The Kentucky Cowboy's Baby

by Heidi Hormel

  “Nothing,” she agreed. “An adult woman chooses her own partner when and where she wants.”

  “Absolutely.” He pulled her close for a deep kiss, wringing a moan from her. “Only this time we’re not doing it on patio furniture or in the back of my truck. We’re using a bed...and I refuse to feel weird about it.”

  She laughed. Nervous and turned-on. “A bed. I can do that. I want to do that.” He pulled her to him without another word and kissed her again until she couldn’t breathe. Then she pushed back enough to say, “I just want you to know that I understand it doesn’t mean—”

  “We’re not talking anymore. We’ve talked enough.”

  She couldn’t argue with that.

  * * *

  PEPPER HAD LEARNED in high school you couldn’t die from embarrassment—even if it felt that way. She reminded herself of that as she made her way to the kitchen for coffee. She’d woken on her own and hoped it was late enough that everyone had gone to do something that meant she wouldn’t have to face them until later. She heard the whole household including Butch. She could do this. Whatever she and AJ had done last night wasn’t wrong. They were adults. They were free and single. They were responsible. She really needed coffee.

  “Peep, mine,” EllaJayne said as she held out a handful of Oaty-O’s from her high chair. The little girl only got the meaning of “mine” about half of the time.

  “Thanks,” Pepper said, taking an O and munching it with grinning pleasure. EllaJayne squeaked out her delight and Butch pressed against Pepper’s leg. She refused to look at the two other people in the room. She made herself walk without rushing to the coffeepot.

  “Sweetie, fire and earth signs bond strongly and securely,” Faye said out of the blue. Pepper glanced over to AJ now feeding his daughter and ignoring everything but the spoon of yogurt. “You know, those signs make good couples or partners, whether friends or lovers. Now, Pepper, you should have juice and yogurt to rebalance your chemistry. I’ve already told Arthur John he needs to eat double protein to replenish—”

  “Faye,” both she and AJ said with an equal amount of dismay.

  EllaJayne frowned and looked fiercely at Faye. “Bad Grana,” she added.

  “What?” Faye asked with her own brand of innocence and hurt.

  “We don’t... It’s none of your business,” Pepper finally settled on. She glanced at AJ and caught him watching her, a look on his face that made her heart flutter in a way that made her think of forever.

  “I was going to say to replenish the muscles he injured on the road.” Faye stood regally. “EllaJayne, Butch and I will go outside since you two refuse to talk with us here. You need to iron out the evening and then Pepper, sweetie, you need to tell Arthur John about the mayor’s plan.” Faye gathered up the baby and the dog and went swishing out of the house.

  AJ got up slowly to put his daughter’s dishes in the sink and refill his coffee.

  “I can write you a prescription for muscle relaxants.”

  “I told you before aspirin is enough. It’s just that I... We... God, this is awkward.”

  “Welcome back to my world. You’ve already met Faye.” She kept her gaze on the milky brown swirl of coffee.

  “So what are we doing here?” he asked his voice belligerent.

  “I assume you mean besides having morning-after coffee?”

  “This isn’t our first morning after, so why is it so awkward?”

  “Faye. She has that talent.”

  He shook his head. “It’s us. I think we both knew what would happen when I got back here. We wouldn’t have talked on the phone like that otherwise.”

  There was that. “Faye knows. Butch knows. Even EllaJayne knows something’s up.”

  “According to your mama, everyone knew what was going on before I even rolled into the ranch.”

  “Maybe.” She thought there was something else. Something he wanted her to pull out of him.

  He opened the fridge and kept his head inside as he said, “I’m home for three days, then back on the road for three weeks.” She waited for him to say whatever he was building up to. What if he wasn’t looking for a repeat of what they’d done in the bed? What if he’d found someone else? Why would he have—

  “I got a call from Bobby Ames.”

  The ranch. This was about the ranch. “You did?” she said, trying for nonchalance. “He didn’t say anything when I saw him in town.”

