Baby-Daddy Cowboy

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Stephanie Bond

“Do you want me to make myself scarce?”

  “No, I just don’t want you to be bored.” Her phone pinged with the text from Naomi. “I don’t know how long this will take.”

  “I can amuse myself.” He glanced toward the small kitchen nook. “I see you picked up bread, so we must be having sandwiches.”

  “That was the idea, that we’d… but then Naomi called and—”

  “How about if I put the sandwiches together now?”

  She hesitated.

  “I could be wrong, but I doubt you’re in the mood for licking every inch of my body.”

  She gave him a rueful smile.

  “I’ll fix the sandwiches while you make your call and text Naomi. Then we’ll eat and talk about what’s going on.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “My pleasure.” Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss. “If you need me, I’ll be right over there.” He pointed toward the kitchen nook.

  “Like I’d forget.”

  “Like I’d let you.” He winked and walked away.

  The touch of his lips and the scent of his shaving lotion stirred the embers. Her phone pinged a second time, signaling the text was still waiting. With a sigh, she focused on the business at hand.

  Bob Kennedy turned out to be a genial man who’d launched a coffee shop on a whim and then discovered how much work was involved. After a few minutes of conversation, she agreed with Naomi and Fred. The guy seemed honest. She agreed to the deal.

  Spending a large amount of money with no return policy was risky, though. She pressed a hand against her stomach to calm the butterflies.

  “You okay over there?”

  She glanced up and met his concerned gaze. “I will be.”

  “Sandwiches are made.”

  “Let me text Naomi and I’ll be right with you.”

  “I hunted around for drink options and—”

  “Oh, right. I didn’t think of that when I picked up the food. I could have grabbed you some hard cider. I have either non-alcoholic cider or I can make decaf coffee.”

  “I’m good with whatever you’re having.”

  “Cider, please.” She texted Naomi, who answered with don’t fly home and a smiley face emoji. When she looked up from her phone, CJ had taken their plates and cider to the little table near the window. He’d found napkins, too.

  Pulling out one of the chairs, he gestured to it. “Have a seat.”

  “Thank you for doing this.” She laid her phone beside her plate as she slid onto her chair.

  “Gonna check on flights?” He took his seat.

  “I need to. I doubt I can get there before the roaster arrives, but I can at least be on hand when our maintenance guy hooks it up.”

  “And give Naomi moral support.”

  “That’s my thought, even though she told me not to come. She said it would either work or it wouldn’t.”

  “Sounds logical.”

  “It does, but she’s never dealt with anything like this and George, who’s normally fairly steady, is freaking out. The shop is my responsibility. I should be there.” She waved toward his plate. “Please start. I want to see how much extra it will cost me, assuming there’s even availability.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “No, really. I hate to make you—”

  “I’ll wait.”

  That tone meant she might as well save her breath, so she picked up her phone and got on the airline’s website. It didn’t take long to discover coach seats were gone. She could switch to business class and add that to the change fee. “Damn.” She put down the phone.

  “Expensive?”

  “Yep. I have to let the sticker shock wear off.” She put her napkin in her lap. “Let’s eat.” She picked up half of her sandwich and took a bite. “Mm.”

  “Good?”

  She chewed and swallowed. “I got so involved in the roaster thing I forgot I was starving.”

  “Then I’m glad I went ahead with the sandwiches.” He bit into his.

  “Thanks for suggesting it. I didn’t even think to ask you. If you’ll pardon me, I have a sandwich to eat.” She dived in.

  He polished off half his sandwich and picked up his cider. “I’ll bet you didn’t think of asking me to drive you to Seattle, either.”

  She paused, the second half of her sandwich halfway to her mouth. “Drive me? I couldn’t possibly—”

  “I don’t know if I could get the time off on such short notice, but if I can make arrangements with Henri and the Brotherhood, we could leave as soon as you’re ready. You might get home in time to take that delivery yourself.”

