One Week To Build A Happy-Ever-After?

The cowgirl: Brooke Laughton wants one thing: the family she can’t have. When a gorgeous man and a giggling baby girl step onto her Cedar River ranch, her dream comes true. Or so she hopes...

The city boy: Tyler Madden wants to find the baby’s unwitting birth father—Brooke’s missing brother—and fulfill a promise to the late mother. Then he can go back to his lucrative law practice. Or so he hopes...

But one little baby has a different agenda. Little Cara wants a family...and the lonely cowgirl and the commitment-phobic lawyer are just the mommy and daddy she needs! She’s got one week to show them what’s right in front of them. Desire. Love. And the promise of a forever family...

Man and baby took her breath away.

Standing in her driveway, Tyler looked too gorgeous for her peace of mind. It took two seconds to figure out she wasn’t immune to him. She’d been out of action when it came to dating and sex. But right then, in low-riding jeans and a baby on his hip, Tyler was the sexiest man she’d ever seen. And her hibernating libido immediately kick-started out of slumber.

“You wanted me,” he said, his blistering gaze connecting with hers. “So you have me.”

She could have played dumb, but she knew she’d swindled him out of his hotel and onto her ranch. “So you’ll stay?”

“We’ll stay. For a week.”

Part of her was delighted but another part was nervous. After two years, sharing her home with a man tied her belly in knots.

This is about the baby...not him.

She took a deep breath and led him inside. As he entered, he turned to look at her. A gust of awareness swept the house, an intimacy that defied logic and made her hot all over. His gaze held her captive, and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t look away.

It was going to be a long week.

* * *

The Cedar Rivier Cowboys: Riding into town with romance on their minds!

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to Cedar River, South Dakota! Also welcome to my tenth book for Harlequin Special Edition, The Cowgirl’s Forever Family.

Brooke Laughton is a former barrel racer turned rancher. She’s also a kind and generous woman who longs for a family of her own—something she believes she will never have after a long-running battle with infertility. But when a handsome stranger turns up on her doorstep with a baby in his arms, she feels like someone may have just handed her the moon. The baby is the motherless child of her younger and absent brother, and the stranger is Tyler Madden, a New York lawyer who is now calling all the shots regarding her niece. As she tries to get her brother to come home and keep the bank from foreclosing on the ranch, Brooke realizes that it’s not only the baby who is capturing her heart, but also the no-nonsense, no-commitment man, who is clearly daddy and husband material...even if he doesn’t know it!

I loved writing Brooke and Tyler’s story and seeing how these two very different people became a family together. Families come about in many ways—maybe through partnerships or marriage, birth or adoption—but the binding factor is always love. I do hope you enjoy The Cowgirl’s Forever Family, and I’d like to invite you back to Cedar River very soon for my next book.

I adore hearing from readers and can be reached by email, Twitter and Facebook, or sign up for my newsletter via my website at helenlacey.com. Please visit anytime, as I love talking about my pets, my horses and of course, cowboys. I’ll also be sharing news about my latest series for Harlequin Special Edition, The Cedar River Cowboys!

Warmest wishes,

Helen Lacey

The Cowgirl’s Forever Family

Helen Lacey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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 Mills & Boon Cherish, where she can create strong heroes with a soft heart and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website, www.helenlacey.com.

For my wonderfully supportive editor, Susan Litman—who allowed me the time I needed for this one. Thank you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Brooke Laughton shot up in bed.

Rubbing her eyes, she quickly checked the clock. Nine twenty. She’d been in bed for less than fifteen minutes. The dogs were barking, which meant either one of the horses were out, a feral cat had found its way into the chicken run again—or someone was skulking around the ranch house.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she pulled on the sweatpants she’d discarded fifteen minutes earlier and grabbed her sweater. The dogs were still barking and she heard a sound—the slam of a car door. Tension snaked up her spine. Not that she was scared. She could handle herself and the rifle she kept stashed in her wardrobe. She grabbed the gun, shoved her feet into a pair of loafers and left the room. The floorboards creaked as she made her way down the hallway and when she reached the living room doorway, she blinked at the lights beaming through the front window.

Headlights.

Brooke went to the front door and placed the rifle by the jamb. She had a security screen and since the dogs were still going ballistic, she felt safe enough to open the door and see what was going on. A light blanket of snow covered the ground and she quickly whistled to her border collies, Trixie and Renaldo, and both dogs immediately left the car and raced up the porch to stand point on either side of the door.

The sensor light flicked on and she waited. A few seconds later the driver’s door opened and a tall figure emerged. No one she knew, she thought, or the dogs would have started whining. Instead they both growled low in the backs of their throats. Waiting for her response. Waiting for her reaction.

A man walked toward the house and stopped at the bottom of the steps. He was tall, broad shouldered and dressed in dark trousers and a long-sleeved white shirt and tie and a long coat. He looked respectable enough. And handsome, if you went for the urban, short hair, clean shaven, city boy look.

Not that she did.

She whistled again for the dogs to stop growling and they silenced quickly. But she didn’t open the screen door. He might look respectable and harmless, but you could never be too sure. Maybe he was lost? Some of the road signs were hard to see in the dark.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“That depends. Are your dogs going to attack me?”

Oh, yeah, city boy. New York if she wasn’t mistaken. “Not unless I give the command,” she replied. “Are you lost?”

“I’m not sure,” he said and walked up the steps, ignoring the dogs, who were now whining more than barking. “I’m looking for the Laughton Ranch?”

He wanted the ranch? Her ranch. Panic set in. Was he from the bank? It seemed unlikely at this time of night...but who would know how these things worked.

“So, you found it,” she said, still keeping the locked door between them.

He nodded, looking slightly relieved. “Is Matthew Laughton around?”

He wanted Matt? Then he wasn’t from the bank. This was something else. She wondered what her wayward brother had done. And who was this guy...a cop? Or worse—a Fed? She felt ridiculous even thinking it. Maybe a bounty hunter? He didn’t look like that, either. But nothing would be a complete surprise when it came to Matt.

“He’s not here.”

The man stepped closer and she got a better look at him. He was remarkably handsome and her belly did a silly flip, which she promptly disregarded. Good-looking men were nothing but heartache.

The man’s gaze narrowed. “When will he be back?”

Brooke shrugged. “I have no idea. What’s this about?”

The man reached inside his pocket and withdrew a small business card. “My name is Tyler Madden and I need to see Matthew Laughton urgently.”

The dogs had settled and that was enough to convince Brooke he wasn’t a threat, so she opened the screen door slowly, pushed it back on the hinges and took the card. She read the words and her stomach sank.

Tyler Madden. Attorney.

She hated lawyers. And this one appeared no different from the other arrogant, slick, condescending mob who were trying to swindle her and steal her ranch—except he was drop-dead handsome. She took a galvanizing breath and spoke in a stern voice. “I don’t know where he is, Mr. Madden. I haven’t seen my brother for five years.”

It was the truth. In a way. Matt hadn’t set foot in Cedar River since their parents’ funeral. But he did still text her every week to let her know he was okay. Which she wasn’t about to admit to this lawyer. This stranger.

“You’re his sister?” He paused, as though accessing some memory. “Brooke Laughton?”

“How do you know my name?”

“It’s my job to know all the facts in a case.”

A case? Her brother was part of a case? It sounded serious. Oh, Matt...what have you done now? A chill coursed over her skin. “Please tell me what this is about. What has Matt done? Is he in trouble?”

“Trouble?” He shook his head. “Not exactly. But I do need to speak with him about something important.”

Brooke sighed heavily. Did she continue to have the discussion on her doorstep or invite him inside? “Lawyers hours are usually nine till five. Isn’t it a little late for a house call? Can’t this wait until the morning?”

He shrugged. “I’m booked into a hotel in town, but when I missed the turnoff I realized I was close to your ranch. And since the issue I need to discuss with your brother is one of high importance, I didn’t think the time mattered.”

It was a logical explanation. Sort of. “That’s easy enough to do,” she said. “They rerouted the highway about seven years ago. There’s only this place and the bigger ranch next door along this road now.” And if she wanted to know more she figured she needed to let him inside. “I suppose you should come in and explain what this is about.”

He hesitated for a second and then spoke. “Ah...sure. Just give me a minute.”

When he turned around and headed back toward the car Brooke stared after him. Maybe he wasn’t so harmless after all? What was he doing in the car? Looking for an axe? A gun?

She glanced at her rifle by the jamb and quickly shook the thought off. Trixie and Renaldo were now by the car, jumping around, seemingly happy that he wasn’t a threat. She trusted her dogs’ instincts. But as he approached the house again she regarded him incredulously.

Because he was carrying a baby.

A baby...

By the time he got to the porch her disbelief had fired up her temper. “You brought a baby with you? In the middle of the night and in this weather? What kind of parent are you? Of all the stupid—”

“This is not my baby,” he said quietly, cutting her off as he walked up the steps, then quickly brushed his shoes off on the mat and came across the threshold.

