Her Favorite Cowboy (The Watson Brothers #4)

by Ann B. Harrison

  “Have you got over the chip on your shoulder though? Seems to me it was only the other day when you said you weren’t good enough for her. What made you change your mind?”

  “I still don’t think I’m good enough. Not yet but maybe when the ranch makes more money I’ll change my mind. You should see this place, Rory. Looks like it came out of one of those flashy magazines, everything all pretty and perfect. The place screams money. I can’t compete with that but I’m going to try.”

  “I understand that but as a person, there’s no one better. Stick to your guns, little brother, and make her see how much you love her. My money’s on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Ah, someone has to bring this up, Tyson. About that ad you placed, what are you going to do about those two women who want to meet you?”

  “I don’t know. I should have taken it down but I ignored it, kind of hoped it would go away.”

  “You’d better figure it out before you show your hand then, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  He hung up the phone, pushing that particular problem aside, and looked out the back as the sun dipped low in the sky. After all, it wasn’t him who placed the ad. Sorting it out should fall to Chance for butting his nose in where it wasn’t wanted.

  Layla murmured in her sleep. What if she woke up and was hungry? Hadn’t Gina always said being pregnant made her ravenous? He didn’t want Layla out of bed, at least not until tomorrow when she was feeling better. Perhaps he should think about making her dinner before he left. He hurried out of the bedroom, giving her a final, quick glimpse. She’d pushed down the cover from her body, exposing the small baby bump she clutched possessively. He ached to reach out and touch it, to cradle his son in his hands but he’d only wake her if he tried.

  Tyson walked over to the fridge and opened it, taking stock of what was inside. Plenty of fresh vegetables and a plate of chicken fillets covered in cling film. Before he could change his mind, he took what he wanted out and started to create a meal for the mother of his child.

  He checked on her every half hour or so and still she slept soundly. Determined to do the proper thing, Tyson decided if he had to stay the night and sleep on the couch, so be it. He didn’t want her to wake up alone, not after the day from hell.

  There was plenty to keep him occupied in the kitchen cooking on a stove that didn’t require a pile of kindling and logs to see him through. He would enjoy making this meal now his mind was made up and he had a future he wasn’t going to give up on.

  Somehow or other, he would convince Layla they should be together and not purely for the sake of their baby. They had something special and he could see it in Layla’s eyes as she lay on the pillows watching him. As much as she denied it, her body hummed when he was around, the same as his did for her.

  The only problem was going to be convincing her they could make it work. It wasn’t as though they both got off to a good start. Neither had bothered to make the next move, both convinced it wouldn’t be more than a weekend of wild sex. And the mail-order bride debacle had to be cleared up Apparently their son had other ideas and for that Tyson was grateful. Always willing to look for the silver lining, the thought of the baby bringing them together brought a smile to his lips.

  *

  Layla brushed a hand over her nose and inadvertently touched the swelling on her cheek. “Ouch.” Wincing, she pushed aside her blankets, glanced at the clock on her side table and tried to remember why she was in bed so early.

  She ran her hand down her stomach and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the small bump of her child. It all came back to her in a rush. The fight between Tyson and Jethro, her getting in the middle of them, and taking a punch to the face for her efforts.

  She opened and closed her jaw, working out the stiffness as she prodded her teeth. Everything seemed fine and she remembered Evan had given her the all clear before Emily had all but kicked her out of the office. And into the arms of Tyson. Her heart fluttered. He’d looked out of place and so shy. Then he’d taken over, bossed her around, and brought her home. Ignoring her protests, he’d tucked her into bed with a cup of tea, promising to wait until she fell asleep before he left. And that was the last thing she remembered.