  “He’s a lawyer. There are rules.” She waited again. He stood with a loaf of bread in one hand. “The estate has settled, and I’m putting the ranch on the market. The whole ranch.”

  He’d known that last night. While he’d made love to her, he’d known he would be breaking her heart today. No matter she knew this day would come. She’d hoped he’d change his mind about at least giving her a chance to buy the house and the acreage around it. Not because they’d slept together but because it was only fair.

  “That’s okay. Danny helped me find a grant to create the gardens we need in town. He and I have been working on a plan.”

  “You and Danny, huh?”

  “He understands how important this is to me and to Angel Crossing.”

  “Good to know.” AJ said as he crushed the loaf of bread. “I need to check my equipment.”

  So much for Faye’s prediction about their signs and compatibility.

  * * *

  AJ HAD HIT the road a day early and ended up with nothing more than an aching back and a hangover. Pepper and Santa Faye Ranch weren’t his future and it was good he’d figured that out. He still owed his ex her money. The rides hadn’t netted him as much as he’d expected. He’d thought he might get away with splitting up the ranch, but he needed to sell it quickly. He’d been told that would be easier if he kept the acreage intact. Once he sold the ranch he’d give Suzy the final payout, go to court and get full custody with no strings attached. Then he’d be done with her and Kentucky. His step after that was still hazy. He had a lead on at least one job, but maybe he should buy land of his own. But if he was going to buy land, why not just stay in Angel Crossing? He could sell off a portion of the ranch, just like Pepper had asked, even if it took a little longer to sell the rest of it. Except he wouldn’t have enough to pay off Suzy.

  If he stayed to raise cattle and horses—once he learned how—and...marry Pepper. Yeah, right, like that was happening. So they’d done the midnight do-si-do? Didn’t mean anything. He’d done that particular dance with plenty of other women, except the other women hadn’t made him want to settle his butt down. To come home to the same person, to wake to the same face on the pillow. When they’d woken in bed together—the first for them—for a second he’d seen the mornings stretched out before them and he hadn’t wanted to run away. It had looked like the best future he could imagine. Why not? Maybe because he’d be taking Pepper’s ranch and her dreams from her. Since selling just a portion of the ranch wouldn’t be enough to pay off Suzy and get him started on a new life, with a little nest egg for EllaJayne’s future, he couldn’t go down the path with Pepper toward something permanent. Even if that had begun to look mighty nice.

  He checked his phone. Two more hours until he said he’d call home. Sheep tails. He couldn’t think of Santa Faye Ranch as home. It wasn’t. It was the cash cow, the top bull that would guarantee him his daughter and a fresh start. His lead on a ranch manager job was at a big place up in Oregon where they raised rodeo animals and ran a rodeo school. It seemed best to keep as far away from Kentucky as he could, not only because of Suzy. There were also the McCrearys. If they found out he had money, they’d be right there with their hands out.

  * * *

  DANG. HIS THUMB ached from the crushing it had taken. He hoped he wouldn’t lose the nail. Faye would have a remedy. Probably having to do with the rising moon and mouse feet.

&nbs
p; The producer of this event had gotten a cheap block of rooms, and AJ had “splurged,” actually renting one of them. He couldn’t face two more nights in the Hillbilly RV. His back and hip wouldn’t take it. This near the end of the trip, he ached all over. Getting home...not home, but getting back to Arizona, meant being able to rest up a little as he put the ranch on the market and decided on his next job. His current contract was up at the end of the week. The work in Oregon was looking less shiny, too. No living quarters were included, and the place was more than fifty miles from the nearest town. Exactly how would he find someone to care for Baby Girl?

  If it hadn’t been thirty minutes until his nightly call to EllaJayne, he’d have headed to the honky-tonk across the parking lot for shots and a little uncomplicated company. Yep. It was the call keeping him from seeking out a good time.

  He paced around the room and pushed his duffel back into the closet. His pocket vibrated. Crap, it would probably be a stock problem. The bull who’d been acting up earlier? He pulled out the phone and saw Pepper’s name. That thud in his heart was not excitement.

