The Cowboy and His Baby

by Jessica Clare

  “Maybe after you finish the movie reshoots,” Dustin began slowly, “you could stay with me for a while.”

  “Why?”

  “So we can get to know each other. So we can see how we want to tackle being parents together.” When she didn’t say anything, he decided to try and sweeten the deal. “I mentioned a while back that Cass ruined the ranch dogs. They beg all the time now, wanting scraps. It’d be nice to have them trained properly, especially the young ones. And I’d take care of you, of course.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she murmured.

  “You do that,” he said. “Now drink your tea.”

  After he managed to get half a cup of tea and some crackers into her, he noticed that she was starting to droop, her eyelids closing. Dustin helped her undress, avoiding looking at her body so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. He managed to get her into one of his shirts, and it hung loose all over her except across the belly, where it was tight. He still liked the sight of it, though. Then, she crawled back into bed and was asleep in moments.

  He set the alarm for early—not that he needed it, but she might—and then slid into bed next to her. She immediately turned and snuggled against him, tucking her body against his. Dustin cautiously put his arm around her, touching her belly.

  His child was in there. They’d made that together.

  He’d lost so much time with her already. He wasn’t going to lose another minute, he decided.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  His Annie was not a morning person.

  Dustin woke up before the alarm and made breakfast—peanut butter toast and oatmeal—and poured a glass of milk, then set it on a tray and brought it into the room. The dogs thumped their tails eagerly, but he shooed them out. This was for his woman . . . and his baby. He touched her arm gently to wake her up. “Hey, Annie?”

  “Mmm,” was all he got. She pulled the pillow against her face and went back to sleep.

  He bit back a laugh—to think that last night he’d been afraid of waking her up by holding her. The woman could saw logs with the best of them. He pulled the pillow out of her arms. “Breakfast time. I made you something to eat.”

  She cracked an eye open. “I am rather hungry, but it’s too early.”

  “Five a.m. Ain’t all that early.”

  Annie groaned as if in pain. “Says you.” But she woke up. After he made sure she ate breakfast, he left the room so she could shower and change in peace. He let the dogs out, fed ’em, and cleaned the kitchen before harnessing Spidey and packing a lunch for her. So damn domestic—Cass would laugh her ass off at him. He didn’t care. He liked the thought of taking care of Annie and his baby.

  My baby. Even just thinking that filled him with so much damn pleasure.

  When she was ready to go, he drove her into town. Sure enough, there was a crowd of movie people waiting to load into one of the plain white buses they used to trek out to the filming site. They gathered in front of the main hotel, and Dustin glanced over at Annie. Her face was tight, her expression thoughtful. She didn’t look as if she were thrilled to be rejoining them.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he began.

  She shot him a look. “I do unless I want to be sued by the movie production.”

  “Okay, fair enough. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  A hint of a smile curved her mouth. “No. Just offering is nice, though. I appreciate it.”

  He parked across the street and helped her out of the truck, then handed her Spidey’s leash. With his arm around her waist, he led her toward the bus. It was cold out and she was only wearing a sweater, which he didn’t like. “Here. You take my jacket,” he told her as they stood in front of the bus. “Better too warm than not warm enough.”

  “I’m not sure if it’ll fit,” she protested, but let him ease it onto her shoulders. Once it was on her, though, it was clear it was entirely too big for her small frame. She looked adorable.

  Dustin handed her the lunch he’d packed. “Have a good day at work, honey.” And he leaned in and hugged her in front of everyone.

  * * *

  • • •

  In a daze, Annie got on the bus with Spidey and watched as her cowboy crossed the street. She stared at his wide shoulders, the cocky slant of his hat, the tight backside, and her throat went dry.

  He’d slept next to her last night.

  He wasn’t angry.

  He’d kissed her in front of everyone. Held her close and made it obvious that she was with him.

  Katherine immediately sat down next to Annie, giving Spidey a smile. “So what’s going on with the cowboy?” she demanded immediately.

