Having the Rancher's Baby (6 page)

“How's Violet?” Gabe asked between bites.

Cole stopped, the burrito inches from his mouth. Did Gabe suspect anything? Had he seen Cole and Vi kissing?

“Fine. She worked all morning, then went home a while ago for the rest of the day.”

“I saw her helping Leroy unloading supplies.”

“You did?” Cole frowned. “She's supposed to be taking it easy. No lifting”

“She was. Taking it easy. Sort of.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing heavy. Some sacks and cartons.”

Cole decided to call Vi after lunch just to check on her. On second thought, he'd drop by instead.

“You two getting along okay?” Josh asked.

Again Cole's suspicions were roused, and he answered hesitantly. “Great.”

“She's easy to work with.” Josh snatched the bag of corn chips and dumped a second large helping onto his paper plate, along with a heaping serving of salsa.

Cole almost laughed. “Are you kidding? She's a taskmaster and a perfectionist. Riding a bull is less work and less daunting.”

“She might make a rancher out of you yet,” Gabe mumbled between mouthfuls.

Remarks like that, ones implying Cole would eventually settle down and stay at Dos Estrellas, usually filled him with the urge to hit the road and the next town, pausing only long enough to pack his bags. Instead, he sat where he was, wondering if the feeling washing over him was contentment. It had been so long...

“I heard you and Joey fixed the leak in the pond.” Gabe bit into his second burrito.

“Joey's the one who came up with the idea.”

“Whoever did, it's working.”

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” Cole cautioned. It was true, the pond level had been holding since yesterday, but it was much too soon to consider the plug secure and the problem resolved.

“That was pretty clever, though. Borax, huh?”

Cole shook his head. “I wouldn't have thought of it.”

They stayed sitting at the table even after their lunch was consumed. Cole studied his brothers while trying not to be obvious.

What would their father think, seeing the three of them getting along and acting like, well, brothers? He'd probably smile and say that was his plan all along and the reason he'd left a third of Dos Estrellas to each of his sons rather than entirely to Gabe, as he'd always promised.

Would the ranch continue to do well without Cole if he left and returned to the rodeo circuit? Had he made any significant contributions, besides selling his roping horses last fall to generate revene, or had he simply been another pair of hands to help with the work and lighten the load?

If
he returned to the circuit? Wait a minute. At what point during these past few months had his thinking changed?

Getting along with his brothers was part of the reason, he supposed. But there was also the baby to consider. Both the good example set by Josh and the bad example set by their father had Cole feeling his place might just be with Vi and their child rather than on the road.

There was also their recent kiss. It had affected him even more than making love with her. Their night together had been spontaneous, the result of circumstances neither of them anticipated. The kiss, however, was deliberate, the result of an affection far more profound than simple attraction.

That was not to say the sex hadn't been satisfying. How could it be anything else? Vi was soft and curvy and, once she let down her guard, full of passion. But, just as he'd told her earlier, what he remembered best about their night together, what had mattered the most, was the intimate emotional connection they'd shared.

Funny, since Cole had a commitment phobia and tended to avoid those aspects of a relationship whenever possible. Plenty of women had accused him of running scared. Vi might be among them if he wound up leaving Mustang Valley. But what choice did he have if he wanted to earn enough money to support their child?

“When will you be done?” Josh asked.

“Sorry.” Cole hadn't been listening. “Done with what?”

“Inspecting the pregnant cows.”

“Oh, right. End of the day tomorrow, I hope.”

So far, none of the other pregnant cows appeared to have lost their calves. It was the kind of news they'd needed to hear.

“If you need help,” Josh said, “give me a holler.”

“I might take you up on that—” Cole was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. “Hang on a second.” Seeing Vi's number on the display, he felt his heart rate spike. “Hi. How goes it?”

“Cole.” Panic filled her voice. “Something's wrong.”

“What?” He was already shoving his chair back from the table. Had another cow aborted? Had the cattle broken through a hole in the fence and gotten onto the neighbor's property?

