Her Favorite Cowboy (The Watson Brothers #4)

by Ann B. Harrison

  *

  “I don’t understand. What on earth possessed you to do that after all the crap you gave your brothers for taking that route?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows. Maybe I’m sick of being alone. Maybe they’re not the only ones who need a warm body at night and a woman of their own.”

  “Yes, but you had Layla.”

  Tyson snorted.

  “What, you think just because these eyes are old they can’t see a boy in love? I ain’t blind, you know.” Jock put his cup down and reached out to pat his son’s hand. “Tyson, you know how much I loved your mother, so much you kids suffered for it when she died. Me locking myself away in the bottom of a bottle was wrong and I admit it. At the time I couldn’t see past my grief.” He coughed to clear his throat and Tyson wondered if he’d ever get over the loss of his wife. “Thing is, her death taught me one thing. If you love someone, make the most of every second. Don’t let them get away from you.”

  “Not that easy, Pa.”

  “Bull. That wee girl had the hots for you too. I saw the way she looked at you, like she was going to melt if you touched her. That don’t mean she wanted a weekend affair to me. I say give her a call or go up to Chance’s place and talk to her. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

  Tyson looked out the kitchen window, watching the leaves float from the trees on the soft afternoon breeze. When Chance had come by yesterday and told him Layla was coming to visit he’d wondered why she’d called his brother and not him. Sure, she and Chance had been friends and business acquaintances for years but Tyson was the one who’d slept with her. Surely if she cared, she would have called Tyson instead. But then again why would she? It wasn’t as if he’d made the effort to keep in touch with her either. A weekend of mindless sex and he let her go without so much as a “call you later.” Not a wonder she’d called Chance instead of him.

  “So, why didn’t you call her, son?”

  “Are you kidding? You’ve seen her. Big city lawyer. Take a look at me, Pa. I barely make enough to keep the leaky roof I own over my head. Why would she want to tie herself to me when she can have so much more in Denver?” Saying it out loud made it all seem so much more real and sensible.

  Why would she want him? His ranch was nothing like his brothers but he still counted himself lucky to have it. If it wasn’t for the down payment Chance had given Tyson, he wouldn’t even have that. And now with his mail-order bride ad in the papers…

  When he first saw the old place he now called home, he’d been hooked. Something about the wide-open space with the mountain backdrop called to him and he was determined to make it his. The fact that the roof leaked and the porch sagged meant nothing to him. It had running water, a decent, old wood stove to cook his food and keep him warm in winter and that was all he cared about. And it had the best set of stables for his horses and a huge barn to keep his winter feed in. What more could a cowboy ask for?

  A wife, is what. And only one woman in particular fit the bill. Shame she was too good for him.

  “I think you’re making a mistake if you let her get away without a fight.”

  He glanced at his father, wondering if he was right. Pa’s pale blue eyes stared back at Tyson from across the table. His lined and tanned face was calmer now than it had been for as far back as Tyson could remember. Making the peace with Chance had been the turning point for their father; it’d given him back his self-respect. Now he could help his eldest son instead of Chance being the family caretaker, taking the brunt of the responsibility as he had done since their mother had died.

  “I don’t think I have enough to offer her. Simple as that.”

  Jock shook his head, a sad smile twitching the corners of his lips. “If there’s one thing I thought I drummed into you boys it was that you can do and be anything you wanted to.”

  “That doesn’t make it right to punch above your weight. Especially when you know you are.”

  Jock raised his eyebrow.

  “It means go for something better than you are. In this case, Layla is better than me and I think we both know it. She’s a different class to me, everyone can see that. And there’s no point in denying I’ve fucked up again.”

  Jock stood up from the table and walked around to his son, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him from the chair. Tyson went along with it, knowing to fight back would only hurt his father’s feelings. And, to be honest, what would be the point?

