Cowboy Sanctuary (The Dixon Ranch) Read online

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Call Travis if y’all have any problems or anything looks suspicious,” I said to Dana. Mom had taken Jeremy and was already spoiling him rotten in the kitchen. “Mom’s got all the numbers on the fridge.”

  She nodded, and I walked off feeling like shit for not being nicer. After all that woman had done for me, I owed her much better than I was giving. I just hoped she’d forgive me when I finally pulled my head of my ass. The drive to Mr. George’s had my mood even fouler, and sitting down to talk with him made all my fears come to life.

  Derrick thought he held all the cards, but I held the proof he wasn’t Jeremy’s father, thanks to Dana. Danielle had been married to him when she’d had Jeremy, so legally he was still considered Derrick’s child. I’d looked up all kinds of stuff when I couldn’t sleep last night. Legally I couldn’t keep Derrick from coming to see my son until after paternity was established by the DNA test, and even after that I’d have to file suit to adjudicate myself as his father before the law would be on my side.

  I answered a lot of personal questions that I didn’t want to discuss with my father’s friend, but what else could I do? He suggested I file a Notice of Intent to Claim Paternity form as well. Even though it was well after the allotted time had passed, I’d not been notified of Danielle’s pregnancy. A lot of the stuff was legal mumbo jumbo that I didn’t understand, but I trusted Mr. George.

  What he made perfectly clear was that my case was hard because I hadn’t had any influence in Jeremy’s life up until this point. He told me that the court would take into consideration that the mother hadn’t come forward with information about Jeremy’s birth, so that bought me a little leniency. He also told me Dana would have a better chance of keeping temporary custody until it was proved that I was his father. Derrick had the opportunity to file a petition based on the length of time he’d been Jeremy’s legal father, and he might even be granted custody until things were finalized.

  “That’s not happening, sir. The man has already served time for crimes, and I don’t think it’s in the best interest of my kid to be around someone like that.” I wasn’t going to be disrespectful, but I would take my son out of the country if that’s what it took to keep him safe.

  “Listen, son, I understand your frustration, but going against the law isn’t going to help your case. We can petition for Derrick’s criminal records and arrange a court date, but you’re going to have to be patient.”

  I stood up and paced Mr. George’s office, not sure if I should run out of there right now and take my son somewhere safe or remember that I was a respectable man and follow the law.

  “I want to do the right thing here, Mr. George,” I said. “You know my family. We’ve always been good people. Right now you’re not giving me enough to keep my son safe. I don’t want him anywhere near that man, no matter who the law thinks the real father is.” I’m sure I seemed unreasonable to Mr. George, but this was my boy’s life we were talking about!

  “Don’t go doing something that will cost you the chance to be his father. Right now you don’t even have the test. For all you know, another man could be Jeremy’s biological parent,” Mr. George replied.

  I know he meant well, but the thought of anyone thinking Jeremy wasn’t mine was asking for an argument.

  “All I have to do is look at my boy to know the truth.” My hands balled into fists at my sides as I tried to control my anger. I was one of the easiest-going men in the world most of the time, but cross me and my family? I could be a raging bull and take you down faster than you could blink.

  “I know you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, son. Right now, you’re not being rational. We can sit down and continue to figure this out, or you can find someone else to help you. I’m not going to have any nonsense going on in my office.” That was Mr. George’s way of saying I’d better get my shit together if I expected his help. He wasn’t someone to be toying around with either. My pop had told me stories about how tough he was growing up.

  “Yes, sir.” Bowing my head, I sat in the leather chair in front of Mr. George’s desk and tried to calm my temper. The entire situation was screwing with my head, and I hated that things had come to this. All Danielle had had to do was tell me she was pregnant, and I would have had all this fixed up. It wouldn’t have mattered how pissed off I was at her. A kid shouldn’t be put in a place like this!

  It was neither here nor there right now, and she’d lost her life, so there was nothing to be gained by being angry at a ghost. I knew that. I told him the story Dana had given me about thinking Derrick was guilty of Danielle’s murder. That held no weight with Mr. George, since there wasn’t a conviction, but I hated that city boy so much that without any evidence except Dana’s word, I believed he was guilty.

  “Have you attempted to talk to the man?” Mr. George asked.

  The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, and when Mr. George brought it up I was dumbfounded.

  “No, sir, I haven’t. Dana and I were trying to keep him in the dark until we had paternity established.” Maybe I could offer the asshole money to hand over my kid and stay out of his life. If he was the monster Dana thought he was, and I believed she knew the truth, maybe he was greedy enough to take a bribe.

  What would my parents think about me being willing to sink that low? That wasn’t how they’d raised me, and I felt a little dirty considering it. That being said, I’d do it if there was a chance this would all go away.

  “He refused to give Miss Waterfield custody, so I’m not sure he would consider another alternative, but it’s worth a try.” Mr. George didn’t seem convinced—at least not judging by the look on his face. “Do you think Derrick believes her to be incompetent?”

  Just the thought of anyone thinking of Dana that way had my dander up again, but I forced myself to control it. “He gave her temporary custody while he was serving jail time.” To me that was all the explanation needed.