“I'm bleeding.”

Cripes. He should have thought of her first. What a moron.

“The baby...” She broke into sobs.

“Did you call 9-1-1?”

“We're too far out. You can drive me to the hospital faster. Dr. Medina said she'll meet us there.”

Cole started for the door, fishing his keys from his jeans pocket, only to remember his truck was in the repair shop. “Hang tight. I'm on my way.” He moved the phone away from his mouth. “Josh, I need to borrow your truck.”

“What's wrong?”

“It's Vi. She's bleeding.”

“Here.” Josh tossed him his keys.

“I'll call you after I know more.” Cole pushed through the kitchen door and broke into a run.

Vi's house was a short ten-minute drive away. Short any other day. Right now, he couldn't get there fast enough and was grateful for only one stop sign in town to slow him down. Sweat pouring from his brow, he screeched to a stop on the street in front of her driveway. Without bothering to knock, he entered the house on the same wave of adrenaline that had carried him from Dos Estrellas.

“Vi! Where are you?”

“In here.”

He followed the sound of her voice to the living room. For the briefest fraction of a second, he recalled the two of them sitting on her overstuffed couch, unable to keep their hands off each other. Moments later, Vi had invited him into her bedroom.

The memory vanished at the sight of her lying on the couch, her legs elevated on a stack of decorative throw pillows.

“Are you all right?” He went to her side and crouched down.

“I still have cramps but the bleeding's lessened. For now,” she added, her voice troubled, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Let's go.” Without waiting for her to answer, he stood and picked her up as if she were a small child, one arm supporting her back, the other behind her knees.

“I can walk, Cole.”

He didn't listen and headed for the door.

“My purse!” she cried out.

“Where is it?”

“The kitchen counter.”

She insisted on locking the house behind them, though he was too anxious to care. Settling her in the passenger seat, he buckled the seat belt, then raced around to the driver's side.

“Thank you,” she said, when they were on the road.

“No problem.”

The look she gave him tore his heart in two. “I'm scared, Cole.”

He reached across the console to cup her cheek, wishing he could do more to reassure her. “It's going to be okay, sweetie.”

She covered his hand with hers, visibly trying to compose herself. “Let's hurry.”

He needed directions to the hospital in Scottsdale. They'd barely reached the outskirts of Mustang Valley when he insisted she recline her seat as much as possible and elevate her feet. She said little on the drive, other than “turn left” or “take this street, it's quicker.” He glanced over at her often, alarmed by the sight of her pale face.

“How you doing?” he asked, when they were about a mile away.

“Hanging in there.” She looked more on the verge of a breakdown.

Not for the first time, he admired her courage and determination, something he'd seen her display often on the job. This, however, was different. Courage and determination in the face of a personal crises required incredible fortitude and strength of character. She had plenty of both.

She gazed worriedly out the window. “I shouldn't have helped Leroy with those supplies.”

“You didn't lift anything heavy, right?”

“No. Still, it was stupid. What if I...” She sobbed softly. “I'll never forgive myself.”

“Nothing's gone wrong yet.”

Luck was on their side when they arrived at the hospital. Cole would gladly have blocked the emergency entrance in order to save time, but because of a nearby available space, Josh's truck would be spared a towing today.

Vi insisted on walking the short distance across the parking lot to the front entrance, when he would have carried her. Their sedate pace nearly drove him crazy.

Inside, they went straight to the check-in desk. As soon as Vi told the nurse on duty about her condition and symptoms, a wheelchair was produced and a stocky male attendant ordered her to sit.

“Ready for a ride?” he asked.

Cole stood there, unsure what to do next.

“Isn't your husband coming with us?”

“He's not my—”

“Yes, I'm coming,” Cole said, and went with Vi, holding her hand as they traveled the corridor. To his great relief, she didn't correct the attendant.

