Home on the Ranch: Unexpected Daddy

by Pamela Britton

  “You will soon,” Maverick said firmly. “If my aunt has anything to do with it, she’ll make sure you have a whole list of people by the time she’s done with your event.”

  “That’s the truth,” Jayden said. “And a horse therapy program would be great for Will. The animals have a sixth sense for humans who’ve suffered emotional or physical trauma. I’ve seen them react to our wounded veterans out at Dark Horse Ranch in ways that would blow your mind. You should bring him out here again.”

  “You’d have to talk to Will’s parents.”

  “I’ll do that,” she said with a smile. “Out at Dark Horse Ranch we work with veterans, but I’ve been thinking of starting a program out here for kids. This could work out perfect.”

  “Miss Jayden,” Will called. “Can I ride now?”

  Jayden glanced back at the arena, smiling. “Kid after my own heart.” Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and said, “Let me help you walk Little Red back to the barn.”

  Maverick’s sister left them with a wave goodbye, and Charlotte wondered if she could get away with leaving, too. As much as she wanted to stay and watch Will ride, a tension she couldn’t ignore hung in the air.

  “I’m going to grab Olivia from my aunt,” Maverick said. She watched him square his shoulders before looking in her eyes. “I’ll see you around.”

  She recognized the look in his eyes. This wasn’t just Hey, I’ll see you later. This was I’ll keep my distance from you since that’s what you want, goodbye.

  “Will you tell her I’ll call her later?” she asked.

  He held her gaze, and she knew he was waiting for her to say something, anything. To make things easier between them.

  Instead, she looked down at the ground, tucked her hands in her pockets. “I forgot I have another meeting to go to.”

  Liar.

  “Yeah, sure,” he said.

  He didn’t say another word, just turned and walked away. And she should be grateful. She really should. And yet, crazily, she wasn’t.

  * * *

  Olivia and Crystal weren’t in the barn. His sister said their aunt had taken the little girl up to her house. So he took the ATV and drove like a maniac up to his aunt’s, only slowing when he realized he’d left Sadie behind.

  Son of a—

  Oh, well. The dog wandered the ranch all the time. She’d find her way home. Or maybe stay at the barn. But what a stupid thing to do, and a sign of how out of sorts he was.

  He’d kissed her. And he’d wanted to do more. But she didn’t want him. Didn’t want any man. And he’d known that and yet he’d still kissed her.

  Dumb, dumb, dumb.

  He heard Olivia inside when he skidded to a stop in front of his aunt’s house. She was doing her new thing, squealing with excitement. It’d been the most rewarding thing he’d ever experienced in his life, watching Olivia come out of her shell, and it was the one bright spot to his afternoon.

  “There he is,” Crystal said. His aunt met him in the foyer. “She saw you from the window.”

  “Hey, pumpkin,” he said, walking toward her.

  “Daddy!”

  Maverick froze. So did his aunt.

  She barreled toward him, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his legs. He didn’t remember closing his eyes, but it was a good thing he did because they held back tears, and for some reason, he didn’t want his aunt to see him cry.

  “Hi, sweetheart.” He squatted down, pulled her close, burying his nose in her hair. “Did you miss me?”

  He stood with her in his arms. Gosh, he’d only been gone a short time, but she acted like it’d been forever. When he looked at his aunt, he saw that he needn’t have worried about shielding his tears. She was crying, too.

  “I swear I didn’t teach her that word,” she said.

  He hadn’t, either, but it was okay. Maverick knew in that instant that there was no way in hell he’d ever give Olivia up. She was his. He was hers. He didn’t know how it had happened in such a short amount of time, but it had.

  “You do realize, don’t you,” his aunt said, “that there’s no way in hell she’s going back into the foster care system.”

  “I know,” Maverick said. “I have a court appearance this week. I’ll tell the judge then. Charlotte said we could make it official pretty quickly.”

  His aunt smiled, wiping at her eyes. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? You’re going to adopt her.”

  He nodded. “It won’t be easy, Auntie, but I know we’ll make it work.”

  “You better tell your dad.”

  “I will.”

  “Don’t let him change your mind.”

  “I won’t.”

  His aunt tipped her head sideways, and she looked so much like his sister in that moment that it was weird given there was no biological connection to them. “It’d make things easier if you found yourself a wife.”

  An image of Charlotte popped into his head, but that would never happen. And if he was smart, he’d stay away from her. He’d always wanted to marry a woman whose first priority would be their kids...not someone else’s.

  “That pretty social worker would be perfect.”

  “Yeah. Don’t think I didn’t notice your obvious attempt to throw the two of us together.”

  “What can I say? I like her.”

  Yeah, but she doesn’t like me. At least not enough to trust me.

  “I’ll be back up tomorrow,” he said, hoping to change the subject. “In the morning, if that’s okay.”

  His aunt was no fool. “Maverick, what’s wrong?”

  Olivia rested her cheek on his chest. No better feeling in the world, he thought, wishing he could sit down on his aunt’s couch and just hold his little girl.

  “Did something happen between you and Charlotte?”

  Her direct hit had him turning away. “I’m going to head back down. I left Sadie down there. I should probably go find her.”

