The Bull Rider's Twins

by Tina Leonard

  Before she could totally lose herself in the fantasy, she tore the magic wedding dress off and rapidly dressed, fingers shaking as she put on her own clothes. It was unsettling how much time Judah spent in her thoughts. He practically lived there, teasing her subconscious.

  “It can’t go on like this, buddy,” she muttered, slipping on her shoes. “Once I’m married to Sidney, you are banished to the bin of ex-boyfriends.”

  Ex-lover, to be exact, but she’d fudge a little, one day in the future, when her children asked her about their real father. She’d say Judah Callahan had been a boyfriend, someone she’d cared about, but that they just hadn’t loved each other…?.

  Except she did love Judah. Darla swallowed against a tight throat and quickly turned off the store lights, locked the door, ran to her vehicle. Of course she loved him. She’d had a crush on him forever. Once they’d made love, she was lost to him.

  And, she thought fiercely, I’m glad I’m having his babies. It’s a piece of him I never dreamed I’d have.

  “KEEPING IN MIND THAT you’ve always been a bit irascible,” Fiona said, “Judah, this is irritable, even for you.”

  He sighed, taking the piece of triple chocolate fudge cake she’d brought him. He was going to get fat if Fiona didn’t stop ministering to him. Once he’d scratched from the rodeo—very much against his will—and come home, his aunt had appointed herself his watchful angel. He was in bed reading at eight o’clock at night only because he didn’t want to hang out with his brothers, who were playing, of all stupid things, badminton under the lights with their wives.

  Judah munched dutifully on the delicious cake. “Aunt, you’re going to make me fat. I’m not supposed to ride, I can’t even play hopscotch with the kids for exercise. Every time I open my eyes, you’re stuffing my face with some delicacy.” He waved his fork. “You don’t have to feed me. I’m capable of making a run to the kitchen myself.”

  “I’m sure you are.” Fiona seated herself on the foot of his bed with a little bounce. “Are you certain you’re comfy? Pillow soft enough for your aching head?”

  Sighing, he put the cake on his nightstand and sat up, already wishing he had a handful of aspirin. Or an aunt-chaser, like a double whiskey. “What’s this all about?”

  “Judah,” she said, her gaze pinned on his, “I know you found the cave. And I need for you to keep its existence under your hat.”

  He blinked. “How’d you know I found it?”

  “I found your big boot prints there. And Burke had seen you riding that way. Promise me that you won’t breathe a word about it. To anyone. Not even…not even Darla.”

  Judah studied the determined gleam in his aunt’s eyes. She was really worked up about this, hence the angelic caregiving she’d been heaping on him. He should have remembered she liked to bake when she was worried about something. “I haven’t mentioned it to anybody. I’ve been preoccupied, and I also needed time to think about why it might be there. But I’d like to know why you’re keeping it a secret. Is it because of Bode?”

  “Partially,” Fiona said, “and partly because we use it often.”

  “So is that the silver mine everybody’s asked about over the years?” Judah reflected on that for a moment. “At one time or another, I guess just about the whole town has gossiped about it. Do we own a silver mine?”

  “Not exactly,” Fiona said carefully. “You might consider that cave a gift from a friend.”

  “What friend?”

  She glanced at her hands. “I need to know that I have your absolute confidence.”

  He took another bite of cake, transfixed by his aunt’s caginess. It was almost like when she’d told them childhood bedtime stories. She was spinning a great one right now—he could practically hear her thoughts churning. “I wouldn’t breathe a word of this to my closest brother.”

  She sniffed. “Since you have five of those, I guess that’s plural.”

  “Absolutely.” He waved his fork again imperiously. “Speak on, aunt of many tales.”

  She gave him a sharp look. “This is not a fairy tale. More than you can realize hangs on the complete secrecy of that cave.”

  “I know, I know. But you shouldn’t be crawling around in that place,” Judah said. “It makes me nervous to think about you being there. What if you stumbled onto a snake? What if a coyote was in there? We never knew you had a secret hangout.”

  “Nothing will happen to me. Burke usually goes with me.”

