Kitabı oku: «Coming Home to a Cowboy»

SHERI WHITEFEATHER is an award-winning, bestselling author. She writes a variety of romance novels for Mills & Boon and has become known for incorporating Native American elements into her stories. She has two grown children who are tribally enrolled members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. She lives in California and enjoys shopping in vintage stores and visiting art galleries and museums. Sheri loves to hear from her readers at www.sheriwhitefeather.com.

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Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Kade Quinn went into shocked silence, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to Bridget Wells, the woman on the other end of the line. Not after she’d just told him that he was the father of her ten-year-old son.

He couldn’t deny that he’d had a fling with her that fit the timeline, but conceiving a child with her wasn’t in his realm of comprehension.

Struggling to process the information, he let out the breath he’d been holding. In the background, the horses he was training were nickering for his attention. But he couldn’t focus on them right now. Bridget’s news was the only thing he could think about, along with the incessant pounding of his frantic heart.

“I don’t understand,” he finally said. “If you’ve known all along that he’s mine, then why are you just telling me now?”

“Cody decided that he wants to meet you.” She spoke quietly, nervously, it seemed. “He’s the one who looked up your website and got your current phone number.”

Kade remained beyond nervous, too. “Cody? That’s his name?”

“Yes.”

“How long has he known that I’m his dad?”

“For most of his life. But he accepted not meeting you until now. My grandfather helped raise me, and he helped raise my son, too. Grandpa was Cody’s role model, his father figure of sorts. But then Grandpa died last year, leaving Cody lonely for paternal companionship.” After a slight pause, she said, “Not that I expect you to...”

Step up to the plate? Be the boy’s new role model? “If that isn’t what you’re expecting, then why did you call me?”

“Because I promised Cody that I would.”

So what did that mean? That Kade could refuse to meet his son? That he could walk away unscathed?

There was no way in hell that he could ever do that. Kade had issues with his own father, a man he hadn’t spoken to in years. He would never willingly mimic his old man’s behavior. “You should have told me you were pregnant. You should have called me back then.”

“I made what I thought was the right decision at the time, given the circumstances. So please don’t fault me for that.”

He frowned, troubled by her reluctance to include him in Cody’s life. She still sounded leery. “What circumstances?”

“You never kept in touch, Kade. You never even called me after you left, even though you said that you would.”

“I know, but time just got away from me. Besides, I’m bad about that kind of stuff.”

Her breath rushed out. “That’s just my point.”

He struggled to follow her logic. “So because I didn’t call you, you didn’t call me? Even after you found out that you were pregnant?”

“Truthfully, it’s more complicated than that. But I don’t want to discuss it over the phone. If you’re going to come to Montana and meet Cody, we can talk about it then.”

“Are you still in the same area?”

“Yes. In Flower River.”

His thoughts drifted back to the past. Bridget had attended one of his training clinics at the fairgrounds in the town where she lived. He’d been intrigued from the start, noticing her that very first day. She’d been his physical ideal: a blue-eyed blonde with a curvy figure that turned him on. Mostly, though, she was just a sweet, no-frills girl who’d never even been out of Montana.

They’d embarked on a weeklong tryst, and being with her was the most fun he’d ever had with anyone. It wasn’t just about the heat that unfolded between the sheets, but the compatibility when they were hanging out together.

For Kade, that was a rare occurrence. A loner by nature, he preferred to keep to himself. He could count the number of women he’d been with on one hand. Okay, maybe two. But he could go for years at a time without partaking of anyone’s company. Sometimes he missed the warmth of a woman’s body next to his. But it was easier to stay unattached than get pulled into romantic entanglements.

A week, he supposed, was his limit. The precise amount of time he’d spent with the mother of his child.

He squinted into the sun. “Did I make that bad of an impression on you, Bridget?”

“What?” she replied.

“For you to have left me out of Cody’s life.”

“I already told you that it’s complicated.” She cleared her throat. “Just tell me if you want to meet Cody, and we’ll go from there. But if you have reservations, then please stay away. It has to be something you can handle. Otherwise Cody could end up getting hurt.”

“Of course I want to meet him.” He couldn’t just ignore the fact that he had a son. He wanted to do the right thing, to take responsibility, to make a difference in the kid’s life. “And I’m not going to hurt him, not if I can help it. I got hurt plenty by my own dad. I know what that feels like.”

“Really? I didn’t know you had a troubled relationship with your father.”

“It’s not something I normally talk about.”

“I had a problem with my dad, too.”

