Texas Rebels: Falcon Read online

  A REBEL LOVES FOREVER

  Falcon Rebel has been father and mother to his little girl ever since Leah walked out on them both seventeen years ago. Now she’s back to see their daughter—just once, she says. Leah has built another life and wants them all to move on. But Falcon’s suspicious. Her story doesn’t add up. Why isn’t she willing to keep the door open between them, at least for Eden’s sake?

  Leah can’t tell them the truth—she won’t burden her family with what she must face. Still, being close to Falcon again has reignited the incredible bond they once shared. They were so young then...and their feelings haven’t changed. Leah thought she could walk away. But nobody loves like a Rebel—even though love might not be enough.

  Cast of Characters

  Kate Rebel: Matriarch of the Rebel family.

  Falcon: The oldest son—the strong one. Abandoned by his wife, Leah, following the birth of their daughter, Eden.

  Egan: The loner. Married to Rachel Hollister, daughter of the man who put him in jail.

  Quincy: The peacemaker. In love with Jenny Walker, his brother’s girlfriend.

  Elias: The fighter. Falls in love with the daughter of their archenemy.

  Paxton: The lover. Never met a woman he couldn’t have, but the woman he wants doesn’t want him.

  Jude: The serious, responsible one. Raising his small son alone.

  Phoenix: The wild one and the youngest. He’s independent and free until Child Protective Services says he’s the father of a small boy.

  Abraham (Abe) Rebel: Paternal grandfather.

  Jericho Johnson: Egan’s friend from prison.

  Dear Reader,

  Texas Rebels: Falcon is the second book in the Texas Rebels miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. The series is loosely connected to A Texas Holiday Miracle, One Night in Texas and The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas.

  As I told you in Egan’s Dear Reader letter, this series came to me in a dream about seven brothers who cope in different ways with their father’s death. I also dreamed their names, which was great because it’s hard to come up with names to fit a character. I wasn’t all that crazy about Falcon, but as I wrote his story I began to love his name. Since he’s the oldest, he became the head of family after John Rebel died. Falcon has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, running a big ranch and keeping his brothers in line. He is also the strong one so he’s up for the task.

  That is until his wife, Leah, who had left him and their three-month-old daughter almost eighteen years ago, returns. His strength is tested many times as he deals with his feelings about her sudden return. I have to warn you this is an emotional book. I had to stop several times and get away from the computer since I couldn’t see because of the tears. Falcon and Leah are two strong-willed characters with frailties and faults, as you will see while they struggle to forgive and move on. I put them through a lot, but I was rooting for them all the way. I hope you will be, too.

  With love and thanks,

  Linda Warren

  You can email me at [email protected], visit my website at lindawarren.net, send me a message on Facebook (LindaWarrenAuthor) or Twitter (@Texauthor), or write me at PO Box 5182, Bryan, TX 77805. Your mail and thoughts are deeply appreciated.

  TEXAS REBELS:

  FALCON

  Linda Warren

  Two-time RITA® Award-nominated and award-winning author Linda Warren loves her job, writing happily-ever-after books for Harlequin. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a farm/ranch in Texas, she writes about sexy heroes, feisty heroines and broken families with an emotional punch, all set against the backdrop of Texas. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her patio with her husband watching the wildlife, especially the injured ones that are coming in pairs these days: two Canada geese with broken wings, two does with broken legs and a bobcat ready to pounce on anything tasty. Learn more about Linda and her books at her website, lindawarren.net, or on Facebook, LindaWarrenAuthor, or follow @Texauthor on Twitter.

  Books by Linda Warren

  Harlequin American Romance

  The Christmas Cradle

  “Merry Texmas” in Christmas, Texas Style

  The Cowboy’s Return

  Once a Cowboy

  Texas Heir

  The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas

  Her Christmas Hero

  Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming

  One Night in Texas

  A Texas Holiday Miracle

  Texas Rebels

  Texas Rebels: Egan

  Visit lindawarren.net for more titles.

  Acknowledgments

  The internet is an invaluable source and I used it extensively to research brain tumors. Some of the personal stories tugged at my heart.

  A big thanks to the women who were willing to share their ordeal.

  A special thanks to Phyllis Phucas, RN, for graciously sharing her knowledge and answering my many questions about preemies.

  All errors are strictly mine.

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to Elaine Weldon, a faithful reader. She loved my books and would tell anyone who would listen about them.

  I will miss her shining face at book signings. Soar with the angels, Elaine.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Falling for the Sheriff by Tanya Michaels

  Prologue

  My name is Kate Rebel. I married John Rebel when I was eighteen years old and then bore him seven sons. We worked the family ranch, which John later inherited. We put everything we had into buying more land so our sons would have a legacy. We didn’t have much, but we had love.