  “Oh, so Burke is in on this as well,” Judah said, growing more fascinated by the moment. “Do the two of you make midnight runs out there to dig up silver?”

  She sighed. “I’m going to pop that concussed head of yours if you don’t pay attention.”

  “Go. I’m all ears.” He set down the plate and swigged the milk she’d set on his nightstand. The copy of Death Comes to the Archbishop he’d been reading fell to the floor, but he didn’t notice.

  “I have a friend who comes once a year to visit,” Fiona began, and Judah said, “The Chief.”

  She nodded. “The silver is his. The cave is his home, of sorts.”

  “Is there a tribe around here?”

  She nodded again. “But he sometimes stays in the cave. Alone. We won’t ever tell anyone that.”

  “Is he a fugitive? Illegal?” Judah arranged a stern look on his face. “Aunt, we shouldn’t be harboring someone who has some kind of record—”

  She shook her head. “The cave is his. Your parents bought Rancho Diablo land from him—from the tribe, actually. The cave and the mine stay in his hands, all of those mineral rights being signed over to him.”

  “Why?”

  “It was a fair exchange,” Fiona said simply. “Your father negotiated for the land with the stipulation that the mine remained in the tribe’s possession. It will be this way for always.” She took a deep breath. “And one more reason why I absolutely must keep this ranch from falling into Bode’s clutches.”

  “Oh.” Judah had the whole picture now. “So Bode really wants the mine?”

  “He wants everything. The mine, which he’s only heard rumors about, but which he suspects must be real. The two working oil derricks, the land, the Diablos. He wants it all.”

  “No one can own the Diablos. They’re free.”

  “For now,” Fiona said. “As long as they are on Callahan land, the spirits are free.”

  A cool breeze passed over his skin. “And if we lose the ranch?”

  “Everything is lost. The mine, and the secret that the mine hides.”

  “Surely there’s not all that much silver. It was a small cave, as caves go.”

  Fiona looked at him sharply, her mouth opening as if to say something. Then she closed it, before rising to put his book on the nightstand and collecting his dishes. “Try to rest. I believe the doctor said a concussion requires absolute stillness for forty-eight hours, in your case.”

  “Funny thing is, I don’t remember hitting my head,” he complained. “I swear it’s a conspiracy to keep me from riding.”

  “You’ll live to ride another day if you rest now,” Fiona said with a smile. “Good night, nephew.”

  “Good night, Aunt. Thanks for telling me about the cave. I’ll take the secret with me to my grave.”

  She looked at him, her eyes deep and troubled. “You have no idea how much is riding on your ability to do just that.” Then she left his room.

  Judah felt restless now that he’d heard so much family lore. Inaction was never his strong suit.

  What he needed was someone to annoy, to take his mind off all the family stuff. Nothing like a little late-night foray to make a man feel less starved for adventure.

  Instead of staying here and allowing Fiona to put ten pounds on him, he decided to go make a different kind of midnight raid. After hearing about Bode bothering his aunt and the family treasure, he was in a dangerous mood.

  JUDAH HESITATED ONLY ONCE, and that was in the hall outside Jonas’s old room, where Sabrina now
resided. Normally, the brothers slept in one of the large bunkhouses, having moved out once they hit the teen years, though occasionally they slunk back to their old rooms in the main house if they had an injury, which, thankfully, wasn’t often. But it was easier to be where Fiona wouldn’t have to run out to check on them twenty times a day, which she did when they were injured, no matter how many times they told her it wasn’t necessary. His brothers hadn’t even asked him where he wanted to sleep off his trifling—in his opinion—concussion; they’d dumped him unceremoniously at the house.

  But Jonas shouldn’t be in residence, nor any of the other brothers. Judah froze outside Sabrina’s room, surprised by the answering murmur of a man’s voice. If he didn’t know better, he’d think…

  He didn’t know better. He knew nothing at all, Judah told himself, tiptoeing past her room. He had bigger fish to fry tonight than who was paying a nocturnal call on Fiona’s personal secretary.