  A noise in the kitchen startled her. Wasn’t she alone? Layla looked for her mobile phone which she normally kept on her bedside table in case of emergencies. Damn it, I must have left it in my handbag. Cautiously, she swung her feet over and placed them on the floor. No head rush. Great. Another noise made her heart patter faster. Where the heck did I leave my handbag? The closet, of course. I changed into my nighty and dropped it onto the floor. On tiptoe, Layla hurried to her closet and sighed with relief when she saw her bag.

  With shaking fingers, she found her phone and dialed Rory. Pick up, come on.

  “Deputy Watson.”

  “Rory, it’s Layla. I think there’s someone in my house.” She whispered as loud as she thought advisable while she sat huddled in the corner of her dressing room, the door closed to a mere crack of light.

  “Layla, are you sure it’s not Tyson?”

  “No. He said he was going home after he put me to bed. I mean, hell, can you come and check for me please? I don’t want to go out there in case it’s a burglar. I couldn’t face another confrontation today.”

  “I’m on my way. Where are you?” She could hear the sound of keys in his hand and his breathing change as he strode out of his office calling out to the receptionist his plans.

  “In the dressing room.”

  “I’ll be right there. Stay on the line, okay, I’m only three minutes away.” She heard the truck door slam and the engine kick into life. To keep her mind off her intruder, Layla placed herself in the truck with him and measured every street, every turn until he pulled up at her cottage. “I’m here. Sit tight.”

  She opened her closet door and peeked out. A shadow passed her bedroom window and headed around the back to her kitchen door. Footsteps landed heavy on the back deck and her heart leapt into her throat. She heard the sound as the door was pulled open and voices reached her. Both of them familiar voices. Hell, Tyson and Rory in her kitchen.

  She didn’t know whether to be angry Tyson hadn’t kept his word and left or happy he’d stayed to keep an eye on her. Layla stood up and reached for her dressing gown, quickly slipping it on before she schooled her features and made her way out to the kitchen where the brothers were arguing.

  When she walked in, Rory spied her first and grinned. “Want me to take him in? I have handcuffs.”

  Tyson turned around and hurried over to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He took her hand and looked into her face. “Should you be out of bed?”

  She ignored the patter of her heart and the heat of his fingers on hers. “Why are you here, Tyson?”

  “How could I leave you when you need me? I didn’t want you to wake up and feel alone or hungry so I decided to make you something to eat and make sure you were okay before I headed for home.”

  “Sorry, Rory. I thought he’d left.” Layla withdrew her hand and walked over to the breakfast nook, perching herself on the edge of a seat. “Tell me, Tyson, why are you really still here?”

  “I told you. You need me and what kind of guy would leave a woman in your condition alone after what you’ve gone through today?” He stood watching her, hands on his hips, determination set in his eyes.

  She hadn’t seen this side of him before and it brought out a sense of… security maybe. But that was beside the point. Tyson was not available, not to her anyway.

  “I think this is where I leave you both to it. Try and sort it out once and for all. You’re both too damned stubborn for your own good.” Rory tipped his hat and left.

  “I don’t know what to think, Tyson. It’s been a hell of a day.”

  “And I’m sorry for that. I know some of it was my fault.” He tilted his head and watched her.

  Layla sighed. “N
o, it wasn’t, not really. Jethro is annoyed his grandfather has made changes to his will and I get the whole family connection thing. Emily told me about it.”

  “Yes, but he wouldn’t have given you such a mouthful if I wasn’t involved with you. We’ll always have history and I heard what he said and for that I’m sorry.”

  “Tell me, Tyson. What’s the real reason you didn’t call me after Rory’s wedding and don’t say you aren’t good enough again? That’s wearing kind of thin for me.” She shuffled back on the chair and clasped her hands around the baby. “Obviously, you think you’re good enough for someone or you wouldn’t have written that ad.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. Chance took it upon himself to send that to you. I was never going to do anything with it.”

  “So you say but, the fact of the matter is, you wrote it. In court, I would call that pretty damning evidence.”

  “You know you’ll never believe me no matter what I say, so I don’t know why I’d even bother to repeat myself. It’s kind of wearing a bit thin, don’t you think?”

