The Colorado Kid Read online

  “Have a seat.” He took a position on the sofa. “Now, I gather from what Sebastian said that Matty knows some of this.”

  “Some.” Matty walked over to the fireplace, where the fire had almost died out. The men had been too busy to keep it built up this morning. She knew from first-hand experience how much time Elizabeth demanded, but surely Sebastian could have found five minutes to call her.

  Gwen claimed the wing chair, probably to avoid sitting on the sofa with Travis. “I know nothing except that about three weeks ago a baby appeared at the Rocking D. I found out when I met Sebastian and Matty buying baby furniture at Coogan’s.”

  Matty sent her a grateful glance. Gwen wasn’t the type to blurt out that Matty had stayed overnight here, much less that Matty and Sebastian had made love, but Gwen was distracted and nervous. Matty appreciated the fact that she’d kept her head and not betrayed any confidences.

  Travis glanced at Matty. “You can sit down, too, Matty. You make me nervous prowling back and forth in front of the fireplace.”

  The problem was that she didn’t know where to sit. The room was filled with bittersweet memories, memories she hoped to quickly get away from once she learned the information Sebastian hadn’t seen fit to tell her. If he’d felt as connected to her as she did to him, he would have called her within minutes of finding out that Jessica had also named Travis as a godfather.

  Obviously Sebastian had been caught up in the moment three weeks ago. So much for his claim that he wanted her desperately and had only sent her away because he had an obligation to keep himself free for Jessica. When that obligation became blurred, Sebastian hadn’t said a word to Matty. And that spoke volumes.

  She finally chose to sit next to Travis on the sofa because the other choice was the rocker. She couldn’t risk reliving the warmth of rocking the baby with Sebastian hovering nearby and a snowstorm creating a delicious sense of intimacy.

  Taking a sip of her coffee, she directed her explanation to Gwen. “Elizabeth’s mother is Jessica, the woman who was skiing with the guys when that avalanche took place in Aspen two years ago on Sebastian’s birthday.”

  “I see,” Gwen said. “Didn’t you guys go back up there last year for another celebration?”

  Matty gave her friend credit for sounded vaguely unsure about the information. Gwen knew all about them going skiing again, because Matty had cried on Gwen’s shoulder when Sebastian hadn’t stayed home for his birthday, thus depriving Matty of a chance to have a little party for him.

  Travis nodded. “Yep, we went back last year. All except Nat, who had some conflict and couldn’t make it.”

  Gwen gazed at him. “That was almost twelve months ago. And now both of you are claiming to be the father of this three-month-old baby.” She shook her head. “Forgive me, but that conjures up a scenario I don’t even want to think about.”

  “Hey,” Travis said. “Give us some credit. We might not know exactly what happened, but we sure as hell didn’t have an orgy going on. Jessica’s not the type and neither are we.”

  “You’re going to have a hard time convincing people of that if you both keep claiming to be Elizabeth’s father.”

  Travis hunkered forward and lowered his voice. “I’m sure it’s me. I’m not proud of admitting I was the one, but you can’t tell me Sebastian Daniels would get so drunk that he’d have sex with a woman he didn’t love and then not even bother to use protection.” He glanced at Matty. “You’ve known him for longer than any of us. Can you picture that?”

  Not trusting herself to speak, Matty shook her head.

  “Me, either. Totally out of character. The guy’s a rock of discipline and morals. The rest of us have always counted on Sebastian to do the right thing.”

  Matty’s brain was spinning, but one thought kept popping out of the whirlpool, one that would explain everything. “Are you sure he doesn’t love her?”

  Travis’s gaze was steady, and understanding settled into his golden eyes. “I’m sure, Matty,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t talk about her the way a man talks about a woman he loves. Besides, think about it. If Sebastian loved Jessica, he’d be tearing around looking for her, no matter what she said in the note.”

  “I guess so.” Matty tried to sound casual, but she was afraid from the expression on Travis’s face that he had just figured out how she felt about Sebastian. “It was just a thought, to help explain things,” she added.

