Having the Cowboy's Baby

by Judy Duarte

  And then he saw it. Arms and legs. It was their baby. His heart lurched.

  “Everything looks great,” the doctor said.

  As Ian watched the screen, the little feet kicked. And one hand moved toward its mouth, providing a thumb to suck on.

  Ian was awestruck and eased closer to watch his and Carly’s baby. The image was grainy, but it was still clear enough for him to make out every finger on its hands.

  Carly must’ve been caught up in the miracle of it all because she still hadn’t objected to his presence. And he was glad. This was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

  “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” the doctor asked. “Some parents want to be surprised.”

  Not Ian. He wanted to know. It would make the baby even more real for them. Maybe that would help them reach some kind of compromise that would leave them both happy.

  And if truth be told, he didn’t care one way or the other if they were having a son or daughter. He just wanted a healthy baby.

  “Yes,” Carly said. “I’d like to know.” And then she glanced at Ian, her expression solemn—more like a grimace, actually.

  He offered her a smile as an olive branch, but she didn’t return it. At least she wasn’t going to lay into him in front of the doctor and insist that he leave.

  “In that case,” the doctor said, “it’s a girl.”

  At the revelation, a smile finally stretched across Carly’s face. “Are you sure?”

  The doctor chuckled. “Yes, I am. Congratulations.” Then she paused the machine and introduced herself to Ian.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “No problem. I’m glad you were able to join Carly.” Then she went back to work, continuing the scan.

  “That’s amazing,” Ian said as he continued to study the screen. “Look at that, Carly. She’s sucking her thumb.”

  Carly swiped at the tears that had pooled in her eyes. “I can’t believe that. We’re having a little girl.”

  We. Ian was glad that she’d included him. And for a few magical moments, their conflict disappeared, and the wonder of new life took center stage.

  He hoped the amazing feeling would last, but he suspected it was bound to end as soon as the exam was over.

  * * *

  Dr. Connor shut down the ultrasound, then reached for Carly’s hand and helped her sit up. “I’ll see you in three weeks.”

  Carly thanked her and stepped down from the table. As the doctor wheeled the machine out of the room, leaving her alone with Ian, she could finally let loose on him without embarrassing herself in front of her physician.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone sharp.

  “I came to see you. We need to talk.”

  Carly adjusted her blouse and grabbed her purse from the chair. “We definitely have a lot to discuss, but it could have waited until I got home.”

  “No, it couldn’t. Besides, I’m glad I’m here. Seeing our daughter on that screen was amazing. We’re going to have a little girl, Carly. Can you believe it?”

  She was thrilled, of course, but her anger at Ian and her sense of betrayal hadn’t eased, and she wasn’t sure it ever would.

  How in the world could they ever be lovers again, or even coparent their daughter, if Carly couldn’t trust him to be honest with her?

  “We have some issues that might be insurmountable,” she said.

  He opened the exam room door for her. “I understand that, but give me a chance to explain myself.”

  Carly paused in the hallway. As she studied his remorseful expression, she was overwhelmed with emotion. She loved this man in spite of her anger and frustration. But she could only see heartbreak in their future.

  As much as she’d like to tell him to take a permanent hike, he was right. They needed to talk, and it had been put off way too long.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let’s find a quiet place where we can have some privacy.”

  Ten minutes later, after Carly made her next appointment, they left the parking lot in Ian’s truck and drove to the community park a few blocks off Main Street.

  As Ian pulled into a shady parking space, he asked, “Does this spot work for you?”

  Carly scanned the stretch of grass, where a man threw a Frisbee to his golden retriever. Across the way, two young women sat on a bench near the playground, where several preschoolers climbed on a big, colorful jungle gym that had been set up in the sand.

  “Sure,” she said. “This is a good place to talk.”

  They exited his truck and made their way to a bench that was located away from everyone else.

  “First of all,” Ian said, “I was wrong for not being up-front with you, and I apologize. It won’t ever happen again.”

  She wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t sure she could.

  “Why don’t I start off by telling you everything?” he added. “How I met Felicia, why I quit singing with her and why I was so determined to have a quiet, peaceful life as a rancher.”

  “I’d like to hear it.”

  “Ask me anything you want to know, and I won’t hold anything back.”

  “Okay. I know that you taught yourself to play the guitar, but when did you start playing professionally?”

  “When I was seventeen. I was living in Fort Worth with my dad at the time. Most teenagers my age got fake IDs so they could drink and smoke. But I got mine so I could perform in a seedy neighborhood bar. A musician passing through heard me play one night and asked me to try out with his group. Before long, I traveled with the band to Nashville, where I eventually earned a name for myself.”

  “As Mac McAllister?”

  “Yeah. One of the guys started calling me Mac, and the nickname caught on.”

  “When did you meet Felicia?”

