The Fortunes of Texas: All Fortune's Children

She hadn’t brought much, just two suitcases, so maybe she didn’t plan to stay long.

“Is this it?” he asked.

“I...uh...” She gave a shrug. “I shipped everything else.”

Everything? What all had she thought she’d need? Was she going to move in?

He lifted both bags from the car, and she shut the trunk. As he carried the suitcases to the front porch, he stole a peek at the lovely blonde.

Somewhere along the way, she’d shed the braces. And in spite of her obvious pregnancy, she’d blossomed into a shapely woman, one he found incredibly attractive. His heart rate had escalated to the point he felt what could almost be classified a sexual thrill just looking at her.

What did that say about him? What kind of man found a pregnant married woman so appealing?

He wasn’t going to stew about it. Instead he shook off the question, as well as any answer he might be able to come up with. He was just surprised to see her and how much she’d changed, that’s all.

“Is your daughter going to be okay in the car?” he asked.

“I’m only going to leave her in there for a minute. I thought I’d put my bags into the room where I used to sleep. But maybe I’d better leave them in the living room until Uncle Roger tells me where he’d like us to stay. I didn’t mean to be presumptive.”

“I’m sure it’s fine to put everything in your old bedroom,” Graham said, leading the way.

As far as he knew, Roger hadn’t changed a thing since Sasha was last here, the summer of her junior year. He’d wanted things to stay the way she’d left them. But after her high school graduation, she’d stayed in Austin to prepare for college.

So she could easily see that the room with lavender walls, dotted with posters, still bore evidence of the teenager she’d once been.

Graham placed the bags on the bed, which boasted a white goose-down comforter.

Sasha set her purse on the antique oak dresser, then thanked him for his help.

“No problem.”

They merely stood there, caught up in some kind of weird time warp. Then she nodded toward the doorway. “I’d better go wake up Maddie.”

Graham followed her outside, watching her walk, the hem of her yellow sundress swishing against her shapely calves. From behind, he’d never have known she was expecting a baby.

When they reached the front porch, she paused near the railing, took a deep breath of country air and scanned the yard. “I’ve really missed this place.”

Roger would be glad to know that. It would make it easier for them to put the past behind them.

“It’s been a long time,” Graham said, finally addressing the elephant in the room. “How’ve you been?”

“All right.” She turned to face him and bit down on her bottom lip, as though things might not be “all right.” But if that was the case, she didn’t mention it. “How about you? I see you’re still hanging out on the Galloping G.”

“I live here now. In the foreman’s quarters. I guess you could say I’m your uncle’s right-hand man.”

She pondered that bit of news for a moment. “I guess some things haven’t changed.”

Actually, she was wrong. A lot had changed, and there were more big changes coming down the pike.

“So, how’s your family?” she asked.

“Same old, same old.” It was a stock response to keep from going into any real detail. Sasha didn’t know that he’d never been close to his father—and even less so now that he’d chosen not to work at Robinson Tech, like most of his other siblings.

When she nodded, he offered a more interesting response and something she might soon hear from the neighbors. “My brother Ben and my sisters Rachel and Zoe have gotten married recently. And my brother Wes is engaged.”

“That’s nice,” she said, providing her own stock response. “How recently?”

“All within the last six months.” Then, for some damn reason, he added, “We might also be taking on a new last name.”

Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Since it was too late to backpedal now, he continued with the unsettling truth. “Apparently, my dad was once a long-lost black sheep in the Fortune clan. His name was Jerome, not Gerald.”

Graham decided not to mention that Ben and some of his other siblings had taken on the Fortune name. But he wasn’t about to do that, especially when his father refused to admit the connection.

“Wow,” Sasha said. “And you never knew?”

“No, Dad kept that a secret from us, along with other things.” Graham wasn’t about to go into all that. Not now, anyway. Maybe not ever. He wasn’t particularly proud of the fact that his old man, a guy most people considered a quirky tech mogul, had eight legitimate kids, as well as who-knew-how-many illegitimate ones.

“How do you feel about that?” she asked, easing close enough for him to catch the faint hint of her orange-blossom scent.

He blew out a sigh, hoping to eliminate the taunting smell, as well as his lingering concerns of being a shirttail relative to such a famous family. It didn’t work in either case.

