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Colorado Cowboy
C.C. Coburn


Colorado rancher Luke O'Malley is shocked to hear that he has a teenage son living in New York Cityand even more shocked to learn that his son is in trouble.Luke had a brief romance with Megan Montgomery years ago and had no idea it resulted in a child. He just knew it had broken his heart. Now Megan and Cody - their son - need his help. To avoid being sent to a juvenile detention center Cody must move to Colorado with his father.But there's a catch. Cody won't go unless Luke marries his mother. It's a marriage of convenience, but their feelings from the past have never really gone away. Luke has always believed that family is the road to happiness. Can he convince Megan of that?









Cody sauntered back into the room


He returned after a good two minutes of making them all sit and wait on the edges of their seats. This kid really needed straightening out, Luke thought. He only hoped he was as up to the challenge as he claimed to be.

When Judge Benson explained to Cody what the adults had decided, he leaped to his feet and let loose with a string of colorful adjectives that had Megan blushing and begging him to stop. The judge sat there sagely, waiting for the tirade to end.

It eventually did and Cody threw himself into his chair. The room fell silent. “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he snarled.

The judge sighed. “Then I’m afraid you give me no other choice, Cody.” She picked up her phone and said, “I’ll have to send you to juve—”

“I’ll do it on one condition,” he interrupted. Obviously there was room for negotiation where juvenile detention was concerned.

“And what might that be?”

“That he—” he pointed at Luke “—marries my mom.”

It was hard to tell who gasped more loudly, Megan or Luke.


Dear Reader,

It is my pleasure to bring you the third installment of The O’Malley Men series.

You’ve met the oldest brother, Luke, in Colorado Christmas and The Sheriff and the Baby and I’m sure you’ve wondered just why Luke is so ornery. You’ll find out in Colorado Cowboy.

Luke’s world is turned upside down when he’s summoned to New York to meet the teenage son he didn’t know he had. A son in trouble with the law. Already the father of three adorable daughters, Luke can’t get his son away from the mean streets of the big city and back to Colorado fast enough. There’s just one little problem: Cody refuses to budge until Luke marries his mom!

I loved throwing challenges at Luke. The guy’s virutally indestructible. He’s the rock of his family and has suffered along the way, but will this final challenge break him?

I hope you enjoy reading Luke’s story of how he adapts to life with yet another child, and how he and Megan fall in love. It’s a bit of a back-to-front story in that Luke and Megan have a baby, get married and then fall in love.

I love hearing from readers. You can email me at cc@cccoburn.com. On my website, www.cccoburn.com, you’ll also find photos of the Santa Maria ranch that helped inspire this story.

And please watch for firefighting brother Adam’s story, coming soon.

Happy reading and healthy lives!

C.C. Coburn




Colorado Cowboy


C.C. Coburn









ABOUT THE AUTHOR


C.C. Coburn married the first man who asked her and hasn’t regretted a day since—well, not many of them. She grew up in Australia’s Outback, moved to its sun-drenched Pacific coast, then traveled the world. A keen skier, she discovered Colorado’s majestic Rocky Mountains and now divides her time between Australia and Colorado. Home will always be Australia, where she lives with her husband and two of her three grown children (the third having recently moved to England), as well as a Labrador retriever and three cats. But her heart and soul are firmly planted in Colorado, too. Her first book, Colorado Christmas, received glowing reviews and a number of awards. She loves hearing from readers; you can visit her at www.cccoburn.com.




Acknowledgments


Many thanks to:

My fellow Harlequin American Romance author Cathy McDavid for her invaluable assistance in all matters to do with accounting.

Authors Karen Templeton and Katharine Swartz for their help with New York City.

Rancher Phil Craven of Texas. And George Meyers of the spectacular Santa Maria Ranch in Colorado—a true romantic, working hard to preserve the traditions of the West. Theoretical mathematician and sometime ranch hand and burro racer Daniel McCarl, for introducing me to George and showing me around the Santa Maria.

Sergeant Cale Osborn of Summit County Search and Rescue for his help with mountain rescue procedures.

And my dear friends equine veterinarian Dr. Holly Wendell and horse rescuer Helen Lacey for patiently educating me about horses.

Any errors or discrepancies in this story are the fault of the author and in no way reflect the expertise of the aforementioned.




Contents


Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue




Chapter One


Luke O’Malley didn’t like the look of New York City one little bit. And he didn’t like the look of his son any better.

The young street tough lounged in the judge’s chambers, chewing gum and wearing an insolent expression. His contempt for everyone in the room extended to his unlaced sneakers braced against the judge’s desk as he leaned back on the legs of his chair.

Last night, after receiving the call from the judge summoning him to New York to meet the son he’d fathered by Megan Montgomery, Luke couldn’t help wondering: Is this some sort of scam?

Now a successful rancher, Luke employed innovative techniques at Two Elk, his ranch in the Colorado Rockies, which had ensured that his herds were among the best in the state, if not the West. And the horses he bred were of superior quality and in demand by ranchers and riders alike.

Had Megan seen the article about him in Cowboys and Indians a couple of months ago? He’d been swamped with letters from women looking for a rich husband, and he’d tossed them all in the trash. He wasn’t interested in marrying a gold digger. He’d already been there, done that. Had no desire to repeat the experience.

For fifteen years, Luke had wondered about Megan, where she was, who she was with. Was she married? When he’d gotten the call from Judge Benson summoning him to New York, he’d gone. Even if the kid proved not to be his, he’d wanted to see Megan again with a need he couldn’t explain. Ask her why she’d left so suddenly. Why she’d never answered the letter he’d sent to Wellesley.

Now she was back, and he wanted to touch her, kiss her, hold her. Make up for fifteen years without her. Fifteen years of trying not to long for her.

If there was any doubt in Luke’s mind as to whether he had a son before he and his brother Matt walked into the judge’s chambers this morning, they’d been dispelled the moment he laid eyes on Cody Montgomery. The kid was the spitting image of him and his brothers at the same age. Only the O’Malley boys hadn’t dared wear their hair so long on one side that it covered their eyes. And on the other side…what the heck was with that buzz cut and the lightning strike shaved into it?

The O’Malley boys sure wouldn’t have sported a thing like that miniature dumbbell stuck through their lip, chewed gum or peppered their conversation liberally with four-letter words, either. Their pop, Mac, had seen to that.

Nope. He didn’t much like the look of Cody Montgomery, fourteen-year-old runaway and criminal-in-the-making. How had Megan let it come to this?



This is my so-called father? Cody thought. The guy acted like he had a pole stuck up his butt and Cody resented like the way he stared at him…especially his hair. And his lip piercing. Like he was some sort of freak. Okay, Cody wasn’t so crazy about the lip piercing, either, but you needed it to look tough. To be part of the gang. Well, they weren’t technically a gang—not yet, anyway. But the guys were checking around for one to join.

He hated the way the guy was looking at his mom, too. Like he didn’t believe her. Like he didn’t believe he was his son.

That just irritated Cody even more. How could he know who his father was? Whenever he’d tried to talk about it with his mom, she’d clammed up. Once, she’d said, “It was a mistake,” but that only made it sound like she thought Cody was a mistake. Worthless. Like trash.

What else could he think? For all he knew, his real dad could be doing time. Or maybe what he’d done was even worse, though he couldn’t think of anything much worse than having a criminal for a dad.

All the guys had fathers who were doing time, so Cody had pretended his was, too. He’d muttered something about armed robbery at a gas station when they asked about it.

Secretly, he hoped that if his father was doing time, it’d be for some minor crime, maybe some white-collar offense. That didn’t hurt anyone—not physically, anyway. He wondered how many years you got for a white-collar crime. Probably less than fourteen…

He supposed it was okay if his father turned out to be some rancher from Colorado, like this guy claimed to be—as long as the guys didn’t find out.

