked at Connor.

  “We’re having macaroni and cheese?” Logan asked.

  Ellie nodded. “Your mama’s recipe. It’s by Justin’s request. But don’t you worry, I’ve made a roasted pork and sweet potato pie, too.”

  “Hey, I love your mac and cheese, Ellie,” Logan said.

  “So do I,” Luke added. “We haven’t had it in a long time.”

  Justin looked Kat’s way and explained, “It’s gourmet mac and cheese. I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never tasted anything better. I think the boy will like it, too.”

  “He usually eats mac and cheese out of a box,” Kat said softly, “but I’m sure he’ll love it.”

  Kat wondered how much the housekeeper knew about Connor. Justin’s expression didn’t give anything away as he rose to his feet and offered her his hand. She took it, whispering, “Connor will make a mess in the dining room. Good dishes? I hope they’re not heirlooms.”

  “There’s a new high chair waiting for him in there. He’ll be fine. And there’s nothing in this house he can break that’s worth more than me having him here with all of us.”

  She understood. The Slades were rich. Items could be replaced easily. Connor couldn’t do anything wrong at this point. Kat held her thoughts close as she scooped Connor up and carried him into the dining room with Justin at her side.

  “Of course, you and Connor are invited to our wedding,” Sophia said, three minutes into the meal. “Logan and I would love to have you join us.”

  Kat looked up from her plate. Struggling to keep her composure, she had to think fast. Unfortunately, she’d lost some of her moxie when motherhood came along
. “Oh...I, uh.”

  Seated next to her, Justin nodded. “Of course. I want Connor at the wedding.”

  “It’s next week,” Sophia said. “On Saturday in Reno. Justin is the best man.”

  “I don’t think...it’s...a good idea.”

  She sent Justin a pleading look. He had to know how it would look if she attended the wedding on his arm. “It’s not because we don’t want to, but, well, with the situation with Mattie and all, it’d be hard to explain our presence.”

  “Justin’s explained it all to us,” Audrey said quietly. “And personally, I think it’s wonderful how loyal you are to her. It’s a tough situation, but we all have agreed to keep the secret.”

  “Yes,” Sophia added, “we know the woman’s health might be jeopardized. We’ll be careful.”

  Justin stiffened. On a heavy sigh, he reached for her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting her know he had more to say on the subject. “We’ll talk about it later, after dinner.”

  As he let her go, he pushed the material of her skirt away to give her thigh a gentle, sensual stroke. Her eyes rounded in shock, as his hand skimmed over her sensitive skin and glided farther up her leg. She squirmed in her seat, praying that no one noticed. “O-kay.”

  She turned her attention toward Connor, who had been a perfect angel sitting in his new high chair gnawing on the giraffe teether. “Want to try the mac and cheese, sweet boy?”

  He let the giraffe fall from his mouth, his eyes trained on the food. “Oh, that means that you do, don’t you?”

  Kat lifted the spoon to his lips and he gobbled down the cut-up morsels of mac and cheese and mashed sweet potato. Justin’s gaze never left him and Kat got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  For better or worse, through Connor, she would be tied to Justin Slade for the rest of her life.

  * * *

  With his belly full and after all the attention from the Slades, Connor conked out in Kat’s arms right after the meal.

  Justin walked her to a guest room in the spacious estate and busied himself making up a little bed for him on the floor with blankets and a paisley blue-and-gray quilt.

  “That’s fine,” she whispered. “He’ll be comfy here.”

  She kneeled and laid him down carefully. As he nestled in, he automatically rolled onto his side. Then she folded the quilt so that it covered him up to the waist and bent low to brush a kiss over his cheek.

  “You sure he can’t sleep on the bed?” Justin asked quietly.

  “I’m sure. He might roll off it in his sleep.”

  Fear entered Justin’s eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down when he took a big swallow. “I guess I should know things like that.”

  He got down on his knees and cradled the back of Connor’s head in his hand, ever so gently, wisps of the baby’s hair filtering through Justin’s fingertips. With obvious love shining in his eyes, Justin’s gaze stayed on Connor a long time, and a pang of guilt wedged its way into Kay’s mind, making her question her decisions.

  Justin rose and walked over to the queen bed, leaving Kat to follow. His gaze flowed over the room, with its wooden shutters instead of curtains, hardwood flooring and dark walnut furniture. It spelled out masculine without going overboard. In a lowered voice, he said, “This will be Connor’s room. I’ll have the room decorated any way you like. You just tell me what he needs. The bed is yours, too, for those times that Connor stays overnight.”

  Immediately struck by Justin’s assumptions, Kat put up a hand to stop him. “Whoa, Justin. You’re getting way ahead of me here.” She kept her voice low enough not to wake her sleeping baby.

  “I’m not ahead of you. I’m behind. By about eleven months.”

  Wow, she’d walked right into that one. While Justin had deceived her, he wasn’t about to let her forget what he’d missed in not knowing Connor. She could understand his impatience to create a bond with his son, yet she struggled with how to make all of this work. “I can’t guarantee that Connor’s going to spend a lot of time here. As for me...” Her traitorous eyes darted to the bed.

