Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Sarah parked in front of Luke’s house and wondered what she was doing.

He worked for Margaret. Not in a continuing way, but he had sent her the letter demanding their visit. He not only did some kind of background check on her but somehow got his hands on her sealed juvenile records. His actions made her angry, but in a way she was also relieved. In the back of her mind, she’d always known the bigger her public image at Spencer Software and Andy’s Antics, the more people would want to know about her. It was only a matter of time before someone found those records.

She’d just thought it would be some tech genius who hacked the system to get them.

Not the lawyer for the woman who hated her most.

But despite all that, Luke didn’t seem to be trying too hard to prove Margaret’s case—that she had married Sean only for his money. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her for real, not just to pick out all her faults.

He actually believed her side of what happened with her uncle.

She thought she didn’t care, but she did.

And while she appreciated his change of heart, and the way he listened to her story without the judgment he’d shown her earlier, she really didn’t know if there was anything but attraction pulling them together.

Most relationships started that way, but Luke seemed averse to relationships that came with commitment, judging by the way he wanted to push her away, even as he reluctantly pulled her closer.

It confused her.

She really didn’t know if he actually liked her.

He shouldn’t have kissed her.

She never should have kissed him back.

But the temptation had been too great to ignore. And it had been a long time since she felt that kind of desire.

And she’d never been kissed like that. It overtook her. It settled her and shook her up all at once.

Luke, and his many facets, intrigued her. At first, the only thing pulling her to him was the physical attraction. But now, she found common ground with him. He loved the horses as much as she loved them. He worked hard. He was a lawyer and a rancher. She liked running Spencer Software and the work she did there, but she found satisfaction in her gaming projects that she did for fun because they fulfilled another part of her.

Maybe he’d had an attitude with her in the beginning, but she didn’t hold it against him. She often held back because she didn’t trust others, so that he did the same was something she understood.

Luke had accepted Margaret’s opinion of Sarah because he’d known Margaret for most of his life. He didn’t think she’d lie. And Margaret didn’t. She believed what she thought of Sarah. Luke at least took the time to dig deeper and get to know her better to form his own opinion.

She appreciated that.

Nick pulled her out of her head. “Mama, I want to see the barn cats.”

She set aside her reservations about seeing Luke again and slipped out of the car and unbuckled Nick from his booster seat. “Let’s see if Luke is ready for us.” She turned, let Nick jump onto her back, and closed the car door. On her way to the porch, she changed direction and followed the thwacking sound coming from the side of the house.

She rounded the corner and found Luke standing tall, his arms over his head, hands gripped around the ax he brought down, splitting a log in two. The pieces fell off the stump.

Nick wriggled on her back. “Awesome!”

Luke spotted them and pulled the earbuds from his ears. “You made it.” The bright, open smile made her stomach flutter. But the rest of him held her attention. Suddenly, she felt too warm in her tank top, jeans, and hiking boots.

Bare-chested, he smelled like freshly chopped wood, and his hair was tousled from running his hands through it, like he’d done in frustration a number of times when with her. Usually, because he was angry with her. His snug jeans rode low on his hips. Who could miss his chiseled six-pack? Not an ounce of fat on him. With each movement he made she watched the play of muscles as they rippled under his bronzed skin. Ranch work did a body good.

She hadn’t been this close to a half-naked man in a long time. For some reason, she found herself drawn to Luke and the strength he radiated despite their tumultuous start.

And she thought again about that kiss he’d laid on her.

His gaze dropped to her lips, then met her eyes again. His filled with desire, stark and urgent. “It’s good to see you.” His warm words felt welcoming and settled the butterflies in her belly. “Where’s Jack?”

“He woke up this morning with a cold. I gave him some medicine after lunch, and he fell asleep. Margaret said she’d bring him if he woke up and we weren’t back yet.”

“I killed him.” Nick bounced with excitement on her back.

Sarah smiled and explained. “Video games. Nick is an excellent driver and killed it at the stock car race.”

Luke grinned. “Oh yeah. I’ve got a whole mess of video games. Maybe we’ll go head-to-head sometime, little man.”

“Do you mean it?” Nick didn’t usually take to strangers, but he liked Luke. “You’ll play with me? Mama plays, but she wins cuz she makes games.”

Sarah didn’t want Luke asking about her business, so she quickly changed the subject. “Nick can’t wait to see the barn cats.”

Luke pulled the ax up again and thwacked it into the log, making it stick. “Let’s head down to the barn.”

He picked up the red flannel and pulled it on, then started buttoning it. Sexy as hell half naked, he even looked good putting his clothes back on.

She caught herself staring and turned toward the barn.

“Five years is a long time,” Luke said from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder, caught his knowing look and the sheer male pride that he knew she liked what she saw in him.

Who wouldn’t? The man was pure cowboy perfection.

But he also had a sharp lawyer’s mind, she reminded herself, and so far he’d only confused her about his motives. Was he spending time with her for professional or personal reasons? Was this all about Margaret’s threat to go to court, or was he really interested in her?