  “Well, he doesn’t love her. In fact—” He hesitated, as if trying to decide whether to say what was on his mind. “In fact, I’m sure of it,” he finished, “and I’m also sure he’s not Lizzie’s father. As for me, it’s highly likely. I have a reputation for…well, enjoying myself with the ladies. So even though I can’t remember exactly what happened, I’m sure I was the one, even if Jessica’s note doesn’t name me as the father.”

  “Now that I would believe,” Gwen said.

  Travis shot her a look of irritation. “On the other hand, even though I’ve had my share of good times, this is the first baby I’ve ever been responsible for, which is a damn fine record, in my opinion.”

  “I’m sure you’re a legend in your own time,” Gwen said.

  “What…” Matty paused and cleared her throat. “What do you plan to do?” She had a wild image of Travis and Sebastian fighting over who would marry Jessica, assuming she’d have either of them.

  Travis turned his coffee mug in his work-roughened hands. “Damned if I know. I’d make one lousy husband, so I’d hesitate to ask Jess to marry me, which she probably wouldn’t want to do. She’d get a bad deal.”

  “It’s a wise man who knows himself,” Gwen said.

  Travis glared at her. “Lady, you’ve got one hell of a burr under your saddle. You shouldn’t let one man sour you on the lot of them.”

  “I haven’t. You and Derek happen to be…similar.”

  “If you mean we both put our pants on one leg at a time, then you’d be right. Past that, I have nothing in common with your ex.”

  “That’s a matter of—”

  “Whoa.” Sebastian came into the room with Elizabeth cuddled against his shoulder. “Time out, you two.”

  Instantly Matty couldn’t see anything in the room but Sebastian and Elizabeth. He’d dressed her in a pink terry sleeper with lace on the collar and cuffs. Matty recognized the pink suit. She’d gone with Sebastian to buy some spare outfits, and they’d argued about this one, which Sebastian had wanted and Matty had said was too froufrou for a no-nonsense girl like Elizabeth.

  They’d laughed and teased each other during the argument, as if looking for an excuse to enjoy each other’s quirks. Matty had watched happily married couples argue in that same way. Seeing the outfit now, Matty felt as if she’d been sucker punched.

  Suddenly she wanted to get the hell out of the house. She knew as much as she needed to know. Travis was a more likely candidate to be Elizabeth’s father than Sebastian, but for some reason Sebastian didn’t want to consider the possibility. As long as he stubbornly believed himself to be the baby’s father, he would hold out for marriage and family with Jessica. Whatever he felt for Matty wasn’t powerful enough to challenge that drive.

  Putting her coffee mug on the lamp table, she stood. “Obviously you two guys have lots to work out, so maybe we should run along, Gwen.”

  Gwen put her mug down immediately. “Fine by me. I think Travis would be more comfortable if I left.”

  Travis pushed himself away from the sofa with such force that he almost spilled his coffee. “Hold on a minute. I have no problem with you. You’re the one who can’t seem to deal with the likes of me.”

  “Well, you have a point, there,” Gwen said breezily. She walked around the sofa and tickled Elizabeth’s cheek. “Bye, bye, honey lamb.” Then she glanced at Sebastian. “I won’t say a word to anyone in town, but I think you and studman there had better get your story straight before you go public with it. Multiple fathers only occur in litters of kittens.”

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sp; Matty wished she could think of a similar snappy exit line, but her heart ached too much for her to think straight. “I’ll see you both around,” she said. “Whenever you want to stash your stuff, Travis, come on over. We’ll be getting the cattle May fifteenth.”

  “Yeah.” Travis gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure we’ll have this situation worked out by then. Right, Sebastian?”

  “Uh, right. See you, Gwen. See you, Matty.”

  Matty couldn’t help herself. She had to allow herself one last look at him and that beautiful baby. She met his troubled gaze and her heart ached with regret. “See you, Sebastian and Elizabeth.”

  “YOU IDIOT!” Travis whirled toward Sebastian the minute the door closed after Matty and Gwen. “That woman’s in love with you!”

  “I know,” Sebastian said quietly.

  “And unless I miss my guess, you feel the same about her.”

