Cowboy's Unexpected Family (Thorne Ranch Brothers Book 1)

  Thorne Ranch Brothers

  Cowboy’s Unexpected Family

  Sheriff’s Pregnant Ex

  Rancher’s Pregnant Partner

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, JUNE 2020

  Copyright © 2021 Relay Publishing Ltd.

  All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Leslie North is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.

  Cover design by Mayhem Cover Creations.

  www.relaypub.com

  Blurb

  Home is where the heart is…

  Single mom and widow Amy Thorne loves her beautiful town. It’s her job to market her little corner of heaven, and right now, she’s promoting the town’s upcoming rodeo. Everything is perfect—until rodeo star Cal Pierce arrives.

  Astonishingly, the smoldering cowboy is the spitting image of her late husband. It all makes sense when she learns Cal is the son her mother-in-law gave up for adoption years ago. Although Cal might look like his half-brother, that’s as far as the resemblance goes. He’s terrified of commitment, and Amy knows she should keep her distance. If only her heart would listen…

  Just the thought of settling down makes Cal antsy. Problem is, Amy is starting to get under his skin. And the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to leave. But he knows it’s best for him to move on—and that’s exactly what he does. Until he realizes his heart might not be in rodeo anymore. In fact, it might belong to someone else entirely…

  Is it too late to come home to the one woman he can’t live without?

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  (Thorne Ranch Brothers Book One)

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  End of Cowboy’s Unexpected Family

  Thank You

  Make an Author’s Day

  About Leslie

  Sneak Peek: Sheriff’s Pregnant Ex (Thorne Ranch Brothers Book Two)

  Also by Leslie

  1

  Cal Pierce took a glance around the downtown of Darby Crossing, Texas. The main street was lined with old structures housing the usual array of shops to be found in any ranching town—hardware, bank, Western apparel store, diner, and tavern. His eyes automatically ticked off the architectural details without paying much attention to them. Seemed like a nice enough place, he decided, pulling his truck into a parking space near city hall, but only if a person wanted to live in a small town. Cal didn’t. Small town life made him itchy, restless. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be here long—just long enough to do a favor for an old friend.

  When Rafael Alvarez had called on Cal to headline a charity rodeo, he couldn’t refuse. Rafael was a buddy, someone who showed Cal the ropes when he first joined the rodeo circuit. Even though a nasty knee injury made his friend give up roping and riding for a gig teaching high school history in his hometown, they’d kept in touch. And the favor was no problem. He’d even agreed to come in a few weeks early and do promotional work.

  Cal got out of his truck and put on his Stetson. The street was surprisingly crowded for midday. He noticed some looks turn his way. Nothing unusual. He was a big enough name on the circuit that people often recognized him. He gave a nod as he passed two men in front of the hardware store, but they only stared at him, one of them dropping the parcel he held.

  “Howdy, ma’am.” Cal tipped his hat to an older woman coming out of the diner accompanied by what looked to be her grandchildren. She didn’t return his greeting, but her mouth formed a perfect O of shock.

  What was up with this place? Cal wondered. Fans usually called out a friendly greeting, even tried to approach him. They didn’t gape at him like he was a two-headed horse.

  Cal tried to shrug it off as he entered the small brick building that housed city hall. It looked like it might have been a one-room schoolhouse long ago since it still had the bell on top. The space now was divided into an entryway and two offices. No one was manning the reception desk, so he dinged the bell that sat on a mat reading “ring for service.”

  “Be right there,” a voice called from one of the offices. He heard the squeak of a desk chair, and the click of high heels before a woman appeared in the doorway.

  “Hello, I’m Amy Thorne,” she said. “It’s…oh, god.” She placed her hand over her heart and her face went white. When she began to sway, Cal rushed toward her and took her arm, easing her into a nearby chair. He knelt next to her and her gaze met his. Her eyes were the color of Texas bluebonnets, a beautiful contrast with her curly red hair. She was about the prettiest woman he’d seen in a decade, but she was staring at him as if she’d seen a ghost.

  “Can I get you something? Glass of water?” Cal offered, unsure of what to do. His eyes dipped to her left hand where she wore a simple gold band. “Call your husband maybe?”

  “No.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and she couldn’t seem to take her eyes from his face. She smoothed her hands over her black skirt and finally took her focus off him. “I’ll be fine in a minute. I…must have stood up too quickly.”

  “That can get you sometimes,” he said easily and watched the color slowly return to her skin.

  “You must be Cal Pierce.” She straightened her posture and smiled at him. It seemed forced, but friendly.

