"I'm thinking she's the kind of gal who probably knew how to have a good time."
"And has enough of a conscience to pick a nice guy for the father?" Adam leaned back. "Doesn't fit."
Brooks nodded at his older brother. "On leave, one sailor is as nice as any other. The only reason Ethan would stand out in a crowd is if someone took the time to do a little internet search."
"Farraday Ranch," Adam and DJ echoed.
Brooks tapped the edge of his nose with his index finger. "Ding ding ding. Give the man a prize."
"Which brings us right back to where we started. What do we do if Brittany's not a Farraday?"
Chapter Fourteen
With Brittany contentedly napping in the break room, the veterinary staff had no choice but to return to some semblance of real work. Even with a long nap of her own, Becky still felt as though she'd been running full steam ahead with no reprieve, and with DJ, Adam, and Brooks behind closed doors, concentrating on the task at hand wasn't going well. A part of her kept expecting Connor and Finn to show up. Another part of her wondered if she'd be invited in. Of course, just because she'd been included in the discussion about Brittany the other night didn't mean she'd be included now. Then again, she was assuming the private meeting was about the baby. For all Becky knew, the gathering could be over anything from Connor's upcoming business plans and wedding to the crazy situation with Jake and Charlotte Thomas.
The door to Adam's office inched open and Becky immediately looked up.
"You sure you don't want to head to the ranch for supper with us?" First out the door, Brooks spoke to DJ over his shoulder.
"Nope. Y'all know everything I do. Just let me know what Connor and Finn have to say."
Brooks nodded and slapped his brother on the back. They all seemed perfectly calm, almost jovial. That would certainly indicate more pleasant topics of conversation had been discussed, like Connor and his soon to be new family.
Breaking apart from the pack, Adam came to a stop beside Kelly. "I'm heading out early. Going to the ranch. Y'all can cut loose any time."
Sticking her thumb straight up, Kelly smiled. "Got it."
Returning the smile, Adam tapped his Aggie ring on the counter top and turned for the door.
A few more back slaps and nods and DJ deviated away from his siblings and crossed to where Becky worked. "I'll take care of supper tonight."
"It's fine if you'd rather go with your brothers to the ranch." She pointed at Adam and Brooks, walking out the door.
"Nope. Staying in town."
Becky hesitated a moment than nodded. He was a big boy, allowed to do whatever he wanted. "As soon as Brittany wakes up, I'll be going home."
"Sounds good." DJ pushed away from the counter. The way he lingered, she thought he had something else to say, but all he did was nod and leave in his brothers’ wakes.
Almost an hour later, Brittany was wide-awake and entertaining herself with cute noises and blowing an infant version of spit bubbles. Other than the night tech responsible for the animals boarding or recovering from surgery, Becky was the last staff person still in the clinic. Claiming a hot date, Kelly had escaped out the door mere moments after their boss. Her curvaceous friend had met a guy the last time they'd hit the Boot n Scoots for girl’s night and things seemed to be clicking. Growing up, Kelly had been what Becky's grandmother called pleasingly plump. Others chose less flattering adjectives. Kelly still carried a few extra pounds but they'd balanced out in curves that more than enough men seemed to appreciate. Including this new cowboy in her life. Though Becky had no idea who she was going to hang out with on dateless Saturday nights if things with Kelly and her new cowboy got serious. But Becky was happy for her friend.
As for Pat, the senior lab tech had stuck around a bit longer waiting for her shift replacement before heading home. On her own, Becky had packed up and was merely waiting for Brittany to wake up. "Come on sweetheart."
Carrier slung over one arm and her handbag over the other shoulder, Becky couldn't move fast enough. Brittany was a pretty patient baby. Normally, when she wasn't as sick as a drunken sailor, the baby liked to look around and reach for nearby things, entertaining herself until hunger got the better of her disposition. Tonight's easygoing nature bolstered Becky's impressions that the worst of the formula fiasco was behind them.
