Cowboy At The Crossroads

By Linda Warren

Five-year-old Nicki Prescott isn’t coping with her mother’s death — she’s withdrawn, refusing to eat or leave her room. In desperation, her father, Cordell Prescott, makes a phone call that will change their lives...

Cord calls Dr Becca Talbert, a close friend of his brother’s, and asks her to come to Triple Creek Ranch to see Nicki. To help Nicki. She agrees, and her presence starts to make a difference. But Cord’s gratitude soon turns into something more. Cord doesn’t believe he has the right to love Becca, although he realises she’s falling in love with him. He feels responsible for his wife’s suicide — or apparent suicide. But he’s not sure he can resist what Becca’s offering...

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488773709

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

PROLOGUE

WHAT SHOULD SHE SAY TO HIM?

Rebecca Talbert knew she had to say something, but when she looked at Cordell Prescott words eluded her. He sat on the sofa in a dark suit with his elbows on his knees and his hands clutching a glass of punch. That expression of loss and sadness twisted her stomach into a hard knot.

She hated funerals, especially when the person was so young and had died so needlessly. Anette Prescott’s death from alcohol poisoning had left not only a grieving widower, but a motherless four-year-old girl. Becca had never met Anette; in fact, this was the first time she’d actually met Cord. She knew Clay and Colton, his brothers; they were business associates of her father. Her parents were in Europe and she’d attended the funeral in their place. But she would have come, anyway, because she and Colton were close friends. There’d been a time she’d thought their relationship would develop into more, but the passion just wasn’t there. And she wanted that passion, the kind of deep, lasting love her parents shared. Based on her relationships to date, she had a feeling she was going to grow old looking for it.

Becca took a sip of her punch and glanced around. They were in the large family room of the Prescott ranch house, a room that was attractively rustic with wood beams on the ceiling, a stone fireplace and hardwood floors. Colton had told her the ranch-style two-story house had been built by his great-grandfather in the 1800s and there’d been Prescotts here ever since. Cord was the rancher in the family; he’d continued to run Triple Creek, while his brothers had opted for another way of life in the city.

As the grandfather clock chimed, Becca realized she had to leave, and soon. She was on duty at the hospital in an hour, and it was a thirty-minute drive back to Houston. She set her glass on a table. It was now or never. She had to offer her condolences to Cord, then make her way out to where the cars were parked. A few family and friends had returned to the ranch after the funeral, and Colton had insisted she come, although Becca felt a bit out of place.

She took a deep breath and walked over to the sofa. When she sat beside Cord, he didn’t move or acknowledge her presence.

I’m so sorry about your wife, she said. It sounded lame even to her own ears. He’d probably heard those words a hundred times today.

He still hadn’t responded, so she started to get up. She didn’t want to cause him any more stress than necessary.

Then his voice came. I just wish I understood. Why? Why did this happen? Anette never drank that much. I just don’t understand it. And Nicki… As he said his daughter’s name, his voice cracked.

Becca did what she would have done with anyone who was in that much pain. She put her arms around him. He murmured something she didn’t hear, and to her surprise, his arms locked tightly around her. She knew he had had a drink and she didn’t know what he’d done with it. Nor did she care. She only wanted to comfort him.

As his arms tightened, she became aware of his strength and the tangy masculine scent that filled her nostrils. He was different from his brothers—in appearance, in manner, in aspiration. Clay and Colton had blond curly hair and blue eyes. Cord’s hair was a darker blond with a slight curl and his eyes were brown. He also had a stylish mustache. Colton said that Cord took after their father with his love of the land. His brothers were businessmen and had never returned to the ranch after leaving for college, whereas Cord didn’t want any other life. His manner, too, revealed a directness, a simple honesty that was quite removed from his brothers’ more polished charm.