  “At your service, ma’am.” He dipped his chin in acknowledgment.

  “Please call me Amy,” she said. “Thank you so much for coming. Let’s go into my office and talk about the promo schedule and the event.”

  “Sure. Take it easy standing up.” He wanted to offer his arm, but he held back. She seemed a mite skittish, like a newly broken horse.

  “I’m fine. Really. If you’ll follow me.” She rose and led the way into an office where she gestured for him to take a seat. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  “No, but I appreciate the offer.” He appreciated the way her skirt skimmed her figure, too, and the flex of her calf as she walked. Somehow, she wasn’t what he expected from a mayor’s assistant in a small town. They’d emailed and spoken on the phone to make his travel arrangements, so he’d known that she’d be intelligent and friendly. He just hadn’t expected her to be so appealing.

  As soon as she was seated, she reached for a glass
of water and he could see that her hand still trembled. She put it back down without taking a sip before dropping her hands out of sight.

  “Well, first let me thank you again for agreeing to be part of our rodeo.” Her tone was crisp. “I can assure you that the proceeds are going to a good cause.”

  “Rafael said a fire took your community center.”

  “Yes, a few months ago.” A twinge went across her face, but it was gone before he could be sure of what it meant. “Unfortunately, the building was a total loss, but we hope to rebuild quickly. And a rodeo seemed like a good way to raise interest in the project and collect the needed funds.”

  “I’m happy to help,” Cal said.

  “Nice of you.” Her tone and expression softened, and despite himself Cal felt an attraction to her. Then he remembered the ring. She was somebody else’s wife, and he’d never been that kind of man. “Okay, so I’ve worked out a schedule with what I’m told is the usual sort of promo if you’d like to take a look.”

  He studied the paper she placed in front of him. Promotional tours were nothing new and he didn’t see anything on the list that he objected to. “Seems good.” He met her gaze and saw the haunted look again. She cleared her throat and looked away.

  He thought about letting it drop, pretending that everything was normal—but he was going to be here for a solid month, and that was a real long time to ignore an elephant in the room. “Amy, I sure wish you’d tell me what’s wrong. Do you not want me here?” He thought that would be odd, but you never knew. Maybe she had another rider in mind for the rodeo.

  “Of course, Darby Crossing wants you,” she said with another pleasant, but quite sincere smile. “You’ll be a huge draw for the rodeo, and we’ll be rebuilding in no time.”

  “Maybe you just don’t like us rodeo types,” he suggested, trying to get to the heart of the matter.

  She sighed and sat back in her seat, the forced cheerfulness fading. “It’s not that either. It’s nothing to do with you or the rodeo at all, truly. I’m sorry if my behavior isn’t welcoming.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Cal said cautiously. “You just seem uncomfortable with me.”

  She glanced toward the only window in her office and seemed to focus on the pine tree outside it. Silence hung in the air until she spoke in a low tone. “It’s just that you look so much like my husband. He died in a car accident four years ago. It was a shock seeing you. That’s all. Nothing personal.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your husband.” And he was. He didn’t like the idea of her suffering, and she clearly had. Her words also explained the strange reaction of the folks out on the street. “Maybe it would be better if I left town. I’ve got plenty of connections in the rodeo world to find a replacement rider for you.”

  “No, no.” She straightened. “You’re a great choice for us.” Her smile returned. It was still a little uncertain, but brighter than it had been. “Such a strange coincidence though, isn’t it? The kind of thing that happens in movies.”

  “I guess so,” he said, but a thought formed in his head that nagged at him.

  Before wrapping up, he agreed to meet her for a welcome to town dinner. Since he had some time, Cal made his way to where he’d be staying. The mayor’s office had found him a locally owned bed and breakfast. The owner personally escorted him to a suite that was a little old-fashioned, but was still bigger and nicer than many of the places Cal had stayed.

  Once he was alone, he sank down on the couch and placed his phone on the coffee table in front of him. He was considering calling his parents. He was going to call them, but he wasn’t sure of the conversation he’d start. Since he was a little kid, his folks had been honest with him about his adoption. They’d gotten him as a baby, and they loved to tell the story of picking him up from the adoption agency and how thrilled they’d been to have a child.

  He’d never been curious about his biological parents because he loved his adopted ones unconditionally. Zoe and Edmund Pierce had married late in life, too late to have a child of their own, but plenty young enough to love Cal and his adopted sister Jennifer. His attachment to his family had almost been enough to keep him in one place, but both he and his parents knew he wouldn’t have been happy with that. He’d been itching to see more of the world—and the rodeo had been calling him. So they’d supported him throughout his career. And he’d loved them for that, too.