Cody had always liked the idea of Colorado. He wondered if the guy lived anywhere near the Rockies. He’d enjoyed reading National Geographic magazines in the school library—when he was a kid. The pictures of the Rocky Mountains were spectacular and somewhere he’d always wanted to go. Not that he’d ever admit it. Now he didn’t have time for that. Now he hung out with the guys….

And now the judge was talkin’ again! Sheesh! Couldn’t she just mind her own business for a change? He was doing fine. He was surviving.

“…I therefore believe, Mr. O’Malley,” she said, “that it would be in Cody’s best interests if he could be removed from the environment he’s living in at present—”



THE FRONT LEGS of Cody’s chair hit the floor with a thud as his feet came off the desk, and he spewed forth a stream of invective that turned the air blue and had Megan cringing in her seat. What must Luke think of his son? What must he think of her for letting things get this bad?

Judge Gloria Benson, as usual, was unperturbed. She’d assured Megan at an earlier meeting that she’d dealt with her share of juvenile offenders, plenty of them a lot more hardened than Cody. A bit of bad language didn’t faze her. She’d told Megan that most of those children—due to having families who didn’t give a damn—were beyond rescue, but she felt Cody had the option of leading a better life.

The judge believed that with his father’s intervention, Cody had a good chance of making it to his next birthday—unlike so many kids who came through her court and didn’t live past their teens.

That bald admission had been sobering for Megan. The thought that her precious son might die before he reached adulthood… She’d wanted to pack them both up and catch a train or bus to anywhere that wasn’t the Bronx or even New York City. Judge Benson had said, “I hope Mr. O’Malley has the courage to accept the challenge and follow through. Because right now, Cody’s future is very precarious.”

Considering the expression on Luke’s face, he’d rather be anywhere than here with his son.

“Your honor,” Megan said. “If you’d just give me another chance, I know I can put his life together and get him back into school.”

“Ms. Montgomery…Megan…” Gloria sighed. Then she seemed to gather herself and said, “I can’t tell you how many mothers have begged me for just one more chance before I send their child to juvenile detention. How many I’ve yielded to, and then weeks later heard their child had died in a gang fight, or from an overdose of whatever drug was on the streets that day. I’m determined that’s not going to happen to Cody. You’re a good mom and I know you love your son. But unless you can afford to move out of your neighborhood to a better part of town, where Cody stands a chance of living a healthier—and longer—life, or we can find a solution here today, then I have no alternative but to send him to juvenile detention.”

She turned her attention to Luke. “Cody’s been in my court three times in as many weeks. His behavior is worsening. He’s no longer attending school regularly. He’s run away from home more than once, been caught joyriding in a stolen vehicle and I’m concerned he’s on the brink of becoming part of the street gang culture of this city. Once that happens, he’ll be lost to us.”

Megan felt she had to explain, so Luke wouldn’t see her as a complete deadbeat. “I’m working two jobs and in my final year of studying to be an accountant. I can’t be there to watch him all the time,” she said. But even as the words left Megan’s mouth, she guessed the judge had heard that excuse far too often. In Megan’s case, it was true.

“I understand all of that and your intentions are honorable,” Judge Benson said. “But I’m afraid continuing the way things are will result in losing your son to crime and I know you don’t want that.”

Megan’s tiny shake of her head was her only concession to her bald statement. She fought the tears that threatened and then lost the battle as they spilled down her cheeks and dropped onto her blouse.

The judge was right; she needed help with Cody, needed someone to take part in his care and discipline. “That’s the reason I wanted to meet Cody’s father and see if we could find a solution,” Gloria explained. Obviously noticing Megan’s distress, she opened a drawer, removed a box of tissues and offered them to Megan.

Megan’s hands shook as she pulled several tissues from the box. Feeling thoroughly humiliated in front of Luke and his brother, she blew her nose and wiped her eyes and cheeks.

She wanted to turn her back on everyone. Protect herself from all the bad things in her life. Megan had never stopped loving Luke, in spite of his betrayal. She’d spent too many nights dreaming of seeing him again, being held, being kissed by him. Hearing him declare his love. Never once in those dreams had she imagined they’d meet under such humiliating circumstances.

Megan bit her lip, unable to meet the eyes of the rest of the room’s occupants, knowing everyone was staring at her. This would have to be about the lowest point in her life.

And then a warm hand covered hers.



How Megan had changed in fifteen years! Luke thought as he covered her hand, needing to reassure her she wasn’t alone anymore.

He’d been a twenty-four-year-old ski-instructor attracted to the college junior with the twinkling blue eyes. She was on spring break in his hometown of Spruce Lake and, within days, they were dating. And then they’d made love. Several times. He’d guessed she was a virgin, but she’d been every bit as enthusiastic as he was. He’d fallen for Megan from the moment they met. It was only later that he wondered if she’d done it as a dare. A city-girl college bet—losing her virginity to the first cowpoke who came along.

She’d left Spruce Lake abruptly without even saying goodbye. He’d tried to contact her, but failed. Back then, cell phones weren’t that common, not for college students, anyway.

Weeks later, he’d married his ex-girlfriend, Tory, because she’d claimed to be pregnant by him. He’d tried not to think about Megan for the past fifteen years.

Yesterday, when he’d received a phone call from the New York City judge informing him he had a son, he’d been shocked—disbelieving. To learn not only that he’d fathered Megan’s child, but that his son was in trouble with the law, had left him numb and confused. Judge Benson had requested a meeting in her office. Her tone had brooked no argument.

He’d assured the judge that if the child was his, he’d take responsibility and agreed to a meeting at noon the following day, anxious to resolve the matter, anxious to meet his son—if indeed this was his child. Anxious to see Megan again.

Paralyzed with shock, he’d turned to his brother, Matt, sheriff of Peaks County, for support. Matt had immediately agreed when Luke asked him to come to New York. They’d spent a sleepless night on the plane, discussing why Megan had never told him about the kid. How ironic that Tory had claimed to be pregnant with his child but wasn’t, while Megan apparently was. How deeply he regretted allowing himself to be tricked by Tory, but at the time what was he to believe? They’d split up a few weeks before he’d met Megan. He had no reason not to believe her. If only he’d had the sense to demand a pregnancy test. But Tory had seemed so fragile, so lost…. She’d taken their breakup so badly he hadn’t wanted to upset her any further.

He half wished Matt had worn his sheriff’s uniform; maybe the kid would watch his language in the presence of an officer of the law.

And in spite of Matt’s even-tempered counseling, Luke was still pretty steamed up by the time he’d arrived in the judge’s chambers today. He wanted to know why Megan had kept something so important a secret. And how had things gotten to the point that his son was such a delinquent he was on a one-way trip to juvenile detention?

Most young women wouldn’t hesitate to contact the father of their child, either to get money out of him—or pressure him to marry them—just as Tory had done. Yet Megan hadn’t said a word.

He’d fallen so hard and so fast that, within a week of meeting Megan, he’d wanted to make her his wife. She’d left him waiting at a restaurant with a diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket, feeling like every kind of fool when she hadn’t shown up for their date that evening. Instead, Tory had. The woman was obsessed with him. Could find him anywhere in their small town. At first Luke was flattered, but he’d soon found it suffocating. That was why he’d broken up with Tory. However, the news she’d delivered that night guaranteed he’d be tied to her for a very long time. Bile rose in his throat at the memory and he made an effort to push all thought of his ex-wife firmly aside.

Megan had kept his son’s existence a secret for more than fourteen years. Why? Luke had so many questions he needed answers to. He studied Megan, trying to gauge how she felt about being here. It was hard to tell, since she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She sure seemed worn down by life. Her light brown hair had lost its shine and there were dark smudges beneath her once-vibrant blue eyes. She’d lost a lot of weight, too; her clothes almost hung off her thin frame.

“Luke?” Matt nudged him. “Judge Benson was speaking to you.”

Luke turned back to the judge. “I’m sorry, Your Honor. I have to confess, this situation… Well, it’s taking me a while to come to grips with it.”

“Redneck!” Cody sneered.

“Cody, please?” his mother pleaded. “Don’t speak to your fa—Mr. O’Malley like that.”

