Her Surprise Cowboy--A Clean Romance
Page 3
Trisha and her boss, Maya, were wondering if Peanut should live here at the center. They’d build him a habitat, and visitors could see how rabbits lived in the wild. Trisha knew she shouldn’t get attached to the animals she cared for. Returning Peanut to the wilderness where he belonged was the best possible outcome. But if the little rabbit couldn’t run, he’d be an instant snack for a hawk or a coyote, which didn’t seem fair.
Reaching for the disinfectant, Trisha wiped down the counters around the rabbit box and tried to stay focused on the long list of chores she had to do after work. But it was almost impossible to concentrate. How could William—no, Liam—be here, in Shelter Creek?
Had he given her a fake name that night in Texas? Somehow the idea felt like a betrayal, even though Trisha had been crashing a wedding when they met—not exactly her finest moment of integrity.
How had he ended up in this tiny town in the coastal hills of Northern California?
It was true that Shelter Creek was becoming better known, thanks to the tourists who flocked to it on weekends to see the pretty ranches and vineyards, visit the wineries and hang out in the galleries and restaurants on Main Street.
And Jace’s ranch had gotten some publicity thanks to his emphasis on sustainable ranching and his fame as a former bull rider. Jace had spent a lot of time in Texas during his career. Maybe that’s how Liam knew him?
Ugh, there her mind went, zipping in every direction like a fly stuck in a jar. It didn’t matter how Liam knew Jace. What mattered is that Liam had no idea he was Henry’s father. And Trisha didn’t know whether she wanted him to know.
She’d barely slept at all last night. Instead she’d stared at the ceiling, replaying the moment at Vivian’s over and over again. All she’d been able to think about was that she didn’t know Liam at all. When she’d seen him at the ranch, a fierce protective instinct had washed through her. No way did she want him to know about their baby until she was sure he was a good person. She’d been terrified that Vivian and Jace might inadvertently blurt out something about Henry. Or that Liam might blurt out something about their night together. So she’d pretended they were strangers.
Hopefully after she’d left, their conversation had moved on to some new topic that didn’t involve her.
Anxiety crawled over her skin. This was intolerable. What was she supposed to do? Pacing the hallways of the wildlife center, Trisha made sure she was completely alone, then pulled out her phone and dialed Becca’s San Antonio number.
Her friend’s “hello” sounded muffled, like she’d just woken up. “Trisha? What’s going on?”
Too late, Trisha remembered that Becca might have been on call last night. She was an emergency room doctor and kept insane hours.
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry, I can call back.”
“No, I’m awake. My alarm just went off. I’ve got to get ready to go into work. What’s up?”
“You’re not going to believe this.” Trisha stopped pacing and leaned against the wall, appreciating the cool cement so solid against her back. “Remember the guy I met the night we crashed the wedding?”
“Henry’s mysterious disappearing daddy? Of course I do.”
“He’s here.”
“Who’s here?”
Trisha could hear Becca running the faucet, probably filling her coffeepot. The woman had a serious addiction to caffeine.
“That guy. Henry’s father.”
The sound of running water stopped abruptly. “He’s at your house?”
“No, but he’s living here in Shelter Creek. Working for some friends of mine.”
There was a stunned silence on the other end of the phone. “I know it seems impossible, Becca, but he was standing right there in front of me yesterday. I swear!”
“Wait, Trisha—is he some kind of stalker? Or do you think he knows about Henry? Maybe that’s why he came.”
“There’s no way he could know about Henry. He disappeared before we’d even told each other our last names.” Trisha put a palm to her forehead and pressed, as if this way she could keep her head from exploding. “From the look on his face, I’m pretty sure he was as shocked as I was.”
“I don’t get it. How can he be in Shelter Creek?”
“He’s working for Vivian and Jace on the ranch. I remember Viv saying that they were hiring an intern—the son of one of Jace’s old employers. I guess maybe Liam’s that intern.”
“Liam? That’s not the name he gave you, right?”