  He sneaked past Fiona and Burke’s room without any trouble, and flitted past the family library where they held their meetings, just in case any of the brothers were hanging out in there. One never knew where a Callahan might be loitering, and Judah didn’t want to answer any questions.

  Then he was out the door and into his truck. Not a soul would know he was laying his pride on the line.

  “Where are we going?” Sam asked through the window of the truck, and Judah swallowed a good-size howl.

  “We are going nowhere,” he said. “I’m taking a short, private drive.”

  “Ah. To see Darla.” Sam leaned his arms on the door. “You know what your problem is?”

  “Tell me,” Judah said. “I’m just dying to know.”

  “Your problem is that she’s getting married in two days, and it’s not to you. Getting that concussion is the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “Why?” Judah asked, irritated.

  “Because you need to be defending your castle, not riding rodeo.”

  “There’s nothing to defend. I don’t have a castle.”

  “If my lady was pregnant, there wouldn’t be any discussion of her marrying another man. That sucker wouldn’t dream of encroaching on my territory, because he’d know I’d knock his block off. In fact, my lady wouldn’t be thinking about marrying another dude, because she’d be so wild to get into my bed.” Sam gazed at him. “Like I said, you have a problem.”

  “Thanks for letting me know,” Judah said, “because I hadn’t figured that out on my own.”

  “You need to buck up. Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party,” Sam said.

  “If there was a party to be had. Will you get out of my truck so I can go?” he demanded.

  “You don’t know of any women I could go carousing with tonight, do you?” his brother asked. “I’m in the mood for looove.”

  “Do I look like a dating service? Did you lose your little black book?” Judah was getting steamed. “Why would any sane woman want to carouse with you?”

  Sam sighed. “This case is getting on my nerves. I could use a distraction.”

  Judah straightened. “Are there new developments?”

  “Well, Bode’s pretty endless with his tricks and appeals. He’s got a pretty seamy team of lawyers. And as you know, law isn’t my strong suit.”

  Judah blinked. “You’re the best lawyer around. No one bites the pants off the enemy like you. You’re legendary for being a butt—ah, bulldog-like in the courtroom.”

  “But this is personal,” Sam said, and Judah realized his brother needed to talk.

  “Come on,” Judah said. “Let’s go carousing.”

  “Thought you’d never admit that you need a break from hearth and home.” He got in the truck, grinning.

  “Fiona’s driving me nuts,” Judah admitted. “She feeds me like a lost lamb.”

  “Ah, the benefits of home life.” Sam looked at him. “So where are we going? Howling at Bode’s bedroom window? I wouldn’t mind giving the old goat a good fright.”

  “How about Darla’s?” Judah turned down the drive.

  “That doesn’t sound like much fun unless the doc is there. We could run him off. That would be fun.”

  Judah’s thoughts instantly ground to a halt. He’d never considered Darla might be having company. In his mind’s eye, she was tucked up in her pristine bed waiting for his embrace—not the good doctor’s.

  “I’m not sure this is going to be as much fun as I thought it would be,” he growled.

  “Kind of tame stuff,” Sam said, “when we should be painting ‘Bode Sucks’ on the water tower.”

  “That’s kid’s stuff.” Judah frowned, thinking about Darla in bed with a rangy, loose-limbed retired bronc buster-turned-doctor. He had a horrible vision of Dr. Tunstall using his stethoscope to listen to Darla’s heart going thumpety-thump for him—or even worse, listening to Judah’s babies cooing inside Darla’s nicely watermelon-shaped tummy. “I need something dangerous.”

  “Thinking about Darla sleeping with the good doc after the ‘I do’s’ are said?” Sam asked, his tone commiserating.

  Judah turned onto the main road. He was loaded for bear, his mood as territorial as he could ever remember it being. He was tired of Bode looming over them; he was tired of Tunstall, nice as he might be. But nice and in-the-way were two different things. “‘Hang on to your ass, Fred,’ to quote a favorite movie of mine. We’re going to look in the face of danger with no regret.”

  Sam rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “Danger, here we come!”

  Chapter Six

  “This is your idea of dangerous?”

