Sam looked down at the papers, shaking his head. “I don’t understand. I simply don’t…” His voice faded as he read the papers again, his hands clenching.
Then his face grew hard, his eyes glinted and his nostrils flared as his head moved back and forth as if in denial of facts he couldn’t absorb.
He flung the papers to the ground, glaring at them, nodding as if he finally understood something.
“Your mother… It was your mother.”
“What are you talking about?” Nicole was puzzled at his anger, now directed at the report he held in his hands.
“Norah, how could you?” was all he said. “You lying, cheating…”
“What are you talking about?” Nicole asked, catching him by the arm. “What’s going on?”
He spun to face her, his eyes glittering with anger, his breath coming in short spurts. “I should have confronted her. But no. I thought Norah and that Bart fellow were just friends.”
Nicole’s confusion grew with every word. “I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know who Bart is.”
Her father looked everywhere but at her as he seemed to gather his thoughts. He took a few breaths, then, as if the life was sucked out of him, his shoulders sagged down, his head lowered.
“Just before we adopted you, we found out I wasn’t able to father a child. But Norah wanted a child so badly. I didn’t. Then she started spending time with Bart and his wife, who were trying to convince her to adopt. I didn’t want to. I only wanted our own child and so did Norah.
But she gave up on that dream. Talked about adoption. Bart encouraged her.
Finally, I gave in and she adopted you. Bart helped her with the paperwork. Then, a few years later, when Norah had Hayes, it was like a miracle. That happens sometimes.” His hands trembled as he dragged them over his face. “But she kept spending time with Bart. She told me Bart was just a friend and I believed her. Turns out, if this report is true, it seems he was a whole lot more.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” Nicole said, stroking his shoulder, her pity for him coming to the fore.
“I always suspected.” Sam pushed at the papers with the toe of his slipper. “This proves it.” He stumbled back to his chair and dropped his head in his hands. “How could she have done this to me?” Her father sighed, then looked up at Nicole. “If my DNA doesn’t match the boys, then this means that Hayes wasn’t my daughter either.”
The “either” was like a small, indifferent slap.
“That means those boys don’t belong to me.”
Nicole was set back on her heels, trying to absorb everything she’d heard in the past few minutes. Hayes not her father’s biological daughter? Her mother cheating on her father?
She couldn’t put it all together.
Sam sighed, pushing his hands through his hair. “Hayes wasn’t my daughter. She wasn’t my daughter and I raised her. Paid for everything she had. What a waste.”
On one level Nicole felt sorry for him and tried to realize that he was speaking from his pain, but on another level his words underlined the insecurity she’d felt ever since coming to this family.
He had paid for everything she had done. Was she a waste too?
Sam took another breath, then straightened and looked directly at Nicole. “So you said you would fight me over those boys?”
Puzzled as to where he was going with this, Nicole could only nod.
“You would really choose them over me?”
“It’s not a matter of choice, but if that’s how you want to put it, then I would put their needs over yours because I think Kip Cosgrove is the best person to be taking care of those boys.” She still wasn’t sure what was going on, but she stuck to what she knew to be right and true.
Sam emitted a bitter laugh. “That cowboy? What could he possibly give them?”
Anger surged through Nicole at the contempt in his voice and she stepped away from her father. “That cowboy has made more sacrifices for Tristan and Justin than you ever have for me or Hayes. That cowboy is a kind and considerate man who I respect more than I’ve ever respected any man, including you. That cowboy is the best example of a father’s love that I could ever imagine. I’m jealous of those boys because that cowboy is the best thing that has ever happened to them. Right now I wish I was with Kip, that cowboy as you call him, instead of here with you.”
“You care for him that much?”
“I do.”
He released a harsh laugh, then shook his head.
“Lucky him.” Her father stared at her, then he got up and walked over to the papers that still lay on the floor. He bent over and picked them up. Then he glanced over her shoulder.
“Looks like you might get your wish after all,” was all he said.
What did he mean?
Nicole felt a prickling at the back of her neck, then slowly turned around. Her eyes widened.
How did he…? When…?
Kip stood in the doorway of the sunroom, his cowboy hat pulled low on his head, his hands on his jeans-clad hips. She blinked, wondering if she was imagining things.
As she tried to pull her mind around his presence, her father grabbed the papers and walked over to Kip.
“You want those boys?” he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, Sam Williams handed the papers to Kip. “You can have them. They don’t belong to me.”
Kip glanced from Sam to Nicole as he took the papers, his expression unreadable. Then he looked back at Sam. “Those boys don’t belong to me either.”
“What do you mean by that? I thought you wanted them.”
“I do, but they aren’t a possession, just like Nicole isn’t your possession. The boys are a gift, like Nicole is a gift.”
Sam glanced back over his shoulder, frowning as if trying to see her that way.
Their eyes held for the space of a heartbeat.
And in that moment, Nicole caught a glimpse of pain. Loneliness.
She wanted to reach out to him, but then, without a backward glance, he walked slowly over to his office and closed the door behind him.
