But hours later she still couldn’t find the peace of sleep. She finally got up and went to check on Brandon. He was still safely asleep in his bed. Alone. Disappointed, she realized Cade must have gone home. Probably a good thing. She wasn’t ready to face him. She wandered downstairs into the study. Not turning on any lights, she sat down on the sofa and let the moonlight wash over her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Abby gasped. Her gaze shot toward the sound of Cade’s voice, and she saw him standing in the shadows next to the desk. “Cade!”
“Why, Abby?” he asked again as he stepped out into the moonlight. “Why almost eight years ago did you let me walk away?”
Her heart pounding, she took in his appearance. He had changed into a clean pair of faded jeans and dark polo shirt, which stretched over his broad chest, wide shoulders and muscular arms. Arms that had held her so tenderly, their son so protectively. She forced her attention back to the question. “It doesn’t matter now, Cade.”
“It does matter, Abby. Did you think I would let your daddy stop us?” he asked, his face contorted in pain. “We loved each other. And all this time it was Tom Moreau keeping you from me. Did you know that for years I thought you didn’t love me?” His gaze revealed the hurt she’d caused him. “Why didn’t you trust me?”
Tears formed in her eyes as she realized he’d found out about her father’s threats. “He said he would have you put in jail.”
Cade walked across the room. In the dim light she could see his drawn look. “I would have chanced it,” he said. “It would have been worth it, to be with you.” His words spread warmth through her. He reached out and took her hand, then pulled her to her feet. “I would have done anything to have you,” he whispered. Then he placed a tender kiss against her mouth. Abby ached to have his arms around her forever.
“Anything,” he whispered.
“But—”
He kissed her again, stopping her resistance. “No more arguing. It doesn’t matter anymore, Abby. We’re going to forget the past—no more assigning blame. We’re together now. You, me and Brandon. You’re going to marry me.”
Abby wanted to say yes. But she wanted his love, not simply a promise to make a family for their son. She pulled away, needing to distance herself from him.
“Cade, we have to talk,” she said.
Cade felt a sense of panic the second Abby left his arms. He ached to go to her, to force her into admitting her feelings. She seemed like a dream as she paced the moon-washed room in her flowing gown, the gossamer material moving against her willowy frame, her hair free and wild.
He swallowed back his groan. “Go ahead,” he said. “Talk.”
She sighed. “First I want to tell you I’m sorry for overreacting about the loan. I know now that you were only trying to help us. I got the deed in the mail this afternoon. Thank you.”
“No, I was wrong. I should have told you what I had in mind. But time and lack of options prevented it.”
“Still, Cade, I knew you were a decent man and weren’t going to run off with my money.”
“But there was just a moment when you thought that I wanted to get even with you for not telling me about Brandon.”
She nodded. “Guilty. But I hoped you wouldn’t do that. You were trying to help. You see, it had taken me so long to regain control of my life.” She swallowed. “I was worried that I would begin to depend on you too much.”
“And this is a bad thing?”
“It is when I have to move on,” she said.
Cade was trying to understand her logic, but knowing the men in her past, it suddenly dawned on him. “Abby, I’m not your father or Joel. I want to be your partner, your husband, your lover.”
“You say that now, but what happens when you can’t stay married to me because you’ve found someone you…you love?”
“Abby, you can’t believe that I’d ever…” Oh, God, he understood now. She didn’t think he loved her. He went to her and took her hands, making her look at him.
“Abby, I’ll never find anyone else. There has never been anyone else. For as long as I can remember I’ve been in love with you. I loved you when you were sixteen, and I love you now.”
Her beautiful green eyes widened. “You still love me?”
He nodded. “Now, to make this the most perfect day of my life, you could tell me how you feel about me.” He held his breath.
“Oh, Cade, I love you so much.” She went into his arms, her body trembling with sobs.
“Oh, baby, I’ve waited so long for you to say those words. Just stop crying.”
She did as she pulled away. “I thought you hated me.”
“Anger was my only defense against you,” he admitted. “When I saw you at Hank’s party, I still wanted you, but I had to lash out so I wouldn’t give away my real feelings.” He shuddered. “When I think about the things I’ve said to you…when all those years you were only protecting me.” He reached for her. “I love you. I really love you.”
Abby wrapped her arms around his waist. “Every day all I had to do was look at our son, and I saw you. In his eyes, in his smile. I couldn’t stop loving you.” She pulled back and searched his face. “We’ve lost so much. I wish—”
“Shh,” he whispered. “No more regrets. We’re together now. That is, if you’ll marry me.”
Abby smiled through her tears. “Oh, yes. I’ll marry you, Cade Randell.”
Cade’s mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss. He pulled her against him, her heart against his, beating with his. He had his Abby back, but he had so much more. He had his family.
He broke off the kiss. “We better go upstairs and tell our son that his mother is going to have the same last name.”
Abby resisted his nudge. “Whoa, Mr. Randell, you have a lot to learn. You never wake up children. If you do—” her arms moved up his chest and around his neck “—Mom and Dad will never have time to themselves. And we definitely need time alone.”
Cade smiled. “And we definitely have a lot of time to make up.” He kissed her until they were both thinking about something other than their child.
“Oh, you are a fast learner, Cade Randell.”
