The Cowboy's Surprise Baby Read online

  “Yes, I write for some different websites and magazines. Have you traveled much?”

  Tom leaned back and sighed. “I did a fair amount back in college, but not lately.”

  She could hear the wistfulness in his voice. It seemed clear he was itching to get away from this ranch, do something other than run the riding school his parents started. Amy could empathize.

  Before she could ask another question, Tom stood and gathered the empty plates. “Well, you two have fun today. I’ll be working on paperwork a good part of the morning, so you’ll have the run of the ranch.”

  With that, he disappeared, leaving Amy and Jack alone. They stood, Jack opened the back door and together they walked toward the barn, the scene of so many intimacies, old and new. As they walked, Jack said quietly, “He doesn’t seem very happy, does he?”

  Amy shook her head. “Any idea why?”

  Jack sighed. “I think it’s mostly the financial shape the ranch is in. We’re pretty strapped right now and it worries him. He thinks everything’s his responsibility.”

  Amy thought about what Jack said. That was probably a big problem for him, but she had a feeling there was something else to it. Still, she had to assume Jack knew more about it then she did. “Is the plan still for you to take over the ranch and turn it into a rodeo school?”

  Jack nodded. “Spring Valley could use it, if I could just get the money together to make it happen. Tom wants to go off and do something else, I know, but until I land a few big wins, I don’t know how to make any of that happen.”

  “What does Tom want to do when he leaves the ranch?” Amy asked.

  “I’m not really sure, but he definitely doesn’t want to be here. I know that much,” Jack said shrugging.

  They had stepped inside the shade of the barn at this point, and Amy leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, thinking about their predicament. “What does your mother think about the situation?”

  Jack looked a little embarrassed. “I don’t think she knows much about it, to tell the truth. Tom keeps it quiet so she doesn’t worry.”

  “Your mother doesn’t know the ranch is struggling and her son isn’t happy?” Amy asked, surprised.

  Jack gave her a sad shake of his head. “Mom’s lived here for almost forty years. And she’s getting older. We don’t want her to be burdened with all that.”

  “It seems to me she deserves to know the truth about what’s going on. And maybe if the three of you sat down and discussed some things, you could find a way to make everyone happy.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy,” Jack said as he moved toward the stalls holding Benny and Maverick.

  “At least it would open a dialogue and give her the chance to give her opinions. I know your mom—she’s a smart woman.”

  Amy watched Jack seem to consider this, and then he nodded. “You’re right. She deserves to know what’s going on.”

  Amy felt relief. For some reason, helping the Stuarts figure out their difficulties made her feel like she might just be able to figure out her own.

  Jack brought Maverick to her and Amy began saddling the horse, running her hands through his coat as she cinched the belt tight beneath him. He was so much like Bandit it made her heart skip.

  “Now, on the topic of siblings, let’s talk about yours. You have a sister?” Jack asked as he saddled his own horse.

  Amy hadn’t been expecting the topic to come up and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about the whole thing and hadn’t talked to anyone else about it, so she didn’t know what to say. “A younger half sister. Different fathers. Her name’s Maryanne. She lives in California, but she’s flying in to Austin and we agreed to meet for lunch there this Wednesday.”

  “Are you excited meet some of your biological family?” Jack asked as they both mounted their horses.

  Amy had no real answer. Her whole life, Ma and Pop, Brock, Diego and Jose had always been plenty of family. As loving as anyone could want. What if her new sibling wasn’t as wonderful as her adopted family?

  And what if she was?

  Jack seemed to realize she was struggling to respond to his question, because he turned his horse toward the barn doors. “How about we do some riding and talk about this stuff later? Benny is chomping at the bit to get some exercise.”

  Amy followed, glad for the reprieve.

  Soon they were out in the cool fall sunshine, and Amy breathed in the autumn air. It smelled like rain and grass and animals, somehow distinctly Texas. It was a smell she hadn’t even realized she missed in the deserts of Africa.

  Soon they were riding at a trot through the familiar trails around the ranch, warming up the horses. It should have also been a chance for Amy and Maverick to become familiar with one another, but that wasn’t really necessary. To Amy, it was like she and Maverick were old friends.

  She took a deep breath, put away any worries she had about the next few days and weeks, and focused her attention on enjoying herself in this perfect moment.

  * * *

  JACK GLANCED BACK at Amy and felt his heart lift at the sight of her. She was sitting with her head thrown back, as if she was breathing in all of Texas. She looked so relaxed and comfortable riding on Maverick. Happy.

  It was the same look he’d glimpsed a few times the night before when it had been just the two of them in the barn.

  Benny shook his head and nickered, as if to remind Jack to stay in the here and now, and Jack turned his attention to the trail in front of them, patting the animal on the neck to show he got the message.

  At that moment, Amy rode up beside him. “Should we get back to the paddock and do some roping before it gets too late?” she asked as Maverick and Benny matched strides.

  Before Amy had arrived that morning, Jack had felt like he had the entire day before him, but now that she was here it seemed to be quickly disappearing. He nodded in agreement and together they turned the animals back toward the paddocks nearest the barn.

