A new addition to Wyoming’s most scandalous family

Is Theo Colton the father of a baby dropped at his doorstep by a dying socialite? Even more shocked than the sexy bronc-riding champ is his beautiful cook, Ellie Parker. Just as she becomes the baby’s nanny, she discovers a terrifying stalker has followed her to Dead River.

What’s worse—as a mysterious virus quarantines the town, danger goes viral, too. But to Theo and Ellie, the biggest dangers are their sizzling attraction and profound new feelings. Can Ellie tame the cowboy who wants nothing more than a wild ride with women? Or must she deny her heart to save his life?

“Why’d you kiss me?”

The simple question took him by surprise. In all his life, he didn’t think a woman had ever asked him that question.

He had to think. He knew he could give her the glib answer, say something like, Because I wanted to. Which he had. But he figured he owed it to Ellie to give her the truth.

“When I saw him knock you to the ground, my heart stopped,” he answered quietly. “I jumped him. If not for my damn injuries, I would have had him. You would have been safe, and that piece of trash wouldn’t have bothered you ever again. My blood was pumping, but he got away, and I let you down. When I saw you watching me, you looked scared and disappointed and…”

He dragged his hand through his too-short hair. “I wish I was better with words. I’m not saying it right.”

* * *

The Coltons: Return to Wyoming—One family’s scandalous homecoming

Dear Reader,

I love the Coltons. Yes, I admit it. The Colton family is my guilty pleasure! I wrote Colton’s Christmas Baby in 2010 and ever since then, I’ve been hoping I could visit the family again. This time, instead of Montana, we’re in Wyoming. And yes, the story does have another baby. And more. In fact, there is so much going on in the little town of Dead River, Wyoming, that writing it was like watching a television drama. Something new lurks around every corner. Fascinating and fun.

I hope you enjoy reading this story—and Theo Colton’s journey toward happiness and love—as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks!

Karen Whiddon

A Secret
Colton Baby
Karen Whiddon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KAREN WHIDDON

started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the Catskill Mountains of New York, then the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty that surrounded her. Karen now lives in north Texas, where she shares her life with her very own hero of a husband and three doting dogs. Also an entrepreneur, she divides her time between the business she started and writing. You can email Karen at KWhiddon1@aol.com or write to her at P.O. Box 820807, Fort Worth, TX 76182. Fans of her writing can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com.

MILLS & BOON

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

A whisper of sound, so fragile it might have been only a fragment left over from a dream. Another woman might have burrowed back under the blankets, refusing to open her eyes as she willed herself back to sleep. Not Ellie Parker. Not only had the infant recently entrusted to her care awakened every protective instinct she possessed, but her past had made her overly wary.

The noise came again, an echo of a ghost. Heart pounding, she held herself utterly still while waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Luckily, the full moon brought traces of silver to light the room.

There. Near Amelia’s antique crib that had been hastily brought down from the attic. A figure in black, wearing a hoody and a ski mask, reaching for the baby.

Leaping to her feet, Ellie screamed. Loud and shrill. The intruder froze, then ran for the window, yanking it open and racing away.

Baby Amelia began to wail, and Ellie rushed to her on shaky legs, trying to catch her breath.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Theo Colton’s deep voice, throaty from sleep and full of concern. He flicked on the light switch.

“A man,” Ellie gasped, pointing past where he stood, his broad-shouldered body filling the doorway. “Dressed in black, wearing a ski mask. He was trying to take Amelia.”

And then the trembling started. She couldn’t help it, despite the tiny infant she clutched close to her chest. Somehow Theo seemed to sense this, as he gently took her arm and steered her toward her bed.

“Sit,” he ordered, taking the baby from her.

Reluctantly releasing Amelia, Ellie covered her face with her hands. It had been a strange day, ever since the baby’s mother—a beautiful, elegant woman named Mimi Rand—had shown up that morning insisting Theo was the father and then collapsing. Mimi had been taken to the Dead River Clinic with a high fever and flu-like symptoms. Theo had Ellie looking after Amelia until everything could be sorted out.

But Theo had no way of knowing about Ellie’s past, or the danger that seemed to follow her like a malicious shadow. “I need to leave,” she said to him. “Right now, for Amelia’s sake.”

Theo stared at her, holding Amelia to his shoulder and bouncing her gently, so that her sobs died away to whimpers and then silence. The sight of the big cowboy and the tiny baby struck a kernel of warmth in Ellie’s frozen heart.

“Leave?” Theo asked. “You just started work here a week ago. If it’s because I asked you to take care of this baby until her mama recovers, I’ll double your pay.”

“It’s not about the money.” Though she could certainly use every penny she could earn. “I...I thought I was safe here. Clearly, that’s not the case.”

He frowned. “I can assure you...” Stopping, he handed her back the baby, holding her as gingerly as fragile china. Once Ellie had the now-sleeping Amelia, Theo began walking around her room. “How about I check everything out? Is anything missing?”

Helpless to answer, since he obviously didn’t understand, she managed a shaky shrug, gently patting Amelia’s back. “I don’t think he was here for possessions, which I have very few of anyway. He was definitely after Amelia.”

“He?” Theo swung around to face her, his stance emphasizing the force of his muscular body. “Are you sure the intruder was a man?”

“Yes.” Despite the baby’s heat, she couldn’t seem to get warm. “Who would try to kidnap a baby, especially with her mother gravely ill?”

“Maybe it just looked that way.” He continued checking the room. “Nothing appears disturbed. Any idea how he got in?”

“No. He ran out the doorway into the hall when I screamed.” For the first time she realized Theo was nearly naked, wearing only some sort of pajama bottoms low on his narrow hips. His bare chest gleamed. Trying not to stare and failing miserably, she felt her mouth going dry. For one brief second, she allowed the sight of him—so big, so masculine—to make her feel safe.

And then Theo went into her bathroom. He cursed, and she knew. Her stalker had somehow found her.

Pushing to her feet, she placed the sleeping baby carefully back in her crib and hurried over. Theo appeared tense, a muscle working in his jaw. “This seems to be directed to you,” he said, pointing. The only baby you’ll be taking care of is OURS had been written on the mirror with black marker.

Her knees again nearly gave out. She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. “That settles it. I have to go.”

“No.” He reached out and steadied her. “No, you don’t. You’re safe here, Ellie. I can help you, protect you. But you need to tell me what’s going on.”

Despite the fact that she knew sexy Theo Colton couldn’t be her knight in shining armor, she took a deep breath. “A couple of weeks ago, I left my home in Boulder, Colorado, because I had a stalker. He seemed to find me everywhere I went, leaving me black roses.”

“Black roses?”

She nodded. “I don’t know why. He also left notes that said things like No one will ever love you like I do and One day you’ll be mine forever.”

“Did you go to the police?”

“Yes, but they said they couldn’t do anything unless he threatened me. None of the notes said anything about him wanting to harm me. I couldn’t get a restraining order or anything.”

He gave her a long look, his green eyes unfathomable. “Yet you felt threatened.”

“Yes. Wouldn’t you?”

“Do you have any idea who he is?”

“No.” She blinked. “And believe me, I tried to find out. I had friends hide and watch me to see if I was followed. No one ever saw him. The note and the roses would appear. So finally I couldn’t take it anymore. I left everything in my apartment, packed a small bag and took off. I didn’t tell anyone anything, just got in my car and drove.”

“You must have been followed.”

“I don’t know how,” she cried. “Honestly, I was very, very careful. When I left Boulder, I drove to Fort Collins, then Laramie, before I headed to Cheyenne. I stayed in Cheyenne for a couple of days before I saw your ad for a live-in cook. My car barely made it here before it died.” And as soon as she had the money, she planned to get it fixed.

He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.” Picking up the phone on her nightstand, he punched in some numbers. “Hey, Flint,” he drawled. “Sorry to wake you so early on a Sunday morning, but I need you to come over.” Briefly he relayed what had happened before replacing the phone in its cradle.

“You’ve probably heard that my brother is the police chief in Dead River. He’s on his way.”

Heart in her throat, she nodded. Despite the fact that police apparently didn’t take this kind of thing seriously, maybe the fact that the police chief was a relative of Theo’s would help.

If he couldn’t, then she was out of here come sunrise, even if she had to take a bus. No way did she want to bring her personal dark cloud down on this family, who’d taken a chance on an out-of-towner with few references. Though Theo hadn’t known it, giving Ellie this job had likely saved her life. No way did she want any of them hurt because of her, especially not such a sweet and innocent baby.

Theo stayed with her while they waited for his brother to arrive, leaving her only long enough to go put on a shirt.

Flint arrived a few minutes later. Like Theo, he was tall and muscular, with the same dark hair and striking green eyes. He appeared drained, but that might only have been due to Theo’s call waking him in the middle of the night.

“I was on my way over here anyway,” he said, a shadow crossing his face. “I just got word from Gemma at the clinic. Mimi Rand passed away a little while ago.”

Both Theo and Ellie gaped at him. Theo was the first to speak. “What was wrong with her?”

“Cause of death hasn’t been determined yet.” Flint shrugged, his expression weary. “She had a high fever and flu-like symptoms. That’s all I know.”

