Having the Cowboy's Baby

by Trish Milburn

  “She can still go up. My cousin will just be the diver, not me.”

  Skyler fought the urge to run all the way back to Blue Falls. “I didn’t know you had a cousin, Jesse.” She scanned the area but saw no one else but the pilot, next to a small red-and-white plane on the tarmac, and the jet-fuel delivery guy.

  “Yeah, he’s in town visiting. I just called him a few minutes ago. He’s on his way. He wasn’t expecting to have to dive today.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to put anyone to any trouble,” Skyler said.

  “It’s no trouble.”

  The sound of a pickup heading toward them on the gravel entrance road drew everyone’s attention.

  “That’s him now,” Jesse said.

  A red pickup truck that looked like it had seen better days, better decades, rolled to a stop next to Elissa’s SUV, leaving a cloud of gravel dust in its wake.

  When the driver stepped out of the truck and strode toward them, Skyler thought there had to be some mistake. This guy looked about as much like a skydiver as Verona did. With worn jeans, scuffed boots and a dark brown cowboy hat, he would look more at home on a cattle drive. When he nodded at her friends and said, “Hello again,” Skyler definitely knew something was up.

  “This is all a big joke, isn’t it? I’m being punked.”

  “Well, that’s not usually the reaction I get from the ladies,” the guy said as he stopped a couple of feet away, his lips stretching into a mischievous smile.

  Skyler gave him a raised-eyebrow look before shifting her attention to the other three women. “Seriously, what is going on?”

  Before they could answer, the guy laughed. “Don’t worry, I don’t dive in the boots.”

  She glanced at him. “Just the hat?”

  “Nah. I’d lose it as soon as we jumped.”

  “Lucky for you, there won’t be any jumping today.”

  “But we’ve already paid for it,” India said.

  “Then I suggest you get your money back.” When Skyler glanced at Jesse, he had an apologetic look on his face.

  “I’m sorry, but there’s a no-refund policy on the deposit unless canceled by inclement weather,” he said.

  Skyler sighed heavily as she looked up into the bright blue sky devoid of clouds. You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day, unless, of course, you were hoping to avoid plummeting to your death.

  “Come on, Jesse,” the still-nameless cousin said. “You can allow the refund.”

  Surprised by his siding with her, Skyler met his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Ah, come on,” Elissa said. “Everyone I know who has done this has loved it. Heck, Jesse jumped with McKenna Parks’s eighty-seven-year-old grandpa last week, and the old guy is ready to go again. Right, Jesse?”

  Jesse, to his credit, looked uncomfortable being put in the middle of their disagreement. But he nodded. “He wanted to go back up as soon as we hit the ground.”

  She knew Elissa was daring her, effectively taking away any nonchicken way of backing out of the dive. Skyler shifted her eyes to Jesse’s cousin. “Just how many dives have you done?”

  He smiled. “Enough.”

  For a moment she let herself appreciate how that smile only added to how good-looking he was. Good-looking, ha! The man was three-alarm fire, drop-dead gorgeous.

  She snatched her gaze away from his. She did not need to be thinking about dropping dead, or about how Mr. No Name looked good enough to lick up one side and down the other. Her face flamed, and for once she was glad to have fair skin and red hair. It made blaming the flush on the sun totally believable.

  The guy leaned close and used a faux whisper to say, “Don’t worry, beautiful. I promise you’re safe with me.”

  She wondered how many times he’d used that line. Because the cowboy was a flirt and most likely a class A player.

  The longer she stood there with everyone looking at her, the more she had to fight fidgeting. She closed her eyes for a moment and pulled together all the fragments of her courage. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

  It was smart to face your fears, right? At the very least, she could stick her tongue out at Elissa after it was over.

  “Just give me a few minutes to suit up, and I’ll give you the ride of your life,” her dive partner said.

  Skyler glanced at him in time to see him wink. She’d never admit it out loud, but she felt that wink all the way to her toes. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as he walked away. When Jesse followed him, Skyler spun toward her friends.

  “So, what do you think?” Verona asked.

  “What do I—? This isn’t one of your matchmaking schemes, is it?”

  Verona’s eyes widened. “How could it be? We didn’t find out about Jesse being sick until we got here.”

  Skyler wasn’t buying it. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but she got the distinct feeling it was more than it appeared on the surface.

  “For the record, I know you all are up to something.”

  “But you’re going through with the dive, right?” India asked.

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “No,” Elissa said with a boatload more cheer in her voice than the occasion called for. “We’re giving you the experience of a lifetime.”

  “I could have handled canoeing, maybe a wad of dollar bills and a strip club, but no, you all give me the skydiving cowboy and a potential coronary.”

  “You’re in perfect health,” India said.

  “And that skydiving cowboy is yum-my,” Elissa added.

  “I don’t care what he looks like as long as he keeps me from going splat against the ground. And just so you know, if I die, I’m coming back and haunting all of you at the most inconvenient times.”

