A Colorado Family

“Pops can find you a horse. He brings lots of horses here.”

Austin tensed. He hadn’t had a chance to see his dad since he’d moved in here. Right now, he didn’t want to deal with the old man.

Shelby’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Those are for the riding center, honey.” She turned to him. “Seems people have a lot of horses that need a home.”

“That’s good they have a place to go.”

“Kinda like us,” Ryan said. “We didn’t have a place to go, but the sheriff let us stay here and he married us. Now you’re here, too.”

Shelby grinned. “And we’re lucky to have you home. I want to keep you here, so I’ll send some food that you can heat up easily. Maybe I can bring muffins and bagels by, too, when I bring Ryan home from school.”

“Thanks—I’d appreciate it.”

“You’re very welcome. You need to put on some weight. To build muscle, you’ll need extra calories.” She watched him eat, then asked, “So Erin’s going to be working with you?”

He arched an eyebrow. Had the woman broken her word already? “She told you?”

“Oh, no. Cullen called me after Erin left here earlier. And I haven’t said anything, either. I know you don’t want anyone to know you’re staying here, but haven’t the media had your accident on the news?”

He cringed, remembering how the tape had become an internet sensation. “Yeah, you can’t do much these days without being recorded. I just don’t want everyone knowing the extent of the injury.”

“I’m sure your fans are worried about you.”

“My fans aren’t the problem. It’s the sponsors who pay me to be on the circuit and advertise their products. They don’t want to pay me if I’m not out there winning events.”

She smiled. “Maybe you can advertise for me and my bakery. A Sweet Heaven banner would look good across your back.”

Austin laughed, despite the pain in his leg. He glanced at the bottle of pain pills on the counter. Damn, he didn’t want to take them anymore.

“So you’re willing to take on a washed-up, over-the-hill bull rider?”

“Austin, you’re only thirty-two years old. Of course you’re not washed up.”

“I’m pretty old for a bull rider. It’s a young man’s sport. The life expectancy is usually about thirty. That’s why I have to stay on top, so no one questions it. Well, they do, but if you’re not making news, then you’re not doing anything.” He thought about what he’d just said and for the first time wondered why it mattered anymore. He glanced at Shelby and Ryan. He might have gotten a lot of money, but it seemed his brother was still richer.

* * *

THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Erin glanced at her watch as she walked out of the doctor’s office. She was still on a high after seeing the fertility specialist, Dr. Gail Evans, excited that she’d physically checked out for the IVF procedure.

At thirty-six, along with her previous failed attempts to get pregnant, she didn’t have the luxury to wait much longer.

Now all she needed was the money. Enough for not only the procedure, but to support her and her baby for a six-month leave from work. Now that she had the Brannigan job, she could possibly afford to do both.

She desperately wanted to start the series of hormone shots soon, but she wanted the money in hand before she began anything. So many things could go wrong. She still wasn’t sure about Austin Brannigan, or that working with him was a good idea. A bull rider? Correction—an arrogant bull rider. No doubt he was used to having his share of women on the circuit.

She climbed into her van, started it up and headed out of the parking lot. Maybe it was time to trade in the too-large vehicle. It had once been convenient for taking Jared around, and when she’d moved here to Hidden Springs, she’d packed nearly everything she owned in the back. For now, the cost of a new vehicle made her cringe. So she had decided to hang on to her van for a while longer.

She turned onto the highway, excited about her future for the first time in a long time. Her dream was finally going to become a reality. Someone with her DNA. Someone to claim her. A family.

She couldn’t let anything go wrong. She’d already talked to her supervisor, Shirley, about conflicts with the schedule. Shirley assured her there wasn’t a problem as long as she covered her shifts. Then she talked to the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Kentrell, about Austin’s case.

So she was headed to the Circle R Ranch to see Austin Brannigan. She had some questions about the man, but she was going to try to work with him. This money was too good to turn down. All she needed now was to have her new client sign a contract, and they would be good to go to start tomorrow.

In another twenty minutes she’d arrived at the ranch and driven by the main house and onto the gravel driveway that led to Austin’s place. Coming around the grove of trees, she spotted something new parked beside the foreman’s house.

A large crew-cab Dooley truck, and behind it was a fifth-wheel trailer. What caught her attention was the array of colors. The base of the vehicle was silver detailed with gold and black, and then on the trailer the writing announced World Champion Bull Rider, Austin “The Ace” Brannigan, along with a head shot of the man’s face; along the bottom was a list of sponsors.

“There sure is no problem with your ego, Mr. B.” Erin climbed out of her van and walked up to the porch. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

IN ONE OF the other bedrooms that had been converted into a workout space, Austin sat on the weight bench, lifting the ten-pound weights as he looked at his manager, Jay Bridges.

“I thought you’d be further along,” his manager said.

“Hey, the doctor only gave me the okay to start therapy last week,” Austin told him.

Austin glared at the fifty-five-year-old man in his standard uniform of a dark suit and cowboy boots, worn even at the rodeo grounds. “So stop pushing me.”

The gray-haired manager raised his hands as if he were innocent of any urging. “Whoa, you’re the one who wants to get back on the circuit.”

There was no denying Jay wanted his moneymaker back to making money. He’d built a reputation of being a go-getter. Austin had to admit he liked that about him.

Jay looked around the new equipment room. “I have to say, Austin, I’m impressed by all this equipment.”

“I told you I was going to get back into the arena. I hired a therapist/trainer yesterday.”

“I hope it’s someone you can trust not to sell your story to the tabloids.”

Before he could tell him any more, there was a knock on the door.

Jay frowned. “You expecting anyone?”

“Probably one of my brothers.” He continued to lift the weights.

Austin got to his feet, but by the time he got his walker, Jay was already headed to the door.

Erin smiled as a stranger appeared in the doorway. “Hello. I’m here to see Austin Brannigan.”

The older man held the door partly closed so she couldn’t see inside. “I’m sorry—you must be mistaken. There is a Cullen Brannigan at the main house.”

“I’m not here to see Cullen. I’m here to see Austin.” She cocked her thumb toward the truck. “You know, the guy whose face is on the trailer. That’s who I want to see.”

The older man cursed. “Well, that’s not going to happen. This is private property, and you need to leave before I have security remove you.”

She folded her arms. “Since Cullen Brannigan is the one who hired me, I don’t have a problem if you call the sheriff.”

“Jay, who’s at the door?”