Her Billionaire Cowboy's Secret Baby

by Savannah McCarthy

  Liz had instinctively packed the dress Wyatt had gotten for her at Landon’s back in Gold River.

  Even in all the rush and panic, when she saw the beautiful garment, she was compelled to take it with her. She was glad she had, because it meant they wouldn’t have to go shopping again before their fancy dinner.

  Sure, Liz liked shopping as much as anyone else, but she didn’t want to put anything extra on her plate right now. She had one goal for the evening: tell Wyatt everything. She didn’t want to be worrying about making sure she had the perfect outfit on to break the news with. The stunning red floral button dress held enough sentimental value that she was confident it would get her through the night, whatever came up.

  The glimmer in Wyatt’s eyes when he recognized what she was wearing was just icing on the cake—the night started off with a short fiery kiss.

  It was mid-afternoon, and they had dropped Bindi off at the arena daycare about an hour ago. The little girl was more than happy to be left to her own devices. Bindi was ready to make friends and learn to skate. Liz couldn’t have been prouder. She was doing a good job raising her daughter, she told herself, now it was time to take the next step.

  A sleek black private car picked her and Wyatt up and they were whisked away to a fancy downtown district. It must have been a new or revitalized neighbourhood, because Liz didn’t recognize a single restaurant from when she and Wyatt had been dating the second time around.

  The car pulled up out front of an understated all-white entrance that was draped in green vines and red flowers. Wyatt got out first and took Liz’s hand. He helped her out onto the sidewalk and Liz was immediately blinded by flashing lights. She flinched and brought her hand up to her eyes. “What the...?” she started, before seeing the rows of photographers lined up on either side of the red carpet leading into the restaurant.

  The Parliament, was scribbled over the doorway in a romantic cursive font.

  “Sorry about the paparazzi,” Wyatt apologized as they stepped through the doorway. “I didn’t think they’d be here so early. It’s a good thing you’re looking so good.” He rubbed Liz’s thumb and kissed her cheek.

  Liz giggled. “I’m sure I’ll be getting a text from my mom any second now.”

  They were seated at a private table in the back. The soft lighting of the fancy restaurant put Liz’s mind at ease. She couldn’t wait to taste the wine.

  The food on the menu didn’t have price tags next to them. It made Liz nervous, but the way Wyatt was sitting across from her calmed her down. He was comfortable here and it made her feel like she belonged too.

  He was looking extra handsome in a black, silk western top and tight, dark jeans. He hadn’t brought along his regular old Stetson hat and Liz couldn’t help but be glad. She loved it when he got all duded up, but his face was too pretty to be hidden. Tonight, she wanted to see all of him. She couldn’t risk not catching his full reaction to what she planned on telling him.

  Without a price tag to worry about, Liz just ordered whatever sounded best. She got a phyllo-wrapped halibut fillet with lemon scallion sauce. Wyatt, true to his rugged roots, got a 32-ounce sirloin steak, rare. That man always ate like he was on the edge of starvation. It was a good thing he made so much money, Liz thought, because otherwise he’d go broke from the amount of meat he ate on a daily basis. She wondered if his intake would go down once he stopped playing hockey. Wyatt had always so been athletically active that she could hardly imagine him just sitting around.

  “Think you’ll pick up bull riding again?” she asked, as they casually talked about their pasts and their futures.

  Wyatt guffawed. “Maybe if I want another concussion. I don’t know how I ever escaped those rodeos intact. I must have been made of rubber.”

  “Rubber’s pretty strong,” Liz noted.

  Wyatt nodded. “I’m not rubber anymore though. All it takes is one serious injury to make you realize just how fragile you really are. It makes you think...” Wyatt trailed off, deep in thought.

  “About what?” Liz asked.

  “About what’s really important in life.”

  “And what’s really important in life?”

  “Family... you... Bindi... Gold River.”

  She smiled. “If only we had known that before.”

  Wyatt sighed. “I think I did know it before. I just didn’t have the strength to take it by the horns like I should have. Maybe if it was a bull, I would have stood a better chance.”

