“Do You Propose Marriage To Every Woman You Have Sex With?”

He stared at her as though she’d slapped him.

“What kind of question is that?”

“One you might want to take a look at. You say you can’t control your reactions to me and this is your way of having sex without guilt. Well, thank you for the offer,” she said, her heart crumbling into aching pieces. “But I believe I’ll pass.”

He looked shocked. Guess he’d never been turned down before. She fought the tears that threatened. The last thing she wanted was for him to know how devastated she was by his reasons for proposing. The irony didn’t escape her. Her youth had been filled with dreams of the time when he’d propose to her.

And now that he had, she’d refused him….

Dear Reader,

Welcome to another fabulous month at Silhouette Desire, where we offer you the best in passionate, powerful and provocative love stories. You’ll want to delve right in to our latest DYNASTIES: THE DANFORTHS title with Anne Marie Winston’s highly dramatic The Enemy’s Daughter—you’ll never guess who the latest Danforth bachelor has gotten involved with! And the steam continues to rise when Annette Broadrick returns to the Desire line with a brand-new series, THE CRENSHAWS OF TEXAS. These four handsome brothers will leave you breathless, right from the first title, Branded.

Read a Silhouette Desire novel from his point of view in our new promotion MANTALK. Eileen Wilks continues this series with her highly innovative and intensely emotional story Meeting at Midnight. Kristi Gold continues her series THE ROYAL WAGER with another confirmed bachelor about to meet his match in Unmasking the Maverick Prince. How comfortable can A Bed of Sand be? Well, honey, if you’re lying on it with the hero of Laura Wright’s latest novel…who cares! And the always enjoyable Roxanne St. Claire, whom Publishers Weekly calls “an author who’s on the fast track to making her name a household one,” is scorching up the pages with The Fire Still Burns.

Happy reading,

Melissa Jeglinski

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

Branded
Annette Broadrick

ANNETTE BROADRICK

believes in romance and the magic of life. Since 1984, Annette has shared her view of life and love with readers. In addition to being nominated by Romantic Times magazine as one of the Best New Authors of that year, she has also won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best in its Series, the Romantic Times W.I.S.H. award, and the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Awards for Series Romance and Series Romantic Fantasy.

Contents

Prologue

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

Epilogue

Prologue

The Crenshaws were having a barbecue and everyone for miles around had been invited. Strings of lights decorated the large live oaks surrounding the hacienda-style homestead and dozens of tiki lamps discouraged mosquitoes. The patio had been cleared for dancing to the music of a local country-western band. Joe finished serving the last of the line of guests barbecued ribs, beef and sausage he’d prepared, pleased to see everyone having fun. He and Gail always enjoyed giving parties.

“Fill you a plate and c’mon over here and sit down, Joe,” Randy, one of his friends, called. “We’ve been talking about the Crenshaw family and my grandson’s asking all kinds of questions I can’t answer.”

Joe laughed, filled his plate and ambled over to the long picnic table where he sat down with some of the guests. After polishing off some ribs, Joe asked, “What’s your questions, Teddy?”

The twelve-year-old blushed. “I was wondering how long the Crenshaws have lived here.”

“Since 1845.”

Teddy’s eyes rounded. “Wow!”

“Yep, it’s been a long time since Jeremiah Crenshaw rode in to Texas. Back then, it was still a republic. So we’ve been here longer than Texas has been a state.”

“What made him come to the Hill Country?”

“He’d heard about the area from people he’d met after he arrived in Texas. When he checked out the place, he knew this was where he wanted to settle. Luckily for him, the Republic was struggling financially and he bought the land at a good price.”

“How much land?”

Before Joe could answer Teddy’s question, Randy said, “It’s not polite to ask how much land a person has, son. It’s like asking how much money a man’s got in the bank.”

Joe grinned. “Oh, I don’t think Jeremiah would have been offended by the question. He was proud of his holdings. I don’t have the exact figures in front of me, but I know it was several thousand acres. He tended to keep track of it in miles rather than acres.”

“I betcha he had to hire a bunch of people to work for him, didn’t he?”

“That’s true and once again J.C. lucked out. Once Texas joined the United States the following year, people from back East headed to Texas, where land was plentiful and cheap. Jeremiah sold off small parcels of land to those who wanted to work for him. He built homes and bachelor quarters for those who didn’t want to buy.”

“How did he feed so many people?” Teddy asked.

Joe grinned. “He was a wheeler-dealer, that’s for sure. He convinced the railroad owners to run tracks out here. That way he could ship his cattle, wool and leather products out and have needed supplies shipped back.”

“Was New Eden already a town?”

“More like a settlement at first. Some people didn’t want to ranch, so mercantile stores and livery stables and—”

“—And saloons!”

“And saloons, as well as feed stores and a hotel, were built around the end of the railroad line. Back then, the town was called Trail’s End.”

Randy said, “Well, I’ll be. I never knew that. You sure know your history, Joe.”

“It helped that as the years passed, some of the wives of the Crenshaw men decided to keep a sort of diary of events that eventually formed a history of the family and the area. My dad had it published several years back. You could find a copy in the library, if you want to know more.”

The table discussion turned to other things but Joe kept thinking about Crenshaw history. Once the others decided to listen to the live band and maybe dance some, Joe wandered over to the edge of the crowd and sat in one of the lawn chairs ranged beneath one of the large live oak trees.

The party was just one of many traditions handed down in the family. As time passed, schools and churches had been built, bringing in more people. The family helped newcomers settle and adjust to the western frontier. The common threat of Indian raids, rustlers and drought, as well as the loneliness that was part of living in Texas at the time, drew people together and forged the character of those who fought to keep their property. The Crenshaw heirs had always considered themselves guardians of their land. Each one inherited Jeremiah’s strength, determination, toughness and a rowdiness that was a part of life in Texas, Joe thought, smiling.

Eventually the ranch and other holdings were incorporated, making each member of the family a shareholder as well as apportioning land to each family. Even now there was more than enough land to provide every Crenshaw with a large lot on which to build a home. Not all of them chose to work the land, but there was no question that they belonged to the Hill Country.

His second-in-command on the ranch, Kenneth Sullivan, walked over to where Joe sat, carrying a couple of long-necked bottles of beer.

