The Cowboy's Baby: A BWWM Billionaire Cowboy Pregnancy Romance

by Cristina Grenier

  He’d been born an outdoors-man and an outdoors-man he would remain. If he couldn’t really get his hands in what he was working with, his own idleness would drive him out of his mind. He felt more at home rounding up cows and their calves in the wilderness than he felt in a starched suit in a boardroom.

  Something Alyssa had yet to understand.

  But he would have patience with her. When you loved someone, you had to have patience. Alyssa had stuck by him for three years when other women didn’t have the patience. He himself had very little wherewithal when it came to women just after his money and success. Alyssa was different.

  Or at least…she had been. Now things could get a bit…complicated.

  “I can’t leave in the middle of breeding season, hon. How about in a few weeks?”

  “Daniel, they say now is the best time to go. Lots of important business people…lots of hobnobbing-”

  “Yeah, but what about us? Are you sure you should be getting on planes while we’re trying to…you know?”

  At the inquiry, a loud huff ensued from the other line. “Daniel, I’m not pregnant. Not yet. I’d know if I was.”

  “I know, honey, but the doctor said that as long as we were going to continue to try -“

  “Oh for the love of god, Dan. Don’t you care anything about my needs? You’re putting this kid first and it hasn’t even been conceived yet. You know what? Call me back when you’re more in the mood to talk rationally.”

  The line clicked, going dead in his ear. For a moment, Daniel pulled his horse up short, keeping a firm grip on Dante as he stared at the device in his hand. Christ. That hadn’t gone well.

  To tell the truth, things had been a bit strained between him and Alyssa ever since they’d begun to speak about having a child. Well…more strained. The younger woman had made it clear to him after a year of dating that she had no interest in marriage. Marriage, Alyssa declared, was just another way to feed the divorce courts. The idea had taken some time for Daniel to wrap his head around. Being southern born and raised, he’d always been taught to treat a woman well – and that marriage should be the end goal.

  Ultimately, he’d accepted things the way Alyssa wanted, but children were something he absolutely couldn’t compromise on. He’d grown up an only child and always wanted siblings. As an adult, he’d always pictured himself with a house full of children – and he’d made that very clear to his girlfriend.

  After some huffing and puffing on her part, she’d finally agreed to work with him on conceiving – and they’d been in the process of trying to get pregnant for the last year and a half to no avail. All the doctors they visited told them that Alyssa might have a harder time conceiving than other women, but that was no reason not to try. She was certainly able – and Daniel was more than fertile enough to be able to overcome her biological shortcomings.

  So then, why hadn’t they conceived?

  It remained a mystery to the rancher.

  Daniel was coming up on his forties, and he’d hoped to be married with children by this point. His parents were always asking him when they were going to meet their grand babies and he wanted nothing more than to provide them.

  He was just somewhat lacking in Alyssa’s participation. She didn’t often want to get down and dirty, and when she did, he rarely finished. There was, however, no type of protection involved – as far as he knew – so they should have had a fair chance by now.

  Swallowing thickly, Daniel maneuvered his horse back onto the long path that led towards the stables. There, Dante would be penned in preparation for the performance he’d be required to exhibit for the next few weeks. The bull already had hundreds of children – he was the ranch’s top breeder.

  Daniel had never in his life thought he might be envious of a side of beef.

  ***

  Chapter Two: Gone Girl

  Esme sat in the plush waiting room of the surrogate clinic, trying not to gape at her surroundings. She’s known that it took a lot of money to procure someone else’s body, but a private hospital? With digs more suited to a five star hotel than a medical facility?

  It was all new to her.

  When she’d first called the number she’d seen on television, Esme had expected some sort of blanket, automated questionnaire. Instead, she’d gotten a real live person who had asked for her information before scheduling a doctor’s appointment for her. That was the first time she had been into the swanky clinic – and upon that visit she’d been pinched and prodded to within an inch of her life. Every sort of bloodwork taken – every kind of test done. She’d been in the center for a good three or four hours before they had released her, and still, she hadn’t thought that very much would come of it.