“I’m completely in your hands, Mrs. Soon-to-be Randell.” He captured her lips again and began to wash away the memory of all the empty years they’d spent apart. Because it didn’t matter anymore. The future was theirs. Together.
Epilogue
In Mustang Valley, Cade stood beside his bay gelding, gazing at his wife of six weeks. Abby Randell looked as beautiful in her faded jeans, fitted western shirt and straw cowboy hat as she had when she’d walked down the aisle in her ivory wedding dress.
The quiet ceremony had been held just two weeks after the night he proposed, with only family and a few friends present. Then, Hank and Ella hosted a reception at the Circle B. Cade’s favorite part was the five-day honeymoon in the Bahamas. With the promise of Disney World over Christmas break, Brandon stayed with his new grandfather, Hank, while Mom and Dad flew off to paradise. Cade needed to concentrate on his bride. And he did. Taking long walks on the beach, they erased their years apart and got to know each other all over again. Then there had been the incredible nights in each other’s arms, the lovemaking. Afterward they planned their future with Brandon and talked of having more children.
Cade sighed. Being home had been equally wonderful. He’d moved in to the Moreau ranch. But once the ranch was turned into a working guest ranch, he wanted to build a home closer to the valley. And he knew just the spot. It would take a few years, but he didn’t mind the wait. Not when he had Abby. And his son.
He glanced at his wife, watching her temper flare as she tried to get her point across to the construction foreman. Cade smiled. Maybe it was time to rescue the man.
Cade led the horses to one of the new cabins. “Abby, I think we should get back to the house. I promised Brandon we’d finish building the fort this afternoon.”
“In a minute, Cade,�
� she said. “Just as soon as Mr. Reed understands that I need larger windows in the cabin, just like I ordered.”
Cade pushed back his hat and looked at the foreman. “I’m sure Mr. Reed will fix it.”
“It will take longer to get the reorder in,” the foreman explained.
Abby placed her hands on her hips. “Then do it. And ship them express.” She smiled sweetly. “You have two weeks to finish the job the way we agreed, or the guests will be staying at your house, Mr. Reed.”
Cade took Abby’s hand. “Good day, Mr. Reed,” he said, and tugged his wife with him.
Once back at their mounts, Abby pulled away. “I forgot to tell him something.”
Cade stopped her. “It can wait until tomorrow.” He kissed her. “I can’t. I’m in need of a little TLC.”
Abby finally smiled. “Oh, you poor baby. What about last night?” She raised an eyebrow. “And this morning?”
“That was hours ago,” Cade complained. “Besides, we have two hours until Brandon comes home from the Circle B.”
“So you’ve shipped our son off so you can have your way with me.”
“A lot of good it’s doing way out here in the middle of a construction site.”
“Well, I guess we had better take care of that.” Abby gave him that special look, then mounted her horse. “Hope you can keep up with me,” she said, then kicked her horse into a gallop.
Cade loved her teasing and the challenge. He got on his gelding and rode after her. It took him a while to catch up, but he finally got Abby to slow down, and they walked the animals.
“You know, we’re pretty lucky,” he told her. “I almost feel guilty.”
“How can you say that? We had to go through so much to get here. I think we deserve every bit of our happiness.” She stretched in the saddle. “And once we get the retreat open next month, I’ll be able to start paying you back for the loan.”
Cade started to protest when he caught her smile. He knew Abby would always need her independence. But before the wedding, they’d formed a partnership for the Moreau ranch. The money Cade had invested to cover the loan was now reinvested in the guest retreat. Cade might have started out trying to save his son’s inheritance, but it turned out that Abby and Brandon had saved him.
“I think I’d like to renegotiate those terms,” he said.
Abby’s green eyes deepened, as did her voice. “Maybe I should take you back to my office and show you what I want. Think you have a little time to spare?”
Cade felt his body temperature rise. “Lady, for what I have in mind, it’s going to take a long time.”
“Mmm, I like the sound of that.”
“You’re going to like a lot more,” he promised as he smacked her horse’s rump and kicked his own animal into a gallop. Their pace didn’t slow until they reached the barn. Charlie had one of the new ranch hands take the horses as Cade and Abby headed to the house. They were both laughing by the time they reached the porch.
“I love you, Mr. Randell.”
He kissed her. “And I love you, Mrs. Randell. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll show you how much.” He backed her against the door. He knew how lucky they were, not only because they loved each other, but because they’d found what they’d lost. “And I plan to show you for the rest of our lives.”
His mouth claimed hers just as a vehicle started down the road to the ranch, kicking up dust in its wake. Cade kept his arm around Abby and watched as a late-model truck stopped out front and the door opened.
Travis Randell stepped out into the sunlight. The look on his younger brother’s face told Cade there was trouble.
They both rushed to greet him. “Hey, Trav, it’s about time you came home.” Cade hugged him.
“Sorry. I guess I should have called.” His face looked weary, his eyes sad.
“You never need to call. You’re always welcome. Any special reason you’re here now?”
Travis’s eyes went from Cade to Abby, then he exhaled a long breath and said, “I need my family.”
Cade tightened his grip around his wife’s waist. So his brother had finally found his way back. “The Randells stick together.” He smiled. “Welcome home, Travis.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8697-3
A CHILD FOR CADE
Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Wright
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*With These Rings
†The Texas Brotherhood
A Child for Cade Page 15