The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch Read online

  A war hero returns to a secret baby surprise in this Slades of Sunset Ranch novel by USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands

  Back from his tour of duty, wealthy Nevada rancher Justin Slade gets the shock of his life. The woman who shared his bed eighteen months ago is in his hometown with a son in tow…who looks just like Justin!

  Katherine Grady is hiding a dark past, but when she realizes Justin seduced her under false pretenses, she’s livid…even if she still finds him as irresistible as ever. Will their secrets keep them apart, or will her hero fight for what’s his?

  “Justin…”

  She had no words and he seemed to understand.

  He lowered her down on the bed and held her tightly in his arms. She saw his need, the strength of will he mustered to contain his lust.

  Turning his body, he took her face into his hands. “This is how it is between us.”

  She searched his eyes for more. Something to say that he trusted her, something to say that she could trust him. There were lies between them, and a son.

  “Connor will be part of my life, Kat.” Her heart tripped, seeing such love in his eyes. “If I’m wary and cautious, it’s because I’m not taking any chances when it comes to Connor.”

  Kat thought about that a few seconds. “I understand. I’m relieved that you feel protective about him. He deserves…”

  “The best in both of us.”

  * * *

  The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch is part of The Slades of Sunset Ranch: The sun never sets on love and redemption for these rich Nevada ranchers!

  A series available only from USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands and Harlequin Desire!

  * * *

  If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire!

  #harlequindesire

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Sunset Ranch! This time we meet the youngest Slade brother, Justin, a military hero who comes home to Nevada only to be greeted by the biggest surprise of all. Our heroine, Katherine Grady, gets a bit of a shock, too, when she sees Justin in his hometown setting. You’ll meet adorable toddler Connor and feisty aunt Mattie, a woman who has a few secrets of her own. Hopefully these beloved characters will find a place in your heart as you maneuver through the plot twists and turns of the story.

  It’s been my pleasure introducing you to Sunset Ranch and those devilishly handsome Slade men—Logan, Luke and Justin. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

  Until next time,

  Happy trails and happy reading!

  Charlene

  THE SECRET HEIR

  OF SUNSET RANCH

  Charlene Sands

  Books by Charlene Sands

  Harlequin Desire

  **Carrying the Rancher’s Heir #2088

  **The Cowboy’s Pride #2127

  Exquisite Acquisitions #2174

  **Worth the Risk #2190

  ∆Sunset Surrender #2205

  ∆Sunset Seduction #2233

  ∆The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch #2263

  Silhouette Desire

  The Heart of a Cowboy #1488

  Expecting the Cowboy’s Baby #1522

  Like Lightning #1668

  Heiress Beware #1729

  Bunking Down with the Boss #1746

  Fortune’s Vengeful Groom #1783

  Between the CEO’s Sheets #1805

  The Corporate Raider’s Revenge #1848

  *Five-Star Cowboy #1889

  *Do Not Disturb Until Christmas #1906

  *Reserved for the Tycoon #1924

  Texan’s Wedding-Night Wager #1964

  ΩMillion-Dollar Marriage Merger #2016

  ΩSeduction on the CEO’s Terms #2027

  ΩThe Billionaire’s Baby Arrangement #2033

  Harlequin Historical

  Lily Gets Her Man #554

  Chase Wheeler’s Woman #610

  The Law and Kate Malone #646

  Winning Jenna’s Heart #662

  The Courting of Widow Shaw #710

  Renegade Wife #789

  Abducted at the Altar #816

  Bodine’s Bounty #872

  Taming the Texan #887 “Springville Wife”

  Western Weddings #895 “Wearing the Rancher’s Ring”

  Western Winter Wedding Bells #1011

  **A Cowboy Worth Claiming #1083

  *Suite Secrets

  ΩNapa Valley Vows

  **The Worths of Red Ridge

  ∆The Slades of Sunset Ranch

  Other titles by this author available in ebook format.

  CHARLENE SANDS

  is a USA TODAY bestselling author of thirty-five romance novels, writing sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with a National Readers Choice Award, a Cataromance Reviewer’s Choice Award, and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County chapter and the Los Angeles chapter of RWA.

  Charlene writes “hunky heroes with heart.” She knows a little something about true romance—she married her high school sweetheart! When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers! You can write her at P.O. Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308 or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

  This book is dedicated to my late father, Charles, who proudly served in the army during World War II, and to all the other brave military men and women, both past and present, who have served or do serve our country with honor.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  One

  Justin Slade was home. It’d been three days now.

  His Ford F-150 truck barreled down the highway with enough horsepower to match the equine force of Sunset Ranch’s best thoroughbreds, radio blasting Luke Bryan’s latest country hit. It was beat-tapping music. At any other time, Justin would be pounding the dashboard in sync with the rhythm.

