The Baby Truth

by Stella Bagwell

  * * *

  By the next afternoon, Sassy felt so good she was imbued with energy, and the need to get out and breathe fresh air had her donning a coat and leaving the house she’d been cooped up in for too many days. She and the two collies were walking along a cattle trail just north and west of the ranch house, soaking in the sunshine and sage-scented air when the sound of a vehicle caught Sassy’s attention.

  Shading her eyes with one hand, she looked up to see Jett’s old work truck barreling toward her. A pair of startled sage grouse scattered out of its path, while a cloud of dust followed in its wake.

  The man was certainly in a hurry, she decided, as she and the dogs stopped on the trail and waited for him to pull alongside her.

  Before the driver’s window was more than halfway down, he called out to her. “Sassy, what are you doing way out here?”

  She strode up to the truck door. “Hello to you, too.”

  He blew out a breath of relief. “You had me worried. I was on the verge of calling Evan to tell him that the sheriff’s department needed to start a search for you!”

  Sassy rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Jett. I can almost see the ranch house from here. Besides, Mary and Max certainly know their way back home. Were you really worried that I was lost or something?”

  Lifting the battered gray hat from his head, he thrust a hand through his hair, and Sassy could see he was struggling to collect himself.

  “You didn’t leave a note. I had no idea if you’d left with someone or walked away from the house and collapsed! You’re just now starting to feel normal again.”

  Seeing the genuine worry on his face, she said, “I’m sorry I worried you, Jett. You and Bella never get home this early. I didn’t write a note because I thought I’d be back to the house long before you arrived.”

  He shook his head. “Okay. No harm done. Climb in and I’ll give you a ride.”

  She lowered the tailgate on the truck to allow the dogs to jump in before she climbed into the passenger seat and strapped herself in. As soon as she was settled, he pointed the truck toward home.

  “I didn’t see you at breakfast. I figured you were still sick,” he said.

  She smiled with happy relief. “Actually, I didn’t miss breakfast because I was sick. For the first morning in days I didn’t wake up nauseated. I was sound asleep. This afternoon I felt so good I couldn’t stay cooped up in the house.”

  His lips twitched, but whether it was with a smile or frown, the movement was too faint to discern. Either way, it didn’t matter. Just having the chance to drink in his masculine profile was pure delight.

  “The day you made the feeding rounds with me, I could tell you were enjoying being outdoors. When you talked about learning about ranching, though, I never imagined you literally hiked through cow pastures.”

  She laughed softly. “Hike or ride a horse. I do both. On the Chaparral there’re lots of mountain trails on the ranch and sometimes Frankie rides with me. She’s an excellent horsewoman. I’m just a novice, but I am learning to handle a horse pretty well. And in the summer I always make a vegetable garden and donate most of the produce to the needy. Leyla, Frankie’s cook, is a good friend and we work the garden together. Plus, I like to grow flowers. All kinds of flowers. Oh, and I play on a summer-league softball team, too. And I like to fish and camp. What about you?”

  Chuckling, he shook his head. “I’m out of breath just listening to all that.”

  “Seriously, Jett, I’m not sure you do anything for fun. Other than the day we went to Reno, all I’ve ever seen you do is work. Don’t you have a hobby? Or things you like to do just for amusement?”

  “Ranching is fun to me.”

  “That’s good to hear. Otherwise I don’t think you’d have any fun at all.”

  He darted a glance at her. “That’s important to you, isn’t it? Having fun?”

  There was a note of disapproval in his voice, as though he considered doing enjoyable things a frivolous waste of time. His attitude irked her, but she tried not to let it show. “If you can’t find a bit of fun in life, then what’s the point, Jett?”

  “Hmm. I probably seem like an old stuffed shirt to you. And perhaps I am. But a person changes after—”

  When he didn’t finish, she said, “After he gets knocked down. Yes, I know the feeling very well, Jett. But I don’t plan to let anything keep me down.”

  “That’s easier said than done, Sassy.”

  “There’s nothing easy about it. In fact, it’s really hard. That’s what it is. But you and I are cut from different cloth, Jett. I was raised poor, and though I’d like to further my education, I’ve not had a chance to do it yet. I’ve never owned much of anything, so I hardly have to worry about losing my assets. But I don’t have to party to enjoy myself. I find fun in simple things—like riding a horse or watching my zinnias grow. You say your fun is ranching, but is that because you love doing it, or because you love the money it puts in your bank account?”

  He braked the truck to a stop near the barn door and turned an annoyed look on her. “Do you realize how insulting that long-winded speech was to me?”

  “It wasn’t meant to pacify you,” she said bluntly, then quickly climbed out of the truck and headed toward the house.

  After letting the dogs out of the truck bed, Jett followed close on her heels, but said nothing until they entered the house and the scent of cooking food met them at the kitchen door.

  “What’s that I smell?”

  “Supper. It should be done in about thirty minutes.”

  Removing her coat, she hung the garment on the hall tree standing near the door, then used her hands to tame the wisps of hair that had loosened from her ponytail.