“Hope you don’t mind if I join you, Joe,” he said.

“Not at all. Glad to have the company. I like getting away for a while to watch everyone enjoying themselves.”

Ken settled into the chair next to Joe and handed him one of the beers. “They’re doing that, all right, especially Ashley. I can’t thank you enough for throwing this birthday party for her. Sixteen is a pretty important milestone in a girl’s life.”

“My four guys counted the days, remember? They could hardly wait to get their driver’s license so they could drive somewhere besides on the ranch.”

Ken nodded to a group gathered beneath a cluster of trees on the other side of the clearing where the party was taking place. “It’s hard enough for me to get used to the idea that my Ashley’s growing up so fast, but I swear those boys of yours are adding inches to their height every day!”

Joe smiled. “Not to mention the increased food bill. When Jake returned home from college a couple of years ago, there was a noticeable increase in the amount of food hauled into the house.”

Ken laughed and said, “You got to admit he’s putting in some long hours now that he’s officially in charge of the livestock on the ranch.”

“He always has, Ken. I told Gail the other night I figure he must be old Jeremiah come back in the flesh. He loves this place. I couldn’t be more pleased that he’s taking over for me.”

He watched his tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped and deeply tanned sons, their bodies honed by nature into mean, lean, fighting machines—each one too handsome for his own good.

The oldest—Jake—was twenty-four.

Jared, recently graduated from college at twenty-two, was already showing his skill at finding oil. He loved the land as well and was making plans to look for oil on the Crenshaw property.

At twenty, Jude was living up to the Crenshaw men’s reputation as rowdy and reckless.

The youngest, Jason, was eighteen and still in high school. Unfortunately, he considered Jude to be the perfect role model and was well on his way to building his own reputation as a hell-raiser.

“Hi there, you two,” Gail said, walking up to Joe and Ken. “The party’s a success, don’t you think?” she said, sounding a little breathless. She had been dancing the two-step and Joe had watched her graceful moves, thinking she looked barely old enough to vote. The band now played a slow, romantic song.

“Looks like,” he agreed amiably. “You having fun?”

She laughed. “I always have fun throwing a party, as you well know. Will you come dance with me?”

“Have you ever heard me turn down the opportunity to get my arms around you?” he asked, winking at Ken. He stood and dropped his arm around her shoulder. “C’mon, Ken. It’s time for you to find a dance partner.”

The Crenshaw sons watched the revelry from a safe distance. None of them cared all that much for dancing and they’d made themselves scarce by standing in the shadows.

Jake had been keeping a protective eye on Ashley for most of the evening, amused and pleased to see her enjoying her party.

Ashley had been a tomboy all her life, preferring jeans and western-style shirts to frills and dresses. Seeing her tonight all dressed up had been a shock to him. The short skirt revealed shapely legs, and the combination of a special hairdo—instead of the braid she generally wore—and her carefully made-up face caused a strange and uncomfortable stirring inside him.

She was born on the ranch and had been a large part of his life since she was old enough to follow him around. She’d ridden with him on his horse by the time she was three or four years old and continued to do so until she was old enough to ride alone. He’d kept an eye on her while she tagged along with him to watch ranch hands rewire fences and haul feed when the area hadn’t received enough rain to provide enough vegetation for the cattle, sheep and goats.

She’d generally had two or three dogs following her around the place, strays that had quickly found a home once they discovered her soft heart.

There was no sign of that child now. Tonight, she looked like a young woman, provocative and alluring, which bothered him for some reason.

“Looks like your little shadow has grown up, Jake.”

Jake glanced at Jude with a half smile. “That she has,” he replied thoughtfully.

“It’s hard to believe she’s sixteen,” Jared said, watching Ashley dance the two-step with her dad. “I can still remember how she used to dog your footsteps when we were kids. I never understood where you got your patience.”

Jake smiled. “I never minded.”

“Not even when she kept telling everybody that she planned to marry you when she grew up?”

“Aw, c’mon. She was—what, six or seven years old? Kid stuff, Jared. She outgrew it.”

Jason, who was two years older than Ashley, said, “I wonder if she’d go out with me now? She always laughed before whenever I asked her. Maybe I should try again now that she’s older.”

Jake frowned. “Considering the reputation you’ve worked so hard to acquire, I seriously doubt that Ken will let you anywhere near his daughter.”

Jason’s cheeks turned red. “C’mon, Jake. You know I wouldn’t try anything with her. Ken would tear me to bits.”

“And when he got through with you, I’d be waiting my turn,” Jake replied.

Jude gave Jake a level look. “Why don’t you date her?”

Jake looked at him, wondering if Jude had lost his mind. “You’re kidding, right? I’m much too old for her. Besides, she’s always been like a little sister to me.” His eyes followed her as she changed partners. “I have to admit, though, that she doesn’t look like anybody’s little sister in that dress.”

“Like I said, she’s all grown up. So when are you going to ask her to dance?” Jude teased.

“She prizes her toes too much to want to dance with me,” Jake drawled with a slow grin. “She looks to be doing just fine without me. Look at the line of guys waiting to dance with her.”

“So, Jake,” Jared said. “How do you feel about Dad talking retirement now that you’re back home for good?”

“I think he and Mom deserve to take it a little easier,” Jake replied. “Mom’s already looking at house plans for a smaller place she wants to build down the road a piece. I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time. She said she hopes to get Dad to do more traveling. I told ’em to go for it.”

He took a drink from his beer before he said to Jared, “I’d be glad to share some of the workload with you, if you’d decide to stay in one place for longer than it takes to drill a well.”

“Tending animals 24/7 isn’t my idea of fun, bro. I’m happy doing what I do.”

“What about you, Jude?” Jake asked. “You want to try your hand at ranching?”

“I don’t mind helping out whenever you need me, Jake, you know that, but I sure don’t want to make a career of it. Who knows what I’ll end up doing. Right now I’m just enjoying life.”

Jake’s eyebrow raised. “According to Sheriff Boynton, you’ve been enjoying life a little too much these days. It wouldn’t hurt you to work a little harder at staying out of trouble. You could take on more responsibility around here, you know.”

“So Dad keeps saying,” he replied defensively. “I have to listen to his lectures. I sure don’t have to listen to yours.”

