Her Surprise Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  Liam seemed like a fairly normal guy. He’d been polite just now, even while standing in spilled milk. But she needed to know more, needed to have some kind of plan, before she mentioned that they had a son together.

  A son. That man in the store was Henry’s father. Even though Trisha knew it intellectually, it was hard to fathom emotionally. She knew nothing about him except that he was from Texas, he knew Jace, he had a dog and he didn’t lose his temper when someone rammed him with a shopping basket at the market.

  She also knew that he was handsome, tall and thin with a lopsided smile and fascinating hazel eyes. But she’d known that already, from the moment she’d seen him at the wedding reception and Becca had given her a little shove and a dare. Go talk to him. Four simple words that had changed everything.

  Trisha reached her car and climbed inside, locking her doors as if she could lock herself away from the reality of her situation. She’d left her shopping basket inside the store, sitting there beside Liam and the spilled milk. At least she hadn’t added any diapers to her basket yet. Luckily she had a few left, and as for food... She’d just have to make do with whatever was in her cupboards tonight. No way was she going back into the market now. Not when the father of her baby was in there, boots soggy with milk, probably regretting that their paths had ever crossed.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LIAM STOPPED HIS pickup near a few cows grazing in the pasture directly uphill from Jace’s barn.

  “Thanks for driving.” Jace rolled down the window to get a better look at the cattle. “Can’t believe my truck won’t start.”

  “You just need a new battery,” Liam assured him. “We can pick one up in town later on.”

  Ranger, Liam’s Australian shepherd, sat between them, looking at the cows with mild interest. He might look the part of a herding dog, but the truth was, he was pretty useless on a ranch. Liam’s dad had called him the laziest ranch dog in all of Texas and he probably wasn’t wrong. Ranger was good company, though, and the perfect road trip dog, as Jace had learned on his drive out to California. Ranger was content to look out the window, feel the wind in his ears and take a short walk at the rest stops. He didn’t need more than his food and bed to be happy.

  “I’ll get out here,” Jace said. “Why don’t you keep on driving to that far fence line?” Jace pointed across the pasture. “See what’s going on with that clump of cattle. I’m going to check out a few of these cows and see if I need to bring them down to the barn tonight.”

  “You don’t let them calve out here?” This was all so different than home. Jace’s cattle got VIP treatment every day of their lives.

  “We’ve got a lot of mountain lions in the area. I don’t want them thinking my ranch is a beef buffet.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Jace stepped away from the truck. “I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

  Liam nodded and kept driving on the rutted track, noticing how Ranger immediately scooted over and took up the whole of the bench seat. “Couch potato.” He scratched the dog’s velvet ears, and Ranger sighed and put his head down, totally relaxed despite the bumpy road under their wheels.

  Guiding his truck down the slope of a wash, Liam noted the trickle of water, remnants of last night’s rain. Late March in Northern California reminded him a little of a Texas springtime. Rain might wash across these hills in dramatic sheets, but it quickly gave way to blue skies again. Jace had mentioned that they sometimes got big storms at this time of year, but in the few days that Liam had been here, there’d only been some mild showers. And today, the thermometer in his truck read seventy degrees and the sky glowed such a rich blue it seemed like someone had gone up there and painted it that way.

  He guided his truck up the other side of the gully and his thoughts drifted back to yesterday evening, running into Trisha in the grocery store. She’d been so cute in her dark jeans and tennis shoes, everything about her so neat and tidy. The problem was, she’d looked at him like he was a skunk who’d just wandered indoors.

  Liam understood that he wasn’t a total catch. On the surface, he was just a guy who loved ranches and rodeo. And if you went deeper, he had a leg busted to bits and the resulting penchant for painkillers. Though Trisha didn’t know that. She didn’t know anything about him because he’d fled like a coward in the dawn without leaving his name, or a phone number, or even a thank-you. Not one of his finer moments.

