The Cowboy's Promise

by Teresa Southwick

  “If it isn’t the prettiest pregnant lady in town.” Darned if she didn’t blush, he thought. If she had at DJ’s, the dim lighting in the restaurant prevented him from seeing. She was even more beautiful than she’d been last night, classy and stylish in her gray dress and black boots. Again his gaze was drawn to her full, sexy lips.

  “I bet you say that to all the pregnant ladies.”

  “Nope. As a matter of fact, you’re the only one I know.” He steered her to the side of the doorway and out of the heavy foot traffic where she might get run into. Reluctantly, he removed his hand from her arm but couldn’t stop the tingling in his fingers—or the urge to touch her and never stop. “To what do I owe the good fortune of seeing you again so soon?”

  “Actually you can thank my father. I’m picking up an order for him.” There was a wry expression on her face and more than a little satisfaction in her smile. “What brings you here?”

  “Fencing materials. It’s getting to be time to check them out and make repairs. Need to have all the supplies when that chore gets put on the schedule.” When that happened, he was pretty sure his father would tag along and continue trying to “mend fences” with him. Morgan would have thought that pun was funny if it was anyone but his dad. He wasn’t laughing.

  “You turned very serious about something all of a sudden.” That statement put a curious look on her face. “Does it have anything to do with family?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Because nine times out of ten a man looking like you do right now is having woman or family trouble. Since you flirted with me outrageously last night, I don’t think it’s about a lady. That leaves family. And I have to tell you, there are rumors spreading about yours.”

  Folks around here hadn’t given him an especially warm welcome so he was a little surprised they’d waste their breath gossiping about his family. “I don’t know whether to be pissed off or proud.”

  “Maybe both. But one of the things they’re talking about is your brother.”

  “I’ve got four,” he said. “Still, my guess would be that it’s Holt.”

  Absently she tucked a silky blond strand of hair behind her ear. “Gabe mentioned he’s a good man and father.”

  “Yeah. He is. Ten years ago he had a brush with the law. He did community service, but there’s nothing permanent on his record.”

  “Then that’s not a rumor. It’s fact.”

  She wasn’t judging, Morgan realized, and liked her even better for it. “Holt isn’t proud of it and in a lot of ways that shaped the dad he’s become.”

  “That would make you an uncle. Niece or nephew?” Interest sparked in her hazel eyes, cranking up the green, toning down the brown.

  “Nephew. Robby. He’s seven. As a matter of fact, somehow my brother talked me into looking after him this afternoon. I’m taking him to Happy Hearts after school.”

  “I’m sorry. Happy Hearts?”

  He laughed at the puzzled expression on her face. “I forgot you just came back. It’s an animal sanctuary run by Daphne Taylor. Robby picked out a dog and cat from there, both rescues.”

  “I know Daphne. She was a year ahead of me in high school.” She tapped her lip thoughtfully. “As a matter of fact, I dated her older brother Jordan for a short time the summer after I graduated. He was an older man and I was flattered by the attention. At first.”

  “Oh?” Jealousy pricked him a little, and that was just plain stupid. Why the hell was it any skin off his nose that she went out with the son of the richest man in town a lot of years ago? And obviously she’d been with someone since then or she wouldn’t be pregnant. If, and that was a very big if, there was any skin coming off his nose about anything, it would be that.

  “Yeah. I haven’t thought about him for a long time. Seems like a lifetime ago.” She met his gaze. “My parents made no secret of the fact that they really wanted me to marry Jordan. Partly so I wouldn’t go out of state to college.”

  “But you didn’t do that.”

  “Nope. There was no spark with him.” She shrugged.

  Damn sparks were sure inconvenient. He was pretty sure he had some for her because he was unreasonably glad she hadn’t felt them for Jordan Taylor. “So, are you and Daphne friends?”

  “We used to be.”

  “Then you should come out to the sanctuary. This afternoon maybe. If you don’t have something going on.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You could meet Robby. See your friend.” I could see you.

  “Maybe.” She nodded thoughtfully. “Now I better see about my father’s order.”

  “Yeah. And I have to get those supplies.”

  It turned out the order for her father was wood cut into short pieces and a couple bags of hardware that were already loaded onto a cart. One of the store employees started to wheel it out to her SUV in the parking lot, but Morgan offered to help.

  He followed her to the car and put her rear passenger seat down flat, then slid the boards in one by one. That gave him the chance to spend a couple more minutes with her. Just in case he didn’t see her later. On a one to ten stupid scale, that probably earned him a twenty.

