A Colorado Family

by Patricia Thayer

  He frowned upon seeing an unfamiliar monthly transfer to one DJ Lynch. The name sounded somewhat familiar. He looked at the sum and decided he definitely needed to contact Jay before he signed anything. He also found a form to continue temporary power of attorney for his manager. Jay had had that control while he’d been in the hospital and under the influence of drugs, but now that Austin was back, he wanted to handle his own finances.

  His silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. He checked his watch and wondered who would be coming by in the middle of the day. He stood, gripped hold of his walker and went to answer it.

  He opened the door and found a tall, slender gray-haired man standing on the stoop. A strange feeling came over him, and he wasn’t sure he could handle it as he stared at the man he hadn’t seen in years.

  “Hello, son. It’s been a long time.”

  Cullen had told him that Neal Brannigan had retired from the police force, sold the family ranch outside Denver and moved here. Austin managed to find his voice. “Yeah, I’ll say so, about ten years. What brings you by?”

  He saw his father flinch, but he couldn’t feel sorry for him. You get what you give.

  “I was hoping we might be able to talk,” his father said.

  “So you can tell me how I’ve been wasting my life? No, thanks.”

  “I deserve that, but no, son, I only wanted to see how you’ve been doing.”

  “As you can see, I’m standing.”

  He smiled. “I’m happy about that.”

  Austin moved aside and allowed his father to come in.

  His father glanced around the sparsely finished room. “The place looks good. A lot better since it’s been cleaned and painted.”

  “Yeah, Cullen and Trent made it livable.”

  Neal Brannigan nodded. “It’s good to have you here. I mean, I hate that you were hurt, but I’m glad you get to come here to be with your brothers.”

  “I’m not staying long,” he warned. “As soon as I get the okay from my doctor, I’m back on the circuit. Nothing you say will change that.”

  His father raised a calming hand. “I’m not going to try to stop you. You’re an adult and can make your own decisions.”

  Who was this man? Not the tough-as-nails police captain who’d been a no-show father. He never stood up for his sons and hated that one of them became a bull rider. Okay, so most parents wouldn’t like that, either. “That’s not what you told me the last time we were together.”

  “I hope I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

  This admission had Austin a little off center. “You’re saying you want to see me ride?”

  Neal nodded. “I’ve already had the pleasure a few years back in Lubbock, Texas.” He smiled. “I believe you won that day.”

  Austin frowned, recalling that had been the last time he saw his stepmother, Leslie. “I remember Mom being there, but where were you?”

  “I thought it might be better if you spent time with her.” He saw the flash of sadness. “Leslie had just learned about her cancer. Even I didn’t know the extent until much later.”

  Austin’s leg began to ache, and he went to sit down at the table. He offered his father the other chair. “I wish I had known. I could have spent more time with her.”

  Neal sat down. “You know your mother. She didn’t want you boys to make a fuss or disrupt your lives.” His gaze went to Austin. “It’s the way she wanted it, son.”

  Austin stiffened at the word son again. He was troubled that his father had suddenly remembered him as his child. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back to the funeral last year. I was in Australia competing. By the time I heard the news, it was too late to come back in time.”

  His father raised his hand. “It’s okay, son. Your mother knew you loved her. She was proud of you.”

  “I know Leslie was my stepmother, but I always thought of her as the real thing.”

  “She felt the same way about you boys, too.”

  Austin felt the old bitterness surface. “Yeah, she didn’t question our choices like you did.”

  The old man cringed. “I know. I had to be right about everything, and look where it got me. I pushed you boys so hard I ended up driving you away. If there was a way I could change those years, I would. I’m most sorry for letting my job be my top priority.” Those blue eyes met his. “I had sons and a wife who needed me at home. I apologize to you, Austin. You deserved a father to be there for you. I know I can’t ask you to forget, but I was hoping while you’re here you’d let me come by occasionally.”

  Austin felt a sudden weight on his chest. He didn’t want to feel anything. He’d left home all those years ago to not deal with this man. So why now did he want the man’s approval so badly? “I guess I wouldn’t mind that.”

  Chapter Five

  Two days later, after forty-eight hours off from the center and from Austin, Erin was ready to go back to work.

  Or was she?

  She’d planned to catch up on all the sleep she’d lost, grocery shop and clean her apartment. Sleep had eluded her, but her one-bedroom apartment looked pretty good. Her cupboards were stocked with food, but she had no appetite. As a nurse, she knew better than to let herself get run-down, especially holding down two jobs.

  In a few weeks, if everything went as planned, she’d be beginning her hormone shots. She needed to be at her best, and not spend her time thinking about a man who’d be gone from her life as soon as he could stand on both legs. And seeing how hard Austin Brannigan worked during his therapy, it would be soon.

  She drove her van along the highway, then took the exit to the Circle R Ranch. How had he done without her? Even though he had a fill-in therapist, she still worried about him.

  Better question, why was she letting this bull rider get to her? Never before had she allowed anything personal to happen between her and a client. Even during all the months Jared had been overseas, she’d never thought about another man.

