Cowboys Don't Have a Secret Baby

by Jessie Gussman

“That’s not the way it was, I promise.”

  Sawyer was Norwegian through and through, and he didn’t hug her, but he did put a hand on her shoulder, which was the equivalent to a massive hug in another culture. “Tella had a bunch of questions, and I deflected them all to you.”

  At Tella’s age, she was still easily distracted, and she hadn’t pushed Louise, with all the other things that were going on at the ranch. “I’m going on break right now, and I’m talking to her immediately.” She’d put it off long enough.

  He glanced around the diner where the supper crowd was just coming in. “You need me to cover for you for a few minutes in case it takes a little longer than you think?”

  Lines of fatigue etched his face. Permanent since he’d bought his spread. She hated to add to his load. But she would appreciate not feeling the pressure to get right back to work. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. Give me your apron.”

  She grinned, knowing Sawyer would look just as manly wearing an apron as he would in the jeans and boots and button-down he had on. “You probably ought to take your hat off.”

  He grabbed it from his head. “Throw it behind the counter.”

  His hair had a definite band from wearing the hat. She grinned.

  He grinned back, the dimples in his cheeks popping, even with the stubble on his face.

  Louise peered through the window across the street at the gym. Normally Ty had been going to the gym and coming in afterward. Sawyer would be true to his word and wouldn’t start a fight, but it might be wise to get back out fast anyway.

  She took a breath, seeing Tella sitting at the counter in the back of the kitchen, munching on her sandwich, and watching Sawyer and her talk.

  Louise tried to calm the rearing horses in her stomach. It was hard to do anything that might hurt the bond she had with Tella.

  “Hey, honey,” she said, pulling out a stool and sitting down beside her daughter. They were far enough away from Rebel and Jackson that she wasn’t afraid they’d overhear. Plus, they were busy with the supper orders.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Did you have a good day at school?”

  “Yep. I like it when Uncle Sawyer picks me up. Everyone thinks his truck is cool. We should go live with him. Now that Uncle Palmer has Ames, Uncle Sawyer needs us more.” She took a casual bite of her sandwich and chewed.

  Maybe Tella was feeling the pinch of being crowded in their house, too. Louise filed that thought away. “Sawyer doesn’t have a house.”

  “He lived there all last winter, and he was fine. We can do it too, Mom. And I’m a big help to him. He said so.”

  “I’m sure you are. But you’ll be in school this winter.”

  “You could homeschool me.”

  “When I’m not waitressing and editing?”

  “Sure. I’m easy. I do all my work without complaining, and I learn fast.” She took a bite of her sandwich in the unconcerned air children had.

  “I don’t think I can.”

  She swallowed. Her trusting eyes met Louise’s. “Sawyer said you were the smartest kid in your class.”

  “Maybe not the smartest, but I worked the hardest.”

  Tella nodded like that made sense to her, and maybe it did. Louise had always tried to emphasize the value of hard work.

  “I need to talk to you about something else.”

  “Ty Hanson?” Tella asked immediately.

  “Yes.”

  “I tried to ask Uncle Sawyer what was going on, but he just gave me the runaround, so I gave up. And I keep forgetting when we’re home.” Her little shoulder lifted in a shrug, and she took another bite of her sandwich.

  “Well, uh...” This was the thing that Louise had dreaded all her life. “Let me tell you what I have to say, and if you have any questions, you can ask them, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  “So, you’ve asked about your dad, and I’ve always said he left and didn’t come back.”

  “What does my dad have to do with this?”

  Louise raised her brows.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Tella stuck her sandwich in her mouth.

  Louise smiled before she sobered. “You know Ty Hanson went to school with us.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” She tried not to let her voice hold the snap that it wanted to.

  “Sorry.”

  “I knew Ty, too. He... He had to...” Louise didn’t know how to say it, other than come right out. “He’s your father.”

  Tella’s eyes got big.