Becca didn’t know how long they sat there with Cord holding on to her like a lifeline. She didn’t mind. He needed to hold someone and he probably wasn’t even aware of who she was. How could Anette Prescott do this to him? she found herself wondering. Cord seemed so family-oriented, and he obviously worshiped his little girl. From what Colton had told her, she knew Anette had been in a state of depression. She’d always wanted a child and had gone through several fertility procedures before she conceived Nicki. But once the baby was born, she sank into postpartum depression. Since it had continued for at least four years, it had obviously turned into a psychiatric disorder, maybe hormonal in cause, maybe not. She apparently functioned reasonably well, so it wasn’t clinical, but she should have had some form of therapy. She could’ve gotten treatment, done something besides drink herself to death. Becca knew her opinion was tempered because of her medical training and because of the man trembling in her arms. But like Cord, she didn’t understand.

Mr. Prescott. A woman’s voice interrupted them. I can’t find Nicki. I’ve looked everywhere.

Cord drew away and got to his feet. He stood at least six foot two, much taller than his brothers. Don’t worry, I’ll find her, he said in a tired voice. She’s been hiding a lot since her mother… He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

Becca also stood, her heart aching for this man. I’m sure she’ll feel better when she sees you, she said softly.

He blinked distractedly at her. Thank you, Becca, he murmured, walking away.

He knows who I am. It was silly, but she couldn’t shake the warm feeling that gave her.

She hurried over to Colton. I’ve got to get back to Houston, she told him.

I know, and I appreciate your coming. Frowning, Colton ran one hand through his blond hair; until recently he’d worn it shoulder-length and she guessed he wasn’t used to this newly short style. I saw you talking to Cord. Did he say anything?

Just that he doesn’t understand why this happened.

Yeah, none of us do. He shrugged. Cord keeps everything inside. Doesn’t let his feelings out. We’re worried about him.

Cord will be fine. Blanche, Colton’s mother, spoke up. Becca had never met Blanche before today. She’d heard Colton talk about her for years, and it was quite an experience meeting her in the flesh. In her sixties, she dressed as if she were much younger. She wore a tight-fitting black dress that ended four inches above her knees. The plunging neckline showed off her ample breasts and the diamonds around her neck. Her bleached blond hair was styled in a stiff pageboy, but no amount of artifice could hide the aging on her face.

Anette was never right for him, anyway, Blanche was saying. She hated the ranch and the cows and horses. I never figured she’d take the easy way out, though. I wonder who she thought was gonna take care of that kid upstairs. It certainly isn’t gonna be me.

As Blanche walked off, hips swaying, Colton remarked with raised eyebrows, Charming, isn’t she?

Becca didn’t say anything. She could only stare after the woman in stunned silence. Blanche was crude and unbelievably hard-hearted. Still, Becca didn’t know why she was surprised; she knew the story of Blanche Duffy and Claybourne Prescott. Blanche had married Claybourne when she was eighteen. He’d been sixty. It wasn’t a love match—she’d wanted security and he’d wanted a son. His first wife and eldest daughter had died in a car accident. His second daughter, Edith, was still alive and in her seventies. She lived on the ranch, and Colton had mentioned that the relationship between Blanche and Edith was strained. Having met both ladies, Becca had no problem imagining the situation. Edith was a quiet, demure person, and Becca was sure that Blanche made her life a living hell. The Prescott family was an eccentric group, to say the least.

She kissed Colton’s cheek. Talk to you later.

I’ll call when I get back to Houston, he said.

Becca wished again that there was a spark between them. But they were just friends. Not for the first time, she wondered how Colton felt about her—whether he hoped for more than the easy companionship they now shared. They never discussed their relationship, but since Colton had opened a branch office of his computer company in Houston, they spent a lot of evenings and weekends together. Colton was almost forty, and if he harbored feelings for her, they had to talk about it. Why was she thinking about this today? she asked herself as she went into the foyer to get her purse. She and Colton had a good friendship and they were both adult enough to accept that. She glanced at her watch—three-ten. She’d better get moving.

Before she could reach the front door, she saw a small bare foot sticking out of a partially opened closet. It had to be Nicki. Becca opened the door and found a little blond girl sitting on the floor. Her curls were everywhere and her pink nightgown was wrinkled. She clung to a doll that was as big as she was.

