As he reached the open doorway, Stephen saw Jill approaching.

Backlit by sunlight, he couldn’t see the expression on her face. She stopped when she saw him. Before she could react, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Why?” he said through clenched teeth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her whole body trembled. “T-tell you what?”

“Don’t play innocent with me, Jill. I know Jordan is my son. And you had no right to keep that from me. No right at all.”

He thought she would continue to deny it, but she didn’t. She just looked at him. Tears glistened in her eyes. The sunlight pouring into the barn lit her hair from behind, giving the impression of a halo. But this was no angel standing there.

This was a warm-blooded, sexy woman—and the mother of his child.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

For a moment Stephen wasn’t sure what he wanted more: to kiss her or shake her. The desire to kiss her won out, and he yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his own.

Dear Reader,

This book was truly a labor of love. I got the idea several years ago and it simply would not let me go. Finally I decided to see if I couldn’t figure out a way to tell the story so that it could have a happy ending, for that was the problem. In my head, I could see the story going so far and then no farther. But eventually all fell into place, and His Brother’s Bride-To-Be was born.

There were other problems besides the elusive happy ending. For one, I was setting the story on a ranch and I know absolutely zero about ranches, even though I live in Texas. Second problem was my complete lack of knowledge about horses. But these two problems were easily solved since my two critique partners are both avid horsewomen and were able to supply the background information I was missing. So a hearty thank-you goes to Alaina Richardson and Colleen Thompson. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me at www.patriciakay.com and drop me a line. I promise to write back.

Happy reading!

Patricia Kay

His Brother’s Bride-To-Be
Patricia Kay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

PATRICIA KAY

Formerly writing as Trisha Alexander, Patricia Kay is a USA TODAY-bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary romances. She lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about her, visit her Web site at www.patriciakay.com.

This book is dedicated, with love,

to all the wonderful readers who have written to me over

the years. Your letters and e-mails have meant so much.

Knowing that my books have brightened your lives or

helped you through a bad time is a gift I will always

treasure. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Stephen Wells winced when he heard the unmistakable ring of his cell phone. Dammit. He’d meant to turn the blasted thing off before entering Jake Burrow’s office because he knew how much the old man hated interruptions. He especially hated cell phones.

Sure enough, Jake glared.

“Sorry,” Stephen said, digging the phone out of his pocket. He was about to switch it off when he saw the number displayed. Caroline? Giving Jake an apologetic look and a murmured, “I’ll just be a minute,” Stephen rose and walked out of the office.

“Hello?”

“Stephen? Thank God I found you.”

Although she was a year older than him, Caroline was his niece, the daughter of his older half-brother, Elliott. Stephen could hear the barely concealed panic in her voice, and he froze. All he could think was that something had happened to Elliott. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Daddy.”

Stephen couldn’t breathe.

“You’re not going to believe this, Stephen. He’s getting married!” With each word, her voice climbed higher.

Stephen blinked. Married? Elliott? That was impossible. “Where did you get that idea? Just who is he supposed to be marrying?” She had to be mistaken. To Stephen’s knowledge, Elliott hadn’t even dated anyone since the death of his wife fourteen months earlier.

“Where do you think I got that idea? From him! He called not five minutes ago to say he’s bringing this woman home with him.”

“I don’t—”

“And that’s not all. She’s younger than me!” Once again, her voice had climbed.

“Younger than you?” Caroline was thirty-four. Elliott was fifty-seven. “How do you know that?”

“Because Dad told me. Oh, he didn’t volunteer the information. I had to dig it out of him. And trust me, he wasn’t too keen about admitting it, either.”

Stephen didn’t know what to say.

“She’s obviously a gold digger,” Caroline said bitterly.

“Oh, c’mon, you’re jumping to conclusions.” But Stephen’s mind was spinning. When could Elliott have met this woman? And where? And why hadn’t he mentioned her to Stephen? “Just who is she, do you know?”

“Somebody he met on one of his business trips to Austin.” Austin was a five-hour drive from their southwest Texas ranch and Elliott, who had myriad business interests, traveled there often.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Stephen said softly. He’d known his brother was lonely since Adele’s death. Stephen missed her, too—she’d been a wonderful person—so he could imagine how Elliott felt. But…getting married? And so soon? To a woman so young? Stephen wanted to believe Elliott knew what he was doing, that this woman was worthy of his brother, that Elliott’s considerable fortune had had nothing to do with her willingness to become the second Mrs. Lawrence. Yet even as Stephen speculated, he felt guilty. Elliott was a good-looking, virile man in terrific shape. And fifty-seven wasn’t old by a long shot.

“You’ve got to come home, Stephen. He’s bringing her here tomorrow.”

“I can’t be there tomorrow. I’ll be back on Saturday.”

“I want you to be here when they get here. I’m going to need the moral support.”

“Look, Caroline, what’s the difference? Me being there or not being there? It’s not like they’re getting married tomorrow. Besides—”

“Besides, what?”

Stephen wanted to say his loyalty and sympathy lay with Elliott. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was him. But Stephen knew better. Caroline was upset enough. No sense making things worse. He chose his words carefully. “I just think we should reserve our judgment. Give your dad a break, you know?”

“A break! He’s obviously lost his mind! Anyway, I haven’t told you everything. She’s got a son. A son! And from what Dad said, he’s younger than Tyler.” Tyler was Caroline’s son. “I’m telling you, you’ve got to be here. You’re the one Dad listens to.” This last was said with an undertone of resentment.

Stephen stifled a sigh. He knew Caroline would give him no peace until he capitulated. And the truth was, he did think it might be a good idea to be there when Elliott and the woman and her son arrived, if only to act as a buffer between Caroline and the happy couple. Maybe he could seal the deal on the filly with Jake quickly and leave for home early in the morning. “All right,” he said with resignation, “I’ll do my best.”

But it took until noon the following day before the registration papers for the filly were ready and all the arrangements were made to ship the quarter horse out to the ranch the following week. Caroline hadn’t been happy when Stephen called to tell her it was impossible for him to get there before late afternoon.

But it couldn’t be helped. The filly was too promising—they planned to use her specifically for breeding stock—for Stephen to walk away. He had a job to do, and no matter what Caroline wanted, he had to finish it before he could even think about going home.

At least he would make it back before dark. Stephen was certified on instruments, but he preferred to fly in the daylight, when he could see. Thinking about the Cessna 152 two-seater he’d purchased the previous year, he couldn’t help smiling. Stephen had fallen in love with flying during his first year of law school at Harvard. He’d shared an apartment with a flying enthusiast from Connecticut and had quickly gotten hooked himself.

After renting planes for years, he’d finally decided to make the leap and buy his own. He’d been afraid Elliott would disapprove and try to talk him out of it, but his brother had encouraged him, even though Elliott was a white-knuckle flier himself who preferred to get around by walking, riding his beloved horses, or driving one of his two trucks.

Stephen frowned. Elliott meant more to him than anyone on the face of the earth. He would, literally, lie down and die for his brother. He sure hoped Caroline was wrong and that this woman Elliott planned to marry truly loved him. Yet he couldn’t help but worry.

