Colorado Cowboy

Luke was horrified. It certainly was not. “Judge, I’ve got three little girls. I don’t want them exposed to this sort of behavior—”

“Luke!” Matt muttered beside him.

His brother’s caution made Luke realize how selfish he was sounding. “I can pay to send him to boarding school—get him out of this environment. That’s what you really want, isn’t it? To get him away from the street gangs? There are good boarding schools in Connecticut. His mom could visit him on the weekends.” He looked at Megan, pleading for her agreement.

MEGAN WAS APPALLED by Luke’s suggestion that they send her son away to boarding school. But then she’d relaxed when he mentioned she’d be close enough to visit Cody every weekend. Certainly a lot closer than Colorado. Maybe when Cody had settled down he could visit with Luke in Colorado. Get to know his father. It would tear her apart not seeing Cody every day, but this might be the only thing that would save him.

“I don’t have any objection to an arrangement like that,” she said, and glanced at Luke, then wished she hadn’t. Feeling the familiar tug of attraction—but stronger now—she silently cursed her desire for this man. Fifteen years had only added to his dark good looks, but it was his willingness to bear some of the burden of raising Cody that had her reacting to him on such an elemental level.

She’d fallen for Luke within days of meeting him. She was so captivated by him, she’d gladly given up her virginity. He’d been charming and funny, with old-fashioned manners and beguiling brown eyes that made her heart melt and her common sense fly out the window. And what had her lapse in rationality gotten her in return?

The conversation she’d overheard at the recreation center the evening she was to meet Luke at the Victorian Inn for dinner had proven what a fool she’d been. He’d toyed with her emotions, stringing her along to believe they were in an exclusive relationship, when, in fact, the woman she’d overheard talking to a friend was pregnant with Luke’s child.

She forced the anger—at herself and at Luke—aside and said, “I will agree to any solution that will get Cody away from the environment he’s in at present. Somewhere safer, like a boarding school in Connecticut, would be acceptable to me—”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work,” the judge cut in, then addressed Cody. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Cody? Your parents and I have things to discuss. You’ll find refreshments and a television in the next room.” She indicated a small door leading off her office.

Cody leaped to his feet. “Fine! Talk about me behind my back, why don’t you? But I’m tellin’ you now, I’m not goin’ to any boarding school!” He stalked out, slamming the door behind him, causing Megan to jump with fright.

“I think as you can gather from that little tirade, Cody would only abscond from boarding school,” the judge said. “And then we wouldn’t know where he was.”

Megan’s earlier hope of getting Cody away from New York and the bad influences surrounding him plummeted. Judge Benson was right, of course. Short of enclosing him in ten-foot walls topped by razor wire, Cody would take off the second his supervisors’ backs were turned.

CODY FOOLED AROUND, switching channels on the TV, his mind elsewhere, wondering what the adults in the next room were deciding about his life. His father had other kids? Why hadn’t his mom told him that? Maybe she didn’t know until today, although by the look on her face, she wasn’t that shocked. Maybe that was why his mom didn’t want to talk about it whenever he’d asked. He was a married man and she’d had an affair with him. Yeah, that had to be it. His mom wouldn’t do anything like that knowingly, so the guy must’ve lied.

He wondered what happened to his dad’s wife, since apparently she wasn’t in the picture. Maybe he killed her and buried her on the ranch somewhere. He looked tough enough to kill someone. Judging by the death stare he kept giving him. Yeah, you might think you’re tough, old man, but you don’t scare me!

“CODY NEEDS A FATHER’S influence, and presence, badly,” Judge Benson said. “Megan has spent fourteen years raising your son. It’s now your turn to help with his upbringing. I appreciate your suggestion about the boarding school, but I think the best place for Cody right now is on your ranch in Colorado.”

“No!” Megan cried. How could she even suggest such a thing? She’d never get to see Cody! It was as if her baby was being wrenched from her arms. Fighting tears, she appealed to the judge. “Cody is my life. My only family. You can’t take him away from me, Judge Benson. Please don’t do this to me.”

“I’m not suggesting you stay here without Cody. I think it’s best if you both move to Colorado.”

