Aidan: Loyal Cowboy: Aidan: Loyal CowboyThe Family Plan

by Cathy McDavid

  “Then do it.”

  “I have to work. Part-time, at least. Have to support myself while I take classes.” And the baby. She didn’t expect Ace to pay for everything.

  She gave him credit for not mentioning she could come live with him and he’d support her.

  “Interviewing for a job won’t be easy,” she continued. “I know employers aren’t supposed to discriminate, but the second they realize I’m pregnant, they’ll probably choose another applicant.”

  Ace turned a page on his menu.

  “No comment?” Flynn wondered if he was secretly glad of the obstacle she faced.

  He gazed out the window. “It’s staying light out a lot later these days.”

  Smart man.

  The waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders.

  “Are you still planning on being a nurse or just working?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  The decision that was so simple six weeks ago had become complicated. Ace, the baby, Flynn’s father retiring and leasing the ranch, all meddled with her thinking.

  “You’d rather remain in the business admin side of the medical field?” Ace asked.

  “Oh, no. I still want to do something more meaningful, more hands-on. Like you.”

  “Vaccinating calves and examining pregnant mares isn’t what I’d call meaningful.”

  “Removing a malignant tumor from a child’s beloved pony and giving him a few more years with his owner is. Curing my favorite horse of colic is. So is saving a family’s pet dog.”

  “Lovey’s life wasn’t in danger.”

  “The Andersons didn’t know that until you arrived.” She sipped her drink. “That’s the kind of rewarding work I want to do.”

  “Then go to veterinarian school.”

  She laughed. “I couldn’t.”

  “Why not? You’re smart. You love animals.”

  “I’m not cut out for surgery, no pun intended. I like assisting you. That part’s fun. And interesting. And challenging.”

  “Then study to be a vet tech.”

  She started to protest, only to stop when chills ran up her arms. That wasn’t such a bad idea. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more it appealed to her. She did love animals. She did like helping Ace. And working with people.

  A vet tech. That was a degree she could probably obtain at community college. Far less difficult than getting into nursing school.

  She could return to Billings Community College.

  Roundup had a small community college, too, with online classes. She’d checked once.

  Their dinner rolls arrived. Flynn was about to question Ace about the requirements for becoming a vet tech when his cell phone rang.

  She tensed. Oh, no! Not again.

  He removed the phone from his jacket pocket and glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Uncle Joshua.” He hit the Disconnect button.

  “You’re not answering it?” She was amazed.

  “He’s filling in for me tonight.” Ace set the phone on vibrate and laid it beside his plate. “Whatever problem he has, he can resolve it without me.”

  Wow. This was a pleasant change of pace.

  “How long does it usually take to become a vet tech?”

  “Depends on the school.” Ace had barely started to explain when his phone went off again. He studied the display a moment longer than before, then disconnected.

  “Uncle Joshua again?”

  “Yes.” This time, Ace slipped the phone in his shirt pocket, his facial muscles taut.

  “If you want to call him, go ahead.”

  “I promised, no interruptions tonight.” He grabbed a dinner roll and buttered it, his movements stilted.

  His phone vibrated again, humming like an angry hornet.

  “I’m going to turn this off.” He whipped the phone out of his pocket, only to pause. “It’s Dinah.”

  The few bites Flynn had taken of her roll turned to lead in her stomach. Something was wrong. “You’d better get it.”

  Ace clearly felt the same way, for he answered his phone with a brusque, “Hey, sis.” As he listened, his face drained of color. “I’ll be right there.”

  “What’s the matter?” Flynn asked when he started to rise.

  “It’s Mom. She’s been taken to the hospital. They think she’s had a heart attack.”

  * * *

  FLYNN WALKED THE EMPTY BARN. All her father’s horses were gone. The bulls, too. A rodeo stock contractor from Idaho had purchased the remaining few head, picking them up this morning.

  This morning had also been when her father had received a lease agreement from the Missoula Cattle Company via email and made an appointment with a local attorney to review it.

  The wheels were in motion. In a few weeks, her father would be moving to Billings. He couldn’t wait. She, on the other hand, was still undecided about what to do.

  One minute, remaining in Roundup with Ace, attending Roundup Community College, felt right. The next minute, she was convinced staying would simply delay the inevitable.

  Why hadn’t he called?

  She’d taken a cab home from the hospital about two o’clock last night. By then, Sarah was in stable condition and resting comfortably, her family by her bedside—Ace, Dinah, Joshua, Beau, Duke and Colt, who’d arrived at the hospital about one o’clock. Tuf had yet to be located, though the family continued trying.

  She hoped for Sarah’s sake they reached him soon. Constantly worrying about his whereabouts had no doubt contributed to her heart attack.

  Maybe Flynn shouldn’t have left the hospital. Ace had insisted she go home, telling her there was no point in hanging around. His mother was, according to the doctor, out of danger and ready to be moved to a regular room. One of them should get some sleep.

