The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)

by Ann B. Harrison

  *

  Her hand shook when she opened the porch door. When Rory had called to say Layla was flying out to see her, her mind had gone into panic mode. The house had to be clean, a meal prepared, and the spare room aired out. She’d abandoned her plans for clearing the front garden at the cottage and headed back to Chance’s. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for this woman if it meant she could keep her son from people she’d never met. As her sweaty palms connected with the cold door handle, she said a prayer and plastered a smile on her face. Rory opened the truck door for the lawyer and she slid out and strode purposefully toward the house.

  Gina stepped out onto the porch, her heart pounding. So much rode on this meeting. Layla held out her hand. “Hi, Gina, I’m Layla Cox. Thank you so much for having me over.”

  “It’s good of you to come all this way. I really appreciate this.”

  Layla waved a hand as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Anything for Chance. What a magical place, you’re so lucky to live out here in the wilds like this.” She glanced around and breathed deeply. “Ah, that cool mountain air. Makes me wonder why the heck I still live in the city sometimes. Get sick of fighting the traffic and the smog.” She gave Gina a grin and shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, let’s get down to business and see what we can do, shall we?”

  Rory walked up behind her with the suitcase. “How about we get you settled first and when Chance gets in which won’t be too long, we can get started. He asked if you wouldn’t mind waiting for him to give us what you’ve got.”

  Layla turned her baby blues eyes in his direction before nodding her head. “Sounds fair enough to me and saves me repeating myself. Gives me a chance to get changed out of my city clothes. I came straight from the office. Hopefully my secretary packed jeans like I asked her to.”

  “Let me show you up to your room then.” Gina led the way inside and up the stairs, listening to the comments on how much their visitor liked the house on the way. Once she was settled, Gina left her alone and hurried back down to Rory. She glanced at his face to gauge his mood before she threw herself into his arms, shaking uncontrollably when her nerves finally got the better of her.

  He stroked her hair, waiting for her panic to subside and she was grateful for that. “I’m sorry, I thought I could hold it together and I’m failing miserably. I’m so damned scared of what she’s going to say.” She sighed and took a deep breath. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you for what you’re doing.”

  “Honey, settle down and stop worrying about that. You’ve given me more happiness in the last couple of weeks than I’ve had in three years. I’ve told you, I love you and I’m not giving up, no matter how hard this gets. You and Fisher are my family as much as Chance and Callie are. None of us expect payment, it’s how families work.”

  Rory bent his head and took her mouth with his, stilling the emotions rising in her throat and instead, giving her other sensations to think about. Last night when they had lain together, neither had made the advance toward sex. It had been a night of consoling and it hadn’t seemed right to take it to that level. Now he ignited the passion as easily as flicking a switch.

  “Oops, sorry to break up you two lovebirds. I did try to take my time upstairs to give you a moment.” Layla walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of tight blue denim jeans that hugged her shapely butt and a white button-up blouse loose at the throat. Her short bobbed hair swung around her rose-tinted cheeks like a wave of liquid gold.

  “Can I get you anything? A coffee or tea?” Gina stepped away from Rory, regretting it as soon as the warmth moved with him.

  “I’d love to take a walk if that’s okay. Nothing like seeing what Chance does up close. Kind of hard to get a picture of the real cowboy when he’s in the city taking care of business.”

  “Let me show you around then.” Rory took Gina’s hand and together they walked Layla down to the barn where Fisher chased chickens in the hay and Callie was busy getting the feed ready for Tiny and Sultan.

  “Well, look at you, cute little thing.” Layla crouched down beside Fisher and watched him tottering around on his pudgy little legs. He looked from his mother to the stranger and went closer to investigate.

  “Callie, this is Layla, a friend of Chance’s who is going to help with the summons. Layla, meet Callie, Chance’s wife.”