  They reached across the table and took each other’s hands. Wyatt’s cool blue eyes sparkled in the dim lighting.

  “You and Bindi get along pretty well,” Liz started.

  “She’s amazing. She’s so much like you it hurts,” he chuckled softly and looked down at their hands.

  “She’s a lot like you too,” she said. Her chest started thumping.

  “You and I must be more alike than we think,” Wyatt smiled. His thumb stopped rubbing against the back of her hand. He looked up from the table. “Hey. Can... Can I ask about her father? I haven’t wanted to push, but I mean...” A silence filled the air between them. “Do I know him?” Wyatt asked.

  Liz swallowed. She took a deep breath. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” she managed to say. Her mouth was dry. She took a sip of the red wine in her glass.

  Wyatt sat up in his chair.

  Just then, Liz’s phone buzzed alive on the table beside her napkin. The cutlery shook and she nearly jumped out of her dress.

  She turned it over and checked her screen. It was just a text. “My mom,” Liz said, putting the phone back down. She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Nearly made me jump through the roof!”

  “What did she say?” Wyatt asked.

  “I didn’t check. Here.” Liz turned around her phone again and opened up the message. She sighed as she saw another link from her mom. Looking good, honey! I didn’t know you were in Toronto! Why didn’t you tell us!? We would have looked after Bindi for you!

  Liz read the message out loud to Wyatt and then opened up the link. Inside was an article about the two of them, with a picture of them arriving at the very restaurant they were still currently in.

  “My God, do these guys work fast!” Liz exclaimed.

  “Does your mom have an internet tracker or something on your name?” Wyatt chuckled. “I didn’t know she was so technologically savvy.”

  “I have no idea how she found this. That woman can be a mystery even to me sometimes.”

  “How are Alice and James, by the way? I miss them.”

  “They’re good. I’ve been trying to visit them more.... You know, you could have always checked up on them yourself. I’m sure they’ve missed you too.”

  Wyatt pursed his lip. “I didn’t think it was appropriate,” he mumbled. “I didn’t want to invade your world, or really break out of mine. I wasn’t really ready to do something like that on my own until now.”

  “You’re not on your own now,” Liz pointed out.

  That made Wyatt smile. “True, and I’m better off for it. But I think that, in the time since we’ve reconnected, I’ve found a second sense of worth. You’ve made me realize how complete of a person I can be. I have a full past and the possibility of a bright future. I was ignoring all that until I came across you at the pond. You’ve made me open up again and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “You’re happy?” Liz asked, a little shocked by his honesty.

  Wyatt nodded.

  “Even with a madman chasing us!?”

  Wyatt nodded again. A chuckle escaped his beautiful lips. “As long as I’ve got you and Bindi by my side, I feel like I can take on anything.”

  Suddenly, Wyatt’s phone started buzzing. Liz flinched, though not as much as before.

  Wyatt calmly reached over his cutlery and quickly checked his message. Liz watched his face scrunch in the glow of the screen as he read whatever was on it.

  “What the...?” he mumbled as he tried to make sense of what he was seein
g.

  “What is it?” Liz asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Wyatt flipped his phone around and showed Liz what was on the screen.

  It took her a second to focus.

  Unknown, was in the contact field. Below was a message that read:

  Enjoying your meal, Wyatt? Elizabeth looks especially beautiful tonight. Where’s your daughter?

  Liz’s heart stopped at that last line. “Who sent that!?’ she demanded immediately.

  Wyatt shrugged, before freezing in place. “You don’t think?” he growled.

  Liz could practically see his hackles go up. It took her a second, but her blood ran cold when she realized what he was thinking.

  Alec.

  Chapter 22

  Wyatt

  “We have to go get Bindi NOW!” Liz exclaimed as she stormed away from the table.

  Wyatt already had his phone to his ear. He had just texted his driver, EMERGENCY. OUT BACK NOW! and now he was calling security. He pointed towards the back entrance and Liz did a quick 180. He followed her and gave instructions to his head of security. “Go to the arena now,” he ordered. “I want all eyes on Bindi. I’ll call the guys we have there when I get off with you.”