  * * *

  Erica drove back to the Ambling A feeling as if she’d been on an emotional roller coaster all day. She woke up in a great mood but her family managed to bring her down with warnings to steer clear of Morgan Dalton. Then the lawyer said she had a strong case for a settlement and while doing her dad a favor she ran into Morgan.

  When she saw him, she got that shivery feeling in the pit of her stomach again. The same thing she’d felt at DJ’s, only stronger, especially because he kept looking at her mouth. He didn’t have to mention the outing with his nephew, but he had. And, doggone it, she was curious to see him with a seven-year-old boy. Then she factored in her family’s advice, the same family she was trying to make peace with.

  It might be best to avoid Morgan. Not because she believed he wasn’t a decent person, but because every instinct said he was. He seemed like an awfully nice man. And he was hot. In a world where she wasn’t pregnant there was a good chance she’d have kissed him when he looked at her mouth. But she was pregnant, so that was that.

  She drove down the long road to the ranch, turned toward the outbuildings and corral, then parked by the barn. Her father had said he would be there most of the day. She sniffed the air and savored the familiar, earthy scent of animals and hay. She’d forgotten how pleasant this all was. And inside the barn it was even stronger as she walked through. She located her dad in the tack room sitting on a stool in front of the workbench.

  “Daddy, I’ve got the stuff you ordered from the building supply store.”

  “Thanks.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll come unload it.”

  “Okay.”

  He slid off the wooden stool and walked toward her, a frown on his face. “Who loaded the car for you? Was it Jerry?”

  She debated the pros and cons of telling him who had. In the end, she couldn’t resist messing with him. After all, he’d warned her off Morgan, then sent her on an errand where he happened to be. Karma was funny that way. “No, I didn’t lift a finger. Jerry offered, but Morgan Dalton happened to be there and he helped me out.”

  “Hmm.” That was his only comment.

  But Erica could feel the tension from him crank up. She didn’t like this awkwardness and needed to try and lighten things up. She followed him out to her car, where he lifted the tailgate and pulled out a couple pieces of the wood.

  “What are you going to do with this?” she asked.

  “I’m building something.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “A piece of furniture,” he said vaguely.

  “Something for Mama?”

  “Sort of.”

  She walked after him back through the barn to the tack r
oom but he didn’t elaborate.

  “I have a lot of good memories growing up here with Grandpa Alex and Gramps.”

  “Is that so?” Her dad set down the boards in an empty space on the far wall. He pulled his Stetson a little lower on his forehead. “Funny, you didn’t have any trouble walking away.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to explain her reasons again. How she wanted independence. And didn’t want to be pressured into marrying Jordan. Or settling down in Bronco, Montana without ever experiencing another way of life. But she kept that to herself because this man had heard it all before and none of what she’d said changed his attitude.

  “Do you remember that litter of kittens the barn cat had?”

  “Yup.” He walked past her back outside.

  Erica followed behind him, just like when she was a little girl and shadowed him everywhere. “They were so cute.”

  “Took us forever to get rid of ’em.”

  “You mean find them good homes.”

  “Whatever,” he said.

  “Morgan told me about Happy Hearts, the animal sanctuary. His nephew adopted a dog and cat. If that place had been around, we wouldn’t have had such a hard time getting people to take the kittens.”

  “Hmm.” He set a few more boards down with the others, then turned to make another trip.

  “I’ll never forget that time we went fishing in the creek. You were trying to teach me how to cast a line.”

  “And you fell in.” He half smiled. “Your mama wasn’t too happy with us.”

  “No, she wasn’t.” As they walked through the barn, she saw the stall where her first horse had lived. “Do you remember Belle?”

  “Of course. You learned to ride on her.”

  “Yeah.” She fell off and broke her arm, too. But she was trying to lighten his mood, not remind him how he blamed himself for that accident. “She was a sweetheart.”

  “Gramps knew she would be. He picked her out for you.”

  Erica had forgotten that. Again she felt bad about not seeing him more while she could still talk to him about these memories.

  “Gabe told me about the baby girl Gramps gave up for adoption. Beatrix.”

  “Yeah.” Her father put the last piece of wood on the stack.

  “He and Mel are trying to find her. Do you think they will?”

  “Long shot, I figure.”

  “She would be your—” Erica did the family connection in her head “—aunt. How do you feel about all this?”

  “Family is family. It’s good to know your folks, I guess. For us and for her.”