  “Don’t judge me if I’m terrible,” Amy warned him. “I haven’t lassoed anything in years.”

  “I’m sure you’ll pick it back up soon enough,” Jack assured her.

  He’d never been longer than a week without a rope in his hand for as far back as he could remember, and he couldn’t even guess what it would be like to be so long out of practice. Roping was just something he did, a consistent part of his life, and he hoped Amy would remember how much she loved roping, too.

  He tried not to acknowledge the part of him wishing she would remember all the things she used to love here in Texas, including him, and that maybe if she did, she wouldn’t want to leave. The idea that an hour or two of rodeo exercises would make Amy give up her life and settle back in Spring Valley seemed crazy, he knew, but he couldn’t stop himself from hoping.

  In the ring, he gathered ropes from where he’d hung them on the fence and tossed one to Amy, keeping one for himself. He moved to the opposite end of the paddock to give them space to practice. “Do you want to dismount?” he asked, wondering if she was so rusty that lassoing while on top of a horse might seem intimidating.

  In true Amy fashion, she looked at him with raised eyebrows and gave a sarcastic snort. “The day I can’t handle a rope from the back of a horse is still a long way off yet, Jack.”

  Jack noticed with some amusement that her cowgirl twang, which had gone subtle over time, had grown in intensity now that she had a lasso in her hand.

  Soon they were both working with the ropes, swinging them in wide circles over their heads and tossing them over various posts, tightening as the loop dropped over the target. This was child’s play for Jack, a professional roper, but he thought it might be best for Amy to start with something simple. It quickly became apparent, however, that he had been right about roping being like riding a bike.

&nb
sp; In no time at all, Amy was racing around the paddock on Maverick, roping her targets at high speeds and adding to the difficulty by aiming for more distant posts and turning Maverick at the last second, making the tosses more elaborate as her muscle memory took over. Soon, her face was flushed and she was giving Jack a wide grin.

  “Not bad,” he commented.

  Amy rolled her eyes. “Not bad? I’ve still got it, Jack! Heck, I could give you a run for your money.”

  Jack shook his head, more to annoy her than anything else. “I’m going easy right now. Don’t want to embarrass you with my superior skills.”

  Amy gave him a skeptical look, then blew a strand of hair back from her face. Jack urged Benny close to her and tucked the strand behind her ear. “You’re fantastic, Amy,” he said quietly, his hand lingering for an extra second on her cheek before he pulled it away.

  She moved away, and although she tried to seem nonchalant, there was a hint of panic on her face. Had he moved too quickly, been too intimate for her comfort? That seemed odd considering what had happened between them the night before, but he couldn’t deny her discomfort, and it cut at him.

  For a brief moment there, he’d felt as if there was nothing between them, no past hurts or missing years. Now all that rushed back in, reminding him oh-so-clearly that this couldn’t possibly be that easy. Jack prayed Amy wouldn’t disappear from his life again before he had a chance to break through some of those walls. She truly was fantastic, in so many ways besides her lassoing skills, and he was sure life without her in it would go back to that gray, lonely place it had been for months after she’d left the first time. But this time, he might not ever find his way back. He was too old to fall out of love with her now.

  Jack turned away from her and steered Benny toward the far end of the paddock. “Since we’re warmed up, how about we try some team exercises?” Jack called over his shoulder.

  He was answered with a clatter of hooves as Maverick galloped to catch up to him and Benny. Together, Jack and Amy surveyed the paddock and the dummy steer Jack had hauled out of the barn that morning. “No real stock to work with?” Amy asked.

  Jack shook his head. “Not until I can get my rodeo school going,” he said. “The closest place for real rodeo practice is an hour away. I know if I can pull together the money, it’ll be profitable. There are so many rodeo hopefuls around here that could really use the opportunity to improve.” Then, realizing he’d gotten off topic, he refocused on the dummy fifty feet away. “You want to take the header position?” he asked.

  Amy seemed to consider a moment before nodding. “Sure, no pressure. Just roping my first steer in a decade with a pro as my teammate.”

  Jack laughed and leaned in for a quick peck on her cheek before moving away to give her room. If she was nervous, it didn’t show, and she called and lassoed like a pro. They caught the dummy smoothly, their timing nearly perfect. Amy gave him a satisfied smile as she pulled her rope from around the horn and nose of the steer. “Not top marks, and it is a fake animal, but still, that wasn’t bad.”

  Jack agreed. “Not bad at all. Should we try again?”

  The second time around, they did even better, Amy’s lasso falling squarely over the steer’s horns. The third, her throw was long and missed the dummy completely. Even though Jack could see that Amy was getting sore and tired, she insisted on continuing and they went through the workout another five times, until Amy’s throw was so bad that they both sagged on their horses in laughter.

  “Were you trying to lasso the dummy, or me?” Jack asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

  “If I was trying to get you, it was purely my subconscious. While there’s a lot to be said for muscle memory, it seems being in shape is fairly important, too. My arm feels like a wet noodle.”

  Jack looked up at the sun. “It’s probably best we stop now, anyway, if you don’t want your ma in a tizzy.”

