The Cowgirl's Forever Family

by Helen Lacey

  Tyler shrugged lightly. “I’m not privy to what went on in their relationship. He was gone by then and Yelena was alone. I do know that Yelena wanted the child and planned to care for the baby herself.”

  Brooke Laughton was quiet for a moment, looking at him and then the sleeping child. “And where is Yelena now?”

  “She passed away four months ago,” Tyler explained. “She had kidney failure brought upon by diabetes that she’d suffered with all her life. She was scheduled for a transplant but wouldn’t accept treatment or surgery once she knew she was pregnant.”

  He watched as she swallowed hard and he saw a shadow of sadness in her expression. “And so where do you fit into this little story?”

  “I’m her grandfather’s lawyer. And friend,” he added quietly. “I’ve known Ralph Jürgens for eighteen years. Ralph is Yelena’s grandfather and her only relative. Her parents were killed many years ago and Ralph raised her.”

  “That’s so sad. But...this baby...are you sure she’s my brother’s—”

  “Positive,” he said, cutting her off. He withdrew an envelope from the pocket inside his jacket and passed it to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked and opened the letter.

  “Cara’s birth certificate,” he explained. “As you can see, your brother is named as the child’s father.”

  “But that could just be—”

  “I met your brother several times when he was involved with Yelena,” he said, cutting through her protest. “And they certainly appeared to have had an intimate relationship.”

  She looked shocked. Disbelieving. Cynical. “If Matt knew about the baby he—”

  “But he didn’t,” Tyler interrupted. “As I explained, Yelena discovered she was pregnant after your brother left New York. It was only at the end of her illness that she instructed me to find him and tell him he was Cara’s father. Paternity can certainly be confirmed with DNA testing if needed.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “You said she died four months ago.”

  “Yes,” he replied. “When Cara was nearly eight months old.”

  “And it’s taken you that long to track Matt to here?”

  Tyler half shrugged. “Not exactly. When Yelena died her grandfather asked me to hold off contacting your brother. Ralph had hoped he would be able to take on the responsibility himself.”

  “But?”

  “He’s eighty-five and knows he hasn’t got too many years left,” Tyler said flatly, ignoring the way the words echoed deep down in his chest. “He’s too old and frail to care for Cara himself.”

  “And there are no other relatives?” she asked, now perched on the edge of the seat.

  “No. Just your brother,” he replied.

  She gasped a little, like she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs. He watched her, intrigued by the resolve she was showing. Brooke Laughton had gumption and backbone—that was clear. And strength. Something he knew Matt Laughton was severely lacking. But despite her grandfather’s protests, Yelena had insisted Matthew be told about the baby.

  “Can I...can I see her?” she asked with uncertainty.

  “Of course,” he said and stood.

  He got up, took a couple of steps and gently flipped back the blanket covering the baby. Cara stirred a little, but then relaxed and moved her tiny mouth in the way he’d become so accustomed to. Over the past few months Ralph had employed one nanny after the other and when that hadn’t worked, Tyler had taken over and hired the drill sergeant. But he made sure he saw Cara every day, just to ensure she was being cared for correctly.

  “She’s so beautiful,” Brooke Laughton said with a sigh.

  Yeah...women and babies...it never failed to be one of the wonders of the world.

  He knew she was thirty-two, never married and without children. She looked very much like an independent, spirited woman who could look after herself. And yet, there was a softness in her expression as she gazed upon her sleeping niece.

  “Yes, she is,” Tyler said quietly. “Like all babies, I imagine.”

  She glanced at him. “Do you have any?”

  “Kids?” He shook his head. “No.”

  “Me, either,” she said softly. “Is she okay... I mean, healthy?”

  “Perfectly,” he replied. “She eats well and is generally a happy baby.”

  Her brows rose. “You’ve spent a lot of time with her?”

  “Since Yelena died? Yes, I have. I had a nanny looking after her at the Jürgenses’ Manhattan apartment but I have tried to see her every day. Ralph is old and not in good health, as I said.”

  “Does he agree with your decision to bring her here?”

