The Soldier's Secret Son

by Helen Lacey

  A Christmas surprise for a homecoming soldier...

  When Jake Culhane comes home to Cedar River to visit his family, he doesn’t expect to reconnect with the woman he never forgot. Abby Perkins never believed Jake would return, which is why she never told him she’d given birth to his son. But Abby is still in love with the boy who broke her heart when he enlisted. This could be their first Christmas as a real family—if Abby can find the courage to tell Jake he’s a father...

  “Jake?” Her son’s voice cut through the sudden silence. “Can I ride your motorbike?”

  “No,” he replied quietly and glanced in her direction. “Not until you’re twenty-one.”

  T.J.’s eyes rolled dramatically. “But that’s forever.”

  Jake grinned. “When’s your birthday?”

  “The third of March,” her son announced loudly.

  Abby waited, watching as Jake took a few moments, wondering if he was working out the math calculation in his head from the day they’d slept together and knowing he’d come up almost two months short. He didn’t know T.J. was premature. No one in Cedar River did other than her grandmother. When he replied, there was no query in his words. “Not forever. Just five thousand, one hundred and ninety-four days.”

  T.J.’s eyes widened disbelievingly. “You can do math really fast, like me!”

  Abby’s whole body clenched. Of course, her son would find common ground with Jake, but the idea it was happening so quickly filled her with dread. She didn’t have much time. Jake was a smart guy. Too smart. If she didn’t come clean soon, he’d work it out for himself.

  * * *

  THE CULHANES OF CEDAR RIVER:

  Family lost, family found

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Cedar River, South Dakota! And to my latest book for Harlequin Special Edition, The Soldier’s Secret Son. This is the second book in my new series, The Culhanes of Cedar River, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share Abby and Jake’s story with you.

  I love reunion stories—particularly ones with secrets! Widowed chef Abby Perkins has been holding on to a couple of them for six years—a first love she never forgot and a child who is her whole world. Jake Culhane had left town over a decade earlier and rarely returned—now, back to help his brother recuperate, he’s discovered a whole new reason to stay. Of course, the road to a reunion is rarely smooth, and for Abby and Jake, it’s a bit of a bumpy ride. But with forgiveness, an interfering family and the love of a little boy, they soon figure out that family and love are all that matter.

  I hope you enjoy Jake and Abby’s story, and I invite you back to South Dakota for my next book in The Culhanes of Cedar River series, coming soon. I love hearing from readers and can be contacted at helenlaceyauthor@gmail.com or via my website at helenlacey.com or my Facebook page to talk about horses, cowboys or how wonderful it is writing for Harlequin Special Edition. Happy reading and happy holidays!

  Warmest wishes,

  Helen Lacey

  The Soldier’s Secret Son

  Helen Lacey

  Helen Lacey grew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Harlequin Special Edition, where she can create strong heroes with soft hearts and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-afters. For more about Helen, visit her website, helenlacey.com.

  Books by Helen Lacey

  Harlequin Special Edition

  The Culhanes of Cedar River

  When You Least Expect It

  The Cedar River Cowboys

  Three Reasons to Wed

  Lucy & the Lieutenant

  The Cowgirl’s Forever Family

  Married to the Mom-to-Be

  The Rancher’s Unexpected Family

  A Kiss, a Dance & a Diamond

  The Secret Son’s Homecoming

  The Fortunes of Texas: The Lost Fortunes

  Her Secret Texas Valentine

  The Fortunes of Texas

  A Fortunes of Texas Christmas

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  For Christine—

  who became my sister when I was four years old and gives the best hugs in the world. Love you.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from The Right Reason to Marry by Christine Rimmer

  Chapter One

  Jake Culhane reined in the tall paint gelding he’d been riding for the past two hours and headed for the corral. It had been years since he’d spent so long in the saddle, and his muscles, he was sure, would pay the price later.

  It was a chilly afternoon, typical of Cedar River in winter. After living in Sacramento for the last few years, he’d forgotten how cold a South Dakota winter could be. He dismounted by the stables and hitched the horse to the rail, signaling for one of the young ranch hands to take the gelding in the stall.

  A few minutes later, Jake headed for the house.

  It still felt strange being back. The house, the ranch—all of it held few good memories for him. It was why he’d left at eighteen and joined the army. The truth was, he’d never been much of a cowboy, and the Triple C, one of the largest ranches in the county, needed someone at the helm who had a way with horses and loved the earth and the ranching life. Which wasn’t him. The ranch was usually in the safe hands of his elder brother, Mitch. But since Mitch had been seriously injured in an accident several weeks earlier, Jake had stepped up and taken over some of the work around the ranch while his brother recuperated.

  Jake circled the house and strode through the back door, wiping his boots on the mat in the mudroom before he made his way into the kitchen. Mrs. Bailey, the housekeeper who’d been on the ranch for close to fifteen years, was working behind the countertop and smiled when he entered the room.