  They dismounted and walked the horses into the barn, and then brushed them down side by side in comfortable silence. Jack felt satisfied with the events of the morning; the only dark spot was that one moment when she shied away from him, but he tried to focus on the good parts. Anyway, he was sure she would come around if they spent more time together.

  If only he could ride out with her like this every day...

  “Will you help me stay in practice while you’re in town?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound as desperate as he felt. “I could use a teammate to keep me sharp.”

  Amy rotated her shoulder and grimaced. “I don’t think I’ll be much help for the next few days as I recover from the workout today, but I’d like that.”

  Jack smiled. “Great. Come over tomorrow morning and we can walk through the moves. I promise I won’t make you throw anything.”

  Amy agreed, and then Jack walked her out to the truck she’d used to get to his house. After their hands and eyes lingered for a few extra seconds, he forced himself to let go and watch as she climbed into the vehicle and went on her way.

  He knew she needed to leave, had family obligations, but damn, he didn’t want her to go. As the truck disappeared around the corner, he could only console himself with the knowledge that he would see her again the next morning.

  In the meantime, he had some matters to discuss with his family, and there was no time like the present.

  Chapter Six

  Jack walked back to the house, wondering if it was even possible to make everyone in the family happy. He would just need to try, he supposed.

  Since nobody was in the kitchen or living room, Jack went in search of his mother in the place he knew he was most likely to find her: a guest-room-turned-sanctuary that she occasionally called her woman-cave. With bright sunlight streaming through the windows and light, happy colors everywhere, calling it a cave seemed a bit of a misnomer.

  Jack’s mother was sitting by the window in her favorite chair, reading. She looked so comfortable, so content, that Jack almost decided to forget the whole thing and not break the older woman’s sense of peace. But then he thought of Tom’s worry and knocked lightly on the open door.

  “Mom, you got a minute?”

  His mother chuckled as she closed her book. “For a person who used to be so busy, I seem to have all the time in the world since I officially became an old lady and my boys started taking care of things for me.”

  Jack didn’t think they’d “taken care of things” particularly well, but only said, “I’m going to find Tom. I actually need to talk to both of you.”

  Jack’s mom looked curious, but not worried. “He’s out in the barn, most likely. I’ll go fix up a few sandwiches and we can eat while you say whatever’s on your mind.”

  Jack nodded and left for the barn. After a little searching he found his brother cleaning a horse’s hooves, a frown of concentration on his face. Although, Jack corrected himself, it seemed like Tom wore that frown nearly all the time these days. Jack should have done something about this months ago.

  Jack wondered if Tom ever told the horses his problems when he was in the barn alone, but he immediately dismissed the idea. Tom would never confide in a horse, which was one of the clearest indicators, Jack thought, that he shouldn’t be running a ranch. Tom did what needed to be done, but he just wasn’t a cowboy at heart. Though what else he wanted to do was anybody’s guess.

  Jack pulled himself out of his own head when Tom glanced up at him. “Why are you watching me like that?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Jack said. “Just letting my mind wander. Mom’s making us some lunch.”

  Tom nodded and quickly finished his task before joining Jack on the walk to the house. “Did you have a good time with Amy today?” he asked.

  Jack nodded but didn’t elaborate. Now was not the time to get lost on the subject of Amy.

  In the kitchen, their mother was just setting three plates on the table, and the t
wo men took their seats. “So, what did you want to discuss with us, Jack?”

  Tom gave Jack a surprised look, but Jack ignored it and spoke more honestly to her than he or Tom had in a long time. “Mom, we haven’t wanted to say anything because we knew it would worry you, but the ranch is losing money. Badly. And Tom’s been doing the best he can, but he shouldn’t be carrying this burden all on his own when he doesn’t even want to be here.”

  The older woman looked back and forth between her sons and Tom glared at Jack. Jack shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s true, and Mom deserves to know. And you deserve to do something besides worry about bills constantly.”

  Their mother’s eyes settled on Tom. “Are things truly that bad?”

  Tom’s glare turned to a look of apology as he turned toward his mom. “I just didn’t have the heart to tell you I was running this place into the ground,” he said quietly.

  After a beat of silence, the older woman shook her head. “What is the matter with you two? I thought I raised you better than to hide something like this from me. Tom, you go get any paperwork you have right this instant and we’re going to sort this all out right now.”

  It was Jack’s turn to be surprised. He hadn’t heard his mother speak to them like that since they were children. Tom slunk out of his chair and down the hall to the office. Soon he was back with a stack of paperwork and they ate their sandwiches as the true state of the ranch became clear to all three of them.

  It was even worse than Jack had guessed. Once they’d gone through every scrap of paper, their mom leaned back and pushed her reading glasses to the top of her head. “Well, it seems we don’t have many options, boys,” she said finally. “We can keep losing money until we go bankrupt, or we sell the ranch and move on while we’re still able. Tom, I know you’ve never wanted to live here—do you have someplace to go if we sell?”

  Tom flushed. “There’s a girl I met online a while back who I’d like to meet. She lives in Boston. I’d like to spend some time out that way, get a job and see where things go with her.”