Ellie glanced at Theo, watching for signs of grief. After all, if the ranch gossip was to be believed and Amelia was his daughter, then that meant the mother of his child had just died.

While he appeared a bit disconcerted, nothing more, she realized that might be because he wasn’t the type of man to show his emotions on his sleeve. She then looked at Amelia, still sleeping soundly, her heart squeezing in her chest. “That poor motherless baby. What’s going to become of her now?”

For the first time, Theo seemed uncomfortable. He shifted his weight and tugged at the collar of his shirt, before clearing his throat. “We need to get her checked out to make sure she’s not sick like her mother. Mimi’s ex-husband is a doctor at the clinic. Our sister, Gemma, works with him. I need to talk to him about all this. We’ll work something out.”

“Yes,” Flint said grimly. “We certainly will.”

Ellie got the distinct impression from the way the two brothers exchanged glances that they were saying without words that family stuck together, no matter what. A sharp pang of longing ripped through her, which she quickly pushed away. She’d realized years ago what her parents were and weren’t capable of, and being a family wasn’t one of those things.

“Now, what occurred here?” Flint asked. “Theo says you had some kind of break-in?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’m pretty sure the intruder was here because of me. For some reason, he wanted to take or hurt the baby to get at me.”

Cocking his head, Flint frowned. “Why would you think that?”

Pointing with a shaky finger toward the bathroom, she swallowed hard. “Because he left me a message.”

Flint hurried off to check it out. She and Theo waited. A second later, she heard the click and whirr of a camera. When he returned, his expression had gone grim. “What exactly is going on?”

Theo filled him in on Ellie’s past, as well as details about what had just happened. Ellie tried like heck not to squirm as both men studied her with identical sharp gazes.

“Tell me exactly what you saw,” Flint told her, his serious voice stern but compassionate.

“I’m afraid I can’t help much.” She wished she could stop shaking or at least get warm. The chill seemed to have snaked into the marrow of her bones. “Even back in Colorado, I’ve never known my stalker’s identity. I’ve never even seen him.”

“You did tonight,” Theo reminded her, his gruff voice gentle.

“Not really. It was dark and I couldn’t get a good look at his face. Even if I’d managed to turn on a light before he fled, I’m pretty sure he wore a ski mask.”

Flint nodded. “Anything else you can tell me about him?”

She thought for a moment. “He was tall and lanky, but I can’t tell you much more than that. It all happened so fast.”

Her words came out sounding a little more forlorn than she’d intended. To her surprise, Theo put his big hand on her shoulder and squeezed, offering reassurance. She instinctively leaned into his touch, and when she realized what she’d done, she stiffened and moved away.

Meanwhile, baby Amelia slept on, undisturbed.

“We’ll try to find him,” Flint said. “Theo, you might look into investing in some sort of home alarm.”

“I will,” Theo promised.

“Good.” Glancing at his watch, Flint put his notepad and pen back in his pocket. “Now I suggest you both get some sleep. We’ll talk again after the sun comes up and we’re all more rested.”

* * *

After escorting his brother to the door, Theo returned to Ellie’s room to check on her and the baby. Seeing Ellie so terrified and defenseless had awakened every protective instinct he possessed. He’d be lying to himself if he claimed he hadn’t noticed how lovely she was, especially since he’d hired her personally. He enjoyed women, especially beautiful ones, and just because that damn rodeo accident had sidelined him didn’t mean he had to give up that.

He’d actually figured she’d be a nice diversion while he was stuck here at the ranch. But Ellie Parker surprised him. She’d only been here one week, but when she wasn’t working in the kitchen, she might as well be a ghost. Her willowy, athletic good looks had attracted the attention of several of the ranch hands, and Theo had listened to them complain about how she kept to herself. As if she wanted to be invisible.

Which was oddly ironic, because Theo was used to living life in the spotlight, all the attention on him. One damn crazy-ass bronc and he was off the circuit, his season over for the first time since he’d made it into the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and started competing with the big boys. He’d loved the rough competition, the mean, hard-bucking broncs and the hefty payout. For the past three years, he’d ranked in the top twenty of the bareback bronc riders and been steadily climbing. This past year had been his best. This year, the PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship had been within reach.

He wanted that title so bad he could taste it. The pinnacle of his career, the real moneymaker. He’d lusted after that ever since he climbed on his first bronc. And he was damn good at it. He had a knack for knowing beforehand which way the animal was going to buck and spin. He’d figured out how to make his eight seconds count.

The money had been flowing in. After all, it was July, with rodeos with such huge payouts they called it the Cowboy’s Christmas. There were plenty to choose from. With an eye on the World, he’d chosen to compete in the ones with the biggest payouts since his placement in the standings depended entirely on total money won.

And he couldn’t seem to stop winning. Every day, he called PROCOM, the PRCA’s computerized system, and got his numbers. As his standings continued to improve, he supposed in retrospect, he’d gotten cocky. So when he’d drawn the one horse no one had ever been able to beat, a beast known by the cowboys as one of the toughest broncs around, a National Finals horse, it had never occurred to him not to try. After all, he was unstoppable.

The instant they’d exploded from the chute, he realized this bronc wasn’t like the others. Something was scrambled in his equine brain. After the first crazy sideways leap, Theo remembered nothing until he’d woken up in a hospital bed.

Even in an occupation where injuries are common, everyone had been concerned. They’d told him he was lucky he wasn’t dead. At his lowest moments, he wasn’t too sure about that. He’d lived for the circuit, spent his time traveling from region to region, pulling his camper behind his pickup. Now he had nothing to live for, not really. Injured, he couldn’t ride, and if he couldn’t ride, he couldn’t win. Injured, he was nothing, his standings slipping with every rodeo he missed.

He’d retreated to his family’s ranch to recuperate and lick his wounds. Luckily, due to Slim George, the ranch foreman who’d been in charge since Theo’d been a small boy, the place ran smoothly.

Which was great, since Theo wouldn’t have been much help. After his head injury had left him unconscious—they’d used the word coma—for weeks, he’d had a long, slow recuperation. Not just his head, but he’d come within a hair of being paralyzed and the discs in his back were fragile enough that he’d have to be careful the rest of his life.

The doctors had said he’d never ride again, never mind compete. He’d told them all to go to hell and checked himself out of the hospital in Cheyenne as soon as he could, despite his broken ribs and bum knee. Flint had picked him up, sharing some grim news. One of Theo’s competitors, a cowboy named Hal Diggins who’d had a cold streak for several months, had injected the bronc with some kind of amphetamine to make it go crazy. Hal had been arrested, and, despite Theo’s protests, Flint had moved back to Dead River to help take care of Theo while he recuperated. Later, Theo had learned Flint had wanted to get out of Cheyenne and heal his own wounds. Despite Theo asking, Flint refused to elaborate on what they might be.

A good and honest cop, Flint had quickly risen through the ranks in the small Dead River Police Department, becoming chief of police and replacing Harry Peters, who’d left to take care of his terminally ill mother in Denver.

It also helped that their sister, Gemma, was a nurse at the clinic. She’d kept Theo on the straight and narrow, made sure he did his physical therapy exercises and took his supplements.

To all outward appearances, Theo had made a full recovery. He could walk and talk, but not ride. No one knew that a huge chunk of him had gone missing, stomped in the sawdust under that last bronc’s hooves. His ribs and knee had healed, as had his concussion. But his back would forever be damaged, and he couldn’t take a chance hurting it.

Since he had no choice but to try to make the best of it, he threw himself into helping out around the ranch. Only to learn that he sure as hell wasn’t needed around here. The place ran like clockwork without him. Any time he tried to get involved in one of the operations, he pretty much just got in the way. Slim George had taken pity on Theo and asked him to take over the hiring, especially since the ranch cook had quit and they needed to find a new one as soon as possible.

Theo had done so gladly, setting up multiple interviews and planning to find a new cook within days. The instant he saw Ellie, with her innocent eyes and her sensual mouth, he’d known he’d like having her around. Hell, maybe in more ways than one.

As long as she understood he couldn’t be serious. He enjoyed women’s bodies, and dedicated himself to pleasuring them with as much zeal as he applied to the rodeo.

Women he spent time with knew up front what they were getting. A few laughs and a damn good time. They always left satisfied. No one ever got hurt, at least as far as he knew.

The situation with Mimi Rand had come as a complete shock. Theo had known she still shared intimacy with her ex-husband, Dr. Rand. She’d sought Theo out after a particularly spectacular win in Cheyenne. They’d had a couple of drinks and a night of fun.

In the morning when he’d woken, she was already gone.

He had to confess he hadn’t paid much attention to what she did after that. Instead he’d done what he always did, focus on the rodeo.

And then he’d been hurt, come home to recuperate, and bam—Mimi showed up at his door with an infant, claiming he was the father. He’d been flabbergasted, asked her point-blank how she knew and instead of answering, she’d gotten a funny look on her face and collapsed.

Leaving him with a newborn and no idea what to do.

Now she was dead. And he figured since her ex had an equal chance of being the baby’s father, Dr. Lucas Rand needed an equal opportunity to care for Amelia.

