The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

by Charlene Sands

  “Won’t be long now before the sale will go through and we’ll see a building going up for the retreat,” Aunt Mattie said matter-of-factly.

  After the special night Kat had spent with Justin in Reno two days ago, she better understood his need and determination to get this project underway. Justin didn’t waste time. He was used to acting and then reacting and she sensed that getting the Gateway Equine Retreat started quickly would help ease his tremendous guilt over Brett’s death.

  He’d let her inside, for a few stolen minutes, and allowed her to see his pain when he was most vulnerable. She’d like to think he’d trusted her—at least for that one night—with his innermost, deepest thoughts and secrets.

  Sexually, they were compatible... Oh, boy, they were compatible. Justin was an amazing lover and Kat wasn’t one to hold back with him. She gave and she took equally and they both enjoyed the consequences. But even she knew that great sex wasn’t enough. And right now, that’s about all that they had together.

  Connor pointed to his oatmeal that was more blueberry and banana than oats.

  “You want more?”

  Aunt Mattie fed him another spoonful. “The boy certainly has an appetite this morning.”

  “He sure does.”

  “Brett loved breakfast the best. He’d eat a half a dozen eggs if I let him, then he’d start on pancakes and then of course about a pound of—”

  “Bacon,” they said in unison.

  Aunt Mattie’s eyes lit and they both chuckled. The laughter was loud enough and Kat’s smile wide enough to conceal her own guilt over the lies she’d told and would continue to tell the older woman. It shook her resolve some, but not enough to open up to Mattie with the truth. That would have to come sometime in the future.

  “Wouldn’t expect anything less from a hog farmer, now would you?” the older woman asked.

  “No, I wouldn’t.” But Kat refrained from adding to the lies by agreeing that Connor took after Brett.

  Kat fixed Connor a bottle. When he’d finished his solid food, she lifted him out of his high chair and sat down next to Mattie to feed him the formula.

  “Ah, I never do get over the sight of mama and baby like that.”

  “It’s sweet,” Kat said. “One of my favorite things to do.”

  She snuggled Connor a little tighter in her arms, loving him with every ounce of her being as he suckled on the bottle. In just a short time, he’d be drinking real milk in a sippy cup, but for now, she’d hold on to the small things, letting the baby be a baby for as long as possible.

  An image flashed of Justin in the hotel suite, holding Connor and giving him a bottle in the wee hours of the morning. There’d been a sense of calm and peace and normalcy when the three of them had been together. Kat had tried to absorb that feeling...she’d never before felt such stability.

  “I’ve got a few appointments with contractors lined up today, if you’re up to it. We’ll start on the kitchen first, since it’s in the worst shape.”

  “Oh, dear,” Aunt Mattie said, glancing at the chipped kitchen cabinets and the flooring with big hunks of vinyl missing. “Where do we begin?”

  “Well, we could gut it all and start over.”

  Aunt Mattie shook her head. “I don’t need newfangled everything. There’s a lot of...of memories in this kitchen for me. I remember looking out that window and seeing the boys playing catch out there. And well, my Ralph built me that hutch over there with his own two hands. I don’t want everything gone.”

  “Aunt Mattie, that’s fine. I sort of figured you’d feel that way. We’ll take on one project at a time. You can pick new cabinets and floors and we’ll get you a few new appliances, ones that don’t spark when you turn them on. We’ll pick out new paint and counters and we can keep everything in the same place. It’ll just be updated and sparkling new. Would that make you happy?”

  “Yes, with your help, sweetheart...I think that would suit me just fine.”

  Kat reached over to squeeze her hand. Aunt Mattie wasn’t her mother, but she was a dear woman whom Kat had come to love. “Well, then, why don’t you rest up a little bit. The first appointment isn’t until the afternoon. Then we’ll get cracking.”

  “Cracking, yes.” The older woman’s face beamed just a little bit brighter. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you in my life, but I’m sure glad you’re here, Kat. You and Connor make life worth living.”