  Flynn left only after Ace agreed to call her bright and early. She’d slept very little, rising soon after dawn, her eyes gritty, her worry for all the Harts a throbbing ache in her chest.

  A glance at her phone confirmed that she hadn’t missed a call from Ace in the fifteen minutes since she last checked her phone.

  Where was he?

  Maybe Sarah was better, and he’d gone home to get some sleep.

  What if she was worse?

  I won’t leave Roundup, Flynn thought. Ace might need her. At least until Sarah was well. The cattle company didn’t want the house. Flynn could research vet tech degrees, finish packing, decide her future course once and for all.

  Give Ace more time to convince her to marry him.

  More time to fall in love with her. Really fall in love, not just say the words because she’d put him on the spot.

  What about the hundred phone calls? The roses? The afternoon at Thunder Creek making love?

  If those weren’t an indication he had strong feelings for her, what was?

  Three little words. Until he spoke them straight from the heart, Flynn wouldn’t be entirely sure if what he felt for her was enough to last a lifetime. Enough to guarantee he wouldn’t abandon her like her ex-husband and mother had done.

  Like Ace had done ten years ago.

  The echo of footsteps had her whirling toward the barn entrance, her pulse thrumming.

  “Ace!”

  He stood in the shadows, an inky silhouette against a dim backdrop. Still, she instantly recognized him.

  She ran toward him, threw her arms around his neck.

  “How’s your mom?”

  “Better. They’re going to keep her a day or two for observation. Run some more tests.”

  He squeezed her tight as if this was what he’d been waiting for all day, all night. Flynn forgot her worry, forgot how tired she was and hugged him back.

  “That’s not t
oo bad for a heart attack,” she said into his rumpled dress shirt.

  “She didn’t have one. Not technically.” They drew apart and walked hand in hand out of the barn into the sunlight. “She has angina.”

  “I…don’t know what that is.”

  “It’s a sign of trouble. Sort of like a pre-heart attack. Definitely her body giving her a warning. She may require a stent. We’ll know more later today.”

  “How’s she handling the news?”

  “All right. The cardiac surgeon is very optimistic that with the right treatment and adequate rest she’ll be fine.”

  “Will she be on medication?”

  “Yeah. The doctor said it might take a few weeks to find the right combination. He warned her, warned all of us, that unless she makes some serious lifestyle changes, she could have another episode.”

  “Changes like diet?”

  “Lots of food restrictions, apparently. Mom will not be happy. Exercise, too. The right kind. And here’s the hardest part. Reduce her stress levels.”

  “Oh, Ace.” Flynn hugged him again. “She’s going to be all right. That’s the important part.”

  “She has to be careful the rest of her life or else the angina can develop into a serious heart condition.”

  “Your mother’s very conscientious. Plus, she has her family to watch out for her.”

  Ace let go of Flynn’s hand, his features clouding.

  She knew instantly something else was wrong. “What is it?”

  “The doctor was adamant. Mom has to drastically minimize her stress.”

  “Maybe if you can find Tuf, get him to come home, she won’t worry as much.”

  “That’s definitely the first item on my list, but not the only one.”

  It was coming. Another breakup. He had the same distant look in his eyes, the same tightness in his voice, the same stiff posture from ten years ago.

  No! her mind screamed, so loud it surprised her when her voice came out calm and even. “You have to take over for her.”

  “I don’t have a choice. I’m the only one who can do it.”

  Just like when his father died. Ace, the ever loyal son. Except when it came to Flynn.

  “But you’re not the only one,” she said.

  “Who else is there? Tuf is gone. Dinah has her job as sheriff, which is pretty much 24/7. Colt is undependable. At least he has been up till now.”

  “Talk to him. He may step up if you ask him.”

  “He didn’t when Dad died.”

  “What about your practice?”

  “I’ll have to refer some of my customers to another vet.”

  “But you’ve worked so hard.”

  “My family’s entire future is at stake. If we don’t make a success of the contracting and breeding business, don’t pay down the loan, I won’t have a practice to worry about.”

  “What about us?” Flynn asked in that same calm, steady voice.

  “Please be patient with me. I’ll be there as much as I can for you and the baby, but I probably won’t have time to go out like we’ve been doing. Not for a while.”

  “I don’t care about going out. That was never important to me. I like being with you. Working with you. Hanging out with you.”

  “Let me see how it goes.” He rubbed his temples and exhaled wearily. “We have to determine the extent of Mom’s care before I make any decisions. And her workload. Where we stand with our current stock contracts, the financials, the alfalfa crop.”

  It seemed to Flynn the choice of whether to stay or go had been made for her.

  She glanced away to hide her hurt and disappointment. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be packing over the next few days.”

  “You’re moving?” He looked stunned, as if they hadn’t had this same conversation a dozen times already.

  “Don’t you think it’s for the best?” She cleared her throat. It didn’t dislodge the burning lump stuck there. “I don’t want to add to your problems.”