The judge had to joking! “I can’t do that. My life is here, in New York. I have job obligations and my study—”

Gloria Benson shook her head. “There’s nothing to keep you here, Megan. No family, no worthwhile job. You can further your studies in Colorado. I’m suggesting that both of you try and make a go of being a family for Cody.”

“But Luke has a wife. I’m sure she wouldn’t want him spending his time between two families.” She beseeched him with her eyes to tell the judge her plan wouldn’t work. Why had the man been so silent throughout this discussion? Surely he was as upset as she was?

“I’m divorced,” Luke said in a tone that had her staring at him in disbelief. Judge Benson hadn’t said anything about that in the few minutes they’d had together before Luke arrived at the meeting. But she’d obviously been aware of it since she’d made such an outrageous suggestion. And then the impact of Luke’s statement hit her. Luke was divorced? Somehow, that complicated things even more, but Megan couldn’t put her finger on just why.

Matt cleared his throat and said, “I realize this is very difficult for you, Megan, but I’d like to say something on my family’s behalf. We can all offer Cody a lot of support. We’re a big, close-knit family with lots of positive male role models. I think Judge Benson’s proposal is the ideal solution. There’s plenty of room at the ranch for you and Cody, and you’d be most welcome there.”

Luke rounded on him. “Hold it right there! I haven’t agreed to anything. Can you honestly tell me that you want that…that—” he pointed toward the room Cody was in, glanced at Megan, then back at Matt, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper “—juvenile delinquent living under the same roof as your nieces?”

“He’s not a delinquent,” Megan protested, her anger rising. How could Luke say that about his son? Be so callous about his own flesh and blood? If only he knew Cody better, he’d know he was a great kid. But since he didn’t, she appealed to the judge. “Tell him Cody’s a good kid. Please?”

“She’s right, Luke. Cody is a good kid. He was getting excellent grades in school until a few months ago, but a bad element has moved into the area and it’s negatively affecting some of the kids. That display he subjected you to is simply bravado. It’s going to take some work to get him back again. Hard work.” She played her trump card. “I was hoping you’d be up to it.”

Megan felt her lip curl. Luke hadn’t been man enough to acknowledge he had a son fourteen years ago when she’d sent him a letter just after Cody’s birth, telling him she’d had his child. If he couldn’t accept then that he had a baby, he certainly wouldn’t be up to the challenge of raising a difficult teen now.

She blinked back tears as she remembered that sad time. The letter going unanswered. The phone call she’d made to the ranch a month later—just in case he hadn’t gotten her letter. It had been answered by a woman. Megan had given her name and asked to speak to Luke, but the woman had said, “Luke’s away at a convention. I’m his wife. Shall I tell him you called?”

Shocked to the point of gasping for air, Megan had hung up. Luke was married. So the conversation she’d overheard hadn’t been a mistake or a figment of her imagination. Megan had never felt lonelier than at that moment. Nor had she ever felt more foolish. She wasn’t contacting Luke to get money out of him, and she didn’t expect him to play a part in their son’s life—not if he didn’t want to. She’d written the letter as a courtesy. Whether he’d received it or not, there was no point in leaving a message with Luke’s wife.

“Megan, are you all right?”

Judge Benson’s voice broke into her thoughts and Megan made an effort to control her emotions. She didn’t want anyone in this room to know how vulnerable she felt, to know the truth of how stupid and gullible she’d been. Or how angry she was with Luke for denying their son back then.

LUKE TRIED TO CONVINCE himself it was worth risking the stable family life he’d worked so hard to restore since Tory deserted them, only to turn it upside down by letting Cody into it. He wished he’d known about his son all those years ago. Megan was seriously delusional if she thought Cody wasn’t a delinquent. Otherwise, why were they all here?

“I know my brother is more than able to rise to the challenge, Judge.” Matt’s foot connected with Luke’s ankle. “I think he’s just a little stunned to find out he’s a father again. Aren’t you, Luke?”

Luke sent his interfering brother a glare. He was perfectly capable of making up his own mind; he didn’t need Matt making it up for him. “I’m prepared to give it a try…if Megan is.” He looked across at her, his eyes begging her to disagree. She lifted her head defiantly. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was pure loathing in her eyes.