Someone touched Jake’s sleeve and he turned to find Ashley standing at his elbow, smiling at him. She wore her dark hair pulled back from her face, tumbling onto her shoulders in natural waves. Her green eyes sparkled up at him as she said, “May I talk to you, Jake?” she asked.

“Sure.” He was surprised when she turned and walked away from his brothers.

She waited until they were several yards from his brothers to speak. “Dance with me,” she said wistfully. “I’ve danced with practically everybody here…except you.”

He was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. “Not me, honey. There’s a bunch of guys over there mooning over you. Get one of them to dance. You don’t want to dance with an old guy like me.”

“Old! Twenty-four isn’t old.”

“It is where you’re concerned,” he replied without smiling.

She dropped her gaze and looked back at the party. “The party’s great, isn’t it?” she said, without looking at him. “Your mom and dad have been wonderful, getting this all set up.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. The folks enjoy throwing parties and Mom had fun planning this one.”

“Well, I guess I’ll go back and…” Her voice trailed off. She turned back to Jake and said, “If you won’t dance, at least give me a birthday kiss.”

Jake nodded. He’d kissed her on her nose when she was a kid, causing her to giggle. Now that she was so grown up, he would kiss her cheek, he decided. At least, that was his plan. Only it didn’t turn out that way.

She slid her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe, pressed closely against him. He placed his hands at her waist and when he bent to kiss her, she quickly turned her head and caught his mouth with hers.

He stiffened and attempted to pull away, but she clung to him so tenaciously he didn’t want to hurt her. Her soft, moist lips pressed firmly against his, her tongue playfully darting at the seam of his lips. Caught off guard, Jake attempted to say something and when he opened his mouth, her tongue danced lightly across his lips and touched his tongue.

The kiss was erotic and explicit and Jake felt a surge of lust shoot through him that shocked him with its intensity.

This was Ashley! he reminded himself, wondering who had taught her to kiss like that. He grabbed her wrists and shoved her away from him, breathing hard and irritated with himself for not stopping the kiss sooner.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

She blinked slowly, as though only now becoming aware of their surroundings. Her mouth was moist from his and her eyes, when she opened them, reflected that she had also been strongly stirred by their kiss.

He was furious with both of them. She had no business kissing any man—especially him—like that. It was indecent, it was—

“Damn it, Ashley. Don’t play your teenage games with me. Go find someone your own age to flirt with.”

He saw the glint of tears in her eyes as she turned away. How the hell was he supposed to handle this? She’d been practicing her wiles on him, that’s all. Maybe she felt safe with him, but if she did she was wrong. She was far from safe when she could turn him on so quickly.

He reached for her wrist and she stopped without turning around.

“I’m sorry, honey, it’s just that—”

She tugged her arm loose and continued on her way. He heard her say, “No need to explain further, Jake. You’ve made yourself quite clear.”

Jake turned and slowly walked back to where his brothers stood. It was obvious they had seen and heard what had happened, which didn’t help his mood any.

The four of them stood there silently while Jake wrestled with his libido.

“Why are you so shocked, Jake?” Jared finally asked. “You know how she feels about you—you’ve been her idol all her life. You should have seen that one coming.”

“That’s bull and you know it. She may have had a childish crush at one time, but—”

“But nothing!” Jude stopped him. “If she had a childish crush, that crush has grown up, Jake. You didn’t have to treat her like she was contagious or something.”

Jake rubbed his forehead. “All right, all right. You’ve made your point. I could have been more diplomatic, but she caught me so off-guard that I—” He saw her reach the dance floor and sighed with resignation. “I need to go apologize.”

Jake went after her, trying to come up with an explanation for his behavior that wouldn’t shock an innocent girl.

He looked for her on the crowded dance floor, but didn’t see her. He ran into his mom and asked if she’d seen Ashley.

“She’s hard to keep track of, especially tonight.” Gail glanced around before saying, “Maybe she went into the house.”

He made his way through clusters of guests until he reached the house. Once inside, he frowned at the number of people there, making his search tougher. Because of the hacienda’s size, it took him a while to discover that she wasn’t in the house.

She was nowhere to be found.

One

Nine years later

“I’m in and I raise you twenty-five,” Jake said to Tom McCain, the president of the largest bank in town. He glanced at the others—ranchers Kent and Lew, and Curtis, a local lawyer. They were in the back room of the Mustang Bar & Grill, located on the outskirts of New Eden, for their weekly poker game.

Jake sat with his back to the wall, his chair balanced on two legs and his Stetson low on his forehead. He could hear the rowdy noise of the barroom through the thin walls. Cigar smoke eddied and circled around them, and the gathering of beer bottles on the table attested to the fact they had been playing for some time.

By upping the stakes, he would let the others know he was serious about this hand. Since they played dealer’s choice, Curtis had chosen seven-card stud.

Jake had learned the small giveaway movements of each player because they had played together for years. Kent absently moved his wedding ring around his finger with his thumb when he had a good hand. Curtis whistled or hummed when he was bluffing. Jake knew that Curtis was unaware of his nervous habit.

Lew had trouble sitting still and had a habit of shifting restlessly in his chair when he couldn’t decide if his hand was good enough to win. Jake carefully watched Tom, the banker, looking for possible clues. Tom never fidgeted or changed expression, which made him a tough adversary and a damn good poker player. Probably made him a good banker, as well.

Jake considered any night he bested Tom to be a good night.

Tonight looked to be one of those nights. Tom had two jacks, a ten of spades and a three of diamonds showing. His raises this hand had been strong enough to make Jake wonder if he was holding more than two pair or if he was bluffing.

There was no way to know by his demeanor, but Jake intended to find out.

Kent said, “Too rich for my blood, hombres,” and tossed down his cards with a sigh.

Tom was next. He glanced at Jake over his bifocals and said, “I’ll meet your twenty-five and raise you fifty.”

The other two quickly folded as well.

Curtis dealt them each their last card.

There was a pile of money on the table and the three onlookers watched intently. Jake said, “I’ll meet your fifty and call.”

Tom studied his cards but, before he could answer, the door from the bar opened, banging against the wall, and a sea of noise swept into the room.

Neither Jake nor Tom acknowledged the intrusion. Jake kept his eyes on Tom, wondering if he had the cards to beat him.