Back in his own room, Theo clicked off the light and tried to sleep. But, just as it once had the night before a big rodeo, his mind kept whirring.

Somehow he must have fallen asleep. He woke to the ringing of his phone. Judging from the wealth of sunlight streaming in from behind his window blinds, it was probably mid to late morning. He squinted, trying to read the caller ID, then gave up and answered.

“Hello,” he rasped.

“Theo, you need to call Gemma. She’s at work at the clinic. She’s been there all night, ever since Mimi Rand died.” The urgency in Flint’s low voice had Theo sitting up straight. His brother was normally the most nondramatic person he knew.

“Why? What’s going on? Is she all right?”

“Yes.” Flint exhaled. “But more people are ill. And it’s not the flu. The CDC is involved. It’s some kind of virus, a strain no one recognizes.” He started to say something more, but someone else spoke to Flint, interrupting him. “I’ve got to go,” he said to Theo. “Call Gemma. She can fill you in.”

Immediately after hanging up, Theo dialed his sister’s cell. Sounding harried and stressed, she answered, clearly keeping her voice pitched low and speaking quietly so no one else could hear.

“Is this a bad time?” he asked.

“Right now any time is a bad time. We’ve got old Mr. Thomas here, sick with the same type of thing that Mimi Rand had. His family is freaking out, worried he’s going to die. And two children just came in.” She took a deep breath. “The waiting room is packed and the phones have been ringing off the hook. People are getting paranoid. It’s bad, Theo. Really bad.”

“Flint said something about the CDC.”

“Yes. Dr. Rand is working with them right now, despite being pretty broken up about losing his ex-wife. I think he still cared for her.”

“Yeah.” Theo scratched his chin. “I need to talk to him about that. You know she claims this baby is mine.”

“So I’ve heard. Theo, everyone in town was talking about that before people started getting sick. Apparently she told more than one person.”

“I barely knew her,” he began.

Gemma cut him off. “I don’t have time right now,” she said. “You and anyone who came in contact with Mimi Rand need to get checked out. And you especially need to get that baby examined. Something like this would be deadly to an infant.”

“I will,” he said, but she’d already ended the call.

Pushing himself up out of bed, he felt a flutter of worry in his chest. But he’d never been one to look for problems before they arose. Damned if he’d start now.

Twenty minutes later, having showered and dressed, he made his way down the hall toward Ellie’s room. Halfway there, he heard the sound of the baby—Amelia, he reminded himself—wailing.

He increased his speed. Two steps in and the sound stopped. Did babies do that? Frowning, he pushed the bedroom door open, only to see Ellie gently rocking Amelia back and forth.

“Morning.” She flashed a tired smile. “She’s been kind of restless. She had a bottle an hour ago, but I’ve used the last can of formula that her mother had in the diaper bag she left, and we’re almost out of diapers.”

“I’ll drive to the store,” he promised. With a nod, she turned her attention back to the baby. Even with dark circles under her eyes and her hair a mess, she managed to still look beautiful.

“Have you had breakfast?”

She bit her lip. “No. Neither has anyone else. I overslept and I haven’t had time to make it into the kitchen and cook anything, so you probably have a bunch of hungry ranch hands.”

He realized he’d need to find either a new cook or a nanny, at least until this thing was resolved. “I’m sure they understand,” he lied. “I’ll get in there and take care of their morning meal. Heck, I’ll tell them it’s brunch, since it’s nearly lunchtime. They’ll survive. And I want you to make sure to get yourself a plate.”

A shadow crossed her blue eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just with everything that happened and taking care of the baby—”

“No need to apologize. After I fix breakfast, I’m going into town to talk to Mimi’s ex-husband, Dr. Rand. If you’ll write down for me what kind I need, I’ll be sure to pick up formula and diapers while I’m there.”

She nodded, gazing at the tiny infant in her arms. “What do you think is going to happen to her?”

At her question, he dragged his hand across his mouth. “That’s what I want to talk to Lucas Rand about.”

The rest of the morning flew by swiftly. Still carrying Amelia, Ellie followed him down to the kitchen and directed him in the nuances of preparing the morning meal for six hungry cowboys. She couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to look rugged and sexy, even in this setting.

He used two dozen eggs, an entire loaf of bread and two huge slabs of thick-cut bacon. A jug of milk, a huge carafe of fresh, hot coffee and another jug of orange juice completed the setup.

“I usually make them biscuits and gravy, too.” She sounded apologetic again.

“They’ll just have to make do,” he said, shaking his head. “Extraordinary circumstances.”

Nodding, she crossed to the exterior door and pulled the bell cord, sending the brass bell that hung outside chiming.

Almost immediately after, Theo’s hands began filing into the kitchen. A few of them appeared surprised to see their boss there, but once they spotted the food set out on the long wooden table in the adjoining room, they shrugged, grabbed a plate and dug in. If they wondered why the food was so late in coming, no one said anything.

Theo had saved back some of the eggs, bacon and bread and made Ellie and himself a plate. He indicated one of the chairs at the smaller kitchen table and slid her breakfast over to her.

She climbed up, carefully holding Amelia, and once settled, eyed the plate, making no move to pick up a fork.

With a flush of embarrassment, he realized she didn’t know how to eat while holding the baby.

“Here. Put her in the bassinette while you eat.”

“No.” She angled the baby away from him, her chin up, her blue eyes flashing. “You eat first, and when you’re finished, you can hold her and I’ll have my turn.”

For a second, he froze, dumbfounded at the idea of holding such a miniscule little girl in front of everyone. He could do this, he told himself. Surely a man unafraid to climb on the backs of wildest horses wouldn’t be undone by an infant. Plus, he’d already held her the night before, though he’d acted solely on instinct.

“Sure,” he said, trying for easily.

Ellie rewarded him with a smile that sent his pulse racing. Stunned, he wondered if she knew how adorable she looked. Since she seemed determined, he didn’t argue, even though he still felt seriously uncomfortable holding an infant. Instead he started shoveling the food into his mouth, barely pausing for air.

Once he’d cleared his plate, he drained his glass of juice, took a quick gulp of coffee and then held out his arms for the baby, hoping he appeared nonchalant. “Your turn.”

One corner of her mouth quirked as she stared at him. “Even they—” indicating the men at the table behind them, who were all intently chowing down “—don’t eat that fast.”

“I was hungry,” he replied, grinning. “Now hand me that baby and eat your food before it gets cold.”

Shaking her head, she handed Amelia over, transferring her gently. “Make sure you support her head.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Once he had her, he gazed down into her tiny sleeping face. She smelled good, like baby powder and milk, and appeared healthy, at least to him. Though fragile. Which made him sort of afraid to move.

“That reminds me,” he told Ellie. “There are more people sick with whatever Mimi had. We need to get Amelia checked out.”

Fork in midair, Ellie froze. “I didn’t think of that.” Expression dismayed, she put down her fork. “I don’t want her going to the clinic if there are other sick people there. You said Mimi’s ex is a doctor. Do you think he’d be willing to check her out here?”

Pleased her concern was for the baby rather than herself, he nodded. “I’ll bring that up when I talk to him today. If not, my sister is a nurse and can do it.”

He took a deep breath, hating what he had to say next, but knowing it was necessary. “Listen, Ellie, don’t go getting too attached. There’s a possibility Amelia might not be here too long.”

Her eyes widened. Her voice rose. “What do you mean? You can’t be considering giving up your own flesh and blood.”

The men at the other table stopped talking and turned to stare at them from the other room. Theo grimaced. “There’s a very real possibility she’s not mine,” he said gently. “Mimi was... Well, let’s say she wasn’t exclusive.”

Her downcast look told him she didn’t like what she was hearing. “She has your eyes,” she said.

“Yes, but green eyes aren’t proof of anything.”

“I understand,” she replied, clearly lying. “Let me have Amelia back, please.”

“You haven’t eaten yet.”

Taking the baby from him, she nodded. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

No one spoke as she marched out of the room.

Once she was gone, Theo’s hands all looked at him. Even from the other room, he could feel their disapproval.

He shrugged. “Come on, guys.” Giving their empty plates a look, he pointed toward the door. “Time to get back to work.”

Though not a single man argued with him, he could tell from a few of their expressions—belligerent, questioning and yes, disappointed—that they wanted to. He hated that they thought he was acting like a jerk—honestly, he wasn’t. But this was his life, and it wasn’t up for debate.

If baby Amelia belonged to him, Theo would move heaven and earth to ensure that she wanted for nothing. However, if Lucas Rand was actually her father, then Amelia needed to be with her daddy. He didn’t need to explain that to anyone.

Chapter 2

The drive into town felt as if it took longer than usual. He figured he’d pick up the diapers and formula after he had a word with Dr. Rand.

Dead River looked like a ghost town. Probably because it was Sunday, and most folks were either at church or home with their families. Main Street, usually pretty busy about this time of day while the stores were open, had tons of empty parking spots and only a few people on the sidewalks. But when he turned the corner onto Third and spotted the clinic’s overflowing parking lot, he couldn’t believe it. Usually, the clinic was closed on Sundays, except for emergencies.

