The Cowboy's Secret Baby (The Mommy Club Book 3)

by Karen Rose Smith

  “You said a cough?” she asked calmly.

  “Yes, it came on fast. He didn’t have it this morning.”

  “Bring him to my office. Do you have the address?”

  That was on the card on the refrigerator, too. “I do. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

  Ty knew he had to stay as calm as he could. He had to bundle Jordan up in the damp weather. He had to drive like a sensible cowboy rather than a reckless one.

  And he did.

  Kaitlyn ushered them back to an exam room, thoroughly examined Jordan, then looked at Ty with concerned eyes.

  “I’m going to admit him for observation. He has bronchitis.”

  “Admit him?” For a moment, the words wouldn’t sink in.

  “To the hospital in Sacramento. I’m finished with appointments here for the day. I was just following up on patient charts. Are you okay driving him there?”

  “Sure, I am,” Ty said, knowing his GPS would find the hospital just fine. It’s a shame it couldn’t direct the rest of his life.

  “I’ll meet you there,” Kaitlyn said.

  Ty got Jordan dressed, scared to his boot heels for his son, knowing he had to leave a message for Marissa to tell her what was happening.

  An hour and a half later, dealing with enough red tape to strangle a moose, Ty sat beside his son’s crib, watching fluid and medication flow from the IV bag into his little body. Ty hoped and prayed Marissa would get his message soon and understand what was happening.

  As he sat there, studying Jordan’s little face—a combination of his face and Marissa’s—as he brushed his fingers over the little boy’s dark brown hair, his warm skin, his flushed cheeks, Ty knew what was more important than anything else in this world. His son—and Marissa.

  As he sat there, finally comprehending the magnitude of decisions parents had to make for their children, he understood why Marissa hadn’t told him about her pregnancy. She’d had to make decisions, for herself and for her unborn baby, that were the best she knew how to make. Coming from a broken family, a father who hadn’t loved her, a mother who had struggled to make ends meet, she’d wanted better for her son. She’d wanted stability and love and a support group that would last. She’d dismissed the idea of a dad who was a traveling cowboy because that hadn’t fit in with the best plan for Jordan.

  He got that now. It had been nothing against him. She’d understood who he was and what he’d wanted. And that hadn’t seemed to be roots.

  She was afraid he wouldn’t choose roots now.

  Sometimes what looked good on paper didn’t pan out in reality.

  The reality was—he loved Marissa. He loved her up and down, sideways and backward. She wasn’t simply his son’s mom, she was the love of Ty’s life. He should have recognized that fact in the way he liked being with her, the way she made him smile just by coming into a room and the way he felt like a better person just by being with her. Oh, he’d relegated all of it to sex and desire and the physical satisfaction they found with each other. There was no denying that. But there was so much more, and he knew she felt it, too.

  At least he hoped she felt it, too. He hoped she wanted more than a father for Jordan. He hoped she wanted a husband for a lifetime.

  * * *

  Marissa had never been this afraid before—not ever. She’d tried to return Ty’s call. But in certain parts of the hospital, cell phones had to be turned off. Apparently the pediatrics unit was one of them. She’d tried anyway to tell him she was coming, to ask him a hundred and one questions, to be reassured that their son would be okay. But his voice mail had directed her to leave a message. She’d simply said, “I’m coming.”

  Her baby was in a hospital. Her anxiety made swallowing difficult.

  When she arrived at the desk in pediatrics, Kaitlyn was there talking to a nurse. Her friend spotted her, placed a chart back in its rack and came forward, enveloping her in a hug.

  Marissa blinked back tears. She couldn’t cry now. She had to be strong. “Where’s Jordan?” she asked with a catch in her voice.

  “Ty’s with him. I’ll take you to him.”

  “I don’t understand what happened. He wasn’t that sick when I left this morning. I never would have gone. I never should have gone.”

  “Ty acted when he should have. That’s what’s important. Jordan has bronchitis, but we’ll get it turned around.”

  At the door to Jordan’s room, Marissa was overcome by the sight of her baby hooked up to an IV and monitors. She rushed to him, mindful that Ty was at the crib’s side, looking worried.

  Ty didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her shoulders as she bent to kiss her son. Ty’s low voice rumbled in her ear. “His fever’s down a bit, just in the past half hour. He’s been on fluids and antibiotics. It’s going to be okay, Marissa. I know it is.”

  Marissa turned to look at Ty then, and when she did, she knew she loved him with every inch of her heart. She’d been wrong not to tell him when she’d gotten pregnant. She’d been wrong to assume he wouldn’t know the first thing about being a dad, or that he couldn’t be committed because her own father had left. Because Ty was a rodeo cowboy, she’d jumped to the conclusion he wouldn’t care about his son. She’d been so wrong about that, too. He was a great dad, and whether he took the promoter’s job or he stayed on the Cozy C, she loved him.