  Now she’d been spending her time looking up the rodeo cowboy on the internet. He was the face of the pro circuit with all his ads. Anything from cowboy boots to tight fitted jeans. And there was no doubt the man photographed well. That didn’t mean he wasn’t arrogant and a womanizer. She needed to stay away from him, outside of her job, of course. She had her future all planned out, and it didn’t include another male. No, thanks. She’d been there.

  She smiled as she drove up to the house and shut off the engine. Unless, of course, her baby was a boy.

  The front door opened and she saw Austin. She climbed out and started to greet him when he stopped her.

  “Where have you been? You’re late.”

  She glanced at her watch. Maybe by a few minutes. “So dock my pay.” Even in his fitted T-shirt and gym shorts, he wasn’t so appealing at the moment. “Since when are you so anxious to start therapy?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not. I just need something to distract me. And that therapist you sent me was a joke.”

  “Jason? You know he trains pro athletes? He volunteers at the center and was doing me a favor. What did you say to him?”

  Austin stepped aside and let her into the house. He hated that he took his frustration out on her. “Nothing. Okay, maybe he wasn’t so bad.”

  “Not so bad? He should be the one who’s handling your therapy.”

  He didn’t want anyone else but Erin. “No. You’re the one I hired. We have a contract.”

  “I know we have a contract, but if you keep yelling at me, you aren’t going to like where I shove it.”

  Austin had to fight to keep from smiling. Damn, he’d missed her these last few days. Her freshly scrubbed face, sassy ponytail and sexy body in those tights. He quickly pushed aside his wandering thoughts. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s been so boring ar
ound here.”

  She set her bag down. “What about your family? Haven’t they been over to see you?”

  He groaned. “All the time. It’s great, but I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin.”

  She smiled. “Okay, how about this? We play hooky this morning, but only for about an hour.”

  He liked the sound of that. Miss Innocent Erin was stepping over the line. Okay, he was ready. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Let me make a call first.” She dug out her phone and punched in some numbers as she walked out of earshot. What was she up to? He didn’t have to wait long, because she came back to him in a minute.

  “Go put on a pair of sweatpants and a jacket.”

  “Why?”

  She frowned. “You’re on a need-to-know basis.” She motioned for him to go. “Just do it.”

  Austin wasn’t used to taking orders, not for a long time, but he was willing now if it got him out of the house. Using the walker, he made his way down the hall and dug through his limited supply of clothes. Maybe he could get Cullen to do a little shopping for him. He finally found a pair of sweatpants, and with a pair of scissors, he cut open the left leg to fit over his cast. Excited to get out of the house, he grabbed a hooded jacket, zipped it up, then headed out to the living room.

  Erin had put on an oversize sweatshirt. “Ready?”

  “You bet,” he said and followed her to the door, grabbed a straw cowboy hat off the hook, then continued on.

  Outside he was met by the bright sunlight. He tipped his hat lower and saw the golf cart headed their way.

  “Hey, bro,” Cullen called as he parked and got out. “I hear you’re being a real stinker.”

  He couldn’t deny he was disappointed to see Cullen. “Not any more than any other day. Are you our chauffeur?”

  His brother pointed to his sheriff’s badge on his uniform shirt. “Not today. I need to protect the good citizens of Hidden Springs, but I have no doubt Erin can handle the job.” He looked at her. “Just leave him out in the pasture if he gives you any back talk.” He nodded toward the mountains. “Just stay on the dirt roads and you should be okay. And Shelby sent along a care basket for your outing.”

  “We aren’t going far,” Erin said. “Just to get a little fresh air.”

  With that, his brother began to walk back to the main house. “I’ll drive,” Austin announced. Leaving his walker, he balanced on his good leg and took two careful hops and made his way to the cart.

  “Not hardly,” Erin answered.

  “Why not? I won’t be using my injured leg.”

  “That’s right, because you’ll be in the passenger seat, riding.” She arched an eyebrow. “You do remember how to ride, don’t you? Or do I need to draw horns on the front of the cart so you can pretend you’re on a bull?”

  He gripped the metal bar. The woman had a mouth on her. One day she was going to push him too far. “Okay, you win this one.” He climbed in the passenger side.

  Erin placed her bag on the backseat next to a wicker basket, then took the spot behind the wheel.

  “Do you know how to drive one of these carts?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I sometimes have to drive around the center when I go from building to building.”

  They hit a bump and she slowed down. “Of course, that was on a paved road.”

  Austin looked out at the horses grazing in the pasture. He knew most of the equines on the ranch were past their prime and were used at the therapy riding center. “Those must be some of Cullen’s rescues. Could we stop?”

  “Sure.” She managed to get the cart pretty close to the fence.

  He gripped the side of the cart and pulled himself up and out.

  “Hey, wait,” she called, but he was already out and had hopped two steps before she caught up with him at the fence. “Listen, Austin, you can’t take these chances.”

  “Lighten up, Erin. I’m okay.” He truly felt he was. In the past few weeks, he’d gained a lot of strength back.