Gemma hadn’t been exaggerating. He ended up parking in the street.

As he approached the glass front door of the one-story, white cinder block building, he nearly stopped short as he saw the mass of people milling around in the waiting area. Surely not all of these people had come down with the virus.

Pushing inside, he stopped, checking everything out. No one looked feverish, or was coughing, sneezing or exhibiting any other flu-like symptoms. As far as he could tell, none of these people actually appeared sick.

His suspicion was confirmed when Cathleen Walker, who worked the intake desk, grabbed his arm. As usual, her clothes looked a bit rumpled, as though she hadn’t had time to press them. “Theo, are you okay?”

He nodded. “What’s up with them?”

“They want a shot.” She grimaced, slipping one foot out of the high heels she continually wore to work and stretching it, before sliding it back into her shoe. “Not a flu shot either—most everybody has already had that. I don’t know why, but someone heard we had received an inoculation against whatever killed Mimi Rand and got the others sick.”

“And you don’t even know what it was, do you?”

“No. But none of these people will leave.” She heaved a frustrated sigh. “More and more keep showing up. I’ve told them, Dr. Moore has told them and even Dr. Granger.”

“What about Dr. Rand?”

Her expression changed, softening. “He’s in the back, writing up a report on the latest people to fall ill. The poor man is grief-stricken over losing Mimi. He acts like it’s his fault he couldn’t save her.”

“I need to talk to him.” Again he glanced at the packed waiting room. “People,” he said, raising his voice. “If you’re sick, please raise your hand.”

Not one hand went up. Exactly as he’d suspected. “Everyone else, go on home. You don’t want to risk being exposed to whatever this virus is.” He glanced around, picking out individuals among the crowd and meeting their eyes. “Do you understand what I’m saying? If you’re healthy, not only are you using resources that could better be directed toward helping those that are sick, but just being here puts you in very serious danger of becoming infected.”

At his words people began exchanging glances, some chastised, others suspicious, a few even hostile. One or two hurried toward the door, and then a couple more followed. Pretty soon, it became apparent the place was going to rapidly empty out.

“Oh, thank you.” Cathleen sagged against her desk, clearly relieved. “Dr. Granger has been saying if too many more get sick, we’re going to have to set up an isolation area and keep the virus victims separated from everyone else.”

Which made sense, since the clinic was the main place for medical care in Dead River.

“Come on,” Cathleen said, giving him a tired smile and finger-combing her slightly mussed blond hair. “I’ll take you back to see Dr. Rand.”

He followed behind, her high heels clicking on the linoleum. They went past the reception area to where the older patient-records were stored in manila folders. For years, Gemma had claimed Dead River Clinic wanted to go entirely electronic. Apparently they had not yet completed the task of doing so.

“Here we are.” Once again all professional, Cathleen stopped and pointed toward one of the offices. A brown and gold nameplate on the door stated it belonged to Dr. Lucas Rand.

“Thanks.” He lightly squeezed her shoulder, making her blush, which sort of surprised him since they’d known each other from the fifth grade.

Moving forward, he peered into the small office. Dr. Rand spoke into a handheld dictation device. His usually perfect dark hair looked as if he’d been dragging his fingers repeatedly through it.

Theo knocked lightly on the door.

The doctor looked up, his dark eyes full of pain. He clicked off his machine and stood, holding out his hand. “Theo.”

Theo shook his hand, trying to figure out the best way to word what he had to say. Finally, he decided the hell with it. He’d talk to Dr. Rand man-to-man.

“About Mimi,” he began.

“I can’t believe she’s dead.”

“Me, either.” Theo dug his hands down into his pockets and resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot. “I’m guessing you know she had a baby?”

The other man nodded. “Of course. When she first got pregnant, I wrote her script for prenatal vitamins.” He choked up, averting his face and swallowing hard as he tried to get himself under control. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

Dr. Rand sighed. “I tried my best to save her. I couldn’t. I let her down. And now her newborn child is motherless.”

“About that.” Theo tried to figure out the best way to say it, and then decided to just blurt it out. “Is the baby—Amelia—yours?”

Dr. Rand stared at him, his expression a mix of surprise and horror. “Good Lord, no. Mimi and I haven’t been together like that in at least a year.” He blinked and peered at Theo the same way a scientist might inspect a particularly interesting petri dish full of bacteria. “Um, Theo? I don’t know what you’re getting at, but it’s my understanding that Amelia is your daughter.” He flushed and looked away. “At least that’s what Mimi told me. And she had no reason to lie.”

Mine. For a split second, it seemed to Theo everything tilted sideways. The room suddenly felt too warm. Treading carefully, as it was common knowledge that Dr. Rand had still cared for his ex-wife, Theo cleared his throat.

“Look, Dr. Rand—”

“Call me Lucas.”

Theo nodded. “Okay. Lucas. This is awkward, but Mimi never contacted me about being pregnant. I would have helped her.”

“I took care of that. I’ve been paying spousal support anyway, so I just added to it. I don’t think she ever intended you to find out, at first. Clearly, she changed her mind.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Frowning, Theo couldn’t make sense of any of this. “Besides, she and I were only together a couple of times. I sincerely doubt that I could be Amelia’s father.”

Some dark emotion flashed across Lucas’s face, before he looked down. When he raised his head to meet Theo’s gaze, he expression was calm. “One time is all it takes. You know that.”

Theo found himself at a loss for words.

“Look, Theo.” Lucas gripped his shoulder. “I’ve always thought you were a good guy. And little Amelia is a Colton. You should be raising her. Obviously, since Mimi came to you when she realized she was ill, that was her last wish for her baby girl. Amelia needs to be with her family. I work all the time, here at the clinic. I have nothing to offer her, while you...you have a rich heritage, a large family and plenty of support.”

Put that way, Theo knew Lucas was right. But how could Theo be a father? He had no idea how. His own father had been an abusive drunk, who’d only shown up when he needed something and stayed just long enough to break his young children’s hearts.

His father’s mother—Grandma Dottie—had raised all three of them, and Flint, Theo and Gemma worshipped the ground she walked on. Maybe she could help, Theo thought. Or at the very least, explain to him how a good father should act.

Still rattled, he nodded and turned to go. Lucas tightened his grip on Theo’s shoulder, stopping him.

“Theo, I swear I will find the medicine to treat this thing,” Lucas vowed. “Or a cure, if it comes to that. In the meantime, have Gemma check you out. I want you to bring Amelia by immediately if she starts showing any flu-like symptoms. Same with you or anyone in your house. We need to treat early, before symptoms become life-threatening.”

The other man’s choice of words worried Theo. “You talk like this is some new kind of disease.”

“It might be.” Lucas appeared to be choosing what he said carefully. “I’m doing everything I can to figure it out.”

“You’re a good man, Dr. Lucas Rand.” Theo moved away. “I’ll go have a word with Gemma now.”

“She’s in the back with the sick children.” Lucas frowned. “I don’t want you going back there. It’s not safe.”

“Then why is my sister there?” Theo asked sharply.

“She’s taking the proper precautions—she has on a mask and gloves. Let me page her and see if she has time to come out.”

Theo waited while Lucas did that. After a moment, Lucas’s cell phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words and hung up.

“She said she’ll call you later, once her shift is over.” A sudden weariness appeared to settle over the doctor. “Thanks for stopping by, Theo. You know the way out, right? I need to get back to work.”

Summarily dismissed, Theo took his leave. When he reached the front desk, he saw the waiting room had once again begun to fill up.

This time, he simply made his way to the door. He had a lot to think about, but most important, he needed to pick up formula and diapers.

Once that was done, he headed home.

On the drive there, he called his grandmother Dottie. If he remembered her schedule right, she should be home from church by now. Though she was seventy-five years old, she played canasta with several other widowed women once a week. She’d never remarried, but she kept busy. She ate lunch out with her church friends on Wednesday, and then went to Bible study that night. Church on Sunday, a reading group on another day—he couldn’t keep up with her schedule.

The phone rang six times before she picked up. “You’re there,” he said, relieved. “I thought I missed you and was about to disconnect the call. How are you, Gram?”

“Not too good,” she answered, surprising him. “I think I might be coming down with something.”

He felt a flash of alarm. “Promise me you’ll go to the clinic and get it checked out.”

“It’ll probably pass.” She didn’t sound too worried. “If not, I’ll have Gemma check me out. If she thinks I need to see a doctor, I will.”

Relieved, he asked her if she was sitting down.

She laughed, or attempted to. Instead she made a sound that turned into a hacking cough.

Instantly alarmed, Theo felt his stomach twist as he remembered what Gemma had told him earlier. He told Gram she needed to go to the clinic immediately and get checked out.

“Don’t be silly,” she replied, after she regained her voice. Even over the phone, Theo could tell she wasn’t well. “It’s just a cold,” she continued. “Nothing to stress about.”

“Gram, please. I’ve got enough on my plate. Don’t add having to worry about you to my list.” He knew making it be about him was the only way she’d consider doing something for herself. That was his gram Dottie. Always doing for others.

