Cowboy at Midnight

by Ann Major

  Maria surreptitiously descended upon the Double Crown Ranch at the same time that Sophia and Clint put into motion their plan to bilk the Fortune wealth by kidnapping the son of Ryan’s eldest child, Matthew, and his wife, Claudia. Bryan Fortune was to be abducted from the ranch on his christening day. But instead of stealing Bryan, the bungling kidnapper took Maria’s infant son, James. Instead of anguish, Maria felt no emotion except elation over what she perceived as a serendipitous opportunity. She merely walked away with Bryan Fortune and replaced into the crib the kidnapper’s ransom note demanding $50 million.

  Working with Vanessa Fortune, a psychologist, FBI agent Devin Kincaid retrieved the infant and the ransom, but not the kidnappers. Any happiness at finding the baby and each other was short-lived, as the parents claimed that the boy, while definitely a Fortune—due to the crown birthmark—was not Bryan. Through DNA samples, Red Rock’s sheriff, Wyatt Greyhawk, determined that Matthew Fortune was indeed the mystery baby’s father, throwing his marriage into chaos despite Matthew’s assurances of fidelity. He and Claudia took in the child while the investigation continued, temporarily naming him Taylor.

  Stress took a toll on everyone. Ryan and Lily once again put their future together on hold, thanks to Sophia’s increasingly outrageous settlement demands. And Maria Cassidy spiraled downward into insanity, becoming a crazed recluse in her trailer home in the nearby town of Leather Bucket. A year after the original kidnapping, she sent a ransom note for Bryan Fortune’s return, but unstable and paranoid, she was too afraid to collect the millions.

  Clint Lockhart, who by now had waited more than three decades for his revenge on the Fortunes, tired of waiting for his cut of Sophia’s ever-increasing divorce settlement. His anger erupted in a volcanic display of violence, resulting in Sophia’s death. But the conniving miscreant refused to be undone, carefully planting evidence to frame Lily Redgrove Cassidy as the killer.

  For Lily, there was only one lawyer to represent her—her son, Cole. With the help of an outstanding private investigator, Annie Jones, Cole set out to find the evidence that would prove his mother’s innocence, and in so doing, he found love.

  Everyone in Red Rock supported Lily—even Rosita Perez, the Fortunes’ longtime housekeeper whose Mexican ancestors blessed her with the gift of second sight. The woman had visions of Sophia’s murder but was unable to clearly identify her killer. Nothing could allay Rosita’s fears—not even the marriages of her children. Her son Cruz was now settled down with a pregnant wife after Savannah had run away, unsure whether the horse trainer was ready for a family. And Rosita’s daughter Maggie helped forge even tighter bonds between the Perezes and their employers by marrying Dallas Fortune.

  While bolstering Lily’s hope, Ryan had his own troubles. His daughter Victoria was trapped in a coup in the South American country where she worked as a nurse, causing him tense weeks until Quinn McCoy, a fearless soldier of fortune, was able to rescue her. Their engagement lifted Ryan’s spirits for a while, as did the arrival of the child of Kingston Fortune’s long-lost daughter, Miranda. When she arrived in Red Rock with amnesia, Sheriff Wyatt Greyhawk uncovered Gabrielle Carter’s true identity as a Fortune. Through her, Ryan was put in touch with his sister Miranda, whom he hadn’t seen since she was a teenager.

  Cole and Annie’s hard work eventually paid off and he fingered Clint Lockhart. Clint not only confessed to Sophia’s murder but to his role in the kidnapping of Bryan Fortune. Shortly after Lily was freed, Cole followed up on a hunch that led him to his sister Maria’s remote trailer. There he found the lost Bryan and reunited him with his parents, Matthew and Claudia, who realized their enduring love and took Bryan home to meet his new half brother, Taylor. Maria Cassidy, with Cole’s legal representation, pled guilty to all counts and was ordered to serve her time in a mental rehabilitation center.

  Happy to be free of the false charges, Lily decided to tell the truth about Cole’s parentage. When he heard that Cole was Cameron’s illegitimate son, Ryan found it in his heart to forgive Lily; after all, she was the woman he’d loved his entire adult life. They went ahead with their long-awaited wedding on the Double Crown, with the help of Lily’s daughter Hannah, who not only designed a perfect affair for the couple but a perfect future for herself with Ryan’s lawyer, Parker Malone.

  Ryan took his place next to all the happily settled Fortunes, including all his children, even Zane, the confirmed bachelor whom his sisters had endlessly tried to matchmake. Thanks to Vanessa and Victoria’s meddling, he found true love with single mother Gwen Hutton, the woman he’d hired to pose as his steady girlfriend.

  Cameron’s children, too, were all married. Not only were Holden and Lucy and their child celebrating at the wedding, but so were Holden’s siblings, Logan and Eden. Logan, the executive VP of Fortune TX, Ltd., hadn’t been quite the philanderer his father was, but he’d sowed some wild oats as a young man, one of which resulted in him being the father of a toddler girl. When her mother died and surprisingly left the child to him, Logan was ill equipped to handle her care. As he searched for a nanny, his secretary, Emily Applegate, finally got her chance to show how much she loved Logan from afar by caring for them both. Eden Fortune, too, had been reunited with Ben Ramir, the sheikh with whom she had a son years ago.

