Colorado Cowboy. C.C. Coburn

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СКАЧАТЬ ears. Usually Cody wouldn’t give an adult the time of day and would’ve ignored all attempts to engage in conversation, but Matt seemed to have the magic touch.

      She smiled and said, “I can see an improvement in Cody already.”

      “Matt’s got a way with kids.” His mouth turned down in a slight grimace. “I wish I had his easy way of dealing with them. Especially my son.”

      Megan couldn’t begin to imagine the regrets Luke must be having. He’d not only taken on a wife and a recalcitrant son but also a stepmother to his daughters and a half brother to them, as well. She wondered how the little girls would react to the changed family structure. Would they accept it? Or would they rebel? Megan shuddered. She knew exactly what her son’s reaction would be in those circumstances.

      “Relax. Everything’ll be fine,” Luke said, correctly guessing her thoughts.

      Megan bit her lip. “I wish I had your confidence.”

      When the plane stopped at its gate, Luke removed their carry-on luggage from the overhead bins. An overnight bag for him and a couple of department-store shopping bags for Megan. He stood back to let her exit the plane ahead of him.

      Since Cody had several department-store bags stuffed full of clothes Luke had bought him, they’d purchased an overnight bag at the airport, to save any problems with security. He watched as Cody drew out his bag and stuffed in the toiletry wet packs, usually reserved for overseas segments, that he’d talked the flight attendant into giving him.

      Luke ignored the transgression. He figured he’d paid enough for the four seats to warrant a few souvenirs. He smiled down at Megan, warning her with a shake of his head not to protest. “At least we won’t be held up at the baggage carousel,” he said. Their cabin luggage was all they had to take with them.

      TWENTY MINUTES LATER, they were all loaded into Luke’s big SUV and headed toward Denver and the mountains beyond the Mile-High City. Megan sat up front with Luke, while Cody was in back with Matt.

      “Oh! I’d forgotten how majestic they are,” Megan remarked at the sight of the Rockies rising abruptly behind the city. She turned to Luke. “How long till we get home?”

      Home. She couldn’t believe she’d let that slip. A word so personal, so possessive, so intimate. Luke must think she was a gold digger for agreeing to marrying him so readily. For even agreeing to it at all! Luke’s home wasn’t her home. It was just where she and Cody would live for a while, until Cody was back on the straight and narrow.

      “About two hours. Matt’s wife, Beth, will have everything ready for us. She’s been looking after Celeste today and doing the school run with Daisy and Sash.”

      Megan had overheard part of Luke’s cell phone conversation in the jewelry store, and to her ears, it hadn’t seemed to go so well. “How do you think the girls will react to two complete strangers suddenly becoming part of the family?”

      Luke glanced over at her, frowning. “I know I probably made a mess of things in my phone call, but rest assured, Beth would’ve found the right way to tell them.”

      Megan twisted her hands in her lap. “Still… Maybe Cody and I should stay somewhere else for a while, until they can come to terms with everything. It must’ve been a big shock for them to be told they’ve got a new brother and a new mother.”

      “Relax. They’re good kids. They’ll accept you quickly. I’m sure of it.”

      Megan wasn’t so sure, but she guessed Luke knew his daughters better than she did. She relaxed against the seat back and closed her eyes, unable to believe how tired she was.

      “WE’RE HOME.” LUKE’S VOICE woke Megan. Surprised that she’d dozed off again, she opened her eyes to find they’d pulled up outside a long, ranch-style house, its lights blazing brightly in the summer evening. The sound of dogs barking and children squealing filled her ears.

      Luke had climbed out of the vehicle and was opening her door. A woman came out onto the veranda and stood silhouetted in the light spilling out of the house. She ran toward the car and then Matt’s huge bulk was blocking the way as he picked her up and kissed her.

      “Where is she? Where is she?” Megan heard a little girl demanding and looked down to see two big blue eyes staring up at her from between Luke’s legs.

      Megan climbed down from the SUV. Luke stepped back a little and the child squeezed between his legs and popped up between him and Megan.

      “Are you my new mommy?” she asked.

      Megan was touched by both the beauty of the little girl and the sweet innocence of her inquiry. The child reached out and stroked Megan’s hand as though to check if she was for real. Megan squatted down so she could be at eye level with the child and smiled warmly. “Hi. You must be Celeste.”

      Celeste grinned broadly, then turned shy and twisted sideways as though seeking the protection of her father.

      Megan held out her hand to Celeste and said, “I’m Megan and I’m very pleased to meet you, Celeste.”

      “Are you going to be my mommy?” Celeste asked again.

      “Would you like that?” she asked cautiously, unsure how to approach the subject diplomatically.

      “Oh, yes!” Celeste cried, and threw her arms around Megan’s neck with such force it nearly knocked her backward.

      Megan breathed in the sweet scent of the little girl, fresh from her bath, and felt a longing deep within her. She’d loved being a mother to Cody, but he’d stopped hugging her like that a long time ago. Megan laughed and lifted Celeste as she stood; she noticed Luke’s grimace changing to a smile of relief.

      “One down, two to go,” he whispered to her.

      She glanced around for Cody to introduce him to the girls. He was standing some distance from the group, studying another girl who was appraising him openly. She guessed that must be Sasha.

      Megan took the initiative. “Celeste, I’d like you to meet my son, Cody. He’s also your half brother.”

      “Does that mean he’s only half a boy?” Celeste asked, wide-eyed.

      Luke guffawed and everyone else joined in, but Megan saw the embarrassment on the little girl’s face. After all, she’d drawn what was to her a logical conclusion. She held Celeste against her and nuzzled her soft cheek. “No, sweetie, although it does sound a bit like that, doesn’t it?” She waited while Celeste nodded slowly. “It means that you and Cody have the same daddy, so Cody is half a brother to you.”

      “Who’s his other half, brother to?”

      Megan couldn’t help smiling. Celeste’s naiveté was delightfully refreshing. “You’re just too gorgeous, did you know that? And smart, too.”

      “Am I?”

      “Uh-huh.”

      Celeste hugged Megan. “I love you already.”

      Megan kissed Celeste’s cheek. Maybe meeting Luke’s daughters wasn’t going to be so difficult. “I love you, too,” she said.

      When СКАЧАТЬ