Counting on a Cowboy

by Debra Clopton

  Doonie looked perplexed. “Well, Bo, Madge’s been doing that for over twenty years. It’d kinda be hard to turn her off now. So is he yours?”

  Bo glanced at Levi, indecision written all over his expression.

  Abby frowned. Yes, there was a possibility that Levi wasn’t his, but from all she’d heard and seen, the likelihood that he was Levi’s dad was strong. It bothered her that he didn’t acknowledge the possibility that Levi was his.

  “An old girlfriend dropped him off,” he hedged and shot Abby an uncertain glance.

  Fighting off the unreasonable irritation she was feeling, she reminded herself that he didn’t know if Levi was his. He’d just been surprised by all of this and thus he had reasons—good reasons—to hesitate. Still . . . she felt for the baby with no one to claim him. A baby should have someone claiming him.

  “Well, why’d she drop him off at your place? That’s downright odd if he’s not yours. He sure is a cute little fella.” Doonie grinned at the baby then directed his attention to her. “I’m sorry, little lady. I’m Doonie Burke, the mayor, and I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  “I’m Abby Knightley. It’s very nice to meet you.” She was thrilled to have something else to focus on rather than the cowboy beside her.

  “You’re the little gal staying at the Sweet Dreams Motel. The one that hit the steer.”

  “I am. But I didn’t hit the steer. I missed him.” Goodness, news traveled fast.

  “Well, that’s not the way the story is going ’round. Heard you ran into him.”

  “She hit a fence to avoid the steer. So that should show you not to believe everything you hear,” Bo grumbled.

  Doonie grinned. “I agree. But that don’t explain why your old girlfriend would drop a baby off if it wasn’t yours. Don’t you agree?” he asked Abby again.

  “Actually, I do find that a bit odd.” She narrowed her eyes at Bo.

  “What’s odd?” a man who looked identical to Doonie asked as he hurried from the crowd at a jaunty gait. There was no mistaking who he was.

  Quick introductions were made between Doobie Burke and Abby. She was glad to have a moment to rein in her anger at Bo.

  “So what’s odd and whose baby is this?” Doobie asked again, tickling Levi under the chin and making the baby gurgle. Abby’s heart tugged and she shut down the emotions she’d been fighting all morning.

  She also realized they could spend all morning in the entrance of the store with the same question going round and round.

  “That the mother of this baby just dropped the baby off at Bo’s and he doesn’t have a clue whose baby it is,” Doonie informed him, and Doobie’s mouth dropped.

  “That’s odd all right. Bo, why would she drop a baby off at your place if he isn’t yours?”

  All eyes turned to Bo.

  “Fellas, I told you. I don’t know who Levi belongs to. His mother is dead. She didn’t drop him off—some friend of hers did. And yes, to be honest, there is a possibility he’s mine. Jake’s looking into it. I’m as confused as everyone, so could I get a break here?”

  The twins looked at each other, and Doobie rubbed his long jaw. “Too bad about the kid’s mother. That’s sad.”

  “Terrible,” Doonie said. He turned his attention to Abby. “What brings you to our little town?” he asked, effectively giving Bo the space he’d asked for.

  “I’m moving here. And I’d planned to come to your real estate office today, so it’s nice to meet the two of you.”

  They grinned with wide matching smiles. “Well, that’s perfect,” Doonie said.

  “We’ll be in, so come on by,” Doobie added.

  “I will, but it looks like it will be morning before I make it. I’m helping Bo this afternoon.”

  “Helpin’? Savin’ his life is probably more accurate.” Doonie chuckled.

  “Ain’t that for sure.” Doobie shook his head, his brows hitched up comically.

  Abby felt Bo’s pain as he scowled at the twins.

  He looked uneasy. “She’s saving me all right and I admit it. I don’t know anything about babies.” That made the twins grin wider. And they were still grinning when they left a few minutes later after assuring her they could fix her up.

  “They’re a barrel of laughs,” Bo grunted as the men headed into the parking lot.

