Page 75 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

“Graham’s mom. She’s the Sullivan attorney.”

“Of course.” Stephanie hesitated. “I’m no high-powered lawyer, Tate. I probably don’t even belong in your family.”

She felt his chuckle as he held her close. “Oh, sweetheart. You belong. You’ll always belong.”

* * *

“I’ll see you upon your arrival.”

Tate pinched the bridge of his nose as he drove up the ranch road behind Stephanie’s gray car. “With all due respect, sir, you don’t need to meet with me today. I have a wife who is far more important, and a little boy I can’t get enough of.”

Grandfather sputtered into the phone.

“You received all the pertinent details this morning, and there’s nothing more that can’t wait until Monday. I’m taking the weekend off.” He’d be tempted to whisk them away for a couple of days to ensure their privacy, except they hadn’t been home in a week. Jamie could barely let go of Tate’s neck long enough to be buckled into the Lexus. Tate felt the same. He peered into the rearview mirror at his sleepy son.

It was hard to transition from uncle to father, but it had to be done. Jamie needed to know he belonged every bit as much as his mama did. As much as his future siblings did. Tate would make sure Jamie knew all about Wally and Ashley as he got older but, for now, the whole dada thing needed to be embraced.

Jamie had provided a shortcut to family, hence his nickname.

Suddenly Tate realized his grandfather was still talking. “I have a question for you,” he interrupted.

“What is it?”

“I’d like to build a house for my family on the ranch. There’s a spot on the corner of Hummingbird Lane with utilities nearby and a great view of the lake. What do you think?”

“You what? What about Chicago?”

“Good question. What about Chicago? I spent a week there, and it’s not home anymore. I’ve been away for seven months and haven’t missed much of anything at all. Not like I missed Stephanie and Jamie this past week. Not like I missed that tiny duplex where we’re squashed in on each other or like how I missed the mountains and the trees and the lake and Sweet River. Montana’s home now, and I’d like to put down some roots.”

“But… Sullivan Enterprises.”

Tate waved a hand in dismissal, not that the older man could see it through the mile that still separated them. “I’d like to operate the ranch permanently. I’m happy to stay on the Sullivan board and come to Chicago occasionally for meetings. But you don’t need me. Whatever I can do there, Graham can do just as well. Even Bryce and Maxwell are growing up.” He nearly choked on his next words. “Plus, there’s those two new grandsons of yours. How are you going to bring them into the fold after the trial period here is over?”

“I don’t know.”

Tate raised his eyebrows as he stared out the windshield. “You… don’t know?” Grandfather always had a master plan with at least five contingencies.

“Don’t make mistakes like I did, boy.”

There wasn’t much Tate could say to that. “I’ll try, sir.”

“You really want to stay in Montana? You’re not just telling me what you think I want to hear?”

“Is that what you want to hear, sir? I thought possibly the opposite.”

“I’m going to need someone I trust here, and there’s no one I’d rather leave the reins with than you.” Grandfather chuckled. “Did you hear what I did there? This ranching life is getting to me.”

“I heard.” Tate managed a smile of his own. “But I know what you meant. You meant I would do since Wally… passed away.”

“You think your brother was more responsible than you?”

Tate startled at the incredulity in his grandfather’s voice. “Of course. We all know you’d planned for him to succeed you. You were grooming him.”

“He needed that extra touch, boy. Being in charge didn’t come as naturally to him as it did to you.”

“Sir?”

“You’re my choice, Tate. Always have been, but I’d figured on keeping you in Chicago and leaving one of the others in charge here.”

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