Nicole clasped her suddenly trembling hands together, still trying to absorb his presence in her home.
Kip took off his hat, and glanced around the sunroom. “So this is a nice place you have here,” he said.
“What are you doing here?” Nicole asked. “How did you get in?”
“The door wasn’t locked and the gate was open.”
He took a few steps closer and dropped his hat on the chair beside her. Then his warm rough hands were covering hers. “I could be all manly and say I’ve come to claim what’s mine. That might be partly true, but mostly I came because I wanted to see you.”
Nicole closed her eyes, as if by doing so she could better absorb what he was saying. Then his lips brushed her forehead and her eyes flew open.
“Did you mean what you said to your father before I came in?” he asked, his voice quiet, but intense.
Nicole clung to his hands, her gaze clinging to his. “Every word.”
He squeezed her hands. “I spent half the flight here practicing what I would say. I even wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.” He took in a long, slow breath and blew it out, as if gathering his strength. “I want you to know that whatever you decide about Tristan and Justin has nothing to do with how I feel about you. I want what’s best for the boys, and if you think that having them here is best for them, I’m willing to go with that.”
Nicole could only stare at him, his speech in direct contrast to what she had just heard from her own father.
“You would give up the boys?” she asked.
“Like I told your father, I think I’ve had to realize they aren’t mine or yours or his to give up. But I do have to let go of what I want and put their needs first.”
Nicole could only stare. This amazing, wonderful, caring man was willing to do something her father couldn’t even conceive of doing. “Why?”
“Because I love them.”
> Back to love again.
“Because they are God’s children first,” Kip continued, “when I think that, I realize that what they need is more important than what I want.”
“That’s amazing,” was all she could say.
“Not really.” He blew out his breath, his hands kneading hers. Then he cleared his throat and continued. “I also want you to know that I care for you more than I ever cared for anyone. I don’t know how it happened, and I don’t know why, but for some reason I seem to have fallen in love with you.”
Nicole’s throat thickened with emotion as she stared at Kip. This wonderful, loving and caring man had fallen in love with her? She couldn’t absorb it, couldn’t take it in. It was too much.
Kip inclined his head toward her and gave a nervous laugh. “Usually a declaration like that requires some kind of response.”
Happiness and gratitude and love washed over her in a cleansing flood. She fought back tears as she slipped her arms around his neck, pulled him toward her, and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. Then she drew back, her fingers tangling in his hair, then tracing the contours of his face as if making sure he was really here and really telling her all these wonderful things. “I’ve fallen in love with you too.” Her words came out a lot shakier than his as she blinked away unexpected tears. “I can’t believe that this is happening.”
“Me neither.” Kip kissed her again, pulling her close to him. “I didn’t know how this would turn out,” he murmured stroking her hair as he tucked her head against his shoulder. “I only knew I couldn’t stay on the ranch one moment longer without letting you know how I felt about you. I need you in my life. I need you at my side.”
Nicole’s heart could hold no more happiness. “I need you too,” she murmured. “The past two days have been so hard. I needed to talk to my father, to try to convince him that the boys should stay where they are.”
Kip kissed her again. “I don’t want to talk about the boys right now. They’ve been too much a part of all of this. In spite of what I said before, my main reason for coming here was for you, and only you.”
Nicole’s first thought was that she didn’t deserve such happiness. Maybe she didn’t, but that didn’t matter. It was being given to her, freely and without strings attached.
She kissed Kip again. “I can’t believe I’ve fallen in love with you so easily,” she said, stroking his face. “Though you didn’t come here to talk about the boys, you may as well know that I believe my father is repealing his claim to them.”
“Why would he be willing to give them up without a fight?”
“He just found out that his DNA doesn’t match the boys’ either.”
Kip frowned. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“Hayes wasn’t his daughter. He suspected my mother of having an affair and now he found out the truth.” Nicole eased out a long sigh. “Given the way my father operates, I think once he found out that the boys weren’t biologically his, they didn’t mean as much to him.” She paused, biting her lip. “Unfortunately that’s important to him.”
Kip stroked her arms, his eyes narrowing. “I said this before, and I’ll say it again, that man was blessed beyond blessing to have you as his daughter. He doesn’t deserve you.”
Kip’s heartfelt words pierced her soul, and made a home there.
“Of course I don’t deserve you either,” he continued. “But I’m hoping I can persuade you to come back to the ranch.” Kip’s smile was tentative, as if he didn’t dare believe she would take him up on the offer. “And once you’re back in Alberta, I’m hoping I can persuade you to stay. To marry me.”
Nicole threw her arms around Kip’s neck, her heart bursting with love. “I won’t take much convincing. In fact, I’ve already got my suitcases packed.”
Kip stared at her openmouthed. “For what?”
“Before you came, I was going to tell my father that I’m moving out. I’ve been applying for other jobs working remotely as an executive assistant. I didn’t get the chance once the letter came. And then you came and now…”
“You should tell him now and I’m coming with you.” Kip kissed her again. “I have a few things I have to discuss with him too.”
