Red Hot Rancher

by Maureen Child

  “Caden, are you really going to walk away from me?”

  “I’m going to make a hell of a good attempt at it.” He grabbed his hat off his head, shoved one hand through his hair and said, “Damn it, Emma, when I asked what you’d do if Max couldn’t help, you should have said you’d come to me. That you’d trust me enough to help you stand against that bastard.

  “But your first instinct is still to leave. To go somewhere else. On your own.”

  When she would have argued, Caden shook his head firmly. “You don’t see it. The dreams we’d build together are bigger than anything we could do alone.”

  “I am trusting you, Caden,” she argued and he could see in her eyes she believed that.

  “Until you can’t,” he said tightly. “I’m not going to watch you leave again, Em, looking for something else. Something different. Or better. I need you to believe in us, not just yourself.”

  “I’ve been on my own for five years, Caden,” she reminded him. “That’s a hard habit to break.”

  “Maybe it is. But it was your choice, Em. You left. You stayed away even when you yourself said you should have come home sooner.”

  “Caden—”

  Shaking his head, Caden looked at the woman he loved and tried to take a hard step back. “Home was your second choice, Em. If you had a shot at stardom again, you’d be gone again. Until you’re really here, there’s nothing for us.”

  Without another word, he shoved his foot in the stirrup, swung aboard his horse and rode out of the stable, leaving her alone in the shadows.

  Eleven

  A few hours later, Emma was back home, watching Gracie and Madison laughing together. Gracie’s “secret” hadn’t been as secret as she’d thought. When her little sister had finally taken the plunge and talked to their father, Frank had said only, “Hell, I know that.”

  After Gracie’s surprise wore off, Frank had kissed his youngest daughter and sent her off to bring Madison home for dinner.

  Now, Emma had to wonder how she could have missed how her sister and Madison looked at each other. She saw the same gleam of love in Gracie’s eyes that shone for Caden in her own.

  Now that their secret was out, they were holding hands, finishing each other’s sentences and looking so damn happy, they were both beaming.

  They talked about their plans for the new stable and Gracie’s business, and Madison had some great ideas. The two of them were going to make a terrific team. And, Emma felt like a ghost at a wedding. Happiness bubbled all around her, but she couldn’t catch any of it for herself. She kept remembering Caden riding away, leaving her alone. And she was forced to realize that was how he must have felt when she’d turned away from him.

  God, she hadn’t known. Hadn’t realized what she was sacrificing for the chance at a nebulous dream. Yes, if she hadn’t tried, she might have regretted it all her life. But trying and failing had cost her both the dream and Caden.

  Losing that dream was hard, but losing Caden was unbearable. Emma simply could not imagine a life without him in it.

  “You know,” Frank said idly, “Madison, there’s no reason you can’t move in here with us.”

  “What?” She looked from Frank to Gracie and back again. “Really?”

  “Sure. No reason for you to be driving in and out of here at all hours. Winter’s coming and the road to town is going to get bad. Besides, we’ve got plenty of room. And,” he added, “you know there’s something else, as well. Since Buck quit, his house has just been standing empty.” Frank shrugged. “It’s behind the barn there and you could make it into your office. See your clients in there and be right on-site to help Gracie out with this new business you’re planning.”

  “That’s a great idea, Dad,” Emma said, and plucked Molly out of her high chair. Settling the baby on her hip, she looked at Gracie. “If you want, I’ll give you two my bedroom, it’s bigger.”

  “Seriously?” Gracie grinned at her sister.

  “It sounds perfect,” Madison said, looking at Gracie. “What do you think?”

  “I think I love you and how soon can we pull this off?”

  Madison laughed, jumped up and ran to the end of the table to hug Frank and kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Frank. This means so much.”

  Gracie was right behind her. “Thank you, Dad.”

  He patted both of them. “You girls are going to give me lots of fun and keep this old house from being too quiet. It’s a win-win for me.”

  “And me,” Gracie said, looking at Madison. Stepping right up to her, she cupped Madison’s face in her palms and kissed her with all the love she’d been hiding for too long.

  Seeing the two women share in the joy of loving each other only made Emma realize just how much Caden meant to her and just how much she’d lost.

  * * *

  Over the next few days, Emma concentrated on her new job. Though Caden was continually on her mind, she forced herself to focus on the kids. Teaching them reminded her of what she’d loved about acting. The purity of stepping into a new role, becoming someone else for a while and understanding what drove that character.

  And when she did that, she found herself imagining Caden and what was driving him. She knew that man better than anyone else in her life. They’d been together for years and always, until she left, they’d shared a view of what their lives would be like. Then when he began to talk about getting married, Emma had done a 180 on him.

  Even as much as she’d loved him, the thought of forever had scared the hell out of her. Especially when she’d never been outside Montana. Never tried to do anything with the dreams that danced at the edge of her mind. So she’d walked away from the man who meant everything.

  And when she did that, she’d destroyed something beautiful. Those years in California, Emma had been lonely and the longing for Caden was a physical ache that she carried with her every day. But now it was so much worse. She was home. She’d been with him again, reminded herself of what she’d once had and now she’d lost him again.