Jake’s concentration was suddenly shattered when his cousin Jordan spoke immediately beside him.

“Sorry to interrupt, Jake, but you’re needed at the ranch right away.”

Jake shook his head without turning. “Not now, Jordan. Whatever it is, you can handle it.”

“Wish I could, but I can’t. You need to get out there. Now.”

Tom smiled at Jake. “Go on, Crenshaw, I’ll guard the pot,” causing the other three to laugh.

“I just bet you will. If you’re staying in, pay up and let me see what you have.”

Tom paid, then placed his cards on the table—three jacks and a pair of tens, a full house. “I hope this teaches you something, Crenshaw,” he said and reached for the pot.

“Yeah, Tom, it teaches me that I should have raised you a hundred,” Jake replied, and turned the three cards he had down face up. He had a straight flush, three through seven, of clubs. He stood and reached for the money. “I hate to break this up, but as you can see, I’m needed elsewhere.”

The rest of them gave him a bad time about winning and leaving immediately afterward, accusing him of planning it that way. Tom leaned back in his chair and said, “Well, hell, Crenshaw, the least you could do is give me a chance to win some of my money back!”

Jake lifted the corners of his mouth in a slight smile. “Next week, Tommy, my boy,” he said to the banker. “You’ll get your chance.”

He finished folding the money and stuck it into his shirt pocket. For the first time since Jordan had barged into the room, Jake turned and actually looked at him. Twenty-six-year-old Jordan was generally laid-back and low-key. Jake had never seen him this agitated before.

Jake said his goodbyes and walked into the other room, Jordan close on his heels. He continued moving through the crowd, responding to greetings without pausing, until they were outside in the graveled parking lot.

He turned and faced his cousin with considerable irritation.

“All right, Jordan, what the hell is so blasted important that you had to interrupt me at the game tonight? This is my only time to relax, kick back and enjoy myself. If the place were on fire, you would have called the fire department. If you’d spotted rustlers, you would have called the sheriff. So what, in your mind, couldn’t wait until I got home?”

“Tiffany.”

Jake stiffened. “What are you talking about?” His voice grew louder.

“She’s at the ranch.”

Jake stared at Jordan, stunned. Why would his ex-wife show up after all this time? He gave his head a quick shake. “Did she say what she wanted?”

Jordan got into his truck and slammed the door. “I’ll let her explain that. Told her I’d come get you and I have. Now I’m headed home. If I hadn’t been concerned about one of my mares, I wouldn’t have been there when she showed up.” He gave a brief wave and left.

Jake stood there, his hands on his hips, staring at the taillights until they disappeared from view. Tiffany Rogers had come back to the ranch after she’d vowed never to step foot on the place again. Wasn’t that just dandy? He’d never expected to see her again and couldn’t imagine what she wanted from him now.

He shook his head in frustration before he climbed into his truck and headed toward the ranch, thirty miles from town.

What could she want—he glanced his watch—at close to midnight on a Friday night? Hadn’t the woman caused him enough trouble?

He remembered the night before she left. She’d been sleeping in a guest bedroom earlier in the week, which wasn’t unusual when she didn’t get her way about something. By that time in their marriage, he felt he had done everything he could to make her happy and had learned to ignore her sulking. Despite her princess attitude, he’d loved her. He’d hoped that, given time, she would eventually mature into the woman he got glimpses of from time to time.

When he awakened that night and felt her in bed with him, he thought she’d gotten over her latest snit and was ready to make up. He’d sometimes wondered if she picked fights with him because she enjoyed their ritual of reconciling. Whatever her reason, he hadn’t put up much resistance, he remembered ruefully.

When he’d left the house at dawn the next morning, as was his habit, he believed that everything was fine between them. When he returned to the house later that day, she was gone, having taken all her possessions as well as some of his.

Within hours, he’d been served with divorce papers. That was when he knew she hadn’t been making up with him. She’d been saying goodbye.

They’d been divorced long enough now for him to recover from the shock and devastation he’d felt at the time. They’d been married almost four years when their relationship had blown up in his face.

Of course, he should have known that a Dallas socialite wouldn’t be happy living in the country but she’d insisted she didn’t care where they lived as long as they were together, and he had been too besotted to realize that their marriage wouldn’t work. She’d said what he wanted to hear and he had believed her.

Anyone with half a brain would look at the woman and know that Tiffany Rogers of the Dallas Rogerses would never be content as his wife. He hadn’t seen it at the time, probably because his brain hadn’t been the part of him making his decisions. Later, during one of her frequent tirades, she’d told him the only reason she’d married him was that he was a Crenshaw—a member of one of the most wealthy and powerful families in the state.

Their divorce had been far from amicable, as the lawyers liked to call a divorce where the husband rolls over and plays dead while the wife walks off with everything. Four years hardly constituted a long-term union and his lawyer—and poker-playing friend, Curtis Boyd—had vigorously fought her when she’d asked for an outrageous amount of money for alimony. He and Curtis knew she didn’t need the money. She’d just wanted to get back at him because he refused to let her stomp all over him.

The day he walked out of the courthouse a free man, he made a vow to himself never to get married again. He’d learned his lesson well. Marriage might be great for other people, but he wanted no part of it. He was content to remain a bachelor for the rest of his life.

Now she was back here for God only knew what reason, and once again he was being forced to face her.

The road to the ranch had little traffic at this time of night. He followed its winding path through picturesque hills until he had to slow for the turn into the ranch entrance.

The entrance was framed on either side by curving walls of limestone fashioned years before he was born. He and his brothers used to play king of the mountain on their broad surfaces until the time their dad caught them. Tonight, Jake scarcely noticed the entrance as he continued along the paved private road that eventually led to the main ranch house.

When he reached the house and parked, Jake noticed a black limousine sitting in the shadows beneath the trees. That would be Tiffany, all right, always traveling in style.

With an irritated sigh, Jake got out of the cab of the truck, slammed the door with a satisfying sound and strode toward a side entrance. The sharp sound of his boots on the patio echoed his impatience. He stepped inside the door that opened into the kitchen.

He stopped just inside the doorway. Tiffany sat at the kitchen bar, calmly sipping a glass of iced tea. She’d cut her hair since he’d last seen her and she had on slacks and an open-necked shirt, looking as though she were waiting for a modeling shoot, her hair and makeup impeccable.

