Colton's Cowboy Code

by Melissa Cutler

  She barely made it to the powder room on the first floor in time, and didn’t manage to get the door closed or the fan on before the water she’d had to drink decided to come back up.

  “Oh, dear. Morning sickness?”

  Hannah didn’t yet trust herself to raise her face from over the toilet, but she recognized Edith’s kind voice.

  “It’s more about the food than the time of day, but yes. That’s exactly it.”

  “Brett specifically requested bacon in this morning’s meal because you like it, so I’m assuming that’s not what made you queasy.”

  “Not the bacon. It was the eggs and coffee.” She gagged again at the thought, then pressed a tissue over her nose and mouth.

  A hand stroked her hair. “Poor dear. From now on, you can rest assured I won’t be fixing eggs again. The Coltons do love their coffee, but I’ll figure out a way to prepare it somewhere you won’t be able to smell it.”

  Hannah sat back on her heels. “I’ll get some crackers for my room to eat first thing in the morning so I’m not walking around with an empty stomach. That’s helped in the past. There’s no need to put you and the Coltons out like that by moving breakfast.”

  “Nonsense. We don’t mind,” Brett said, hovering in the doorway behind Edith. “Are you okay, Hannah?”

  Hannah hid her face, wishing Brett wouldn’t see her in such a pathetic state. Edith must have sensed her unease because she shooed Brett away.

  Edith sidestepped, shielding Hannah from view. “She’s just fine. Morning sickness is all. Perfectly normal. All we need is a few minutes of girl time and then I’ll bring her out.”

  “Are you sure, Hannah? There isn’t anything I can help with in here? A glass of water or something?”

  Hannah watched Edith corral him out the door. “Bless your heart. We’ve got everything under control in here, but you know what you can do? Tell the others that you’ve all got about three minutes to finish your eggs and coffee, then we’ll have the rest of breakfast on the porch. No eggs or coffee or else you’ll have to answer to me.”

  “But—”

  The door shut with a decisive click, leaving no time for Brett to question the order.

  “He’s so sweet,” Hannah said, sounding as miserable as she felt.

  “Yes, he is. Don’t let word get around, but between you, me and the wallpaper, I’ve always had a particular soft spot for Brett.”

  It was official. Next to Brett, Edith was Hannah’s favorite person on the ranch.

  Edith retrieved a washcloth from the cabinet under the sink and wet it. “Usually, I set up a breakfast buffet in the kitchen so the Coltons and their employees can eat when they get the chance. The Lucky C is a working ranch, so most everyone is up before the sun.” She pressed the washcloth to Hannah’s forehead. “But this morning, Brett didn’t want you dining alone, so he stuck around the house. And I’ve got to warn you, Big J and Jack, Brett’s brother, have let their curiosity get the better of them. They’re out there, too.”

  “I’m not fit to meet anybody right now.”

  “Nonsense. We’ll have you fixed up in no time. And to avoid the bad smells, we’ll move breakfast out to the porch.”

  “I don’t want to put you and the Coltons out by changing their breakfast routine.”

  With a tsk of protest at Hannah’s comment, she gathered Hannah’s hair, then moved the washcloth to the back of her neck. “Brett told me yesterday that your comfort and needs are my first priorities. Not that I needed him to tell me that, because I’d already arrived at that conclusion on my own.”

  With Edith’s aid, Hannah stood. She blew her nose, then brushed off her knees.

  Edith smoothed Hannah’s hair, then reached for a tissue. “For your eyes. Your mascara’s running.”

  From seemingly out of thin air, Edith produced a compact of powder and a brush, then doted on Hannah’s face and hair for another few minutes, making her feel thoroughly cared for. Like a good mom, she thought with a private smile. Like the kind of mom Hannah wanted to be. So full of love that her children would never doubt that they were the center of Hannah’s universe, or that her love for them was unconditional.

  “Thank you for all your kindness. I’ve been kind of lost lately.”

  “Then it’s a good thing Brett found you and brought you home.”

