A Colorado Family

by Patricia Thayer

  “You can always raise cattle. There’s plenty of room on this ranch.”

  Before Austin could speak, he heard someone call his name. He looked up to see his business manager.

  He walked toward him. “Jay, what are you doing here?”

  The older man shrugged. “I needed to talk with you, and I thought I’d come by and tell you the good news. Two of your sponsors still want your endorsement.”

  * * *

  THE SUN HAD gone down when Austin made his way back to the house almost an hour later than he’d intended. He hated that Jay had kept him so long, but they had a lot to go over. He just didn’t expect they’d handle their business in the barn’s tack room, but knowing how Erin felt about his manager, it was the best place.

  He was happy about retaining two sponsors, but not so happy with the conditions on the contract. Jay had agreed to too many appearances before talking to him. Finally, after arguing back and forth, Jay agreed to go back and make the deal more to his liking.

  Austin smiled. He hadn’t thought he’d be able to get any sponsor without getting on a bull again, but if his new plan worked out, he’d be set for his and Lilly’s future. He wanted to include Erin in that, too. He only needed to convince Erin.

  He opened the door and found the living room empty. “Erin,” he called.

  A few seconds later, she walked out of the back and his heart raced just seeing her. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blouse. Her glorious red hair hung free and was longer now, nearly to her shoulders. He loved running his fingers through the silky strands when he kissed her.

  She put her finger to her lips to let him know that Lilly was sleeping. He was disappointed he wouldn’t see her, but it would be nice to have some alone time with Erin.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he whispered as he reached for her, drawing her close. He felt her stiffen, and he pulled back. “Look, I know you’re angry, but Jay stopped by the barn.”

  She shook her head. “I know. He came here first. Why don’t you go in the kitchen and eat?”

  She started to walk away, but he pulled her back. “Not before this.” His mouth closed over hers in a tender kiss that quickly grew into more. He loved how she responded to him. How her sweet body was pressed against his, fitting him perfectly.

  Suddenly she pulled back. “Look, Austin, I don’t have a lot of time. I took a shift for one of the other nurses tonight.”

  Erin saw his surprised look before she glanced away. “I know it’s short notice, but I need to repay a lot of people for taking my shifts.” It wasn’t exactly true, but she couldn’t keep being around Austin like this. “Come and sit down.” She rushed to pull his plate out of the oven. “I kept it warm for you.”

  Austin didn’t sit down. “Okay, Erin, but before I eat, tell me what’s really going on. Did Jay say something to upset you?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe, but he was only telling me the truth.”

  Austin folded his arms over his chest. He tried to look intimidating, but she knew a softer side of this man. “Then you tell me what that is and let me decide.”

  She couldn’t tell him everything. “He just said what I already knew. That our lives are very different, and we were foolish to get involved in the first place.”

  “So you think I was a mistake?”

  “Letting it get personal between us, yes,” she lied. “You knew I didn’t want to get involved again. And I knew that you wanted to go back to the rodeo.”

  He shook his head. “That dream passed me by when Lilly entered the picture. So I changed my dream. I want to tell you about it.”

  She raised a hand. She didn’t want to hear any promises. “It’s not your fault, Austin. It’s me. I just can’t do this again.” She couldn’t bring up Jared’s name. “It’s better if we break it off now before anyone gets hurt.”

  “So you’re just walking away, from me, from Lilly.”

  She blinked back tears. She didn’t want to, but eventually, she’d lose Lilly, and it was hard enough now. “You’ll see it’s for the best.” She couldn’t be angry with this man just because he wanted something different from life. “It’s okay, Austin. The last thing I want is to hold you back.” She released a breath. “That’s why I feel it’s better that I go back to doing what I love.” Besides him and Lilly. “My job. And I also realized I can’t do two jobs anymore.”

  She walked out of the kitchen, hurried down the hall and grabbed her packed bag. She walked by the nursery and paused, but didn’t go in. She’d already kissed Lilly goodbye. Now she just had to get out the door before she broke down.

  She took out a piece of paper and handed it to Austin, who hadn’t moved from the doorway. “I called Jason, the therapist you used before, to take over for me. If you don’t like working with him, call your doctor. I’m sure he can recommend someone.” She glanced at him. “Goodbye, Austin.”

  He reached for her arm. “So you’re just going to walk out and not let me even tell you my plans?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to argue with you, Austin.” She just wished for once in her life that she would come first. “I want you to be happy.”

  “And you think I’ll be happy without you in my life?”

  “In the long run you will be.”

  He glared at her. “You’re just afraid that I’ll be like Jared. I’m not him, Erin. Dammit, I’m not gonna run out on you.”

  She couldn’t listen to his promises. She was safer not believing. “Goodbye, Austin.”

  Somehow, Erin managed to walk through the open door and climb into her van. She started the engine and headed down the road. Tears ran down her face as she tried to convince herself she’d done the right thing, the safest thing to protect her heart. If she knew this day was coming, then why did this hurt so badly?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Later that evening, Austin held Lilly against his chest as he walked the floor trying to get her to sleep. She let out a loud cry, letting him know she was having none of it. The baby knew something wasn’t right, that Erin wasn’t here to soothe her.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could make it better.”

