Harlequin American Romance May 2014 Bundle: One Night in TexasThe Cowboy's DestinyA Baby for the DoctorThe Bull Rider's Family

by Linda Warren

  Erin looked down at the envelope in her hands. “It’s a letter I wrote to the Horseshoe Express.”

  “What? Why would you write a letter to the paper?”

  Erin fidgeted for a minute. “Because I want to tell the people of Horseshoe about my daddy. I want them to know the real story.”

  “Erin.” Angie sank down on the bed. “Let me read it.”

  Erin held the letter away. “No. I don’t want you to read it until it’s in the paper.”

  That threw Angie. Erin was never defiant or disobedient, and it was a little disconcerting to find her daughter taking a stand on something so serious.

  “I can’t let you put something in the paper unless I read it.”

  “You have to trust me, Mama. I deserve to have my say. Right?”

  Angie stared at the stubborn eyes so much like Hardy’s. “Erin—”

  “It’s not anything bad, Mama.”

  “Then why can’t I read it?”

  “Because...”

  “What?” Angie asked.

  “You might not let me send it.”

  Angie gazed at her daughter’s beautiful face and knew she had to let Erin do this. For some reason it was important to her. She leaned over and kissed Erin’s cheek. “Okay. I’ll take it to the paper in the morning.”

  Erin shook her head. “Jody’s coming on her bicycle in the morning, and she’s taking it to the paper.”

  “Mmm. Does Peyton know this?”

  Erin shrugged.

  “Are you afraid I’ll open the letter?”

  “Maybe. Because you’re always trying to protect me.”

  “Mothers do that.” Angie stood. “Send your letter if it’s that important to you.”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  Angie turned off the light and walked out, wondering if she’d made the right decision. She paced in the kitchen. What was in the letter that Erin didn’t want her to see? She turned out the kitchen light and went to her bedroom, but thoughts of the letter bothered her.

  Unable to stop herself, she tiptoed to Erin’s room. Her daughter was sound asleep. Moonlight streamed through the window. Angie saw the letter on the nightstand.

  She reached out to take it. She could read the letter and Erin would never know. Angie would know, though. Her hand rested on the envelope for a moment. She couldn’t do it. Her daughter had asked for her trust, and she had to give it even though it was difficult.

  Silently, she trailed back to her room. Whatever was in the letter, she would find out along with everyone else. But Hardy needed to know what was coming. She picked up her cell and called him before she changed her mind.

  As she waited for him to answer, she realized this was the start of a new relationship for them—a relationship of parenting their child. She would now share that responsibility with him, and she wondered why it felt so right.

  Chapter Ten

  Hardy rested in a lounge chair at the pool, sipping a beer and watching the moonlight dance off the water in a dizzying display. He didn’t come out here much. Every time he did, he thought of her: her smile, her laugh, her sunny disposition that lifted his heart in ways he couldn’t describe. And in ways he didn’t want to remember.

  If he could go back, would he change what happened? Maybe not change, but he would certainly react differently. Neither of them was ready for marriage at that time and he wasn’t sure what the future would’ve held for them if he’d known she was pregnant. He’d do the right thing; he knew that with all his heart.

  He took a swallow from the bottle. Angie’s mother was a fine piece of work. She hammered guilt into Angie like a nail into a coffin. Final. Complete. But Doris didn’t count on Angie falling in love. His throat went dry at the thought. She’d loved him, and he’d let her down. Would he ever be able to overcome that?

  Taking another swallow, he could almost hear her laughter as she’d run around the pool, trying to get away from him. They’d been happy in their own little world. How he wished it could have stayed that way.

  His cell beeped and he picked it up from a side table. It was Olivia. He’d been trying to reach her.

  “I’m sorry, Hardy,” she said. “I’ve been in court all day. We’re trying to wrap up this asbestos lawsuit. Was it anything important?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “Sounds serious.”

  “It is.” Hardy knew having a daughter was going to change his relationship with Olivia, but he was hoping she would adjust.

