Harlequin American Romance November 2014 Box Set: The SEAL's Holiday Babies\The Texan's Christmas\Cowboy for Hire\The Cowboy's Christmas Gift (17 page)

“I feel bad that I can't reschedule my meeting,” Jacob said.

“Don't even
consider
that, not when you worked so hard to get where you are.” After years of Jacob busting his ass to earn their stepfather's respect, Brock had finally deigned to give Jacob a position at Baron Energies. “Seriously, I'll survive without the moral support.”

Jacob knew better than anyone how much Daniel disliked doctors' offices and hospitals, nearly to the point of phobia, but Daniel was almost looking forward to this visit. If all went well, he'd leave the appointment sling-free and cleared to begin therapy.

After sticking one of the containers in the microwave, Daniel went to the refrigerator for a beer. He offered one to his brother. “You have a few minutes to stick around, or does Mariana need your help wrangling Cody into bed?”

Grinning, Jacob reached for the bottle. “The nice thing about time at the ranch is that Cody wears himself out. Lots of space to run around, lots of kids to play with. He was asleep when I dropped off him and Mariana at the house. And speaking of being dropped off...Carly's going to drive you to your orthopedic appointment. She has a dress fitting four blocks away, so it just makes sense. She'll come back and get you afterward.”

Carly was the youngest of the Baron sisters and a real spitfire. Barrel racing hadn't been enough for her; she'd also insisted on trying her hand at bull riding. But lately, her conversations were less about rodeo standings and more about flower arrangements and seating charts. She was getting married at the end of December, just after Christmas.

“So was dinner conversation all about weddings?” Daniel asked. Next spring, he'd be standing as Jacob's best man. He should probably come up with some helpful input between now and then.

Jacob frowned. “Actually, when Brock was out of the room, talk was mostly about Delia. I mean, Adele.”

For months now, Daniel's stepsiblings had been working to find out what happened to their mother, Delia Baron. They'd learned that she'd changed her name to Adele Black and was in fact the CEO of AB Windpower. Now that they knew who she was, they'd been trying to agree on how to proceed. They were troubled by the discovery that she'd been buying chunks of Baron Energies stock. Daniel had the impression that Savannah and Carly in particular wanted to reunite with their estranged mom, but it would be difficult to find a happy ending if she was trying to orchestrate some kind of takeover.

Frankly, Daniel's adolescence—his father's arrest and, later, his mom's death—had left him skeptical about happy endings in general.

Stifling his cynicism, he carried his food to the table and changed the subject to an upcoming rodeo exhibition, a charity event to raise funds for youth programs. If Daniel hadn't been injured, he would have participated. As it was, he planned to attend to cheer on some buddies and talk others into buying tickets for a good cause.

As they chatted about mutual rodeo acquaintances, Jacob suddenly snapped his fingers. “I've been meaning to tell you—Bodie Williams is in town.” Another veteran of the rodeo circuit, Bodie had been a friend to both brothers. He'd never made it as high in the standings as Jacob or Daniel, though, and had quit for full-time ranch work.

Daniel lowered his gaze, feeling suddenly guilty. “Yeah. Actually, he and I caught up at a sports bar Friday afternoon.” Bodie had shown him pictures of the ranch in Colorado where he worked. The Double F was hiring, and Bodie was willing to put in a good word on Daniel's behalf with his new boss.

If Daniel admitted that he was thinking about leaving, would Jacob support the move or try to talk him into staying? The two of them had always been close. After their mom's death, they'd shared a kind of “us against the world” bond. But Jacob was raising a son now. He worked for the family company, had been accepted into the fold and would be married by this time next year. His life was moving forward in a clear direction.

Daniel, on the other hand, felt increasingly out of place. For a while, success in the rodeo arena had given him some common ground with the other Barons. But between his injury and the way his siblings had been falling in love left and right...

New Year's was just around the corner. Wasn't that a perfect time for resolutions and fresh starts? Maybe Daniel's fresh start was in Colorado.

