Colorado Cowboy

by C. C. Coburn

  The past week she’d been on an emotional roller coaster and it didn’t look as if the ride was going to end anytime soon.

  She felt like death warmed over, emotionally and physically exhausted. She was going to look like hell in the morning. Not that it mattered. She wouldn’t be walking up the aisle at precisely 11:00 a.m.

  Megan wasn’t really certain where she might be, but she wouldn’t be saying her “I do’s” to Luke. Not after the way he’d treated her. She’d been more contented before he came back into her life and tried to take it over, turned it upside down, causing bad memories to resurface….

  LUKE ROSE EARLY and went to check on his horses. He was half hoping to find Megan in the kitchen, having an early-morning cup of coffee, but the house was silent. He strode out into the yard and headed for the barn. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. A good day to get married.

  He smiled to himself. He was looking forward to marrying Megan in front of his family and friends. Their first ceremony had been too abrupt, forced on them by Cody. He probably should’ve put his foot down then and there, but he didn’t know Cody well enough. All he saw was a defiant punk of a kid who swore he’d rather go to juvenile detention than Colorado if Luke didn’t marry his mother on the spot.

  They’d both been thoroughly manipulated by Cody, but Luke had to admit he was grateful for Cody’s stand. Who knew where they might be today if they weren’t married?

  The only problem was, he and Megan hadn’t been living like husband and wife. Would that change tonight? On their honeymoon?

  He’d changed his mind about going somewhere local and had instead chosen somewhere special for them to spend the night on their way to the airport in Denver and their final destination in the Florida Keys. There was a spa hotel in Boulder that offered pampering for its guests. He’d booked a couple’s massage for when they arrived later this afternoon, hoping that would help Megan relax, followed by a romantic dinner in their suite.

  He’d pretty much scheduled everything—except his apology.

  MEGAN SLEPT UNTIL AFTER eight and was awakened by Sasha bringing her coffee and a bagel. Soon, her room was full of children, with Daisy lounging on the end of the bed, Celeste under the covers with her and Cody sprawled in the bedroom chair.

  It was comforting being surrounded by her children. Only Luke was missing from the picture. Maybe he’d be missing forever if they couldn’t resolve their differences before the wedding. Her heart had thawed a little toward him during the night. He was used to being in control of his ranch, but there was one aspect he’d handed over to someone else; maybe he’d realized by now that he’d made a mistake. It would be hard for him to admit he’d been embezzled and had failed to notice it until Megan’s discovery. Luke was a proud man. Perhaps she hadn’t approached him in the right way….

  “Mommy?”

  Celeste’s questioning voice woke Megan from her musings. “What’s up, pumpkin?”

  “Are you mad at me?”

  Megan smiled and hugged Celeste. “How could anyone be angry with a gorgeous little dumpling like you?” She kissed the top of Celeste’s fair head.

  “You look tired,” Sasha said in her usual direct manner.

  “I didn’t sleep very well,” Megan admitted, determined not to rise to Sasha’s bait.

  “Your eyes are all puffy,” Daisy told her. “Have you been crying? My eyes always get puffy when I cry.”

  Daisy’s admission surprised Megan. She, of all the girls, always seemed so composed, not prone to emotional outbursts. Maybe she didn’t know Daisy as well as she thought she did. Maybe she should plan a mother-daughter day just for her and Daisy.

  She threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. “I need to take a shower and you girls need to get ready for the hairstylist Aunt Becky booked to come and do your hair.”

  That was all the motivation Celeste needed. She bounded off the bed and dashed out the door. There was nothing that little girl liked more than having her hair done.

  Cody unwound himself from the chair and muttered, “Girl stuff, ugh,” and left the room, followed by Daisy, who no doubt felt the same way.

  Sasha seemed inclined to linger. Megan guessed she had something on her mind.

  “What can I do for you, Sasha?”

  The girl picked up the breakfast tray and held it in front of her. “Are you sure you want to marry my dad?”

