Her Surprise Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  A thin cry came from the bedroom. Trisha stood up. “I guess he’s really not feeling well, if he can’t sleep.”

  Liam rose, too. “You eat a few more bites. I’ll go get him.”

  Doubt warred with hunger. “Are you sure? Just pick him up and try dancing with him again. Call me if he’s wet.”

  “No problem.” Liam disappeared into the bedroom and Trisha indulged in a few more delicious mouthfuls of food. She heard Henry cry a little harder as Liam picked him up, and then the cries quieted.

  It felt absolutely decadent to just sit and eat while someone else saw to Henry’s needs. If she set aside her worries, and her need to be in control of every little thing when it came to Henry, she might actually get used to this.

  * * *

  LIAM GAVE HENRY the little bear he found near the changing table and removed the baby’s soggy diaper. He tossed it into the diaper pail, then reached for the wipes just like Lillian had shown him with the doll last night. One hand on the baby’s belly at all times, one hand setting the clean diaper over the baby in case he had an accident on the table. He found the wipes, cleaned Henry up and wrestled the fresh diaper on. It was definitely harder on a real baby than a doll, but in the end, it didn’t look too bad.

  “Okay, let’s get you in some dry pajama bottoms.” Liam scooped Henry up and went to the dresser, opening drawers until he found them.

  “What are you doing?” Trisha came through the doorway, looking shocked that her baby was only half dressed. “Does he need changing?”

  “I just changed him.” Liam motioned to the dresser with his free hand. “Can you point me toward clean pajamas?”

  She looked completely mystified but she rummaged in a drawer, then handed him some soft cotton pajama pants with dogs on them.

  He took Henry back to the changing table and laid him down again. “I wasn’t sure what to do with his wet pants,” he said conversationally. “Should I rinse them in the hall bathroom?”

  “Um...sure, that would be great.” She was watching him slide Henry’s clean pants on with the funniest expression on her face. Part disbelief, part protective mama bear. “How do you know how to do all this stuff?”

  “Oh, I guess I’m not completely inept, that’s all.” It was way more fun to pretend like he was a natural baby whisperer than to reveal the baby lessons he’d had last night.

  Once Henry’s pants were on, Liam picked him up and handed him off to Trisha. The baby coughed a couple times and Trisha felt his forehead. “His fever doesn’t seem worse. Maybe this is a cold.”

  “Do you have a humidifier? That might help with his stuffy nose and cough.”

  “You know about those, too?” Trisha shook her head like she couldn’t believe it. “There’s one in the closet right there. Be sure to—”

  “Add salt. Yeah, no problem. Is there some in your kitchen?”

  “In the cupboard to the right of the stove. But how did you know about that?”

  “I’ve learned some things.” The truth was, when Lillian had called to let him know that Henry was sick, he’d asked her questions about what he could do to help the baby feel better. She’d told him about the humidifier. And the salt.

  He got the humidifier, went to the kitchen to add water and salt, and brought it back into the bedroom. “Where should I plug it in?”

  Trisha indicated the table near the crib. “That will be fine.” She was swaying back and forth with Henry, as if there was music on. Their son was snuggled against her chest and when she bent to kiss his head Liam’s heart went all soft and he had to hold himself back from going over there and wrapping his arms around both of them. They were becoming a part of him so fast, it was scary.

  “I’ll just wait out in the living room,” he told her and hurried out of the bedroom, down the hall and straight out the front door. The night air smelled like wet leaves and earth and he breathed it in, trying to catch his mind up with the feelings growing inside. It was a lot to fathom, how much he was starting to care.

  When he stepped back into the house, Trisha was leaving Henry’s room. She tiptoed toward him down the hall. “He’s sleeping for now.” She went into the living room and flopped down on the couch. “Thank goodness.”

  He went to sit next to her. “You’re a good mom.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate all of your help.”