  “You’re not a problem.”

  “We can talk when you’re not so tired.”

  “I don’t want you to move.”

  “You just said you didn’t think you’d have time for me. Which I completely understand.”

  “Give me a couple weeks.”

  “What difference would it make? Your responsibilities don’t come with an expiration date.”

  “I have a responsibility to you and the baby, too.”

  “The difference is we can get along without you. The same isn’t true for your mother.”

  “I’m going to be an involved father.”

  “When are you going to fit me and the baby in your schedule? A week from Tuesday?”

  “I can’t support a baby, can’t do right by him or her, if the business fails.”

  “He or she will need more from you than a weekly child support check.” Flynn needed more, too.

  “Why does it have to be all or nothing with you? Why do I have to choose between my work and my family and you?”

  “Because love and marriage and raising a child is a full-time commitment. I won’t settle for less.”

  “I’m not Paul.”

  “No, you’re not. He didn’t have a family depending on him like you. On the other hand, he didn’t have a baby on the way, either.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Our child deserves the best from both his parents. Problem is you’re only capable of giving a limited amount.”

  “For now,” he insisted.

  “Fine. You can give what you’re able to just as easily in Billings as here. Easier, in fact. Sleep on it. You’ll see the rationale when you’re not so exhausted.”

  She started to walk away.

  He didn’t follow. “You’re being selfish.”

  “Me!” That stopped her in her tracks.

  “You can’t expect a man not to have other responsibilities besides you.”

  “I have other responsibilities, too. Yet, I don’t let them consume me to the exclusion of everything else. The entire fate of the Harts doesn’t rest entirely on your shoulders, Ace. It never has, not even when your dad died. You’ve just convinced yourself it does.”

  “Who would run things if I didn’t?”

  “You’ve never given anyone else a chance.” Her voice rose. “I don’t know why I missed seeing it before, but you know what? You use your work and your family as an excuse not to fall in love. Not to commit.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it? Just think. Whenever you’re in danger of getting close to me, I’m not talking about marriage but emotionally close, you suddenly have more responsibilities. Another iron in the fire. Sorry, Flynn, can’t be with you because I’m too busy.”

  She was allowing her anger to get the best of her. Reining it in, however, wasn’t possible.

  “There can’t be any future for us,” she said. “Not until you stop being afraid.”

  “Maybe your expectations are unrealistic.”

  Finally! Something he said made sense.

  “Maybe they are. Or maybe yours are. We’ll probably never find out. I’ll call you before my doctor’s appointment next week. In case you want to go with me.”

  This time when she walked away, he didn’t call her back.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ace absently patted Midnight’s neck, then caught himself as Fancy Gal nudged his arm, demanding her share of attention.

  The stallion was standing next to him, allowing Ace to touch him! And without Ace having to coax him with a carrot.

  Another day, a different time, Ace would have broken into an ear-to-ear grin and congratulated himself on his success. All his efforts, his endless hours, had final
ly paid off.

  Except he wasn’t much in the mood for grinning and hadn’t been since Flynn left him to stew alone in her father’s barn.

  They’d spoken in the eight days following their argument. On the phone, not in person. About her next doctor’s appointment. About how she was feeling. About his mother’s prognosis and adjustment now that she was home from the hospital. About Flynn’s decision to obtain her vet tech degree and how that was proceeding—much more swiftly than nursing school.

  What they didn’t talk about was their situation. If Ace tried to bring up anything remotely personal, she promptly ended their conversation. As a result, he’d stuck strictly to safe topics and kept his frustrations to himself.

  He wasn’t a content man. He was, in fact, miserable and fairly certain he’d made the worst mistake anyone could by not going after her.

  All he’d wanted was to marry Flynn and provide for her and their child. Instead, he’d hurt her. Alienated her. Convinced her to doubt his feelings for her rather than to rely on them.

  Ace shut the lid on his medical case, untied Fancy Gal’s lead rope and removed her halter. He’d spent the last two hours making the rounds of the ranch, examining the first two rotations of mares that had been pastured with Midnight. Seven of them, including Fancy Gal, were pregnant.

  Yet more reason to celebrate. Not exactly the auspicious start to their breeding business Ace and his mother had originally planned for, but, assuming more mares were bred, they’d be guaranteed a sizable crop of foals next spring.

  Ace would feel better if their mare motel was filled to capacity with customers’ horses and Midnight relied on to hand breed with them.

  No, not even that would make him feel better.

  Why hadn’t he told Flynn he loved her when he had the chance? In such a way she would have believed him.

  Ace gave Midnight and Fancy Gal a final pat on their rumps, rewarding them for standing quietly during his examination of Fancy Gal.

  “Congratulations you two, you’re going to be parents. Well, buddy, in your case, a parent many times over.” Midnight nosed Ace’s empty shirt pocket. “Consider yourself lucky your girl here’s not the jealous type.”

  When the stallion’s search failed to produce a treat, he snorted angrily.