A bell went off in his head. “Is that part of the complication you keep mentioning?”

“Yes.” Her voice broke a little. “And I was just protecting Cody from more of the same. But like I said, we can talk about that when you’re able to come here.”

He didn’t doubt that it was a long and painful story. But he was still concerned about the specifics and how it applied to him. “I can rearrange things so I can be free sometime next week. But I’m going to drive, not fly, so that’ll add a few more days.”

“Where are you right now?”

“In Texas.” He glanced around the Heartbreak Paint Ranch, a high-end facility that belonged to one of his clients, a country singer and his fashion-model wife. “I’m on a job. I travel the way I always did, and I still do clinics. But I also work for a lot of private parties now. I’ve come a long way since you knew me.”

“I’m aware of the reputation you’ve built for yourself. Cody scoured your webpage. He’s impressed by the famous people you know and all the flashy horses you train. Ever since he got it in his head to meet you, you’re all he’s been talking about. He’s even been bragging about you to his friends.”

Kade hoped he could live up to those kinds of expectations. “I’ll do my best to make him proud.”

“Thank you. He’s going to be thrilled.” Her voice went soft. “After we hang up, I can email you some pictures of him.”

“That would be great.” Kade couldn’t even begin to imagine what his son looked like. “Can I ask you something personal? Since you said that your grandfather was Cody’s father figure, does that mean that you’ve never been married or had a significant other who influenced him?”

“No, there’s been no one. No one important,” she clarified. “I’m careful about the men I date and whom I let Cody get close to.”

Kade figured as much, being that he’d also been left out of the loop. Nonetheless, he was glad that there wasn’t an ex-husband or some other dude who’d once mattered. He didn’t want to be compared with anyone else. It was scary enough that Cody was already putting him on a pedestal.

She said, “I’ll email you those pictures, and once you work out your schedule, you can let me know for certain what day you’ll be here.”

“Sure. Okay.” Curious about her appearance and how much she might’ve changed, he wanted to ask her to send a picture of herself, too, but he thought that might seem weird. He would be seeing her in person soon enough. “Tell Cody I said hello, and I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“I will. Bye for now.”

“Bye.” He pushed the end button and stared into space, unsure of what to do next. Should he call his brother in California and tell him the news? Yes, he should. But he decided he would do that after he saw Cody’s pictures.

For now, he opted for checking his emails on his phone, hoping Bridget had hurried and sent them.

She hadn’t, at least not yet.

He kept checking, and about ten minutes later, the email arrived with a subject line that read “Cody Colton Wells.”

So that was his son’s full name? He liked the sound of it, but he would have preferred that the boy’s surname was Quinn instead of Wells. At least that would’ve made Kade feel more like Cody’s father, not left out of everything.

He opened the attached files, and talk about being knocked off his feet. The first image appeared to be a school picture, where Cody was looking straight at the camera with a posed expression. Kade saw himself in the boy: his deep-set eyes, his naturally tanned complexion, even the cowlick in the front of his short dark hair. Kade’s was in a different spot and not quite as pronounced, but he still had one.

The next picture was much more casual, with Cody sitting on the porch of a little blue-and-white house that was positioned on a dirt road and surrounded by trees.

Was that Bridget’s house? The place where she was raising Cody? When Kade and Bridget were together, she’d stayed with him at the motel room he’d rented for the week. He hadn’t gone home with her because she’d still lived with her family then. It would have been awkward for her to bring him there or introduce him to anyone.

But this time would be different. Kade would be going straight to her door—nearly eleven years later—to meet the child they’d created.

Before he panicked from the sheer craziness of it, he opened the third and final photo, which showed Cody by a Christmas tree in the midst of holiday hoopla, wrapping paper everywhere. Again, Cody looked just like Kade when he got dressed up, with a crisp Western shirt and bolo tie.

Should he reply to Bridget’s email? Should he tell her what a handsome kid they had? Or would that sound arrogant, given Cody’s resemblance to him? He smiled, feeling ridiculously proud that his genes were so strong.

Even if he still didn’t know a damned thing about being a father.

* * *

Bridget was a nervous wreck, her pulse pounding beneath her skin. Kade was scheduled to arrive today.

For now, Cody was at school. She and Kade had agreed to see each other first, to talk, to get the past out of the way before their son got home.

Their son. Hers and Kade’s.