Hi, Becca said.

Nicki didn’t answer. She buried her face in the doll’s hair.

Your daddy’s looking for you.

At the mention of her father, Nicki raised her head. Her eyes were brown and filled with the same sadness Becca had seen in Cord’s.

I can’t find my mommy, Nicki said in a tiny voice. Daddy said she went to heaven, but I can’t find her.

Becca’s heart crumbled inside her, and she dropped to the floor and gathered the child into her arms, just as she’d done with her father. Nicki nestled against her.

My mommy tells me a story, Nicki whimpered. I can’t sleep until Mommy tells me a story.

I can tell you a story, Becca murmured, gently brushing blond curls away from Nicki’s face. I have a brother who’s seven and I tell him stories. He likes the ones about monsters and dragons.

Nicki shook her head. I don’t like monsters. They ’care me.

What kind of stories do you like?

The princess one was her quick answer. The princess with the fairy godmother.

Why did every little girl love that story? Just wait, little princess, life will change your mind. There are no fairy godmothers in this world. And as for princes, forget it. They’re all frogs. God, was that cynical or what? She didn’t actually feel that way, did she?

She searched her mind, trying to remember the story. Once upon a time there was a girl named Cinderella. She lived with her wicked stepmom and mean stepsisters. They made her scrub the floors and do the laundry, and they were very unkind to her.

That was bad, Nicki said.

Very bad, Becca agreed. Then one day her fairy godmother changed Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful dress, and a handsome prince came and saved her from the wicked stepmother. They rode off into the sunset on his big horse and lived happily ever after. That was a drastically shortened version, but it seemed to satisfy Nicki.

Nicki stared at her with wide eyes. My daddy rides a horse. Is he the prince?

Before Becca could form a response, Cord appeared in the doorway. Nicki, baby, I’ve been looking all over for you. He reached down and drew Nicki out of Becca’s arms. As he did, his hand brushed against her breast, and a current of warmth shot through her whole body. This was crazy! His touch was innocent and unintentional and didn’t mean a thing. Her emotions were just highly charged.

Nicki hid her face against Cord’s shoulder, still clutching the doll. Cord stretched out his hand to Becca. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. As soon as he released her, she straightened her black dress with as much dignity as she could and picked up her purse.

I can’t find Mommy, Nicki whimpered.

Cord winced, and Becca could see that he was trying to maintain his own composure. I know, baby, I know, he whispered, dropping a kiss on Nicki’s head.

Becca had a hard time controlling her own emotions.

Thanks, Becca, Cord said. I’ve got to get this one to bed. He kissed Nicki’s cheek and headed for the staircase.

Becca stared after him with one thought on her mind. Yes, Cordell Prescott is a prince.

CHAPTER ONE

One year later

I WANT BABIES AND A HUSBAND, and preferably not in that order, Rebecca said as she took a swallow of champagne.

You’ve had too much to drink, her friend Ginger replied, studying the bubbles in her own glass. Or maybe not enough, she added reaching for the bottle on the coffee table. They were in Becca’s apartment after a big night of celebrating.

Why aren’t I happy, Gin? Becca asked woefully. I just finished my residency in pediatrics. I should be happy, ecstatic. All the hard work’s behind me and now I can treat children like I’ve always planned. I don’t understand why I’m not happier.

Maybe you didn’t do it for yourself, Ginger muttered. Go to medical school, I mean.

Becca’s head jerked up. What are you talking about?

Maybe you did it for Emily and Jackson. Ever since you found out they’re your real parents, you’ve been trying to be the perfect daughter—doing everything to be the daughter they wanted. But hell, Bec, no one’s perfect. Not even you.

You’re drunk, Becca said, refusing to believe a word Gin was saying. At seventeen, she’d found out that Emily, the sister she adored, was really her mother and that Rose, her grandmother and the woman she’d believed to be her mother, was not. It had been a traumatic time, but she’d adjusted.

