Wyoming Special Delivery

Daisy was going to be just fine. She and baby Tony were a team, a family. And she had a big support system. Maybe even a new friend, the mystery man guest in Cabin No. 1 who’d helped bring Tony into the world. She wondered why he’d left so suddenly earlier. Maybe the idea of giving Tony his middle initial was overwhelming for him. After all, he was practically a stranger.

A stranger who’d shared the most intimate, most beautiful event of her life with her.

Hopefully he wasn’t expecting his fancy blue dress shirt back. Daisy had a feeling he’d be happy never to see it again. But she would have it cleaned and save it for always. She’d never forget what Harrison McCord had done for her.

“I do wonder what our rescuer is up to,” she said to a still-sleeping Tony. “Maybe he just likes coming to dude ranches, staying alone in a cabin meant for four and not partaking in a single activity.” She smiled. “That’s the thing, Tone. Could be any reason. A million reasons. Maybe he recently lost his parents and they took him to a guest ranch as a kid and he wanted to soak up the memories. Maybe they even took him to the Dawson ranch. You know, I’ll bet it’s something like that.”

Tony’s eyes fluttered open as if he agreed.

“I love you, Tony bear. I might be your only parent, but I promise you I’ll do the best job I possibly can. We’ve got this.”

Tony’s eyes closed again as if he also agreed with that, as if he felt one hundred percent safe with his single mother. Daisy’s heart almost burst with happiness and relief.

Late the next afternoon, Daisy stood in the farmhouse nursery with Noah and Sara and gasped as she looked around. She gently put down Tony’s infant carrier and unbuckled him, carefully cradling him along her arm as she stepped around the room. The nursery sure looked different than it had a day and a half ago. She’d had the basics of the room set up for a couple months now—the crib, the dresser with its changing pad, the glider—all gifts from Noah a few days after she’d told him she was pregnant. But now there were surprises everywhere. In one corner was an adorable plush child’s chair in the shape of a teddy bear for Tony to grow into. And someone had stenciled the wall facing the crib with the moon and stars. Tony’s name was also stenciled on his crib, which was Sara’s handiwork. And there were stacks of gifts in one corner that she knew were baby clothes and blankets and burp cloths. She wouldn’t have to buy anything for Tony for a long time.

“Ford and Rex did the moon and stars,” Noah said. “For novice stencilers who had to read the instructions twice and watch a tutorial, they did a great job.”

“And Zeke and Axel hit up BabyLand and bought that adorable polka-dot rug and the yellow floor lamp,” Sara added. “I didn’t even go with them to make sure they didn’t buy anything weird or clashing, and what they picked out is absolutely perfect.”

The room was so cozy and sweet. “You guys are going to make me cry,” Daisy managed to say around the lump in her throat as she surveyed the nursery. She used her free hand to swipe under her eyes.

She couldn’t say she and her brothers were close—well, except for Noah these days—but they were always there for her. And they’d all been there to meet Tony the day he was born. That was the one lucky thing to come out of her nonwedding—her whole family had already been at the ranch.

This place had always held bad memories for all the siblings, but after inheriting the ranch from their father, they’d all invested in rebuilding and renovating and reopening the Dawson Family Guest Ranch. Noah had done the lion’s share on his own; Daisy had been too pregnant to help much when she’d arrived a few months ago, and the four other Dawsons couldn’t get away from the ranch fast enough.

Ford had once said hell would freeze over before he’d come back here, a sentiment shared by the other three brothers as well, but Ford, Rex, Axel and Zeke had surprised Noah and Daisy at the grand opening this past Memorial Day weekend. And now Axel was staying at the ranch for a bit. That meant three out of six Dawsons at the ranch at the same time. It was a start. And Daisy was going to run with it.

The Dawson Family Guest Ranch was a completely different place than it had been, beautifully renovated as a modern-rustic dude ranch in the Wyoming wilderness, and being here didn’t whip up bad memories for the brothers as they’d expected because of the changes. They still didn’t want to be here, though. But it was a good sign that they’d come visit, and Daisy could put her master plan into work on them: finding them love so they’d stay. The thought of having all Tony’s uncles in his life on a regular basis, not just a visit at major holidays, made her so happy she could burst. She just had to change their minds about the place in general. Noah had done such a good job with the renovations that the ranch didn’t remind them of home anymore at all. A good thing and a bad thing.

Noah grinned. “There’s more in the living room. A baby swing that plays five different lullabies. A huge basket set up with everything you might need while you’re downstairs, from diapers and wipes to pacifiers to burp cloths and a change of clothes. The six-foot-tall giraffe in the corner is from Rex—he had to head home on some emergency business at work.”

She smiled at the giant giraffe. “He called me this morning to say goodbye. Ford and Zeke, too.”