Trisha shook her head, forgetting Becca couldn’t see her. “I thought his name was William.”
“Right.” Becca’s sigh was audible. “This is unbelievable. What are you going to do?”
“That’s why I’m calling you. I have no idea what to do! All I did so far was pretend that I didn’t know him. That we were meeting for the first time.”
“Did it work? Does he remember you?”
“I think so. But he went along with it.”
When Becca spoke again, her voice was calm. She’d gone into her emergency room doctor mode, managing the crisis just like Trisha had hoped. “You’ll have to tell him about Henry.”
Trisha slid down the wall to sit heavily on the floor. “I don’t know.”
“But he’s the father.” Becca coughed suddenly. “He is the father, right?”
“Yes! Trust me—he’s the only one with the credentials for the job.”
Her friend laughed. “At least you don’t have any confusion on that front.”
“Yeah. Things to be grateful for, I guess. But, Becca, what if he’s a horrible person? What if he’s mean? What if he hates children?”
“Most people aren’t mean. He didn’t seem mean the night you met, did he?”
Trisha pictured Liam’s wide smile that night, his big laugh. His cute moves on the dance floor. “No, he wasn’t mean. But he did walk out. He didn’t even leave a note. So he doesn’t seem like someone who’ll be happy to hear that he has a baby.”
“Maybe he won’t be happy. That’s his problem to deal with, not yours. But assuming he’s a decent person, you will need to tell him.” Becca’s tone was firm. “He should know he has a child. Maybe he won’t be interested in being a part of Henry’s life. But he deserves a chance.”
“The idea of letting a total stranger near Henry is so scary, Becs. I couldn’t sleep at all last night, worrying. What if he has a temper? What if he’s a terrible, damaging parent? What if I have to share custody of Henry?” Tears ran hot down Trisha’s cheeks and she swiped at them with her sleeve. “I never thought I’d have to deal with this.”
“Try to think of the positives. What if Liam turns out to be a good guy? What if he’s a great dad? Wouldn’t you want Henry to have a father then?”
Trisha’s voice felt broken. “Yes.”
“This is a really strange situation, for sure, but try not to panic, okay?”
Easier said than done. But listening to Becca’s ideas had firmed up her own. “I’m not going to tell him about Henry quite yet. Maybe it’s wrong, but I have to know if he’s a normal, decent guy before I say anything.”
“That makes sense. And if he’s not a normal, decent guy?” Trisha’s worries were reflected in Becca’s voice. She adored Henry. She’d flown out to be with Trisha at his birth. She was one of his unofficial godmothers.
“I guess I’ll consult a lawyer. Or just never tell him.” Then it hit her. “Shelter Creek is a tiny town. He’s going to find out I have a kid eventually. I’m sure he’s smart enough to do the math.”
“You’ll have to move fast. Maybe ask a couple friends there in Shelter Creek to help you figure him out. What about Vivian? She’s right there on the ranch with him. I’ll search the internet. If there’s any information on him and his family, I’ll find it. Texas is like one big small town. There’s got to be mention of him somewhere. What�
�s his last name?”
“Dale. Liam Dale.” It was some relief to have help. To have a friend who understood her fears. “Thank you.”
“I got you into this with my silly wedding crashing idea, didn’t I?” Becca’s voice quieted. “I’m sorry.”
“You have to stop apologizing. It was my choice. I was determined to prove that I could be wild and fun. And I can’t regret Henry. He’s the sweetest baby.”
“He sure is. Trisha, I love that baby boy.” There was rustling on Becca’s end of the phone, and the sound of keys jangling. “I’m so sorry but I have to get to work. I’ll be off tomorrow around noon. Call me and tell me how you’re doing, okay? And try not to panic. Remember, this could have a happy ending.”
“I guess so...” Trisha couldn’t keep the doubt out of her voice. Liam was a stranger, and he might have rights to Henry. Her baby. It didn’t feel happy—it felt terrifying. Panic fluttered anew. “Thanks for talking, Becca.”