  Justin must’ve seen something in her moment of hesitation. A glint entered his eyes.

  “Never mind,” she said.

  “Can we leave him for a few minutes?” he whispered. “We need to talk and I don’t want to risk waking him.”

  Kat glanced at her baby sleeping cozily on the bank of blankets. Then she picked up pillows from the bed and secured them around Connor’s precious little body, creating a barrier of protection for him. “He should be fine now. He’s a sound sleeper.”

  Justin clasped her hand. “My room’s next door. If he cries, we’ll hear him.”

  Kat let him lead her to the next room. She was immediately struck by the boyish theme of this former soldier’s bedroom. Old computers, stacks of videos and sports trophies littered the room in a homey, lived-in way. She pictured what life was like for Justin Slade growing up here on Sunset Ranch. Envy stabbed at the hollow places in her heart. Justin could give Connor this. Justin could provide a better life for Connor than she could.

  “Have a seat, Kat.” His voice was soothing as he gestured toward his bed.

  She took a seat and he settled down beside her in the middle of the bed. The subtle hint of lime cologne sweetened her senses and drew her to him. His nearness was a force she couldn’t combat. Why did Justin Slade have this effect on her? She rebelled against the endorphins racing through her body.

  Right now, Justin held all the cards. He had legal rights to her son. With one word, he could injure Mattie and make her whole world come crashing down around her.

  Her thoughts scattered as soon as he spoke. “I want to know my son. That’s a given. I won’t tell anyone else about him, you have my word. And my family will do the same, but I do want a few things. Connor will have a place here on Sunset Ranch. Secondly, I really do want him at my brother’s wedding. He’s missed out on so much family time already.”

  Kat immediately saw the problems in that. “It won’t be easy. What will I say to people?”

  “I’ll introduce you as a family friend. You don’t have to explain yourself. And if some nosey person asks, you’ll stick to the story you’ve been telling all along.”

  Kat took a sharp breath. “You may not believe this, but I don’t like lying, and when I came to Silver Springs I believed all those things to be true.”

  “I know you did. We’ll work through this, Kat. We have to for Aunt Mattie’s sake, right?”

  Kat nodded slowly. What choice did she have? She struggled with the situation, wanting to do what was right by giving Justin the time he craved with his son. Going to the wedding was just the beginning of the concessions she’d have to make.

  “Listen, I know nothing about this is easy,” he said. “I’m asking you to come to Logan and Sophia’s wedding with me. We’ll stay overnight in Reno. You’ll have your own room, don’t worry.”

  “I sure will have my own room,” she said, her voice curt to her own ears.

  “So then you’ll go?”

  She shrugged. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to be placed in this position, but she saw no way out. “I’ll go. I just have to figure out what to tell Aunt Mattie.”

  He gave her a nod and then his lips curled into a big warm smile. It was devastating—and so appealing—when he let down his guard like that. “Then it’s settled. I’ll get back to you with the details. But I do have one more request. I want to hire you to work with me.”

  “What?” Kat blinked several times. “Why? I don’t know anything about developing a retreat for soldiers or horses.”

  “Ah, but you know about design and decorating. I promised Mattie to refurbish the house and I need help. That’s where you come in. I don’t know anything about style, color schemes,
appliances and flooring. That’s not my thing. But apparently it’s yours. And there’s no denying that you put yourself together pretty well. You’ve got style.”

  Heat bubbled up at the way his gaze softened and traveled over her body. He took in her clothes, but it felt more like he was remembering her naked. She thought back to when he’d touched her under the table tonight. She’d nearly melted. He had good hands and he knew what to do with them. If she wasn’t careful she could get suckered in and fall for the guy in a big way. “Why hire me? You know I’d do it for free.”

  “I don’t know that. There’s very little I really know about you. Once the ball gets rolling, it’s going to get very hectic and chaotic, very fast. I’ll need a commitment and I’d rather hire someone that Mattie trusts than a complete stranger.”

  She began nodding. “Okay...I’ll do it. For Aunt Mattie. And to prove to you that I’m not going anyplace anytime soon.”

  Justin blinked. “I never said that you were.”

  Kat raised her chin. “But that’s part of the reason. You want me invested in a project as insurance that I won’t pick up and leave town. Admit it.”

  Justin’s lips thinned to a fine line and his gaze shifted away. He was battling with something, and more than a few seconds passed before he said, “Maybe I want to work with you for selfish reasons.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like this.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her tight against his chest.

  Heat flamed between their bodies. Her nipples pebbled and she willed the sensual sensation away. Justin drew a sharp breath and tugged her into his lap. Her skirt slid up her thighs, baring her legs to his gaze. The force between them pulled at her. It had been this way in New York, too. She’d been hopelessly drawn to him, even though he’d been all wrong for her. She still couldn’t keep her distance, when it was more important than ever.

  His hot palms caressed her thighs with sure and bold strokes. His gaze fastened on her mouth, and everything below her waist ignited. She bit back a curse at her own weakness, at the way Justin only had to look at her with desire before she caved to his caresses.