“Axel is doing my rounds for me,” Noah added. “He called me while riding fence and said he took to the routine immediately, remembered everything he’d learned as a kid. It’s good to have him back, even just temporarily.”

Daisy nodded. It sure was. She did wonder what had gone down to cause Axel’s enforced R&R from his search-and-rescue team. He worked primarily in Badger Mountain State Park, about a half hour away, where Daisy herself had once gotten lost on a typically disastrous family trip. He’d tell her and Noah when he was ready, if he ever was. Axel was pretty private. In the meantime, she would distract him with just the right possible romantic interest. She had someone in mind already—two someones, actually, both of whom had been guests at her nonwedding.

She looked around the nursery, her heart bursting. “I love you guys,” she said, her eyes misting. She gazed down at Tony, napping away, his bow lips quirking. Her family hadn’t let her feel like she’d lost anything with Jacob’s abandonment. And last night, during the times she’d actually been alone in the hospital without a nurse in her room for this or that reason, she’d only had to look at Tony or think about him if he were in the nursery, and she felt so filled up it was insane.

“Hungry?” Sara asked. “I stocked your fridge and freezer with all your favorites. You won’t need to go grocery shopping till Christmas.”

She wrapped her sister-in-law in a one-arm hug. “You’re the best.” She turned to her siblings. “You’re all the best. Thank you for everything. You’ve outdone yourself. Now go to work. I’ve got this. I’m just gonna revel in being home and not in the hospital. Since Tony’s napping, I’ll try to also.”

There were hugs, and then Daisy was alone in the house. For months she’d decorated this nursery, bursting with excitement for the day she’d come home with her baby. And here that day was. Between that and the way her family had rallied around her, she really did feel filled up.

She certainly hadn’t expected the house would still be so quiet, given the baby, who was now in the crib. He’d transferred without a peep. May it always be so easy, she thought with a grin, knowing that would never be the case. She stood looking at him, his chest rising and falling, one little arm up by his ear in a fist. Welcome home, my sweet Tony bear. She could barely drag herself away, but she was yawning herself and realized she’d better squeeze in that nap.

She had a monitor set up on her bedside table and cranked it up, then slid into bed with a satisfied ahhh. She did sleep for about twenty minutes and woke up kind of groggy and out of it. Tony was still magically sleeping, so she headed downstairs for a cup of coffee, and even though it was decaf, the brew faked her brain into waking up. She responded to texts from her family, who sent her the photos of Tony and her they’d taken that morning, and then the crying began.

Ridiculously thrilled, Daisy raced from the kitchen upstairs into the nursery and scooped up her son and brought him over to the glider to nurse him. When he was finished, she stood up and gave him gentle pats until he burped, and then she changed him, marveling at how beautiful he was. She was a bundle of nerves about whether she was doing everything the right way, but Tony seemed content, so that had to be the guidepost. “How about the grand tour?” she asked. “Did you know I grew up in this house?”

The doorbell rang. The grand tour would have to wait. She wondered who could be visiting, though. Her brothers or Sara would text her before just ringing the bell. And guests of the ranch were always informed upon arrival that the farmhouse on the hill was the family home. With Tony nestled securely in her arms, she walked very carefully downstairs and headed to the door.

She pulled back the filmy white curtain at the door. Harrison McCord.

What was he doing here?

Top-notch or not, and holding another gift for Tony or not—this time a long, floppy yellow bunny—and very attractive or not, with his tousle of dirty-blond hair and green eyes, he was hiding something. Daisy had no idea if it was something completely innocuous, but he was definitely hiding something. He seemed too...intense at the moment not to be.

“I’m sorry for just dropping by,” Harrison said. “But I do need to talk to you. And to your brother, the foreman, as well.”

Okay, this was unexpected. What was going on?

She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at him and then at the manila envelope he held in his other hand. He wanted to talk to them both? “I was the guest relations manager until just last week, so I’m your guy—gal—” She grimaced. “I’m a good contact if you’re having any issues with your stay, is what I mean.”

“It’s nothing like that,” he said. “I’d really like to talk to you both—together.”

Hmm. What was this about? “Well, Noah is pretty busy right at the moment. He was here a couple hours ago, but he just texted me he’s dealing with our runaway goat, Hermione. Treated like gold but takes off every chance she gets.”

He attempted a half smile, but it was so awkward that an alarm bell went off. Something was wrong here.

“Can I come in?” he asked, practically strangling the yellow bunny, whose head and long ears were sticking out of the small gift bag in his left hand.

Daisy reluctantly stepped aside, and he walked in. She closed the screen door behind her.

“Let’s go sit in the living room. I have decaf coffee, lemonade, tomato juice, orange juice, cranberry juice. I like juice, obviously,” she added, then rolled her eyes at herself for rambling out of sheer nerves.