Because even if the woman turned out to be wonderful, Stephen knew Caroline could make life miserable for her. Which would, in turn, make life miserable for Elliott.

And me….

Much of this and other problems would be lessened if Caroline had a place of her own. Even Elliott realized that, but he was too softhearted where his daughter was concerned to do anything about it. The trouble was, he’d encouraged her to move back to the ranch after her divorce four years ago, and now that Adele was gone nothing short of an earthquake would dislodge her. Even if she had been inclined to find a separate home for herself and her son, this new development would cause her to dig her heels even deeper.

Because if there was one thing you could count on, it was Caroline’s fierce possessiveness where her father was concerned. This obsession, this need to be number one in her father’s life, had begun when she was little, “the princess,” the spoiled only child of parents who had wanted more children but were unable to have them so lavished all their attention and love on their daughter. It was the source of all the friction between Stephen and Caroline, for she was intensely jealous of the relationship between the two brothers. It was a measure of how upset she was over Elliott’s engagement that she had called Stephen about it, for normally he would be the last person she’d turn to.

Stephen heaved a sigh.

He smelled big trouble ahead.

“Don’t worry, darling. Everything’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”

Jill Emerson smiled at her fiancé. Elliott was such a sweetheart. She had never believed she would ever find a man like him. Considerate, thoughtful, kind, loving…He was just all around terrific, and she was a lucky woman.

But despite Elliott’s assurance, she wasn’t sure everything would be fine. She’d seen the look on his face after he’d finished talking to his daughter and telling her about their coming marriage. He’d admitted afterward that Caroline was “a little upset” but had assured Jill that she’d get over it. “It’s just that she didn’t expect this,” he’d added. “I should have told her about you months ago.”

Caroline’s reaction was much stronger than he’d let on, Jill suspected. He just didn’t want Jill to worry. Truth was, Jill understood how Elliott’s daughter must feel. Elliott had told Jill that Caroline had been very close to her mother. She was bound to be upset that her father wanted to marry again so soon.

Plus there’s the age difference.

Elliott was fifty-seven, and Jill was thirty. To many people this would have been an insurmountable obstacle to the relationship, but the difference in their ages didn’t bother Jill at all.

But Caroline couldn’t know that. She probably imagined Jill was only interested in Elliott’s money. After all, how was she to know that Jill loved Elliott and would have agreed to marry him even if he wasn’t wealthy—something Jill hadn’t known when she’d first started seeing him.

Jill actually liked the fact Elliott was more mature. Older men were more responsible and committed, she’d found. Plus they had confidence and didn’t constantly need propping up. Not that Jill had had that much experience with men of any age. In the past ten years she’d been too busy finishing college, and caring for her terminally ill aunt, as well as raising Jordan and supporting both of them after her aunt’s death, to have much time for anything else.

As if he knew her thoughts had turned to him, Jordan removed his headphones and said, “Elliott, when are we going to be there?”

Jill and Elliott exchanged amused smiles. Although Elliott still didn’t know Jordan the way Jill did, he’d known him long enough to realize the ten-year-old was long on curiosity but short on patience.

“It’ll be another hour or so, son,” Elliott said.

Jordan heaved a noisy sigh. “Okay.”

“How about if we stop for some ice cream?” Elliott suggested. “There’s a store right up the road that sells the best homemade ice cream you’ve ever tasted.”

“Will ice cream make the time go faster?” Jill teased.

“As far as I’m concerned, good ice cream solves all the world’s problems,” Elliott said, winking at her.

The funny thing was, the ice cream did seem to make the remainder of the trip go faster—not that Jill was in any hurry to get there. But she knew Jordan was tired of being in the car and Elliott was anxious to get home.

“We’re almost there now,” Elliott said. “When we get to the top of that rise, you’ll be able to see the ranch.”

Jill smiled, even though inside she was a mass of nerves. I’ve made the right decision, she told herself yet again. I do love Elliott, and Jordan adores him. That’s what counts. If his family is suspicious, they have a right to be. I’ll just have to show them I’m not a threat. And I’ve got the entire summer to win them over.

She’d made it clear to Elliott that she wouldn’t marry him until September, even though he’d wanted the wedding to take place immediately. She simply had to be sure his family would welcome her and Jordan. Accepting anything less would be unfair, not just to him but to all of them. Although Elliott had been disappointed, he hadn’t pushed once he realized she’d made up her mind. The one thing he had said, though, was that he knew it would be uncomfortable for her if Caroline remained at the ranch after the wedding.

“We’ll talk about her finding her own place,” Elliott had promised.

“Don’t do anything right away,” Jill had answered. “Let’s just see how things go.”

Breaking into her thoughts now, Elliott said, “There it is.”

The quiet pride in his voice warmed Jill. His love of home and family was one of his greatest attractions for her, a quality that had shone through even on their first meeting. Remembering that Saturday in January made Jill forget her reservations and smile again.

Elliott had come into the small gallery where Jill’s paintings were sold and where she worked several afternoons a week and most weekends. He was looking for a birthday present for his daughter, he said. Jill had immediately liked him: his kind blue eyes, the warmth of his smile and the attentive way he listened as she explained the merits of the different pieces that interested him.

He’d settled on one of her favorite paintings—a delicate watercolor of one of the old missions near her aunt’s home in San Marcos.

“I hope your daughter likes this,” she’d said as she wrapped the painting.

“I’m sure she will,” he said. “All of your paintings are beautiful.”

Just then Jordan had burst through the front door. On the days she worked there, she’d arranged for him to get a ride to the gallery after school, not only because hiring a babysitter to watch him until Jill got home would have strained her budget to a frightening point, but because Jill liked having him there.

He sat in the small office in the back and did his homework while having a snack; Jill’s friend and employer, Nora O’Malley, always kept fruit and drinks in the refrigerator for him. When he finished, Jill would allow him to turn on the small TV back there, but she never let him watch more than an hour’s worth of Animal Planet, his favorite channel. Instead she encouraged him to read.

Thinking about how Elliott had immediately shown interest in Jordan, and Jordan in him, Jill felt blessed. It seemed like a miracle that she’d found this man, who not only loved her but also loved her son.

Even so, she hadn’t been sure about marrying him. When he’d first asked her, a month ago, she hadn’t immediately said yes. Instead she’d told him how honored she was that he wanted her for his wife, but that she’d need some time to think about it. “There are so many things to consider,” she’d said.

“I understand,” he’d answered before she’d had the chance to say anything more. “Take all the time you need.”

That was another of his wonderful qualities. He had true empathy for people and seemed able to always place himself in their shoes. This was a rare trait in anyone, and Jill knew it. But still she’d hesitated. Marrying Elliott would bring about monumental changes in her life and in Jordan’s. She would have to give up her teaching post as a traveling art teacher between several Austin schools as well as her job at the gallery, and she would be leaving everything familiar—her friends, her church, her career—and going into the unknown.

“I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute,” Nora had said. “He’s a catch, Jill. In fact, if you don’t want him, I’m going after him!”

She’d laughed when she said it, but Jill knew Nora was more than halfway serious.

“Besides,” Nora had added, “you can paint anywhere. And I’ll always be happy to sell your work, you know that.”