As if to thwart him, she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“I don’t want you going into this halfheartedly, Mr. O’Malley.” The judge’s voice held steel. “What we have here is a boy in desperate need of a father’s influence and a strong family relationship—and a mother who’s willing to agree to that.”

Luke shot another glance at Megan. She didn’t look too willing.

“What I need from you is a commitment to your son. A commitment that you will not fail him. He needs you, more than he’s ever needed anything in his life. And believe me, we are talking about his life.”

The judge’s sobering words brought Luke up short. If Cody continued as he was, his life could be in danger. Sending him away to boarding school wasn’t the answer.

He squared his shoulders. “You have my promise, Judge. I’ll do everything within my power to help Cody. I’m committed to being his father in every way possible.”

The judge nodded and sat back, visibly more relaxed. “Good. So you’ll move to Colorado, Megan?”

“If that’s what you think is best,” Megan said stiffly. Hands clasped, she avoided Luke’s gaze.

“Yes,” Judge Benson said. “But now we have to face the hard part.” She picked up the phone and addressed her assistant. “Would you ask Cody to step back in, please?”

CODY SAUNTERED BACK into the room after a good two minutes of making them all sit and wait on the edges of their seats. It was this sort of insolence that Luke would never tolerate from his daughters. The kid really needed straightening out. Luke only hoped he was as ready for the challenge as Matt claimed he was. He had enough stress in his life, and adding a troubled child to the mix wasn’t going to help.

When Judge Benson explained to Cody what the adults had decided, he scrambled to his feet and let loose with a string of colorful adjectives that had Megan blushing and begging him to stop, Luke ready to leap from his chair, drag him to the bathroom to wash out his mouth and both Matt and the judge sitting sagely, waiting for the tirade to end.

Eventually it did, and Cody threw himself back into his chair. The room fell silent. “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he snarled.

The judge sighed. “Then I’m afraid you give me no other choice, Cody.” She picked up her phone and said, “I’ll have to send you to juve—”

“I’ll do it on one condition,” he interrupted. Obviously, there was room for negotiation where juvenile detention was concerned.

“And what might that be?”

“That he—” Cody pointed at Luke “—marries my mom.”

It was harder to tell who gasped louder, Luke or Megan.

MEGAN FOUND HER VOICE first. “Cody! What are you saying?”

He glared at her, chilling Megan to the bone. What had become of her once sweet-natured son?

“If you want us to play ‘happy families,’ then he’s going to have to marry you. And I mean right now.” He gestured dismissively at Luke. “I want him to be committed to us. I don’t want him hanging around and pretending to be my dad, like what happens to the other kids in the neighborhood, and then have him run off when somethin’ better comes along.”

“We’ll be living in Luke’s home, Cody,” she reminded him. “He won’t be going anywhere.”

“You know what I mean!” he cried, jumping up and overturning his chair. “Everyone in our neighborhood’s had dozens of ‘dads’ or ‘uncles’ living with them. None of ’em ever stay around for long ’cause they’re not married to the kids’ moms. They don’t care. They’re only there for the sex!”

“Cody!” Megan was horrified. Yes, it was like that in their neighborhood, but she’d never had another man stay the night, let alone live with them. She hadn’t even dated. She glanced at Luke to guess what he must be thinking. Did he believe she’d had a succession of men through the door like some of the other single moms in their neighborhood? The men got all the fringe benefits but took none of the responsibility, and they left when things got hard. Or they went to prison.

Luke was watching her carefully, as though considering her reaction, but Megan couldn’t think of a thing to say to dispel the notion that she was one of those unfortunate women.

LUKE SEARCHED CODY’S features. Was the kid trying to manipulate the adults in the room? Or did he genuinely feel that without a marriage certificate, their “family” wouldn’t be a valid one?

“It’s not going to be like that, Cody. I have a big house. Your mom and you can have your own space. What I’m offering is the security of a home and family who’ll love you and care about you.”

“How can I know you mean that if you don’t care enough about me to marry my mom?”

Luke could see through the bravado to the pain in Cody’s eyes. The kid had been through the wringer. Lord knows what kind of men must’ve been in his life for him to question Luke’s commitment like this. Cody wasn’t asking them to live as husband and wife and sleep in the same bedroom—and judging by the sparks of anger emanating from Megan, that wasn’t even a remote possibility.