  “Don’t you ever let me hear you talking that way again, you hear me?” Jock’s face was inches from Tyson’s and the pain in his father’s eyes made Tyson ashamed of his own feelings. “There is nothing wrong with my sons, nothing at all. You’re all good men. This family might not have a lot of money or grown up on the right side of the tracks but nobody can say we aren’t hard workers and worthy of respect.” He let his hands drop down to his sides. “Now go and sort yourself out. I expect you to bring that lovely little lady around for a cup of tea as soon as you both come to your senses.” He walked out of the kitchen leaving Tyson standing by the sink, feeling smaller than he’d ever felt before.

  Chapter Four

  Layla sat outside on the front porch watching Chance saunter up the driveway. He’d offloaded the new cattle into the front paddock and parked the truck when he saw her. When he reached her, he leaned down, kissed her cheek and then perched on the edge of the chair opposite.

  “So, tell me what’s got you so fired up you had to come out here.”

  “Looks like some of your wife’s traits are rubbing off on you. The Chance I know would have offered me a wine first and spent a few moments making small talk.” She wondered how he would take the news.

  It was his brother’s baby after all, and Chance was more than a little overprotective of all the boys and she understood that. He had played mother and father to them after his own mother died and it was the main reason he’d become a rodeo rider. The money had been too good to turn down and it was also a way to avoid being with his father. Their relationship had been rocky to say the least in the early years.

  “Well that was before I really got to know you well and you became family to me. So, I’ll ask again, what’s up?”

  She let out a sigh. “I’m pregnant.”

  Chance blinked and stared at her long and hard. “Want me to break his legs for you?”

  Layla laughed. “I hardly think that will be a wise decision. It certainly won’t fix this problem.” She picked at the hem of her blouse, worrying the line of stitches.

  “Tyson’s or someone else?” His voice had cooled when he said ‘someone else.’

  “What do you take me for? Of course it’s your brother’s. I’ve never been the slutty type and you know it. How many dates have I had lately, huh?”

  “I know you two were tight at the wedding…

  “Is that what you call it? I would have said sexed up myself.”

  “Have you told him?” He eased back in the chair.

  “We’ve not spoken since the wedding. He said something strange to me as I left. Told me ‘thanks for taking time out of my fabulous life to give him a weekend he’ll never forget.’ Like he was shutting the door on me. I don’t know, it kind of made me hold back.” She knew what he was thinking right now, nothing threw her off. It was why she was such a good lawyer, cutthroat and totally focused. “Kind of like he was saying thanks for the sex and goodbye.”

  “Why the little…” Chance stood up, his fists clenched.

  Layla was immediately on the defensive. “Don’t go getting all wound up. It was my own fault, I came onto him so strong and determined to get him into bed and we both know it. Nothing would have stopped me getting him where I wanted him because I’d made up my mind that was that. And I did it, all the chasing, not him. Now I have to decide how to deal with the consequences.”

  Chance stepped away from her and turned to look over the valley. His back was straight and his shoulders tense. He oozed anger and Layla was sorry she was
the reason for it. Would he blame her?

  “Look, I only told you because I don’t want you to think you have to take my side in this. You don’t. You are Tyson’s brother and I expect he will need your support more than I will. This is my problem but I want to do the right thing by everyone concerned considering you are all such a close-knit family. I’ve got every intention of telling Tyson about the baby as soon as I can. And, since he’s so intent on finding the right wife and it obviously isn’t me, I’ve also made plans to relocate so he can have access to our child if he wants. I’d never do something so cruel to him as keep the baby away from him.”

  Chance turned around and looked at her. “You’re moving here?”

  “Yes. I put an offer in on a family law firm in town. I’m still waiting to see if they accept or not. Then, if they do, I need to start looking for a house to buy and make the move.”

  “But what if Tyson wants to get together with you and make a go of things? I think it’s only fair that you give him that chance, don’t you? And this isn’t me taking sides either, it seems right is all considering the circumstances.”