  “Are you still agonizing over hitting that little girl?”

  “Yeah, in a way. When do you think you can come to the ranch?”

  “How about tomorrow? I need a break. I’ll call Mavis and have her fix us a really nice dinner. I’ll plan to spend the night.”

  “That sounds great.” Olivia was a take-charge kind of woman, and he liked that about her. But as he watched the moonlight on the water, he wasn’t seeing Olivia’s face. It was Angie’s. A young, vibrant Angie.

  He closed his eyes, blocking out the image. They talked for a little bit and then he sat lost in his own misery. He’d worked for one goal all his life: to follow in his father’s footsteps. It was all falling in place, but the feeling of elation wasn’t there like it used to be. His mind was filled with regrets and doubts. He took another big gulp of beer.

  His cell beeped again. He started to ignore it because he wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. But he was a father now and he had to be responsible. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Angie. He immediately answered.

  “Anything wrong?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I just needed to talk to you about something that’s bothering me.”

  He sat up on the lounger because her voice sounded serious. “What is it?”

  “Erin’s written a letter for the paper and she won’t let me see what’s inside. She asked me to trust her. She says nothing bad is in it, but she wants the people of Horseshoe to know the truth about her father.”

  “I didn’t expect this.”

  “Me, neither. I went into her room to get the letter and read it anyway. I planned to put it back without her knowing, but I couldn’t do it. She wants me to trust her, and I’m finding that very hard to do. I just don’t want her to get hurt or be embarrassed by people’s reactions.”

  That the letter could hurt his political career ran through his mind briefly. His daughter wanted to voice her opinion, and he wasn’t going to stop her, not even for his career. “Let’s trust her.”

  “Are you sure? This affects you, too.”

  “After your mother’s reaction, I’d say Erin’s letter will probably be mild. Or at least I hope it is. Is she always this outspoken?”

  “Yes, and I’m not sure where she gets that from. Certainly not from me.”

  “Dad is the most outspoken person I know.”

  “Oh, no, don’t tell me she’s going to be like Judge Hollister.” She laughed. Hardy glanced at the water and saw a young Angie smiling at him. It was so real that for a moment he was caught in the past. The beer must be more potent than I thought.

  “I’ll come over first thing in the morning and talk to her. Maybe I can talk her into letting me read it. I don’t want her to be embarrassed, either.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning, then. And thanks.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Angie. We’re in this together now.”

  There was total silence.

  “It feels kind of surreal.”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning.” He held his phone for a little while and then slipped it into his pocket. This was what it was like to be a parent, sharing the responsibilities of a child with someone else. He hoped they could keep up the status quo, because above everything else he wanted Angie to be happy, as well as Erin. He would do everything he could to make that happen.

  The next morning he was at Angie’s before seven o’clock. Angie handed him a cup of coffee and he sat at the kitchen table. She wore a large Dallas Co
wboys T-shirt and was barefoot. Her hair was tousled. He assumed she’d just gotten up. Maybe he shouldn’t have come so early, but she didn’t seem to mind. His eyes kept straying to her long legs.

  He cleared his throat. “Anything new?”

  “No, Erin is still asleep and the letter is still on her nightstand.”

  “Haven’t been able to make yourself read it?”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Can you?”

  He didn’t get a chance to answer. AnaMarie rushed in with a plate of kolaches and placed them on the table. She hugged Angie. “Please call Mama. She’s very upset and won’t come to work at the bakery.”

  “I’m sorry, but she’s the one who is so unrelenting.”

  “Angie—” Her eyes settled on Hardy. “Did you spend the night here?”

  “He did not spend the night. Not that that’s anyone’s business.”

  “Sorry,” AnaMarie apologized. “This is all so upsetting. Please just talk to Mama so life will be easier.”

  “I’ve given in to her so many times in the past, but this time I’m standing firm. Hardy is Erin’s father, and soon everyone will know that and Mama will probably never speak to me again. So you’d better toughen up.”

