The Rancher's Baby
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Kathy Douglass
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Prologue
Isaac Montgomery glanced at his watch and then rose from the sofa beside the window. Glancing quickly at the unobstructed view of the Chicago skyline, he returned to the reception desk. His flight from Denver to Chicago had been delayed by two hours and, as a result, heâd been an hour late for his meeting with Joel Wilson. Heâd called the attorney when heâd realized he wouldnât be there at the appointed time and attempted to reschedule for a later date, but the lawyerâof Parker, Kendrick and Wilsonâhad insisted that the meeting was important and that he would squeeze Isaac in that afternoon.
Now, though, Isaac had been waiting close to forty-five minutes and was growing impatient. Surely, they could reschedule this meeting until tomorrow and discuss this mysterious topic then.
âExcuse me, Jenna,â he said to the receptionist who looked up at him. She was cuteâand wore no rings on her fingers. If she wasnât busy tonight, maybe sheâd be up for dinner and whatever. He would be in Chicago overnight and there was no reason to waste it by spending it alone. âDo you have any idea how much longer he will be?â
She smiled at him. âLet me check with Mr. Wilsonâs secretary.â
He nodded and told himself to be patient while she spoke to someone on the phone. It wasnât as if he had plans for the evening. Yet.
âMr. Wilsonâs secretary is on her way to get you now.â
âThank you.â
A middle-aged woman in a blue dress and matching pumps, who introduced herself as Therese, greeted Isaac and then ushered him into a large office. The lawyer, a man of about forty, rose and circled an oak desk. He held out his hand for Isaac to shake. âThank you for sticking around.â
âIâm anxious to learn what this is all about. Your message was a little bit cryptic.â
The man rubbed his chin ruefully. âGuilty as charged. But some things are better dealt with in person.â
Isaac nodded in agreement. âWell, now that weâre face-to-face, Iâm eager to hear what you have to say.â
Mr. Wilson flashed a smile and then sobered. âWhy donât you take a seat, Mr. Montgomery?â He gestured to a chair across from his desk, then returned to his own seat and rested his hands on a folder. âI donât know a way to tell you this other than straight-out. Iâm sorry to inform you of the death your friend, Lisa Hooks.â
The words pounded Isaac in the chest, stealing his breath. It was a moment before he could speak. âLisa is dead? When? How?â Why?
âA week ago. She had cancer. An inoperable brain tumor. Unfortunately, her condition progressed faster than she and the doctors had anticipated.â
The attorney paused, giving Isaac time to absorb the news. Isaac hated to think of Lisa dying alone, with only strangers to comfort her.
Lisa had been a private person, but sheâd shared some details of her life with him years ago when sheâd worked on his familyâs ranch, including the fact that sheâd grown up in foster care. Sheâd had no family. His family had done all they could to make her feel welcome, including her in family meals and inviting her to spend holidays with them, as they did with all of their employees who didnât have relatives in the area. Despite their best efforts, Lisa had held them at a distance, only allowing them to get so close. Perhaps because sheâd been in and out of other peopleâs homesâand familiesâfrom birth, she wasnât willing to open her heart and allow herself to trust that they really considered her to be a part of their family.
For the most part, sheâd kept her relationship with the Montgomery family strictly professional. Except with Isaac. Sheâd allowed him to get closer to her than his parents and brothers. Isaac and Lisa had spent hours together talking in the evenings after work. Lisa was beautiful and although sheâd been five years older than him, heâd developed the biggest crush on her. When heâd been eighteen, heâd told her that he was going to marry her and give her the family she deserved. Lisa had laughed and told him to stick to girls his age. Sheâd liked the single lifeâand she noted that he did too.
Heâd soon come to see that she was right. He wasnât the type to settle down. He always showed a woman a good time, but heâd been clear that a good time was all he was offering. He wasnât built for anything long-term. Luckily, despite his brief misstep, he and Lisa had been able to maintain their close friendship.
At least, he thought they had. Three years ago, sheâd said it was time for her to move on. Sheâd promised to keep in touch with him, but after sending him a handful of cards at random times, always from different places, sheâd seemed to drop off the face of the earth. He hadnât heard from her in nearly two years.
âI was Lisaâs attorney,â Mr. Wilson said, pulling Isaac back to the present. âWhen I learned of her death, I contacted you.â
âI donât understand. Do they need someone to cover her final expenses?â Just saying the words broke his heart. Lisa would only be thirty now. That was too young to be dead. There was still so much life she needed to live. âIâll do that, of course.â
âThatâs a generous offer. But she took care of that.â
âThen I donât understand. I appreciate you giving me this news in person. But...â He shook his head, the thought vanishing before it was fully formed. âIâm sorry. I donât know what else to say.â
âI understand. But I wanted to meet with you because of the baby.â
Confusion swirled in. âWhat baby?â
âLisaâs. And yours.â
âMine? There has to be some mistake.â His crush on Lisa hadnât been reciprocated. And then it had fizzled out. Theyâd never even kissed, much less slept together. There was absolutely no way that he could be the father of her child.
âYour name is on the birth certificate. Lisa gave me your information so that I could reach you. Which was good, because that keeps the baby from ending up in foster care.â
He thought of Lisa and the little of her life that sheâd shared with him. If sheâd put his name on the birth certificate, she must have had a good reason. He knew that he was walking the thin line between the truth and a lie, but before he said anything, he needed to know more.
âI understand your surprise. She left a letter for you. Perhaps it will explain everything.â Mr. Wilson rummaged through a file on his desk, pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it over. âIâll leave you alone to read.â
Isaac nodded as he opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of lined paper. He recognized Lisaâs messy handwriting instantlyâsheâd always dashed off notes quickly, as if she didnât have time to waste, heâd once laughed to her. His vision blurred and he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.
Dear Isaac,
If you are reading this letter, that means you have just learned about Mia. I hope that you can forgive me for upending your life, but I have no choice. There is no one else.
You may be wondering about the biological father. Letâs just say he would not be a good father to Mia. In fact, he doesnât even know she exists, and it is my wish that he never does. Thatâs why I listed you as her father on her birth certificate. I know that was presumptuous on my part and I apologize. To be honest, I had expected to be around to care for her and you would never have to know what I did. Now, though, it should make things easier for the two of you to be together. If there was anyone Iâd want to raise my daughter in my absence, itâs you.
I remember the closeness of our friendship. Your desire to marry me. That wouldnât have worked for us, but I never forgot. Although you couldnât give me the family I never had, you can give that to my sweet little girl. And know that Iâll forever be grateful.
Lisa
Isaac lowered the letter and closed his eyes. The love and concern that Lisa felt for her daughter was obvious in every word. He didnât quite understand what had made Lisa choose him, but she had. And he couldnât let her down.
âDid the letter clear up matters?â Mr. Wilson asked, stepping back into the room.
âYes.â
âGood.â The attorney looked at him expectantly. âDo you have any questions?â
He swallowed his nerves and stood. âJust one. Where is my daughter?â