  When skydiving cowboy came back outside, followed by his cousin, he looked more skydiver than cowboy. With the Stetson gone, she was able to see more of his short dark hair, angular jaw and dark eyes. If she’d met him somewhere else under different circumstances, he would have definitely caught her eye.

  What was she doing? She had to concentrate on surviving the next hour, not lusting over this guy who probably got laid more than carpet. Reluctantly, she followed him toward the plane, her stomach churning.

  “So what did they convince you to do?” she asked.

  He glanced at her, genuine confusion in his expression. “Jump out of an airplane?”

  She stopped walking halfway to the plane. “You met them before, right?”

  “Yeah, yesterday at the café. Why?”

  Skyler shook her head. “Never mind.” She glanced back in time to see her friends smiling ear to ear. “I am going to kill them.” She didn’t realize she’d said the words loud enough for anyone to hear until her diving partner laughed.

  “Killing’s over too quickly,” he said. “Payback’s better.”

  “You know, you’re right. And I can be very creative.”

  His mouth quirked up at one edge. “That right?”

  The innuendo caused her skin to tingle all over, and that only made her more determined to find the perfect payback for her friends. But first she evidently had to throw common sense to the wind and take a literal leap of faith.

  The next few minutes went by in a blur as they boarded the plane, the pilot took off and they geared up for the dive. As they approached the designated point for the jump, Skyler felt as though she might throw up.

  “It’s okay. Once you’re out there flying, you’ll forget all about the nerves.” He sounded so casual and relaxed, as if hurling one’s self from an airplane was no big deal.

  “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “Trust me.”

  “Trust you? I don’t even know your name.”

  “Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine,” he said, mischi
ef in his voice.

  “You have a line for everything, don’t you?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, at least your honesty is refreshing.” She glanced toward where another guy slid the side door open to reveal nothing but sky. She swallowed hard as cowboy dude moved up behind her and did whatever it was he had to do to connect their gear together.

  “Logan Bradshaw,” he said, his voice rumbling in her ear.

  “What?”

  “My name, Logan Bradshaw.”

  “Oh. Skyler Harrington.”

  Her heart leaped into her throat as he urged her toward the open doorway.

  “Ten seconds,” the other guy said.

  Oh, Lord.

  “Well, Skyler Harrington, you and I are going to go out after this is over,” Logan said.

  And then he pushed her out the door, and she greeted her birthday with a scream.

  Chapter Two

  At some point Skyler stopped screaming and realized that the sight before her was nothing short of awe-inspiring. All her fear wasn’t gone, maybe just on hold as she scanned the world spread out below her.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Logan said over the sound of the wind rushing past her ears.

  All she could do was nod as she picked out familiar landmarks, the cluster of buildings that made up Blue Falls, the water tower painted with bluebonnets and the words Blue Falls, Wildflower Capital of Texas.

  Despite her fear, an incredible sense of freedom washed over her. As her eyes took in the distant hills, the spots of green vegetation the drought hadn’t yet battered into submission and the glittering surface of the lake, she was stunned by a world she took for granted every day. Up here there was no responsibility, no pressure, no expectations. Hopefully Logan had all of those under control. It was a bit like an out-of-body experience, an away-from-earth experience that was nothing like being in an airplane.

  “I’m going to pull the parachute,” Logan said, reminding her that she was, in fact, plummeting toward earth.

  She cried out when the parachute deployed, jerking against her.

  “It’s okay. Look up.”

  After she managed to get her heart rate to slow a fraction, she looked up and saw the width of the white parachute catching air and slowing their descent. That’s when she remembered what Logan said right before he pushed her out of the plane. He probably thought he was cute, that she would melt at his interest. Well, all she was interested in from Logan Bradshaw was him getting her safely to the ground.

  Gradually, the world below grew in size until it no longer resembled a collection of miniatures. Logan guided their parachute toward an area devoid of trees and other obstacles. Their speed seemed to increase the closer they got to the ground, and Skyler tensed.

  “Relax,” he said.

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “This isn’t my first time.”

  Now, why did she immediately imagine him in bed when he said that? Good grief, she didn’t even like him. She’d never been one to go for guys who were so full of themselves that there was no room for anyone else.

  Maybe if he got a personality transplant...

  She spotted India, Elissa and Verona in the distance, and she hated the idea of having to admit that she’d liked the dive despite the pulse-racing fear of a deadly altercation with gravity.

  “Here we go,” Logan said as the ground raced up to meet them.

  Before she could take another breath, her feet touched terra firma.

  “See, all in one piece,” Logan said, laughter in his way too sexy voice.

  “Wonders never cease.” She should really thank him. He had, after all, kept her safe while giving her an experience like none she’d ever imagined. But he was just so cocky about it. And damned if a little sliver of her didn’t find that attractive. She had to get away from him as soon as possible.

  “How was it?” Elissa asked as she and the others hurried toward where Logan was unhooking Skyler from her gear.

  “It was okay.”

  Logan snorted.

  Skyler looked at him, not even trying to hide her annoyance. “What was that for?”