In the back of Becky's mind, she clung to the idea that the longer Brittany entertained herself between feedings, the longer she might sleep at night without waking up hungry. It was a long shot, but after two nights of limited sleep, long shots grew exponentially in appeal.
The second she walked through her front door, the appetizing aromas of warm food slammed into her. "Oh wow. You didn't tell me you could cook." She kicked the door shut behind her.
"I can't. Well, actually I can, but most of what I make comes off a grill or out of a pot of boiling water."
"A pasta man, are you?" She laughed at his expression of mock surprise and then her stomach did that flutter thing when a sweet smile settled on his face.
"Man cannot live by bread alone, but rib eye or spaghetti works for me."
Her salivary glands warned her that whatever the meal, it would be delicious. Working to place the familiar scents, she took another sniff. "Oh my, is that Frank's lasagna?"
"It is." Lobster potholders on each hand, DJ looked absolutely adorable. All he needed to complete the handsome cowboy in the kitchen look was an oversize apron. "I also have fresh salad, warm garlic bread, and cheesecake for dessert."
"Oh, my. I've died and gone to heaven."
DJ chuckled. "I stopped at the café for the meatloaf, but when I saw lasagna on the specials board, I remembered how much you loved it when my aunt made lasagna."
Becky stopped halfway across the room. "You remembered I love lasagna?"
"Sure." He shrugged. "You loved her lasagna and her corned beef and cabbage. Corned beef wasn't on the café menu."
"And when it is, it's not as good as your aunt's." Becky's heart was doing a jig. Had anyone she'd ever known, never mind dated, remembered her favorite foods? "You like ketchup on your rice." She didn't know why she felt the need to share what she remembered from her youth about DJ.
He set the potholders down on the counter and tipping his head, shot back, "Your favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan."
"That's right." A perverse pleasure soared inside her. She set the carrier down, unbuckled the baby, and looked over her shoulder at DJ. "I don't remember you having a favorite ice cream flavor—"
"Because I'm an equal opportunity ice cream lover." Eyes twinkling with humor, he moved in her direction.
"But I do remember German Chocolate Cake." She bit back a laugh. "And the time you and Connor sliced—and ate—your Aunt Eileen's cake entry for the county fair."
"Ooh." DJ winced. "I don't think we sat comfortably for weeks."
"She was pretty ticked off."
"And then some."
Watching the two of them from her carrier seat, Brittany must have decided she'd had enough of the lighthearted banter. Her arms waved and her feet pumped. Becky had come to recognize that as the feed-me-now-or-I'm-going-to-scream routine. "I'd better get her bottle ready."
"Let me." DJ slipped passed her and lifted the baby into his arms. "Hey there, sweetie pie."
Becky couldn't drag her attention away from the interaction. When DJ smiled at the tiny baby, his entire face lit up. Little lines appeared at the corners of eyes sparkling with amusement. Holding her snuggly against him in one arm, he wiggled a single finger in front of her.
"You look much happier today, don't you?" he chatted to the baby.
Becky wasn't totally sure, but from where she stood, it looked like Brittany had just bestowed her first smile, at least in Tuckers Bluff, on Declan James Farraday. Once again, the infant pumped her feet and swinging an arm, five tiny fingers latched onto his still moving finger. Becky's heart nearly stopped at the precious moment, but if she thought DJ was delighted before, he was absolutely beamin
g now. If his reaction were electricity, he'd be a powerhouse. At that moment, his gaze shifted in Becky's direction and her heart did an honest to God back flip. Damn, was there anything sexier than a grinning man with a baby in his arms?
***
"Not as good as your Aunt Eileen's, but dang close."
DJ watched the way Becky's lips closed around the last morsel of pasta on the fork, then oh-so-slowly she dragged the utensil out of her mouth, closed her eyes, and softly moaned. All he could do was shift in place and thank the stars her plate was empty.
The truth was, the fork probably slid in and out of her moist mouth much faster than his mind watched it play out, and her soft mewls of culinary pleasure were also exaggerated by his depraved mind. The reality of being in close quarters with this woman three nights in a row was way past getting to him. The conversation had meandered from Meg and Toni standing by Charlotte Thomas, what the results of Jake's MRI would mean for his legal case, to the baby's new formula and how could the mother have not left instructions with important details like a formula allergy. At least if the woman had left them the original formula container, they could have purchased the same brand.