But the deciding factor in Jill’s accepting Elliott’s proposal came from Jordan. He’d been delighted when Jill told him she might marry Elliott, that they might move to Elliott’s ranch.

“Cool!” he’d said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “Maybe Elliott’ll get me a horse!”

When she’d told Elliott her decision, he’d said she made him the happiest man on earth and that she would never be sorry. With those words, her last lingering doubts slipped away.

I am very lucky, she thought now, so no matter what it takes, no matter how hard I have to work at it, I will do everything in my power to win over both Caroline and his brother. Because Elliott and Jordan deserve no less.

Caroline Lawrence Conway paced the living room of her father’s ranch house. Her heels hammered against the hardwood floors. If her father had been there, he’d have frowned. He didn’t like her wearing spike heels when walking on his precious wood, and normally Caroline wanted nothing more than to please her father. But right then, she didn’t care what he would think if he saw her.

How could he call from out of the blue and tell her he was engaged? To a woman they didn’t know and that he’d never mentioned? One who was even younger than Caroline herself? It was horrible. Sickening. Disgusting. Why, her mother had only been dead fourteen months! She was barely cold in her grave. Their friends would be scandalized. They’d think her father, who’d always been so sensible, had lost his mind.

Furious tears filled Caroline’s eyes. She couldn’t believe this had happened. Once again, she replayed the conversation with her father.

“Hello, princess,” he’d said. “Just wanted you to know I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”

Caroline had smiled. She missed her father when he wasn’t there. “What would you like for dinner? Want me to thaw out some steaks? And I’ll ask Marisol to make that potato and cheese casserole you like so much.”

“That sounds perfect,” he’d said. “But take out an extra steak or two. I’m bringing a couple of people with me.”

“Oh?” She still hadn’t suspected a thing. She’d thought he meant business associates—a new contact, perhaps.

“I wanted you to be the first to know, Caroline. I’m…engaged to be married.”

Caroline had been so shocked, she’d been unable to speak. Then she’d thought she’d misunderstood him. “Wh-what did you say?”

He’d laughed. “I said, I’m engaged. Her name is Jill. And she has a ten-year-old son named Jordan. They’re both coming home with me tomorrow. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

After that, Caroline wasn’t sure what she’d said. She’d been shaking and very upset. She hadn’t even tried to hide it. And her father, who was normally the kindest of men, had acted as if he were oblivious. He’d just said, “I know you’re going to love Jill, Caroline. I think you’ll be the best of friends.”

Finally she’d recovered enough to ask questions, which he’d reluctantly answered. That was when she’d found out how young his new fiancée was.

Thinking about that now, Caroline knew he’d hoped to wait until he got home before he’d have to admit that he planned to marry a woman younger than his own daughter. That the woman, this Jill person, was a gold digger was a given.

Yes, Caroline knew her father was handsome, but he was fifty-seven years old, for crying out loud! Maybe fifty-seven-year-old movie stars married thirty-year-old women, but in the real world, that didn’t happen unless the man was wealthy. And ever since oil had been discovered on their land, Elliott Tyler Lawrence had become extremely wealthy.

Oh, this woman was after his money, no doubt about it. She’d taken one look at Caroline’s father and seen a permanent meal ticket. Honestly, men were such fools, Caroline thought bitterly.

She could just imagine what this Jill looked like. She was probably a big-breasted, blond, Pamela Anderson type. Friends! Was her father serious? There was no way on God’s green earth that Caroline would ever become friends with some slut who was trying to usurp Caroline’s mother’s rightful place in her father’s heart.

And mine.

Frightened tears welled in Caroline’s eyes. How could he?

“Miss Caroline?”

Caroline whirled around. Marisol, their longtime housekeeper, stood in the arched doorway that led into the main foyer of the large ranch house. She was wiping her hands on her ever-present apron.

“What is it, Marisol?”

“For dessert tonight, Miss Caroline? I thought I’d make flan. Is that all right with you?”

“I don’t care. Whatever you want to make.”

After the housekeeper turned to go back to the kitchen, Caroline walked to the front window. She angrily swiped at her eyes, then gazed out at the bright June day. She was afraid to think about what would happen if her dad’s marriage plans went through. Would he want Caroline and Tyler to move? What would she do if he did? Just the idea of having to be out on her own again made her feel sick.

I can’t. I won’t.

She was still thinking of the possible consequences of her father’s news when she spied his dark red Dodge Ram truck at the top of the rise that led to the main house. Her heartbeat quickened. She was glad they were here early, before Tyler got home from his friend Evan’s house.

Thinking about her twelve-year-old son and the last thing her father had said to her before they’d hung up yesterday, she clenched her teeth. He thought Tyler and that woman’s brat would be friends, too. Huh. Not if Caroline had anything to say about it, they wouldn’t.

Taking a deep breath and stiffening her spine, she stalked out to the foyer and yanked open the door.

Chapter Two

Jill, nervous but trying to look as if she wasn’t, watched as Elliott, with a big smile on his face, walked over to meet the cool-looking blonde standing in the open doorway. She wore slim-cut jeans, layered tank tops in plum and white, and what looked like four-inch heels. She was very thin, almost brittle-looking. Her grayish-blue eyes held not a hint of warmth as they swept over Jill and Jordan.

Jill swallowed, and her heartbeat accelerated. She told herself she was a grown woman, that she shouldn’t be intimidated by Elliott’s daughter, that Rome wasn’t built in a day and that, given time, she would win Caroline over.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Elliott said, giving Caroline a hug.

She returned his hug, but her attention remained riveted on Jill and Jordan. Elliott reached for Jill’s hand and led her forward. “Caroline, this is Jill…and this handsome guy is Jordan.”

“Hello, Caroline,” Jill said. She projected the warmest smile she could muster. “It’s so nice to meet you.” She stuck her hand out. “Elliott’s told me so much about you.” She immediately wished she could take the last words back; she almost expected Caroline to answer, Well, he told me nothing about you!

“Hi,” piped Jordan, blue eyes bright with curiosity.

“Hello,” Caroline said. She didn’t smile in return, and for a moment it looked as if she would ignore Jill’s hand, too, but she finally gave it a brief shake.

To fill the awkward silence, Jill looked around. “It’s so beautiful here.” The rolling landscape dotted with shrubs and wildflowers, the river a few hundred yards away, the distant hills, the endless blue sky—Jill already itched to capture the scene with paint.

“Not as beautiful as it used to be,” Elliott said ruefully.

Jill knew he hated what he called the invasion of the oil derricks, although from here only the myriad buildings that were part of the working life of the ranch were visible. He’d told her the derricks and other equipment associated with the drilling operation were concentrated in the northwest quadrant of his property, which was very large—some thirty-two thousand acres in all.

“Where are the horses, Elliott?” Jordan said.

“I’ll take you over to the stables to see them after we get you and your mother settled in,” Elliott said, grinning at him. Putting his arm around Jill, he added, “Now that you’ve met Caroline, I’ll drive you around to the guesthouse, okay?”

“Okay,” Jill said, doubly grateful, now that she’d met Caroline, that she would have her own private place here.

