The Rancher's Surprise Son

Their kiss was tentative at first, just a taste, but then he couldn’t help himself. He pulled her toward him and when his lips finally touched hers, he released all his frustration, all his loneliness and all his longing for a future with this remarkable woman.

Her straight hair, like spun gold in the moonlight, brushed his arm, and he couldn’t stop touching it, threading it through his fingers to enjoy its silkiness.

Cody kissed her forehead, her eyebrows and her neck. Then did it all over again. His hands ran over her back, her shoulders—wherever he could reach without releasing her from his arms, just to make sure she was real.

“You feel so good. Do you still love me, Laura?”

“Of course, Cody. Of course!” She covered him with kisses, devoured his lips, lifted his T-shirt and ran her hands over his chest.

He was ready and certainly willing to make love to her, but alarms went off in his head. He shouldn’t even be here, nor should Laura. To make love with her would be...heaven...but maybe now wasn’t a good time.

Cody suspected that there wasn’t going to be a good time in their future.

Should he give in to what they both wanted?

Laura stepped back, but held on to his biceps. “I think we need to take things slow. We have to get to know each other again.”

His heart took a dive in his chest. “You’re right. It’s been a long time. And a lot has happened. You got married. You had a son.”

“My father has talked to you, hasn’t he?” Laura studied his face.

“Yeah.”

“He threatened you?”

Cody shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me. It’s what he can do to you and Johnny.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Such as?”

“He could send you away. He said something about your aunt Betty in Boston. He said that there was a nice military school for Johnny there, too.”

“I am not going to Boston, and Johnny isn’t going to some military school. We are staying right here in our pretty cottage. Besides, this is where you are.”

“And I can’t leave for at least two years, but I doubt that I can turn around the Double M by then. I don’t know if I could ever make it real profitable. We’ve all tried throughout the years.”

Laura moved away from Cody and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was her turn to pace. “If anyone can turn it around, it’s you.”

“It takes money, Laura. The place needs an overhaul, and there’s none.”

“We can never have peace in Duke Springs, Cody. Never. I thought that having a grandchild would mellow them both, and it did to a point, but sometimes it made things worse.”

Cody could see the tears swimming in her emerald eyes, and he hugged her to him.

“Oh, that didn’t make any sense.” She sniffed. “But J.W. would never send us away. He’d miss Johnny too much. My mother had a better threat this morning. She’s going to file for custody of Johnny if I consort with a known felon such as you.” Cody handed her a red bandanna and she wiped her eyes. “Maybe we ought to stay away from each other. You have too much to lose. So do I.”

Cody swore and was just about to punch a saguaro, spikes and all, when Laura closed her hand over his fist and helped him to relax.

“Just tell me, Cody...once and for all, tell me that you are innocent. Tell me that you didn’t kill Lindy. Tell me, for heaven’s sake.”

He pulled his hand away from hers and swore. “I can’t. I can’t say anything. If I did, all that time I spent in prison would be for nothing.”

“Who are you protecting, Cody?”

No answer.

“I need you to tell me, or I can’t see you anymore. I might lose my son. Don’t you get that?” She was gritting her teeth.

“I didn’t kill Lindy!” Cody shouted. “I didn’t kill him, but I wish to hell I did.” He turned away from her and Laura could tell that he was trying to compose himself. “There, I said it. I finally said it.”

She wrapped her arms around him from behind and let her wet cheek rest on his back.

“Who killed him, Cody? Your mother? Cindy? It has to be one of them who did it. You wouldn’t go to jail for anyone else.”

He turned around and pulled her tight to him. “Please, Laura. That’s enough. I shouldn’t have even told you what I did. But when you said that your parents—or at least your mother—might try taking Johnny away from you...well, I had to tell you the truth.”

“I am so relieved! I mean, I knew you were protecting someone. Why else wouldn’t you defend yourself?”

“Please, don’t ask me anymore. I can’t tell you. If it gets around...”

She kissed him to assure him that he didn’t have to speak further. She didn’t need to know anything more.

“And I can’t sneak around with you forever, Laura. I love you. We’ve always wanted to get married.”

“I know, but can you accept Johnny, too?”

“I admit that I was shocked, and even disappointed, that you slept with someone else, and that you even got married—”

“I never got married, Cody. That was something I just told my parents. They couldn’t cope with me having a child out of wedlock. I just told them that I eloped with a fellow student to Vegas so it would make them feel better.”

Cody felt the tension slip out of his body. “I’m glad of that. But did you love him? Johnny’s father, I mean.”

“Yes. I loved him very much, and I know he loved me.”

Cody felt sick to his stomach. Why had he even asked that question?

Laura took his hand. “You never answered me. Could you accept Johnny?”

“Of course!” Cody answered almost immediately. “You didn’t even have to ask me that. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“You will—someday.”

“And I don’t care who the college dude is.” Cody couldn’t get the picture of Laura sleeping with someone else out of his head. Aw...hell.

“Johnny’s the light of my life.”

“He should be.”

“I don’t have any regrets, not one,” she said strongly. “Well, maybe one.”