Either way, he made her nervous and unsure and she didn’t like it, so she held strong to the inner strength and confidence she used in business.

She reminded him why they were here. “You promised Nick barn cats and vegetable picking.”

“I can multitask. Because I’m all about spending time with you.”

To distract him, she handed him the box she’d brought with her. “These are for you. Apology brownies. Sorry for sleeping in your field.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” He raked his fingers through his hair and gave her an apologetic frown. “I overreacted. It’s just that seeing you out there with all those horses . . .”

“I know.” She didn’t want to think about what could have happened.

Luke handed a brownie to Nick, then took a big bite of another. “Where did you get these? They’re outstanding.”

“I made them.”

Nick swallowed the last of his square. “Mama makes the best brownies and cookies. I like chocolate chip best.”

Luke stopped just inside the barn and cocked his head. “I thought you couldn’t cook.”

She stood beside him and raised a brow. “Why would you think that?”

Luke shrugged. “Margaret.”

“I should have known.” She rolled her eyes. “Are you going to make me explain some lie Margaret told you every time you see me?”

“It’s called a conversation.” He smirked. “I’m interested.”

She shook her head, but gave in and told him the truth. “You know my mom died when I was very young. The foster families I stayed with only ever gave me the bare essentials. My uncle overcooked or charred everything he ever made, which is why we ate a lot of pizza and fried chicken out of a bucket. I imagined real families had moms who cooked healthy meals and baked cookies for after-school snacks.”

“I doubt they all do, but mine did.” Luke gave her a glimpse into his very different childhood.

“There’s a restaurant close to our office. I love eating there. So much so, they know me now. So when I found out I was pregnant with Jack, I asked the chef if he’d teach me how to cook and bake. We struck a deal and he taught me.”

Luke looked intrigued. “What deal?”

“I revamped his restaurant inventory and ordering systems. I set up a database for his customers’ orders and billing information. Now, he can see who his most loyal clientele are and what they like to order. When they make a reservation, he can have special menus ready for them.”

Luke tilted his head. “I frequent several restaurants in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, but there’s this one place where the chef caters to his exclusive clientele.”

“Gerard’s,” she answered for him, loving that he knew the place.

“You learned to cook from a Michelin star chef.” He sounded impressed.

“Yep. He was really appreciative of the work I did. He always keeps a table for me. I still eat there several times a week and every once in a while he lets me back into the kitchen to help him cook.”

Luke cocked his head. “Isn’t there like a four-month waiting list for a reservation?”

Sarah shrugged one shoulder. “Not for me.”

Luke swallowed another big bite of brownie, set the box on a table, held his hands out to Nick, who immediately went to him. “Sounds like he got quite a deal for the work you did for him.” Luke settled Nick on his hip.

“I don’t have a single memory of anyone ever making me cookies. So if you ask me, I got the better end of the bargain. You can’t put a price on the memories the kids and I make when we get in the kitchen, make a huge mess, and cook something yummy.”

His eyes filled with admiration.

Good. She’d blown apart another of his misconceptions about her. “You know, you’d figure me out a lot faster if you’d forget everything you think you know about me.”

“I want to know everything.” He held her gaze, completely sincere.

Sarah wanted to believe that, despite the fact he’d once believed she’d used Sean to rise out of her dire circumstances, only to take his money and company in some selfish power grab to steal all his wealth.

She took this as a sign he trusted her in some small way.

She hadn’t lied when she said she’d sworn off men, but looking at how sweet Nick looked in his arms, and remembering how good Luke looked without a shirt, maybe what she really meant was she was only interested in getting involved with the right man.

But was that Luke?

Maybe. He was certainly the only man in years who’d grabbed her attention.

“Kitties, Mama.” Nick looked from her to Luke.

Luke headed over to one of the cupboards outside the horse stalls and pulled out a can of cat food and two small paper plates. He set Nick on the ground, put the two plates out, then popped the top on the cat food can.

The sound brought meows from two different directions and Nick smiled. “They heard it.”

Luke pointed at the top of one stall where an orange tabby walked along the wood then jumped down and came running to the plate. “Say hello to Tiger.” Luke rubbed his big hand over the tabby’s back and received several head-bumps. “He’s a real sweet boy.”

All of a sudden, a gray cat with a black-dots-and-lines pattern ran and leapt onto Luke’s shoulder, rubbing his head against Luke’s head.

“Hello, Monster.”

“Monster,” Nick repeated, laughing. “That’s not his name.”

Luke smiled at Nick and gave Monster a pet. “It sure is. He gets into everything and loves to shred the toilet paper roll in the bathroom. But he’s a great mouser.”

Monster jumped off Luke and chowed down on his food.

Nick petted the cats while they ate.

Luke ruffled Nick’s hair, then stood next to her. “I’m glad you brought him over. Sorry Jack missed out. But you can bring them back anytime you want. Though I hope you’ll keep it to Thursday through Sunday.”

“Why?”

“Because I drive into the office Monday to Wednesday and I’d hate to miss spending time with you. And the boys,” he added.

