Cowboys Don't Have a Secret Baby

by Jessie Gussman

  “I’m not going to quit chasing you. I wasn’t after you to begin with because we have a child together.” Those words sent a buzz down his spine. “But I can’t deny that ups the stakes for me. I don’t know my daughter at all. I don’t want another man raising her.”

  She lifted her chin, and he knew he’d pushed too hard. So he backed off. “I do get to see her, right?”

  Her face relaxed into something like regret. “She’s yours, too.”

  He stared at her, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it. You and me, together, in another little person. That’s so amazing. She has your face.”

  “And your eyes.”

  “Your seriousness.”

  “And your coordination.”

  His head snapped up. “She’s good at sports?”

  Louise gave a soft smile. “She’s just eight. But yeah, she’s good at everything she does.”

  “I want to teach her everything.”

  “She already loves you.”

  “I want to get to know her. Even if you do choose Paul.” He stumbled over his name.

  “You can.” Louise looked away. “I was afraid you might try to take her from me. I know you have more resources than I do.”

  “Never. No. I promise you—”

  She raised a brow. He’d broken so many promises.

  “I’ll put it in writing. We can get a court order that you have sole custody. I would never do that. But I want her. I want to know the little person that we’ve created.” He wanted, more than anything, for them to be a family. Which was weird, because until the last hour, he’d not even been sure he’d wanted kids or a family. All he wanted was Louise. Now, he wanted Louise and their child.

  She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Oh my. It’s time for my shift. I have to go in.”

  “Louise?”

  She stopped in the act of turning, her face a question.

  “You don’t have to work.”

  A thin, white line appeared between her pressed lips. “I don’t want this, me, to become about money for you.”

  His back teeth ground together. “I’m trying to figure out what you want. To be frank, I’m confused.” He pushed his hat more firmly on his head. “I’ll see you around.” He turned and walked blindly away, not thinking about where he was going. How could he?

  He wanted to be with Louise. She wanted Paul.

  He wanted to ease her burden with money; she didn’t want it.

  Whatever he tried to offer, she refused.

  Chapter 14

  Louise pocketed the tip and swiped at the table. Her shift seemed to drag on at a snail’s pace. She’d barely been working an hour when Ty had walked in and sat down at his regular booth in the corner. Looked like he’d worked out and showered, since he was wearing a different shirt and his hair was slightly damp.

  Like their conversation wasn’t fresh enough in her mind, she couldn’t shake the amazing feeling of being held in his arms again. The feeling of safety and comfort. Peace. And the heat. She’d forgotten all about that heat that consumed a person, body and soul. It was constantly there with Ty, exploding into open flames when he touched her.

  He’d ordered a hamburger and fries, but he wasn’t really eating, his eyes tracking her wherever she went. She could feel them like a physical touch. She supposed it should feel creepy or stalkerish, but it made her feel desirable. Beautiful, even. Like she had control and could move them where she wished. It made her want to go over and touch his cheek. Feel his stubble against her hand. Push him back against the booth, knowing he’d go, that he’d open his mouth for her kiss and allow her whatever she wanted. There was a puissant pull in that knowledge. That he’d give her anything she wanted because he couldn’t resist her.

  But she was a mother now. Tella had to come first. Even if, once Tella knew about her father, she decided she wanted him more than the mother who had sacrificed everything to raise her.

  That’s the main reason she’d still sent Tella with Sawyer. Yes, she needed to come clean with Ty, and they needed to present a united front, but she couldn’t compete with a hockey star. When Tella found out that he was her father, why would she want to have to continue to stay with her boring, overworked, constantly tired mother?

  At a little after five, Paul came in. Louise stood by Ty’s table and had just asked him if he wanted more water or dessert. He saw Paul first. And stiffened. She could almost see his hackles raising.

  Paul walked over and sat against the other wall, his face placid and sweet. Even-tempered. Unruffled. Steady as a rock. That was Paul.

  Maybe it was because she’d been working for the last hour under Ty’s hot stare, but Louise noticed that Paul gave her a short smile and wave before sliding into his seat. He cared, at least she thought he did, but he wasn’t consumed with her.

  Ty seemed to look at her either because he wanted to or because he couldn’t do anything else when she was in the room.

  She felt a little bad comparing the two, but how could she not?

  She took Paul’s order, and when his food came out, she took her break, like she always did, sitting across from him. She realized she hadn’t talked to him since the last day she’d worked. She hadn’t thought of him once and didn’t really care what he was doing. He probably had the same thoughts and feelings about her.

  It wasn’t a love match. So that made sense. If they got married, in time they would grow to care about each other. Paul’s most appealing quality was his amazingness with Tella. He was great with her. He’d be a fabulous dad. He already helped with her school projects.

  Then there was his steadiness. He’d never leave her. He was calm and rational and would allow her to do whatever she wanted with her money, which was the reason she’d asked him to marry her in the first place.

  “You couldn’t find that ring?”

  Louise jerked a startled glance at Paul before looking at her finger, like she wasn’t sure if there was a ring on it or not. “Um, actually, I didn’t even look for it.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “We’ve been busy putting vegetables up this week and had some drama with Tella this afternoon.”

