Madison's Children

By Linda Warren

A smart person knows when to accept her lot in life. So Madison Belle has resigned herself to a solo existence running her family's ranch. That's before she finds a young girl and her baby brother hiding out in her barn...and before she meets their tough but tender father.

As the only law in High Cotton, Texas, Walker is struggling to juggle his job with single parenthood. But his kids need a mother, and Maddie has a way of making them all feel like a family again. The beautiful rancher is even starting to make Walker believe in miracles. Until his ex–wife shows up, claiming to be carrying his child...

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460826348

Linda Warren

Linda Warren loves happy endings. The Rita® nominated author has written 50 books for Harlequin. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a ranch in Texas, she writes about sexy heroes, feisty heroines, and broken families–all with an emotional punch. She lives in central Texas with her husband and spends her days doing what she loves—creating unforgettable love stories with happy endings.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

SOMETHING ABOUT BEING the good sister made Madison Belle want to be bad.

Very bad.

She laughed at the thought, the sound snatched away by the late November breeze. Hunching low, she kneed her horse, Sadie, on, faster and faster as they flew over hills and valleys, slicing effortlessly through the wind. They cantered into the barn, the chill nipping at her bare nape above her Carhartt jacket. But it felt great. She was alive and enjoying every minute.

As she jerked Sadie’s reins to stop, the horse reared her head, prancing, wanting to keep running. Maddie patted her neck. Whoa, gal, we’re home.

Maddie’s heart pounded from the exhilarating ride, and she took a moment to catch her breath. The barn was quiet, and the scent of alfalfa, leather and dust tickled her nose. Swinging her right leg over the back of Sadie, she dismounted. Her knees almost buckled and she had to grab the saddle. Darn!

Her sister Cait didn’t tell her that staying in the saddle most of the day made your butt numb and exhausted your muscles. She wasn’t that much of a city girl, was she?

Begrudgingly, she admitted she was. She’d been raised in Philadelphia by her mother. Summers and holidays she’d spent with her father, Dane Belle, on the High Five ranch in Texas. Dane had three daughters, all by separate wives.

Caitlyn, the oldest, had always lived on the ranch because her mother had passed away when Cait was born. Skylar, the youngest, was raised by her mother in Kentucky. Every year the sisters looked forward to their summers together.

Madison was the predictable middle child. Her sisters knew what she was going to do before she did it. Easy, compassionate Maddie—the consummate Goody Two-shoes. Even if she wanted to be different, Maddie knew she’d never change.

She undid the saddle cinch, took hold of the saddle and threw it over a sawhorse. The muscles tightened in her arms and she smiled. Oh, yeah. She was getting stronger. When Caitlyn had called her sisters home to face a financial crisis, Maddie had been skin and bones. Now she was healthy again, or she prayed she was.

After the crisis had been settled, she’d planned to return to Philadelphia. But she’d found peace here at High Five and her grandmother needed her.

Caitlyn had married the man of her dreams and moved to the neighboring Southern Cross ranch. They needed someone to run High Five. Maddie didn’t know a lot about ranching, but she was happy to stay and take over the reins.

Removing her worn felt hat, she placed it on the saddle horn and tucked stray blond hairs behind her ears. After the chemo, she’d lost all her hair. It was growing back now even thicker than before. It was long enough to pull back into a ponytail, although her hair had a way of working loose by the end of the day.

Three years and she was cancer-free, but to save her life the surgeon had taken everything that mattered to her—the ability to have a child.

The ache around her heart pulsed for a moment. She allowed herself to feel the pain, and then she let it go. It was an exercise she’d practiced many times.

Rubbing her horse’s face, she said, Ready for some feed, ol’ gal? The horse nuzzled her with a neigh, and Maddie relaxed in the comfort of something warm and real.

Cooper, the foreman, said the horse wasn’t worth much, but with her speckled gray coat, black mane and tail, Sadie looked beautiful to Maddie. Soon she learned that with a little coaxing Sadie could fly like the wind. Finding the good in Sadie was something she never let Cooper forget. She firmly believed there was good in everyone—no matter how flawed.