  But today, he wasn’t enjoying the music, the blue Nevada sky or the morning weather, which was clear and crisp enough to remind him winter was on the distant horizon. His gut churned in half a dozen ways as he faced what he was about to do. The marine in him hadn’t a doubt he was doing the right thing. He had to come clean for Matilda Applegate’s sake and for...Brett.

  He punched the off button on the radio and Luke’s voice disappeared.

  Appropriate silence filled the air.

  A cold shiver of dread hung around him like an invisible cloak, refusing to be shrugged off with upbeat music or good weather. Brett Applegate was dead. It was Justin’s fault, and Brett’s aunt, his only living relative, needed to know the truth.

  He pressed his foot to the pedal and glanced around the outskirts of Silver Springs as a sultry female voice on his GPS gave him the coordinates. Gravel spit under his tires. The deserted road narrowed and a knot in the pit of his stomach begged for this to be over. He’d been on dangerous missions in Afgh
anistan that hadn’t caused him this much anxiety. Guilt and apprehension sucked as constant companions.

  Justin popped two antacids into his mouth. He’d been living on the darn things lately.

  “In fifty feet, turn right,” the GPS voice instructed.

  Justin made the turn and drove his truck down a dusty dirt path that wound its way toward a one-story ranch house matured by frigid winters, hotter-than-hell summers and a string of bad months in between. Seeing Brett’s home in such a state of neglect was a sharp shot of reality, testament to the economic misery the Applegates had suffered over the years. Brett had always said his uncle Ralph would’ve gotten heartsick seeing what had happened to his once-proud home.

  As the truck ambled closer, Justin caught a glimpse of a disabled car near the house, the back tire flatter than a flapjack, and a woman bending over, her head deep in the bowels of the trunk. Her jewel-pocketed derriere pointed skyward, drawing his immediate gaze. Hell, it was a beacon for any man in his right mind to stop and help out.

  Justin pressed on the brake, keeping his eyes trained on a sight he hadn’t seen in a long time: a gorgeous, perfectly shaped female ass. It was enough to get his juices flowing. Heck, after nine years in the marines, it didn’t take much. But hot damn, the view was fine.

  He swallowed and climbed down from the cab of his truck. His boots ate gravel as he neared the back of her car. The woman’s silky blouse climbed her waist while she continued to search the trunk, and his eyes locked on to five inches of soft-as-butter, creamy skin.

  “Sweet heaven, what else is going to go wrong?” Her voice flowed over him like smooth bourbon. He grabbed a peek of that exposed skin again.

  Man, oh, man.

  He cleared his throat. Darn his mama for teaching him gentlemanly manners. Forcing his gaze away from her beautiful bottom, he focused on her curly, platinum-blond hair.

  “Excuse me, miss. Can I lend a hand?”

  She jerked up and hit her head on the inside of the trunk. “Ow.”

  She scowled as her hand went to her head, rubbing away the pain. “Oh, I didn’t see you—”

  Their gazes locked. Her hand froze in her shoulder-length platinum locks. Her brows pulled tight and her lips rounded. “Oh.”

  She was a stunner.

  A twinge of recollection jarred him out of his lusty thoughts.

  He remembered those deep jade eyes, that pouty mouth and Marilyn Monroe hair only a few women could pull off. He would’ve bet his last dollar he’d never see her again. And now, here she was...in the flesh.

  On Matilda Applegate’s homestead, no less.

  He didn’t much believe in coincidences. And this one was too big to ignore. His gut churned again, begging for another antacid.

  Maybe he was wrong. It had been over a year and a half ago. Maybe she only looked like the woman he’d met in New York City that one weekend.

  Justin removed his Stetson and her eyes flickered at the gesture.

  “Sorry if I startled you, miss.”

  Seconds ticked by as she took note of his shiny black boots, new jeans, silver belt buckle and tan shirt opened at the collar. She studied his face and gazed deeply into his eyes. With her hand in her hair, her fingers wove through the silver-blond strands as if she was fashioning some new upswept hairdo. With her arm raised and bent at the elbow, she tilted her head to one side and gave him thoughtful consideration. The move exposed the delicate softness of her throat. A breathless sigh escaped from her mouth.

  That bit of body language was unique to the woman he’d known. Sexy. Not forced. Genuine. A jolt hit him smack between the eyes.

  It had to be her. He thought back to that night at the Golden Palace Bar.

  “I don’t date soldiers,” she’d said as he stood by her table.

  He’d taken a seat and smiled anyway. “But you’ll make an exception for me.”

  “B-Brett? Is that really you?” The hope in her voice confused him and then another jolt hit. Oh, man, this wasn’t possible. “I don’t understand,” she was saying. “We were told...we were told you were dead. Killed in a gun battle. Oh, my God, your aunt Mattie will be so happy. Was there a mix-up? What happened?”

  He pulled oxygen into his lungs, then looked away from her puzzled face and squinted against the bright afternoon sunshine. Jerk. He hated himself for the lie, and for the hurt he’d cause when he told her the truth.

