Nothing But Cowboy

by Justine Davis

  “It is.”

  His brother had some time ago converted the upper level of the smaller barn into living quarters, saying there were times when ideas struck at odd hours and he didn’t want to wake everyone up by heading to his workshop at three in the morning. Given the amazing results, none of the Raffertys were going to argue with him. Even Mom, who preferred everyone under one roof, had gone along, saying it was better than him moving away entirely. Just as it had been better to have Chance in his own place but still on the ranch. So they all had their own space—Mom the expansive master suite, Keller’s rooms expanded to almost the same size, and Cody in the back third of the house with his adjacent workroom for all his tech gear—but they could still come together at a moment’s notice.

  Besides, having only the three of them still in the main house had meant there was plenty of room for Lucas. And the expression on his face when they’d first led him to what was to be his room, complete with his own bathroom and a big window looking out toward the hills, Keller had gotten his first glimpse of how bad the kid’s life in that group home must have been. At least, compared to the life he’d had before.

  “You look grim even for a Monday morning at the crack of dawn. What’s up?” Ry asked, eyeing him over the rim of his coffee mug.

  “My question exactly,” came the familiar voice from behind them as their mother walked in. “I know that expression.”

  “I should be the one asking why everyone’s up so darned early,” Keller muttered, acknowledging to himself even as he said it that he was stalling.

  “I still know when my boys are worried,” Mom said, walking past him for her own coffee, but giving his arm a squeeze as she did.

  He took a long swallow of the hot brew, needing the jolt. Finally, with Mom’s and Ry’s eyes still aimed at him, he set down the mug, grimaced, and answered. “Shane got the results back.”

  Mom frowned. “I thought that was going to take—”

  “So did I,” Keller agreed glumly. “Never underestimate the power of the Highwater name in this county.”

  Ry looked at him consideringly. “Since you’re not happily planning the exit of Ms. Brock, I gather the results were…would that be positive, or negative?”

  “Depends on your point of view,” he said dryly. “What the results were was conclusive. The genetic relationship to Lucas is confirmed.”

  “So,” his mother said softly, “Lucas has family. That’s good news, isn’t it?”

  “It might be, if the family in question had the slightest clue what the word family even means.”

  Ry frowned. “Little harsh, bro.”

  He sighed. Reminded himself he was the one who’d spent the most time with her. The one she’d told the most to. The one who knew just why the idea of a family like theirs amazed her.

  The one who ended up holding her when she got the shakes.

  He had to tell them everything, so they’d know what they were dealing with. Because obviously they were going to be dealing, and soon. As soon as she found out they had the results back. So in the most abbreviated version he could manage, he told them what he’d learned about her life. When he was done, Ry let out a low whistle. “Makes us look pretty lucky.”

  “Exactly.” Exactly what I told her. When she was in my arms.

  “Well,” his mother said briskly, although her eyes were suspiciously bright, “for Lucas’s sake, she needs to learn what a real family is like. And that is obviously up to us.”

  It was so her that for a moment Keller couldn’t speak. He swallowed tightly, then said softly, “Mom?” She lifted her gaze to his face. “Thank you. For holding us together. For saving us. For…everything.”

  “Amen,” Ry said, sounding as if his throat were just as tight.

  The tears won this time, those beloved eyes overflowed, and Keller knew he didn’t say that often enough.

  “Off with you now,” she said, swiping at her suddenly wet cheeks. “Ry, you don’t want the senator mad at you for being late with that saddle. Keller, you…” She stopped, then finished it. “You know what you need to do. Go tell her.”

  Oh, he knew all right. “I think,” he said wryly, “I’ll wait a couple of hours.”

  “But no longer,” she ordered—and by then she was back in control enough that that’s what it was. “I need to go get Lucas up for school. That boy takes forever in the mornings, just like Cody.”

  Cody. Keller smothered a grimace as she headed for Lucas’s room. He still had no idea what about her set his little brother off, but something obviously did. And had from the first moment.

  “Cody doesn’t like her much,” Ry observed, as if he’d read Keller’s expression. Probably had; he was annoyingly observant. Must be the artist thing.

  “On sight, she said. No idea why.”

  “It is strange. She’s a beautiful woman. You’d think he’d appreciate having her around.”

  Something stirred in him at his brother’s words, something deep, almost primal he couldn’t put a name to. “Maybe she reminds him of someone,” Keller said, rather hastily.

  Ry studied him for a moment before saying, “Maybe.”

  He left it at that, but Keller was still glad when his brother headed back to his studio. Because it had hit him what that strange sensation had been. What he’d been feeling at the idea of Cody or anyone else appreciating Sydney.

  Possessive.

  Crap.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sydney watched the morning sun glinting on the water as Hickory Creek slid by. This truly was a good place for thinking, this spot on the stone ledge under the big tree. There was something peaceful, almost elemental about it. She’d been many places that had the same feel, but none where it had been more powerful.

  “Syd?”

  The voice in her ear startled her out of the state of contemplation she’d slipped into. She’d never done that before, completely forgotten she was on the phone with someone, especially from the office.

  “Sorry, Alicia, I was…distracted. What?”