  “He does now,” Tyler replied. “Yelena wanted her daughter to be raised by family. And that family is now your brother.”

  * * *

  And me...

  Brooke’s heart was pounding so hard she was sure the man beside her could hear it.

  Cara’s peaceful expression tugged at her, deep down. Her niece. Her family. It seemed like someone had just handed her the moon.

  And that someone took the shape of the tall and handsome man now standing barely a foot away from her. He had green eyes, she noticed. And his hair was like the color of Beechwood honey. He had the kind of broad-shouldered, long-limbed build that had always attracted her. Still, he was a bit of a pretty boy. There was nothing weathered about his face. Nothing other than perfect symmetry and a strong jawline.

  She looked at the baby again and something uncurled inside Brooke, a kind of deep yearning that took root way down in her womb. “How old is she?”

  “Eleven months and three weeks,” he replied. “She’ll turn one at the end of next week. She was born on Christmas day.”

  What a wonderful gift, Brooke thought. “Is she walking?”

  “Wobbling,” he said, grinning fractionally, and a dimple appeared in his cheek.

  Damn...she’d always been a sucker for dimples. “She looks so peaceful,” she said, quickly ignoring him, his green eyes and his dimples.

  “Say that when she wakes you up at five in the morning.”

  She sat on the coffee table and took a deep breath. Cara’s hands rested against the edge of the blanket and Brooke reached out to stroke her thumb. The baby moved and then sighed and her fingers softly curled around Brooke’s. A feeling unlike any she’d known before uncurled in her chest. This child was her blood. And in that moment she knew she would do whatever she had to, to make sure Cara was raised on the ranch that had been in the Laughton family for five generations.

  Which meant she had to contact her brother. And fast.

  “Thank you for bringing her here, Mr. Madden. Cara will be well cared for, I assure you.”

  “It’s my job to see that she is,” he said quietly and took a seat beside the sleeping child.

  Brooke realized that their knees were almost touching. She also realized it was the closest she’d been to a man for over two years. Since Doyle had left. Or since he’d traded her for a woman who could give him what she couldn’t. She pushed past the sudden surge of emptiness in her heart. For the moment she had only one priority, and that was her niece.

  “Where is he?”

  Brooke lifted her gaze and met Tyler Madden’s inquiring stare. “Matt?” She shook her head. “I told you, I don’t know where he is.”

  “So, you’ve had no contact with him for five years?”

  “I didn’t say that,” she replied. “I haven’t seen him for five years. But he sends me a message each week.”

  “In what form?” he asked, his gaze narrowing. “Email? Smoke signal?”

  He really was a lawyer, she thought irritably. He was as condescending as they came. Brooke got to her feet and moved back to the chair. “Text message.”

 
“You have his phone number?”

  “I have a number,” she said. “Whenever I’ve tried to call, it always goes to a voice mail. I’m sure it’s just a burner cell he keeps to let me know he’s okay.”

  “Can you call the number now?”

  “And say what?” She shot back. “‘Hey, Matt, you’d better get your butt back home pronto because you’re a daddy’?”

  “That should do it.”

  Brooke’s patience frayed. “Look, Mr. Madden, I know you—”

  “Tyler.”

  “What?”

  “That’s my name.”

  Brooke glared at him. He really was annoying. “I think we should keep this professional.”

  He laughed softly. “You’re not my client, Brooke,” he said and tucked the blanket back around the baby. “Neither is your brother. Ralph Jürgens is my client, and Cara’s welfare is my priority. So, now we have that settled, I would appreciate it if you would make the call to Matthew.”

  Brooke got to her feet. There was no point being stubborn and antagonizing him. “Okay. I’ll make a call.”

  She left the room and got to the kitchen in double quick time. Then she came to an abrupt halt and gripped the back of a chair for support. There was a man and a baby in her house! It was enough to make her hyperventilate. Brooke grabbed her phone off the big scrubbed table and flicked through to her messages. Matt had left his last message four days ago.