Chapter Six

Cole didn't leave Vi's side. Not during the initial exam, which included the taking of her medical history. Not during the ultrasound, where seeing on the screen the blurry, gray image that was his child nearly caused his chest to explode. And not when Vi's doctor finally delivered the encouraging news that all appeared normal and the bleeding had stopped.

Vi burst into tears, and Cole held on to the bed rail for support. He hadn't realized how worried he was until this moment.

“I can't stress enough that you get sufficient rest,” Dr. Medina said. “Stay in bed the next three days. Do not get out for any reason other than to shower or use the restroom. No more than one hour a day on your feet.”

“I'll chain her down if necessary,” Cole promised.

“I'd like to see you on Friday, just for a quick follow-up.”

“We'll be there.” Cole didn't seek Vi's permission before including himself.

“Call me, day or night, if there's any more spotting or cramping.”

Vi nodded. Cole made a mental note to get the doctor's number from her.

“Should I stay with her tonight?” he asked.

Dr. Medina visibly missed a beat before answering. She had probably assumed Cole and Vi lived together.

Recovering quickly, she said, “Yes, that would be wise. Perhaps for the next few days.”

Cole half expected Vi to complain, but she didn't.

Dr. Medina reviewed a long list of instructions with them before saying she'd complete the paperwork for Vi's discharge. Until the nurse came for her, she was to stay right where she was.

“Thank you,” Cole said to the doctor as she left.

“You take good care of her.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

His plan was to stick to Vi's side for as long as necessary.

Maybe he
should
move in with her until the baby was born. Or at least until she passed the three-month mark. He studied her and tried to anticipate her reaction if he suggested it.

She appeared to be dozing as her eyes were closed and her face turned toward the wall. An empty chair sat beside the bed and he lowered himself into it. Earlier, he'd removed his cowboy hat. Now he plunked it on his head and gave the brim a firm tug.

The hat felt familiar and comfortable, like an old friend. He and this hat had been through a lot together. Rodeo wins and losses. Good times, bad times. Heartbreaks. Triumphs. Disappointments. He'd been wearing this hat when he got the news of his father's death. Also when he learned he'd inherited a third of Dos Estrellas and again when he found out Vi was pregnant.

With luck, the hat would be with him when he became a father for the first time.

Cole closed his eyes and conjured up the fuzzy image on the ultrasound screen. Was that really a child? His and Vi's? If he concentrated hard, he could discern a human shape. Head. Body. Even tiny arms and legs.

In that moment, Cole was struck with a wonder he'd never experienced before. Together, he and Vi had made a baby. Small now, but one day, a child he could bounce on his knee. Teach to ride and rope. Pass on his share of the ranch, if he didn't sell to his brothers.

Was rodeoing what he truly wanted? He'd been so sure a short time ago. Now, he didn't know. In large part because he questioned Vi's feelings for him. She'd said she wanted him to remain in Mustang Valley. That might, however, only be as a responsible father who shared child-rearing duties. Not a romantic partner. Not a husband. Not a lover.

“Go home if you want,” she said softly. “I can manage alone.”

His head snapped up. “Like hell I'm leaving.”

“Raquel will be happy to help. Or Cara.”

“You and the baby are my responsibility.”

She studied him, her eyes unreadable and her tone carefully neutral. “Do you mean that?”

“Yes. And not just financially. I'm going to take care of you. Both of you.” Although at the moment, he didn't know how he'd accomplish that.

She glanced away.

“What did I say wrong?” It seemed he was always putting his foot in his mouth.

“Nothing.”

“Then what's the matter?”

“I'm just being emotional.”

He didn't doubt that, but he was also certain he'd disappointed her. He would have preferred to talk further, but just then the nurse whipped the curtain aside. “Are you ready to go home?” the young woman in scrubs asked brightly.

Vi left the hospital with a thick stack of papers Cole had every intention of reading when they reached her house. She was seated in a wheelchair and taken by the nurse from her room to the front entrance, where Cole waited, his truck idling. This time, she didn't refuse his help, and he assisted her into the passenger seat.