  “I wish I knew,” Annie told her.

  * * *

  • • •

  Reshoots were not the most thrilling part of a picture. Everyone was in a bad mood because they’d already been paid, and this was extra work that no one wanted to have anything to do with. It happened on a lot of movies, but Annie couldn’t remember ever dreading a reshoot like this one.

  Luckily for her, Mr. Sloane was more focused on working with Chad Weathers than with anyone else. He’d cast a few looks at the dog, frowned at Annie, and then went back to talking with his star. Good. Maybe he wouldn’t need them for much of anything. She crossed her fingers and hoped. Just being around Sloane was making Spidey act up. He was nervous and snappish, and so she went over some of his basic tricks with him to make sure that if he was needed, he’d be ready.

  She understood, though. She was feeling a little snappish herself.

  Her feet ached and since she had to be on the cold, cold blustery fields, she sat under an umbrella and hugged Dustin’s jacket against her, thankful for its warmth. Katherine joined her, shivering, and they both huddled and watched as the actors choreographed an outdoor fight scene. They weren’t needed, of course, but it didn’t mean that they could go home.

  “So . . . that’s a surprise,” Katherine said at some point, and Annie found herself spilling the beans about all of it. How she and Dustin had slept together and how she’d thought it was something special. How Theresa in town had told Annie that she was Dustin’s girlfriend, and how she’d believed her. How she’d run home to Los Angeles and found out about the pregnancy, and then returned and confronted Dustin only to realize that she’d been wrong all along.

  “Hmm,” was all Katherine would say.

  Annie poked her in the side. “What does that ‘hmm’ mean exactly?”

  “It means that I don’t know if I believe him,” she told Annie. “I mean, it’s awfully convenient that you show up and it’s all as perfect as he says. Did you talk to the other woman yet? Theresa?”

  “No,” Annie admitted. “I just got in last night. Got sick, and then I went to bed early. He took care of me, though.”

  “Of course he did. You’re as cute as a dumpling with that belly of yours. You’re glowing. You look adorable pregnant.” Her friend smiled. “But you’ve also got the right to be a little concerned. I’d say go meet this supposed side-chick and have a talk with her. Find out what she thinks her side of the story is, and compare it with Dustin’s. You don’t have to accuse anyone of anything. It’s just called being safe.”

  Katherine made it sound so very logical. “I guess I should. It’s funny,” Annie said, watching as Spidey chewed on his little jacket and shoes nearby. “Every time I think I have my mind made up about how things should go, something changes. I thought I should cut Dustin out of my life, but then I see him again and it’s all different than how I pictured it. So then I think maybe we can give things a shot again . . . and then I talk to you and wonder if I’m being too trusting once more.” She smiled faintly and looked over at her friend. Katherine always seemed to know exactly what she wanted. “If you were me, what would you do?”

  “Oh no.” Katherine laughed. “I’m not falling into that tra
p. You have to make your own decisions. I mean, we are different from step one. You’re keeping the baby, right?”

  “Yeah.” She touched her belly. Just thinking of the life inside—the one that she’d made with Dustin—made her so happy. “There’s no way I’d ever give him—or her—up.”

  “See, I would. I’d give my baby up for adoption because I know I can’t give him or her the life that I want. I’d rather hang around on movie sets and party, you know? I’m not ready to settle down and make a family, and that’s not fair to a kid.” She shook her head. “So does that mean you’re done with movies? I thought you were going to New Zealand for your next flick.”

  “Things changed. The movie was canceled before production started.” The baby kicked, and Annie smiled to herself. “I think I’m pretty done anyhow. I don’t want to travel with a baby, and I can’t imagine Kitty pitching in.”

  Katherine shuddered. “Kitty would only pitch in if the baby would hold her martini shaker instead of a rattle.”

  Annie giggled at that, because the mental image was too crazy—and yet too realistic. “So yeah, I think I’ll try something different for a while.”