  “Wife?” The perfectly shaped eyebrows rose a notch or two. “Well now, how lovely is that? I must say I’m surprised. I didn’t know he was thinking of marriage. Last time it was mentioned he ran a mile.” Layla stood up and held out her hand to Callie as she stepped forward.

  “Really, do tell me more.” The Australian drawl held more than a hint of laughter.

  “Don’t you dare tell everyone my secrets, Layla, or I’ll have to fire you.” Chance rode into the barn on his horse, guided it to the stall, and slid down to the ground. With deft movements, he leaned down and undid the saddle, swinging it over the side of the stall where he picked up a brush and rubbed the horse down. Tiny pushed the gate open and walked into his stall, dropping his head into the feed bucket.

  “You can’t go keeping secrets from your wife, pal. Time you spilled the beans, I’m thinking.” Gina loved Callie’s pushy nature and wished that one day she would have the guts to tackle anything and everything the way she did.

  He walked over and hugged Layla before turning and planting a kiss on his wife’s lips. “I’ll tell you later if you behave.”

  She laughed hysterically and winked at the others. “Game on.”

  “Now you’ve met my crazy family, how about we head indoors and see what you’ve got planned to save this situation?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rory groaned when he recognized the truck coming up the hill toward the house. “Not now, Tyson.”

  “Well, lookie here, another spunky cowboy and this one looks like he’s single, no little cowgirl hanging onto his arm. Please correct me if I’m wrong.” Layla glanced at the family and when they didn’t say anything, she whistled and sauntered toward him, her hips sashaying seductively. Tyson got out and looked at her. She reached out her hand when she got to the truck. “Hi, I’m Layla.”

  Tyson stood with his mouth half open, dumbstruck at the sight of the blonde beauty in front of him.

  “Never seen him without a word to say before. I think I kinda like it.” Chance spoke over his shoulder to Rory as they all stood together and watched the scene unfold.

  “Chance, you want to introduce me to this lovely young man. Seems he’s a little awestruck and lost his tongue.” Layla looked over her shoulder, her eyes beckoning him to help her.

  Rory snorted. “This I gotta see. Should be worth a laugh and a half.” He stood with his arm around Gina and watched as his elder brother made the introductions.

  “What will we do if he wants to stay and won’t go home?” She turned to Rory, fear in her eyes. “I don’t know if I want to talk about everything with Layla while he’s here. You know what his attitude is like.”

  “He’ll be fine, don’t worry so much. I promise not to leave you alone with him.”

  Gina tried to relax but with Tyson here and the impending conversation with the lawyer, he could feel she was far too tense. Even watching Layla try to charm her future brother-in-law didn’t seem to calm Gina down any.

  “You’ll have to show me your ranch soon. I just adore horses. Never had the chance to own one growing up and now I live in the city, it’s just not possible. I don’t suppose you happen to know a cowboy who’s good at teaching a green city girl like me to ride, do you?” She ran her hand down his arm, resting her fingers on his wrist.

  Tyson’s face turned beet red as they watched him struggling to cope with the gorgeous woman weaving her web around him.

  “Don’t think he knows what to do with her, do you?” Rory heard Chance whispering to Callie who stood transfixed by the exchange and sniggered.

  “This is hilarious. Just you wait until I get him alone, he’s not go
ing to live this one down.”

  Just then Fisher started to get restless in Callie’s arms, so Gina took him inside to feed him dinner. Rory offered to help bath him and ready him for bed after Fisher had been fed, but for now he wanted to stay and watch the show. Chance sidled over and punched him on the arm. “Bet you a hundred bucks she has a ring on her finger within the month.”

  “No way. She’s a city girl, look at her. All flash clothes and high-powered legal stuff. She doesn’t fit in here. Tyson would never move to the city and give up his ranch.”

  “You might be proven wrong there, brother. I wouldn’t be surprised if Layla already has it planned out. Nothing if not determined and focused, that one, just you wait and see.”

  “And just how do you know her?” Callie looked up at him. “You seem to be pretty close, so come clean, pal.”

