Judy Duarte: The Cowboy's Lullaby

When Chloe had been a child, she hadn’t had many friends her own age, something she sorely missed, so it was nice to see Brianna socialize.

Gosh, it was just plain nice to have Brianna around.

Yes, they’d had—and would continue to have—moments of sadness and tears, but Chloe was determined to do everything in her power to ensure that Brianna grew up happy and loved.

Still, at times, Chloe feared she may have bitten off more than she could chew in the agreement she’d made with Desiree. But not when it came to motherhood, a new role she’d easily fallen into. Her reservations stemmed from staying in Texas for six weeks, as Desiree had asked her to, and facing the legalities and trouble she was bound to run into when she met Brianna’s stepbrother.

And the day of reckoning was closing in on her.

On Friday morning she would meet Jake Brad-dock in Dallas at Brian Willoughby’s office.

Years ago Desiree had taught Chloe to always put her best foot forward, especially when facing adversity. And that meant dressing to the nines, carefully applying makeup and holding her head up high. That particular piece of advice was in Lessons from Desiree and labeled #1: “Always look your best.”

And on Friday morning, Chloe intended to do just that. She would walk right into that meeting and take the upper hand.

Still, a feeling of dread settled over her whenever she thought about it.

Thank goodness she had a few more days to prepare mentally for the confrontation, which she expected the meeting to be. She’d promised to abide by Desiree’s wishes and she would insist that Jake comply with them, too.

Spotting a shiny glimmer in the sand, she stooped and reached for it.

A quarter.

Her father always said finding coins was a sign of luck, so when she and Brianna headed to the market later this afternoon, she’d have to buy a lottery ticket.

Just at that moment, Brianna squealed from atop the slide. “Jake!”

Chloe turned to see the little blonde slide to the bottom, lickety-split, then scamper toward a tall, well-dressed man approaching the playground with a sexy, Texas swagger.

Uh-oh.

She’d never met Jake Braddock, but she’d been told he had a young, brash J. R. Ewing aura. And this particular dark-haired man, with his expensive Western wear, had a stance that boasted money and power.

She brushed the quarter against the black fabric of her shorts, then tucked it into her pocket. She’d thought she had a couple of days before their confrontation, but it looked as though her time had run out.

She just hoped her luck hadn’t run out, as well.

Chapter Two

At the sound of Brianna’s voice, Jake picked up his pace and strode toward his baby sister. “Hey, munchkin. I’ve missed you.”

She hurried to meet him and lost a flip-flop in the sand. Faltering only a moment, she ran on without it.

When she reached him, he lifted her into his arms, catching a whiff of gumdrops. At least Ms. Haskell had kept her clean and shampooed.

“I didn’t think I would see you until a lot more days,” Brianna said, giving him a pint-sized hug that squeezed the heart right out of him.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to wait.” He brushed a kiss upon her cheek.

“You know what?” she asked. “Mommy went to see Daddy in Heaven.”

“I heard,” he whispered against her hair, his voice cracking with grief for her loss. “And I came to take you home with me.”

“Are you taking Chloe, too?” she asked. “She said I’m going to live with her.”

Over Jake’s dead body. And he’d lined up a legal team to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

“Hello, there,” a sultry, female voice said.

Jake turned to face a tall, shapely redhead who reminded him of Julia Roberts in her Pretty Woman days.

A scattering of freckles across her nose gave her a girlish appeal. But as his gaze dropped to a yellow bikini top and a pair of black shorts, he realized there was nothing remotely childlike about her body.

Damn.

Without a conscious thought, he zeroed in on a pair of long legs that could wrap around a guy, making his hormones kick up a notch and his brains leave town—permanently.

Double damn.

“Mr. Braddock?” she asked, reminding him it was his turn to respond.

He cleared his throat. “Yes.” And she had to be Ms. Haskell. Chloe. Desiree’s “dear” friend.

For a man who prided himself in maintaining control, he was having trouble finding his words.

“I’ve heard about you,” she said.

He expected her to continue with one of those standard remarks, something about it being a pleasure to finally meet him. But since she didn’t utter anything more, he wasn’t sure what she’d heard about him.

In his attempt to distance himself from his stepmother, he’d neglected to consider what Desiree might think of him, what she might confide in her friends.

Not that it really mattered, he supposed.

Chloe shifted her weight and placed a hand on a shapely hip. He tried to read her body language, but his gaze merely locked on an impish spark in those green eyes, the hint of a pair of dimples, the fullness of her lips.

“Since we have an appointment in Dallas on Friday,” she said, “it’s a bit of a surprise to see you in California.”

“I realize that, but I wanted to see my sister. I think it’s best if she has family near her right now.”

“Chloe’s my family, too,” Brianna said. “Mommy told me. They’re the same as sisters.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jake responded, sensing the showdown to come and prepared for it.

Yet when he glanced at Brianna, at the smile she wore, he realized this wasn’t the time or place for a confrontation. Maybe he’d better tread easy, make nice. Lay on the charm until he could take Brianna home, then let the attorneys fight it out.

Brianna tapped him on the shoulder. “Could you please put me down? I lost my shoe.”

He placed her on the ground, and she half hopped, half walked to get her missing pink flip-flop.

His full attention returned to Chloe, even though her presence had been nearly overwhelming once she’d come on scene.

“I have temporary custody of Brianna,” she said, “until we meet in Dallas.”

“Okay. But you’ll have to forgive me for being concerned about her. All of this came as quite a shock.”

Chloe crossed her arms under her breasts, causing them to swell before his eyes.

Didn’t she have some kind of cover-up to wear?

He fingered the collar of his crisp white shirt and adjusted the knot of his tie. According to the weather report, it wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near as warm in Bayside as it had been in Dallas, but it seemed as though he’d brought the heat and humidity with him.

“Brianna is doing as well as can be expected,” Chloe said. “Desiree tried hard to prepare her.”

“How can you prepare a five-year-old for something like death?”

“It’s difficult for anyone, I suppose.” Her voice was soft, laced with something. Grief? Compassion?

Whether it was sincere or not, he couldn’t say. “I’m sure you can understand why I wanted to come and check on her. And why I want to take her home.”

“She is home.”

Before he could object, Brianna ran back and grabbed one of each of their hands. “Are you going to spend the night with us? We’re having brownies for dinner. Chloe and I made them all by ourselves.”

“I, uh…” He glanced at Chloe, feeling as awkward as an adolescent on hormone overdrive.

“It would be nice if you stayed for dinner with us,” she said. “But from what I understand, you’re a very busy man. So maybe we ought to take a rain check. Brianna and I will be flying to Dallas on Thursday evening and will be staying for a while. You can spend some time with her then.”