“Got it.” He followed her directions and soon Josh was happily slapping his hands on the high chair tray and blowing raspberries.
She grinned at him. “You’re a silly boy, Josh.”
He giggled and did it some more.
“Did you teach him that?”
“Didn’t have to. He learned it all on his own.” She unzipped the backpack, took out a container of Cheerios and sprinkled some on the tray before sliding into the booth.
Gage took the opposite side of the booth and laid his hat beside him on the seat. Then he peered at Josh’s tray. “Is that his dinner?”
“More like food and a game rolled into one. He has fun picking them up and putting them in his mouth so he’s occupied for a while. I brought jars of baby food, too.” She looked over the menu. “I smelled pot roast when I walked in. Is it good here?”
“I’m sure it is. I’ve discovered that Eagles Nesters demand excellence in their restaurants. They only have two sit-down establishments, plus the Burger Barn that features slow fast food. I can testify they’re all top-notch.”
“Did you just call the residents Eagles Nesters?”
“Uh-huh.” He consulted his menu. “I think it’s a new term, but it fits. This area’s chock-a-block full of eagles, bald and golden, but mostly golden. Other birds, too. Big, little, you name it. Since I’m a fan of birds, I’m happy about that.”
“You like birds?”
He glanced up from his menu. “Always have. Why?”
“Josh likes them, too. He’d get all excited whenever he saw one, so I put a feeder in the back yard near a window so he can watch them. He loves it.”
“No kidding?”
“No kidding. Word about the feeder has spread in the bird community, too. We draw a crowd, especially in the summer. In fact, I need to text my neighbor and see if she’ll take care of filling it over the weekend. Excuse me a minute.” She pulled out her phone and quickly typed her request. “Done.”
“I wonder if he got that from me.” He watched Josh pick up Cheerios one at a time and examine them before popping them in his mouth. “Hey, buddy, are you turning into a bird watcher like your old man?”
Josh paused, a Cheerio held firmly between this thumb and forefinger, and stared at Gage as if contemplating the question. “Da-da!”
“That’s me.” Gage patted his chest. “Daddy. Dad-dy.”
Josh chortled and banged his hand on the tray, sending Cheerios flying. “Da-da!”
“Whoa.” Gage looked over at her. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“I’ll get my side if you’ll get yours.”
The server hurried over, order pad in hand. “You don’t have to do that. We’ll get it later. It’s just Cheerios.”
Emma straightened and dumped some into her napkin. “I hate to leave a mess.”
“Not a problem.” The slim, gray-haired woman beamed at her. “Your baby is adorable. What’s his name?”
“Josh,” she and Gage said together.
“Well, Josh,” the server said. “You’re a handsome boy.”
He gave her his trademark gaze, as if he’d just found the love of his life.
“Oh, my goodness.” She smiled. “He’s flirting with me.”
“He does that,” Emma said. “I’ll have my hands full in a few years.”
“That’s for sure.” The server glanced at Gage. “I’ll bet he learned it from his daddy.”
Gage nodded, looking proud. “It’s genetic.”
Emma ducked her head and swallowed her laughter. It might be, for all she knew. She hadn’t met his family.
She ordered the pot roast, a side salad and coffee. Gage ended up with the same. In the short time they’d been together nineteen months ago, they hadn’t shared many meals. In addition to the other gaps in her knowledge, she wasn’t up on what he liked to eat. Pot roast, evidently.
After the server left, he looked across the table at her. “Ready to meet the Whine and Cheese Club?”
“Sure.” She was nervous about interacting with his dad and siblings, but showing off her son to a table full of women? Oh, yeah. She’d relish that experience. So would Josh, the little flirt.
“How much do you want me to tell them?”
Oh. The explanation could turn out to be complicated. Or simple. “How about if you just say this is your son Josh and I’m his mother, Emma?”
“That’s it?”
“Do you really want to get into the nitty-gritty?”
He hesitated. “I suppose not.”
“Then for now, let’s leave it at that.”