  “I would never ask that of you.” She returned her attention to her sandwich.

  “My point exactly. I’m offering. Want me to call Henri?”

  She shook her head, finished chewing and swallowed. “I’m not so desperate to get home that I’d put you through ten hours of night driving after you’ve worked a full day. I assume that’s what you’re suggesting.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And then what? Come straight back?”

  “Might grab a couple hours of sleep first, but yeah, I’d need to get back. This is our busy season.”

  “It’s an extremely generous offer and I’m touched, but I’m not taking it.” She finished her sandwich.

  “I’ll leave it open, in case you change your mind. How much extra were you looking at for the flight?” He took a mouthful of cider.

  She tapped the phone. The screen with the total came up and she turned it so he could see.

  He swallowed so fast he almost choked. “Holy crap. Don’t tell me you’re considering that.”

  “I’d rather pay it than have you risk your life making the trip. I’d offer to share the driving, but I’m horrible at long drives, especially at night. I fall asleep.”

  “I don’t. Neither do the other guys.” He grinned. “You see, we’re cowboys and cowboys—”

  “Are insane. I get it.” She put down her cider when her phone chimed with Naomi’s ring. “Excuse me. I’d better take this.” Pushing back her chair, she picked up the phone and stood. With the phone to her ear, she walked toward the kitchen nook. “Hey, sis.”

  “I checked the flight situation and you’d have to book in business class on top of the change fee.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m asking you not to come. That’s a lot of money.”

  “We’re spending a lot more than that on the roaster. I should be there to—”

  “What, exactly? Hold my hand? I’m a big girl, Izzy. I can do this.”

  “I know, but—”

  “You don’t trust me to take care of it?”

  “No! I trust you!”

  “I don’t think so. Flying back here at great expense proves it.”

  That stunned her. “Then…” She gulped and did a mental one-eighty. “Then I won’t.”

  “Thank you.” A gusty sigh came through the phone. “I’m damn proud of how I’ve reacted to this crisis.”

  “You should be. You’ve done a spectacular job.” Too bad she’d questioned her sister’s every move. Ugh. “I apologize for not acknowledging that. You came through in the clutch.”

  “Yes, I did. And by the way, I’m having the old roaster hauled off tonight after we close. Fred’s going to stop by and make sure that goes okay.”

  “Right. Good thinking. Don’t forget the service door has to come off.”

  “I remember.”

  “Give Fred a hug for me, too.”

  “I will. And I’ll keep you in the loop tomorrow with texts. I’ll call as soon as the truck shows up. I’ll text you pictures.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “But that’s tomorrow.”

  “Getting the old roaster out is no piece of cake. The thing’s heavy.”

  “It’ll be fine. I hired the same guys who hauled it in. They know the drill. Is CJ still there or did you send him away?”

  “He’s here.”

  “
I’m guessing you planned to spend some time together tonight.”

  “We did.”

  “Then please hang up and enjoy your evening. Don’t give this another thought.”

  She smiled. “That’s a tall order.”

  “Hey, if he’s as cute and fun as he looked in the wedding photos, I’ll bet he can make you forget your roaster problems.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  CJ didn’t try to eavesdrop, but it was a small space. If he’d correctly interpreted the conversation, Naomi had just done him a huge favor.

  Izzy disconnected the call and came back to the table, phone in hand, her expression subdued.

  He stood and helped her into her chair. “I heard some of that.”

  “Evidently if I’d insisted on flying back, she’d think I don’t trust her to handle the crisis.” She laid the phone beside her plate.

  “Ah.” He returned to his seat. “Do you trust her?”

  She hesitated. “With most things, but this is huge.”

  “And Cup of Cheer is everything to you.”

  “Not everything, but it’s my passion. My dream. That said, my relationship with Naomi is more important than the shop. Even though originally she told me not to come back, I thought in her heart she wanted me there for moral support. I was wrong. She sees this situation as a chance to prove to me that she’s capable of handling a crisis.”