  When all was confirmed Wyatt hung up and dialed up his team at the arena.

  “Nothing’s amiss here, sir,” said Allen, the chief officer watching over the daycare. “I’ve got eyes on the girl right now. I’ll beef up security. No one will come in or out of the building until you arrive.”

  Wyatt and Liz burst into the kitchen and rushed by the busy chefs as fire leaped from the stoves. Liz was running at full speed, but she had no hope of keeping up with Wyatt. “I’ll get the car ready. It should be out back, away from all the cameras. Everything seems to be alright at the arena. My team’s got eyes on Bindi and the security detail that was with us is already on their way. I’ve told our driver to leave the car in the alley. I’m driving.” And with that, he burst ahead, leaving Liz in the dust.

  He turned a sharp corner on the other side of the kitchen and shoulder checked the greasy back door wide open. It flapped like a weathervane in the wind behind him as he searched the alleyway for his car. He spotted the sleek black vehicle, idling, just up ahead. Before he could take another step though, the back door behind him slammed shut.

  Wyatt felt something cold and hard push into his back. A chill went down his spine.

  “Don’t move,” ordered a gravelly voice.

  Wyatt stiffened. “Look, buddy,” he started, trying to reason with the stranger. That only made the cool metal dig further into his back. Wyatt flinched at the pain. “HEY!” he shouted. He figured he was being robbed, but he didn’t have the patience for it. “Look, take my wallet. It’s in my right pocket. I don’t have time for this.”

  “You better make time,” sneered the stranger. His voice was hoarse and broken, but there was a tinge of familiarity to it.

  Suddenly, the back door burst open again as Liz pushed her way into alley. Wyatt felt the metal ease on his back and he took the opportunity to whip around. He jumped to the side and instinctively chopped at the stranger’s forearm. A shiny black object flew from his hand and careened onto the pavement below. Wyatt was already winding up for a second blow when he recognized the man who had just been holding him hostage.

  It was Alec Garland.

  The raggedy giant’s face was twisted in anger and pain as he held onto his busted arm. Wyatt’s attention quickly turned to the object that had fallen from his hand. His heart nearly stopped when he saw what it was.

  A black gun lay on the alley floor some 10 feet away. He was closer to it than Alec, and when he looked back at the sneering man, he could tell that it was obvious to the both of them.

  Wyatt was about to lunge for the weapon when he saw Alec pull something else out from his pocket. The blade of a knife shimmered in the fading afternoon sunlight. Wyatt may have been closer to the gun, but Alec was closer to Liz.

  Liz was frozen against the alley wall, right beside the door back into the restaurant. It had already closed behind her.

  Slowly, Liz came out of her shock. Wyatt made eye contact with her and without a word, they both knew what they had to do. He nodded and Liz started inching back towards the closed door.

  “DON’T MOVE!” yelled Alec. He waved his long knife in the air like a maniac. Wyatt got ready to pounce. Liz stopped in her tracks; her eyes were trained on the steel blade that was pointed in her direction. Wyatt was filled with rage. How dare he threaten her, he thought as his muscles clenched and his pulse slowed.

  “You’re going to pay,” Alec growled. His tone was jittery and full of anger.

  “Pay for what, Alec?” Wyatt asked as calmly as he could manage.

  “For all you’ve done to me!” Alec bellowed. The once talented athlete was a mess—his long greasy hair fell over his forehead in thin strands, he had a scar on his left cheek and a face that looked twice as old as it was—but he was still a giant, and an angry one at that.

  “What have I done to you?” Wyatt continued, trying his best to make the beast come at him instead of Liz.

  “You took everything from me!” Alec rumbled, turning slightly from Liz and towards him.

  Wyatt shook his head. “I never did anything to you, Alec. This was all your own doing.”

  Alec didn’t like that response. His eyes filled with a blind rage and he turned completely towards Wyatt. Wyatt sneered and wiggled his fingers. He stared down the angry bull and got ready for his last rodeo.

