Her Surprise Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  Trisha’s pride rebelled at the hint of pity. “You didn’t miss much. I wasn’t one of those cute pregnant ladies who looks like herself but with a basketball under her shirt. I was basically a big lump.”

  “I bet you were the cutest lump this town has ever seen.”

  “That Texas charm. Do they teach that in school where you’re from?”

  He laughed and gently touched Henry’s nose when the baby laughed, too. “We’ve all got to pass an exam in compliments and manners before they let us out of high school.”

  “I suspected as much.” It was a relief to be light. There was so much between them that felt heavy and confusing.

  The boardwalk wound through the valley circling between the first two of the spring-fed ponds that made this area such an oasis for wildlife.

  “Did you see the coyote this morning?”

  Liam shook his head, his mouth quirking to one side. “I went up there and looked around, stayed for as long as I could, but didn’t see it.”

  She wanted to reassure him. “Maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of it on Maya’s camera feed. It might start using the den, if it needs a place to rest and lie low.”

  “I hope so. If it really is back, how long before we could try reuniting the pups?”

  “Maya thinks we could do it at almost any time, really. But I wonder if we should wait until it’s completely healed. If it’s in pain, it might be less likely to want to socialize.”

  Liam laughed softly. “I can understand that. My social skills sure went out the window after I was injured.”

  Trisha had to smile. “I guess mine did, too.”

  Liam was quiet, just pushing the stroller and looking around, so Trisha looked around, too. There was a lot to look at. Wildflowers were everywhere, especially the golden California poppies. The sun was out and the sky was a bright, rich blue. The green hills always felt like a miracle this time of year. They wouldn’t stay green for long under the scorching summer sun.

  “How come there aren’t more elk, if this is a preserve?”

  Trisha glanced at the small band of tule elk grazing near the hills on the far side of the valley. “Most of them won’t come until the fall. When water gets scarce everywhere else, they’ll all show up here.”

  “I’d love to see it.”

  He’d be gone in the fall. He’d be gone by summer, really. She had to keep that in mind. He was here playing daddy and then he’d be back on his family’s ranch in Texas. She wanted to ask how they’d handle it, living so far apart, but decided against it. It would open up the idea that there was something to discuss, and might imply that he could share custody. That was not happening. Nope. He could fly out from Texas if he wanted to see his son.

  “And the salamanders? Are they around?”

  “They come out in the rainy season and lay their eggs in the ponds. There could still be some around, but they’ll be heading underground soon, if they haven’t already.”

  They were near the first pond. Everything was newly washed, clear and cool, the whole valley rich with spring. Trisha stopped walking to take it all in, and Liam came to stand next to her. He reached for Henry’s little hand and Trisha watched her son’s tiny fingers curl around his daddy’s.

  “What do you think, buddy? See any small crawling critters out there? Don’t underestimate them—they cheated Jace out of some pretty fine real estate.”

  Trisha laughed, surprised by his humor, so Henry laughed, too. It felt good to stand there, the three of them, connected just a little, finding something funny together. But when she glanced up at Liam, he was watching her with a serious expression.

  “It’s good to see you smile.”

  She didn’t answer, just looked out over the pond wondering how to go forward with him. They had a world of issues to figure out, and her smile wasn’t one of them.

  She looked down at Henry. His head was nestled on her chest. “He’s getting really sleepy.” She knelt and carefully set him in the stroller, fastening the straps and tucking a blanket around him.

  Liam came around the front of the stroller to see. “He’s cuter than anything I’ve ever seen.”

  Trisha smiled. “I’ll have to agree with you there.”

  “Can I push him? You can just walk and not be responsible for much of anything for a little while. Bet that doesn’t happen for you too often.”

  He was right. She had a lot of help, of course, from her friends and The Book Biddies and Patty, the babysitter. But she’d never felt right asking for help just so she could stroll along like this, listening to the blackbirds and the wind in the rushes that grew near the pond, taking in all the beauty in Long Valley. “That’s really thoughtful. Thank you.”

  They walked the boardwalk in companionable silence. It was almost like they were just two regular parents, out for a walk with their child.

  After a while, Liam spoke. “So has Henry said ‘Mama’ yet?”

  “I think he might have said it the other night. But I wasn’t sure. I tried to get him to say it again, but he just did some funny little babbling noises.” She looked at Liam in surprise. “Hang on. How do you know he’s supposed to be saying Mama right about now?”

  “I’ve been reading those books you gave me. I also know that he can probably feed himself some finger foods, that his hand-eye coordination is improving rapidly and he’ll probably be walking soon.”

  She eyed him, reluctant to admit she was impressed. “You’re taking this seriously?”

  “Of course I am. I have a kid. I need to study up.”

  It wasn’t what she’d expected, even though he’d asked for the books. His easygoing manners were deceptive. She kept assuming he’d take this lightly. Or not follow through.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw the text from Maya. “Oh no.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Someone brought some bobcat kittens into the wildlife center. This time of year, everyone is bringing babies in. Mostly babies who would be fine if left alone. They’re not abandoned—their parents are just out hunting.”

  “Do you need to go?”