Maybe. Gin hiccuped. But the truth is a hard pill to swallow.

I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I can remember, Becca said defiantly. Finding out about my birth had nothing to do with it.

"Yeah, you started saying that in first grade. I want to be a doctor like my sister. Then bam, you find out your sister’s really your mother and you have to be a doctor. There wasn’t any other choice for you."

Becca stared at Gin with a mutinous expression. They’d been best friends since kindergarten and they knew each other better than anyone. Gin always spoke her mind, and that sometimes got on Becca’s nerves—as it did now. She hadn’t gone to medical school to please her parents. Or had she? God, she needed more champagne. She grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass.

You’re wrong, Gin, she murmured under her breath.

Let me ask you a question, Gin said as she twisted her glass. You have a month off before you join Dr. Arnold’s practice in July. What do you plan to do with that time?

Becca’s eyes darkened, but Ginger didn’t give her a chance to speak. She answered her own question. I’ll tell you exactly what you’re going to do. You’ll spend that month with your parents and Scotty, like you always do. You want babies? Well, doctor or not, you don’t seem to realize you need a man to accomplish that. And you haven’t had much of a social life in the past ten years, except for Colton who’s always hanging around—like a little puppy waiting for your attention.

Colton and I are friends, Becca said in a cool tone.

I bet you haven’t even slept with him.

We don’t have that kind of relationship.

The man is forty years old, Becca. If he doesn’t want that kind of relationship, there’s something wrong with him.

Shut up! You’re making me angry.

Ginger took a long swig of champagne and set the glass on the table. Damn, that was good. Your dad doesn’t spare the bucks when he buys the bubbly.

Becca knew what Gin was doing—changing the subject—but Becca wasn’t letting her get away with that. They had started this and they were going to finish it.

My relationship with Colton is my business, she snapped.

Ginger lifted an eyebrow. Did I say it wasn’t?

You’re making snide remarks and I don’t like it.

Okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut.

Becca sighed. I don’t want to argue with you.

Me, neither, Ginger agreed, and stretched out on the sofa. All I’m saying is if you want those babies, you have to do something about it. You have to have a life of your own.

Becca settled back in her chair and didn’t say anything. She hoped she wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning, but she couldn’t shake the discontent inside her. She should be so happy. She’d finally graduated from medical school with a specialty in pediatrics, and her parents had thrown a big party to celebrate her achievement. They were proud of her and had invited all her friends and family—including Colton. When she’d first met him, she had disliked him on sight. He was intelligent, good-looking and far too sure of himself. But as she got to know him, her opinion changed, and she found that he had a softer, more vulnerable side. It was an appealing quality in such a driven businessman.

Because of Colton’s connection to her father, he spent a lot of time with her family. Did Colton think their relationship was more than friendship? Surely not. But after talking with Gin, she realized it was time to clear things up with Colton. She’d been saying that for over a year now and still hadn’t done anything about it. They’d both been so busy and…

Damn, what was wrong with her? Why was she finding fault with everything in her life? She glanced at Gin, who was now snoring into a cushion. Becca smiled. She treasured her bond with Gin and was glad they hadn’t lost touch after high school. Becca had come to Houston to live with Emily and Jackson after she’d found out they were her real parents, while Ginger had gone to secretarial school and had become a secretary to the CEO of an insurance company in Houston. They talked often, and Becca valued her opinion. That was why Gin’s words weighed so heavily.

Maybe Gin was right. She’d spent the past ten years being Emily and Jackson’s little girl. Even though she now had a medical degree, she still felt like that little girl. She had to find the woman inside, and maybe that meant leaving Houston…and her family.

How did she do that? She loved her family. As she yawned and stretched, she knew it would be one of the hardest things she’d ever have to do. But she also knew it was the only way to release this restlessness inside her—to find true happiness and all that crap. God, she’d had too much champagne. There was nothing wrong with her life. Oh, yes, there was. She wanted babies—babies with big brown eyes and…

IT TOOK BECCA TWO DAYS to recover from the hangover. She’d never drunk that much in her life, but she and Gin had really tied one on that night. It was a kind of release, she supposed. She’d worked so hard for so many years; she was exhausted, physically and mentally. A long rest and she’d be as good as new.