  Abby swung around. “You denied Levi even though you’re pretty certain he’s yours.” She tried not to sound too accusing. Or too unreasonable simply because she was being unreasonable.

  “Hey, whoa—I didn’t deny him. Honestly.”

  “Well, you didn’t acknowledge him possibly being yours.”

  “Because I don’t know for certain if he’s mine. And I hadn’t exactly thought about being asked that question. It took me by surprise.”

  “I guess so, but it just seemed harsh.” She studied Levi, hurting for him. He looked happy in Bo’s arms—at least he seemed to be bonding with Bo, who was carrying him as if he were a football being protected in the crook of Bo’s arm.

  Bo scowled. “Can’t you give me a break here? This came out of the blue today.”

  Abby raked her hand through her hair and stared at the ground for an instant, knowing she was being too hard on him. She knew she sometimes overreacted in high stress situations ever since the accident. She was being terribly unreasonable here. “I’m sorry.” She sighed. “It’s just me. I mean, the thought of this little boy having no one hurts my heart.”

  His eyes softened. “I understand that, it hurts mine too. I promise it’s going to be fine.”

  Abby nodded. Suddenly unable to speak, she walked ahead of him, found the baby aisle, and headed into it despite the ache that throbbed through her with each step she took. This was the aisle she’d never had a reason to come down before now. She’d been too busy to think about a baby—despite how much Landon wanted one. And like Bo, she’d had no idea when she’d created a tiny life . . . she hadn’t known until it had been too late. Swallowing hard, fighting off the lump of tears that suddenly clogged her throat, she brushed a tear aside and forced her thoughts back to the task at hand. This was about Bo and Levi. And she knew enough from day care and friends with babies to help him buy necessities. She just had to keep the door to her heart firmly shut and not think about her past. And she needed to lighten up on Bo.

  She’d get this done and get back to her room. And she couldn’t get there soon enough.

  7

  Bo felt as if he were wading through a swamp with sinkholes, driving toward Abby’s motel to drop her off. He could ride bucking broncs—had ridden plenty when he’d competed and even a few bulls in his teen years and it hadn’t scared him any. The thought of being alone with Levi all night terrified him.

  He’d never felt so inept in all of his life. He needed a woman to help—he needed Abby but he wouldn’t beg. Okay, so there were a bunch of women, even nurses, in town who could help him, so why was he acting like Abby was his only hope?

  Because she’s the one you want. Levi’s already comfortable with her.

  Despite this, he cowboyed up and did not drop to the ground and throw his arms around her knees.

  If only Tru and Maggie were home from their honeymoon trip, he’d be just fine. Maggie would know what to do—but she wasn’t here.

  And he couldn’t hold Abby hostage any longer.

  Hope that she’d offer to stay and help him had flown the coop back at the store. She’d lost all patience with him when he hadn’t instantly acknowledged Levi as his son. She’d helped him, but she’d been withdrawn the rest of the time in the store.

  “Thanks for everything, and I mean that,” he said when they reached the motel. He held the panic back as she got out. He gave her a small smile when she looked at him. “Have a good night. It’s time for you to get your life back. I never meant to hijack it today.”

  She nodded and shot an uneasy glance at Levi. “Bo, you’ll do fine. You just have to get used to having Levi around and protecting him. Let your ins
tincts kick in. You’ll figure it all out.”

  The impact of her words seemed alien to him. “I’m still trying to get used to that. This morning I had no child and now, I’m supposedly a father. In an instant. It’s just hard to have that thrown at you and for it to actually sink in.”

  She studied him for a long moment and he didn’t know whether she was thinking he was a slug or trying to come up with some helpful words. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to do right by him. And if I’d known about him when he was born, I’d have done right by him then.”

  She looked into the backseat at Levi who had fallen asleep almost the instant the truck started moving. “You know, there are some people who have it the other way around. They’re a parent one minute, and then in the blink of an eye it’s taken away and they have to adjust to that.” His insides curled at that thought and the deep sadness that stole into her gaze. “I’d say looking at those two options, you have just received a beautiful gift.”