  He was just about to snatch a muffin from the plate on the counter when his sister-in-law, Tess, walked into the kitchen from the other door. Despite some initial misgivings about Tess being back at the ranch and his instinctive need to protect his brother, Jake liked her, and was happy that she and Mitch had worked through their relationship troubles and were now back together. Particularly since they had a baby on the way, due to arrive in a couple of months’ time.

  “Where’s the patient?” he asked and half grinned.

  Tess smiled. “Living room. And he’s grumpy.”

  “Situation normal then,” Jake replied and grabbed the plate Mrs. Bailey held out toward him, piled with a few muffins. “I’ll see if this will help.”

  Jake left the room and walked down the hall, taking a left turn into the front living room.

  He spotted his brother by the window, settled in a wheelchair, his broken leg in plaster.

  Mitch was two years older, but they had always been good friends as well as brothers. Jake knew the whole family felt grateful Mitch was now recovering from his injuries. It had been a fraught week right after the accident. His younger brother Hank, who was the chief of police in Cedar River, had called him and told him to come home, clearly concerned that Mitch might not make it. Thankfully, his brother had pulled through
and was going to make a complete recovery. But it would take some time for him to get back onto his feet. A broken leg, two cracked ribs, countless abrasions and a concussion had almost ended his brother’s life. But things were better now. Mitch was back home. He and Tess had reconciled. They were having a baby together. It was a nice happily-ever-after that Jake knew his older brother deserved.

  Their own mother had died years ago and their father, Billie-Jack, had bailed. At just eighteen, Mitch had taken custody of sixteen-year-old Jake and the younger kids—fourteen-year-old twins Joss and Hank, twelve-year-old Grant and eight-year-old Ellie. He’d kept them all together and out of family services, something Jake was eternally grateful for. He also knew the sacrifices Mitch had made to keep them together as a family.

  “Hey,” he said, and placed the plate on the coffee table. “I hear you’re in a bad mood.”

  Mitch turned his head and scowled. “My wife has been telling tales, I see.”

  Although Tess wasn’t technically Mitch’s wife yet, their wedding was set to take place in the next couple of weeks, and he figured that since his brother and sister-in-law had played loop-de-loop to get their relationship back on track, they could call each other whatever they wanted.

  Jake grinned. “Anything I can do?”

  Mitch harrumphed. “Get me out of this damned chair and fix my leg so I can get back to work.”

  “I would if I could,” Jake replied and sat down opposite his brother. “But doctor’s orders and all that. You need to rest up and heal...no quick fix for that, I’m afraid.”

  Mitch grumbled under his breath, “Doctors don’t know everything.”

  “Sure they do,” Jake said and grabbed a muffin. “You nearly died, remember?”

  “I don’t need reminding.”

  “I think you do,” Jake said easily. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be such a lousy patient.”

  His brother grumbled some more, then turned his attention to business. “How’s the ranch?”

  “Running like clockwork. You’ve got good people here looking after things. Wes knows what he’s doing.” Wes Collins had been the foreman at the Triple C for a few years and ran a hardworking crew of ranch hands. “And Tess and Ellie are keeping on top of things. All you need to do is rest and recover.”

  Mitch sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “I know...but it’s not easy. And thanks, you know, for staying on and watching over things.”

  Jake shrugged. “Family first.”

  “You still moving out today?” Mitch asked and grabbed a muffin.

  Jake had been staying at the ranch for the past couple of weeks, but since Mitch was now home and thankfully on the mend, he knew he needed to move and give the soon-to-be-newlyweds some space. Not too far—just into the hotel in town. “That’s the plan.”

  “You don’t have to stay at O’Sullivan’s,” Mitch said quietly. “This is still your home.”

  “I know,” he replied. “But you and Tess need time alone, and I’m not used to being a third wheel.”

  Mitch laughed. “You’re hardly that. And Tess likes having you here as much as I do. Plus, you’ve always been Mrs. Bailey’s favorite.”

  “That’s true,” he said and laughed. “Just don’t tell Joss.”

  “He thinks he’s everyone’s favorite,” Mitch said of their younger sibling. Joss owned an auto repair shop in town and was raising his two young daughters alone, as his wife had died many years earlier. “But then, every family has that one standout charmer.”

  Jake laughed, because Joss was actually considered charming—and quite the town flirt. Whereas Mitch was the patriarchal pillar of strength, Chief of Police Hank was the pillar of the community, twenty-eight-year old Grant was the computer geek and twenty-four-year old Ellie was the baby of the family. And Jake was...what? The bad boy. The war hero. The one who’d left. While the rest of his family had stayed in Cedar River and remained together, stayed close, Jake had served two tours in the middle east, moved to California when he retired from the army and begun a business partnership with Trent, a fellow sergeant, working with some of the top tech companies in the state and quickly creating a highly successful security firm.

