“Give Laurel credit. She can handle herself. And if you care about her as much as you act like you do, then be there for her. Just don’t try to run her life.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand that. I just need to get her to talk to me so I can apologize.”
“I tell you, flowers are the way to go.”
* * *
LATER THAT DAY, Laurel paced the hospital waiting room along with her dad and mom. They’d been here the past four hours, ever since Trent had called to say that Brooke had gone into labor. She was three weeks early. The doctor wasn’t too concerned, but Laurel couldn’t help but worry for her sister and her little nephew. But at the thought of being an aunt, joy rushed through her.
She sent up a prayer asking God to take care of both of them. Christopher was being named after Trent’s younger brother, who’d died in a riding accident when he was only nine. Trent had always felt responsible for not keeping Chris with him. It had been Brooke’s love that helped her husband get rid of the guilt and ease the loss.
Trent came into the room dressed in green scrubs. He should have looked ridiculous, but the big ex-military man pulled it off. “The show’s about to start. Brooke’s progressing pretty quickly.”
That brought smiles, and more tension. “Give her our love, son,” Rory said. “Tell her...we’re here praying for her and the baby.”
With a nod, Trent turned to Laurel and she whispered, “Tell Brooke I love her and can’t wait to meet my nephew.”
“I will.” Trent hurried back into the birthing room.
Laurel had been in the room with Brooke earlier that day, but the birth of her baby should be shared only between Brooke and her husband.
Laurel felt a tightening around her heart. Would she ever be blessed with her own child? Her thoughts turned to Addy and tears formed in her eyes. She knew that she could love that little girl like she was her own, and felt the same about Kase. Darn. Why couldn’t life be simple?
Two days seemed to be forever. And she missed him. She’d tried to concentrate on training Ruby Ridge, but she found her mind would wander to Kase. She checked her phone, afraid to take his calls. Now she was more frightened because his calls had stopped today.
Maybe she should call him and tell him about Brooke. She started to punch in the number when she heard her name.
“Laurel?”
She turned to see the man who’d been the center of her dreams for far too many nights. Dressed in a collared white shirt, creased jeans and polished boots, he walked toward her. Her heart began racing to the familiar rhythm whenever Kase was around.
“Kase. What are you doing here?”
He looked disappointed by her question. He paused. “I heard about Brooke, and I wanted to see if you or your family needed anything. I don’t want to intrude.”
He came all this way for her? “You aren’t intruding at all.” She gripped his arm. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s been rough just waiting.”
He arched an eyebrow. “So there’s no word?”
“Trent came out a few minutes ago and said she was progressing.”
“Would you like me to wait with you?”
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. “I would like that.”
He didn’t hesitate and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Oh, Laurel, I’m so sorry I got angry with you. I know I hurt your feelings.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back. “Your work is important. Your reputation as a horse trainer is incredible.” His gaze locked on hers. “I guess I’m just a man who happens to want to be with you, a lot.”
Laurel relished in his touch, his comfort. She needed this man so much it frightened her. “And maybe I overreacted a little, too.”
He touched her chin so she would look at him. “Why don’t we talk about this later?” He kissed her gently, then nodded to the audience behind her. “When we’re alone.”
Laurel turned and faced her family. With Kase’s nudge, they went to join them. He reached out and shook hands with her dad. Mom beamed. “It’s good to see you, Kase.”
“Nice to see you, too, Diane. I bet you’re excited at becoming a grandma.”
“Oh, yes. I can’t wait to get my hands on little Chris.”
Kase smiled. “I don’t want to intrude with the family, but if you need me for anything, I’m here.”
Rory spoke up. “You can hurry up that grandson of mine. He’s taking far too long.”
Kase chuckled. “I wish I could, but babies come when they’re ready.”
Rory nodded, then looked from Kase to his daughter. Although Laurel was an adult, she wanted her parents’ approval.
“I’m glad you’re here for Laurel,” her dad told him.
Kase nodded. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Suddenly the door opened and Trent came in with a big grin. “Poppy and Mimi, and Aunt Laurel, Christopher Wade Landry has arrived.” He blinked at tears as his voice grew hoarse with emotion. “My son is seven pounds and six ounces of all boy.”
Laurel and her mother gasped and hurried to congratulate the new daddy.
“How is Brooke?” Diane asked.
“She’s wonderful. And a champ in my book.”
“Can we see her?” Laurel asked, still hanging on to Kase’s hand.
“Give the doctor a few minutes. I’m going back in with my son while they clean him up. I don’t want to miss anything.” He walked back into the room.
Twenty minutes later, they went in to see Brooke. Rory was the first to hold his grandson, then Diane took a turn and cooed over the infant, who looked just like his daddy.
“I haven’t even finished the baby quilt,” Diane said. “Oh, and the baby shower is next week,” she told Brooke.
“I think we can deal with the change in schedule.” Brooke squeezed Diane’s hand. “The most important thing, Chris is healthy. I want him to know his family, especially his grandparents.”
