A Colorado Family Read online

  “Then work with me exclusively.” He tossed out an amount of money that was crazy even to him.

  She couldn’t hide her shock. “I won’t give up my job at the center. Let’s see what I can come up with. But if I agree to work with you, I’ll have a few rules. Unless you’re an invalid, which you’re not, I won’t clean up after you.” She looked at the mess on the floor.

  “That was an accident.”

  She didn’t look convinced and held up the file. “May I take this with me to study your case?”

  “If you’re taking me on.”

  She nodded. “If we can work out a schedule.”

  He was suddenly excited she was working with him. He stared at the pretty redhead with those big green eyes. Her complexion wasn’t pale or pasty; she had more of an olive skin tone.

  Stop! he chided himself. He couldn’t think of her as a woman. Besides, she was married to a soldier. That makes her off-limits. Not that he was in any shape to do anything.

  Erin started for the door. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow as soon as I make arrangements with my supervisor.” She studied him. “Are you sure you want to pay the amount? It’s twice the going rate.”

  He nodded. “It is if you’re dedicated to helping me get back on my feet.”

  She smiled. “You’re the only one who can accomplish what you need. All I do is help rebuild the strength in your leg. I’ll help you walk, Austin, but you’ll have to get yourself on a bull.”

  “Guaranteed, I’ll do it.”

  “Good. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” She walked out, and he found he wanted to call her back.

  Damn, he had to get himself together if he was going to make this work. He had to forget that Erin Carlton was a woman. If he needed some stress relief, he had plenty of phone numbers of plenty of women. No. He shook his head. He needed to concentrate on regaining his status as top bull rider.

  There was a knock on the door, and then Cullen stuck his head inside. “So you managed to find someone to help you with your crazy scheme.”

  “It’s not crazy, bro. It’s my profession, and I’m good at it.”

  Austin had grown up with the fact that Cullen was the good twin. The best student, a college graduate, and he even became a cop like their dad. Now he was the town sheriff with a smoking-hot wife, Shelby, and an adopted son, Ryan.

  “I heard what the doctor told you when you came to from your concussion. Your leg is pieced together with metal rods. It might never be as strong as before. You’ve already gotten to the top in ranking, won every championship possible and made a fortune on endorsements. Why can’t you retire now?”

  “How would you like to retire from police work?”

  “I would in a second. I’ve learned what’s important, A.” His brother tossed out the nickname as if they were still kids. “Find a nice woman and settle down. You own half this ranch—the possibilities are endless.”

  “I haven’t found anything or any woman who I’d give up my lifestyle for.”

  “Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox, for now.” Cullen checked his watch. “I need to get to the station. Shelby will bring you some lunch. Do you need anything before I go?”

  He sat up and slowly swung his legs over the side. “No, I can get around okay. Sorry I’ve been such a pain.”

  Cullen grinned. “Why should anything change? You’ve always been a pain in the butt, little brother.” He walked to the door.

  “Hey, you’re only five minutes older than me.” He sobered. “Hey, about Erin Carlton. Her husband... I take it he was in the military?”

  “Yeah, Jared was a decorated marine. On his third deployment his Humvee was hit by an IED. There were complications to his injures.” His brother held his gaze. “Sergeant First Class Jared Carlton died eighteen months ago.” His brother started for the door, then stopped. “Just a little warning. This isn’t your rodeo, so if you hurt Erin, you’re going to have to deal with me.”

  “Hey, I’m the one with the bad leg.”

  Cullen didn’t say a word as he walked out.

  There was no need. Austin knew what his brother was talking about. He didn’t have the best reputation when it came to women. Being in the rodeo made it easy to take his pick without having to think about the consequences. That was both a blessing and a curse.

  Chapter Two

  A few hours later, nature called and Austin finally got out of bed. He strapped on his booted cast, grabbed his walker, then made his way into the bathroom. After months flat on his back, being upright was a luxury he didn’t take for granted anymore. Since he’d gotten out of the private hospital outside Denver, he’d decided he had to work hard to get back to the man he once was. That was why he was going to do everything possible to move on to rehab.

