The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO

Suddenly, the door to the hall flew open, and Bryn stood framed in the archway. Her dark eyes burned in a face that was ghostly pale. “I have to go.” Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing. In one hand were the keys to her rental car, in the other, her purse.

Trent was at her side in one stride, gripping her shoulders. “What is it? Are you hurt?” He ran his hands down her arms, searching for clues to her near hysteria.

She put her head on his shoulder, her voice a pained whisper. “Allen’s in the hospital. He’s had a terrible asthma attack. He’s asking for me. And I’m not there.”

It was a mother’s worst fear. Trent felt her anguish as if it were his own. His eyes met Mac’s over Bryn’s bent head, both men thinking the same thing. How many nights had they kept vigils at a young Jesse’s bedside when he had struggled so pitifully to breathe?

Trent held her close, stroking her hair. “Don’t panic. I’ll take you. We’ll use the next thirty minutes to pack and check plane schedules, and we’ll be out of here.”

Mac held up his hand. “Wait a minute. Let me order the jet, Bryn. You call the doctor and see if the boy’s stable enough to fly. We’ll bring Allen and your aunt out here and I’ll hire the best private nurse money can buy to accompany them. It will give the kid something to be excited about and you’ll enjoy showing him the ranch.”

“I can’t ask you to do that. It’s too expensive.” Bryn’s face was tear-stained.

“I’m an old coot.” He lumbered to his feet and laid a hand on her shoulder. “What am I going to do with all that money, anyway? Let me do this, Bryn. It won’t make up for the past, but it would make me feel better. It’s late now…they probably have him sleeping. In the morning your aunt can tell him he’s going on an exciting journey.”

“Would he be comfortable on the plane?” Bryn looked at Trent, her expression troubled, vulnerable.

“It’s damned luxurious.” Trent chuckled. “He can play video games if he feels like it. There’s a bed where he can lie down. He’ll be pampered, I promise.”

She nodded slowly. “I’ll have to call the doctor right away.”

“Use my BlackBerry. You don’t mind us listening in, do you?”

She frowned. “Of course not.”

Trent carried on a conversation with Mac while Bryn was on the phone. “We can give the aunt and the nurse and the boy the suite of rooms at the end of the hall. They’ll be close to Bryn, and she can keep an eye on her little one.”

Mac gave him a narrow-eyed, knowing gaze. “Staking out your territory, are you?”

Trent didn’t rise to the bait. “It’s healthy for children to have their own rooms. Even I know that.”

“Well, I’ll tell you this, boy. If you have designs on Bryn, you’ll have to move fast.” Mac snorted. “She won’t be here much longer.”

Bryn finished her call. The doctor had given the go-ahead, so Mac got on the phone in turn and started barking orders. Trent did his part, as well, and soon all the pieces were in place. By 8:00 a.m. the plane would be staffed with a nurse and every medical convenience necessary to make sure Bryn’s young son would receive top-notch care.

Trent went in search of Bryn. He found her huddled in a quilt on the front porch swing. The night air was crisp and the stars numbered in the millions. He sat down beside her and pulled her against his chest. “He’ll be okay, Bryn. Try not to worry.”

She shrugged. “It’s what mothers do.”

“Did you ever think about getting an abortion?”

She didn’t answer for a long time, and he wondered if he had offended her. “I’m sorry. That was very personal.”

She tucked the quilt more tightly around her neck. “No, it’s okay. Honestly, I don’t remember ever thinking of that as an option. I’d wanted for so long to be a real Sinclair. You five were the only family I knew. I had a hazy memory of meeting Aunt Beverly, but the ranch and you and Mac and your brothers were my real family, at least in my heart. So when I realized I was pregnant, my first emotion was joy.”