  He could see why Trisha might not be happy to see him. But the way she’d acted in the grocery store yesterday evening, she’d seemed almost scared of him. Liam had been racking his memory ever since, trying to remember how he’d behaved that night in San Antonio. Had he come on too strong? Had he done something he shouldn’t have? He hoped he’d acted the gentleman, but it was hard to remember the details. He’d been flying on Percocet that night, mixed with just enough alcohol to get a big buzz going.

  Looking back now, he knew he was lucky he’d gotten through that lethal combo alive. That knowledge, that he’d been so careless with his God-given life, still scared him. It’s what made him hit bottom with his addiction. That and the realization that the painkillers had been reworking his entire value system, so stealing was okay, a one-night stand was okay and life itself seemed less important than getting high.

  He’d been inviting death, but something about Trisha that night had made him want to live. She’d saved him, turned his life around with her sweet smile, but she had no idea. Seeing her recoil at the sight of him here in Shelter Creek was a shock to his system. For some reason he’d thought, if he was ever lucky enough to see her again, that she’d smile at him. That she’d somehow know how much she’d helped him.

  He’d been deluding himself, of course. That was his baggage, his mistake in building her up as this angel who had changed everything for him. She had no idea about any of that. In her mind, Liam was just the cowardly guy who’d disappeared at dawn.

  She’d made it clear in the store that she didn’t want to talk about the past. But the apology he owed for his behavior was burning on his tongue and needing to be said. Maybe he’d write her a note if that was his only choice. He’d have no peace until he explained how sorry he was. Running into her here in Shelter Creek was probably totally random chance, but it felt like the universe was handing him an opportunity to make amends.

  Not for the first time he wished that things had been different that night. That he’d been sober and free of the painkillers. That he’d asked her on a nice date instead of bringing her up to his room. If he’d done things right back then, maybe everything would be different now.

  No use wishing, though. He’d sown his misfortune and now he had to reap the harvest—her obvious wish to avoid him.

  Liam parked his truck and bade Ranger to stay. The Australian shepherd yawned lazily, indicating he had no problem following the command. Liam noticed that the cattle near the fence were facing the bushes, moving restlessly. Something had them scared.

  Exiting the truck, he grabbed his rifle from behind the seat and the box of ammo he kept with it. It only took him moments to load the gun. He held it at his side as he walked carefully up to the cattle. One cow was flat out on the ground. She was in labor and it looked like things weren’t going smoothly. But that didn’t explain why her buddies were so upset.

  Liam scanned the scrub on the other side of the fence and spotted it. Coyote. A big one, sitting almost casually just a few yards away, watching the cow intently. It was probably waiting for that calf to be born, or for the right moment to go for the helpless cow’s throat.

  It was a part of ranching he hated, but it had to be done. Liam raised the rifle, got the coyote in his sights and fired.

  The sound of the shot echoed off the hills and the cattle bolted, leaving the cow struggling to get up from the ground. Liam approached her and put a hand to her shoulder. “It’s okay, girl.” He kept his voice low and soothing, and she settl
ed back down on her side again.

  Rubbing the cow’s back, Liam scanned the area where the coyote had been and saw it on the ground. For a moment he was sure he’d killed it, but as he watched, it lurched upright and hopped away on three legs, its front paw raised. Wounded. Suffering. It wasn’t okay to leave it like that. Liam stood and raised the gun again.

  “Liam, stop!” At Jace’s shouted command, Liam lowered the rifle, set the safety and turned toward his boss.

  “Coyote,” he said as Jace ran up. “I nicked it. I need to finish the job.”

  “Don’t,” Jace gasped, winded from his sprint up the hill.

  “What do you mean?” Liam pulled his gaze away from the spot in the bushes where the coyote had disappeared. “It was going for your cattle.”

  “This isn’t Texas, Liam. We don’t shoot coyotes around here.”

  Liam didn’t even know what to say to that. Just stood there gaping at Jace like a landed fish. Finally, he pointed to the spot where the coyote had been and located a few words. “It was just waiting for the right moment to kill.”