  It wasn’t exactly “with” Tella, but close enough.

  “Oh, okay.” He spooned mashed potatoes into his mouth. “If you can’t find it, let me know. I can go get something. I was just surprised by your offer and didn’t want to go get something you wouldn’t like.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know.” She didn’t dare look over to the corner where Ty sat, but she could feel his eyes burning into the side of her head.

  She squirmed a little, just realizing she should probably tell Paul that Tella’s father was in town. It’d be best if he heard it from her. Tonight. She’d tell him at the movie because there was no way she could tell him with Ty staring at her like he was.

  “I’d better get back to work. It’s busy in here tonight.”

  “Yeah, okay. You meeting me at the theater at seven?”

  “Yes.” Usually she worked until closing time, but on Friday nights, Patty, who was back from her vacation, came in because they had a floating close. They might not shut down right at eight o’clock if there were still patrons coming in.

  Her back ached, and her feet were tired. But as she stood, and Paul gave her a kind smile, she suddenly saw with clarity—she couldn’t marry Paul. She couldn’t do that to him. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t love him and never would. Ty would always be between them. She’d have to live without the money.

  When she looked over, Ty was talking on his phone. She took care of her other customers and finally started over to his table. But he’d left. Great. Did he not pay for his meal?

  But as she got closer, she could see that there was a green bill lying on the table. A hundred. She put a hand to her forehead and rubbed. What was she going to do? She reached the table and could see there was writing on the napkin under the bill. “Keep the change. -T”

  Her heart flipped. If he hadn’t signed hi
s initial, she’d suspect that he did this a lot wherever he went. But while Ty might be a sports superstar, he was raised as frugally as she was, and she doubted he threw hundred-dollar bills around. Maybe he’d done it because of Tella. Because he felt he owed Louise. Or maybe he’d done it because he wanted to do something nice for her, because he liked her. She liked that idea best.

  TY STOPPED HIS CAR in the lot by the park at the end of the street. Where he’d walked with Louise just a couple of nights ago. It felt like years had passed. He turned to the passenger seat. “Hold on. I’ll open your door.”

  “I’m your sister, not your girlfriend.” Georgia laughed.

  “You’re my date for tonight. Let me get it.” He walked around and opened her door. She stepped out with a smile still on her face, her wild hair only partially tamed in some kind of sloppy knot on top of her head. She wore jeans and cowgirl boots that would probably fit Tella and a button-down western shirt that she had tucked in. Dangly earrings hung in her ears.

  Her head came to the middle of his chest. He’d forgotten how small she was. He could see how she might be mistaken for a twelve-year-old. That, combined with the fact that she was holed up on the ranch with Ford, made him wonder if she’d ever get married.

  After closing the door, he offered her his arm, and she laughed as she took it. They strolled up the street, taking their time, talking about the things they remembered from their youth.

  He hadn’t told her he was a father. He’d barely processed the information himself. But he assumed Louise would want to wait until she told Tella, so Ty closed his mouth over his big news and made small talk with his sister.

  He’d not thought about taking Georgia to the movie until he’d visited Ford and her and realized that it’d been years since he spent any time at all with his siblings. Ford had declined his invitation, and Georgia said it’d been years since he’d been off his ranch, but Georgia had taken him up on it.

  He found he was enjoying her company, but he was unprepared for her next question.

  “So why are you really taking me tonight?”

  Guilt pressed on him as he looked down into her laughing eyes which were such a dark hazel as to be almost brown.

  “I really realized that it’s been years since we did anything other than you coming to see me with Mom.”

  “And?” Her brows were dark against her fair complexion, and she’d always been able to arch just one way up. She did that now.

  He couldn’t pretend. “And a girl I have my eye on is going with another guy tonight. I thought it would be too stalkerish if I just went by myself, and I wanted to spend time with you anyway.”

  “Perfect. We need a plan.” Georgia didn’t miss a beat, like she did this every day.

  “A plan?”

  She shrugged. “Sure. We’ll make her jealous.”

  “She knows you’re my sister.”

  “Oh. Yeah. I guess the plan should start with me knowing her name.” She gave a giggle. It was nice to be out with a girl who didn’t feel like she needed to act perpetually bored. Or be on her phone constantly. Even if Georgia was his sister.

  He hesitated. He assumed the theater wouldn’t be full. Georgia might figure it out on her own. But if he told her, she knew about Tella, and she might figure that out too.

  “Louise.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “That’s why you’re back! You guys met somewhere—” She stopped abruptly and tilted her head to the side. “But Louise never goes anywhere. How did you—” She stopped again; he could see her mind working, powerless to stop it.

  “You’re the father,” she whispered, dawning realization coloring her tone. “It’s you. You’re the one who got her pregnant and left. Disappeared...” She thought back again. “Dad died. You left. She was pregnant in school that year.”

  He hated the look in her eyes as she looked up at him, half disbelief, half accusation. “It was you.”

  “Yes.” Guilt gripped Ty’s throat in a choking grip.

