Cassidy, Carla - Midnight Wishes
Page 1
Midnight Wishes
by
Carla Cassidy
Take three sisters, a failing ranch, a bevy of bad guys and three
strong, handsome heroes and you have the ingredients for CHEYENNE
NIGHTS, my new series for Silhouette Intrigue.
Ranch life in Wyoming takes a special breed of woman. The Connor
Sisters are that unique breed. They derive strength from-and share a
bond with--each other and their land. The only thing missing in each
of their lives is love.
Developing three very special men for the Connor sisters was pure joy.
They possess all the qualities I hope the readers Will love. I know I
adore them.
I hope you enjoy the stories of these strong women as they fight for
their home, encounter danger and discover the men who will bring them
passion and love on those
CHEYENNE NIGHTS.
Happy reading,
DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?
If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it was
reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer. Neither the author nor
the publisher has received any payment for this book.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the
imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone
bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired
by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents
are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in
part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with
Harlequin Enterprises H B. V. The text of this publication or any part
thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the
written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of
trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated
without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or
cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar
condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent
purchaser.
Silhouette and Colophon are registered trademarks of Harlequin Books
S4. " used under licence.
First published in Great Britain 1997
Silhouette Books, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond
, Surrey
TW9
ISR
Carla Bracale 1997
ISBN 0 373 22415 X
46- 9711
Printed and hound in Great Britain by Mackays of Chatham PLC, Chatham
=1
Prologue
Abby stood beneath the tree, waiting for her sisters to join her. She'd
given them the secret code at dinner, knowing by whispering the words
"dragon tree," they would understand it was time for a late night
meeting.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves of the ancient oak tree, shining
silvery shards of light onto the sweet, dew-kissed grass. For as long
as Abby could remember, the tree had been referred to as the dragon
tree. Their mother had told Abby and her younger sisters that the tree
had been struck by lightning dozens of times, resulting in blackened,
twisted branches and dense foliage that through the spring and summer
grew in the shape of a dragon. In the autumn, the magnificent beast
appeared to shed fire-colored scales.
Rather than be frightened, the three girls had embraced the tree,
fitting it into their childhood fantasies of princes and castles, of
princesses and love.
Abby checked her wristwatch, wondering what was keeping her sisters.
Normally whenever the code was given by any one of them, they met at
the tree at eleven. It was a few minutes after that now and there was
no sign of either Colette or Belinda.
Abby thought about sitting down to wait, but was too wound up and
instead paced back and forth beneath the tree. A horse neighed softly
from the corral, and a cow lowed mournfully from the pasture. To Abby
the sounds were as familiar as her father's voice, as sweet as the
lullaby her mother used to sing to her as a child. She loved the ranch
with a fierceness, just as she loved her sisters.
She turned and looked toward the house, seeing Colette and Belinda
running up the hill toward where Abby awaited. Her heart expanded. At
twelve, Colette was built like a newborn colt, all arms and legs and
breathless impatience. Thirteen-year-old Belinda was quieter, the most
genfie of the three.
"What's going on?" Colette asked as she leaned against the trunk of
the tree.
"Yeah, Abby. What's going on? Why'd you call us here?" Belinda
asked.
Fifteen-year-old Abby sat and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I
found some papers today in Mom's dresser drawer."
"What kind of papers?" Belinda asked.
Abby looked first at Belinda, then at Colette. She'd wrestled all
afternoon trying to decide if she should tell her sisters what she'd
found. She'd finally decided they had a right to know. "Adoption
papers."
For a moment silence expanded in the air as both her sisters stared at
her. "Adoption papers?" Belinda finally broke the silence. "Adoption
papers for who."
"
"I didn't look. I was looking for Mom's yellow scarf and saw an
envelope in her drawer. It was just a manila envelope and written on
it was 'adoption papers." I saw it, then heard More coming down the
hall so I didn't get a chance to open it. I went back in later to
look, but the papers weren't there anymore. '
Belinda frowned. "But ... but that means one of us must be..."