“It’s been a lot for me to take in,” he admitted. “So now my life on the Galloping G holds an even bigger appeal than it did before.”

“I can imagine. News like that would be...stunning. How do your brothers and sisters feel about it?”

“Actually, some of them hope it’s true. But the others aren’t too keen on it.” Graham, of course, was on the not-exactly-pleased side of it.

He paused for a beat, realizing Sasha didn’t have siblings—or even a cousin any longer. So he didn’t want to sound as though he resented having a big family. “I suppose you can never have too many relatives. It’s a cold world out there, so the more people who have your back, the better.”

Instead of smiling or commenting, Sasha just stood there as tears welled in her eyes.

Uh-oh. He hadn’t meant to trigger her sadness. Was she missing Peter? Her parents?

She swiped below her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I’m sorry. Just the result of my pregnancy hormones at work.”

That made sense. And it made him feel a lot better about setting off her tears. “How far along are you?”

“Seven months.”

“Your husband must be thrilled.”

Sasha glanced down at her sandals and didn’t speak or look up for several beats.

He must have put his foot in his mouth again, although he had no idea why. Was she unhappy about the baby?

“I’m sorry if I was out of line,” Graham said.

Sasha shook her head. When she looked up and caught his gaze, her eyes were glossy. “Gabe and I...split up.” Her hand again went to her belly, caressing the mound where her baby grew. “Actually, he left me.”

Graham couldn’t imagine what would cause a man to walk away from his family when his wife was pregnant. He’d never met Gabe Smith himself, but Roger had. And the old rancher’s opinion of the guy was enough for Graham to believe the worst about him.

He’d never reveal that to Sasha, though. So he said, “That must be rough.”

“We’re doing okay. And on the upside, I’m now able to come visit Uncle Roger. Maddie is excited to see a real ranch—and horses.”

Before Graham could respond, a little girl sidled up between them. She stuck out her hand to Graham and smiled, revealing a missing front tooth. “Howdy. Put ’er there, cowboy!”

He was captivated by her happy expression, by the long blond hair and bright blue eyes, so like her mama’s.

What kind of man would leave such an adorable duo? Not that Graham had ever had any reason to admire Gabe Smith. But surely he’d come to his senses and chase after them.

For some strange reason, that thought caused his gut to clench, and he found it nearly impossible to speak. He did, however, reach out and take the child’s little hand in his.

“You must be Maddie,” he said.

“Yep.” The girl stood tall, a big ol’ grin stretching across her face. “And you must be Uncle Roger.”

Chapter Two

Apparently, Maddie had awakened from her nap and gotten out of the car on her own. And while the little girl had no way of knowing who Graham or even Uncle Roger were, the idea that anyone could possibly confuse the two men brought a smile to Sasha’s lips.

She placed her hand on the top of her daughter’s head, her fingers trailing along the silky, pale strands. “This isn’t Uncle Roger, Maddie. It’s his friend Graham.”

As the child cocked her head and scanned the handsome man from his dusty boots to his black hat, a grin dimpled her cheeks and lit her eyes. “So you’re a real cowboy, just like my uncle?”

Graham smiled. “I reckon you could say that, Miss Maddie.”

The girl laughed. “Can you say something else cowboy-like?”

“Honey, Mr. Graham isn’t here to entertain you.” Sasha straightened and turned to the handsome man. “She’s a big fan of horses and all things Western.”

“Then this visit to the Galloping G should be good for her,” Graham said.

Yes, it would definitely do her daughter good. Sasha hoped it would do the same for her. She had some healing to do. She also had a relationship to mend. So why couldn’t she seem to turn and walk away from the sexy cowboy who was so good with her daughter?

She glanced toward the barn, where Uncle Roger had disappeared.

“I love horses,” Maddie said. “Especially real ones.”

Graham chuckled. “A girl after my own heart. Have you ever ridden a real one, Maddie?”

“No, not yet. But I have a pretend saddle I put over the back of our sofa at home. And I play like I’m riding that.”

Graham glanced at Sasha as if questioning the truth of Maddie’s statement.

So she smiled and nodded. “Maddie would ride that towel-draped leather sofa all day if I’d let her.”