  “It’s what I’m here for.” They sat in silence for a moment and he thought about saying what was in his heart. Maybe it would scare her off, but maybe it would make her see that he really was here for her, in more ways than just as Henry’s daddy.

  “There’s one thing I left out, when I told you about my past.”

  She looked at him with wide, worried eyes. “Uh-oh.”

  He smiled at the dread in her tone. “It’s nothing that bad, I promise. It’s just that I didn’t tell you the whole truth, when I told you why I left you that night in San Antonio. It wasn’t just that I was taking drugs and was unreliable. That night was a catalyst for me. It made me want to get help.”

  “It did? How?”

  “It’s hard to explain. You were so pretty and sweet, even when you’d had way too much champagne.”

  She pressed her palms to her cheeks. “I still can’t believe how I behaved.”

  “Is it terrible to say that I’m glad you did? It got us Henry, and I think it might have saved my life. I realized that night that I wanted to be the kind of guy someone like you would love. I could suddenly see a future that I wanted so badly. A future where I was clean and sober and in love with a woman as classy and smart and beautiful as you. I wanted it to be you, but I knew I had a long journey ahead of me if I was going to get clean. We’d just met. I couldn’t ask you to stick around for that.”

  She glanced at him with compassionate eyes and he held out a hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she put her hand in his and he held on, savoring the connection.

  “I left the hotel that night and drove back to the ranch. I got there just as my father and brothers were starting the day. I told them the truth about my addiction and begged them to get me some help.”

  “I had no idea.” She turned her body to face him, as if she wanted to study his face for the meaning in all this.

  “Ever since that night, I’ve thought of you as my angel. As the person who made me realize how much I wanted to change, and how sweet life could be if I did.”

  Trisha put her free hand on top of their clasped ones. “I’m so glad you got the help you needed.”

  He looked down into her blue eyes, feeling like he could live or die by what was reflected there. He feared her pity, wanted her admiration. He was relieved to see a flicker of the latter.

  “It makes me happy to think that I might have made a difference for you.”

  “You did. And you do now.”

  He shouldn’t. There were a thousand reasons why he shouldn’t. They were just figuring out the situation with Henry. They didn’t need to make things any more complicated. But he gave in to the pull, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, relishing the softness of her mouth and the way she kissed him back.

  Pulse speeding, he ran his fingers into her hair and kissed her again and again, not wanting to stop. But he had to. The voice of reason was unwelcome, but it was right. Having Henry meant they had to take things slow. He had to go slow, build trust between them and help her see all the reasons they should be together as a family.

  He kissed her one last time, softly, and pulled away, studying the dazed look in her eyes, hoping it was a sign that she’d liked their kisses as much as he had.

  Her slow, satisfied smile was his sheer relief.

  “I’d like to date you,” he said. “Really date you. Take you places, spend time with you, get to know you. Can we do that?”

  Her yes was spoken on a shaky breath, but he heard it loud and clear.

&
nbsp; “And I’d like to help with Henry, however I can. I want to learn to be his daddy. Can I do that, too?”

  Her smile faded a little. “Yes. But I think Henry is already pretty crazy about you. Please don’t break his little heart.” She didn’t say it, but he heard it loud and clear. Or mine.

  “I won’t. I know we can figure out any obstacle in our way.” He’d show her that they belonged together. Even if it meant they’d live in Texas for a while. He kissed her one more time, on the forehead. “But for now, let’s take it easy.”

  “You mean no more kissing?” The glance she shot him was a combination of shy and flirty that could annihilate the best intentions of any man. But he wasn’t just any man. He was Henry’s daddy and he was going to get this right. “How about we finish our food, and then watch a movie? It’s not the most exciting first date, but it’s something.”

  She smiled and pushed herself off the couch. “It sounds like a nice way to spend an evening when we’re home with a sick baby.”

  He followed her to the dining room. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  She turned to face him and put her hands to his chest to stop him. Going up on tiptoe, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. “That’s a yes.”

