Bachelor Father

“The fashion magazine.” She tossed her explanation into the silence as if she couldn’t believe his ignorance.

“Oh.” Oh. Katherine’s magazine. A wave of dread washed over him. He hoped she wasn’t tied into this bachelor-auction business in some way. He never wanted to see her again.

“Listen, I’ll get right to the point. I believe you are acquainted with my senior fashion editor, Katherine Seymour.”

Zeke closed his eyes. Surely it wasn’t heartache he was feeling. He’d wiped that episode out of his memory months ago.

“Mr. Lonetree?” she prompted. “Does the name Katherine Seymour mean anything to you?”

He opened his eyes and cleared his throat. “We’ve met.”

“Yes. So I understand. Well, she has some...personal business to discuss with you, so I would like—”

“Put her on. I’m sure we can handle it over the phone.” Panic rose in Zeke’s chest as he tried to fend off what he feared was coming.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. She’s...unavailable.”

“Is she okay?” The nature of Zeke’s fear changed. He didn’t want to get within two thousand miles of Katherine, but he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, either.

“She’s fine. But she needs to see you, so I’ve arranged for her to fly out to Jackson Hole the last weekend in August. I presume that would be convenient to your place of employment.”

“You can fly her anywhere you want, but I have no intention of—”

“The man I just spoke with assured me that you’d honor the terms of the bachelor auction and meet her there.”

“You bought me for her?” Having a woman win him at an auction was bad enough. Having a woman procure him for someone else was ten times worse.

“I did nothing of the sort! Cachet is donating a generous sum to the Lost Springs Ranch for Boys, and in exchange I want you to meet Katherine in August and talk with her. It’s a business arrangement. I’ll even cover her expenses. Agreed?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the reason. You need to take it up with Katherine when you see her. I’ll mail you the particulars.”

“Look, Ms. Rutledge, this is a complete waste of time for everyone. Katherine and I have nothing to—”

“I assure you, my donation to the ranch is very generous. I’m certain you wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”

Zeke felt the trap closing around him, and he had no one to blame but himself. He’d acted totally out of character by making love to Katherine the night he’d saved her from the river. Then he’d made the further mistake of thinking the encounter had meant something to her. Months of her silence had convinced him otherwise. Now he was being summoned like some menial servant without being given any explanation. He longed to hang up on this bossy woman with the New York accent that reminded him of Katherine’s.

But she’d practically said she’d withdraw her donation if he didn’t go along with this ridiculous arrangement. He’d agreed to this damn auction to help the ranch, and now was his big chance.

“Do we have a deal, Mr. Lonetree?” she asked.

“We have a deal, Ms. Rutledge.”

* * *

KATHERINE TOUCHED A FINGER to Amanda’s cheek and guided the rosebud mouth to her nipple. As the baby nursed, Katherine stared at her in wonder. She couldn’t believe that Amanda was nestled in her arms. So many times during the pregnancy she’d thought she would lose her. But Amanda had clung stubbornly to her chance at life, and Katherine had never known such joy as she felt now, holding her child.

“What a lovely picture you two make.” Naomi smiled gently as she walked into the hospital room dressed in her usual color scheme of black-and-white, her silver hair perfectly coiffed, her makeup flawless.

Katherine returned her smile. “Can you believe she’s really here?”

“Not quite.” Naomi walked over to the bed and leaned down to stroke Amanda’s tiny head. “I didn’t dare count on this, not with the problems you had carrying her.” She finger-combed the baby’s abundant jet-black hair. “I don’t think this is going to turn blond.”

“Probably not.” Just her luck her baby’s hair would forever remind her of that lusty night in the forest with Zeke Lonetree.

“She’s beautiful, Katherine. I’m so sorry your parents didn’t live to see her.”

“Me, too.” Her throat tightened, but as she watched Naomi tenderly smoothing Amanda’s hair, she gave thanks that at least she had Naomi. “I guess this makes you a god-grandmother.”

Naomi looked up, her eyes moist. “So it does.” She cleared her throat and returned her attention to Amanda. “Although god-grandmother is a mouthful for a little kid. Maybe...she could just call me grandma.”

Katherine’s heart squeezed. “Of course she could.”

Naomi gave the baby’s hair one last stroke before turning to find a chair, which she pulled over to the bed. “And now that we’ve made it to this point, you and I have a few things to discuss.”

“I plan on getting right back to work. If you have no objection, I’ll bring Amanda to the office and set up a bassinet for her. I’m sure I—”

“I’m sure you can, too.” Naomi laid her manicured hand on Katherine’s arm. “But that’s not what I want to discuss. I’m thinking of making some staff changes.”

Katherine’s breathing quickened. She was being demoted. Naomi might have seen her through this problem pregnancy with loving care, but she was the founder of Cachet, and she hadn’t built the magazine into the industry giant it was by being soft. She’d decided to give Katherine’s job to someone else because she didn’t believe a new mother could handle the demands of being a senior editor.

Worst of all, Katherine dared not question the decision. When her parents died, Naomi had been her salvation, giving her a job at Cachet right out of college and promoting her regularly until she finally gained senior editor status. Katherine knew she hadn’t worked up to capacity during the final months of her pregnancy, but Naomi hadn’t ever complained. Under the circumstances, Katherine didn’t feel she could beg for more consideration.

Feeling like a doomed prisoner, she gathered the courage to look directly into Naomi’s eyes and take the bullet like a woman. “What sort of changes?”

“I want to train you to take over for me.”

Katherine sighed with relief. She would work like a demon to justify Naomi’s continued faith in her. “So you’re going on vacation?”

“No, I want you to take over permanently.”

Katherine’s gasp dislodged Amanda’s mouth. The baby’s reedy cry of protest brought her attention back to the task and gave Katherine a moment to recover herself as she resettled Amanda at her breast. But her heart was still pounding when she finally glanced back at Naomi. “I...don’t know what to say. I never in the world expected...” She stopped, at a total loss. Editor in chief. She couldn’t comprehend it.

Naomi chuckled. “I can’t go on forever, you know.”

Katherine felt as if someone had just hit her over the head with the NYC phone book. “I guess I thought you would.”

“And die in harness? Not this lady. Or worse yet, I could start losing my edge and have a staff who’s afraid to tell me. No, I want to slip out of the top spot gracefully and leave someone I trust in charge.”

“But what about Sylvia? Or Denise, or—”

“Darling.” Naomi squeezed her arm. “You’ve been my choice ever since you were born.”

“I have?” Katherine took a moment to digest that startling information. “No wonder you were so excited when I decided to work on the high school newspaper.”

“It was all the encouragement I needed. Of course, I would have backed off if you’d chosen one of those other careers you talked about. I remember once you wanted to be an actress, and then there was your doctor-nurse period. And what was it you wanted to be when you were ten? A wilderness guide?”