  “I’m not Brett Applegate,” he told the blonde.

  She pursed her lips and inclined her head, studying him. “But I remember you. Don’t you remember me? I’m Katherine Grady. I go by Kat.”

  Hell, yeah. He remembered her. But he didn’t have a clue why the heck Kat was here, looking gorgeous, in front of the Applegate home.

  Silently, he cursed the bet he’d made with Brett Applegate. Justin never thought he’d lose an arm-wrestling match to his buddy. He never had before. But damn if Brett hadn’t bested him three out of five times right before they’d been selected to accompany a high-powered general to a three-day summit in Washington, D.C. After they served out their mission, the general granted them weekend leave in New York, before they were to head back to their forward operating base in Afghanistan.

  The price of the bet? Reversing roles for the weekend.

  They’d emptied the contents of their pockets, and good ole Brett had jumped at the chance to live in Justin’s skin for a few days. He’d waved Justin’s gold credit card in his face and scooped up all seven hundred-dollar bills Justin had dumped onto the bunk. “Gonna have me some fun being you,” he’d said, grinning like a fool.

  For his part, Justin had blown Brett’s spending cash on a bottle of house wine at the hotel and afterward Kat had taken him to her tiny fourth-story walk-up. He’d been looking for a good time. He thought she was, too. They’d clicked. And then things got complicated.

  “I remember you, sugar.”

  Her eyes softened. “No one else has ever called me that.”

  Justin winced at the sweet tone in her voice. “My name isn’t Brett. I’m Justin Slade and I live about twenty miles north of here. Brett and I served together on a tour of duty in the marines.”

  Her voice dropped off. “You’re Justin...Slade?”

  He nodded.

  “Sunset Ranch, Justin Slade?”

  He nodded again.

  “But, we... You told me your name was Brett Applegate. You were a marine heading back overseas. You told me all about this place.... You—”

  He grimaced. He was the worst kind of heel. He’d taken advantage of a woman’s trust, something he’d never done before. He swallowed down regret and then softened his voice. “I lied.”

  She condemned him with her eyes. He didn’t blame her. It was an idiotic bet and a fool thing to do.

  Slowly, her hand went to her mouth. Slender fingers covered her lips. She began shaking her head. “Oh...no. No, it’s not true.”

  “Maybe we should go inside the house and talk. I’ll try to explain. Is Matilda Applegate home?”

  She closed her eyes and kept them closed as if she were silently praying.

  He spoke firmly. “Kat.”

  Her eyes popped open and she blinked a few times. She spoke quietly. “We can’t go inside.”

  “Why not?”

  The front door creaked open and an older woman with hair the color of a sunburst stepped onto the front porch, holding a baby boy dressed in brown corduroy in her arms. The woman moved slowly, but with precision as if she calculated each step she took. Her light blue eyes were the most vital thing about her, painted with black eyeliner and deep-sea blue eye shadow. Blotchy face powder accented rather than hid the wrinkles on her face. But the kindness in her eyes was authentic and aimed straight at him.

  “I thought I heard voices. Who have we here?”


  The baby took a peek at him and then whipped around to grab at her neck with a death grip, his little legs kicking at her hips. She squeezed him tight, and whispered reassurances in his ear. “Now, now, Connor baby. Don’t be afraid.”

  Kat cleared her throat. “Aunt Mattie, this is Justin Slade.”

  The woman’s brows drew together as she tried to place him. “Slade? The name sounds familiar.”

  “I was a friend of Brett’s. I came here to talk to you.”

  * * *

  Katherine Grady knew how to handle a lot of tough situations. She’d grown up the only daughter in an abusive household. She’d moved from one women’s shelter to another with her mom, running from a belligerent father and trying her darnedest to keep her mother from falling apart. There was nothing pretty or heroic about living hand to mouth. About never knowing if they’d have to pick up and run or have enough food and shelter for the month.

  Kat learned how to survive from early on.

  What rattled her more than anything was fear of the unknown. How could she fight something she couldn’t see coming?

  This was one of those times.

  Usually she hid her emotions well—thanks to all that training from her youth—but right now fear tightened her throat and sped up her heart. Her body shook so hard her knees wobbled. Could it be possible? The man she thought was Brett for all this time was really Justin Slade. Gracious. She couldn’t wrap her head around the bald-faced lie she’d been told. It was a lot to absorb all at once. But Kat’s emotions didn’t matter at the moment. Her concern was for Mattie. The older woman couldn’t afford a setback in her recovery.

  Mattie invited Justin inside and he didn’t hesitate to approach the front door. He held the screen open and allowed them to step inside first and then followed behind. The door slammed shut as it was prone to do and Kat jerked, her nerves worn thin by something much bigger than that familiar sound. Funny, how just a few minutes ago, her biggest problem was a tire that needed changing.