What his son was doing was asking Luke to prove he cared about him, to prove he’d stick around—by marrying his mom. It was a hell of a big demand, but his son’s immediate future was more important than Luke’s need for a wife he loved, a wife who’d warm his bed at night. And by marrying Megan, that was what he’d be doing—sentencing himself to a loveless, celibate marriage.

Cody was too young to understand how complex marriage was, how deep the commitment needed to be for both parties to make it work. He’d been twenty-four when he’d married Tory, and at that age he hadn’t understood it himself.

“You can’t make demands like that Cody,” he said as gently as he could. “What you’re asking isn’t fair to either of us. Your mom has agreed to Judge Benson’s suggestion that you both come and live on my ranch. Let’s leave it at that.”

Cody crossed his arms and nestled further into his chair. “If you won’t marry her, I’d rather go to juvie than live on your hick ranch.”

“No!” Megan cried, turning to him. “Don’t joke about that.”

“I’m not joking, Mom. I mean it. I need to know he cares enough about me to marry you. He should’ve done it fifteen years ago.”

Luke winced at that. If he’d known about Cody, he would’ve married Megan. But she hadn’t given him that chance and he’d been robbed of knowing his son, of guiding him toward becoming a man. He looked at Cody. The kid was truly hurting. Hurting inside and hurting his mom in the process.

Megan’s eyes held terror as she appealed to him. “Please…do something,” she begged. “He means what he says. He’ll go to juvenile detention and I’ll lose him forever!” Megan covered her face and turned away.

Luke watched Cody’s reaction to his mom. Initially, the kid seemed upset that his mother was in so much pain, and then he got a grip on himself and set his mouth in a firm line—a look Luke associated with his younger brothers at a similar age, when they’d decided they were going to do something and nothing and no one was going to stop them. Cody glared back at Luke as though it was all his fault Megan was crying. All Luke’s fault that he hadn’t given him his name and his birthright. The love of a father and a family.

Cody was fourteen now, far from being a man. Luke determined there and then that by the time Cody was eighteen, he’d have turned the boy’s life turned around, instilled in him what it was to be a responsible member of the community. A man. By then Cody would be graduating from high school and heading off to college. So what was sacrificing four years of his life for the betterment of his son’s? If he married Megan now, in four years, they could divorce, move on, find other partners. But in the meantime, Cody would have time and space to grow up and become a contributing member of society. If he went to juvenile detention, his son’s life could be in more danger than Luke would allow himself to imagine.

Megan sat with her head down. She looked so vulnerable, so desperate to do the best for their son, but would she agree to such an outrageous proposal? Luke knew he was probably going to make the second biggest mistake of his life—but it might be the only decision that would save Cody.

Sick with fear for his son, Luke got up and went to stand in front of Megan. She refused to lift her gaze to his, so he crouched down.

“Megan,” he murmured, waiting until her head came up and she’d focused her sad, defeated eyes on him. Then he asked, “Will you marry me?”

Chapter Two

Luke stared out the window of the airplane as it flew west, home to Colorado. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. Within minutes of proposing to Megan, the judge had them standing before her, reciting their vows.

He’d taken along his birth certificate and ID to the meeting as requested. Apparently the judge had asked the same of Megan. Gloria Benson had issued a marriage license and then, using her judicial powers, had waived the normal thirty-day waiting period required in New York State.

Matt wore a grin from ear to ear throughout the short ceremony. Megan frowned at Luke and chewed her lip while Cody had looked totally bewildered that they’d gone along with his ultimatum. The fact that they’d managed to completely catch him off guard was the only high point of the ceremony. Megan had turned her cheek aside when the judge had pronounced them husband and wife and invited Luke to kiss his bride.

If Luke had thought his marriage to Tory was a living hell, he was having genuine misgivings about marrying a woman who loathed him so much. At least Tory had pretended to like him—for a while.

Four hours later, after arranging to have Megan’s and Cody’s possessions packed by a moving company and sent to the ranch, they were on the flight to Denver. Cody had protested that he wanted to go home and get some things, but Luke had refused to let him anywhere near their old neighborhood and instead had taken him shopping for new clothes. That, if nothing else, had earned Cody’s grudging agreement. Megan had purchased a few items to tide her over, too.