Brooke stared at the child. It was clearly a baby girl, dressed in an immaculate pink jumpsuit and hood and wrapped in a warm blanket, and she was sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. She looked about a year old, not that Brooke had any experience with infants.

Nor will I...

She pushed the thought from her head. Now wasn’t the time to reminisce about what she would never have. Could never have.

“Then whose...”

“Can I put her down somewhere?” he asked, ignoring her question. “Perhaps the sofa?”

Brooke nodded and closed the door. “Of course. This way.”

He motioned to the rifle by the door. “Was that intended for me?”

“If you were a threat...then, yes.”

“I’m not a threat to you,” he assured her.

“I guess I decide that once you tell me what this is about.”

She led the way to the living room and pointed to the big chintz sofa. He gently set the sleeping child down and secured a couple of cushions around her. Once he was done he straightened and let out a short sigh.

“This is about Cara,” he said, looking at the baby and then back to Brooke. “And she’s your niece.”

The breath rushed from her throat and she glared at him. “My what?”

* * *

Tyler hadn’t intended to show up on Brooke Laughton’s doorstep in the middle of the night. But he was all out of patience by the time he realized he’d missed the turnoff for Cedar River and since he was so close to where he needed to be, he took his chances. The long flight from New York, the mix-up with the rental car and a screwy GPS had done nothing to improve his mood. And Cara had been unusually restless most of the trip. He really should have brought the nanny with him to look after her. But he was all out of patience with that idea, too. He hadn’t liked the woman and her bossy ways. She was more drill sergeant than nanny. It was better this way and meant one less complication to deal with.

He was in Cedar River, South Dakota, to fulfil a promise he’d made to a dying girl and to an old man to whom he owed an enduring debt. He’d promised Ralph Jürgens that he would try and place Cara with her biological father, and that’s what he would endeavor to do.

Tyler looked at the woman standing barely three feet from him. She was pretty in a hometown kind of way. Her thick blond hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she had freckles across the bridge of her nose. She had nice features and clear skin and although the sweats she wore were shapeless, he was sure there were curves underneath. But it was her eyes that caught his attention. Indigo eyes. So blue they appeared violet. The baby had the same color eyes. If he’d had any doubts that twelve month old Cara was Matt Laughton’s child they quickly disappeared.

“Your brother’s child.”

She gasped. “I don’t believe it. Matt wouldn’t be so—”

“Irresponsible?” Tyler finished for her. He knew enough about Matthew Laughton to figure that being responsible wasn’t on his radar. “Now, we both know that’s not true.”

Her chin hiked up. She had a temper, that was for sure. He wasn’t sure why it intrigued him, but it did.

“If Matt had a child he would have told me.”

“He doesn’t know about the child,” Tyler explained. “Which is why I am here. If you can give me a number where I can reach him we should be able to sort this out quickly.”

She didn’t look like she was prepared to give him anything. Except perhaps a punch in the nose. It only took a few minutes in her company to realize that Brooke Laughton wasn’t about to simply comply with his demands and give him Matthew’s contact details. She wanted answers. And her next words confirmed that.

“Not until you explain the situation to me fully, Mr. Madden.”

Tyler sighed heavily and motioned to the other sofa. “Shall we sit?”

She eyed him warily, but nodded and plonked herself on the single love seat by the fireplace. Tyler sat on the sofa, rested his elbows on his knees and looked around the room. There was a large family portrait above the fireplace and she looked to be around fifteen in the photograph. There were other pictures on the mantel—an old couple he assumed were her grandparents, and another of Brooke with three other women all wearing evening gowns and holding up champagne flutes. Family and friends—they were clearly important to her. A few Christmas cards sat on the mantel but there was no tree or gifts in the room.

Christmas. It was barely a week away. And not his scene. Maybe it wasn’t Brooke Laughton’s, either. Regardless, with any luck he’d be back in New York before the week was out.

“So?” she asked. “I’d like an explanation.”

Tyler nodded and focused his attention on the woman in front of him. “A little under two years ago your brother had a brief relationship with a young woman called Yelena Jürgens. That relationship resulted in Yelena’s pregnancy. By the time she discovered she was pregnant Matthew was long gone and she chose not to tell him about the baby.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Why not?”

Tyler shrugged lightly. “I’m not privy to what went on in their relationship. He was gone by then and Yelena was alone. I do know that Yelena wanted the child and planned to care for the baby herself.”

Brooke Laughton was quiet for a moment, looking at him and then the sleeping child. “And where is Yelena now?”

“She passed away four months ago,” Tyler explained. “She had kidney failure brought upon by diabetes that she’d suffered with all her life. She was scheduled for a transplant but wouldn’t accept treatment or surgery once she knew she was pregnant.”

He watched as she swallowed hard and he saw a shadow of sadness in her expression. “And so where do you fit into this little story?”

“I’m her grandfather’s lawyer. And friend,” he added quietly. “I’ve known Ralph Jürgens for eighteen years. Ralph is Yelena’s grandfather and her only relative. Her parents were killed many years ago and Ralph raised her.”

“That’s so sad. But...this baby...are you sure she’s my brother’s—”

“Positive,” he said, cutting her off. He withdrew an envelope from the pocket inside his jacket and passed it to her.

“What’s this?” she asked and opened the letter.

“Cara’s birth certificate,” he explained. “As you can see, your brother is named as the child’s father.”

“But that could just be—”

“I met your brother several times when he was involved with Yelena,” he said, cutting through her protest. “And they certainly appeared to have had an intimate relationship.”

She looked shocked. Disbelieving. Cynical. “If Matt knew about the baby he—”

“But he didn’t,” Tyler interrupted. “As I explained, Yelena discovered she was pregnant after your brother left New York. It was only at the end of her illness that she instructed me to find him and tell him he was Cara’s father. Paternity can certainly be confirmed with DNA testing if needed.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You said she died four months ago.”

“Yes,” he replied. “When Cara was nearly eight months old.”

“And it’s taken you that long to track Matt to here?”

Tyler half shrugged. “Not exactly. When Yelena died her grandfather asked me to hold off contacting your brother. Ralph had hoped he would be able to take on the responsibility himself.”

“But?”

“He’s eighty-five and knows he hasn’t got too many years left,” Tyler said flatly, ignoring the way the words echoed deep down in his chest. “He’s too old and frail to care for Cara himself.”

“And there are no other relatives?” she asked, now perched on the edge of the seat.

“No. Just your brother,” he replied.

She gasped a little, like she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs. He watched her, intrigued by the resolve she was showing. Brooke Laughton had gumption and backbone—that was clear. And strength. Something he knew Matt Laughton was severely lacking. But despite her grandfather’s protests, Yelena had insisted Matthew be told about the baby.

“Can I...can I see her?” she asked with uncertainty.

“Of course,” he said and stood.

He got up, took a couple of steps and gently flipped back the blanket covering the baby. Cara stirred a little, but then relaxed and moved her tiny mouth in the way he’d become so accustomed to. Over the past few months Ralph had employed one nanny after the other and when that hadn’t worked, Tyler had taken over and hired the drill sergeant. But he made sure he saw Cara every day, just to ensure she was being cared for correctly.

“She’s so beautiful,” Brooke Laughton said with a sigh.

Yeah...women and babies...it never failed to be one of the wonders of the world.

He knew she was thirty-two, never married and without children. She looked very much like an independent, spirited woman who could look after herself. And yet, there was a softness in her expression as she gazed upon her sleeping niece.

“Yes, she is,” Tyler said quietly. “Like all babies, I imagine.”

She glanced at him. “Do you have any?”

“Kids?” He shook his head. “No.”

“Me, either,” she said softly. “Is she okay... I mean, healthy?”

“Perfectly,” he replied. “She eats well and is generally a happy baby.”

Her brows rose. “You’ve spent a lot of time with her?”

“Since Yelena died? Yes, I have. I had a nanny looking after her at the Jürgenses’ Manhattan apartment but I have tried to see her every day. Ralph is old and not in good health, as I said.”

“Does he agree with your decision to bring her here?”

“He does now,” Tyler replied. “Yelena wanted her daughter to be raised by family. And that family is now your brother.”

* * *

And me...

Brooke’s heart was pounding so hard she was sure the man beside her could hear it.

Cara’s peaceful expression tugged at her, deep down. Her niece. Her family. It seemed like someone had just handed her the moon.

And that someone took the shape of the tall and handsome man now standing barely a foot away from her. He had green eyes, she noticed. And his hair was like the color of Beechwood honey. He had the kind of broad-shouldered, long-limbed build that had always attracted her. Still, he was a bit of a pretty boy. There was nothing weathered about his face. Nothing other than perfect symmetry and a strong jawline.

She looked at the baby again and something uncurled inside Brooke, a kind of deep yearning that took root way down in her womb. “How old is she?”