  “You can cook? I mean more than frying an egg or making toast?”

  Laughing at his amazed reaction, she turned to see he’d walked over to the oven and was peeking inside at the bubbling enchilada casserole.

  “Sure I can,” she answered as she walked over to the sink to rinse her hands. “I am a woman.”

  He walked over to where she stood, and Sassy was instantly reminded that it had been several days since he’d touched her in an intimate way. And now she longed to lay her hands upon his chest, to lift her mouth up to his.

  She’d sworn to him that she wouldn’t succumb to his kisses. That she wouldn’t have sex with him unless love was his motive. But what about her own motives? Was she beginning to love this man?

  He said, “Being a woman doesn’t automatically make you a cook. Erica struggled to heat a can of soup.”

  Shrugging, she fought to rein in the erotic thoughts zipping through her head. “I’ve lived alone for a long time. Necessity forced me to learn how to cook. And this evening, because I’m feeling so much better, I wanted to give you and Bella a break from fixing dinner.”

  A soft light warmed his brown eyes while a sheepish smile crossed his face. “I’m sorry if I sounded cross earlier,” he said gently. “I was worried, that’s all.”

  Her heart was suddenly pounding, yearning to touch him. “And I’m sorry that I worried you.”

  Lifting a hand, he smoothed fingertips along her cheekbone. “The color is back in your face. That makes me happy, Sassy.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered.

  He didn’t say anything, and as she gazed back at him she could feel electricity building between them, threatening to spark at the slightest movement.

  “Sassy—”

  Before he could say more, the cell phone attached to his belt rang. With a heavy sigh, he turned away and answered the call. “What’s wrong?” he asked the person on the other end of the connection. “Are you having car trouble or something?”

  There was a long pause and then he said, “Oh. I see. So how long will you be down there? And
what about clothes and things?”

  Another pause, and then he said, “All right. Stay in touch. We’ll see you when you get back.”

  He ended the call and turned back to Sassy. “That was Bella. She won’t be coming home this evening. She and her boss are leaving for Las Vegas in about an hour. They’ll be down there for a few days. Maybe a week. Something to do with a case he’s been handling.”

  That meant she and Jett would be alone in the house. Together. The mere thought made her tremble with a mixture of alarm and excitement.

  “I didn’t see her leave with any bags this morning. Won’t she need her clothes and things to take with her?”

  “She said she had enough things stored there at the office to get by with. And, knowing Bella, she’ll use the trip as an excuse for shopping.”

  “Oh. Well. Looks like we won’t be seeing her for a while.” Knowing there was probably a telling look on her face, she quickly stepped around him and hurried over to the oven.

  As she peeked in at the casserole, Jett walked up behind her.

  “Sassy, you don’t have to run from me.”

  Nervously licking her lips, she closed the oven door and turned to face him. “I’m not running or leaving for a hotel in town.”

  For long, taut moments his gaze swept over her face, then finally he said, “Good. How long until we eat? I’d like to shower and change.”

  “Twenty minutes. I’ll have everything on the table by then.”

  By the time Jett returned to the kitchen, Sassy had prepared a tossed salad, along with a basket of tortilla chips to go with the casserole. After adding two glasses of iced tea to the cozy table, he helped her into her seat then took his place across from her.

  “It’s good to see you eating real food again.”

  “I’m starving. I even made a pie. I found a can of cherries in the pantry. I hope you weren’t saving them for something special.”

  He looked across at her and smiled. “This meal is something special.”

  It was certainly special to her. For the past week she’d not felt well enough to really enjoy his company. Now she was going to have him all to herself. “Maybe you’d better reserve that comment until after you eat,” she said jokingly.

  After they’d both filled their plates and began to eat, Jett said, “Bart caught me and Orin going through some of the old files this afternoon.”

  Her fork paused in midair. “Oh. What happened? What did you tell him?”

  “Orin told him we were hunting some old income tax files. That we needed some past numbers to compare with recent profit figures.”

  “Did he believe you?”

  “I doubt it. He didn’t look convinced. He just turned on his heel and left the study.”

  Sassy shook her head ruefully. “Jett, is it really necessary for you and Orin to do all this searching? I don’t want Bart to get sick again. And the DNA will eventually tell us if I’m a Calhoun.”

  “Yes. But, like you said, it won’t tell you who gave birth to you. Or why you were left on the orphanage’s doorstep,” he reminded her. “And Orin isn’t stopping with searching the files. He’s been calling old acquaintances and asking if they remember any baby rumors connected with Bart or anyone in the family twenty-four years ago.”

  “Have either of you found anything?”

  “We’re not sure.”

  Surprise once again stopped her fork before it reached her mouth. “You mean you might have found something? What?”

  He reached for his tea glass. “Two canceled checks written by Bart about six months before you were born. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a specific name in the recipient line—they were made out to ‘Cash.’ One check was for five thousand dollars, the other for ten thousand. And no reason was listed on the ‘For’ line.”

  She ate a forkful of salad before she commented. “Jett, I don’t see anything suspicious about that. People write checks solely for cash all the time. Especially before debit cards came into use.”

