Skylar's Outlaw. Linda Warren

was such a lame bribe, but she’d take whatever worked.

      “Do Georgie eat oatmeal?”

      Sky kissed her baby’s cheek. “Every day. That’s why he’s so strong.”

      “I wanna be strong like Georgie.” Kira shoved oatmeal into her mouth and swallowed.

      Great!

      “The devil’s gonna get you,” Etta whispered as Sky poured a cup of coffee.

      “Don’t tell anyone, but he already has.”

      The old lady grinned and Sky gave her a hug. Etta always reminded her of Granny on the old Beverly Hillbillies sitcom, except Etta had short permed hair.

      Gran entered the kitchen already dressed for the day. Sky was still in her cotton pj’s, so she kissed her and said, “Please watch Kira while I get dressed.”

      Gran took a seat by her great-granddaughter and Sky dashed upstairs.

      In a second she had on her jeans and was stuffing the tail of a pearl-snap shirt into the waistband. She guided her braided-leather belt through the loops and buckled it. Sitting down, she slipped on her boots. Oh, yeah. Cowgirl up. She was ready to face Cooper Yates.

      Then she turned and saw herself in the mirror. Crap! Her hair looked like a huge dust mop. She hated her naturally curly hair—another trait she’d inherited from her mother.

      Grabbing a flat iron, her favorite tool in the whole world, she sat at the dressing table and went to work. Within minutes she had it in a manageable style, clipped back at her nape.

      She took a second glance at the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. How many times had she cursed them over the years? Too many to count. Makeup would cover them, but she wasn’t taking that route today. She left her fair skin clean and natural. Now she was ready.

      Pausing at the door, she reached for her cell phone to call Cait.

      Brenda Sue, Judd’s secretary, answered. Sky groaned. The woman gave annoying a new meaning. “May I speak to Caitlyn, please?” She held her breath.

      “Is this Sky?”

      “Yes.” She choked back a groan.

      “I thought so. You sisters sound very alike on the phone, if you know what I mean. I might be psychic that way, too. I’m very good with voices, and some people have said—”

      “Is Caitlyn there?”

      “What? Oh. I’m in the office, and when they don’t answer, it rings here, so I guess Judd and Cait are doing, well, you know what. Isn’t it great about the baby? Judd is over the moon and Renee is not even bitchy anymore. She’s finally getting a grandchild. I told Cait I’d give her some pointers, but you know Cait. She didn’t take that very well. She was quite offensive, actually, and—”

      “Goodbye, Brenda Sue. I’ll try her cell.” Sky clicked off before the woman could get in one more word, then had to take a long breath to de-stress. Finally she punched in her sister’s cell number.

      Cait answered almost immediately.

      “I’m really surprised you haven’t killed Brenda Sue by now.”

      Cait laughed. “Had a scintillating conversation with her?”

      “More like mind-numbing.”

      Cait laughed again, and then said, “I hope you’ve come to your senses.”

      “Yes, and I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I can handle the ranch and Cooper.”

      “That’s good news.”

      “I tend to revert to my old selfish ways every now and then, especially when I want something.”

      “So what changed your mind?”

      “Gran. You know those talks where you think she’s on your side, and it’s like, oh great, she understands, but then you start to see how narrow-minded and wrong you really are?”

      “Yep. I’ve had a few of those conversations with her myself.”

      “I just wanted to ease your mind about Gran and the situation. I’m really happy about the baby, and I don’t understand why you won’t listen to any of Brenda Sue’s pointers on the topic.”

      Cait clicked off with an expletive that burned Sky’s ears. On the way down the stairs, she called Maddie and apologized. Of course, there was no need to do so, as Maddie had already forgiven her.

      Children’s voices could be heard in the background and Sky was delighted her sister was as happy as happy could be.

      “Kira wants to play with Georgie. Can we set up a playdate?”

      “Sure. I’ll call you as soon as I know what my day is going to be like.”

      As Sky reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard rain pelting the windows. Oh, no. The weather affected Kira more than anything, but she had seemed fine this morning.

      Sky hurriedly made her way to the kitchen, to find her daughter still yakking with Gran. But that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t in pain.

      Don’t ask! Don’t ask!

      Kira glanced up with a childish smile that melted Sky’s heart. Her baby turned up her palms. “Oatmeal all gone, Mommy. Now can I play with Georgie?”

      “Aunt Maddie will call.” Sky scooped her out of the chair. “Time to get you dressed.” She’d been planning to ask Gran to do that, but now she wanted to check Kira’s joints.

      Upstairs, she removed Kira’s princess pj’s, finding her right knee still red and slightly swollen. After dressing her in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, Sky gave her some liquid Tylenol. As Kira bounced down the stairs, Sky wondered if that might have been a waste. Kira didn’t seem to be in pain, but on a day like this she couldn’t be sure.

      In the parlor, she brushed her daughter’s hair into pigtails. Looking at Kira’s pixie face, Sky thought her baby had to be the cutest on the planet—the way every mother felt.

      “Precious, Mommy’s going to work and you’re staying with Gran and Etta, okay?”

      “Uh-huh.”

      She kissed her nose. “You be good.”

      “I be good.” Kira twisted her hands. “Is Georgie coming?”

      Goodness gracious, the kid had a memory like an elephant. When the two had first met, Georgie had taken an instant dislike to Kira because Maddie was holding her. Once he realized Kira had a mother and wasn’t trying to steal his, they became good friends.

      “I’ll call Aunt Maddie a little later.”

      “Where’s my precious baby?” Gran called as she entered the room.

      “I’m here,” Kira shouted.

      Sky walked to Gran as Kira opened her case of Barbies. “Call me if you feel something is wrong. I’ll have my cell with me at all times.”

      Her grandmother pushed her toward the door. “Go, and stop worrying.”

      Sky grabbed a lightweight windbreaker on her way out. Flipping the hood over her head, she made a dash for the barn. She almost made it before Solomon blocked her path. The half-Brahman bull’s mother had died, and Cait and Maddie had raised him on a bottle.

      He was now a huge pet—and a pest. Sky worried about Kira being around him, but Georgie loved him and led the bull around like a dog. Since Georgie was Kira’s hero, she followed him everywhere. It was almost impossible to keep her from doing things Georgie did. Solomon was a lovable creature, though, and hard to resist.

      Rain peppered Sky’s face as she grabbed his halter. “Come on. I’ll feed you.”

      Cooper and Rufus were in the barn, and they stilled as she entered with