  Then, in the midst of her search for a new chef job, she’d gotten the call that had brought her into the center today: She’d been matched with a prospective couple and they wanted to meet her.

  And just like that, the young woman’s life had done a complete three sixty. While Esme hadn’t given up on finding the kitchen position of her dreams, now that something more concrete was beckoning, she didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  She’d dressed very carefully – in her best black dress – and tried to do something with her unruly hair. All in all, she thought she looked quite presentable. Like a distinguished young woman from the upper middle class rather than the scrounging cook she was. But, all in all, these people would care nothing about what she did or where she had come from. As long as she hadn’t been in trouble with the law or had any children previously, all that mattered was her pristine bill of health.

  And Esme’s was quite pristine.

  So much so that her recruiter had told her that there’d actually been a bidding war over her body – with the winner being one of the most prolific and moneyed businessmen in the US. Of course, Carmen couldn’t reveal the man’s name – and Esme would be required to sign a confidentiality agreement if the couple did, indeed, decide to use her; but none of that mattered to her. A child was child – no matter how high or low born. What she needed now was a way to pay her bills before she was on the street.

  “Esme?”

  The young woman’s head jerked up at Carmen’s soft, slightly accented tones. The Hispanic woman was moving through the sea of plush consulting chairs with a couple in tow. Immediately, Esme stood reflexively to meet them. “Esme, this is Daniel Hartsford and his partner Alyssa Stamos.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” The words left Esme’s lips automatically, before fading into silence as she completely and totally lost track of anything further that she might have said. Alyssa was a gorgeous woman – tall and buxom, with a tiny waist, tawny brown eyes and long, dark curls that spiraled past her waist. She was dressed impeccably; everything from her blouse to her shoes was designer –and every strand of hair was effortlessly in place.

  But it was the man who really caught her attention.

  Daniel Hartsford was a household name. He had single-handedly revolutionized the beef business over the past fifteen years and every five star restaurant in the country ordered from his ranch personally. Of course, his company doled out lesser piece of meat as well, but what the man was really known for was the way he pampered his cows; almost akin to the way Kobe cows were spoiled in Japan.

  Esme had heard the man had brought in several Japanese zoologists who knew the secrets of the Kobe cows to implement them on his own steers, but she had no idea if the rumors were true. All she knew was that the few times she’d had the privilege of tasting the premium cuts of Hartsford beef, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

  Esme didn’t think she’d ever really gotten a good look at the man. The few times she’d seen him on TV, she’d gotten the distinct impression that he was avoiding the spotlight.

  The young woman had absolutely no idea why. The man had to be coming up on his fortieth birthday and he easily looked ten years younger. He cut an amazingly striking figure – at over six and a half feet tall, with s
kin tanned by hours spent in the sunlight. The man wore a blanket of dirty blonde stubble with aplomb, the prickly hairs framing his full mouth beneath a nose that looked as if it had been in its share of fights. Surprisingly, its slight bend only enhanced the masculinity of his features – large, piercing blue eyes and blonde-brown hair swept back from his brow and secured with an impeccable Stetson.

  The man’s broad shoulders stretched at the seams of a dark blue chambray shirt tucked into khakis that accentuated slender hips and long legs. Of course, the man wore cowboy boots as well, but they didn’t look polished or expensive. Rather, they were quite beat up and dusty in comparison to the rest of his clean-cut outfit. A navy blazer – no doubt tailored to fit his long-armed form – finished the ensemble; and when put together, it was enough to make Esme’s mouth dry slightly.

  She’d never been one for country boys.

  Hailing from the West Coast, originally, she’d always been more interested in surfers and socialites – those who had stories to tell. But this country boy, she reminded herself, was one of the most successful businessmen in the world. No doubt he certainly had his fair share of stories to tell.