  “And prove it to herself?”

  She nodded. “Probably, and that’s even more important. I wouldn’t knowingly do anything to undermine her confidence. She was my rock when I found out about the pregnancy last Friday. Our roles reversed. She started giving me advice. I loved that.”

  “She’s been pregnant?”

  “No, but she immersed herself in the subject. While I was busy obsessing about the emotional implications for you and me, she unearthed everything she could find about the joy of pregnancy and childbirth. Then she shared it with me.”

  “I wouldn’t mind having some of that info.”

  “I’ll text you the links. It’s great stuff. Thanks to Naomi, I changed my focus from our less-than-perfect circumstances to the miracle of bringing a new life into the world.”

  He regarded her silently for a moment. “Sounds like she responded well in that crisis, too.”

  “Very true.” She took a deep breath. “And I’m sure she’ll handle this one just fine. Putting it out of my mind isn’t easy, though.”

  “Tell you what.” Shoving back his chair, he stacked the empty plates. “Let’s take a walk.”

  “Where?”

  “Down to the barn. Horses are a very calming bunch.”

  “I believe that. Especially Lucky Ducky. That horse is totally Zen.”

  He carried the plates into the kitchen nook. “Do you want to grab a jacket?”

  “I don’t think so. It was nice when I brought the food back from the dining hall.”

  He took his hat from the counter where he’d left it, started toward her and glanced at the phone in her hand. “Gonna take that?”

  “Naomi might—”

  “Really?”

  “No, not really.” She held up the phone. “My security blanket.”

  “I’d be happy to volunteer for that position.”

  She smiled and put the phone on the table. “You’re hired.”

  “Thanks for the opportunity. Let’s go.” He ushered her out the door and took her hand as they descended the steps. “Moon’s up.” He pointed to the pale crescent in the fading light. “Waxing moon.”

  “I always liked that better than a waning moon.”

  “Me, too. Henri’s fond of a new moon. She says it’s the best time for starting something.”

  “What was the moon doing the night we made this baby?”

  “Orbiting the Earth, as it does.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Maybe it happened during a new moon. That would be cool.”

  “I’ll look it up. Ever since finding out that Henri keeps track, I usually do, too. With the excitement of the wedding and meeting you, I stopped noticing.”

  “But you did this month?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The new moon was on Sunday night, only hours before you flew in.”

  “Interesting. I’ve never paid a whole lot of attention to moon phases. Winters in Seattle are cloudy and often you can’t see it. Or the sun, for that matter.”

  “I read that.”

  “When?”

  “Last night, on my phone.”

  “I don’t have to ask why you were researching Seattle.” She blew out a breath. “I wish you’d realize that you’d be nuts to—”

  “Whoa, there, Izzy. Could we table that for now?”

  “Um, guess so.”

  Getting her to chill might not be so easy. He drew her to a halt. “Hear that?”

  “What?”

  “Crickets. The sound of summer.”

  “I know the chirping from movies, but we don’t have them.”

  “Seattle doesn’t have crickets?”

  She shrugged. “Not that I’ve ever heard. And if you moved there, neither would you.”

  Damn, couldn’t seem to stay away from the subject. He squeezed her hand and started off again. “I like them, but it’s not a game changer.”

  “Sure seems like one. You sounded like a kid who was told the candy store was out of his favorite lollipops.”

  “It’s a holdover from my indulgent childhood.” He congratulated himself when she laughed. Exactly what he’d been going for.

  “I’ll bet one of the guys said that to you.”

  “Jake did, but the others picked it up.” He scanned the area around the barn. Deserted, everyone tucked in for the night. Releasing her hand, he lifted the bar on the barn’s double door and slid it back. “I’ll take you and our baby over a million singing crickets.”