  And it wasn’t a big surprise to Kat that she felt exactly the same way about Mattie Applegate.

  * * *

  Justin appeared at the front door two hours later in a pair of black dress slacks, a white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and opened at the collar and black boots coated with a thin layer of construction dust. Startled and a little awestruck, Kat didn’t particularly like the emotions clicking away at the immediate sight of him. “Justin, I didn’t expect to see you today.”

  Kat opened the screen door to let him in.

  “Where is everyone?” he asked, striding in, removing his hat and tossing it on the sofa. His ink-black hair shone almost blue-ish as sunlight trailed after him.

  “Connor’s napping and Aunt Mattie is reading in her room,” she said, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. “I was just tidying up the—”

  Justin’s expression stopped her cold. He had a devastating look on his face. Hunger burned in his eyes. Kat’s throat constricted and she took a hard swallow.

  He grabbed her hand and she didn’t protest when he led her into the kitchen. With his back to the farthest wall, he tugged her to his chest and wound his arms around her waist, planting her firmly against his taut body.

  “Oh,” she breathed quietly. “This—this isn’t a good idea.” As she said the words, her body called her a liar and softened to him immediately. And her fool heart...her heart had leaped in her chest the second she’d found him at the door.

  “Tell me about it,” he said, right before his lips claimed hers. “I’ve been thinking about you for two days, Kat. Ever since the wedding.” He gave her another kiss that she eagerly returned. “I’ve had meeting after meeting and I can’t concentrate on anything but you.” He cupped her head in his hands, using his thumbs to caress her cheeks, and stared deep into her eyes. “I’ve missed you. I came here thinking we could talk business, but the second I laid eyes on you...”

  “Mattie could walk in any second,” she was quick to point out.

  “I know.” He had a hopeless look on his face now.

  “We shouldn’t—”

  “Be quiet, Kat.” He coaxed her into silence with another passionate, intoxicating kiss. “Don’t waste what time we have.”

  She couldn’t argue with him. She’d craved him, craved seeing him again, and she hadn’t known just how badly until he’d walked into the house today.

  His mouth moved to her throat and her skin prickled when he pushed the material of her blouse aside to touch the sensitive skin there with his lips. “Oh, Justin.”

  He was aroused and determined and oh-so-hard to resist. “I need to see you again, Kat. I want to be alone with you.”

  He planted tiny kisses up and down her throat, sending her nerve endings soaring. If she wasn’t careful, his sweetly spoken words could get to her. He could fill her head with all sorts of crazy ideas. He could make her believe in a man again, after so many failures, so many disappointments.

  “Come to me tonight, Kat. Come and be with me.”

  This time his kiss was filled with persuasion, with dire unabashed want.

  How easy it would be to fall for him in a big way. But Kat had more than herself to think about. She had a son. And a dear friend who needed her. She wasn’t going to mess this up.

  She found the strength to push him away slightly, mere inches, but enough to grab his full attention. “I want that, too, bu
t it can’t be just about sex, Justin. I can’t be your horny soldier booty call. It can’t be that.”

  Justin lowered his head. His gaze went to the floor and he stared at her bare feet. She was thankful her toenails were polished cotton-candy pink.

  Then he slowly lifted his head and their gazes locked. His deep-set eyes were rich with sincerity. “That’s not what this is about, Kat. Not at all. I’m no sex-starved kid and I’m assuming you aren’t, either.”

  “Maybe just a little. With you.” Kat was dreadfully honest.

  A smile trembled at the corner of his mouth. “I think we both know how serious getting involved might be for us. We have a child together, a son that we both love. I’m not going to blow the one shot we might have at this. I think we have a chance at something here.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Or am I reading too much into what happened between us the other night?”

  Kat squeezed her eyes closed. She was about to take a giant leap of faith. “No, you’re not reading too much into it.” She focused on him now and nodded. “It was...special for me.”