Throughout this exchange, Caroline had said nothing. Turning his gaze back to his daughter, Elliott said, “Caroline, tell Marisol we probably won’t want dinner before eight. We ate a late lunch.”

“Eight?” She seemed about to protest, but finally just shrugged. “Marisol won’t like it.”

“Marisol will be fine with it,” Elliott said firmly. His tone brooked no further discussion.

Jill didn’t know where to look. Caroline’s attitude told her more clearly than words that Jill had her work cut out for her if she hoped to win over Elliott’s daughter. In fact, the situation was even worse than Jill had imagined. Caroline wasn’t just wary or reserving her opinion of Jill until she’d had a chance to get to know her. It was obvious she considered Jill an enemy.

She hates me.

Jill bit her lip. She knew Elliott would say she was attaching far too much importance to Caroline’s actions today, but she didn’t think so.

Maybe I should have let Elliott ask her to move. Because unless I can win her over quickly, I’m not sure the two of us can survive here together, even for the summer.

By now Jill and Elliott and Jordan had piled back into the truck and Elliott drove around to the back of the house where Jill saw another house—this one a small frame cottage sitting about sixty feet away, close to the bank of the river. The cottage was painted pale yellow, with red shutters. It even had a front porch with a swing. It was utterly charming.

“Oh,” Jill said. “Elliott, it’s so pretty.” She was delighted, and when Elliott unlocked the front door and they walked inside, she was even more delighted.

They entered a kitchen/living room combination. Branching off from this main room were two bedrooms, a good-size bathroom with both tub and walk-in shower, and a sunporch that faced the river. The entire house was warm and hospitable, filled with solid maple furniture, lots of chintz, hardwood floors, and bright area rugs.

“This is the main bedroom,” Elliott said, opening the door to an inviting room with a queen-size bed, a rocking chair, a small desk, and a matching walnut dresser and chest of drawers.

“And this will be Jordan’s room.” Grinning, Elliott opened the other door.

“Oh, Elliott,” Jill said when she saw the maple bunk beds, the matching chest of drawers and desk, the laptop computer, the TV set, and the bookcases with books.

“Cool!” Jordan said. He immediately plopped down at the desk and opened the computer. “Is this mine?” he asked excitedly.

“It certainly is.”

“Awesome!”

Jill rolled her eyes. The words cool and awesome seemed to be the only ones in Jordan’s vocabulary right now. “Elliott,” she murmured. “You shouldn’t have.” She tried to quash the guilt she felt over his generosity, and she was only partially successful.

“Except for the TV and computer, most of this stuff came from the room Stephen used as a boy.”

The half brother. “Does he live on the ranch, too?”

“Not anymore. A few months ago he bought a place in town. This used to be his house, you know.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize…” Then a thought struck her. “He didn’t move because of me, did he?”

“No, of course not. He doesn’t even know about you yet.” He smiled. “You’ll meet him tomorrow.”

Another hurdle to face, Jill thought in trepidation. If Elliott’s brother hated her, too, life here at the ranch really would be unbearable for her.

I’ve got to win them over. I’ve simply got to. Because if I don’t, I won’t have a choice. Marriage to Elliott will be impossible.

Stephen’s pre-flight routine was set. Carefully following a checklist, he went over the interior of the plane to make sure all switches were off and the parking brake was set. From there, he examined both sides of the airplane to make sure there was no external damage. In the back, he looked at the hinges, nuts and bolts, then studied the general condition of the rudder, the elevator and the stabilizer. Next came the flaps and ailerons, then the tires and wheels, the landing gear and the brake lines.

When he reached the fuel tank, he took off the cap and checked the fuel level. After that, he opened the cowling, checked the oil level and all the hoses and wires. He carefully examined the engine, the throttles, the spark plugs. As he checked each item, he marked it off his list.

The first time Elliott had watched Stephen do all this he’d said, “Do you think something’s wrong?” His inference was that something must be wrong if Stephen had to inspect so many things.

Stephen had just smiled. “No, but thorough checks of everything before you get up in the air prevents problems. It’s the main reason flying is so safe.”

Elliott had nodded, reassured.

Today Stephen found everything in order, and after loading his gear and receiving the okay from the tower, he taxied to the lone runway of the small county airport and was soon in the air. It was a gorgeous summer afternoon, with clear skies—perfect flying weather.

After climbing at fifty-five knots to his cruising altitude of ten thousand feet, Stephen kept his air speed at a hundred knots and settled back to enjoy the flight. He figured he’d get to McPherson’s, the private airport where he kept his plane, in less than an hour and a half, which would put him at the ranch about five.

He wondered if he should have called Elliott to tell him he’d be back earlier than planned. Then again, what did it matter? Elliott wouldn’t care.

For the rest of the uneventful flight, Stephen thought about Elliott and how much he owed him. Stephen had been only five years old when his parents—his and Elliott’s mother, Felicia, and her second husband, Stephen Alexander Wells, for whom Stephen had been named—had been killed in an automobile accident while on vacation in England where they’d been visiting friends. Elliott and Adele had taken Stephen in, and made him feel loved and secure.

Caroline had even been happy; she’d been six, and although she was spoiled, she liked having Stephen to boss around and play with. It had only been later, when she decided her father was spending too much time with Stephen, that he might even prefer Stephen over her, that she’d become so possessive and contentious.

Most of the time, Stephen ignored her. He let her comments roll right off him. Sticks and stones, he’d told himself. Besides, going into battle with her would only have upset Elliott and wouldn’t have changed a thing.

But today, thinking about the past twenty-eight years, Stephen made a vow. If he saw that this new intended wife of Elliott’s was the real deal and that his brother was truly happy, he would do everything possible to make sure Caroline didn’t spoil things. If, on the other hand, Caroline was right and the fiancée really was a gold digger, then he might have to join forces with Caroline to drive the woman off.

It was almost four-thirty before he landed, a half hour later than he’d hoped to arrive. Torn between going to his house first so he could have a quick shower and a change of clothes before dinner, and seeing Elliott first, he decided he’d go home and simply give Elliott a call telling him he was there.

“Stephen!” Elliott said. “I thought you weren’t coming back till tomorrow.”

“I finished up early.” Stephen gave his brother a quick rundown on his trip, then said, “Caroline told me your news.”

“I’m sure she did.” Then Elliott’s voice lightened. “I can’t wait for you to meet Jill. Were you planning to come out for dinner?”

“If you want me.” Jill. So that’s her name.

“Of course I want you. Bring Emily, too.” Stephen had been dating Emily Lindstrom, who owned a dance studio in High Creek, for the past year.

“Emily’s still in Sweden. She won’t be back until Saturday afternoon.”

“If she’s not too tired, bring her out Saturday night, then. I thought I’d have a small party to introduce Jill to our friends.”

“Okay. What time do you want me tonight?”

“Dinner’s at eight. But come to the house early. We’ll have drinks and talk.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I have to admit, I was surprised about your engagement. You’re a sly fox. You never said a word.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But I…Well, I wasn’t sure about Jill and I wanted to wait until I was.”

“Oh?” So Elliott had his own doubts about the woman. That doesn’t sound good.

