Destined to Be a Dad

“Wait—you got a letter?” The memory returned so strong he dropped back to the chair. “From Suzy?”

“Believe me, no one was more surprised than I to see it in the post.”

“That was the only letter you got?”

“Oh, one was more than enough.” Missy’s voice rose as she paced back and forth in front of him. “Not only did she send me a newspaper clipping of you being a rodeo star, but she also went on about how you and your bride were settling in here in Destiny afterward.”

Liam closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He hadn’t thought about that stupid and reckless decision in a long time. “She told you I had gotten married?”

“Yes! Six months after I left.”

The pain in Missy’s voice surprised him. He looked at her again. “It didn’t last. Six or seven—it was over by the spring.”

“Well, I didn’t want to upset the newlyweds unless I had to, so I waited until my daughter was born that same spring.” Missy returned to the seating area and grabbed her glass. “When the test results came back that Stanford was a match...we married a month later.”

The only sound was the low chirping of crickets now that the sun had set. And there was a distant thunder that could only be the fireworks from the rodeo. It was then that Liam noticed the outside lights on the porch, pathway and the model homes situated in front of the main house had come on automatically, casting muted pockets of yellow glowing here and there, but the end of the porch where they sat was dark.

So dark that he couldn’t see Missy’s face clearly.

He rose again. Lighting candles on the dresser, he brought back a few and placed them in the center of the table in time to catch the shaking of the glass in her hand.

“I was nineteen years old, a mother, a wife...trying to go to school, to live up to my parents’ expectations...to Stanford’s.” Missy finished the last of her wine. “It wasn’t easy.”

He was sure it wasn’t. At nineteen he’d been concentrating on rodeoing full-time and working for his father, attached to nothing but his horse and trailer. Not even his so-called marriage had rated any importance. One of the reasons it’d ended so quickly.

How long had Missy and Stanford been married? Were they still?

Liam’s gaze went to her left hand clutching the glass. No ring. Did that mean anything? “Casey never mentioned her father today.”

“Stanford died in a car accident when she was five years old. Before that we were—he traveled a lot. For business. She barely remembers him.”

So, she hadn’t remarried in the decade since? He tucked away that question, not wanting to go there. “You started to tell me about test results. I’m guessing you’re referring to the ones that said Stanford was a match.”

“Yes, but what I found in the dark corners of my father’s desk were two test results,” Missy said, reaching for an oversize leather tote. She tilted it toward the light and rummaged around inside, pulling out some paperwork and thrusting it at him. “The one he showed me all those years ago and the real test. The one that stated Stanford was not a match. This, of course, meant you were—are—Casey’s father.”

Liam took the papers, but kept his eyes on her. “I’m guessing this is what you and your mother argued about.”

“You bet your arse. She admitted to knowing the whole thing, all this time, when I confronted her.” Missy grabbed her glass, saw it was empty and set it down again. “Like I said, I had to fly to LA the next day for a work commitment without the chance to talk to Casey. I couldn’t have sprung something like this on her at the last minute and then left. Not that it mattered. Apparently she overheard me and Mum and...and took matters into her own hands.”

She looked at him then, her gaze steady. “The one thing I did plan was coming to Destiny. To find you and tell you everything. Casey got here first.”

Liam nodded, certain if he tried to speak right now the words wouldn’t make it past the lump in his throat.

He tried to mentally piece together the jigsaw puzzle her story created. He believed her, as crazy as it was. He was angry at her parents for what they had done to both of them—all three of them. To keep the true paternity of their grandchild from their daughter because...

He had no idea why. Other than that they must’ve been dead set against the plans Missy had made all those years ago to move to America. To go to college here. To be with him. Plans he’d stomped all over with his size-twelve boots when he’d announced his plan to rodeo full-time instead of going to the University of Wyoming.

So where did they go from here?

“I planned to tell Casey once we were together again. She wasn’t supposed to arrive in the States until Monday, meeting me in LA,” Missy continued. “She, of course, took it upon herself to change all that.”

“Who was watching Casey while you traveled? Your mother?”

Missy nodded.

“I’m guessing she too was in the dark about Casey’s plans.” Liam leaned forward and set his now empty glass down. “Does she know where her granddaughter is now?”

“Of course. We spoke during my layover. And yes, she had no idea what Casey was up to. She was under the impression she was staying with friends.”

“You seem pretty calm about all of this—”

She cut him off with a casual wave of her hand. “Believe me, I’m not.”

“Really?” There was that cool British reserve again, and it irked him. “Your daughter changes her international flight plans, arrives alone in a foreign country and hitches a ride to Destiny from the airport and you’re just—”

Her beautiful blue eyes grew wide. “Hitched?”

“It was just pure luck that I ran into her at the rodeo at all. In time to get her out of what might’ve been a...sticky situation.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but believe me, I will be discussing my daughter’s actions with her as soon as I see her.” Missy dropped her hand to the tote in her lap. “And answering what I’m sure will be quite a few questions from her about this entire situation. Thankfully, she and I have plenty of time to talk. We’re flying to Hawaii next week for a planned holiday before returning to London next month.”

Liam’s head spun, his thoughts a jumbled mess of questions, ideas and plans, but her words cut through. “Wait a minute, you mean you were flying to Hawaii.”

“No, I—”

“Don’t think you can just show up, drop a bomb about a long-lost daughter and walk away three days later.” Liam’s anger was back and it was hot. He got to his feet again. “I don’t care who got here first.”