  “I would have been you if you never existed,” Alec grumbled. He took a big step towards Wyatt. Wyatt flashed a look to Liz. She immediately understood and before Alec could turn around again, Liz had opened up the back door and disappeared inside.

  Alec hesitated, unsure of whether to go after Liz or deal with Wyatt. He yelled up at the sky and took another big step towards Wyatt.

  “You’ve caused me so much pain,” Wyatt told him, drawing him further from the door. “You already took my parents from me and now you want to take the love of my life?”

  “You don’t deserve any of this,” Alex said, wildly flashing his knife back towards the fancy restaurant. “It should be mine.”

  Wyatt took a step backwards and raised his palms to the angry behemoth. “No one can change the past, Alec. You’ve done your deeds and served your time... and you know what?” Wyatt took a deep breath and stood up straight. For the first time since the accident, he stared right into the eyes of the man who was responsible for his parents’ death.

  “What?” Alec asked, pausing his advance for the sake of curiosity.

  “I forgive you,” Wyatt said.

  Alec froze. His contorted face melted for a moment as he tried to make sense of what he had just heard. His arms went limp and his knife fell to his side.

  Wyatt kept his gaze strong and steady.

  Neither of the two men moved for what seemed like an eternity.

  Then, suddenly, the veil of introspection lifted from Alec’s face and rage washed over his features once again. He lifted his knife back towards Wyatt and charged.

  Wyatt crouched and jumped out of the way at the last second. Alec stumbled into the opposite alley wall, before pushing himself up and training his sights back on Wyatt. He charged again, but this time Wyatt wasn’t running. All of his hurt and pain came out in a rush of adrenaline that slowed the rushing giant down to a single frame. Wyatt thought of all he had lost and all he still had to gain as he plunged into Alec’s legs and sent the giant flying over his shoulders.

  He quickly jumped to his feet and turned around. Alec rolled up against the opposite alley wall and his loose knife bounced off the concrete towards Wyatt. The weapon stopped just before Wyatt’s cowboy boots; he kicked it away in disgust. Alec mumbled in and out of consciousness before him. Wyatt felt numb. Everything was silent.

  Slowly, though, the sound of police sirens filled the air. Cops rushed by Wyatt and pounced on the downed fugitive. Wyatt
watched in a daze as they handcuffed and dragged away the man who had made his life such a living hell for so long.

  Still, he didn’t feel a single modicum of relief until a pair of soft caring arms wrapped around his waist. Liz buried her head into his chest and smothered him with kisses. “Are you alright?” she asked, over and over again, as she searched his body for signs of injury. She wouldn’t find anything wrong with him. He was safe and sound and now that he had her by his side again, he was happy.

  “I’m fine,” he smiled down at her, finally breaking out of his daze. “It’s over. We’re safe.” He pulled Liz towards him and kissed her forehead. “Let’s go get Bindi.”

  Chapter 23

  Elizabeth

  By the time they had given their reports to the police, Wyatt’s security team had already whisked Bindi back from the arena.

  The little girl was completely clueless as to the severity of what had just happened. “Pretty lights!” she smiled, in awe of all the colourful sirens flashing around the scene of the crime.

  Liz could barely speak. She just wrapped her arms around her little girl and lifted her up.

  “Hey,” Wyatt noted, a charming grin finding its way onto his lips. “Look at you, still strong enough to pick your big girl up.”

  Liz laughed as happy tears welled up in her eyes. “I guess it’s just all the adrenaline.” She gave Bindi a kiss on the cheek and rocked her back and forth. Wyatt stepped forward and wrapped his big strong arms around the both of them. They hugged in the flashing lights for what seemed like a blissful eternity before Wyatt’s head of security finally pulled him aside for a briefing.

  Liz kept Bindi in her arms for as long as she could manage, but eventually, her adrenaline wore off and she had to put her little girl down.

  “Are you sad?” Bindi asked, noting the soft tears rolling down her mother’s face.