“No, it’s not what you think. I was always sure about my feelings for her. What I wasn’t sure about were hers for me. And I didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for me if she said no when I asked her to marry me.”

“I see.”

“Listen, when you meet her, you’ll understand.” His voice softened. “She’s wonderful, Stephen. I keep pinching myself. I still can’t believe she loves me.”

She’d better love you. She’d better not be the kind of woman Caroline thinks she is. “Tell me about her. How’d you meet her? And when?”

“It was on a trip to Austin in January. I—” Abruptly, he broke off. “What are you doing now?”

“I was thinking about taking a shower.”

“How about if I take a run into town? I’d rather talk to you in person.”

“Sounds good.”

Stephen took a quick shower and by the time he’d changed into khakis and a dark blue shirt, Elliott had arrived. The brothers hugged—something they did whether they’d been apart months or just days.

“Want a beer?” Stephen asked, heading for his small kitchen.

“Sure.” Elliott sat on one end of the black leather sectional sofa that took up the major part of Stephen’s living room.

Rejoining him a few seconds later, Stephen handed him a cold Dos Equis and sat across from him. “Now, tell me all about her.”

Elliott’s smile lit his entire face. “She’s special, Stephen. Really special. You’ll see. The moment I set eyes on her, I knew it.”

It gave Stephen pause to see how happy his brother looked. He hadn’t looked this happy since before Adele got sick. Jesus, he would kill this Jill if she hurt Elliott.

Stephen listened quietly as Elliott told him how he’d been walking from his hotel to a nearby restaurant during one of his business trips to Austin and how he’d spied this watercolor painting in the window of a gallery and how it had immediately caught his eye. “You know, the one I gave Caroline for her birthday. The mission.”

Stephen nodded. He did remember. He’d really liked the painting himself.

“It’s Jill’s painting,” Elliott said proudly. “When I went into the gallery to inquire about it, she was working there. She sold it to me.”

“So she’s an artist?”

“Among other things. She also teaches art at several elementary schools—well, she did. She gave her notice last week. She’s really talented.”

For some reason, that information made Stephen feel better about the unknown Jill. Although he knew a teacher could be just as devious as anyone else, at least she’d been working in a respectable profession.

“Anyway, she’s wonderful. I never believed in love at first sight, but that’s exactly what happened.” Elliott smiled sheepishly. “You probably think it’s ridiculous…a man of my age acting like a lovesick kid.”

“Of course it’s not ridiculous. And what do you mean, a man of my age? Hell, you’re in the prime of your life, Elliott.”

Elliott hesitated. “She’s a lot younger than I am.” His voice turned defensive. “She’s only thirty.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Caroline also told me that.”

Elliott’s expression changed. He sighed. “Caroline.”

“She’s not happy.”

“I know she’s not, but she’ll have to get over it,” Elliott said firmly. “Because Jill is here and I intend to marry her. We’re planning a September wedding.”

Stephen wanted to ask what they were waiting for if this Jill had already quit her job, but he decided he’d better not look a gift horse in the mouth. After all, if he determined the woman was bad news, at least he’d have some time. To do what, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he’d do whatever it took to keep his brother from being hurt.

A knock woke Jill, who had stretched out for a nap after unpacking. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Six-thirty! Jumping up, she walked out to the living room and opened the door.

“I was just about to call out the cavalry,” Elliott said, grinning. “I knocked a couple of times.” He looked fresh—he’d obviously showered—and had changed into gray dress slacks and an open-necked white shirt. His salt-and-pepper hair was still wet and his blue eyes shone with love as he studied her.

Jill made a face. “I fell asleep.” She pushed a strand of hair away from her face. She could just imagine how rumpled and messy she looked.

“You must have needed it. I just came to tell you that after you’ve had a chance to freshen up, you should come over to the main house. We’ll have a drink and you can meet Stephen.”

“Stephen? I thought you said he wasn’t coming home until tomorrow.”

“He finished his business early, so he flew home this afternoon. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”

I’ll just bet he is…As soon as the thought formed, Jill was ashamed of herself. She had no right to judge Elliott’s brother before she’d even met him. Just because Caroline had behaved as if Jill were a viper didn’t mean he would.

“You’ll like him, sweetheart.”

Jill smiled gratefully. Elliott was such a dear. “I’m sure I will.”

Elliott gave her a shoulder hug. “Now, go on. Get ready.”

“Before I do, do you know where Jordan is?” She felt guilty for completely abandoning him.

“He’s fine, Jill. Quit worrying. He and Tyler are playing a video game. And before you ask, I showed him all over the parts of the ranch within walking distance—warned him what might be dangerous, what he shouldn’t touch, where he shouldn’t go unless I was with him.”

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, Elliott left her then, and Jill headed toward the bathroom.

She knew she was only postponing the inevitable, but she drew a bath and stayed in the tub as long as she possibly could, then took an even longer time dressing and putting on her makeup. When she was finished, she inspected herself in the mirror. She’d chosen a silky cream-and-russet-print skirt and matching russet summer-weight sweater that complimented her hair and hazel eyes. She’d kept her makeup subtle—just a touch of mascara, faint taupe eye shadow, lipstick in a shade called Nectarine—and her hairstyle simple. Non-threatening, she told herself in a flash of brief amusement.

Suddenly, she was mad at herself for stalling. Don’t be a wimp. Get out there. Put your head up in the air and walk into that room proudly. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You love Elliott, and he loves you.

She heard low male voices as she entered the house. The voices stopped when her footsteps drew near.

Taking a deep breath, Jill entered the living room.

“Darling!” Elliott jumped up from one of the sofas in front of the fireplace and walked over to her.

Another man stood, too.

“Come meet my brother,” Elliott said, taking her arm and leading her forward. His voice rang with pride as he made the introductions. “Jill, this is my brother, Stephen. Stephen, this is Jill.”

Jill turned and got her first good look at Elliott’s brother, who was tall, with thick brown hair and deep blue eyes.

For a moment, he seemed taken aback. Then, with a quizzical smile, he said, “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

At the sound of his voice, everything in Jill went still.

No! she thought wildly.

It couldn’t be.

It simply couldn’t be.

Afterward, she had no idea what she’d said at that point. She must have said hello. She must have smiled. She must have acted like an ordinary person. But at the time, she was in such a state of shock, she’d never be sure.

Elliott’s brother.

The thought pounded through her.

Elliott’s brother was the man she’d last seen almost eleven years ago. The man she’d known as Steve. The man she’d never, not in a million years, have imagined she’d ever see again.

The man who was Jordan’s father.

Chapter Three

Stephen felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. When Elliott’s fiancée had first walked into the room, Stephen had only thought how beautiful she was. It wasn’t until Elliott brought her forward to introduce her, and Stephen had looked into her eyes, that he’d been shocked to realize she wasn’t a stranger.

That in fact, the woman who had captured Elliott’s heart was the girl he’d never been entirely able to forget.

J. J.

His J. J.

The beautiful nineteen-year-old with whom he’d spent five passion-filled days and nights at Padre Island during spring break when he was a twenty-two-year-old college senior.

