Stan stared at him with his brow furrowed as he pushed his hat back on his head. “You want to let the state take her?”
Startled, Nick looked up at his brother, his brows rising.
“Sorry,” Stan said. “I know you don’t want to do that and I wouldn’t want to, either. I’m sorry I even asked you a question like that.”
“Forget it. She’s mine and I’ll take the responsibility that I should, though this deal just tears at me. I didn’t even know the mother. I feel like every time I look at that little girl, I’ll want her to be Artie.”
“Sorry, Nick. You’ll get used to her. I’ll help any way I can.”
Nick heard the earnest note in his brother’s voice and he smiled. “Thanks, Stan. That offer means a lot,” he said, suddenly feeling proud of his younger brother for volunteering to help.
“I’ve got to run. I just stopped for a minute. When tomorrow is Ms. Barton coming to see you and bringing the baby?”
“In the afternoon. In the morning I’ll go to Dallas and she’ll bring Hattie by after her last class.”
“You’re a dad and I’m an uncle to a baby girl. Wow. That does take some getting used to.” His wistful look was replaced by a serious one. “I’m surprised the state hasn’t already stepped in and taken the baby from Ms. Barton. She doesn’t have legal rights.”
“She’s a teacher in a community college and she has a quiet, take-charge manner that probably makes people do what she wants.”
“A battle-ax?”
Smiling, Nick shook his head. “Trust me, you’ll never use those words again after you see her.”
“A hottie?”
“She’s stunning. You’ll see. In addition, she has that authoritative manner, in a quieter way, that our grandmother does.”
“No kidding. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Nick didn’t reply, but he looked forward to seeing her again himself and that shocked him. He didn’t want to have that reaction to her because she had upended his life.
He walked out with Stan. “I don’t want to tell Grandmother until I have everything lined up. I don’t want her trying to move into my house.”
“What a thought. Of course, if you let Grandmother move in, you won’t ever have to make another decision. You can just drift.”
“You know better than that. She’d make all the decisions but she’d keep me hopping every second. No, she doesn’t know until I’m ready. You go ahead and tell Blake and Adam and I’ll call them or text.” He knew he’d have better luck with his other two brothers than his grandmother.
“Good deal.”
“Talia said Hattie looks like me. We’ll see.”
Stan shot him a horrified look. “I’m afraid I can’t imagine a little baby girl looking like you.” Then he smiled.
“Frankly, I can’t, either,” Nick said, running his hand over the brown stubble on his jaw.
“Even if you try to keep her out of your hair, Grandmother will want to approve of the nanny you hire. And I’m sure you’re hiring a nanny.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do.” Nick couldn’t stop his fears from surfacing again. He’d been fighting them for the last few hours. “I don’t even know this little girl, much less love her. I keep thinking how she won’t have anyone who loves her here. Talia Barton adores her. She’ll go from having love poured out to her to a bunch of strangers. That’s not good and it’s worrying me.”
“We’re not a bunch of ogres, Nick, but I see what you mean. She’ll need someone to love her. It may not help her disposition, either,” Stan said.
Nick had already thought of that, but he was more worried about having a little baby who wasn’t loved.
“If she’s that good-looking, marry this Talia person,” Stan said, breaking into his thoughts.
“Stan!” Nick said, annoyed and amused at the same time.
“I’m kidding. I wouldn’t worry, Nick. Babies adapt and we’ll all be here to help. You know Grandmother is going to love this baby. She adored Artie. And pretty soon, we’ll all love her, too.”
“You’re right, I suppose. Grandmother is going to have to cooperate on this one. I can’t deal with a hassle from her.”
“Send me a picture of the teacher,” Stan said, going down the porch steps. He glanced over his shoulder. “I might want to propose. Then I’d be daddy and uncle to your little girl.” He laughed at his own joke and Nick shook his head.
“You’re hopeless, Stan. Take your suggestions and go,” Nick said, laughing with his brother.
“Seriously, I’ll help if you need me, although I don’t know as much about babies as you do. My expertise ends with colts and calves.”
“Thanks, Stan,” Nick said, feeling a bond with his brother.
As Stan drove away, Nick returned to his office, but he couldn’t get his mind to focus on the ranch work in front of him. He remembered Madeline. Since meeting Talia, he recalled everything about that night. He was sure he had used protection, yet here was this little baby and the DNA definitely made her his baby. He couldn’t get accustomed to the idea, and guilt swamped him at the thought he would have to take her away from someone who poured out love to her and place her in a family of strangers.
Enough, he told himself. It’d work out. It had to.
He picked up the leather-bound ledger but the figures swam before his eyes. All he could think about was his new status as a daddy...and his electrifying attraction to Talia Barton.
* * *
Late the following sunny May afternoon Nick paced back and forth. He was in his mansion in a gated community of Dallas, waiting for Talia to arrive, and then he would meet his daughter. That still didn’t seem possible. A night at a party—when he’d had too much to drink, been too long alone, hurting over his loss and trying to overcome the grief and desperation he felt—he’d had sex with a woman he’d barely known. Now he had a daughter for the rest of his life. A little girl who was going to move in with a father who was a total stranger. He knew that was better than the state and they would probably all grow to love her, but it was going to be rough for the little girl for a time and he hated that. And it was breaking Talia’s heart, something he could understand all too well because of the loss of his son.
When he heard a car, he glanced at his watch. Talia was on time. He thought about seeing her again and that was one bit of this whole thing that he looked forward to, even though he shouldn’t because she had already complicated his life beyond measure.
He hurried to the front door. When he reached for the door, he glanced out and saw Talia coming up the walk carrying a little girl in her arms. His pulse jumped as his glance swept over Talia’s high heels and her deep blue sleeveless dress. Her hair was high, pinned on the sides of her head, and fell in spiral curls over her shoulders. The curls bounced slightly with each step she took. His gaze shifted to the baby in her arms. The little girl had one thin arm on Talia’s shoulder with her fingers wound in Talia’s long curls. Her other arm hung at her side. She had wispy, tangled brown hair, and from a distance she looked like a pretty child. He couldn’t imagine that this was his baby, but she was. It was a shock each time he thought about it, and