The Cowboy's Baby Blessing

by Deb Kastner

  His hand curled into a fist around his coffee mug, so tightly that Rachel was afraid the cup might shatter in his grip.

  “Where did you go? I checked the ranch and spoke with Samantha and your mother. No one knew where you were.”

  “I went to one of my mom and dad’s cabins. They didn’t even know I was there until the next day. Samantha took care of Caden for me.”

  He paused and swept in a breath.

  “I was so angry and was feeling so panicked that I was afraid I might frighten Caden if I picked him up from Samantha’s in that state. I don’t ever want Caden to feel like Daddy’s angry.”

  “It happens. Everyone needs to step back and cool off sometimes.”

  “What happened after I left? Sorry I stuck you with the check.”

  “You didn’t miss much. Jo stopped by the table and absolved us of our bill. Trish didn’t have the least interest in speaking to me, so she took off right after you did. I stayed and ate a piece of Phoebe’s famous pie.”

  “Apple?” One side of his mouth kicked up.

  “Cherry.” She raised her hand and waved it. “Guilty. Emotional eater here.”

  “Nothing wrong with pie.”

  For one beat the tension lightened, but then it came crackling back and they both instantly sobered.

  “Have you heard any more from Trish?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I don’t know whether I should be relieved or worried that she hasn’t tried to contact me.”

  “Maybe she changed her mind,” Rachel said hopefully, even though she knew better.

  “Or else she’s revving up to go full-court press on me.”

  Rachel deduced that it was a sports reference, but she didn’t know which sport. Not that it mattered. She understood the gist of it.

  “I’ve been thinking and praying about this ever since we met with her,” Rachel said.

  “Yeah. Me, too. I’ve been kicking thoughts around with my family, but we haven’t come up with much.”

  “I have a few ideas,” she ventured.

  “I thought about calling you, but frankly, I didn’t want you there.”

  “Oh.” She was confused and hurt and felt like he’d just stabbed her in the heart with a steak knife.

  “Look. I was ashamed of myself. I didn’t want you to see me after I’d acted that way.”

  “What way?”

  “Angry. Frustrated. Panicking. It was bad enough having to have my family there to see me all unwound, and they’ve known me their whole lives.”

  “I guess I understand where you’re coming from, but I want you to know there is no possible condition I could see you in that would change my perception of you,” she said, putting her whole heart into her words.

  “That’s what my mom said. My sister, too. They said I didn’t put enough confidence in you, that you were a stronger woman than I gave you credit for. They told me I was stupid for walking out of that café without you. And I guess I was.”

  It was silly, but she was beyond relieved that he’d shut her out because of his focus on maintaining her positive image of him and not because of anything she’d done—although that nonsense had to stop right now.

  So Seth was human. He got angry. Didn’t everyone?

  He was being far too hard on himself. He had good reason to be upset. Trish had managed to rattle the status quo in his life, and he had every right to be thrown by it.

  Even Rachel felt as though she were precariously balancing on a precipice.

  “Did you come up with any good ideas? What do you plan to say to Trish when you see her?”

  “That I’m getting a lawyer, I suppose, despite Trish saying she doesn’t want to go that direction. I put in a call to the lawyer who executed Luke and Tracy’s will, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it also, and I’m not sure you’re going to need a lawyer to fix this problem.”

  “Why? Just because Trish said not to bring them in? I’m going to need all the backup I can get.”

  “That much is true. But as far as Trish saying she doesn’t want lawyers involved—I think she’s showing her hand. A lot of her story doesn’t add up. Her not getting her lawyer involved is just the start of it—a major clue.”

  “How so?”

  “Don’t you think it’s odd that she wants to challenge the will but doesn’t want to bring lawyers into this? She’s pressuring you into thinking that giving Caden to her would be the best thing for you, giving you all these silly reasons that don’t make any sense. And yet she expects you’ll just hand the baby over to her and be done with it. I think she doesn’t want you going to lawyers because she knows she doesn’t have a legal case. She’s hoping you’ll just decide to give him up.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “No. And we’ll fight to keep Caden to our last penny if necessary. But think about it. If she believed she had a legal foot to stand on, don’t you think she’d have brought her lawyer front and center? She has the money and the resources, obviously. Why come herself?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Me neither. I can’t think of a single rational reason. It seems to me to be the move of a desperate woman.”

  “A crazy woman,” Seth agreed.

  Rachel brushed a lock of hair off her shoulder.

  “She didn’t even go to her sister’s funeral, never mind the reading of the will. She sent her lawyer to represent her. It was completely impersonal. And now she’s going face-to-face with you, trying to act like the loving auntie, implying that she’d be a better parent for Caden. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

  “Keep talking.”

  “I think her lawyer came back from verifying Luke and Tracy’s will and told her she had no real inheritance. I think she feels ripped off—upset that Caden got everything and she got nothing.”

  “It’s true. Caden was the major beneficiary of the will, which makes perfect sense, since he’s their only son. I’m sure Tracy left her sister some keepsakes or something.”