“There's a futon bed in my spare room,” she said as they left the parking lot and merged with traffic.

“I can bunk on the couch.”

“Wherever you're more comfortable.”

He thought he might be more comfortable in
her
bed, but didn't comment. “I'll pick up something for dinner.”

“I have food in the house.”

“That's great. Except I can't cook.”

“No problem. I have a ton of frozen dinners in the freezer.” At his wry look, she added, “I'm busy and too tired when I get home to fix a big meal.”

“Can you? Fix a meal?” They'd talked about many things, but cooking had never come up. Not once.

“If you're curious about whether I'm any good at it, I'm not.”

“Then I guess we'll be eating out a lot, because I can barely boil an egg.”

She smiled. Really smiled, and her twin dimples appeared. Cole swore he sank a little further under her spell. He hoped, should they have a girl, that she'd take after Vi and inherit those same stunning dimples.

“Have you thought about what you want?” he asked.

“For dinner?” Vi glanced his way.

He laughed. “A boy or a girl.”

“Oh, I don't care. Not to be unoriginal, but I just want a healthy baby.” She hesitated, her demeanor suddenly shy. “What about you? Do you have a preference?”

“None.”

“Really?”

“Vi.” He stopped at the streetlight, reached for her hand and raised it to his lips. “Really.”

Sensing the tension coursing through her—or was it anticipation?—he let go, regretful when she returned her hand to her lap. Maybe he'd rushed her. He vowed to go slower the next time.

Several miles passed with Cole concentrating on the road while Vi reclined and appeared to be resting. At the outskirts of Mustang Valley, he offered a suggestion.

“I'll drop you off, get you situated in bed, then head to the ranch for some clothes and a toothbrush.”

“What about the cows? You haven't finished checking them.”

“It can wait until tomorrow. Besides, there's not enough daylight left.” Their trip to the emergency room had taken the better part of the afternoon.

“You are going to work tomorrow,” she stated. “We can't both be off.”

“I'll go. After I make sure you're fine and have everything you need.”

“You surprise me sometimes, you know.”

“Good.” He grinned. “I like keeping you on your toes.”

She gave a small, indifferent shrug, but he sensed she was far from indifferent. Vi was a person who liked the unexpected and the thrill that came with it. If Cole let himself, he could become completely enamored with her.

At her house, he gave her some alone time to change into lounging clothes. After twenty minutes, he knocked on her bedroom door.

“How goes it?”

“Come in.”

She stood beside the bed, pointing the remote at the small TV atop the dresser and flipping through channels. A magazine, bottled water and her cell phone occupied the nightstand, and extra pillows were stacked at the head of the bed.

“You aren't lying down,” he scolded.

“I will. I just gave Gabe a call to update him.”

Cole had assumed he'd be the one to break the news about her scare to the family. Well, she had worked for Gabe much longer than for Cole or Josh. Old habits were hard to break.

“What are you hungry for?” he asked. “Figured I'd stop at the café for takeout. It's chicken-fried steak night.”

“Sounds perfect. With a side salad, please. I'll pay you back.”

“I am not taking your money, and I'm not arguing with you about it.”

“I feel guilty enough as it is, accepting a paycheck when I'm home...sick.”

“We've been through this already,” he insisted.

“I know. Doesn't change my feelings.”

“Can they be changed?”

“Not about money and accepting charity.”

He moved closer to her. “I was thinking of me. What are your feelings on
that
subject?”

Her gaze locked with his. “It depends.”

“I'm counting on them changing.”

“Why?” she asked earnestly.

“Because I'm not the guy you think I am, Vi. Make that the guy you thought I was.”

“And what kind of guy are you, Cole? I really want to know.”

“My word is sacred. I keep my promises. My moral compass mostly points north. I make mistakes, but not the same one twice.”

She smiled, showing off those amazing dimples.

