Cowboy's Baby: A Secret Baby Ranch Western Cowboy Romance

by Crowne, K. C.

  I took pride in my ability to keep my cool. But not with Amy. I had no qualms about letting her know how I felt. After all I’d been through with her, I wasn’t going to concern myself with hurting her damn feelings.

  “You’re being a child.” Her voice was the exact tone she liked to take on the phone with me, that prim, ice-cold way of speaking. I couldn’t stand it.

  “Listen Amy. I’ve been as patient as possible in this entire process. You’re making this difficult when it doesn’t need to be. You got a damn good settlement in the divorce, along with the shit you stole from us, so just go the fuck away.”

  She laughed. More of a cackle, really. “You really think I got what I deserved, Wyatt? Please.” She scoffed, a harsh sound that grated. “You have way more money that I should be entitled to and you know it. You lowballed me.”

  “What I gave you was more than fair. Hell, it was more than what the lawyers proposed.”

  “But it’s not what I deserve.”

  “You wanna know what you deserve Amy? Not a damn thing, in my opinion.”

  Her voice changed because she knew she was losing. She tried to appeal to a sensitive side I didn’t think existed anymore, thanks to her. “Come on Wyatt. We were happy once.”

  “Yeah, before I knew every damn word out of your mouth was a damn lie.”

  “Not everything. I never lied about the sex being incredible.”

  If I were another kind of man, that attempt at insincere flattery might have worked. But I was the kind of man who’d seen every trick this woman had up her sleeve. That didn’t stop her from trying them again and again.

  “Save it. You know you’re being unreasonable.”

  “You can call it unreasonable; I call it me going after what a wife is due.”

  “You honest to God think you’re entitled to half my family’s hard earned fortune? Not just my money, but everyone else’s?”

  “Of course. They were horrible to me throughout our marriage. It’s called pain and suffering,” she scathingly stated. “You can either pony up or I’ll continue to be a thorn in your paw, cowboy. Your call.”

  “You’re out of your goddamned mind, you know that, Amy?”

  I sucked in a slow breath, doing my best to stay calm. She was exercising all the restraint I had, however. Almost as much restraint as when I’d pulled back from kissing Jess. Damn, how was I thinking about her at a time like this? But there she was, in my head. I knew for sure she was the woman I’d rather be talking to.

  “Well then,” she pouted. “It appears we’ve reached something of an impasse.” Silence hung in the air. “What do you propose we do about this, Wyatt?”

  “It’s easy. Take the more than generous amount of money you got in the divorce and leave me the fuck alone.” I cut her off before she tried to speak again. “I’ll take you to court if I have to.”

  She laughed. “You want to make this a courtroom dogfight? Trust me, I’d love nothing more.”

  “You really think you’d have a chance with your case? You tried to steal my money!” I exclaimed in exasperation. “Oh, and let’s not forget about the things you stole on the way out.”

  “You think I stole those things? That stuff was in the house, which meant they belonged to both of us. Legally, I had a right to much, much more.”

  I grit my teeth and spoke, ready to bring up the subject I really didn’t want to get into. But the woman left me no choice. “If you’re gonna force this, I’ll be happy to bring up the shit you were gettin' up to behind my back.”

  She scoffed. “Wyatt, please don’t tell me you’re still hung up on those meaningless flings I had. They meant nothing, just a way to get to you.”

  “Hell of a way to put breaking marriage vows and steppin’ out on me time and time again. Should’ve broken it off the first time I found out you were cheatin’. Damn fool I was for believin’ you when you said you were sorry.”

  “My apologies for wounding your delicate male ego,” she said flippantly. “But like I said, they meant nothing.”

  The woman was beyond unreasonable. Every time I talked to her I wondered what the hell I’d ever seen in her. Maybe her lying through her teeth about everything had something to do with it.

  “You wanna keep what you stole? Fine. Go ahead, won’t contest one missin’ piece of china. But there’s no way on Earth that you’re gettin' half of what my family has. I won’t stand for it.”

