The Rebel Cowboy's Baby--A Clean Romance

by Sasha Summers

  “I’m...going to go now,” Tess asked. “Okay?” She must have stepped back onto Joy’s piano toy because “Old MacDonald” started playing. Joy’s head popped up and Brooke jumped.

  “Yes.” The word sort of erupted from Brooke. “We... Are you... Do you still want us to come to dinner?” Her cheeks flamed red.

  He nodded. “If you’d like?” If he hadn’t lost his head over Mikey, she wouldn’t be asking. She was right. They were adults. It was past time for him to act like one.

  “We’d like,” Tess answered. “I’ll change Joy.” She had Joy and was heading down the hall before Brooke said another word.

  They were alone, finally. If there was ever a time to speak up, it was now. He should say something. Anything. But his brain wasn’t cooperating. Brooke was still in his arms... That was a good place to start. But if he didn’t choose his words with care, she wouldn’t stay there for long. Start slow, ease into things, and if she didn’t run, he’d tell her how he felt.

  I can do this.

  The shrill ring of a phone sliced through the silence. Once. Again.

  Neither one of them moved. That was good, wasn’t it?

  The phone rang again, then stopped. A click and then a voice, “You’ve reached Brooke and Tess. Leave a message and we’ll call you back.” There was a beep and some static.

  “Brooke, it’s Mikey Woodard.”

  Talk about timing.

  “I don’t know if Audy mentioned setting up an infant CPR class but, if you’re free, I’m teaching a class on Wednesday, over at the community center.”

  A class, huh? Meaning he could sign up, too?

  “I hope you’re well. If you... Well... Maybe...”

  Audy got the distinct impression Mikey hadn’t asked Brooke out, after all—not yet, anyway. But that might be about to change. Don’t do it, Mikey. Audy braced himself, waiting. Don’t ask her out on her answering machine.

  “Give me a call, Brooke.” He cleared his throat. “Or, hopefully I’ll see you Wednesday.” And he hung up.

  Good call, Mikey. Audy was trying his hardest not to smile.

  “What’s that look for?” Brooke asked, a hint of a smile hovering.

  “I was worried for a minute.” Audy shook his head. “Felt like he was on the verge of asking you for that date Inez was talking about. Sorta felt bad for intruding.”

  Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “You’d have felt bad?”

  He took a deep breath. “No. Not at all. If a man’s going to ask a woman on a date, he needs to do it proper.”

  “Proper?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

  “My lips are sealed.” He mirrored her posture, crossing his arms over his chest. It was none of his business and, after that call, he felt confident he knew the answer, but he asked, “Out of curiosity, he hasn’t asked you out yet?”

  “What do you have against Mikey Woodard? You were the one that said he was a good guy.”

  Which wasn’t an answer. “He is.”

  “Then why does it matter?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why you care about who I do or don’t date.”

  “I don’t know, Brooke.” He swallowed, hard. “But it matters.”

  The complete surprise on her face didn’t give him much to go on. Was she scared surprised? Happy surprised? Or just surprised surprised?

  “Because of Joy?” Her voice wavered. She was angry surprised. Great. “You think I’d date someone who—who’s inappropriate? Audy—”

  “Brooke, something tells me you’ve never dated anyone remotely inappropriate in your life.” He sighed. Was he saying it wrong? She was sure taking it wrong. How did we get here?

  “Oh, Audy.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’ve lost me. Again.” She shook her head. “I need to change so we’re not late.” She smoothed her bleach-stained T-shirt and walked from the room.

  Audy stood there, dumbfounded. How had she so completely misunderstood what he was trying to say? Did she not want to understand him? Was that it? Or was he really just that bad at expressing himself? Considering he’d never had anything to express to anyone before, it had to be him. He’d just have to throw it out there. Short and to the point. Just say it.

  “Right.” He stared up at the ceiling, then shook his head. “No.” He couldn’t do it that way. He’d seen enough movies to know a woman didn’t want a man to walk up to them and say it. There was buildup. Flowers, even. Maybe a nice dinner. Or a moonlit stroll. Mabel’s favorite movie had one of those—and it always made her cry. Audy didn’t get it but...he’d try.