  “We’re already married, Sasha,” Megan reminded her in an even voice. “The ceremony today is for the benefit of your father’s family and friends.”

  “Yes, but—”

  Megan sank onto the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside her.

  For a moment, she feared the girl would ignore her, but with a huff Sasha placed the tray on the nightstand and sat down.

  Megan angled herself toward Sasha. If this was any other child, she’d have clasped her hands, but not Sasha. She was far too brittle, too prickly.

  “Sasha, I know you don’t like me very much. And whether you want to like someone or not is entirely your choice.” She noticed the girl squirming. Obviously, she didn’t like being called on her attitude. Well, tough. They needed to clear the air.

  “I know you were upset to suddenly get a brother and stepmother dumped on you. Believe me, when I woke up last Friday I didn’t expect that by the end of the day, I’d have a husband and three stepdaughters.”

  Apparently, Sasha had never thought of what a shock her changed family circumstances must’ve been for Megan, and a smile quivered on the edges of her mouth.

  Megan smiled, too, trying to break the tension further. “So what I’m trying to say is this. If you have a problem with me, please don’t sulk about it or make unkind remarks. Just talk to me about your feelings and we’ll see if we can find some common ground.”

  Sasha didn’t say anything for he longest time, and then finally she looked Megan directly in the eye and said, “Do you love my dad?”

  Megan hadn’t been prepared for that question but she answered it honestly. She shrugged. “I do have…feelings for him. But adult relationships are so…complicated.”

  “Tell me about it!” Sasha said with a sigh. “I heard you and Daddy fighting last night.”

  Oh, dear. Megan hadn’t realized their voices were so loud. She’d remember that in future. “We weren’t fighting. We were having a disagreement.”

  “There’s a difference?”

  “Like I said, adult relationships are complicated.”

  “What were you disagreeing about?”

  Megan stood. “That’s between your father and me for the moment. But I plan on getting it resolved as soon as possible. And I can’t do that until I’ve had a shower and freshened up.”

  Sasha took that as her cue and picked up the tray again. She walked to the door, then stopped and looked at her. “Thanks for talking to me,” she said.

  Taken aback, Megan said, “You’re welcome. I’m glad we talked too, Sasha.”

  MEGAN STEPPED UNDER the shower and let the cool water wash over her face. She’d glimpsed herself in the bathroom mirror and been shocked at how puffy her eyes were. All the more reason to do what she intended to do before walking down the aisle today. Because, yes, she’d decided she was going through with the ceremony.

  Twenty minutes later, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she walked into Luke’s study, left a note on his desk and collected the ranch books. She drove into town, found a store that did photocopying and, another twenty minutes later, she had triplicate copies of the accounts. After posting one copy to Matt with a note explaining the reason for sending them to him, she called Gil McIntyre’s office and arranged to meet him there, telling him she’d be coming into money and needed some advice on investing it.

  Gil had said he’d be more than happy to meet her. However, he wasn’t quite so happy when he saw what she pulled out of her bag.

  “What are you doing with those?” he demanded, his earlier affability evaporating.

  “I j
ust have a few things I want clarified, Gil, if you have the time.”

  Suddenly Gil seemed to realize that Megan was due to tie the knot in less than an hour. “I have the time, but you don’t. Shouldn’t you be getting all prettied up?” he said, indicating her casual outfit.

  “I should be, Gil, but you see, there’s a little matter of the argument my groom and I had last night regarding how you’d been ‘taking care’ of the ranch’s financial matters.”

  “What do you mean?” he snarled.

  Megan noted how quickly his manner changed. “I think you know exactly what I mean. As Luke mentioned when we met, I’m studying to become an accountant, so while he was away this past week, I went through the books. What I discovered is that you, posing as a dummy corporation, have been helping yourself to quite a lot of the ranch’s profits.”

  “You can’t prove that.”