  Ryan was pleased to welcome all his guests, but the one who surprised him the most was his long-lost brother, Teddy, who as a baby had been stolen away from Kingston so long ago by Josiah Talbot. Now a successful rancher in Australia, Teddy had found the Fortunes when the media covered the story of the successful return of baby Bryan and made reference to legendary rancher Kingston Fortune having lost his infant son, Theodore, so many decades ago. That and the crown birthmark he bore told Teddy he had an even bigger family than his wife and four children.

  There was, however, one person who wasn’t happily settled—Clint Lockhart. Even after being sentenced to life in prison for Sophia’s murder, Clint still craved the sweet taste of vengeance. It was this hunger that led to his escape while getting transferred to another prison. Despite a bullet wound in the leg, he hopped onto a passing freight train and found his way into a trailer outside Leather Bucket. Owner Betsy Keene was so starved for affection that he easily seduced her, convincing her that he’d take her with him when he finally retrieved the money and fake ID he’d had stashed in his old cabin. The gullible Betsy believed that he’d been framed by the Fortunes and agreed that they deserved to be destroyed.

  Ryan tried his best to protect his growing family, which now included Teddy’s children, Reed and Brody, who’d come from Australia to compare breeding strategies and merge their ranches, and Matilda, who looked forward to freedom from her domineering older brother, Griff, while helping Cruz Perez train horses on his new ranch. As well, the Double Crown was a home away from home for Ryan’s godchild Willa Simms. Little did Ryan know, however, that floating inside his safe harbor was Betsy Keene, the seemingly wonderful new maid—and Clint’s eyes and ears.

  When Matilda was on her honeymoon with new husband Dawson Prescott, Betsy seized the opportunity to win Clint’s favor by shooting the woman. But her bullets missed their target and Matilda remained unscathed, prompting Betsy to persuade Clint to adopt another plan—kidnap Willa for ransom. If he couldn’t get a Fortune, Clint reasoned, he’d take the next best thing. But the kidnap attempt was thwarted by Griff Fortune, a covert British Intelligence officer who saved Willa but stole her heart. Betsy Keene was arrested but not before she shot and killed Clint, whom she finally figured was an unredeemingly evil man.

  With the Fortunes’ number one enemy finally put to rest, Ryan looked forward to the future. He turned over the reins of Fortune TX, Ltd. to the capable hands of nephew Logan, who became the new CEO, and Ryan took on the role of adviser. He found more time for charity work, his family and, of course, his wife. He and Lily had been through so much and it had taken so long for their life together to start that Ryan wanted nothing to stop them from enjoying their golden ye
ars as a couple.

  Some of the family members with whom Ryan enjoyed spending time with were the triplet sons of his cousin Patrick—the son of Kingston’s brother Mark who himself had some skeletons best left in his closet. Patrick, a financier, had settled in New York and with his wife raised five children, all of whom visited the Texas ranch in summer. But it was the triplets—Steven, Clyde and Miles—who fell in love with the Lone Star State and went on to buy a sizable ranch, the Flying Aces, which they worked together.

  The family had grown so much that Ryan decided now was the time for the reunion that for decades had been planned but each time disrupted. He and the other Fortunes of Texas set a date in May for the first-ever Fortunes Family Reunion. This time they vowed nothing would stop it.

  Ryan once again looked out over his sprawling ranch, now bathed in moonlight, and counted his blessings—for health, for wealth and mostly for family. The aging patriarch refused to believe that a family so strong, a dynasty so powerful, would once again be the target of cruel vengeance. Ryan smiled as he hooked an arm around Lily. No, that was all behind them. The future looked as bright as the moon.

  On the other side of the Double Crown, Rosita Perez awakened in a cold sweat. In the grip of a flash of second sight, the prescient housekeeper was drawn to the window, to the blazing moon ringed in red. Bloodred… Chills crawled on her wet skin. Her husband, Ruben, might have scoffed at her mysterious power but Rosita felt it in her bones. As much as she wanted to refute it, she knew the inevitable truth. Trouble was coming to the Double Crown and this time nothing could stop it….

  Here’s a sneak peek…

  A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING

  by

  Marie Ferrarella

  You won’t want to miss the continuation of The Fortunes of Texas: Reunion, a new twelve–book continuity series featuring the powerful Fortune family. Enjoy this excerpt of Marie Ferrarella’s A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING, the second book in the series.

  CHAPTER 1

  Vanessa Fortune Kincaid threw open the door on the first ring and immediately hugged her dearest friend in the world as the latter began to cross the threshold. Stepping back, Vanessa took a closer look at Savannah Cruz and decided that she didn’t like what she saw. Savannah’s bright, sunny smile was conspicuously absent.

  “Hey, I’d given up on you two,” Vanessa said.

  Ushering her five-year-old son, Luke, in front of her, Savannah sighed. “You wouldn’t be the first one.”