  “He did leave, but he had to because of college and hockey. And he didn’t call, but his dad died, and he was hurt and confused for a long time.”

  “Is he still hurt and confused?” Tella asked hesitantly.

  “No.”

  “So he wants to be my dad now?” Hope blossomed in her eyes.

  “Yes.”

  “He’s going to come live with us, too?” Tella bounced on her seat, her sandwich forgotten in her hand.

  “No.”

  She deflated. “Why not?”

  “We’re not married.”

  “But you could be. It isn’t hard to get married, is it?” The eager expression on her face hit Louise in her chest.

  “No, but that’s a big commitment.”

  “You’re good for it, Mom!”

  Louise’s mouth hung open.

  Tella pumped a fist. “My dad is a hockey superstar? Are you sure, Mom?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it! Like, seriously, wow!” Tella bounced in her seat.

  “So, you’re okay with this?”

  “Mom? Are you kidding? I have the coolest dad ever!” Her eyes fell. “Are you sure he wants me? I mean, where has he been?”

  “How about you ask me?” Ty stood in the doorway, a question on his face, with his gaze directed at Louise.

  Louise nodded. “I need to get back to work. If you need me for anything, Tella, you know you can come get me.”

  “I know.” Her eyes were glued on Ty in something that looked a lot like hero worship. Louise hoped Ty was up to this. She stood and met Ty’s gaze before leaving the kitchen.

  TY LOOKED AT HIS DAUGHTER. His daughter. She looked so much like Louise. But he could see himself in her too. His heart stirred and tightened, and the protection instinct rose up in him strong and hard. He battled it back. He couldn’t come on too strong. He needed to take his time and earn her trust.

  “Hi,” he said, thinking he sounded lame. What did one say to one’s daughter who had spent the first eight years of her life not even knowing who he was, while he didn’t even know that she existed?

  “Hi,” she said back. “I’m Tella. And Mom said that you’re my dad.”

  He sat down on the stool that Louise had just been on. “I am.”

  “She said you wanted me now. But I’m not sure, because you don’t live with me. Why not?”

  Ty grunted. That was an easy question. “Because I’m stupid.”

  Tella wasn’t expecting that answer by the surprise that crossed her face.

  He put his elbows on his knees and looked straight into Tella’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Tella, that I wasn’t here.”

  “Mom said your dad died and you were hurt and confused or something.”

  He nodded, trying not to twist his hands together. “Yeah.”

  “That didn’t seem to stop you from playing hockey.” Tella’s eyes narrowed, and she sounded more like an adult than a school-aged kid.

  “My dad coached me in hockey. It was the one thing I knew I could do that would have made him proud if he were here.”

  “Oh.” Her eyes fell.

  “He would have been proud of you, too.”

  She looked up. “Really?”

  “Yep, and my mom is going to be over the moon with excitement and happiness.”

  “Your mom is Miss Donna, right?”
/>   “Yep, and that makes Miss Donna your grandmother.”

  Wonder crept across the little girl’s face. “I have a grandmother.”

  Ty made a note to ask Louise about her parents. If he remembered correctly, they’d basically dumped their kids off on their parents here in Sweet Water and left. He thought he’d heard they were at Palmer’s wedding, but he wouldn’t have recognized them. Hadn’t heard anything about them since.

  “You do. And she already loves you very much. She’s going to be ecstatic when she learns you’re her granddaughter.”

  Tella tilted her head. “Can I tell people that you’re my dad?”

  “Sure.” He would love it. He wanted to finally stand with Louise, and he was proud of Tella.

  “How much am I going to see you?”

  “As much as I can.”

  “All the time? You’ll live with us? You’ll marry Mom?”

  “I want to.”

  Tella’s eyes grew wide. “Really? Does Mom know?”

  “I don’t know. I made some promises to your mom that I didn’t keep, and she needs to learn to trust me again. It’s going to take some time.”

