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
