A Baby on the Ranch. Stella Bagwell
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New Mexico close to Aztec. It spreads over more than a hundred thousand acres and they raise cattle and horses. Mostly to sell for breeding prospects.”
“Do you know these people? Personally?” she asked.
Lonnie nodded. “Seth, he’s the Ranger, he helped me get elected to the sheriff’s position I hold now. And I have visited with his siblings. They’re fine, quality people.”
“It sounds like they’re rich,” she murmured as though that was equivalent to having royal blood.
Lonnie shrugged. “Oh, they’re not what you’d call stinking rich. But they’re well off. They don’t have to scrape around to pay their bills if that’s what you mean.”
“I wouldn’t know any of those sort of people,” she said wryly.
Well, the Ketchums were the only rich people Lonnie rubbed elbows with, but he kept that information to himself.
“The ranch—it’s called the T Bar K—was started by Tucker Ketchum and his brother, Rueben. Tucker was married to a woman named Amelia and her maiden name was McBride. They’ve both been dead for several years now.”
Katherine’s eyes swept back and forth across his face and he could see that her mind was whirling like a Texas tornado.
“You mean—this Amelia—she was the woman my mother wrote to? And her name was McBride, too?”
Lonnie slowly nodded. “That’s right. She was a McBride before she married Tucker. She and Celia were sisters.”
Clearly disturbed now, Katherine began to shake her head in disbelief. “But…but my mother never said anything about a sister or her being kin to some rich people in New Mexico. Why wouldn’t she have said something? Those people would be my relatives!”
Once again he felt the unaccustomed need to touch her and reassure her, and this time he didn’t resist the urge to reach for her hand. He pressed her soft skin between his fingers and watched her expression turn to total bewilderment.
“They’re more than just relatives, Katherine,” he said gently. “Seth, Ross and Victoria—they’re your brothers and sister. Amelia was your real mother. Celia only raised you for her.”
“No! No! That can’t be!”
Jerking her hand from his, she shoved herself to her feet and ran across the room to where a window displayed the dusky skyline of Fort Worth. Lonnie hurried after her, and as he took her by the back of the shoulders, he realized she was crying. Not on the outside where he could see her tears, but on the inside where emotional pain was causing her whole body to shake. The notion of her anguish cut him deeply. Because he understood exactly how she was feeling. In his younger years he’d done a lot of crying on the inside, too. Maybe that was why Seth had thought Lonnie would be perfect for this job. He’d probably figured a man without a family could empathize with a woman who believed she was entirely alone in the world.
“It’s true, Katherine,” he said gently as he stared down at the shiny crown of her dark hair. “Amelia Ketchum was your mother.”
For long moments she didn’t say anything, and then slowly she turned and tilted her face up to his. “If that’s true,” she said accusingly, “then why wasn’t I raised with my brothers and sister? Why was I sent to Texas?”
Lonnie glanced away from her, drew in a bracing breath and tightened his hold on her shoulders. “Because you—” He forced his eyes to return to hers. “Because Amelia had been having an affair and she didn’t want her family to know about her pregnancy.”
Katherine’s hands instinctively pressed against the mound of baby she was carrying, and Lonnie could see from the torn look on her face that she couldn’t imagine any circumstances that would make her separate herself from her child.
“All right,” she said, then swallowed convulsively. “If that’s the case, then who is my father?”
“I hate to have to tell you this, Katherine. But your father was Noah Rider.”
If possible, she went even whiter, and her lips began to move but no sound was coming out.
“No-No-ah?” she finally whispered.
Lonnie started to nod, but he didn’t have time. Before he could respond, she wilted like a sunflower, and he caught her just as she fell against his chest.
Chapter Two
“Whoa! Whoa, now, Miss Katherine! Don’t you faint on me!”
With his hands gripping her upper arms, Lonnie attempted to steady her. To his relief, she stayed upright, but her neck couldn’t seem to hold her head straight, and her gaze was blank.
Cursing under his breath, Lonnie quickly scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the couch. As he eased her down on an end cushion and propped a pile of throw pillows against her back, she began to protest.
“You can let go of me now. I’m…okay,” she said stammered weakly. “I just had a woozy moment. It’s passed now.”
Reluctant to loosen his hold on her, Lonnie kept his fingers tightly fastened around her arm as he sat down on the cushion next to her. “I think I’d better take you to the emergency room,” he said with concern. “Just to make sure you’re okay.”
She looked at him, and her cheeks flushed pink, a sign that relieved Lonnie. At least her blood was pumping at a regular rate again.
“No! I’m fine, really. My head swam for only a few seconds. And that’s not unusual for a pregnant woman. Believe me, if I feel the least bit woozy in the morning, I’ll head to my obstetrician.”
The Deaf Smith County sheriff looked at her with faint skepticism. “I don’t know much about pregnant women. But you’ve had a shock and—”
“I’m tough,” she quickly interjected. “Besides, now that I’ve had a few moments to collect myself, I’m beginning to think about all you’ve said. And I might as well tell you—I’m not at all convinced that I should take any of your story at face value. As far as I’m concerned, a letter doesn’t prove anything. Anyone could have written it.”
She straightened her slumped shoulders and reached up to push several strands of disheveled hair from her face. The movement caused the grip of his fingers on her arm to loosen, and Katherine likened the feeling to a piece of hot iron being pulled away from her skin. She’d been around men before. Even rugged, outdoor types like Sheriff Lonnie Corteen. Yet she couldn’t remember one, including the father of her baby, whom she’d reacted to as violently as she had this man. It didn’t make sense. He wasn’t what she’d call handsome. He was tall and rawboned and his features were more rough than smooth. Hooded blue eyes set over a big nose. Hollow creases bracketed a wide, roughly hewn set of lips. The angle of his jaw and the jut of his chin were strong, even a little arrogant. Everything about him was potently masculine, and it embarrassed her to be reacting to him in such a downright sexual way.
“No,” he said slowly. “A letter doesn’t necessarily prove anything. After all, it could have been forged. But for what reason? What would anyone gain out of making up a story like this?”
Katherine couldn’t think of one thing anyone might gain, and that unsettled her even more. Saying Celia wasn’t her mother was like saying the sun didn’t rise in the east. “I would know my mother’s handwriting,” she quickly informed him.
He looked at her regretfully. “Don’t you mean your aunt’s handwriting?”
Her nostrils flared as she took in the meaning of his question. “Celia McBride was my mother. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known. And I…I think it’s despicable that you’ve come into my home and questioned the veracity of my family.”
“I’m not questioning anything, Miss Katherine. This is the story Seth Ketchum gave to me. And Seth doesn’t lie. He’s a