  “Maybe I could go to one of your games?” Tella asked, hope shining in her eyes.

  Ty would have given her anything at that moment. “I’d love that. You can bring your mom.”

  “She doesn’t like the fights.” Tella gave him a conspiratorial look. “They’re my favorite part.”

  Ty laughed. “I’m not in that many fights.”

  “I know,” Tella said. “You play good hockey. That’s what Uncle Palmer said.”

  “That’s a compliment. Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Your mom said it was okay if you spent the day with me tomorrow. What do you think?”

  Her eyes got big. “Really?”

  His mouth kicked up. “Yeah. Maybe we’ll let your mom come too. See if I can try to charm her a little.”

  “Yes!”

  He and Tella talked for over an hour. Mostly with her pelting him with questions. He didn’t mind. He loved that Tella seemed to accept him with such ease.

  Time flew by. She came out and sat with him and read a book while he ate. Louise kept glancing at them, a mixture of hope and happiness on her face that stirred his heart and made him want to be more, be better, for her.

  Once he was done eating, he figured if Sawyer could bus tables, he could do it too. So he told Tella that he was going to help her mom, then got up and started cleaning tables off for her. He hated to see her work so hard, but if he bussed the tables, she’d have more time for her editing, which was sitting on the back counter.

  Ty couldn’t have been happier as he helped Louise and Tella into their car after they left the diner for the night. He didn’t say anything more than, “I’ll follow you home and see you in the morning.”

  Things went better than he’d expected with Tella, and that was a major step in getting Louise to trust him. Not that he wanted to use Tella to get to Louise, but he could prove that he was sincere by the way he treated their daughter.

  His phone rang on the way home. The screen said it was Georgia. He answered on the hands-free.

  “What’s up, kiddo?”

  “I’m a full-grown woman.”

  “You’re a half-grown woman.”

  “Shut up,” she said irritably.

  “That’s not nice,” he chided.

  “It’s not nice to call me a kid.”

  “You look like a kid.”

  “I do not.”

  “Did you want something? Or did you just call to argue?” Ty’s good humor kept the smile on his face. He really needed to stop teasing his sister, but that’s what brothers were for.

  “How’d it go?”

  “Perfect. Tella loves me and is happy I’m her dad.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yep. But you know, I think I’ve been pushing too hard with Louise.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I know exactly what I want, and I’ve been angling to get it. I think I need to back off. Take it slow. It’s just going to take time for her to see that I’m not disappearing again. So, I’ll just take this next year and court her, kind of, I guess. Maybe pop the question next fall. We’ll have a nice, long engagement. Maybe a year. And a huge wedding with all the bells and whistles. A huge church, the beautiful dress, the decorations, and great food at the reception. I think in two years that could be my reality.” It would be hard as anything to wait that long for Louise, but he wanted her to have plenty of time to see that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Uh. No.”

  “What?” He thought Georgia would be all on board with that. Everyone said he was only after one thing the last time and left when he got it. He and Louise would prove them all wrong. He’d be nothing but a gentleman. He wouldn’t even kiss her until at least next summer. Which would be torture, but he could do it. Louise was worth it.

  “That’s too long. Um...” Georgia seemed to be struggling, and it finally dawned on Ty that he might be missing something.

  “What?”

  “I...I can’t say. Just please don’t wait that long.”

  “I thought you’d tell me my plan was perfect.”

  “It is, in a normal situation. But...”

  “Just spit it out,” he said in frustration. She wasn’t making any sense.

  “Just, please trust me. It needs to be before Christmas.” Georgia sounded completely confident.

  But that shattered everything he’d been thinking. Louise would never trust him again that fast. “How am I going to do that?”

  “Try. Please.”

  “Okay.”

  They hung up, and Ty drove the rest of the way home wondering what in the world Georgia could possibly know that he didn’t, that made it necessary for Louise to get married by Christmas. No matter. He trusted Georgia on a lot of things, but he knew he was right with Louise. She needed him to take it slow.