  “OK, then I’ll just have to revert to more…drastic measures.”

  I didn’t like where this was going. Not one bit. Amy was bloodless and calculating when she wanted to be. And that was often.

  “Like what?”

  “Well, let’s say we take this to court. You might have the upper hand in some ways, sure. And you might have a hell of a war chest you can use to pay for all the big shot Houston lawyers you want. But you’ll see how useless that all is when I’m up on the stand, tears in my eyes, telling them how cruel and violent you were with me.”

  “Like hell you will. That’s a damn lie and you know it!”

  “I would. And hell, maybe I won’t even wait to go to court. Maybe I’ll go to whatever newspaper I can find and tell them that none other than Wyatt Walker himself, heir to the Walker fortune, is hardly the dashing cowboy everyone seems to think he is.”

  I never liked that the papers seemed to take an interest in me and my brothers. Guess they found something interesting about rich cowboys. But that didn’t matter. What Amy was threatening was beyond the pale.

  Her sickening threats continued. “Maybe I’ll pull the emotionally abusive husband card? Tell them you’d get all liquored up off your nightly whiskey and call me every name in the book.”

  “Where do you come up with this shit?”

  She laughed. “Doesn’t really matter.”

  “That’s gotta be one of the most insane plans I’ve ever heard, Amy. And that’s really sayin’ something with a woman like you. Nobody who knows me is gonna believe you.”

  “Doesn’t matter what anyone but the judge believes. I know what’s mine and I’m gonna do what I need to do to get it. And I want you to know what I’m capable of along the way. Consider this phone call your warning. What happens next is really up to you, big guy.”

  I inhaled a slow breath through my nose. Part of me wanted to let loose, really give her a piece of my mind. But the smarter part knew that provoking a reaction was exactly what she wanted.

  “I’m askin’ you one more time to do the right thing and leave me alone. Take your money and let’s put this all behind us and move on with our lives.”

  “You know that’s not gonna happen. So think about what I said. Make the smart call or I sue you for pain and suffering.”

  She ended the call with her threat, which unfortunately, did have some bite to it. Not because any of it was true, but because I had no proof either way. Neither did she, but he said/she said in court usually didn’t fair well for the he in the conversation.

  I wanted to punch a damn hole in the wall. I clenched and unclenched my fist until the anger subsided. Losing my mind over this nonsense wouldn’t have done me a bit of good. More than that, I’m sure Amy would have a big old smile on her face if she knew she’d had such an effect on me.

  Once I’d calmed down, I slipped my phone into my jeans pocket and thought the matter over. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she’d claim abuse. The woman was scheming, manipulative, and greedy. Pretty sure every other trait she displayed was a fake other than those. Hell, she’d totally lied to me for the entirety of the six months we’d been married.

  I decided to take a walk to clear my head. A stroll around the property was usually the thing to get my mind right when something brought me close to losing my cool. However, in the hallway I spotted the exact person I wanted to see, someone who managed to turn my mood right around with nothing more than a mind-blowing smile.

  “Hey, cowboy!” Jess waved as she strolled toward me.

  She looked goo
d as ever, of course. She was dressed in a tight white T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans that showed off the curves I was so crazy about. God, I wanted her. Those luscious tits, that perfect shape to her body. Just the sight of her was enough to make me feel like an animal who needed to rut. As she moved toward me, her hips swaying, all I could think about was throwing her over my shoulder like a damn caveman and taking her to my bed to give her the screwing of a lifetime.

  I was right to hold back, though. If I wanted to play it smart, my fantasy in the shower would be as far as I’d let things go. As much as I wanted her, sex would only make a complicated situation even more so.

  “Hey there, cowgirl,” I retorted with a smile. “You’re just the girl I want to see. Ready to giddy up for the day?”

  She laughed. “Wait, giddy up? Is that really a thing cowboys say?”

  “What, you think it’s only in the movies?”

  “That’s what I assumed. Like, hey-ho Geronimo, away!”