  He watched her walk to her bungalow and insert the key. He couldn’t move until she was inside.

  What was Abby’s story? Something had happened to Abby Knightley and he was certain it went soul-deep.

  The afternoon sun didn’t penetrate the chill running through Abby as she walked away from man and baby. Entering her motel room, she closed the door and leaned her forehead against it. Her stomach felt sick and her heart cold. “They’ll be fine. They will be,” she whispered.

  Spinning around she felt the hard wood against her back as she stared at the motel room. The silent room.

  Abby’s throat went dry.

  She had come here to forget—not be reminded. She’d come here to move forward—not to be drawn backwards into memories, memories she desperately needed to learn how to live with. Feeling boxed in and unable to breathe, she yanked open the door and stepped back outside into the fall sunshine. She took a calming breath despite her racing pulse. She needed to do something else—it was time to check out the town.

  Yes, a walk was what she needed.

  She’d gotten off to an unusual start here in Wishing Springs. Fresh air, fresh attitude, check—she stepped purposefully down the street. Tomorrow she’d start jogging again. But today she’d walk, see everything, and figure out a good route. Today she’d grab a paper, look at For Sale ads tonight, and be ready to see Doonie and Doobie tomorrow.

  A few minutes later she crossed several streets she could see were residential with sidewalks and green yards. She made herself tune in to the birds singing in the trees and to the peace within the shaded streets. She made herself not think about Bo Monahan and Levi. And she prayed Levi was smiling and not crying.

  They’d be fine. There were plenty of people in town the man could call. She’d just gotten here—she was not the only person who could take care of a baby. She’d just happened to be the one with Bo when his world had gotten shaken up.

  That’s completely right, Abby.

  “Right.” There was no need for her to have to be around Bo. He just made her uncomfortable. And she didn’t need or want uncomfortable.

  She wanted peace . . . community. She wanted to smile more freely and feel okay doing it. Wanted to feel like she deserved to smile again. Again, Landon would want her to, but that didn’t mean she could do it . . . not after the wreck. That would mean she had to forgive herself—she heaved in a deep breath and focused on the town square as she made it to the corner.

  And she smiled as she got the full impact of Wishing Springs for the first time.

  It wasn’t really anything special to look at—a small town like so many across Texas, but she could feel the spirit of the place as she stood there . . . Maggie had described Wishing Springs through the people who lived there and that was the part that had drawn Abby to it. The community spirit. And as she walked from the motel several people had waved and greeted her. There was no courthouse in the center of the square, instead it was a wide grassy area planted with shrubs and flowers with a gazebo in the center. Brick walkways crisscrossed the grassy area and met at the old-fashioned white wooden gazebo surrounded by overflowing flower beds. Her spirits lifted. She sank onto a bench that faced the north side of the square. A huge old oak tree shaded the bench and a portion of the street in front of her, its limbs were so wide. The old song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” played in her mind. She half expected to see a yellow ribbon around the trunk as if it had been placed there for her.

  The thought was nice.

  Her heart tightened, ached with the ever present “alone” that echoed through her—never fully letting her forget that she was alone now.

  When Landon had been alive, she’d felt strong. She’d felt strong prior to meeting him too. But since the wreck she’d lost more than just Landon. She’d lost who she’d been.

  She had come here for many reasons, but at the heart of it was that she’d come here to find that strong woman she’d once been. Even if it was by force. And a constant kick in the rump. She inhaled the fresh scent of roses and focused on surveying the town from her spot—a dress store, a coffee shop, several antique stores, and the Cut Up and Roll hair salon met her eye.

  She needed her hair done and it would be a great excuse to meet them—Clara Lyn Conway and Reba Moorsby, the two women who she’d seen on the TV special that had aired with Maggie and Tru. They’d looked like fun.

  Suddenly the door opened and out came a short, slightly plump woman with styled gray hair, a colorful outfit, sparkly sandals, and huge jewelry Abby could see all the way from her seat.