The week they’d spent together had been the most beautiful, romantic time of her life. She’d relived every passionate moment after he was gone, waiting by the phone for him to call, just as Bridget’s mom had routinely done with Bridget’s dad. Two women, generations apart, infatuated with the same type of men. Lessons, she thought, learned the hard way.

Struggling to clear her mind, to temper her regret over her family history, she glanced at the kitchen clock. Since Kade would be there during lunchtime, she’d made a beef stew that was simmering in a slow cooker, just in case he was hungry.

Fool that she was, Bridget went into her room to check her appearance for the gazillionth time. Normally she wasn’t the fussy sort. But today she was wearing her best jeans and nicest blouse. Her hair was long and loose, instead of pulled back in a ponytail or plaited into a single braid. She’d even resorted to a little mascara and lip gloss. Cody had told her that she looked “purty” this morning, and for her that went a long way.

He was so darned excited when he’d gone off to school, chattering about the anticipation of meeting his dad. He’d even printed Kade’s bio from his website and stuck it in his notebook so he could study it again at recess.

Her baby boy had a serious case of idol worship. Once upon a time, Bridget had felt that way about her father, too.

Trying to get a grip on her emotions, she returned to the kitchen and waited for Kade to show up. At least she’d seen pictures of him on the internet so she knew what to expect in that regard. As far as she could tell, he was still as hot as sin, with the same piercing brown eyes, granite-cut jaw and striking cheekbones.

The instant the doorbell rang, she dashed off to answer it. She opened the door, and there he was. All man. All six foot four inches of solid muscle. His hair was combed straight back, the ends skimming his collar, and his clothes consisted of timeworn denim. Seeing him in person was far more breathtaking than viewing a picture could ever be. He’d aged, of course, going from his midtwenties to midthirties, but it looked incredibly fine on him.

Bridget was in her thirties, too. Thirty-one, in fact, with a birthday that had just passed.

“Hello,” he said, shooting her a smile she remembered from long ago.

“Hi,” she replied, warning her heart to be still. A dizzying moment later, he leaned in for a hug.

Dang, he moved fast. She would have preferred a less intimate greeting. But she put her arms around him and buried her face against his shirt. He was more than a foot taller than she was, and as she stood on the very tips of her toes to reach him, it almost seemed as if he was sweeping her off her feet.

She ended the embrace and regained her footing, refusing to let him see the ache that being near him caused.

“Come in,” she told him.

He thanked her and crossed the threshold, his boots sounding on the hardwood floor. He had a rugged way about him, the kind of cowboy confidence that appealed to her. Having him around wasn’t going to be easy.

“Something in here smells good,” he said.

“It’s beef stew. Would you like some?”

“Yeah, sure. That sounds great.”

Well, there you go, she thought. He’d reacted quickly once again, accepting a meal without hesitation. She didn’t doubt he was going to want their conversation to happen fast, too.

She offered him a seat at the kitchen table. Her house was neat and cozy, with simple furnishings she’d purchased at flea markets and yard sales. Her favorite items to decorate with were crocheted doilies and antique mason jars. She routinely filled the jars with wildflowers, picking them herself nearly every day, since they grew freely on her property.

“I’ve got some coleslaw in the fridge,” she said as she removed flatware from the drawer. “Would you like some of that, as well?”

He watched her move about the kitchen. “I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

“Then, I’ll warm up some bread, too.” She tried to keep from getting self-conscious. He was looking at her as if he was remembering how it felt to kiss her and touch her and put his naked body next to hers. “I baked it yesterday.”

He continued to watch her, much too closely. “You bake your own bread? That’s cool.”

“I bake pies, cakes and cookies, too.”

His smile returned, only it was slightly crooked this time, giving him a strangely boyish edge, especially for a man so big and broad. “I think I’m going to enjoy hanging out with you again, Bridget.”

He wasn’t here to hang out with her. He was here to meet their son. But she didn’t correct him, because they both knew darn well why he’d come back to Flower River.

She prepared their plates and put a basket of the warmed bread on the table, along with a stick of butter.

As she poured two glasses of water, she fought to keep her hands steady. He was still keeping a dark and masculine eye on her. Finally, she sat down across from him, trying to look more composed than she felt.

He reached for his fork. “I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal. Not that you made this specifically for me. But it’s still nice.”

“I did make it with you in mind.” She wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. “I took a few days off from work, too, so I’d be around when you and Cody are getting acquainted.”

“Do you still work at your family’s farm equipment store?”

“Yes. And we sell more than farm equipment now. We carry feed and pet supplies, too.”