  “Ahem.”

  Esme was forced back to reality by Alyssa poignantly clearing her throat, gazing at the young woman with an expression that could only be described as toxic. Esme quickly dropped her eyes from the imposing cowboy’s before her, shaking his hand quickly and trying to ignore the electric shock of arousal that shot up her spine. He smelled like leather, spice and the outdoors; an altogether alluring scent she’d never encountered before.

  She couldn’t, however, dwell on such things – and quickly moved to shake Alyssa’s hand as well. When the dark-eyed beauty grasped her hand with perfectly manicured fingers, Esme could have sworn she was trying to break it. She squeezed hard enough to cut off the circulation to Esme’s fingers, making the young woman wince. All the while, the saccharine sweet smile on her face warned Esme what would happen if she was caught staring at Daniel again. “So pleased to meet you.”

  Alyssa’s sharp tone suggested she was anything but pleased.

  “Let’s all have a seat” With a serene smile, Carmen gestured for them all to sit in a group of plush chairs. Once they were all settled, with the facilitator in the middle, Carmen continued. “So, Esme, Daniel and Alyssa have decided that they’re ready to become parents. They’ve been trying for some time…but have found themselves unable to conceive.”

  “…well, perhaps not trying as much as we could have.” Daniel’s words were uttered in a baritone growl infused with the twang of one born and raised in the deep south. The timbre had a surprising effect on Esme, making her thighs clench in unexpected arousal. The man sounded bitter and a bit embarrassed at the same time to be present in a surrogate clinic.

  Alyssa, however, only waved him off with a sigh. “He’s been pressuring me. You know, I have biological issues. The doctors said they didn’t know if I’d be able to conceive, so I figured…instead of putting all the strain on my body, why not use someone elses? I mean, it’s my egg, and his sperm, right? Just put inside her?”

  She directed the question at Carmen, almost as if Esme wasn’t even present, and the young woman swallowed the answering irritation that welled in her chest. This woman didn’t know her from Adam and was already objectifying her. One would think she’d have more respect for the individual potentially bearing her child.

  “Something like that, Ms. Stamos. Your egg would be implanted into Esme’s womb and fertilized with Daniel’s seed, yes. Then she would carry the baby to term.”

  “But Danny isn’t having sex with her, right?” The animosity in the woman’s tone was plain as she glared at Esme, and it was all that the young woman could do not to reach over and claw her eyes out.

  It’s a paycheck, Esme, she reminded herself; Just a paycheck.

  “It doesn’t have to be done that way, no.” Carmen replied slowly, attempting to remain diplomatic. “Everything can be done by our doctors here.”

  “Good. Well, I’m on board, as long as it’s not my body being thrown out of whack.”

  “Alyssa, darin’…” Daniel shot his partner a pained look to which she merely glared back at him.

  “What, Danny? I thought we already discussed this? You want a kid, so we’re having a kid. I’ve got nine months to prepare, right? She does all the work until then?”

  Esme knew that it wasn’t her place to be in this couple’s personal affairs – and she wouldn’t say a thing. What she would silently ponder was how a child was supposed to fix the obvious issues between these two. Alyssa was obviously straight from the pages of the most recent desperate housewives catalogue. Daniel, however – the billionaire beef baron – seemed overwhelmed by his arm candy.

  There had to be something he saw in her, right? Maybe the prospect of having a child had her on edge – or maybe she was just nervous to be meeting the person who’d be carrying her DNA inside of them.

  Maybe she was just a bitch.

  Either way, it was none of Esme’s affair. If this couple wanted to have a baby, she was just the vessel. Even so…she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Daniel. It was obvious that he was the one who really wanted the child – Alyssa was just going along with things to keep him happy. Well, relatively happy.

