A Child for Cade

by Patricia Thayer

  “What can I do to help?” Chance asked.

  “I was hoping you’d ask. Think you could handle another stud in your stable for a while?”

  “What stud?”

  “Midnight Dancer?”

  Chance’s eyes rounded. “Are you kidding? That horse has an impeccable bloodline.”

  “Do you think you could spread the word that he’s available?”

  “No problem. Why don’t you and Abby come over to the house tonight? We can talk about this some more.”

  “No need. I’m handling the Moreau ranch business now. You can deal with me.”

  Chance raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t it just be considerate to include Abby?”

  At the moment Cade didn’t want to be anywhere near Abby. His anger was still so out of control he was afraid he’d say something he’d regret. But the truth was they had a son together, and he would have to spend some time with her. “Okay, I’ll bring her along, but warn Joy not to try anything.”

  Chance didn’t hide his grin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, God, save me from people in love.” Cade turned and stalked off. It was envy, pure and simple. He wanted what his brother had, but a long time ago Abby had made sure he would never have it.

  Abby pulled into the driveway about eight-thirty that evening. She shut off the engine and fluffed her hair to make sure she was presentable. She was crazy to even care. Cade hated her so much he could hardly stand to be around her. He wouldn’t notice she was wearing a royal-blue blouse. His favorite color. He’d said blue turned her eyes aquamarine. A thrill rushed through her body as she remembered how Cade had always made her feel beautiful.

  But that had been so long ago. Joel’s cruelty had almost washed away those sweet memories. Nothing had ever pleased her husband. She had never looked good enough, could never dress elegantly enough for the wife of a bank executive. Abby winced, still able to feel the blows as Joel struck her once, twice. A whimper escaped her, then a cry. She didn’t even notice the tears until she heard her name.

  “Abby…”

  She jerked her head toward the window and found Cade. He was leaning against her car, looking confused. “Cade, you startled me.” She glanced away and quickly wiped her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” His voice held concern, but she knew better.

  “I’m fine. Just tired.” Masking her emotions, she opened the door and climbed out of the car. “I’d like to get this over with quickly.” She didn’t want to be with Cade any more than he wanted to be with her.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Cade took her elbow and led her up to the porch, where they were met at the door by Chance and his wife.

  “Welcome,” Joy said with a warm smile.

  Chance pushed open the screen door, and they walked into the large entry with its polished hardwood floor covered partly with an area rug. At the end of the entry was a staircase with newel posts and wheat-colored carpeting.

  “Why don’t we go into the dining room?” Joy suggested. “It’s about the only place in the house that isn’t torn apart from the remodeling.”

  Abby went with Joy, and the two brothers followed. The large room was papered in a rose-and-green print, and the long mahogany table was surrounded by six high-back chairs.

  “It’s beautiful,” Abby said, knowing that every piece of furniture was most likely an antique.

  “Thanks, but I had nothing to do with this. My aunt Lillian left me the house and all the furnishings. Chance and I just cleaned and polished a little to find the beauty underneath.”

  “Chance, you wanted to discuss Midnight Dancer,” Cade said, pulling them right to the reason for their visit.

  With a frown at his brother, Chance went to the head of the table. The brothers resembled each other, but Chance’s hair was lighter. “Please sit down, Abby,” he invited. “Cade mentioned you were thinking about putting the stallion out to stud?”

  Everyone sat, and Abby shot a quick glance at Cade. “He thinks it can make some money for the ranch.” She was finished being embarrassed. “And as you must know, I can use some fast cash.”

  “Ranching is a tough business,” Chance said. “We all run into problems. So if we can help…” He smiled and looked at his wife. The love between them was evident with every glance.

  “I appreciate that. But right now I’d be happy if you could help me with Midnight Dancer.”

  “That’s all I wanted to hear,” Chance said. “I made some calls today and already have two people interested.” He opened a file on the table and handed her what appeared to be a contract. “I don’t usually board studs, preferring to keep to my own stock, but I’ll take Dancer and handle his breeding for a percentage of the fee.”

  Abby glanced down at the enormous stud fee and stopped breathing. “You can get this much?”

  Chance nodded. “If you sign the contract, I’ll have the mares here as soon as they’re ready.”

  Abby handed Cade the contract. “What do you think?”

  “It’s a fair deal,” he agreed. “And it’s fast cash, which is the important thing. How do you think Brandon will feel about this?”

  Abby was touched that he asked about her son—correction, their son. “I don’t know. This is a lot better than having to sell Dancer.”

  Chance spoke up. “If it ever comes to that, I’d like to have first chance to buy him. He’s a magnificent animal.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Cade said. “Dancer is Brandon’s, and I’ll make sure that never changes.”

  Abby was quickly becoming angry. Cade might have rights, but she didn’t like him forcing his way into their lives. She turned back to Chance. “Okay, I’ll do it.” She took the pen and signed.

  Just then a baby’s soft cries came from the monitor on the table. “Looks like our daughter needs some attention.” Joy stood and started to leave, then turned to Abby. “Would you like to see Katie?”

  “I’d love to,” Abby said, and followed Joy out of the room.

