She fought to keep from shedding one more tear for Angus McFarlan. The man didn't deserve her or her tears. A single fat tear slipped from the corner of her eyes and started down her cheek. Gwen swiped at it, refusing to wallow, resisting the urge to sink into despair. She was a very successful business owner with people who looked to her for direction and a son she loved to the moon and back. So she was lonely. That would pass. Life went on.
Gwen swiped at the second tear and grabbed a pair of trousers, a blouse and her bra, dragging them on as quickly as she could. When she had fully dressed and brushed her hair back into a low ponytail, she zipped her suitcase and exited the room where she'd dared to dream of a future with a man who was only using her.
Dalton skipped down the hall, spotted her and ran all out, crashing into her empty gut. “Mama, can we stay here forever? I want to live on a ranch. This ranch. Memaw said I could have a puppy and a pony of my own. Uncle Colin said he'd show me how to throw a football and Angus said he'd teach me to ride my pony.” He hugged her tight, his smile so wide it nearly blinded her. “Can we stay? Please?”
“Oh, Dalton.” Her voice caught on the lump stuck in her throat. “We have to go home to Dallas.”
“But I don't want to go to Dallas. Memaw said there's a school in town.”
“But we don't live here, sweetheart.” Gwen ruffled her son's head. “Go put your boots on. We need to leave.”
A telephone rang somewhere in the house and Mrs. McFarlan's voice carried to where Gwen stood in the hall. “Gwendolyn Graves? Why yes. Just a moment, please.” Angus's mother appeared at the end of the hallway. “There's a man on the phone for you, Gwen.”
“Did he say who it was?”
“No, I don't recognize the voice.” She glanced behind her. “Do you want me to ask?”
Gwen sighed. “No. I'll take it.” The only people who might have guessed she'd ended up here would be Mona and Grant. Trudging down the hall, she turned toward the living area, dreading running into Angus. The telephone stood on a table in the hallway.
Gwen answered, “This is Gwen.”
“Gwendy baby.”
Just when Gwen thought her day couldn't get worse, it did. “What do you want, Wayne?”
“Ah, so glad I found you.” He paused then said, “All I want is joint custody.”
Gwen's stomach sank. “I'm not giving you joint custody,” she said, her tone flat, unbending.
“I'll make this easy on you. All you have to do is show up at the Ugly Stick Saloon at nine o'clock and we can discuss the details.”
“Wayne, who told you I was here?”
“A man who saved my ass last night at the bar gave me this number.” Wayne chuckled. “He's a good guy. Knows a lot of people in this pissant town. He's the one who suggested we meet this morning. I'm sure you'll come to see reason.”
Past her endurance, Gwen demanded, “Who told you I was here, Wayne?”
“His name is Angus McFarlan.”
Chapter Twelve
Angus pulled a lot of people out of bed early on a Sunday morning, determined to get this party underway and everything in place before Wayne Kent and Gwen showed up at the Ugly Stick Saloon.
He'd stayed up into the small hours of the morning working with Mona, Grant and Sandy Jameson to get everything right. Libby would be there and Jackson and Audrey had insisted on showing up to let him in and provide moral support should things turn ugly.
Sandy was due to arrive ten minutes before nine, but she still hadn't arrived.
“Don't worry.” Audrey laid a hand on his arm. “Everything is going to work out fine.”
“I keep thinking I'm missing something.”
“You've done the best you could in a very short amount of time.”
Angus shook his head. “What if my best isn't good enough? What if Wayne doesn't go for it?”
“He will.” Jackson slipped an arm around his pregnant wife. “The man has no other choice. I just got off the phone with Grant. Gwen dropped Dalton off five minutes ago. She should be here any minute.”
Libby stood at the front entrance of the Ugly Stick Saloon. “A Cadillac just pulled into the parking lot.”
Angus's heart slammed against his ribs. “I should have worked this out with Gwen before we decided to go through with this.”
“You couldn't,” Audrey said. “Her reactions to Wayne need to be sincere to make him feel like he's got her where he wants her.”
Shaking his head, Angus wasn't so certain. “She doesn't like surprises where Dalton is concerned.”
“It's too late now,” Libby called out from across the room. “Here she comes.”
“You'd better take your position.” Audrey waved toward the hallway behind the bar. “Jackson and I are right behind you.”
“Where the hell is Sandy?”
Audrey touched his arm. “She knows how important this is, she'll be here.”
Jackson took her hand. “Come on. Angus needs the place to himself.”
“Thank you,” Angus said. “You've been great.”
Audrey laid a protective hand over her belly. “I just don't want that bastard to ever threaten Gwen and her son again. And to think it's all because he needs the money for his gambling debt? What kind of lowlife threatens his own son?”
“We can discuss it in the storeroom,” Jackson said, his hand on the small of her back. “Let Angus handle this.”
“I am. I just get all emotional.”
“I know. It's all the baby hormones. Let me rub your back and anything else that might be aching.”