Chapter Five
Gage would play it the way Emma wanted. He had the urge to hang a sign around Josh’s neck that said My daddy didn’t know! But that would be pointing the finger at Emma, which wasn’t right, either. She had good reasons for not telling him.
Emma was fine with having him carry Josh over to the Whine and Cheese Club table for the introductions. Now that holding the baby was more natural to him, he was eager to show off his son. As they approached, conversation in the booth ceased.
Kendra, who was sitting on one end of the curved seat, was the first to break the ice. “Whatcha got there, Gage?”
“Ladies, this is my son, Josh, and his mother, Emma Green. They’re visiting from Great Falls.” Emma hadn’t told him he could say that but it sounded good, as if he might have been in touch with them all along, maybe even invited them down here. “Emma, that’s Kendra there on the end.”
“Pleased to meet you, Kendra.”
She smiled back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
“Hi, Emma,” said the elegant woman with short gray hair sitting next to Kendra. “I’m Jo. What a cute little boy you have.”
“Thank you. I’m partial, but I think so, too.”
“And next to Jo is Christine.” Gage was getting into this. “For the fundraiser I told you about, she was a bald eagle.”
“And proud of it. Those costumes are something. Kendra was a golden eagle and Jo was a falcon. Very authentic. We looked like giant versions of the real thing. Might’ve been too scary for a little one like Josh, though.”
“Maybe not,” Emma said. “He doesn’t scare easily.”
“I’m Judy,” said the brunette on Christine’s left. “I was a pygmy owl because I’m short.”
“And I made a great barn owl because I’m so well endowed,” said the redhead sitting next to Judy. “I’m Deidre, by the way. Did Gage tell you that we danced to Shake Ya Tailfeather?”
She laughed. “No, he didn’t. I hope somebody was taking a video.”
“There are probably several floating around,” Deidre said. “I’ll ask who…” She trailed off and looked at the baby. “Hey, Josh, honey, did we know each other in another life? ‘Cause I would totally believe it the way you’re looking at me.”
Josh stared at her in adoration. “Da-da.”
She gasped. “He said my name! He said Deidre! Or something really close. Freaky.”
Gage started to tell her that da-da was Josh’s default setting and that he was constantly mesmerizing people with his soulful gaze. But why burst her bubble?
“Cheryl just delivered your salads,” Kendra said. “We don’t want to keep you from your dinner, but thanks so much for coming over.”
“Yes, thank you.” Deidre said. “We were prepared to let you eat in peace even if it killed us.”
“Might as well admit it was mostly killing you, Deidre.” Kendra’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
“All right, I’ll be happy to admit it. Not all of us have the inside track like some people.” Turning to Josh, she pressed her forefinger to her ear and her little finger to her mouth before mouthing call me.
He bounced in Gage’s arms and waved his hands in the air. “Da-da!”
Deidre sighed happily. “I’m in love.”
“Oh, boy.” Kendra made shooing motions. “Get back to your table, guys. See you tomorrow at the park?”
“I haven’t told Emma about that, yet,” Gage said. “But like I said, I’ll let you know one way or the other.”
“Excellent. Hope to see you there.”
Emma glanced at him as they made their way back to the table. “What’s happening tomorrow?”
“Flag football at the park on the edge of town tomorrow afternoon. I’m supposed to be playing, but I’ll cancel out if you—”
“Will your family be there?”
“Yes, ma’am. The whole fam-damn-ly will be playing—my dad, both brothers and my sister, plus me.” He tucked Josh back in his high chair.
“How about the Whine and Cheese ladies?”
“They wouldn’t miss it.”
“Sounds like fun. I’d like to go.”
“Then we will.” He levered himself into the booth. “But I don’t have to play. I’ll sit this one out so I can help you with Josh.”
“No, you should play.” She rummaged in the backpack and came up with a Green Bay Packers bib she tied around the baby’s neck. “I have a feeling I’ll have plenty of help.”