He’d met her on the beach. She’d been with a group of girls; he’d been with some of his frat brothers. He still remembered the instant attraction that had ignited between them, an attraction that had only grown as the days went on. He also remembered how stung he’d been by the way she’d left without a word to him.

It had happened on Friday. They’d been together Thursday night, and after walking her back to her cottage at sunrise, they’d made arrangements to meet later that afternoon. But she hadn’t shown up, and when he went to her cottage to see what had happened, one of her roommates said she’d been called home.

“Did she leave a message for me?” Stephen had asked.

The girl shook her head. “No, sorry.”

Stephen almost asked if she knew J. J.’s home address or phone number, but something stopped him. Later, he wasn’t sure if his hurt feelings had prevented him asking or if, on some level, he’d already known it was probably best to just forget about her.

After all, he was going back to Harvard and then would stay on for law school. And she was in college at Southwest Texas State University. Even that summer they would be thousands of miles apart, because he’d been offered a job as an aide in the Washington, D.C., office of a senator he greatly admired. And he knew she had a job lined up, too. So even though he’d felt regret, he’d told himself there was no point in trying to contact her again.

But he hadn’t banked on just how hard it would be to forget her. Throughout the summer, at odd moments, she’d pop into his mind and stubbornly stay there. This happened most often when he was on a date. Somehow none of the girls he met that summer compared to J. J.

Many times over the years he’d wondered about her. Wondered if she ever thought of him the way he thought of her.

But he’d never tried to find her. Hell, all they’d really had together was a one-week summer romance and some great sex. Nothing more. Maybe it could have developed into something else, but that time was long gone. He was resigned to never seeing her again.

But now here she was. In the flesh. And even more beautiful than she’d been as a girl.

His brother’s bride-to-be.

Stephen’s mind teemed with questions, yet how could he ask them? He knew she’d recognized him, too—he’d seen the knowledge in her eyes for one startled moment—but she hadn’t acknowledged it, and under the circumstances, he didn’t blame her. He doubted they would succeed in pretending they were simply casual acquaintances. He frantically searched his mind for something innocuous to say.

“Elliott tells me he met you in Austin?” he finally managed.

“Yes,” she said faintly. Her face was pale.

“Like I told you, it was love at first sight,” Elliott said, beaming. “At least, on my part.”

Stephen hoped his smile disguised the turmoil going on inside of him. For the life of him, he couldn’t think of a rejoinder.

“Well, here you all are.”

All three turned at the sound of Caroline’s voice.

“I didn’t know you were having drinks,” she continued with a frown.

“We’ve just started,” Elliott said. “Join us. What would you like? And Jill? What can I get you?”

“Um, a glass of white wine?” Jill said.

“I want something stronger,” Caroline said.

Although it was clear to Stephen that Caroline was not going to make much of an attempt to be pleasant, he welcomed her addition to the group. Knowing Caroline, she would dominate the conversation, taking the pressure off him.

Elliott walked over to the bar, and Caroline followed him. Jill, whose gaze flicked to Stephen, then quickly away, looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there.

My God, she was beautiful with that cloud of golden-brown hair and those unbelievable tawny eyes with their thick eyelashes. Stephen couldn’t take his eyes off of her. No wonder Elliott was so smitten. She still had that light dusting of freckles across her nose, he saw. He’d been entranced by those freckles.

Looking at her profile, he remembered how, after they’d made love, he would trace the lines of her face. Her skin had been incredibly soft and warm, and she’d always smelled like fresh flowers.

He swallowed. This situation was going to be impossible. How was he going to wipe those memories out of his mind when he was around her? How was he going to treat her the way he knew Elliott would want him to treat her?

“Here you go, darling,” Elliott said, walking over and handing Jill her wine.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him.

Caroline rejoined them, a martini in hand. Eyes on Jill, she took a large swallow. “Are you feeling better now?” she asked.

“Thanks for asking, but I wasn’t feeling bad. I guess I was just tired. I had a nap.”

Caroline’s expression was filled with disdain. “I don’t believe in sleeping during the day.”

Stephen looked at Elliott, whose own expression had hardened.

“Normally, I don’t, either,” Jill said pleasantly. “In fact, I couldn’t believe how long I slept.”

Before Caroline could answer, Tyler and another, smaller boy burst into the room.

“Mom, we’re hungry!” Tyler said.

“You don’t have to shout, Tyler,” Caroline said, but there was no sting in her words. She adored and indulged her son who, in Stephen’s opinion, was abominably spoiled.

“But we’re starving, Mom,” he said petulantly. “When’re we gonna eat?”

Stephen looked curiously at the other boy, who hung back. He belatedly remembered that Caroline had told him Jill had a son. The boy was good-looking, with clear blue eyes and brownish-gold hair the same shade as his mother’s. He smiled shyly when his gaze met Stephen’s.

“Hi,” Stephen said.

“Hi.”

“This is Jordan, Jill’s boy,” Elliott said.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Stephen said. He stuck out his hand, and the boy took it. They shook gravely.

“Why don’t you ask Marisol to give you a snack?” Elliott said to Tyler. “Tell her I said it was okay. Because it’ll be another hour before dinner.”

“Okay, Grandpa,” Tyler said. “C’mon, Jordan. Let’s go find Marisol.”

Stephen noticed that Jordan looked to his mother before complying. When Jill nodded her okay, he took off after Tyler. Well behaved, then.

As the boys left the room, Stephen’s gaze moved back to Jill. What was she thinking? he wondered, unable to fathom the expression in her eyes. Shaken, he looked away. Why hadn’t he said something about knowing her? Now it was too late. Now if he said something, Elliott would wonder why he hadn’t before.

And yet…

Stephen didn’t like keeping something this important from Elliott. He had almost decided to try for a casual tone and say something like, You know, Jill, you look familiar. Have we met before?

But then Caroline said, “When did you meet Daddy?” Again the question was addressed to Jill.

By now Jill and Elliott were seated side by side on the large sofa that faced the fireplace, and Stephen had taken one of the side chairs. Caroline appropriated the rocking chair that had been her mother’s favorite.

Smiling up at Elliott, Jill said, “Actually, we met because he came into the gallery where I worked to buy a birthday present for you, Caroline.”

“This past birthday?” Caroline said sharply.

Stephen almost laughed at the myriad expressions that flitted across Caroline’s face. He remembered how pleased she’d been with the painting. In fact, he’d heard her on the phone one day, bragging to one of her friends about the “good taste my father has.” He could imagine what would happen to the painting now. It would probably soon adorn the nearest Dumpster.

“Jill’s an art teacher and a wonderful artist,” Elliott said. Once again, his voice rang with pride.

“So you just met in February?”

“Actually, it was in January,” Elliott said.

Stephen wondered which was worse in Caroline’s mind. The fact Elliott had only known Jill six months…or the fact that Adele had been dead only eight months when they’d met.

“The moment I set eyes on her I knew it was meant to be,” Elliott said softly, turning his attention back to Jill.

Stephen couldn’t look at Caroline. He knew exactly what she must be thinking now.

For a long moment, no one said anything. The grandfather clock, which had belonged to Elliott’s paternal grandfather, chimed the hour. The chimes sounded ominous to Stephen.

