The next three mares looked much the same and were equally excited to be home. By the time the last mare was unloaded, Mel was at her wit’s end. But with a shiny copper coat, four matching white stockings and a rounded udder hanging low, there was little doubt Cracker Jack and his mama were about to be reunited.
Jerking hard on the lead rope, the mare gave Mel’s father a difficult time.
“I’ll take her, Dad.”
“You sure? She’s a handful.”
“She’s just looking for her baby.”
He passed her the lead rope. “I’ll be by once we get these other girls settled in. Cara’s already waiting. Called me three times.”
Mel started walking toward the stables. As she rounded the corner, she glanced back to see her father shaking hands with Aaron. He must be thanking Aaron for the help. At the last second, they broke into laughter. When had they become so chummy?
The impatient mare practically dragged Mel along as they entered the stables.
“I know.” Mel held the mare to a walk when she would’ve trotted ahead. “I’m in a rush, too.”
“Mind if I come?”
Hearing Aaron’s voice behind her had Mel stopping in her tracks, much to the mare’s consternation. Mel had expected him to leave, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d come after her. Ran, apparently. She warned herself not to make more of this than there was.
“Wouldn’t you rather go home?” she asked. “Kaylee must be waiting.”
“What, and miss the big reunion?” He caught up with her, and together with the mare they started for the stall.
She shoved her disappointment aside. He’d been concerned about the foal. Not her.
As they neared the stall, Mel fervently hoped the mare hadn’t been returned only to see her baby die. She must have suddenly smelled the foal for she broke free of Mel’s grip and charged ahead the last twenty feet, ramming her large, broad body into the stall door. Nickering loudly, she pranced in place and anxiously bobbed her head.
Mel and Aaron hurried. Hearing a feeble greeting from inside the stall, she nearly let out a sigh. Cracker Jack was still alive and recognized his mama.
“Be careful,” Aaron warned when Mel squeezed in front of the mare.
Opening the stall door, she tripped while getting out of the way before the mare rushed in, whinnying more softly now. Stopping in front of Cracker Jack, she lowered her head and sniffed him. He tried to rise, only his weak legs refused to support him.
“Are you okay?” Aaron pulled Mel aside, though she was no longer in any danger.
“Fine.” She’d bumped her elbow on the stall door but hardly noticed the slight sting. She was too worried about Cracker Jack.
Concern flashed in Aaron’s eyes, and he held her arm. “What about the baby?”
“Really, I’m fine. I just lost my balance for a second.”
“You should get checked out by a doctor.”
“And you’re overreacting.”
“I’m insisting. Visit the clinic at least,” he said. “I’ll go with you.”
He was being ridiculous. And adorable. She considered visiting the clinic if only to spend more time with him.
Cracker Jack suddenly positioned his front feet beneath him and struggled to rise. Falling back with a grunt, he blew out an exhausted breath. His mother nudged him with her warm nose.
“He can’t stand without help.” Breaking away from Aaron, Mel went into the stall.
He followed her in. “Careful. She might kick or bite you.”
It was good advice. The mare’s instincts were to protect her baby. Help could be perceived as a threat.
Aaron’s concerns turned out to be unfounded. The mare allowed Mel to lift Cracker Jack to a standing position. With Aaron supporting the foal’s hind end, she pushed his nose toward his mama’s udder and waited.
Despite being separated for several weeks, the mare still had milk, though it might take several days for her to produce enough to meet Cracker Jack’s needs.
Unfortunately, he was too weak to latch on, try as he might.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Mel coaxed.
“What if he won’t eat?” Aaron asked.
Mel continued nudging Cracker Jack. “Then I’ll see if he’ll drink from a bucket or bottle. Now that he’s with his mama, there’s a chance he’ll fight. He’s already more alert and responsive.”
The mare swung her large head around and nuzzled Cracker Jack, ignoring Aaron. The next moment, the foal summoned all his strength and finally latched on.
“He’s nursing!” Mel exclaimed.
Aaron grinned. “Well, I’ll be.”
Cracker Jack let go a couple minutes later. Completely depleted, he lay back down, his mama standing guard. Mel didn’t complain. Emotional nourishment was just as important as physical nourishment.
She quickly poured what manufactured mare’s milk remained from earlier into a shallow pan and set it under Cracker Jack’s nose. He drank about a cup. Not much, but more than Mel could have dreamed possible two hours ago. She’d try again once the foal had rested.
“You’re crying,” Aaron said softly.
“Am I?” She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.
He came over to her. Tilting her chin up, he brushed away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “He’s going to be all right.”
“He still has a long road ahead, but I think he’ll make it.”