She led Sadie into the corral and removed her bridle. Cooper had put out sweet feed earlier. Sadie trotted to the trough, knowing exactly where it was.

With a sigh, Maddie turned back to the barn, looking forward to soaking in a hot bath. Her muscles screamed for it. So did her aching feet. Her arches were still getting used to living in cowboy boots.

As she secured the bridle on a hook, she heard a noise. It sounded like a sneeze. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone. The open-concept barn had a dirt floor; horse stalls were on the left with stacks of hay on the end, saddles and tack on the right with a supply room. A hay loft with more bales was above—a place where she and her sisters had played many times. The big double doors opened on one end to the corral and the other to the ranch.

It must be the old tomcat that lived in the loft, making the barn his home. Then she spotted the feet barely visible under a horse stall door—two sets of sneakers, one trimmed in pink. They certainly didn’t belong to ol’ Tom.

What…?

Mystified, she walked over and opened the door. There stood two wide-eyed young girls. One was blonde and about ten, and she had a small boy at least three or four cradled on her hip. His face was buried in her neck. The other girl had dark hair and was older, maybe fifteen or sixteen, and she was very pregnant. They all wore jeans and heavy Windbreakers. Maddie was at a loss for words for a full thirty seconds. This certainly wasn’t predictable.

She cleared her throat. What are you doing hiding in the stall?

We’re not hiding, the younger girl replied in a defensive tone, we’re waiting for someone.

Who?

Brian Harper, the older girl said.

Maddie frowned. There’s no one here by that name.

He works for Ms. Belle.

You mean Caitlyn?

The girl nodded.

Caitlyn doesn’t live here anymore. She married Judd Calhoun and lives on the Southern Cross.

The girl’s face fell. She still owns this ranch, doesn’t she?

Yes. She’s part-owner with our sister, Skylar, and me.

The girl made a sucking lemon type face. Who are you?

Maddie didn’t feel she had to keep answering questions, but the worry in the girl’s eyes swayed her. I’m Madison Belle. Her glance swept over the trio. What are your names?

I’m Ginny, the girl responded readily. And this is Haley and Georgie.

The boy raised his head. I’m Georgie.

Shh, Georgie. Haley cradled the boy closer against her. Even with the winter clothes, Maddie could see the girl was very thin, and she didn’t seem to have the strength to keep holding the boy.

I wanna go home, Georgie wailed.

Shh. Haley stroked his back.

Maddie watched this with a sense of trepidation. Something was very wrong, and she decided to get to the bottom of what the kids were doing here. They surely had parents, and those parents had to be worried.

Why do you want to see Brian Harper?

Ginny rested her hands over her swollen stomach in a protective gesture. He said if I ever needed anything, he’d help me.

And we need money to buy bus tickets to Lubbock, Haley added. My mom lives there and we have to see her.

Mama, Georgie mumbled.

Maddie listened carefully, but none of it made any sense to her. So basically you’re running away. I assume you have family in High Cotton.

That’s none of your business, Haley spat in a defensive tone.

Maddie lifted an eyebrow. You made it my business by hiding in my barn.

Before the kids could form a reply, the pounding of hooves caught their attention. Cooper Yates and Rufus Johns rode in and dismounted. The cow dogs, Boots, Booger and Bo, followed. Rufus began to unsaddle and feed the horses, seeming oblivious to the kids. But that was Rufus. He spoke very little and minded his own business.

They were the only two cowboys on the ranch and both were ex-cons. Caitlyn trusted them with her life and Maddie now knew why. They were as honest and reliable as the day was long.

Rufus was in his seventies and had worked on High Five all his life. His wife, Etta, was the cook and housekeeper. In his younger days, he’d gotten into a fight in a bar, trying to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend. Rufus was a big man and one blow from his fist sent the man flying into a table. He hit his head and died instantly. Rufus spent three years in a Huntsville prison for involuntary manslaughter. He came home to Etta and High Five and never again strayed from the straight and narrow.

Stay here, Maddie said to the kids, and walked over to Cooper. He removed his hat and slapped it against his leg to remove the dust.

Cooper was a cowboy to the core. There wasn’t anything he didn’t know about ranching, cattle and horses. His passion was horses, and he had worked at several thoroughbred horse farms. The one in Weatherford, Texas, had been his downfall.