Diane blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. When Brooke first arrived at the Bucking Q, Diane hadn’t wanted Rory’s other daughter around. She’d felt Brooke was a threat to her family. Over the months, they’d come to care about each other.
“And his Aunt Laurel.” Diane handed the swaddled baby to Laurel. The tiny baby felt wonderful in her arms. She fought tears as she examined the precious child. His dark eyes and crop of black hair looked like Trent’s. She gripped his hand. “He’s beautiful.”
Kase stood close and looked over her shoulder. Laurel couldn’t help but picture them as a family with maybe another child in their future.
* * *
AFTER LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, Laurel followed Kase back to his house. She was tired, but she promised to stop by and see Addy. It had been nearly three days since she’d seen the child. So when she got out of her car she felt excitement when Addy came rushing out the door dressed in her pink princess pajamas.
The child hurried down the steps, calling her name. “Laurel! Laurel! You came to see me.”
Laurel caught the child in a big hug. She felt the warm weight and powdery scent that was only Addy’s. “Hi, Addy. Of course I came to see you.” She set her down on the porch steps. “I’m sorry, but I had to get some work done. I took time off to go with you to Denver and my horses missed me.”
“Were they sad when you were gone?”
“Yes, but Wind wasn’t being nice, either, so I had to spend extra time with him so he’d behave again.”
Wide-eyed, she asked, “What’d he do?”
“Well, he kicked out one of the boards in his stall, then bucked off one of my trainers.”
“Oh, no. Did he get a time-out?”
“Yes, he did. He’s doing so much better now, so he gets apples and hugs for rewards when he’s a good boy.”
Laurel glanced at K
ase. This was a delicate subject because of Addy’s mother’s harsh discipline. “Addy, I would never hit a horse, or anyone. I train my horses by telling and showing them how much I love them.”
“I know. Chet said you have the magic touch with horses. You have them eating out of your hand.” She giggled. “That’s silly because that’s how you feed them.”
She was touched that Chet would say that. “Well, I love what I do.”
She looked up at Kase and smiled. “Hey, Addy, did your daddy tell you that Brooke had her baby?”
She pouted. “I want to go see him, but Daddy said Chris is too little.”
Laurel remembered her mother’s invitation. “Yes, we have to be careful when babies are really small so they don’t get sick. But there’s going to be a party for the baby this weekend. If it’s okay with your daddy, I’ll take you.”
Addy turned toward her father. “Please, Daddy, can I go?”
“If you go to bed without arguing, then yes, you can go for a little while.”
“Okay.” She stood and cheered, then hugged Laurel and her dad and went to the door. She paused, then asked, “Laurel, will you come up and read me a story?”
There was that tug on her heart. “Of course. Go brush your teeth and get into bed.”
The child started to leave again when her grandfather came out. She kissed him, too, then disappeared.
“My, that girl hasn’t moved that fast in days.” Gus smiled. “Nice to see you, Laurel.”
“How have you been?”
“Getting around,” Gus said as he held open the door and Kase and Laurel walked into the kitchen. “While you all have been gallivanting around Denver, I’ve been here working.”
Kase smiled. “You’re just upset because you aren’t the center of attention since you got back on your feet.”
Laurel noticed that he was standing on his own. “Oh, look at you, Gus. You aren’t using a cane, or anything.”
The older man beamed, even stood a little taller. “I’m not doing too bad, for an old guy. I’m still in physical therapy, but soon I’ll be back on a horse.”
Kase finally spoke up. “Let’s table that until we talk to the doctor. You don’t want to rush it.”
“I didn’t say I was going riding tomorrow.” Gus huffed, then smiled again at Laurel. “I better head to bed myself. Good night, Laurel. Don’t be a stranger.”
Laurel went over and hugged the man. “I won’t.”
Once Gus left the kitchen, Kase reached for Laurel and drew her close as he leaned against the counter. “I’ve missed you so much.” He bent down and kissed her. “Again, I’m sorry about the other day.”
“That’s over.” She kissed his chin, loving the feeling of being in his arms. And as much as she ached to get lost in his loving, they had too many other distractions. “Come on. We have a little girl waiting for us.”
She took his hand and together they went upstairs to Addy’s room. It took only about ten minutes of reading, and a short discussion of what to buy baby Christopher, before the four-year-old yawned, then rolled on her side and closed her eyes. Seemed all was right in her world. If only life were that simple.
Laurel kissed Addy’s cheek, wishing she could always be included in this child’s nightly ritual. With one last look at the sleeping child, she and Kase walked out of the room.
Kase waited in the hall as Laurel closed Addy’s door. As much as he wanted to take her into his bedroom and let her know how much he’d missed her these past days, the safest place for them to have their talk was downstairs.
He directed her back into the kitchen so they wouldn’t disturb Gus in the den. He pulled out a ladder-back chair and she sat down, then he joined her. He hated to wreck the mood, but he needed to tell her about Aldrich.
“I heard from my PI.”
Laurel sat up straighter. “You found Jack?”