  She groaned. “CJ, you’re biting off way more than—”

  “After you.” He swept an arm toward the opening. The soft glow of baseboard lights along the aisle provided a touch of romantic ambiance. “Feel all that peacefulness coming at you?”

  “I do.” She smiled at him and stepped inside. “Very quiet.”

  “Except for some munching. The slower eaters have a little supper left.”

  “And someone just nickered.”

  “Lucky Ducky. Hoping for a treat. Didn’t think of that.”

  “We’ll go see him, at least. You were right about the calm atmosphere.” She wandered down the aisle toward Lucky Ducky’s stall. “Not much mud. Did you get them to wipe their feet?”

  “I laid down some straw in front of the barn. Kind of like a doormat.”

  “I didn’t see it when we walked up.”

  “Nick and I hauled it away after they were all inside.”

  “See, I knew there had to be something like that to help deal with the problem.” She leaned on the door to Lucky Ducky’s stall. “Hey, buddy.”

  The bay made his way toward her and stuck his head over the stall door. The dim light barely allowed the white four-leaf clover marking on his forehead to show.

  Izzy scratched behind his ears. “He looks sleepy.”

  “I’m sure he is. Most of them are. That’s why it’s a good place to chill out.”

  Evidently Lucky Ducky figured out no treats were forthcoming because he moseyed back to his hay net.

  Izzy turned. “Are you sleepy?”

  “No, ma’am.” The shadows hid her expression, but that question had promise.

  “Naomi said if you lived up to your image in the wedding shots, you should be able to make me forget my roaster problems.”

  Okay, then. “Is that a challenge?”

  “Just repeating what my sister said.” Her breathing picked up.

  That Naomi. What a pal. “I just remembered. I want to show you something in the tack room.” He took her hand and started back down the aisle.

  “But I was just in there this afternoon. Has something changed?”r />
  “I’m sure you didn’t see this. Pretty amazing.”

  “If you’re talking about your manly bits, I’ve seen them already. Just this afternoon, in fact.”

  He grinned. “That’s not what I meant. But admit it, you were amazed.”

  “Don’t put too much stock in that.” Clearly she was trying not to laugh. “I don’t get out much.”

  That cracked him up. Must have been contagious, because she lost it, too. Laughter and Izzy went great together.

  He hurried her into the tack room, kicked the door shut and pulled her into his arms. “Prepare to be amazed.”

  Nobody kissed like Izzy. When she opened to him, when she moaned and thrust her tongue into his mouth, he was a goner. Her enthusiasm soon had him panting and fumbling with her clothes.

  Tugging her shirt from the waistband of her jeans, he stopped kissing her long enough to pull it over her head. He tossed it on the nearest thing, one of the ranch saddles. Then he returned to the joys of her hot mouth.

  She was into the program, too. Snaps popped in a rapid succession as she wrenched open his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She ran into trouble with the cuffs.

  He let go of her long enough to unfasten them and toss the shirt on top of hers. A small nightlight provided limited visibility, but it looked like she’d arched her back and unhooked her bra. The overhead switch was within reach, but the glare of it didn’t fit the mood.

  He held out his hand. “Let me take it.”

  She gave him the flimsy bit of lace, warm from contact with her skin, and he added it to the pile of clothes.

  Closing the gap between them, he lifted her to her toes and aligned the fly of his jeans with the juncture of her thighs. He ached, but it was a bearable ache, the kind that preceded really good sex.

  She leaned into him, winding her arms around his neck and pressing her taut nipples against his hot skin, cushioning his pecs with her soft, plump breasts.

  Moisture pooled in his mouth. “Grab onto my shoulders.”

  When she did, he filled his hands with her sweet tush and lifted her off the floor. “Wrap your—” He didn’t need to finish the sentence. She gripped with her thighs and locked her ankles behind his back. Her tempting nipples quivered inches from his mouth.

  He swallowed. “Can you—”

  “Like this?” Her voice was low and sultry as she carefully let go of his shoulder, cradled her breast and leaned forward.