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

by Crowne, K. C.

  “You okay?” he finally asked. “She hurt you?”

  “No,” I assured him. “She didn’t get the chance. But if you hadn’t showed up…” I shuddered.

  “Shh,” he said, moving his arm over my back. “You don’t need to think about any of that now. You’re safe. You and the baby.”

  I glanced at Amy again, knowing that our words of love and reassurance to one another had to be like a knife in her heart. I was done worrying about how she felt, and Amy seemed to be off in her own little world. She sat silently, like she’d shut down.

  Wyatt led me to a large chair and sat me down, my heart slowing by the second as he held me. In what seemed like no time at all, the police arrived, rushing into the apartment and surrounding Amy as we sat in the corner and watched.

  “Officer, the gun she used is on the table by the door,” Wyatt announced immediately so the cops would see it.

  We watched as the cops handcuffed Amy and led her out of the apartment. The same stunned, disbelieving expression was on her face as they carted her away. When she was finally gone, I knew for sure it was all over.

  The officers interviews us for a time, asking questions about what had happened. I told them everything that had happened since Amy had shown up at my apartment. I was exhausted and ready to leave, ready to be alone with Wyatt.

  “Thanks, officers,” Wyatt said, shaking their hands as they prepared to leave. “’I appreciate your help.”

  Then they were gone, one of the officers letting us know they’d be contacting us for more information as the case progressed. More relief flowed over me as the last officer left the apartment.

  “What’s going to happen to her?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “She made some serious decisions tonight – breakin’ the law several times over, for one. Truth be told, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to her. But hopefully she gets the help she needs.”

  There was something seriously admirable about the way Wyatt spoke about Amy. Bad blood wasn’t in short supply between the two of them, but he still managed to keep a cool head, wishing the best for her even when he had all the reasons in the world to wish her good riddance. Wyatt was a good man, through and through. And he would be an excellent father, I had no doubt.

  “We need to get out of here,” I said, looking around the apartment. “This is not where I wanna be right now.”

  “I feel you on that one.” He rose from the chair and extended his hand to me, that strong, rough, and warm hand that I remembered taking all those weeks ago when he’d first found me in the rain. I could hold that hand forever.

  And maybe I’d get the chance.

  Wyatt chuckled as we left the apartment. I eyed him, a small smile on my face. “After what we’ve been through, I gotta ask what’s so funny.”

  “Nothin’,” he said. “I was just thinkin’ about how this all started with me saving your life. And now you finally got the chance to return the favor.”

  I smiled. There was a certain poetry to it. “That’s right.” I poked his side. “And I’m not gonna let you forget it.”

  “Been wonderin’ about that vase,” he said with a frown. “Damn thing finally got put to some good use.”

  “Yep,” I said with a smile. “Don’t forget about it – you get on my bad side and wham!”

  He laughed again as we stepped into the elevator and started down. “Good mental note to not ever underestimate you,” he agreed. “Amy had you tied up and everything?”

  I nodded. “I managed to get out. Just in time, too.”

  He put his arm around me, resting his hand on my shoulder. “It’s all done now, Jess. We got through it together.”

  “It’s almost all done,” I said. “There’s still the matter of my old life here that I need to take care of.”

  “Then let’s not waste another second. We’ll go back to your place and pack whatever you need. And if you’re still on the hook for some lease money or whatever, I don’t wanna hear another word about it –I’ll take care of it and that’s that.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but I could sense Wyatt’s stubbornness coming to the foreground. “Fine,” I said with a smile. “If you want to whisk me away, then I’m not gonna try to stop you.”

  “‘Atta girl,” he said with a grin.

  We took his truck to my old apartment. The place was still a mess from the packing, not to mention the tussle I’d had with Amy. Wyatt entered my apartment, a strange expression settling on his handsome features. Something was troubling him.

  “What’s on your mind?” I asked. “Does it look like too much of a pain in the butt to get all this packed?”

  “Nah,” he said. “It’s not that. Not at all.”

  I frowned as I watched him. It wasn’t like Wyatt to get all cold and distant. I took his hand in mine and stepped in front of him. “Wyatt,” I said. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  He shook his head as if he didn’t know where to begin. “What happened,” he mumbled. “I’m gonna speak straight with you, Jess – it scared the hell out of me.”

  “Same here.”

  “You were in danger and there was a chance something awful might’ve happened. I’m not a man to feel fear, but knowing I might never see you again…” He looked away, his gaze steely.

  I squeezed his hand and he squeezed mine. Then he turned those golden eyes onto me. “Know that as long as you’re in my life, I’m never gonna leave your side. Ain’t a damn thing I’d let do you harm. I’m your man, Jess. And you’re my woman. No one’s gonna stand in our way. Got it?”

  There was a hardness to his words, but one directed at anyone or anything who might try to come between us. It made me feel good to know I had Wyatt on my side.

  He took his face into my hands. “I love you, Jess. And with every second that passes, every little thing that happens, it makes me more damn certain of the way I feel about you. I want to build a life with you, little lady, one for you and me and the baby. Come hell or high water.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Tears welled in my eyes, and I bit my lip as his words echoed in my mind. “I love you too, Wyatt. And I want that too. More than anything.”