“We’ll see how it goes.” If she was putting a bib on Josh, then chances were good she wasn’t going to eat her salad now, so he’d wait, too. “People are always switching in and out of the game. You could probably play if you wanted to.”
“Yeah?” She dived into the backpack again and brought out a spoon and a jar of something that was a disgusting shade of green. “I could play?”
“Why not? You know football and you’re in shape.”
She paused long enough to glance at him, eyebrows lifted. “How do you know I’m in shape?”
“Nineteen months ago you were and I recognize those jeans so you still fit into them.”
Pink tinged her cheeks as she took the lid off the jar. “I don’t believe you recognize my jeans.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m the guy who took them off half the time.” Yikes, he hadn’t meant to say that. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”
“Mm.” She stuck the spoon in whatever godawful mess she was planning to feed Josh and stirred it like crazy. Her whole face was rosy.
He, on the other hand, was warming up in a different place lower down. Inconvenient. He hadn’t the foggiest idea whether he wanted to get physical with Emma again.
Well…not true. He wanted to, but it might be a mistake. And that was assuming she wanted to, which she might not. They had to factor in the effect of their actions on Josh. It wasn’t a simple equation of lust equals sex anymore.
“Okay, sweetie,” she crooned to the baby. “Time for dinner. Nummy, nummy!” She aimed a spoonful of the green glop at his mouth.
Josh clamped his lips together.
“Come on, sweetie. Open up for mommy. You love this, remember?”
“What is it?”
“Pureed veggies, mostly green beans and peas. I added some asparagus to this batch. He ate it fine two days ago.”
“Maybe he was in the mood for it then.”
“Well, I’d like him to be in the mood for it now.” She made another approach with the spoon. “Open wide, baby boy. Great stuff, here. You’re gonna love it.”
Josh doubled down, his mouth firmly shut as he turned his head away.
“Want to just give him some more Cheerios while we eat?”
“If he fills up on those, then he really won’t want to eat this, and he needs to. He’s a very healthy baby and I want to keep it that way.”
“Could I try?”
“Have you ever fed a baby before?”
“No, but I’ve seen it done in the movies.”
That seemed to amuse her. She handed him the jar with the spoon sticking in it. “Go for it.”
“You have to make it into a game.” He spooned up some green goo. Too bad it wasn’t more appetizing. He wouldn’t eat this, either. “Here we go, buddy. It’s a fighter jet, dodging enemy fire. Pow! Pow, pow, pow!” He zoomed the spoon around and Josh began to giggle.
“That’s it! Have fun with it! Here comes the jet. Eat the jet!” He approached the goal, the baby’s mouth, open and laughing. Almost there…almost…
Bam! Josh knocked the spoon away and Gage was coated with green glop. One spoonful sure could cover a lot of territory. He had it on his face and down the front of his shirt.
Squealing with delight, Josh slapped the tray and bounced in his seat.
Gage gazed at Emma. She was trying so hard not to laugh that her eyes were watering. He sighed. “Go ahead. It’s okay.”
She dissolved into giggles that weren’t so different from Josh’s. And he’d asked for it, thinking he’d learned how to feed a baby from a scene in a movie, a scripted movie that likely had required at least fifty takes before the jet plane strategy had worked.
“I’m sorry.” She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eyes. “I shouldn’t laugh, but…”
“Yeah, you should.” He licked his lips where some of the mess had landed. “It doesn’t taste as bad as it looks.”
“I know. I ate some to make sure it was good.”
Picking up a napkin, he wiped the goo from his face. “Do I have it in my hair?”
She grinned at him. “Yes. But if it’s any consolation, I’ve had it in my hair, too.”
“I’ll bet you weren’t in the middle of a crowded restaurant at the time.” Damn, she looked pretty when she was having fun. So what if it was at his expense?
“No, I was at home.”
He scrubbed his hair with the napkin. “Is it gone, now?”
“It’s gone, but your hair looks like you styled it with an electric mixer. And your shirt…your shirt is a disaster.”