  She went into the kitchen to reheat their food. Liam put a hand to his cheek and felt her kiss still lingering. A blessing from an angel, his angel, saving his life back then in San Antonio, and rebuilding it tonight, here in Shelter Creek.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THE FOG WAS thick this morning and gave the still-dark hills a mysterious aura. The sound of the horses’ hoofbeats, Vivian’s and Carly’s voices, and the early-morning birdsong were all muffled by the blowing clouds. Through the mist, Liam spotted the gate to the pasture.

  “Let’s leave the horses back here,” he said to Vivian and Carly. He dismounted and led Wild Bill over to the fence. “We don’t want to disturb the coyote, assuming it’s around today.

  “I hope it is,” Vivian said. “It will be a bummer if Maya, Trisha and Emily bring the pups up here for nothing.” She slid off her horse and tied it near Wild Bill, then turned to Carly. “Are you good?”

  “I’m great!” The teenager slid easily off her horse. “Life always seems a lot more interesting before dawn, doesn’t it?”

  “That’s because you’re young,” Vivian said with a yawn.

  But Liam knew what Carly meant. It was one of the things he loved about ranching. The early pearly light, his mama had called it. The way the colors hadn’t seeped into the landscape yet, and the Texas heat hadn’t either. It was like being in an old photograph.

  He missed Texas suddenly, with a sharp feeling that went beyond the dusty hills and enormous sky. He missed his mom. Maybe realizing he was a parent brought the emotional things to the surface. He sure wished she’d lived to meet her grandson. Cancer stole so much. Not just someone’s life but all the good they might have done, all the connections they would have made.

  The sound of a truck coming up the dirt track pulled him back to the present.

  “There they are.” Vivian waved to the approaching pickup. Carly ran to open the gate, and Maya pulled the truck into the pasture. Trisha and Emily were crammed into the cab next to her. There were five crates in the back, a coyote pup in each.

  “Good morning,” Maya said through her open widow. “Any sign of the adult yet?”

  “We just got here,” Vivian answered. “We haven’t gone close to look, in case we scared her off.”

  Yips and yowls rose from the back of the truck.

  “They sure are chatty,” Carly said.

  “That’s a good thing,” Maya said. “If the adult coyote hears them, she’ll be intrigued. She’ll most likely stick around to see what’s going on. I’m going to drive right on over to where we’ve seen her.”

  “We’ll walk over and meet you,” Liam said. He caught Trisha’s eye through the window and tipped his hat to her. “Nice to see you.”

  She blew him a kiss and waved as Maya drove on across the pasture.

  “Aw, aren’t you two so sweet.” Vivian took him by the arm as they walked along the track, following the truck. “It’s good to see you so happy.”

  Carly had gone back to close the gate. Now she jogged up to walk alongside them. “Are we talking about how cute Liam and Trisha are?” She pressed her hands to her chest. “It’s so romantic.”

  Liam was pretty sure just about everything was romantic to Carly. She was going on seventeen, pretty as a picture and, according to Jace, had her first boyfriend. The kid was the star of the high school rodeo team, something Jace was none too sure about.

  “How about you not talk about our cuteness and spare your old friend Liam some embarrassment.”

  “Oh, come on, you know you’re a total romantic.” Vivian nudged Liam with her elbow. “I heard how you took Trisha and Henry on a tailgate picnic to the beach on Saturday. Trisha said you thought of everything. Champagne, blankets in case the fog came in, sand toys for Henry... Maybe you can give Jace a few lessons in romance.” She smiled fondly just mentioning her husband’s name. “Well...no, he does okay, actually.”

  “Ugh! Please don’t mention Uncle Jace in the same sentence as the word romance,” Carly protested. But she was smiling at Vivian. The two of them had a tight bond.

  “Sorry. I’ll spare you the details.”

  They’d reached the truck. Trisha and Emily had the tailgate down and were inspecting the pups to make sure they’d fared okay in their carriers.