  “No doubt. But I don’t think keepsakes are what Trish is after.”

  “You think she’s after cash?”

  “It makes sense, doesn’t it? She clearly doesn’t care for Caden, so she’s after something else, something she thinks Caden can give her.”

  Seth scoffed and shook his head. “But it’s not like Caden’s inheritance is a big stash of money sitting in a bank. They had a little in savings and a college fund they’d started for Caden, but everything else Luke and Tracy had was wrapped up in the land. I can’t imagine Trish being any more interested in cattle than she is in toddlers.”

  “I don’t think she’s interested in the land, unless she wants to liquidate it.”

  “Which she can’t do. The land is in trust as Caden’s legacy. As his guardian, I’m supposed to keep the ranch running for his benefit. I couldn’t sell it if I wanted to, not without permission from the trustee.”

  “Good. That’s one less reason she has to pursue this madhouse scheme. Honestly, I don’t even think she’s given a thought to the ranch.”

  One corner of Seth’s lip quirked in amusement. “No, I am guessing not.”

  “Is there any way she’d be able to get her hands on Caden’s college fund?”

  “Absolutely not. No one can touch that money until Caden is old enough to attend college. Not even me. That’s all done by a trustee at the bank.” He shook his head. “But I still don’t get it. Why would she come out here thinking to take Caden for the money? Raising a child is a huge responsibility, not to mention a money drain. I can’t imagine why Trish would really want to take him on. And why would she need to if it’s money she’s after? She seems to already have more money than she knows what to do with. I’m no
connoisseur on such things, but it looks to me like she dresses in some pretty fancy, high-priced clothes. And she rode into town in a stretch limo, for crying out loud. She’s got to be loaded.”

  “Maybe,” Rachel agreed. “But looks can be deceiving. She’s clearly desperate, and if it has nothing to do with Caden’s well-being, then it almost has to be about money. She hasn’t thought this all the way through, because I can’t imagine her wanting to be saddled with a baby, even to get her hands on his trust fund. Maybe she just wants to make a point and then threaten you into giving her what she wants without the baby changing hands.”

  “What she wants? You mean like a bribe?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t think of any reason why she would make the effort to fly across the country and try to settle with you on her own other than something to do with the almighty dollar. It could be that the rich just want to get richer, although it’s strange that she’d go to all this trouble if she’s already loaded.”

  “Wow. You really have thought it through. One thing I admire about you—you have a special sense about people. You’re empathetic. I think you may have hit the nail on the head about Trish coming out here trying to wrest Caden’s trust fund from him.”

  “If that’s the case, then she’s following a dead-end trail and she doesn’t even know it,” Rachel pointed out. “What we have to do now is make her realize that on her own. I don’t think talking to her is going to be good enough to get it through that thick head of hers, especially when she thinks she has a bargaining chip in being Caden’s blood aunt.”

  He clicked his tongue against his teeth and chuckled. “Why do I have the feeling you’ve already got an idea formed in that wonderful, brilliant mind of yours?”

  “I might,” she said, teasing him. “But I have to prepare snacks before I get the kids up from their naps and things are going to get kind of hectic from this point on. Do you think we could meet with your family tonight, say about seven o’clock, at your folks’ lodge? I’ll explain my plan in detail then and we can get everyone’s take on it. If I’m right, Trish may decide to turn tail and head back to the big city on her own.”

  “And good riddance. But you’re not going to give me any hints?”

  She smiled mischievously. “Not a one.”

  “Fine. Dangle the carrot and then make me wait. That’s cruel and unusual punishment, you know.”

  She laughed and bobbed her eyebrows. “It’ll be worth the wait, I promise you.”

  “I believe you, sweetheart. I’ll see you tonight.”

  * * *

  Seth paced back and forth across the polished oak hardwood floor in the main lodge of his parents’ bed-and-breakfast, eager for the family meeting to start.

  He’d teased Rachel about dangling a carrot, and it had seemed funny at the time, but now it was driving him stir-crazy knowing she had an idea about how to keep Trish from taking Caden away but not knowing what it was.

  It was raining cats and dogs outside, but, ignoring both the storm and the mud that caked to his shoes, he’d already taken a long run down one of the nearby trails.

  Twice.

  Will and Samantha and the children were playing a board game in one corner of the guest lobby, while his parents puttered around with the never-ending projects that made their bed-and-breakfast such a big hit in the local area and beyond.

  He was debating setting off on a third run when Rachel appeared at the door, wiping her feet on the mat before removing her rain boots and folding her umbrella.

  “Finally,” he said, rushing up to her and taking her by the elbow. “My mom has snacks set up at their kitchen table. Everyone is anxious to hear what you have in mind.”

  And by everyone, he meant himself.

  Rachel chuckled and pulled back. “At least let me take off my raincoat first.”

  He assisted her, gentleman that he was, and hung the coat on the rack, then ushered her into the kitchen, where the rest of the adults gathered, leaving the kids to play together.