Chapter Two

After a morning of phone tag and realizing that her friends were nervous about taking a baby out among holiday crowds, Nicole offered to meet Chris and Lizzie for lunch at their own home. It had seemed like a simple, low-stress solution.

The Millers were both dark-haired and attractive, a well-matched couple. But right now, they both wore similar strained expressions. Nicole sat at the kitchen table, trying not to wince.

“She's not usually this fussy,” Lizzie said apologetically, pacing laps around the kitchen and trying to soothe the shrieking infant in her arms. “She should be napping, but she's too tired to fall asleep.”

Chris, who'd been pulling bowls out of a cabinet for their soup, studied his wife with protective concern. “You look like you could use a break. Why don't you let me take her for a bit?”

Lizzie passed along the pink-clad bundle, then got an oven mitt to lift the hot lid off the slow cooker. The tantalizing scent of homemade ham and bean soup filled the room.

It smelled delicious, but Nicole felt guilty that the two busy parents had gone to any trouble. “I wish you'd let me bring something from the deli.” In the next room, Natalie was still crying, but it seemed less vehement now.

Lizzie shook her head. “The soup was easy, I swear. And I'm not used to spending so much time at home. Don't get me wrong, I adore the time with my daughter, but I still need to feel useful in other ways.”

During a lull in the crying, they could hear the low murmur of Chris's voice as he sang to the infant.

Cocking her head, Lizzie paused to listen. “He is so good with her.” There was a wealth of love in her voice. Despite any frustrations like a baby who wouldn't stop crying or the drastic changes to Lizzie's schedule, she was obviously happy with her life. “Sometimes it's hard to believe I'd planned to be a single mother. When I first told Chris I was pregnant, I wasn't sure how involved he'd want to be—we weren't exactly together at the time. But now, I can't imagine my life without him. I don't know how women do this alone.”

Nicole swallowed hard. Raising a baby on her own was a daunting prospect. But people did it all the time, her own mother notwithstanding. Financially, Nicole was more fortunate than many, and she could afford to hire help. She hadn't made this decision with the naive belief that it would be easy; she'd simply refused to let fear stop her from pursuing what she most wanted out of life.

“You okay?” Lizzie asked, jolting Nicole from her thoughts.

“Sure. Sorry. Distracted by work stuff,” she lied.

Something shifted in Lizzie's gaze, as if she were holding back a comment.

“What is it?” Nicole prodded.

“I... Maybe we should wait for Chris to come back. He was going to handle this.”

“Handle what?” Nicole asked, her curiosity now at peak level.

“Part of the reason we wanted to see you was to ask you about...” She sighed. “I don't want to put you in a difficult position. AB Windpower is your employer. More specifically, Adele Black is your employer. I understand your loyalty is to her.”

There was a shaky, emotional emphasis on the
her.
Lizzie didn't sound as if she were just talking about a CEO of another energy company. Oh, God. Did Lizzie
know
Adele was her mother? Nicole hadn't been prepared for that. If Lizzie confided in her, should Nicole admit she was already aware of the situation? That she'd known Adele's relation to the Barons even before meeting Lizzie?

By nature, Nicole was a forthright person. Skirting the truth didn't come easily to her. Right now, she felt as if she were wearing a blinking neon sign that said Deception! Ulterior Motives! Rising Nausea!

That last part overwhelmed her out of the blue. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and willing it to pass. “Can you excuse me for a minute? I need to use the restroom.” She fought her instinct to sprint through their house, but only barely. She passed Chris at an impressive speed-walking clip.

Though the baby's cries had tapered, she was still putting up a fight. As Nicole pressed cold water to her face, she heard another howl. She could empathize. If she had to choose between allegiance to Adele and friendship with the Millers, she might cry, too.

* * *

D
R
. G
REENE
,
A
TALL
, slim woman in her fifties, raised her eyebrows above her wire-rim glasses. “You're awfully tense. Worried about the results of the surgery?”

Daniel shook his head, feeling sheepish. “Medical facilities give me the heebie-jeebies. No offense, Doc.”