Several expensive horses had died from the feed being mixed incorrectly with pesticides to kill weevils. The owner pointed the finger at Cooper. In anger, Coop had gotten into a fight with the man, who’d filed charges. Coop had been convicted for assault and killing the horses.

He spent six months in prison before the truth came to light. The owner had mixed the feed incorrectly to collect the insurance money. Cooper was released, but people now looked at him differently. He was an ex-con and people didn’t trust him, but Caitlyn and Dane Belle had. At Cait’s urging, their father had given Coop a job when no one else would.

Maddie nodded at Cooper’s bay gelding. I told you Sadie could beat that bag of bones. She and Coop had become good friends, and each day after work they’d race back to the barn. Coop usually won, but today she’d outsmarted him. She’d gotten a head start.

He slid his hat onto his head in an easy movement. You cheated, and that old gray mare can’t outrun Boots. The dog lay at his feet. At the mention of his name, his ears lifted.

I beg to differ since I was here first and that old gray mare is in the corral eating sweet feed.

Coop grinned, and he didn’t do that often. His past weighed heavily on him and he was a bit of a loner. Over six feet tall, Coop had sandy-blond hair and green eyes. The townspeople said he was bad to the bone, but Maddie knew he had a heart of gold.

Coop eyed their visitors. What’s going on?

They’re looking for Brian Harper. Do you remember him?

Yep. Dane hired him back in the spring, but he left to work in the oil fields.

Do you know where?

No. Cait might. Coop glanced at Ginny. God, she’s pregnant. How old is she?

I don’t know, but I’m guessing Brian Harper is the father.

That kid had a head full of dreams of making big money. If she wants him to take responsibility, I can tell you that’s not gonna happen.

He’s not the responsible type?

Nope. Far from it. He’s out for himself and that’s it.

Maddie hated to hear that. The girl was too young to have a baby. Something inside Maddie twisted at life and its cruelties.

You might try calling Walker, Coop said.

Why?

Those are his kids.

What? That shocked her. Walker was the constable and the only law in High Cotton, Texas. She’d met him at a party at Southern Cross. He’d made an offhand comment about her looking as young as his daughter. What he’d really meant was that she looked like a child. No woman wants to hear those words from a handsome man. It still rankled.

Are all of them his kids?

No. Just the two small ones.

She thought about that for a second and what Haley had said about her mother. Where is Walker’s wife?

Coop shrugged. All I know are rumors.

Tell me, anyway. I have to figure out what to do with these children.

They say she left him for another man.

What about the kids?

She left them, too.

What kind of woman would do that? A child was a gift—the most special gift. Anger simmered inside her. How could a woman disrespect that gift and walk away from the love and care her babies needed?

Coop pointed to her face. You’re getting those little lines around your eyes when you’re angry.

I do not get little lines. She stuck her nose in the air and desperately wanted to look in a mirror.

If you say so. He glanced at the kids huddled together. Good luck. He ambled out of the barn, leading his horse, the dogs trotting behind him.

She faced the kids, trying to think of a solution. Let’s go to the house for milk and cookies and I’ll call Caitlyn.

We don’t want your cookies, Haley said, and Maddie realized the girl was angry, probably from everything that was happening in her young life. And she had to wonder if the mother even knew that Haley was planning a surprise visit.

I want a cookie. Georgie raised his head.

Then you shall have a cookie. Maddie held out her arms. Want to come with me?

No, he…

Haley’s words trailed off as Georgie went to Maddie. His weight in her arms caused her throat to close up. He was adorable with caramel-colored eyes and brown hair. She melted from the contact. Turning, she headed for the house. The girls had no choice but to follow.

THEY WALKED INTO A WARM, big kitchen, and Etta swung from the stove, a spoon in her hand. A spry, thin woman, she was in direct contrast to her big husband. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the children.

She zeroed in on Ginny. Lordy, Lordy, Ginny Grubbs, you’re pregnant.

Yes, ma’am. Ginny removed her Windbreaker and slid into a chair at the table, as if to hide her stomach.