“We have plans.”

“Plans change.”

She stood as well, ready to argue, but then a caravan of cars came down the drive. They parked in the nearby lot and his family spilled out into the night. Moments later they were across the yard and heading up the porch, with Casey leading the way.

“Mum!”

Missy’s expression transformed when she saw her daughter, and seconds later they held each other in a tight embrace. When they finally let go, Missy stepped back, running her hands lightly over Casey’s multicolored hair as she looked in her daughter’s eyes. Then she took in the new boots Casey was proudly showing off.

Watching the two of them, and the private world they created just by being in each other’s company, made Liam’s chest ache. This was supposed to be his daughter, but he’d never felt more like an outsider despite being surrounded by his own family.

He cleared his throat, catching both of their attention.

“Missy, I think you probably remember my folks, Alistair and Elise Murphy.” The sooner they got introductions over with, the sooner they could get back to talking about how long she and Casey were sticking around. “Mom and Dad, this is Casey’s mother, Melissa Dobbs.”

She took his mother’s outstretched hand first and then his father’s. “Yes, of course, I remember you, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. It’s good to see you again. And please, call me Missy.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to see you, too, dear,” his mother said, giving her the once-over before sending a wink Liam’s way that he hoped no one else noticed. “We remember you as well. You’ve grown up so nice.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“And these are two of my three brothers who live in town.” Liam waved at the men standing nearby. “I’m guessing Adam took Fay and A.J. straight on home?”

“Only because the baby was fussy. Otherwise they would’ve been here too. Hi, Missy, I’m Nolan Murphy.” Liam’s brother stepped forward and gave her a quick handshake. “Adam’s our oldest brother and the smart one. He doesn’t live here on the compound.” He then pointed at the three teenagers lounging on the steps. “Those hooligans are mine. Abby is sixteen and the twins, Luke and Logan, are thirteen.”

Missy smiled at the kids and then returned his greeting. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember meeting you before. Or Adam.”

“That’s because I was living in Boston the year you were here. Adam was serving overseas in the military.”

After nodding, she then shook hands with Bryant and his wife, Laurie. “Now, you I remember,” she said. “You were a wee freshman when I was here last.”

“Yeah, that was me.” Bryant grinned. “Devlin is only a year behind Liam, so you must remember him too.”

“Yes, I do remember Devlin. Popular with the ladies, right?”

“Oh, that’s our Dev,” Elise said, and then laughed. “Only now he’s a one-woman man and living in London, actually, for the next few months, with his lady love, Tanya. And our youngest, Ric—oh, he must’ve been just six or seven when you were here—is in the air force, stationed in northern Italy.”

“Well, it’s lovely to meet you all...again...and thank you for taking care of my daughter today. I do appreciate it.”

“We enjoyed having her with us.” Elise smiled warmly at Casey, waving off Missy’s gratitude. “And we’re looking forward to getting to know her—and you—better during your stay.”

Missy glanced at her daughter for a moment before her gaze flickered in Liam’s direction. “Well, we’re only in town for a few days,” she said, looking back at his mother. “The weekend. Casey and I have a holiday scheduled—”

“Mum, are you daft? We can’t go now!” Casey spun around, grabbing her arm. “I just got here. We just got here! There’s so much more I want to see and do!”

“Casey, we have reservations—”

“Off the bloody reservations! Everything’s changed now!”

Liam couldn’t agree more, but from the look on Missy’s face, she wasn’t buying into her daughter’s excitement.

“Why don’t we head inside and let these three talk this out,” Alistair said, heading for the door with his wife in tow.

“Are you kidding?” Abby leaned in from her perch on the stairs, flinging her long blond hair back over one shoulder. “This is getting good!”

“Nolan...”

Liam sent his brother a warning look, but the man was already corralling his kids off the steps and around the side yard. Bryant and Laurie followed his folks indoors. Then it was the three of them as Casey continued her campaign to change her mother’s mind.

It wasn’t working.

He could see it in Missy’s eyes, hear it in her voice as she laid out the travel plans she and Casey had for spending the next month in a private villa on the beach in Maui. Nice. She’d come from a world of money and power back when they’d first met all those years ago. He guessed she—or her family—was still doing okay.

Either way, she didn’t want to be in Destiny. Didn’t want to be near him. Too bad. If she thought she could waltz out of the continental US, taking his daughter with her, and expect him to be okay with that, she had another think coming.

His fingers tightened into a fist, crinkling the paperwork he still held. An idea popped into his head and tumbled out of his mouth. “Here’s another reason for you two to stick around. We need to do another DNA test.”

The two women stopped talking and turned in unison to look at him.

Missy’s light blue eyes crackled with fire, but it was the wounded look that flashed in Casey’s that got to him.

Damn, what else could he do?

He believed Missy’s story about a doctored DNA test, even if it was a bit farfetched. Who knew how long this lie would’ve gone on if not for her father suddenly dying, Casey overhearing, Liam still living in the same town where it all started...

For whatever reason, the universe had conspired to bring him and Missy back together—to bring them all together—and he wanted them to stay. More than he’d wanted anything in a long time.

“Look, this is a negative report telling us who’s not a match,” Liam said, gesturing with the paperwork. “A report we now know that has been tampered with. We should have another test done—me and Casey—just so we’re all a hundred percent sure.”

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