“Eleven months and three weeks,” he replied. “She’ll turn one at the end of next week. She was born on Christmas day.”

What a wonderful gift, Brooke thought. “Is she walking?”

“Wobbling,” he said, grinning fractionally, and a dimple appeared in his cheek.

Damn...she’d always been a sucker for dimples. “She looks so peaceful,” she said, quickly ignoring him, his green eyes and his dimples.

“Say that when she wakes you up at five in the morning.”

She sat on the coffee table and took a deep breath. Cara’s hands rested against the edge of the blanket and Brooke reached out to stroke her thumb. The baby moved and then sighed and her fingers softly curled around Brooke’s. A feeling unlike any she’d known before uncurled in her chest. This child was her blood. And in that moment she knew she would do whatever she had to, to make sure Cara was raised on the ranch that had been in the Laughton family for five generations.

Which meant she had to contact her brother. And fast.

“Thank you for bringing her here, Mr. Madden. Cara will be well cared for, I assure you.”

“It’s my job to see that she is,” he said quietly and took a seat beside the sleeping child.

Brooke realized that their knees were almost touching. She also realized it was the closest she’d been to a man for over two years. Since Doyle had left. Or since he’d traded her for a woman who could give him what she couldn’t. She pushed past the sudden surge of emptiness in her heart. For the moment she had only one priority, and that was her niece.

“Where is he?”

Brooke lifted her gaze and met Tyler Madden’s inquiring stare. “Matt?” She shook her head. “I told you, I don’t know where he is.”

“So, you’ve had no contact with him for five years?”

“I didn’t say that,” she replied. “I haven’t seen him for five years. But he sends me a message each week.”

“In what form?” he asked, his gaze narrowing. “Email? Smoke signal?”

He really was a lawyer, she thought irritably. He was as condescending as they came. Brooke got to her feet and moved back to the chair. “Text message.”

“You have his phone number?”

“I have a number,” she said. “Whenever I’ve tried to call, it always goes to a voice mail. I’m sure it’s just a burner cell he keeps to let me know he’s okay.”

“Can you call the number now?”

“And say what?” She shot back. “‘Hey, Matt, you’d better get your butt back home pronto because you’re a daddy’?”

“That should do it.”

Brooke’s patience frayed. “Look, Mr. Madden, I know you—”

“Tyler.”

“What?”

“That’s my name.”

Brooke glared at him. He really was annoying. “I think we should keep this professional.”

He laughed softly. “You’re not my client, Brooke,” he said and tucked the blanket back around the baby. “Neither is your brother. Ralph Jürgens is my client, and Cara’s welfare is my priority. So, now we have that settled, I would appreciate it if you would make the call to Matthew.”

Brooke got to her feet. There was no point being stubborn and antagonizing him. “Okay. I’ll make a call.”

She left the room and got to the kitchen in double quick time. Then she came to an abrupt halt and gripped the back of a chair for support. There was a man and a baby in her house! It was enough to make her hyperventilate. Brooke grabbed her phone off the big scrubbed table and flicked through to her messages. Matt had left his last message four days ago.

Hi. All good here. Speak soon. M

It was as vague as any he’d sent over the years. Brooke dialed the number and waited for the familiar peal of an unanswered call. She left a message asking him to call her back, and then tucked the phone into her pocket and walked back into the living room. And stopped in her tracks.

Tyler Madden was sitting on the sofa and Cara was cradled in his arms. Brooke swallowed hard. Her belly and her heart were foolishly doing somersaults. This man was a stranger. And worse...a lawyer. He had a job to do, that’s all. Thinking he looked too sexy for words was just plain old stupid. And she wasn’t a stupid woman. She’d stopped being stupid the day her ex had sprinted out the door.

“You look like you’ve had practice doing that,” she said and stepped into the room.

He met her gaze. “I’ve had some experience. She was restless for a moment.”

Brooke came around the sofa. “Do you come from a big family?”

He ignored her question. “Did you reach your brother?”

“I left a message asking him to call me. I’ll try again in the morning.”

“Thank you,” he said and stood, holding the baby close to his chest. “I should get going. I’ll call you tomorrow to find out if your brother has contacted you.”

“Where are you staying tonight?”

“I have a room at a place called O’Sullivans.”

She nodded as a kind of unease settled in her belly. “It’s the big hotel in town. It’s nice... I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there. Are you...”

His green-eyed gaze narrowed. “Am I, what?”

Brooke straightened her shoulders. “Are you taking Cara with you?”

“Of course,” he replied and took a step away from the sofa. “I’m her legal guardian.”

Brooke’s unease slowly turned into a rising panic. Her guardian? Which meant he was calling all the shots. “So, that means you get to decide what happens to her.”

“It means I get to decide if your brother is a fit and able parent...assuming he returns your call, gets himself back to Cedar River and actually wants to be Cara’s father.”

Her stomach sank. Oh, Matt...please call back.

“And if he doesn’t?”

Tyler Madden glanced down at the baby before he returned to her unsteady gaze. “Then it is my responsibility to find Cara a suitable home.”

“A suitable home?” Brooke echoed, her apprehension growing. “What does that mean?”

“What does it usually mean?” he said. “A home. A family.”

“You mean, she’ll be adopted?”

“Exactly.”

His reply made her blood run cold. Adopted out to strangers? “She’s my brother’s child and therefore my family and I have a right to—”

“This isn’t about your rights,” he said quietly. “This is about doing what is best for Cara. Hopefully, and in accordance to Yelena’s wishes, that is your brother. You need to understand that Ralph has reservations about Matt being a fit parent for Cara. But, he’s willing to do what Yelena wanted if your brother can prove that he is willing to be a father. If he’s not, or if he’s unable to be found, then I’ll consider other options.”

Other options? That’s here, where she belongs...

But Brooke held her tongue. First, she had to get her brother back to Cedar River. Which wasn’t going to be easy. Second, she had to convince Matt that he had to act like a responsible adult and be a parent to the child he’d fathered. That wasn’t going to be easy, either. Matt had been on the run for five years. Since the accident that had killed their parents. He still blamed himself, even though another driver was at fault. Nothing she said eased his grief, his guilt or managed to convince him it was time to come home. But maybe this would, she thought as she gazed at the sleeping child. All she had to do was convince Tyler Madden to give her some time.

Which meant being friendly. Or at least civil.

“I understand you have a job to do and I appreciate that Cara’s welfare is important to you, but please understand that as her aunt and her family, it’s important to me, too. Even if I didn’t know she existed until about half an hour ago, I’m trying to get past the shock and concentrate on doing what’s best for her.”

He stood rigid, looking unmoved by her impassioned speech. She wouldn’t have expected anything else. He was a lawyer doing his job. He had no emotional investment, only duty. She knew enough about lawyers to recognize one that was as cold as a fish.

“Get in contact with your brother,” he said and pulled his car keys from his pocket. “And we’ll see what happens from there.”

Brooke was tempted to snatch the baby from his arms, but quickly ditched that idea. He was big and strong and, despite the civilized suit and tie, she suspected he could handle himself in the courtroom, the bedroom or a street brawl if he needed to, let alone in a tussle with a woman who was barely five feet five inches tall.

She fingered the business card in her hand. “I’ll contact you as soon as I hear from Matt.”

He nodded. “Thank you. Good night.”

Brooke followed him down the hall and watched as he walked through the front door and then down the steps. The dogs sat at heel by the door and she waited while he secured the baby into the backseat of his sedan and drove off, staring at the disappearing taillights. Once she saw the car turn off on the main road Brooke shut the door, took a long breath and pulled the cell phone from her pocket. She dialed Matt’s number again and left another message—this one more urgent than the last.

He had to come home. And until he did, Brooke would do whatever she could to ensure Cara stayed in town. Which meant she’d play whatever game Tyler Madden had planned.

For now.

Chapter Two

A distraction. That’s what she was. That’s all she was. And Tyler didn’t want or need any distractions. But damn if he didn’t spend the night dreaming about indigo eyes and freckles.

He was in Cedar River for business—that was all. He had a job to do and a child to care for...so dreaming about Brooke Laughton was off-limits.

The O’Sullivan’s hotel was surprisingly well-appointed and much more opulent than he’d expected. The night duty manager had quickly sourced a crib for the baby, so Tyler didn’t have to lug out the portable one he’d stashed in the trunk of the rental car, which was great since the weather had turned worse and the snow was coming down heavier. He didn’t sleep much but was pleased that Cara had slept soundly and awoke in a happy mood. He bathed and changed her and ordered coffee from room service. Once she’d eaten some cereal and had a bottle he placed her back in the crib and took a shower. When he was done he changed into dark chinos and a blue shirt and opened up his laptop.

He’d taken a couple of weeks’ leave from Wall, Hardin & Steele, but he still had two open cases that needed his attention. He’d been with the firm for five years and was up for partner in the next six months. It’s what he wanted. What he’d worked for.