  “Did you do anything with the two resumes I sent to you?” She swallowed and he watched her throat work.

  “Really, Layla, do you seriously imagine I would have spent the day looking after you and have a future bride stashed back at the ranch waiting for me? If this is how you think of me, I wonder if we ever had a chance.” He ran his hand through his hair and gave her a beseeching look. How the heck was he going to make her understand? “I love you and only you. I knew that the minute that fool hit you in the face. As much as I tried to deny it, there is no one else for me, no one but you. You need to believe that.”

  “So why did you write the ad?”

  “Because I’m an idiot. There’s no denying I did it. But at the time I was rotten drunk and it seemed like a good idea to purge it all out. You’d gone back to the city, I was nursing a terrible case of loss and missing you like crazy. It was never meant to go any further than that. Chance should never have stuck his nose in; it wasn’t his business.”

  “Why did you keep it then where anyone could see it?”

  “As I said, I was drunk. Hell, you all know how much I disliked it when my brothers did it. Advertising for a wife seems such a last resort kind of thing to do. I don’t need to do that, nor will I ever consider a mail-order bride. All I have to do is convince the only woman I love that she is the one.”

  Layla bit her bottom lip as she considered his words. There were still questions in her eyes and he waited.

  “Why did you sleep with me then if it was never going to work?”

  “Because I couldn’t help myself, that’s why.” He looked down at his hands and tried to sort out the words in his mind. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re strong, independent, beautiful, and know where you’re going in life. It’s not like you gave me much choice either. You were determined to get me into bed, why would I complain?”

  She drilled him with her gaze and he knew this was going to be a no-holds-barred kind of discussion. She had her courtroom attitude on and it showed in spades.

  “You have more to offer than you think, Tyson.”

  Fine, so be it. He wanted to let her know how he felt so this would work in his favor. “Even though I’ve had time to think things over, I know I’ll never have the money you have and that means a lot to me.” He held up his hand as she tried to butt in. “Listen to me, then you can have your say.” She nodded her head and he continued. “Everything I have goes into the ranch. The verandah leans, the carpet is tragic, the stove requires a cord of wood to keep it going even in the summer.” He looked at her top of the range gas cooker with envy. “I have dreams for that place – dreams I can’t let go of. They’re what kept me going when things got tough, you know, when I was growing up, that one day I’d have my own place.”

  Tyson rubbed his hand over his chin, felt the stubble rough on his palm. “You were in the city and it wouldn’t have been fair of me to call and say, ‘Hey, Layla, I want to date you and all but you’ll have to give up everything you love to be here with me cause I’m not moving,’ now would it? I couldn’t leave here, Chance gave me the deposit on my place and I wouldn’t do that to him.” He laughed, the sound bitter to his own ears.

  “Hell, and before I said those words out loud I thought I had a reasonable chance of talking you into a fresh start with me. Hearing them now makes it all sound so feeble, doesn’t it?” He sighed and looked at her again. “And your past. It makes me understand why you think the way you do.”

  She glared at him, the storm rising in her pale blue eyes. “You are such an egotistical fool. You work hard, have goals and dreams, and don’t think that’s worth sharing with someone? Is this a normal cowboy attitude or purely a Tyson Watson kind of thing?” Layla wiped a finger under her eyes and sniffled. “Why don’t you forget that last comment and my past experience and tell me what you really think, why you thought you had a chance to convince me to stay with you.”

  Fine, nothing to lose now. He stepped over to where she sat and dropped to his knees in front of her.