  She had to tell him that, but she couldn’t do it now when they were both so worried. She couldn’t do it now when he might think she just needed his support. Somehow she had to convince him that she could be the wife he needed, no matter what he chose to do.

  He pushed his chair over behind her so she could sit by Jordan’s side. Then he found another and they waited together.

  * * *

  It was midnight when Ty tapped Marissa’s hand. They were seated in recliners the hospital staff had wheeled in so they could sleep in the room with Jordan.

  “Are you awake?” he asked.

  Yes, she was awake. Too many thoughts circled in a continuous loop in her head for her to sleep. Ty stood, took her hand and pulled her up out of the chair. A dim light shone over Jordan’s bed. A low murmur of voices, muffled footsteps and lowered lighting crept in the partially open door.

  “I can’t wait any longer to tell you something,” Ty began.

  Marissa’s heart started racing. Maybe she should stop him. Maybe she should tell him what she had to say first. “I have something to tell you, too.”

  In the shadowed room, she saw him frown. “I know ladies are supposed to go first, but I’ve got to say this. I’ve come to some decisions sitting here by Jordan’s bedside. First of all, I’ve got to explain something. For the past several months I thought I’d lost almost everything—my ability to be physically whole, my rodeo career, a kind of life that used to matter to me. But none of that makes any sense anymore, or comes even close to what I feel for you and Jordan. Today I learned what really matters—our son and our strength as a couple. I love you, Marissa. I think I’ve loved you since high school. For sure, I’ve loved you since that night after the wedding when we made love. I know it’s a lot to take in right now, but I need to know. Will you marry me? Will you help me make the Cozy C a success? Will you give me your heart for a lifetime?”

  She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She could hardly believe her dreams were going to come true.

  “You want to marry me?”

  “Yes, I do. I love you. I want more babies, and I want to give them the legacy of the Cozy C and the possibility of it lasting far beyond our children having their kids.”

  She flung her arms around his neck and held him so tight she wasn’t sure either of them could breathe. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I wanted to tell you how much I love you and that I’d be by your side whether you wanted to be a rodeo promoter or head up a vacation ranch. It doe
sn’t matter to me anymore, Ty. My home and Jordan’s are with you, wherever you go, whatever you do. I don’t want you to ever doubt that.”

  “It seems we’ve both been doing a lot of thinking,” he said in a husky voice.

  “And feeling,” she assured him in a whisper just before his lips came down on hers.

  This was going to be a Christmas she’d never forget, and one she and Ty would tell their son about for years to come.

  Epilogue

  Christmas Eve

  Marissa’s heart melted as Jordan sat on Ty’s knee while he read the Christmas story. Jase and Sara’s little girl, Amy, sat cross-legged on the floor at Ty’s feet, staring up at him with wide eyes. Adam and Kaitlyn had invited everyone into their home for a Christmas Eve celebration. Somehow Ty had ended up with the Bible and reading about what had happened when a star brighter than any other had graced the sky.

  Marissa sent up a prayer of gratitude that their little boy was so resilient. He’d come home from the hospital the day after he’d been admitted. Though he was still taking antibiotics, he was his happy, energetic little self. At the moment, though, he was entranced by Ty’s voice, if not the words.

  As Marissa scanned the room, she noticed Kaitlyn beaming, pregnant and expectant. She and Adam were happy in their new home and couldn’t wait for their child to arrive. Adam’s sister Tina had been invited, too, and she sat in one of the armchairs, happily cradling her little girl, who was fast asleep. As Marissa watched Jase and Sara exchange looks, she had the feeling it wouldn’t be long until Sara announced they were having a baby, too.

  Eli sat in a rocker on the other side of the fireplace, watching his nephew and grand-nephew, taking in friends and family that had expanded his life. Hannah stood beside him, her hand on his shoulder. This was their official first date.

  As Ty finished reading, he closed the leather-bound book. The fire in the fireplace popped as Jordan squiggled, wanting to be let down. He saw an opportunity to explore with all of the people around him he liked best.

  Sara and Kaitlyn were on their feet now, ready to uncover the food on the table and pull more from the refrigerator and counter. Marissa was about to help them when Ty clapped his hands for everyone’s attention.

  “I have an announcement to make.”

  Everyone looked his way. He opened his arm to Marissa and she went to join him.

  “Marissa and I have set the date. We’re going to be married the last Saturday in January, and we want all of you to be there. We put it off for a few weeks because I wanted Marissa to be able to plan the wedding she always wanted.”

  That’s exactly what Ty had told her, and she had already started ordering flowers, looking online at dresses, choosing one with a Western flair. She was so excited and she knew her happiness showed. So did Ty’s.

  “And there will be a reception afterward at the church social hall that I’m taking care of,” Eli announced. “You see, I sold off a few acres of the Cozy C so some other folks can have a grand vista, too.”

  That had been a decision Eli had made easily, and Ty had encouraged. An offer from a developer in Sacramento had given Eli the cash to pay for the reception and more importantly a nest egg for his future, as well as the confidence that he needed to finally enter into a relationship with Hannah.