  “Yes. I can,” Megan said in as reasonable a voice as she could manage. She saw his hand slip beneath the desk as he opened a drawer. The way he kept his eyes on her was unsettling. Maybe she’d bitten off more than she could chew?

  “Not if you’re dead and the books are nowhere to be found,” he said calmly, bringing a handgun out of the drawer and training it on her.

  Megan felt her insides turn to water. This was the last thing she’d expected. She cursed her naiveté. Then why did you make those copies and send one to Matt? a little voice demanded.

  “Put that away!” she said, desperate to keep the fear out of her voice. Gil McIntyre was a cheat and a bully, and she had to let him know who was in control. “I’m asking you to explain these anomalies. You don’t need a gun to do that.”

  Gil raised the weapon, gesturing that she should stand. So much for acting tough, she thought, and rose slowly to her feet.

  Gil rose, too, and came around the desk. He reminded her of some B-grade movie gangster, the way he held the weapon, standing far too close to her.

  He angled the gun toward the door and said, “Move.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “What the hell did you say to her?” Matt almost roared.

  “Goodness! What is all this noise?” Sarah demanded as she bustled into the kitchen, followed by Will, Jack and Adam. All the brothers were dressed in tuxedos. Each looked as uncomfortable as the others.

  “He scared Megan off,” Matt said, his eyes never leaving Luke’s face.

  “What?” Sarah steered her two warring sons away from the kitchen—and the sudden interest the caterers were showing in their conversation.

  They all ended up in the living room, where Becky and Beth were fussing over the girls’ bridesmaid dresses.

  Sarah turned and asked Matt, “What do you mean, he scared Megan off?”

  “No one can find her anywhere. Luke thinks she took off like Tory did.”

  “On her wedding day?” Will said. “Don’t be ridiculous! Even Tory needed longer than that to figure out what a grumpy pain in the a—”

  “Will!” Becky snapped. She indicated the children. Celeste’s lower lip was trembling.

  “Where’s my mommy? I want my mommy!” she cried.

  “Well done, you two.” Beth lifted Celeste onto her hip. “Go take your squabbles somewhere else,” she said, heading for the stairs, Celeste sobbing into her shoulder. She turned back, her face thunderous. “Go and find her and don’t come back until you do!”

  They all stared after her, surprised by Beth’s outburst. She was usually the most unflappable of all of them.

  Daisy crossed her arms and fixed her father with a glare. “So what have you done wrong this time?”

  “Go to your room!”

  “No!” Daisy defied her father’s command. “I’m stayin’ right here till you tell me what you and Uncle Matt were fightin’ about.”

  Luke sighed. “We don’t know where Megan is,” he explained. “Any ideas?”

  “Has this got anything to do with that fight you two had last night?”

  Luke felt his face warm with embarrassment. He hadn’t realized he’d raised his voice that much. Daisy wasn’t one to be fobbed off with lies. “Probably,” he admitted.

  Daisy nodded.

  “She wouldn’t have gone anywhere without Cody,” Sash pointed out.

  “She’s right,” Will said. “And Cody’s out back with Pop.”

  “No, I’m not. What’s going on?” Cody asked as he joined them.

  “Have you seen your mother?”

  “Not since breakfast. Why? What’s going on?” he repeated.

  “We can’t find your mom,” Matt said.

  Cody’s eyes narrowed. “Does this have anything to do with the fight I heard you two having last night?” he demanded of Luke.

  “Yes!” everyone else answered for him.

  “Have you checked your phone messages?” Cody suggested.

  Luke hurried into the study to retrieve his cell phone. He’d left it in a drawer, not wanting to be disturbed by ranch business today. But the first thing he noticed was that the ranch books he’d left on the desk were missing and in their place was a note. Sure enough, it was from Megan. His heart chilled as he read it.

  “Is it from Mom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can I see?” Will asked.

  Luke handed it over to Will, who read it, then looked up at Luke. “She sounds pretty pissed with you. Are you sure you want to go after her?”

  “Of course I do, dammit!”

