McKettrick's Luck by Linda Lael Miller

and too damn lonely.
    He brushed down the horses, made sure they had enough water and feed to get them through until morning, and headed for Indian Rock.
    He intended to play a few hands of poker at Lucky’s. Instead, he found himself swinging into the lot at McKettrickCo, parking his dusty truck beside Keegan’s sleek, shiny black Jag.
    Myrna Terp, the receptionist, greeted him with a delighted smile. “You’re a day late for the big meeting,” she said.
    Jesse doffed his hat. “I’m here to see my cousin,” he said. “And to flirt with you, of course.”
    Myrna laughed. Her son Virgil was a good friend of Jesse’s, going back to playground days. Something of a western history buff, Myrna had three other sons—Frank, Morgan and Wyatt.
    Frank, Morgan and Virgil took their family name in stride, but Wyatt called himself John these days. Jesse didn’t blame him. It couldn’t be easy going through life answering to a handle like Wyatt Terp.
    â€œI’ll give Keegan a buzz,” Myrna said, “but I warn you, he’s been a bear all day.”
    Jesse didn’t wait for the buzz. He started down the hall and was just about to open Keegan’s fancy office door when it swung inward and his cousin filled the gap.
    â€œWhat?” Keegan demanded.
    â€œHello to you, too,” Jesse replied affably, twirling his hat in his hands.
    Keegan sighed, stepped back to let him pass.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Jesse asked. It had been a long time since he and Keegan had confided in each other, but old habits died hard. So did old hopes.
    â€œI’ve been on the phone with Shelley’s lawyer for the last two hours,” Keegan said. “She’s getting married again, and they want to take Devon to Europe.”
    â€œShe’d probably enjoy a trip like that. Devon, I mean.”
    â€œPermanently,” Keegan specified.
    â€œOuch,” Jesse said. He had an impulse to lay a hand on Keegan’s shoulder, as he would have done way back when, but he stopped himself. “Shelley can’t actually do that, can she? Take the kid out of the country against your wishes?”
    â€œWith the divorce settlement I paid her, she could do just about anything. It’s not that hard to disappear, Jesse—look what happened when Sierra was little.”
    When Eve McKettrick, Sierra’s mother, had divorced her loser husband, he’d snatched the child and taken her to live in central Mexico. Although Eve had eventually found her daughter, a lot of complicated circumstances had kept her from reclaiming Sierra. They hadn’t been reunited until just a few months ago, and while they were on good terms, the two women were still essentially strangers to each other.
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” Jesse asked.
    Keegan thrust a hand through his hair. “I don’t know,” he said.
    â€œLet’s just go up to Flagstaff and get Devon, right now. Bring her home to the Triple M.”
    Keegan gestured wearily toward a chair, and Jesse dropped into it.
    â€œThis isn’t a John Wayne movie, Jesse,” Keegan said as he closed the office door. “Shelley’s Devon’s mother. She has rights. Besides, I don’t want to scare my daughter by making a big deal out of this. She’s only nine years old, and this whole thing is tough enough for her already.”
    Jesse felt helpless, and he hated that. “It might turn into a hell of a big deal, all on its own, if you don’t do something.”
    Keegan collapsed into his own chair behind that gleaming one-acre desk of his. Said nothing.
    â€œSorry I missed that meeting yesterday,” Jesse said. He wasn’t remorseful, and Keegan knew it, but maybe he’d appreciate the gesture anyhow.
    Keegan grinned, but he looked tired and a little cornered. “What brings you here, Jess?” he asked.
    â€œI thought maybe we could have a beer