The little girl lived and breathed horses. And, apparently, she admired the men who worked with them. So, if Sasha wasn’t careful, her daughter would pester poor Graham and Uncle Roger to death.

Hoping to defuse what could be an awkward situation, she addressed her daughter. “Mr. Graham has a lot of work to do, honey. And the sooner we let him get back to it, the better.”

“That’s not a problem,” Graham said. “I really don’t mind taking a break. In fact, if Maddie wants, I can take her around the Galloping G and show her what a ‘real cowboy’ does all day, including a broken fence I need to repair.”

“That’s nice of you,” Sasha said, “but it isn’t necessary. We just got here and should probably settle in. Besides, Maddie needs to learn a little patience.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Graham said. “While you two unpack, I’ll go pick up my mess in that south pasture. When I get back, I can give you that tour.” Then he winked at Maddie. “Your mom can come, too.”

Sasha probably ought to tell him no. She had a lot to talk over with Uncle Roger. But she couldn’t very well have that kind of a heart-to-heart until later this evening, after Maddie went to bed.

For the third time since arriving—or maybe it was the thirty-third—she turned her gaze on Graham, who’d grown an inch or two taller and filled out nicely. He wore a gray T-shirt that didn’t mask the muscles in his broad chest. His biceps, which had never been small, now bulged, straining the hem on his short sleeves without any effort on his part.

He still bore the scar on his arm from a riding accident he’d had years ago, a jagged mark left from a barbed-wire fence. But like everything else about him—his hat, his jeans, his smile—he wore the cowboy image well.

She’d always admired Graham and found him attractive in more ways than one. He was—or at least used to be—a straight-up guy. And in spite of the money his family had, there were no pretenses about him, no games. He said what he meant and meant what he said.

Graham was nothing like Gabe, which made him even more appealing now. And that was a good reason for her to steer clear of him. Besides, she was a pregnant single mother. And she’d arrived at the Galloping G with way more baggage than the suitcases she’d brought in the trunk of her car. Certainly way more than a man like Graham would want to deal with. He’d always had a way with the ladies—or at least the girls in high school. So she assumed that he was a free-wheeling bachelor with his pick of willing women.

Yet she found herself nodding in agreement. “Okay, a tour of the ranch sounds fun. While you’re going to get your tools and whatnot, Maddie and I will unpack.”

Graham lobbed her a crooked grin that nearly stole her breath away. But how could that be? She wasn’t a love-struck kid anymore. And she’d experienced far too many of life’s realities to even entertain thoughts of ever having a crush—childhood or otherwise—on anyone.

Yet as he turned to walk away, her heart fluttered and her pulse rate spiked, suggesting he still had the ability to send her sense reeling with a simple smile.

* * *

By the time Graham returned for his tools in the pasture, the sheriff had come back and stood next to a tow truck, pointing out the SUV that had caused all the damage.

The officer left the driver to his work, then approached Graham. “We’ll have that vehicle out of here shortly. The owner has already been informed and has contacted his insurance company.”

Graham nodded. “I’m assuming his son was driving?”

“Yep. But from what I understand, the boy lost his license and will be grounded for the rest of the summer.”

“I can understand that.” Graham could also understand the appeal of an unsupervised teenage party. He’d certainly attended more than his share of those.

But as an adult, he knew the dangers of drinking and driving, no matter what age one was.

After the sheriff left and the tow truck drove out with the SUV, Graham picked up the tools and supplies he’d left in the south pasture and took them to the barn. He hated to leave the repair work on that downed fence unfinished, but he’d do it for Roger. Fortunately, they didn’t have any horses grazing out there now. But they would, once his friend Chase Parker delivered them on Friday.

His friend, huh? If that Robinson-Fortune family connection was true, Graham and Chase would be more than friends. They’d actually be related, since Chase was married to Lucie Fortune Chesterfield.

After putting away the tools and supplies, he went in search of Roger and found him leading Lady Jane from the pasture toward the barn.

“What are you doing?” Graham asked. “I thought you’d be inside, talking to Sasha-Marie and getting to know little Maddie.”

“I was in there. For a while.”

“How’d it go?”

“Okay, I guess. Maddie is a little chatterbox, which might prove helpful in piecing together what’s going on. She mentioned that her daddy moved out of their house and into an apartment near his work.”

