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* * *
Justin set the jack on the ground and began hoisting up the underbelly of Kat’s ten-year-old Chevy. Kat kept a safe distance away, watching him work with rolled-up sleeves, his face tight, sweat beading on his forehead.
Looking at him now, she took a subjective view of what had happened in New York and understood why she’d broken her rule with him. Normally, she didn’t date soldiers or any other man who might drag her down to the ditch she’d clawed her way out of. She was heading to the top and nothing would stop her. She’d gone the poor man’s route once before with a young man, and that had gotten her nothing but grief. But Brett...or rather Justin, had had enough charm to persuade her to make an exception. She’d been so lonely, so desperate for a true friend. And he’d been that for two solid days. She’d opened up to him about her life and the recent loss of her mother. He’d listened. He’d understood. He hadn’t pressured her for sex. He hadn’t made a move on her that first night. He’d slept on her tiny living room sofa without complaint. They’d toured the city on a dime, and had laughs. The whole time, Kat knew the weekend was going nowhere. There wasn’t enough charm in the world to get her to give up her dream. She wasn’t going to fall for some down-on-his-luck and out-of-money hog farmer.
With the jack in place, Justin fastened the wrench he’d found in the trunk over a lug nut on the wheel. The nut refused to budge and Justin dug his heels in, determined. Corded muscles in his forearms strained and bunched with each powerful jerk he gave the wrench. A vein popped from his neck as he put the full force of his body behind each counter-clockwise turn. After he managed to loosen the first lug nut, he sat back on his heels, wincing against the afternoon sunshine, and then shot her a glare. “Is Connor my son?”
“Shh,” she said, glancing at the front door. Hopefully, Mattie was dozing. “Don’t let Aunt Mattie hear you.”
Justin fastened the wrench to the next lug nut and turned it sharply to the left. The nut released. “How many men did you sleep with before and after you met me?”
One other, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She was certain Brett Applegate was Connor’s father...or at least the man she’d thought to be Brett. “You lied to me. You told me you were Brett.”
Justin finished removing the nuts from the wheel and rose, his grim expression aimed straight at her. He approached, taking slow predatory steps. “Just how hard did you try to reach Brett Applegate after you got pregnant?”
Kat visibly shook at his tone. He was determined to get to the truth. She wanted that, too, but protecting Aunt Mattie came first. “We can’t talk about this here. You saw Aunt Mattie. That woman has been through enough heartache in her life. Her heart is frail. I’m convinced she’ll have another setback if she overhears any of this conversation.”
He stared at her with the full force of his dark brown eyes. Connor’s eyes. As if reading her thoughts, he spoke with a rasp in his voice. “That baby has my eyes and dark hair.”
It was true. Connor looked enough like Justin to make those comparisons.
“Shh, Aunt Mattie loves Connor. He’s given her new life. We can’t...we can’t have this conversation right now. If you’re truly a friend of Brett’s you know how much he loved her. He wouldn’t want her getting hurt. And that’s exactly what would happen if you—”
Justin took the hint and spoke more quietly now. “I don’t plan on hurting Brett’s aunt. But if that boy is my son I have—”
“Please...” Her nerves raw, she glanced at the door again. “Don’t you get it? I’m not going to talk to you about this here.”
“We’re gonna have this conversation, Kat. Meet me at seven at my house at Sunset Ranch. It’s twenty miles west of here.”
Kat’s body shook. She couldn’t go to the Slade house. Showing up on Sunset Ranch would only complicate matters. And she wasn’t going to tell Justin why just now. “I can’t.”
A vein throbbed against the side of his throat, looking ready to burst. “Why not?”
“I’ll meet you somewhere else. Someplace neutral.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m listening.”
“There’s a little café in Silver Springs called Blossom. Do you know it?”
“I’ll find it. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
“Eight. I have to put Connor to bed first. I read to him every night and we have a routine. He’s a pretty good sleeper. It’ll be easier on Aunt Mattie if he’s already in bed when I leave.”
Justin’s eyes softened at the mention of Connor’s sleep habits and for a second or two, she felt a sense of relief that her son’s daddy wasn’t lost to him forever. Then, Justin turned a sharp eye on her once again. “If you’re not there, I’ll come looking for you.”