  But she wasn’t going to quit. She wouldn’t leave and give him the satisfaction of saying, See? I knew she wouldn’t stay. No. She’d be right here. Day in. Day out. Until he believed again. Trusted again. And if someone tried to take Molly from her, then she would run, straight to Caden, and ask him to stand with her. To fight with her.

  He’d called her hardheaded? Well, he had no idea just how stubborn she could be.

  * * *

  The email arrived first thing Saturday morning.

  When Emma saw the name of the sender, her heart gave a hard jolt. Mouth suddenly dry, palms damp, she clicked on it, read the two short sentences and knew she was in trouble.

  Arriving this afternoon at three o’clock to retrieve my daughter. Be there.

  Dorian Baxter

  “The bluff didn’t work,” she murmured and swallowed back a wave of nausea. She was scared, but not surprised. She’d known this would happen. Dorian Baxter wasn’t the kind of man to give up easily. With his money and power behind him, he steamrollered people who tried to stand against him.

  She glanced over at the baby, lying on a quilt in the great room, kicking both legs and waving her arms in a golden slice of sunlight as if she were a cheerleader. Molly was her daughter now and nothing was going to change that.

  “Don’t you worry, sweetie. I won’t let him have you. Ever.”

  “What happened?” Gracie came into the room, a worried frown carved into her features.

  “Molly’s father’s coming today to take her.”

  “Well, screw that,” Gracie blurted and Emma smiled, thankful for the support.

  “Screw what?” Madison came in behind her.

  Madison had moved most of her things into the house a few days ago. They were still working things out and settling in, but it was amazing how happy Gracie was now that she was f
ree to be in love.

  “That Hollywood bastard is coming to take Molly,” Gracie said, then turned to Emma. “I told her all about it.”

  “Well, he can’t have her,” Madison said, instantly going to the baby and scooping her up off the floor. Holding her close, she looked at Emma. “Right?”

  “Absolutely right,” she agreed. “But we need a plan.”

  “You’re not going to run, are you?” Gracie asked quietly.

  Emma looked at her sister. When would it stop? she wondered. When would the people she loved stop expecting her to leave? She hadn’t run away five years ago. She’d run to something. And a little more than a week ago, she’d done the same thing.

  She’d run to Montana. To home. To family. To Caden.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly, meeting Gracie’s eyes to drive home the message.

  “Of course she’s not leaving,” Madison said, gently swaying Molly from side to side. Looking at Emma, she asked, “What do we do?”

  Emma smiled at her and felt a rush of affection for the newest member of the family. She was turning into a great sister. “Thanks, Mad. What we’re going to do is fight back. I have to call Caden. Tell him what’s happening.”

  More nerves. She hadn’t spoken to him since that awful day in his stables. When he’d told her he couldn’t trust her. When he told her that what they had was over because he couldn’t risk a relationship with her again.

  But he’d also said that he would help her fight for Molly. Now, she told herself as she hit speed dial, she’d find out if he’d meant it or not.

  * * *

  At three o’clock on the nose, Dorian Baxter walked into Emma’s house. And it felt like storm clouds sailed in with him. Tall and handsome, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, and looked just what he was—rich, powerful, sure of himself.

  Caden wasn’t there. He’d told her he would be, but he hadn’t arrived yet. Emma was facing the man down, and her family was there to support her. Frank, Molly and Madison ranged themselves behind her in sort of a defensive line. Madison was holding Gracie and giving Dorian a look that should have set fire to his hair.

  “Is that her?” he asked abruptly.

  “You don’t know?” Emma countered, feeling her fury begin to rise to match the panic clawing at her insides. Molly’s black hair and blue eyes were so much like Dorian’s it’s a wonder he had to ask.

  He gave her a dismissive glance. “Why would I know? If that’s her, get her ready to go. I assume you have a car seat for her? I’ll need that for the drive to the airport.”

  “You can’t have her,” Frank said.

  One dark, expertly shaped eyebrow lifted. “And you are?”

  “Frank Williams. This is my place and that baby’s not going anywhere.”

  Dorian merely shifted his gaze back to Emma. “I don’t have time for this. You will hand over my daughter or I will have the sheriff out here to arrest you for kidnapping.”

  “Then that’s what you’ll have to do,” Emma said, and hoped she sounded braver than she felt at the moment. She didn’t want to go to jail. She didn’t have the money to fight Dorian in court. But there was simply not a chance in the world that she would give Molly to the man who had driven her mother to suicide.

  The great room was big, comfortable and right now had sunlight filtering through the big window. Dorian looked as out of place in her home as she had in Hollywood.

  Molly began to fuss as if she knew what was going on and Madison jiggled her to keep her quiet.

  Dorian never took his eyes off Emma. “If you don’t hand her over, I’ll tell the police you threatened me with untrue, salacious stories. Attempted extortion.”

  “You don’t want to do that,” Emma said. “If that got into the news—and it would—you’d have to spend all of your time defending your reputation.”

  “I can kill the story.”

  “Before it damages you?” Because she knew as well as he did that his name would still be splashed across websites and headlines across the country. Even if he could prove later that she had been bluffing, he would have been ruined.