  She smiled. Clara Lyn just looked like a woman who enjoyed life—something Abby desperately needed to learn to do.

  And in that moment she looked toward where Abby sat on the park bench. Then, to Abby’s surprise, she hustled across the street and walked straight up to Abby.

  “Hello, there—I bet you’re Abby, aren’t you?”

  Abby laughed in surprise. “Yes, ma’am, how did you know that?”

  “Awww.” The spunky woman waved a hand, and a lively grin swamped her expression. “Pebble described you and, well, I’m nosey enough that when I saw someone that I didn’t know, I came to investigate.” She laughed at herself and that made Abby chuckle—it felt really good. “I have to tell you that we’ve had a lot of women visiting since Maggie did that show, but you’re the first one we know of who has plans to move here. I am so tickled about that. I got to tell you, this town could use new blood to shake things up.”

  Abby wasn’t sure how she felt about that statement. “I, well, I came for a fresh start. I was looking for a new place, my life needed a change, and through Maggie’s column, this started to seem like a great small town.” She hadn’t really meant to say so much, but there was no taking it back now.

  “Oh, it is. I’ve lived here my whole life and I won’t leave for anything until the good Lord takes me home.” She leaned in close and tapped Abby on the knee. “So, you’ve been out there with Bo. Doonie came by and told us he’d seen you at the store with Bo and his baby.”

  Abby hesitated, not really knowing how she should answer this question. “Yes, he has a baby.” She’d been aggravated that he’d hedged on the answer when Doonie and Doobie had asked.

  “Well, I know you’ve just gotten here, but I can tell you that is a good man. He and his brothers are working hard to carry on their granddaddy’s legacy. I can’t respect them enough. If that is his baby, he’s born into a great family.”

  Abby found her loyalty touching. She almost revealed that he hadn’t known about Levi, but she didn’t. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone would know that piece of info soon enough and without any help from her. She was trying not to get pulled into that situation any more than she already had. “He seems to be a nice guy,” was all she said. She had to say something.

  “So, you read Maggie’s advice column?”

  “Yes, I do. She’s really good.”

  Clara Lyn nodded. “That’s the truth. She’ll love meeting yo
u when she and Tru get home from their honeymoon-slash-cutting-horse-exhibition.”

  “I would love to meet her.” Abby tried to hold back her excitement at the thought of actually meeting Maggie. Abby had saved Maggie’s advice in her heart—sometimes it took courage to make a change and take steps to become joyful and seek fulfillment again after tragedy. She was so right.

  Those words had propelled Abby to step out and reach for happiness again. Not in the form of looking to fall in love again, Abby just couldn’t do it again. Couldn’t go through the heartache that love could bring. But she was stepping out trying to find new meaning to her life—trying to figure out why she’d lived . . . trying to find some semblance of peace . . . like she’d seen others in her position do. But no, that didn’t include looking for love again. She just couldn’t risk that again.

  She knew she had to find a way to live with the grief that was a constant and forever part of her now, but she had to go on. Like Maggie had told her, not living while she was living was doing no one any good. “Well, it’s been so nice meeting you, Clara Lyn. I guess I better head back toward the motel. I have listings to go over before I meet with Doonie and Doobie tomorrow.” She rose and so did Clara Lyn.

  “How exciting. There are several places up for sale now—I’m sure you’ll find the perfect spot.” She paused, then opened her mouth to say more, but snapped her lips together.

  “Were you going to ask me something else?” Abby was perplexed by the older woman’s hesitancy to go on. It was obvious by the look in her eyes and the firm way she’d snapped her mouth shut that she had something on her mind.

  “Yes, actually, I’m concerned. How do you think Bo is doing out there with that baby by himself tonight?” The question rolled out in a rush then she kept on talking. “That boy hasn’t been around a baby his entire life. I may have to grab up Reba soon as she finishes up her last manicure and drive out there and see if he needs anything. What do you think?”