The Cowboy's Baby: Mpreg Romance (Black Meadow Ranch Book 1)

by Giovanna Reaves

  “What exactly do you want me to say? As long as you being pregnant doesn’t hinder you from doing your job. If you get it, of course. But I don’t see a problem.”

  Kane was right, what could he say? “Okay then,” he said. “When do you want to have your tasting? And do you want anything specific?”

  “Two days from now and surprise me.”

  “Okay.”

  Kane turned and walked out of the cabin leaving Cole alone. “Well, that went great.”

  Said no one ever.

  Chapter Five

  He’s pregnant.

  Kane wasn’t sure if he was bothered by that fact, but he was definitely surprised. Kane smiled. Cole had looked astounded when he didn’t flinch at his news. The kid wasn’t his and last he checked, he couldn’t get someone pregnant by kissing. He was being honest when he said as long as his pregnancy didn’t affect his job, he saw nothing wrong with it.

  He got on his horse Dusty, clicking his tongue and went about his day. There were things he needed to take care of. Since later that night he was scheduled to take the guests up on the trails where they would be camping out for the next two days.

  The weather for the next two days would be perfect to show the guests what they believed cowboy living was all about. While he’d be gone, there would be another set of guests showing up. Kane had more going on with his ranch and didn’t have time to worry about some guy who got himself knocked up.

  Kane stared at the spread laid out before him. Cakes, cookies, cupcakes, tarts, rolls, and a whole host of treats he didn’t know the names of. He looked up at Cole and then back down at the table. Kane leaned back in his chair and looked under the table to see if there was anything else hiding under there.

  “What the hell are you looking for under there?”

  Kane looked up at Cole who was biting his nails, a sure sign he was nervous. “I was checking to make sure you didn’t have anything hiding under there.”

  Cole rolled his eyes. “You said surprise you and I did.”

  He wasn’t going to be able to eat all of this. Good thing he could take what he didn’t finish over to the Brook for dessert. “Are you sure you didn’t make this for an entire army?”

  “Are you going to taste them or what?”

  “Fine.” Kane sighed.

  He picked up a cupcake and bit into it, chewing it slowly. The moan that left his lips was unavoidable. The cake itself was moist, and the flavors felt as if they were dancing in his mouth. Fuck, this tastes so good. Stuffing the rest into his mouth, Kane looked back up at Cole who was waiting for his answer in anticipation. Deciding to make the man suffer a bit more.

  Picking up the glass of water, he took a few sips clearing his palate before reaching for another treat. He continued to do the same thing over and over, watching as Cole growled at him and started to pace back and forth. He shouldn’t have gotten so much enjoyment out of frustrating the other man, but honestly Cole made it too easy. He had to admit everything he tested was very good. His favorite was the cinnamon rolls. They were large and gooey and the frosting was perfect. They were the best he’d ever tasted.

  “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Cole asked him after he tasted his tenth treat.

  “What are you talking about?” Kane licked his lips, getting the last bit of icing on the corner of his lips.

  “Do you torment all of your applicants this way?”

  “Are you always this rude to everyone you feed or just me?”

  “Just you.”

  Kane nodded then stood. “As long as you don’t talk to the customers that way . . .”

  “I got the job?” Cole asked excitedly.

  “Yeah, you got it . . .” Before he could finish his words, he had an excited little man in his arms.

  “Thank you,” he chanted over and over jumping up and down in his arms.

  Kane wrapped one of his arms loosely around an excited Cole, it did something to him to see the other man happy about something as simple as getting a job.

  “I promise, I’ll do a good job and won’t disappoint you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Cole froze as if remembering where he was and stepped back quickly. “I should start putting these in containers to um . . .” He picked up the tray of cakes and walked into the kitchen, not finishing what he was saying. “When can I start working?”

  Kane watched, not saying a word as Cole walked back over to the table with his eyes down and picked up another tray. This time, before he could walk out of the room, Kane stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned him around, taking the tray from his hands and put it back down on the table. Lightly he touched Cole’s chin with the tip of his finger, lifting his face up to his. His eyes were still cast down, his long dark lashes brushing his cheeks. Kane didn’t like that. He loved seeing those beautiful blue eyes.

  “Don’t do this to me.”

  “Look at me,” Kane whispered.

  Slowly, Cole raised his lids and looked at him. Kane didn’t know what he was doing but he couldn’t hold back the need to kiss the other man. He leaned in close and as their lips were about to touch, Cole stopped them.

  “I can’t get involved with you,” he whispered.

  He tried to step back but Kane stopped him by gently wrapping an arm around his slim waist. Cole didn’t push him away. He simply rested both his hands on Kane’s chest.

  “Why?” Kane asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer.

  He leaned in closer and connected their lips. He felt drawn to Cole. No matter what he tried to do to irritate the other man, there was something pulling them together. But it was the way Cole fit perfectly in his arms, as if the man was made just for him.