  She smiled, trying not to get emotional over it even though it was hard to ignore the pain. “I can’t see that happening. We come from different worlds, Chance. Totally different lifestyles and he never would have made a play for me if I hadn’t come onto him so strong.” She took a shaky breath and gave him a fleeting smile. “We might be suited in bed but that’s the only thing that would work for us. It’s not enough.” She cupped a hand over her still trim belly. “And the fact he is going to the papers to find a bride and didn’t think for one moment to see if I was interested after our time together. Kind of says it all, if you ask me.”

  It still hurt but she’d have to get over it sooner or later. “You know me though. I’m nothing if not practical. Three months is a long time to not make contact. That to me speaks volumes about how Tyson feels about me. That aside, we can make this work if we put our minds to it. I have support from the girls, so I’ll be fine.”

  “You have mine too, you know that, even though I will always support Tyson, silly young fool that he is. Hell, you and I’ve been friends for so long now, I’m hardly leaving my business in the city if you’re here in town. We go a long way back, Layla. You know I think of you as family. Whatever you need, you can rely on me, both of you can.”

  If he noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks, he gave no indication.

  They were doing the dishes later that night when truck lights came up the driveway.

  Callie looked out and winked at her husband. “Here comes trouble.”

  Layla steeled herself and put down the dishcloth. “If you’ll excuse me, I think this is my cue to ruin his little world.” She breathed to bring back her calm and headed out to the porch to wait for him.

  *

  Tyson saw her open the door and step outside as he pulled up and parked. His stomach clenched and his heart pounded in his chest, his nerves getting the better of him. She always managed to put him on tenterhooks. Layla was such a beautiful woman and it scared the hell out of him when she put the moves on and took him to bed. He wasn’t used to such forward treatment from a lady, especially one as pretty and high-class as she was.

  When he was growing up in the shadow of his older brothers, he was more often the butt of jokes and had a hard time making small talk to the girls. Instead he hid behind a façade, finding it easier to pretend he didn’t care or to be someone else.

  Layla’s white pants clung to her legs and stopped short of her ankles. Ankles he had had his mouth around not that long ago. She had the tiniest little feet, feet that were now bare on the wooden porch A flowing top that gathered under her breasts fell in soft folds leaving her arms bare. The bright splash of colors only made her white blonde hair look paler in the evening light and he itched to run his fingers through the soft strands, pulling her mouth down to his, remembering the tricks that mouth had gotten up to a few short months ago.

  He turned off the engine and grabbed his hat from the seat beside him. Time to go and see what was going on.

  He opened the door and climbed out. “Layla.”

  “Tyson.” She stood with her hands behind her back watching him walk up to the porch.

  He stepped up and stopped before he reached her. “How are you?”

  He watched as she licked her lips and tried to smile at him. The smile didn’t make it to her eyes and his stomach sunk. He’d done something very wrong.

  “We need to talk, Tyson. Did you want to do it here or walk down the lane?”

  He glanced inside. Chance and Callie had probably headed for the living room and were already cuddling on the couch. “Here’s fine.” He took a step over to the corner post and leaned on it, trying for an unaffected pose. “Right, how about you tell me what’s going on then?”

  “Okay.” She moved over and sat down on a chair, her feet together and her hands clasped on her knees. “First off I want to tell you that I don’t hold you responsible. I’m an adult and as such I feel it only fair to take half the blame.” She licked her lips again before looking up at him. “I’m pregnant, Tyson.” Layla took a deep breath and hurried on. “I’ve already thought about the best way to deal with this. You and I are not compatible apart from in bed, we’ve proven that already. Neither of us have called each other and you’re busy looking for a new wife so because of this and our backgrounds, I’ve come up with a plan that I hope works for both of us. I’ve put in an offer for a business in town and will be moving as soon as I can arrange everything. You can have shared custody of the baby when its born.”