That about sums it up, Luke thought. She’s scared of the kid. Begging with him, for Pete’s sake. So the kid figured his father was a bumpkin because he lived on a ranch, did he?

“I was saying, Mr. O’Malley, that it’s taken a great deal of courage on Ms. Montgomery’s part to reveal the name of Cody’s father and allow me to get in touch with you.

“When I saw Cody here in court again the other day on yet another misdemeanor, I was deeply saddened. His mom is doing the best she can, but raising a child in a city like New York can be hard enough with two parents in the home. It’s often almost impossible with one. And when that parent is finding it difficult to make ends meet, their children sometimes shoplift to get the things their parent can’t afford to buy them. They’re also easy prey for the street gangs. That will be Cody’s future if I don’t act now. My only alternative is to put him into juvenile detention—”

Cody swore, leaping to his feet, his chair clattering backward onto the floor.

“Cody! Don’t use that sort of language. Apologize to the judge.”

“No way!” he mumbled, picked up his chair and sat back down with a thud.

Luke was transfixed by the exchange. This kid didn’t give a damn who he offended—or hurt—especially his mom. No wonder the kid assumed he could do what he wanted. She was incapable of disciplining him.

Cody leaned back in his chair, and Luke had a clear view of Megan. Tears were welling in her eyes as she looked at him, then glanced away.

She needed him. Needed someone to take charge—if only for a while.

Suspecting most of Cody’s behavior was bravado—showing his father and uncle how tough he was—Luke knew one thing for sure: it was long past time to put a stop to it by starting to act like the kid’s father.

He leaned toward Cody and said in a low growl, “A word. Outside.” He stood and walked toward the door. The kid didn’t move. “Now!” he said more harshly.

After several long beats, the kid got up and sauntered over to the door. He pushed past Luke and walked out into the foyer.

Thankful the area was deserted, Luke watched as Cody slumped against a column, crossed his arms and fixed a smirk on his face.

It took all of Luke’s willpower not to grab his son by the shoulders and shake him. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “I understand how angry you might be about the situation, but you won’t speak to women in that way—especially your mother. Treat me how you want, but I will not allow you to ever treat your mother like that again.”

“Yeah? How’re gonna stop me?”

Apparently, the kid was expecting a physical threat, but that had never been Luke’s way of disciplining his children. “Because I’m going to be your father from now on. You have a problem, you take it out on me, not your mom. Understand?”

He caught the flare of surprise in Cody’s expression, then it became guarded again as he shrugged and said, “Whatever,” and strode back into the judge’s chambers.

He stood in front of the desk, arms still folded. “Can we go now?” he asked his mother.

“No, Cody, we’re not leaving here until we’ve come to an agreement about your future.”

Luke wanted to cheer. At last Megan had said no. Up until now, all she’d done was try to placate her—their, he corrected himself—son.

“I think we’re all agreed we don’t want you in juvenile detention,” the judge continued. “So now we need to decide on a solution. Sit down, Cody,” she said firmly.

Cody hesitated for a moment and then complied, throwing himself into the chair and slouching in it, a sour look on his face.

Luke wasn’t so sure juvenile detention wasn’t the place for Cody. At juvie, they’d soon sort him out. His mom wouldn’t have to constantly worry about where he was. Or maybe Luke could provide them with financial support. Then Megan wouldn’t have to work; she could go to school full-time if she wanted. And he’d buy her a place in a better neighborhood.

“…my suggestion, therefore,” the judge was saying.

Luke gave himself a mental shake.

“…is that for Cody’s sake, he go and live with you on your ranch in Colorado—”

“No!” Megan cried.

Cody’s predictable response was another four-letter word.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Luke exploded, incredulous the judge could suggest this young tough belonged on the ranch with his three innocent daughters.

She calmly folded her hands on her desk. “No, Mr. O’Malley, I’m deadly serious.”

Luke shifted forward to emphasize his point. “I can support Cody and his mother. I’m more than willing to compensate her for the child support I should’ve contributed over the past fourteen years. Money isn’t a problem.”

“Oh, yeah! How much you gonna give me, Dad?” The last word was loaded with derision.

“Cody!” Megan made eye contact with Luke for only the second time since meeting again after so many years. “I don’t want your money,” she snapped. “I can manage.” She turned desperate eyes to the judge and asked, her voice trembling, “Are you saying you’re giving Luke custody of my son?”

The judge held up her hands and smiled compassionately at Megan. “No, I’m not giving custody to Mr. O’Malley.”

Megan released a sigh of relief.

“I’m awarding you both custody. Joint custody.”

There was another outburst from his son.

“Cody!”

Unflappable, the judge said, “Cody, if nothing else, moving you to another environment might broaden your vocabulary.” She nodded at Luke. “Is this solution acceptable to you, Mr. O’Malley?”

Luke was horrified. It certainly was not. “Judge, I’ve got three little girls. I don’t want them exposed to this sort of behavior—”

“Luke!” Matt muttered beside him.

His brother’s caution made Luke realize how selfish he was sounding. “I can pay to send him to boarding school—get him out of this environment. That’s what you really want, isn’t it? To get him away from the street gangs? There are good boarding schools in Connecticut. His mom could visit him on the weekends.” He looked at Megan, pleading for her agreement.



MEGAN WAS APPALLED by Luke’s suggestion that they send her son away to boarding school. But then she’d relaxed when he mentioned she’d be close enough to visit Cody every weekend. Certainly a lot closer than Colorado. Maybe when Cody had settled down he could visit with Luke in Colorado. Get to know his father. It would tear her apart not seeing Cody every day, but this might be the only thing that would save him.

“I don’t have any objection to an arrangement like that,” she said, and glanced at Luke, then wished she hadn’t. Feeling the familiar tug of attraction—but stronger now—she silently cursed her desire for this man. Fifteen years had only added to his dark good looks, but it was his willingness to bear some of the burden of raising Cody that had her reacting to him on such an elemental level.

She’d fallen for Luke within days of meeting him. She was so captivated by him, she’d gladly given up her virginity. He’d been charming and funny, with old-fashioned manners and beguiling brown eyes that made her heart melt and her common sense fly out the window. And what had her lapse in rationality gotten her in return?

The conversation she’d overheard at the recreation center the evening she was to meet Luke at the Victorian Inn for dinner had proven what a fool she’d been. He’d toyed with her emotions, stringing her along to believe they were in an exclusive relationship, when, in fact, the woman she’d overheard talking to a friend was pregnant with Luke’s child.

She forced the anger—at herself and at Luke—aside and said, “I will agree to any solution that will get Cody away from the environment he’s in at present. Somewhere safer, like a boarding school in Connecticut, would be acceptable to me—”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work,” the judge cut in, then addressed Cody. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Cody? Your parents and I have things to discuss. You’ll find refreshments and a television in the next room.” She indicated a small door leading off her office.

Cody leaped to his feet. “Fine! Talk about me behind my back, why don’t you? But I’m tellin’ you now, I’m not goin’ to any boarding school!” He stalked out, slamming the door behind him, causing Megan to jump with fright.

“I think as you can gather from that little tirade, Cody would only abscond from boarding school,” the judge said. “And then we wouldn’t know where he was.”

Megan’s earlier hope of getting Cody away from New York and the bad influences surrounding him plummeted. Judge Benson was right, of course. Short of enclosing him in ten-foot walls topped by razor wire, Cody would take off the second his supervisors’ backs were turned.



CODY FOOLED AROUND, switching channels on the TV, his mind elsewhere, wondering what the adults in the next room were deciding about his life. His father had other kids? Why hadn’t his mom told him that? Maybe she didn’t know until today, although by the look on her face, she wasn’t that shocked. Maybe that was why his mom didn’t want to talk about it whenever he’d asked. He was a married man and she’d had an affair with him. Yeah, that had to be it. His mom wouldn’t do anything like that knowingly, so the guy must’ve lied.