  “One day, when she was just starting out, she heard me play and hired me to be her lead guitarist. She could really rock the house with her voice, but she’s always realized that a part of her success and popularity was due to my music and the songs I wrote. Trouble was, I’d always been an introvert and didn’t like being forced into the limelight.”

  A light summer breeze whipped a strand of hair across her face, and she swiped it away. “But you said you didn’t mind being on stage.”

  “Performing wasn’t the problem. But Felicia began to place more and more demands on the band, our manager and on the people who hired us to perform. She thrived on the attention and fame, and it didn’t take long for it to go to her head.”

  Carly asked, “Were you lovers at the time?”

  Ian glanced at the man playing with his dog. “Yes, and both our personal and professional relationships soon became strained.”

  “So you broke up with her, quit the band and decided to live in obscurity for the rest of your life?”

  “Not exactly. I joined another band, and Felicia flipped out. She set about having my new group’s contracts cancelled.”

  “That’s pretty vindictive. I’m surprised she had that much clout.”

  “I agree. She isn’t a nice person and she exploits her fame at times.”

  Carly turned to the handsome cowboy, watched him as he studied the children on the playground. “How did you ever get involved with a woman like her in the first place? I’m not talking about performing with her. But as lovers. The two of you don’t seem very well suited.”

  “It turned out that we weren’t. But at first, our fit was magical on the stage. A romance seemed like a natural next step, but it didn’t last very long. I soon found out how self-centered she could be.”

  “Did you end things then?”

  “I wanted to, but I’d just found out that she was pregnant. I couldn’t just leave her then. But she
chose to have an abortion because a child would sidetrack her booming career. She didn’t give it a second thought. On the other hand, I was crushed by the choice she made. I’d always wanted a family, and she knew it. But she made a unilateral decision that took the opportunity to be a father away from me. That’s when I finally saw the real woman behind the fancy clothes and makeup.”

  “So you broke up?”

  “The bright lights and glamour had really faded by then. So had the romance, especially when Felicia moved on to someone else.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I really wasn’t all that bothered by the breakup. The fact that Felicia cared so little about the child we created told me how she felt about me. And I realized that I wanted more from a lover or a lifetime partner.” Ian turned to face her, his knee brushing hers. “That’s why I didn’t like you pressuring me to perform with you. It brought back too many bad memories.”

  She suspected the pregnancy had brought back bad memories, too, although he’d seemed happy about it. Delighted, actually.

  “I’m sorry, Ian. I didn’t mean to push you.”

  “Maybe not, but you ignored my feelings. I’m not trying to throw you under the bus, Carly, but I was afraid to level with you. I figured you’d work even harder to convince me to let you have your way. So, in truth, I wasn’t the only one who created problems in our relationship.”

  Carly wanted to object, to say she hadn’t tried to force his hand, but she had. “I’m sorry, Ian. I’ll try not to push you anymore. You once mentioned that you’d seen me work my parents, and even though I hadn’t wanted to admit it, you were right. I knew my dad’s first reaction was to throw money at a problem, so I would use that to my advantage. And my mother would get so caught up in her own life that she sometimes forgot I existed, until I did something to remind her.”

  “I have a question for you,” he said. “You’re a beautiful and talented woman. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll hit the top of the charts. But are you determined to have a musical career because you truly want it? Or is it a way to show your parents—or rather, your mom—that you’re someone special and important?”

  Carly wanted to deny it, but she was afraid Ian had seen right through her. “I do want to sing and perform. I love being on stage. But you’re probably right, at least partially. I do have a desire to show people that I count.”

  “You count to me.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. But to be honest, after meeting Felicia in the flesh today, I can see why I should think long and hard about what I want out of life.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Not that I think you should change your mind. But I do hope you’ll give your decision a lot of thought.”

  She studied the children on the playground, watched one of the moms push her daughter in a swing and listened to the child’s squeal of laughter.

  The person who’d taken Carly to the park when she’d been a child had been either Granny or one of the au pairs who’d watched her when her dad had been working and her mom had been on tour.

  No way did Carly want that kind of life for her daughter.

  A man and a boy walked out onto the lawn, carrying two mitts and a baseball. Her father hadn’t spent any time with her brothers, either.

  Carly turned to Ian. “I wish I’d had a chance to know the man you used to be—before Felicia.”

  “I’m still the same man, Carly. I’m just more guarded after what she put me through. You may not have seen it, but like I told you before, Felicia can be pretty selfish and vindictive.”

  “I saw that in her today,” Carly admitted. The woman had a much different demeanor than the country-girl-next-door image she projected on stage.

  “Well, I didn’t see through her right away. I think that’s because I wanted her to be the sweet, effervescent woman she pretended to be. I was young and naive, so I was caught up in it all.”

  “The fame?” she asked.

  “No, it was never that. I just loved music and musicians. And I only wanted to play the guitar.”

  “And she wanted more from you?”