  “Please, please tell me you’re not going to give up all your aspirations of a career.”

  “No. I imagine it’d be fun to stay home with the baby for a while, but I’ll need to do something with myself. Something with animals. I still like what I do.” She looked thoughtfully at Spidey, and then reached out and fixed one of his little booties that he’d nearly bitten off his paws. “Maybe boarding, or training. Vet school. Something.”

  “Good,” Katherine said emphatically. “Keep thinking along those lines. You are a strong, beautiful woman who just happens to be growing another person inside her.” And she shuddered.

  Annie laughed. It felt good to be happy again. To be light and carefree. So what if she was pregnant and not married? It was modern times. She didn’t need a man. She had her own money, and even if it was dwindling, she had a fantastic résumé and she could get more work with animals easily.

  All she had to do was figure out what she wanted. Piece of cake.

  * * *

  • • •

  Several of the big scenes in the second half of the movie were reshot. She noticed as she reviewed the script that Spidey (and therefore Annie’s work) was being cut out of scene after scene. Conversations were cut, dog tricks were removed, and a lot of the shots of Chad Weathers were done from the waist up. Annie should have been annoyed, but she was just relieved. It meant less arguing with Sloane, and it meant they were one step closer to done.

  The set was chilly, the wind ripping despite the windbreaks that assistants held up so the actors wouldn’t be affected, and at one point, Spidey crawled into her lap and tucked himself against her under her coat, shivering. When snowflakes started to drift from the sky and the director wrapped things early, she was relieved.

  Time to go home.

  Of course, home wasn’t the hotel, or the house she shared with her mother. It meant going back to the ranch with Dustin, and she worried that she’d be overstepping. That in some way she’d misread things and she wasn’t as welcome as she’d hoped. But when she got off the bus, Dustin was waiting on the curb with a thermos and a warm blanket, and she could have kissed him with gratitude.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly as he took the leash from her. “What’s all this?”

  “It’s a nasty day. Thought you might want some hot cocoa.” He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

  “Shoot, I need to find myself a cowboy,” Katherine teased as she sauntered past. “See you tomorrow, mami.”

  “Bye.” Annie smiled at Dustin and took a sip of the cocoa. It was amazing and yummy and so very thoughtful of him. When she’d texted him to pick her up, she hadn’t asked for this. It was all him, and it was so sweet. “We heading home?”

  “Not yet. I thought I’d take you out to dinner.”

  “You did?” She was surprised. “Why?”

  “It’s called a date.” He hefted Spidey into his arms. “This little guy’s freezing.”

  She grinned as Spidey took that opportunity to start licking Dustin’s chin. “Bostons don’t have long hair to keep them warm. That’s why he’s got that coat.”

  “I just thought you liked dressing him up,” Dustin admitted, and she chuckled. “He can chaperone our date. Wade, who runs the bar, doesn’t mind if a dog comes in as long as he stays out of the way. Says they’re all service dogs in his eyes.”

  “The bar?” She patted her rounded belly. “You sure you want to take a pregnant lady there?”

  “Well, it’s either that or the mini-mart, and I’m not sure you should be eating hot dogs from there. Rumor has it that they’ve been around since before the Grand Canyon.” His smile flashed. “And the bar has some good eats.”

  “All right, then, if it won’t be a problem.”

  “It’s not.” He took her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder, made sure the blanket was tucked around her shoulders, and then took the thermos so she could walk with her hands free. Well, waddle. Her hips were spreading and her movements were getting less graceful by the day, but she didn’t care. Every day she was one day closer to her baby being born.

  They went to the bar and Dustin waved at the bartender, then pulled a chair out for Annie at one of the tables. She felt wildly conspicuous, since the place was crowded with a mix of movie people and some of the locals, but Dustin was at her side and pulled his chair next to hers, and she supposed it didn’t matter. They were together.