  Vanessa had dropped down to one knee to give her godson a huge embrace. The boy smelled faintly of raspberry jam and peanut butter, his sandwich of choice. “How’s the handsomest man in three states?”

  Luke beamed. “Fine, Aunt ’Nessa.”

  He shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, just like his father.

  The boy sat down and immediately began playing with toys that Vanessa had set out for him. She ruffled the boy’s jet-black hair, then walked over to Savannah. She took a seat beside her on the wide cream-colored leather sofa. Savannah was completely over to one side, leaning against one upholstered arm as if she intended to use that to help keep her up.

  A touch of concern flitted through Vanessa as she sat down. Savannah hadn’t sounded quite like herself on the telephone when she’d asked to come over.

  Seeing her didn’t alter that impression.

  Vanessa grew serious. “What did you mean when you said I wouldn’t be the first?” She had a pitcher of ice tea standing at the ready on a tray on the coffee table. Without waiting to extend an invitation, she poured a tall glass for Savannah and one for herself. Two bottles of chilled soda waited on Luke’s pleasure.

  Wrapping her hands around the glass, Savannah shrugged carelessly. It was a subject she’d just as soon dismiss. But she knew better. Vanessa had a way of hanging on to something once she’d gotten her teeth into it.

  Savannah took a long sip of the cool liquid before offering a vague answer. “Just me, feeling sorry for myself, that’s all.”

  Vanessa gave her a long, penetrating look. “Want to talk about it?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you do,” Vanessa said firmly. Savannah began to protest, but the words never left her mouth, overruled by Vanessa’s deep-seated knowledge of her that had been gleaned over the years. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You know I won’t leave it alone until you tell me. When you walk in here—” Vanessa gestured around the house with her free hand “—or anywhere near me, you do not have the right to remain silent.” She leaned her body into her friend’s, lowering her voice even though she doubted that Luke could hear. He was too busy playing. “Now, what’s wrong?”

  Feeling empty, weary beyond her years and lonelier than she could remember being in a very long time, Savannah murmured, “Everything.”

  Tears suddenly filled her eyes, spilling out. Annoyed, Savannah wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Damn, I still haven’t gotten the hang of riding this emotional roller coaster. You’d think that pregnancy the second time around would be easier, not harder.” She sighed, feeling as if everything was conspiring against her. But she knew that if only Cruz would love her the way he used to, everything else would fall into place. “There should be a way to put your hormones in cold storage for the duration, get them back after you push out the baby.”

  Feeling for her, Vanessa put her arm around Savannah’s small shoulders. “Have you told Cruz what you’re going through?”

  Savannah drew back and laughed. The sound had no pleasure in it.

  “Cruz?” He was the whole problem, not a solution. Although if he’d only change again… “I’d have to make an appointment to talk to him. And even then he’d probably only break it or, worse, forget to show up altogether.”

  Vanessa was very quiet for a moment. There was something in Savannah’s face that had her heart freezing. She tried to read between the lines and hoped fervently that she was wrong. “My God, there’s isn’t another woman, is there?”

  Another woman, Savannah thought. If only…

  “Well,” she said slowly, “yes, in a manner of speaking there is another woman.”

  There might as well have been, for all the time Cruz spent away from the house, Savannah thought. A slight trace of bitterness entered her voice. Who would have thought that the promise of success would do this to them? Money had never meant anything to her. Only love and Cruz had.

  “He spends almost all his time with her.” She laughed shortly, the last few months crowding together in her brain, awful in their loneliness. “By the time I get him back, he can hardly make conversation, much less act like the man who made my head spin and my pulse race.”

  Vanessa curled her fingers into her palms, trying to curb the desire to beat on Cruz even though she’d grown up liking him. Until he’d married Savannah, Cruz had worked on her father’s ranch, the Double Crown. She and her brothers and sisters had grown up playing with Cruz and his sisters, calling him friend.

  Now she was calling him something a whole lot less flattering in her mind.

  “Well, who is she?” Vanessa demanded. “Have you tried confronting her?” She put herself in Savannah’s shoes. “I know if there was some woman who was trying to get her hooks into Devin, I’d knock her into next Tuesday. What’s her name?”

  “La Esperanza.” Hope, that was what he’d named it. Hope, because that was what it represented to both of them. Hope for a new start, hope for the future. And now it had taken all the hope away from her.

  Vanessa stared at her. “The ranch?” she asked incredulously.

  “The ranch,” Savannah confirmed. “Cruz refers to our ranch as ‘she.’” The more she thought about it, the more fitting it seemed. “And La Esperanza is a hell of a lot more competition than any flesh-and-blood woman I ever knew.”

  At least, if it had been another woman, she’d like to think she’d know how to compete. But the ranch had been her husband’s dream ever since she could remember. How could she possib
ly compete against a dream?

  …NOT THE END…

  Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Ann Major for her contribution to the FORTUNES OF TEXAS: REUNION series.

  COWBOY AT MIDNIGHT

  Copyright © 2005 by Harlequin Books S.A.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7340-9

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  All 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 incidents are pure invention.

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