“None taken.” She confirmed that he was doing the “passive” exercises she'd recommended and that he could make it through most days without pain medication. “All things considered, you're healing nicely. But...even with the surgical reattachment of the ligament and the physical therapy you'll be starting, your shoulder's stability is compromised. I have a son your age. And if he were in the same situation, I'd ask him to think about quitting the rodeo circuit. Going forward, you're in jeopardy of reinjuring your shoulder.”

The idea of giving up rodeos wasn't as upsetting as she might think. Although Daniel had worked hard to earn his ranking—sometimes even beating Jacob, who'd had a real shot at the National Finals—his career path had developed more from his environment than a conscious desire on his part. People called oil the family business, and God knew Baron Energies had made Brock plenty of money, but, until this year, it would have been equally true to say rodeo was the family business.

His thoughts drifted to Bodie's description of life at the Double F. Daniel enjoyed physical labor. Ranch work would allow him to continue being around livestock without the risks of trying to stay on Brahman or longhorn descendants specifically bred to buck.

Thanking the doctor for her advice, Daniel promised to give it serious consideration. She told him he could pick up the referral paperwork for the therapist at the checkout window, then left him to put his shirt back on. He was glad not to be hampered by the sling anymore, anxious to start PT and rebuild his strength.

When he returned to the waiting room, he spotted Carly in one of the padded seats, idly twisting a blond curl around her finger as she studied a bridal magazine. As he got close enough to see the hot-pink headline, he realized she was looking at a checklist. Damn, there were a lot of items! Surely checklists that detailed were necessary only for royal weddings.

She glanced up with a smile. “All done?”

“Finished and sling-free.”

“Great. Do you mind if we make a stop on the way to your place? I need to swing by the florist and double-check all the arrangements. And corsages. And bouquets. I'd love to get your opinion on them!” She paused, then flashed a mischievous smile at his rising discomfort. “Kidding. Julieta asked me to drop off some assorted baby supplies Chris and Lizzie left at the ranch yesterday.”

Midday traffic wasn't too bad, and the drive didn't take long.

As Carly grabbed the baby stuff from the backseat, she asked, “Aren't you coming in? I mean, I don't expect to be here long, but I was going to take the opportunity to snuggle our niece. Assuming she's awake.”

He'd already missed a family gathering yesterday. Staying in the vehicle now would be downright antisocial. A few feet from the front door, it became evident that baby Natalie was very much awake.

“Yikes.” Carly grimaced. “Someone's unhappy.”

Daniel wondered if, among the metric ton of other infant-care paraphernalia, Chris and Lizzie had also purchased earplugs.

Without bothering to knock, Carly opened the door. “Hello?” They found Chris in the living room, pacing with his daughter. “I brought some of the things you guys left at the Roughneck. Any chance there's something in this bag that will help? Favorite pacifier? Magic wand?”

“I think this'll be over soon,” Chris said. “She can't even keep her eyes open. It's not the most peaceful way to fall asleep, but she'll be out in another ten minutes.”

Ten more minutes of this? Daniel felt a wave of sympathy for the other man.

Chris nodded toward the kitchen. “Lizzie was just about to fill some bowls of soup if you guys haven't eaten lunch yet.”

“Thanks, but I had a big breakfast,” Carly said. Daniel could have hugged her for declining the invitation. “But I definitely want to say hi before we leave.”

The first thing Daniel noticed as they approached the kitchen was the warm, savory smell. But that was immediately overshadowed by the staggering tension in the room. Lizzie was standing at the counter, holding a ladle in a white-knuckle grip, her eyes bright with emotion.

Seated at the table was another woman, a beautiful brunette who looked vaguely familiar. But if he'd met her before, why didn't he recognize her? Short of being kicked in the head by a bull and sustaining brain damage, it seemed impossible any man would forget her. She was stunning, with something indefinably exotic about her appearance. Perhaps her coloring, or the shape of her dark eyes? Her delicate features were balanced by her lush mouth and framed by thick, straight hair that tumbled well past her shoulders.

Right now, however, her lovely features were crinkled into an anxious frown. Were the two women distraught over the baby's misery, or had he and Carly walked in on the middle of an argument?

