The Rancher's Surprise Baby

by Trish Milburn

  They fell easily into a conversation about all things gardening, and Mandy found it just as easy to talk with Mrs. Hartley as her own mom. When that thought bumped up against the one about how much the women were alike and how they both had fantastic gardens, an idea formed that made so much sense she couldn’t contain her excitement.

  Mandy sat back on her heels and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I may have just had the best idea in the history of ideas.”

  Mrs. Hartley smiled. “Well, this I’ve got to hear.”

  “I think with the combined expertise you and my mom have, you two should start a farmers’ market in town. You could sell your extra crops, invite others to do the same, maybe hold it a certain day each week or month and during special events like the street fair over Labor Day weekend.” She shared all the ideas that had been floating among the downtown merchants.

  When Mandy realized she was yammering on and on, she stopped speaking abruptly. “Sorry, guess I got a little excited. This might be something I could talk my mom into, especially if I had someone else on my side.”

  Mrs. Hartley smiled. “You’re right. It is a good idea. Why don’t you bring over your mom soon and we’ll discuss it?”

  Mandy was so involved in her conversation with Mrs. Hartley that she didn’t notice Ben at first. But when she detected movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned to see him walking toward them.

  “Hey,” she said, bordering on giddy at the sight of him.

  “How did you get here?”

  “Rode my bike.”

  His expression tensed. “Are you crazy?”

  She felt her smile slide right off her face as if the sun had melted it.

  He pointed in the general direction of the road. “With a mountain lion running around—”

  She held up her hand. “They captured him this morning and he’s being relocated a long way from here.”

  That news surprised him, but the storm clouds in his eyes didn’t lessen.

  “It’s still not safe to ride a bike on that road.” He pulled out his phone. Was he calling to verify what she’d told him?

  “You don’t believe me?” She felt her own irritation start to boil, and it didn’t help that the patch of shade she’d been in earlier had moved away from her, leaving her in the baking sunlight.

  “I’m calling Greg. He’s getting your car fixed today, or I’m taking it somewhere else.”

  Honestly, in that moment she didn’t know whether to be thankful she might get her car back soon or ticked off at Ben’s attitude. Maybe there was room for both. She’d gladly accept the former, but she’d let Ben know that she wasn’t putting up with the latter, no matter how good-looking he was.

  Chapter Eight

  “Just make it happen,” Ben said to Greg before ending the call. When he turned back to face Mandy and his mom, it was to find strikingly similar expressions on their faces, ones that didn’t bode well for him.

  “You know, I think I’ll go inside,” his mother said after glancing over at Mandy.

  He moved to help his mom but she waved him off. “I’m perfectly capable of getting myself into the house.”

  The extra edge to her words gave him pause. He hadn’t heard that tone in quite some time, and it told him that she was disappointed in him. Because he was concerned for Mandy’s safety?

  Despite his mom’s assertion that she was fine on her own, he did open the back door for her and only closed it once he saw she’d settled herself in the living room chair and propped her injured ankle on the ottoman. When he turned around, however, Mandy had gone back to work in the garden and wasn’t paying him any attention. He took a moment to inhale a deep breath, long enough to realize that maybe he’d come on a bit too strong. But he hadn’t known the cat was no longer a threat, and he hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said the road wasn’t safe for a bike.

  He watched Mandy’s movements, and while they didn’t seem angry, gone was her bubbly warmth. With another breath, he walked toward the garden.

  “I’m sorry if I sounded like an ass.”

  She looked up at him, squinting against the sun. “I’m not an idiot, you know.”

  “I know that. I just don’t like the idea of you getting hurt.”

  “And I appreciate it. That’s why I’m going to let you off the hook.”

  A smile tugged at his mouth, but he did his best not to let it show. He was getting off easy and didn’t want to spoil it. Instead, he gestured toward the garden surrounding her.

  “Anything I can do?”

  “Yes, actually. How good are you at carpentry?”

  She proceeded to tell him about the plan to set both of their moms to work starting a farmers’ market in town, and how they could use some display tables, maybe a sign. He had to admit, he liked the idea. Every member of his family was always looking for new ways to bring in more revenue streams to keep the ranch running and able to be passed on to future generations. None of them wanted to risk this ranch, which had been in the family since Woodrow Wilson was president.

  “Think your mom will go for it?” he asked.

  “I’m going to do my best to convince her, and I’ve got your mom as an ally. Wouldn’t mind another.”

  “You’ve got my support, but I don’t know that I would be any help with your mom.”

  “You might be surprised.”

  What an odd response. Maybe she just meant the more advocates, the better.

  Mandy pulled one last patch of weeds and dusted off her hands. When she moved to push herself to her feet, he extended his hand. She took it, and in a moment of pure selfishness, he tugged her upward with a stronger pull than necessary, causing her to stumble into him. Of course, he caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He let his smile form when he heard her quick intake of breath and saw the surprise in her eyes.