  “AJ?” she said.

  “Who else?”

  “I’m not telling him to find out the birth dates of the bulls, Faye.” That comment had not been meant for him.

  “Pepper, what’s wrong?”

  She went on, “We had a visitor today.”

  Faye’s voice came through the phone, “Tell him our visitor has to be a Capricorn. He has all the signs of the goat and a rising—”

  “I heard that. Who was there? Danny?”

  “Why would you think Danny? He’s been a big help.”

  Not much of a friend if he was swooping in to “solve” Pepper’s problems. “Danny is a selfish—”

  “It’s not Danny. It’s your family.”

  He stopped pacing. “My family? Gene had kids?”

  “Your family from Kentucky. A cousin. Your father’s step-brother’s... I can’t remember all of it. But he said that Suzy told him about the money you were paying her. Then he said if you didn’t show your face and start ponying up, he was calling child services because your paperwork wasn’t legal and you’d left your child with strangers.”

  Nevin. It had to be Nevin. He’d been after Suzy, too. The man had never worked a day in his life. He’d been using all his brain power since they were teens on schemes to get rich. Hell. This was bad. “He’s there? At the ranch?”

  “He’s staying by the interstate. He came out today and—”

  “He made EllaJayne cry and Butch tried to bite him. Good boy,” Faye said loudly and the dog added a yip.

  “Did he leave a number?”

  “Yes, but why would he do this? I don’t understand.” Pepper sounded truly confused.

  “Too complicated to explain. I’ll call and straighten him out.” She wouldn’t understand. Even with the challenges of Faye as a mother and Daddy Gene being her sort-of step-daddy, Pepper had had more love and support from them than he’d had in his whole blasted extended family. Pepper seemed to want to say more. Instead she put EllaJayne on the line.

  He knew what he had to do as soon as this call was over. Call his cousin and figure out his price. His and Suzy’s. They had to be in this together. He nearly had enough for this installment. The ranch couldn’t sell fast enough so he’d be done with her and now Nevin.

  He didn’t have the right to drag Pepper into this mess. He’d take care of it on his own. He’d been doing that for a long time.

  * * *

  “NEVIN,” AJ SAID when his cousin picked up. “What the hell are you doing in Arizona?”

  “Good, cuz, they did call you. Wasn’t sure that hippie would remember.”

  “Just tell me what you want.” AJ paced the tiny worn-out motel room.

  “Seems Cousin Gene forgot he’s got more family than you.”

  AJ didn’t speak.

  “You know us McCrearys. Share and share alike. Doesn’t seem right he left everything to you.”

  “Get to the point, Nevin.”

  “Then there’s your daughter. You took her from her mama without even telling her about the ranch. That’s her daughter’s inheritance. She wants to make sure her baby isn’t cheated like Gene done to me and the rest of us.”

  The two of them had drawn a line through the dots even faster than he would have thought possible. “Suzy signed the paper.”

  “She did but then she didn’t know about the ranch or that you were leaving her precious baby with strangers.”

  They wanted money, obviously, but how much? All of it? He couldn’t do that. “I didn’t leave my daughter with strangers. The ladies were Gene’s family, and we’ve been staying with them.”

  “You’re not here now and haven’t been here much for months. Doesn’t seem much like the way a daddy should act, according to the courts and all.”

  AJ couldn’t really argue with that, except the only reason he wasn’t there was for his daughter. “Just tell me what the hell you want.” He kept his voice low and even, clenching his fists and kicking the dresser.

  “Obvious, ain’t it? Suzy deserves at least half of the ranch, on top of what you already said you’d pay her, or she’s going to the authorities and telling them how you kidnapped her baby. Her new lawyer said your agreement wouldn’t hold up because she was under ‘duress’ when she signed it.”

  “Half the ranch. What else?”