“Daniel, Carly.” Lizzie cleared her throat, forcing a smile as she met her sister's gaze. “This is Nicole Bennett.”

Right! “We met in April,” Daniel recalled, “when you brought Lizzie to the hospital.”

Nicole nodded. “Nice to see you again.”

He would have remembered sooner but he'd been preoccupied when they met, worried about Lizzie. He'd always had a soft spot for the oldest Baron. If anyone could understand Brock's favoritism of Jet and how it made Jacob and Daniel feel, it would have been her. Although she was the firstborn, Brock often underestimated her because she was female. It had taken the old man's medical leave from Baron Energies for him to finally trust her with the responsibility she deserved.

Carly straightened, her posture alert. “Nicole Bennett who works for AB Windpower?”

No wonder the atmosphere was tense. Had Chris and Lizzie invited the woman here to ask her about the stock purchases?

Whatever conversation had been taking place, Nicole looked reluctant to continue. She rose from her chair. “I should get back to the office.”

“We haven't even had lunch,” Lizzie protested.

“I wouldn't have eaten much anyway,” Nicole said. “My, um, stomach hasn't entirely settled since the turbulent flight into Dallas yesterday. I don't blame the baby for having an off day, but I'm not sure this is the best time to talk. It sounds like you and Chris wanted to ask me some questions. Instead of trying to cram everything into my lunch hour, why don't we get together over the weekend?”

“I'd like to be there, too,” Carly said softly. “Sorry. I realize you don't know me, but—”

“Actually, I think you
should
be present for the conversation,” Nicole agreed. “Probably Savannah and Jet, too.”

Wow. Her bravery was impressive. Facing down all the Barons at once was no easy task.

“Are you free Sunday?” Lizzie asked. “You could join us at the ranch.”

Daniel's eyebrows shot up. Nothing like trial by fire. “What is that, like ten against one?”

All three females turned to him in surprise. Well, he was surprised, too. He hadn't meant to voice his thoughts.

“Nobody's ‘against' Nicole,” Lizzie said, a hint of indignation in her voice. “She's right, though. We do have some questions for her.” The Baron sisters exchanged glances, then Lizzie added, “But there's no reason we have to ask them in front of Dad. After everyone's done eating, he can take the older kids to feed the goats or something.”

“Just text me what time and let me know what I can bring,” Nicole said. “Dessert? A loaf of French bread?”

“Just answers,” Lizzie said, her expression forlorn.

Instead of looking cornered or dreading the inevitable interrogation, Nicole stepped forward and squeezed her hand. “I'll answer anything I can, I promise. Guess I'll see all of you this weekend?” She shot Daniel a questioning glance.

Nodding, Daniel had the fleeting thought that maybe his presence would give Nicole a measure of moral support.
Ridiculous.
She barely knew him. Besides, if she confirmed that Adele Black was in some way attempting to damage Baron Energies, there wasn't much Daniel could do to stop the outrage headed her way. Watching her leave, he silently wished her good luck.

When he turned back, he found both his stepsisters regarding him with speculative expressions. For the first time since he'd arrived, Lizzie didn't look upset. In fact, her lips twitched in the beginning of a smile. She and Carly exchanged knowing glances.

And Daniel experienced a stab of foreboding.

* * *

N
ICOLE
MADE
A
beeline to the small meeting room Adele was using as an office, sparing a moment from her anxiety attack to appreciate that her friend even felt well enough to come into work. There had been times during the past two years when that had been the exception rather than the rule.

Adele glanced up from the spreadsheet printouts she was going over with one of the local employees, her smile faltering when she saw Nicole's expression. “Everything okay?”

“Absolutely. I just need to run something by you when you have a minute.”

“We were finishing up here.” She smiled at the bearded man who sat next to her. “Nice job. If there's nothing else...?”

“Nope, we covered everything.” He straightened his Christmas tie and reached for the suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair. It was very warm in here. Adele, who got cold easily these days, had an electric heater plugged in a few feet away. The man nodded politely to Nicole, then headed down the hall.