  She’d connected to Justin in a way she hadn’t connected to another human being. She’d listened to him admit things that hadn’t come easy for him. He’d given her that much trust and she wanted more from him. She wanted a solid chance, but up until this point, she hadn’t believed it could happen.

  There were major forces working against them right now.

  “Is it possible?” she heard herself ask.

  “I think so.” The look he cast her wasn’t lust now, but something else, something that touched deep within her heart.

  “But how?”

  He shrugged a shoulder casually, as if the answer were simple. “We’ll start dating.”

  “Dating?” She heard surprise rise in her voice. “We can’t.”

  He hoisted her chin with the pad of his thumb so they were eye to eye. “We can. It’s a natural occurrence. Returning lonely soldier meets gorgeous young widow and child and is besotted.”

  “Besotted?” Kat laughed and Justin kissed away her amusement.

  “Humor me, okay.”

  “I thought I heard voices in here,” Aunt Mattie’s called from the parlor. “Kat, are you talking to someone?”

  Kat jumped three feet back, her eyes wide and focused on Justin’s big silly grin.

  He gathered himself up first and stepped out into the doorway to the parlor. “It’s just me, Aunt Mattie.”

  Aunt Mattie ambled a little farther into the room, just enough to spot both of them. “Oh, hello, Justin. It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect you to pay us a visit today. Did Kat tell you we’ve got several appointments this afternoon? We’re going to start remodeling the kitchen.”

  Justin gave Kat an innocent look. “No, she didn’t mention that. Actually, Kat and I were discussing something else entirely.”

  Aunt Mattie darted a look her way and then returned her attention to Justin. “Oh? Something I should know about?”

  “No!” Kat shook her head.

  “Yes, actually,” Justin said.

  Her blood pressure elevated when Justin contradicted her.

  Voice laced with enough charm to convince a mob boss to go to confession, Justin spoke directly to Aunt Mattie. “It’s something I think you should know. Something I hope you’ll take kindly to.” He bumped shoulders with Kat as he reached around her waist to draw her close. She instantly relaxed, the tension seeping out of her pores. For some reason, it felt right, even though there was potential for disaster. But Kat wasn’t a coward. She would take the risk. Besides, judging from the stubborn look on Justin’s face, there was no stopping this now.

  “Kat and I are going to start dating.”

  Aunt Mattie stared at both of them. Seconds clicked by. Kat hoped the news wouldn’t hurt Mattie. She hoped she wouldn’t feel threatened in any way.

  “Well, that’s good news, but you don’t need my permission. I’ve seen the looks you two give each other. I think I’ll go back to my room so you two can resume fooling around.”

  “Aunt Mattie!” Kat’s face flushed with heat.

  “You saw that?” Justin’s eyes beamed with admiration.

  “I’m not blind as a bat. Just got a bad ticker.”

  After Justin had a good chuckle and Kat’s embarrassment ebbed, he said, “Please don’t leave because of me. Stay. I’d like to discuss our progress on the retreat.”

  “Yes, stay and talk to us,” Kat said to Aunt Mattie. “I’ll fix lunch right after I check on Connor. He should be waking up soon.”

  “Well, all right. That sounds nice.”

  Kat left the room and returned five minutes later with a diapered, dressed Connor in her arms. She found Justin and Mattie sitting at the kitchen table. Mattie was entertaining him with tales of life on a hog farm. His gaze followed Connor and her into the room and Kat’s heart leaped again, this time seeing the love and pride Justin had for their son. “Justin, would you mind holding Connor while I get Aunt Mattie her pills and throw some lunch on the table?”

  The big strong man lowered Connor down into his arms. “Not at all. Come here, little buddy.”

  And Connor went to his daddy.

  Without complaint.

  * * *

  The screen door slapped closed behind Justin as he walked outside the Applegate house with Kat. “It’s official,” he said, taking her hand and dragging her down the porch steps. “We’re dating.”

  Her gaze darted in three different directions, looking for errant workmen who might, heaven forbid, see them holding hands. But there wasn’t a soul in sight at the moment.