  Home. Hannah had been at the Lucky C for less than a day, but she already knew that this home was nothing like the house she grew up in. Her baby was going to thrive here, and Hannah would, too.

  “Brett told me you had a big part in raising him and his brothers and sister. I can see how you’re like a mother to everyone around here. And I bet you’re going to be a great honorary grandma for this baby.” Realizing how dismissive that sounded about Brett’s actual mother, she added, “No offense to Abra, of course.”

  Edith took to fussing over Hannah’s outfit. “Oh, I don’t think Abra would take offense. She was the first to admit to her delicate constitution and her inability to tolerate children.”

  The assessment of Abra had been given in a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for questions. After the hints that Brett had dropped about his strained relationship with his mother, it came as no surprise that his mother had neglected the family when he was growing up, or that Edith had filled that role for the Colton kids. In fact, she was certain that Edith got a lot of credit for Brett’s turning out to be such a good man.

  “As for me,” Edith continued, “I never had children or a family of my own, and being a part of the Colton family has brought me so much happiness. I can’t wait to meet your little bundle of joy. Being considered one of his grandmothers would be an honor, indeed.”

  Linked arm in arm, Edith and Hannah walked from the powder room, skirting the foyer in the direction of a short hall, with Hannah holding her breath.

  “Another five steps and we’ll be at the nearest exit. You’ve got this,” Edith whispered.

  Edith walked her to a service hall and through a door that opened onto the wraparound porch. Hannah gulped in a huge breath of fresh air, not minding the singular aromas of the ranch’s livestock and dried grasses and dust. The scents reminded her of her parents’ shop when she first unlocked the doors in the morning, when the scent of livestock feed and the lemony soap she used to mop the hardwood floors the night before hung heavy and concentrated in the stuffy room.

  Good thing those didn’t activate her morning sickness or she’d be plumb out of luck. She released her grip on Edith and straightened. Her stomach was still unsettled, but the nausea was manageable.

  “Better?” Edith asked.

  “Much. Thank you.”

  The two women walked along the porch to the front of the house where Brett sat with two men who looked strikingly like the ones she’d seen from the dining room the night before. Brett’s father—whom she guessed was the man who looked as she imagined Brett would in thirty years—and his older brother Jack, who was maybe ten years Brett’s senior, and had the same proud jaw and shape of his nose as Brett and his father.

  Brett stood upon seeing them, looking concerned.

  Hannah waved away his worry. “Just morning sickness.”

  “I’m glad that’s all it is, but that still stinks.” He offered her the chair next to his.

  “Tell me about it. I’m sorry y’all had to move out here. I told Edith you didn’t have to.”

  “Nonsense. Of course we did,” the older man said in a booming, jovial voice. “I wouldn’t dream of going against one of Edith’s mandates.” He held his hand out. “Name’s Big J. Brett’s dad.”

  She stretched her arm over the table and shook his hand. His smile was broad and genuine. She felt as if she already knew him, he looked so similar to Brett. And he was just as charming, too.

  “I can see where Brett gets it,” she
said.

  Big J puffed his chest out, hamming it up. “What, this striking and rugged silhouette?”

  She chuckled. “No, the charm.”

  “Well, we’ve got a lot of that, too, don’t we, son?”

  “Yes, sir. For better or worse.” As his dad chuckled, Brett gestured to the other gentleman. “And, Hannah, this is my brother Jack.”

  After Hannah shook his hand, Edith patted her shoulders. “I’ll bring you bacon, toast and orange juice straight away.”

  “Thank you, Edith. You’re a lifesaver.”

  The view from the porch stretched over the land in the same direction as the windows and balcony of Hannah’s bedroom suite, facing the cluster of ranch buildings, feed sheds, corrals and stables that looked to be the heart of the ranch’s business. Her gaze settled on two men working a forklift, moving bales of alfalfa.

  She could feel Big J’s and Jack’s gazes on her, drawing conclusions, testing her motives. She wondered if it’d been either of them who’d referred to her as the “good-time girl of the week.”