“Tell me about your lawyer work?”

“You don’t want to hear about that.”

“It’s called a conversation,” she mimicked him.

He chuckled under his breath. “I work with my family. Grandpa started the business. He practiced criminal law and built quite a reputation. Dad and I followed in his footsteps. Jason, my brother, practices corporate law. We have a few other junior lawyers working in-house who handle things like tax law and intellectual property.”

“I imagine they work closely with Jason.”

“That’s right. He loves the business. So does Dad, though he’s cut back a lot the last couple years. Recently, he’s hardly been practicing at all, so his retiring isn’t a surprise to his clients.”

“And you?”

“I used to love it. Still do sometimes, but I wanted something more. I wanted this to balance the demands of the job. Here, no one’s life is hanging in the balance. If I get something wrong, no one gets hurt. I didn’t put a dangerous or hurtful person back out on the streets.”

“If you’re not happy as a defense attorney, why not change your specialty?”

“I like defending people in court. I’ve just stopped taking high-profile, complex cases. Though lucrative, they suck up a lot of time and take a toll on my life.”

“All work and no play,” she guessed, finding common ground with Luke.

“If I wasn’t in the office or court, I was barely getting any sleep at home before I went back to the office. When I made time for personal relationships . . . they fizzled out or ended badly because of my overscheduled life. I burned out at work and in life. My parents owned this place before I took it over. When I was young, we spent summers here, riding horses, camping, fishing, and hiking. Then the place mostly sat empty for years. I took it over and turned it into a working ranch. I loved this place. Still do. I’ve lived here the past three years.”

“It suits you.” She’d seen it in the way he loved his horses like they were his children.

A horse nickered and kicked at a stall gate.

“That’s Ace,” Luke said. “He must want to see you, too.”

She bent and rubbed Nick’s back as he giggled at Tiger, who had flopped down between his legs on his back and held Nick’s hand to his belly while Nick petted him. “I’ll be right down there.” She pointed to the last stall.

Nick nodded. “I like him.”

She kissed Nick’s head. “He likes you, too.” She stood and met Luke’s steady gaze. “Watch Nick. I’ll go say hello to Ace.”

“Just don’t steal him again,” Luke teased.

She headed down the aisle and called out, “No promises.”

Luke mock-groaned behind her. Soon she heard his low voice as he played with Nick and the cats.

She reached Ace’s gate just as he kicked it again. “Hey now. That’s enough of that, big guy.”

Ace turned and put his head over the gate. She gave his neck a long stroke. “There, now. That’s a nice boy.” She wished she could take him out for a ride, but settled for babying him with lots of pats.

A phone rang in the distance.

“Hey Sarah,” Luke called.

She turned and found him standing next to Nick holding up his cell. “Sorry. It’s work. I need to take this.”

She nodded, gave Ace another rub down his long nose, then kissed his face. “Be good. I’ll see you later.”

She headed back down the aisle as Luke walked away from her and Nick. She met her son in the middle and picked him up. “Did you have fun with the kitties?”

“I love them.” He tucked his hands between her and his legs. “I have to go.”

“Okay.”

Luke stood at the end of the barn, his back to her. She rushed toward him, knowing Nick probably couldn’t wait long to go to the bathroom.

“What did you find out about the car accident?” Luke’s question stopped her in her tracks. “I want to know everything about it and the woman in the car with him.”

“Mama. I have to pee.”

Luke spun around, his eyes filled with guilt. He pointed to a closed door next to an office.

She took Nick, opened the door, set him down, and made sure the light was on before he closed the door and did his business.

“I need to call you back,” Luke said, then turned to her. He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it.

“Nothing to say? Let me. I thought after our talk you dropped this, but you’re still digging into my past. It doesn’t matter what I say or do, you’re going to continue to believe everything Margaret says about me for a friend you didn’t even keep in contact with past high school. You’re more loyal to a woman obviously bent on revenge even though I’ve done nothing to warrant it and a dead man you don’t even know anymore. Do you really believe I’m such a terrible person and mother?”

“Mama.” Nick stood in the open bathroom door, his gaze bouncing between her and Luke.

She held her hand out to him. “Time to go home.”

“But we didn’t pick vegetables,” Nick whined. “Jack isn’t even here yet.”

Sarah picked up Nick and walked toward the barn doors. “We’re going back to Grandma’s.”

“Sarah, wait. Let me explain.”

She turned but didn’t meet his eyes.

“After our talk about . . . ” Luke glanced at Nick, then said, “. . . your uncle, I completely forgot I asked my guy to look into Sean, too.”

She appreciated that he didn’t say anything in front of Nick about what she’d done as a teen, but it didn’t excuse that he was still digging into things that had nothing to do with whether or not she was a good mother to her boys.

So she had the final word. “What happened when I was a kid, what happened with Sean, they made me want to be the best mom I can be. That’s all you need to know. My marriage is none of your business. He’s gone. I’ve moved on. So should you.”

With that she turned and left, a knot in her gut that if he kept digging he might expose what she’d spent the last two years keeping secret.