  His mom was just pulling in when he got home. He hurried out to help her unload her car.

  “Just leave everything on the porch. I’ll sort it out tomorrow,” his mom said as they each carried armfuls of things in.

  “Okay. I have something to tell you if you’re not too tired.” He set her stuff down and started back for the last load.

  “Never too tired for my children.”

  “I think it’s good news,” he called over his shoulder.

  She was sitting at the table, a bottle of water and a plate of grapes in front of her, when he walked in. He pulled a chair out and sat down, his arms resting on the table, his hands clasped.

  “Good trip?”

  “Yes. Profitable. Which is the best kind.”

  He shared a smile with her.

  “What’s your news?” she asked.

  “Tella is my daughter.”

  There was not a hint of surprise on his mother’s face. Her smile was serene.

  “You knew,” he accused, his brows raised.

  “Your dad told me about your argument. I knew you’d been meeting her, and if you weren’t in love with her, you were close.” She fingered her drink. “He and I disagreed on the right way to handle it. I’m afraid I argued with him, even more forcefully than you did.” Regret clouded her features. “I was yelling at him that it should be your choice what you wanted to do with your life, when he clutched his chest.” His mother’s hand shook as she rolled a grape around. “It took me a long time to get over that guilt. I had no right to speak to him so. We never argued. But Louise was a wonderful girl, and you had a solid head on your shoulders. I was sure you’d make good decisions if we just backed off.” She shook her head sadly. “I wasn’t entirely correct, now, was I?”

  “It was only that last night, Mom, I swear it. I’d treated her with the utmost respect until then. But fighting with Dad on top of leaving for school...I shouldn’t have gone alone, because I couldn’t stop...” If only he could do it over. He’d do that night so much differently.

 
; “It’s okay. It’s done now. But I was almost sure when I found out she was expecting that the baby was yours. But you never showed up to complete the picture.”

  “She never told me, and you never said.” He couldn’t help being burned about that.

  “It wasn’t my place. If you would have ever asked about her, I would have told you whatever you wanted to know. But you didn’t.” She popped a grape into her mouth.

  He let out a frustrated breath. “I would have come home. I would have married her.”

  “Maybe that’s why she never told you.”

  “I’m sure it is.” He closed his eyes. It was done and over. He just had to try to atone. “Tella knows that you’re her gram. She loves you.”

  “I could always see you in her. What are you going to do now?”

  “I’m trying to court Louise.” He ran a hand over his head. “I have a couple of weeks until I need to get back for hockey. Not much time.”

  “I think Louise has always been in love with you.”

  He studied his mother. “You think?”

  Her face glowed. “Yes. It might be easier than you think. Especially with Tella. I know she wants a home and a family for that little girl.”

  “Me too.”

  His mother reached over and patted his hand. “You can do it, son.”

  “I’d like to buy the ranch,” he said, in an abrupt subject change.

  His mother’s smile grew larger. “I was hoping you would.”

  Chapter 18

  Ty picked Louise up and drove into town to get Tella from school. He held an umbrella over them as they walked to his car. Of all days, it had to choose the evening he was finally spending with Louise to be overcast and rainy. It was the forecast for the entire night.

  However, he’d never let a little thing like rain stand in his way.

  Louise looked amazing in jeans and a sweater. “I wasn’t sure what to wear,” she said as she held the door for Tella.

  “That’s perfect.” He lowered his voice. “You look good.”

  Her lips tilted as she slid into his car. He noted Tella was wearing his jersey, which made his soul feel satisfied deep inside.

  He’d barely started out of the drive when Tella said, “Where are we going?”

  He shot a look at Louise. Her face held curiosity, too. “I’d been planning on saddling the horses and taking you two out for a ride and a picnic.” He looked out at the low sky. “But I thought maybe that wouldn’t be such an enjoyable thing with the rain.”