The Cowboy's Claim - Carla Cassidy

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have finally forgiven her for not being the daughter they’d wanted? Would they accept her and her child into their home to get back on her feet after having kicked her out when they’d discovered her pregnancy?

      Surely two years would have brought some forgiveness. Even as she thought of the idea, she dismissed it. She hadn’t heard from either of her parents since they’d thrown her out of their home. Even the birth of her son hadn’t broken the deafening silence of disapproval that had lingered over the past fifteen months.

      Besides, she couldn’t go back to living beneath their roof, where she’d always felt inadequate, where she’d never embraced their need for material things and social acceptance, and where they’d never accepted the woman she had grown up to be.

      With a sigh she left the kitchen once again, noting with a quick, darting glance that Nick and Adam remained in their booth. She’d already given them their tab so there was nothing else they should need from her.

      She focused on the remaining diners in her section and slowly began to relax as she once again met Nick’s gaze and didn’t see any of the fiery anger she thought she’d seen earlier.

      Maybe she’d only imagined the flames of rage there. Maybe it had simply been her slightly guilty conscience at work. She picked up the glass of iced tea she’d nursed all through her shift from a small table close to the restrooms.

      She took a sip of her tepid tea and for a moment she thought of the two waitresses who would never work here again, women who had been murdered in their beds.

      Everyone had hoped that Candy’s murder had either been committed by her boyfriend or perhaps a drifter passing through town. The latest murder seemed to blow the drifter theory out of the water. She set her glass down and fought against a shiver that threatened to walk up her spine as she realized the odds were good that the killer was a local. She might have even served him a meal.

      She shook her head to dispel thoughts of murder and smoothed a hand down the T-shirt that marked her as a Cowboy Café waitress. Hopefully it was just a strange coincidence that both of the murder victims had worked here.

      It was just before seven when Mary walked over to her. “You can go home now. Thanks for filling in at the last minute. This flu bug that’s going around seems to be getting people down.”

      Courtney nodded, but she wondered if the two waitresses who had called in sick had really been sick or had been afraid to come in after the latest murder of one of their own.

      She’d heard through the grapevine that Shirley’s funeral was set for next Wednesday, and as far as Courtney knew everyone from the Cowboy Café planned to attend. Mary had already said she intended to close down the café for several hours that day.

      “I’ll see you Monday at noon,” Courtney said as she handed Mary her order pan and pen. “Good night.”

      She’d almost made it to the door when a firm hand wrapped around her arm and stopped her. “We need to talk.” Nick’s voice simmered with barely controlled emotions just behind her.

      She slowly turned to face him and realized she hadn’t imagined that moment earlier when his eyes had flamed with anger. Now they were a cold, icy blue, and she knew if she didn’t think fast on her feet, he’d know the secret she’d planned on taking to the grave.

      Chapter 4

      Nick held tight to her arm, not wanting to release her until he could bend her to his will, force her to tell him what he wanted to know.

      “I told you before, we have nothing to talk about,” she replied, her face taking on an unhealthy paleness.

      “Oh, I think we do,” he said, his voice deceptively soft and calm. “I think we have a lot to discuss.”

      She glanced around frantically and jerked her arm from his grasp. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about. I’m tired. I just finished up a busy dinner shift. Leave me alone, Nick.”

      He watched as she stormed out the door, and he sensed his brother moving to stand just behind him. “Problems?” Adam asked.

      “Maybe, maybe not,” Nick said as the two left the café. “Drop me off at the motel.”

      “At the motel? Why? You want to tell me what’s going on?” Adam asked as Nick tossed him the keys to the truck.

      “I think Courtney and I have a little unfinished business.” Was it possible? Adam had told him he thought Courtney’s baby was about ten months old, but Mary had mentioned she couldn’t believe that Courtney’s son was already fifteen months old. Was she mistaken?

      Fifteen months? Was it possible the child was his? They’d always been so careful about birth control, except that last night when he’d come to her consumed with grief.

      There had been no thought of birth control that night. There had been no thought in his mind except his need for Courtney’s arms around him, his need for her to swallow him, to engulf him so as to somehow take away at least a little bit of his pain.

      “Unfinished business? I didn’t know you had any starting business with her,” Adam said as he got in behind the wheel. He didn’t start the engine but rather turned and looked at Nick in the passenger seat. “Again, you want to tell me what’s going on? And this time, be a little more specific.”

      “At least start the engine so we can get some air-conditioning going,” Nick replied. He drew a deep sigh and stared out the window, his brain whirling with suppositions. Was it possible she’d gotten pregnant that night?

      If that was the case then why hadn’t she called him? Why hadn’t she let him know immediately? That was a question that had haunted him even before now.

      In the time that he’d been gone he’d never changed his cell phone number, and even though he’d decided not to contact her, to let her go, he’d been surprised and more than a little hurt that she’d never attempted to call him.

      Now there was a part of him that was infuriated that she hadn’t called to tell him she was pregnant with his child. Slow down, he told himself. He couldn’t be sure about the facts. He couldn’t be sure that the child was his.

      As the interior of the truck began to cool, Nick turned to look at his brother. “Before Cherry’s death, Courtney and I were sort of seeing each other.”

      Adam frowned. “Sort of seeing each other? You mean like dating?”

      Nick gave a curt nod of his head.

      “Why didn’t I know about it? I never heard anything about you and Courtney Chambers.”

      “That’s the way we wanted it. We kept our relationship a secret. Her parents would have freaked out if they had known she was dating a no-count rancher like me.” A small burn set off in the pit of his stomach. Had the truth been that she’d been ashamed of their relationship and had only used the disapproval of her parents as an excuse?

      “So, what’s the unfinished business?”

      “Courtney’s baby.”

      Adam raised a dark eyebrow. “What about the baby?”

      “Didn’t you hear Mary mention that Courtney’s boy was fifteen months old?”

      “Fifteen months...” Adam’s voice trailed off as he did the mental math. “The kid is yours?”

      “I can’t be positive.” Nick’s gut churned. “But, I intend to find out. Just take me to the motel, and I’ll find my own way home from there.”

      Adam left the café parking lot and shook his head ruefully. “You and Courtney, it’s hard to wrap my mind around it. You just don’t seem like her type.”

      “I wasn’t. We were just having fun together for a while.” The words felt like a lie as they left Nick’s lips. “We had no contact after I skipped town.”

      “What

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