Phil Hardin hadn’t been happy that he had asked for time off to sort out Cara’s situation, but Tyler had insisted. He owed Ralph Jürgens his time and attention.

What I want...what I’ve worked for.

He had to keep remembering that. Nothing was going to distract him.

It was just after ten when the room phone rang. He snatched it up and the clerk at reception informed him that he had a visitor. His stomach immediately tied itself in knots.

Indigo eyes...

He cursed to himself for thinking like a fool but when he opened the door to her a few minutes later, his awareness level almost shot into the red zone. She looked incredible in a bright green, long-sleeved collared T-shirt tucked into the waistband, a sheepskin vest, a wide leather belt and cowboy boots. Well-worn jeans that accentuated her long legs clung to the curves of her hips, and her golden hair hung down over her shoulders. No makeup—just the healthy glow of someone who worked outdoors.

Damn...she stirred him. More than he’d been stirred in a long time. Since...forever.

“Hi,” she said, kind of breathlessly.

“Hi, yourself.”

“I was in town,” she explained quickly. “Getting horse feed and some fencing gear. So I thought I’d drop by and see Cara. Is that okay?”

Tyler shrugged one shoulder. “Sure. Come on in.”

She walked into the room and the scent of her perfume fluttered through the air. Or maybe it was simply her shampoo. She didn’t strike him as a woman who spent time preening and powdering. There was something effortlessly earthy and natural about her and it had an unexpected effect on him. He knew prettier women. Dated and slept with them whenever the mood took him. But he always kept it casual. No commitment, no deep feelings. Sex and company. That was his mantra. Once the need started he bailed. Because of that he generally dated a certain kind of woman—someone with the same outlook he had. Someone who lived to work and didn’t expect too much of his time and attention. It was superficial, shallow and exactly what he wanted. Exactly what suited him. One day, he figured he’d settle down. He wanted a family of his own at some point. He’d find the right woman and get married and have a couple of kids with someone who understood him. And small town girls with big eyes, sweet smiles and freckles were not part of that agenda.

Not ever.

He watched as Brooke headed straight for the crib. She hung back at first, almost hesitating, until Cara responded and held out her chubby arms and then Brooke gently lifted her up. He watched silently, witnessing the bond that was becoming evident. Blood ties. He’d never felt it. Never known it.

But blood and family were obviously important to Brooke.

“Have you heard from your brother?” he asked and closed the door.

She looked across the room and the smile she’d given Cara faded slightly. “Not yet. I sent another message this morning. He’ll call... I’m sure of it. And once he knows about this darling girl I know he’ll come back.”

Tyler wasn’t so sure. Oh, he knew Cara should bring Matthew back home. But Matt Laughton didn’t strike him as a young man who was swayed by what he should do. However, he’d made a commitment to Yelena to give the other man a chance to do what was right. And he would. For the moment.

“I hope you’re right,” he said quietly and watched as Brooke cradled the baby on her hip and began talking to her.

After a moment, as though aware she was being observed, she met his gaze. “She’s so beautiful. Her eyes are—”

“Like yours,” Tyler said quietly. “The same color.”

She nodded, like it pleased her. “She looks like Matt did when he was a baby. My mom said he was way too pretty to be a little boy,” she said and laughed softly. “I always liked to tease him about that when we were growing up.”

“You were close?”

She shrugged a little. “I guess. I’m eight years older than him so I was very much the big sister. But yeah, we were close... I mean...until he left when our...when...”

“When your parents were killed?”

Her eyes darkened. “Yeah...then.”

He knew her parents had been dead for five years. Knew Matthew had been driving the car that afternoon. But he was interested in knowing the details. “Would you tell me what happened?”

She sat down on the small couch and held Cara in her arms. The baby gurgled and laughed and Brooke’s expression was one of pure delight. Something uncurled in his chest, a strange sensation that was rooted deep down. He’d never been sentimental or allowed himself to get close to anyone and he couldn’t explain what he was feeling. Nor did he want to.

After a moment she looked up. “I’m pretty sure you already know.”

“I know what the case file says,” he replied. “I know Matthew was driving the car and that he crashed and your parents were killed instantly.”

“Then you know everything.”

“Really?”

She shrugged again, harder this time. “He was driving, but the accident was not his fault. There was another driver who—”

“I don’t recall another driver being mentioned in the file I read.”

“No,” she said and grimaced. “You won’t. The driver fled the scene.”

“And no charges were ever filed?”

Brooke rocked the baby gently and met his gaze for just a moment. “It’s complicated. And really none of your concern.”

“If it’s the reason why your brother is reluctant to return home then it is my concern.”

“Matthew doesn’t come home because he feels guilty,” she said, hostility flashing in her eyes. “Our parents were killed. So was Sky Dancer. Matt couldn’t get past the—”

“Sky Dancer?” Tyler queried, remembering the file had mentioned something about a horse being killed in the crash. “That’s the horse that was killed?”

“He wasn’t just a horse. He was our foundation stallion,” she explained. “The ranch used to be renowned across the state for its quarter horses. Sky Dancer was the stallion that my father built that breeding program on. Without my father and Sky Dancer the ranch stopped being a working horse ranch and instead...”

“Instead?” he prompted.

She sighed. “Instead it became a place where I give trail rides to tourists in summer and run a few dozen head of cattle to try and keep the place solvent.”

Her voice held all the disappointment of dreams lost and something unexpected uncurled in his chest.

Tyler didn’t do sympathy. His job taught him to be impartial and detached. But Brooke Laughton’s haunted indigo eyes were hard to stay out of. “And do you want to return it to what it once was?”

She sighed again and rocked the now chattering baby on her knee. “Of course. One day I’ll buy Cloud Dancer and I’ll be able to—”

“Cloud Dancer?” he inquired, one brow raised.

“Sky Dancer’s grandson,” she replied. “He’s on the show circuit at the moment but lives on a ranch in Montana. He’s every bit the horse his grandfather was...same strong lines, same unflappable temperament. When I was competing I rode him several times and he always gave his all.”

Tyler was uncharacteristically mesmerized by the passion in her voice. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone brightly, like he’d struck a nerve with the mention of horses. He vaguely remembered Yelena telling him that Brooke used to be a professional barrel racer and how Matthew had been in awe of her commitment and success on the show circuit. It fascinated him. “Your horses mean a lot to you?”

Her gaze narrowed, like she was immediately looking for the insult in his words. “Do you think that’s nuts? Maybe it is...but I’ve always felt more at home with animals than I have with most people.”

“I would have pegged you for a people person.”

“Why?” she laughed. “Because I’m so easygoing?”

Tyler grinned fractionally. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. You did have your rifle at the ready last night.”

“Can’t be too careful these days.”

“I guess not. But like I said, I’m not a threat to you.”

“I know that,” she said and looked at the baby and smiled. “Besides, my dogs are a good judge of character and they liked you. You seem very... I don’t know. Civilized.”

Tyler laughed softly. Had anyone ever called him that before? Probably not. Not in his personal life and certainly not in the courtroom. Arrogant, cold and detached—that’s what he was renowned for. Someone who got the job done without getting bogged down in sentiment. Corporate cases were his specialty and he had a 95 percent win rate. He’d toppled big corporations and wiped out smaller contenders. He worked at one of the top legal firms in New York on a six-figure retainer, owned a penthouse apartment in Manhattan, drove a top-of-the-range BMW and had his suits and shoes made in Italy.

It was quite a leap from being a one-day-old baby dumped in a box and left on a church doorstep in Nowhere, Nebraska.

He ignored the twitch in his gut. Thinking about his beginnings, about the mother who’d abandoned him and then his caring, but tree-hugging, adoptive parents, served no purpose. The past needed to stay where it was. The present was all that mattered.

“Your brother has a week,” he said quietly, purposefully, and with every effort to get her eyes and freckles out of his thoughts.

She stared at him. “I know he’ll come back. But if he doesn’t I assure you that I can look after—”

“If he doesn’t come back,” Tyler said, cutting her off before she had a chance to plead her case. “Then I’ll return to New York with Cara.”

“So she can be adopted by strangers?” Brooke shot back. “When she has family right here? When I’m right here?” She took a deep breath. “I’m her family. And I have an aunt and cousins and second cousins in this town. I was born here and I’ve lived here for most of my life. It’s a good town with good people. She belongs here. Surely you can see that?”

Tyler knew this was coming. And he admired her desire to make things right. But good intentions weren’t enough to raise a child. “You’re a single woman and you’ve just admitted your ranch is in financial trouble. Do you think it’s fair to add a child to that struggle?”

Her chin came up. “Plenty of children are successfully raised by single parents. And money isn’t the answer to everything.”

“No,” he said agreeably. “But money is a necessity when raising a child.”