He wished Caroline were different. Maybe if she were happy, she would be more inclined to want her father to be happy. Unfortunately, what happiness she did have seemed to be all wrapped up in filling her mother’s role in Elliott’s life. She reveled in playing hostess and in running his home. Now that role would be taken over by Jill.

He hoped Caroline would eventually come to terms with Elliott’s coming marriage. That one of these days, she’d accept Jill, maybe even become friends with her.

But Stephen knew it was highly unlikely.

Poor Elliott. Whether he liked it or not, eventually he would have to choose between his daughter and Jill.

Realizing just what his brother had in store for him, Stephen knew he couldn’t add to Elliott’s worries or give Caroline any more ammunition to use against Jill. Best to keep pretending this was the first time he’d ever seen her.

Decision made, he tried to relax. When Marisol finally announced dinner, Stephen rose gratefully. Just another hour or so, and he could escape to his own home.

He tried not to think about the future.

And he dared not think about the past.

Jill couldn’t wait for dinner to be over. She was so nervous, she could hardly eat.

“Aren’t you feeling well, darling?” Elliott finally asked her, brows knitting in concern.

“I—My stomach’s a little upset.” Jill had a hard time meeting his eyes. This was the first time she’d ever lied to Elliott, and she didn’t like the feeling.

Why had this happened? Why, of all the millions of people in Texas, had she had to meet and become engaged to the brother of her son’s father? Was God trying to play a joke on her?

She kept telling herself she had nothing to worry about. Stephen didn’t know he was Jordan’s father. No one knew except her. She’d never even told her aunt, saying only that she’d met a boy on spring break. Her Aunt Harriett—who was as old-fashioned as they come—had been very disappointed in Jill, but she loved her, and she’d encouraged her to have her baby and keep it. When Jordan was born, she’d loved him, too, and she’d been thrilled when Jill had given him her surname. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had a long time to enjoy him since her second heart attack when he was three proved to be fatal.

Jill still missed her. She had been a wonderful person. She was Jill’s mother Hannah’s twin, and when Harriett died it was like losing her mother all over again.

Jill took a sip of her wine. She had been avoiding looking at Stephen, who sat across the table from her, but now she sneaked a glance at him. Her heart lurched when her gaze connected with his, and she looked away.

Steve. Elliott’s Stephen is my Steve. Jordan’s father! This is impossible. I can’t live here.

And yet, what could she do?

This was Elliott’s home. He would never leave the ranch. It was in his blood; he loved it. And she was soon to be Elliott’s wife.

Jill’s stomach roiled. She knew she could not continue to sit there acting as if everything was wonderful. Leaning toward Elliott, she said quietly, “I’m feeling worse, Elliott. Do you mind if—?”

“Of course not, darling,” he said, not even letting her finish. “Ask Marisol to give you an antacid or something and then why don’t you go back to the guesthouse?” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll come by and say good night before I turn in.”

Jill felt like a worm. Lower than a worm. He was such a good man. What would he think if he knew what had upset her? What would any of them think?

Oh, God, if Caroline should ever find out! She detests me now. If she knew the truth, my days here would definitely be numbered.

“Mom?” Jordan said. “Are you okay?”

Guiltily, Jill looked at her son. “Yes, honey. I—I just need something to settle my stomach. You finish your dinner, then come see me, all right?” She forced a smile. “I’ll tuck you in.”

Jordan nodded. His eyes were worried.

Jill knew why. She was never sick. And Jordan was protective of her. They’d been each other’s only family for a long time. “Finish your dinner, okay?” she added in a lighter tone.

“Okay.”

“I’ll walk him over later,” Elliott said. “Don’t worry.”

“Good night, everyone,” Jill said. “Sorry to be such a wet blanket.” As she walked out of the room into the foyer, she knew they were all watching her.

When she shut the door of the guesthouse behind her, she sagged in relief, leaning against it and closing her eyes. She was shaking from the release of tension. And yet, this was only a temporary reprieve. What about tomorrow night? And all the nights to come?

Could she do this?

Could she marry Elliott? Build a good life with him in spite of Stephen’s presence here?

But what was the alternative? She’d already quit her job. Her furniture and belongings were in storage and would soon be on their way to the ranch. And her little house, the first she’d ever bought, was already on the market.

But those things were the least of it. If she didn’t go through with her marriage to Elliott, she would hurt him terribly. And Jordan. She would hurt him, too, because he was overjoyed at the turn of events. He loved Elliott.

Maybe she should just come clean. Tell Elliott everything. But how could she? If all there was to confess was her prior relationship with Stephen, she might have been able to do it. But there was Jordan to consider. And even if she didn’t tell Elliott about Stephen’s relationship to Jordan, wouldn’t Elliott eventually figure it out? Surely he would ask questions. Think about the dates involved. Put two and two together. Then what? Would he even want to marry her when he knew the whole truth?

Dear God. What am I going to do?

I have no good choices.

“Nora?”

“Jill? What a nice surprise! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

It was the next morning. Elliott had gotten up early and was out on the ranch somewhere. Before he’d left, he’d put a note under her door saying he was taking Jordan with him and that they’d be back before lunch. Jill had eaten her breakfast alone in the main house because no one except Marisol was around. Afterward, she’d carried a steaming mug of coffee back to the guesthouse, shut the door and taken advantage of her solitude to call Nora.

“So tell me everything!” Nora said.

“Oh, God, Nora, I wish you were here.”

“What’s the matter, honey? You sound upset.”

Jill swallowed. Hearing Nora’s voice had brought everything to the fore. Made her realize just how serious, how truly impossible, her situation was. “I desperately need someone to talk to,” she finally said. She had tried to keep her voice level and calm, but she heard the shaky note.

“Jill?” Nora said softly. “What is it?”

Tears pooled in Jill’s yes. “I—I can’t talk about it on the phone. I’m not sure I should talk about it at all. I—I’ve never told anyone.”

There was silence for a long moment. “This has to do with Jordan’s father, doesn’t it?”

Jill nodded. Then, realizing Nora couldn’t see her, whispered, “Yes.”

“Has he somehow contacted you…or something?”

Jill knew Nora had often wondered about Jordan’s father. Once, they’d spoken of it, and Jill had admitted that he was someone she’d met on spring break at Padre Island when she was only nineteen and she’d never seen him since. “He never knew about my pregnancy,” she’d confessed. She’d never told Nora his name or anything about him. Now she took a deep breath and said, “He’s here.”

“There? You mean in High Creek?”

“Worse. He’s here at the ranch.”

“He works there? Good Lord.”

“Oh, Nora. H-he’s Elliott’s brother.”

“Elliott’s brother!”

“Well, his half brother.”

After a stunned silence of several seconds, Nora said, “Did you know about him?”

“I knew Elliott had a half brother. And I knew his name was Stephen, but that’s all I knew. I never, in a million years, associated him with…with Jordan’s father. The truth is, I knew Steve’s—I called him Steve, not Stephen—last name was Wells, but Elliott never referred to his brother by his last name. All he ever said was Stephen, and I never asked. It didn’t seem important. In fact, I never even thought about asking.” Only now did she remember that Elliott had mentioned his brother was a lawyer, but there were thousands of lawyers, maybe even millions of lawyers.