“Cranberry juice sounds good,” he said. “But let me get it. You’ve got Tony.”

“I’ll put him in the bassinet,” she said, carefully lowering the baby down.

She noticed Harrison staring at Tony, his expression...what? Like a mix of apology and resolve. Just what did he have to talk to her about? Something that also concerned Noah.

She gestured at the gray sectional, and he sat down on one end, looking around the room. The stone fireplace with all the photos, particularly. He got up and walked over to them. He looked at one in particular, of her grandparents standing in front of the big banner on the gates of the Dawson Family Guest Ranch. “Opening day fifty-two years ago,” he read from the banner. He then picked up the next photo. It was of the Dawson siblings in the same spot, Memorial Day weekend—similar banner, but this one said Grand Reopening. “Opening day two months ago,” he added, putting the photo back.

“Noah really did wonders with the place,” she said. “I came back only a couple months before we reopened. This was really his baby. But it became my refuge when I had nowhere else to go when Jacob dumped me the first time around, back when I lived in Cheyenne.” Oh cripes, she thought, embarrassed she’d said all that. “Hormones. Making me spill my guts like a crazy person.”

He stared at her as if taking in everything she’d said. “I didn’t realize Tony’s father had a second chance. That makes it even worse.”

Didn’t she know it. “I usually abide by the ‘once burned, twice shy’ saying. But I wanted to try for the baby’s sake.” Why was she telling this man her personal life details? He was here to talk to her about something...serious, from the looks of him. Get his cranberry juice and let him get on with it.

“I’ll be right back. You’ll keep an eye on Tony?” she asked.

His eyes widened just enough for her to catch it. He was either surprised she’d ask him such a thing because he’d never been around babies much, or he was about to spring some bad news on her, like that he’d burned down his cabin or something. “Uh, okay,” he said, shifting a bit closer to the edge of the sofa where Tony lay in his bassinet.

She came back with two glasses of cranberry juice and a plate of Cowboy Joe’s coconut fudge cookies, which he’d sent to the main house this morning with Noah. Cowboy Joe had a big enough workload, but he’d kept her cravings satisfied with his delicious homemade fare and snacks. Sometimes treats she didn’t even know she wanted until there they were, on a plate, beckoning her. She wasn’t pregnant anymore, but she craved these cookies big-time.

She sat down across from the sofa on the love seat, where she could directly see Harrison and the baby. “So what’s this about?” she asked. “Is something wrong? Are you leaving us a terrible review on TripAdvisor or something?”

He seemed so caught off guard that he smiled for a second, but then it faded. “I’m just going to come right out with this, Daisy. The Dawson Family Guest Ranch doesn’t rightfully belong to your family. It belongs to mine.”

She stared at him. “What on earth are you talking about? How could this place possibly belong to your family?”

“Your father, Bo Dawson, signed over ownership of the ranch to my father ten years ago.” He reached for the manila envelope he’d settled on his lap, opened it and pulled out a folded, yellowing square napkin, the kind servers set down on your table before plunking your beer on top of it. “The proof,” he said and reached over the coffee table to hand the napkin to her.

What the hell is this? she wondered, taking the napkin. Staring back at her was her father’s unmistakable scrawl in black pen. It was dated June 15 ten years ago. I lost the bet and transfer ownership of the Dawson Family Guest Ranch to Eric McCord.

Daisy gasped. Her father had bet the ranch?

“This is some drunken bar thing,” she said. “It wouldn’t hold up in a court of law.” She eyed the napkin again, her stomach churning suddenly, and handed it back to him, wanting it away from her as quickly as possible. Her father had drunk way too much, particularly the last couple of years before his death. She had no doubt he was five sheets to the wind when he’d bet the ranch. And left signed proof.

“I’ve consulted two attorneys who assure me it will hold up,” Harrison said, so seriously that she sat straight up.

Daisy lifted her chin. “I think I should get my brothers over here before we say more. They should be in this conversation. Only Noah and Axel are still here. Ford, Rex and Zeke left early this morning.”

Harrison nodded.

She stared at him, half scared, half hating his guts, and then grabbed her phone off the coffee table. She texted Noah.

Emergency. Harrison McCord says the ranch is his family’s, that Dad signed it over. Has napkin proof. He’s in the farmhouse. Find Axel and hurry!

Be right there. Texting Axel, Noah responded.

Daisy sat still as a board, hands in her lap, clasping and unclasping. Harrison did the same. They looked everywhere but at each other.

A few minutes later, Noah stormed in, Axel right behind him. Harrison stood up, the envelope in his hand.

“What the hell is this?” Noah said. “Napkin proof? What?”

Harrison gave the envelope to Noah, who opened it and pulled out the napkin. Daisy waited for shock to register and his muscles to bunch, and that’s exactly what happened.