  “Well, he only said that because his horse was named Geronimo.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I’d be lyin’ if I were to say I hadn’t let out a giddy up now and then. Somethin’ about it just feels right, you know?”

  “It’s in your nature,” she said. “Cowboy to the core.”

  “You’ll have to try it sometime. Take one of the horses out for a ride and, you know, let it all out. See how giddy up feels comin’ out of your mouth. And somethin’ tells me I could teach you a thing or two about riding.”

  “Never realized how forward cowboys could be. I thought you were all such gentlemen.”

  I grinned. “I’m thinkin’ there’s a lot about cowboys you don’t know. Can’t wait to teach you.”

  The conversation with Jess was exactly the opposite of the one I’d had with Amy, which had put a fire under my mood, causing tension and the possibility of an ulcer. This one was light, easy, fun, putting me at ease and calming my soul. I could talk and joke around with Jess all day.

  “Does that mean you’ll let me ride one of the horses?”

  I put my hands on my hips and pretended to give the matter some serious, deep reflection. “You think you’re up to it?”

  “Of course I am. Don’t know if I’ve ever done it before, but I’m sure I’ll be a natural.” She waved her hand as if to say nothing to it.

  “I like that confidence.”

  “I bet you do,” she said with a grin.

  I looked her up and down again. God, the girl was so smoking hot I had to refocus my gaze and my libido, or I’d jerk her into my bedroom and give her a different kind of ride.

  “Something on your mind?” she asked, the grin on her lips taking on a shade of slyness. Made me wonder if she had the same thoughts as me.

  “Yeah,” I acknowledged, playing the game just a bit. “There is.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Thinking about your attire.”

  She glanced down, spreading her arms wide as she looked at her clothes. “What about it? Not a fan of my tastes in clothes?”

  “Nah, not that it exactly. Thinkin’ about how you look out of place.”

  “Of course I look out of place,” she snorted. “I’m a city slicker, remember?”

  “Oh, I know,” I said with a smirk. “You’re wearin’ that just as surely as you’re wearin’ those clothes.”

  “Alright, alright,” she said with a smile. “You’ve made your point.”

  “It ain’t a fashion thing,” I assured her. “More about practicality. If you’re gonna be runnin’ around on the ranch, you’re gonna need some different clothes.”

  “Not much I can do about that,” she reminded me. “All I’ve got is what’s in my suitcase.” She frowned for a second, her mood dampening as some thought crossed her mind.

  “What’s goin’ on in that head?”

  “Well, I was just thinkin’,” she mumbled, looking up at me. “We found my wallet with my ID, but I looked again and there’s no credit cards or debit cards or anything like that. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

  I tilted my head, my brows furrowed. I hadn’t really thought about it, though I probably should have. “It is odd. Makes me wonder how you got here?”

  “Same,” she murmured, a far-off look in her eyes.

  “Hey,” I said, recapturing her attention. “Your brain just needs time. It’s only been a few days. And forcing it is probably just gonna stress you out.”

  She nodded slowly. “You’re probably right.”

  “So how ‘bout that ride?”

  She smirked, some of the light returning to her eyes. “I have nothing to wear.”

  I tossed another glance at Jess, a plan forming in my mind.

  “Alright,” she said, side-eyeing me. “You’re up to something.”

  “I sure am.” I took my phone out of my pocket and fired off a text to Emily, who was quick to respond with a yes. “Come on – we’re gonna go see my sister.”

  “About?”

  “Just come on.”

  Jess was confused, but she’d get it in a second. We headed down the hall, taking the stairs up to the third floor where Emily stayed when Logan was out of town and she was lonely in her cabin. I knocked on the door and she opened it, all smiles.

  “So,” she said, leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms over her chest. “You two are lookin’ to raid my closet?”

  Jess raised an eyebrow, but I answered my sister. “Thinkin’ she can borrow some of your clothes before we head out on a ride.”

  “Come on in,” Emily invited giddily. “I’ll show you what I got.”