  The McCray Ranch borders Rebel Ranch on the east and the McCrays have forever been a thorn in my family’s side. They’ve cut our fences, dammed up creeks to limit our water supply and shot one of our prize bulls. Ezra McCray threatened to shoot our sons if he caught them jumping his fences again. We tried to keep our boys away, but they are boys—young and wild.

  One day Jude and Phoenix, two of our youngest, were out riding together. When John heard shots, he immediately went to find his boys. They lay on the ground, blood oozing from their heads. Ezra McCray was astride a horse twenty yards away with a rifle in his hand. John drew his gun and fired, killing Ezra instantly. Both boys survived with only minor wounds. Since my husband was protecting his children, he didn’t spend even one night in jail. This escalated the feud that still goes on today.

  The man I knew as my husband died that day. He couldn’t live with what he’d done, and started to drink heavily. I had to take over the ranch and the raising of our boys. John died ten years later. We’ve all been affected by the tragedy, especially my sons.

  They are grown men now and deal in different ways with the pain of losing their father. One day I pray my boys will be able to put this behind them and live healthy, normal lives with women who will love them the way I loved their father.

  Chapter One

 
Falcon: the oldest son—the strong one.

  A time to forget...

  Eighteen years was long enough to wait for his wife to come home. Today Falcon Rebel would stop waiting.

  Every time the phone rang he tensed. Every time the news came on and someone’s body had been found he could barely breathe until he heard the person’s identity. Every time his daughter mentioned her name he searched his mind for reasons why Leah would leave him and their three-month-old baby.

  What could possibly justify her actions? It had been a long labor and a difficult birth, and Leah was different afterward. He’d tried talking to her, but nothing worked. She had wanted to be left alone, and then one day he came home to find a note on the bed. It was simple: “I need time. Leah.” No love. Nothing. Just like that, she was gone from their lives.

  Standing on his balcony looking out over Rebel Ranch, his eyes strayed to the tall oaks in the distance shading Yaupon Creek. They’d made love there for the first time. She was a virgin and scared, and he had wanted to make it special for her. It had been, but they were just teenagers playing adults. Getting pregnant in high school wasn’t in their plans. They’d gotten married, though, because it was the right thing to do. Leah moved into his room on the ranch and he was sure they could make it. They loved each other.

  He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Love didn’t last long when the responsibilities of life took over, and living with family didn’t help. They had no time alone except in his room. The harsh realities of life had hit them hard, but still he was sure they could make their marriage work until he saw the note. Everything ended that day and he grew up faster than he had ever imagined he would.

  Raising their daughter without a mother had been the biggest challenge of his life, and then his dad had died and his world had come crashing down around him. By then he wasn’t sure of anything. All he knew was he had to survive for his daughter. And he had to be strong for his mother and his brothers. The responsibility of the ranch weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He’d donned the mantle of head of the family and had never looked back.

  With his eyes fixed on the tall oaks, he had to admit forgetting Leah wasn’t ever going to happen. Not until he knew if she was dead or alive.

  “Dad!” his daughter, Eden, shouted.

  “I’m here.” He stepped back into his room and closed the French doors. His beautiful seventeen-year-old, dark-haired, green-eyed daughter stood in his room with her hand over her eyes.

  “Are you decent?”

  “Yeah.”

  Eden had a habit of running in and out of his room whenever she wanted. About two months ago she caught him shaving in his underwear and it had embarrassed her. He was happy to know she had some boundaries. Leah had been a shy, timid girl, but their daughter was just the opposite.

  Feisty and outgoing, Eden never met a stranger. And she had a temper that could peel the paint off the walls. Her teenage years had given him more gray hair than he had really wanted, but she was the light of his life and he couldn’t imagine a day without her. Soon she would go off to college and he would have to let go. He was still grappling with that.

  “Grandma wants to know why you’re not down for breakfast. You’re always the first one to get a cup of coffee. Are you feeling okay?” She laughed that funny little laugh of hers. “What am I asking? You’re healthy as a horse.” Then her eyes narrowed as if something could be wrong and she had missed it. “Aren’t you?”

  He put an arm around her waist. “You bet, baby girl. Let’s go.”

  They walked down the stairs arm in arm. At the bottom Eden said, “Dad.”

  “No.”

  She stomped her foot and they came to a stop. “Why do you always do that? You don’t give me a chance to say what I want to say.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “I know that tone. You want something that I’m not going to like and you make your voice all sweet and sugary.”

  “Can you read my mind, too?”

  “Yes,” he replied and walked into the kitchen. “Morning, Mom.”

  “Morning.” Kate Rebel handed him a cup of coffee. Dressed in old jeans, boots and a long-sleeved Western shirt, she was ready for a day on the ranch.

  “Mom, I can get my own coffee.”

  “Who said you couldn’t? There’s scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits on the stove. We have a full day ahead of us.”