  “Why is everyone in this family so stubborn? Now Grandma Ruby is at the bakery and I have to deal with her.” AnaMarie went out the door grumbling and shaking her head.

  “Mama,” Erin called. “Who’s here? I hear voices.”

  She lifted her eyebrow again. “You’re up.”

  A knock sounded at the door before he could move. Angie opened it. Jody and her dog, Dolittle, stood there.

  “Can I see Erin, please?” Jody asked.

  Angie stepped aside. “She’s in her room.”

  Jody ran for the hall, followed by the dog. Angie looked after them with indecision on her face.

  “Thinking of eavesdropping?”

  “Maybe, if I could figure out a way for them not to see me.”

  “Let’s trust our daughter and stop agonizing over it. We faced your mother, so this should be a piece of cake.”

  Angie turned to refresh her coffee, but clearly her mind was on what was happening in Erin’s room.

  Jody came bouncing into the kitchen with a white envelope in her hand. “Gotta go. Bye.”

  “Does your mother know you’re here?” Angie asked.

  Jody shrugged. “She was changing J.W. and I told her I was going out.”

  “Out where?”

  Jody shrugged again.

  “Where’s your dad?”

  “He was shaving and getting ready for work. Gotta go. Bye.” Jody made a quick exit with Dolittle on her heels.

  “Interesting.” Angie tapped her cheek with her forefinger.

  Her cell buzzed on the counter, and she picked it up.

  “She was just here.” Obviously, it was Peyton. Angie told her what was going on.

  “Erin roped Jody into doing this. Please don’t be too upset with her.”

  Angie laid her phone on the counter. “Wyatt is on his way to find Jody,” she told him.

  “Jody is fine. She bicycles all over this town and everyone knows her.”

  “It’s not that. She didn’t tell them where she was going, and that’s a big no-no.”

  Hardy’s cell went off, and he fished it out of his pocket. Looking at the caller ID, he said, “It’s Wyatt.”

  “I’ve got the letter and my wandering daughter.” Wyatt came straight to the point. “Do you want me to bring the letter back?”

  He glanced at Angie and saw a whole lot more than he wanted to in her eyes. She trusted him. His chest tightened. “No. We trust Erin, so let Jody take it in to the paper.”

  “Glad to hear you two are working things out.”

  “We’re trying. Don’t be too hard on Jody. This was our daughter’s idea. She’s struggling with the new revelations in her life, and we’re glad she has Jody as a friend.”

  “Okay.”

  He clicked off. “We’ll have to be on our toes to keep up with two conniving ten-year-olds.”

  “Yeah.” Angie removed the plastic off the kolaches. “How about a sugar high?”

  Out of the blue a different kind of high with her floated across his mind. He curbed those thoughts. “Why not?”

  Erin hobbled into the room on her crutches. “Mr. Hardy, you’re here.”

  He decided in that moment to be honest with his daughter. “Your mother called. Said you wrote a letter for the paper and asked how I felt about it.”

  Erin sank into a chair, and he took the crutches and placed them against the wall. “I just want to tell people how I feel because this concerns me and Mama and no one else.”

  “How did you get so grown-up?”

  “Mama raised me right.” She rolled her eyes. “Grandma’s always saying that, and I don’t know what she means. All I know is my mama is a good person.”

  Angie kissed the top of her head. “And you’re a good daughter. We should have matching T-shirts.”

  Erin giggled, then saw the kolaches. “Oh, boy, AnaMarie’s been here.”

  Angie poured milk for Erin, and they sat and had breakfast like a normal family. But they weren’t normal, and in the next few days they would be tested with gossip and rumors. Through it all, and with a lot of prayer, maybe they could find normal in Horseshoe, Texas.

  * * *

  HARDY SPENT THE day at the house with Erin, doing everything she wanted, and Angie feared he was spoiling her. But sometimes maybe a kid needed spoiling. They were interrupted several times with phone calls from Olivia.