He wondered what happened to his dad’s wife, since apparently she wasn’t in the picture. Maybe he killed her and buried her on the ranch somewhere. He looked tough enough to kill someone. Judging by the death stare he kept giving him. Yeah, you might think you’re tough, old man, but you don’t scare me!



“CODY NEEDS A FATHER’S influence, and presence, badly,” Judge Benson said. “Megan has spent fourteen years raising your son. It’s now your turn to help with his upbringing. I appreciate your suggestion about the boarding school, but I think the best place for Cody right now is on your ranch in Colorado.”

“No!” Megan cried. How could she even suggest such a thing? She’d never get to see Cody! It was as if her baby was being wrenched from her arms. Fighting tears, she appealed to the judge. “Cody is my life. My only family. You can’t take him away from me, Judge Benson. Please don’t do this to me.”

“I’m not suggesting you stay here without Cody. I think it’s best if you both move to Colorado.”

The judge had to joking! “I can’t do that. My life is here, in New York. I have job obligations and my study—”

Gloria Benson shook her head. “There’s nothing to keep you here, Megan. No family, no worthwhile job. You can further your studies in Colorado. I’m suggesting that both of you try and make a go of being a family for Cody.”

“But Luke has a wife. I’m sure she wouldn’t want him spending his time between two families.” She beseeched him with her eyes to tell the judge her plan wouldn’t work. Why had the man been so silent throughout this discussion? Surely he was as upset as she was?

“I’m divorced,” Luke said in a tone that had her staring at him in disbelief. Judge Benson hadn’t said anything about that in the few minutes they’d had together before Luke arrived at the meeting. But she’d obviously been aware of it since she’d made such an outrageous suggestion. And then the impact of Luke’s statement hit her. Luke was divorced? Somehow, that complicated things even more, but Megan couldn’t put her finger on just why.

Matt cleared his throat and said, “I realize this is very difficult for you, Megan, but I’d like to say something on my family’s behalf. We can all offer Cody a lot of support. We’re a big, close-knit family with lots of positive male role models. I think Judge Benson’s proposal is the ideal solution. There’s plenty of room at the ranch for you and Cody, and you’d be most welcome there.”

Luke rounded on him. “Hold it right there! I haven’t agreed to anything. Can you honestly tell me that you want that…that—” he pointed toward the room Cody was in, glanced at Megan, then back at Matt, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper “—juvenile delinquent living under the same roof as your nieces?”

“He’s not a delinquent,” Megan protested, her anger rising. How could Luke say that about his son? Be so callous about his own flesh and blood? If only he knew Cody better, he’d know he was a great kid. But since he didn’t, she appealed to the judge. “Tell him Cody’s a good kid. Please?”

“She’s right, Luke. Cody is a good kid. He was getting excellent grades in school until a few months ago, but a bad element has moved into the area and it’s negatively affecting some of the kids. That display he subjected you to is simply bravado. It’s going to take some work to get him back again. Hard work.” She played her trump card. “I was hoping you’d be up to it.”

Megan felt her lip curl. Luke hadn’t been man enough to acknowledge he had a son fourteen years ago when she’d sent him a letter just after Cody’s birth, telling him she’d had his child. If he couldn’t accept then that he had a baby, he certainly wouldn’t be up to the challenge of raising a difficult teen now.

She blinked back tears as she remembered that sad time. The letter going unanswered. The phone call she’d made to the ranch a month later—just in case he hadn’t gotten her letter. It had been answered by a woman. Megan had given her name and asked to speak to Luke, but the woman had said, “Luke’s away at a convention. I’m his wife. Shall I tell him you called?”

Shocked to the point of gasping for air, Megan had hung up. Luke was married. So the conversation she’d overheard hadn’t been a mistake or a figment of her imagination. Megan had never felt lonelier than at that moment. Nor had she ever felt more foolish. She wasn’t contacting Luke to get money out of him, and she didn’t expect him to play a part in their son’s life—not if he didn’t want to. She’d written the letter as a courtesy. Whether he’d received it or not, there was no point in leaving a message with Luke’s wife.

“Megan, are you all right?”

Judge Benson’s voice broke into her thoughts and Megan made an effort to control her emotions. She didn’t want anyone in this room to know how vulnerable she felt, to know the truth of how stupid and gullible she’d been. Or how angry she was with Luke for denying their son back then.



LUKE TRIED TO CONVINCE himself it was worth risking the stable family life he’d worked so hard to restore since Tory deserted them, only to turn it upside down by letting Cody into it. He wished he’d known about his son all those years ago. Megan was seriously delusional if she thought Cody wasn’t a delinquent. Otherwise, why were they all here?

“I know my brother is more than able to rise to the challenge, Judge.” Matt’s foot connected with Luke’s ankle. “I think he’s just a little stunned to find out he’s a father again. Aren’t you, Luke?”

Luke sent his interfering brother a glare. He was perfectly capable of making up his own mind; he didn’t need Matt making it up for him. “I’m prepared to give it a try…if Megan is.” He looked across at her, his eyes begging her to disagree. She lifted her head defiantly. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was pure loathing in her eyes.

As if to thwart him, she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“I don’t want you going into this halfheartedly, Mr. O’Malley.” The judge’s voice held steel. “What we have here is a boy in desperate need of a father’s influence and a strong family relationship—and a mother who’s willing to agree to that.”

Luke shot another glance at Megan. She didn’t look too willing.

“What I need from you is a commitment to your son. A commitment that you will not fail him. He needs you, more than he’s ever needed anything in his life. And believe me, we are talking about his life.”

The judge’s sobering words brought Luke up short. If Cody continued as he was, his life could be in danger. Sending him away to boarding school wasn’t the answer.

He squared his shoulders. “You have my promise, Judge. I’ll do everything within my power to help Cody. I’m committed to being his father in every way possible.”

The judge nodded and sat back, visibly more relaxed. “Good. So you’ll move to Colorado, Megan?”

“If that’s what you think is best,” Megan said stiffly. Hands clasped, she avoided Luke’s gaze.

“Yes,” Judge Benson said. “But now we have to face the hard part.” She picked up the phone and addressed her assistant. “Would you ask Cody to step back in, please?”



CODY SAUNTERED BACK into the room after a good two minutes of making them all sit and wait on the edges of their seats. It was this sort of insolence that Luke would never tolerate from his daughters. The kid really needed straightening out. Luke only hoped he was as ready for the challenge as Matt claimed he was. He had enough stress in his life, and adding a troubled child to the mix wasn’t going to help.

When Judge Benson explained to Cody what the adults had decided, he scrambled to his feet and let loose with a string of colorful adjectives that had Megan blushing and begging him to stop, Luke ready to leap from his chair, drag him to the bathroom to wash out his mouth and both Matt and the judge sitting sagely, waiting for the tirade to end.

Eventually it did, and Cody threw himself back into his chair. The room fell silent. “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he snarled.

The judge sighed. “Then I’m afraid you give me no other choice, Cody.” She picked up her phone and said, “I’ll have to send you to juve—”

“I’ll do it on one condition,” he interrupted. Obviously, there was room for negotiation where juvenile detention was concerned.

“And what might that be?”

“That he—” Cody pointed at Luke “—marries my mom.”

It was harder to tell who gasped louder, Luke or Megan.



MEGAN FOUND HER VOICE first. “Cody! What are you saying?”

He glared at her, chilling Megan to the bone. What had become of her once sweet-natured son?

“If you want us to play ‘happy families,’ then he’s going to have to marry you. And I mean right now.” He gestured dismissively at Luke. “I want him to be committed to us. I don’t want him hanging around and pretending to be my dad, like what happens to the other kids in the neighborhood, and then have him run off when somethin’ better comes along.”

“We’ll be living in Luke’s home, Cody,” she reminded him. “He won’t be going anywhere.”

“You know what I mean!” he cried, jumping up and overturning his chair. “Everyone in our neighborhood’s had dozens of ‘dads’ or ‘uncles’ living with them. None of ’em ever stay around for long ’cause they’re not married to the kids’ moms. They don’t care. They’re only there for the sex!”