He leaned in. How could he not? Her green eyes widened, then softened. Her lips parted ever so slightly. It would be easy to kiss her, and for a second he considered doing precisely that.

Instead, he took her by the arm and eased her onto the mattress, first sitting and then lying down. He picked up one of the extra pillows and positioned it beneath her feet, elevating her legs as per Dr. Medina's orders.

When Vi was comfortably prone, TV remote in her hand, he bent, brushed her hair off her face and delivered a chaste peck to her forehead. “See you soon. No getting up. I mean it, Vi.”

She nodded. He thought that maybe, once again, he'd taken her by surprise, and grinned. This was getting to be fun.

At the door, she called his name, halting him. “I'm glad you're staying. For the next few days,” she added, as if he might have misunderstood.

Pleasure coursed through him. She was glad, and it was enough, for now.

* * *

V
IOLET
WOKE
EARLY
, which wasn't unusual. She rose by five o'clock most days. Before then, if necessary.

Having overnight guests...now that was different and unsettling. No one, not even Raquel or Cara, had slept at her house in all the years since her divorce—other than Cole, and he'd done so twice in the past two-and-a-half months. One big difference. Last night he'd slept on the living room couch and not in her bed.

She stood in the doorway that connected the kitchen to the living room, watching him slumber. With a start, she realized she'd missed him. Missed his body lying next to her during the night and wrapped around her when they woke. Most of all, she'd missed the low, seductive rumble of his voice in her ear as he wished her good morning.

How was that possible? They'd been together only one night. A total of twelve hours from the time he'd walked into the bar to when he'd left the next morning. They'd been intimate a mere eight. Yet it felt much longer. Days. Weeks. Months. Their connection had been instant and powerful, once they'd stopped denying their mutual attraction and yielded to it.

Just enough light filtered in through the slit in the drapes for her to discern his form on the couch in the gray of early dawn. His blanket lay on the floor beside him. He'd slept in his underwear—boxer briefs. They were dark in color and smoking hot. During their night together, he'd slept in the nude, as had Violet.

Resisting the sudden rush of memories, she pulled her bathrobe tighter, annoyed at her erratically beating heart.

What nonsense. She was hardly some love-struck teenager crushing on a boy in her class. And she certainly wasn't falling for Cole Dempsey. It was one thing to like him. Even lust after him in secret. But love?

Violet hated being vulnerable, which was exactly what being in love did to a person. Her baby came first. Having feelings for Cole, loving him, would only be setting herself up for pain and sorrow. He'd eventually leave, returning to the rodeo circuit, and possibly not come back. She'd been through that before with Denny; he'd left for different reasons, but still, he'd left. She didn't care for a second go-round, thank you very much.

She might have stood there indefinitely if not for Diamond Girl. The small, buff colored Siamese sauntered in from the living room, meowing loudly.

“Shh.”

The cat rubbed lovingly against her leg, purring loudly. Violet bent to pet her, catching sight of Stripes, her tabby, maintaining a safe distance. He was a reformed feral she'd found living behind a convenience store, and brought home. He adored her. Everyone else, not so much, as evidenced by the way he glared at Cole.

Diamond Girl resumed meowing.

“All right already,” Violet whispered. “I'll feed you.”

She'd started to retreat to the kitchen when Cole suddenly stirred. Ignoring the demands of her feline charges, she sneaked another peek at him.

Sweet heavens, he was beautiful. Tanned, smooth skin, abundantly muscled limbs, a toned torso that stretched long and lean. One arm was draped casually behind his head, and his feet hung over the edge of the couch. Really, he was much too big for it.

How could he have gotten any decent rest like that? She'd hardly slept herself, her mind racing a mile a minute and refusing to shut down. He'd been mere feet away, down the hall and around the corner. Had he struggled like her, tossing and turning while obsessing about the other person in the house?

Looking at him, peacefully asleep, she doubted it and, to her annoyance, she felt a sharp stab of disappointment. Why should she be the only one to suffer?