  Cole gasped and Kane took advantage, swiping his tongue inside, tasting the sweetest of treats. Better than what he had earlier. Kane groaned and pulled him closer, grabbing and kneading his ass with his other hand. Kane deepened their kiss, tasting every part of Cole’s lips, owning him any way he could. He wasn’t ready to stake his claim on the other man. Because truthfully, he wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing.

  He hadn’t planned on kissing him, it just happened. But since he’d done it he couldn’t stop himself from wanting more. Slowly he separated their lips and opened his eyes. Cole’s eyes were still closed but his breaths came out in pants. He wasn’t doing so great either.

  “Why?” he asked again.

  Cole snapped his eyes open and instantly stepped back from Kane, as if he was on fire. “Shit, I can’t do this again.” He closed his eyes taking large, deep breaths before opening them again. “Look, I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t find you sexy as hell. But we can’t do that anymore. If it’s going to cost me my job, then I don’t know what to say. I have other things to focus on and I can’t stray from that, not even for a second.”

  Kane nodded, truthfully, he couldn’t explain why he kissed Cole and respected him for saying what he did. “Okay.”

  “Okay, what?”

  “Okay, I respect your boundaries, and okay it won’t cost you your job. I’m not that much of an asshole.”

  Cole visibly sighed. “Thank you.”

  “Nothing to thank me for.” Kane walked over to his chair and picked up his hat, placing it on his head. “I’ll send you the paperwork you need to fill out. Along with all the specs for the bakery. I’m also going to need to know what else you need. I’ve already ordered the basics. But if there’s something special that you want, I need to know.” He reached into his pocket and took out the keys to the shop, throwing them at Cole. “You can go and take a look inside when you’re ready to start working.”

  “When do you plan on opening the bakery?”

  “I was thinking two months from now. The weather will be changing and the guests usually need something else to keep them busy since part of the trails would be closed off. If you need more time let me know.”

  “No, two months should be perfect. I’m also going
to need to hire at least a couple of people. Maybe a couple of part-timers as well.”

  “All right.” Kane nodded. He was about to open the door when he was stopped.

  “Hey,” Cole said causing him to turn around. “Thank you again.”

  “Nothing to thank me for. Just make the bakery and coffee shop a success and that will be thanks enough.”

  “Deal.”

  The second Kane was out of the door and drove off, Cole ran to his car and drove to the bakery. He was so fucking excited he couldn’t hold it in.

  Opening the door, he just stood there taking it all in, the construction workers were done for the day so he could walk around without anyone asking him any questions. The shop wasn’t his, and that was fine for now. He walked in and closed the door, picturing the space with the walls painted, chairs in the room, and the display counter filled with all his baked goods waiting for customers to buy them. He rested a hand on his stomach and for the first time in days, he felt as if everything was going to work out.

  For the next week, Cole was busy setting up the bakery, even though they still hadn’t decided on a name for it yet. Any of the names Kane came up with Cole didn’t like at all, and vice versa. They never talked about their kiss, which was a relief to him, they simply pretended as if it never happened. It could also be that they hadn’t seen each other and communicated by emails only.

  He was up and out of the cabin before his parents were up. If anyone wanted to find him they knew to look for him at the bakery. Kane had left everything up to him. He’d made a couple of small changes to the interior to give it a more relaxed atmosphere.

  He conducted a few interviews for part-time and full-time positions and narrowed it down to a couple of people. Cole was starting to feel like his old self, the person he used to be before Ryker came into his life. He was healing mentally and physically, sleeping and eating more. He felt clear-headed and happy. He’d even started taking long walks and found that he was smiling more. He’d made an appointment with the town doctor and his papa had promised he would be with him for his first real appointment.

  “Hello, anyone home?”

  Cole smiled when he heard Marla’s voice. He and Marla had gotten close over the past couple of weeks. He’d also shared with her that he was pregnant and how he’d ended up in Montana. She became the sister he never had and got angry on his behalf when he told her about Ezra and Ryker and how he’d found out.

  Marla was only three years older than him and had been working with Denny for about two years. She adored Bill and Denny and wished they were her parents instead of the ones she had. Marla was brought up with a silver spoon in her mouth but had detested the taste. She hated the fact that her brothers would rather take the money their parents gave them freely than work for it.

  When she told her parents she wanted to be a chef, her mother said she would not find a husband smelling like food and with calloused and burned hands. Her father told her he was happy and proud that she was chasing her goals but he would not pay her school fees. Since she wanted to find her own way in life, she had needed to find a way to pay for it.

  However, Marla’s maternal grandfather had left her an inheritance which could not be touched by either of her parents. Cole respected Marla’s choices, and that she followed her dreams doing what she loved. They’d become so close he’d practically moved into her cabin, taking over the extra bedroom. Cole knew one day he was going to have to talk to Kane about getting a cabin of his own since the baby would need its own room.

  “Hey,” Cole said when he walked out of the kitchen and met her in the front of the building. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m done for the day and wondered if you wanted to be my date for tomorrow night’s dance.”

  He’d heard about the weekly dances that the ranch threw when it was the last night for the guests leaving the next day. He hadn’t been to one and really wasn’t planning on attending any of them. One, he couldn’t dance and two, he couldn’t drink because he was pregnant and three, he wasn’t in the mood to socialize.