“Jackson, you always know what's good for me.” Audrey's voice faded as they disappeared into the storeroom.
The front door opened and Gwen appeared, blinking in the dim lights of the barroom. “Wayne?” she called out.
“Gwen, it's me.” Angus hurried across the room and took her arm.
She jerked it free and backed a step, her face darkening. “I came here because Wayne said he had a solution and that you were involved.”
“Good. I think we've got it nailed tight. If you'll have a seat over here, he'll be here any moment. I can explain everything to you later.”
“There won't be a later. I'm going to say what I came to say to Wayne, and then I'm headed back to Dallas.”
“Please stay long enough for me to tell you what's been going on.”
“Oh, I know what's been going on, and I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to have to look elsewhere to satisfy your mother's ultimatum. I can't believe I fell for all that bullshit.”
Angus's heart hit bottom, like a lead dumbbell in the pit of his belly. “Where did you hear that?”
“From the source. Your mother was practically cackling with glee that her son found a woman to marry and bear children. Well, you can take all your lies and shove themâ”
“Gwendy! Angus!” Wayne appeared in the door. “I thought I heard you two in here. I can't stay long. I've arranged to meet with myâ¦erâ¦financial advisors at the truck stop in thirty minutes.” He clapped his hands together. “I take it Angus explained everything to you?”
Gwen's eyes narrowed. “Explained what?”
Angus met Wayne halfway across the room and clapped a hand on his back. “I'm sorry. I didn't get a chance to talk to her like I thought I would. Perhaps you can explain the deal the way you explained it to me. Gwen is a reasonable businesswoman. I'm certain she'll be more than willing to help you out if you give it to her straight.”
Wayne's brows dipped and he shot a cautious glance at Gwen and back to Angus. “Last time I talked to her about Dalton, she tossed me out of her room.”
“And I'd do it again.” Gwen's cheeks flew twin flags of red. “Why are you with Angus, and what deal are you talking about?”
“Angus said you'd changed your mind and would be open to making a deal concerning our son.”
Angus prayed she'd at least hear him out before she tossed Wayne out the door again.
“For the twenty grand I need to pay off my debt, I'll sign over full custody of Dalton to you.”
Gwen's nostrils flared. The only sign of her rage. “Twenty thousand dollars and you'll give up all rights to Dalton? You won't show up a year down the road, demanding visitation or more money to buy your way out of debt?”
He held up his hand. “I swear. Twenty thousand dollars and you'll never see me again.”
“You'd sell your son for cold, hard cash?” Gwen closed her eyes. “I'm just glad I dropped Dalton off before coming here. He's better off thinking his father died in a car crash than to know the truth. His father's a deadbeat bastard who isn't worth twenty cents, much less twenty thousand dollars.”
Gwen plunked her purse on the table and pulled out her checkbook. “I'll give you the twenty thousand, but I better never see you or your friend ever again.” Her heart ached at the thought of Angus being a friend to Wayne. She wrote out the check and handed it to Wayne, shooting a killer look at Angus, her gaze sizzling a hole through his heart.
Damn. He should have known better than to leave Gwen with his mother. The woman would have been beyond ecstatic thinking she had one of her sons practically married off.
God, he wished he could have been in two places at once. But this meeting and everything that had gone into making it happen were too important to leave to chance. “Wait, Gwen.” Where the hell was Sandy?
“Angus?” A female voice called out from the entrance to the Ugly Stick Saloon.
Angus's knees nearly gave in when he spied Sandy carrying her leather briefcase. Thank God. “Sandy, this is Wayne Kent and Gwendolyn Graves.”
“You two are the biological parents of Dalton Graves?” Sandy asked, setting the briefcase on a nearby table.
Gwen's shoulders pushed back and she lifted her chin. “I'm Dalton's mother. Who are you?”
“I'm your lawyer. Angus asked me to draw up papers to settle custody matters between you and your ex-husband.”
Gwen glared at Angus. “I don't want your help, now or ever.” She turned to Sandy. “I'm sorry you wasted your time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go.”
“Wait.” Angus blocked her from leaving. “Hear her out. This will only take a minute and this will all be settled.”
“Mr. Kent, I understand you've agreed to give up all custodial rights associated with the minor Dalton Graves.”
“I do.” He grinned, fanning his face with the freshly written check.
“Sign here.” Sandy handed him a pen and a sheaf of papers and pointed to a line.
Wayne leaned over the papers. “What are these?”
“The legal documents signing over your rights.” Sandy stepped back far enough so that he could glance over the document. “Please read through the wording carefully. Once you sign, it's done. You will have no legal claim on the minor.”
“I don't need to read it. Just point to where you need me to sign and I'm out of here.” Wayne gripped the pen, scribbling his signature and initials where Sandy indicated. When he was done, he straightened, holding the check in his hand. “That's it?”
“Just one more thing.” Angus stepped up to him and plucked the check from Wayne's hand and ripped it in half.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Wayne wailed. “That was my money.”
