The Cowboy's Family Plan

by Duarte, Judy

  He certainly hoped so.

  “I know I’m repeating myself,” Alex said, “but your parents must be incredibly proud.”

  “Actually, we’re just as proud of them as they are of us. They were both Mexican immigrants who didn’t have a high school diploma. Instead, they had to work during their teen years to help support their families. But they were smart enough to know an education was the key to their kids’ success.”

  It was probably safe to assume that her parents had some kind of blue-collar or service jobs, and while it really didn’t matter, he couldn’t quell his curiosity. “What did they do for a living?”

  “My dad was a janitor at the elementary school near our house. And my mom cleaned houses. They were determined to cash in on the American dream and eventually bought a small, modest tract home in a better neighborhood.”

  The waiter returned with their meals at that point, and for a few minutes they ate in relative silence.

  Then Alex’s thoughts drifted back to her love of horses as a young girl and her wish to have one of her own. “So when was the last time you rode a horse?”

  Selena looked up from her pasta primavera and smiled. “Not since high school. When I was a freshman, one of my girlfriends would invite me over for the weekend. Sometimes we’d go for a ride—when she wasn’t competing in gymkhana.”

  Alex was familiar with the equestrian event she was talking about, which included barrel and flag racing, as well as other competitions that required teamwork between the horse and rider.

  “She was really good,” Selena added, “and I enjoyed watching her.”

  “It’s too bad you didn’t have a horse of your own.”

  “I would have been happy to have a dog, but that was out of the question, too.” Selena glanced down at the table, those lush dark lashes drawing his attention, even without the use of mascara.

  For a moment, he forgot that she was a doctor with a busy practice, that she probably was on call most weekends and that it was unlikely that the two of them would ever become more than friends.

  “You ought to come out to my ranch someday,” he said. “I’d let you ride one of my horses.”

  She looked up, emotion filling her eyes, making them glimmer in the candlelight. “Are you kidding?”

  When she looked at him like that—with wonder splashed across her pretty face, the hope, the awe...

  Hell, he’d never joke with her about anything that was special or important to her. “When is your next day off?”

  “Sunday.”

  “Do you have plans?”

  “Only to do laundry, pick up groceries for the week and maybe go to the wellness center and work out.”

  “Why don’t you drive out to my place instead?” He watched her vacillate between an OMG-type response and a thanks-but-I’d-better-pass.

  What was holding her back?

  “I haven’t been on a horse in ages,” she finally said. “I probably wouldn’t remember what to do.”

  “I’ve heard it’s like riding a bicycle.”

  She laughed. “I haven’t done that in a long time either—unless, of course, you count the stationary bike at the wellness center. I’d probably fall off a two-wheeler.”

  Right now, he was struggling to keep his own balance. Just the thought of showing Selena around—maybe saddling Sugar Foot, one of the gentler old mares—and taking her on a tour of the ranch had slapped a big old grin on his face. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

  When she didn’t challenge him, he figured she was leaning toward a yes. He sure hoped that was the case.

  “Why don’t you come out around nine or ten?” he suggested.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Absolutely. It’ll be fun to take a pleasure ride for a change.”

  While they continued to eat their meals, he gave her directions to his ranch, as well as his cell phone number in case she got lost—or needed to make a change of plans.

  He sure hoped nothing came up because he was looking forward to having her on his home turf.

  After the waiter brought the bill and Alex paid with a credit card, he took Selena back to the wellness center, where she’d left her car. And once again, in spite of his plan to take things slow and not complicate his family plan, he got out of his truck and walked with her to her vehicle, telling himself he was just being polite.

  But the fact was, he wanted to kiss her good-night again. And the silvery moon overhead wasn’t making it any easier to walk away without doing what seemed to be natural at the end of a romantic evening.

  Trouble was, a sweet, goodnight kiss might be considered appropriate, but that wasn’t the kind he was tempted to give her.

  So now what?

  He thought it over for as long as he dared to.

  Aw, what the hell...

  Chapter Five

  Selena had sensed that a kiss was coming the moment Alex had climbed out of his car. She’d felt it in the soft glimmer of moonlight, heard it in the crunch of his boots on the dusty pavement. And she’d seen it sparkle in his eyes—even before he reached for her waist, drew her close and placed his mouth on hers.

  She could have taken a step back to let him know she wasn’t interested—and she probably should have. Yet she didn’t do one darn thing to avoid it. Instead, she leaned into him and slipped her arms around him as well.

  Their first kiss had been sweet, tentative. But there was something bolder about this one, something decisive.

  As their lips parted, as their tongues touched, Selena’s common sense slipped by the wayside, and she kissed him right back—just as bold, just as decisive.

  Within a heartbeat, the kiss deepened. Their breaths mingled, their tongues mated.

  Had any man ever tasted so good, smelled so musky, felt so right in her arms?

  As her pulse rate soared, her imagination took flight. Did she dare tiptoe around romance again?

  Of course, wasn’t she doing that now? Stepping out on a romantic limb, testing, pretending, wondering...

