Hitched (Steele Ranch 4)

She sighed, went into her small living room and paced, ran her hand over her hair. “I hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, but you guys have this death stare thing going on and I can’t not tell you things when you look at me like that.”

We followed her into the room, but we remained just inside the doorway.

“That’s good to remember, but you missed the important part,” King continued.

She turned and looked up at us. Tilting up her chin, she said, “Aiden Steele is my father.”

Yeah, that was what she’d said the first time.

“How long have you known this?” I asked.

“All my life.”

All her life?

“Your mother—”

“Yeah, she’s my mother all right,” she grumbled. “You’re well aware she likes to collect rich husbands. I guess Aiden Steele was her target about twenty-four years ago. While she hasn’t admitted this, I’m thinking she tried to trap him, but he never took the bait.”

“And Riley’s your lawyer,” I said, putting some of the pieces together. I was friendly with Townsend, but not close. Knew he was a lawyer, even knew he was the executor of the Steele estate. Hell, everyone in town knew it. I worked with Archer Wade, the town sheriff, and he’d told me he’d fallen for Cricket, one of the daughters who’d come to Barlow because of the inheritance.

I didn’t know too much about Aiden Steele. I’d seen him in town a few times over the years, but we’d never spoken. From the Barlow gossip mill, I knew he’d never married and up until he died, no one knew of any kids to inherit his ranch. It had been a Steele property for generations. But that same gossip mill had tons of fodder after his death when it was discovered he had five daughters to whom he’d left the ranch. Three of them had been found. Riley, along with Cord Connolly, had married the first heiress to arrive. Kady.

I didn’t remember her maiden name, but I knew she’d married them. Yup, both of them. She was also very pregnant with their first child. The other two women, Penny and Cricket, had also come to Barlow last summer. I’d met Penny once as she’d married Jamison, who was the foreman at Steele Ranch, and Boone. As for Cricket, we’d yet to meet, but she’d hooked up with three guys—one of them being Archer—and lived on the ranch.

Maybe claiming Sarah together wasn’t as rare as we’d first thought, especially now that she was a Steele. No, she’d always been a Steele.

“How come he didn’t claim you as his daughter? I mean, you lived in the same town,” King asked, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re not bothered by that?”

Yeah, this was heavy shit.

She shrugged. “I always knew who he was to me. My mother never hesitated to bash him, but she did it quietly, at home. She still does,” she grumbled. “She didn’t want anyone to know. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “He paid child support, gave me money for college. I think he did all he could.”

“He could have loved you,” King tossed back. While his parents were dead now, they’d loved him. No doubt about it. When he had kids—no, when we had kids with Sarah—he’d be as hands-on as his dad had been.

“True, but I don’t know if he was capable of it. I mean, he had five daughters. Claimed none of them until he died. I think the money for college was proof he cared about me in his own way. I’m fine. Really,” she added. She looked okay, but shit like this could fester. And since her mother was a bitch, I was still surprised she didn’t need counseling.

I was mad. Really mad. How could a father not want Sarah?

“I’m angry for you then,” I told her.

She came up to me, lifted her hand and cupped my jaw. “I love that about you.” Her tongue flicked out, licked her lips. “I love you.”

Those words. Fuck. I’d been hoping to hear those from her for years.

“Don’t distract me from wanting to kill your father.”

She smiled and that dimple popped out. “Good thing he’s already dead. I’m sure there’s a big line ahead of you anyway. I mean, Kady, Penny and Cricket all have men who probably hate Aiden Steele, too, for the same reason.”

“Yeah, but from what I hear, they never met him, never knew he even existed,” King added. He was pissed, too.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” I asked.

“Because until last night, I didn’t think things were going to work between us.”

“And now?” King asked. “Legally, you’re marrying me tomorrow at the courthouse. You’ll be Wilder’s too, but you’ll get my name. Our kids will inherit the Barlow Ranch.”

“And part of the Steele Ranch, it seems,” I added, thinking of the huge ranch outside of town. It’s only rival for size was King’s. “That’s why you were talking to Riley?”