  “Fineus Gillian, don’t you dare leave.”

  He winced at the use of his given name. Didn’t matter how old he got, he would never be able to resist a direct order given with that tone of voice. He reluctantly turned to face her.

  “Sit down.”

  He didn’t want to. There was nothing to talk about. He’d kissed her. She’d made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with him, and he didn’t blame her. After what she’d been through it was a wonder she’d been alone with him at all.

  Still, he sat.

  She took a seat opposite him on a couch. Olivia grew heavier in his arms and he realized she’d gone to sleep.

  “You seem different around her,” Crystal said. “I’ve been wondering for a couple of weeks now if you might like her, but then I’d second-guess myself because she’s not really your type.”

  “I have a type?”

  She smiled a little, pulled her gray hair to one side, and sunlight tinged with pink highlighted a face nearly unlined by age.

  “You like them pretty and educated. The jeans-and-wrangler type. Smart, but not too smart. Working, but not career driven.”

  He wanted to deny it, even opened his mouth to do exactly that, but his aunt was about the smartest woman he’d ever met, and as he thought about it, he supposed that was exactly the type of woman he usually brought home.

  “But the other night, when Charlotte came over for dinner, you were looking at her in a way I’d never seen before. It got me wondering if maybe I was wrong. And now you’re all out of sorts and the common denominator is Charlotte.”

  “I kissed her,” he said. His aunt’s brows lifted and he quickly added, “But she told me to stop.”

  “Good for her.”

  “She’s...different.”

  “How so?”

  He debated with himself on how much to tell her. But h
is aunt Crystal was a good listener, and his mind was so scrambled by it all that he found himself shifting Olivia so she could lie down on the couch. Maverick took the time to prop her head on a decorative pillow, the little girl so out cold she rolled to her side and snuggled up against the back of the couch.

  “This is going to mess up her sleep schedule,” he observed.

  “Talk to me about Charlotte.”

  What to tell her? All of it? Some of it.

  He rested his elbows on his knees. “She was a foster child, too.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “It left...” He searched for the right word. “Scars, the kind that stay with a person forever. I thought maybe, I don’t know, that I could help her. Or maybe I felt sorry for her. But I kissed her and it was...nice, but she made it clear there was no room in her life for anyone or anything.”

  “You kissed her because you felt sorry for her?”

  “No.” He clutched his head in his hands. Damn it. Charlotte had him so completely turned inside out he didn’t know what to think. “I just wanted to kiss her.”

  He didn’t want to analyze the reason why. Didn’t want to think too deeply. His aunt was right. She wasn’t his type. Not at all. So what in the hell did it matter.

  Except...it did.

  “You know what I think?” she asked softly.

  He had a feeling he really didn’t want to hear what was coming next. Forced himself to straighten and look his aunt in the eyes.

  “I think there’s something there. I think you like her in ways you’ve never experienced before. I think you’re attracted to her despite her being so different, and the fact that she’s not who you pictured yourself dating scares the crap out of you.”

  He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe because, well, she was right.

  “And I recognize the signs because I felt the exact same way when I met your uncle Bob.”

  That took him by surprise. His aunt and uncle were the poster children for the perfect marriage. They were the gold standard for what he wanted for himself.

  “When I first met your uncle, I didn’t want a thing to do with him.” Amusement brightened her eyes, a wry smile alighting upon her face. “Timed event riders. Who needs them? Even though I grew up in a rodeo family, I was determined not to marry into one. I didn’t want the lifestyle, so when your uncle asked me out, I told him no. And then I told him no again. Every time I saw him, he’d beg me to go have dinner with him or coffee or something. I finally gave in just to shut him up. And then a funny thing happened as we were sitting there sharing a meal—he impressed me with his smarts. He charmed me with his sweet smile. He wowed me when he talked about his plans for the future, including this.” She splayed her hands. “I didn’t have a doubt in the world that he’d conquer the NFR. That he’d buy his dream ranch with his brother. That he’d make that ranch into a successful business. But he wasn’t what I’d envisioned for myself and, man, did I ever fight myself. So, save yourself some heartache.” She leaned forward, slapped him on the leg. “If you like this girl, and I think you do, don’t let her scare you away.”

  Don’t let her scare you away. Easier said than done.

  Chapter 15

  Charlotte read and reread the words.

  Ex Parte in the Matter of

  Fineus Stewart Gillian

  For Adoption of Minor Child

  Fineus. The name still made her smile, but her grin slowly faded. The paperwork had been filed with the courts this morning, during his first court appearance, a meeting that she’d made a coworker attend in her stead. And as she set the document down, she found herself turning toward the window and fighting back tears.

  He wanted to keep her.

  So why was she having such a ridiculous reaction? She’d witnessed many foster parents over the years petition for adoption, but for some reason this time it was different and, damn it, why was she fighting the urge to bawl her eyes out?

  He wanted Olivia. And she’d wanted that for Olivia’s sake. She’d wanted him to be Olivia’s daddy because Maverick Stewart Gillian was one hell of a man.

  And you turned him away.

  With good reason, she told herself. She absolutely refused to encourage a man when she knew she had nothing to give in return.