“What do you have on your plate?” she asked, instantly concerned. Of course. He chastised himself. She’d immediately pick up on that.

“A woman named Mimi Rand showed up on my doorstep yesterday morning with an infant. She claimed the baby girl is mine. And then she collapsed.” He swallowed hard, almost afraid to tell her the rest. “She was rushed to Dead River Clinic, but she passed away last night. She had a virus. That’s why I’m so worried about you. It starts out a lot like the flu. Fever, chills, body aches. A cough, sore throat, maybe even vomiting or diarrhea. Do you have any of those?”

“No.”

“I still want you to get checked out. I love you too much to lose you.”

“Fine.” She sounded grumpy, though touched, too. She knew Theo as well as he knew her. “I’ll try to go tomorrow. If I start feeling worse, I’ll call Gemma and ask her to stop by and check on me.”

“Perfect.”

“Now, Theo, tell me the truth. I know—knew—Mimi Rand. She was well dressed and well mannered and acted as if she was used to the finer things in life. Probably because she was Dr. Rand’s ex-wife. I can’t imagine...” She took a deep breath. “Dead?”

“Yes. And Gemma says no one knows what it is exactly that killed her.”

Silence while she digested this. Then she cleared her throat and spoke. “Theo, tell me the truth. Is this baby really yours?” She sounded deeply disappointed, which still had the power to crush him.

“I don’t know.” He told her the truth. “But after talking to Dr. Rand today, it’s appearing likely.”

“Well, then.” Disappointment gave way to her normal, brisk, take-charge attitude. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. I wouldn’t mind having a young’un to cuddle again. Once I get over this cold, I’ll come by and meet...what is her name?”

“Amelia. She’s really tiny.”

“Amelia. I like it.” She coughed again. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

He hung up, smiling although her cough still worried him. But she was a tough old lady and he figured she knew if she was seriously sick or not.

* * *

Ellie had always avoided cocky men who were full of themselves. A lot of cowboys were like that. But from what she’d seen of Theo Colton in the short time she’d been here at the ranch, while he had swagger, and the same rough-and-tumble sex appeal, he wasn’t conceited or arrogant. There was a fine line between self-assurance and smug self-importance, and she thought Theo was merely confident and comfortable in his own body. She believed this despite the stories she’d heard the one night she ventured into town to have a drink at the Dead River Bar.

But this morning, hearing how he’d spoken of this precious little innocent baby—his baby—at that moment, she’d wondered if she’d been wrong about him after all.

Once he’d left to go to town, she realized he must be terrified. He’d been a big-time rodeo cowboy, a bareback bronc riding champion. She’d spent enough time around horses in her hometown of Boulder to know rodeo cowboys were footloose and fancy-free. They had to be, since they made their living driving from town to town, rodeo to rodeo.

She also knew women of all kinds flocked to them, the way groupies hung on to musicians. All kinds of women. Mimi Rand was proof of that, may she rest in peace.

Now Theo was dealing with the fallout. For him, just knowing that his injuries had cost him all that, everything he’d ever known, must have been bad enough. Now this—finding out he was a father. By a woman who, from what he’d said, he’d barely known.

Gazing at Amelia while she slept in the car seat she’d been brought here in that converted to a portable bassinette, Ellie thought she’d never seen a more darling baby. Wisps of curly dark hair framed her chubby-cheeked face. As she’d done several times over the past hour, Ellie lightly touched the infant’s forehead, checking to make sure there were no signs of fever.

So far, so good. No sign of whatever mysterious illness had plagued her mother.

For some reason Ellie thought of her parents. She knew what they’d do in this situation. As lifelong evangelistic missionaries on the African continent, they’d elevated the act of prayer to a fine art. She only wished they’d devoted as much effort to being parents and making them all a family. She hadn’t seen them in years, and even in her younger days, she’d stayed with a neighbor while they were off saving the world. They were too busy, too full of what they considered their life’s work, to spend time raising a daughter.

Ellie had often wondered why they’d even had her. Most likely, she’d been an accident. Ah well, dwelling on the past never changed anything. And she no longer prayed, because she’d spent her entire childhood praying her parents would want her. When her prayers had gone unanswered through the years, she’d sworn never to pray again.

Even though they’d had a late breakfast, soon it would be lunchtime on the ranch. As the only cook, Ellie knew she had to come up with something to feed the hardworking, hungry ranch hands. Luckily, she’d started on a big pot of chili the day before, and all she had to do was place the large cooking pot on the stove and break out a couple of bags of Fritos and shredded cheddar cheese.

Relieved that she could do this and still take care of Amelia, she knew the evening meal might be more of a challenge. She needed to do prep work now. A couple of days ago, she’d moved four whole chickens to the fridge from the freezer. She could roast those and make a pot of pinto beans and a huge bowl of rice. Simple but efficient.

She gave the chili another stir with the wooden spoon and returned to gaze at the sleeping baby. Footsteps in the hallway made her turn, wondering if the crew had broken for lunch early.

Not the ranch hands. Instead Theo, gazing first at her and then the baby. Ellie’s heart did a little stuttering dance as she stared at him. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, muscular arms. And that face, craggy and masculine, with that cute little bump on his nose where it had been broken. He was handsome and sexy, and so far out of her league it wasn’t funny. Even knowing this, she couldn’t keep from drinking him in with her eyes, even as she tried—and pretty much failed—to appear nonchalant.

“How’s she doing?” he asked, his gaze on Amelia.

“Fine.” She found a sudden need to turn away and stir the chili. “I’ve been watching her and there’s no sign of a fever. I’m guessing she’s not hungry yet since she’s been asleep since you left. Did you bring the formula and diapers?”

“I did. They’re on the counter.” The edge of huskiness in his voice made her look at him. He was still staring at the baby, something very much like tenderness flashing in his amazing green eyes.

Chest tight, she turned back to the simmering pot. “Lunch is almost ready. The ranch hands should be here any moment.”

“I told you that you didn’t have to cook since you’re taking care of the baby.”

“Then who would?” Her tone came out sharper than she’d intended. “If I don’t, the hands won’t have anything to eat.”

“Thank you.” He came to stand next to her, making every nerve in her body quiver. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d made it back in time to get the noon meal ready.”

She didn’t comment. It was eleven-thirty and the men ate at straight-up twelve.

When he touched her arm, she gave a little jump. Inhaling sharply, she took a step back from him, hoping if she put a little distance between them, she could regain her equilibrium. When she’d first applied for the job, she was so desperate for work, she’d barely noticed his rugged good looks. After all, she’d been nearly broke with nowhere to live but her car.

Now, almost a full week later, every time Theo came anywhere near her, she went weak in the knees and her entire body tingled.

Cleary, she needed to get over this.

“I’ve talked to my grandmother.” He frowned. “I wanted to ask her to help with the baby, but she sounds like she’s coming down with a cold.”

“That’s not good.” Ellie kept her voice steady, a bit startled at the odd rush of possessiveness she felt at the thought of someone else taking care of Amelia. “Maybe it would be better to see if you can find someone else to cook, at least until your grandmother gets better. I don’t mind.”

He gave her a long look, his green eyes keenly observant. “We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll help you with dinner,” he said. “How about that?”

“Let’s get through lunch first,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll get Amelia changed and fed. There are corn chips on the table, shredded cheese in the fridge and all they need to do is ladle the chili into their bowls.”

He nodded. “I can handle that.”

“Thank you.” Moving briskly, she washed her hands and then grabbed one of the cans of formula and read the instructions, just to make sure.

Once everything was mixed up in one of the bottles, she warmed it slightly in the microwave and shook it to make sure the heat distributed evenly. She squeezed a drop on her wrist, something she thought she’d seen on TV. “Perfect.”

More relieved than she’d care to admit, even to herself, she crossed over to where Amelia still slept. One quick glance at Theo, and the knot was back in the pit of her stomach. “I’ll just take her upstairs and feed and change her.”

“Sounds good.” Theo glanced at the clock. “The less exposure she has to others, the better, at least until we get her checked out. I’m going to see if Gemma can come by tonight after work, though I might have her stop by Gram Dottie’s first.”

The worry and affection in his voice when he spoke of his grandmother warmed her. “Just let me know,” she said. “I think I hear the guys.”

He gave her a panicked look, nearly making her laugh. Instead she picked up Amelia’s carrier, tucking the warm baby bottle on one side. She looped the bag with the diapers over her arm and hurried upstairs just as the back door opened and the hungry ranch hands began filing in.

Amelia woke with a startled little sound when they were halfway up the stairs. After one quick gasp, she scrunched up her little face and let out an ear-piercing wail. By the time Ellie had reached the landing, Amelia had begun to cry in earnest.

Making soothing sounds, Ellie hurried to her room. Once there, she dropped the diapers on the bed and hurried to get Amelia out of the carrier. No amount of rocking or murmuring endearments would soothe her. But the instant Ellie pressed the baby bottle against her lips, Amelia latched on, drinking so fast she hiccupped.

“What a beautiful baby you are,” Ellie murmured, her heart full. “I’m so sorry your mama won’t get to see you grow up.”