Really? Did he think she’d run out on him? “I’ll be there. I want answers, too.”
“You’ll get them.” Dismissing her, he turned around and walked back to repair the flat.
Her heart beating like crazy, she walked into the house. Mattie was indeed dozing. Thank goodness. Little Connor took one look at his mommy, rose onto his knees and then hoisted himself up by the wall of the play yard. He stood on planted feet, holding on tight to keep his balance. His eyes sparkled with pride over his newest accomplishment and Kat beamed with love and that same sense of pride.
Your daddy is alive, Connor.
He’s also rich and powerful.
The implication made her dizzy. But Kat couldn’t think about all of that now. She had Mattie’s welfare to consider. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Matilda Applegate would suffer heart failure if she learned the truth about Connor. Kat couldn’t let that happen. Mattie didn’t deserve any more heartache in her life. There was a tipping point, and this was it. Kat would do everything in her power to protect her. With her flamboyant red hair, and sweetly feisty spirit, the older woman had touched something fierce and protective in Kat.
She picked up Connor from the play yard and hugged him to her chest, stroking his soft dark curls.
It was only minutes later, after she heard Justin drive off, that she could finally breathe evenly again.
Two
Justin ground his teeth together as he drove off the Applegate property. Shell-shocked wasn’t a strong enough term for what he was feeling right now. He’d come to spill his heart and guts out to Matilda about how Brett had died, and instead discovered he had a son—an adorable dark-haired, brown-eyed boy.
His son.
His mouth twisted. He had to be careful. He didn’t know anything for sure right now. The boy may or may not be his child.
But he did remember Kat. So many things about her. He remembered her beauty, her creamy skin, her pretty green eyes and the way she accepted him inside her body with tight, wet, welcoming heat. Though he’d spent the weekend with her, they only had one night of sex. That one night made up for the prior eight months he’d gone without. Once they got going, there was no stopping them. She’d had no boundaries, no fussy little complaints, no inhibitions when they were together. Her only rule was that she didn’t want any entanglements afterward.
She’d spelled it right out.
She didn’t want a relationship with a soldier or a farmer.
In other words, he was good enough to bed, but that’s where it would end.
Justin had gotten the message loud and clear and after leaving her without so much as exchanging phone numbers or addresses, he’d also understood better what Brett Applegate was up against with the fairer sex.
Eight o’clock couldn’t come fast enough for him.
He downed two more antacids and pushed the button to lower the windows. Damn that fool bet. Reversing roles hadn’t been one of his wisest moves, but now a child’s life was at stake. If Connor was his, then he would move heaven and earth to make up for lost time with his son.
Stepping on the gas pedal, he peeled down the road. During scorching hot summers in Afghanistan he’d picture himself whipping down the highway with the sun at his back and the cool wind blowing his hair in ten different directions. Like now. He’d daydreamed about coming home to Sunset Ranch and working alongside his brothers, too. He’d clung to those thoughts as he battled both enemy and unyielding climate.
Justin pulled into the parking lot of the Amber Pail, a hot spot for Douglas County locals and a place he probably should avoid. But it was early yet and he needed to kill some time and think without his family around. He climbed out of his truck, plopped his hat on his head and kept his sunglasses on. He strode toward the entrance to the bar and had nearly made it inside, when a man’s voice boomed out behind him.
“Justin Slade...tell me you’re not planning on drinking alone.”
Justin turned to find Sheriff Robbie Dunphy striding in his direction. Justin had gone to high school with the sheriff’s younger sister, Tiffany. “Hey, Robbie. How’s it going?”
Robbie strode up to face him on the sidewalk. He filled out his tan uniform, the buttons on his shirt ready to pop. He stood head to head with Justin, and as usual had a smile on his face. He hardly fit the bill for a stereotypical hard-nosed lawman. “I got no complaints. How about you? You acclimatin’ to being home again?”
“I’m getting there. Nine years is a long time to be away.”
“I got to thinkin’ you might just make a career of soldiering, with you getting the Congressional Medal of Honor and all.”