“This won’t hold up in court,” Noah said, passing the napkin to Axel. “Clearly drunken nonsense.”

Daisy shivered, despite the eighty-one-degree temperature. “I said the same thing. He said two attorneys assured him it would.”

“What’s the story behind this?” Axel asked Harrison after reading the napkin for himself and putting it back in the envelope.

Harrison practically snatched back the envelope and held on to it.

“Let’s all sit,” Daisy said.

They sat, not taking their eyes off Harrison McCord.

Harrison picked up his cranberry juice, which Daisy now wanted to pour over his head. How dare he drink her juice after threatening to take away their family business? She watched him take a long sip.

“On his deathbed two weeks ago, my father told me that ten years ago, he got into a fight with a Bo Dawson to defend the honor of his sister, my aunt Lolly, who Bo was three-timing. Bo apparently said that his face was too good-looking to risk getting rearranged and he’d challenge my dad to a poker game. If my dad won, then he could beat Bo to pulp. But if Bo won, my dad would have to leave him be forever.”

Oh Lord. That did sound like her father. “Where does the napkin come in?”

“At the bar where they were going to play in a back room, Bo started flirting like crazy with the waitress, who wore a wedding ring. My dad got even angrier at how Bo used and abused people that he demanded Bo up the stakes or he’d bash his face in right there. Because Bo had pissed off most guys around, no one was going to come to his rescue.”

“So our dad bet his ranch?” Noah asked. “The family ranch his parents built from nothing? No way.”

“Your father told my dad he owned his family’s very popular dude ranch in Bear Ridge. My dad had heard of the place, so he said fine, put it in writing and we’ll play for it. Your dad did.” He held up the envelope.”

“And our dad lost,” Axel finished, shaking his head.

Harrison nodded. “The ranch, therefore, belongs to my family.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Daisy snapped, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “It most certainly does not! A drunkenly scrawled napkin from ten years ago? Your own father could have written that. My dad never mentioned a lost bet and signing over the ranch. That napkin isn’t proof of anything.”

“Except it’s your dad’s handwriting,” Harrison said. “I did some investigating.”

Daisy gasped. “How dare you! Lurking around, spying on our history.”

Noah and Axel both dropped down hard on chairs with pent-up breaths.

“It’s not personal,” Harrison said. “It’s just business. And this is the business I’m in. Mergers and acquisitions. Your father signed over ownership, but when my dad discovered the place was a falling-down mess, he didn’t collect. I’m here to do just that.”

Steam was coming out of Daisy’s ears. “Oh, right, suddenly after Noah rebuilds the place and it opens to rave reviews! If you think you’re taking the Dawson Family Guest Ranch from us, you have another think coming, mister.” She stuck her arm out, finger pointing at the front door. “Get out of my house!”

Harrison had the gall to look hurt. “I just found out about the bet and the napkin a couple weeks ago when my father died. My aunt Lolly rarely talks about her private life, but my father filled me in on how Bo destroyed her faith in men and love and romance. She never dated again after the way he treated her. She just gave up. Now she’s dying in a hospice in Prairie City all alone.”

For a moment, all Daisy heard was that his father had passed away two weeks ago and now his aunt was dying alone in Prairie City, which was the big town that bordered Bear Ridge. Daisy had lost her mom young and her dad last Christmas. Her heart went out to him. Until she remembered why he was here.

“I’m sorry about the loss of your dad,” she said. “And about your aunt. But the Dawson Family Guest Ranch belongs to us.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m sorry, too, but again, a deal is a deal,” Harrison said. “The ranch belongs to the McCords in my father’s and aunt’s dual honor. So I will see you in court.”

Daisy gasped. He was taking them to court? He couldn’t be serious!

“I’d like you to leave,” she shouted, causing Tony’s eyes to slowly open. The baby scrunched up his face and let out a cry.

Harrison eyed Tony, then lit out of the house fast.

“And take your stupid bunny with you,” Daisy yelped, throwing it after him.

It landed in front of the door that Harrison had just closed behind him.

“Tell me that idiotic napkin won’t hold up in court,” Daisy said, looking between Noah and Axel.

Her brothers looked at each other, then at her.

“It very well could,” Noah said. “Social gambling is legal here—in private homes and bars. The napkin is dated, very clear in content and signed.”

Axel sighed. “We’ll get our own lawyer. We’ll fight this with everything we’ve got.”

Damn right, they would. This ranch was their legacy. Their children’s future. No one was taking it away.

She looked at Tony. Tony Lincoln Dawson. Just yesterday she’d been tickled to discover that Harrison’s middle name started with L and that she’d chosen a middle name with that initial. Well, from here on in, that L only stood for her mother’s name, Leah. Harrison and his middle name could go jump in a lake.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.