  “Something doesn’t add up there,” Mr. George said. “Let me work on all these things, and I’ll get back with you after my research is done.” He stood up, and I could tell as far as he was concerned our meeting was over. I wasn’t ready to leave—far from it. There were too many unanswered questions.

  “Are you sure that’s the best you can do? I need this settled. I can’t even work until I know that man isn’t going to come in and take my kid out of my life before I’ve even really gotten to know him.” Respecting and trusting Mr. George was one thing, but I needed real results.

  “These things take time, son. I know you’re flustered, but you’ve got to be patient. I’ll put in an emergency injunction to keep Ms. Waterfield as custodial guardian, but that won't stop Derrick from getting parental visitation. Go back home and spend all the time you can with the boy. I promise your case is top priority for me.” Mr. George held out his hand for me to shake, and I couldn’t stand there arguing with him, so I took it. “Let her know I’ll need her to get in touch with my secretary immediately and agree to the process.”

  I promised to have Dana call him, then walked out of the building with my worries stacking on top of each other. Should I offer the man money and hope he would accept a bribe, or just let the law run its course and hope it stood on my side? I definitely wasn’t letting Derrick take my son anywhere, but maybe I could deal with forced visitation until things were legalized. This was some crazy, messed-up shit.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Country Life

  Dana

  Mary, Brock’s mom, was becoming one of Jeremy’s favorite people in the world. She was spoiling him rotten, giving him every little thing his tiny hands reached for. It was heartwarming watching the two of them together, and I enjoyed getting to know more about her and life on the ranch as we watched the little man play.

  She and her husband raised and sold Angus cattle exclusively these days. I discovered that they’d split their two hundred thousand acres into parts to make things more manageable for the family after Travis
had expressed interest in farming along with his younger brother Ranger. Brock had always loved the horses and hated farming, so he’d gladly taken over that section. They all pitched in to help out when things got overwhelming, and I was amazed at such a solid family relationship.

  Crawford didn’t believe in just handing over things to his sons. He’d made each of them work for his share of the land, even though the loans were personal. When they’d had a bad year with the crops, Travis and Ranger had taken on full-time jobs and taken care of the farm to make sure the loans were repaid. Brock had turned to breeding horses for extra money. Apparently it was a lucrative business because Mary told me Brock had paid off his loan in two years.

  “It has to be hard maintaining all this,” I said.

  “That’s why we have so many employees here. A good farm or ranch owner can delegate responsibilities.” Mary went on to tell me there were more than a hundred workers, some seasonal and others full-time, who kept everything running smoothly. “Do you know Crawford won this place in a card game?” Her kind brown eyes twinkled as she let that tidbit of information come out.

  “No!” I exclaimed. I lifted Jeremy into my lap, bounced him, and smiled. “You’ve got to tell me that story.”

  “Well, mind you, I wasn’t here. This was a few years before we got married. The way he told it, he was working as a field hand here and the owner was ready to retire. He and Mr. McWright had weekly poker games with the other workers, at the same house we’re living in now, and Mr. McWright put up the acreage and home so he could move out to Florida to enjoy the salty air.”

  “Wait. He bet the land and house expecting to lose? So your husband won the game?” I didn’t know a lot about poker, but that seemed like some crazy bet.

  “That’s about the sum of things. Crawford told me he refused to take it for several months until he woke up one morning with Mr. McWright gone and the deed sitting on the kitchen table in his name.” Mary shook her head, laughing, and I had to join in. That was the craziest story I’d ever heard!

  “Didn’t his family get mad?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine him giving away land on a bet like that. This place had to be worth a fortune, even back then.

  “He never had any. Crawford said he died a few months after moving away, and the only people at his funeral were him and the guys he’d employed here. He believed Mr. McWright knew his time was at an end and wanted to give it to someone he cared about. All the ranch hands were very close.” Mary’s lips turned into a frown. “Must have been a hard life that man had, with no people to call his own. I guess he had the guys. That’s something, at least.”

  Those words made me feel sick to my stomach. Without Jeremy, I’d be in the same situation. I pulled Little Man against me, holding him tight. “He’s all I have,” I admitted. Depression wasn’t an emotion I allowed in my life, but a little of it was seeping into my soul now. If anything happened to Jeremy, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle it.

  Brock walked into the living room, taking me away from the maudlin thoughts. He didn’t have a pleased look on his face, and I was worried the lawyer had given him horrible news. “What is it?” I asked.

  “Call my lawyer’s office, and tell him you’re willing to have your temporary custody extended.” Brock pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number before handing it to me.

  I didn’t mind doing that at all, but I was a little miffed he hadn’t asked instead of telling me. His high-handed attitude was annoying. I rolled my eyes at him. The call was answered, and I explained who I was and why I was calling. I gave my consent, then handed the phone back to Brock, biting my tongue not to tell him how rude that was.

  “You young folks need to do something to take your mind off things,” Mary said, taking Jeremy from my arms after Brock had explained everything that had happened in the lawyer’s office. “Why don’t you take Dana out and show her around?”