  The air sucked from his lungs with a powerful whoosh leaving him light in the head, his ears ringing. Pregnant? That couldn’t be right. Shared custody. Was she serious? He blinked and tried to focus on her but she was blurry and he couldn’t see her properly. He turned from her and stepped off the porch onto the driveway, stumbling to his truck. Tyson leaned on it with both palms held fast on the warm metal of the hood, letting his head drop down between his arms.

  Breathe, for goodness sake. Holy shit, this couldn’t be happening to him. Not freaking possible!

  “Tyson, are you alright?” He felt her hand on his back and flinched. She quickly withdrew from him and he turned to face her.

  “You think that because you have more money and education than I do, we can’t make this work between us? How could you, how on earth could you…”

  She whirled away before he could finish talking but not before he saw the gleam of tears in her eyes. “Go away, Tyson. Just go away.” Layla hurried up the porch and into the house, slamming the door behind her.

  Good job, pal. That showed her how much you want her. Freaking idiot.

  Minutes later Chance came storming out of the house and over to him. He grabbed Tyson by the shirt collar and threw him against the door of his truck, knocking the wind out of him. “Just what the hell do you thing you’re doing? I really wanted to support you through this, Tyson, but Layla is in there bawling her eyes out because you blamed her for getting pregnant, you little snot. Last time I checked it took two.” His eyes flashed and Tyson was taken back to their childhood when he was the one always on the end of his brother’s temper. “You might be my little brother but she is a friend of mine and the mother of your child, whether you want it or not, and you will be respectful of her. Is that understood?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “I said, is that understood?”

  Tyson nodded, knowing nothing would make his brother stop until he got his own way. “Yeah.”

  Chance pulled him up so they were nose to nose. “Don’t ever forget it or you’ll have me to deal with.” He threw him back and Tyson stumbled against the truck. “Might be a good idea for you to leave now. You’ve done all the damage she can deal with tonight.” He turned on his heel and stormed back into the house, slamming the door and locking it, leaving Tyson in no doubt that he wasn’t welcome.

  He stumbled in
to his truck and sat holding the steering wheel, his gaze on the darkened porch. Pregnant. Carrying his child. His gut a swirling mix of emotions, threatened to disgrace him but he couldn’t focus on driving away. Not while he felt this shaken.

  Later that night he lay in his bed, his emotions a jumble of pain alternated with flashes of joy. The woman of his dreams was having his baby. But why on earth was she blaming herself? He was the one who had the old condoms tucked in the back of the pantry. Perhaps if he’d told her just how long they’d been sitting on the shelf they could have found another way to seek pleasure but at the time he couldn’t think properly. She did something to him, left him speechless and weak like a newborn foal that couldn’t find its feet.

  How the hell was he going to make it up to her? And would she want him to anyway? There had to be a way to fix this. Pressing times called for a visit to his brother Rory. Always the peacemaker in the family, he was the one who teased Tyson the least. He was also the one who stood between him and Chance when the need arose and that was usually a fair bit in their younger years. This would be the first time since Tyson brought the ranch that Chance had threatened him physically. He rolled over and punched the pillow, cursing his bad timing and foul choice of words. It wasn’t what he was trying to say that hurt her, it was what he managed to get out before his emotions stopped him from finishing the question.

  He needed help and he needed it now.

  Chapter Five

  “You said what?” Rory looked at him over the beef on rye sandwich in his hand.

  Tyson looked around the cafeteria and winced. Two of the police officers glanced their way, the thought of juicy gossip too much to ignore.

  “Keep your voice down or I won’t tell you.”

  “Of course you will. Since when have you been able to keep a secret anyway?”

  “Not like I was trying to be the town gossip.” He glanced at Rory who was looking at him with undisguised disbelief. “I wasn’t. You guys wouldn’t talk to me unless I had something exciting to tell you. Is it any wonder I made stuff up and then sought out the juicy tittle-tattle? I needed to belong too, you know.” As much as he hated to admit to it, he figured it was time to put the record straight. Sick of being called the town gossip, Tyson needed to shake off that label.