  “Probably just curious. They like smaller prey.”

  “Like the calf she’s about to drop.” Liam knelt to check on the cow and Jace dropped to his knees next to him.

  “This doesn’t look like it’s going so well.” Jace pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to see if the vet can get up here. Maybe she can help your coyote, too.”

  Liam gaped. “Calling a vet for a coyote?” He almost laughed, then remembered that Jace was his boss and probably wouldn’t like being laughed at. “They’re just pests.”

  “Oh, they’re pesky, all right.” Jace put up a hand to stop Liam’s response. “Hello, Emily? I’ve got a situation on my ranch. Can you get up here? It’s a cow with a complicated birth, and possibly a wounded coyote, too.”

  Jace listened for a moment and then said, “I’ll meet you at the barn and guide you out to the pasture.” Hanging up, Jace gave his attention to Liam. “Can you stay here with the cow? Maybe take a look around for that coyote, too, and see if it’s gone to ground nearby. If it has, don’t kill it until Emily gets a look. Unless it’s hurt real bad... Then you should finish it off.”

  Liam nodded, trying to take it in. Folks around here called the veterinarian to help coyotes? They just let them sit there and threaten their livestock? He truly was not in Texas anymore.

  Jace stood and clapped a hand to Liam’s shoulder. “I’m sure you did what you thought was right. But the gun is a last resort in these parts.”

  Liam nodded, not trusting himself to speak. During the two days he’d worked for Jace, ranching in California hadn’t seemed all that different than at home. But now he realized he was in another world, with a very different set of rules. Every rancher he knew back home considered it a good day if he reduced the local coyote population.

  “Mind if I use your truck to go meet the vet?”

  “Not at all. Let me just get Ranger out.” When Liam opened the door, the dog sat up and pushed his cold nose in Liam’s face. It was slimy but comforting. “Come on, Ranger. You don’t have to walk far. You can lie by this cow and scare off any other coyotes that might want to mess with it.” Ranger would probably roll over for a belly rub if a coyote showed up, but Liam kept hoping some sort of herding instinct would emerge from the dog’s DNA one of these days.

  Ranger jumped out of the cab and lay down near the cow when asked. He looked around the pasture with a far more alert expression than usual. Maybe he could scent that wounded coyote. Or maybe there were even more coyotes lurking out there in those bushes beyond the fence.

  Jace nodded his thanks when Liam handed him the keys to his truck. Liam watched his boss rattle back down the lane toward the barn, then knelt by the cow again, rubbing her belly. She was calmer now, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Her breathing was harsh in the quiet afternoon. “Don’t give up, little lady,” he told her, stroking her neck. “Help is on the way. Just hang in there and we’ll get you sorted.”

  Giving her one last pat, Liam reminded Ranger to stay and went toward the barbed wire fence. He eased himself carefully between the wires. The grass was pressed down where the coyote had been and Liam saw a few small spots of blood. Maybe it was just a slight wound. Man, he was off his game to have missed it like that. Normally he could hit whatever target he aimed for, square on.

  He wasn’t a fan of coyotes. He’d seen them do too much damage and cause too much suffering. But he had to admire the way they survived, the way they worked together, the way they hung on, no matter if there was wildfire or drought or a bounty on their heads.

  And he hated to make any creature suffer needlessly.

  Liam made his way carefully around the bushes that dotted the hillside. No sign of the coyote. The brush was dense in places, almost impenetrable, a perfect hiding place for any animal.

  Eventually he heard the sound of engines and emerged from the bushes to see his own truck arriving, followed by a white pickup. Jace and the vet were here. Liam climbed back through the fence and went to the cow. She was breathing unevenly, and she was quiet, like she’d given up on pushing her baby out.

  A woman climbed out of the white truck. She was tall, with sandy-blond hair, and as Liam watched, she slung a big black bag over her shoulder and hurried toward him.