“Cody!” Megan was horrified. Yes, it was like that in their neighborhood, but she’d never had another man stay the night, let alone live with them. She hadn’t even dated. She glanced at Luke to guess what he must be thinking. Did he believe she’d had a succession of men through the door like some of the other single moms in their neighborhood? The men got all the fringe benefits but took none of the responsibility, and they left when things got hard. Or they went to prison.

Luke was watching her carefully, as though considering her reaction, but Megan couldn’t think of a thing to say to dispel the notion that she was one of those unfortunate women.



LUKE SEARCHED CODY’S features. Was the kid trying to manipulate the adults in the room? Or did he genuinely feel that without a marriage certificate, their “family” wouldn’t be a valid one?

“It’s not going to be like that, Cody. I have a big house. Your mom and you can have your own space. What I’m offering is the security of a home and family who’ll love you and care about you.”

“How can I know you mean that if you don’t care enough about me to marry my mom?”

Luke could see through the bravado to the pain in Cody’s eyes. The kid had been through the wringer. Lord knows what kind of men must’ve been in his life for him to question Luke’s commitment like this. Cody wasn’t asking them to live as husband and wife and sleep in the same bedroom—and judging by the sparks of anger emanating from Megan, that wasn’t even a remote possibility.

What his son was doing was asking Luke to prove he cared about him, to prove he’d stick around—by marrying his mom. It was a hell of a big demand, but his son’s immediate future was more important than Luke’s need for a wife he loved, a wife who’d warm his bed at night. And by marrying Megan, that was what he’d be doing—sentencing himself to a loveless, celibate marriage.

Cody was too young to understand how complex marriage was, how deep the commitment needed to be for both parties to make it work. He’d been twenty-four when he’d married Tory, and at that age he hadn’t understood it himself.

“You can’t make demands like that Cody,” he said as gently as he could. “What you’re asking isn’t fair to either of us. Your mom has agreed to Judge Benson’s suggestion that you both come and live on my ranch. Let’s leave it at that.”

Cody crossed his arms and nestled further into his chair. “If you won’t marry her, I’d rather go to juvie than live on your hick ranch.”

“No!” Megan cried, turning to him. “Don’t joke about that.”

“I’m not joking, Mom. I mean it. I need to know he cares enough about me to marry you. He should’ve done it fifteen years ago.”

Luke winced at that. If he’d known about Cody, he would’ve married Megan. But she hadn’t given him that chance and he’d been robbed of knowing his son, of guiding him toward becoming a man. He looked at Cody. The kid was truly hurting. Hurting inside and hurting his mom in the process.

Megan’s eyes held terror as she appealed to him. “Please…do something,” she begged. “He means what he says. He’ll go to juvenile detention and I’ll lose him forever!” Megan covered her face and turned away.

Luke watched Cody’s reaction to his mom. Initially, the kid seemed upset that his mother was in so much pain, and then he got a grip on himself and set his mouth in a firm line—a look Luke associated with his younger brothers at a similar age, when they’d decided they were going to do something and nothing and no one was going to stop them. Cody glared back at Luke as though it was all his fault Megan was crying. All Luke’s fault that he hadn’t given him his name and his birthright. The love of a father and a family.

Cody was fourteen now, far from being a man. Luke determined there and then that by the time Cody was eighteen, he’d have turned the boy’s life turned around, instilled in him what it was to be a responsible member of the community. A man. By then Cody would be graduating from high school and heading off to college. So what was sacrificing four years of his life for the betterment of his son’s? If he married Megan now, in four years, they could divorce, move on, find other partners. But in the meantime, Cody would have time and space to grow up and become a contributing member of society. If he went to juvenile detention, his son’s life could be in more danger than Luke would allow himself to imagine.

Megan sat with her head down. She looked so vulnerable, so desperate to do the best for their son, but would she agree to such an outrageous proposal? Luke knew he was probably going to make the second biggest mistake of his life—but it might be the only decision that would save Cody.

Sick with fear for his son, Luke got up and went to stand in front of Megan. She refused to lift her gaze to his, so he crouched down.

“Megan,” he murmured, waiting until her head came up and she’d focused her sad, defeated eyes on him. Then he asked, “Will you marry me?”




Chapter Two


Luke stared out the window of the airplane as it flew west, home to Colorado. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. Within minutes of proposing to Megan, the judge had them standing before her, reciting their vows.

He’d taken along his birth certificate and ID to the meeting as requested. Apparently the judge had asked the same of Megan. Gloria Benson had issued a marriage license and then, using her judicial powers, had waived the normal thirty-day waiting period required in New York State.

Matt wore a grin from ear to ear throughout the short ceremony. Megan frowned at Luke and chewed her lip while Cody had looked totally bewildered that they’d gone along with his ultimatum. The fact that they’d managed to completely catch him off guard was the only high point of the ceremony. Megan had turned her cheek aside when the judge had pronounced them husband and wife and invited Luke to kiss his bride.

If Luke had thought his marriage to Tory was a living hell, he was having genuine misgivings about marrying a woman who loathed him so much. At least Tory had pretended to like him—for a while.

Four hours later, after arranging to have Megan’s and Cody’s possessions packed by a moving company and sent to the ranch, they were on the flight to Denver. Cody had protested that he wanted to go home and get some things, but Luke had refused to let him anywhere near their old neighborhood and instead had taken him shopping for new clothes. That, if nothing else, had earned Cody’s grudging agreement. Megan had purchased a few items to tide her over, too.

“Thank you,” she’d said quietly as they waited at the curb outside the department store for the cab to take them to the airport. It was the first time she’d spoken to him since the ceremony.

Luke looked at her, puzzled.

“Thank you for giving my son a chance.” For once she wasn’t looking at him with barely disguised hatred in her eyes. “He’s our son,” he’d said. “We will make this work—together.” And then he’d spotted the jeweler’s window, turned to Matt and said, “Can we meet you back here in fifteen minutes?” He took Megan’s elbow and led her to the window. This might be a marriage of convenience and Megan might hate his guts—although Luke was at a loss to understand why—but a ring was symbolic and, right now, that was all this marriage had going for it.

“Choose a ring,” he’d said.

“Luke, this isn’t necessary. We’ve been through the motions. I think that’s all Cody really wanted.” She smiled tightly. “In fact, I think he’s as shocked as we are.”

Luke couldn’t help grinning. “He is, isn’t he? Maybe we should surprise him every so often by agreeing to some outrageous idea.”

“Careful,” she warned. “He’s got an active imagination.”

Luke hadn’t let go of her elbow and he gave it a little squeeze, needing to impart a sense of mutual purpose. “I’m sure at heart he’s a good kid, Megan. We can do this.”

She nodded as though resigned to their situation. “I’m determined to.”

Luke had followed her into the jewelry store. An assistant showed them the wedding rings, and Megan selected a plain gold band for Luke. “The girls will like this,” he said. “Okay, let’s get something special for you.”

“I’d completely forgotten about your little girls. How are they going to feel about this? You coming home with a wife and a son. It’s going to be an awful shock for them.”

“They’ll probably insist we get married all over again for their benefit.”

Megan bit her lip. Luke didn’t want to find it endearing, but it reminded him of her so long ago….

“Never fear, we have our very own judge in the family. Becky will rise to the occasion with a far more romantic event than our first wedding. If that’s what you’d like.”

Megan blushed and looked back at the rings, and Luke drew his cell phone out of his pocket. “You keep doing that. I’m just going to call my girls and let them know what’s going on.”

Luke had turned away from Megan to make his call in private. Fortunately, he got hold of Matt’s wife, Beth, rather than one of his daughters. Matt had apparently called Beth already and explained the situation. “Congratulations, Luke! I don’t know anyone who’s gained both a son and a wife in one day before.”

“Very funny,” he said. “Can you put one of the girls on, please? I feel I need to warn them.”

“Lucky for you, Sash isn’t home at the moment. But Daisy’s here. I’ll put her on.”