Justin clamped his teeth together. The medal was a source of pride to him but at the same time, it reminded him of his failures. He didn’t think of himself as a hero, but as a soldier who’d done his job. Brett’s death had hit him hard, and he’d decided when his last tour of duty was up that he was through with the military. “At one time, I thought the same thing. But looks like I’m home to stay now.”
“Well, good.” Robbie gave him a congenial slap on the back. “Come on, then, and let me buy you a welcome home drink. Amber’s still here, working her ass off and brewing the best ale in the state. You gotta try her latest concoction, something she calls Nevada Punch.”
What the hell. He couldn’t very well insult the sheriff and tell him he wanted to drink alone. Maybe some hometown company would keep his mind off of troubling thoughts and help him pass the time. “Sure thing, Sheriff.”
They sat at a table right smack in the middle of the darkened tavern. It was a throwback to the sixties, with dim yellow lights reflecting off a long mahogany bar. The second his butt hit the padded vinyl seat, Amber came striding over, her teased brown hair as big as ever, swept up in the back with bobby pins and a little black bow.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Justin Slade.” She gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, Amber.”
“I do believe this is the first time you’ve been in my bar legitimately.”
“Wasn’t old enough before I left for boot camp.”
“I know it, but you’ve been here dozens of times. I used to open the back room up for my son and the rest of you boys to play pool. You remember that, don’t you?”
He nodded, thinking back on that time. “I’ll never forget that trusty old pool table.” He’d lost his virginity on that pool table with Betsy Ann Stankowski when he was sixteen.
“I’m not hearing any of this,” the sheriff said, leaning way back in his chair.
Amber waved him off. “Robbie, don’t tell me you didn’t know about the boys coming here. You didn’t make any noise about it because your little sis would tag along with them sometimes, so don’t you get all high and mighty now. For pity’s sake, I never gave any of the kids liquor.”
The sheriff shrugged off her reprimand. “Who’s getting high and mighty? I’m here to buy Justin a drink. What’ll you have, boy? Want to try you some Nevada Punch?”
“Sure do.”
“It’s on the house,” Amber said. Then she pointed at the sheriff. “And your favorite iced coffee since you had the good sense to bring Justin in.”
“Thank you, kindly,” Justin said.
“You got a heart of gold, Amber Louise.” Robbie sent her a grin.
She lifted her brows at the sheriff dubiously before she turned to focus on Justin. “It’s the least I can do for you. Why, you’re a hero, saving five lives like you did. You make us all proud.”
Though he was uncomfortable with the praise she lavished on him, Justin thanked her. She meant well. Everyone meant well, but he didn’t want free drinks, or meals on the house, or reporters poking around Sunset Ranch, hoping to get an interview with the hometown hero.
What he wanted was time to adjust to being home.
Kat Grady had thrown a wrench into those plans, pronto.
Amber served the coffee to the sheriff and her specialty beer in a tall pilsner glass. Justin brought the glass to his lips and took a gulp of the dark, rich ale. “This is pretty good,” he said to the sheriff.
“Hits the spot, doesn’t it? So what are your plans now that you’re back home? Planning on working on the horse farm with your brothers?”
“Don’t rightly know yet. Those two have the ranch running smooth as silk.”
While overseas, he’d given it a lot of thought. He loved the land and raising horses, but when he’d returned home three days ago, he wasn’t sure where he fit in the well-oiled machine Sunset Ranch had become. Logan and Luke had been at it a long time, and they had the running of Sunset Ranch, the lucrative Slade horse farm, and Sunset Lodge, an upscale version of a dude ranch, down to a science. Sure, Justin could work with them but not out of necessity. They didn’t really need him.
And since Brett’s death, Justin had been bouncing something around in his head that wouldn’t roll away. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him.
But first, he had to deal with fatherhood.
He glanced at his watch. He had four more hours before his meeting with Kat.
“Well, if you’re of a mind at all for public service, let me toss this suggestion out at you,” the sheriff said. “There’s a county commissioner’s seat opening up next month. You’d be perfect for the job. Why, with your background, you’d have pull and influence enough to get a lot of things accomplished. Could do a lot of good for the citizens of Douglas County.”
Justin couldn’t believe his ears. “What?”
Sheriff Dunphy’s eyes shone bright as he nodded encouragement. “Jeff Washington, our county assessor, well...he and I were talking about the vacancy and the upcoming special election yesterday. Your name came up first thing.”
