Dalton Boys Box Set Books 1-5 (The Dalton Boys)

by Em Petrova

  “Your son. Your child,” he spat. “Did you make him yourself? Because I remember having a hand—and other body parts—in that.”

  Heat sidled into her lower belly. She hated the sensation and welcomed it at the same time. It had been so long and…dammit, she still loved this intolerable cowboy.

  Each time she looked at Owen, she saw Beck. She knew eventually the babyish curves of Owen’s face would be replaced by that sharp, chiseled jaw and carved cheekbones.

  “No, you were definitely there,” she whispered.

  “And now you’re here and you’re going to answer every question I throw at you. I deserve that much, don’t you think?”

  She gulped and finally nodded. “Yes.”

  “Your pregnancy…all normal? Were you sick? Bedridden at all?”

  “No. I worked through it, teaching third grade.”

  He gave a nod and moved to the next question. “Did you find out his sex or was it a surprise?”

  She met his gaze. The hurt there ripped her last thread of control away and guilt flooded in. Had she really been wrong about Beck? The man before her would have stepped up, but he was somehow different now.

  The old Beck would have tried to make jokes and downplay the seriousness of the situation. This Beck…he was as serious as a heart attack.

  “I knew he was a boy,” she said at last. “I thought it best for planning. I didn’t have much money to spend and...”

  He ripped his hat off and shoved his fingers through his hair. Then he stomped ten steps away. “Dammit,” she heard him mutter.

  For the first time, she wondered if he would have liked to know the sex or be surprised. Asking right now seemed like a very bad idea, though. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

  “How did you go into labor? I mean, were you at work? Home?”

  At him wanting to know, her heart gave a tiny, happy squeeze. “Home.” She laughed at the memory. “I’d just gotten out of the shower when my water broke.”

  “How’d you get to the hospital?” His dark brows were storm clouds hovering over his narrowed eyes.

  “There wasn’t another man, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  He pushed out a breath. “So you drove yourself?”

  “A nice neighbor took me.”

  “How long were you in labor?”

  “Nineteen hours.”

  “Nineteen…Jesus.” He sat abruptly on a hay bale, leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. The despondent pose shouldn’t make her pulse race, but it did. Beck Dalton was a gorgeous man.

  She crossed the barn to stand before him. “I had an epidural. I’d wanted to go natural and had taken all the classes, but in the end, I was a wimp.”

  He shook his head, his hands rasping against his unshaven jaw. The noise raised goosebumps all over her body. “Not a wimp. You did what was best for you.”

  She blinked. “Yes, I did. Every step of the way.”

  When he raised his gaze, his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I really was an ass, but I still should have been there. I would have supported you through everything, Sabrina.”

  They stared at each other while dust motes swirled hectically in the air currents moving through the barn.

  “I wasn’t there, but I am now. And you’re going to let me do this. My way.”

  There didn’t seem to be any use in arguing with him. He was like hundred-year-old oak with roots delving into the molten core of the earth. Besides, all the fight was gone from her.

  Chapter Three

  The air was as thick as Momma’s famous homemade chocolate pudding. No breeze cut across Paradise Valley, and Beck felt as though he were choking to death.

  He ripped off his shirt and hooked it on the saddle horn. Then he dug in his back pocket for his handkerchief. With jerky movements he knotted it around his throat to catch some of the sweat pouring off him.

  His brothers were in similar states. Right before a huge storm, the weather got unbearable like this. Hank and Cash were up ahead, herding cattle back toward the rest of the brothers. Manny and Pa stood ready with all the equipment needed to check each cow.

  The hoof rot was bad this year. After all the rain they’d had, it was no wonder. Beck hadn’t seen such a thing in Dalton cattle since he was a young’un. Too young to really understand that sick cows meant a failing ranch.

  Now he took it seriously. And as of this morning, they had two more mouths to feed.

  “Get control of your horse, Beck,” Kade snapped.

  “I got him. You know this one’s frisky.”

  “Like his rider, seems to me.”