“I’m sure that’s true. Sasha told me that she and Gabe are separated.”

Roger merely nodded as he continued toward the barn, the roan mare walking alongside him.

“What are you doing with Lady Jane?” Graham asked as he followed behind.

“That little girl loves horses, and I figure she’d like to ride a real one instead of her mother’s sofa. So I’m going to stable Lady Jane so she’ll be closer to the house.”

“Good idea.” Lady was a gentle mare and would be a good mount for a beginner.

Once they entered the barn, Graham opened the gate of an empty stall. “I assume you and Sasha had a chance to talk.”

“Just enough to break the ice some, but not enough to get back on steady ground again.”

“I got the feeling that she plans to stay for a while,” Graham added.

“Yep.” Roger removed the lead from Lady Jane’s halter, then closed the gate. “I suspect she came here to lick her wounds, which is fine by me. The Galloping G is the perfect place for her to get back on her feet.”

He was right about that. It was at this ranch where Graham and Roger had managed to heal from their terrible loss. And it was here that they hoped to help troubled teenage boys do the same thing.

“You have no idea how happy I am that Sasha-Marie and that jerk finally split up,” Roger said. “I knew it was coming. But you’ll be glad to know I managed to keep my mouth shut about it.”

Graham placed a hand on his old friend’s back and grinned. “I’ll bet that was tough for a crusty ol’ bird who’s got a knack for speaking his mind, even when he’s not asked.”

“You bet it was. And not to toot my own horn, but you’ll be glad to know that I didn’t break into the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus when Maddie announced that Gabe moved out of the house.”

“Good thing you didn’t, Roger. You never could carry a tune.”

At that, the old man chuckled. “You’re right. My singing would have chased her off for sure.”

Graham didn’t think so. Sasha had always enjoyed the time she’d spent on the Galloping G. So it didn’t surprise him in the least that she would choose to come here to sort out things.

“I wonder what her plans are,” Graham said. “Hopefully, Gabe is paying her child support.”

Roger blew out a raspberry. “I wouldn’t be surprised if, once that guy hit the road, he never looked back. And if he didn’t, it’d be okay by me. Gabe Smith was bad news, wrapped in a shiny wrapper. But Sasha doesn’t need the likes of him. Not with me around, anyway. I’ll look out for her. Besides, she has a college degree. I suspect she could put that to good use.”

“There’s time to ask her about that later,” Graham said. “For now, you ought to enjoy the time you have with her.”

“Yep, I intend to. In the meantime, I’m going to go inside and fix dinner. I’d planned to make meat loaf and baked potatoes this evening. S’pose I still will. But if I’d known Sasha-Marie and Maddie were coming, I would have taken steaks out of the freezer. It seems like we have a lot to celebrate.”

Maybe Roger did. But something told Graham that Sasha wasn’t nearly as happy about the split as her uncle was.

“You might not want to make such a big deal out of it,” Graham said. “She married the guy and undoubtedly loved him. She probably doesn’t feel like celebrating.”

“I wasn’t talking about making a big whoopty-do that he was out of her life, although I’d sure as heck raise my glass to that. But I’m glad she’s back at the ranch. I’ve missed her. And I’ve regretted not having a chance to get to know little Maddie. She’s a cutie pie, isn’t she?”

Yes, she was, at that. “She sure looks a lot like her mama.”

“You got that right. And she’s just as spunky, too.”

Before Graham could agree, Sasha and Maddie stepped out on the big, wraparound porch.

“Looks like it’s time for the tour to begin,” Graham said quietly to Roger. “If she wasn’t expecting, I’d suggest we take horses, which would no doubt please Maddie. But I think we should take the Gator.”

“Good idea. I’ve delivered my share of foals and calves, but I don’t know squat about bringing a human baby into the world.”

Just the thought of Sasha delivering at the ranch and not in a state-of-the-art medical facility twisted Graham’s gut into a double knot. He’d better suggest she find a doctor in Austin—and quickly. From the size of her baby bump, she’d need a good one soon.

Yet even the fact that she was expecting didn’t take away from her beauty. How had he missed the corn-silk color of her hair before—or those expressive blue eyes?