  She had no idea what was really going on between her and Alex. And God only knew what tomorrow might hold, but there was no disputing the fact that something other than friendship was brewing between them.

  And while she might go home tonight and regret that she’d let things come to this, she was determined to enjoy every sweet moment, every heated sensation now.

  When Alex slowly drew back, allowing them both to come up for air, he placed his hand on her cheek and grinned. But Selena didn’t dare return his smile. Instead, she stood there awestruck.

  Who would have ever guessed that the handsome cowboy who’d sat in the front row of her lecture could kiss like that?

  But as she took a deep, fortifying breath, reality chased away her romantic musing. She took a step back, desperate to regain her footing.

  “I’ll see you Sunday morning at nine,” he said, as if that’s all there was to it. But things had taken a complicated turn, and there was so much more to consider.

  “I don’t have boots,” she said, scurrying for some kind of excuse, some way to backpedal.

  “Sneakers are fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  But she was worried. And not just about what to wear or staying balanced in the saddle. She was worried about letting Alex think there was something between them, some kind of future.

  Now wait a minute. It’s not as if they’d actually gone out on a real date. Or if he’d asked her to do anything other than drive out to his ranch and go horseback riding.

  Sure, the kiss had thrown her for a loop. And so had the romantic dinner. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t take things one day at a time.

  “If something comes up,” she said, “I’ll give you a call.” Then she climbed in her car and clo
sed the door. Once she’d backed out of the parking lot and drove to the exit, she glanced in her rearview mirror, taking in the sight of the alluring man standing near his truck, the rancher who’d invited her to go riding with him on Sunday.

  She probably ought to call him after she got home and tell him that something unexpected had come up, that she’d been called in to cover for a colleague, that she had to...wash her hair.

  But she had a feeling she wouldn’t do that.

  For some reason, she wanted to see his ranch on Sunday, to go for a ride. And she wanted to spend more time with him, even if she feared it might be the riskiest thing she’d ever done.

  * * *

  The memory of Selena’s kiss followed Alex all the way back to his ranch. But then again, why wouldn’t it? The beautiful doctor had set off an unexpected flurry of testosterone that had damn near turned him inside out.

  He’d never expected things to escalate between them like that, and he had to admit that he was glad it had. For the first time in two years—or maybe much longer than that—he’d felt alive again.

  After parking his truck near the barn, he headed for the sprawling ranch house and let himself inside, where a lazy fire burned in the stone hearth of the wood-paneled living room, with its colorful southwestern paintings and decor.

  “Lydia?” he called, as he hung his hat on the hook by the door. “I’m home.”

  Moments later, his housekeeper swept into the room wearing a smile of relief. “Oh, good. I was getting worried about you.”

  “I’m sorry. Something unexpected came up.”

  “At the fertility lecture?”

  “Afterward.” Alex wouldn’t mention anything about Selena just yet, so that would require some stretching of the truth. “I ran into a friend at the wellness center, and we had dinner together. So that ‘quick bite’ I’d said I would get in town took a lot longer than I’d expected.”

  “I’m glad to hear you finally took some time for yourself. You don’t get out as much as you should.” She glanced at the mantel, at the framed photograph that had been taken on Alex and Mary’s wedding day, then looked away as if realizing she’d been caught.

  Alex had been tempted to remove that picture on several occasions because it always seemed to dampen his mood. But the babies would need to know who their mother was, so keeping her image close would be a good way to do that.

  “I can warm up that leftover pot roast,” Lydia said. “That is, if you’re still hungry.”

  “Thanks, but I had lasagna this evening, so I’m stuffed.” He crossed the hardwood floor to the center of the room and took a seat on the beige leather sofa Mary had purchased just months before she died. It suited the rest of the decor, but he’d always preferred the comfy overstuffed sofa that had been there for years.

  “How about some coffee?” Lydia asked. “It’s fresh. And I made brownies earlier this afternoon.”

  Lydia hadn’t always doted on him before—not that she’d ever been less than professional. But she was a widow herself, so she understood the pain and grief of losing a spouse unexpectedly.

  After the accident, Lydia had become more nurturing than she’d been when Mary had first hired her. And then last spring, after her youngest daughter got married and moved to Austin, she’d really taken Alex under her wing.

  But he really didn’t mind. It had been a long time since he’d known a mother’s love. His mom had died when he was thirteen, so he appreciated Lydia’s maternal side. In fact, she’d become more than a household employee. She’d turned into a friend—and the only real family Alex had left.

  “All right,” he said, “I’ll take you up on the coffee and brownies. Thanks.”

  Her grin brightened, and then she bustled off to the kitchen. When she returned, she carried a tray with two steaming mugs and a platter of the chocolate treats and set it on the glass-top coffee table.

  “So how was the lecture?” she asked.

  “It was somewhat helpful.”