  “That’s good to hear.” He wiggled his eyebrows as a slow smile spread on his face. “Speakin’ of wantin’…”

  His big, strong hands moved down from my shoulders to my hips. I didn’t know if it was the adrenaline or just how freaking crazy-attracted to him I was, but the moment his hands fell on my curves, I felt a rush of arousal between my legs, accompanied by a small flood of wetness.

  “This isn’t the most romantic place in the world,” I commented, casting a glance around the studio apartment. “No bed covered in roses at your ranch.”

  “Babe, wherever you and I are together is the most romantic place in the world.”

  I smiled, not knowing what to say. Wyatt lowered his head and kissed me softly, slowly, tenderly. The studio apartment, as sparse as it was, as filled with boxes and junk as it might’ve been, became exactly what Wyatt said it would be –the most romantic place in the world.

  We kissed, and there was more than simply passion in the kiss, though there was plenty of that. There was relief, pure joy at being reunited after what we’d been through. And the only way to express the feelings that had taken hold of us was to do it in a way without words.

  Words were unnecessary. We had each other in our arms, after all.

  We continued kissing, taking pieces of clothing off the other as we did. There was no place I’d rather have been than in Wyatt’s arms, feeling his embrace. And I wanted to feel much, much more than that.

  The moment my bra came off, his mouth went to my nipples, each solid the moment his lips touched them. I moaned as I moved my hands along the ropey lines of his arms, closing my eyes and focusing on the sensation of his tongue flicking my breasts.

  Moans escaped my lips as his free hand traveled down between my legs. He and I were in nothing but the underwear, and however wet
I was before was nothing compared to how I felt when he began rubbing me through the thin fabric of my panties.

  “We…” I stammered, trying to form words through the pleasure. “We should move to the bed.”

  “You want to do this on a bare mattress?” he asked, anticipating the problem.

  “You have a better idea?” I asked, his hand rubbing my clit as my knees buckled underneath me.

  “I do,” he growled. “Right here, right now.”

  The idea was a total thrill. And as I searched through my restored memories, I couldn’t think of a single time I’d ever been with a man in my apartment, let alone on the floor.

  “I like that idea,” I said.

  “Same here,” he replied. “Especially since I don’t think I can wait the time it’d take to get you over there.”

  More arousal coursed through me. I needed him so badly it hurt.

  Wyatt lowered his body and reached down, scooping me up in his arms and setting me down on the floor. The carpet was soft against my bare back, and Wyatt was quickly between my open legs. He gazed at me, a big grin on his face.

  “Don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of this view,” he said, his hands on my ankles.

  I pointed to his boxer-briefs, his cock tenting the fabric. Wyatt hooked his thumbs under the waistband and rolled them down his thick legs. His cock jumped out, hard and ready to go.

  “Now there’s a view I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of,” I replied, rubbing my thighs together in anticipation.

  He opened my legs and lunged between them, his cock grazing my clit as he positioned himself. Once his face was over mine, he came in for another slow kiss.

  “I love you so damn much.”

  “Right back at you.”

  No more words. Wyatt grasped his cock and dragged it slowly over my soaking wet lips. Then he drove it into me slowly, deeply. I let out a long sigh as he entered me, each inch sending new waves of delight through my body.

  God, he felt so good it wasn’t even fair.

  Once Wyatt had buried himself to the root, he pulled back and tunneled into me hard, my breasts shaking and my nails digging into his back. His hips worked, lifting and lowering. I couldn’t believe how good it felt to have him moving inside me. It felt so perfect, so right, like our bodies were made for one another’s.

  Wyatt wrapped his arms around me, pulling my body flush with his, my breasts flattening against his pecs. It was like we were one being, each giving the other pleasure beyond words.

  In the middle of a frenzy of thrusts the orgasm erupted, pouring through my body. I dug my nails into his back as I came, Wyatt’s expression tightening as his own orgasm arrived. His prick throbbed inside me, filling me with his hot essence. I savored the feeling, loving how it took my own pleasure to another level.

  When our orgasms ebbed, Wyatt slowly withdrew from inside me and laid down at my side. Like it always was when we’d made love, for a time neither of us could say anything.

  “Gonna miss this place?” he asked after a while.

  I laughed. “You kiddin’?”

  “Well, thing is, my place isn’t too much bigger.”

  “You mean the cabin? It’s cozy.”

  “So,” he said, elongating the word. “That’s why I did a little work while you were gone. Started on some blueprints for an addition.”

  “Is that right?”

  He nodded. “Gonna build a little expansion for our new family. Even got a crib in the works for the little guy.”

  “Or girl,” I added.

  “Or girl.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “We’re gonna build a life together, you and me. You ready?”

  “So ready.”

  Epilogue

  JESS

  Ten months later…

  Olivia cooed, her chubby, adorable little fingers wiggling in the air as she tried to touch my face. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. She was a newborn, only a month old, but already I could make out Wyatt’s and my features in her perfect face. She had his eyes, that was for sure. They were golden and gorgeous, always looking around with adorable curiosity. But she had my auburn hair, coming in curly and thick.