  “Blurting out ‘I love you’ isn’t going to cut it,” he murmured, taking off his hat and smoothing his hair.

  “Um...you should totally say that.”

  He spun around to find Tess, holding Joy, staring wide-eyed at him. “What?” How did she get here without him hearing a thing?

  “You should. Say that.” She paused. “Well, only if you’re going to say it to...”

  His brows rose but he kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t saying another word.

  “Audy...” Tess sighed, glancing back over her shoulder. “Are you, you know, in love with...my sister?”

  Audy laughed. But it was forced laughter—and they both knew it. Up until now, he’d never considered himself a private person. It wasn’t that he didn’t want anyone to know how he felt about Brooke, he’d be fine with the whole world knowing. But Brooke should know first.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  BROOKE COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she’d enjoyed a meal more. Not so much the food, which was good, but the company. Growing up, she and Mabel had been friends but, due to the lack of “reliable” adult supervision on the ranch, her mother had rarely let her visit. As it turned out, Felix Briscoe was a delight. He was a storyteller, sharing anecdotes about “the boys” and having no problem calling them out when they “put a spin on the truth” to make their story more entertaining.

  Forrest remained, as always, somber and quiet. The Mondays that Forrest showed up at the salon, he tended to listen more than talk. When he did speak up, he was careful with his words—which Brooke respected. Webb was a mess. He wasn’t as serious as Forrest and he wasn’t as smooth as Audy or as charming as Felix. But he was funny. Like laugh-out-loud funny. While poor Beau didn’t say more than five words through dinner. He was polite and quiet and more awkward than ever with Tess.

  Now that the meal was over, they’d moved into the massive great room. Brooke sat in an oversize rocking chair with Joy sleeping soundly in her lap.

  “She is the sweetest little angel.” Mabel sat on one of the large leather couches, Audy on one side and Webb on the other.

  “She is,” Audy agreed. “She’s smart, too. Knows my name.”

  “She calls him Dee,” Tess offered.

  “Dee, huh?” Webb chuckled. “Is that what we should call you, too?”

  “Only if you don’t want my help fixing the well.” Audy shot his brother a narrow-eyed look. Even Brooke picked up the challenge.

  “Ah, yes, I missed this.” Mabel patted them both on one knee. “All the brotherly love.”

  Brooke laughed, patting Joy’s little back when she stirred.

  “Of course you did.” Audy hugged her.

  He was teasing, but the love between the siblings was sincere. She and Tess were close but they weren’t traditional siblings. Tess had been so young when their mother got sick, Brooke had no choice but to step in.

  Her gaze shifted to Tess, who was staring around her with wide eyes. Briscoe Ranch was impressive. From the massive log cabin ranch house to the acres and acres of prime Hill Country real estate, the wealth and history of their family was evident. Brooke followed Tess’s gaze up, to the thick raw timbers crossing the vaulted ceiling and the massive deer-antler chandelier they supported.

/>   Not exactly her thing, but it fit.

  Tess wandered around the room, stopping long enough to study the framed photos or artwork about the room. When she circled round to the far wall, she paused. On either side of a massive fireplace, dead center of the room, were floor-to-ceiling windows that gave an impressive view of the undeveloped land. Cows, goats, some horses and fences as far as the eye could see.

  “Wow,” Tess said, turning back to smile at her.

  Brooke nodded. “Wow” is right. Cattle and oil were big business and the Briscoes had plenty of both.

  “Wow, huh?” Audy grinned.

  “Um, yeah.” Tess nodded. “First, I’ve never been in a log cabin before.” She shrugged, blushing when she realized all eyes were on her. “It’s gorgeous, really. And huge.”

  “We Briscoes tend to have big families. Lots and lots of babies.” Mabel made a face.

  “In no hurry for one of your own, though.” Uncle Felix peered at Mabel over his readers, his crossword puzzle book resting on his lap. “Or did you meet someone while you were off rescuing those mustangs?”

  “Nope.” Mabel shook her head. “Just horses.”

