Her Cowboy Cousins: A Reverse Harem Romance

by Veronica Wade

  “I don’t know,” I say. Admittedly I’m pretty freaked out by this whole thing. “I’m going to step up to the plate, obviously. I can’t believe this is happening, but if Hayley’s my daughter, I’m going to take care of her.”

  Sarah smiles softly at this and pulls me in for a hug, her hands running gently through my hair.

  “You’re a good man, Marshall. And we’ll help you through this,” she says softly.

  It surprises me how much her touch and her voice truly do comfort me. She makes me feel like we could actually get through anything together. I’m so grateful for her compassion.

  “She’s right, we will,” Morgan adds. “We’ll figure it out.”

  I take a deep breath. “I just can’t believe that Eva is willing to leave Hayley here like that.” The thought disgusts me even more now that I know Hayley is my daughter. I want her to be treated with kindness and respect, and Eva provided the exact opposite of that.

  I hate how she’s hurt Hayley. This is the complete wrong way to tell me that Hayley is my daughter. Hayley had to see my shock and dismay and then watch her mother walk away. She’s suffering from feelings of abandonment and loneliness, and that’s on Eva.

  Though I’m determined to right Eva’s wrongs as much as I can. Not that anything can undo what she’s done here, but I can try to mitigate some of the damage.

  “I’m going to go check on Hayley now,” I tell them.

  “We’ll come with you,” Sarah says.

  I nod. It’s probably a good idea. Hayley has come not only to trust me but Sarah, Spencer, and Morgan as well. The more she sees that there are adults here who care about her and want her, the better.

  We walk to the bunkhouse and I feel my heart pounding faster with each step. I’m about to have my first father-to-daughter talk, and I have no idea how to do this. I don’t know how to be a parent. I’m just winging it.

  I knock on the bunkhouse door. “Hayley, can I come in?” I ask.

  She doesn’t answer, which makes my heart sink. I know she’s in so much pain right now.

  I open the door slowly. “Hayley, I’m so sorry about what your mom’s just done. I’d really like to talk.”

  But when I open the door fully, Hayley is nowhere to be found.

  Sarah gasps. “Where is she?”

  Nausea overtakes me. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know where she could be.”

  Apparently, they can all see the horror on my face. Morgan immediately tries to calm me down.

  “It’s okay, this is fine. We’ll just search the grounds. It’s only been five minutes. She couldn’t have gone too far. Let’s go to the stables, check there, and then get some horses to go look for her.”

  I nod because it’s the only thing we can do.

  But I definitely don’t feel like it’s fine. I feel terrified not knowing where she is, and I’m praying she’s safe.

  Sarah

  I would be lying if I said it didn’t shock me that Marshall is Hayley’s father. And yes, I’m still spinning knowing that one of the men I’m dating has a daughter.

  But I don’t care about that nearly as much as I care about finding Hayley and making sure she’s safe.

  I remember the fear I felt when we were searching for Paul, but this is even worse. Because unlike Paul, Hayley has just had the most traumatic moment of her life happen to her and she ran out on her own. There’s not a chance that she’s just peacefully sleeping in the grass somewhere by accident.

  I think of all the spots that we saw when we were searching for Paul where I thought, “that could be dangerous, I hope he’s not there.” All the dangers are running through my mind as we make our way across the ranch. There are just so many places where a child could get hurt.

  I get especially worried as we reach the high pasture. It has a steep drop-off, and I remember looking over the edge with concern when we were searching for Paul, though he luckily wasn’t there.

  I bite my lip as I take my horse near to the edge to look over the side. I’m praying she hasn’t fallen down there, but for some reason, my instincts tell me I need to check and check thoroughly.

  The sun is going down, so I almost don’t see it. It isn’t until I’m about to ride away that I catch a glimpse of something purple…

  Hayley’s purple shirt.

  I gasp and then scream out to the boys.

  “She’s here! She’s here! Call 911, she’s fallen!”