  His thoughts turned to Mrs. Carlton. She was pretty enough, but a little short with a fuller figure than he preferred. So it was definitely a good thing he wasn’t attracted to redheads. Besides, she had an attitude.

  “Stop it, Brannigan. Even if you did find her appealing, you’re in no shape to be sidetracked.”

  He needed to be focused only on his goal. Question was, would Erin Carlton push him hard enough? He wasn’t sure if she could, but he was intrigued when she hadn’t backed down from him.

  He washed up and looked in the bathroom mirror. After running a brush through his hair, he brushed his teeth. He’d forgo a shave until his brother came by later to help him shower. He knew his limits.

  After he managed to get on a fresh pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt, he made his way down the hall. His leg throbbed like the blazes, but going back to the bed was too depressing. Besides, the doctor said there would be pain. It could take a good year before it went away, and that when the weather changed his leg might alert him to that fact, too.

  Hell, he knew about pain. He was a bull rider.

  The twenty feet he walked from the bathroom was agony, but he didn’t stop. Finally he got to the sofa and sat down. Sweat broke out on his face as he pushed his walker to the side and gently lifted his leg to the coffee table. He eyed the long scar that peered out of the top of his cast.

  Every day from now on, he’d be reminded how bad things were for him, and how lucky he was to be alive, even if he might have a slight limp for the rest of his days.

  Exhausted, he collapsed back on the sofa and recalled how he’d begged the renowned surgeon to save his mangled leg. It had been touch and go for that first week, but the miracle surgery worked. Now the rest was up to him.

  “Damn. I’m gonna fix this.”

  He closed his eyes to rest a minute and the next thing he heard was a knock on the door. He jumped and opened his eyes to see his sister-in-law pop her head in the door.

  Shelby smiled. “You decent?”

  “Never,” he teased.

  “Good.” The pretty blonde walked in carrying a foil-wrapped dish. Quickly a delicious aroma filled the room.

  Following behind Shelby was his nephew, Ryan. The cute kid was five years old and had a head full of golden curls that seemed to run wild. He was dressed in a henley shirt, a pair of jeans and roper boots. A miniature cowboy. The boy was still a little shy around his uncle Austin.

  “Hey, Ryan. How’s that horse of yours? What’s his name?”

  The boy grinned. “Cloud. He’s great. I can ride all by myself.”

  “High five.”

  The boy smacked Austin’s hand and giggled.

  “Pretty soon Uncle Trent will have you chasing down calves.”

  The boy looked at his aunt. After the boy’s mother died, Shelby took over the role of his mom. Once Cullen married Shelby last summer, he took over as the boy’s father. “Can I go do that, Mom?”

  “I think you need to ride around the corral a little longer before we let you go on
a trail ride.”

  The boy smiled. “Okay.”

  Shelby looked back at Austin. “I’m glad to see you out of bed.”

  “It took a while, but I managed to get down the hall.”

  “Any progress is good,” she agreed. “Are you hungry? I brought you some meat loaf and cheesy potatoes.”

  He groaned. “Sounds delicious. A person can only eat so much delivery pizza.”

  “Well, from now on, you’ll be eating much better. I’ll be bringing you some meals.” She walked to the ancient kitchen that was open to the living space, with only a counter separating the rooms.

  “You don’t need to take care of me, Shelby.”

  She gave a bright smile. “I know, but I cook for Ryan and Cullen and there’s always plenty. In case you didn’t remember, I’m a chef. It’s what I do.”

  His brother did good, finding this sweet lady with the twinge of a Southern accent in her voice. Originally from Kentucky, Shelby was to come here with her sister, Georgia, and nephew Ryan for a job. Before they left their small Southern town, Georgia’s cop boyfriend killed her. Despite the tragedy, Shelby still brought Ryan here, where Cullen found her in the ranch house.