Cradling Amelia while she finished her bottle, Ellie wondered at this newfound surge of maternal emotion. She hadn’t spent a lot of time around babies, and it amazed her how tiny this one seemed.

Once Amelia finished her bottle, Ellie burped her, again copying something she’d seen on television. Amelia let out a satisfied belch.

Ellie kicked off her shoes and climbed onto her bed, holding Amelia close. She propped up a pillow and leaned back, resting while she gently rocked her charge.

A few seconds later, Amelia had gone back to sleep. Smiling, Ellie watched her. Once, before her stalker, she’d settled into a sort of Bohemian existence working at a bookstore in Boulder. She’d had friends, she’d been happy, though she’d often felt like she was floating along through life. Her stalker had changed that, and the constant panic had forced her to go on the run. Now she’d landed here. She wasn’t sure why, especially since she’d always wanted to travel, but she hadn’t felt this content in a long time.

* * *

By the time the lunch hour was over, Theo had a newfound respect for the job of ranch cook. Since coming back home, he hadn’t had to do much, Mrs. Saul had worked in the kitchen for over twenty years. When the plump white-haired lady had come to him and announced she wanted to retire, the entire ranch was caught off guard. She’d promised to stay until he’d found someone to replace her, and so she had. The transition from Mrs. Saul to Ellie Parker had gone seamlessly.

One tiny baby and everything had been thrown off balance. That was okay, he told himself. Once Gram Dottie took over nanny duty, everything here would be right back on track. He’d just have to pitch in until then. At least he had plans. Big ones, actually. He just had to find the right stock to get his breeding program underway.

Most people didn’t realize that the majority of broncos in the rodeos were bred specifically for that role. The best buckers had good confirmation and breeding. Theo figured if he couldn’t ride ’em, he’d breed ’em.

Until then, he’d help out in whatever way he could, including cooking. The men had been surprised to see him in the kitchen, but they’d been hungry and dug into the chili. Theo had fixed himself a bowl, too, and taken a seat at the table in the other room to eat with them. All the talk was on the upcoming Tulsa State Fair and Rodeo in Oklahoma.

Pretending it didn’t bother him talking about something that had been his favorite activity in the world was something he had gotten better at. Theo laughed and joked, argued about who he thought was the best bull rider, hoping and praying they didn’t ask him about the bronc riders, whether saddle bronc or bareback. Bareback had been his sport, and even thinking about what he would be missing usually filled him with a brooding kind of anger.

Maybe they had heard this, or perhaps his hired cowboys had a lot of common sense, because bronc riding never came up.

Most of them had seconds, complimenting Theo on the chili. He smiled and told them to thank Ellie. No one asked about the baby, no doubt remembering the way the conversation had gone that morning.

Finally, one by one, they pushed back their chairs and headed out to get back to work. Relieved, Theo gathered up the dirty dishes, rinsed them off and put them in the dishwasher. He made sure the burner was off and left the pot on the stove to cool.

He made a quick call to a local alarm monitoring service and left a message on their answering machine asking for an appointment the next day to have motion detectors and whatever else came with a home alarm installed.

Someone called him back in two minutes, confirming the appointment for Monday afternoon. He imagined they didn’t get much business. Here in Dead River, the country folks rarely even bothered to lock their doors.

Theo had been the same. In the past. No longer. He planned to make sure the house was locked up tight each night before he went to bed. An alarm would be additional insurance. Whoever had broken in, whether he’d been after the baby or Ellie, wouldn’t be able to get in so easily next time.

As he tried to decide whether or not to take Ellie her lunch upstairs, his cell phone rang. The caller ID showed Gemma.

“Hey,” he answered. “I thought you weren’t going to call until after you got off work.”

“I wasn’t,” Gemma answered, sounding stressed and more upset than he’d ever heard her. “But Gram Dottie just came in.”

“Good. I told her to get her tail in there if she didn’t start feeling better.”

“Oh, Theo.” To his shock, he could tell his sister was on the verge of tears. “She walked in the front door, and then she collapsed. We’ve moved her back to the isolation area. The doctors think Gram Dottie has the same thing Mimi Rand had.”

Chapter 3

Stunned, Theo wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. “What? I just talked to her and she didn’t sound that sick. Now you’re telling me... How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. No one even knows what this disease is, never mind how it’s transmitted. Dr. Rand thinks it’s a virus. Either way, it’s not good. She’s in really bad shape, Theo.”

“I’m on my way down there,” he said, pacing the length of the kitchen. The rich smell of the chili now made him feel queasy.

“No. You can’t. There’s a reason we have the victims isolated. You can’t risk exposing yourself.”

“I don’t care about myself.” He swore. “You know how much Gram means to me.”

“We all feel that way,” Gemma said. “And you may not care about yourself, but you have to think of the baby. You can’t risk her.” She took a deep breath. “Right now you’d be denied entrance anyway. Only essential medical personnel are allowed in, and we have to put on protective-wear as a precaution.”

Theo cursed again. “How bad off is Gram?”

“Right now she’s stable.” Another shaky breath, the sound coming through as more of a warning than any words could be. “The CDC is sending a team. Flint knows this already, but they’re talking about a quarantine.”

Theo stopped pacing, trying to understand. “A quarantine? Of what, the clinic?”

“No. Dead River. The entire town.” And then Gemma, his normally unflappable sister, began to cry.

Theo did his best to console her, well aware she most likely hadn’t shared every detail with him. “What about the baby?” he asked, taking a deep breath. “She was with Mimi right before she died. We need to get her checked out.”

“You’re right,” Gemma said. “And you and anyone else who might have come into contact with her. I can’t come by tonight, but I work the afternoon shift tomorrow, so I’m off in the morning. How about I swing by the ranch and check her out then?”

“That’d be perfect.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.” With that, Gemma told him she had to go back to work and ended the call.

Stunned, Theo could only stare at his phone. He felt he needed to do something, anything, but he didn’t know what. If this virus had been a bronc, he would have climbed on and ridden it into submission. But it wasn’t, and in reality, there was nothing he could do but stand by helplessly and watch.

And that summed it up. He was a rodeo cowboy, a bareback bronc riding champion, and not much else. He couldn’t even help his own grandmother—the woman who’d raised him—when she needed assistance.

But he could—and would—protect Amelia. His tiny daughter had no one else. He’d somehow figure out a way to be a good father, even though he had no idea how. Again the spicy scent of chili filled his nostrils. This time, the smell filled him with purpose. Ellie had done nothing but work all day. She had to be starving.

He found a cookie sheet that would work as a tray and filled a bowl with corn chips before ladling the chili over that. Topping if off with a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese, he folded a paper towel to act as a napkin, grabbed a spoon and a can of cola and carried the tray up to Ellie’s room.

It was impossible to knock with his hands full, so he didn’t bother. The door was cracked. He used his elbow to nudge it the rest of the way open.

Carrying the tray, he paused just inside the room. Both Ellie and the baby were asleep on the bed—Ellie sitting up, her back supported by both pillows, still cradling the infant securely in her arms.

Carefully and quietly, he placed the tray on the dresser and stared at the pair. Bathed in the soft light from the window, Ellie looked almost angelic. Looking at her and the sleeping baby made the back of his throat ache.

Shaking his head, he scoffed at himself. Still, there was a particular glow about her. Maybe it was one of those things females got when they were around babies. Who knew?

He took the opportunity to study her—and his child, too. Something about the scene calmed him, the way beauty always did. Ellie’s exotic, high cheekbones caught the light, bringing a soft flush to her creamy skin. The delicacy of her face seemed almost at odds with her lean, athletic body. She’d pulled her hair, a soft brown color, back into a ponytail. The soft strands that had escaped framed and highlighted her face.

And the baby... Chest tight, he moved closer to examine her. Perfect little rosebud of a mouth, dusky skin like her mother’s. Innocent and perfect, too much so for the likes of someone like him. What did he know about being a father? His dad had become a drunk after their mother was killed in a car accident. His father had been in and out of their lives, showing up just often enough to humiliate his sons. He’d finally abandoned their family, much to everyone’s unspoken relief. Gram had taken over, filling the void as best she could. She’d been both mother and father, grandmother and teacher to Flint, Theo and Gemma.

Standing there in the quiet room, midday sunlight warm on his arm, Theo faced the fact that the world he’d taken for granted continued to crumble down around him. Losing the ability to rodeo had seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen, even though everyone had kept telling him he should consider himself lucky that he’d survived.

But now his beloved Gram was seriously ill, and this tiny, helpless human had been entrusted to his care. Him, of all people, who had always taken a certain sort of pride in being the least settled person he knew. Despite his satisfaction with the life he’d chosen, he’d never wanted to fail his grandmother, though deep down inside, he knew he had. Gram had loved him anyway. Now, no matter what, he knew he couldn’t let his daughter down.

“Theo? Are you all right?” Ellie’s voice, husky with sleep, startled him. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on him, though still groggy with sleep.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” he said, feeling surprisingly awkward. “I brought you lunch.”

She shifted, sliding back to sit up, careful not to disturb the baby. “Are the hands all fed?”

