The Cowboy's Secret

By Jill Kemerer

A millionaire in disguise is out to prove he’s worthy of his niece’s beautiful guardian in this wholesome contemporary Western romance.

Gabby Stover has learned from experience that most people can’t be trusted—especially when it comes to cowboys. Now that she finds herself raising her sister’s daughter in Rendezvous, Wyoming, Gabby is fiercely independent—and determined to give little Phoebe a better childhood than she had.

Dylan Kingsley has learned to hide his millionaire status from strangers. So when he shows up in Rendezvous looking for his stepbrother’s daughter, Gabby takes him for just another drifter. But Dylan is determined to win Gabby’s trust—so much so that he takes a job as a ranch hand. In the process, he just might finds the purpose—and the family—he’s been searching for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781488060090

Jill Kemerer

Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. Over three-quarters of a million of her books have sold worldwide. Jill's essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband. They have two adult children. For more information, visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

Book preview

Chapter One

You can’t trust a cowboy. Gabby Stover typed instructions for housekeeping at the front desk of Mountain View Inn, the premier—and only—hotel in Rendezvous, Wyoming. Bright June sunshine streamed in through the large windows near the counter, but she kept her focus on the computer where it belonged. Her shift as the day manager would be over soon, and she still needed to check tomorrow’s reservations and review her daily checklist.

I’d give the cowboy outside a shot. Stella Boone, the new reception clerk, pretended to brush off her shoulder. That hottie is definitely not from around here.

Gabby scrolled through the reservations, not bothering to glance out the window to catch a glimpse of the guy. She did not have time to indulge in Stella’s uncanny radar for spotting attractive men. There was enough to deal with at the moment, especially since Babs O’Rourke, the inn’s owner and Gabby’s friend, had thrown down a bombshell this morning.

Was Babs really selling the place?

Gabby took a deep breath to relieve the sudden tightness in her chest. If the inn transferred to new owners, she’d more than likely no longer have a job. And she loved her job. She’d been working at the inn since she was nineteen years old. She was good at managing it—enjoyed meeting new people and sharing her enthusiasm about Rendezvous with them. It gave her pleasure to make sure they were comfortable. Plus it paid better than most jobs around here.

With the baby to think about, she needed every penny. Her niece, Phoebe, deserved a stable home and wonderful childhood—the opposite of what she and her sister, Allison, had endured.

Do you think he’s staying here? Stella asked. Maybe I can be his personal tour guide.

I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Gabby forced herself to speak in a pleasant tone. Take it from me, cowboys are liars.

That’s a rotten thing to say, considering you’re such good friends with Mason Fanning. Stella pulled a compact out of her purse and checked her appearance in the small mirror.

First of all, this isn’t the place to check your makeup. It’s unprofessional. She tried to inject as much sternness as possible into her glare. Second, Mason is a rancher, not a cowboy. There’s a big difference.

Sure. Big difference. Whatever you say. Stella fluffed her hair. Does this mean Judd Wilson made it on your hot list, or is he more cowboy than rancher?

Hot list? Gabby’s eye began twitching uncontrollably. She’d hired Stella as a favor to the girl’s sister, Nicole, who’d recently joined her support group and was due this summer with triplets. But Gabby’s goodwill was quickly running out. As for Judd Wilson...the successful rancher was a looker, no denying it, but she had no romantic feelings for the man.

A shame. Judd was a good guy. But she was always attracted to the bad boys—the charmers in Stetsons with a twinkle in their eyes and snake oil on their tongues. Thankfully, she’d come a long way since the Carl debacle, and she had no intention of making a mistake of that magnitude again.

Steer clear of cowboys, okay, Stella? It’s for your own good.

You sound as uptight as my sister. Ooh, he’s coming in! She tossed her blond hair over her shoulder and flashed her biggest smile.

Gabby had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Only then did she catch a glimpse of the man.

Oh my. Hottie didn’t do him justice.

Her heartbeat thumped as her living, breathing cowboy fantasy-nightmare strode her way. He took off his hat, revealing short, messy black hair. She tried not to stare at his full lips, dark eyebrows and brown eyes. His shoulders were wide, hips slim, legs long. He wore jeans, cowboy boots and a black T-shirt. Flawless. Her knees trembled. She firmed her muscles.

This one was going to be trouble.

He stopped at the counter and exhaled as if something heavy was on his mind.

May I help you? Stella batted her eyelashes.

I’m looking for Gabrielle Stover. Even his voice was perfection. Low with a slight rasp—a shiver rushed over her skin.

You’re looking at her. Gabby pasted on her most professional smile. What can I help you with today?

He frowned, pulling out a piece of paper from his back pocket. She forced herself to look away from his sinewy fingers to check the clock. In another hour she’d pick up Phoebe from Eden’s place and kick off her Friday night with a pizza. Maybe this would be the weekend she’d coax her niece to crawl. At nine months old, Phoebe was scooting and pulling herself up to a standing position with help from the furniture, but she’d yet to crawl. If only Allison could see her daughter... Sudden emotion clogged Gabby’s throat. Her little sister would have been a great mommy if she’d lived.

