Colorado Cowboy

That about sums it up, Luke thought. She’s scared of the kid. Begging with him, for Pete’s sake. So the kid figured his father was a bumpkin because he lived on a ranch, did he?

“I was saying, Mr. O’Malley, that it’s taken a great deal of courage on Ms. Montgomery’s part to reveal the name of Cody’s father and allow me to get in touch with you.

“When I saw Cody here in court again the other day on yet another misdemeanor, I was deeply saddened. His mom is doing the best she can, but raising a child in a city like New York can be hard enough with two parents in the home. It’s often almost impossible with one. And when that parent is finding it difficult to make ends meet, their children sometimes shoplift to get the things their parent can’t afford to buy them. They’re also easy prey for the street gangs. That will be Cody’s future if I don’t act now. My only alternative is to put him into juvenile detention—”

Cody swore, leaping to his feet, his chair clattering backward onto the floor.

“Cody! Don’t use that sort of language. Apologize to the judge.”

“No way!” he mumbled, picked up his chair and sat back down with a thud.

Luke was transfixed by the exchange. This kid didn’t give a damn who he offended—or hurt—especially his mom. No wonder the kid assumed he could do what he wanted. She was incapable of disciplining him.

Cody leaned back in his chair, and Luke had a clear view of Megan. Tears were welling in her eyes as she looked at him, then glanced away.

She needed him. Needed someone to take charge—if only for a while.

Suspecting most of Cody’s behavior was bravado—showing his father and uncle how tough he was—Luke knew one thing for sure: it was long past time to put a stop to it by starting to act like the kid’s father.

He leaned toward Cody and said in a low growl, “A word. Outside.” He stood and walked toward the door. The kid didn’t move. “Now!” he said more harshly.

After several long beats, the kid got up and sauntered over to the door. He pushed past Luke and walked out into the foyer.

Thankful the area was deserted, Luke watched as Cody slumped against a column, crossed his arms and fixed a smirk on his face.

It took all of Luke’s willpower not to grab his son by the shoulders and shake him. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “I understand how angry you might be about the situation, but you won’t speak to women in that way—especially your mother. Treat me how you want, but I will not allow you to ever treat your mother like that again.”

“Yeah? How’re gonna stop me?”

Apparently, the kid was expecting a physical threat, but that had never been Luke’s way of disciplining his children. “Because I’m going to be your father from now on. You have a problem, you take it out on me, not your mom. Understand?”

He caught the flare of surprise in Cody’s expression, then it became guarded again as he shrugged and said, “Whatever,” and strode back into the judge’s chambers.

He stood in front of the desk, arms still folded. “Can we go now?” he asked his mother.

“No, Cody, we’re not leaving here until we’ve come to an agreement about your future.”

Luke wanted to cheer. At last Megan had said no. Up until now, all she’d done was try to placate her—their, he corrected himself—son.

“I think we’re all agreed we don’t want you in juvenile detention,” the judge continued. “So now we need to decide on a solution. Sit down, Cody,” she said firmly.

Cody hesitated for a moment and then complied, throwing himself into the chair and slouching in it, a sour look on his face.

Luke wasn’t so sure juvenile detention wasn’t the place for Cody. At juvie, they’d soon sort him out. His mom wouldn’t have to constantly worry about where he was. Or maybe Luke could provide them with financial support. Then Megan wouldn’t have to work; she could go to school full-time if she wanted. And he’d buy her a place in a better neighborhood.

“…my suggestion, therefore,” the judge was saying.

Luke gave himself a mental shake.

“…is that for Cody’s sake, he go and live with you on your ranch in Colorado—”

“No!” Megan cried.

Cody’s predictable response was another four-letter word.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Luke exploded, incredulous the judge could suggest this young tough belonged on the ranch with his three innocent daughters.

She calmly folded her hands on her desk. “No, Mr. O’Malley, I’m deadly serious.”

Luke shifted forward to emphasize his point. “I can support Cody and his mother. I’m more than willing to compensate her for the child support I should’ve contributed over the past fourteen years. Money isn’t a problem.”

“Oh, yeah! How much you gonna give me, Dad?” The last word was loaded with derision.

“Cody!” Megan made eye contact with Luke for only the second time since meeting again after so many years. “I don’t want your money,” she snapped. “I can manage.” She turned desperate eyes to the judge and asked, her voice trembling, “Are you saying you’re giving Luke custody of my son?”

The judge held up her hands and smiled compassionately at Megan. “No, I’m not giving custody to Mr. O’Malley.”

Megan released a sigh of relief.

“I’m awarding you both custody. Joint custody.”

There was another outburst from his son.

“Cody!”

Unflappable, the judge said, “Cody, if nothing else, moving you to another environment might broaden your vocabulary.” She nodded at Luke. “Is this solution acceptable to you, Mr. O’Malley?”

Luke was horrified. It certainly was not. “Judge, I’ve got three little girls. I don’t want them exposed to this sort of behavior—”

“Luke!” Matt muttered beside him.

His brother’s caution made Luke realize how selfish he was sounding. “I can pay to send him to boarding school—get him out of this environment. That’s what you really want, isn’t it? To get him away from the street gangs? There are good boarding schools in Connecticut. His mom could visit him on the weekends.” He looked at Megan, pleading for her agreement.

MEGAN WAS APPALLED by Luke’s suggestion that they send her son away to boarding school. But then she’d relaxed when he mentioned she’d be close enough to visit Cody every weekend. Certainly a lot closer than Colorado. Maybe when Cody had settled down he could visit with Luke in Colorado. Get to know his father. It would tear her apart not seeing Cody every day, but this might be the only thing that would save him.

“I don’t have any objection to an arrangement like that,” she said, and glanced at Luke, then wished she hadn’t. Feeling the familiar tug of attraction—but stronger now—she silently cursed her desire for this man. Fifteen years had only added to his dark good looks, but it was his willingness to bear some of the burden of raising Cody that had her reacting to him on such an elemental level.

She’d fallen for Luke within days of meeting him. She was so captivated by him, she’d gladly given up her virginity. He’d been charming and funny, with old-fashioned manners and beguiling brown eyes that made her heart melt and her common sense fly out the window. And what had her lapse in rationality gotten her in return?

The conversation she’d overheard at the recreation center the evening she was to meet Luke at the Victorian Inn for dinner had proven what a fool she’d been. He’d toyed with her emotions, stringing her along to believe they were in an exclusive relationship, when, in fact, the woman she’d overheard talking to a friend was pregnant with Luke’s child.

She forced the anger—at herself and at Luke—aside and said, “I will agree to any solution that will get Cody away from the environment he’s in at present. Somewhere safer, like a boarding school in Connecticut, would be acceptable to me—”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work,” the judge cut in, then addressed Cody. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Cody? Your parents and I have things to discuss. You’ll find refreshments and a television in the next room.” She indicated a small door leading off her office.

Cody leaped to his feet. “Fine! Talk about me behind my back, why don’t you? But I’m tellin’ you now, I’m not goin’ to any boarding school!” He stalked out, slamming the door behind him, causing Megan to jump with fright.

“I think as you can gather from that little tirade, Cody would only abscond from boarding school,” the judge said. “And then we wouldn’t know where he was.”