As soon as she saw him, Tiffany slipped off the stool and faced him, smiling brilliantly. He recognized—only because he knew her so well—that she was nervous.

Smart woman.

It took a lot of nerve for her to walk into his house when he wasn’t there and make herself at home.

He leaned against the doorjamb, folded his arms and waited, his eyes shaded by his hat.

Her smile dimmed.

“Hello, Jake,” she said in her sultry voice.

There had been a time when that voice had done all kinds of things to him. He was considerably older and a great deal wiser now.

“What’re you doing here?”

A tiny frown appeared between her brows as she fluttered her lashes in simulated surprise. “Is that any way to greet me?” she finally replied, her bottom lip sliding out enough to form a provocative pout. “Ed brought me all the way out here to see you. You could at least be polite.”

“I’m not feeling particularly polite at the moment. Who’s Ed?”

“Edward James Littlefield Jr.”

“Never heard of him.”

She made a face. “Of course not. He and his family are quite well known in the Dallas area…banking, you know.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

She clasped her hands together and attempted another smile, her nervousness more obvious as her bracelets jangled around her wrists.

“I brought you something.”

He straightened and started toward her. “Cut out the games, Tiffany. They don’t work any more. I don’t want anything from you. So if that’s why you’re here—”

She turned and hurried across the room toward the hallway and said, “But you haven’t seen what I brought you, yet,” she said over her shoulder.

He strode after her. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he asked once he reached the front foyer.

“You’ll see,” she replied lightly as she ran up the wide, curving staircase toward the second floor. She didn’t look back.

Damn, but she was irritating! Always playing games, never saying what she actually meant. He shook his head in disgust and followed her. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, she was hurrying toward his wing of the house as if she knew he would stop her if he caught up with her.

He wanted to shake her silly. Once he reached her, he would haul her butt out of his house, but by the time he was close enough, she was already entering one of the bedrooms. Surely she didn’t actually think he’d hop in bed with her, did she? He reached the bedroom door and peered inside. She stood beside the bed, her finger to her lips. A night-light that wasn’t there earlier gave the room a soft glow.

When she remained silent, he walked over to where she stood and glanced at the bed.

He froze when he saw what was there. Or rather, who was there. A little girl, clutching a faded pink stuffed rabbit with an ear missing, lay there sound asleep, the covers pulled to her shoulders.

He glanced at Tiffany, wondering what she was up to now.

The child had blond curly hair and delicate features. He had no idea how old she was or why she was there.

He shook his head wearily and walked out of the room. He didn’t stop until he reached the kitchen. Once there, he went to the refrigerator and reached for a beer. When Tiffany followed him into the room, he turned to face her. “What in the hell is going on, Tiffany?”

“She’s your daughter. Her name is Heather and I’m leaving her here with you.”

Two

Jake looked at her in silence for several moments before he shook his head in disgust. “Very funny, Tiffany. You’ll notice that I’m not laughing, however. Need I remind you that we never had children? As I recall, once we were married, you informed me that you didn’t want children because pregnancy would ruin your figure.”

He drank a swallow of beer and struggled to hang on to his temper. “What game do you think you’re playing here? I haven’t seen you in years. Did you suddenly decide that I’m an easier touch than the father of that little girl? Sorry, but that kite won’t fly. I’m not paying you child support, Tiffany. You can’t hang that one on me. I want you to go upstairs, get your daughter and get the hell out of my home.”

It wasn’t the child’s fault her mother had no integrity, he reminded himself. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little girl, given her circumstances.

He rolled the bottle he held across his forehead to cool off. What he needed was to stick his head into one of the horse troughs outside. If he stayed in the same room with Tiffany much longer, he might forget that his mama had taught him always to be a gentleman, regardless of the provocation.

Without a word, Jake walked outside and sat down at one of the patio tables.

He stared into the night. The moon was high in the sky, almost full, giving enough light to see the rolling hills beyond his home. The vista usually had a calming effect on him. He hoped it would work this time.

There was no reason to let her get under his skin like that. Getting him to react had probably been her plan all along, wanting to see what he would say and do. Well, she had her answer.

The door opened behind him. He turned his head and watched Tiffany come outside empty-handed. His jaw tightened as she walked in and out of the shadows to the table where he sat. She sat across from him, the light from the kitchen window falling across her face.

He waited for her to speak and when she didn’t, he said, “Didn’t you forget something? I want you and your little girl gone. Now.”

Tiffany lifted her chin and stared back at him. He knew that look. She was ready to fight him if she didn’t get her own way. Well, too bad. She could throw as many temper tantrums as she wanted to throw, but they wouldn’t work. He wasn’t going to take her child and pretend it was his.

“Do you remember the night before I moved out of here?”

“Are you talking about the night you crawled into my bed after I was asleep?” he asked grimly.

She smiled at him and nodded. “Yes. I wanted to show you that you might deny me other things, but you never denied me sex.”

“You made your point. Making love to you was the only thing I seemed to do that you approved of. So what?”

“Well, as things turned out, I was a little too eager that night and since you were more than half asleep, we didn’t use protection. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was pregnant.” She looked down at her clasped hands, resting on the table. “Mother Nature’s little joke on me.” Her voice had flattened by the time she’d stopped speaking.

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

She looked up at him, her gaze meeting his. “I really don’t care what you believe. She was born nine months after that night. Do the math.”

“I doubt I was the only man who was in your bed around that time.”

“I refuse to get into name-calling, Jake. Regardless of what you may want to believe, your name is on Heather’s birth certificate. If you have any doubts, have the tests run.”

He swallowed, thinking back to that night. He’d made love to her until they were both exhausted. She was right. He hadn’t used protection. He supposed the surprise would have been if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. If he gave the matter any thought after being served with papers, he probably figured she had used protection.

In the silence between them, he could hear the night sounds, the rustle of animals foraging by moonlight, the occasional deep croak of a bullfrog, the distant sound of a dog barking. “If you were pregnant at the final hearing,” he said after several minutes, “why didn’t the information come out in court?”

She sounded irritated and impatient. “Because I hadn’t paid attention to my monthly cycles during that horrible time. I was so distraught that I put any irregularity down to stress. The divorce was final before I discovered the truth.”