Who knew sharing dinner and casual conversation, night after night, could make a man want a woman more than the sexiest bikini or sultriest banter. At least with this woman. Every bite Becky took had been sheer torture for him. A time or two she'd had to repeat herself because his mind had wandered down a path it had no business being on. The crazy thing was, if he did find a way to sneak off out of town to keep company with a female friend, it wouldn't do him any good. All he seemed to have a taste for was the one woman in town he shouldn't even be looking at this way.
"Do I remember hearing something about cheesecake?" With her napkin she wiped at the corners of her mouth.
"Yes, you did." Resisting the urge to stretch out his hand and swipe at the dab of sauce on one end of her mouth, he pushed back from the table. "You missed a spot."
She smiled, wiping her face again. "Thanks."
"No problem. I'll get the cheesecake." Distraction was a good thing.
"No." She pushed to her feet and almost slammed into him, losing her balance.
"Careful." Before he could think twice, his hands curled around her arms, holding her in place. "You okay?"
"I, uh…" Her gaze locked with his at the same moment her mouth snapped shut then fell open again. "Uhm." The tip of her tongue peeked out and quickly slid back into her mouth as she sucked in her bottom lip.
DJ desperately wanted to suck on that sweet lip for her. And a few other places too. Blast. He released his hold, keeping his open hands nearby, making sure she had her balance again.
"I, uh, should… I mean, you should…uh, let me get the dessert. I mean cheesecake."
DJ nodded. If he dared open his mouth to speak, he would no doubt bring it crashing down on hers and that was so not a good idea. Sucking in a deep breath, he took a step back. "Fair enough." Not that any of this was fair. Some days he wished his father had raised a house of scoundrels. But Sean Farraday had raised men by a standard. Respect. Honor. And the thoughts running through his mind were none of the above. She was too young, too long in love with his brother, and too good a friend to his sister. So many rules begging to be broken. He took another step back. His hands literally ached from the need to reach out and touch her once again. Any touch. "I'll be right back."
Becky nodded and slowly eased back into her seat.
The baby had slept all through their meal. At first DJ had been glad for the quiet dinner time. Now he figured having Brittany wake up wouldn't be a bad thing. If Becky continued to stare at him with such wondrous curiosity in her eyes, and with nothing to hold him back—no duty on call, no baby to rock or feed—the few strands of self control that kept him tethered to reality might just snap.
"Big slice or little slice?" he asked.
"Little. I ate too much." She moved from the table to the sofa.
Shaking his thoughts clear, he grabbed a dish in each hand and crossed into the living room. Time to cool everyone down. "I have a little more data on the mother."
"Really?" She accepted the plate from him.
"Her history certainly explains why she didn't have any qualms leaving a baby with strangers."
She stabbed at the dessert. "Like what?"
"Runaway at sixteen, a few run-ins with the law but no jail time. Married. Divorced. Off the grid until she popped back up in San Diego—"
"Where she met Ethan."
DJ nodded. "It fits."
"But you're not sure?"
"I don't know what I am. One minute I think it makes perfect sense. There are plenty of frog hogs at Miramar looking for a hookup."
"Frog hogs?"
The second the derogatory words were out, he wished he could roll them back in. "That's what the SEALs call the groupies who crave the spotlight of being with a SEAL."
"But Ethan's not a SEAL."
"No, but the pilots get a lot of action just for being around Miramar." And again, open mouth insert foot. Not that it wasn't the truth, and by the accepting look on Becky's face, she already knew it, but still, he felt a strong need to keep her in rose colored glasses when it came to his brother. "Anyhow, the real problem may be in that Ethan has never hid where he's from. Anyone with a computer—"
Becky's fork fell to her plate. "The ranch…"
"The ranch." DJ nodded. Apparently he and his brothers weren't the only one's coming to the conclusion that this whole mess might be nothing more than one big scam. And didn't that just make for a peachy end to another day?
