Free The Horseman's Son by Delores Fossen

and opened his mouth to say something. However, Ruth interrupted him.
    With Adam in her arms, Ruth threw open the door. “It’s time for Adam’s bath,” she announced.
    Collena desperately wanted to spend more time with her son, but she also needed to work out some details with Dylan.
    Apparently, they were getting married.
    Just thinking that sent a rush of panic through her. She’d come up with the plan before she’d met Dylan. Before she’d realized that she was attracted to him. She wanted her son, but she didn’t want a relationship with Dylan. Not with her past. And not with her excess emotional baggage. She still hadn’t gotten over the painful relationship with Adam’s father.
    Falling for him could ruin everything she’d planned.
    Collena took both a step back, both emotionally and physically, and let Ruth walk past them. Adam gave them a little wave as Ruth carried him down the hall.
    She and Dylan stood there in silence. He was no doubt thinking of the enormous impact of what he’d just done. Collena knew that impact, as well.
    “Don’t mention the marriage to anyone just yet,” Dylan finally said. “I want to be the one to tell the staff.”
    “Certainly.” Though Collena figured that wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation, especially when it came to Ruth. The woman obviously loathed her and was more than just staff. She was family.
    Dylan checked his watch. “I need to make some calls, and you probably want to freshen up. I’ll show you to the guest room.”
    Collena nodded and followed him. “When you talk to your lawyer, you’ll want to make sure that we can keep the custody hearings here in this county. Curtis has a lot of powerful friends in San Antonio.”
    “So, I’ve heard.”
    No doubt he’d learned that from that phone call. “Before I came here, I sold everything I own. It should be enough to cover legal expenses. What I don’t have are Curtis’s contacts in the judicial system.” She paused. “I’m hoping you do.”
    “I haven’t bribed politicians and judges, if that’s what you mean, but people know me in this county. Besides, losing isn’t an option.”
    Collena believed him. She had to believe him. She hadn’t come all this way to fail.
    “You’ll join us for Thanksgiving dinner?” Dylan asked, stopping outside one of the doors in the long corridor of rooms.
    It took her a moment to shift gears in the conversation. “Yes. Thank you.” It would get her more time to spend with her son.
    “In the meantime, I’ll have Ina bring you a tray so you’ll have something to eat.”
    Collena didn’t refuse that, either. She was still feeling a little light-headed, and she didn’t want that with all the critical things going on in her life.
    Dylan didn’t say anything else. He merely opened the door, motioned for her to go inside and walked away. Collena stood there, watching him, and praying that this plan would succeed.
    She stepped inside. The light was already on, so she had no trouble seeing the guest room. Or rather, the guest suite. There was a sitting room with a bay window to her right, and the bedroom and bath were to her left. Like the rest of the house, it was tastefully decorated in warm neutral colors with a dark hardwood floor dotted with Turkish rugs.
    Collena went inside and sank down onto the taupe-and-cream-colored chair in the sitting room. She felt drained and exhausted, but like Dylan, she had some calls to make. She took out her phone, just as someone knocked. She didn’t even have time to get out of the chair before the door opened and Millie walked in.
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” Millie immediately said. “I thought you were still with Dylan.” She lifted her arms to show Collena a stack of clothes. “We’re close to the same size, and I figured you could use these, especially since we don’t know how long you’ll be here with the snow and all.”
    Collena stood and took the clothes from her. “Thank you.”
    Millie shrugged. “It’s