The Rancher's Heir. Sara Orwig

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СКАЧАТЬ made her think of Winston, her little brother who had fallen through the ice at their grandfather’s ranch when Winston was four. Thane had pulled him out of the icy pond. Later Winston had developed pneumonia and died. It always saddened her to think of that time.

      The entire year they’d dated, Noah had never declared his love, but he’d made it clear that if he ever wanted to marry, his wife would have to live on his ranch.

      Yes, suffice it to say, she and Noah had hugely different lifestyles. Noah wasn’t going to change and she didn’t want to change, either.

      She brushed her fingers so lightly over Ethan’s soft curls, feeling them tickle the palm of her hand. Wanting to lean down and kiss him, she resisted because she was afraid she would wake him. The minute Noah knew about their son, she was certain he would want to take charge of Ethan’s life and maybe hers, too. She would see Noah when Mike Moretti and Thane’s widow, Vivian, married. Their wedding was coming up this next weekend, and both she and Noah would be in it. Ethan was too little to go to this wedding, so she didn’t have to worry about having Noah and Ethan in the same place.

      Aside from Mike and Vivian, she moved in a circle of friends now who did not know Noah, so she hoped she’d be able to drag out the deception a little longer.

      Over the last almost two years there’d been times she’d considered telling Noah about his son, but she’d always backed off. Now, as she looked at her baby and fought the urge to hold him in her arms, she knew despite her guilty conscience, she had to continue to keep Noah away from him. It was too terrifying to tell him the truth.

      Noah

      Tuesday afternoon, Noah sat across from Mike as they ate burgers together on the patio of a popular lunch place in Dallas. “I’m glad about you and Thane’s widow,” Noah told his friend. “I guess it was good you told Thane you’d go to work for him when you got out of the military. I think it gave him peace of mind to hire you and know if something happened to him, you’d go home to run the ranch. He may have hoped all along that you would marry Vivian.”

      “I’m sure he was taking care of Vivian and taking care of his beloved ranch. He had everything all lined up if anything happened to him.” Mike put down his burger and wiped his mouth on a napkin. “Now you have an errand for him.”

      “Right,” Noah said, looking into his friend’s alert brown eyes. Mike’s black hair had a slight wave and was longer than when he was in the service, but still cut short. “I had to promise Thane I would put his package into Camilla’s hands myself. The baby, too. Her baby isn’t going to know or care what’s going on and probably won’t even know he has a present.”

      Mike laughed. “Thane probably hoped you’d get back with his sister.”

      “That won’t happen. She told me a definite goodbye and she married after I left. She divorced him a few months into the marriage and now has his baby. Camilla and I are history. I’m too much the alpha male for her.”

      “We’re all alpha males, and her brother definitely was, too.”

      “She has said the same thing about her brother.” Noah shrugged. “I can’t change something as basic as that. It’s who I am. I don’t know how we got together in the first place. We’re opposites. She likes opera, art galleries and big cities. I like my country-western music, rodeos and the ranch. In short, we were never meant to be. It’s over.”

      “Sorry. Life can get complicated. Thane probably wanted you to get back together so that her child would have a good dad around.”

      “She’s from a very wealthy family. In addition, she does well with her art, some pieces bringing big bucks before I left for the service. She does watercolor landscapes, murals, also portraits and has done some portraits for celebs for impressive amounts of money, so she doesn’t need one bit of financial help. Also, she has two more brothers, Mason and Logan. As far as I know, they’ll be around some for her baby. When I left for the service Mason had a financial consulting firm in Austin and Logan is head of his Dallas oil company. Maybe being in a war made Thane sentimental. I don’t know. All I have to do is take the present to her and give the baby his present and say goodbye.”

      Mike paused as he went to take another bite of his burger, and his eyes met Noah’s. “Sorry, buddy. She’ll be in our wedding because she’s family and a friend of Vivian’s.”

      “It won’t matter. While it’s over between us, we can be civil to each other. I’ll see her at your wedding and then it’s goodbye and we probably won’t cross paths again.”

      “She’s a good artist and highly successful, which made her instant friends with Vivian. Vivian shows Camilla’s art in her galleries. Camilla is good at what she does. Her art is bringing in higher returns and it’s selling better than ever.”

      Noah was glad for her. She’d always been talented. But enough talk about Camilla. He changed the subject quickly, before Mike could go on about the woman. “Speaking of a wedding, too bad Jake won’t be out of the military and back for your wedding.”

      “We waited for you. I’m not waiting another month for Jake to get back, even though I count him as a close friend,” Mike said.

      “I’m sure he’ll understand.”

      “He won’t care if he isn’t in a wedding except that he’ll miss a party. Jake loves a party.”

      After reminiscing a bit about their good friend and Ranger buddy Jake Ralston, Mike asked after Noah’s plans now that he was home.

      “I’ll stay in Dallas for the next month to get business taken care of, see my family some, and I have Thane’s gift to Camilla to deliver. Eventually, I’ll go back to my West Texas Bar G Ranch.”

      “That’s the best possible plan,” Mike said, smiling. “If you want to buy a really fine horse, come by our place.”

      “I’ll do that. When is a good time?”

      Mike shrugged. “With our wedding coming up this weekend, either come out today or tomorrow or wait a couple of weeks until we return from our honeymoon.”

      “Thanks, Mike. I’ll give you a call or text when I’m ready.”

      “Great. You know where the ranch is. Stay for dinner and get to know Vivian if you can.”

      “Thanks,” he said and Mike nodded.

      As the hour passed, they finished lunch and finally said goodbye. Noah left, thinking again about delivering the gifts from Thane. When he sat in his car, he called a phone number he still could remember easily and drew a deep breath as he waited to hear Thane’s sister, Camilla Warren, answer.

      Camilla

      Camilla’s heart skipped a beat when she looked at the name on the caller ID. Noah. She hadn’t talked to him since the two weeks he’d been home on a furlough. Since they’d made a baby together. Sex with Noah had always been fabulous. In bed, they were compatible, in sync. Not so much out of the bedroom. A relationship between them never would have lasted. And now he would never forgive her deception.

      She stared at the caller ID while the music on her phone continued to play, indicating an incoming call. She didn’t want to answer. She and Noah had nothing to talk about and he should know that she would not go out with him. She couldn’t imagine he would СКАЧАТЬ