  Tyson took her hands in his, rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and swallowed. “Layla Cox, I’m a stupid fool and I fell in love with you the moment I met you, only I didn’t know it. You made my heart all but stop when I saw you at Chance’s place. So damned pretty and self-assured, determined you could get custody of Fisher for the family.” He smiled at the memory. “I wondered then what it would be like to have you in my life and do you know the image I had was of you, walking down to the barn holding hands with a blond haired toddler who was calling out to me, eager for my attention. I was a goner right there and then but, as you know, I didn’t think I had enough to offer you so I didn’t. But you took over, managed me, and took what you wanted.” He laughed. “I couldn’t stop you, nor did I want to. It was all I clung to, the dream of what we could be, knowing it was wrong of me. I thought that all I had to offer you was my heart, my soul, but not anymore. You already own them.”

  He rested his cheek against her belly, desperate for contact with his child in case this was the closest he would get before it was born. For all Tyson knew, he’d blown whatever chance he might have had by not leaving when he said he would.

  A small hiccup made him look up. Tears streaked down Layla’s cheeks.

  He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. “What is it? Did I say the wrong thing again?”

  She laughed through her tears. “No. This time you got it right. I love you, Tyson. I really do. I can’t believe we’ve been so stupid over this whole thing.” She sniffled and tried to swallow her tears. “It’s my fault, I know it is, hanging onto my outdated ideas because of one failed relationship. I’m such a control freak; I probably scared you away more than anything.”

  Layla wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her lips against his. He returned her kiss, hungry for a taste of what he’d been missing. They stayed where they were, both content to hold each other after months of being alone and wondering what their future would hold.

  *

  A rumble and gurgle interrupted the silence. He looked into her eyes.

  “Sorry. That’s plain rude.” Layla laughed and patted her belly as Tyson smiled at her. “I need food. That slice of cake wasn’t enough. Being pregnant makes me so hungry.”

  “Pleased to hear it. I’ve been slaving over a hot stove while you’ve been sleeping away the afternoon. I couldn’t leave without making sure you were okay anyway so I made you a chicken potpie for dinner.” He pushed himself to his feet and grinned at her sheepishly. “Besides you have the best kitchen I’ve seen for a bit. Sure makes a change from cooking on a woodstove.”

  “Tyson, about that.”

  She stood up ready to do battle. Layla pulled herself up to full height and looked into his already stormy eyes and decided that conversation would wait until later. She needed to tread carefully and not throw her money aro
und. He had feelings and her wealth was a big issue for him, she got that. One gentle step at a time.

  “Feed me before I pass out with hunger and then we’re having an early night. That’s if you want to stay with me.”

  “There’s no place I’d rather be and if we have that sorted, I’m not going anywhere. Now, take a seat and let me get your dinner.” He nudged her back over to the breakfast nook and reached for a potholder.

  “You look kinda sexy playing cook. I could get used to this, Tyson.”

  He smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling in a way that had her heart soaring. He was such a handsome man. So much the outdoors and rugged cowboy type that she never thought she’d fall for. Layla loved that life had thrown her such a curveball. Getting out of the city seemed to be doing her the world of good and the thought of settling down with this man made her very happy. A contented glow warmed her heart.

  She almost swooned when he pulled the pie out of the oven. The crisp golden topping had been artfully decorated and a tiny vent allowed steam to rise, filling the kitchen with the most delicious aroma. “Who taught you to cook like this?”

  He glanced at her, a hint of pink coloring his cheeks. “Milly. She used to help out occasionally when Dad was under the weather.” He hung the potholder on the rail of the stove door. “Yet another thing my brothers used to give me grief about but I enjoy it. Some nights, I fall asleep watching the cooking shows on television. Not particularly manly in my opinion but it soothes me. Makes me feel useful.”

  Tyson reached up and took two plates from the overhead cupboards.

  “Nothing unmanly about being a great cook. I’m never going to complain about you fixing me a meal if it smells as good as that does.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin and dished up a healthy helping of chicken pie before bringing the plates over to the table. When he placed one in front of her, she closed her eyes and sniffed up the scent of chicken, rich gravy, and herbs. Before he sat down, he took two small side plates from the fridge and placed them on the table.