He watched as Brooke’s clearly rising temper was quickly subdued by the baby’s antics. Cara had a way of doing that, he thought and an unexpected wave of affection coursed through him. It was impossible to not be attached to the child. She was sweet natured and happy and he’d spent a good deal of time with her over the past few months. Which is why he had to be sure that Matthew Laughton was up to being a parent—if he ever showed his face. As for Brooke, he suspected she’d agree to look after Cara in a heartbeat, but he wasn’t going to be swayed from his duty simply because he was unexpectedly attracted to her, especially if she had financial troubles.

“Love is all that matters,” she said, scorching him with a hot, resentful glare for a brief second before she quickly got her control back. “And she would get plenty of that right here in Cedar River.”

She was naive if she truly believed that, and although Tyler was suddenly all out of patience, he maintained a civil expression. “Well, if your brother fails to show and you can prove that you are able to financially support a child, I will certainly consider your request.”

“Thank you,” she said and slid onto the floor with the baby to allow Cara to crawl on the carpet. “I appreciate that. I know this must be a difficult situation for you and I understand that you need to put Cara’s needs first. So, I was thinking...perhaps you would consider staying at the ranch while we wait for Matthew to come home. That way, when he calls, you can speak to him right away. And... I’d really like to spend some time with Cara.”

It wasn’t a good idea. In fact, he was sure it was the worst idea possible. He had no intention of living under the same roof as Brooke Laughton...not even for one night.

“No.”

Her jaw tightened. But she didn’t respond with a temper like he assumed she wanted to. She was appeasing him. Keeping him sweet. Playing him. He suspected she would say and do whatever she thought he wanted to hear. But the lawyer in him was immediately on point.

“No?” she queried. “But you can’t really believe a hotel is the best place for a baby.”

“I think I know what’s best for Cara. And this is very comfortable,” he said and waved a vague hand. “Cara has everything she needs and I prefer to be here and not stuck...” His words trailed for a second. “And not so far out of town.”

“It’s a nice hotel,” she said in quiet agreement, clearly holding her tongue. “But it’s a hotel...not a home. Don’t you think she’s been through enough already with losing her mom and then traveling across the country to meet strangers? A real home, where she can have a routine and not be surrounded by staff and tourists, makes much more sense. And I’m a pretty good cook, so you could have home-cooked meals every day. Plus, it’s Christmas next week.”

It was a damned good argument and he admired her approach. But he wasn’t going to be swayed. “Good try. You’d make a fine attorney.”

Her eyes flashed. There was that temper, he thought. It made him smile a little.

“Please...just say you’ll think about the offer. We don’t need to be at war over this.”

Oh, yeah...she was good.

“I’ll take it under advisement,” he said and raised a brow.

She opened her mouth to speak and then clamped her lips together tightly. She had a long fuse. And she was smart. He liked that about her. It meant she wasn’t a pushover. It didn’t mean he was going to move in with her. No way in hell.

* * *

By the time she left the hotel room Brooke was so mad she could have punched someone. Or more specifically, knocked Tyler Madden’s perfectly straight white teeth down his perfectly gorgeous throat.

She stomped out the elevator and almost collided with the hotel’s owner, Liam O’Sullivan. He was another man who thought way too much of himself and his opinions.

“Everything okay, Brooke?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“Sure. Have you seen Kayla?”

Kayla Rickard was one of her closest friends and Brooke was pretty sure she was sleeping with Liam O’Sullivan. Kayla had been tight-lipped about the whole affair—probably since Liam and his family were about as unpopular in town as they were rich and powerful—and since Kayla’s dad absolutely hated Liam’s father for reasons that went back three decades and no one ever talked about.

Liam managed to look a little uncomfortable and checked his watch. “No. She’s probably at work.”

Kayla was curator of the town’s historical museum and art gallery, and Brooke remembered that her friend opened the place for a few hours on Saturday mornings. “Okay, thanks.”

She said goodbye and left the hotel. When she got to the pavement she shivered. Winter had come with a vengeance. Snow blanketed the sidewalk and she tread carefully as she took a left and walked the fifty or so feet to the museum. The adobe shop front was original, dating from the previous century—the place had once been the first mercantile in town. The historical society had purchased the building and turned it into a museum about fifteen years earlier.

“Hey there,” Kayla said when she walked through the front door.

Her friend came around the reception desk and gave her a hug. Kayla was easily the most beautiful woman she’d ever known. Five foot ten with model-perfect proportions and long blond hair that she always wore in a braid. Although Brooke was a couple of years older they’d been friends since they were in middle school and, along with Lucy Monero and Ash McCune, were as close as any friends could be.

“I need to vent,” Brooke said and plonked herself into a chair.

Kayla looked around the empty room. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

She was just about to start spilling her tale of woe when the bell above the door dinged and Ash walked in. Petite and curvy, with flaming red hair, she was a cop who worked for the town’s police department. Brooke was glad for the reinforcements. Having her friends around her in her time of need hardened her resolve. It took another minute or so before she had a chance to explain what had happened and when she was done, her two friends were staring at her incredulously.

“And this lawyer says the baby is Matt’s?” Kayla asked, eyes wide, mouth agape. “For real?”

“For real,” Brooke replied. “And she looks exactly like him anyhow.”

“And if Matt doesn’t come home he’ll take the baby back to New York and see she’s adopted?” Ash, who was a single mom to an eleven-year-old son, clearly thought that to be an outrageously bad idea.

“Exactly,” Brooke replied. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve called Matt half a dozen times since last night...but nothing. I have no idea where he is. I don’t even know if he’s in the country. And I had no idea he was ever in New York.”

Both women knew her brother’s history and both hardly looked surprised that he hadn’t made contact. But she refused to give up hope. She had to keep having faith in her brother.

“He said he’ll stay for a week. I’m not sure that’s enough time.”

“You should get your own lawyer,” Ash suggested. “In case you need to fight for custody.”

She had one. Werner Stewart. He’d been little help in trying to save her ranch and she suspected he’d be even less help dealing with the custody of a child.

Kayla moved behind the desk and perched herself in front of the computer. “What’s this lawyer’s name?” she asked.

“Tyler Madden.”

Just saying his name made her jumpy. He sure didn’t look like any lawyer she’d known. Her own attorney was overweight, balding and wore cheap suits. Tyler Madden, with his broad shoulders and handsome face, looked like he’d stepped off the pages of a magazine. And he’d regarded her with such blistering intensity she felt like she could barely draw enough breath into her lungs.

He was a buttoned-up city boy. It was all the more reason to dislike him. And the way he’d looked down his condescending nose at her suggestion he bring Cara to the ranch—like she lived in some backwater shack. Sure, the ranch house was a little run-down, but it was clean and comfortable and she did her best to maintain the place.

This is comfortable. That’s what he’d said about the hotel. Like her home wasn’t. Pompous, patronizing, elitist snob!

“Oh...hell.”

“What?” she asked when Kayla spoke. “What is it?”

Her friend looked up, both brows high. “Do you have any idea who this guy is?”

Her stomach sank. “Not a clue.”

“Big-time New York corporate lawyer,” Kayla said and sighed as she read from the screen. “He works for one of the city’s most influential firms and he rarely loses a case. Ice-man, wolf, shark...they’re all words that have been used to describe him. He’s serious stuff.” Her friend smiled a little. “There’s a picture here, too. Wow...and he looks like—”

“I know what he looks like,” Brooke said, cutting her off. “And that’s got nothing to do with the fact that he’s a condescending jerk.”

Ash moved around the counter to look at the screen. “Oh...my...that’s a really handsome face. Does the rest of him look as good?”

“He’s a condescending jerk,” Brooke said again.

“He’s really rubbed you up the wrong way, hasn’t he?” Kayla remarked, smiling.

“He hasn’t ‘rubbed me up’ in any way,” Brooke said, ignoring the innuendo. “He turned up on my doorstep last night with a baby he says is my niece and demanded to see Matt. This morning all I did was suggest he stay at the ranch while we wait for Matt to make contact and he wouldn’t even consider it. I know for Cara’s sake I have to be civil, but being nice to him makes me want to smack him over the head with a shovel.”

Both women laughed and it made Brooke grin.

“It’s been a long time since any man has made you have this kind of reaction,” Kayla said. “Or any reaction, come to think of it. Since Doyle.”

Brooke huffed out a breath. The last person she wanted to think about was her ex-fiancé. Both women had been there for her when Doyle Sharpe walked out the door. Sprinted out, really. Five years together—three on the show circuit and two back in Cedar River—and she thought they would settle down and make a home together. But it wasn’t to be. Doyle wanted something else. Something more. Children. The one thing she could never give him. One surgery after another when she was younger had made that impossible. He’d told her it didn’t matter...that he was prepared to forgo children if it meant they could be together. Until Deedee Price, his former girlfriend, showed up in town with a six-year-old son in tow. A child that was his. Doyle had hung around for three days before he packed up his things and followed Deedee to Texas.