“Well, I’m glad you took a few days off. It’ll be easier having you around when I’m talking to Cody. I’m uncertain about what to say to him.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. He’s a chatterbox, so I’m sure he’ll get the conversation going. He’ll probably ask you tons of questions. He wants to know everything about you.”

Kade buttered a slice of bread and dipped it into the stew. “I want to know all about him, too. But I haven’t decided how long I’m going to stay. I’m just going to play it by ear. For now, I checked into the motel where I stayed last time. That old place is still there.”

The place where they’d spent that glorious week together. She reached for her water. “It’s the only motel in town.”

“I know. But it doesn’t look as if it’s changed a bit. You have, though. Not so much in the way you look, but the way you carry yourself. Motherhood suits you.”

She felt her lonely heart go bump. “I love being a mom.” Being a single parent, however, wouldn’t have been her first choice. It wasn’t what she’d envisioned for herself.

“I’m sorry that I never called you, Bridget. If I’d known how important it was, I would have.”

“I took you at your word. But I should have known better.”

A frown furrowed his brow. “You still should have called me when you found out you were expecting. I had the right to know that you were having my baby.”

She took a jittery breath, preparing to relay the explanation he was waiting to hear. “I really liked you, Kade. I was smitten from the moment I met you. But I hadn’t intended to sleep with you. I’d never done anything like that before.”

“Had a fling?”

“Had sex at all. You were my first.”

He flinched, good and hard. “Damn, Bridget. You’re full of surprises. It never even occurred to me. I had no idea.”

“It’s not always that obvious.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on either of us beforehand. And after it was over, I didn’t need to explain since there was no real evidence of it.”

He scrunched up his face. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“It was a little uncomfortable at first. But after that...” She let her words drift, recalling how wild and sexy and dreamy it had been.

“So I wasn’t too rough or anything?”

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just didn’t want to point out that I was a twenty-year-old virgin.”

“Even if that’s what you were?”

“I’d done other things. I’d just never gone all the way with anyone.”

“Then, why did you do it with me?”

“Because being with you was exciting. You weren’t like any of the boys I’d dated around here. Plus, when you told me that you didn’t pick up women like that, it made me feel special.”

“You were special. I have fond memories of you, more than anyone else I’ve ever been with.”

“That’s nice to know, but it doesn’t change anything. You still drifted off the way my dad did. He was always on the road, too. A tractor salesman who blew into town and started romancing my mom. He didn’t disappear right away, though. He used to come and go, even after I was born.”

“So he knew about you from the start?”

“Yes. My mother told him, but he didn’t offer to marry her or get too domestic. He just breezed in and out of our lives, charming us with his tales of being on the road. He used to bring me gifts from all of the places he’d been, little trinkets from his sales routes.”

“Where did he live?”

“Nowhere in particular. He had a travel trailer that he hauled around. He used to say that having a home on wheels was the best way to live.”

Kade squinted, as if he was listening intently to her story. “So what happened? Did he just stop coming around?”

Bridget nodded. “I was seven the last time I saw him, and I remember clinging to him and not wanting to let go. By then, his visits were becoming less frequent and he was hardly bringing any gifts anymore, so I was already starting to feel a sense of neglect. His disinterest in my mom was showing, too. It was foolish of her to wait around for him all those years, hoping that he’d want to marry her someday and turn us into a real family.”

Kade squinted again. “That was a terrible thing for him to do, to disappear like that.”

“He didn’t disappear completely. He called one final time from the road and told my mom that he wasn’t coming back. That it was too much pressure, and he couldn’t handle it.”

“Is that what you thought I would do to Cody? Is that why you didn’t tell me about him?”

“I would have told you if you’d called me. But when you broke your promise and never got back in touch with me, I figured it was better to just keep you out of my child’s life. To me, you were already showing signs of being like my dad. He never made good on his word, either. Even when he was active in our lives, we could never quite count on him. If he said he was coming for Christmas, he would show up on New Year’s instead.”

“I understand why your experiences with your dad triggered concerns about me. But you never even gave me a chance when you found out about the baby. I still don’t think that was fair.”

“Maybe not. But you have your chance now. Only whatever you do, please don’t make promises to Cody that you don’t intend to keep. I couldn’t bear for him go through what I went through.”

“I have no idea what type of relationship Cody and I are going to establish, but I’m not your dad, Bridget. I’m not going to leave without ever coming back.”

“I hope not,” she said, praying with all her might that Kade turned out to be a far better man than she’d given him credit for.