“Yep. And I cleaned everything up. Later, I’ll need you to tell me what I need to do to prepare for the evening meal.”

“I will.” Her heavy-lidded gaze slid past him to the tray. “But right now I’m famished. Would you mind taking Amelia so I can eat?”

“Sure.” This time he didn’t hesitate. He figured if he did this often enough, soon he’d be completely comfortable with holding the baby.

The transfer could have been awkward, but Theo just held out his arms and let Ellie take care of it.

“I’ve got her,” he said, half smiling, barely noticing as Ellie moved to take the bowl of chili from the tray and begin eating with a quiet and intent efficiency.

The rumble of his voice caused Amelia’s eyes to open. Colton green. Of course. He’d read somewhere that less than five percent of the world’s population had green eyes.

“Hi there, little baby,” he crooned, trying not to feel foolish.

Looking up from her meal, Ellie made a sound.

“What?” he asked, reluctantly dragging his gaze from the baby.

“She has a name.” Ellie’s soft voice carried a bit of steel. “Amelia. You don’t have to always call her baby or the infant.”

“I wasn’t aware I did.” He shrugged, refusing to let a small detail like that bother him, despite what Ellie thought it revealed. “Sorry.”

Too busy finishing her lunch, Ellie didn’t respond, though he could feel her gaze on him as he gently rocked the baby. Gram Dottie would love Amelia, he knew. Now she just had to get well so they could meet.

Something of his worry must have shown in his face.

“Are you all right?” Ellie asked again. “You look... Is something wrong?”

“Yes.” He took a deep breath, needing to get it off his chest. “My sister called while you were asleep. Gram Dottie collapsed at the clinic.” Despite his best intentions, his voice cracked a little. “The doctors think she has the same thing that killed Mimi Rand. They’ve got her in isolation.”

“Oh, Theo.” Ellie’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.”

He nodded, working really hard to keep his expression neutral. “Gemma says they think it’s some kind of new virus. The CDC is sending a team and they’re even talking about quarantining the entire town.”

“What?” Ellie hand moved to her throat. “I’ve never heard of them doing that, except maybe in movies. It must be really bad.”

“Don’t panic.” His words were for both of them. “We’ve got some really sharp doctors at the clinic, and Dr. Rand vowed to find a cure. He’s working around the clock, despite being really broken up by the death of his ex-wife.”

Ellie nodded, her blue eyes huge in her suddenly pale face. Her cheeks flushed, she looked away. “You’re right. Of course. There’s no need to let my imagination get the best of me. I hope your grandmother gets well quickly.”

“She will,” he said with a confidence he didn’t feel. “Anyway, Gemma is going to come by tomorrow and check us all out. I can’t risk the baby’s—Amelia’s—health by taking her down to the clinic.”

“I agree.” Her brow creased in a dainty frown. “But it’s still safe to go into town, isn’t it?”

“Of course.”

“Good. I need to pick up a few things.” She hesitated, and then continued, sounding a bit sheepish. “Though now that my stalker might have found me, I’m a little bit scared to go.”

“Don’t be.” Here Theo could speak with confidence. “I’ve called a company to come out and install an alarm. They’ll be here tomorrow. And as far as going into town is concerned, I’ll go with you, like a sort of bodyguard.”

He could tell his words pleased her from the dusky rose that suffused her face. “Thank you,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I need to make a trip in the morning, as long as it won’t interfere with the alarm installation.”

“They’re supposed to come around two, so if we go early, we should be fine. I’ll need to find out what time my sister plans to stop by, but we can work around that. I want to make sure none of us is sick before we leave the ranch and risk infecting others.”

She nodded. “Good point. Do you have any idea what the early symptoms are?”

“It’s flu-like. From what I remember Gemma telling me, it’d probably be fever and nausea, weakness or tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and maybe body aches.”

She nodded. “That’s kind of what I thought. So far, Amelia hasn’t exhibited any of those.”

“What about you?”

“Nothing.” Tilting her head, she studied him. “And you? Have you been feeling all right?”

He started to answer, then checked himself. “I’m still dealing with fallout from my rodeo accident, but no flu-like symptoms yet.”

“I’m sorry.” Her soft voice matched the softening in her blue eyes. “What exactly happened to you?” She blushed, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”

Even now, six months later, he could still barely talk about it. To anyone else. But for some reason, he wanted to tell her. “I got thrown by a horse. A crazy, completely out of control bronc. My skull was broken, I had a right clavicle fracture, messed up my hip and my ankle was shattered.”

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue. “But the worst thing was that my spine got messed up. All the other injuries were fixable. Meaning, I could heal and go back to competing. But that damn spinal cord injury nearly paralyzed me. They told me I can never ride again. I’m lucky I’m even able to walk.”

“You don’t sound as if you think you’re lucky,” she commented.

Which meant he hadn’t successfully hidden the bitterness. How could he, when it rode so close to the surface?

“Rodeo was my life,” he said quietly. “With that gone...”

Her chin came up. He was starting to recognize that habit of hers. Gesturing at Amelia, still cocooned in his arms, she gave him a look that reminded him of Gram Dottie when she was about to make a point.

“With that gone,” Ellie threw his words back at him. “You now have time to focus on something else. Someone else. Amelia. Your daughter.”

* * *

Ellie hadn’t meant to be so bold. Judging from the total shutdown on Theo’s rugged face, she’d gone entirely too far. Still, she didn’t regret her words, nor would she call them back.

Amelia had just lost her mother. She deserved a father who’d give her 100 percent.

Theo had given Ellie a hard stare and then turned without a word, placed Amelia in her bassinette and walked away.

Apparently she’d touched a nerve. Well, baby Amelia’s situation touched Ellie. She knew better than most how it felt to have parents who treated you as an afterthought. She’d do everything she could to make sure Amelia didn’t suffer the same fate.

The rest of the day passed quickly. She bathed and changed Amelia, before taking her down to the kitchen so Ellie could resume the rest of her duties. Despite his offer to help, Theo didn’t put in an appearance. Ellie wasn’t really surprised, though she was disappointed.

Since Amelia had gone right to sleep, Ellie was able to work unencumbered. Dinner went off without a hitch—she’d placed the chickens in the oven to roast along with some potatoes, carrots and onions, and opened several cans of rolls and baked them just before it was time to eat. For dessert, she’d made a cobbler using baking mix and canned peaches. Not exactly gourmet fare, but it would fill their hungry bellies. She’d fed Amelia while everything cooked.

The meal turned out delicious and the cowboys were loud and appreciative. Theo arrived just after everyone had started to eat. A few of the men paused, but Theo waved them to continue. So they did, still raining compliments down on Ellie.

She smiled, told them thank you, and waved them back toward their meal.

As had been her habit, Ellie stayed slightly apart, near Amelia’s portable bassinette. She watched from near the oven, having just made herself a plate and about to sit down at the smaller dinette table. She’d fed and changed Amelia earlier, and despite her earlier nap, exhaustion battled to claim her.

Theo crossed the room to stand near her. Conversation at the long table briefly ceased. But a quick look from Theo and it resumed, though several of them men made no secret of the fact that they were watching.

“I’m sorry,” Theo said, pitching his voice low so the others couldn’t hear. “I promised to help you with the evening meal and I forgot.” He rubbed his leg as he talked to her, making her realize his injuries were no doubt hurting him.

“That’s okay.” Surprised that he’d even apologized, she slid the plate she’d just filled toward him. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll make another plate and join you.”

He glanced at Amelia, who, with her tummy full, slept contentedly. “How is she?”

“Still fine.” Turning, she busied herself filling a plate with food. Once she was done, she carried it over to the smaller table that sat in the kitchen proper.

After a moment, he followed and took the chair opposite her, his expression shuttered. “I talked to my sister. Gemma’s going to be here about eight-thirty tomorrow morning. That’ll give her plenty of time to check us all out. The stores in Dead River don’t open until ten anyway.”

“Sounds great.” She glanced at the still-sleeping baby. “What about Amelia? After she’s cleared as healthy, can we bring her with us? I can’t exactly leave her here alone.”

“Of course not. I’ll help you with her.” Flashing her a preoccupied smile, he dug in. The muscles rippling under his button-down shirt made her mouth go dry. Even here, Theo radiated masculinity and sex appeal. And tension, though he appeared to relax a little as he began eating. “This is great,” he said. “How did you manage to make all this and still look after the baby?”

Secretly pleased, she shrugged. “It’s nothing fancy, that’s why.”

“It’s good food. Thank you for managing to act both as cook and nanny. I promise I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can.”

He sounded earnest and charming, and the sparkle in his emerald eyes was pretty damn close to irresistible. Dangerous thinking, she chided herself. “I may hold you to that,” she replied lightly. “Now eat up. There’s peach cobbler for dessert.”

He made a moan of delight and again she blushed. When she got the warm cobbler out of the oven, the men cheered. She served it herself, wanting to make sure there was enough for everyone.

After the hands had taken themselves off to the bunkhouse, Theo guided her toward the living room couch, handing her the remote before going back to fetch the bassinette, which he placed near Ellie.