  Cade watched the two go, unable to read Abby’s thoughts. Did she understand they had a lot more work to do to save the ranch? This was a good start. He turned back to his brother. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this.”

  Chance shrugged. “No problem. In fact, I should be thanking you. This might be a new business venture for me.” His eyebrows drew together. “What about you, bro? How are you doing?”

  Cade stood. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to get used to the idea of being a father. It’s like I’ve been sucker-punched in the gut.”

  “I know. None of this can be easy. Just remember Brandon needs you. He’s pretty much been left out in the cold in the father department. I know Tom Moreau was around, but he’s gone now.” A smiled appeared on Chance’s face. “And that kid is real taken with you. Just a little suggestion. Be careful how you act around Abby. She is Brandon’s mother, and he’s very protective of her. Must be the Randell in him. And you know how we’ve always watched out for each other.”

  Brandon Randell, Cade thought. “When all this is straightened out, I want my son to have our name. Of course, I don’t know if that would be a good idea. Some people still connect our name to trouble.”

  “I used to think that, too,” Chance said. “But there’s another generation of Randells now. Brandon and Katie. We have to be the ones to teach them to be proud of where they came from. Now come on, smile. You have a son.”

  Cade felt his emotions surface. He was proud of that little guy. “You’re right.”

  “Damn straight I am. He’s a good-looking boy, but not as cute as my princess. Come on, let’s go see her.”

  They climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to the nursery. Inside they found the ladies, but it wasn’t Joy holding the baby. Abby sat in the rocking chair with little Katie snuggled against her breast.

  A fierce pain shot through Cade’s heart as he thought about all the years he’d missed with his son. He’d never gotten to see his son suckl
e at his mother’s breast or watch him take his first steps or hear him say his first word.

  And it hurt. More than he’d ever imagined it could.

  Cade was exhausted, but he kept the cows moving. The past two days he’d spent working with Chance at his ranch, and then in the evenings he went to the Moreau ranch. He had told Abby straight out that he wanted time with his son, and she had agreed. She even gave the two of them time alone to get to know each other.

  Chance rode up next to him. “When are you going back to Chicago?”

  Cade tugged the reins and slowed his mount, careful to stay with the group of stray cows. “Trying to get rid of me? But hey, if you don’t need me, I can go help Hank.”

  “I didn’t say that, Bro, but this can’t be much of a vacation for you.”

  “I’m not on vacation any longer.”

  “And you’re not a rancher, either.” Chance pushed back his hat and squinted at the hot sun. “Don’t you want to spend this time with Brandon?”

  “Brandon is at day camp. I’ll see him tonight when he gets home.”

  “How have things been between you and Abby?”

  “There’s nothing between me and Abby and never will be. Outside of business we have nothing to talk about.”

  “Sure,” Chance said. “I’d say you’re running scared. You’ve also been itching for a fight ever since you first saw Abby at the party.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “She still gets to you, doesn’t she? That’s the reason you can’t face being alone with her.”

  “I’d say I have plenty of reasons not to want to see Abby. For one, she kept my son from me. And if I hadn’t found out about Brandon myself, she’d still be keeping him a secret.”

  “I’m not saying what Abby did was right,” Chance said, “but because you two share a son, you have to find a way to get past the anger.”

  Cade stared at the open plains, listened to the cattle bawling as they wandered toward the pasture. He was hot, sweaty and smelled of cows. And he realized he’d missed it. The land had been hard to work, but there was satisfaction in completing the task. Most of all, he wanted to be around to see Brandon grow up. He knew too well what it was like without a dad. But seeing Abby… “I don’t know if I can.”

  Chance leaned a gloved hand on his saddle horn. “Give yourself some time. This father stuff is new. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Oh, yeah, you have so much experience,” Cade teased. “How old is Katie—two months?”

  “Close to, and she adores me,” Chance bragged.

  “All I know is that your wife and child sure have sweetened your disposition.”

  Chance grinned. “You should try it.”

  “You want me to start something up with Abby?”

  “Like you haven’t had the hots for her since tenth grade.”

  “I’m not an oversexed teenager any longer.” But Cade knew that Abby Garson could tempt a saint.

  “Then concentrate on a relationship with your son.”

  “That’s all I want,” Cade said, trying to convince himself as much as his brother.

  Chapter Five

  A few days later Cade glanced around the Circle B’s kitchen table. Hank and Ella were there, as well as Joy and Chance. Cade had already told everyone about Brandon being his son but made them promise to keep the news to themselves for a while.

  “I called the family together because I need your help.”

  Hank smiled. “If this is about Brandon, we already consider him family.”

  “Thanks, Hank,” Cade said. “That means a lot to me.”

  “Well, he’s a sweet boy,” the housekeeper added. “I’m going to plan a big party to welcome him to the family.”

  Cade raised his hand. “Hold that thought, Ella.” He smiled at the housekeeper. “But you’ll be the first to know when the time comes. Right now, there are other things I need to deal with. The Moreau ranch. Seems Tom left a hefty debt for Abby.” He glanced around the room, not seeing any surprised looks. “I’ve been going over the books, trying to find something that will give Abby some fast cash. Selling her herd seems to be the best way to do that. So we need to have a roundup.”