“Wayne, Wayne, Wayne,” Angus said, shaking his head, “I did it for your own good. You didn't want to go to jail for blackmail, did you?”
Sandy tucked the papers into her briefcase and closed the lid. “I'll file these with the court tomorrow first thing.” She held out her hand to Gwen. “Congratulations, you are the legal custodial parent of Dalton Graves.”
Gwen took the woman's hand, her movements automatic, her face blank.
Once Sandy had left the saloon, Wayne pointed to Gwen's wallet. “Write another one, Gwendy baby.” Wayne smiled at her. “Be a good girl, will ya?”
Her gaze steady, her lips firm, she said, “No. I'm finally, completely done with you, Wayne. Go away and never come back again.”
“You can't do this. We made a deal.”
Angus stepped between Wayne and Gwen. “No, you attempted to blackmail her. If you don't leave now, I'll have you arrested.”
“You dirty, rotten bastard. Do you know what you've just done?”
He nodded. “Yes. I do. I protected the woman I love from a man who isn't fit to be in the same room with her or her son. Leave before I call the sheriff.”
“I'll leave when I have the money and not a moment sooner. Gwen, write that check or I'll never leave you or Dalton alone.”
“Wayne, you don't have a case. Hell, you're lucky I'm not pressing charges. If you don't leave now, I will.” She tilted her head. “Go.”
Wayne's face flushed bright red. “Bastard.” He swung a fist straight at Angus.
Angus sidestepped, grabbed Wayne's arm and yanked him around and clamped his arm around the bastard's neck. “You'd think you would have learned I don't mess around.”
“You stupid son of a bitch. Those two men you pulled off me last night are waiting at the truck stop for their money. If I don't bring it, they'll find me, break my legs and leave me in a ditch to die.”
Angus shrugged. “Should have thought about that before you spent their boss's money.”
“I'll sue for custody.”
Angus tightened his arm around the man's neck. “You just signed your rights away.”
“I'll tell the judge I was under duress when I signed.”
“Sandy will testify otherwise.”
“And so will we.” Jackson, Audrey and Libby appeared, forming a semicircle, backing Angus and Gwen.
Libby wiggled her fingers at Wayne. “Remember me? The bartender from last night? I remember you discussing wanting to trade custody of your son for twenty grand. I'll swear on a stack of Bibles in court to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” She smiled.
“Audrey and I stood just out of sight and heard everything you said today to Gwen about granting custody of your son for twenty thousand dollars. We'd gladly testify in court as to what we heard you say.”
“You are not getting away with this.” Wayne clawed at Angus's arm.
“I think we are.” Gwen nodded toward the door. “You'd better get going if you want a head start to beat the loan sharks out of town.” She glanced at her watch. “You don't have much time.”
Wayne glared at her. “I should never have gotten involved with you.”
Gwen's lip curled in a sneer. “I feel the same.”
Angus escorted Wayne to the door and walked him outside.
Gwen gathered her purse and steeled her heart to leave Angus and Temptation forever.
Audrey, Jackson and Libby blocked her path before she could.
“Congratulations, Gwen. We're so happy for you.” Audrey hugged her close, her baby bump a painful reminder of what could have been had Angus really cared for her.
Gwen's eyes burned and she fought to hold it together long enough to reach her car.
Jackson grinned. “Angus pulled all of this off between midnight last night and now. He was lucky to catch Sandy in town. She was here on vacation, visiting her parents. Thankfully, she had her laptop with the standard forms on it. Mona and Grant helped her with legal names, birthdates and addresses.”
“It was pretty much a community effort,” Libby said. “If Angus hadn't come in when he did last night, he wouldn't have come across Wayne being roughed up by his loan shark's goons. Wayne wouldn't have trusted him to set up this meeting and you wouldn't now have sole custody.”
All because he didn't want to lose his ranch and his precious horses. She and Dalton meant nothing to him.
“Thank you all for helping make this happen.” She slid her purse strap onto her shoulder. “But I really need to get back to Dallas.”
She hoped Angus was still tied up with Wayne, and she wouldn't have to deal with him.
“Hey, take it easy on Angus. He's giving up a lot,” Jackson called out after her.
Outside, a sheriff's cruiser idled in the middle of the parking lot. The deputy stood with Angus as Wayne drove away.
While their backs were to her, Gwen slipped by and climbed into her Cadillac, shifted into Drive and pulled away.
She refused to look in the rearview mirror, but a muffled shout made her heart clench. The sooner she collected Dalton and got out of town, the better. She pushed the accelerator to the floor, speeding down the highway, her eyes blurred with unshed tears.
As she reached the outskirts of Temptation, a siren alerted her to the emergency vehicle following her.
Gwen pulled to the side of the road and realized she was the reason for the lights. She had no idea how fast she'd been going and really didn't care, as long as he wrote the damned ticket fast and let her go. The longer she remained stopped, the greater the chance that Angus would catch up to her, and she wasn't sure she could hold up to more of his lies.