  In the late afternoon, Hardy and Erin sat on the front porch, talking and playing on Hardy’s phone. Hardy wanted to buy Erin one, but Angie was holding out. She wanted Erin to love Hardy for who he was, not for what he could give her. It was amazing how Hardy fit into their lives.

  The paper came out once a week and was circulated on Tuesdays. Every bit of small-town gossip and community news was printed. She and Hardy were trying not to obsess about Tuesday.

  It forced them, though, to face the problem of Judge Hollister. Hardy had to tell him. He’d been in Austin, and Hardy was waiting for him to return. They didn’t want him to find out any other way but from them. It was going to be a shock to learn he had a granddaughter.

  Angie went out to the front porch with a pitcher of lemonade. “Anyone thirsty?”

  “Oh, boy, Mama makes good lemonade.”

  She poured a glass for everyone and sat on the stoop, drinking hers and relaxing on a windy June afternoon.

  Hardy’s cell buzzed and startled Erin, who was holding it. “You got a call.” She handed the phone to him.

  He stood and walked to the end of the porch to talk. In a second, he was back. “My dad is home. I think it’s time for him to know he has a granddaughter.”

  Erin looked up. “You’re going to tell him about me?”

  “Yes. How do you feel about that?”

  “I don’t know. Judge Hollister makes me nervous.”

  Hardy squatted in front of her. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. He’s going to love you.”

  “You think so?”

  “You bet.” He glanced at Angie. “I have plans tonight, so I won’t come back, but I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

  He hugged his daughter and strolled down the steps to his truck. Angie felt left out, and she knew she was being silly. But she could use a hug today—from Hardy. Where had that thought come from? That was a disaster waiting to happen.

  As he drove away, she knew he was going to see Olivia. It was Saturday—date night. He hadn’t told his girlfriend about Erin; he was probably doing that tonight, too. It was a big mess. The news was going to affect his relationship with the woman.

  Just as she’d thought years ago, the news of his daughter would disrupt his life. The guilt weighed heavily on her, but there was no way to change things now.

  * * *

  HARDY SAW HIS dad’s pickup in the garage and Oli
via’s Mercedes parked behind it. He took his time going into the house, rehearsing what he had to say. When he was growing up, his father had been bigger than life. Everyone respected him and looked up to him. So did Hardy. When his father pushed him to succeed, he did his best because he wanted to please him.

  But constant schooling without a break wore him down. That was why he was so attracted to Angie. She brought calm to the storm in his life.

  Like Angie had faced her mother, he now had to face his father. He was hoping that the news would be a turning point for them.

  Mavis was running around like a crazed rabbit in the kitchen. She pulled rolls out of the oven. “The Duchess and the judge are in the library having drinks.”

  Mavis didn’t like Olivia because Olivia gave orders and intended for them to be followed.

  “Could you not call her the Duchess?”

  She pierced him with a stare. “Could you tell her I’m not a gourmet cook and at her beck and call? Prime rib and all the trimmings for three people. Insane.”

  Hardy didn’t know what else to say. Obviously Olivia had called with a menu. At other times he might see that as assertive and take-charge. Today wasn’t one of those days.

  His dad and Olivia were chatting as he walked in. Olivia came over and kissed him. He kissed her back, but there was something different about their chemistry, and he couldn’t explain it.

  “I thought you’d be home by now,” Olivia said. “I had Mavis fix us a scrumptious meal and then we have the rest of the evening to ourselves.”

  “While I was in Austin at the club I talked to Judge Swinson.” His father handed him a glass of wine. “I also spoke to Judge Wycliff. He’s a member, too. They both agree this is the time to throw your hat into the ring. Olivia and I were just talking about lining up some fund-raisers and charity events you need to attend to get your name out there and to let people know you’re running for judge in your district next November.”

  Hardy didn’t have time to respond. Mavis entered the room. “Dinner is ready, and I would be pleased if you would eat so I can do the dishes and go home to my husband.”

  “There’s no need to be testy,” the judge told her.

  “You haven’t seen testy, Judge.” She stormed back to the kitchen.