  “I . . .”

  “Oh, no, you don’t. You need to have some fun.”

  “Did you forget that I am pregnant?”

  “What does being pregnant have to do with you having some fun?”

  “I don’t know,” Cole whined. “I can’t dance and I have nothing to wear. Everything I own, club-wise, shows way too much skin, and it’s not sexy since I’ve developed a little bump.”

  “Fret not, baby doll, let Auntie Marla take care of everything. Meet me at my place at six and don’t be late.” She ran out of the bakery before he could stop her.

  Cole had the strangest feeling he was going to regret it but there was nothing he could do about it. Shaking his head, he went back to work, there was still a lot more that needed to get done before the opening of his shop.

  Kane hopped out of his truck and stopped when he saw Cole walking into the bakery. He looked good since the last time he saw him a week ago when he gave him the job. From his vantage point, his skin looked clear, and he was smiling which lit up his face as he spoke to someone on the phone. He had to admit Cole was a hard worker, and the shop wasn’t even open yet.

  “So, are you going over there to talk to him or stand here and watch him with your tongue hanging out of your mouth?”

  Kane cursed and looked at his foreman and best friend, he’d forgotten that the man was with him. They’d been friends since Winston’s family moved to Black Meadow.

  “I don’t have anything to say to him.” He didn’t deny that he was watching him.

  “Really?” Winston raised an eyebrow looking at him. “That’s why you watch him every time you see him.”

  Kane snorted. “I don’t watch him,” he lied.

  Winston chuckled and shook his head. “You know, I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “Smitten is the only word that comes to mind. You usually see a guy and go after him and usually have him on his back screaming for more. I doubt you knew most of the guys’ names.”

  “You’re crazy, I’m not smitten.” He didn’t deny the last part of Winston’s statement.

  “Yes, you are and I think it’s cool you finally want someone to settle down with.”

  “Thanks for your blessing, even though I don’t need it. But where the hell are you getting that idea from?”

  “So, let me get this straight, you’re going to deny your attraction and pretend there is nothing going on between you and the little omega. The one that could be your forever one.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud, don’t start that omega and alpha shit. You know how I feel about the whole forever one crap. And just so you know, I’m not denying anything. Look, Cole is . . .”

  “Hot,” Winston finished for him.

  “That too, but he’s already made it clear that nothing can happen between us.”

  “Was that before or after you two kissed?”

  “How did you know we kissed?”

  “I didn’t.” Winston smiled. “You just told me. And stop doubting that the universe and your forever one is just bullshit, Kane. It’s real. How can you doubt it when you look at your parents, my parents, Bill and Denny, and many of the other couples we’ve seen come through here? It's real, buddy, and right now I think the universe is trying to prove you wrong.”

  Kane sighed and looked in the direction of the bakery, watching Cole as he spoke to one of the construction workers and smiling with him. Jealousy rose up inside him that he wished the other man would look at him and smile at him in the same way, rather than the scowl he wore whenever they were in each other’s presence.

  “I never thought I’d see the day when Kane Cartwright wouldn’t go after something he wanted.”

  “I’m not giving up.”

  “So, you do want him?”

  “Of course, I do,” Kane snapped, not realizing he spoke before his brain could catch up. “Look, he’s going throu
gh something right now and asked that we just be friends and I’m trying to be that to him. I just don’t know how to be friends with someone I’m attracted to.”

  “So, it has nothing to do with the baby?”

  Kane turned and looked at Winston. “How do you know about the baby?”

  “I went to see Marla and heard him telling her about it. They didn’t know I was there, and I didn’t really hear the whole story because it wasn’t my business. But from what I could tell, the baby’s father sounds like a real dick.” That was what Kane had deduced as well. “You know,” Winston said, getting his attention. “Maybe you need to do things the old-fashion way.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a cowboy, so court the man.” Kane chuckled, and it turned into laughter. “What?” Winston said, his confused expression shown on his face.

  Kane stopped laughing and shook his head, wiping away the small drop of tears on the corner of his eyes. “There are so many things wrong with that.”

  “Yeah, like what?” Winston stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

  Kane started walking over to the gift shop, which was the original reason they’d stopped by in the first place.

  “What? I really don’t get it. What’s wrong in courting the man?”

  He stopped and looked at his best friend. “This might be a ranch but we aren’t living in the Wild West.” Remembering Cole had used the same phrase not too long ago. “And I wouldn’t know the first thing about courting someone.”

  “Is that all? Shit, you had me thinking I said something stupid. And what I mean is the same way you would talk to a wild horse, is the same way you should deal with him. Find out things he likes to do and go from there. Don’t simply grunt then kiss him because you don’t know what to say.”

  “I don’t grunt.” He opened the door of the shop and stepped inside.

  “Keep telling yourself that. You walk around grunting so much, most of the guys are afraid to talk to you.”

  Kane shook his head, ignoring Winston’s last statement. He had an open-door policy, or he hoped he did. Talking with Winston made Kane realize that his attraction for Cole hadn’t gone unnoticed.