“Let’s not bring that up. And I haven’t had a reaction to him. All I want is for this lawyer to realize that as Cara’s aunt I have some rights and would like to spend some time with her. All I have to do is get him to agree to come and stay at the ranch.”

Kayla frowned. “Are you sure you want him living with you?”

“I don’t want him,” she replied hotly. “This is about the baby. She’s a Laughton and she belongs at the family ranch. With me, until Matt gets here. After that...well, we’ll work it out as we go along. Except Tyler Madden is being stubborn and hateful.”

“He’s only doing his job,” Ash said gently. “You know that, right? I’m sure it’s not personal.”

Maybe not, but it sure felt personal. “She’s my niece,” Brooke said. “My family. Not his. She’s nothing to him.”

“But they clearly come as a package deal,” Ash said. “If he’s her legal guardian and he won’t simply leave her there with you, what can you do? He has the law on his side, and he’s a high-powered attorney with a whole lot of resources.”

“I’m not about to kidnap her,” Brooke reassured her friend. “So you won’t have to arrest me anytime soon. I just have to get him to see that living in town in a hotel isn’t what’s best for Cara. And that living at the ranch with me is.”

“So, you need to change his thinking?” Kayla suggested.

“Precisely.” Brooke raised her brows toward her friend as an idea formed. “If only I could influence Liam O’Sullivan in some way so that he’d kick Mr. Corporate Lawyer out...like, say the room has been double booked or something and there are no other rooms available in the hotel all week?”

Kayla grinned. “Liam would never go for that. Unless...”

“Unless?” Brooke prompted.

“Unless he didn’t know about it.”

Ash shook her head. “I don’t think I should be listening to this.”

Kayla laughed. “Oh, where’s your sense of adventure. It’s not illegal...and it would really only be a teeny white lie.”

A teeny white lie...

Brooke could live with that.

Chapter Three

Double booked?

Tyler stared at the tall blonde who was standing at his door. She wore a loose-fitting corporate jacket with the name of the hotel on the pocket and had just spent over two minutes explaining about some mix-up involving a conference that had been booked months in advance and the guests were due to check in today, which meant a mess of double bookings—and no free rooms.

She looked vaguely familiar but he was certain they’d never met before. By the time she was done speaking his patience was frayed. Under normal circumstances he would have argued the point, demanded a full refund or asked to speak to the hotel manager. But he’d spent an hour trying to get Cara to take a nap and was inexplicably rattled by Brooke’s visit, and hadn’t done any one of those things. He was tired, irritable and simply wanted to rest for a while. With everything else he had to deal with, Tyler wasn’t about to get strung out about a hotel room.

He grabbed his cell phone and looked up the numbers of other motels in town. There were two, plus a place called Rusty’s and a pub called the Loose Moose that each had a couple of rooms to rent. He called them all. But nothing. Rusty’s no longer rented rooms, the Loose Moose was under renovation and the two motels were fully booked. Not one room available.

Right. What now? The next closest town was thirty-odd miles away and he certainly didn’t want to be that far from Cedar River if Matthew Laughton decided to turn up.

He looked at Cara’s things, all packed up and ready to go, still amazed at how much stuff a baby needed to get through the day, and then headed downstairs. The tall blonde was nowhere to be seen and the clerk at reception seemed confused by the whole double-booking scenario.

“Are you and your daughter leaving us already?”

Tyler was two steps from the reception desk when a man spoke to him. He stopped and turned. A suit. And an important one by the look of things. He was about to explain that Cara was not his daughter, but figured it didn’t matter. And the less people who knew about his reason for being in town, the better. The man in front of him didn’t wear a hotel jacket, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out he was probably the owner or manager.

“I’m sure the pretty blonde with the nice smile and the ill-fitting jacket can explain it to you.”

“Blonde?” The man frowned and looked at the clerk behind the desk.

The fifty-something woman shrugged and the suit walked around the desk and talked to the woman at length before he looked back up toward Tyler and then promptly apologized for the mix-up.

And it took about two seconds for Tyler to figure out that he had been royally played.

And he knew by who.

Ms. Indigo Eyes had some serious explaining to do!

Tyler propped Cara on his hip and headed out.

He had his car brought around to the front of the hotel and quickly buckled the baby into her car seat, then drove off in search of a drugstore. He needed a few things for the baby and when he found a shop on the main street he quickly pulled up outside. But when he came back out a female cop was standing by his car.

“Is this your car?” she asked, her gaze flicking from the car to the baby in his arms as she regarded him suspiciously.

“It’s a rental.”

She had a scowl on her face. “Do you realize you’re parked in a loading bay?”

He was? Tyler looked toward the hood and saw that the front of the vehicle was pushing barely a foot in the loading bay. “Really? Looks okay to me.”

“It’s not. We have laws in this town. Can I see your license and registration, please?”

“It’s a rental,” Tyler explained impatiently and placed Cara in her car seat. It had stopped snowing by now, but the air was chilly and he didn’t want to keep her outside unnecessarily.

“License and registration,” she said again, tapping a booted heel. “Or I’ll have to get this vehicle towed.”

Was she serious? He didn’t like his chances of getting another rental car on a Saturday afternoon. Cedar River was either the most uptight town on the map or it had to be a joke. Or a scam. Just like the fake double-booked hotel room. He got a good look at her face and quickly realized he’d seen her before. Just like the blonde at the hotel.

The photo on the mantel.

“You know, Officer, you and your blonde accomplice will need to get better at this kind of subterfuge if you’re going to be truly convincing,” he said and handed over his license.

“What?”

“There’s a picture of you both on Brooke Laughton’s mantel. There was another woman in the photograph too...a curly haired brunette. What was her part in this plan?”

“I don’t know what you—”

“Tell Indigo Eyes she’ll have to do better than that,” he quipped.

The officer smiled, caught out and unapologetic. “It’s strange, I’ve known Brooke for twenty years and never realized her eyes were exactly that color.”

They were...and they’d been haunting him for twenty-four hours.

“Can I go now, Officer?” he asked.

She half smiled and handed back his license. “Well, we gave it a shot.”

“The other hotels?” he asked. “How did she manage that?”

“Her cousin Brant owns the Loose Moose—and he’s engaged to the curly haired brunette,” she explained. “And she knows the owner of Rusty’s. It’s a small town...and small town folk stick together.”

Yes, they certainly did. “What exactly is she after?”

“You,” the officer replied and hooked a thumb toward the back of the car. “And that cute baby. She wants you to stay at the ranch while you’re here. It’s not such a big ask, is it, Counselor?”

He nodded at her badge. “You know very well that in cases like this the less personal involvement, the better.”

“I know that people aren’t cases,” she replied hotly. “You’d know that, too, if you stopped thinking like a lawyer for a moment and thought like a human being. She’s a good person...she’s honest and loyal and has a heart as big as this state. Brooke wants to bond with her niece... You’d realize that was a good idea if you could get out of the way of your own ego and stop acting like you’re in the courtroom.”

It was quite the accusation and he was tempted to ask the redhead exactly what Brooke Laughton had told her. But he didn’t. Brooke had friends...allies...people willing to go to bat for her. It was admirable. He looked at the baby happily gurgling in the backseat and saw the same chin as her aunt’s. He had to do what was best for Cara...and was beginning to suspect that for the moment, Brooke Laughton was exactly that.

He watched the cop walk away and grinned a little. After getting into the car, he drove back to the hotel and checked out. Then he headed for her ranch.

* * *

Brooke was finishing up repairing the chicken run out the back of the stables when she heard a car pull up. She instinctively knew who it would be. Ash and Kayla had both given her a heads-up. She dropped the tools and walked around the building, eager to see Cara again. But not so eager to see Tyler Madden.

Because he’d be as mad as hell with her for starters.

And he had every right, if she were being honest with herself.

She shouldn’t have tried to swindle him into coming to the ranch. He was too smart for that kind of underhanded approach. And as much as she appreciated her friends coming to her aid, she suspected she’d made a bad situation worse.

She harrumphed under her breath and squared her shoulders when she spotted his car parked in her driveway. He was resting against the hood and had the baby in his arms. Cara was wrapped in a pink coat and blanket and had a fluffy hat on her head. Her cheeks were bright and against the backdrop of snow on the ground, the two of them made an enchanting picture. In jeans, boots and a dark wool jacket, Tyler Madden looked relaxed and way too gorgeous for her peace of mind. The dogs were jumping around, clearly delighted to see him again and not threatened in the least. Brooke stopped about ten feet from him and planted her hands on her hips.

“Um...hi there.”

He didn’t say a word. But he looked at her. Out of his suit he possessed a kind of innate confidence that unnerved her. It took her about two seconds to figure out she wasn’t immune to it. Or to him. She’d been under a rock for two years, off the grid when it came to men and dating and sex. But right then, in his low-riding jeans and with the baby on his hip, Tyler Madden was just about the sexiest and most attractive man she’d ever seen. And her hibernating libido was immediately kick-started out of its slumber.