Justin began shaking his head. “I’ve been home three days, Robbie, and my name’s coming up for a special election?”
“Well, no, not exactly. Your name came up because we’ve got to clear a date on our calendar. The county’s planning on throwing a parade in your honor.”
Caught off guard, Justin felt the blood drain from his face. He kept his mouth from dropping open, just barely, as humbling astonishment rolled through his gut, making him ready to pop a few more antacids. “I...don’t know what to say. A parade?”
Wasn’t that sort of thing reserved for Olympic champions and, well...Santa?
The last thing Justin wanted was a parade. He didn’t deserve the adoration of the entire county. He’d barely made it home in one piece mentally, and the word hero was reserved for soldiers much braver than he’d ever been.
“Yes, we’re all excited about it. But it’s gonna take a while to pull it off. Douglas County wants to welcome their hero home in style. We’ve got three high school bands practicing, a news crew alerted and the county’s Women’s Association and the Boy Scouts working together to build you a float.”
Holy crap.
A thought flitted into his head and he turned a suspicious eye on the sheriff. “You didn’t just bump into me today, did you, Robbie?”
“Of course I did. I would never abuse my authority by having patrol cars give me your location or anything.” The sheriff’s wry smile said the exact opposite.
Robbie was a sly one, not as Gomer Pyle–ignorant as he had people believing.
Amber strolled over, carrying a tray with two dishes of fried chicken, potatoes and gravy. She set the plates down on the table and smiled at him. “Here you go, Justin. Meal’s on the house, too. It’s my way of saying thank you for your service to the country.”
Robbie Dunphy rubbed his hands together, peering at his plate with boyish glee. “Looks delicious, doesn’t it, Justin?”
Justin stared at the food for a second and then raised his eyes to Amber, who patiently waited for his approval. “Sure does, Amber. Thank you.”
“And while we’re eating,” Robbie said to Amber, “Justin’s gonna think about becoming Douglas County’s new district commissioner.”
“That’s wonderful. Well, you two take all the time you need.”
After Amber walked off, Justin finished his ale and leaned forward in his chair. “Robbie, I know you mean well, but I’m not ready to make any decisions about my future just yet. The one thing I do know is that I’m not a politician. No way. No how.”
He didn’t want a parade in his honor, either, but Justin couldn’t bring himself to call it off. There were already too many people involved. Douglas County had been good to the Slades over the years, and Justin wouldn’t insult the citizens by telling them he’d rather be face-to-face with a rattlesnake than sitting on a float, waving to people who’d come out to pay him tribute.
* * *
It wasn’t until he pulled through the gates of Sunset Ranch that Justin’s muscles began to relax. Spirited mares and stallions dotted the pastures along the drive toward the house. The acreage was fertile here, the soil nurtured by runoff from the Sierra Nevadas and rain plentiful enough to keep the pastures green most of the year. Justin inhaled the scent of alfalfa and manure, of leather and earth, as he approached the one-story Slade house and parked the truck.
He’d always loved his childhood home and since returning he felt a greater appreciation for the freedoms and privileges life brought to him. He’d been in hellholes, seen danger and atrocity at its worst and survived, though not without some painful internal scars. The place he’d come from in the Middle East seemed far removed from life on Sunset Ranch.
Off in the distance he spotted two riders and immediately recognized one as his brother Luke. The woman riding beside him was his new fiancée, Audrey. The two had recently become engaged and were due to have a child of their own.
With Luke engaged and Logan’s wedding fast approaching, Justin felt like a fifth wheel already. And he’d only been home three days.
He climbed down from the cab and gave a wave to Ward Halliday, who was standing next to his car over by the main corral. The ranch foreman had welcomed Justin on his first day home with a manly hug, making no mention of his war hero status. He’d only wished him well and told him he’d missed him. Justin appreciated how perceptive the man was not to make too big a deal out of things. “How’s it going, Ward?”
“No complaints,” he called out. “Molly’s got beef empanadas waiting for me at home.”
“Sounds good. Tell her hello.”
Ward nodded. “Stop on by sometime. Molly would love to see you.”
“I will.”