  Chance laughed. “She took care of any legal business I had. Contracts and the like plus a couple of, um how shall we say, paternity suits that got thrown my way from women I hardly even knew.”

  Callie’s face dropped and her mouth went wide in shock. “You mean as in you took them to bed without getting to know them, or they were just crazed fans who were pulling a fast one on you?”

  “Crazed fans. Although I did date one of the questionable ladies who filed against me. Never quite got her to bed though. Little bit on the unbalanced side as I found out when we were halfway through dessert.”

  “Hmm, it took you that long. What can I say?” She shook her head. “I thought you were faster than that.”

  “You know I am, baby. I prove it to you every night, don’t I?”

  Rory watched the byplay between the two of them and hoped this latest hiccup would be cleared up soon so he could marry Gina and get on with their lives. He hated to see her struggling with everything being thrown at her the way it was. It seemed very unfair. He knew how life went some days. You just had to roll with it and do the best you could. He knew that from experience.

  *

  Gina’s hopes of getting Tyson out of the way before they started talking over her case were dashed when he followed Layla inside, like a hungry puppy after a big juicy bone. He looked totally besotted with her and Gina couldn’t blame him. She was stunning and seemed like such a determined person. Layla was put together like the perfect package, and Gina felt inadequate beside her. What is it going to take for me to stand up for myself? I don’t want him here to judge me but I’m hardly in the position to piss off the lawyer.

  Rory took the sleepy little boy from her arms and carried him upstairs, leaving her at a loss for something to do to keep her hands busy. Her nerves were shot and having Tyson around didn’t do anything to help.

  “Right, let’s get this started, shall we?” Layla picked up her briefcase just as Rory walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

  He came over and put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “It’ll be fine, stop stressing.”

  She took a deep breath and let herself be led to the dining table where everyone else had already taken a seat.

  “Right.” Layla took out a legal pad, pen, and a sheath of papers. “This is what I have so far. Feel free to interrupt anytime, Gina, and give me the facts as you know them. I want to keep on track with this so let’s keep assumptions to a minimum, please, and if you have nothing to add, keep your opinion to yourselves, it will only slow us down.” She looked at everyone around the table in turn.

  Gina glanced at Tyson, but his gaze remained locked on Layla.

  “Right, Mr. and Mrs. Bellingham have filed suit for the sole custody of your son, Fisher. The reasons behind this are as follows. You are being cited as an unfit mother.” Layla looked at her. “From what I can find out, they’ve done some digging around and found out about your family history as well as the hovel you and Fisher lived in. I quote, ‘the appalling conditions she subjected the child to and the unsupervised time when she was elsewhere.’” Layla raised an eyebrow and glanced at Gina. “Care to fill me in?”

  Gina felt the blood drain from her face and gripped the edge of the table. Why would someone tell them that? It’s not fair. I did my best.

  “What does she mean?” Rory gripped her hand. “Gina, what did you do to Fisher?”

  She swallowed, feeling the cold sweat break out on her face. What would he think of her when he knew how she left her son alone? “I…I couldn’t help it. I had no choice.”

  “No choice with what?” His hand pinched her skin, his grip that tight.

  Gina looked into his eyes. This might be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rory would frown on this kind of behavior, she knew he would. “I had to leave Fisher alone in our room one day.” The collective gasp around the table wasn’t a surprise to her. “It was only for a moment, I swear. It was so cold outside and he was already sick. I didn’t want to take him outside.” She glanced at Layla, begging her to understand.

  “My neighbor was out, the one who used to babysit for me. I don’t know where she was or when she’d come back but I ran out of formula and he was past due for a feed. I know I shouldn’t have but I’d been under a bit of stress with work and everything—my mind was on other things.” Like how I was going to afford to feed my baby. “I had to go to the pawn shop, get rid of the last thing of value that I owned, my father’s watch. It would have been enough to feed Fisher until I got another job.” She reached out to Rory. “It was only for a moment. I swear it was.”

