The Cowboy's Secret Family

Uncle George shrugged and said, “You know me...”

“Right. You don’t like to pry.” Normally, Matt didn’t, either, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it as soon as he had the chance to get Miranda alone.

* * *

By the time Miranda drove within a mile of the Wexler Grange Hall, where the 4-H sheep group was gathering this afternoon, her nerves were still on edge and her mind scrambling to control her jumbled emotions.

When she’d come outside to tell Emily it was time to leave, she’d just about dropped to the ground when she’d spotted Matt at the Double G. Sure, she’d known that he could show up any day, but the rodeo circuit was in full swing, and George had told her that he rarely came home these days. So he was the last thing she’d expected to see this afternoon.

Hardly a day went by that she didn’t think of her teenage love. The way she left. The guilt she felt. The secret she kept... She glanced in the rearview mirror at the eight-year-old secret that was sitting in the backseat right now.

But it wasn’t just the negative feelings that struck her. She often thought of the good things, too.

Wherever she went, indoors or out, the memories dogged her. Riding horses out by the swimming hole. Fishing for trout with a makeshift pole. Having a picnic on the trail. Eating a bowl of ice cream with two spoons. And sharing sweet stolen kisses—here, there and everywhere.

So when she first spotted Matt, she’d assumed her mind was playing tricks on her again, just as it always did whenever she saw a shadow in the barn or heard George talking to someone only to find out it was his horse. After staying with George for the past two months, she’d begun to think Matt wouldn’t come home while she and Emily were here. A champion bull rider like him would never do that while the rodeo season was in full swing.

But she’d been wrong. The minute she realized the handsome cowboy wasn’t an illusion—that she was actually looking at Matt in the flesh, that she was gazing into those expressive green eyes—her heart took a flying leap, only to belly flop into her stomach, threatening to stir up the morning sickness that had stopped plaguing her six weeks ago.

Somehow, she’d managed to rally and find her voice. She just hoped it had sounded polite and unaffected.

“Mommmmy!” Emily called from the backseat, her voice raised, her tone irritated. “I called your name three times. Aren’t you listening to me?”

Obviously not. She’d been too busy daydreaming about the past... “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to ignore you. What did you say?”

Emily blew out a dramatic sigh. “Can Janie come over after the meeting with us? And if her mom says it’s okay, can she spend the night?”

Miranda glanced in the rearview mirror. Emily’s eyes—the shape of them, not the color—were so much like Matt’s that her heart squeezed. “No, honey. This isn’t a good time to have a friend over.”

“But it’s Saturday, and we don’t have school tomorrow. Why can’t she?”

“Because we have a full house at the ranch already.” And this evening, things would be awkward at best. But she wasn’t about to reveal the real reason to her daughter. “Besides, Matt hasn’t been home in a long time, and he’s probably just passing through. So until I find out when he’s leaving, I don’t want to schedule a play date.”

Surely, he’d be gone in the morning. Monday at the latest. But he was using a cane, so obviously he’d been injured. Had he come home to recuperate? If so, how long would that take?

Miranda broke eye contact with her daughter and studied the road ahead, watching for the entrance of the Wexler Grange Hall. But she couldn’t keep her mind off Matt. He’d certainly grown up since she’d last seen him. His lanky nineteen-year-old body had filled out. His muscles were bulkier, his shoulders broader. He’d been sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, so it was hard to know for sure, but she suspected he’d grown a bit taller, too.

He wore his sandy-blond hair longer than she remembered—or maybe he just needed a haircut. Either way, she liked it.

An inch-long scar over his brow and a five o’clock shadow gave him a rugged edge, which, for some strange reason, added to the perfection of his face.

If he’d smiled or flashed his dimples, suggesting that he was glad to see her, her heart would have soared. Instead, he hadn’t seemed the least bit happy that they’d crossed paths. Of course, she really couldn’t blame him. She’d left him without saying goodbye, let alone offering an explanation.

She suspected he was long over her by now. She’d followed his rodeo success and heard rumors of the parade of buckle bunnies that followed him from city to city, hoping for a date—or whatever. From what she’d heard, Matt was even more footloose and reckless now than he used to be.