  “You know Mabel, Uncle Felix—no man can compete with a horse.” Webb chuckled.

  Mabel shrugged. “I have yet to meet the man to prove otherwise.”

  Brooke laughed at that, maybe a little too hard. Enough that Audy was studying her in that way he did.

  “What’s new?” Mabel asked. “What have I missed out on?”

  Audy pointed at Joy.

  “Are you pointing at Joy? Or Brooke?” Webb asked.

  Audy reached around behind Mabel and flicked Webb’s ear.

  “Hey!” Webb rubbed his ear. “Making sure I didn’t miss something. With you, you never know.”

  Don’t I know it. Brooke was still puzzling over their earlier conversation. She wasn’t sure if he’d been intentionally vague or if it was just one more exasperating thing about Audy.

  “What about you, Beau?” Mabel asked. “You found yourself a girlfriend yet? I know you and Alice Schneider have always been close.”

  All eyes turned to Beau, including Tess, all waiting for his answer.

  Poor kid. He looked about ready to hyperventilate.

  “Alice is a friend.” He shook his head, glancing at Tess. His face went red and he ran his hands along the tops of his thighs, oozing nervousness. “Nothing new. School mostly.” He nodded, leaned back against the couch, crossed and uncrossed his legs. “Same stuff.”

  “So, Joy and The First Tree?” Mabel asked.

  “Pretty much,” Felix said, nodding. “It’s Garrison, Mabel. No one’s in a hurry, there’s no need.”

  “You heard about Casey Crawley? She died.” Webb shook his head. “Her heart. Turns out she had some sort of...” He looked at Audy.

  “Arrhythmia,” Brooke said. Her death had rocked the community. The Crawley family was just as big and well-to-do as the Briscoes, so when the eldest son married an out-of-towner, people weren’t all that welcoming. But Casey was sweet and down-to-earth and people took to her—even more so after she and Jensen had a little girl.

  “But she was so young.” Mabel frowned, in shock. “She seemed so healthy. Poor Jensen. And Samantha.”

  “Who’s Samantha?” Felix asked.

  “Their little girl, Uncle Felix. I know you’re not a fan of the Crawleys, but you can’t be hard-hearted over this. That little girl lost her mother...” Mabel broke off.

  Brooke and Tess knew just how hard that was. Then again, so did Mabel. And Joy, too. Her arms tightened around the baby, taking comfort in the solid weight of her sleeping form. Brooke would make sure Joy grew up knowing who her real mother was even if, in her heart, Joy was partly hers.

  “Any updates on Der erste Baum?” Audy asked, his not-so-subtle change of conversation lightening the mood.

  “I’m surprised Mrs. Zeigler hasn’t disowned her nephew and thrown him out of town.” Mabel shook her head.

  “Give it time.” Audy rubbed his hands together.

  “It’s all very...suspect.” Brooke frowned. “Pearl Johnston, you know she was a county clerk? Doc Johnston’s wife? Well, she did some digging and found the property was owned by a Hermann Richter. He died back in 1910 with no heir. He’d bought the land to keep it safe, for town use—at least, that’s what the newspaper clippings and letters and such Pearl has unearthed all say. Martha’s been talking with the lawyer, Henry Gonzales? He seems to think that a petition signed by the majority of Garrison’s citizens and Mr. Richter’s statements about protecting the tree would stop any commercial-use sales from going through.” She shrugged. “Martha has offered to buy the land, since it’s technically been abandoned, and form a land trust that would preserve The First Tree and surrounding property indefinitely.”

  “I’m guessing they need help getting the signatures?” Mabel asked.

  Brooke nodded. “The Ladies Guild is putting together a few ideas to draw people to them. A community picnic or a movie night—something along those lines.”

  “Easier than going door-to-door, I guess. But it still sounds like a lot of work.” Audy didn’t sound convinced.

  “That’s why we’re looking for volunteers.” Brooke waited.

  “I’ll get the football team to help out.” Beau shrugged. “Varsity and JV.”

  “That would be amazing, Beau.” Brooke meant it. “Really.”

  Beau smiled.