Luke grimaced as he waited for Daisy. Beth was right, Sash probably wasn’t going to be happy at the news of his marriage. She was full of teenage angst and hormones, and these days it was more likely she’d be in a bad mood than a good one.

“Hi, Daddy!”

“Hey, squirt,” he greeted his middle daughter, Daisy.

“When are you comin’ home?”

“Tonight, honey, but first I need to tell you something.”



THE CALL COMPLETED, Luke had closed his phone and turned to Megan. He hoped he hadn’t said anything on his end to give any indication that things mightn’t be rosy back at the ranch at the news of their marriage.

“How about that one?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Too plain. Hey, that’s nice.” He pointed to a diamond-encrusted gold band.

“It looks like an engagement ring,” Megan said.

“No, madam,” the assistant remarked. “It’s a special design that incorporates the engagement and wedding rings in one design.”

“I like it,” Luke said. “It suits us. We got engaged and married at the same time.”

When Megan had looked up at him and blinked, Luke experienced a rush of protectiveness toward her. She seemed as full of wide-eyed innocence now as she had nearly fifteen years ago. If only he’d realized back then how much their actions would change their lives…

“I guess you’re right. Okay,” she said.

The assistant had removed the ring and passed it to Luke, who raised Megan’s hand and placed it on her finger, holding his breath and hoping it fit. It really was a beautiful ring and symbolic of their hasty engagement and marriage. “Perfect,” he said when it fit. He looked into her eyes, trying to see what was hidden there.

She’d blushed and pulled her hand away. “We’d better get back. They’ll be wondering what’s happened to us.”

Luke nodded. There’d been something in her eyes, something strange and unreadable. He planned to get answers when they were alone at the ranch—starting with why she’d kept Cody’s existence a secret.

He’d quickly paid for the rings and, as they didn’t need wrapping, headed outside to find Matt and Cody still waiting, only now Cody was wearing headphones attached to a handheld gaming device he was absorbed in playing.

“Cody! Where did you get that?” Megan cried, as though fearing he’d stolen them.

“Relax.” Matt placed a restraining hand on her arm before she pulled the headphones off and repeated her question. “Cody suggested we pop back into the store. Somehow I got talked into buying him that.”

“I’m so sorry, Matt,” Megan said. “I…I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

“Megan, he’s my nephew and I owe him a bunch of birthday and Christmas presents. Besides, it’s a long trip back to Denver and this is a small price to pay for some peace and quiet. He hasn’t uttered a single curse since he put them on.”

“Really?” Megan’s frown turned into a smile, lighting up her face. Luke liked the effect.

Luke hailed a cab, which whisked them to the airport. Since it was a Friday, the flight was full, but fortunately there were seats available in first class. Luke purchased them without batting an eye.

Cody had seemed impressed and set about devouring every item of food offered to him. He’d then downed a couple of sodas and fallen asleep.

Luke glanced across the aisle at his sleeping son and felt a pull of recognition. He was an O’Malley all right. In spite of the hair and the piercing, he resembled the O’Malley males. He was already pushing six feet and would no doubt end up at least as tall as Matt, who at six-four was the tallest of the five brothers and two inches taller than Luke. Matt, too, was sleeping. How alike his son and his brother looked. Cody had the square, sometimes stubbornly set jaw and straight nose that characterized the O’Malleys.

It was so strange to discover he had another child. A son. He wondered how the girls were going to take it. Twelve-year-old Sasha would probably hate him on sight—and not hesitate to say so! She was at that difficult age—no longer a girl, not yet a woman—with a mass of confused hormonal behavior to back it up. Nine-year-old Daisy, in spite of her feminine name, would challenge him to an arm wrestling or calf-tying contest. She was a real tomboy and loved ranch life. Sweet four-year-old Celeste would have him wrapped around her little finger in minutes.

A pang of conscience gripped him. Was he taking a huge risk by exposing his very innocent, country-raised daughters to his tough, streetwise son? He hoped not and then wondered what Cody would make of his half sisters.

He looked at Megan, dozing beside him, her seat reclined. With her face relaxed in sleep, he could see the beauty that had first attracted him fifteen years ago.

Whoa there, fella! Megan Montgomery might be his wife of a couple of hours, but he hadn’t thought about her that way in a very long time. She’d been a holiday fling that had turned into something deeper—or so he’d believed until she’d run out on him. He’d had a lot of flings while working as a ski instructor. The job had provided an income over the winter months while his father tended the ranch. Luke was well aware when he started dating Tory that she’d had several lovers. But so had he. She was a willing bed-partner and he didn’t think beyond that because he didn’t intend to make their relationship permanent. When Luke married Tory a month after Megan left town, he’d hung up his instructor’s jacket and given up the carefree bachelor life for good.

Megan stirred and shifted, moving her head closer to him. She breathed in deeply, then exhaled a tiny sigh and buried her head against his arm.

Luke sat stiffly, waiting for her to settle, fighting his reaction to the sound of that tiny, innocent sigh and the feel of her nose pressing against his arm.

This wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d assumed he could remain cool and aloof, treat Megan with the respect due the mother of his child and not get involved.

He stood and made his way to the bathroom.



MEGAN FELT LUKE LEAVE his seat, felt the warmth leave her body where her face had nestled against him. She’d woken herself up with that sigh of contentment. Woken up after having a wonderful, slightly erotic dream that even smelled good. And then she’d opened her eyes and realized where she was—on an airplane with her face right up against Luke’s arm. He was wearing a polo shirt so she’d been burrowed against his bare, muscled flesh. She hadn’t dared move, in case he saw she was awake.

“Would you care for a drink?” the flight attendant asked.

Startled, she sat up. “What? Um, I guess so.” Unaccustomed to the luxury of flying first class, Megan was a little intimidated by the attentive service. Once, a lifetime ago, such treatment was what she’d been raised to expect.

“We’ll have a bottle of your best champagne,” she heard Luke saying as he returned to his seat.

The flight attendant turned toward Luke and stepped a little too close for Megan’s liking. “Celebrating something?”

“We just got married today.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” she said, although it sounded to Megan like she didn’t really think that was lovely at all. “Congratulations.” She encompassed Megan in her already faded smile. “I’ll get a bottle and two flutes immediately, sir,” she assured Luke.

Luke stretched and then sat down. “I hope you don’t mind. It seemed appropriate. We haven’t had a chance to toast each other and our future together.”

Our future. She wondered how long that future could possibly last. Luke wouldn’t be satisfied with hanging around home and hearth indefinitely. He’d soon be out seeking the company of other women. Willing women like the young flight attendant. Sadness engulfed her. Sadness and confusion. She could never hope to compete for Luke’s affections with such a smorgasbord on offer. But was that what she actually wanted? Luke’s affections? A real marriage—to him? Too much had happened in too short a time; her life had changed in a matter of hours and she hadn’t caught up to it yet.

“Is everything okay?” Luke asked.

“What? Oh, yes. Fine. Why?”

“You look a little peaked. I hope you’re not having regrets already.”

Not yet, but I know I soon will, she thought.

“You’re afraid of heights. Are you also afraid of flying?” he asked, reminding them of their first date.

Luke had packed a picnic and driven them to Inspiration Point, a local beauty spot above the town of Spruce Lake. The location would’ve been ideal—if it didn’t plunge nearly a thousand feet to the valley floor. As soon as she’d stepped from his vehicle and noticed how high they were and just how close the cliff face was, she’d suffered an attack of vertigo and nearly passed out.

Interesting that he’d remembered that date…and how afraid of heights she was.

To purge the memory of Inspiration Point from her mind, she said, “Tell me about your daughters, Luke, and the rest of your family. I remember you’re the oldest of five boys and that you were all raised on a ranch, but I guess in the few weeks we…knew each other, that’s all I ever found out about you.”

The champagne arrived, and Luke allowed the flight attendant to pour the sparkling liquid into two chilled flutes.

He turned toward Megan and touched his glass to hers. “To us.”