  “Let’s just say we never wanted the same things. And like she admitted earlier, she isn’t one to take no for an answer.”

  Carly placed her hand on Ian’s thigh, felt his warmth and strength. “I’m glad you realized what you wanted out of life. And I’m sorry that I pushed you so hard. I didn’t realize what you were avoiding or why.”

  Ian reached for her hand, and she let his fingers curl around hers. “I love you, Carly. And if your career means that much to you, I’ll let someone else buy the Leaning R and I’ll go on the road with you. I’ll be Mr. Mom while you perform.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and a rush of emotion built to an ache in her chest. “I love you, too. And I can’t believe that you’d sacrifice your dream and happiness for me. No one has ever offered me that much before.”

  “You’re every bit a star to me, Carly. I’m looking forward to seeing our little girl—and I’m hoping she’ll be just like you.”

  Carly wiped her eyes. Seeing their little one on the screen had made her so real, so special, that she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore. Maybe she did want to spend time rocking her baby on a porch swing, picking huckleberries and baking one of Granny’s yummy pies or even teaching her daughter to ride a pony.

  “How can we make it work for all of us?” she asked him.

  “When a man and woman love each other, anything is possible. Maybe we can become a songwriting team and try out the music and lyrics in front of an audience at the Stagecoach Inn.”

  “Then maybe it will work, Ian.” She kissed him long and hard. When they came up for air, she smiled and said, “We’d better not get carried away here. Let’s go home.”

  He stood and reached for her hand, drawing her to her feet. As they started toward his truck, she said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Jason called with some big news.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You know those twins he’s bringing home to the States? He finally found out why our father was so intent on finding them. They’re Rayburns, too.”

  “No kidding?” Ian asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

  “I’m still trying to take it all in myself, but Jason is convinced. And I have no reason to doubt him. Just think. I have two more half siblings.”

  Ian cupped her cheek, his eyes glistening. “When it comes to family, I say the more the merrier.”

  “Something tells me you just might be right.” She tossed him a happy smile. “Let’s go home. I’m eager to unpack some of Granny’s things and put the house back to rights.”

  * * *

  Back to rights. Ian liked the sound of that, especially coming from Carly. They hadn’t come up with a firm plan for the future, but they loved each other and wanted the best for their daughter.

  On the drive back to the ranch, they talked about her visions for the nursery as well as the way he wanted to fix up the house once the sale was final.

  They’d no more than arrived at the Leaning R when Carly turned to him. “I’m glad we’ve agreed to be completely honest with each other and to come clean with everything.”

  “So am I.”

  “That’s good, because talking about creating a nursery and refurbishing the ranch house got me to thinking. I owe you another apology.”

  Ian shut off the ignition, but he didn’t even consider getting out of the truck. “What are you sorry for?”

  “For assuming that you might not be able to come up with the money to buy this place. Now I realize that your ‘little nest egg’ is probably sizable.”

  “So what’s wrong with coming to that conclusion?” he asked. “I never gave you any reason to think I had the kind of money to pull off a purchase like that.”

 
“I know. But I should have trusted you when you told me that the purchase wouldn’t be a problem. And I’m sorry I didn’t.”

  He reached across the seat and took her hand. He rubbed his thumb against her wrist, felt the soft throb of her pulse. “You don’t need to apologize for that. But from now on, we’re both going to have to be completely honest and trust each other about everything.”

  She gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. “You’re right. Why don’t I go inside and fix dinner for us.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Maybe you should bring a change of clothes and your shaving kit when you come to eat. I’m looking forward to spending the night with you.”

  He flashed her a smile and winked. “That sounds even better. But just to make my intentions clear, I plan to spend every night together for the rest of our lives.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Ian had taken a shower and packed an overnight bag. But before leaving his cabin, he called Todd’s cell number to check on Jesse Ramirez.

  Todd answered on the second ring.

  “What did you find out at the hospital?” Ian asked without preamble.

  “Jesse has a bruised and swollen hand, but no broken bones, torn ligaments or tendons. I’m on my way right now to drop him off at his house.”

  “That’s great news. Tell Jesse to take the rest of the week off, or even longer if that injury is still bothering him. I want that hand to heal completely—and before that first football game. I plan to be there, cheering him and the other boys on when Brighton Valley beats Wexler.”

  Todd laughed. “You and me both. Have a good evening, boss.”

  “Thanks. I intend to.”

  After disconnecting the line, Ian grabbed his overnight bag and took a sack of dog food out of the pantry. Then he went to the door and called Cheyenne. “Come on, girl. We’re all going to have to learn how our family life is going to work. Let’s go spend the night with Carly.”

  Cheyenne gave a little yip and wagged her entire hind end as if she knew exactly what he’d told her. Then she dashed out the door and across the yard to the ranch house. She was waiting at the back door by the time his strides caught up with her.