“Like us.” Aaron’s eyes roved over her face as if drinking in every detail.
“Aaron...”
He didn’t let her finish. Drawing her into the aisle, he pulled her close. “When I was here last night, watching you with the foal, I realized something.” He lowered his head until his mouth was inches from hers. “Something important.”
“What?” Her pulse beat faster.
“I love you, Mel.”
“You do?” She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but she resisted, requiring more from him than a declaration. “What changed your mind?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve been falling for you since the moment we met. I was just too stupid to admit it. And too scared.”
“Of Nancy?”
“Hardly.” He laughed. “She’s indomitable, but I’m tougher.” He put an arm around her waist, anchoring her to him. “I was afraid that what I was feeling was fleeting. Or that you couldn’t possibly love me in return.”
“You’re right.” The wall she’d erected around her heart to shield herself from hurt crumbled to pieces. “You are stupid.”
“Trust me.” He brushed his lips across hers. “I’ve smartened up considerably in the last day. The next time I propose, I’ll do such an incredible job, there’s no way you’ll say no.”
“Next time?”
“I want to marry you, Mel. Not because it’s the right thing for our baby, though it is, but because I love you and can’t stand the thought of not spending every day for the rest of my life with you.”
She very much liked the sound of that.
He kissed her then, delicately and tenderly. “First, however, we date. Then, after we’ve gotten to know each other, we’ll get ready for the baby.”
“You don’t say?”
He’d suggested dating before, but Mel hadn’t been ready. The last two miserable weeks had her reconsidering. The last few minutes had her changing her mind completely.
She mustered her courage and stared into his eyes. There, shining bright and true, was the love she’d been wanting and waiting for her whole life.
“I love you, too.” There, she’d said it.
“Are you free tonight?”
She smiled, joy filling her to bursting. “Are you asking me out?”
“I’m starting with asking you out. I may work up to more as the night goes on. Keep in mind, I still ha
ve a ring.”
Mel didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I’m free.” And she’d say yes to anything else he suggested.
His lips met hers then, making silent promises for tonight and the wonderful, beautiful future in store for them. Whatever problems they faced, and there were many, Mel was confident she and Aaron would overcome them. They were a family now—Mel, Aaron, Kaylee and the baby.
How silly Mel had been to resist a committed relationship. As she and Aaron kissed and kissed, unable to get enough of each other, Mel couldn’t imagine anything better than joining her life with his, forever and ever.
* * * * *
Want to read more MUSTANG VALLEY stories? Watch for Cathy McDavid’s next
Harlequin Western Romance,
THE COWBOY’S TWIN SURPRISE,
coming July 2017!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE COWBOY’S TRIPLE SURPRISE by Barbara White Daille.
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The Cowboy's Triple Surprise
by Barbara White Daille
Chapter One
Tyler Buckham’s life in Texas—though he wasn’t sure you could call it a life lately—had become as dry as the Sonoran Desert. He liked the ranch he’d been working for some time now, and yet boredom and restlessness had both begun cropping up with increasing frequency. When he’d first noticed the signs setting in again, it never crossed his mind to turn to what he’d normally do: head out to another rodeo. Try for another prize. Find another buckle bunny to help fill a few empty hours.
That failure to go for what had always worked in the past proved just how stale his life had become.
As a last resort, he had given his notice and hit the road. Everybody needed a change of scenery once in a while. Running to something didn’t have to mean you were running from something else. Or so he told himself.
With an effort, he brought his focus back to the den where he now sat, and looked at the older man across the desk from him. He had met Jed Garland, the owner of the Hitching Post Hotel, last summer, when he’d come to Garland Ranch to stand up as best man when Jed’s granddaughter Tina married Tyler’s friend Cole.
Jed laced his hands across his middle. “Nice to have you back.”
“It’s nice to be back,” Tyler returned, though he felt uncomfortable saying it. He should have visited Cowboy Creek again long before this. Cole had invited him for Christmas, but he’d turned down the offer. Instead, he’d spent the holidays with his folks. Three months later, he was still kicking himself over that mistake.
“Cole will be pleased to see you when he gets home,” Jed told him. “I’ll need to have a talk with that boy, though—he didn’t so much as hint about you coming for a visit.”
“He didn’t know I was headed this way. Stopping by was a spur-of-the-moment idea.”
It was worse than that.
What would Cole and Jed and the rest of the Garlands think if they knew just how close he’d come to passing right by? Though he’d headed to New Mexico deliberately to put Texas behind him, he’d been on the fence about whether or not to visit Garland Ranch.