Kase shook his head. “Not yet, but the PO box address belongs to his ex-wife.”
“His ex-wife?”
“You didn’t know he’d been married?”
“Of course I did,” she said, then added, “since Trent looked into Jack’s background last fall. But I doubt if anyone went looking for her. What’s her name?”
“Peggy Watson. She still lives in Denver and has the same PO box, which I believe Jack has a key to—or maybe he never gave it back to her.”
Laurel rubbed her temples. “This just keeps getting better.” Her gaze avoided his. “Don’t say it. I should have learned more about the man I’d planned to marry. Please tell me they aren’t still married.”
He wasn’t going to mention she was far too trusting. “They were divorced three years ago. I’m still trying to understand why Jack put a return address on the envelope. He should have known that law enforcement would trace it.” Kase suddenly knew the answer. “Unless...he wants you to get in contact with him.”
“That’s crazy. If he wanted me around, why’d he leave?”
“From what we’ve discovered, he had no choice but to take Rory’s money to pay off a gambling debt.”
“He’s not going to like it if I ever get my hands on him.”
“No, Laurel. I don’t want you anywhere near him. Promise me that if he contacts you again, you’ll let us know.”
“But if I can get him to give me more money...”
He shook his head. “We don’t know what else Jack is involved in. Illegal gambling...money laundering... And those guys can play for keeps.” He went to her and pulled her to her feet. He didn’t want anything to happen to her. “Please, promise me you aren’t going to do anything foolish.”
“I’m not stupid, Kase.”
He raised a soothing hand. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to worry so much about getting the money from Jack that he manages to talk you into seeing him.”
She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “I never should have trusted him, but he told me he loved me.” Her voice softened. “But he knew I didn’t love him, not that way. We were both lonely. One night after a few drinks we got this crazy notion...”
“To get married?”
She eyed him closely. “I guess you weren’t the only one who chose the wrong person.”
He didn’t want to remember the turmoil that Johanna had put him through. “Why didn’t you just wait to fall in love with someone?”
Laurel met his gaze. “Because I was already in love with someone, but he didn’t want me.”
Chapter Fourteen
The following Sunday afternoon, Kase drove to the Bucking Q Ranch to deliver an excited little girl for Brooke’s baby shower. He climbed out of his SUV, opened the back door, released Addy’s safety seat and helped her down.
They were a little early for the party, but Kase didn’t want to be there when the other guests showed up. That included a lot of women, since men weren’t invited to the party. He’d been instructed by Trent to drop off Addy, then meet the other guys at Q and L cabin number one. The other husbands and boyfriends would be there to celebrate the birth of Chris.
“Daddy, how do I look?”
He glanced down at his adorable daughter dressed in a ruffled white skirt and a pink shirt that read Pretty in Pink and white sneakers with glittery laces.
“You look beautiful, sweetie.”
She smiled and his heart tripped. She was the joy of his life, and losing her would kill him. He couldn’t imagine not having his daughter with him.
“Daddy, did you hear me?”
He shook away the dark thought. “What, sweetie?”
“I said, do you think Christopher will like the horsey?”
“Of course. Every little boy wants a horse. Come on, you’ve got a party to go to.” Together they walked around to the back of the car and lifted the hatch. The gi
ft might be a little extravagant, but when Addy saw the wooden horse in the store window, she wouldn’t settle for anything else.
Kase lifted the horse from the back and along with his daughter walked up the steps and knocked on the back door. After hearing “Come in,” he allowed Addy in first, then followed her into the kitchen.
Laurel was busy at the sink, her back to them. There were trays of small fancy sandwiches and a big bowl of green salad on the table. Laurel turned and smiled. “Addy and Kase, you’re here.”
He wanted nothing more than to walk across the room, take her in his arms and plant a big kiss on her inviting mouth. He tabled that thought until later. “I thought I’d drop Addy off a little early, along with this guy.”
“And sneak out,” Laurel teased as she walked over and hugged Addy. “Don’t you look adorable.”
The four-year-old smiled. “You look pretty, too.”
Kase thought so, too. Navy trouser pants and a print blue-and-burgundy tunic-style top with a wide belt showed off her small waist.
“I agree,” he told her.
Laurel gave quick kisses to both of them. “Oh, my, that’s a big horse. Let’s take it in with the other presents and the other early guests.”
He groaned and followed as she led them through the Quinns’ formal dining room. A lace tablecloth covered the table with a big bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece, blue napkins and plates and matching balloons, one that announced “It’s a Boy.” In the living room there were already several women on the other side of the room, busy looking at the baby in the bassinette.
He hadn’t seen Chris since the hospital, but he planned to keep it that way for now. He wanted a quick departure from the party. He found the stack of presents on the fireplace hearth and placed the horse down. He kissed Addy and instructed her that he’d be back to pick her up in a few hours.
He took Laurel aside in the doorway to the dining room. “Thank you for inviting Addy today. She’s been so excited all week.”
“I’m glad. There are a few other little girls coming, too. So she’ll have someone to play with.”
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