  “You must be Liam. I’m Emily, the vet. What do we have here?”

  “I think the calf is stuck.”

  “Right.” Emily dropped to her knees next to the cow and put a hand to the animal’s neck. “She’s weak. We need to move quickly. Can you help Jace and Trisha unload some supplies from my pickup?”

  Trisha? Liam’s heart lurched in an uneasy beat. Didn’t she work with Vivian at the wildlife center? Why was she here?

  He jogged toward the vet’s truck and sure enough, there was Trisha in the truck bed, loading a couple plastic storage bins into Jace’s arms.

  When she caught sight of Liam her eyes went wide with alarm. “Why do you have a gun?”

  He’d forgotten he was still holding it. “Coyote.”

  “You’re the one who shot a coyote?” Trisha’s hands went to her hips. “What is wrong with you?”

  Jace walked by, his arms loaded with storage bins, and caught Liam’s eye. “Brace yourself. She’s not happy.”

  Nothing about him made Trisha happy, Liam thought grimly. That night in San Antonio, she’d seemed almost ethereal in her sweetness. But so far here in California, she’d pretended not to know him, spilled milk all over him, refused to talk to him, and now she was looking at him like he was the lowest life form she’d ever encountered.

  “I was doing my job.” He walked to his truck to put the rifle away, his pride bristling like the barbs on the thistles that grew around here. What was the deal with these people? Were coyotes sacred or something?

  Trisha continued to glare at him until Emily called over her shoulder, “Trisha, grab the disinfectant, will you?”

  “Sure.” Trisha bent down and struggled to lift a huge plastic jug full of soapy-looking liquid.

  Liam might be annoyed, but his daddy had raised him a gentleman. He went to help her.

  “I’ve got it.” She managed to pull it out of the truck, but staggered beneath its weight.

  Liam put his hands beneath for support, his fingers inadvertently brushing hers. “Let me help you.”

  She stepped back hastily. “I’m fine.”

  He let go, watching her stagger along, barely making it to the veterinarian’s side without dropping the container. Jace was there and he took the jug from her and received a sweet smile of gratitude. Apparently she didn’t mind help, as long as it didn’t come from him. A flicker of jealousy had Liam turning away, calling Ranger to get him out of the vet’s way. He knelt to scratch the dog’s soft ears and Ranger flopped at his feet as if he were too ti
red to resist gravity any longer.

  Jealousy. Why? That night with Trisha might as well have been a dream, it was so removed from everyday life. And she wanted nothing to do with him now. They had no hold on each other, no obligation or real connection. So why did he feel like they should?

  As Liam watched, the vet reached into her bag, pulled out a piece of plastic sheeting and looked at him. “Will you put this on the ground by the cow’s tail?”

  Rising quickly, Liam grabbed the tarp and spread it on the ground while Trisha rummaged in the duffel, pulled out a stethoscope and handed it to Emily.

  Emily glanced between Liam and Trisha. “You’ve met my assistant, Trisha?”

  Liam watched Trisha’s face grow a shade paler beneath the baseball cap she wore over her ponytail. She really didn’t want anyone to know about their connection. Maybe she was married? She didn’t wear a ring, though. “I met her out here the other day.”

  His lie earned him the faintest flicker of relief in the tight lines of Trisha’s face. “I thought you worked for the wildlife center with Vivian?”

  Trisha nodded. “I do. I work for Emily, too.”

  “You’re busy.” Maybe he’d hoped to make her smile with his admiration, but her mouth stayed in a tense line.

  “Trisha’s superwoman,” Emily said. “I don’t know how she does it all. Two jobs and—”

  “It’s nothing,” Trisha interrupted her boss, and Liam saw that her cheeks had gone rosy. “Let’s focus on this poor cow.”

  “Absolutely.” Emily glanced at Jace who was standing just behind her. “I’m thinking that the calf’s legs are tucked back. Okay with you if I take care of that?”