  “I wasn’t going to stop you, just help you.”

  He looked down at those startling green eyes and her hair blowing in the breeze. Damn, she was pretty. “I promise, the next time I’ll wait for you.”

  “You better, or there’ll be hell to pay.”

  Before he could think up some enjoyable torture for her, he turned toward the pasture. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a sharp whistle. Soon two of the horses came to the railing. One was a gray gelding.

  “Hey, guy. You must be Cloud. Ryan’s buddy.” Austin rubbed the horse’s head and muzzle and inhaled his scent. He’d missed those familiar smells.

  Erin watched a gentler side of Austin Brannigan. Mr. Tough Guy was a softy when it came to horses. “Seems you made a friend,” she said.

  “Yeah, I miss this.” He gently stroked the animal. “It’s been a while since I owned a horse. I have a chance to buy some property outside Denver. There are a couple of horses on the ranch that I wouldn’t mind having, either. There was also a good-looking chestnut stallion named Wildfire and a sweet filly called Peanut.”

  So he’d thought about settling down. “Peanut? What kind of name is that for a horse?”

  He laughed, and her heart took a little tumble. “Her registered name is a mile long. She’s tiny, only about fourteen hands high. If you let her, she’ll follow you around like a puppy.”

  Erin wasn’t sure about horses. They were big and intimidating. Suddenly the other horse took notice of her, and before she could get out of the way, he nudged her. She jumped back with a gasp.

  Austin frowned. “What? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of horses.”

  “I’m not afraid. I’m just not used to being around them.”

  “So you’re a city girl?”

  “I grew up in Las Vegas, in town.”

  “Did you ever get to NFR there?”

  “National Finals Rodeo?” She shook her head. “No, but I heard you did.”

  He gave her that cocky grin she’d come to expect, but also enjoyed. “I’ve been there a few times. And I walked away a winner, too.”

  “Good for you.” She studied him for a moment. “Winning is important to you.”

  Even under the shade of his hat, she saw his expression change. “You get noticed when you’re number one.”

  “You also get noticed if you do good things.”

  His shaggy blond hair brushed his collar as a sexy smile appeared on his handsome face. “And bad things, too.” He winked.

  “I have no doubt you’re good at being bad.”

  He made his way closer to her. “Oh, yeah. That’s all the fun.”

  She swallowed hard.

  He turned his attention back to the horses. “Here are some things you need to know about horses. They’re easily spooked, so talk in a soft, soothing voice. If you feed them anything like an apple or carrot, you flatten your hand out.” He took hold of her hand to show her, and warmth spread through her. “They can’t decipher food from fingers. They love being touched and stroked.” He took her hand again and ran it along Cloud’s forehead.

  She couldn’t help but smile. “He’s soft.” She looked at Austin and realized how close they were. So close she could see green flecks in his gray eyes. She glanced away. “I know this is fun, but you should get off your leg. So say goodbye to your friends.”

  She waited, then helped Austin back to the cart. “You ready to go back to the house?”

  “No. Come on, Erin. You can’t say you don’t want to hang outside a little longer. Look around at this scenery. Inhale the clean air. Soon winter will be here and we’ll be stuck inside.”

  “Okay, but you better stay in the seat, or I’ll tie you to it.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “I promise,
I’ll be good.”

  She saw that ornery grin. She didn’t doubt Austin Brannigan was good at many things, but following rules wasn’t one of them. “Now you’re just outright lying.” She didn’t wait for an answer and pressed on the pedal and drove off.

  Ten minutes later, she stopped under a grove of trees that overlooked the open pastures. “It’s hard to believe a person is lucky enough to own all this land. You and Cullen are very fortunate.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, my stepmother was a generous woman. When Leslie divorced Trent’s father, she moved to Denver. That’s where she met my father, and took on not only raising her son, but ten-year-old twin boys.”

  Erin knew the sad story about the death of Trent’s young brother, Christopher. The nine-year-old boy fell off his horse and died. The family never recovered from the tragedy.

  “Leslie loved us. But I wasn’t much of a son when I never came back home for visits. I’ll always regret that.”

  “I met her once when I came to town when Trent and Brooke had baby Christopher. She seemed so sweet, and she beamed over her grandchild.” She turned toward Austin. “You are lucky to have had her.”

  “Believe me, I know how fortunate I was, but I realized too late. My father kept reminding me of that all my life.”

  “That’s a parent’s job.” Erin reached into the backseat and opened the small basket. She took out two travel mugs of coffee, labeled with their names, and handed Austin his. Next, she handed him the wrapped sweet roll. They sat there and ate their treats as the sun began to warm the day.

  “Does your family live in Las Vegas?”

  She wadded up the paper and used a napkin to clean the frosting from her fingers. “No, they passed away a long time ago. They were older by the time I came along. My mother died when I was in college. My father couldn’t seem to manage without her and was gone the next year.”

  Austin turned to her, his intense gaze telling her he wasn’t going to drop the subject. “That’s tough.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, school was harder, but my parents left me enough money to get my nursing degree.”

  “Is school where you met your husband?”