“Of course. We’ll talk more soon. Love you.”
“Love you back.” The phone went silent and Trisha stayed where she was, sitting on the tile floor, sprawled against the wall.
In a perfect world, Liam had every right to know he had a son. Back when Trisha found out she was pregnant, she’d even tried to find him. At the time, she’d figured if she did manage to discover who he was, she’d have several months to get to know him. To make sure he was a good guy before she worked out any custody issues.
She’d never found him. With a name like William and just a guess at his age, figuring out his identity had proved impossible.
But now here he was, and every time she tried to imagine putting Henry in the arms of a virtual stranger, every protective instinct rose up, bared sharp mama teeth and screamed no! What if he tried to take Henry away?
Trisha scrambled up from the floor, her lungs desperate for more oxygen. She gasped, trying to get her heart to stop racing. Breathe. Don’t assume the worst. Becca was right. All she could do now was keep Henry out of Liam’s way and try to find out more about the Texas cowboy.
Glancing at her phone, she saw that there was no more time for this meltdown. Not if she was going to get to the store before she had to pick Henry up. She forced herself to focus on the routines of the wildlife center. She checked on the bunnies one more time, and peeked in at the fox, who was living in a pen outdoors now, his leg almost healed. They’d release him back to the wild soon.
Shutting down lights and locking doors, Trisha reminded herself that nothing had changed. At least not yet. She was Henry’s mom, and Henry was safe with the babysitter. Her heart settled—her breathing returned to normal. She could handle this if she took it one step at a time.
* * *
TRISHA HADN’T EXPECTED her first step to happen so soon. She wasn’t ready. Her emotions had been rubbed so raw during her conversation with Becca that the moment she spotted Liam in the Shelter Creek Market, she almost burst into tears.
That was why she was hiding behind the potato chip display, waiting for him to finish choosing milk in the dairy section. Trisha peered around the corner again. How could anyone take so long picking out a carton of milk? She pretended to examine the ingredients on a potato chip package while she waited, heart thrumming hard in her veins.
“No matter how long you stare at those, they’re not going to get healthy.”
Trisha started so violently, she hit the cardboard side of the display with her knee. Grabbing the swaying tower of chips to steady it, she glared at her friend Kathy Wallace from book club. “You scared me!”
Kathy’s face creased into a mischievous smile. With her gray pageboy haircut, she looked like an elderly elf. She peeked around the corner of the chip display. “Who are we spying on?”
“No one!” Trisha’s face heated. “Just craving chips, that’s all.”
“I don’t blame you.” Kathy grabbed a bag and dropped it in her basket. “I love these things. Guilty pleasure.”
Trisha forced herself to focus on Kathy’s kind face and big smile. “How are you?”
“Doing well, sweetie. Are you coming to book club next week? It’s at my house. And make sure you bring little Henry. I need my baby fix. Actually, I’m around this weekend, too, if you need a sitter.”
Trisha glanced around, scared that Liam would suddenly peek over the stacks of junk food between them and the next aisle and ask, “Who’s Henry?”
“Yes, I’ll be at book club, for sure. And thanks for your kind offer. I don’t think I need a sitter, but if you’re around and have the time, maybe we could take Henry to the park together?”
“I’d love it.” Kathy’s smile crinkled around her eyes. She’d never had her own children. She was like a second grandmother to Trisha’s boss and friend, Maya, and had pretty much adopted Trisha and Henry as family as well.
“I’ll call you.” Trisha peeked around the corner one more time, relieved that Liam had finally moved on and was out of sight. “I’m going to keep shopping so I can be on time to get Henry from Patty’s house. But we’ll definitely get together this weekend.”
She gave Kathy a quick hug goodbye and started toward the dairy case, glancing down each aisle with trepidation. Fortunately, Liam was nowhere to be seen. Trisha grabbed a carton of milk and another of yogurt and turned away. In her hurry, the basket she held in front of her crashed into another shopper.