“Sit. I’ll clean up,” he said. “And for breakfast tomorrow morning, Gram Dottie used to make us this baked egg dish that you can refrigerate and just pop in the oven. I helped her once or twice, so I think I remember how to do it.”

Surprised and touched, Ellie nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He flashed a grin so devastating her breath caught in her chest. “Now relax and watch something on TV. I’ll join you once I’m finished in the kitchen.”

Strange. Too tired to comment, she glanced at Amelia, who still slept. Perfect baby. Leaning back into the overstuffed couch cushions, she pressed the power button on the remote. Since she still didn’t know the television channels for this area, she pressed one at random. A legal drama was on, one she thought she might have caught a few episodes of in the past.

The next thing she knew, Theo was shaking her shoulder. “Ellie, wake up. It’s late and you need to go on to bed.”

Groggy, she blinked up at him, trying to understand. “What...what time is it?”

His lazy smile touched her like a sensual caress. “A little after ten. You fell asleep and looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Amelia.” She looked for the baby, not finding her. “Where’s Amelia?”

“I carried her upstairs a minute ago. She needed a diaper change and I think I figured out how to do it.” He lifted his shoulder in a sheepish shrug. “Though you might want to double-check my handiwork. She’s asleep in the crib.”

He’d changed Amelia? Talk about giant strides, especially from a man who’d barely been able to say his daughter’s name. Wisely, she kept her sentiment to herself. She sensed if she made a big deal about it or even commented, Theo would shut down.

“She’s going to want her nighttime bottle soon.” Pushing herself up off the sofa, she stifled a yawn. “I’ll just go ahead and make it, so I’ll have it when she wakes.”

He eyed her. “How do you know how to do all this, anyway?”

“My parents were very active in the church,” she said, shrugging. “When they went off to be missionaries, I stayed with a neighboring family who had triplets. Mrs. Anderson needed all the help she could get. I learned not only how to take care of babies, but I also learned how to cook.”

And Ellie had felt glad to be needed. Even if later, as she’d grown older, she’d come to understand she was being used as an unpaid nanny and cook. She hadn’t truly minded, as she’d come to love the triplets, but when she’d needed to get a job to earn her own money, she’d asked to be paid. Instead, she’d found herself out on the street. Luckily, one of her high school friends had taken her in until she could find a job and save for a place of her own.

Taking her arm, he guided her into the kitchen and over to a chair. His slow smile made her mouth go dry. “Sit. Tell me what to do and I’ll make the bottle.”

Wondering if she was still asleep and dreaming, she gave him instructions, unable to resist the tiniest bit of flirting. “It would seem you have a natural talent,” she told him, smiling shyly. His answering grin made her feel warm all over.

When the bottle was ready and he’d tested the temperature with a drop on his wrist, the way she’d told him, he handed it over, his fingers brushing against hers and lingering a second too long.

Telling herself it was in her imagination, she took it and pushed to her feet, again swaying slightly. He reached out to steady her, and somehow she ended up pressed against the muscular length of him.

Instantly, her senses leaped to life as she came deliciously awake. Breasts tingling against his rock-hard chest, her entire lower body began to melt as she stared up at him.

Green gaze dark, he lowered his face as if about to kiss her. She caught her breath, her heart lurching crazily, her mouth already throbbing. She wanted him so badly in that moment she shivered, dizzy with longing.

And then he released her, shaking his head, one corner of his sensual mouth curving. “Sorry. Old habits.”

Somehow she managed to make it out of that room and into hers without collapsing. Only when she’d closed the door and dropped down onto her bed and covered her face with her hands did she let herself think about what had just almost happened.

The only reason it hadn’t was that Theo had enough sense to back away.

Though she had to admit, the casual old habits had stung. But then, she chastised herself, what the hell had she expected? Theo Colton wasn’t for her. She needed her job and the protection Theo had promised from her crazy stalker. Which meant she needed to get herself under control and forget even thinking about being attracted to him.

Amelia began making snuffling sounds, which meant she was about to cry. Ellie scooped her up, gently pressing the bottle’s nipple against her perfect, bow-shaped lips. The baby latched on, suckling like a champion, which made Ellie smile.

Once Amelia had finished, Ellie burped her. One final check of her diaper, which had been put on perfectly, and she put the baby back in her crib, amazed at how quickly Amelia dropped into sleep.

Attending to her evening preparations as quickly as she could, Ellie brushed her teeth, washed up and changed into her pajamas.

She climbed into bed, ready to fall asleep, even though she knew she’d probably dream of Theo. She resolved, if she did, to promptly forget all about them in the morning.

* * *

That night and the next morning, Theo refused to even think about what foolish urge had made him almost kiss Ellie Parker. He’d been without a woman too long; that had to be it. After all, Ellie wasn’t even his usual type. He preferred his women curvy and flirty and casual. With her willowy, athletic figure, Ellie not only wasn’t his type, but was too serious by far.

And too sweet, he thought. The kind of woman who needed a white picket fence and a husband who was content to work a nine-to-five and come home to her each night.

In other words, everything Theo was not. Little Miss Serious would want it all, including love. He wasn’t in the habit of intentionally breaking hearts, and he didn’t intend to start now.

Rushing through his shower, he hurried downstairs to get the egg casserole baking in the oven. He also made a pot of coffee, waiting impatiently for it to finish brewing. Outside, the sun hadn’t yet risen, and he could tell the outside air would be crisp. His favorite kind of morning, back when he’d wake up and drive out to the rodeo grounds to check out the lay of the land. He’d walk the grounds, a cup of java steaming in his hands, looking for the other cowboys who were out there doing the exact same thing.

Shaking his head, he ruthlessly pushed that thought away the same way he’d quashed his surprising desire for Ellie.

Pretty soon the kitchen smelled like eggs and sausage and coffee. The hired hands begin to drift in, one by one, hanging up their jackets and wiping off their work boots on the mat just inside the back door before heading to their table in the adjoining room.

The casserole seemed to be a big hit, judging from the appreciative comments and requests for seconds. He’d already put the second one in and it had finished cooking just as he scooped the last bit out of the first pan.

The hands finished eating, several of them joking and laughing and clapping him on the back, calling him a damn good cook. As they filed out, Theo began to wonder why Ellie hadn’t yet put in an appearance.

Surely what had almost happened last night hadn’t made her skittish?

Fear stabbed him. What if she was sick? Or Amelia? Gemma wouldn’t be here for another hour or so. Trying to contain his rising panic, he rushed to Ellie’s room, finding the door closed. Taking a deep breath, he tapped lightly. When he received no answer, he went ahead and opened the door.

Inside, he heard water running and realized she was in the shower. Amelia gurgled, awake in her crib. He went closer and swore she smiled at him, flailing her tiny hands. Glancing toward the open bathroom door, Theo leaned over the crib, reaching for the baby. His hands looked huge even to him as he unbuttoned her Onesie so he could check her diaper. It was dry, which meant Ellie had changed her. He noticed two empty baby bottles on the dresser. One had to be from last night. The other meant Ellie had already been downstairs to make her formula and fed her. He had no idea when, but it had to have been before sunrise.

Amelia cooed, and Theo felt his smile widen. He’d never been much for babies—hell, what guy was—but this one seemed cuter than most.

“Well, good morning,” he said, in what he thought might be a reasonable facsimile of baby talk. “You look mighty pretty this morning.”

And then he’d be damned, but Amelia latched her teeny, tiny, wrinkled pink fist on to his finger and held on as if she knew what she was doing.

Throat tight, he stood still and let her.

A moment later the shower cut off. “I’m in here with Amelia,” he called out, just in case Ellie planned to walk out here naked or something. For his own protection as well, because baby or no baby, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to resist a nude Ellie. In fact, even thinking about it...

He forced his thoughts back to the baby, picking her up and holding her close as if she were also a shield.

“Morning.” Ellie wandered into the room, wrapped tightly in a towel, wearing another on her head like a turban. She looked pink and young and absolutely delectable.

Glad he was holding the baby, he managed a friendly smile. “I got worried when you didn’t come down for breakfast.”

“I’m sorry.” She sounded anything but. “I got up early to take care of Amelia and then came back up here and feel asleep. You’d promised to take care of feeding the hands, so I decided not to worry about that.”

Her gentle dig made him want to laugh. Instead he nodded. “There’s still some egg casserole left if you’re hungry.”

“I’m starving. I’ll come down and warm it up after I finish getting ready. Do you want to take Amelia with you or...”

A not so subtle request for him to go. He almost offered to take the baby with him, but then he realized he wouldn’t know what to do if she cried or needed something. No, he’d need a bit more practice and experience before he tried handling her alone.

“I’ll just put her back in her crib,” he said, pretending not to notice her disappointed expression. “Come on downstairs when you’re ready. Gemma will be here in a couple of hours.”

“Ninety minutes,” she corrected automatically. “You said eight-thirty. It’s seven now.”

“Right.” Once he had gently placed Amelia back, he carefully avoided looking at Ellie or going anywhere close to her. His hands were empty now and already he was itching to fill them.

Giving himself a mental shake, he hurried from her room and back down to the kitchen.

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