Fate had taken a hand, pushing him off the highway at the Cowboy Creek town limits. The gas gauge on the pickup had nose-dived, and he’d had to top up the tank. If he could have made it through to the next town, he might have left the hotel and dude ranch behind him in a cloud of road dust.
Instead, he’d given the truck its head the way he did his stallion. Like Freedom, the truck seemed to know exactly where it wanted to go. By the time he’d pulled into the parking area behind the Hitching Post, he had begun to wonder if fate had had this trip in store for him all along.
“Well,” Jed said, “when an idea spurs you on, that’s usually a good sign you should get moving on it.”
“Yeah. And here I am.” He glanced over at the Stetson he had tossed onto one of the small couches in the office. “But speaking of moving, I guess I’ll hit the road again since Cole’s not around.”
“What’s your hurry? He’ll be back in a couple of days.”
Tyler looked at Jed. The man was past seventy, but those clear blue eyes, topped by pure white eyebrows, wouldn’t miss much. At Jed’s scrutiny, he broke eye contact, using the excuse of grabbing his Stetson.
“It’s almost time for lunch,” Jed went on. “Why not stay to eat with us? Then you might as well stick around here till Cole gets home. We’ve got plenty of room in the hotel for you, and a stall out in the barn just standing empty waiting for your mount.”
“I don’t—”
“You know Tina and I will be glad for the visit with you,” Jed went on, as if he hadn’t heard Tyler. “And I know you’re not planning on running off without seeing Paz.”
The mention of Tina’s grandmother, the hotel’s cook, brought back some great memories. He smiled. “She sure took good care of me when I was here for Cole and Tina’s wedding.”
Jed smiled broadly. “Feeding people is what she does best. We don’t like seeing anyone going hungry here. And we’re not fond of empty spaces at the table. We’ll be happy to have you sitting in for Cole and staying with us for a while.”
“I don’t—”
“You won’t be the only guest at the table today,” Jed broke in again. “Shay’s joining us for lunch, too.”
“Shay?” Tyler’s pulse revved up a notch.
“Yeah, Shay O’Neill. You met her at the wedding last summer, remember?”
How could he forget? “Yeah, I remember Shay.” Understatement of the century. The mention of her name brought to mind a handful of other good memories.
“So, that’s decided.” Jed rose from his chair. “C’mon out to the front desk and we’ll find you a room. You haven’t got much time to settle in before we eat. Just a word of advice, though. I’d do my best to show up in the dining room as soon as possible, or you might get done out of something special.”
Yeah, something special like sitting next to Shay O’Neill.
As he followed Jed down the hall to the hotel lobby, his thoughts stayed with Shay. Shay, who was as sweet as the ice cream she sold at the Big Dipper in town. And who was way hotter than any other woman he’d ever seen.
Shay was another reason he should have come back to Cowboy Creek before now. They had had a good time in the few days he had stayed there last summer. No reason they couldn’t have just as good a time while he was here now. Lucky for him, t
hat brief visit had included a night in her bed. He looked forward to having that pleasure again.
Above all, Shay was guaranteed to make him forget his troubles for a while. He needed that kind of forgetting more than he’d realized until this very moment.
* * *
ONCE HE’D SETTLED Freedom in his stall, Tyler made quick work of hauling his duffel bag from the back of the pickup truck to the room Jed had assigned him. Minutes after tossing the bag onto the king-size bed, he was downstairs again and on his way to the dining room.
From up ahead, he could hear more than one conversation going, a child’s shriek and, in a sudden beat of silence, a woman’s familiar laugh. That last sound made him both hard and hungry, but not for anything the Hitching Post might serve for lunch.
The dining room was crowded with Garland family members and hotel guests, yet the instant he paused in the doorway, he spotted Shay. She sat on the far side of the long center table reserved for the Garlands, half turned away from him as she talked with one of Jed’s granddaughters. He recognized the straight, wheat-blond hair that fell below her shoulders and felt like silk against his fingers. He knew when she looked his way he would see eyes one shade lighter than her green sweater. Her cheeks held a natural pink tint. Her lips curved in a soft smile.
Just looking at her from a distance made his pulse speed up and his jeans tighten.
She reached for a cloth napkin and unfolded it. As if she’d given a signal, the folks around him began heading toward the tables. The movement spurred him toward the vacant seat at her side before anyone else could grab it.
As he slid onto the chair, she turned his way.
The smile stayed, but the light pink color drained from her cheeks. He saw her fingers clutch the napkin she had draped across her lap. And then he saw the rounded expanse of belly straining the knitted weave of her sweater.
She was extremely pregnant.
Thoughts of anticipated pleasure flew from his head. Words did, too, leaving him struggling for something to say.
A Baby for the Deputy Page 20