She knew it was foolish. She didn’t know anything about him. He’d said he didn’t have children but he could certainly be married. Or at the very least have a girlfriend. She glanced at his left hand. It was bare. Still, plenty of married people didn’t wear rings.

“You wanted me,” he said, not moving, not doing anything other than keeping his blistering gaze connected with hers. “So, you have me.”

“I don’t know what you—”

“You know perfectly well,” he said, cutting her off. “Your friends both gave award-winning performances today. The cop also gave me an earful of advice and said you wanted me here...so, I’m here.”

Brooke’s breath caught. “It’s about Cara,” she said breathlessly, taking the need and the want out of the conversation. “And my friends—”

“Care about you,” he said, cutting her off. “Yes, I can see that they do.”

Shame crept up her neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have involved them in this. It’s complicated enough without—”

“I’ll stay.”

Brooke stilled instantly. “You’ll stay?”

He nodded. “You went to a lot of trouble to get me here. So, yes. I’ll stay. We’ll stay.”

It should have made her day. And part of her was delighted—but another part was nervous. She’d lived alone for two years and the prospect of sharing her home with a man, a stranger, tied her belly in knots.

This is about Cara...not him.

“You’re not angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“And you’ll stay for a week?” she asked.

He nodded again. “Have you heard from your brother?”

Unease pitted in her chest. “Not yet. But he’ll call... I know it.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Ignoring the cynicism in his voice, she stepped forward and held out her arms. Cara reached for her immediately and Tyler passed her over—hesitantly, Brooke could tell. She was such a placid, adorable baby and Brooke’s heart melted a little more each time she held her.

“Thank you for agreeing to this,” she said to Tyler. “If you want to get your things I’ll show you to your room.”

He pushed himself off the hood and walked around the car. He looked as good from the back as he did from the front and her wayward belly immediately did another loop-de-loop. She took a deep breath, ignored the feelings and headed inside.

The ranch house had four bedrooms and she walked down the hall to the room opposite hers. Next door to that was a smaller room, where they could set up the crib. She waited while he came in behind her and dropped a bag at the end of the wide bed. He looked around the walls and at the two glass cabinets filled with trophies and awards.

“Yours?” he asked.

She nodded fractionally. “I used to be a barrel racer,” she explained. “My parents had a thing for keeping all my awards.”

“They were proud of you,” he said and dropped his keys on the bedside table. “Understandably.”

She smiled. “I suppose. I thought we could put the baby in the room next door to this. It used to be my mom’s sewing room but I cleaned out all of her things and now it’s the office. Or we could use Matt’s room.”

“Next door will be fine,” he said and roped the baby bag over his shoulder. “I have a portable crib, a playpen and a stroller in the car.”

He followed her to the adjoining room and dropped the baby bag on the desk before he disappeared outside. When he returned he had the crib and stroller and quickly set the crib up in the room.

“Looks like you’ve had plenty of practice doing that,” she remarked.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “I guess so. I’ve spent a lot of time with Cara over the past few months.”

She nodded. “The other night you said you came from a large family.”

He finished expanding the crib. “I said that?”

Brooke shrugged. “I think so.”

“It was more of an extended family,” he said and put sheets and blankets in the crib.

“You’re so lucky. I only have an aunt and a couple of cousins in town,” she said and sat on the chair in the corner, holding Cara close. “And of course Matt. I would have loved one of those big extended families, though, especially around this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family very much. Although, since my parents were killed and Matt left town, there’s only about half a dozen of us when we all get together.” She swallowed hard as a surge of loneliness swept through her. Five years on and she still missed her parents and only sibling. “But, Thanksgiving and Christmas time is always filled with lots of laughter and love. But with a big family you must have had a happy childhood?”

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. There was a sudden gust of awareness in the room, an intimacy that defied logic and made her feel hot all over. His gaze held her captive and for a moment she thought how mesmerizing he would be in the courtroom. No wonder he was such a legal hotshot. That green-eyed stare of his riveted her in the chair. She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t do anything other than stare back.

“My life isn’t up for discussion,” he said flatly. “I’m here because of Cara.”

Brooke raised her chin. Boy, he might be gorgeous, but he was also incredibly uptight. “You don’t need to scold me in your best lawyer voice. I wasn’t being nosy. Tell me, or don’t... I have no opinion about it either way.”

“Good.”

“Are you married?”

His brows came up. “Didn’t I just say my life wasn’t—”

“It’s not a discussion,” she said, cutting him off. “It’s a question. I’m only asking because I thought that if you were married perhaps your wife would—”

“I’m not married,” he answered quietly.

She was stupidly relieved and then scolded herself. “Girlfriend?”

“Not at the moment.”

No wife. No girlfriend. Available. That’s what her friends would be chanting. But Brooke was determined to not be swayed by a gorgeous face and sexy body. Not after Doyle. She didn’t have what it took to hold on to a man long term. And she’d had the broken heart to prove it. But still, she did wonder why he wasn’t attached. He looked to be in his mid-thirties; surely he’d been close at some point. Maybe he’d had his heart broken, too? Although, he didn’t come across as the sentimental type. And from what Kayla had found out about him, he was top in his field and legendary in the courtroom, which might not leave him a lot of time for relationships.

And I’m not going to think about the fact that he’d probably be legendary in the bedroom, too.

“Any more questions?”

She gave herself a mental jab. “I just thought that someone might be missing you while you’re here.”

“No,” he said tersely. “Only...”

His words trailed and she raised both her brows. “Only?”

Tyler took a second and cleared his throat. “Mr. Squiggles.”

Brooke bit back a smile. “Who?”

“A cat,” he said and waved a disinterested hand. “Yelena’s cat. I inherited him when she passed away.”

Brooke was amused by the color creeping up his neck. “Mr. Squiggles? I see. And is he a big fluffy white feline who insists on sleeping at the end of your bed?”

His lips twitched slightly. “Black-and-white. And yes, he’s known for liking his comforts.”

She grinned. “And where is he now?”

“With a neighbor,” he replied. “Who will hopefully want to keep him by the time I return to New York.”

“You’re not a cat person?”

He shrugged one broad shoulder. “I’ve never thought much about it. But I’m not home much so pets aren’t a good idea.”

“You work long hours?”

“I do,” he replied and pulled a pair of baby monitors out of a bag. Clearly, he was attempting to close the door on this brief glimpse into his personal life. “I’ll set one of these up in here and keep the other in the living room or kitchen.” He pointed to a small button on the front. “Just make sure this light is on at all times.”

“Okay. Does she sleep through the night?”

“Generally,” he replied. “She’s had a lot to deal with since Yelena died and was unsettled at first. But the last month or so has been better.”

Brooke held Cara close and the baby chatted away, murmuring indecipherable words. “And she’s been living with her great-grandfather?”

“Yes,” he said. “Ralph hired a nanny to care for her.”

“Poor little monkey,” Brooke said and smoothed her blond hair. “That’s a lot to deal with.”

“Yes, she’s remarkably resilient.”

“She’s got you, though,” Brooke said and smiled. “You seem to care for her a great deal.”

Tyler stiffened a bit. “I care what happens to her, of course. She’s my responsibility.”

“Until Matt gets here?”

“If he gets here,” Tyler said quietly. “And he will still have to prove he is capable of being a fit and able parent.”

Resentment snaked up her spine, but she held her tongue. She didn’t want every discussion to end as an argument over her missing brother. “I’m sure he’ll do just fine,” she said and stood. “What time does she need dinner?”

He glanced at his watch. “In an hour or so. I should give her a bath.”

“Oh, let me do it.” She snuggled Cara and looked at him. “I mean, if that’s okay with you?”

He hesitated a little. “Have you done it before?”

“Yes,” she replied instantly. “My cousin Grady has three young daughters and I’ve been the babysitter countless times.”

He nodded. “Okay...she’s all yours.”

Brooke met his gaze. “Thank you... I mean, for trusting me. It means a lot.”

Brooke discovered that bath time was a lot of fun—even though there was more water on the floor than there was in the tub by the time she’d finished. Cara blew bubbles and splashed water and wailed for a moment when Brooke got a little shampoo in her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d bathed a baby—like she’d told Tyler, her cousin Grady had three young daughters and she’d been a sitter for them many times. She dressed the baby in the pale pink pajamas Tyler had given her, cleaned up the bathroom and then headed for the kitchen.

Tyler was by the window, staring out over the hills and pasture that made up the ranch. His shoulders were tight, as though he had too much pressing down on them, and she fought the internal battle in her head about feeling sorry for him. He was a lawyer. And lawyers were the enemy. He’d threatened to take Cara back to New York if Matt didn’t show up. He was not her ally. He was not her friend. He was not her anything.