“We’re ready for that tour when you are,” she said, as she and her pretty Mini-Me daughter stepped off the porch.

Sasha walked slowly, but Maddie marched right up to her uncle. “Are you going with us, Uncle Roger? Are you going to show us all your horses?”

Roger blessed the child with a smile and cupped her cheek with his liver-spotted, work-roughened hand. “Not this time, sweetie. I’m going to cook our dinner. But don’t worry. Graham will give you a good tour—and probably a better one than I could.”

The child looked at Graham with hope-filled eyes—their pretty color reminded him of a field of bluebonnets, blowing in the breeze. “Do you know where my uncle keeps his horses?”

“Actually, we only have a few right now. But come this weekend, you’ll see five more of them grazing in the south forty.”

Maddie’s eyes widened. “A whole herd?”

Graham couldn’t help appreciating her enthusiasm. “Well, it’s not exactly a herd, at least, not a big one. We’ll have our hands full with those five for now.”

He’d thought his answer would appease her, but apparently, one of her questions merely led to another. “Where are you going to get them?” she asked. “Do you have to ride into the mountains and desert and wilderness to find them?”

Graham bit back a chuckle. “My friend Chase Parker has rescue horses already on his ranch. He’s going to deliver them to us.”

“I can’t wait to see them,” she said.

“Then I’ll make sure you’re around when they arrive. In the meantime, let’s go check out the ranch.” Graham glanced at Sasha and nodded toward the barn. “Come on. We’ll take the Gator.”

“You got gators in Texas?” Maddie asked, struggling to match his strides. “Do they bite?”

Graham smiled. “We don’t have any alligators on the Galloping G. I was actually talking about our off-road utility vehicle.”

He led them to the rear of the barn, where he’d left the Gator parked. Once he helped Maddie into the backseat and secured her with a seat belt, something the previous owner had installed, he and Sasha climbed into the front. Then he started the engine.

What a turn this day had taken. Graham’s morning had started out in the usual way—a shower before downing coffee and the biscuits and gravy Roger had made for them. Then he’d ridden out to check on the pasture where they planned to keep the new horses.

When he’d spotted the damage to the fence, as well as the battered front end of the Cadillac Escalade that had been left in the pasture, wheel wells deep in the mud, he’d realized things weren’t going to be as usual today.

But nothing had prepared him for Sasha and Maddie’s arrival a few hours later, which ensured that, at least for the time being, things on the Galloping G would be far from ordinary.

He just hoped the changes would be good ones.

* * *

While Graham appeared to be doing his best to avoid any big potholes on the dirt road on which they’d been driving, the Gator made a quick swerve, causing Sasha to grab the dashboard and brace herself. She turned and looked over her shoulder. “Are you okay, Maddie?”

“Yep.” The seven-year-old patted her seat belt and flashed a bright-eyed smile that revealed her missing tooth. “I’m all buckled in.”

“Sorry about that,” Graham said. “We had a heavy rain a couple days ago, and it left the road a mess.”

“I remember the summer storms we used to have,” Sasha said. “I actually thought they were cool.”

The rumbles of thunder and the lightning that tore across the sky had been an amazing, celestial light show. Some people were frightened by the sights and sounds, especially when they struck at night. But Sasha hadn’t been one of them. And she doubted Maddie would be, either.

Graham swung around a mud puddle. “Are the bumps and turns too jarring for you?” He nodded toward her belly.

Sasha cast a reassuring smile his way. “No, I’m doing okay. And believe it or not, the baby seems to be enjoying it as much as Maddie is.”

“Apparently, she takes after her mom in more than just her looks.” Graham tossed her a boyish grin. “You always were a tomboy who tried to convince Peter and me that you were as tough and strong as horseshoes.”

She responded with the title of a song. “Anything you can do...”

Graham laughed. “You used to sing that to us all the time.”

That was true. She’d taunted them with the lively tune from Annie Get Your Gun every chance she got.

Sasha had never seen the actual musical on Broadway, or anywhere else for that matter. But one summer day, when she was visiting, Uncle Roger had taken them all to see a local talent show. She’d loved the performance by a high school girl and boy who’d sung that song.

“That’s too funny,” Graham said. “I’d nearly forgotten it.”