The cowboy handed her the paper he’d smoothed out. She began to read. Her stomach dropped, leaving her nauseous, reeling.

Oh, please, no. No...

The man standing before her was Phoebe’s father!

Stella, keep an eye on the front desk. Gabby rounded the counter and curtly motioned for the man to follow her. She led him down the hall to her private office and offered him a seat before practically collapsing into her own chair.

You’re here for the baby. Saying the words out loud ripped something from her soul. He was here to claim Phoebe. He was going to take her niece—Gabby’s whole world, the baby she’d been raising as her own ever since Allison’s heart attack.

Are you okay? He tilted his head, those brown eyes darkening with concern. You look...ill.

Ill? Of course she was ill! This was what she’d feared from the day Allison first tried to contact him. Her sister’s poor judgment had led to a one-night stand during a trip to Texas. Allison had tracked down the guy, Sam Pine, and had written several emails to let him know she was pregnant and keeping the baby. He’d never responded, nor did he seem to be on any social media sites. After Allison died, Gabby had tried to contact him, too. As a last resort, she’d mailed a letter to the only address she could find linked to his name, although she’d doubted it was current. That had been six months ago.

Unfortunately, a father had rights, and there was nothing she could do about it. He was the dad. She was merely the aunt.

I’m...fine. She tried to compose herself. So, Sam, I—

Sam? It was his turn to look green. I’m not Sam. Sam died. I thought you knew.

Sam died? Relief swept in. This guy wasn’t the father! He wasn’t taking Phoebe away!

Shame brought her back to the situation at hand. She couldn’t celebrate the sad fact Phoebe’s father was dead. The baby truly was an orphan. How horrible.

No, I had no idea. She shook her head. He never responded to any of Allison’s emails or mine, after— she licked her lips and pressed them together, willing her emotions back in place —after Allison died.

I’m sorry about your loss. He averted his eyes, then glanced up at her once more. What happened?

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words jammed in her throat. Come on. Tell him the facts. Don’t get emotional. You’ve gotten good at it.

Twelve hours after giving birth to Phoebe, Allison was asleep in her hospital room and had a heart attack.

His exhalation came out in a whoosh. A heart attack? He rubbed his cheek. In the hospital? And she died? How could that have happened?

The same questions she’d asked herself countless times since getting the call from the hospital telling her that her sister was gone. A fresh gush of pain spilled down to her gut.

The doctor told me her death was caused by a spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Her tone was brisk and no-nonsense, nothing like her current emotional state.

What does that mean? He looked genuinely distressed, and her outward calm faltered a bit at the sympathy in his expression.

A tear formed in her heart. The flow of blood was blocked. They told me she passed quickly.

And she had no prior heart problems?

Gabby shook her head.

So you’re raising the baby.

Yes. She lifted her chin, daring him to question her authority where Phoebe was concerned. Then it hit her—if this guy wasn’t Sam... Exactly who are you?

---

Dylan Kingsley. Sam’s stepbrother. He extended his hand. She reluctantly shook it, and he could read every question running through her beautiful slate-gray eyes. Why was he here and how would his showing up affect her life? He’d prepared answers for both questions before arriving.

He wasn’t going to lie to her—not exactly. He simply couldn’t tell her the whole truth. Not until he was reasonably sure she was raising his niece with love and stability. Two things he’d been deprived of as a child.

Gabrielle Stover sure wasn’t what he’d expected—but then, he hadn’t known what to expect. The internet search he’d done on her hadn’t given him much to go on besides age—twenty-seven, four years younger than him. She had no social media profiles. Neither did he. First impressions? She was professional and not happy to see him. But why would she be? She didn’t know him.

You’re Phoebe’s uncle. She leaned back in her chair, eyeing him with suspicion. Her chestnut brown hair rippled over her shoulders in soft waves. The white blouse and crisp black pants she wore hugged a curvy but trim figure, and gave her the authority of someone in charge.

Yes. The instant he’d seen her in the hotel lobby, he’d been drawn to her. The blonde next to her with come-hither eyes had been safe, but Gabrielle? Not safe at all. She was his type, which meant she was all wrong for him. A beautiful, confident girl like her would want someone dependable, a man she could rely on. No one had depended on him in a long time. Not even his own father. Dad wouldn’t have sold his company, King Energy, without a word to him if he had. Worst of all, though, Dylan had failed the one person who once upon a time had relied on him—Sam.

Why are you here? Gabrielle pierced him with a laser-like stare. He tried not to squirm.

I want to meet my niece. Dylan planned on more than meeting the child. He intended to set up a trust fund for Phoebe and monthly child support, too. He could afford it. It was the least he could do for Sam’s little girl. But he wasn’t doing either until he knew for sure Gabrielle was raising the baby with love. And that meant keeping the fact he was a multimillionaire a secret.

What advice would his late father give in this situation? Dad would probably tell him not to screw it up.

Money had only bought him and his father trouble when it came to women.

At least Gabrielle would have to dig deep to find out Dylan was rich. He’d always gone by his middle name, and his father had been private to the point of almost being reclusive. The man never mentioned his son in the rare interviews he’d given. The first fifteen pages of results for Dylan Kingsley in any search engine displayed articles by an astrophysicist with the same name.