“Oof.” The man staggered back a step, dropping his shopping basket. Cans rolled, milk spattered and the man put his hands on his stomach where she must have rammed him. A flat stomach in a black T-shirt with the shape of a Texas longhorn on the chest. Oh no. Trisha looked up. Liam.
“Should I take this personally?” Liam smiled faintly, though the expression in his eyes looked pained.
“Oh wow, I’m so sorry.” Trisha stepped back and took in the mess all around them. Milk was pulsing out through a crack in the top of the carton like blood from a mortal wound. She knelt and set the carton upright to stop the flow. “I didn’t see you when I turned around. I’m really sorry.”
Mrs. Martin hurried toward them from the meat section. Her dog, Gladys, was a frequent visitor at the veterinary clinic. She put a gentle hand on Trisha’s arm. “You poor thing. I’ll just go tell Rhoda that we’ve got a spill back here.” She turned to Liam with a kind smile. “Rhoda owns this market. You must be new in town. Welcome to Shelter Creek.”
“Thanks.” Liam glanced at the milk slowly surrounding his boots. “It’s been eventful so far.”
“Never a dull moment in this town,” Mrs. Martin chirped, and bustled off to find Rhoda. Bless her heart.
Trisha set her shopping basket down and went to retrieve Liam’s basket from where it lay on its side. She collected the cans that had flown out. “You have a dog?” She waggled the can of dog food she’d just found.
“Yup.” He was looking at her with such a serious expression that Trisha braced herself. Did he know about Henry already? He was still standing in the milk. He gingerly stepped out of the puddle, onto dry linoleum.
“I’m truly sorry I bumped into you.” She needed to leave, to get away from his hazel eyes, and the way he was studying her so carefully. It was disconcerting how familiar his face was. There was the curve of his lower lip, the faint stubble blurring the line of his jaw, the thick lashes and tousled curly brown hair. She remembered, suddenly, how soft it had felt under her fingers. Yet he was a complete stranger.
“Don’t worry about it.” He was looking at her so intently, it was possible he was doing the same thing she was—parsing through her features, finding what was familiar. What must he think of her? What might he remember? Heat flared over her face.
She handed him his basket and backed a few paces away. “I have to get going.”
“Can I see you?” He glanced around, as if making sure no one was listening. “We should talk. Clear the air.”
She wasn’t ready. She needed time. “I don’t think we have to do that. The air’s clear.” She waved her hand around as if to prove the point. “Perfectly clear.”
“But... I left that night. I’d like to explain.”
“Nothing to explain. Really. Totally understandable. No hard feelings.” She was lying already. Of course she’d felt awful, waking up to find him gone. But there were more important issues at stake than her bruised ego. “Look, please don’t worry about it. This is all just a strange coincidence, you showing up here in my hometown. But let’s not make your stay in Shelter Creek awkward.” Ha. If he found out about Henry, awkward would be the least of her worries.
“Won’t it be less awkward if we talk for a bit?”
“What’s there to say? There’s no point in hashing over the past.” Another lie, because their past had created an eleven-month-old cutie-pie, who was waiting for her at his babysitter’s house. Trisha only had a few minutes to get there before she’d owe Patty a fee for late pickup. “There’s somewhere I have to be. I’ll just see you around. And sorry, again, about crashing into you.”
Trisha hurried toward the front of the store and out into the cooling evening. It was supposed to rain again tonight and the clouds were rolling in, bringing dusk on early. She gulped in the damp air, relishing the scent of earth, of crisp, cool springtime.
Her hands were shaking, so she shoved them into her coat pockets, then drew in an equally shaky breath. Of all the people in Shelter Creek that she could crash into at the store, it had to be Liam? Was the universe trying to send her a message? If so, she had no idea what it was. At least she’d had a chance to set some boundaries. To let him know that there’d be no heartfelt talks or time alone together. At least, not until she figured out if it was safe to tell him about Henry.