She lifted the glass to her lips, took a sip, then crinkled her nose and sneezed. “Oh! The bubbles got to me,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil your toast.”

He touched his glass to hers a second time and said, “Let’s try that again.”

They did, and Megan managed to keep her ticklish nose under control.

She settled back against the seat and listened while Luke filled her in on his family, loving the sound of his voice, deep and sure. She’d done the right thing letting the judge get in contact with Luke. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t had any choice. Judge Benson had practically blackmailed her into it! Either she gave her Luke’s details, or Cody would be sent to juvenile detention that very night.

It’d been easy to get Luke’s number. He’d been at the ranch his family had lived on for four generations. Megan had asked to leave before the judge spoke to him. She didn’t want to be in the room and hear Judge Benson going through a long explanation of who Megan was and hearing him deny that he knew her, hearing him insist he couldn’t possibly have fathered her child. The denial would’ve hurt too much.

When Judge Benson called Megan that night, she’d told her Luke was arriving the next day and they’d be meeting in her chambers. Stunned by the swiftness of his response, she’d asked, “Did he remember me?” and instantly cursed herself for sounding so desperate, so adolescent.

It gave her a tiny thrill when the judge said, “Of course he does, Megan. He seems like a very pleasant man, if a little dazed at the news that he has a son. He’ll be in my chambers tomorrow at noon. Please be there with Cody.”

“Of course I will. And, Judge Benson, thank you so much for taking the time to care about Cody.”

“It’s my pleasure, Megan,” the judge had told her. “At this point, as I explained to you earlier, I think the best thing for him is to meet his father. I’ll take it from there.”

“H-how do you know that’s the best thing. You haven’t met Luke. He could be an ax murderer or…or—”

The judge had laughed heartily. “An ax murderer with a voice like that and a glowing character reference from both the local sheriff and a county judge? I don’t think so. See you at noon tomorrow.”

The judge had hung up before Megan got a chance to question her further. Megan hadn’t slept a wink.

“…then there’s Matt. He’s married to Beth.”

Megan was brought back to the present, wondering how much she’d missed of what Luke had said.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Luke asked. “You were looking at me, but I don’t think you were taking much in.”

“I…I guess I’m just tired.” She shrugged. “Jet lag.”

“It’s only 6:00 p.m. New York time. You can’t be that tired.”

Luke held his hand to her forehead. She told herself not to think anything of it. His apparent concern probably meant as much now as it had back then. Nothing.

Luke took the champagne glass out of her hand and pressed the flight attendant call button. When the woman appeared, he handed her the glass and said, “My wife isn’t feeling well. Could you get her a cool compress.”

My wife. The words had Megan’s heart pounding. They sounded so good. So…possessive. Normally, she would’ve backed away from such a notion. But those words—coming from Luke—had sounded…like something she very much needed to hear.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.” Megan wished she could take that statement back, not wanting Luke to know she’d been terrified about today’s meeting.

But if she was honest with herself, she’d liked his take-charge attitude. She’d especially appreciated it when he’d dealt with her boss at the supermarket where she stocked shelves each evening. When Luke had asked for the phone numbers of her workplaces, she’d had to explain, embarrassed to the core, that she’d been fired from her job at a call center that morning. Her boss there had been unwilling to give her time off so she could attend the meeting at Judge Benson’s chambers, claiming he’d cut her too much slack already over her son. Furthermore, her boss at the supermarket had told her that if she was late for work one more time, she’d be looking for another job.

This morning, she’d been frantic, worrying how she’d pay the rent if she lost not just one job, but two. She’d been mortified as she told Luke, watching his face crease—with disgust.

She’d thought the disgust was aimed at her until he’d pulled out his cell phone, dialed the number she gave him and told Jerry at the supermarket that his wife, Megan O’Malley, was moving to Colorado that day and therefore wouldn’t be reporting for work that evening. She could hear Jerry sputtering on the other end of the phone. Luke had cut him off with a sharp, “You threatened to fire Megan if she got to work late this evening. This is a courtesy call to let you know she won’t be in tonight—or any night.” Luke had then given him a post office box number to send her paycheck to and impressed on her ex-boss that he expected the check to arrive within the week; otherwise, he’d be taking action. After repeating virtually the same threat to Pat Reagan at the call center, Luke closed his phone and smiled at her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I won’t have you fired from two jobs in one day.”

“Better for me to quit at least one of them?” she’d asked, still a little stunned by what Luke had done.

“Exactly. I have a feeling your self-esteem has taken quite a battering over the past months. I’m going to help change that.”

At that promise, Megan started to fall a little in love with him all over again. Although she’d fought her own battles over the years, it was heaven to have someone in her corner for a change. And Luke was right about her self-esteem. It had never been particularly high, but having to work menial, minimum-wage jobs to make ends meet, while pursuing her studies, had caused her sense of worth to plummet. To further realize that all her sacrifices to provide a better life for her and her son were amounting to nothing made her feel as if she was on a nosedive to nowhere.

The flight attendant reappeared, handed the compress to Luke. He placed it on Megan’s forehead. “This should help,” he said. “Now, close your eyes and get some sleep.”

She forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly, allowing each part of her body to relax. She succumbed to sleep, her last conscious thought: What happens tonight?



LUKE WATCHED MEGAN SLEEP, feeling a protectiveness toward her he’d never felt for Tory.

Even when Tory had supposedly miscarried months after they married, he hadn’t felt anything for her. He should have ended the marriage then, when she’d claimed to lose the baby, but Tory had threatened suicide, so he’d stayed, feeling responsible for her.

It wasn’t until many years later that he discovered Tory hadn’t been pregnant. He’d been such a fool, allowing Tory to dupe him into marrying her.

Luke turned his attention to Megan, determined to purge any thoughts or regrets about Tory from his mind.

She sure was different from the girl he’d known nearly fifteen years ago. Back then, if the bubbles had gotten up Megan’s nose, she would’ve giggled and asked for more. She wouldn’t have apologized for anything. What had made her change? She seemed so unsure of herself. She’d been an economics undergrad back then. He’d been under the impression that she came from a wealthy family, since she was attending Wellesley College, wore a Rolex and her ski suit, boots and skis were top-of-the-line. She and her friends were staying at Spruce Lake’s most expensive hotel, where the rooms went for more than a thousand dollars a night.

Luke sighed with disgust at himself. He’d chosen the Victorian Inn for the dinner where he’d intended to propose, because it was the most expensive in the county. He’d expected her to be impressed. Never mind that the bill would cost him at least two weeks’ pay. Megan was worth it.

So, what had happened to all the wealth? he wondered. Had her parents lost everything in a stock market or property crash? He wanted to ask, but it seemed too intrusive a question.

The only thing that really mattered was that she was back in his life. Sure, he was angry, wanted answers as to why she’d kept Cody a secret, but there was time enough to deal with that. Luke was confident that once she’d settled in at the ranch, he and Megan could take up where they left off. Become lovers again. But first, they had to become friends.



“WE’RE HERE.” LUKE’S DEEP voice broke into Megan’s dreams.

Megan opened her eyes to find Luke leaning over her and thought she wouldn’t mind waking up like that every day for the rest of her life.

“We’re coming into Denver. You’ll have to put your seat upright,” he said, pressing the button on her armrest. “You’ve had a long sleep.”

Megan was having trouble separating fantasy from reality. She felt drugged and shook her head to clear it. It couldn’t be the champagne; she’d only taken a few sips.

The plane touched down and the pilot made his announcement about local time. Megan turned her watched back two hours, to just after 6:30 p.m. Then she looked across to check on Cody. It was the first time he’d been on a plane, but he hadn’t displayed a second’s concern about it. In fact, he was talking animatedly to Matt and pointing out the window at the huge airport terminal they were taxiing toward. He’d even removed his ear-plugs from his ears. Usually Cody wouldn’t give an adult the time of day and would’ve ignored all attempts to engage in conversation, but Matt seemed to have the magic touch.

She smiled and said, “I can see an improvement in Cody already.”