Which still didn’t explain why he didn’t know about it. Knowing Tiffany, as soon as she found out, she would’ve been screaming for his head…or other, more delicate parts of his anatomy…to be removed from his body.

“Why didn’t you tell me once you found out?”

“Because I didn’t want to have anything more to do with you, that’s why! I decided to raise her on my own. There are lots of single mothers who raise their children alone. You’d been so hateful during the divorce proceedings I decided you didn’t deserve to know you were going to be a father!”

“So you decided to punish me by not letting me know, is that it?”

“Yes!”

“The only problem with your logic, Tiffany,” he said wearily, “is that it isn’t punishment if I didn’t know about her.”

If what she said was true—and it would be easy enough for him to find out—then he really was the father of the little girl upstairs.

His stomach knotted at the thought and he broke into a cold sweat. For more than three years he’d had a child that he never knew existed.

“Why tell me now? Did you figure I’d been punished enough after all this time? You’ve kept her very existence from me for all these years, Tiffany, including the pregnancy itself. Care to explain to me why, after all this time, you brought her here tonight?”

She shifted and appeared to be trying to decide how to answer him, clasping and unclasping her hands.

Uh-huh. This was going to be good, watching her squirm. If he could find any pleasure in this encounter, which was certainly doubtful, it would be watching Tiffany as she tried to figure a way to justify her actions, which were inexcusable. He knew she was self-absorbed and permanently immature, but he never thought she would stoop so low as to keep a child from her father in order to get revenge.

She looked away from him, chewing her bottom lip. Finally, as though answering his question, she said, “Soon after Heather was born, my schedule became so hectic that my grandmother offered to keep her for me, which worked out great for everyone. Gram had someone to entertain and play with, and I was able to spend time with Heather as often as possible without disrupting her schedule.” She paused and rubbed her forehead, as though she had a headache. “The thing is, Gram had a stroke two weeks ago and she’s now bedridden. She won’t be able to care for Heather.”

“So much for raising a child on your own, right, Tiffany? But having your grandmother raise her for you has nothing to do with why you’re just now telling me about her.” He raised his brow. “Or does it? Without your permanent babysitter you don’t know what else to do with her, is that it?”

“No, that is not it!” Her calm demeanor fell away and her anger took over. “Certain things have recently changed in my life, for your information. Ed loves and respects me—something you never did—and he wants to marry me! We had all our plans made—we wanted to get married in Vegas and honeymoon in Hawaii, and then visit Japan and Australia. Everything would have worked out perfectly if Gram hadn’t had her stroke. The timing couldn’t have been worse!”

Jake stared at her in amazement. Did this woman care about anyone other than herself? There was no sign that her grandmother’s illness was anything more to her than an inconvenience.

“Let me get this straight. You planned to go off for months and leave Heather with your grandmother?”

She lifted a shoulder. “She would have been fine with Gram. They got along well together. Besides, I’ve taken trips before. I doubt she even misses me when I’m gone.”

“You must have considered the situation desperate for you to break your silence to bring her to me.”

Tiffany ran her hand through her carefully coiffed hair, another indication that this meeting wasn’t going the way she’d planned. He wondered what she’d expected he would do when she showed up? Welcome her and the child with open arms? Be so thrilled to discover he was a father that he’d ignore the fact she’d kept the knowledge from him for all this time?

If so, she was even shallower than he’d always thought.

In a quieter voice, she said, “I thought I’d worked everything out just fine. I told Ed that we’d have to take Heather with us.”

He dropped his head to hide a smile. After a moment he looked at her and said, “I somehow doubt he was thrilled with that particular idea. Most men expect to have their bride all to themselves at that stage of their marriage.”

“I thought he had accepted the idea, although taking a three-year-old on your honeymoon is certainly not what either of us planned or wanted!”

“Couldn’t your mother have looked after her?”

“That’s another problem, entirely. Heather won’t behave for Mother.”

Another proof that she was probably his. He had to admire Heather’s discrimination. Tiffany’s mother was just an older, even more spoiled, version of her daughter. Too bad he hadn’t recognized the similarity sooner. If he had, none of this would be happening.

On the other hand, if Mrs. Rogers and her granddaughter—and boy, he would have loved to have seen her face when she found out she was going to be a grandmother!—had gotten along, he would never have known about Heather.

Funny how life worked sometimes.

“We left Dallas this morning,” Tiffany continued, intent on her story. “I thought everything had worked out just fine. Ed never said a word to make me believe he hadn’t accepted the situation until we were on the road. That’s when he told me he wasn’t interested in raising someone else’s child. He hadn’t expected to become a full-time parent when he proposed to me. He assured me that he wouldn’t mind if she visited us occasionally, but he didn’t want her around all the time.”

Tiffany appeared to have run out of steam and just sat there looking at him.

After a moment, he said in a neutral tone, “And you still plan to marry him.”

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Please understand, Jake. I love him, really love him. He’s older, more mature. I’ve known who he was for years but I never expected him to show any interest in me. When he did, it never occurred to me that accepting Heather would be a problem for him. He knew about her, he’d even met her once, and I thought he would adore her as much as I do.” She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and carefully blotted beneath her eyes. “When he told me that, once he realized I wasn’t going to leave her in Dallas, he’d arranged for Heather to stay with a professional sitter in Las Vegas while we were overseas, I was horrified. I really was. He made it clear he didn’t intend for Heather to go with us and I didn’t want her to stay with a stranger. I didn’t know what to do.”

Jake didn’t know what to say. If she still intended to marry this weasel, he figured they deserved each other.

She sighed and said, “That’s when I thought about you. I remembered how you were always talking about wanting children. I decided to forgive you for being so mean to me back then. I knew that Heather would be better off with her own flesh and blood for a few months, instead of with some stranger in Vegas.”

Maybe the child was better off with him, if this was the way she was being treated. He was still having a little trouble absorbing the fact that people could be so callous to their offspring.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady, and said, “You need to understand something before this conversation goes any further, Tiffany. If you intend to leave that little girl with me after not having the decency to tell me she even existed until tonight, I refuse to allow you to bounce her between us in order to suit your convenience.”

