“Ah, Mr. O’Donovan, just the man I was looking for. I’ve found your answer for you, and even you won’t believe where your son is.”
“He’s here in town.” Sam gritted his teeth. “He’s Sydney’s little brother.” Then he hit Rod square in the jaw. Felt damn good, even with bleeding knuckles.
Rod fell backward, rubbing his face. “Hey, we had a deal.”
“The deal was you find out where my son is.”
“I did.”
“Not quick enough. I figured it out without you. Now get the hell out of my sight before I do some real damage.”
Sam found his rental car and drove away. The rodeo was still going on, but Zach’s brother Dallas would be home. Dallas didn’t compete like his two younger brothers. He was a shooter at heart. He’d be at the ranch. It was near suppertime.
Dallas was one of the only two attorneys in Bakersville. The other was Chad’s brother-in-law, Harper Bay, but he was busy planning a wedding in less than a week. Dallas was Sam’s best bet.
He drove to Dallas and Annie’s ranch house on the McCray property, walked up, and knocked.
“Hello there, Sam,” Annie McCray said in her biting Jersey accent. “Nice to see you.”
“Is Dallas at home?”
“Yeah, he sure is. Come on in. We’re just finishing our dinner.”
“I’m sorry to intrude. I have a legal problem.”
“No intrusion. Let me get the kids out of your way, and you and he can talk. Come on in to the kitchen.”
After they said hi to their Uncle Sammy, Annie took Sylvie and Laurie by the hands and escorted them into the family room where the babies were sleeping in their bassinets. “Sam’s here to see you, hon. Legal talk.”
“What can I do you for, Sam?” Dallas asked, standing. “You want to sit down?”
“Do I ever.” Sam plunked his ass in a chair.
“Coffee?”
“Got anything stronger?”
Dallas smiled. “That bad, huh? How about a Macallan, neat?”
“Sounds like nectar of the gods.”
Dallas poured two drinks and sat back down at the table. “So what’s going on?”
“I need to get a court order for a DNA test.”
“What for?”
“You know the Buchanans, right?”
“Blake and Sydney, yeah. And their parents are here for the rodeo too.”
“Along with their little boy. He’s about Sean’s age.”
“Duke, yeah. I’ve seen him.”
“Well, here’s the thing.” He cleared his throat. “Little Duke Buchanan is my son.”
* * *