  He wasn’t feeling any better, either. How could Erin leave them as if they hadn’t meant a thing to her? That was what hurt the most. Why couldn’t she stay and give him a chance?

  Moving his daughter to his shoulder, he swayed back and forth. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. Daddy’s here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  The baby released a shuddering breath as Austin continued to rub her back in a soothing motion.

  There was a soft knock on the door, and a spark of hope raced through him. Had Erin come back? Soon disappointment struck him when Trent poked his head inside. Austin put his finger to his lips, as Lilly seemed to have quieted. A few seconds later, he felt the baby’s motionless weight against his chest. She was finally asleep.

  He carried her down the hall and gently laid her in the crib. He watched her precious face, rosy with sleep, and his heart squeezed with overwhelming emotions. He never knew he could love like this, realizing he’d do anything for his little girl. She was his life. He wanted to share these moments with Erin.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid,” he whispered as he tucked the blanket over her.

  He returned to the living room and found his stepbrother seated in the chair, leafing through a magazine.

  “Is Lilly asleep?” Trent asked as he put the publication down.

  “For now. She had a pretty rough day.”

  Trent frowned. “What happened? She’s not sick again, is she?”

  Austin shook his head. Not that kind of sick. “Erin quit earlier. Said she couldn’t handle two jobs any longer.”

  Trent studied him a moment. “Well, you’ve been a handful, and add in Lilly. Babie
s take a lot of time and energy.”

  “I know that, and I offered to pay enough so she didn’t have to work at the care center. She turned me down.”

  Austin sat there a moment. His stepbrother was so different from him and Cullen. Dark coffee eyes that still held that authoritative glare; even his stance was more rigid. A dozen years in the military would give you that edge.

  “Yeah, Erin is pretty independent that way,” Trent said. “Isn’t the job here temporary?”

  Austin nodded.

  “I can understand why she’d go back to the care center. One day you and Lilly could just move on and she’d be left without a job.”

  “Whoa. Who said I was moving?”

  “I don’t know—you tell me. Cullen said your manager came by to give you news about rodeo appearances.”

  “Nothing is for sure. He’s still working on the details.”

  “Were you going to include Erin in your plans?”

  “I thought we were working in that direction.”

  Trent gave him a half grin. “It’s a funny thing about women. They need to be reassured and included in those decisions.”

  “Erin told me from the beginning that she didn’t want anything serious, no commitments.” She only wants a baby, he added silently. “I know she loves Lilly. That’s why I can’t believe she left so suddenly.”

  Trent shook his head. “Then you have to come up with a reason for her to change her mind. And leave the work part out of the equation.”

  “That’s the problem. I’m not sure about my future. It’s always been the rodeo.” Austin had hoped that he and Lilly were enough to keep Erin with them.

  His stepbrother stood. “From what I’ve learned from Brooke, Erin had a pretty rocky marriage even before her husband came home severely wounded. She worked so hard to help with his rehab, to get him to walk again, to teach him to speak again.”

  “I had no idea Jared was that bad off physically.”

  Trent nodded. “Bad enough that Erin turned their home into a care facility and took in more patients to handle her being off work. She wanted to be there full-time for her husband.”

  And she lost him anyway. “She said he committed suicide.”

  Trent frowned. “She told you that?”

  Austin nodded. “Yeah, she said he just gave up. I think she’s still angry about it.” He didn’t want to say what else Jared took away from his wife. Was that why Erin left him? Was she afraid he would leave her, too?

  Trent released a long breath. “I’m sorry, Austin. I kind of thought you two...hit it off.”

  He’d thought so, too. “It’s probably better this way.” He glanced down at the cast on his leg. “I still have a lot to deal with, especially now that I have Lilly. Maybe I was wrong to let my daughter get attached to her.”

  “Babies get attached to people, especially when they help take care of them.”

  “Yeah, but Lilly already lost her mother only a few months ago. Erin is the second person...” Austin couldn’t talk anymore. She chose to leave them, even when he asked her to stay. He did everything but beg.

  “Look, Trent, did you come by for something, or just to bug me?”

  Trent grinned. “Although the idea is intriguing, there was a reason. Like I said, Cullen told me you’ve been offered some rodeo appearances. Does that mean you’re planning to leave?”

  Word traveled fast. “Not permanently, but I need to keep my name out there, especially since I’m not riding anymore. But if I’m not out in public so people remember me, I could lose my last two sponsors. You can’t believe the money they pay me.” He didn’t need the money that bad, but he didn’t know what the future held for him.

  “I know, but do you really want to travel? What about Lilly?”

  Hell, he didn’t know what to do. “I’ll figure it out.”

  Trent hesitated, then finally said, “You know, if you really want to keep your name out there, you might think about teaching.”