She frowned at him. “I don’t know what you mean, Jake. She’s your child, after all. If we can make an arrangement where each of us keeps her part of the time she’ll get to know both of us. I realize that I made a mistake keeping her from you. She deserves to know her father.”

Damned if she didn’t sound pious.

He folded his arms. “You’re treating her like a toy you grew tired of playing with. So let me make myself perfectly clear. If you leave here tonight without taking her with you, or if you decide to leave her somewhere in Las Vegas once you get there—and believe me, I’ll be keeping tabs on that—I’ll make certain you lose all parental rights to her. You will see her only when I think she’s capable of handling it.”

She looked at him as if he’d slapped her. “You’d take her away from me?” she asked in horror. She started sobbing. “I should have known better than to let you know about her at all. I should have followed my instincts and kept you out of both our lives! I knew you were going to be hateful about this. I just knew it!”

He stood. “C’mon, I’ll help you get her back to your car.”

She jumped up. “No! I can’t take her with us. I just can’t! I want what’s best for her, I really do.” Tears continued to run down her cheeks and her nose glowed where she kept wiping it with her handkerchief. She twisted the beleaguered piece of cloth between her hands. “It’s just so hard, Jake,” she said pathetically, “you know? I don’t know the first thing about taking care of her. She won’t behave, she ignores what I say, and just the other day she found some cosmetics in my purse and smeared them all over her face. I know she knew better, but she did it just to spite me! I’ve been doing the best I can, but I just don’t know how to deal with her!”

“And you think I do.”

Still wringing her handkerchief, she said, “Well, at least I’ll know she’s with part of her family. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting along with her because you’ve always been good with children. This is the best thing for Heather. You’ll find someone here on the ranch to keep an eye on her when you can’t watch her.”

Jake held his wrist up to the light. “At one o’clock in the morning? Somehow I doubt that very much.”

She seemed to regain control of her emotions, long enough to blow her nose. “I’m sure she’ll be okay for a day or two until you find someone to look after her.” Tiffany looked around the patio vaguely, no doubt wishing she was anywhere but here. “I, uh, hadn’t realized it was so late. Ed and his driver have been so patient, waiting hours for you to come home.” She gave him a half smile. “Sorry if I broke up a hot date with one of the local yokels.”

Despite her words, she didn’t move away. Instead, she continued to stand there, warily watching him.

“I meant what I said, Tiffany. I’m not going to punish this child by moving her back and forth between us at your convenience.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I know, Jake. I love her so much, but I’m really not cut out for the whole mother thing, you know? I was horrified when I found out I was pregnant after being extra careful all those years. I didn’t know what to do. Gram talked me into having her, promising me to help with her, and I’m not sorry I did. Honestly, I’m not. It’s just that…” She paused as though searching for words. “I’ve always been high-strung, and trying to deal with her has just been too much for me. My nerves can’t stand the pressure day in and day out.”

She dropped her eyes and slowly turned away.

He made no comment as she left the patio. She’d almost disappeared around the corner of the house when she stopped and said, “I almost forgot, Jake. I brought all the necessary papers you’ll need for her—her birth certificate, a record of her shots, that sort of thing. I’d already packed them, thinking she’d need credentials to go overseas with us. I also brought her clothes and other belongings. She’s familiar with them and I hope they’ll help her to adjust.” She looked at him through the shadows. “Goodbye, Jake. Take good care of her.”

Jake continued to stand there on the patio without moving. He was numb with all that had happened tonight. In a few moments, he heard the purr of a well-tuned engine and watched as headlights swept across the driveway.

The silence of the country night returned.

Now that she’d gone, he needed to face what had happened. If Tiffany was telling the truth, he had a daughter. A daughter he’d discovered long after he’d finally accepted that he would never have a family of his own.

That was the good news. That was the great news.

The bad news was that he had a daughter who would be waking up in the morning in strange surroundings without a familiar face to reassure her that she was safe. He had a daughter who would probably be afraid of him, at least at first.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck and picked up his empty bottle. He walked into the kitchen, tossed the bottle in one of the recycling bins on hand and looked around, trying to force his mind to wrap around the idea of instant fatherhood.

A large manila envelope he hadn’t noticed before lay on the kitchen bar. He sat down on the bar stool Tiffany had used and opened the envelope.

Her birth certificate was on top. Her name was Heather Anne Crenshaw and she’d been born on Sept. 28, which meant she would be four years old in a little over six weeks.

He was listed as her father.

He stared at the document until it grew blurry. He hadn’t been there when she was born. He hadn’t been there when she learned to sit up, to stand, to take her first step or say her first word. He hadn’t been there to watch the infant turn into a little girl.

He’d already missed so much of her life.

Jake removed his hat and hung it on the rack beside the door, turned out the lights downstairs and went up to his room. After he sat on the side of his bed and removed his boots, he returned to Heather’s room in his stockinged feet. She had shifted and now lay on her side, still clutching her bedraggled rabbit. He noticed several more stuffed animals sitting at the end of the bed. She looked so innocent lying there, sleeping so soundly. She had no idea how her world had changed yet again. Her great-grandmother’s sudden illness must have been devastating to her. And now this.

Eventually he quietly checked the closet and chest of drawers. Yes, Tiffany had amply provided for her, he was thankful to see.

What was he supposed to do now? Come morning, this sweet-looking child was going to wake up and face new people and new surroundings. Of course she would be afraid. She would need to be dressed and fed and…

He froze. Was she housebroken? How would he know? Raised with three brothers, his only experience around little girls was watching Ashley grow up.

Ashley.

She would know what Heather needed, wouldn’t she? Would she be willing to help him out for a few days? He hadn’t seen much of her in the past several years, not since she’d gone off to Texas A&M, but at one time they’d been the best of friends.

He certainly needed a trusted friend about now.

Would Ashley be able to help him?

She was a doctor, wasn’t she?

Sort of. She was a veterinarian. That was close enough, wasn’t it?

She was a woman, besides. She’d know what to do with a little girl, since she’d been one herself.

At the moment, he didn’t have many options. He was desperate. Surely she would be willing to do whatever needed to be done for his daughter.

Jake returned to his bedroom, looked up her number and called her.