  Beck’s head snapped up. “What’s that mean?”

  Kade spat a sunflower seed he’d been chomping and drawled, “How many kids you got out there, brother?”

  “You son of a—”

  “Enough,” Pa barked. “Kade, leave him alone. Beck, get your head in the game. We’ve got a hundred thousand pounds of cattle bearing down on us. We need everyone.”

  Beck huffed but his father was right. Errors could result in injury or even death. A mishandled cow could wheel around and crush a man. Tensing his lips into a line, he focused on his job.

  Beck and Cash drove the first few into the fencing. Witt and Kade were busy roping. Beck paced his horse along the group to keep them corralled and calm. He flexed his hands around the reins. All eight knuckles were sore or split.

  After his talk with Sabrina, he’d done what any man in his situation would do—he took up the grain sack and punched it until his hands were too sore to go on. His whole world was tilted on its axis, and it would take some sorting out. But he wasn’t angry to discover he had a son. No, that was the only good thing.

  He was irate with Sabrina—and himself. He’d really fucked up with her. Until the moment he’d set eyes on her again, he hadn’t realized just what he’d lost. He might have been too young and stupid a year and a half ago. But now…he saw the sweet curve of her lips and the softness in her eyes.

  For him.

  She looked at him the same way. That woman worked under his skin. Being around her again felt like lying nekkid in a hay pile. He’d taken for granted that she’d keep him informed about the broken condom. How wrong he’d been.

  When he thought of her going through the pregnancy, labor and delivery without him, he wanted to rush headlong into the cows and let them trample him. He needed to punish himself somehow. Then throttle her.

  “Fuck,” he muttered.

  His horse was getting used to his bad language. He’d used it often enough in the past three hours.

  Manny and Pa were busy checking the animals his brothers had roped. Hooves, ears, eyes. Manny injected several with antibiotics.

  The first splash of rain struck Beck’s hat and bounced onto his forearm. He tipped his head up just as the clouds opened up.

  “Dammit. I hate being soaked and chafed,” Kade said.

  That’s how Beck had been feeling since Sabrina had driven back into his life. A downpour of revelations had him chafing pretty badly.

  But he couldn’t deny the pride swelling him. He had a son. When he thought about Owen, he wanted to thump his chest and roar to the sky. As soon as possible, he was giving the boy the Dalton last name. It wasn’t right he was a Myers.

  More cows were tended. One escaped, and Beck chased it down, lassoed it and led it back to the herd. All the time his mind was on the two newcomers to the ranch.

  Leaving the house, he’d seen the women surround Sabrina and Owen. Between his sisters-in-law and his momma, she’d be welcomed in a big way. Why hadn’t he ever brought her home to meet his family? He’d been a real dick, but thoughts of a lasting relationship with her had been far away. They were in lust, pure and simple.

  He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her. She had an athletic look similar to his brother’s wife. She wouldn’t blow away in a breeze and had hips a man could really grab. And damn, he wanted to grab them bad.

&nb
sp; What was Beck going to do with her? She couldn’t live here. Basically because he couldn’t guarantee another Dalton baby wouldn’t come of it. She was still too sexy for the bounds of his self-control.

  But if she took Owen away from him again, he couldn’t be responsible for his actions. That boy needed to be raised here in Paradise Valley, among other Daltons.

  The rain increased until water streamed off his bare torso. It felt good but didn’t begin to cool the fires of his blood. With Sabrina so close, he’d almost succumbed to his desires already and kissed her. And she wanted him too. Her parted lips and hardened nipples were evidence that she wasn’t immune to him either.

  This was going to be one hell of a challenge. He had to find a way to keep her near and help her while resisting the urge to make her scream his name in ecstasy.

  He swiped a hand over his face, slicking away water. Hank and Cash were scattering the healthy cows in the pasture. For a split second, Beck pictured what they had as his own future. Coming out of the fields to a pretty little wife and kids.

  Beck had no idea how to make this custody thing work with Owen’s mother and the idea of finding someone to spend his life with couldn’t be further from his mind.