  She sighed. “Yes. Maya just got a call about a possible mountain lion attack at a ranch about an hour south of here. She needs to drive over and check it out. Vivian is at Amy’s dance recital today, and Emily’s doing vaccinations out at Creek Canyon Ranch.”

  “Sounds like we’d better get going. This stroller jogs, right?”

  “It’s all terrain.”

  “Race you.” He started running, and she realized then that he wasn’t wearing his usual cowboy boots under his jeans. He wore trail running shoes.

  She jogged after him, pushing herself to catch up. “You run?”

  He glanced at her with a teasing grin. “I don’t go fast enough to call it running. With a leg like mine, all pieced together, I’ve got to be careful.”

  She nodded. “You know what’s weird? My leg feels better when I jog than it does when I walk. My doctor said it’s something to do with the way the tendons healed.”

  “I noticed your limp.”

  She looked up at him, ready to take offence, but the warmth in his eyes was affectionate, not cruel. “I don’t notice yours at all. Is it your left leg?”

  “Yup.”

  “My right one is the bad one.” It was good right now, though, settling into the rhythm of their jog.

  “Well, what do you know? Between us we have one good set of legs.”

  “You’re ridiculous.” But Trisha was smiling. It was true, actually.

  He grinned down at her. “Maybe. But now, more than ever, I have to keep running. I’ve got to be careful not to get a dad bod, right?”

  Trisha let out a sharp laugh at the idea. He was lean and strong, and he knew it. She glanced down to make sure she hadn’t woken Henry. He was still sound asleep,
the fancy stroller The Book Biddies had bought for them making his speedy ride over the boardwalk smooth.

  “Maybe this could be one of our things,” Liam said after a moment.

  “What do you mean, our thing?” And why wasn’t he even out of breath? Trisha tried to get out running with Henry a few times a week, but she was still huffing and puffing.

  “You know, a thing we do together, with Henry. Aren’t families supposed to have that?”

  Whoa. Family? She decided to ignore that reference. “We can go running again sometime, for sure.” Thankfully, the boardwalk’s half-mile loop through the valley was coming to an end, and Trisha could see her car. She wasn’t ready to think of Liam as family, or to even let her mind get too far ahead of where they were now. She was still just trying not to panic about him being in Henry’s life at all.

  “Can I load Henry in the car? I could use a car seat tutorial.”

  All this enthusiasm was charming, but it also put her on edge. Every little step Liam took into parenthood was a step into their lives. And what would happen when he went back to Texas? “He’s sleeping. Maybe I should do it.”

  “Please?”

  She relented. “Okay.” She opened the door to the back seat and watched as he unfastened the stroller buckles and gently lifted Henry up to his chest. The sight of such a big, tough-looking man cradling her baby caused her heart to do an odd squishy flop in her chest. Then she remembered the first few times she’d tried to load a sleeping Henry in the car. “Hang on. I’ll go around the other side and help.”

  Trisha climbed into the back seat and slid over so she was next to the car seat. She held the straps apart as Liam gently lowered sleepy Henry into the seat, one big calloused hand supporting his head as he set him down.

  She put the strap closest to her over Henry’s little shoulder and Liam did the same on the other side. She showed him how to pull the lower strap up between the baby’s legs and hook the shoulder straps into the buckle. Then she slid the fuzzy strap covers up, so the baby could rest his head against them as he slept.

  Liam put his palm up and they shared a silent high five.

  Trisha slid out of the back seat and closed the door with a thick feeling in her throat. Liam was trying so hard, but what did it mean? Was he trying this new dad role out? Or was he thinking of the long-term? It was hard to say, and she was grateful, suddenly, that Henry was so young. If Liam decided not to stick around, Henry would never remember this.

  They got into the car and Trisha headed for her house, where Liam had left his truck. She’d drop him off and then take Henry to the wildlife shelter with her, to meet Maya and take over care of the bobcat kittens.

  They were quiet on the drive so Henry could sleep. But at the house, Liam turned to her before getting out of the car. “Want me to take Henry inside? I can take care of him while you’re at the center.”

  “No thanks.” Her response was automatic. “He comes to the wildlife center all the time. If he wakes up or gets restless, I can have a friend come help out.”

  “Or you can put him to sleep in his own bed and let his father take care of him.”

  Trisha stared at him in shock. “I barely know you. I’m not leaving my baby with you. Plus, you don’t know how to take care of Henry.”

  “Won’t he be sleeping?”

  “Maybe. But what about if he wakes up? Do you know how to change a diaper?”

  “It can’t be that hard. Plus, isn’t it in one of your books?”

  “It’s not hard, but it’s not simple either. Even if I was comfortable leaving Henry with you, I’d want to show you how I do everything first. There’s feeding him, what he drinks, what clothes he wears, safety issues...”

  She felt guilty. Like she should be accommodating his need to jump into parenting. But why was she guilty? She hadn’t done anything wrong. “Look, I know you had your reasons for walking out on me that night. But you made a choice then, and you can’t just waltz back in and act as if you have the right to care for Henry. I’m not putting my baby at risk just to gratify some whim you have to suddenly step up and play daddy.”

