The Cowgirl's Forever Family. Helen Lacey

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СКАЧАТЬ a man for over two years. Since Doyle had left. Or since he’d traded her for a woman who could give him what she couldn’t. She pushed past the sudden surge of emptiness in her heart. For the moment she had only one priority, and that was her niece.

      “Where is he?”

      Brooke lifted her gaze and met Tyler Madden’s inquiring stare. “Matt?” She shook her head. “I told you, I don’t know where he is.”

      “So, you’ve had no contact with him for five years?”

      “I didn’t say that,” she replied. “I haven’t seen him for five years. But he sends me a message each week.”

      “In what form?” he asked, his gaze narrowing. “Email? Smoke signal?”

      He really was a lawyer, she thought irritably. He was as condescending as they came. Brooke got to her feet and moved back to the chair. “Text message.”

      “You have his phone number?”

      “I have a number,” she said. “Whenever I’ve tried to call, it always goes to a voice mail. I’m sure it’s just a burner cell he keeps to let me know he’s okay.”

      “Can you call the number now?”

      “And say what?” She shot back. “‘Hey, Matt, you’d better get your butt back home pronto because you’re a daddy’?”

      “That should do it.”

      Brooke’s patience frayed. “Look, Mr. Madden, I know you—”

      “Tyler.”

      “What?”

      “That’s my name.”

      Brooke glared at him. He really was annoying. “I think we should keep this professional.”

      He laughed softly. “You’re not my client, Brooke,” he said and tucked the blanket back around the baby. “Neither is your brother. Ralph Jürgens is my client, and Cara’s welfare is my priority. So, now we have that settled, I would appreciate it if you would make the call to Matthew.”

      Brooke got to her feet. There was no point being stubborn and antagonizing him. “Okay. I’ll make a call.”

      She left the room and got to the kitchen in double quick time. Then she came to an abrupt halt and gripped the back of a chair for support. There was a man and a baby in her house! It was enough to make her hyperventilate. Brooke grabbed her phone off the big scrubbed table and flicked through to her messages. Matt had left his last message four days ago.

      Hi. All good here. Speak soon. M

      It was as vague as any he’d sent over the years. Brooke dialed the number and waited for the familiar peal of an unanswered call. She left a message asking him to call her back, and then tucked the phone into her pocket and walked back into the living room. And stopped in her tracks.

      Tyler Madden was sitting on the sofa and Cara was cradled in his arms. Brooke swallowed hard. Her belly and her heart were foolishly doing somersaults. This man was a stranger. And worse...a lawyer. He had a job to do, that’s all. Thinking he looked too sexy for words was just plain old stupid. And she wasn’t a stupid woman. She’d stopped being stupid the day her ex had sprinted out the door.

      “You look like you’ve had practice doing that,” she said and stepped into the room.

      He met her gaze. “I’ve had some experience. She was restless for a moment.”

      Brooke came around the sofa. “Do you come from a big family?”

      He ignored her question. “Did you reach your brother?”

      “I left a message asking him to call me. I’ll try again in the morning.”

      “Thank you,” he said and stood, holding the baby close to his chest. “I should get going. I’ll call you tomorrow to find out if your brother has contacted you.”

      “Where are you staying tonight?”

      “I have a room at a place called O’Sullivans.”

      She nodded as a kind of unease settled in her belly. “It’s the big hotel in town. It’s nice... I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there. Are you...”

      His green-eyed gaze narrowed. “Am I, what?”

      Brooke straightened her shoulders. “Are you taking Cara with you?”

      “Of course,” he replied and took a step away from the sofa. “I’m her legal guardian.”

      Brooke’s unease slowly turned into a rising panic. Her guardian? Which meant he was calling all the shots. “So, that means you get to decide what happens to her.”

      “It means I get to decide if your brother is a fit and able parent...assuming he returns your call, gets himself back to Cedar River and actually wants to be Cara’s father.”

      Her stomach sank. Oh, Matt...please call back.

      “And if he doesn’t?”

      Tyler Madden glanced down at the baby before he returned to her unsteady gaze. “Then it is my responsibility to find Cara a suitable home.”

      “A suitable home?” Brooke echoed, her apprehension growing. “What does that mean?”

      “What does it usually mean?” he said. “A home. A family.”

      “You mean, she’ll be adopted?”

      “Exactly.”

      His reply made her blood run cold. Adopted out to strangers? “She’s my brother’s child and therefore my family and I have a right to—”

      “This isn’t about your rights,” he said quietly. “This is about doing what is best for Cara. Hopefully, and in accordance to Yelena’s wishes, that is your brother. You need to understand that Ralph has reservations about Matt being a fit parent for Cara. But, he’s willing to do what Yelena wanted if your brother can prove that he is willing to be a father. If he’s not, or if he’s unable to be found, then I’ll consider other options.”

      Other options? That’s here, where she belongs...

      But Brooke held her tongue. First, she had to get her brother back to Cedar River. Which wasn’t going to be easy. Second, she had to convince Matt that he had to act like a responsible adult and be a parent to the child he’d fathered. That wasn’t going to be easy, either. Matt had been on the run for five years. Since the accident that had killed their parents. He still blamed himself, even though another driver was at fault. Nothing she said eased his grief, his guilt or managed to convince him it was time to come home. But maybe this would, she thought as she gazed at the sleeping child. All she had to do was convince Tyler Madden to give her some time.

      Which meant being friendly. Or at least civil.

      “I understand you have a job to do and I appreciate that Cara’s welfare is important to you, but please understand СКАЧАТЬ