  Jess flashed me a quick expression of uncertainty, and I returned a grin. Before she could do voice her reservations, Emily took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom. The door shut behind them, and I heard Emily’s excited voice announcing that Jess could borrow anything she liked.

  As I waited, my conversation with Amy returned to mind, and the anger with it. God, the fucking audacity of that woman. We’d been married for barely half a year and she thought she was entitled to the damn stars and the moon. And the threats she made…any other woman and I might think she was bluffing, but I knew what Amy was capable of. It’d be a fucking nightmare to watch her drag my family’s good name through the mud for some damn money.

  Without thinking, my hands clenched into fists. Part of me wanted to punch the fucking wall again. But I took a deep breath and let the anger pass. No sense in getting worked up about it –it was a problem, and it’d be handled. For now, I had a day with Jess to look forward to.

  Minutes passed as I wandered up and down the hall, but the door eventually opened, and the two women stepped out. My damn jaw nearly hit the floor.

  “Well?” Emily asked, looking Jess up and down with me. “What do you think?”

  Emily was roughly the same size as Jess, so the clothes fit well. However, Jess’s breasts were a little bigger, so the fit was gloriously tighter. Jess wore a cowboy shirt, the fabric straining. She’d borrowed a pair of Emily’s jeans, the denim hugging her curves like they were painted on. A pair of cowboy boots and a big belt buckle finished off the look. Needless to say, my cock took notice and threatened to break my damn zipper.

  “Holy hell,” I said. “No complaints here.”

  “Classy,” Emily said with a grin. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.” She made a quick exit back into her room. The attraction between Jess and me was obvious as hell, and I got the sense she knew we wanted to be alone.

  “What do you think?” she asked. Obviously, she felt a little out of sorts in clothes she’d never worn before.

  “You wear ‘em like you were born in ‘em,” I said.

  “Thanks.” Her cheeks bloomed with color.

  Fucking hell, the girl was fine. How I was going to keep my hands off her, I had no idea. I’d been exercising restraint before, but she was pushing me to my limits. Only a matter of time before something gave.

  “Anyway,
what’re you thinkin’?”

  “Horse ride,” I announced. “But I wanna check on Juniper before we go.”

  “Sure.”

  We headed outside, and again I wished she’d walk in front of me. I opened the front door for her and let her precede me, and that ass in those jeans nearly undid me. The wind had picked up since we’d last been outside, a bitter bite to the air. But the sky was clear and cloudless and most of the mud had dried out since we’d had no more rain. Perfect Texas winter’s day on the ranch, in my opinion.

  “Your sister’s nice,” Jess said as we headed for the barn, the gravel crunching beneath our boots.

  “She’s a good woman,” I said, my eyes narrowed and fixed forward. “I’d do anything for that one.”

  “It’s great what you all have here,” she mused. “Big, loving family, all close by. Kinda the opposite of my situation.”

  “You don’t know that,” I said. “You could have a family of your own waiting for you back in Houston.”

  “Maybe,” she said, a tinge of sadness in her voice. “But as far as I know, I’m alone. My gut tells me that’s how it is.”

  I hated to hear it. A woman like Jess had no business being alone. But it might be the case. For now, we’d give her all the hospitality she needed. It went without saying that I wanted to give her even more.

  Focus, damnit, I thought. Quit thinking with your dick and focus on the job ahead.

  We reached the barn and I opened the door, letting light pour into the space. A few of the other horses were in their stalls, though Juniper was still in the center awaiting the arrival of her foal. Jess hurried over to grab the brush and moved to Juniper.

  “Hey, girl,” she cooed. “How’re you feeling?”

  Juniper seemed tense when we’d opened the doors, but as soon as Jess went to work on her, she calmed down. City girl or not, she had a way with animals that I admired.

  I gently patted Juniper’s haunches, letting Jess soothe her with the brush. “See, you’ve made a new friend.”

  “That’s right,” Jess said with a smile. “We’re tight.”

  “She’s gonna need all the friends she can get.”

  “How long you think she has?” she asked curiously.