  His mouth pressed into a flat line for a moment, as if he were holding back words he wanted to say. When he spoke, his voice was low and calm, but she heard the edge of anger there. “I get that maybe I don’t know enough about babies, and about Henry in particular, to care for him today. But this isn’t a whim and I’m not playing daddy. I take this responsibility seriously.”

  Something in her heart twisted, and it hurt. “That’s just the thing. Henry isn’t just a responsibility for me. He’s a person I love with my whole heart, who I carried in my own body, who I’d do anything for.” She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, trying to think clearly, trying not to just kick him out of her car, but right now, his kindness and his good intentions felt like threats.

  “I think if you start feeling the same way about Henry, I’ll be more comfortable with you taking care of him.”

  “Then let me spend more time with him. Time with both of you.”

  It was only fair. She couldn’t refuse Liam’s help with Henry because he had no experience, then deny him the chance to gain that experience. “Okay. What about tomorrow? It’s Easter and they always have a big celebration in the square downtown. Henry’s a little young, but they have the Easter Bunny there, and some other fun stuff. I thought I might get some cute photos of his first Easter.”

  “I’d like that. What time should we meet?”

  “Meet me here at nine? We can walk to the square.”

  “I’ll see you then.” Liam turned in his seat and blew a kiss to Henry. Then he got out of the car and blew her a quick kiss, too. He quietly shut the door behind him, so as not to wake the sleeping baby.

  Trisha watched him walk to his truck, her hand on her cheek as if she could feel where his kiss landed. As if she could hold it there for a while. The realization washed over her slowly, in a chill wave of clarity. She wasn’t just lashing out at Liam to protect Henry. She was trying to protect her own heart, too.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE SHELTER CREEK Easter Celebration was in full swing. Kids were running around clutching empty baskets for the upcoming egg hunt, vendors were selling food and drinks. People had brought picnics and set up blankets and chairs around the edge of the grassy town square. There was a long line at the gazebo, where people were waiting to get their photo with the Easter Bunny.

  Trisha, always organized, had gotten them there early, so they hadn’t had to wait for Henry’s Easter photo. Then they’d had one taken with the three of them together. Their very first family photo. Liam figured both he and Trisha looked pretty awkward in it, but maybe that was okay. At least it was honest.

  Now he was standing with Trisha and all her friends, watching Jace’s younger kids participate in the egg-rolling event. Carly, their older sister, had wandered off a while ago, disappearing into one of those clumps of teenage girls who seemed to function as one big blob, moving around the town square together in a conglomeration of color and motion and high-pitched giggles.

  Trisha was leaning on the handlebar of Henry’s jogging stroller. “Jace is taking this egg roll really seriously,” Liam whispered to her. He was rewarded with a smile as she looked at Jace to see what Liam meant.

  Jace was on the sidelines coaching Alex in the best way to push his egg forward with the long-handled wooden spoon.

  “He might even be turning into a helicopter parent,” Trisha whispered back, only half joking. “I think he’s trying to give those kids everything they never had before they came to live with him. He goes all out for every holiday.”

  “That’s cool. I want to be like that. Super dad.” Liam knelt down next to Henry, who had a front row view of the egg roll from his stroller. “What do you think, buddy? Me and you, winning this egg roll in about three years?”

  H
is son looked at him with huge blue eyes. “Gah ma,” he said, which Liam decided to take as meaning “I’m in.”

  Trisha was watching him with a look he couldn’t decipher. It was strange being in such an intimate situation, learning to parent with someone you barely knew. But Liam was determined to relish these first days with his son.

  It was all still sinking in. He’d wake up every morning in his little cabin on Jace’s ranch, sleepy and stretching, and then it would hit him. He was a dad. But without any immediate daddy duties and responsibilities, the thought seemed almost abstract. He was a dad, but nothing had really changed in his life except the baby books he’d been studying like Scripture.

  He hoped he’d find a way to get Trisha to trust him, but right now she was still reluctant to let him take on any real responsibility. Even here, at the Shelter Creek Easter Celebration, surrounded by her friends, who all considered Henry family, she hovered like a moth, fluttering around Henry every moment, and especially any moments where Liam tried to pay attention to the little guy.

  A cheer rose from the crowd and Liam refocused on the egg roll. An older kid had come in first place, but Amy was right on his heels with a lucky shot across the finish line. Alex was still pretty far back, but he was laughing at something Jace said, so that was good.

  Vivian left her spot next to Trisha and ran to help collect the kids. A pang of envy ambushed Liam. He wanted that with Trisha and Henry. That ease. That solid knowledge that they were a family, and they had each other’s backs.

  But how could he have that? He owed it to his family to return to Texas and help transform the way they ran the ranch. His brothers and father had given him a new chance at life, paid for rehab, forgiven his stealing, his lying, his betrayals. He could probably move to California eventually, but not now. Not until he’d done his part in Texas.

  He glanced at Trisha, wondering if she’d be willing to come to Texas. If he could just make her see that they were a family, that she and Henry were better off with him in their lives, she might do it. Trouble was, she saw him as a kid, not ready for responsibility. He wasn’t even sure she really liked him at all, though their walk yesterday had seemed to ease things a bit.