  “It’s not like I said no,” Audy jumped in. “Webb and I’ll drag Forrest and Uncle Felix along, too, if we have to.”

  Uncle Felix chuckled. “Like to see you try it.”

  They spent an hour sharing memories made under the branches of The First Tree before Uncle Felix started to nod off and Brooke knew it was time to say good-night.

  “Audy gave me the thumbs-up to put together a nursery. Once that’s done, you two won’t have to cart Joy back and forth every day.” Mabel shook her head. “I don’t know how you two are managing it.”

  Brooke should be grateful, not disappointed. But disappointment won out.

  “I’ll see you at the guild meeting later this week.” Mabel hugged her, careful of Joy. “It’s so good to be home.”

  “You can’t hold on to her and get the car seat moved over,” Audy said, holding the front door open.

  “Tess can do it.” Brooke turned. “Where is Tess?”

  “She’ll be along shortly.” Audy seemed to be fighting laughter as he walked down the front steps and down the path to their parked vehicles. “I think she was helping Beau carry the last of the dishes into the kitchen.”

  “I’m glad you think it’s funny.” Brooke followed, standing aside while he moved the car seat over, her gaze returning to the open front door every few seconds. “I can’t help but wonder...”

  “If Beau will ever make a move?” Audy was laughing now.

  “No.” Brooke swatted his shoulder. “Stop. No.” She swatted him again. “About Lance Devlin. If he’d heard our stories tonight would it help him understand how important the tree is to all of us?”

  Audy shook his head. “Something tells me...no.”

  “I can see you’re going to take some time to consider your answer.” She leaned into the car, carefully put Joy into the car seat and buckled her in. She tucked a blanket around Joy and her favorite stuffed bunny before closing the door and facing Audy.

  Audy was staring down at her, the corner of his mouth kicked up.

  “What?” It was quiet. The lights from the front porch barely reached them. And they were alone. The longer he stared down at her, the more tightly wound her stomach became. Her heart was racing. Her lungs ached—but breathing meant inhaling the layers of cedar, leather and mint that rolled off of Audy.

  “Brooke.” His voice was pitched low and soft. “There’s wha
t I want to say and what comes out of my mouth. Somewhere between the two, I mess up and wind up tripping over my own tongue.” He ran a hand along the back of his neck. “This thing with Mikey.”

  “Audy, there is no thing with Mikey.” For the second time tonight, she was swimming in disappointment. “There never has been. I’m taking his class Wednesday because of Joy. Not because of Mikey.”

  He nodded. “I’m glad.”

  “Really, we should both take the class—”

  “No, not the class.” He stepped forward. “I’ve got no right to say this, but...I got to thinking about you and Mikey dating and I... It got to me. Not just Mikey, either. You. Dating. It got to me in a way I wasn’t expecting.” He shook his head. “That’s why I was angry. I was, I am, angry at myself because I don’t want you dating anyone, Brooke.”

  Was he serious? Audy Briscoe was trying to dictate her dating life. Why does everyone keep thinking I have a dating life? More important, did he honestly think this was okay? “You don’t have to be angry with yourself, Audy. I’m plenty angry for the both of us now.” She swallowed. “I... You... Who do you think you are? You don’t want me dating anyone?”

  “Not unless it’s me.” His breath hitched.

  “What?” She hadn’t heard that last bit correctly.

  “You and me.” He shook his head. “I know up until now the two of us haven’t exactly seen eye to eye on things but... Now... I can’t help but think we’d be good together.”

  “We?” she whispered. “Me...and you?” This was really happening?

  “Me and you. If you’ll give us a chance.” His fingertips traced the line of her jaw before his hands came up to cradle her face. “I’m hoping you will.”

  Brooke knew their chances were slim. The two of them were night and day. Giving Audy a chance meant giving him a chance to hurt her. But, as scary as that was, her heart was all too willing. When it came to the way she felt about Audy, it was a done deal. She could deny it until she was blue in the face, try to box it up inside or pretend he didn’t matter one bit—but none of that would change the truth. She loved Audy Briscoe and she wanted to give them a chance. No, more than that, she wanted to give him her heart.