  “As you all know, we’ve been dialoguing on the situation with Trish,” Seth said by way of opening. “In short, we both see clues that lead us to believe she isn’t quite who she says she is.”

  “She’s not really Caden’s aunt?” Will asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “I thought that was a given.”

  “No, no. She’s unquestionably Tracy’s sister,” Seth said.

  “When we met with her,” Rachel said, jumping in before the conversation went offtrack, “she tried several different tacks to persuade Seth that he didn’t really want the responsibility of Caden’s guardianship and that he should simply hand Caden over to her.”

  “Which I told her in no uncertain terms was never going to happen. I wouldn’t give Caden up for anything.”

  “Not even the chance to go see more live sports games, which truly is impressive,” Rachel teased, winking at Seth. His family laughed.

  “She made all of these really lame arguments in favor of me retaining my bachelor status,” Seth explained, “but I shut her down, at least at first.”

  “And then came a really strange stipulation,” Rachel said, picking up the thread again. “She expected that Seth would buy into her arguments about Caden and that he’d want to hand over his guardianship of the boy, but she didn’t want to get any lawyers involved.”

  “Well, that’s ridiculous,” said Samuel, shaking his head. “Impossible. Seth is Caden’s legal guardian. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t just pass Caden off to her like a football.”

  “Which I don’t,” Seth grumbled.

  Amanda put her hand on Seth’s shoulder. “We know you love Caden, son. You don’t have to keep reminding us.”

  “I know. I just get riled up every time I think about some of the things that woman said.”

  “Back to the lawyers?” Samantha suggested.

  “It seemed an odd request for Trish to make,” Rachel continued. “If she thought she could contest the will through the court system and win, she would have sent along one of her high-priced lawyers. I’m guessing the lawyer she sent to the reading of Tracy’s will has already told her that Caden’s guardianship is securely locked up in Seth.”

  “Which is why she flew across the country to do this herself.” Seth scoffed. “I believe she honestly thought, at least at first, that I could be easily talked out of caring for Caden.”

  Samantha snorted. “As if that woman has any interest at all in Caden’s well-being.”

  “None of us believe that she does,” said Amanda.

  Rachel nodded. “So Seth and I asked ourselves—if her interest doesn’t really lie with Caden, then why is she here?”

  “The answer is money,” Seth said. “We think she wants to try to claim Caden’s inheritance.”

  “Preposterous,” Samuel said with a huff of breath.

  “Why would she need money?” Samantha asked. “Her purse alone is worth more than I make in a month at the grocery store.”

  “This is the part we’re a little iffy on,” Rachel admitted. “All we can do at this point is make an educated guess. Maybe it’s just a grudge, because she thinks the will was unfair? In her view, she got nothing from Tracy, and Caden got everything.”

  “Of course he got everything,” Amanda said, appalled. “He’s their son.”

  “Obviously, we don’t know what her financial situation is like,” Rachel said. “It could be that she’s just greedy and wants everything for herself. It could also be that she’s not as well-to-do as she would have everyone believe.”

  “We all know that Caden’s inheritance is tied up in Hollister ranch land,” Seth said. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to have anything to do with cows. And if she’s looking at Caden’s trust fund, she’ll have to look elsewhere, because that money belongs to him. No one
can touch it. Not even his guardian.”

  “So basically what you’re saying is she’s going on a wild-goose chase,” Samuel said. “Taking on Caden’s guardianship is a financial liability.”

  “Not to me,” said Seth. “But to her? Yeah.”

  “So—you think if she is in possession of the full picture, she won’t try to take Caden from you?” Amanda asked.

  “It might take a little more coercing than that,” Rachel suggested. “I’m not sure simply talking to Trish is going to do any good. But I thought maybe if we showed her, she might be less inclined to pursue this current line of reasoning.”

  “And now Rachel is going to tell us how we are going to do that,” Seth said, hoping she truly had a solution up her sleeve. Because he agreed with her that talking to Trish would get them nowhere.

  “I say we give her a little taste of what her future would look like should she take over Caden’s guardianship. There’s a little risk involved, but I think it’s our best play.”

  “This isn’t a Hail Mary, is it?” Seth said, his throat closing around his breath.

  He didn’t even like the word risk. Not when Caden was involved.

  “I don’t know what that is, but I’m guessing you’re not talking about a prayer, are you?”

  Samantha laughed. “Leave it to my baby brother to couch his sentences in football terms.”

  Rachel smiled and shrugged. “Sorry, not my game.”

  Seth rolled his eyes. “Rachel doesn’t have a game.”

  “But she has game, which is far more important, right, Rachel?”

  “I should think so,” Rachel said. “Now, what’s a Hail Mary?”

  “Sometimes in the last few seconds of play, if a team is losing but could potentially win with a touchdown and they are too far downfield to execute a normal play, then the quarterback—that’s the guy who throws the ball—throws it as hard and as far as he can and hopes that one of his receivers can get upfield fast enough to catch the ball and make a touchdown,” Seth explained. “Needless to say, that doesn’t work very often.”