Three

Ashley Sullivan unlocked the door to her small apartment in time to hear her phone ringing. She groaned. It was the middle of the night and she was exhausted. Because this was her weekend on call, she’d already been out on two emergencies tonight, once for a mare having trouble with a breech birth and the other to check out a steer whose owner thought had been bitten by a snake. And this was only Friday night.

A call in the middle of the night was always ominous.

She dropped her medical bag and grabbed the phone.

“This is Dr. Sullivan,” she said, her voice weary.

“Uh, hi, Ashley.”

She sank to the side of her bed, shaken by the realization of who was calling her.

When she didn’t immediately respond, he added, “This is Jake Crenshaw. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

As if she wouldn’t know the sound of his voice. Adrenaline shot through her as she thought of possible reasons he would be calling her at this time of night.

“What’s happened?” she said with dread. “Is it Dad?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.” He paused and she wondered what was going on. She hadn’t spoken to Jake in years. “I, uh, I’ve got an emergency on my hands out here. I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind coming out to the ranch?”

She checked the time and winced. “Now?”

He cleared his throat. “I know it’s late but I really need you.”

“What’s wrong?” She had never heard those words from Jake before and they shook her.

When he didn’t answer right away, she wondered if he’d hung up. When he did answer, he was frustratingly vague. “I’d rather show you once you get here, all right?”

It was her turn to pause and think about his request. She was exhausted and therefore vulnerable. Let’s face it, she would be vulnerable around him no matter when she saw him.

“I’d like to help you out, Jake, but I’ve been working nonstop since seven this morning. Can this wait until tomorrow?”

“No, it can’t.” He sounded impatient and irritable, which meant he was being his normal and oh-so-charming adult self, not the boy she’d grown up with. When she didn’t reply, he said, “This is something personal. You were the first one I thought of when I knew I needed help.”

Ashley put her hand over her heart and tried to breathe. She wasn’t prepared for this. Someday, maybe, when she was…oh, sixty-something…she’d be able to deal with her reactions where Jake was concerned.

“I’m sorry—” she began when he interrupted her.

“I know we haven’t been as close these past few years as we once were, Ashley,” he said.

Ashley pulled the phone away from her ear and frowned at it in disbelief. Talk about understatement!

He continued to speak and she forced herself to listen. “I hoped that you would be willing to help me out based on the friendship we once shared.”

Wasn’t that just like a man? Oh, yeah, I carelessly trampled on your heart with my size thirteen boots, but, hey, you’ve patched it up just fine, so how about giving me another go at it.

“Jake,” she began, “I really don’t think—”

“Ashley,” he said, suddenly sounding panicked. “I just received the shock of my life tonight. Tiffany was here earlier and told me that we have a daughter who will soon be four years old. She left her here and I haven’t a clue what to do for her or about her or with her.”

Ashley was glad she was sitting down. Jake had a daughter? She struggled to breathe around the sudden constriction in her throat.

“The thing is,” he continued, “she’s going to wake up in a few hours in a strange place to see a man she doesn’t recognize.” His voice deepened. “I’m hoping you’ll come out and be here when she wakes up.”

Oh, dear. She was definitely in trouble here. That low, intimate tone of his had always melted her heart. This conversation was not going well at all. “You mean stay at Dad’s?” she finally asked.

“I mean stay here with me and Heather. That’s her name, by the way. Heather Anne Crenshaw.”

Ashley closed her eyes. What should she do? She was too exhausted to think straight. Being anywhere around Jake—and in his home, no less—would be so painful for her.

But this wasn’t about Jake.

He has a daughter. The daughter she’d dreamed someday they would have together. Sure, she’d been a naïve kid at the time who’d thought his casual acceptance of her in his life meant more than it had. Harsh reality had set in years ago, but his having a daughter seemed to trigger a whole bunch of memories she’d hoped she’d buried.

“All right,” she finally said, resigned to the coming ordeal. “I wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for scarring her for life because she had to face you first thing in the morning.” A hint of a smile hovered on her lips.

She heard the relief in his voice. “Thank you, Ashley. I promise you won’t regret this.”

Oh yeah? She was already regretting it, but he’d hit a weak spot she’d always had for children. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said and hung up.

She glanced down at her clothes and wearily shook her head. After a day in the office and an evening around large animals, she had to clean up before going anywhere. Although she’d scrubbed up at each place, her clothes were far from clean.

Ashley walked into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. She was glad she’d had her hair cut last year, saving her precious time and worry with her busy schedule. The short style was definitely a wash-and-wear hairdo.

Deep shadows beneath her eyes reflected her weariness. She closed them briefly. You can do this. Dredge up some energy somewhere and do it.

She stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the water flow over her while she did her best to make her mind blank.

Instead, more memories flooded her.

Jake at twelve, following their dads everywhere they went, with her four-year-old self trailing along behind. Riding in front of him in the saddle, asking jillions of questions, making him laugh. He’d been tall for his age, with a shock of thick blond hair that invariably looked untidy, the most gorgeous eyes that changed from a smoky blue to a silvery gray, depending on his mood, and a smile that could stop a female’s heart at twenty paces.

Not that any of that registered with her at four years old. All she knew then was that she didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

By the ripe old age of seven, she’d known that this was the person she would marry someday and told everyone who would listen. Now she wondered how fifteen-year-old Jake had dealt with the teasing he must have gotten back then. If he’d been embarrassed by her remarks, he’d never let on to her.

Jake had made her childhood magical. He’d taught her how to ride a horse, rope a calf and how to safely handle and shoot a rifle. He’d cautioned her never to leave the settlement alone without protection from the wild animals that lived in the hills. They’d spent many hours following various animal tracks until she could recognize what had made them and how to avoid the dangerous ones.

He’d been in college when Ashley was twelve and her mother left. As soon as he heard about it, Jake had come home to check on her and make sure she was able to cope. With his help and the ongoing concern of his family and her dad she’d eventually adjusted to being left behind.

Her childhood ended when her mother left. She wondered what she would have done during that time without her dad and the Crenshaw family.

Her love for Jake grew steadily stronger as the years went by.

She’d looked forward to her sixteenth birthday for years, having decided that sixteen was the time when she would be truly grown up, the time when Jake would see her as a woman, when he might declare his feelings for her and promise to wait for her until she was finished with school and they could be married.

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