  “Well, there will be doctors’ visits involved.” Carmen responded to Alyssa’s latest proclamation with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. “I’m sure you two will want to check up on Esme’s progress as she goes through her pregnancy. She’ll be visiting the clinic every two weeks or so for ultrasounds, to check on her nutrition, to make sure the baby is healthy-”

  “Yeah, alright. We’ve got it. Responsibilities. We’ll do our best to make it.” Alyssa waved the facilitator off as if she were no more important than a buzzing fly. “Where do we sign? And how much is the check?”

  Esme hid her grimace, trying to tell herself that this was Hartsford’s problem and not hers. At the very least, the kid would come out a peach. His parents were both gorgeous.

  “We will make it.” Daniel leaned forward, locking eyes with Esme so she stiffened in her seat. “You can be certain of that. Every appointment. And we’ll be taking your contact information to keep in touch with you.” He extracted a gleaming silver business card from his pocket to lay on the table before her. Esme’s gaze flicked over it briefly – just long enough to scan the information engraved there.

  DANIEL HARTSFORD

  PRESIDENT and CEO

  HARTSFORD BEEF HOLDINGS

  ENID, SOUTH DAKOTA

  (342) 881-0978

  “That’s my personal number.” Her gaze rose to his once more and she flushed under the intensity off their cerulean stare. “If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call. We’ll need to speak again as soon as you’ve conceived, of course, to go over the health plan, nutrition and the doctor’s appointment schedule.”

  When he spoke of his hypothetical child, the man was articulate and very serious, his expression earnest. Whatever interest that Alyssa didn’t seem to have in her potential son or daughter, Daniel had in spades. It was evident in the softness of his eyes and the excitement in his accented baritone that a child was what he wanted more than anything else in the world.

  And Esme found that endearing.

  How many men wanted to have children? Desired them so badly that even the thought galvanized them into enthusiastic promises – into commitments with women it might be better to think twice about?

  Once again, not her business.

  Esme allowed herself, for a brief moment, to get lost in the warmth of Daniel’s gaze. Slowly, she nodded, taking the card from where he’d lain it on the table. “Of course.”

  Alyssa had mentioned something about this gorgeous man “pressuring” her to try for a baby. If someone who looked like Daniel Hartsford asked to knock her up, Esme would be sprinting for the bedroom. For the love of God, the man was massive. He must be hung like a h
orse…able to throw a woman around in whatever way he pleased…

  “Well, if we’re officially decided,” Carmen cut the awkward silence with a smooth interjection. She looked from Daniel and a scowling Alyssa to Esme and then back again. “We can get the paperwork all settled. Once everything is signed and the legal procedures have been seen to, we can go through the implanting and fertilization process with Esme by the end of this week.” She withdrew a thick sheaf of papers, which she divided in half before giving the first portion to Esme and the second to Daniel. “These will be the terms you agreed on, Daniel and Alyssa. If you’ll just look them over, Esme?”

  Oh, she was looking them over alright. Looking them over and trying to keep her eyes from popping out of her head. The terms set in the contract before her were nothing like what she’d expected. Of course, she’d known all her medical expenses would be paid for – all the doctor’s visits and hospital fees. There was an extra stipend to buy what would be required in her nutrition plan, but in addition to that, Hartsford was putting forth five thousand dollars a month for each of the nine months of her pregnancy for “additional expenses”.

  That was ten times the amount of her rent – and more than she could ever spend. To be completely honest, the young woman felt a bit uncomfortable with the amount, and before she signed the paper, she voiced her concern.

  “Mr. Hartsford…I think this is a bit much. Five thousand a month…I don’t need anywhere near that.” As much as she wanted to be comfortable, she wasn’t going to take someone else’s money just because she could. The comfort she sought would be of her own making – and not ill-procured.

  “Please, take it.” The man’s gaze pleaded with her as his pen hovered over the line requiring his signature. “It’s pittance to me, and I want to make sure that the mother of my child has every possible comfort. For the baby’s sake.”