  “So, about that date.”

  * * *

  MANDY DID HER best not to look guilty as Devon dropped her off at Greg’s garage the next afternoon. Word was he still didn’t know who had streamered his truck, and Mandy wanted to keep it that way.

  Greg was putting air in someone’s tire when he spotted her. “Go on in the office. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  She stepped inside the small office, which was as completely male as the man who ran the place. A small counter held a cash register and credit-card reader. The walls were filled with a large-print calendar with a picture of a hot rod that looked like something out of an old ZZ Top video, posters for the local rodeos and various high school sports teams, and an ad for motor oil. In fact, the office had a bit of a motor-oil smell to it. Opposite the counter was a wire rack filled with a variety of junk food for sale.

  “Guess I better give your car back before Ben decides I need my face rearranged,” Greg said as he came through the door that led into the repair bays.

  “He would never do that,” she said, though he had been mighty irritated the day before.

  Greg laughed a little. “I’m not so sure about that. Seems he’s become your knight in shining armor.”

  She ignored his innuendo. “He was only concerned that I was riding my bike out on the road since I didn’t have my car.”

  “Sounded like more than a concerned neighbor to me.”

  She could argue with him, but then how would she explain it when she showed up with Ben at the community movie night in the park, which they’d settled on for their date? So instead of saying anything, she simply shrugged and pulled out her wallet.

  “No need for that,” Greg said. “Ben’s insurance covered it.”

  She couldn’t help the sigh of relief. She chose to live her life simply, not working day and night as her mother always had, but that meant watching how she spent her money. She hadn’t been planning on a big car
repair bill and was thankful she didn’t have to fork over the funds. Even though it was the insurance that paid, for some reason she felt as if she should thank Ben. She shook her head the barest bit, mentally laughing at herself. She supposed she could thank him for paying his insurance premium.

  “Guess you heard about what someone did to my truck,” he said, startling her.

  Hoping she didn’t have guilt written all over her face, she glanced up at him. “Yeah, saw the picture. That must have taken a lot of work to get off.”

  “Yeah, and when I find out who did it, they’re not going to be loving life very much.”

  Mandy managed to nod, as if she agreed with him, while trying to see if she saw any mischief in his eyes that would validate Ben’s belief that Greg was just messing with them. She hoped Ben was right. The last thing she needed was to be charged with vandalism. That should do wonders for customer flow at the store, and she didn’t want to taint the business Devon had worked so hard to build.

  “Well, good luck with that,” she said as she accepted her keys.

  She thought she saw a flicker of surprise in his expression but wasn’t sure. Not wanting to linger, she said goodbye and headed outside. When she sank into the driver’s seat of her car, it was remarkable how good it felt to be in control of her own transportation again. And yet a part of her would miss having Ben act as her chauffeur. She had to say it hadn’t been a bad way to start her days. Safely in the privacy of her car, she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to wake up next to Ben after a night of making love. She had no doubt he’d be good in bed. How could someone look that good, have a smile that turned her heart into a gymnast and not be?

  With a muttered “whew” and a shake of her head, she started the car and headed to work, where she could hopefully replace the images of sexy times with Ben with stocking shelves and helping customers find just the right shade of yarn.

  * * *

  “YOU DON’T CLEAN up half-bad,” Sloane said when Ben walked into the living room.

  “Wait, was that an actual compliment?”

  “Don’t push your luck, buddy.”

  Before she could stop him, he reached over and ruffled her blond hair, an action she had always hated. Of course, that was why he and Neil always did it. Adam seemed to have more sense than they did and kept his hands to himself.

  Sloane batted his hand away. “I take it back. If Mandy is smart, she’ll send you packing.”

  “Sloane, you know that’s not true,” their mom said from where she sat at the kitchen table peeling potatoes. “They’re lucky to have each other.”

  “Mom, we don’t ‘have’ each other,” he said, not wanting her hopes and dreams to run away with her. “It’s one date.”

  “Say whatever you like, but I see how you watch that girl.”

  “She’s been here exactly twice.” Once the day she rode her bike over and then the next when she’d brought her mom to talk to his about the farmers’ market. Of course, in the nearly two days since that second visit, he’d been trying to ignore the way his heart had filled at the look on her face when her mom had agreed to go forward with the market and quit the job that required her to drive to Fredericksburg almost every day. It’d been both the best feeling in the world and the scariest.

  “That’s more than enough time to see you really like her.”

  “Of course I do. She’s nice. Who wouldn’t?”

  “Don’t waste your breath, Mom,” Sloane said. “He’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide once he makes up his mind about something.”

  “You’re one to talk,” he said.

  “I wonder if Mandy is the same way,” their mom said. “Because I saw how she looked at you, too.”

  And how was that? Was he making a mistake going out with her? It was obvious she was a romantic. She regularly kissed a concrete frog in case it might become a prince, after all.