  Hell.

  “Look alive, Beck,” Kade called.

  He wheeled around to see a cow doing a bucking dance across the field. He dug his heels into his horse’s sides and shot toward the animal. Rain splattered his face and he could finally draw a full breath. Whatever came with Sabrina and his son, he’d deal with it. After all, he had plenty of rope.

  * * * * *

  What had Beck told his family about her, if anything? Sabrina bounced Owen on her knee and his teething keys rattled. Another baby crowed, and Owen wiggled to be set down.

  The Dalton women were all gathered in the big family room. Mothers and babies sat on the carpet and Mrs. Dalton was in her recliner, grinning like a cat with a pail of cream. It was impossible for Sabrina not to feel true joy that she’d given the woman another grandson. But neither she nor Beck had talked to his mother about the situation, and she didn’t know how to open the floor.

  “This tea’s a little sweeter than I like.” The woman with warm brown skin and glossy black hair set aside the glass with a smile. “We use honey to sweeten things in my homeland.”

  “I couldn’t get used to tea without lots of sugar,” Charlotte said. She had brown curly hair so much like Sabrina’s, it was a little unnerving. Either the Dalton boys had similar taste in women or Beck had some strange fantasies.

  “Owen is so adorable. How did you come up with the name? Is it a family name?” Mrs. Dalton looked eager to hear the details.

  “Uh, no. I just liked the name.”

  “I thought it might be your father’s name.”

  “No, no. His name is Alex. We aren’t close.”

  “Oh.”

  Sabrina looked at the faces surrounding her, gathering the courage to spill the story. She and Beck had sorted through the bulk of it—if arguing in a barn equaled discussion. Beck was off in the field with his menfolk, probably talking about it right now. That left Sabrina to handle the women.

  “Beck and I dated for a short time while I was at the Vixen school.”

  The ladies all focused on her. The woman named Shelby rubbed her stomach, which was just starting to round with child. Sabrina couldn’t remember which Dalton man her husband was, though.

  She shook herself and continued. “We broke up rather…abruptly. I didn’t know I was pregnant.”

  Several lips pursed as if the ladies were biting back their words. Whether accusatory or sympathetic, Sabrina couldn’t hear them. She rushed through the rest of her story.

  “I went away, got a teaching position and had Owen. But I lost my job and couldn’t find work that paid enough. I felt too terrible accepting welfare and that’s why I came to Beck.”

  “He’s the father,” Mrs. Dalton said, not unkindly.

  “It’s evident by the look of Owen.” Charlotte picked up her little boy, who was older than Owen by about a year, and plopped him beside his cousin. Someone laughed at the uncanny resemblance.

  “They could be brothers,” Sabrina murmured.

  “Dalton men have strong genes,” the dark-haired woman said.

  Shelby waggled her brows and patted her stomach. “And strong needs.”

  Everyone burst into laughter and Mrs. Dalton pulled her apron up over her face, hiding her blush. But the tips of her ears gave it away.

  Owen flapped his arms and gave a chortle of his own. The baby beside him tweaked Owen’s nose. Pretty soon the pair was babbling to each other and Owen shared his spit-covered teething keys.

  Sabrina released a long, stress-relieving sigh. She’d told her story—the important parts—and nobody had attacked her. And they obviously accepted Owen as one of their own.

  It saddened her a little to think of the boy coming here for holidays and gatherings that she wouldn’t belong to. Sharing him with Beck was going to be the biggest adjustment.

  She sucked in a sharp breath. Oh God. Had she become her parents? Neither of them had wanted to share her, resulting in a tug of war she’d despised her entire life. Inadvertently, had she started the same life for her little boy?

  Heavy clomps of boots sounded, and the women all exchanged a look. “Rain’s driven them inside. I guess we’d better start baking,” Mrs. Dalton said and heaved herself from her recliner.

  Sabrina looked up and froze at the sight. Seven strong, very wet men stood in the doorway. The younger crew was shirtless, including Beck.