  “They’ve gotten big.” Liam hadn’t seen them, except on the video feed, since the day they’d caught them. In just a few weeks, they’d tripled in size. “They look like smaller versions of adult coyotes now. They’re not fuzzy little pups anymore.”

  “They’re so cool looking,” Carly said. “I love their ears.”

  Maya had walked over to the pasture fence with her binoculars. She turned and headed back to them. “I see her,” she said. “She’s up pretty high on that cliff, watching us.” She pointed. “See that small scrub oak growing about halfway up? Look to the left.”

  They all squinted through the dim light, and then Liam saw her, sitting perfectly camouflaged in the dirt like one of those optical illusion puzzles that looked like one thing, but when you stared at it, was really something else. The coyote was watching the truck intently, her ears perked way forward. Surely she could hear the pups.

  Trisha came over to Liam’s side and put her arms around him. “It’s good to see you,” she said quietly.

  Liam returned the embrace and kissed her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. After three weeks, it still felt like a dream to him, that he could do this. Hug her. Kiss her. Spend time with her and Henry. They were growing into a family, and he and Trisha were growing into so much more. It wasn’t just Henry that connected them. It was something deep down, as if his heart and mind and muscle and bone, his very cells, knew her. Like they’d been waiting for her to show up in his life, so all his pieces could fall into place, just right.

  “Here’s what I want to do.” Maya started toward the back of the truck. “I want to release the biggest pup first. The gray one with the big attitude.”

  “Boss Hogg?” Trisha said. “Good idea.”

  “That’s what you call him?” Liam looked down at her in surprise. “I thought you weren’t going to name any more animals. You got so attached to those bunnies, you almost had a nervous breakdown when we set them free.”

  “I wasn’t, but old habits die hard. And Boss Hogg was so piggy, trying to get all the food, I couldn’t resist.”

  “Wasn’t Boss Hogg a character on some old TV show?” Emily slipped on thick leather gloves and reached for the pup’s crate.

  “Can we focus, people?” Maya put a hand to her forehead in mock distress. “I swear, sometimes you all forget that we’re supposed to be scientific aro
und here.”

  “We haven’t had enough coffee to focus,” Vivian said. But she pulled on her gloves and reached for the other side of the crate to help Emily.

  “Are you doing okay?” Liam brought his mouth close to Trisha’s ear and kept his voice low. “I know you get all emotional about coyotes.”

  Trisha jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “Only when dumb ranchers shoot them.”

  “This dumb rancher is a lot smarter now.” He kissed her hair one more time, then let her go. “We’d better get to work or Maya will get even more riled up.”

  “I heard that,” Maya said, flashing him a dry smile. “Here, big guy. You can unload the second-in-command.” She pointed to a crate holding a pup that had a lot more brown in its fur than the first one.

  Liam pulled his gloves out of his back pocket and headed for the truck, then glanced back at Trisha. “You have a name for this one, too?”

  She sighed and came toward him, yanking on her gloves. “Lieutenant.”

  “Busted. And the other three?”

  They each took one side of the crate and lifted it down to the ground. “The small gray girl is Minnie Mouse. The larger girl is Tulip, because she walks on her tiptoes. The blue-eyed boy is Wolf.”

  “You’ve gotten attached.” He couldn’t help but tease her. “Will there be tears tonight?”

  “No.” She caught his look of disbelief and caved. “Okay, maybe a few. But I’m okay letting them go. We did this thing right, I think. Look at Wolf snarling at us. They’re not used to humans and can’t wait to get away from us. That’s a good outcome. Plus, hopefully they’ll have their mama welcoming them home.”

  “I’m so glad she’s stopped limping.” Liam glanced at the coyote up on the hill. “I feel like a weight has been lifted from my conscience.”

  “I’ll feel better if she moves toward us.” Maya was looking through her binoculars again. “I was hoping she’d show a little more curiosity about the pups.”