  Why couldn’t he also enjoy some of his brother’s good fortune? “Well, if you insist.”

  Shelby went to the cupboard, got a plate and transferred the food onto it. “Should I bring the food out there, or do you think you can eat at the table?”

  He needed to keep moving. “The table.” He lowered his leg to the floor.

  “I’ll help you, Uncle Austin.” Ryan moved his walker within reach.

  “Thanks, Ryan.” Austin managed to stand, then began his journey, the boy right beside him.

  Shelby set down a place mat with flatware and a tall glass of milk. “Looks like you have a helper.”

  Austin managed a smile. “Yep, sure do.” His strength was a little shaky, but he kept taking each step. Breathing labored, he reached the scarred maple table and sat down.

  Looking worried, Shelby sat down across from him. “Are you sure you’re not doing too much?”

  He shook his head. “After the six weeks on my back, then another two weeks of restricted rehab at the hospital, the doctor deemed me fit enough to discharge me. It’s about time I get on my feet.”

  “Sorry, I’m just worried about you, being out here all alone.”

  He dug into his food and savored the spicy taste of the meat. “I doubt with all of you around, I’ll be alone much.” He winked at Ryan. “I plan to be watching Ryan ride his horse soon.”

  The boy smiled at him. “Do you have a horse, Uncle Austin?”

  Austin swallowed his food. “No, Ryan, I don’t. I’ve been riding bulls for a long time. Now that I have a place to keep one, a horse or two might be a good idea.”

  His stepmother, Leslie Landry Brannigan, had died last year and left her ranch to her biological son, Trent, and her stepsons, Cullen and Austin. She’d loved all her boys unconditionally. Unlike his father, whom he hadn’t been able to get along with since he’d been a kid.

  “Pops can find you a horse. He brings lots of horses here.”

  Austin tensed. He hadn’t had a chance to see his dad since he’d moved in here. Right now, he didn’t want to deal with the old man.

  Shelby’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Those are for the riding center, honey.” She turned to him. “Seems people have a lot of horses that need a home.”

  “That’s good they have a place to go.”

  “Kinda like us,” Ryan said. “We didn’t have a place to go, but the sheriff let us stay here and he married us. Now you’re here, too.”

  Shelby grinned. “And we’re lucky to have you home. I want to keep you here, so I’ll send some food that you can heat up easily. Maybe I can bring muffins and bagels by, too, when I bring Ryan home from school.”

  “Thanks—I’d appreciate it.”

  “You’re very welcome. You need to put on some weight. To build muscle, you’ll need extra calories.” She watched him eat, then asked, “So Erin’s going to be working with you?”

  He arched an eyebrow. Had the woman broken her word already? “She told you?”

  “Oh, no. Cullen called me after Erin left here earlier. And I haven’t said anything, either. I know you don’t want anyone to know you’re staying here, but haven’t the media had your accident on the news?”

  He cringed, remembering how the tape had become an internet sensation. “Yeah, you can’t do much these days without being recorded. I just don’t want everyone knowing the extent of the injury.”

  “I’m sure your fans are worried about you.”

  “My fans aren’t the problem. It’s the sponsors who pay me to be on the circuit and advertise their products. They don’t want to pay me if I’m not out there winning events.”

  She smiled. “Maybe you can advertise for me and my bakery. A Sweet Heaven banner would look good across your back.”

  Austin laughed, despite the pain in his leg. He glanced at the bottle of pain pills on the counter. Damn, he didn’t want to take them anymore.

  “So you’re willing to take on a washed-up, over-the-hill bull rider?”

  “Austin, you’re only thirty-two years old. Of course you’re not washed up.”

  “I’m pretty old for a bull rider. It’s a young man’s sport. The life expectancy is usually about thirty. That’s why I have to stay on top, so no one questions it. Well, they do, but if you’re not making news, then you’re not doing anything.” He thought about what he’d just said and for the first time wondered why it mattered anymore. He glanced at Shelby and Ryan. He might have gotten a lot of money, but it seemed his brother was still richer.