  “Teaching what?”

  “Your craft—bull riding.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m dead serious. You didn’t get to be a world-class bull rider without learning a lot of skills. So teach others to ride. With your name and ability, I bet you’d have a lot of students.”

  His chest tightened with pride at his brother’s words. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

  “You’ve earned the praise, Austin, so take it. In my mind, this is the best way to stay in the sport without getting back on a bull. And the best part, you get to stay home right here with your daughter and your family.”

  The idea sparked in his head. “You really think I could do this?”

  “You don’t know until you try.” Trent shrugged. “You’ve got land right here on the ranch. There’s about ten acres right off the highway on the west end of the property. It’s away from the main house and the therapy riding school. Of course, you’ll have to build a corral and all the other structures. But there is plenty of good pastureland for the bulls. If you think it’s a viable idea, then you should talk to Cullen about laying claim to that section.”

  Austin was awestruck that his brother had come up with this plan. “So you feel I can make a living at something like this?”

  Trent nodded. “Hell, yes, bro. And I wouldn’t mind at all putting up your clients in my hunting cabins, or I’m sure Rory and I could work out a deal to build a few cabins on your land.” His brother grinned at him. “I can see it now. Brannigan Bull Riding School, all training done by World Champion ‘Ace’ Brannigan.”

  Austin was crazy to even think about this big of a project, but he was. Then his thoughts turned to Erin. Maybe this would prove to her that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  * * *

  THREE DAYS LATER at the care center, Erin’s shift had ended, and she was headed to the nurses’ station in the next building as a visitor when she heard her name called. She turned around to see Brooke and little Christopher walking toward her.

  She smiled. “Hello, Brooke. Hi, Chris. I was just going to sign in.”

  The pretty blonde gave her a hug. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she pulled back and said, “I’m so glad you made it today.”

  “I said I would.” Erin leaned down to hug the toddler. “Hey, cutie, I have something for you.” She reached into her uniform pocket and pulled out a palm-size fire truck.

  “Fire truck,” the curly-headed boy said as he took it. “Thank you, Erin.”

  “You’re welcome.” Erin stood up and looked at her friend. “I explained I couldn’t get away.”

  Brooke looked doubtful. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been avoiding me.”

  “Why would I do that? You’re my best friend.”

  “Maybe because you don’t want me to ask about what happened between you and Austin.”

  “There’s nothing to tell. I couldn’t handle the hours. I needed more sleep, so I had to give up my extra job.” She couldn’t meet Brooke’s eyes. Darn, she hated to lie, but she wasn’t going to admit how much she missed seeing Lilly every day. How she’d thought about Austin’s touch, his sweet loving. How many times had she wanted to drive out to the ranch? Then what? Start dreaming again about what would never happen between her and Austin...

  Brooke watched her. “So have you managed to catch up on sleep?”

  Erin’s gaze went to Christopher, who was playing with his new truck. “Not really,” she admitted. “Third shift is exhausting.” And she couldn’t sleep worrying about Lilly...and Austin. “I can’t wait until I switch to the day shift in another month.”

  “That’s great! Then you can live like the rest of us. And I want us to go out again before the baby comes.” Her friend rubbed her flat belly. “More girls’ nights with Laurel and Shelb
y, too. I have a feeling Shelby will be the next one to end up pregnant. Little Lilly has given her that nudge.”

  Erin’s heart tightened painfully. Would she ever be able to make that announcement? She didn’t know if she could handle seeing someone else have a baby when she hadn’t made that dream happen for herself.

  “So are you ready to visit Coralee?” Erin asked, wanting to end this conversation.

  Brooke released a long breath. “Sure.” She turned to her son. “Come on, Chris. Let’s go see Grammy Cora.”

  The toddler ran to her, smiling. “Gammy,” he repeated and took her hand.

  After signing in, Brooke and Erin walked down to the private room that Coralee Harper had been living in since Brooke had moved her here when she learned about the existence of her father, Rory Quinn. After father and daughter, and her twin sister, Laurel, discovered one another, Brooke moved here from Las Vegas. Of course, falling in love with Trent Landry was the icing on the cake. Erin couldn’t be happier for her friend, and she decided to relocate also to leave her bad memories behind and start fresh in Hidden Springs.

  Brooke pushed the door open. “Mother,” she said softly.

  The fifty-five-year-old Alzheimer’s patient sat in a chair looking out the window. Brooke called out again. “Coralee.”

  The once-beautiful Las Vegas singer with the striking blue eyes and smoky voice turned and looked at the intruders without showing any expression. Then Christopher broke free and ran to the woman.

  “Gammy Cora,” he cried and laid his head in her lap. “I love you.”

  Erin’s eyes filled as the child did more than any therapy could. He got a reaction from the woman.

  Coralee’s hand stroked the boy’s head. “Hello, little boy,” she said. Surprisingly, she showed affection toward the child, when years ago she had neglected her own daughter Brooke and given Laurel to her father to raise, all for her career. About three years ago she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.