  His mom worked as hard as anyone on the ranch. Just once he would like for her to take it easy, but he knew that was out of the question. The ranch and her sons were her life.

  He filled his plate and sat at the table. Eden sat across from him, munching on a biscuit.

  “Dad, I want to talk to you.”

  He took a sip of coffee. “Okay, what is it?”

  Eden scooted forward in her chair, her eyes eager. At times when he looked at her, he saw Leah. His daughter definitely favored her mother, but her personality was more like his and that’s what worried him.

  “I’ve been thinking. And don’t get all frowny face until I finish.”

  “I don’t get frowny face.”

  Eden rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I know you want me to go to Baylor. We visited the university and all, but I’d rather help Uncle Quincy with the paint horses. I love working with them, and why can’t I work on the ranch like everyone else? Why do I have to leave?”

  Because I want you to have the best of everything.

  Instead of saying that, he took a moment and tried to see this from her point of view. But he hit a brick wall.

  “You keep telling me how you’ll be eighteen soon and an adult, free to do what you want, go out with your friends and basically have the freedom that you keep saying I deny you. Well, if you stay here on the ranch, guess who’s going to be watching over you and dictating what you do and where you go?”

  “Ah, Dad.”

  “You’re going to college, Eden. That’s my bottom line.”

  She scooted even closer, her green eyes gleaming. “But listen to what I want to do. Uncle Quincy has this amazing paint. Her name is Dancing Cloud but we call her Dancer. She’s fast, Dad. Really fast. Uncle Quincy put some barrels up and I’ve been barrel racing her. Uncle Quincy says I’m good and that’s what I want to do. I want to stay on the ranch and rodeo like Uncle Paxton and Uncle Phoenix.”

  Falcon took a deep breath to keep words from spewing out. He counted to ten before he spoke. “You want to rodeo?”

  “Yeah, Dad. I can do it. I’m really good.”

  He shook his head, wondering if all parents had this much difficulty understanding their children. Why wasn’t she jumping at the chance to go to college? Wasn’t that every girl’s dream? He had to be careful or he’d lose her in a way he hadn’t even thought about.

  “Why aren’t you saying anything?” His daughter was impatient.

  He could put his foot down and say no, but he had to listen to her ideas. She was older now and he had to learn to be lenient. Or at least try.

  “School has just started, so why don’t you get your rodeo card and attend some weekend rodeos to see how you like it and see how this amazing horse does before we go changing plans.”

  She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. “I love you, Daddy.”

  “Wait a minute. I have some rules.”

  She sank back in her chair. “What else is new?”

  He ignored the sarcasm. “First, you’re not pulling a horse trailer all over the country. Second, you’re not going alone. An adult has to go with you. I’ll make the first two rodeos and we’ll see if this horse performs like you think she can. You may not even like it.”

  “I will, Dad. I know I will.”

  He held up a finger. “But I’m still adamant about college. I’m going to insist that you go one year to see what life is like away fro
m home with kids your own age. Deal?”

  She thought about it for a minute. “But if I’m doing really good barrel racing why would I want to go to college?”

  He cocked an eyebrow and he was sure he had a frowny face.

  “All right.” She slid out of her chair. “I know I’m not going to win this one, but you’ll see. I’m going to be the best barrel racer ever.”

  His brother Jude, and Jude’s son, Zane, came into the room and loaded their plates.

  “Zane, if you’re coming with me to school you better hurry,” Eden said.

  Zane stuffed scrambled eggs and bacon onto a biscuit. His grandma handed him a glass of orange juice and he downed it quickly, then followed his cousin to the door.

  “I’m in a foul mood so you have to ride in the backseat,” Eden told Zane.

  “Eden...”

  “Okay, he can ride in the front seat, but he has to be quiet.”

  “Eden...”

  “Okay. Okay. He can talk, but only ten words.”

  “Eden, this is a good way to put a stop to all talk of barrel racing. There’s no need to be rude to Zane.”

  Zane winked at him. “Don’t worry, Uncle Falcon. I have so much dirt on her I can make her sweat like a pig.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You know...” Eden grabbed him by his backpack and pulled him out the door.

  “Isn’t it great they get along so well?” Jude took a seat across from him.

  “They get along fine,” their mother said. “They’re both good kids. Eden’s trying to spread her wings and Zane is a sweet teddy bear.”

  “Said like a doting grandmother,” Falcon replied, getting to his feet.

  “What’s the schedule today?” Jude asked. “We still have that load of young bulls to go to Dripping Springs and, of course, fences to mend.”

  Falcon took his plate to the sink. “You and Jericho can take the bulls and the rest of us can fix the fence on the McCray side. We don’t want one animal to get through. It’s too risky. We work on that fence all the time, but the McCrays always find a way to break it.”