  “I asked if you’re sure.”

  She smiled at the note of unease in the woman’s voice. She’d been her assistant buyer for three years now, but the thought of doing a buying trip on her own had the usually steady woman edgy. “Feeling nervous?”

  “Yes,” Alicia answered frankly, which made Sydney’s smile widen.

  “You’ll do fine. You’ve been prepping for this for more than a year.”

  “But still, they’re used to you, and—”

  “They’ll be delighted at a new face,” Sydney assured her. “They all know it will be you on this trip, and will treat you well, I promise.” It would feel strange, to think about someone else doing what she’d always done, to think of that plane taking off without her on it. But she’d made her decision. “It’s time. I’m more than ready to step back.”

  The instant she ended the call she realized she’d been, on some level, aware. For a moment she didn’t look, trying to compose her expression so she wouldn’t betray the sudden leap her pulse had taken. When she finally did look up and saw him standing there, she wasn’t in the least surprised. And took a moment to be thankful that had been a business call, and not something personal, like her whining to her best friend how difficult it was to deal with all this when the guy she had to go through to get to Lucas could do this to her before he even said a word. When the guy she had to get past was the first guy in forever she didn’t want to get past, but wanted to get close to.

  Very, very close.

  He had, she noticed, stopped a few steps back, giving her at least the illusion of privacy to complete her call. Those manners again. She found she was starting to like that, which surprised her; she never would have thought it mattered that much to her.

  As he walked toward her, she found herself wondering yet again what it was about a pair of blue jeans that made them so darn sexy.

  “Frank told me you were here.”

  That voice. It sent
a little ripple of…something through her. Okay, so maybe it was the guy wearing them that made the jeans sexy. Crazily, she kind of missed the cowboy hat, but as he went a few steps past her to look out at the rushing creek, the backside view had her thinking the hat didn’t matter a bit.

  She gave herself an inward shake; instead of dwelling on how sexy the guy was, she should be wondering what he was doing here, apparently looking for her, this early in the day.

  “It’s a good place to think,” she said carefully.

  “Yes.”

  Hands shoved in his pockets, he stood staring out at the creek. She saw him draw in a long, visible breath. Something was clearly bothering him. Were they going to have the “stay away from Lucas” talk again? Had he decided it had been a mistake to let her go with them Saturday? Her own breath caught as a horrible thought came to her: Had Lucas complained? She’d thought they’d gotten along well enough, considering she was a stranger to him, but it hadn’t taken much more than showing up to make Keller’s youngest brother take an obvious dislike to her.

  “Is it Lucas?” The words burst from her as she was unable to bear the silence any longer. “Did he not like me going along? Or just not like…me?”

  Keller turned sharply, hands coming out of his pockets. “No,” he said quickly, as if he’d registered the upset in her voice. “No, he’s fine, he—” He stopped, grimaced. Then he walked back from the edge of the overlook and sat on the rock outcropping next to the bench where she sat. She stopped herself from launching into a cacophony of thoughts about why he didn’t just sit on the bench too, that he didn’t want to be that close to her.

  But when he finally met her gaze, she realized he’d chosen that spot because it was facing her.

  “The test results are back.”

  Her breath caught. “But I thought it was going to take—”

  “So did I. But I should have known that because it was Shane’s request, they’d put a rush on even if he didn’t ask them to. He called me this morning.”

  That put her back up a little. “He didn’t call me.”

  “It was six in the morning. He was going to wait until a more…civilized hour. But I told him I’d tell you.”

  “But he called you at six a.m.?”

  “He knew I’d be up.” He paused, looking at her steadily. “You haven’t asked.”

  “For the results? Why would I? I know the truth. Especially after seeing him.”

  He frowned. “Seeing him?”

  “He has my father’s eyes. And way of moving. His hair even grows the same way.”

  He let out a long, compressed breath. “Yeah. Well. So do we now.” He gave her a sideways look. “I’m not going to apologize for wanting proof.”

  “I don’t want you to. You were looking out for…my cousin.” She couldn’t help smiling as she said the last words. But she was still worried, and after her earlier thought about Lucas not liking her, she had to know. “Have you…told him?”

  “No.” One corner of his mouth—that mouth she kept catching herself staring at—quirked downward. He took another deep breath. “I know now you have the right to handle this however you want. You’re blood family. But Lucas trusts me, as much as he trusts anyone. I think he’s more likely to…believe it if I’m there.”

  “To tell him I’m not lying?”

  He nodded.

  Sydney quashed her instinctive reaction; she was not used to people thinking she was a liar. But it was clear to her now that everything this man had done, every roadblock he’d thrown in her way, was for one simple reason. He cared about Lucas. He honestly cared about him. And he’d helped him, when there had been no one else. Her cousin had no claim on him at all, but he’d stepped up anyway. Just as he had stepped up for his own family.

  Keller Rafferty could not be more opposite to everything she’d grown up with.

  “You,” she said quietly, “are the best thing that could have ever happened to Lucas.”

  He blinked, drew back. He didn’t speak, and for the first time he lowered his gaze from her face.

  She wished she knew what he was thinking. But all she said was, “I agree you should be there. How should we do it? And when?”