Etta had a lot more to say, but Gran entered the room. Dorthea Belle was a delicate, ethereal creature who seemed to float instead of walk. Her hair was completely white and curled into a bun at her nape. She gave the appearance of being fragile, but Maddie knew her grandmother’s inner strength.

Maddie kissed her cheek. Hi, Gran. We have company.

I see. Gran’s eyes swept over the boy in her arms. And Maddie knew she was thinking what Maddie had pushed to the back of her mind. She would never have a child of her own.

To block those thoughts, she removed Georgie’s jacket and placed him in a chair. Etta, we need milk and cookies, please.

Coming right up.

I have to call Cait. I’ll be right back. She leaned over and whispered to Gran, Watch them, please.

Gran winked and Maddie hurried to her office. Judd answered on the second ring.

Hi, Judd. Is Cait there?

She’s right here. There were muffled voices and whispers. Then silence. Maddie waited. What were they doing? Now, that was a real stupid question.

Finally, her newly married sister came on the line, sounding out of breath. Hey, Maddie. What’s up?

Do you two ever stop?

No. Cait giggled. Her sister was happy. Maddie wondered if she would ever be that happy.

Enjoy, sister dear.

Oh, I am. There was another muffled silence. Then Cait asked, Is this important?

I found three kids in the barn. Cooper says two of them are Walker’s kids. The other is Ginny Grubbs and she’s pregnant. She’s looking for Brian Harper. Do you know where he is?

Good heavens, I haven’t seen him since the spring. I have no idea where he is. She now had Cait’s full attention. How did they get there?

I don’t know.

Call Walker immediately. He must be worried out of his mind about his kids.

Do you have his number? While she waited, she tapped her fingers against the desk, thinking. After making the remark at the party, Walker had asked her to dance. She’d refused. Skylar had danced with him instead, saying something silly, like they only let Maddie out of the attic on special occasions. The tapping grew louder. Her childish behavior was now a little embarrassing. The man probably thought she was insane, just as Sky had insinuated. She’d never acted like that before in her life.

Cait rattled off the number and Maddie quickly jotted it down. Have a fun evening, she said before hanging up. She paused over the phone for a moment and then punched out the number.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T know where they are? Walker stared at his aunt in disbelief. She wasn’t the most reliable babysitter, but she was all he had. He and his aunt had inherited the general store in High Cotton, and they lived next door to each other in homes their ancestors had built.

His aunt had never married and was set in her ways. She wasn’t fond of children, either. He was going to have to make other arrangements because this was unacceptable.

Did Haley get off the bus?

Of course. Nell Walker rang up a sale and handed Dewey Ray his change. She took Georgie to the back room to do her homework. When I went to check on them, they were gone. That’s why I called you. They’re your responsibility—not mine.

The bell jingled over the door and Frank Jessup came into the store. Hey, Walker.

Walker nodded. He was too worried to say much of anything else.

Did that part come in I ordered, Nell?

It sure did, his aunt replied. I’ll get it.

See you later, Frank. Walker charged outside before he lost his temper. God, he was doing a lousy job of caring for his kids. Haley hated High Cotton and skipped school regularly. She didn’t fit in with the other kids. Instead she hung out with the Grubbs girl, who was so much older. That was unacceptable, too.

Talking to his daughter was a waste of his breath, though. She had so much anger in her that at times he thought she was going to explode from the sheer magnitude of it. And his son cried constantly for his mother. If he ever saw his ex-wife again he might just strangle the life out of her. Leaving him was one thing, but leaving her kids was something entirely different.

He drew a long, tired breath. High Cotton was small, with barely five hundred people. Someone had to have seen them. First, he’d check with Earl Grubbs to see if they were there. Since the kids made fun of Ginny and her pregnancy, Haley had somehow become her champion. Two outcasts facing the world.

As he reached for his cell, it rang. Yes, he answered.

Is this Walker? a very feminine voice asked. A voice he recognized. Madison Belle. His nerves tightened.

Yes, what is it, Ms. Belle?

There was complete silence.

Ms. Belle?

I just wanted to let you know that your children are here at High Five.

What!

Haley, Georgie and a girl named Ginny.

How did they get there?

"I’m guessing they walked. You really