As she turned the car into the parking lot, a thought slammed into her like a deployed airbag, a possibility she hadn’t considered.

What if his injury was permanent? What if he’d made a career change? What if he planned to stay on the Double G indefinitely? There was no way they could all live in the same house. And then there was the baby to think of...

Her first impulse was to go back to the ranch as soon as the 4-H meeting was over, pack their things and leave as quickly as possible. But she couldn’t do that. Dodging uncomfortable situations had become a habit, one she was determined to break. Besides, a move like that was likely to crush her daughter.

Before shutting off the ignition, she took one last look in the rearview mirror and watched Emily wave at her friend Janie. The two girls planned to show their lambs at the county fair in a couple of weeks, and Miranda had never seen her daughter happier.

For Emily’s sake, Miranda would deal with her feelings, as jumbled as they were. Besides, how hard could that be? She could handle the discomfort and awkwardness for a day or two.

But if Matt’s stay stretched much longer, she’d be toast.

Chapter Two (#uebdb2155-79e0-5d8b-95c4-7f6be9b559b7)

Now that the dinner hour had arrived, and they’d gathered around the kitchen table, Matt and Miranda sat in silence. Once friends and lovers, now strangers at best.

She studied her plate, her glossy brown hair draping both sides of her face and making it difficult to read her expression. Matt bet she felt nearly as uneasy about their unexpected reunion as he did.

The past stretched between them like a frayed rubber band ready to snap. But he’d be damned if he’d be the first to speak.

“Emily,” Uncle George said, “how’d your 4-H meeting go?”

“It was good. Miss Sadie, our leader, gave us the schedule for the county fair.” The girl looked at Uncle George with hopeful eyes. “You’re going to come watch me, too. Right?”

“Honey,” he said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Matt swept his fork across his empty plate, stirring the leftover gravy. The fair was a couple of weeks away, so Miranda clearly planned to stick around for a while, and that left a bad taste in his mouth in spite of the fact that the damned meal she’d fixed tonight was delicious. He might have asked for seconds, but he wanted an excuse to leave the table.

Hell, as it was, he’d thought about going somewhere else to recover. At least until after the fair ended.

“Miranda,” Uncle George said, patting his belly, “this pot roast is the best I’ve ever had.”

She glanced up from her plate, which had held her interest for the past ten minutes, even though she hadn’t taken more than a couple of bites. “Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.” Then she returned her focus on her food.

Matt had planned to order plenty of meals for him and his uncle at Caroline’s Diner since George’s favorite kitchen appliance was a can opener. Now, he supposed, he wouldn’t have to. That is, if he could deal with having Miranda around, stirring up the memories, both good and bad.

He supposed he ought to compliment her cooking and thank her, too. He might feel like shutting her out of his mind, like she’d done to him, but he hadn’t forgotten his manners.

Before he could open his mouth, his uncle added, “I really lucked out when you came to visit, Miranda. I’m eating better than ever, my check register finally balances and the ranch books are finally in order.”

Matt dropped his fork on the plate. The thought of Miranda looking over the Double G’s finances struck a ragged nerve—and for more reasons than one. George Grimes might be rough around the edges, but he had a soft heart, which sometimes got him into trouble when he put too much trust in the wrong person.

“You’ve got a good eye for detail, Miranda. You spotted things in the books that my accountant missed.” George chuckled and crossed his arms. “I liked being able to point them out to him, too. I told him I had my very own CPA living right down the hall.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Miranda said, her voice almost too soft for Matt to hear.

Apparently, she’d become an accountant. That wasn’t surprising. She’d been a good student when she’d been in high school, which was one reason her father had made such big plans for her.

So why was she here, when she could be helping her wealthy old man run one of the biggest berry farm operations in Texas?

Uncle George mentioned that she’d broken her engagement recently. Why? And who was the guy she’d planned to marry? Did he work for or with her father?

George said he hadn’t quizzed her, which seemed doubtful since he’d always had a soft spot for her. He also had a way of getting people to open up and tell him things without the need to ask.