  Lydia knew all about Alex’s plan to hire a gestational carrier and to raise the children on his own. In fact, he suspected she was nearly as eager as he was to have little ones in the house. He was even considering the idea of hiring a new cook and housekeeper because Lydia would be the one watching over the babies while he worked on the ranch.

  “I expect to learn more next Tuesday,” he added.

  Of course, Selena had given him a list of agencies that might help him find someone to carry the babies. To be honest, it had nearly slipped his mind. He hadn’t thought much about Mary or their future children today, even during the lecture. He’d been too caught up in watching the lovely doctor at the lectern—and then later, in the candlelight.

  He wondered what Lydia would think of Selena when they met on Sunday. Not that it mattered, he supposed, but his housekeeper had gotten pretty protective over the past few months. Still, he imagined she’d be just as taken by the lovely doctor as he’d been.

  Taken?

  He blew out a ragged sigh, then reached for one of the mugs from the tray on the coffee table. He’d made a promise to his late wife that he intended to keep. But it wasn’t just the promise prodding him to move forward. Having those children was something he needed to do. Somewhere down the road, Mary’s obsession had become his own. And he wanted those babies—whether they were girls or boys, red-haired like she was, or blond like him.

  God willing, he’d keep his vow to Mary, the deathbed promise he’d made to do all in his power to give their children a chance to live.

  Alex had no idea what the future held for him and Selena, although he really liked the direction things were headed. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he found himself smiling for no reason at all.

  Okay, so there actually was a reason—the memory of Selena sitting across a table from him, flashing him a pretty, dimpled smile.

  He could imagine them dating and growing closer—both physically and emotionally.

  Of course, he didn’t know how she felt about dating a man who planned to hire a gestational carrier or what she thought about being involved with the pregnancy as well as the birth. Because if he went that route, he couldn’t think of a better doctor to use.

  But what about him? Did he even want to think about a romantic relationship at a time like this?

  He hadn’t even considered it until he’d met Selena, until he’d kissed her and held her in his arms.

  It might be all right, though. Maybe even better than all right—just as long as she understood his desire to raise his and Mary’s babies. If she did, then maybe they could give the whole relationship thing a whirl.

  And if she couldn’t?

  Then all bets were off.

  * * *

  Alex hadn’t taken time to call any of the agencies on the list Selena had given him Tuesday. However, on Saturday night, after dinner, he’d checked out each one on the internet. In fact, one in particular caught his eye.

  Family Solutions was located in Wexler, so it was close. And if he was going to hire a gestational carrier, he liked the idea of knowing she lived nearby. He also liked the things he read on the website. In fact, he’d been so impressed that he’d sent an email asking for more information and had filled out a short questionnaire. At the end, it asked, Who can we thank for the referral, and Alex typed in: Dr. Selena Ramirez.

  With that out of the way, he’d gone to sleep, eager to wake the next morning, when Selena would arrive at the ranch.

  The day dawned bright, and he found himself looking forward to a long, leisurely ride with the lovely doctor.

  He’d just poured his second cup of coffee and sat down to look over the Sports page in the Sunday paper when she arrived. The moment he’d heard her car drive up, he got up from the kitchen table, went to the sink, where he poured out his cup. Then he
went to greet her.

  As he swung open the door, he found her standing on the porch, a shy smile on her pretty face. Her hair had been pulled back and woven in a single braid that hung down her back, her makeup applied lightly, her lipstick a pretty and kissable shade of pink.

  He made a quick scan over the length of her, wishing he could allow his gaze to linger. In spite of claiming that she didn’t have any boots, she’d obviously found a pair. She also wore jeans that hugged her hips and a lightweight knit top that caressed her curves.

  He was going to have a tough time keeping his thoughts on horses, leisurely rides and the countryside.

  “Do you think I’ll need a jacket?” she asked.

  “That’s up to you. It’s going to warm up soon.”

  Heck, it was warming up already. Somehow, overnight, Selena had morphed from a lovely, soft-spoken doctor to a sexy cowgirl. And he had no idea how that had happened.

  It didn’t matter, he supposed. Just as long as she was here.

  “Would you like some breakfast?” he asked. “Or maybe a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve already eaten.”

  “Good. Then I’ll take you out to meet Sugar Foot, a mare I think you’ll like.”

  But before taking a step outside, a voice sounded from behind him. “Don’t forget your lunch, Mr. Connor.”

  Alex turned to see Lydia standing in the wings, no doubt waiting for an introduction. Why had she referred to him as mister? They’d been on a first-name basis ever since she’d come to work for him and Mary.

  “Lydia,” he said, moving aside so his housekeeper could greet his guest, “this is Selena...or rather, Dr. Ramirez.”

  Selena offered Lydia a warm smile and extended her arm in greeting. “Let’s not be formal. Please call me Selena.”

  Lydia took the pretty doctor’s hand and gave it a gentle shake, gracefully moving from loyal employee to family friend. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Before either woman could turn a casual introduction into a longer chat, Alex said, “I’ll take Selena with me so she can meet her horse. Before we ride out, we’ll stop by the kitchen and pick up our lunch.”