“Oh, Jill. Does…does he know?”

“You mean Stephen?”

“Yes.”

“About Jordan?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he met Jordan, of course. But know he’s his son? No, of course not.”

“But he recognized you?”

Jill thought about the look on Stephen’s face when realization dawned. “Yes, he recognized me, just as I recognized him.”

“Oh, my God,” Nora said. “What are you going to do?”

Again, Jill’s eyes filled with tears, and she angrily brushed them away. Tears were worthless. Right now what she needed was strength and straight thinking. “I don’t know. At dinner last night my head was spinning.”

“I take it he…this Stephen…didn’t acknowledge that he knew you.”

“No. And I didn’t, either. I mean, it was such a shock, and I couldn’t think. And then, when I could, it was too late. Even if I’d wanted to say, ‘Aren’t you the boy I met years ago at Padre Island,’ I couldn’t. It would seem strange that I hadn’t said something immediately. Besides, then I would have had to lie, because I certainly couldn’t have admitted that Steve—Stephen—was someone I’d had a passionate affair with.” Oh, God. Did he remember those nights as vividly as she did?

“And I’m sure he felt the same way,” Nora said reflectively. “I mean, I’m assuming he cares about Elliott.”

“They’re very close. Elliott admitted to me once that he’s closer to Stephen than he is to his daughter, that he loves him like a son, and I think Stephen feels the same way.”

“Good Lord,” Nora said. “What a mess.” After a moment, she added, “I wish I was there. Not that I could do anything, but I could lend moral support.”

“You don’t know how much I wish you were here, too.”

Nora was a bit older, in her early forties, divorced and childless. She was one of the most centered, stable people Jill had ever known, with a dry wit and the ability to laugh at herself—a trait Jill admired almost more than anything else. People who took themselves too seriously were deadly bores, she felt.

“Hey, do you want me to come? I’m due for some vacation. And Brian could oversee the gallery for a couple of days…or even a week.”

“Oh, Nora, that would be wonderful. Would you?”

“Would Elliott mind?”

Jill smiled. “Elliott will love that you’re coming.” She didn’t add that Elliott would love anything that made her happy. She didn’t have to. Wasn’t Nora the one who had urged her to marry Elliott?

“So what about the daughter?”

“Why don’t I just wait and let you see for yourself what she’s like?”

“That bad, huh?” Nora said wryly.

Jill grimaced. “I shouldn’t judge her after just one day.”

“Hey, I can usually size someone up after just one hour, and you’re no slouch in that department, either.”

“Maybe, in this case, I’m too prejudiced to be fair. After all, to her, I’m an interloper here, and I’m younger than she is. If I were in her shoes, I’d probably hate me, too. But let’s not talk about her now. I want you to meet her first, give her a chance to settle down a bit. So,” she said more brightly, “when can you be here?”

“How long a drive is it?”

“It took us about five hours.”

“Let’s say tomorrow afternoon, then. If there’s a problem with Brian, I’ll call you back.”

“Oh, Nora, thank you. Elliott told me he’s invited a few close friends to come and meet me Saturday night. I was a bit nervous about it even before I knew about Stephen, so I’m really glad you’ll be here, too.”

After Jill gave Nora directions, she said goodbye. Once the connection was broken, Jill sat there thinking. Knowing Nora was coming made Jill feel better. Maybe she was being too dramatic about everything, making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe there was some reasonable solution to her problem, something she couldn’t see, but Nora would.

At the very least, with Nora there, Jill would feel less alone.

Chapter Four

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Jill said for perhaps the hundredth time since Nora had arrived.

The two women were dressing for the evening in Jill’s bedroom. Although Elliott had objected, saying they’d be more comfortable if Nora took one of the guest bedrooms in the main house, Jill had insisted upon giving her bedroom to Nora, and Jill herself would sleep in the other twin bed in Jordan’s room for the duration of Nora’s visit.

“I don’t mind at all,” she’d told Elliott. “It’ll be fun. We’ll probably be staying up till all hours talking.”

Sleeping arrangements at the ranch were delicate, anyway. Jill knew Caroline was probably convinced that when Nora wasn’t around Elliott would probably sneak out at night and join Jill in her bedroom. Stephen probably thought so, too.

The truth was, Jill had made it clear to Elliott up front how she felt. And he had completely understood her belief that an intimate relationship between them would be a very bad example to set for Jordan. “We can only be together if Jordan spends the night somewhere else,” she’d explained.

It was Elliott who made the decision that he could wait until they were married. “It won’t be easy,” he’d said. “But you’re worth it.”

“You look awfully serious,” Nora said.

“Oh, sorry.” Jill wished she could stop thinking about her problems. This was supposed to be a happy time for her—the beginning of a new chapter in her life. “I was daydreaming, I guess.”

“Worrying is more like it.”

Jill made a face. “You know me too well.” She fluffed her hair, wishing she’d had time to get it trimmed before leaving Austin.

“You look wonderful,” Nora said.

Jill studied herself in the full-length cheval mirror. Tonight she wore brown linen slacks and a coral sleeveless sweater. “Do you think so?” she asked doubtfully. “I’m not sure about this sweater.”

“It’s beautiful. What’s your problem?”

Nora herself wore black linen pants, a matching tunic top and chunky silver jewelry. As always, she looked sophisticated and classy.

“I wish I could wear black,” Jill said. She leaned closer to the mirror and inspected her face. Was that a pimple on her chin?

“Black isn’t your thing,” Nora said. “You look great. Stop stalling.”

“I’m not stalling. I think I have a pimple.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Your skin is perfect. And you are, too, stalling. I, on the other hand, can hardly wait.”

Nora had arrived at the ranch a couple of hours earlier. She had yet to meet Caroline or Stephen and she was unabashedly impatient.

The words were barely out of her mouth when there was a knock at Jill’s bedroom door followed by “Mom! I’m goin’ over to the house.”

“Jordan, wait for us.” She walked over and opened the door. “I just have to put on my jewelry and we’ll be ready to go.”

Jordan, who had spent the entire day outside with Elliott, had showered earlier and was now dressed in clean jeans and a yellow shirt. His first choice had been a much-beloved Brad Paisley T-shirt paired with ragged jeans, but Jill had quickly squashed that idea.

“Well, hurry up,” her son said now.

She couldn’t help laughing. “If you stop whining, I will.”

He rolled his eyes and plopped down on her bed. His expression said grown-ups were weird.

Jill reached for her jewelry. Diamond stud earrings—a gift from Elliott in April on her birthday, a thin, silver bangle bracelet and her diamond engagement ring completed Jill’s preparations.

The ring had been a bone of contention between her and Elliott. She felt it was much too big—a two-carat, round diamond set in platinum. Jill could only imagine how much it had cost. But Elliott wouldn’t listen, saying he couldn’t take the ring back and that he wanted her to have it, period. Jill had reluctantly given in, although she had to admit the ring was gorgeous. She was probably the only woman on earth who would rather have something smaller and simpler.

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