  He pulled in a chair and tapped it, and Spidey jumped into it, sitting as if he was a human. She laughed, loving the mischievous look on Dustin’s face. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

  “For seating my son? Never. Isn’t that right, son?” He rubbed Spidey’s round head. “Why’s he called Spidey anyhow?”

  “I don’t know. I got him from a shelter and that was his name. I figured he’d be easier to train if I kept it, but I’ve always wondered myself.”

  “A shelter, huh?”

  “Yeah, he’s almost entirely white, and that’s not a desired look for Boston terriers, unfortunately. Most people want the traditional black and white markings. The off-color ones sometimes get dumped.”

  “People are jerks,” he said, rubbing the dog’s head affectionately. Then, he leaned over to her and gave her a quick kiss. “Wade keeps the menus at the bar. Let me grab you one.”

  “Okay.” She watched as he got up and crossed the room, bigger than life in his cowboy hat and his easy stance. He was the most attractive man in the room and she noticed people watching him. It’s a small town, she told herself. People get in other people’s business. It happens. When he came back to the table, he smiled widely at her and offered her the menu. “You want a drink of some kind? Water? Hot tea?”

  “I’ll just drink my cocoa. It’s my favorite food group.”

  “Chocolate?”

  “Exactly.”

  He laughed. “Will it bother you if I get something big to eat? I’m starving.”

  “Only if you judge me for eating almost as much as you.” She patted her belly. “My appetite’s up lately.”

  Dustin reached over and patted her stomach. “That’s fine with me.” He froze and then looked at her. “Is it okay that I touched you?”

  “It’s fine,” she told him. “I’m getting used to everyone thinking my belly is fair game.” When he looked chagrined, she patted his hand. “Really. You’re allowed to touch it anytime, I promise.”

  “I’m going to take you up on that offer,” he murmured, and for some reason it sounded sexy and delicious, and then she was blushing. Gosh, her mind went straight to the gutter around him, which was probably unfortunate because she was really pregnant and he probably didn’t find that sexy compared to how she’d looked the last tim
e he’d seen her.

  She wished he would kiss her. Not the quick peck he’d given her so far but a real, honest-to-goodness, toe-curling kiss like he had before.

  But then he reached across the table and held her hand, and however slow they took things, she decided that would be fine, too.

  Despite the fact that they were in a bar, dinner was surprisingly lovely. She had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries, and Dustin had a huge burger that he kept trying to give her bites of. It was cute that he wanted to feed her, but it made her shy. Neither of them drank alcohol, and she was relieved that no one seemed to be looking at her oddly for being in a bar despite the fact she was eight months pregnant. She guessed it was like he’d said—this was the only restaurant in town. Funny how she’d never really paid attention to that before. The two months that they’d been shooting here previously, she’d mostly ordered stuff on Amazon and had it shipped to the hotel, or grabbed snacks from the mini-mart. It was nice to go on a date.

  And Dustin made it clear to everyone that it was a date. They talked, and he paid attention only to her. He held her hand. He tried to give her bites of food and stole the occasional fry from her plate. When they got up to leave, he stood up and helped her to her feet, and then put his arm around her waist.

  He was making it clear to everyone in town that she belonged to him.

  Annie loved it. Maybe she should have been all rah-rah independent woman like Katherine told her to be, but after eight months of being pregnant and solo, it was nice to have someone to lean on when she was tired, or for someone to carry her purse and the dog’s leash when her back was hurting. Dustin didn’t seem to mind any of this, and it made her surprisingly weepy.

  Well, the weepy part wasn’t all that surprising. She seemed to cry all the time now, just one of the many perks of being pregnant.

  As they rode in the truck back to the ranch, she noticed another “perk” of being pregnant was rearing its ugly head. Dustin kept giving her these sexy little smiles as he looked over at her, as if he was just thrilled that she was with him. And every time he did, she couldn’t help but notice his strong jaw, his tan, his big shoulders . . . and then she remembered sex with him.