  Matt snatched the note out of Will’s hand, read it and returned it to Luke. “What exactly happened last night?”

  “None of your business,” Luke muttered.

  Matt crossed his arms. “Okay, so you had a fight. At any point in the past week, did you tell Megan you loved her?”

  Luke ceased pacing and frowned. “No. But I married her, didn’t I?”

  Matt’s snort of derision had Luke’s head coming up.

  “You married Tory and you clearly weren’t in love with her. What sort of message do you think that conveyed to Megan?” He paused and considered his words. “You have told her the truth about Tory, haven’t you?”

  Luke shook his head. “Not all of it. I didn’t want to criticize the mother of my daughters.”

  Matt snorted again. “You idiot! Forget Tory. Megan is something else again. That woman didn’t trick you into marrying her. Instead, she kept Cody’s existence a secret because she believed you were married—which by then you were—and didn’t want to cause any problems for you. She married you to keep her son out of juvenile detention and probably believes that’s the only reason you married her—because you were forced to.”

  “She’s the only honorable person in this whole mess and you’re a fool!” Will burst out. “Quite frankly, I can’t blame her for leaving. You don’t deserve her.”

  “Where’s my mom?” Cody tore the note from Luke’s grasp. He read it aloud as everyone crowded around him. “‘Gone to see Gil McIntyre. When I’ve proved I’m right, maybe you’ll trust me. I’m not marrying you until you do. M.’ Who’s Gil McIntyre?” Cody demanded.

  “The ranch accountant,” Sarah answered, and crossed her arms. “What is going on, Luke?”

  He quickly outlined the gist of his conversation with Megan the night before. “Her accusations were so outrageous, I told her to mind her own business.”

  Will crossed his arms, too. “Gee, the O’Malley charm gene sure missed you.”

  “Will!” his mother admonished. “This is serious.” She turned to her eldest son. “Luke, could her concerns have any foundation?”

  “I didn’t think so at the time, but I looked at everything this morning and I suspect she might be right. I need someone independent, a qualified CPA, to take a look.”

  “But Megan’s studying to be an accountant,” Will put in. “She must have a grasp of these things.”

  “I didn’t see how she could just come in here, read a few figures and deduce that we’re being embezzled. She’s not a qualified accountant yet and—”r />
  “Neither are you!” Matt and Will roared together.

  Sarah covered her ears. “Goodness! This is worse than when you were all in high school.”

  Jack, ever the peacemaker, put his arm around his mom. “Maybe you should take a seat. All this excitement isn’t good for your heart.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my heart. But there’s definitely something wrong with your blockhead of a brother!” Her blue eyes bored into Luke’s. “No wonder she’s gone off to prove herself. Go and find her and apologize for your incredible stupidity!” she roared.

  Luke flinched at the harshness of his mother’s words. And the volume. His mom rarely lost her temper, but right now she looked ready to explode.

  He punched Megan’s number into his cell phone, but it went straight to voice mail. He speed-dialed Gil’s office number, but it merely rang.

  He shrugged. “No answer. She’s probably on her way back here.”

  “And if she isn’t?” Matt said. “Think about it. If she’s accused him of embezzling money from the ranch, and she’s taken the books with her to prove it, she could be putting herself in a very dangerous position. Embezzlement is a serious crime, but if Gil disposed of Megan, and the books, then there wouldn’t be any evidence.”

  “Disposed?” Cody’s query had them all turning to him as if they’d forgotten he was there. “You mean he might kill my mom?”

  “Daddy?” Sasha’s eyes were filled with tears. “You’ve gotta go save her!”

  Sarah ushered Daisy and Sasha from the room. Once that was done, she whirled on Luke.

  “For heaven’s sake, Megan’s raised your son alone for over fourteen years. In spite of all her family’s objections, she refused to have an abortion or give him away. She needs you, Luke. Go and find her!”

  Becky strode out of the room, but when Luke’s cell rang, she raced back in as he answered it, hitting the speaker button so everyone could listen in.