***
Panic and relief warred within Becky and guilt came stumbling in behind them. A sense of relief that Ethan hadn't fathered a child with a weekend hookup lurched inside her only to be tamped down at the idea of little Brittany being nothing more than a pawn in a con. A scam that affected all the Farradays.
Was she a horrible person to hope Brittany wasn't Ethan's child? But if she wasn't a Farraday, then what would happen to Brittany? If the papers the mother had left were nothing more than a scheme to… "Wait a minute. If Brittany's mom relinquished her parental rights and is nowhere to be found, how could she benefit from the ranch?"
"Adam and Brooks and I batted those same questions around this afternoon."
"And?"
"Bottom line is even if Ethan can't keep it in his pants," he paused and she knew he was rethinking his choice of words. His efforts to spare her feelings made her want to smile. "Sorry," he continued, "but when we think of Ethan, hearth and home aren't the first images to pop into mind—"
"More like skydiving and speed racing," she cut in.
"Exactly, but even so, can you see Ethan turning away Brittany's mother if she came to him for help?"
DJ had a point. The guy she'd fallen for in the first grade had a protective streak a mile wide. Which was why Ethan did his flying and racing and other crazy stunts in the military. He could get his adrenaline rush and protect mom's apple pie and the American way all at the same time.
"If she was in trouble and needed a little cash to get by till the next job. Needed a good lawyer to stay out of jail—"
"You think she's that bad?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, but it's a possibility."
"Surely she had to know y'all were going to order DNA testing?"
DJ pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. One would think so. Damn." He dropped his hand and shook his head. "Sorry. Again. Until the DNA results come back, we're just spinning our wheels."
"Agreed." Before Becky could consider what to say next, Brittany let them know she was ready for her next meal. Loudly. "Time to put adult conversation aside."
"I'll get the bottle ready." DJ circled widely around her on his way to the kitchen.
For just a moment Becky hesitated, her gaze on DJ, her mind on the last three days of playing house. She hadn't imagined DJ the domestic type. Rugged, handsome, knight in shining armor material—abso
lutely, but domestic diva changing diapers, prepping bottles and making dinner—even if it was take out—was so not what she'd expected from him. The Farraday men most definitely did not disappoint, and didn't that send her mind to asking what other hidden talents did Declan James Farraday have?
Chapter Fifteen
"Hey cuz." Ian Farraday strolled through DJ's office door.
No need to ask what brought the Texas Ranger to his office in the middle of a weekday. Popping in from Austin for lunch was not likely. "Long time." Plastering on a sincere smile, DJ stood and met his cousin half way for a back-slapping man hug. "Last time I looked, they don't let family investigate family."
"Nope." Ian slid into the wooden guest chair by DJ's desk. "Though the state stops considering people kin after first cousins, they're still not going to let me take this case."
"Farraday is Farraday." DJ chuckled. Ian was the oldest of Uncle George's grandchildren. Which made DJ and Ian second cousins, not that the Farradays paid attention to degrees. Technically, George Farraday was DJ's great uncle, but as far as everyone was concerned, he was simply Uncle George and Ian was simply a cousin.
"Escorted a witness to Abilene, figured I was so close it would be a sin not to come by and visit in person."
"You mean check up on me?"
Ian shrugged. "You look old enough to take care of yourself."
"Thanks for noticing. So where's your partner? Not traveling in pairs today?" DJ dipped his chin and watched his cousin closely.
"On his way back to Austin. I rented a car." Ian shrugged a lazy shoulder. "I also hear you have a new baby in house."
"Boy, you state boys are getting better at Intel." Even amongst family, the subject of city cop vs state cop was great fodder for a plethora of jokes and jabs he and Ian had been the target of for ages.
"Not that good." Ian laughed. "Mom spoke with Aunt Eileen yesterday."
Smiling, DJ shook his head. "I wonder why she didn't simply post a full page ad in the Austin papers."
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