  “She don’t like that agreement you made her sign. I know that ain’t legal. Coercion. Read all about it on the internet. So she’s not giving up her rights. She’ll expect child support for being EllaJayne’s mama, so that’ll mean visits from the baby. You’ll be moving back to Kentucky.”

  “She never wanted EllaJayne.” His chest hurt from holding back the roar of words.

  “Now, that ain’t true. Post-whatever what not. Read about that, too, on the internet. We clear, cuz?”

  “Clear as Kentucky moonshine.”

  “That woman said you have another week on the road. Guess that will be fine. I’ll be here. Oh, now I remember the other thing. Since the ranch is yours, I think those women should be more hospitable-like. You know, open their home so I don’t have to stay in this motel.”

  “Keep the hell away.”

  “That’s not very friendly. Tell them I’ll be by tomorrow.”

  AJ hung up and threw the phone across the room. He had to get to Arizona now. He picked up his duffel, shoved in his crap and left. If he drove all night, he’d be there by late morning. Maybe by then, he’d figure out what he could do to save his daughter and keep Nevin away from the ranch. He feared it meant ruining what he was only beginning to see he wanted his life to be.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pepper dialed AJ again and got his voice mail. Her texts hadn’t been answered, either. She wanted to talk with him about the yahoo who’d stopped by making threats. Luckily, she’d taken two days off and had been working in the garden when he’d shown up. Despite the visit, it’d been good to get outside and dig in the dirt. She’d be spending another day outside, too. The cooler temperatures of the approaching fall made the work pleasant, even though she’d spent a good part of the morning keeping EllaJayne out of trouble and fending off sloppy kisses from Butch.

  The garden was doing well. Better, since Danny had all but promised the funding to move the project into town. He’d even suggested she add a flock of hens to eat bugs off the plants and to provide fresh eggs as part of her latest round of applications. The downside was that there was no way she could help turn the hens into fried chicken. She’d have to think on this longer. She pulled out her phone, hoping that AJ had called her back. Nothing.

  “Daddy,” EllaJayne yelled and Butch barked.

  “Don’t I wish,” Pepper said softly, then told the little girl, “Pick t
he pretty flowers right here.” EllaJayne grinned widely. Pepper had sat her down in a patch of desert dandelion that had sprouted up between the rows. She figured that would keep the toddler busy for a little bit of time. Pepper went to work fast on the weeds among her plants. In less than a month, they’d have a crop of peas, garlic and peanuts. She needed to look on the internet for recipes. She should check with— Darn it. Someone was coming. Probably that Kentucky cousin. She gathered up EllaJayne and started herding Butch to the house. The little girl drummed her feet against Pepper’s thighs yelling for her daddy. She could be as stubborn as one of the llamas.

  “Daddy’s at the rodeo, remember?” Pepper said in a reasonable voice. Like the toddler would respond to that.

  Butch ran away. EllaJayne screamed for the dog.

  “Lordy be, you two.” She would take the toddler inside and then chase down the useless dog.

  “I told you he’d come home,” Faye said as she came out the front door and held out her arms for EllaJayne. “Go welcome him home.”

  Pepper turned. AJ stood by the truck, patting the dog, then strolled toward her. Oh, my, that was one fine man. Even if he was a cowboy like any other. The kind of man who didn’t stick around.

  Except she’d called and here he was. Yeah, well, he wouldn’t have needed to be there if it hadn’t been for his relatives. Of course he should have hightailed it home. The man was his problem.

  “Nevin been back?” he asked when he was near.

  She shook her head and looked him over. Exhausted and sore was her professional opinion. “Wait. You were in Idaho? You couldn’t have gotten here driving.”

  “Since that’s where I was and I’m here now, guess I could have driven.”

  “You were on the road all night? That’s dangerous. Why would you do that?” Pepper didn’t know whether to be mad or wrap him in a hug. He did look rode hard and put away wet. And still he looked good. Not fair.

  “I need coffee.” He hesitated for a second by her, sighed deeply, then turned to Faye, who placed EllaJayne in his arms.