  Sebastian nodded. He felt as if somebody had shoved him into a snowbank and left him there to freeze. “I figure I’ve been in love with Matty Lang for nearly ten years. I just didn’t know it until three weeks ago.”

  “And now that I think about it, she’s been sweet on you for a hell of a long time, too. I just wasn’t paying attention before. So how come you’re letting her walk out that door with that look of pure misery on her face?”

  Elizabeth started to fuss and Sebastian headed toward the kitchen. Damned if he would justify himself to Travis. “The baby needs her bottle.”

  “Then we’ll get her the doggone bottle, but I’m not backing off, Sebastian.” Travis followed him into the kitchen. “Matty’s not only my boss, she’s a fine lady, the best. You’re a helluva lucky man, and you don’t seem to realize that fact.”

  “Oh, I realize it.” Mechanically Sebastian went through his routine, settling Elizabeth in her infant seat and fastening the straps. She whimpered and twisted in her seat, but he knew she’d quiet down faster if he got her bottle ready instead of entertaining her. “Matty’s the unlucky one, setting her sights on me.”

  “She sure is, if this is the way you treat her.”

  “How can I encourage her? If I’m Elizabeth’s father, then…then I should probably marry Jessica.” But he didn’t know how he could make himself do that anymore, even if it was the honorable thing.

  “Oh, that makes sense.”

  “Maybe not to you, but it’s the only way I know to handle this.”

  “You poor misguided sap.”

  Muttering an oath, Sebastian turned away from him.

  “And, off the subject a little, what’s with the tie-downs here on the kid?” Travis asked. “She obviously hates it.”

  Sebastian shrugged. He felt dead inside, numb with grief because he’d hurt Matty, the last person on earth he ever wanted to hurt. “I have to put her somewhere safe while I fix her bottle.”

  “The hell with that.” Travis unhooked the strap and picked up the baby. “Hey, Lizzie, girl! Can I have this dance? You’d be delighted? That’s how I like my women. Delighted.” He started two-stepping around the kitchen while he hummed a Reba McEntire tune.

  Sebastian finished fixing the bottle and turned toward Travis. “Okay, Fred Astaire. I’m ready.”

  Travis had switched to a waltz and had his cheek pressed to Elizabeth’s as he spun her in graceful circles. “Me and Lizzie have a good thing going. Let us finish this song.”

  Sebastian battled free-floating anger that was searching for a target. He let it settle on Travis and his devil-may-care attitude. “Move it, Travis. I don’t have time to stand around here waiting for you to finish the damned song.”

  Travis whirled to a stop and fixed his gaze on Sebastian. “How does it feel to be a martyr? Are you enjoying making everybody miserable, Dudley Do-Right?”

  Anger boiled in him now, hot and strong as campfire coffee. “So help me, God, if you weren’t holding that baby…”

  “But I am. And while Lizzie’s protecting me from having my jaw broken, I’ll tell you that I’d take a hundred-to-one odds that you’re not this kid’s daddy. But even if you are, you and Jess don’t belong together. You might be willing to sacrifice yourself to the cause, but I give her credit for more sense.”

  Sebastian clenched the bottle in a death grip. “She’d want to do the best thing for Elizabeth.”

  “And that would be marrying you and settling down at the Rocking D?”

  Sebastian opened his mouth to reply and realized he hadn’t thought that through yet, either.

  “Because I know you, Sebastian, and you’re planted here as sure as those aspens you stuck in the ground out front. Jessica’s not a ranch woman, and you damn well know it.”

  “She might learn to like it,” Sebastian insisted, although he no longer believed that. He had been a misguided sap, like Travis said.

  “Oh, that’s another good idea. Like Barbara learned?”

  “Okay, then I’ll—”

  “Don’t even tell me you’ll sell the ranch. Nat’s been trying to get you to do that for years, every time he finds another wealthy client, and we all know it’ll never happen. Might as well cut your heart out with a hacksaw. So we have Jess who isn’t a ranch woman, and we have Matty, who is, and she’ll be living down the road from you, same as always, because she’s as planted here as you are.”

  Sebastian knew that. Matty had always said she wanted to be buried in her backyard.

