Fortune's Secret Baby

But William had disappeared on their wedding day.

“Hi, Lily.” He wondered how she got his phone number. “Is everything okay? Is it Uncle William?”

“Oh, no, sweetie, William is … fine. His memory and his emotional state, or lack thereof on both accounts, are the same.”

Lily’s unsteady voice filled his ear. She then paused to take in a deep breath before she continued. “He’s calmer now and seems more at home here on the ranch with each passing day.” She sounded calmer now herself. “I’m sorry if I worried you by calling.”

Cooper released the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “Ah, no, that’s fine. What’s up?”

“I heard about you moving out on your own with the baby, and I wondered if there was anything you needed? Is there anything I can do for you?”

Lily Fortune was an amazing woman. She ran the Double Crown Ranch and chaired numerous charities supported by the Fortune Foundation, all while doing her best to help the man she loved regain his memories—of his family, and the life they’d planned to live together.

He found himself wishing he’d been lucky enough to have this lady for a mother instead of the self-centered woman who probably had no idea that she had another grandchild living here in Red Rock.

“Thanks, but we’re doing fine.” Cooper peeked around the doorway to check on his son. “It’s a pretty steep learning curve, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Of course you are. I don’t have any doubt you’ll be a terrific father.”

Her words had him standing a bit taller. “Thank you, Lily. You know, I was planning to come out and visit the ranch soon, but Jeremy recommended we not overload William with too many visitors at once.”

“Oh, you’re welcome anytime. I can’t say for sure what kind of mood your uncle will be in. Sometimes he’s fine and other times he’s a bit cranky, but I think that’s frustration more than anything else.”

They spoke for a few more minutes, but then Anthony started to fuss. Cooper ended the call, having learned his son tended to wake up fast and loud.

“Easy there, partner.” He looked at the baby lying flat on his back, arms and legs flailing. “No need to get all excited.”

Anthony didn’t agree because he let loose a howling cry just as a knock sounded from the door.

Cooper picked him up and the smell and weight of Anthony’s diaper told him exactly why the kid was upset. “Whew, you stink!”

The knock came again, and he went to answer, mentally cringing as he hefted the baby into his arms, the diaper flattening against his forearm. He opened the door to find Kelsey standing on his front porch, wearing the same outfit he’d seen her in yesterday.

He appreciated the curves beneath her clingy T-shirt and snug-fitting jeans. A ball cap shaded her eyes and her hair was once again pulled up in a ponytail. He was suddenly struck with an urge to see her hair down around her shoulders. Naked shoulders would be even better, as she leaned over him—

A softly cleared throat caught his attention, and he noticed a pretty lady standing next to Kelsey. They looked so much alike, he knew instantly they were related. The three little kids with them told him she must be Kelsey’s sister.

Boy, she really was serious about her matchmaking.

He didn’t know if he should be amused or bothered that Kelsey had brought her widowed sister, kids in tow, over to meet him.

Had he been the only one to pick up on the instant connection they’d shared yesterday? A connection that had him opening up to a perfect stranger about how much his life had changed in the last month?

“Hey there. Hope we’re not catching you at a bad time,” Kelsey said, a smile gracing her kissable lips.

Yeah, perfect.

“Ah, no.” Cooper patted Anthony’s bottom lightly, sending tiny bursts of a foul odor into the air as if to punctuate where his priorities needed to lie. His nose wrinkled. “The little guy just woke from a nap and I was heading off to do diaper duty.”

“Don’t let us stop you,” the other woman said with a smile. “He’ll probably be happier once he’s clean and dry.”

“Well, come on in—” Cooper stepped back “—and make yourselves at home. I’ll be right back.”

He hustled to the baby’s room and laid a still-crying Anthony on the changing table. Replacing the messy diaper took longer than he planned. Boy, who knew a body as tiny as this could put out so much … stuff.

Finally done, he put a new one-piece sleeper on Anthony, noting the dwindling supply of baby wipes seemed to be in direct correlation to the dirty laundry filling the nearby hamper. Looked like a trip to the grocery store was next on his list.

Despite a fresh diaper, Anthony was testing the capacity of his lungs as Cooper walked back into the living room.

“I’m sorry,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over Anthony’s crying as he patted his son’s back. “He must’ve realized he’d nodded off earlier without finishing his bottle.”

“Here, let me take him.” Kelsey’s sister plucked Anthony out of his arms and turned to her children. “Kids, park yourselves on the sofa and find something in your backpacks to keep you busy while your Aunt Kelsey and I get to know this adorable little thing.”

Dumbfounded, Cooper stood there as Anthony stopped his crying and gazed up at the woman as the children scrambled to do their mother’s bidding.

“Wow.” He finally found his voice, but the single syllable was the best he could come up with. “That’s … wow.”

“Cooper Fortune, your son’s kidnapper is my sister, Jessica Hunt-Myers.” Kelsey made the quick introduction. “Jessica, this is Cooper Fortune.”

“Hi, there,” Jessica said. “I think I can keep—ah, what’s his name?”

“Anthony.”

“I think I can keep Anthony busy for a few minutes if you want to make him that bottle.” Jessica sat in the chair Cooper had vacated and easily bounced the baby on her lap while answering three different questions from three different kids.

Cooper moved into the kitchen and quickly made a new bottle. He returned to the living room, expecting Jessica to give up her claim to his son, but she just motioned for the bottle, popping it into Anthony’s mouth.

He moved to the matching chair and sat, his gaze drawn to Kelsey. Perched on the end of the couch, with the youngest of her sister’s kids on her lap, she pointed to something in the book the little boy held. His tiny eyebrows puckered in concentration for a minute before he clucked like a chicken.

Cooper grinned. “Hey, that’s pretty good. Can you do a cow?”

The little boy looked at him. “We’re not at that page yet.”

“Adam.” His mother admonished him with one word, before she turned to Cooper. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce my children. The little one is Adam and he’s a very precocious three, and the twins, Braden and Bethany, are four. My oldest, Ella, is seven, so she’s at school.”

“What’s per-cos-ick?” Adam asked his mother.

“Precocious, and it means you’re very smart,” she answered with a smile as she set aside the empty bottle to lift Anthony to her shoulder. “All of my children are very smart,” she added when the twins started to protest. “They take after their father.”

“Kelsey told me about your husband. I’m sorry.”

Cooper watched as sadness flickered across the woman’s face before she offered him a smile.

“Thank you. She told me about Anthony’s mother. I’m sorry, too. You must have your hands full learning to be a single parent.” She patted the baby’s back, and soon Anthony let out a loud burp and giggled at his accomplishment. “I know what that’s like. If you need any help, just give me a holler.”

He turned to look at Kelsey, who seemed very interested in the picture book her nephew was holding. So, she really was serious about this matchmaking.

Hmm, right idea, wrong sister.