  “As soon as possible, I think.” He looked up then. “As to how…maybe we should work on that a bit.”

  “Good idea,” she said briskly. “But I think better after breakfast. Have you eaten yet?” The words were barely out before she rolled her eyes at herself. “Of course you have, if you’ve been up since six.”

  “Five, actually,” he said, and something in his tone had changed, just as something different had come into those green eyes, something less worried and more…something. Something unsettling. But his voice was back to normal when he went on. “But if you’re talking about Karina Buckley’s brunch spread, I could be convinced.”

  She smiled. “It is wonderful, isn’t it? I’ve hit it every day of the week I’ve been here.” Had it really only been a week? Then why did she feel as if her life had changed unalterably, and in more ways than confirming Lucas was her cousin? And why did she feel as if that change centered not just on the boy she’d barely met, but also on this man? She stood up, because she had to move. “I swear I’ve gained five pounds,” she finished, unnerved by her own thoughts.

  He stood up as well, but his gaze slipped over her. “If you have, they’re in all the right places.”

  She was sure she was gaping at him, but she couldn’t help it. And she was aware that what bothered her most was the way he was now avoiding her eyes. Did he regret giving her the compliment? Or feel it had been…inappropriate? She half expected him to apologize, but he didn’t. And when had she started analyzing everything someone said, except when bargaining with a potential supplier? Nothing, but nothing had seemed normal to her since she’d arrived here.

  She felt better once they were in the main dining room and she had something else to focus on. And managed not to keep looking at the door into the more private room where they’d had the meeting. She felt self-conscious as she chose items from the bountiful spread for her plate. She, who had dined on foods she’d never heard of, and some she knew had been given to her as a test, was feeling twitchy about the luscious but familiar fare in this all-American Texas town.

  Or the company.

  Whichever it was she needed to focus. They had important things to decide, to plan, and she couldn’t let herself be distracted. She decided to open with an acknowledgment of his place in this, a concession to what he’d done for Lucas.

  “You know him, obviously, much better than I. What do you suggest?”

  “Tomorrow,” he said. She lifted a brow at him. He gave her a very male half shrug. “Get it done. Because then you’ll have to build on it.” His gaze narrowed. “You haven’t said yet what your plans are. I’m taking you at your word, that you want to be there for him. That you won’t get bored in a few days and leave, with him wondering what he did wrong.”

  She didn’t miss the undertone; it was both explanation and warning. She remembered that sinking realization that in a way, she was being as selfish as the people who’d birthed her. But she answered coolly despite her nerves over the actual act of telling Lucas who she was. “You wanted my plans. And,” she added, feeling she owed it, “you were right. I was so caught up in the emotion of it all that I hadn’t laid it all out. I’m in it for the duration, and you said he won’t want to leave Texas, so I’ll find a place here. Or stay at the inn long term. I’ll see him regularly, until we can all be sure what Lucas wants, and what’s best for him. And tomorrow is fine.”

  He merely nodded. “After he gets home, then. I talked to his school. He can miss Wednesday without missing too much.”

  “Not go to school?”

  “I have a feeling he’ll need some processing time. And that way,” he said, looking at her over his forkful of the wonderful eggs from the buffet, spiced with something that gave them the perfect amount of kick, “you can bond. Isn’t that what t
hey call it?”

  She was a little taken aback at the change. He’d gone from the bulwark guarding Lucas to a facilitator. “I…thank you. For thinking of all that.”

  “What, no accusation of me taking over, being dictatorial?”

  She set down her own fork. “I told you, you know Lucas. I don’t. And I know that you have his best interests at heart.”

  “I do.” He smiled at her then, and it nearly took her breath away. “And now I know you do, too. So we’re on, Ms. Brock.”

  “Only if you stop calling me that.”

  “Sydney, then.”

  “Or just Syd.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched. “Everyone else can, but I don’t think I can do that.”

  The way he put it made her ask, “Why?”

  “I had a dog named Sid, when I was about ten. You bear no resemblance whatsoever.”

  She laughed, and the tension eased. And for the moment, she felt simply like a woman sharing a delicious meal.

  With a very attractive man.

  Who could make her pulse race with a smile.

  *

  “I had an uncle, but he died before I was born,” Lucas said. Then he frowned. “But was he really my uncle if I hadn’t been born yet? I never figured that out.”

  Of all the reactions Sydney had expected when, the next day, the three of them had gathered in the living room of the Rafferty ranch, that wasn’t on the list. “You…knew you had an uncle?”

  Lucas nodded. “My dad told me he’d had a brother, but he died when my dad was just a little kid.”

  “That was a mistake,” she said gently. “He didn’t die.”

  Lucas gave her a disbelieving look. Then he shifted his gaze to Keller, who was sitting to one side, leaving it to her, but being there.

  “It’s true,” Keller said, just as gently.

  Lucas was clearly confused, but the disbelief was fading with those simple words. The boy trusted him, just as he’d said. She wondered if this proof made him feel these past months that had to have been difficult had been worth it.

  “Then where was he?” Lucas finally asked, looking back at Sydney as if still wondering what was going on, and why she was here at all.