  They react quickly, Marshall by pulling out his phone and dialing, Morgan and Spencer by jumping off their horses and tying them to a nearby tree. They slowly make their way down the drop-off themselves to get to her.

  “Be careful!” I call to them, but they don’t answer. They are in a rush to save their cousin’s daughter, to make sure she’s okay.

  When they get down there, they find that she’s unconscious and yell that fact up to me and Marshall. Marshall is in tears now, his breath hitching in his throat.

  I rush to him to try to calm him down, but he’s still on the phone with 911 for the second time that day.

  “It’s going to be okay, baby, it’s going to be okay,” I tell him, trying to make it so by sheer force of will. “They’re sending people. They are going to help. Everything is going to be fine.”

  Because we’re so far out in the country, they send a helicopter to get Hayley. They say it’ll only be ten minutes, but in the moment, it feels like an eternity. I just want to know that Hayley’s okay. That she’s going to be just fine.

  And in the back of my mind, I’m cursing Eva for causing all of this. For not giving a single thought to her daughter or her daughter’s feelings. And now she’s hurt! Marshall rides with Hayley in the chopper, explaining to the paramedics that he’s her father. He doesn’t explain that he only found that out in the last few hours. That’s a bit too complicated for this moment.

  I wish I could ride with them but it would slow them down. We have to follow on the road. As they get Hayley loaded on a stretcher and into the helicopter, Spencer, Morgan, and I all run to the truck to speed to the hospital as fast we can.

  On the way, Morgan remembers to grab Eva’s job application. It has her cell number so he can inform her of what’s happened.

  He doesn’t dial until we’re already in the truck and on our way. I let him handle that call entirely. I’m too furious with her to speak. If I did have her on the phone, I’d be screaming at her for reckless endangerment of her child.

  Though I can hear from where I’m sitting—in between Spencer and Morgan with Spencer behind the wheel—Eva is upset. I can’t hear her exact words, but I do hear her crying. Good! It’s time she finally shows some care and love for her daughter. It may be too little too late, but it’s better than nothing.

  Eva’s parents must live pretty close to the hospital because by the time we get there, she is already there waiting for us. She looks mortified, and it’s clear from her puffy, red eyes that she’s been crying.

  Marshall is in the waiting room too, pacing uncomfortably, and before I pay any attention to Eva, I run to him.

  “Have you heard anything?” I ask. “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know,” he answers, his voice shaking. “They’re back with her now.”

  I’ve never seen him so emotional, and I grab his hand firmly. “She’s a strong kid; she’s going to be just fine,” I tell him, though I’m inwardly panicking too.

  He nods, but before he can say anything back, we’re interrupted by Eva coming over to us.

  “I’m so sorry,” she says through tears. “I wasn’t really going to leave Hayley. I was just mad. I was going to come back later. Of course I was. I’d never leave my daughter.”

  “Our daughter,” Marshall corrects her. And I think it’s so sweet that after such a short amount of time with the knowledge that he has a child, he’s already acting like a responsible parent. He’s a good man. I’ve always known it, but seeing him this way only makes me love him more.

  “I love her. I r
eally do love her so much.” Eva sobs. “She’s my world. She’s the only thing I love on this earth.”

  “Then you need to do better for her,” Spencer says harshly from behind her.

  “Honestly, Eva, you have a serious drinking problem,” Morgan adds. “And if you’re going to take care of Hayley, you need to get a grip on it. You can never be a decent mother to her this way.”

  Eva says nothing, which shocks me. I’m expecting an argument, some yelling, her insisting she’s a good mother… but she does none of that. She just collapses into a nearby chair.

  Marshall is breathing loudly and clenching his jaw. I have a feeling he has a lot he wants to get off his chest to Eva too, likely about why she didn’t tell him sooner Hayley was his child, but he doesn’t. He isn’t going to put that burden on Eva right now. He’s going to suffer in silence before he yells at the mother of his child while she’s in tears.

  So I silently support him, rub his back, wrap my arm around him. Right now, it’s all I can do. It breaks me to see him in so much pain after he just found out he’s a father.

