LITMIR.BIZ

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we could hire her at an entry-level salary, which would be affordable enough. Make her part-time so we don’t have to pay benefits and I’ll agree to it.”

      Brett barreled ahead, suddenly eager to get to the real point of his announcement. “I already offered her a full-time position with benefits and a competitive salary because she’s pregnant.”

      Jack’s whole face turned red, his head of steam going like gangbusters. “You just keep pushing and pushing, don’t you? The Lucky C isn’t a charity organiz—”

      “With my child,” Brett added, cutting him off. “I’m going to be a father in about twenty weeks, give or take.”

Chapter 4

      The room went dead quiet. Dad stared at Brett, disappointment dragging at his features. Jack’s mouth flopped open while Tracy rubbed his arm. Eric and Daniel stared out the window, their expressions shuttered.

      Brett sipped his coffee, though he couldn’t even taste it, giving them time to get over their shock.

      In the gaping silence, a hard, patronizing laugh burst out of Jack. “You really did it this time. How in the world did you get yourself into a mess like that?”

      Jack’s laughter, even more than the disappointment in the rest of his family’s eyes, snapped Brett’s patience. He was done with being a whipping boy. “Let me see if I can spell it out for you. When a man and a woman are attracted to each other, sometimes they express that attraction by doing a mommy-and-daddy grown-up dance with all their clothes off—”

      Jack sneered at him. “And you wanted me to give you more responsibilities around here. Unbelievable.”

      Dad scrubbed a hand over his mouth and chin. “Like I always say, the apple don’t fall far from the tree,” he murmured, his eyes shifting briefly to Daniel.

      Just once, Brett wanted his father to tell him that with pride in his voice instead of disappointment. Just once in his damn life. Brett had grown up idolizing his dad, from his larger-than-life presence and joviality that made him the life of every party to the bullheaded conviction that had led him to forge the Lucky C ranch from the earth and transform it into a profitable enterprise.

      On the surface, yes, Brett’s getting a girl pregnant out of wedlock seemed similar to his dad’s screwups, but the situation with Hannah wasn’t at all like the extramarital affair his dad had that resulted in Daniel’s conception. Brett hadn’t broken any marriage vows. Not that Brett or any of them would point out the differences aloud and risk making Daniel uncomfortable. He might only be their half brother by blood, but he was a full brother in their hearts—the only place it mattered.

      He didn’t think Dad meant to be callous with the comment. Over the years, his dad had made it clear that he’d separated in his mind the sin of his affair from the love he felt for the son he’d gained from it. Still, Brett chanced a look in Daniel’s direction to see him staring out the window, as though he’d shuttered himself from the conversation.

      Brett wished his sister, Greta, had been there. She had the kindest and most forgiving heart of all of them and, because of that, been the glue of the family since she’d been a child. She would’ve known what to say to ease the tension in the room and remind Daniel that their dad didn’t mean any harm.

      With his eyes on Daniel’s profile, Brett cleared his throat and tried to imagine what Greta would’ve said had she been present. “Then it’s a good thing we grew up understanding that family is family and that a baby is a blessing, no matter what.”

      Edith gave Brett an affectionate rub on the back. “Well said.”

      Eric refilled his coffee mug. “I’m with you on that sentiment, but this is a lot to take in. I’d like more details about what happened. Forgive my bluntness, but I’ve gotten the impression that you’ve slept with plenty of women over the years, and you managed not to knock any of them up—I feel safe in saying. So how did a mistake like this come about? I mean, assuming it was an accident and she didn’t do this on purpose to get at our money. Because something smells fishy to me.”

      Brett looked from Eric to Ryan and the rest of the family, all of whom wore expressions of surprise and concern and, as opposed to his dad and Jack, they looked as if they were ready to listen to what Brett had to say instead of merely pelting him with insults. Even Edith perched on the edge of a chair, her arms crossed and a sympathetic smile on her lips.

      Brett shifted toward them, putting a cold shoulder to Jack. “She’s not trying to get at our family money, and you’re just going to have to trust me on that until you meet her.” Behind him, Jack chuffed, but Brett pressed on. “Here’s what happened. You remember that day, four months ago, when I wrapped my truck around the tree? That was the moment that made me turn my life around and get a clue about the kind of man I wanted to be and the kind of life I wanted to lead.”

      “Of course we remember that,” Ryan said. “You tattered that truck and you’re lucky to be alive.”

      “I am. I know. Leading up to that moment, I’d had a hell of a weekend, a real bender after Mom and I had argued. About what, I can’t even remember. Anyway, I’d gone out clubbing the night before the truck accident, which was where I met Hannah and slept with her. We used a condom—” Eric opened his mouth, probably to suggest that Hannah had sabotaged the condom, so Brett held a finger up to quiet him and added, “A condom that I provided, so get that out of your mind. Yesterday was the first time I’d seen her since that night. Needless to say, we had a long, serious talk. Neither one of us has any idea why the condom didn’t work.”

      Jack templed his hands in front of his mouth. “Wait. She’s nineteen weeks pregnant, yet she didn’t tell you until yesterday? I’m with Eric. Something smells fishy to me.”

      “Hate to beat a dead horse,” Ryan said, drumming his fingers on his knee, “and maybe you’re right and our suspicions will be laid to rest when we meet her, but this wouldn’t be the first time a desperate, misguided young woman tried to get at our family money. And with your less-than-monogamous lifestyle, you’d be the perfect target for a scam. My advice is for you to get a paternity test before this goes any further.”

      Less-than-monogamous lifestyle. That would have been the understatement of the century a few months ago. Nevertheless, Hannah had called it correctly. On the surface, her being desperately hard-up for money and pregnant with a Colton’s child looked bad from every angle—except one. “No paternity test necessary. I’m going to take her word for it that I’m the father, and when you meet her, you’ll take her word for it, too.”

      Dad snickered. “She’s that homely?”

      “What? No. She’s that honest. Honest and smart and stubborn to a fault. You’ll see.” Because he knew that everything would change in their minds the moment they laid eyes on her. She’d win them all over with a single smile, of that he was certain.

      His family still looked unconvinced, so Brett continued. “The reason she waited so long to tell me about the baby was that she wanted to get back on her feet first. Because she knows exactly how suspicious this looks from the outside. Hannah’s parents disowned her and fired her from their family business when they found out she was pregnant. She spent the last of her savings on medical care for her pregnancy and has been crashing on her friend’s sofa ever since. This solution, her moving here and working for us as an accountant, was my idea. And believe me, it took some convincing.”

      “Wait, she’s not only going to work for us, but you’re moving her in here, without a paternity test, background check, nothing?” Jack said.

      “I’ll run a background check on her, no problem.” Ryan whipped his phone out and peered at Hannah’s résumé, mouthing the letters of her name as he typed.

      Brett grabbed the résumé away from Ryan’s gaze. “Not necessary. I went by her family’s store yesterday after I dropped Hannah off at her friend’s house

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