  Except...she had given back to him. For a brief, wonderful second, she’d let herself go and it’d been life changing.

  She battled with herself over whether or not to call him, to tell him how happy she was about Olivia’s adoption. Say hello. Apologize. But she didn’t call him. She focused on her work instead because that was her life.

  But as the days went by, and the date for the Fostering Hope event drew ever nearer, she found herself wondering how things were going with Olivia. And if he needed her help. And if he ever thought about their kiss. And if maybe he might want to see her again.

  “You excited about this weekend?” Susan asked a few weeks later.

  Was she excited?

  “Of course,” Charlotte replied, although that was partly a lie. She hoped like hell the media event would work like Crystal said it would. But she dreaded seeing Maverick. Somehow, she’d managed to avoid him on her visits to the ranch, probably because she’d insisted on doing a lot of the planning via email. And on the rare occasion when she actually had to meet with Crystal, she’d duck in and out as quickly as possible.

  “What are you going to wear?”

  “Nothing special.” That wasn’t exactly true. A few days ago, she’d found herself at a department store, perusing pretty shirts and a pair of fancy jeans with sparkles on the pocket and cute Western boots to match.

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you there.”

  But just talking about it sent her anxiety into overdrive. She had no idea why. She’d pushed him away and he’d been true to his words, leaving her alone.

  The night of the event she felt like a cardiac patient going in for surgery. Her hands shook to the point that it took her nearly a half hour to do her mascara, and the fact that she was even wearing mascara freaked her out even more. She never wore makeup. Yet tonight she took the time to apply blush and lip gloss and even some eye shadow.

  She knew the moment she turned into the ranch that the event would be a success. She’d had to follow a line of cars into the place, people parking their vehicles along the side of the main road long before the stables and the arena were in sight. She had to park what felt like a million miles away, the radiance of the lights inside a massive tent like the glow from a lampshade. The sound of music reached her ears before she spotted the strings of clear glass bulbs they’d strung between the stable and the tent inside the arena. Other lights sat around the perimeter, the kind that were stuck in the ground, solar powered. The whole place looked like something out of a fairy tale, and her heart skipped a beat when she spotted the ATV they’d driven to see the mares and foals parked alongside the barn.

  “Welcome,” said a woman Charlotte didn’t immediately recognize near the entrance of the tent. She was so distracted keeping an eye out for Maverick that she only realized belatedly that it was Jayden.

  “Oh, hey,” Jayden said, eyeing her up and down. “Goodness. I hardly recognized you.”

  She didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. “Jayden. Good to see you.” She forced a smile.

  “Well, what do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s amazing. Like something out of a Disney movie.”

  “Wait until you see the inside. My aunt spared no expense.”

  She wasn’t kidding. The big tent looked like the inside of a hotel, so many plants and tables set up that everyone could have taken a seat if that was the plan for the evening, but it wasn’t. It was a social gathering. Music, drinks and a few speeches along the way, although she wouldn’t be giving any of them. She’d brought in her boss, Mr. Rocha, who’d only b
een too happy to take on the task.

  “Mingle,” she told herself quietly. That was all she was supposed to do. Mingle and talk to people and hope like heck that somewhere in this crowd there were a few people who’d want to take on the task of becoming foster parents. Failing that, maybe someone might hear about the event on the news and be inspired to help one of their kids. That was the focus. That was the only focus, she told herself sternly.

  She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy because there he was, standing by a table laden with hors d’oeuvres and giant glass jars of what looked like lemonade and iced tea. Maverick held Olivia in his arms, the little girl sporting a frilly pink dress and a matching hair bow. She clearly didn’t like the black cowboy hat Maverick wore because she kept trying to take it off his head.

  “Honey, stop. You’re supposed to leave that on Daddy.”

  Daddy.

  For the first time in her life she wished she had a drink, was half-tempted to grab a flute of champagne off the trays being carried around by black-coated waiters.

  “There you are.”

  Charlotte jumped at the touch of someone’s hand. Crystal. She smiled as she came around the front of her. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I only just got here.”

  The woman looked like someone half her age tonight with her hair piled high on her head and wearing a gorgeous Santa Fe–style shirt with a scooped neckline inlaid with giant turquoise stones. She wore a denim skirt and cowboy boots that nearly reached her knees and were stitched with cactus and blue flowers of some kind.

  “I wanted to introduce you around. There are a few people I want you to meet. They came specifically to talk to you about what it takes to become a foster parent.”

  She feared the surge of adrenaline that shot through her had less to do with potential new foster parents and more to do with Maverick being in the same room. She had to force a smile.

  “That’s great. Lead the way.”

  Crystal kept her busy. The crowd grew thicker and thicker until she had to turn sideways to make her way through the room. She ran into Mr. Rocha at one point. Her boss appeared to be speaking to someone from the press based on the credential hanging around the person’s neck. He gave her a thumbs-up and a huge smile as she passed. She waved at Rachelle, her coworker, the pretty brunette smiling in return, and she looked so dressed up in her frilly white shirt Charlotte wondered for a moment if she’d dressed up for Maverick.