  Hi. All good here. Speak soon. M

  It was as vague as any he’d sent over the years. Brooke dialed the number and waited for the familiar peal of an unanswered call. She left a message asking him to call her back, and then tucked the phone into her pocket and walked back into the living room. And stopped in her tracks.

  Tyler Madden was sitting on the sofa and Cara was cradled in his arms. Brooke swallowed hard. Her belly and her heart were foolishly doing somersaults. This man was a stranger. And worse...a lawyer. He had a job to do, that’s all. Thinking he looked too sexy for words was just plain old stupid. And she wasn’t a stupid woman. She’d stopped being stupid the day her ex had sprinted out the door.

  “You look like you’ve had practice doing that,” she said and stepped into the room.

  He met her gaze. “I’ve had some experience. She was restless for a moment.”

  Brooke came around the sofa. “Do you come from a big family?”

  He ignored her question. “Did you reach your brother?”

  “I left a message asking him to call me. I’ll try again in the morning.”

  “Thank you,” he said and stood, holding the baby close to his chest. “I should get going. I’ll call you tomorrow to find out if your brother has contacted you.”

  “Where are you staying tonight?”

  “I have a room at a place called O’Sullivans.”

  She nodded as a kind of unease settled in her belly. “It’s the big hotel in town. It’s nice... I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there. Are you...”

  His green-eyed gaze narrowed. “Am I, what?”

  Brooke straightened her shoulders. “Are you taking Cara with you?”

  “Of course,” he replied and took a step away from the sofa. “I’m her legal guardian.”

  Brooke’s unease slowly turned into a rising panic. Her guardian? Which meant he was calling all the shots. “So, that means you get to decide what happens to her.”

  “It means I get to decide if your brother is a fit and able parent...assuming he returns your call, gets himself back to Cedar River and actually wants to be Cara’s father.”

  Her stomach sank. Oh, Matt...please call back.

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  Tyler Madden glanced down at the baby before he returned to her unsteady gaze. “Then it is my responsibility to find Cara a suitable home.”

  “A suitable home?” Brooke echoed, her apprehension growing. “What does that mean?”

  “What does it usually mean?” he said. “A home. A family.”

  “You mean, she’ll be adopted?”

  “Exactly.”

  His reply made her blood run cold. Adopted out to strangers? “She’s my brother’s child and therefore my family and I have a right to—”

  “This isn’t about your rights,” he said quietly. “This is about doing what is best for Cara. Hopefully, and in accordance to Yelena’s wishes, that is your brother. You need to understand that Ralph has reservations about Matt being a fit parent for Cara. But, he’s willing to do what Yelena wanted if your brother can prove that he is willing to be a father. If he’s not, or if he’s unable to be found, then I’ll consider other options.”

  Other options? That’s here, where she belongs...

  But Brooke held her tongue. First, she had to get her brother back to Cedar River. Which wasn’t going to be easy. Second, she had to convince Matt that he had to act like a responsible adult and be a parent to the child he’d fathered. That wasn’t going to be easy, either. Matt had been on the run for five years. Since the accident that had killed their parents. He still blamed himself, even though another driver was at fault. Nothing she said eased his grief, his guilt or managed to convince him it was time to come home. But maybe this would, she thought as she gazed at the sleeping child. All she had to do was convince Tyler Madden to give her some time.

  Which meant being friendly. Or at least civil.

  “I understand you have a job to do and I appreciate that Cara’s welfare is important to you, but please understand that as her aunt and her family, it’s important to me, too. Even if I didn’t know she existed until about half an hour ago, I’m trying to get past the shock and concentrate on doing what’s best for her.”

  He stood rigid, looking unmoved by her impassioned speech. She wouldn’t have expected anything else. He was a lawyer doing his job. He had no emotional investment, only duty. She knew enough about lawyers to recognize one that was as cold as a fish.

  “Get in contact with your brother,” he said and pulled his car keys from his pocket. “And we’ll see what happens from there.”