  No, Hannah. That’s a toxic way of thinking. That was her parents’ vitriol oozing out. She had nothing to be ashamed of, and she shouldn’t care what Brett’s family thought about her. So far, everyone had been lovely, and even if they weren’t, what did it matter? She and Brett were committed to coparenting this baby, so his family and the ranch’s workers were just going to have to learn to live with her in their lives.

  Thusly resolved, she shifted her gaze away from the view and smiled at Big J. “Again, I’m really sorry that y’all had to move because of me. The smell of coffee and eggs activates my morning sickness.”

  “We really didn’t mind,” Brett said.

  “When my ex was pregnant with my Seth, she had terrible morning sickness at first, but it went away after a few months.”

  “I’m still waiting for that blessed day. The books say I should be over it any time now. Either way, I’m looking forward to getting to work after breakfast.”

  Brett draped an arm across the back of her chair. “Like I told you yesterday, you don’t have to work today. You should just take it easy.”

  “I know, but I’d like to work. I’ve been really bored the past few months, not getting to use everything I learned in school.”

  Brett pursed his lips. “I’d rather you rest.”

  “So you’re saying that the ranch doesn’t need help with the books?”

  “Careful there, Brett,” came a drawl from beyond the porch. “Never get into a war of semantics with a woman.” Rafe Sinclair’s head popped into view, all smiles and greasy charm. He propped his elbows on the rails and his boot on the porch and winked at Hannah. “Especially one who’s got a bat in the cave. Am I right, Jack?”

  It got Hannah’s defenses up to have Rafe interrupting breakfast, though she wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t exactly lecherous, but he rubbed her the wrong way, and not just because he was impeded by a sexist state of mind.

  “A bat in the cave?” Jack said through a chuckle. “That’s a new one. How’s it going, Rafe?” The two men shook like old friends.

  Rafe turned his attention back to Hannah, tipping his hat. “Morning, Miz Grayson.”

  “You two have met?” Big J said.

  Hannah couldn’t bring herself to smile, per se. “Yesterday. He was a member of the welcoming committee.”

  Big J tipped back in his chair and chuckled. “Rafe here is smart enough to greet a pretty lady when she comes around, aren’t you, Rafe?”

  Rafe’s gaze flickered over Hannah’s body. “Yes, sir.”

  Brett’s arm settled on Hannah’s shoulders, not possessively, per se, but protective, as though Rafe put his defenses on alert, too.

  “Unlike your ‘bat cave’ reference, Rafe, I prefer the term ‘bun in the oven,’” Big J said with a wink to Hannah that was light-years different from the wink Rafe had sent her.

  Edith set a plate of bacon, toast and fruit in front of Hannah. “I was a candy striper at a hospital before coming to work here, and one of the obstetricians who also worked there was from England. She called it being ‘in the pudding club.’”

  Hannah smiled, though she was still unsettled by Rafe’s presence. “That’s ridiculous.”

  Big J gave a hoot of a laugh. “Yeah, but I can see the merits of organizing a club of like-minded pudding lovers.”

  “How about ‘pea in the pod’?” Brett said. “That’s my favorite, except that our baby is way bigger than a pea already.” It could have been Hannah’s imagination, but Brett had seemed to stress the words our baby. Another subtle warning to Rafe?

  Whether it was or not, Rafe pushed off from the rail. “I’ll let y’all get back to your breakfast.” To Big J, he added, “I just swung by to see if you needed me today, boss.”

  Big J scratched his neck, considering. “I reckon I don’t, but thanks all the same. Look here—our Hannah is a bona fide accountant now. This little lady’s gonna have everything under control in a flash, aren’t you, darlin’? Better than you or I could manage, I can tell already.”

  Rafe’s eyebrows flickered and he gave a mild nod, probably still trying to assimilate the idea in his Neanderthal mind that a woman was capable of reading spreadsheets. “Congratulations again on your new job, Miz Grayson. And good luck. Don’t let Big J boss you around too much.” With a tip of his hat, he set off with a cowboy swagger along the dirt road.