  “It must have made an impression on someone for them to remember it and tell the other side.” The lawyer’s cool gaze raked over her skin.

  “When I got back he was crying and they were trying to open the bedroom door. But he was fine, merely crying in hunger and feeling miserable with his cold.”

  “This might be the action that will cost you your son. You do realize that, don’t you? It’s what some would called abandonment. If it can be proven that you left a tiny baby alone, it won’t look good for you in court.”

  She’d been prepared for it but hearing it from Layla made it all the more damning.

  “How could you?” Rory pulled his hand away and stood up. She watched him stumble to the kitchen counter and lean heavily against it. Chance rose and went to him, slipping his arm across his brother’s shoulders and talking in whispers that she couldn’t hear.

  “It was unavoidable and it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.” She lifted her chin and stared at Layla. “We lived in an old run-down house in a business district. Next door there was a pawn shop, a grocery store, and a liquor outlet. I could hear my baby from the shop when the wind wasn’t howling up the alleyway. It wasn’t as though I caught a bus uptown.” She glanced over at Rory who stood watching and listening.

  “It was either leave him where he was warm and dry or take him out in the rain when he was sick, only to make him sicker still. There was no way I could have afforded the hospital if he got pneumonia so I chose what I thought was best for my baby and, as you can see, it didn’t do him any harm. I was able to conduct my business within minutes and if it wasn’t for my ‘neighbors’ wanting to stick their noses in where it wasn’t their business, they wouldn’t have been any the wiser. Fisher was hardly screaming the place down. He’d only just woken up and was getting fidgety when I got back.”

  “But you left him alone, Gina.” Rory walked toward her.

  “I had no choice.”

  “What if there was a fire?”

  “There wasn’t. But, if there was, I would have run in to rescue my son, regardless. We all make choices, Rory. Some are harder than others, I get that. And I understand some people will judge me on that alone but I was on my own, no support apart from an elderly lady who needed more help than I did, so I had to do what worked for me.”

  She sighed. “Look, I’ll understand if you want me to leave, I will. This is all too much to throw at your family.” Gina stood up, smoothed down her skirt, thinking it had been good while it lasted.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Callie pushed back her chair and stormed around to Gina, grabbing her around the waist and stopping her in her tracks. “You did what you had to, I get that. Now we have to make sure everyone else understands as well.” She tipped her chin at her husband and brother-in-law. “Think carefully before you two have another meltdown and wonder what you would have done in her place.”

  She nudged Gina back to sit in her chair and stood watching the men. “Well, got over your precious moment?”

  “It wasn’t safe to leave him like that.” Rory stepped toward her, anguish on his face and Gina knew exactly how he felt. Hadn’t it broken her heart to leave her baby for even a minute? They couldn’t possibly understand how it had been for her. But because of that, her future was now on the line.

  “I get that, really I do, but given the circumstances, would you have taken a sick baby out in that kind of weather and risked him getting sicker especially when you didn’t have the money for hospital bills or medicine?”

  Rory looked down at his shoes. “Probably not.”

  “If we’re finished here?” Layla’s gaze flickered over them, then back down to the papers in her hand.

  Rory sat down beside Gina again, reached tentatively for her hand. His warm fingers closed around hers and her heart raced. Did this mean he wasn’t going to let her go?

  “Your father died as a drug addict who had never sought rehabilitation no matter how many times the courts ordered it. He is classed as being an undesirable influence on you growing up and therefore they think you are unfit to raise their grandson. There is also speculation of your own drug use.”

  Stars formed in front of her eyes and her breathing turned ragged. She clutched Rory’s fingers.

  “You are accused of being the person who introduced their son to drugs and also supplying him as well.” Layla flicked her hair back and looked at Gina. “This is another serious charge and you’re going to have the battle of all battles on your hands. These guys pull a lot of weight and have the money to hire the best there is. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start a smear campaign against you just to help leverage things in their favor.”