“We’re back.”

He turned around and half smiled and it made him look even more handsome—if that were possible. “So I see. Did she behave herself?”

Cara wriggled in Brooke’s arms and held her hands out toward him. Traitorous child. She walked across the room and let him take her. “She likes to splash.”

“I... I can see that,” he said, faltering a little as he held the baby against his chest and then glanced away.

Brooke looked down and stilled instantly. The wet T-shirt clung to her curves, leaving very little to the imagination. She folded her arms, conscious of the sudden heat swirling around the room. Heat that was all about the awareness circling between them.

Cara immediately reached out and grabbed a handful of Tyler’s hair. He winced and it made Brooke smile. There was love in the baby’s eyes and in that moment Brooke realized how much he meant to Cara. “She adores you.”

He met her gaze and extricated his hair from Cara’s fingers. “Who wouldn’t?”

Brooke laughed loudly. “Modest, too, huh?”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together, haven’t we, kiddo?” he said and rocked her gently. “When Yelena died her grandfather didn’t cope well. Ralph is a strong man, but Yelena was all he had.”

“Her grandfather raised her?”

He nodded. “Since she was eleven. They were very close.”

Brooke grabbed the sweater that was hanging on a hook hear the door and slipped into it, zipping it up. Then she came around the counter and flicked on the coffee machine. “He must trust you a great deal... I mean, to leave Cara in your care. You said you’ve known him a long time—how did you meet?”

He didn’t reply straightaway. But he looked at her with such intensity he made her breathless. He was the secretive sort, she thought. No...private. A lot like herself. Brooke never liked talking about herself or her past. Only her closest friends knew about her health battle as a teenager and the ensuing years of treatment and surgery. Or how her parents’ deaths had forced her to abandon her professional career so she could ensure the ranch stayed within the family. Or how Doyle had sprinted out the door once he had the chance to have what she could never give him.

Since then she’d had a lonely couple of years, working the ranch, fighting lawyers and the bank who wanted to foreclose. Some days she felt like she had no one to turn to. No shoulder to lean on, to cry on, no arms to hold her tight or a soft voice to tell her everything would be alright. Loneliness had become her shadow and it had made her wary of getting close to anyone again.

But as she looked at Cara, Brooke knew she did want closeness, and family and love. And knowing her niece needed her gave her a kind of strength and resolve she’d thought she’d lost.

“How did you meet?” she asked again.

“When I was sixteen,” he said after a moment and sat down at the table, while Cara wriggled in his arms. “He was my court-appointed lawyer.”

Brooke’s gaze sharpened. “Your lawyer?”

“I had filed for emancipation from my parents,” he said, his voice void of any emotion.

She sucked in a breath. “Oh, gosh...why?”

His expression narrowed. “It doesn’t matter why.”

It did, she thought, imagining all kinds of horrors. “Were they mean to you?”

He offered a cynical grin, like he couldn’t believe how inquisitive she was. “No, they were kind people. And good parents. They still are.”

“But?”

He sighed heavily, clearly irritated by her questions. “They were a little...unorthodox,” he said and stood. “We should get Cara fed and—”

“You don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”

“Not particularly,” he replied. “Do you?”

“No,” she said. “But you have the advantage here. I need to make a good impression for Cara’s sake, so that means you get to ask whatever you want. And since we’re going to be living together for the next week, it’s only natural that I might want to know something about you. Plus, it will be a long week if we don’t speak to each other, don’t you think?”

His mouth curled, like he wanted to smile, but didn’t. “Okay, you can ask a couple of questions. What would you like to know?”

Brooke inhaled deeply. “You said earlier you don’t have a wife. Have you ever been married?”

“No.”

“Close?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Longest relationship and who was she?”

He shook his head again. “Six months. She worked in the DA’s office.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No.”

“Why did you divorce your parents?” she asked quickly.

“Emancipate,” he corrected. “And it’s complicated.”

Brooke raised both brows. “I’m still listening.”

He sighed. “Like I said, they are kind people, but when I was thirteen they took up residence at a shared living community. It wasn’t a life that I wanted for myself.”

Brooke’s eyes widened. “Like a commune?”

He nodded. “I wanted to go to college. They didn’t agree with that decision.”

She grabbed a couple of mugs and put them on the counter. “So you ran away and got a lawyer.”

“I ran away and ended up in social services.”

It sounded like a nightmare and made Brooke even more grateful for her happy childhood. “And that’s where you met Yelena’s grandfather?”

“Correct.”

She glanced at him. “Do you still see your parents?”

“Not much.”

“They must miss you, though... I mean, if you’re their only child. Family and blood ties are important and—”

“I was adopted,” he said, silencing her immediately.

Brooke stared at him, thinking of his complicated upbringing, and feeling an acute kind of sadness deep down. “Thank you for telling me. How old are you?”

“Thirty-four.”

“Any vices I should know about?”

He grinned just a little, showing off his dimple. “Not one.”

The air between them thickened. There was a kind of seductive energy surrounding him that was impossible to ignore.

“No one is that perfect,” Brooke said, feeling heat smack her cheeks. “Take me for instance. I like sweet white coffee, cold toast and I love sleeping in on Sunday mornings.”

He propped Cara on his hip and looked at Brooke so intently that her knees weakened. Suddenly having him living in her house didn’t seem like such a great idea.

Because there was something in the air between them.

Something she hadn’t experienced for a long time, felt for a long time.

Awareness. Attraction. Chemistry. Heat.

Call it by a dozen different names...but it was really only one thing.

Sex...

And it was everywhere. In the air, crawling over her skin, pumping through her blood.

“I like unsweetened black coffee,” he said smoothly, not missing a beat, not dragging his gaze from hers. “I like warm toast. And I only ever stay in bed on a Sunday morning if I have a woman in that bed with me.”

Chapter Four

Tyler knew he had to stop doing anything that looked or sounded like flirting with Brooke. It was foolish. But there was a kind of relentless energy between them that couldn’t be denied. And their complicated situation aside, he liked being around her. She was attractive and intelligent and she made him smile.

Smile?

Since when had that been important?

“Well,” he heard her say and endeavored to get his mind back on track. “I don’t imagine you’d have too much trouble filling that order.”

His interest increased. She was being provocative and probably didn’t even know it. “Is there anything else you’ve been imagining?”

Her cheeks flushed with color and Tyler bit back a grin. She might be fiery, but underneath that bravado was a woman who embarrassed easily.

“Not a thing,” she said quickly and moved around the counter. “So...coffee? Soda?” She opened the refrigerator. “I have beer if you would prefer—”

“Coffee is fine,” he said, cutting her off.

She closed the refrigerator and smiled tightly. “Right...one unsweetened coffee on its way.”

Tyler watched, absorbed by the easy way she moved around the kitchen. There was something effortlessly natural about her. Most of the women he knew...all of the women he knew, were either focused on their career, their appearance, catching a Wall Street husband or all three. But not Brooke Laughton. She was hometown pretty, and her clean skin and long blond hair were getting harder to ignore the more time he spent with her.

She came around the counter a minute later with two mugs and placed them on the table.

“Can I hold her again?” she asked and held out her hands a little.

Tyler nodded, moving forward to pass the baby into Brooke’s arms. He caught her scent and his back straightened automatically. Not perfume, but something else, like air and water and fresh baled hay mixed with something as sweet as jasmine. And it was intoxicating. She settled Cara onto her hip and then looked up and smiled at him, and Tyler was instantly drawn into her gaze. Her smile was suddenly mesmerizing, holding his stare. The temperature in the room seemed to hike up several notches, even though he was sure it was just the heat creeping over his skin.

“Everything okay?” she asked as she sat down.

Tyler shrugged and sat opposite her. “Sure.”

“I’ll make her dinner. Does she have any food allergies?”

“No,” he replied and grinned. “She’s very open to eating pretty much anything and everything you put in front of her.”

Brooke laughed and the sound reverberated in his chest. “She’s clearly a Laughton. My mom used to say that Matt had hollow legs when he was a kid.”

The mention of her brother’s name quickly changed the temperature in the room. Tyler certainly didn’t want to be at odds with her over her brother...but if the other man didn’t show up soon there would be hard decisions to make. Decisions he knew Brooke wouldn’t take easily. He looked at her, saw that she was frowning and said what was on his mind.

“Brooke, you know he needs to prove he can take care of Cara.”

She nodded and stroked the baby’s head. “I know that.”

“But first he has to actually get here and connect with her. Otherwise...”

“Otherwise,” she said when his words trailed off. “You’ll hightail it back to New York and see that she’s adopted, right?”

“Right,” he replied, conscious of an uneasy tension snaking up his spine. “That’s my job.”

“Even though she’d be better off with me...with her family?”

The strain between them amplified. “I said I’d take that into consideration. I’ll also take into account the fact that Matt will have your support should he return.”

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