Gin was right about one thing, though. For a twenty-eight-year-old woman, soon to be twenty-nine, she spent too much time with her family. But she’d needed those years with Emily and Jackson and Scotty. They had connected as a family, and that was important to her. Leaving seventeen years behind hadn’t been easy, and in retrospect she realized she hadn’t. She had merged the two parts of her life, and she was happy with her relationship with Rose and Owen, her grandparents, the people who had raised her, as well as her relationship with Emily and Jackson. Then why…?

No, she wouldn’t do this. It was Monday morning and she didn’t have to go to work. It was her time off and she could do anything she wanted. Anything at all. Analyzing her life wasn’t on that list. Carrying her coffee cup, she went into the living room and sat down in her favorite chair. She started to call Gin, but realized she’d be getting ready for work. Becca would call her later.

Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her thoughts from drifting to her mother and the twists and turns in their lives. At seventeen, Emily Cooper had fallen in love with Jackson Talbert. Jackson and his father had come to Rockport, Texas, for a fishing trip. Rose and Owen, Emily’s parents, rented cottages to tourists. Since it was November, the cottages were closed for the winter months, so Owen rented them the spare room. At the time, Rose, who was forty, had just found out she was pregnant. Emily was very upset by the news. She was in high school and embarrassed by the whole situation. That was why she’d done things with Jackson she wouldn’t normally do. She’d wanted to get back at her parents. Well, that wasn’t the whole situation, of course. She’d fallen for Jackson, and fallen hard.

Soon after the Talberts left, Emily found out she was pregnant. It was devastating news, and Rose had berated Emily for her stupidity. After several attempts to reach the Talbert family without success, Rose insisted Emily give up the baby for adoption. Emily fought it, resisted, to no avail. Rose and Owen had their own child on the way and couldn’t help her. Besides, all her life Emily had planned to be a doctor, and Rose wasn’t letting anything interfere with that. In the end, Emily did what her parents wanted. After graduation, Owen took Emily to San Antonio, where the adoption had been arranged.

At the same time, Rose gave birth to a baby girl, who died after a few weeks. In a depressed and disturbed state of mind, Rose cancelled Emily’s adoption, and when Emily’s baby was born, Rose took her home and raised Rebecca as her own. Emily never knew. She went to college, then to medical school, never knowing the truth. Everyone thought Becca was Rose’s—even Emily.

For years, Emily had nightmares about giving her baby away, and when Jackson came back into her life, she told him about the pregnancy. He was angry at first, and then they set out to find their daughter—neither of them dreaming that she was so close.

Becca took a sip of coffee as she relived the heartache of that time. She’d felt so angry when she found out what Rose had done. She’d been furious with everyone, including Emily. Especially Emily. The mother who’d let her go. But eventually they had gotten through all the pain, and Emily and Jackson were more deeply in love than ever. Now they had Scotty, too. Rose and Owen still lived in Rockport, and Becca saw them as often as she could.

Forgiving was easy, but forgetting was sometimes hard.

Someone had once asked her what you do when you discover you’re not really who you thought you were. The answer was that you fall apart, then you pick yourself up and get on with your life. Now Becca was wondering if she should be making bigger changes in that orderly life of hers and—

The ringing of the phone stopped her thoughts. She put her cup down and picked up the receiver. Hello.

Dr. Becca Talbert?

Becca recognized that voice. For the past year and at the oddest times she’d seen his face and the sadness in his eyes.

Yes, she answered readily.

This is Cord Prescott.

Becca already knew that. But why was he calling her after a whole year without a word? Why was he calling when they were practically strangers?

You may not remember me, he said, but I’m Colton’s brother.

Yes, I remember you, Cord, and your little girl. How are you? Over the past year, she’d often asked Colton