“Matt’s got a way with kids.” His mouth turned down in a slight grimace. “I wish I had his easy way of dealing with them. Especially my son.”

Megan couldn’t begin to imagine the regrets Luke must be having. He’d not only taken on a wife and a recalcitrant son but also a stepmother to his daughters and a half brother to them, as well. She wondered how the little girls would react to the changed family structure. Would they accept it? Or would they rebel? Megan shuddered. She knew exactly what her son’s reaction would be in those circumstances.

“Relax. Everything’ll be fine,” Luke said, correctly guessing her thoughts.

Megan bit her lip. “I wish I had your confidence.”

When the plane stopped at its gate, Luke removed their carry-on luggage from the overhead bins. An overnight bag for him and a couple of department-store shopping bags for Megan. He stood back to let her exit the plane ahead of him.

Since Cody had several department-store bags stuffed full of clothes Luke had bought him, they’d purchased an overnight bag at the airport, to save any problems with security. He watched as Cody drew out his bag and stuffed in the toiletry wet packs, usually reserved for overseas segments, that he’d talked the flight attendant into giving him.

Luke ignored the transgression. He figured he’d paid enough for the four seats to warrant a few souvenirs. He smiled down at Megan, warning her with a shake of his head not to protest. “At least we won’t be held up at the baggage carousel,” he said. Their cabin luggage was all they had to take with them.



TWENTY MINUTES LATER, they were all loaded into Luke’s big SUV and headed toward Denver and the mountains beyond the Mile-High City. Megan sat up front with Luke, while Cody was in back with Matt.

“Oh! I’d forgotten how majestic they are,” Megan remarked at the sight of the Rockies rising abruptly behind the city. She turned to Luke. “How long till we get home?”

Home. She couldn’t believe she’d let that slip. A word so personal, so possessive, so intimate. Luke must think she was a gold digger for agreeing to marrying him so readily. For even agreeing to it at all! Luke’s home wasn’t her home. It was just where she and Cody would live for a while, until Cody was back on the straight and narrow.

“About two hours. Matt’s wife, Beth, will have everything ready for us. She’s been looking after Celeste today and doing the school run with Daisy and Sash.”

Megan had overheard part of Luke’s cell phone conversation in the jewelry store, and to her ears, it hadn’t seemed to go so well. “How do you think the girls will react to two complete strangers suddenly becoming part of the family?”

Luke glanced over at her, frowning. “I know I probably made a mess of things in my phone call, but rest assured, Beth would’ve found the right way to tell them.”

Megan twisted her hands in her lap. “Still… Maybe Cody and I should stay somewhere else for a while, until they can come to terms with everything. It must’ve been a big shock for them to be told they’ve got a new brother and a new mother.”

“Relax. They’re good kids. They’ll accept you quickly. I’m sure of it.”

Megan wasn’t so sure, but she guessed Luke knew his daughters better than she did. She relaxed against the seat back and closed her eyes, unable to believe how tired she was.



“WE’RE HOME.” LUKE’S VOICE woke Megan. Surprised that she’d dozed off again, she opened her eyes to find they’d pulled up outside a long, ranch-style house, its lights blazing brightly in the summer evening. The sound of dogs barking and children squealing filled her ears.

Luke had climbed out of the vehicle and was opening her door. A woman came out onto the veranda and stood silhouetted in the light spilling out of the house. She ran toward the car and then Matt’s huge bulk was blocking the way as he picked her up and kissed her.

“Where is she? Where is she?” Megan heard a little girl demanding and looked down to see two big blue eyes staring up at her from between Luke’s legs.

Megan climbed down from the SUV. Luke stepped back a little and the child squeezed between his legs and popped up between him and Megan.

“Are you my new mommy?” she asked.

Megan was touched by both the beauty of the little girl and the sweet innocence of her inquiry. The child reached out and stroked Megan’s hand as though to check if she was for real. Megan squatted down so she could be at eye level with the child and smiled warmly. “Hi. You must be Celeste.”

Celeste grinned broadly, then turned shy and twisted sideways as though seeking the protection of her father.

Megan held out her hand to Celeste and said, “I’m Megan and I’m very pleased to meet you, Celeste.”

“Are you going to be my mommy?” Celeste asked again.

“Would you like that?” she asked cautiously, unsure how to approach the subject diplomatically.

“Oh, yes!” Celeste cried, and threw her arms around Megan’s neck with such force it nearly knocked her backward.

Megan breathed in the sweet scent of the little girl, fresh from her bath, and felt a longing deep within her. She’d loved being a mother to Cody, but he’d stopped hugging her like that a long time ago. Megan laughed and lifted Celeste as she stood; she noticed Luke’s grimace changing to a smile of relief.

“One down, two to go,” he whispered to her.

She glanced around for Cody to introduce him to the girls. He was standing some distance from the group, studying another girl who was appraising him openly. She guessed that must be Sasha.

Megan took the initiative. “Celeste, I’d like you to meet my son, Cody. He’s also your half brother.”

“Does that mean he’s only half a boy?” Celeste asked, wide-eyed.

Luke guffawed and everyone else joined in, but Megan saw the embarrassment on the little girl’s face. After all, she’d drawn what was to her a logical conclusion. She held Celeste against her and nuzzled her soft cheek. “No, sweetie, although it does sound a bit like that, doesn’t it?” She waited while Celeste nodded slowly. “It means that you and Cody have the same daddy, so Cody is half a brother to you.”

“Who’s his other half, brother to?”

Megan couldn’t help smiling. Celeste’s naiveté was delightfully refreshing. “You’re just too gorgeous, did you know that? And smart, too.”

“Am I?”

“Uh-huh.”

Celeste hugged Megan. “I love you already.”

Megan kissed Celeste’s cheek. Maybe meeting Luke’s daughters wasn’t going to be so difficult. “I love you, too,” she said.

When Megan felt Luke’s hand at the small of her back, urging her toward the rest of the group, she stepped away from the SUV to where another child stood waiting and watching and occasionally telling one or other of the barking dogs to, “Shut up, you idiot!”

“This is Daisy, my little lady,” Luke said with a touch of irony and a smile that melted Megan’s heart. There was no doubting Luke’s love and affection for his daughter.

Daisy looked up at Megan, then down at her feet and back up again as though sizing her up for a coffin. “Hello,” she said. Turning to Luke, the girl added, “She’s kinda skinny.”

“Daisy!” The three other adults reprimanded her at once.

“It’s fine.” Megan hastened to appease them. She shifted Celeste to her left hip and held out her right hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Daisy, and yes, I agree I’m too skinny. I’m hoping all this fresh country air will give me an appetite. What do you think?”

Daisy shook her hand vigorously, then nodded. “Yeah, it will. But you gotta eat your veggies, or you don’t get dessert.”

“Absolutely,” Megan said, straight-faced. She glanced toward Sasha, who’d finally dragged herself away from staring at Cody. “And you must be Sasha.”

Sasha studied Megan’s outstretched hand, then accepted it reluctantly, shook it once and let go. Okay, thought Megan. This one’s used to being the alpha female around here. And that was fine with Megan. She had no intention of moving in on anyone’s territory.

“Cody, come and say hello to your new sisters,” Megan called, and he sauntered over.

“Did your hair growed like that?” Celeste asked Cody, and reached out to touch it.

Cody pulled away. “Get lost!” he yelled. “Don’t you ever shut up?”

Luke had had enough of Cody’s behavior. “That’s it. You!” He pointed at Cody’s chest. “In there. Now!” he commanded, hitching his thumb over his shoulder and gesturing toward the barn.

Megan was relieved to see that Cody was so shocked at the anger in Luke’s voice, he didn’t argue or disobey. He looked around the circle of people who were all frowning at him in anger, disgust or bewilderment. Celeste had turned her face into Megan’s shoulder and was sobbing softly.

Megan rubbed Celeste’s back and fixed her son with a look of utter contempt. How could he have used such language in front of the children and hurt such an innocent little girl? What had her son become? Tears burned the backs of her eyes.




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