  Their gazes locked and heated to a boil in 2.3 seconds. Her heart took off and she was helpless against her body’s reaction.

  She still wanted him. Who wouldn’t? He was a god of a man, built to perfection with smoldering eyes, and they shared a child. At one time they’d given their bodies wholeheartedly.

  The dark-haired woman was passing out towels. She handed one to Beck, and he shot her a smile. “Thank ya, Maya.”

  A dark serpent slithered through Sabrina’s chest. Seeing her man smile for another woman, even if it was his sister-in-law—

  What am I thinking? He’s not my man. He’s…just Owen’s father.

  But he wasn’t looking at Sabrina as if he were nothing to her. He rubbed the towel over his golden-tan muscles with maddening slowness, holding her gaze the whole time. Finally he dipped his head, removed his hat and started toweling his hair. It was wet at the back, the strands darker and curling.

  Her heart hitched.

  Then he slung the towel around his neck and came forward, wet jeans, muddy boots and all.

  “Your momma must be a very tolerant woman. Allowing you on the carpet with muddy boots?”

  “She’ll holler at me, and I’ll take them off in a minute. I just wanted to say hi to this little guy.” His face creased in a grin as he squatted and looked into his son’s face.

  Owen grunted and offered him the keys. Beck took them, unfazed by the drool. He brought them within a few inches of his mouth and pretended to chew them. Owen squealed in delight, and Sabrina couldn’t help it—she laughed.

  Beck’s gaze flashed to her, the smile wiped off his face.

  “What?” she asked, nervous.

  “I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a long time. I…” His throat worked and his jaw ticked. “It’s nice, Sabrina. I always loved your laugh.”

  She gaped at him. Had he liked her laugh? He’d never said anything like that to her. And she’d remember. At one time she’d hung the moon and stars on his words.

  Her throat was tight.

  He plopped down cross-legged and hauled Owen onto his lower legs that were mostly dry. She watched father and son exchange gibberish as well as a set of saliva-covered plastic keys.

  Beck shifted his attention from Owen to her. When he settled a hand on her thigh, she gave a start. Electric heat shot up her leg straight to her pussy.

  That’s how I got in trouble last ti
me. I can’t react this way to him.

  It was impossible to shut down her body, though. It had a control center of its own, and it seemed to be ruled by Beck Dalton. It was bad enough he was a glorious cowboy. Did he have to be a better dad than she’d ever dreamed possible?

  Chapter Four

  “Let’s talk.” Beck took Sabrina’s hand and lifted her from the chair. Nearby, Owen slept in a playpen, exhausted from hanging with his cousins and experiencing his first little bites of fresh sugar cookie, which Beck had slipped him, much to Sabrina’s dismay.

  Her hand shook in his grasp as he led her outside. The rain hadn’t stopped and he’d done evening chores in mud up to his ankles. But coming inside to see Sabrina’s lovely face had made it better somehow.

  It shouldn’t. He couldn’t keep her.

  The porch swing hung in the darkness, and he settled on it, patting the seat beside him. She tried to put space between them.

  “The swing’s not all that big.”

  “And you take up a lot of space,” she said.

  He laughed and set the swing in motion with his heel against the floorboards. They swayed for several minutes in silence. Rain pattered.

  “How was your first day on the ranch?” he asked at last.

  She twisted her fingers in her lap. “Ohhh…it was different.”

  “Different how?”

  “From what I know. Your family is so big and they truly get along and love each other.”

  He studied her profile in the dim lighting coming through the living room window. “It’s something you didn’t have. You never could have understood this is what Owen would know.”

  She shook her head and made a sniffling noise. Was she crying? “I had no idea. Beck, I’m sorry for keeping him away. I see now how wrong it was. You clearly have accepted him already.”

  “Honey bun, the minute I looked at him, I fell in love with him. And it’s…the most insane, scary and amazing feeling I’ve ever had.”

  She made a choking sound, and he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping an arm around her and bringing her head to his shoulder. They swayed.

  “Thank you, Beck,” she said quietly.