  Sam glared at Judah as he held Jackie and Pete’s girls, Molly and Elizabeth, on his lap. Judah waved a small stuffed pony he’d bought at the rodeo at the toddlers; he’d bought one for every Callahan child, passing them out like Santa Claus.

  Judah grinned at Sam. “This is definitely my idea of dangerous. What did you have in mind, bro?”

  Sam allowed little Fiona to crawl up in his lap. The triplets were dressed in their jammies, and old enough to realize they were being given a special treat of staying up past their bedtime. Jackie and Pete looked on fondly and with some amusement as Judah tried on daddy skills.

  “I don’t know,” Sam said, “maybe lobbing a peck-happy chicken through Bode’s bedroom window? Perhaps heading into town and seeing if we could rustle up some female attention? That’s my idea of living on the edge. Of course you are darling,” he said to mini-Fiona. “You’re my niece, so what else would you be?”

  “This is plenty dangerous for me,” Judah said. “I’m not good with kids. I’m not cut out for fatherhood.”

  Pete laughed. “No one is. It just creeps up on you and you deal with it.”

  Jackie gave her husband a light smack on the arm. “You are cut out for being a dad,” she told Judah. “You’re a Callahan. All the brothers have a latent dad gene. I’m positive.”

  Judah grunted. “I can’t convince Darla of that.”

  “But did you try?” Jackie asked, smiling. “Did you give her a reason to believe you were interested?”

  “I suggested prenatal yoga. And vitamins. And good nutrition.” Judah kissed his niece on the top of her head. “What more can I do?” He glanced to Jackie, puzzled, very aware that Pete was trying not to snicker.

  “You offer to go with her to prenatal yoga,” Jackie said gently. “And offer to cook those nutritious meals for her. Things like that. And offer to rub her belly.”

  “She won’t let me rub anything of hers,” Judah said morosely. “I’m pretty sure she thinks her pregnancy is a result of my, um, mishandling of the situation.”

  “It was,” Sam said, unable to keep from tossing in his two cents.

  “I used protection,” Judah said defensively, frowning when everyone started laughing. “What?”

  “You never read the box, did you?” Sam asked.

  “The box of what?” Judah knew he was the butt of some secret joke, but he
wasn’t certain why. He’d come here for a little sympathy, and a bit of no-pressure, hands-on baby guidance. Not guffaws.

  “Condoms,” Sam said. “Creed gave us all joke condoms.”

  Judah blinked. “There’s nothing funny about condoms.”

  Sam grinned at him. “You don’t read directions.”

  “I’m a man of action,” Judah shot back.

  “And you fired away and asked questions later.” Sam nodded. “That’s the reason you’re going to be a father.”

  “No,” Judah said, “my box said something like ‘For the Man Who Has Almost Everything.’ That was the joke.”

  His family laughed harder. Judah shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Even if I begged to attend prenatal yoga, or promised to attend a cooking school for pregnant parents, Darla would still be determined to marry Doc Skin-and-Bones,” he said. “You’d think she’d want a fellow with a little more muscle and meat to him. Those bronc busters always look like a string bean reverberating on the back of a horse to me. I’d rather my sons have a man to look up to who has muscles,” he said with a sigh. “Strength.”

  “Meathead,” Pete said, his tone kind. “You’ve got to quit letting Sidney bother you. Tell Darla—without being an ape—how you really feel about her.”

  “I don’t know how not to be an ape.” Judah stood, clapped his hat to his head, kissed the little girls goodbye. “Thank you for letting me be an uncle who doesn’t call before he drops in at bedtime. I promise not to make a habit of it.”

  “Come anytime you like,” Jackie said, giving him a hug. “We love you, Judah. We want you to be happy. You’re a good man.”

  “Sometimes,” Sam said. “When he’s not a stupid man. Now can we go do something dangerous? Something that’ll really rock the epicenter of wild-n-crazy? Like maybe drive to the Sonic, at least?”

  Pete thumped Judah on the back. “It’s always darkest before the dawn, dude. It’ll work out.”

  “It’s pretty damn dark out there,” Judah said. “She’s getting married in two days.”