  Brooke was tempted to snatch the baby from his arms, but quickly ditched that idea. He was big and strong and, despite the civilized suit and tie, she suspected he could handle himself in the courtroom, the bedroom or a street brawl if he needed to, let alone in a tussle with a woman who was barely five feet five inches tall.

  She fingered the business card in her hand. “I’ll contact you as soon as I hear from Matt.”

  He nodded. “Thank you. Good night.”

  Brooke followed him down the hall and watched as he walked through the front door and then down the steps. The dogs sat at heel by the door and she waited while he secured the baby into the backseat of his sedan and drove off, staring at the disappearing taillights. Once she saw the car turn off on the main road Brooke shut the door, took a long breath and pulled the cell phone from her pocket. She dialed Matt’s number again and left another message—this one more urgent than the last.

  He had to come home. And until he did, Brooke would do whatever she could to ensure Cara stayed in town. Which meant she’d play whatever game Tyler Madden had planned.

  For now.

  Chapter Two

  A distraction. That’s what she was. That’s all she was. And Tyler didn’t want or need any distractions. But damn if he didn’t spend the night dreaming about indigo eyes and freckles.

  He was in Cedar River for business—that was all. He had a job to do and a child to care for...so dreaming about Brooke Laughton was off-limits.

  The O’Sullivan’s hotel was surprisingly well-appointed and much more opulent than he’d expected. The night duty manager had quickly sourced a crib for the baby, so Tyler didn’t have to lug out the portable one he’d stashed in the trunk of the rental car, which was great since
the weather had turned worse and the snow was coming down heavier. He didn’t sleep much but was pleased that Cara had slept soundly and awoke in a happy mood. He bathed and changed her and ordered coffee from room service. Once she’d eaten some cereal and had a bottle he placed her back in the crib and took a shower. When he was done he changed into dark chinos and a blue shirt and opened up his laptop.

  He’d taken a couple of weeks’ leave from Wall, Hardin & Steele, but he still had two open cases that needed his attention. He’d been with the firm for five years and was up for partner in the next six months. It’s what he wanted. What he’d worked for.

  Phil Hardin hadn’t been happy that he had asked for time off to sort out Cara’s situation, but Tyler had insisted. He owed Ralph Jürgens his time and attention.

  What I want...what I’ve worked for.

  He had to keep remembering that. Nothing was going to distract him.

  It was just after ten when the room phone rang. He snatched it up and the clerk at reception informed him that he had a visitor. His stomach immediately tied itself in knots.

  Indigo eyes...

  He cursed to himself for thinking like a fool but when he opened the door to her a few minutes later, his awareness level almost shot into the red zone. She looked incredible in a bright green, long-sleeved collared T-shirt tucked into the waistband, a sheepskin vest, a wide leather belt and cowboy boots. Well-worn jeans that accentuated her long legs clung to the curves of her hips, and her golden hair hung down over her shoulders. No makeup—just the healthy glow of someone who worked outdoors.

  Damn...she stirred him. More than he’d been stirred in a long time. Since...forever.

  “Hi,” she said, kind of breathlessly.

  “Hi, yourself.”

  “I was in town,” she explained quickly. “Getting horse feed and some fencing gear. So I thought I’d drop by and see Cara. Is that okay?”

  Tyler shrugged one shoulder. “Sure. Come on in.”

  She walked into the room and the scent of her perfume fluttered through the air. Or maybe it was simply her shampoo. She didn’t strike him as a woman who spent time preening and powdering. There was something effortlessly earthy and natural about her and it had an unexpected effect on him. He knew prettier women. Dated and slept with them whenever the mood took him. But he always kept it casual. No commitment, no deep feelings. Sex and company. That was his mantra. Once the need started he bailed. Because of that he generally dated a certain kind of woman—someone with the same outlook he had. Someone who lived to work and didn’t expect too much of his time and attention. It was superficial, shallow and exactly what he wanted. Exactly what suited him. One day, he figured he’d settle down. He wanted a family of his own at some point. He’d find the right woman and get married and have a couple of kids with someone who understood him. And small town girls with big eyes, sweet smiles and freckles were not part of that agenda.