Justin climbed the steps of the house and walked inside. From the foyer, he could see Logan leaning against his office door down the long hallway. He was drinking liquor from a tumbler and nodded for Justin to join him. “About time you showed up, little bro. I’ve been fielding your calls all day. Come take a look.”
Justin’s boots clanged against the stone floor as he made his way toward the office where Logan conducted Sunset Ranch business. Logan worked at the house, while his fiancée, Sophia, worked at Sunset Lodge. The two were planning a big blowout of a wedding. But they’d waited for him to come home; Logan had asked him to be his best man on his first day back.
Luke, too, had decided to wait so that Justin could be in attendance before tying the knot with Audrey.
“Want a drink?” Logan asked.
“No, I’m good.” He glanced around. Today, just like the other days since his arrival, he felt his father’s presence in the room despite Logan’s efforts to remove all traces of Randall Slade. Some things just died hard, he thought as he plunked down into a black leather armchair.
Logan sat down and faced him from across his desk. “You might, after you see these. You have seven phone messages flashing on the machine, and Ellie took all of these from the house phone.” Logan handed over a stack of notes. “Looks like you have at least three messages from Betsy Ann Stankowski alone.”
Justin’s head shot up. “You don’t say.”
Logan gave him a knowing smile. “Maybe she wants to pick up where you left off before you enlisted.”
Justin balked at that. Logan had caught them fooling around behind the barn once and when questioned, Justin had confessed Betsy Ann had been his first. His older brother had told him point-blank not to mess around with girls on the ranch or anywhere else. He was too young to know what he was doing and there could be consequences to pay. Yeah, well, years later, he hadn’t taken that advice with Kat, and as a result, he’d fathered a child. Maybe. “Betsy Ann and I were over way before I left town.”
“You mean, you actually listened to me?”
Justin clucked his tongue. “Now why would I do that?”
A smile spread across Logan’s face. “I didn’t think so. Betsy Ann teaches grammar school and I hear her students love her. She’s also made a name for herself as the president of the Douglas County Women’s Association.”
“Seriously?” Betsy Ann would always be stamped in his memory for granting him those painfully awkward, profound and awe-inspiring sixty seconds on the pool table. “She always did like school.”
“Three messages in one day,” Logan said. “She sure wants you for something.”
Justin didn’t think Betsy Ann had any lingering feelings for him. She’d dumped him like a hot potato in their junior year for some older guy. He’d bet fifty bucks that he knew what she wanted from him. If she was president of the Women’s Association, then she was calling about the parade. Justin didn’t want to open up that can of worms with his brother now. He had enough to contend with.
He scanned over all the messages scribbled down on notepaper, tossing them down one after another onto the desk. At some point he’d have to call these people back, but he wasn’t going to do that today.
Logan spoke up. “Let me know if I can help. You shouldn’t be bombarded by everyone you’ve ever known in a fifty-mile radius on your first week back.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take care of it.”
“I also gotta tell you Luke shooed two reporters off the property this morning after you left. They want interviews with Sergeant Slade.”
Justin jerked his head back and forth. “Man, I didn’t think my homecoming would cause such a stir.”
“Be patient,” Logan said, leaning back in his chair. “You coming home a war hero is big news around here. Everyone wants a piece of you.”
“Tell me about it. Robbie Dunphy cornered me today. He’s got some wild ideas about my future. Don’t even ask.”
Logan’s eyes lit with understanding. “Okay. Listen, Sophia wants to have you over to the cottage for dinner tonight. It’ll be quiet with just us, Luke and Audrey. No phone calls. No one barging in or cornering you.”
The cottage had been Sophia’s home when they were growing up. She’d lived there with her mother, Louisa, who managed the lodge. But when it came out that Louisa and Randall Slade had been lovers, the whole thing went bad and Louisa packed up Sophia and left Sunset Ranch. Recently, because Randall had put Sophia in his will, she’d returned to the ranch for her inheritance and Logan had fallen in love with her. “Sounds good, but I can’t make it. Tell Sophia I’m sorry. I have a...something to do tonight.”
Logan’s brows lifted. “A female...something to do?”
Justin glanced away. His brother was too damn perceptive. “Let’s just say, it’s important. I’ll tell you about it once I figure it all out myself.”