  He shot his cuffs, tugged at his lapels and said, “Very well. We’ll try this another way.”

  Worry jittered through Emma and she wondered where the hell Caden was. Why wasn’t he here, standing beside her? Had he completely written her off now?

  “What is it?” she asked, not really interested in his plan, but she did need to stall, to give Caden more time to arrive.

  “All right. The truth is,” he acknowledged with a slight tip of his head, “there are rumors flying around Hollywood and I’ve received a tip from a reporter friend—”

  Translation, Emma thought, a reporter on his payroll...

  “There’s going to be a story coming out soon that the baby’s mother committed suicide and that someone is hiding the kid.”

  Emma’s stomach tightened.

  “So here’s my final offer,” Dorian said, ignoring everyone in the room but Emma. “I will put you in my next movie—a modern take on the classic Western—” He looked around and sniffed. “Seems you’d be uniquely qualified for the role. You would be the second lead. A jumping-off point for your career that most actresses would kill to be offered.”

  Emma took a breath and held it. “In exchange for?”

  He smiled and gave the impression of a snake, opening its mouth to envelop its prey. “You sign a paper saying that I’ve been paying you to care for the kid and that I visited and blah, blah, blah...” He paused for effect. “You do that, and you’re a star. Turn it down, and I’ll destroy you.”

  The whole house got quiet as if everyone in the room had taken a collective breath in anticipation of how Emma would handle this.

  But for Emma, she was suddenly calm. She was being offered everything she used to dream about—and she didn’t care. Whatever happened next, she knew Dorian had nothing she wanted. She wasn’t interested in Hollywood. Didn’t trust Dorian. And she wouldn’t let him anywhere near Molly.

  “No thanks,” she said.

  He shook his head as if he hadn’t heard her correctly. “I’m sorry?”

  “I said no,” she said firmly, so there’d be no mistake.

  “I’ll let you keep the kid,” he tossed in as an added temptation.

  “Why you—” Frank took a step toward him, but Emma held up one hand to keep her father back.

  “You don’t have anything I need or want,” Emma said. “I have everything, right here. This place holds my dreams. My home. My family. My daughter. Caden.”

  “Caden?” Dorian repeated. “Who the hell is that?”

  “I’m Caden,” he announced as he walked into the room. Tall, gorgeous, wearing black jeans and boots with a dark green shirt and his heavy brown jacket. He took off his hat as he marched across the floor and tossed it onto the nearest table.

  Emma’s heart leaped up into her throat and tears welled in her eyes. She shouldn’t have doubted him. Caden would always keep his word. He would always be there for her. When he walked up to her side and faced Dorian with her, Emma had never been happier.

  “Ah, the cowboy hero,” Dorian mused. “There’s nothing you can do here. I’ve come for the kid and since Emma here won’t make a deal, we’re done.”

  “Not quite,” Caden said, and reached into his jacket for a sheaf of papers. In an aside to Emma, he said, “Sorry I’m late. I had to go see Max first.”

  “What’s this about?” Dorian demanded.

  “This is about the investigators my attorney hired,” Caden told him. “Seems we found several women ready and willing to come forward and testify against you for assault and harassment. And guess what? One of those women was underage when you went after her. In California, that’s statutory rape.”

  “You rotten no good—” Fran
k muttered it, but Gracie gave him an elbow nudge to quiet him.

  “You’re bluffing again,” Dorian said, but he looked a bit less confident than he had a few minutes ago.

  “Read it for yourself,” Caden said and handed over the papers.

  Emma looked up at him and Caden nodded, dropping one arm around her shoulder in support. She drew on his strength, curbed her curiosity and waited. For the first time since opening that email a few hours ago, she felt...hopeful.

  Dorian scanned them, one after the other and Emma watched him pale. Lifting his gaze to Caden, ignoring Emma completely, he said only, “What do you want?”

  Caden dipped into his pocket again and drew out a single sheet of paper. “I want you to sign this.”

  Eyes narrowed suspiciously, he demanded, “What is it?”

  “Simple.” Caden’s lake-blue eyes were winter cold as he stared at the man. “You sign away all interest in the baby, releasing her to be adopted by Emma...or I give these statements to the press and you can kiss your freedom and your lifestyle goodbye.”

  Clearly furious, Dorian folded up the statements and tucked them into his suit jacket. Then he snatched the single sheet of paper from Caden, took a pen from his pocket and leaned over a table, scrawling his name across the bottom. When he was finished, he threw the paper back at Caden. “There. Our business is done?”

  “Yes,” Emma said, forcing him to look at her. To recognize her. “We’re finished. You can leave, Mr. Baxter.”

  “With pleasure.” He turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

  “Well, now,” Frank said with admiration as he grinned at Caden. “I have an urge to open some windows and let the stink out. But that was the smoothest thing I’ve seen in years.”

  Caden smiled back. “I get the feeling that man’s not used to losing. But he’ll have to adapt soon enough.”

  “What? Why?” Emma asked. “He signed, it’s over. But, Caden, would you really have released those statements?”