  A little miracle, through and through.

  “She’s got your nose – that’s for damn sure.”

  I glanced up to see Wyatt leaning against the entrance of our new nursery, his arms crossed over his broad chest. Olivia cooed again, and I wondered if she heard and recognized her dad’s voice.

  “How on Earth did you know that’s what I was thinking?”

  “Come on now, gorgeous,” he said, strolling over to me and Olivia. “I know you well enough to get what’s on your mind.” He flashed me a cocky grin as he reached for Olivia.

  She sighed contentedly once she was in his arms. Next to Wyatt’s towering frame, Olivia looked even smaller and more precious. And the sight of him with her, holding our little girl close as she nuzzled her head into his flannel, I loved it beyond words.

  “Alright,” he said. “Mama G’s ready for her. More than ready, as a matter of fact – she’s about chomping at the bit to get this little lady over.”

  “One-month birthday party,” I said, shaking my head at the silliness. “Your family’s really pulling out all the stops with the celebrations.”

  “Can you blame ‘em?” he asked. “Mama G’s still walking on air that she has another grandchild. Woman couldn’t be any more thrilled to be a grandma.”

  “Again.”

  “Again,” he said with a laugh.

  Olivia had been the talk of the ranch ever since she’d arrived, and I liked to think I was settling pretty well into the role of new mother.

  “So,” I asked. “What’re you thinking?”

  “We need to stop in and check on the horses really fast,” he told me, winking. “Juniper and Red are excited to see you.”

  “I bet,” I said with a laugh. I hadn’t been riding for a while, since before Olivia’s birth when the doctor told me it wasn’t safe at such a late stage of pregnancy. I missed Red so much and couldn’t wait to introduce my daughter to the beautiful horse.

  “After that, we can drop the precious little package off with grandma while we help the family get the party all ready to go. That sound good to you?”

  “Sounds perfect.” I gave Olivia a big kiss right on her chubby cheek, the baby girl cooing happily as I did. “Alright,” I said. “Let’s start the day!”

  Wyatt handed over Olivia as we headed out. I took one more look at the nursery, admiring the room Wyatt and his brothers had created. The room was gorgeous and cheery, the walls a soft pink and the windows facing east to catch the soft, morning light that poured in. And the crib he’d built by hand was something else. It was magical in a way, always managing to put Olivia to sleep almost as soon as she was placed in it.

  The day outside was bright and warm, the ranch grounds a lovely emerald green, the trees around us in full bloom. Together the three of us made our way to the barn, Wyatt pulling open the door. He checked the horses first. I carried Olivia to the stall to see Red, though she was entirely too young to pay attention to the glorious creature.

  Red had grown into a fine animal. He was tall and proud, built like a truck. And like Wyatt had suggested with the name, his coat was almost the exact shade of red as my hair – Olivia’s, too.

  “Look at this handsome guy,” Wyatt said as he put his hand on Red’s haunch.

  Red snorted in response. Olivia jolted a little at the unfamiliar sound, but she didn’t cry. I hoped she loved horses as much as her father and I did.

  “See this guy?” I asked. “Your daddy named him after me. One day you’re going to ride him.”

  “One day far, far into the future,” Wyatt commented with a grin. “Let’s see how she toddles around on those chubby legs before we strap her onto a stallion.”

  “Baby steps,” I agreed.

  He winked before turning his attention back to Red. Juniper in the stall next
to us watched, and as strange as it sounded, I felt a kindship with her. We were both new moms, after all.

  “Alright, everybody is good here,” Wyatt announced. “Ready head to the house?”

  “You know it.”

  We left the barn for the main house. Mama G was right on top of us the second we stepped inside, scooping Olivia into her arms.

  “There’s my beautiful little grandbaby,” she cried, holding Olivia close. “Beautiful as the day she was born.”

  “How’s the party coming along?” Wyatt asked. I glanced into the lounge, noting the family at work setting the room up with decorations.

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Ginny admonished. “Go out and enjoy this amazing day – we’ll sort out all the rest.”

  I sniffed the air after she spoke, smelling the scent of freshly baked cake. My mouth watered at the scent.

  “Well,” Wyatt said. “I’m thinkin’ of being a good son and doin’ what Mama says.”

  “I like that plan.”

  I gave Olivia another kiss before we stepped back outside and headed to the barn. Once there, we set to work getting Juniper and Red fitted with saddles and ready to be taken out. Fifteen minutes later we were on horseback, Red trotting beneath me as Wyatt rode Juniper. The landscape melted into the trees that surrounded the property, the sky brilliant and blue above. It was a heck of a sight.

  “You ever think your life would be like this?” Wyatt asked.

  “Never in a million years. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

  We let the horses have their lead, and as we did I reflected on everything that had brought me to this point. Over the last few months I’d gotten my business up and running, working as a freelance private investigator for the local police department. The work suited me just fine. Instead of meddling in marriages, I provided civilian expertise for the department. In a quiet town like Patterson that didn’t mean much action, but there was more than enough to keep me busy.

  Together the two of us made a slow loop around the ranch, the sun warm on my face. But it didn’t take long before I was missing my girl.