  I can see that Morgan and Spencer are extremely stressed too. They care about Hayley—we all do—and we’re all so anxious to know what the hell is going on with her.

  Thankfully, it’s just a few minutes later that a nurse in dark blue scrubs walks out to us.

  Marshall is wide-eyed. “Is she okay?”

  “She is going to need an emergency blood transfusion,” the nurse says. “We think she’s going to be just fine, but she’s lost a lot of blood. It will take time for her to recover.”

  I see Marshall tense up. “Can I donate to her, then? I’m AB positive. Can I give her some of my blood?”

  The nurse frowns, then gives a small smile. “That’s not quite how it works. Not to worry; we’ve got blood here for her. We don’t need it from anyone else.” She looks down at Hayley’s chart and seems confused. “Did you say you were AB positive?” she asks.

  “Yes, why?” Marshall questions.

  “It’s just… it says here that Hayley is O positive. Is there any chance that’s incorrect?” the nurse asks.

  “No,” Eva answers. “She’s had bloodwork done before. She’s O positive.”

  “Why?” Marshall asks.

  “It would be impossible for an O positive child to have a birth parent with AB positive blood,” the nurse explains. “You’re sure this is correct?”

  We all look to Eva, who once again looks shell-shocked. “Yes… it’s correct,” Eva says.

  “I see.” The nurse looks around at us and then looks back to the chart. “Well, I’ll come let you know of any more updates immediately.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her.

  Marshall is still staring daggers at Eva, waiting for her to explain as the nurse walks away.

  “Okay fine. There’s a chance… that you might not be Hayley’s father,” Eva admits, her voice shaky. “I don’t honestly know who the father is, but with her dark hair and yours, I really believed that it was you.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Eva?” Marshall snaps, although his voice is quiet, it’s full of emotion. “You weren’t going to mention that? That you weren’t sure?”

  “I…” She sighs. “I didn’t want to, no. I just wanted it to be you. Of all the men it could be, you’d make the best father.”

  “That’s not how this works, Eva! You can’t just choose a guy, lie to him, and expect to be one happy family! What did you think was going to happen?”

  “That was what I wanted to happen!” Eva admits. “I didn’t come to the ranch for a job, I came for you. I thought maybe that you, me, and Hayley could be a little family… that you’d want to be with us. That you’d support us.”

  Marshall looks positively disgusted with her, but he takes a deep breath.

  “You have issues, Eva. Real issues. And let me tell you right now, you are not fit to raise that child,” Marshall whispers.

  Eva starts bawling again, and when she does, Marshall’s face eases. His empathy knows no bounds. I know he’s no less livid with Eva, but the lecturing her on her mistakes stops. He sees her in pain, and what he says next, he says much more calmly.

  “Listen,” he says, running his hand through his dark curls. “We are never going to be a family, Eva. And you need to come clean to Hayley and tell her the truth about her father. You are going to have to tell her that it isn’t me.”

  Eva nods. “I know. Yes, of course I will. I’m so sorry, Marshall.” She looks up at Morgan and Spencer. “I’m so sorry to all of you. My behavior has been… inexcusable.” She makes eye contact with me too. “None of you have deserved to deal with my careless actions, least of all Hayley. I promise, I will come clean to her.”

  It’s the most repentant I’ve ever seen her. It’s weird to watch her take responsibility for actions and be genuinely apologetic.

  But it gives me hope that maybe she’s not an entirely lost cause. Hopefully, this horrific incident with Hayley will be a wakeup call for her. As furious as I am with Eva, I want her to do well. I want her to change her life and be the best mother she possibly can be for her daughter.

  Hayley deserves that.

  An orderly walks up to us and informs of us Hayley’s room number, offering to take us back to her. We all nod enthusiastically, except Eva.

  “I’ve just gotta run to the ladies’ room. I’ll be there in just a minute,” she tells us.

  So we go back to see Hayley. The doctor informs us that the transfusion went well and that she’s got quite a few stitches in addition to a broken arm. She lost a lot of blood but should be just fine.