  “How soon do you want us?” Chance asked.

  Cade wasn’t surprised by his brother’s response. “As soon as possible. I was thinking this weekend, if that’s not too-short notice.”

  Hank leaned back in his chair. “Son, I’m willing to help out, but selling a few head of cattle won’t take care of Tom’s debt.”

  “I know, Hank. I’ve also listed some Moreau real estate, hoping it’ll sell fast.” Cade sighed, knowing this was all an uphill battle. “My big concern is Garson and the bank note. I doubt he’s going to be real helpful to his ex-wife.”

  Hank shook his head. “Tom sure left that gal with a mess. Is Abby going to try and rebuild the ranch?”

  Cade shrugged. “It’s possible, if done right. But it’s going to take a long time. That’s why I wanted to toss out an idea I’ve been mulling over. I’ve read about ranchers who turn part of their land into nature retreats.”

  Cade received only blank stares as responses but continued, “Around here, there’s enough wildlife to make an attractive vacation spot. A lot of people want time away from the city and their busy lives. They want to come to a quiet place. I was thinking about using the part of the Moreau ranch that borders Mustang Valley.”

  Cade swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his bounds when he asked, “Hank, I was wondering if you’d be interested in going along with this. It could be a good business venture. Your strip of property along the other side of the creek would be perfect,” he said, then hurried on. “The only changes we’d make to the land would be hiking trails and some guest cabins. And I’ll front the money to have them built. Mustang Valley could be a great draw.”

  Hank frowned. “Wouldn’t that bring a lot of traffic and people into that area?”

  “Not if we don’t want. We’ll protect the land. Take our time. We can do as much or as little as we want. A few cabins, add more later if this works. We won’t allow cars in the area, only horses and bicycles and hikers—people these days are into walking. Nature lovers and birders would have a heyday in the valley. Believe me, this could be a money-maker.” He looked at Joy and Chance. “Your ranch is just beyond the valley, but we could include the strip along the small lake. Then we can offer swimming and fishing. And so it doesn’t interfere with our family’s privacy, you can reserve a month where we have the area to ourselves.”

  Joy’s blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Chance. “I would like to see some improvements at the lake so we could take Katie there when she’s older.” She turned back to Cade. “How does Abby feel about this?”

  “I haven’t approached her with the idea yet because I wanted you all to have a chance to think about it first. I know what the valley means to all of us, and I’d never do anything to jeopardize that.”

  Finally Chance spoke up, “So you think a…nature retreat can generate enough income to save the Moreau ranch?”

  “Not by itself,” Cade said. “Abby will have to lease out some of her grazing land for a while. I’m also going to talk to her about eventually expanding the entire operation into a working guest ranch.”

  “Unbelievable,” Hank said, shaking his head. “You think city people will pay to work on a ranch?”

  Cade nodded. “Yeah, I do. In Chicago, my coworkers thought my life in the ‘Wild West’ was a lot more interesting than working in an office.” He grinned. “With the help of the Internet, we can advertise all over the country. The world, even.”

  Hank didn’t say anything for a long time, then he finally stood. “Since my birthday, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’d planned to wait until Travis made it home again, but I guess this is as good a time as any.” He drew a breath, and Cade stole a glance at his brother, seeing worry mirrored on his face.

  “I’m get
ting too old to handle the ranch on my own.” His soft hazel eyes met Cade and Chance. “You boys have been my only family—like my own sons. So I decided to sign over the Circle B to you three. You all can decide about this nature-retreat stuff.”

  Cade swallowed. “Hank, I never expected… I never meant for you to give away the land.”

  Hank grinned. “If it’ll bring all you boys home, I’ll wish I’d done it years ago. I think I may just enjoy being retired. Gives me time to spoil the grandkids.” He turned and walked out of the room.

  The room was silent after Hank’s news. Cade glanced at Chance. His older brother looked just as confused as he felt. “I guess,” Chance said, “we should call Travis and see how he feels about this.”

  Yeah, Cade would like to talk to Travis again. Since his younger brother had left town, Cade had only been able to reach his answering machine, and Travis hadn’t returned his calls. Maybe Chance would have better luck.

  “Yeah, you do that,” Cade said. “And I better go see Abby.” A sudden excitement raced through him. He was home, and this time he was staying. He was going to build a life for himself and his son. He only hoped Abby would feel the same way about him hanging around.

  That evening after their ride, Brandon was brushing down Smoky in her stall while Cade put away the tack. He had brought the bay gelding, Gus, over from the Circle B, deciding it was more convenient to board his horse here.

  “When do you have to go back to Chicago?” Brandon asked as Cade was coming out of the tack room.

  Cade went into the stall. “I guess I didn’t tell you, but I’ll be hanging around for a while.”

  The boy didn’t show any emotion. “Why?”

  “Because I’m trying to help your mom with the ranch.”

  “But that’s Charlie’s job.”

  “I’m not trying to take Charlie’s job. I’m helping with the financial part. So the ranch will still be making money by the time you’re old enough to run it. You can say I’m looking after your interests.”