  * * *

  THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Erin glanced at her watch as she walked out of the doctor’s office. She was still on a high after seeing the fertility specialist, Dr. Gail Evans, excited that she’d physically checked out for the IVF procedure.

  At thirty-six, along with her previous failed attempts to get pregnant, she didn’t have the luxury to wait much longer.

  Now all she needed was the money. Enough for not only the procedure, but to support her and her baby for a six-month leave from work. Now that she had the Brannigan job, she could possibly afford to do both.

  She desperately wanted to start the series of hormone shots soon, but she wanted the money in hand before she began anything. So many things could go wrong. She still wasn’t sure about Austin Brannigan, or that working with him was a good idea. A bull rider? Correction—an arrogant bull rider. No doubt he was used to having his share of women on the circuit.

  She climbed into her van, started it up and headed out of the parking lot. Maybe it was time to trade in the too-large vehicle. It had once been convenient for taking Jared around, and when she’d moved here to Hidden Springs, she’d packed nearly everything she owned in the back. For now, the cost of a new vehicle made her cringe. So she had decided to hang on to her van for a while longer.

  She turned onto the highway, excited about her future for the first time in a long time. Her dream was finally going to become a reality. Someone with her DNA. Someone to claim her. A family.

  She couldn’t let anything go wrong. She’d already talked to her supervisor, Shirley, about conflicts with the schedule. Shirley assured her there wasn’t a problem as long as she covered her shifts. Then she talked to the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Kentrell, about Austin’s case.

  So she was headed to the Circle R Ranch to see Austin Brannigan. She had some questions about the man, but she was going to try to work with him. This money was too good to turn down. All she needed now was to have her new client sign a contract, and they would be good to go to start tomorrow.

  In another twenty minutes she’d arrived at the ranch and driven by the main house
and onto the gravel driveway that led to Austin’s place. Coming around the grove of trees, she spotted something new parked beside the foreman’s house.

  A large crew-cab Dooley truck, and behind it was a fifth-wheel trailer. What caught her attention was the array of colors. The base of the vehicle was silver detailed with gold and black, and then on the trailer the writing announced World Champion Bull Rider, Austin “The Ace” Brannigan, along with a head shot of the man’s face; along the bottom was a list of sponsors.

  “There sure is no problem with your ego, Mr. B.” Erin climbed out of her van and walked up to the porch. What had she gotten herself into?

  * * *

  IN ONE OF the other bedrooms that had been converted into a workout space, Austin sat on the weight bench, lifting the ten-pound weights as he looked at his manager, Jay Bridges.

  “I thought you’d be further along,” his manager said.

  “Hey, the doctor only gave me the okay to start therapy last week,” Austin told him.

  Austin glared at the fifty-five-year-old man in his standard uniform of a dark suit and cowboy boots, worn even at the rodeo grounds. “So stop pushing me.”

  The gray-haired manager raised his hands as if he were innocent of any urging. “Whoa, you’re the one who wants to get back on the circuit.”

  There was no denying Jay wanted his moneymaker back to making money. He’d built a reputation of being a go-getter. Austin had to admit he liked that about him.

  Jay looked around the new equipment room. “I have to say, Austin, I’m impressed by all this equipment.”

  “I told you I was going to get back into the arena. I hired a therapist/trainer yesterday.”

  “I hope it’s someone you can trust not to sell your story to the tabloids.”

  Before he could tell him any more, there was a knock on the door.

  Jay frowned. “You expecting anyone?”

  “Probably one of my brothers.” He continued to lift the weights.

  Austin got to his feet, but by the time he got his walker, Jay was already headed to the door.

  Erin smiled as a stranger appeared in the doorway. “Hello. I’m here to see Austin Brannigan.”