Nicole opened the door of her father’s office. Sam stood at the window, looking out over the yard, his shoulders slumped, his hands clasped behind his back.
Was he imagining Justin and Tristan playing there? Was he regretting the loss of the dreams and plans he had made?
Then he turned and simply stared at them as if waiting for them to talk.
“I’ve come to say goodbye,” Nicole said quietly. “I meant to tell you earlier, but I’m moving out.”
Sam glared at Kip, as if he was to blame. “And what about him?”
Kip stepped forward, his hat in his hand. A sign of respect, Nicole thought. He really was a good man.
“I want to let you know that I’ve asked Nicole to marry me. She’s coming back to Alberta with me now. We will notify you of the wedding date.” His words came out clipped, precise. As if he was making some kind of business deal.
“Aren’t you supposed to ask my permission? I am, after all, her father.”
“That’s good to know,” Kip said quietly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam asked with a frown. But he didn’t give Kip a chance to answer. He turned to Nicole. “I don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
Kip laid his arm over her shoulders and squeezed, encouraging her. Nicole gave him a quick smile, then walked over to her father’s side.
“Someone told me once that I was a good daughter,” she said quietly. “I believe them now. I’ve always tried to earn your love, but I’m not doing that anymore. Love is a gift. Kip taught me that,” she said glancing over her shoulder at the man she loved. “I’ll always love you, and I’ll always be thankful for the family you’ve given me. However, it’s time for me to start my own family.” She hesitated, but then bent over and gave her father a kiss. “I’ve left instructions to the housekeeper about what is supposed to happen with the things I couldn’t take along. If there’s any problem, let me know and I’ll call you once I’m back in Alberta.” Again, he looked up at her. And again she caught the hint of other emotions as his shoulders slumped. He looked defeated.
Then, to her surprise, she caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes.
Tears for what he had discovered?
Tears for her?
She was about to straighten when he caught her hand in his. Gave it a light squeeze.
Nicole wasn’t sure what to do, but then he stood, releasing her hand.
He gave them a tight nod.
The moment was over.
Nicole then turned and walked back to Kip, taking his hand in hers.
Then together they walked out of the large double doors to the driveway few minutes later to a small car waiting outside.
“You couldn’t get a truck?” Nicole asked as Kip opened the trunk and dropped her suitcases inside.
“This was all they had left at the airport,” Kip said. “Once we’re back in Alberta, I’ll have my truck back again. And it can’t come too soon.” He shuddered. “Driving in Toronto is like pulling out my fingernails. Slowly.”
Nicole could imagine. “Do you want me to drive back to the airport?”
“That’s a direct affront to my masculinity,” Kip said as he slammed the trunk shut. He jingled his keys as he looked up at the house, then handed them to her. “But I would love it if you would drive.”
She took them, chuckling as he looked past her at the house. “Are you sure you won’t miss all this?” he asked.
Nicole glanced behind her at the place that had been her home for most of her life, trying to see it through Kip’s eyes.
It was imposing compared to the farmhouse, but it was simply bricks piled upon bricks. Just a house.
“I might, just a bit,” she said quietly, then turned back to Kip and smiled. “I think what I’ll miss the most is havi
ng my own housekeeper.”
“We could always put up a notice advertising for one at the local post office,” Kip said with a grin, as he helped her into the car.
“Are you kidding?” Nicole said, wrinkling her nose. “You never know who’ll show up on your doorstep.”
“No, you don’t,” Kip said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “But you never know what might come of it.”
Nicole cast another glance over her shoulder at the place that had been her home.
“And what about your dad?”
Nicole caught a glimpse of a figure by one of the windows.
She knew it was her father, watching her.
Her heart folded at the sight. Could she really leave him behind?
Then, to her surprise, he lifted his hand in a wave. Gave her a faint smile.
Knowing her father, this was as demonstrative as he was going to get.
She returned the wave, then took a chance and blew him a kiss.
For a moment, he didn’t move. Then, again, he surprised her by returning the gesture.
“Do you think he’ll forgive you?”
Nicole shrugged as her father moved away from the window. “I think he will. I’m all he’s got.”
“Then that’s what we’ll pray for,” Kip said.
Nicole turned back to him, caught his grin and she drew in a long, slow breath.
“I love you,” was all she could say, her heart full.
“That is good to know. Because I love you too.”
Then they got into the car, buckled up and drove away.
Nicole shot one last look over her shoulder, and saw her father standing on the step.
Waving.
Again, she returned the gesture then turned to Kip.
“And now, let’s go home.”
Epilogue
“C’mon. Let’s go. C’mon,” Kip yelled, slapping his reins on the backs of the horses, squinting into the dust raised by dozens of hooves pounding into the ground and sixteen wagon wheels churning up the dirt.
Yokes clanked, wheels rumbled and above all that he could hear the roar of the crowd as his horses stretched out, doing their best and gaining foot by foot.
Western Hearts: A sweet, cowboy romance (Cowboys of Aspen Valley Book 1) Page 19