  He’d just have to be clear that while he liked her, perhaps too much, their dating wasn’t going to lead to happily-ever-after unless she could agree that happily-ever-after included no rings, no honeymoons and definitely no kids. Somehow he didn’t think she’d be able to agree to those terms, and that was okay. At least that was what he told himself. He did his best to ignore the snarly feeling he got when he thought about Mandy going out with someone else. That wasn’t fair to her.

  “As much as it pains me to say it, this time Sloane is right,” he said. “Don’t read too much into this. Focus your attention on Neil and Arden’s providing grandbabies or on setting up Sloane with someone.”

  “Hey, leave me out of this!”

  “Don’t think I haven’t tried,” his mom said with a long-suffering sigh.

  “I’m going to the barn,” Sloane said as she jumped up from where she was reading a magazine.

  “Chicken,” he said as she headed for the door.

  “Jerk.”

  He was still laughing as he drove away from the house on his way to pick up Mandy for their casual, no-strings-attached, definitely-not-leading-to-marriage date.

  * * *

  “WILL YOU STOP PACING?” Devon said. “You’re going to wear a trough in my floor.”

  Mandy stopped at the front end of one of the yarn shop’s aisles. “You know I pace when I’m nervous.”

  “Why are you nervous? I thought you said this was nothing more than a casual date.”

  She had said that. Part of her even meant it, or at least wanted to. But there was something at play here that she didn’t understand. Her feelings for Ben had gone from the faucet turned off to full blast in a matter of days. She thought about him all the time.

  “I don’t know.” She flung her hands back and forth. “I have all this excess energy that is making me fidgety.”

  Devon grinned. “I can think of something that might take the edge off.”

  Mandy stopped moving and stared at her friend.

  “Don’t give me that shocked look. And don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

  She couldn’t, not without lying. Of course she’d thought about it. Who could look at Ben for more than two seconds and not have those kinds of thoughts?

  Devon’s expression grew more serious. “Are you falling for him?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “There are worse things.”

  “I’m not sure about that. I’ve never felt like this before a first date, and that’s not good because you know what I want when I really fall for someone. I want marriage, a passel of kids. I got the distinct impression Ben wasn’t a fan of marriage.”

  Devon laughed a little. “What guy is before he meets the right woman?”

  “Ben met me when we were kids.”

  “Same time you met him, and look how your feelings have changed.”

  Mandy made a sound of frustration low in her throat. “Will you please stop making valid points? It’s really annoying.”

  Devon just laughed again before glancing out the window.

  “Don’t look now but here comes your hot date.” She glanced at Mandy. “Just go with the flow and see what happens.”

  Why did that sound so hard right now? It was normally her life philosophy. But going with the flow vacated the premises when Ben stepped into the shop looking like the cover model from some sexy cowboys calendar. She didn’t know why the combination of jeans, boots, a checked button-down shirt and cowboy hat revved up a woman’s hormones, but at the moment she didn’t care. She was just thankful for the combination.

  “You look nice,” he said by way of greeting.

  She dang near uttered “This old thing?” before she mentally slapped herself upside the head. She’d actually gone up the street to India’s shop and bought a cute new frilly top with a pattern of little purple flowers and denim shorts with lace
trim to wear tonight. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought new clothes she didn’t actually need.

  “Thanks. You, too.”

  He glanced toward Devon. “Hey, Devon. You and Cole coming to the movie tonight?”

  “We might if Cole gets back from Austin in time. He’s delivering a sculpture to a customer there.”

  “Glad that’s going well. I can’t imagine being able to do what he does. I’m lucky if I can draw stick figures.”

  “He never imagined it as the path his life would take either, but it’s working out.” Devon shifted her attention back to Mandy, making the unspoken point that her words could apply to Mandy, as well.

  “You ready?” Ben asked, drawing Mandy’s gaze back to him. Man, she could stare at him for hours, not that it would be awkward or anything.

  “Sure.” And she preceded him out the front door of A Good Yarn.

  Go with the flow. Go with the flow.

  By the time they got to the park next to the lake, the grassy area in front of the projection screen was already filling up. It wouldn’t be dark for a while, but a band she didn’t recognize was providing musical entertainment. Kids of all ages were running around playing and eating scoops of ice cream from the Ice Cream Hut a little farther down the lakeside.

  “Here okay?” Ben asked, indicating a spot near the back of the assembled crowd.

  “Looks good.”

  She helped him spread a quilt on the ground, and then he placed the cooler he’d brought on the edge of the quilt.

  “I wish you would have let me bring something,” she said. “I am able to cook.”

  “I’m sure you are, but Mom insisted. In fact, she threatened to disown me if I didn’t let her provide the food.”

  “She shouldn’t have been on her feet.”

  “You tell her that. She won’t listen to any of us, though Sloane and Angel kept her sitting and providing direction as much as they could.”

  “Well, thank her for me.”

  “I think you already did by bringing up that farmers’ market idea. She and your mom have been texting back and forth like two teenage girls.”