“Thank you,” she’d said quietly as they waited at the curb outside the department store for the cab to take them to the airport. It was the first time she’d spoken to him since the ceremony.

Luke looked at her, puzzled.

“Thank you for giving my son a chance.” For once she wasn’t looking at him with barely disguised hatred in her eyes. “He’s our son,” he’d said. “We will make this work—together.” And then he’d spotted the jeweler’s window, turned to Matt and said, “Can we meet you back here in fifteen minutes?” He took Megan’s elbow and led her to the window. This might be a marriage of convenience and Megan might hate his guts—although Luke was at a loss to understand why—but a ring was symbolic and, right now, that was all this marriage had going for it.

“Choose a ring,” he’d said.

“Luke, this isn’t necessary. We’ve been through the motions. I think that’s all Cody really wanted.” She smiled tightly. “In fact, I think he’s as shocked as we are.”

Luke couldn’t help grinning. “He is, isn’t he? Maybe we should surprise him every so often by agreeing to some outrageous idea.”

“Careful,” she warned. “He’s got an active imagination.”

Luke hadn’t let go of her elbow and he gave it a little squeeze, needing to impart a sense of mutual purpose. “I’m sure at heart he’s a good kid, Megan. We can do this.”

She nodded as though resigned to their situation. “I’m determined to.”

Luke had followed her into the jewelry store. An assistant showed them the wedding rings, and Megan selected a plain gold band for Luke. “The girls will like this,” he said. “Okay, let’s get something special for you.”

“I’d completely forgotten about your little girls. How are they going to feel about this? You coming home with a wife and a son. It’s going to be an awful shock for them.”

“They’ll probably insist we get married all over again for their benefit.”

Megan bit her lip. Luke didn’t want to find it endearing, but it reminded him of her so long ago….

“Never fear, we have our very own judge in the family. Becky will rise to the occasion with a far more romantic event than our first wedding. If that’s what you’d like.”

Megan blushed and looked back at the rings, and Luke drew his cell phone out of his pocket. “You keep doing that. I’m just going to call my girls and let them know what’s going on.”

Luke had turned away from Megan to make his call in private. Fortunately, he got hold of Matt’s wife, Beth, rather than one of his daughters. Matt had apparently called Beth already and explained the situation. “Congratulations, Luke! I don’t know anyone who’s gained both a son and a wife in one day before.”

“Very funny,” he said. “Can you put one of the girls on, please? I feel I need to warn them.”

“Lucky for you, Sash isn’t home at the moment. But Daisy’s here. I’ll put her on.”

Luke grimaced as he waited for Daisy. Beth was right, Sash probably wasn’t going to be happy at the news of his marriage. She was full of teenage angst and hormones, and these days it was more likely she’d be in a bad mood than a good one.

“Hi, Daddy!”

“Hey, squirt,” he greeted his middle daughter, Daisy.

“When are you comin’ home?”

“Tonight, honey, but first I need to tell you something.”

THE CALL COMPLETED, Luke had closed his phone and turned to Megan. He hoped he hadn’t said anything on his end to give any indication that things mightn’t be rosy back at the ranch at the news of their marriage.

“How about that one?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Too plain. Hey, that’s nice.” He pointed to a diamond-encrusted gold band.

“It looks like an engagement ring,” Megan said.

“No, madam,” the assistant remarked. “It’s a special design that incorporates the engagement and wedding rings in one design.”

“I like it,” Luke said. “It suits us. We got engaged and married at the same time.”

When Megan had looked up at him and blinked, Luke experienced a rush of protectiveness toward her. She seemed as full of wide-eyed innocence now as she had nearly fifteen years ago. If only he’d realized back then how much their actions would change their lives…

“I guess you’re right. Okay,” she said.

The assistant had removed the ring and passed it to Luke, who raised Megan’s hand and placed it on her finger, holding his breath and hoping it fit. It really was a beautiful ring and symbolic of their hasty engagement and marriage. “Perfect,” he said when it fit. He looked into her eyes, trying to see what was hidden there.