Why now? Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes. She’s nine months old. Allison and I repeatedly tried to contact him until six months ago. Why are you showing up here after all this time?

I didn’t know about the baby until last week. It was the truth. But at the skeptical gleam in her eyes, he continued. Sam died over a year ago. My father had a stroke and passed not long after. I hit the road. When I came back to Texas last week, it was the first I knew of the baby. Your letter had been sent to my address. Sam lived with me briefly before moving to Austin.

I’m sorry about your family. She had the grace to appear contrite. How did Sam die?

He flexed his jaw. Thinking about his brother always ripped him up inside. Almost nine years younger than Dylan, Sam had come into his life as a happy five-year-old when Dylan’s mother married husband number three. Despite the age gap, Dylan and Sam had been close. And he’d let his little brother down. Does it matter?

Her eyes widened, lips parted to ask a question. He braced himself. But she didn’t speak.

He’s gone, and he’s not coming back. Dylan couldn’t bring himself to tell a stranger that Sam had died of a drug overdose. He wouldn’t let her think the worst about his brother. He still couldn’t believe his brother had been messing around with heroin. Worse, Dylan had been wallowing in his own problems and hadn’t taken Sam’s call the week he’d died. Could he have stopped him from overdosing?

He’d always regret it.

It matters to me. She leaned forward with her hands clasped on the desk. I need to know Phoebe’s health history. If he had cancer or diabetes or heart problems...

Fair enough. She had a point.

It was an overdose—an accidental overdose.

Oh.

Right about now would be when he’d expect her to ask about Sam’s estate—find out if Phoebe had inherited anything. His own mother would have dollar signs in her eyes in this situation. She’d used him to squeeze money out of his father countless times. And then there was Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. Robin not only dumped him when his dad sold King Energy, but she’d also had the nerve to try to get back together after finding out he’d inherited Dad’s fortune.

His niece would never be used as a pawn for money if he had anything to say about it.

Were you close to him? Gabrielle’s tone softened, and sympathy brightened her face.

Yes, I was. He hadn’t expected sympathy.

I was close to Allison, too. Her words broke at the end. I miss her.

The naked emotion touched him. He missed Sam, too. To distract himself, he studied her office. Paneled walls, jewel-toned carpet, an oak desk and two typical conference room chairs. A file cabinet stood to the side, and a potted tree was in the corner. The walls had two framed paintings of mountain scenes. No personal photos he could see.

Doting moms usually splattered pictures of their kids all over their offices. Why weren’t there any photos of the baby?

So you work here, huh? he said.

I do. I’m the day manager. It was as though an iron curtain fell over her earlier vulnerability. She straightened, all brisk and no-nonsense. What did you say you’d been doing for the past year?

Be careful what you say. Moving around. This and that...

I see. Disapproval radiated loud and clear through her pursed lips.

He doubted she did. Three days after his father’s funeral, he’d packed his bags and flown to France. Two weeks later, he’d moved on to Italy, then Germany, the Alps, Finland and wherever the wind had taken him. He wished he could say he’d enjoyed the traveling, but it had underscored his new reality.

He was alone. He had no purpose. And no amount of money or traveling would change it.

Can I see the baby? he asked.

My shift ends soon. She stood with her head high. You can come over to my apartment around six to meet Phoebe.

Surprised, he rose. He hadn’t expected her to allow him to see the baby so quickly.

Here’s my address. It’s not far. She scribbled it on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

Thanks. He slipped it into his back pocket.

She escorted him to the door, down the hall and back to the front desk. She wasn’t short, but he had at least six inches on her. She was a very attractive woman, reminding him of the fact he had to be careful where she was concerned. He couldn’t let chemistry affect his ability to size up her parenting skills.

I’ll see you in a little while. He put his cowboy hat back on and nodded to her before exiting. With nothing else to do, he figured he’d drive through the small town. It would be good to get a feel for the community his niece would be growing up in. If all went well, he’d meet the baby tonight and be satisfied she was in good hands.

Since Gabrielle thought he was just some guy off the street, she wouldn’t have any reason to put on a false motherly act to press him for money. If he got a sense of peace about her raising Phoebe, in the morning he’d tell her he was directing his attorney to set up the trust fund and child support. Then he’d...

A breeze caressed his face as he strode to the truck he’d rented.

What? What was he going to do next?

He didn’t know. He’d been wandering without direction for a long time. A night in Rendezvous, Wyoming, wasn’t going to cough up answers for him. He wished he knew what would.

---

This visit isn’t going to change anything. Gabby took Phoebe out of Eden’s arms and kissed the baby’s soft cheeks. Her giggles filled the small apartment Gabby called home. Eden Page was one of her best friends as well as Phoebe’s babysitter. Gabby usually picked up Phoebe from Eden’s, but today she’d asked her friend for a favor. "Thank you so much for bringing her over. I don’t have much time to get this place in shape. It was so weird having him show up like that. At first I thought he was the father. But he’s not. Sam