  He met her gaze and refused to look away. “You enjoyed it.”

  “How do you know that? You couldn’t even see my face.”

  “I can tell when someone is enjoying herself.”

  There it was again, enough innuendo to make her blush.

  “Your face is all red,” Elissa said, teasing.

  Skyler jerked her gaze away from Logan and focused on her friend. “Well, I didn’t put on SPF 8 billion today. I wasn’t expecting to be so danged close to the sun.”

  “I saw the Ice Cream Hut is still down by the lake,” Logan said. “Not a bad choice for a first date, don’t you think?”

  “Date?” Verona’s eyes widened with totally uncontained glee.

  “Yeah, the deal was that I get birthday girl safely to the ground, she goes out with me.”

  Skyler’s mouth dropped open as she spun toward Logan, her hands on her hips. “I did not agree to that. You made your pronouncement a breath before you shoved me out of a plane. I don’t know you from Adam.”

  “Isn’t that what dates are for, getting to know each other?”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Elissa said.

  “There will be no date. It’s my birthday, so here’s a crazy thought. How about I pick how I spend the rest of the day and who I spend it with?” She eyed the other women. “And I’m not sure any of you are on that list.”

  With that, she stalked toward Elissa’s SUV. If she didn’t fear her skin being burned to a crisp by the time she got back to Blue Falls, she’d walk.

  Not that she had any confidence that walking those miles was going to do anything to erase cocky, full-of-himself...sexy Logan Bradshaw from her mind. Yet another reason her friends deserved one whale of a payback.

  * * *

  “I’M SORRY she’s so cranky.” Verona shook her head as she glanced at Skyler’s retreating form.

  “No worries.” He watched as Skyler stalked away, her jeans showing off her shapely backside. “She’ll come around.”

  He didn’t think he was the world’s best catch or anything, but he liked to have a good time. And if anyone was in dire need of a good time, it was uptight Skyler Harrington. It had taken him only one look at the gorgeous redhead to know he wanted to be the man to get her to loosen up a little and enjoy herself.

  “Maybe we can help a little bit with that,” said the taller, dark-haired woman, the one who seemed to be more prone to teasing Skyler. Elissa, that was her name. “We’re having a surprise party at the music hall tonight. You should come.”

  “Sure, sounds like fun.” He eyed the SUV where Skyler now sat staring out the windshield instead of in his direction. Even from this distance, he could tell she was as rigid as a telephone pole.

  When all the women had left, he finished gathering the gear and tossed it into the back of Jesse’s pickup truck. He slipped into the passenger seat.

  “Feeling better, cuz?”

  Jesse glanced over at Logan’s knowing tone. “Listen, you don’t say no to Verona Charles. Not if you don’t want her matchmaking mojo pointed in your direction.”

  “So that’s what this is all about? Setting me up with Skyler? Why all the secrecy? When have you known me to not want to go out with a beautiful woman?”

  “That was their crazy idea, not mine. After you left the café, Verona asked a lot of questions about you. I guess you passed her test, because that’s when she started talking about setting up a way for you two to meet without Skyler getting wind of it.”

  “Because she wouldn’t have gone along with it.”

  “Bingo. She’s not your normal type.”
r />   Logan stretched his arm out along the back of the truck’s bench seat and stared at his cousin. “And what type is that?”

  “Just looking for a good time.”

  “Part of me thinks I ought to be offended.”

  Jesse laughed.

  The last thing Logan needed was to get involved with a woman who was more the settling-down type. His skin itched just thinking about it.

  “So, what are you doing the rest of the day?” Jesse asked as he parked next to Logan’s old truck.

  “Going to check out the arena at the fairgrounds, get the lay of the land.”

  They got out of Jesse’s truck and stopped at the back of Logan’s.

  “You still enjoying riding?”

  “Nothing like it.” Sitting astride a bucking bull was so far from his go-nowhere, do-nothing childhood existence that he’d latched on to it the first chance he’d gotten. He dreaded the day when his body prevented him from doing it anymore. Riding bulls was kind of like skydiving—exciting, pushing the edge. They both gave him that sense of freedom he craved as much as air and water.

  “Adrenaline junkie-ism must run in the family.”

  Logan snorted. “Maybe yours.”

  “Maybe just our generation.”

  Logan let the conversation drop, even though he could have easily pointed out that his siblings seemed content to follow in their parents’ unadventurous footsteps. That Jesse’s dad had shown the first daredevil tendencies when he’d left North Dakota and joined the air force. And then instead of coming back after his stint was over, he’d gone off to Texas and started flying small planes for executives and vintage planes for air shows. Of the four Bradshaw kids in the older generation, Uncle James was the only one who “got away.” He still hadn’t heard the end of it from the rest of the family in North Dakota.

  Just as Logan still heard about his own defection every time he called home. He loved his parents, but that conversation got really damned old.

  He shook his head to clear the unwanted memories. “Well, I’ll catch you later.”

  “I’ll see you at the rodeo if not before then.”