  “Don’t you think that Jess would eventually figure out you’re in love with the neighbor? And loving Matty and not doing anything about it makes you one son of a bitch to live with. I can testify to that after less than twenty-four hours! What a wonderful atmosphere you’d create for this kid.”

  Sebastian couldn’t think straight anymore. At first he’d known exactly what to do. Yet recently he’d figured out his plans were full of holes. He couldn’t marry Jessica when he was in love with Matty. He couldn’t expect Jessica to marry him and live on this ranch. They’d have to work out something else, some sort of joint custody. He knew all that, but he was furious with Travis for pointing out what an idiot he’d been. “I’d like to know what makes you such an expert on raising kids!”

  “I’m not. But I know women. And I know Matty. She feels things real deep. If you don’t fix this situation pretty damned quick, it’ll be permanently broke. And if that happens you stand a real good chance of ending up alone, cowboy.”

  MATTY AND Gwen drove to the Leaning L in silence. Matty didn’t want to talk and she figured Gwen was stumped for what to say. There was nothing to say. Matty had been bushwacked. Again.

  As Gwen pulled up in front of the house, she glanced over at Matty. “Are you all right?”

  Matty didn’t think she’d ever be all right again. But she was sick to death of being poor little Matty, who always got the rough end of the stick. She took a deep breath and turned to Gwen. “How long’s it been since you’ve been honky-tonkin’?”

  GWEN HAD LEAPED at the suggestion, although Matty figured Gwen would have leaped at the idea of hang gliding if she thought it would help Matty get through her heartbreak. She insisted Matty grab her party clothes and bring them to Hawthorne House so they could get dressed together and Gwen could give Matty a makeover.

  And that was how Matty ended up getting the attention of every unattached guy hanging out at the bar when she walked into the Buckskin with Gwen that night. As she slipped out of her coat, eyes widened and jaws dropped. She’d never made such a stir in her life, and it felt damned good.

  She hadn’t been here since Butch died, but the place hadn’t changed. The band might be different, but the rhythm of the tunes and the twang of electric guitars sounded achingly familiar, reminding her of outings with Barbara, Butch…and Sebastian. Same scuffed dance floor, same neon signs, same cluster of tables with red-glass hurricane lamps, same scent of beer and peanuts.

  “I think you’re a hit,” Gwen murmured as they found a table near the dance floor. “They’re still scraping their tongues off the floor.”


  “It’s the shock of discovering that I have legs.” Matty was thrilled that the outfit was a success, but she was a little self-conscious, too. “I still can’t believe you chopped off my best dancing skirt. It barely covers the essentials.”

  “That’s the whole idea. They may spend so much time ogling your legs, they’ll miss my inspired job on your makeup.”

  “I think the makeup’s overdone.”

  “Matty, you think anything besides lipstick is overdone. Trust me, you look great.”

  “Well, my hair feels weird. Like there’s too much of it.”

  “It looks fantastic, too.” Gwen cocked her head to admire Matty’s curls. “I’m going to teach you how to use the curling iron, so you can do the same thing yourself. Hair like yours needs to bounce and create some excitement.”

  Matty rolled her eyes and grinned. “You’ve been itching to fix me for years, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I have.”

  Matty gazed at her friend. “Thanks, Gwen. For taking my mind off…well, you know.”

  “I know.” Her glance flicked toward a couple of cowboys approaching the table. “And now I think someone else is ready to take over the job.”

  Matty tensed. Playing dress-up had been fun, more fun than she would have expected. She’d welcomed the ego boost of having men stare at her with obvious admiration. But now came the real test—to see if she could tolerate another man besides Sebastian touching her. But she’d come here to have a good time, and she wasn’t about to back down now.

  She turned toward the two men and noticed one of them was Cyrus from the feed store. Dredging up all her willpower, she gave him a brilliant smile of welcome. Time to get on with her life.

  SEBASTIAN FELT as if he’d lost an arm when he left the house without Elizabeth. He hadn’t been more than twenty feet away from the baby since she’d arrived, except for the short time he’d spent picking up Matty’s stuff that first night. He’d waited until after Elizabeth had drifted off to sleep before he left, and he hoped to God Travis didn’t do something stupid while he was gone.