  He been back to Cedar River twice in the last decade. Once for Mitch’s first wedding to Tess, and the second time to attend Tom Perkins’s funeral. Jake had avoided the town for over six years. Since Tom’s death. Since he’d slept with his best friend’s widow.

  Abby...

  His high school girlfriend. Then his ex-girlfriend. Who became his friend’s wife.

  Shame and guilt pressed down between his shoulders with razor-sharp precision.

  “Why O’Sullivan’s?” Mitch persisted.

  Jake shrugged. “It’s the best. And I’ve become used to creature comforts these past few years.”

  He knew his brother didn’t believe him. “I told you that Abby’s working at the restaurant there, didn’t I?”

  Jake stilled, wondering if Mitch could read his thoughts. Yes, his brother had told him she worked there. He also knew he couldn’t avoid her forever. And really, he didn’t want to. Which was why he figured he might as well move into the hotel for a while and let fate play its hand. Once, long ago, they’d been friends, and they had both cared about Tom...it was enough of a connection for Jake to want things between them to at least be civil.

  “So you said.”

  “She’s an amazing chef,” Mitch remarked and bit into a muffin. “I thought she might have left town when Tom’s parents moved to Oregon, but she stayed. I guess she wanted to be close to her grandmother.”

  “I guess,” Jake said vaguely. Jake had always liked Mr. and Mrs. Perkins. They were good people and clearly great parents. Jake had spent many nights under their roof after one of his many confrontations with his own father. It was difficult now to think about Tom’s grieving parents, about how hard it must have been for them to cope with remaining in the town after they’d lost their only son. He wasn’t really surprised they’d moved to Oregon, since their daughter had been living there for many years.

  “Abby’s got a kid,” Mitch said casually. “He’s a couple of grades behind Joss’s youngest.”

  Jake had heard Abby had a child. He also knew that she’d remained in Cedar River.

  “I’m glad she’s happy,” Jake said quietly.

  Mitch’s brows shot up. “I didn’t actually say that. Are you still pissed at her for marrying your best friend?”

  Jake sucked in a breath. “Abby and I were over long before she married Tom. Whatever we were to one another is well in the past. It’s just...history.”

  “History has a way of repeating itself,” Mitch reminded him. “Take it from me... I never would have imagined that Tess and I would be back together. Let alone be about to have a baby.”

  “You still loved Tess. And she loved you. That’s why you’re back together. I’m happy for you both...if anyone deserves it, it’s you.”

  “And you?”

  Jake shrugged. “Who knows.”

  “No girlfriend back in Sacramento?”

  He shook his head. “No one serious.”

  The truth was, Jake had spent the last decade without forming one committed relationship. While he was in the military, it had been too hard to maintain something long-distance. And afterward, he hadn’t found the time to settle into a relationship. He’d dated several women in the last couple of years, but none seriously. At least, he’d usually broken things off before they became serious. He didn’t lie. He didn’t cheat. He didn’t ever set out to hurt a woman’s feelings. He wasn’t that guy. He’d simply never felt a connection deep enough with anyone to make it anything significant. The only woman he’d ever loved was Abby...and those feelings had faded long ago.

  Maybe he just wasn’t a settle-down kind of guy.

  “You plan on staying in town a w
hile longer?” Mitch asked.

  Jake nodded. “Sure. Maybe another couple of weeks or so.”

  “I hoped you might hang around until after Christmas,” his brother said and shrugged lightly. “I mean, I know you’ve got a business to get back to, but it’s been so good to have you back here. I’ve missed you.”

  A familiar guilt wound its way through his blood. Jake knew that Mitch knew he’d never felt at home in Cedar River. And he knew why. His memories were tainted by the last few years he’d spent living on the ranch—by their mother’s death, by Billie-Jack’s drunken rages, by the car accident that had nearly killed Hank when his brother was fourteen—an accident that had been caused by their father. And by his typically angsty teenage relationship with Abby. By the time he was eighteen, Jake had been desperate to get away from Cedar River and everything it stood for.

  Until now.

  * * *

  Abby Perkins ditched the apron she’d been wearing all afternoon, tossed her chef’s hat in the laundry tub and made her way out of the kitchen. Her cell beeped in her pocket, and she quickly extracted the phone to check the screen. Her grandmother’s text was brief, and she nodded to herself as she headed through to the staff room and opened her locker.

  The picture tacked onto the back of the door made her smile. T.J.’s cheeky and infectious grin always put her in a good mood. Even when he was being bad-tempered and defiant, she adored her son and could not imagine a world without him in it. At not yet six years old, he could be a handful, but she was determined not to dampen his spirit and creativity.

  Abby pulled on her jacket and tugged the band from her brown hair, hurled it into her locker and grabbed her bag before she shut the door. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the door and grimaced when she noticed how tired she appeared. It had been a long week. The sous chef had quit...again. And two of the waitresses had called in sick. Which meant everyone else was working longer or extra shifts. But Abby loved her job. Being head chef at O’Sullivan’s meant she could live with her son in the town she had been born and raised in.