  She isn’t awake when we get in there, though. And I hate seeing her lying there with all those tubes attached and machines surrounding her. It breaks my heart. I want nothing more than to hold her and reassure her that everything is going to be okay. Though I worry about how she’s going to react to finding out Marshall isn’t her father at all. Man, the damage Eva has caused today.

  “We shouldn’t tell her today,” I tell Marshall. “That you’re not her dad. It’s too much. Eva can tell her when she gets her back home. Not now.”

  Marshall nods. “I agree. Actually, I’m going to go find her to tell her that now.”

  “Good thinking,” I tell him.

  While he’s gone, Spencer, Morgan, and I are quiet. It’s been a long day for all of us.

  When Marshall comes back, he’s looking angrier than ever.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Eva’s gone,” he says blankly.

  “What?” Morgan gasps.

  “Yeah. She just up and fucking left.”

  Marshall looks as stressed as ever.

  It’s the second goddamn time Eva has abandoned Hayley today, and I could not be more pissed.

  Sarah

  The night of Hayley’s accident, since none of us are blood relatives we’re not allowed to stay in the hospital. It’s disappointing because even Eva obviously isn’t there with her. I hate the thought of her being alone and afraid.

  Morgan, Spencer, Marshall, and I all try to comfort each other that night. I pay special attention to Marshall, making sure he knows I’m here for him in whatever he needs. I know he’s heartbroken for so many reasons. He’s gone through such a rollercoaster of emotions; I can’t even fathom what he is dealing with. He’s a saint for being as patient with Eva as he was. I don’t think I could have done it. And for her to just leave after all that? It’s infuriating.

  But mostly, I’m worried for Hayley. We all are.

  So the very next morning, as soon as we’re allowed, Marshall and I set off to visit Hayley in the hospital. We have a large party of people coming in to the ranch, so Spencer and Morgan stay back to handle that. And I go with Marshall for moral support. He really needs it.

  To my relief, when we arrive, not only is Hayley awake, but she’s smiling!

  “She’s doing much better,” a doctor tells us. It’s a different one than we spoke to last night. �
�I think she’ll be ready to be discharged in just a couple of days. But we’d like to keep her a bit longer to monitor her in the meantime.”

  We thank him for the information, then turn our attention to Hayley.

  “I’m sorry I ran away,” she tells us sweetly.

  “You have nothing to apologize for!” I say quickly. The last thing she should feel after everything that happened is guilt. She’s been the victim in all this.

  “Sarah’s right. You were just scared. I’m sorry I wasn’t watching you more carefully,” Marshall tells her.

  Hayley sighs. “Well, I’ll never do it again, I promise!” she swears. “I’m really excited, actually. I thought about it, and I’m happy my mom’s going to let me stay at the ranch with you.”

  I can see Marshall tense up, though he tries to keep a smile. He doesn’t have the heart to tell her she isn’t going to be returning to the ranch with us, or that he’s not her father. Likely, he is going to wait until she’s no longer in the hospital. Which is a decision I fully support. She should be comfortable and out of a hospital bed before she has to deal with yet another thing.

  We spend most of the day with Hayley, and despite my better instincts, the entire time I’m wishing that Eva will show up. We don’t even tell Hayley that her mother came last night and left suddenly again, since it would only make any abandonment issues worse. She doesn’t ask if we’ve called her, and we don’t tell her. There’s nothing to tell until we track Eva down.

  We say our goodbyes when visiting hours are over, promising that we will be back the following day. She looks sad but takes it in stride. She’s come a long way from the spoiled, bratty little girl she was when she arrived at the ranch.

  As soon as we leave her room, Marshall sighs loudly. “What are we going to do? What am I going to tell her?”

  I don’t even have an answer for him. I’ve never navigated a situation like this. It’s complex beyond belief, considering Eva continues to let us and Hayley down. I don’t have a shred of good advice for him, so I just gently rub his back as we make our way past the receptionist’s desk.