"No." The word exploded from Colette. "No, I don't want to hear about
it, I don't even want to think about it." She leaned forward and
reached for Abby's hand, then grabbed Belinda's. "We're sisters. The
three of us--and no stupid papers will ever change that."
Abby hadn't realized until that moment there had been a hard ball of
fear in her chest. At Colette's words, the ball seeped away and relief
flooded her. She'd been afraid, so afraid that they wouldn't feel as
strong, as loyal as she did. "Belinda? Do you feel the same way about
it?" Abby asked.
Belinda squeezed both her sisters' hands. "Of course. I don't ever
want to know which one of us might be in that folder."
Abby withdrew her hands and reached into her pocket. "I was hoping you
guys would say that." She pulled out a large safety pin. "I vote we
become blood sisters and we vow we'll never try to find out which one
of us might be adopted."
As they each pricked their fingers, then pressed them together, again
love swelled inside Abby's chest.
Even though she was just two years
older than
Belinda and three older than Colette, Abby took the role of big sister
quite seriously.
"Sisters forever," Abby proclaimed solemnly. "Sisters forever,"
Belinda echoed.
"And no matter what happens, we never read those stupid papers,"
Colette exclaimed. They raised their hands, fingers pressed together,
forming a triangle of unity.
With the innocence of youth and the optimism of girlhood, they truly
believed it was a vow they could keep. In the distance thunder
rumbled, sounding like Fate's laughter as dark clouds moved to steal
the moonlight from the sky.
Chapter One
Abby Connor felt his gaze before she actually saw him, a prickling
sensation on the nape of her neck as she sat on the porch watching the
sunset.
She turned her head first in the direction of the shed, then the barn
and there spied him. He stood in the shadows of dusk, his features
obscured by the coming darkness of the night. However, the shadows
didn't dilute the piercing intensity of his gaze.
Abby had never seen him before. So, who was he and what was he doing
here?
Behind her the house radiated an unnatural silence. Everyone had left
earlier in the evening to go into town, but Abby had preferred to stay
home. She'd intended to get some paperwork done, but had discovered
herself too restless to stay cooped up in the office.
She shifted positions on the wicker chair, uncomfortable beneath the
cowboy's scrutiny. Something about it made her feel vulnerable, far
too alone.
Get a grip, Abby, she admonished herself. After all, she was the boss
around here. If she wanted to find out who the unfamiliar cowboy was,
all she had to do was ask. She rose, at the same time gesturing to the
man.
He ambled toward her with a loose-hipped walk that breathed a
combination of sexual suggestion with a hint of confident swagger. He
left the shadows of the barn and stepped into the evening light. The
shades of sunset stroked his bold, handsome features and stirred an
emotion in Abby that had been dormant for a long time.
"Ma'am." He swept the dark hat off his head, revealing
midnight-colored hair and eyes the same shade. His face was tanned,
his nose straight, his chin square. All the features combined to give
him an air of rugged masculinity and quiet strength.
"I haven't seen you around here before."
One corner of his mouth rose sardonically. "I haven't been around
before. Your foreman, Rusty, hired me this morning."
Abby flushed, feeling the heat of his gaze as it swept the length of
her body. She suddenly wished her shorts weren't so short, or her tank
top quite so tight. "What's your name?"
"Luke. Luke Black."
The name suited him, hard and dark.
"And you are?" One sooty eyebrow danced upward.
"Abby. Abby Connor. I run this ranch."
"Ah, you're that one."
Something in his tone rankled Abby. "That one?" He smiled and again
Abbyfelt the stir of hormones that had been asleep for the past six
years. "I heard there are three sisters. One who is married, one who
is shy ... and the eldest who is boss lady and hates men."
Abby smiled coolly. "I don't hate all men, just wise-ass cowboys." She
waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't want to keep you from your
work."
He whipped his hat back onto his head, the rakish angle once again
hiding his eyes. "Nice meeting you, Abby. I look forward to working
with you."