“It’s black. I can just wipe off the—”
“No, don’t. You’ll rub it in. I sautéed the veggies in olive oil before I put them in the blender. You need to put liquid dish soap on the stains or they’re liable to become permanent.”
“I’ll do that when I get home.”
“The longer it sits, the worse it gets. I have an idea. Let’s ask them to box up our food and we’ll take it to the B&B. Josh eats better when he’s not distracted. And I can work on the stains on your shirt.”
He didn’t have a better plan and the current one wasn’t working out worth beans. “Sure, why not?” He caught the attention of their server.
Their meal must have been almost ready, because within five minutes he was in possession of their boxed and bagged dinner. While he paid the bill, Emma carried Josh out to her SUV.
She had him loaded and the motor running by the time he left the diner. She rolled down her window. “Just follow me.”
“Will do.” He set the bags of food on the floor of the passenger seat so nothing would spill. The rich scent of pot roast filled the cab as he backed out of his spot and pulled up behind her while she waited for traffic to clear.
Didn’t take long. In no time, he was cruising down Main, following Emma out of town. The retro street lamps wouldn’t turn on for another hour or so, but the businesses closed at six. Some, like Pie in the Sky, locked up earlier. Anyone who wanted to shop in the evening had to drive to Bozeman or Billings.
At first, he’d chafed at that. He was used to having a big-box retailer nearby in case he needed something. Now he liked not having that option. It made for a more relaxed atmosphere.
Or it had been relaxed until recently. His grip on the wheel was a little tight and he loosened it. Then he wiggled his jaw to ease the tension collecting there. Rolled his shoulders to get rid of a crick in his neck. Last of all he blew out a breath. Yeah, nothing was gonna work.
Well, one thing would, but that was a non-starter. He might never have sex again. Look what could happen!
Ever since Emma had walked into the bakery this afternoon, he’d expected to wake up from this crazy dream of discovering he was a father. How could such a thing be real? He was always so careful.
But evidence was piling up that he wasn’t dreaming. Nothing about this episode made sense, though. It wasn’t logical. His
dad had insisted Fate was involved.
Whether it was Fate or a faulty condom, he had a son. That little boy carried his DNA. And Emma’s. They hadn’t planned to be linked for the rest of their lives, but they were. The rest of their lives.
The enormity of it made him slightly sick to his stomach. He’d been so cautious about avoiding long-term commitments. Now he was staring down the barrel of the most binding commitment of all—parenthood. God help him.
Chapter Six
Ever since Emma had left Green Bay against her parents’ wishes, she’d vowed to make it on her own. Having Josh had increased her expenses, but also her determination to meet those expenses. Her online business provided just enough to do that because she was careful about money.
And resources. The dinner Gage had so generously offered would not go to waste and his attempt to feed Josh wouldn’t result in a ruined shirt. If he was anything like her brother, he’d throw it in the washer and the dryer without treating those stains.
After parking in the B&B’s lot designated for guests, she got out and waved Gage over to a smaller area for visitors. Then she hurried around to the far side of her car to fetch Josh and her baby backpack.
The aroma of pot roast signaled Gage’s approach. She slipped on the backpack and hauled a cooing Josh out of his car seat.
“He sounds happy.”
She looked over at Gage in the warm light of the setting sun. Damn but he was beautiful, even with food stains down the front of his black and silver Western shirt. “He’s a happy baby.”
“Probably because of you.”
“What a nice thing to say.”
“I’m sure it’s true. When I met you, I thought you were cheerful because you had to be nice to the customers. But that’s just who you are.”
“I never saw the percentage in being grumpy.” She closed the car door with her hip. “Let’s go in. I can smell the pot roast and I’m starving.”
“I’ve been breathing it in the whole way over here. If it tastes as good as it smells, we’re in for a treat.” He followed her up the walkway to the graceful Victorian. “This is nice. Somebody put money into it.”
A Cowboy's Baby (The McGavin Brothers Book 11) Page 4