The Rancher's Surprise Son. Christine Wenger

He’ll never be more than dirt poor, scratching out a living.

      She’d heard it numerous times in her life, but that didn’t keep her and Cody from becoming friends, then lovers.

      But this time, her parents had more ammunition. Cody was a murderer.

       I’ll file for custody of Johnny...unfit mother.

      “Don’t you dare do such a thing. You couldn’t be that cruel.”

      “I can and I will. And you won’t be living here on the ranch anymore.”

      Laura bit her tongue from screaming at her mother—it wouldn’t do any good—but before she changed her mind, she turned and walked away. She didn’t want her mother to see her cry. She had to be strong—like a Duke should.

      Then she’d regroup and come up with a plan.

      This time, the stakes were higher. Laura knew that she shouldn’t dare meet Cody, but she couldn’t help herself—and she needed to find out the truth from him.

      * * *

      Cody paced by the stream that ran from high in the mountains down to the boundary between the Double M and the Duke ranches. Now, during the monsoon season, spring to September, it could turn into a raging torrent of water. However, now, during the beautiful month of July, it was reduced to a stream—until the next monsoon.

      He took a seat on his usual rock, but kept his flashlight on so he could see Laura approaching and she could see him. He didn’t like her having to come out this late at night. She could come face-to-face with coyotes or wolves or any of the nocturnal animals of the desert, any of which could be deadly.

      Laura was an Arizona ranch gal, however. She’d carry a gun, especially at night, and had a knife in her boot at all times.

      Cody was forbidden to carry a weapon. It was a condition of his parole that he couldn’t. He was a convicted felon now, so he’d lost that right. He’d also lost the right to vote and who knew what the hell else.

      He smiled, thinking that Laura would have to protect him. Then he frowned, feeling like half a man for the same reason.

      The sound of gravel being scraped snapped him to attention. He stood, almost falling over in his haste.

      “Cody?”

      “Laura?”

      “Yes.”

      Cody sloshed through the stream in his haste to get her into his arms. She was running, too, and didn’t seem to care a whit if her expensive boots got wet and muddy. They embraced in the middle of the water.

      “Laura... Laura.” He couldn’t hold her tight enough.

      “I know. I know.”

      He buried his face in the curve of her neck and inhaled her perfume. He was expecting gardenia, and he wasn’t disappointed. It was her scent.

      When they kissed, Cody felt as if he’d really come home. Home was Laura.

      Their kiss was tentative at first, just a taste, but then he couldn’t help himself. He pulled her toward him and when his lips finally touched hers, he released all his frustration, all his loneliness and all his longing for a future with this remarkable woman.

      Her straight hair, like spun gold in the moonlight, brushed his arm, and he couldn’t stop touching it, threading it through his fingers to enjoy its silkiness.

      Cody kissed her forehead, her eyebrows and her neck. Then did it all over again. His hands ran over her back, her shoulders—wherever he could reach without releasing her from his arms, just to make sure she was real.

      “You feel so good. Do you still love me, Laura?”

      “Of course, Cody. Of course!” She covered him with kisses, devoured his lips, lifted his T-shirt and ran her hands over his chest.

      He was ready and certainly willing to make love to her, but alarms went off in his head. He shouldn’t even be here, nor should Laura. To make love with her would be...heaven...but maybe now wasn’t a good time.

      Cody suspected that there wasn’t going to be a good time in their future.

      Should he give in to what they both wanted?

      Laura stepped back, but held on to his biceps. “I think we need to take things slow. We have to get to know each other again.”

      His heart took a dive in his chest. “You’re right. It’s been a long time. And a lot has happened. You got married. You had a son.”

      “My father has talked to you, hasn’t he?” Laura studied his face.

      “Yeah.”

      “He threatened you?”

      Cody shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me. It’s what he can do to you and Johnny.”

      Her eyes narrowed. “Such as?”

      “He could send you away. He said something about your aunt Betty in Boston. He said that there was a nice military school for Johnny there, too.”

      “I am not going to Boston, and Johnny isn’t going to some military school. We are staying right here in our pretty cottage. Besides, this is where you are.”

      “And I can’t leave for at least two years, but I doubt that I can turn around the Double M by then. I don’t know if I could ever make it real profitable. We’ve all tried throughout the years.”

      Laura moved away from Cody and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was her turn to pace. “If anyone can turn it around, it’s you.”

      “It takes money, Laura. The place needs an overhaul, and there’s none.”

      “We can never have peace in Duke Springs, Cody. Never. I thought that having a grandchild would mellow them both, and it did to a point, but sometimes it made things worse.”

      Cody could see the tears swimming in her emerald eyes, and he hugged her to him.

      “Oh, that didn’t make any sense.” She sniffed. “But J.W. would never send us away. He’d miss Johnny too much. My mother had a better threat this morning. She’s going to file for custody of Johnny if I consort with a known felon such as you.” Cody handed her a red bandanna and she wiped her eyes. “Maybe we ought to stay away from each other. You have too much to lose. So do I.”

      Cody swore and was just about to punch a saguaro, spikes and all, when Laura closed her hand over his fist and helped him to relax.

      “Just tell me, Cody...once and for all, tell me that you are innocent. Tell me that you didn’t kill Lindy. Tell me, for heaven’s sake.”

      He pulled his hand away from hers and swore. “I can’t. I can’t say anything. If I did, all that time I spent in prison would be for nothing.”

      “Who are you protecting, Cody?”

      No answer.

      “I need you to tell me, or I can’t see you anymore. I might lose my son. Don’t you get that?” She was gritting her teeth.

      “I didn’t kill Lindy!” Cody shouted. “I didn’t kill him, but I wish to hell I did.” He turned away from her and Laura could tell that he was trying to compose himself. “There, I said it. I finally said it.”

      She wrapped her arms around him from behind and let her wet cheek rest on his back.

      “Who killed him, Cody? Your mother? Cindy? It has to be one of them who did it. You wouldn’t go to jail for anyone else.”

      He turned around and pulled her tight to him. “Please, Laura. That’s enough. I shouldn’t have even told you what I did. But when you said that your parents—or at least your mother—might try taking Johnny away from you...well, I had to tell you the truth.”

      “I