  But did he want to ask the question that formed in his mind? He leaned forward and snatched the phone, hitting the button for Zoe’s number.

  “Howdy, Mom,” he said when she answered.

  “Cal, so good to hear from you.” His mom’s voice brought instant calm to him. He settled back and let the conversation run its usual course where he checked up on everyone in the family and told his mom what he’d been up to since their last call a week earlier.

  He considered just letting his question about the adoption go. Learning whether or not he had a biological brother wasn’t going to change who he was and might just stir up a hornet’s nest for him, his family, and the people of Darby Crossing. But something in him had to know.

  “Mom, what do you know about where I came from?” he said when there was a lull in the conversation. He could imagine the expression on his mom’s face. It would be a little shock and a whole lot of sympathy.

  “What do you want to know?” Zoe asked.

  “Do you have a name for my birth mother, or a town where she lived?”

  “I have some information. Just give me a minute,” she said.

  He heard a tap as the phone was laid down, and he wondered if he’d made a mistake. But it was too late to take it back, and damn if he wasn’t curious.

  “I don’t have a lot,” Zoe said, coming back on the line, “but I do have your original birth certificate. Your mom’s name was Laura Cooper. No father’s name is listed.”

  “A birthplace?” he prompted, hoping that would fill in at least one of the gaps.

  “You were born in Austin. Cal, why are you asking me this now?” It was a legitimate question since he hadn’t worried about it for thirty-two years. So he told her the story of what had happened in Amy’s office and on the street in Darby Crossing. Zoe listened until he was done. “Well, that must have been a shock for the poor woman. And for you, too. Are you all right? What do you plan to do?”

  Cal was more curious than concerned. Once he had confirmation either way of whether he had biological family here, he’d decide how he felt and what he’d do.

  “Maybe an online search will tell me something about her,” Cal said, knowing there was no “maybe” about it. He was going to start digging. “If I find anything, I’ll figure out the next step.”

  “You know your father and I are always here for you.” If love could be heard, Cal picked it out in the tone of Zoe’s words.

  “I know, Mom. Love to Dad and Jennifer. Call you soon,” he said and hung up. Without pausing, he reached for his laptop and typed the name Laura Cooper Thorne into the search box. Over the next hour, he learned plenty about the woman who—he became more and more convinced—was likely his mother. She’d married into the Thorne ranch family, the most prosperous ranchers in the area, and had raised three sons. Luke had been born four years after Cal, and there were twin boys, Jake and Brian, born two years after Luke.

  He had brothers. Half-brothers. Who probably had no idea he existed. Then he came across the reports of the car accident that killed Luke Thorne and his father. Amy hadn’t said that it had been a double tragedy for the family or that Luke had caused the accident. Cal read more about Luke. The newspaper accounts and obituary made it clear that he was the town’s golden boy. High school athletic star and heir to the ranch, loved by everyone and sorely missed by all, including his widow and young son.

  And, God almighty, did Cal and Luke look alike based on the pictures he found. A photo taken a few months before the accident confirmed that. Luke, poor guy, hadn’t lived past twenty-four years old. Cal pulled up
a picture of himself taken when he was the same age and had just won a big event. Side-by-side, he and Luke Thorne were nearly identical.

  No wonder Amy’s reaction had been so instant and strong. She must have thought she was seeing the ghost of her dead husband. Cal closed the lid on his laptop, wondering what he was going to do about it. Should he tell Amy? Should he visit his biological mother and meet his half-brothers? Would they want anything to do with him?

  His phone’s alarm sounded. Dang it. He needed to meet Amy for dinner. He grabbed his Stetson and headed for the door, still unsure of what to do. He could keep his discovery to himself, do the event scheduled for four weeks from today, and leave town afterward as quickly as possible.

  But he didn’t think that was how it would play out.

  2

  Amy stood in the vestibule of the Blue Pony restaurant, the finest establishment in Darby Crossing, waiting for Cal to arrive. The rest of their party already sat at the table, and she had volunteered to wait at the entrance to greet Cal. Those few extra moments in his company would give her the chance to become accustomed to seeing him and school her features into a professional mold, she hoped.

  When he’d appeared at city hall earlier, she’d been blown away by the resemblance between him and Luke. For the first time in her life, she’d seriously thought she was going to pass out and crash to the floor. She probably would have if Cal hadn’t steadied her. And been so nice about it.