  If I didn’t think she’d believe I was being rude, I would have told Mary I wasn’t sure I wanted to be around Brock alone right now. Instead I nodded and forced a smile before standing up and glaring at Brock. “I’m sure Jeremy would like more playtime with his grandmother.” I was going to let him have my opinion as soon as we were out of her range.

  We walked out to Brock’s truck, and I waited for him to start it up and drive a few feet before laying into him. “I swear you can be so inconsiderate at times,” I muttered.

  “What the hell have I done now?” His hand landed on the steering wheel with a slap. The set of his jaw told me he was fuming, and I doubt it was just my statement that had him angry. To be fair, I’m sure he was as worried about Jeremy as I was right now.

  “Look. I don’t want to fight with you because I get it, you’re upset over all this. But—and it’s a big but—not asking me to do something and demanding it isn’t the way to keep me in my happy place.” There. I’d told him I was upset without being a jerk about it. I felt better.

  “Your happy place? We might be forced to allow that piece of shit to come here and visit Jeremy. Right now I’m trying to decide how not to kill the man and end up in jail if that happens. Forgive me if I’m lacking in manners,” Brock snarled. His expression grew angrier and he floored the gas, making me worry he’d gone over the edge.

  “Brock Dixon, you stop this truck right now and let me out! If you want to kill yourself, that’s your prerogative, but I have a nephew to take care of.” I didn’t want Brock to hurt himself either, but he was acting like a spoiled child.

  He spun the wheels when he slammed on the brakes, and I got out of the truck ready to slap his face. Instead I stormed off down the dirt road, needing to get my head together before I did something stupid. Physical violence wasn’t like me at all. Brock was bringing out all kinds of traits in myself I didn’t know about.

  “Dana, wait. Shit, sweetheart, I’m sorry.” Brock could apologize all he wanted. I didn’t want to be near him at the moment. I kept walking.

  He caught up with me and grabbed my arm, and all hell broke loose. I didn’t appreciate being manhandled, and he was going to learn about personal space. I slapped him hard. He dropped my arm and looked at me, his mouth hanging open. I felt horrible for doing it, and every ounce of anger I had in me drizzled away. “I shouldn’t have done that,” I admitted. My voice was whisper soft, and I brought my hand up to cover my mouth, more shocked than he was at my action.

  Instead of doing what he should have, leaving me to walk back to his mother’s house, he tossed back his beautiful head and bellowed out in laughter. “Damn, woman, remind me never to piss you off again.”

  My hand stung, so I was sure his face was feeling it too, but here he was seeming impressed I’d smacked him? Color me confused.

  “Why are you laughing? That was a horrible thing to do, and I’m sorry.” I considered myself an educated woman who didn’t need to resort to assault to solve a problem. Apparently I had some issues to resolve.

  With a wide, country-boy smile, Brock shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t have, and the next time you do I’ll take you over my lap and wear out that perfect ass of yours. In this case, I deserved it,” he said. That sexy smile turned into a smirk, and I realized he was serious. He thought I’d let him spank me? This man had a lot to learn about my personality.

  “You most certainly won’t be putting me over your knee that way. I apologized. It won’t happen again, but if you think for one minute I’d let you treat me like a child, you don’t know me at all!” I was getting angry all over again and knew I needed to defuse my temper.

  “Ah hell, darlin’, don’t get your panties twisted in a knot. You might even like it,” he replied, baiting me in the worst possible way, and I wanted to strike out again.

  “I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to dating, but I don’t get into that kinky crap. My ass is hands off, and you’d better not forget it.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I gave him a scathing look and hoped he knew I was being serious. I wasn’t pre
pared when he pulled me into his arms and crushed me against that hard chest.

  “You have no idea the things I want to do to that gorgeous ass of yours,” he murmured. His hands reached down to cup that part of my anatomy, and he grinded me against his crotch. I gasped. His shaft was rock hard through his jeans, and I didn’t know how to handle him being turned on while we were in the middle of an argument.

  “The thought of spanking me turns you on?” I uncrossed my arms, which wasn’t easy with his body pressed against mine, and instead placed them flat on his chest.

  His deep-timbre laughter roared out again as he continued to grind against me, and I lifted my eyes to meet his. The man was entirely too handsome. My stupid body was betraying me; my nipples hardened into pebbles and my panties were drenched.

  “No, it’s not the spanking idea that turns me on. The thought of claiming that perfection while I take you from behind sure does,” he said, winking while delivering that little tidbit of information, which made me nervous as hell. He couldn’t mean . . . ?

  “You want to put it there?” I couldn’t even say shaft and ass in the same sentence because the thought of him sticking it there made me want to run away. I pushed against his chest to no avail, and my heart raced in something other than desire.

  “Hey, don’t be like that,” Brock admonished. “I would never do something you didn’t want.” His whiskey-brown eyes seemed to be peering into my soul, and the regret in them made me feel almost guilty.

  “But you’d want to be inside me that way?” God. I hadn’t even had normal sex, how was I supposed to think about anal? Why would I think about it? That idea wasn’t appealing at all. It had to hurt like hell, even if the man wasn’t hung like him.