  “That’s true. And even back then fifteen thousand would’ve been peanuts to the Calhouns. But there is no sign of the withdrawals listed in the ledger book. Orin tells me that back during that time Claudia did all the family bookkeeping, but once Darci became ill and passed away, she quit and Bart took over the job.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense, Jett. If Bart didn’t want anyone knowing about the withdrawals, he would have destroyed the canceled checks. Wouldn’t he?”

  “Orin and I have been batting that theory around, too. And our thinking is that by the time the canceled checks came in a month later, he simply forgot to do away with them.”

  Sassy shook her head. “Okay. Even if he was hiding something, it doesn’t mean it pertained to me.”

  “You’re exactly right. But the checks do have us wondering. Orin doesn’t want to question his father yet. But later on I expect him to.”

  She’d already swallowed a bite of food, yet her throat felt thick and tight. She looked down at her plate as she tried to clear away the uncomfortable feeling.

  “What’s the matter, Sassy? Is the food upsetting your stomach?”

  Looking up, she did her best to smile at him, but her effort only produced a weak semblance of one. “No. It just—well, everything you’re saying—that would mean Bart paid off someone to keep me out of the family. Isn’t that the way you see it?”

  Understanding filled his eyes as he reached across the table to touch his fingers to hers. “I’d say we could stop this whole thing and forget it, Sassy. But it’s gone too far to stop now. And you’ve always recognized the fact that someone gave you away. It’s not like you believed you came from a pair of perfect parents.”

  Shaking away that glum thought, she lifted her chin. “I can take the truth, Jett. It might not be easy. But, like I told you earlier, I’m not going to let anything get me down. Not even Bart Calhoun.”

  He smiled. “Good girl. Now, eat your supper. I don’t want those roses in your cheeks to fade.”

  A half hour later, after finishing pie and coffee, Sassy rose to her feet to clear away the table.

  Standing up, Jett said, “You did the cooking. I’ll do the cleaning up.”

  “It feels great to be up and doing, Jett. I’ll have this done in no time. But if you insist on helping then I won’t argue.”

  Jett gathered up a few of the dirty dishes and was following her over to the cabinets when a knock sounded on the door.

  “Now, who could that be?” he wondered out loud.

  Leaving the armload of dishes on the end of the bar, he went to the door.

  “Hey, Noah, come in,” he said warmly. “I’m glad you stopped by. I want you to meet Sassy. And we just finished eating. You can have the leftovers.”

  Sassy looked around to see a big man near Jett’s age stepping into the house. A chocolate-brown hat covered longish black hair and shaded part of his dark features. A tan ranch coat covered broad shoulders, and the spurs on his boots jangled as he moved farther into the room.

  Curious, she walked over to where the two men stood.

  “Sassy, this is Noah Crawford, my friend first and my hired hand second,” Jett introduced. “And this is Sassy Matthews, Noah, the woman from New Mexico I told you about.”

  Sassy extended her hand to the big man. “Nice to meet you, Noah. I’ll get you a plate. I hope you like enchiladas and cherry pie.”

  “Sounds good, ma’am, but I’m in a hurry.” He turned a serious look on Jett. “Sorry to interrupt, Jett, but I found a cow down in the second wash near that band of Joshua trees. I need some help with her.”

  Even before the other man had finished talking, Jett was pulling on his coat and hat. “Calving?”

  Noah nodded, and Jett said, “I figured we had at least two, maybe three more weeks befo
re that started.”

  “Mother Nature moves whenever she wants,” Noah replied.

  Sassy looked eagerly to Jett. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to come along.”

  Clearly her request had caught him off guard. “It might not be a pretty sight, Sassy,” he hedged.

  She grabbed her coat from the hall tree and began pulling it over her jeans and sweater. “I’ve seen tough births before,” she assured him. “I might even be able to help.”

  He hesitated, but then seemed to understand that she needed to join in. “All right. Let’s get going,” he said.

  Several minutes later, the work truck came to a halt at the bottom of a narrow gulch still muddy from the snowmelt of a few days before. A few yards beyond the vehicle, the distressed cow lay near the twisted trunk of an ancient juniper tree, and Sassy’s eyes misted over at the sight of her.

  “Do you have any idea how long she’s been here?” Jett questioned the other man as the three of them made their way over to the distressed animal.

  Noah answered, “This morning, when I fed her, she was with the rest of the herd. After that it would be hard to say. I left this area to go patch fence.”

  “Well, let’s hope we can help her without having to call out a vet,” Jett said.

  Once they reached the cow it was obvious the birthing process had begun, but the calf had stuck in an awkward position.

  Careful to position herself behind the cow’s head, just in case the animal decided to jump to her feet and lunge forward, Sassy knelt by the Hereford and stroked her between the ears and down the side of her neck. Behind her, the two men began to pull on the calf with all their strength.

  She whispered to the cow, “It’ll be okay, girl. Just relax and let them help you.”

  After about five minutes with no results, both men were heaving for air.

  “This isn’t working, Jett. She needs a C-section.”