She bit the impulse to call after him, to remind him that he worked for
her, not with her. Instead she merely watched as he walked away,
unable to help but notice the pull of his T-shirt across his broad
shoulders, the fit of his jeans against his slender hips and long legs.
The man was attractive in a wild, primitive sort of way. She frowned
as she noticed the shine of his boots. She'd never seen a ranch hand
wearing new boots before.
Definitely attractive . and intriguing. Although brief, his
conversation had seemed overlaid with a smooth sensuality. With an
irritated sigh, she turned and went into the house. Okay, so he was
sexy and handsome and she'd just proven to herself that she was
divorced, not dead. Despite her resolve to never marry again, never
give her heart away, she could still appreciate a fine-looking man.
The ranch house surrounded her with its quiet and' for a moment Abby
was sorry she hadn't gone with her family into town. She wandered into
her son's room, her gaze immediately captured by the items on his
dresser top Rocks, old bird nests, seed pods and a variety of nature's
gifts nearly hid the oak wood. She shook her head and smiled. At six
years old, Cody would be thrilled if he could bring all of the outside
in.
She left his room and went into the kitchen. Stealing a glance into
the refrigerator, seeking a snack, she realized what she really wanted
was a piece of apple pie. Unfortunately, Maria, their cook, hadn't
baked for several days.
"No problem," Abby said to herself as she hurried to her bedroom. She
changed into a pair of jeans and a light cotton blouse, then. grabbed
her truck keys. Nobody had better pie than the Great Day Diner. With
a fifteen minute drive she could have her pie and enjoy the
conversation of neighbors. She scribbled a quick note to her family,
in case they got home before her, then left the house.
As she walked out into the twilight there was no sign of the disturbing
cowboy. She felt relieved, yet oddly disappointed. Shoving thoughts
of him aside, she got into the truck and started the engine.
As she drove, she tried to keep her thoughts off unpleasant things. She
didn't want to think about the fact that the ranch was in bad financial
straits and the Connor sisters might not be able to hang on to their
home for much longer.
She definitely didn't want to think about the fact that her ex-husband
had been in town for the past week.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and instead focused on the
landscape. As far as she was concerned there was no place more
beautiful than the area in and around Cheyenne, Wyoming. The towering
mountains, the valleys of green pastures and the terra-cotta colored
buttes rising above like ancient sentries guarding all. There was a
sense of enduring strength, and Abby knew much of her own inner
strength came from the land.
Wheeling into the diner parking lot, she tried not to worry about the
future of the Connor ranch, telling herself somehow, someway it would
be all right. As far as Greg . hopefully he'd go back to where he'd
come from and leave her and Cody alone.
The interior of the diner embraced her like an old friend. Cool air,
rich cooking scents, and friendly waves from neighbors and
acquaintances made her worries fall away. Known for the endless supply
of good coffee and baked goods, the diner on the outskirts of Cheyenne
was a popular place for people to
spend the end of their day.
Abby slid into one of the red vinyl booths and smiled as the waitress
approached, coffeepot in hand. "Hi, Sheila."
"Hey, Abby, where's that handsome cowboy sidekick of yours?"
For a brief moment a vision of the sexy Luke Black filled Abby's mind.
She blinked away the image and realized Sheila was talking about Cody.
"He went with his aunts and uncle into town for a movie. How's your
dad? He hasn't been out to the ranch in a while."
Sheila grinned. "You know Dad. He's keeping the prairies safe for
women and children everywhere. I'll tell him you asked about him."
"You do that." Pleasure swept through Abby at thoughts of the big,
burly sheriff who'd been like a surrogate father to the Connor
sisters.
"What can I get for you?" Sheila asked as she splashed coffee into
Abby's cup. "A Piece of apple pie and the coffee should do it."
"Back in a jiffy." Sheila left to grab a piece of pie, then returned,
sliding the generous slice toward Abby as she sat opposite her in the
booth. "So, give me some good gossip. Things have been far too quiet
and boring around here lately."
Abby laughed. "Who has time to hear gossip? Keeping our heads above
water at the ranch takes all my time and energy."
"Colette and that handsome husband of hers come in regularly with that