  So much had happened in such a short time, but Marissa felt it all was just right.

  After everyone had congratulated them with hugs and kisses and assured the couple they’d be at the wedding, Ty asked Sara, “Can you watch Jordan for a few minutes?”

  “Of course I can,” she answered with a bright smile.

  “We won’t be long,” he told her as he took Marissa’s hand and led her to the front door.

  After they stepped outside, Marissa asked, “What are we doing? The Christmas celebration’s in there.”

  “I want to give you a special Christmas present now.”

  “We have all night,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “Yes, we do, and days and nights after that. We were so busy this afternoon—I didn’t want to rush this.”

  “Rush what?” He’d already asked her to marry him. What more did he have to say?

  Taking a box from his pocket, he held it in the palm of his hand. “We have good luck coming. I can feel it. We’re booked solid the first two weeks in January, and already guests are calling about February and March.”

  “The Cozy C is going to be the best vacation ranch in the country,” she said with confidence.

  “In a year, we might even be able to add a cabin or two,” Ty said.

  Now she studied him carefully. “I know all this.”

  “Good.” He took the lid from the little box and showed her what was inside. It was a Princess-cut diamond that sparkled under the porch light.

  “It’s beautiful!” she breathed. “Will you put it on for me?”

  Ty took the diamond from the box and slipped it onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

  He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close. “I can’t wait for you to be my wife,” he murmured, right before he kissed her.

  Marissa’s head swam as it always did when he kissed her. She gave and took as he did. When they finally broke apart, she whispered, “I love you, Ty Conroy.”

  He smoothed her hair away from her face. “I love you, too, Marissa Lopez soon-to-be Conroy.”

  She glanced at the ring again as if she couldn’t believe it was there. Then she gazed up at the sky. “It’s as bright as any one of those stars.”

  Ty pointed to a star in the east. “It’s like that one, a little brighter than all the rest.”

  When he kissed her again, Marissa knew their love would last a lifetime and beyond. She’d found her happily-ever-after with Ty. Her forever cowboy. Her husband to be. Her love for a lifetime.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A REUNION AND A RING by Gina Wilkins.

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  A Reunion and a Ring

  Gina Wilkins

  Chapter One

  The headlights sliced through the darkness ahead, glittering off the torrents of rain pounding the windshield of the small car. The wind blew so hard that it took some effort to keep the car on the road. Fingers white-knuckled on the wheel, Jenny Baer leaned forward slightly against her seat belt in an attempt to better see the winding road. The weather had turned nasty earlier than she’d expected when she’d started this almost- three-hour drive.

  She’d intended to leave work just after lunch on this Friday, which would have put her here midafternoon, before the rain set in. Instead, she’d been held up with one crisis after another, until it had been after six when she’d finally gotten away. She hadn’t even had a chance to change out of her work clothes. She’d thought of waiting until morning to head out, but she’d been afraid she’d only be detained again, maybe until too late to even consider the rare, three-day vacation she was allowing herself.

  Her grandmother would say “I told you so” in that sanctimonious tone she o
ften slipped into. Gran had insisted it was foolish for Jenny to take off on her own and stay alone for a long weekend in a secluded mountain cabin. But then, Gran was always trying to tell her only grandchild how to live her life. Though Jenny believed the advice was generally well-intended, she had to remind her grandmother repeatedly that she was thirty-one years old, held a master’s degree and was the sole owner of a successful clothing-and- accessories boutique.

  Gran would be even less supportive of this private retreat if she knew the reason Jenny had decided impulsively to take it. If she’d told her grandmother that prominent attorney Thad Simonson had proposed marriage, Gran would already be arranging an engagement party, maybe interviewing wedding planners. She wouldn’t understand why Jenny had asked for time to think about her answer, though Thad had seemed to consider the request entirely reasonable. After all, he’d said, Jenny’s practicality and judiciousness were two of the many qualities he most admired about her. She had accepted the comment as a compliment, as she knew he’d intended— though maybe he’d been just a bit too prosaic about it?

  Thad was out of state for a couple weeks on one of his frequent business trips, so Jenny had taken the opportunity to get away for a few days herself. She needed time to think about the ramifications of accepting his proposal without the distractions of constantly ringing phones and never-ending meetings with employees, customers, contractors and sales reps.

  Lightning flashed in the distance through the curtains of rain, silhouetting the surrounding hills against the angry sky. The full force of the early-June storm was still a few miles away, but getting closer. What had she been thinking heading into the backwoods with this looming? She was the least impulsive person she knew—at least, that was the way she’d lived for the past decade or so—and yet, here she was, inching through a downpour in the middle of nowhere, heading for a cabin in the Arkansas Ozarks with no housekeeping staff, no room service, none of the amenities she preferred for her infrequent escapes. All with less than forty-eight hours of planning, another anomaly for her.