  Her hand came up and covered her mouth. “Oh, wow.” She slanted a look at him. “I hated that person. Louise was so alone. She’d never had a boyfriend. She didn’t even talk to guys, and there she was pregnant. Obviously, the guy didn’t even like her enough to stick around after he got what he wanted.”

  “That’s not true!” he cried.

  “That’s what all the kids were saying. If I were her, I would have quit school, but she suffered through it every day.” Georgia shook her head. “Sorry. It’s not my job to make you feel guilty. It’s just that for forever I’ve harbored a special dislike for the jerk who took advantage of Louise.”

  “I didn’t take advantage of her!” Ty rubbed the back of his neck. Had he taken advantage of her?

  “That’s not what it looked like.” Georgia sighed. “To me, anyway, because I admired Louise. She was a little older than me, but I worked with her in chorus some in a small group setting. She was the pianist, and she was smart and funny. She was always early and stayed until the last person had practiced and never complained. I admired that.”

  He’d been wrapped up in sports and had no clue what the music department was doing.

  “Yeah, I admired her too.”

  “I never even saw you two together.”

  “No.” They had almost reached the theater. Louise and Paul were nowhere in sight. Maybe they were already in.

  “And?”

  “I snuck out to meet her.”

  “Why? She was a good girl. Dad and Mom would have approved if you wanted to date her.” Georgia sounded truly confused, and he figured he owed her at least the basics. He didn’t want his sister hating him. Or thinking less of Louise.

  “It started that Peggy got Louise to meet me to tell me that Peggy wanted to break up with me. The breakup didn’t bother me. I wasn’t in love with Peggy or anything close. Louise met me at the river, and I just asked her to meet me again. And again. I was falling for her, and I guess I wanted to keep it to myself. It was our special time and place. At first. Then I started thinking about not going to college and giving up hockey to stay with her, and I knew how that would go over with Dad. So, then, yeah, it became sneaking, and I truly didn’t want anyone to know. When I finally talked to Dad, he was furious. We fought. But, honestly, with Louise, it was about me wanting to stay with her and not go to college. Our relationship was innocent. All we did was talk and kiss.”

  Georgia raised that arched brow. “I know I’m your little sister, but I grew up on a ranch. I’ve got the boy-girl thing figured out. Tella didn’t get here from you two talking and kissing.”

  “Right. The last night was the only night we did anything I would be ashamed to tell our parents about.”

  Georgia sighed. “I guess no one ever knew anything about you two.” She shrugged. “I didn’t suspect, but because she never said anything, it really did look bad on whoever left her like that.”

  “I’m not saying I was a saint. I made promises to her that I didn’t keep. It’s complicated, and I don’t want to get into it, but I never ‘took what I wanted’ from Louise. But everything else is my fault.”

  Georgia was silent for a moment. “Okay, so I’ve seen her with Paul the last while back. I assume that’s who she’s going to be with tonight?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry, big brother, but if you can’t out-man Paul, I can’t help you.” She grinned, and he rolled his eyes.

  “I lied to her. I didn’t keep my word. I left her and never called. She doesn’t trust me.”

  Georgia gave him a level look. “If someone had done that to me, you wouldn’t be encouraging me to go back with them.”

  “I know.” His chest deflated. “Everyone is against me. Everyone, except I think Louise might like me a little.”

  “Tella’s your biggest fan. She wears your jersey everywhere.”

  “I can’t use our daughter as leverage. I just need time to prove that I’m better than what I was when I left her.”

  �
��You’re leaving again when the season starts.”

  “I am. Maybe she’ll come with me.” It wasn’t something he’d even thought about until the words were out of his mouth. But, hey, why not? Tella and Louise could be close to him. They could come to his games. He’d find a place for them to stay.

  “Good luck with that. Louise loves North Dakota.”

  They didn’t speak anymore as Ty opened the door and Georgia walked through. He purchased tickets for the movie that was showing that night, plus popcorn and drinks. They walked into the dimly lit theater room.

  His eyes picked Louise out immediately, even from behind. Her long hair was in a braid, which hung over the back of her seat. Paul and she sat about in the middle row, with Paul on the end seat doing something on his phone.

  Georgia must have seen them too, because she led them right to the seat behind them and sat down one seat in. “I don’t know why I’m helping you with this, other than you’re a good man and she deserves better than that,” Georgia whispered in his ear.

  “That’s the best you can do? ‘You’re a good man?’” he whispered back.

  Georgia giggled. “Well, you did toss me in the creek that once. I need revenge.”

  “Come on. Everyone likes to go swimming.”

  “It was January.”

  They laughed together. And then he argued because he couldn’t let his little sister win. “No, it wasn’t. The creek would have been frozen solid by then. It was probably only October. Possibly November.”

  “In North Dakota, that’s cold.” She shivered and ran her hands up her arms like she was still remembering how cold it had been.

  They talked and laughed until the movie started. He’d forgotten how much fun he’d had with his siblings. Too bad Ford wouldn’t come. Too bad Georgia felt like she was stuck helping Ford. He wished he could talk her out of it and into doing something else with her life. But Ford seemed to need her.