  With Rafe gone, Hannah dug into her breakfast with unapologetic zeal. As Edith had said the day before, she had a pregnancy pass to indulge in a temporary food obsession.

  “What’s your plan for today, Hannah?” Big J said. “Is Brett gonna give you the grand tour of this place or am I gonna get you set up in the office?”

  “My vote’s on tour. You deserve a little R & R,” Brett said.

  Hannah gave him a chiding smile. “The tour can wait until this weekend. I’m used to keeping busy and these past few months without work have been maddening. Nothing but R & R. Besides, the reason I’m here at the Lucky C is to work, right?”

  “Right,” Brett said, his expression shuttered and his tone flat. “Exactly.”

  Brett and Big J flickered a look at each other that Hannah had no problem interpreting. Her accountant job wasn’t the reason she was at the ranch, and everybody knew it, including Hannah. She was smart enough to be aware that her excellent qualifications as a CPA weren’t the reason Brett hadn’t offered her the job. Just like she was smart enough to know that housing wasn’t a typical perk that came with most of the jobs at the Lucky C.

  Brett might be determined to provide for her and the baby, but she was equally determined to earn her keep, quash rumors of her being a gold digger and help the Coltons out while she was at it. Before she could second-guess herself, she was turning to Brett’s father. “Brett told me that you’ve been handling the ranch’s finances, but I can help free up your time to be with your wife and your grandson. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity to put the accounting degree I broke the bank to get to good use.”

  Big J chuffed at that. “Opportunity? My son knocked you up.”

  “Pops, please,” Brett growled.

  Hannah set a hand on Mr. Colton’s arm. “There were two of us there that night to share the responsibility, so don’t be so hard on Brett.”

  “Or else what?” They were fighting words, save for the twinkle in Big J’s eyes and the benevolent way he patted her hand.

  She decided to assume he was teasing her and run with it. “Or else I’m going to be forced to defend Brett’s honor. And I don’t think you want to be messing with the likes of me. I can be pretty ferocious, bat in my cave and all.”

  Everyone at the table chuckled at that, just as she’d hoped.

  One of Big J’s dinner-plate-sized hands closed over hers. He tip
ped back in his chair to meet Brett’s gaze, his eyes dancing. “I like this one.”

  One side of Brett’s lips kicked up in a lopsided smile that turned her legs to rubber every time. “Me, too.”

  Big J stood and tossed his napkin on the table. “And since the books at the ranch are my job—or, were—then I say, if you want to work, then let’s go get to work.” He offered Hannah his arm.

  Hannah stood, grinning and so darned relieved to have been accepted by Brett’s dad that she didn’t care what happened the rest of the day. Even Jack seemed lighter and less judgy than when she’d first walked onto the porch. “I’d be delighted.”

  * * *

  As the chorus of voices chatting downstairs grew louder with each Colton family member who arrived for dinner, Brett’s nerves kicked up. Really, there was no good reason to be nervous about introducing Hannah to the rest of his family, not after her introduction to his dad and Jack had gone a lot better than he’d anticipated. In general, Jack was by far the most critical of Brett’s choices, and he’d thought Jack would be the slowest person to warm to Hannah, but she’d made short work of winning both him and Dad over.

  Even still, his stomach was full of butterflies when he knocked on the door of Hannah’s bedroom suite. She opened it wearing a blue dress that accentuated her creamy skin and black hair and had him doing a double take, she looked so pretty.

  “You look fantastic. I like that dress.”

  She patted the fancy braid in her hair self-consciously. “I swear, Maria and Edith are like a pair of fairy godmothers. Edith helped me with my hair and Maria brought me a huge bin of maternity clothes that’d belonged to her cousin.”

  He hadn’t meant to touch her, not after their conversation the night before and the now-constant battle he was waging with himself to keep from kissing her, but before he could stop himself, he molded his hand to the curve of her waist and bussed her cheek. “I’m glad they’re taking good care of you. I want to make sure you feel safe and happy here.”