  “You sort of bamboozled me into it. Like I have time for dating.”

  He didn’t try to hide the grin spreading across his face. “You’ll find time.”

  “You’re so sure of yourself.”

  “Sort of reminds me of the time when we first met. And you told me you didn’t date soldiers.”

  “You charmed the pants off me.”

  He leaned against the hood of his car, folding his arms across his chest. “I did, didn’t I?”

  Kat’s mouth turned down in a tempting pout. In a pair of light blue jeans and some kind of billowy blouse she’d probably designed, she looked sensational. She flattened her palms against his chest and shoved playfully. “You think you’re so clever. Clever Mr. Slade.”

  “I think...I’m lucky.”

  She batted her eyelashes. “Yes, well, there’s a difference between getting lucky and being lucky.”

  “I plan to do both.”

  She shook her head slowly. “Sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  He leaned forward, away from the hood. His lips hovered near her beautiful mouth. “Admit you’re glad about it.”

  She leaned back and scanned the grounds again. She nibbled nervously on her lower lip. “I’m not sure yet.”

  He clasped the back of her neck and brought her up close. Their noses touched. Hell, she smelled good. Her scent nearly killed his restraint. “You will be.” And then his lips came down on hers. He kissed her long and hard and didn’t give a damn who saw them playing house.

  After they broke apart, Kat spoke in a breathless whisper. “Why are you so darn cocky?”

  A chuckle emerged from his throat. There were things about Kat he found vastly entertaining. Her way with words, for one. And the way she’d filled out his shirt the other night, for another. “When I get you alone again, I’ll tell you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Around Kat, his willpower wouldn’t win awards, but he summoned every shred of it and set her away from him. On a sigh, he said, “You’ll have to wait and see what I have cooked up. But believe it or not, I brought you out here for another reason. There’s something I want to show you
and I need your input.”

  He’d scouted locations on the property and found a hilly rise that overlooked the entire facility—the perfect area to build a monument in Ralph and Brett’s honor. He wanted Kat’s opinion before proposing it to Aunt Mattie. “Connor is in his playpen, right? Do you think Mattie can watch him for a few minutes?”

  Kat blinked. “We have the guy from Kitchen Redo coming over in half an hour.”

  “I’ll have you back here in plenty of time. We’ll take my truck. It’s important, Kat.”

  Her brow lifted curiously. “Okay. Let me tell Aunt Mattie what’s going on. It’ll just take me a sec.”

  “Tell her it’s our first date. Then she’ll be sure to allow us time to fool around.”

  “I will not tell her that.” He caught an eyeful watching her hip action as she sauntered away. Man, oh, man. There wasn’t a woman alive who filled out a pair of jeans as well as Katherine Grady.

  Several minutes ticked by. Justin glanced at his watch, then at the front door. What was taking her? Gut instincts told him either Connor needed his mother’s attention, which happened more times than not...or something was wrong. Justin reached the porch steps when the screen door flew open. He immediately saw the look of panic on Kat’s face. “It’s Aunt Mattie. She’s having tightness in her chest and feeling weak. I have her resting on the sofa. Come inside...I can’t leave her another second.” She whipped around and went back into the house.

  Justin followed her. “I’ll call for an ambulance. Does she take nitroglycerin?”

  “Yes, I’ve given her one already. It’s almost time for the next one.”

  Connor sat in the play yard, holding his little beetle bug toy. He was occupied right now. Justin made the phone call and was assured the paramedics would be here shortly. Kat had already done all the right things, according to the dispatcher on the phone.

  He walked over to the sofa and knelt down beside Kat. She held Mattie’s hand. “Aunt Mattie, it’s Justin. You take it slow and easy now. Help is on the way.”

  “Okay.” Her eyes were closed, her voice weak. “I don’t know...what happened. I was feeling fine when I woke up this morning, just a little tired.” Moisture pooled on her forehead and at her hairline, darkening her bright red roots.