  “Yes.” Erica sat on the stool while he went to get the bags of hardware. When he came back she said, “It’s weird to think about Gramps having a baby and not telling anyone.”

  Her father’s gaze snapped to hers, and irony glittered in his hazel eyes. “You didn’t tell any of us you were going to have a baby until yesterday. And only because you had to.”

  “I would have said something. Eventually,” she mumbled. This was not going at all as she’d hoped. Instead of easing the tension between them, she was making it worse.

  “I don’t understand this world anymore,” he said. “Times are changing. I can’t keep up. And not sure I want to.”

  “Talk to me, Daddy.” That was the most he’d said. Maybe he was ready to get it out in the open. “What’s bugging you?”

  His gaze settled on her belly for several moments, so she braced herself for more third degree about the baby’s father. When he finally spoke, she was surprised by what he said.

  “You really want to know what’s got me twisted up?” He set the bag down. “That damn animal sanctuary of Daphne Taylor’s.”

  “What?” Her eyes opened wider. “Why?”

  “This is cattle country. It’s always been survival of the fittest. That’s nature’s way. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s a cliché now, but it’s always been the way of it on a ranch. Whether it’s horses or cows, the ones that make it against the odds ensure the strength of the bloodlines to produce hardy offspring able to withstand adverse conditions. Like cold, heat, drought and anything else Mother Nature throws at us.”

  Erica could understand his point of view, but science made advances to benefit animals and humans. Without artificial insemination she wouldn’t be having this baby. Those words would not come out of her mouth, however. Her father would never understand how very much she wanted this child. How deeply she’d longed to be a mother.

  “Look at it this way, Daddy. As I understand it, Daphne takes in animals and hooks them up with someone to love them. Like an adoption agency.” Or a sperm bank. “She provides a service to the community.”

  “If you ask me, that girl has too much time on her hands if she can take care of animals that have no practical function.”

  “You have dogs,” she pointed out. “And you love them.”

  “I do. But they serve a purpose on this ranch. They herd cattle.”

  “Okay.” Time to exit this conversation. “Just so I’m clear. Does this mean you’re a no vote on Happy Hearts?”

  For half a second he grinned, as if forgetting to be mad at her. As if she was the smart-ass kid he’d always called her. Then the amusement disappeared and serious dad was back.

  “Have you ever seen this animal place?” he asked. “After all, you’ve been gone for twelve years.”

  She refused to engage on something she couldn’t change. “No, I haven’t been there yet.”

  “Okay, then.” That meant don’t argue something you know nothing about. He pointed to the bench where the tack was laid out. “I’ve got work to do.”

  “Right.” She slid off the stool and moved toward the doorway.

  “Erica?”

  “Hmm?” She turned back toward him.

  “How did your appointment go? With the lawyer?”

  “Oh.” She’d almost forgotten. “She said I have a strong case and will draw up the paperwork to file the lawsuit.”

  “Good. Thanks for getting my order.” He nodded and picked up a bridle, effectively turning his back on her and any more conversation.

  “You’re welcome. See you later.”

  She headed outside, mulling over their talk. One positive thing had come out of it, and her dad wouldn’t like the result. He was right that she was advocating for something she knew nothing about. So, she made up her mind to go to the animal sanctuary. She smiled when she realized the trip came with a bonus. Morgan would be there with his nephew.

  * * *

  Morgan finished feeding the horses, then jumped in his truck for the short drive to his house on Dalton’s Grange. It was one of three, the other two going to the second-and third-oldest Dalton brothers—Holt and Boone.

  His place had three bedrooms, two baths, living and dining rooms and a kitchen. A little more space than a single cowboy needed and this was the second largest. They’d agreed Holt should have the most square footage since he had a boy he was raising.

  That boy was the reason he was in such a hurry. He was going to pick up Robby from school, then take him to Happy Hearts. While Holt was attending a cattlemen’s association meeting, his fiancée, Amanda, had promised the kid an outing. Morgan was going along to provide another pair of eyes, or possibly some muscle. Robby loved to roam and roughhouse. And if Erica showed up while they were there, well, he sure as heck wouldn’t turn down another chance to hang out with her.

  Fifteen minutes later he was showered, changed into clean clothes and smelled pretty good, too. There was a knock on his door, and when he opened it, Holt and Amanda were there. She was a pretty little thing with long brown hair and eyes the color of warm chocolate.

  He hugged her. “Hey. When are you going to get smart and leave this guy to run away with me?”

  She laughed. “As tempting as t
hat offer is, I love him.”

  “Hands off my woman, big brother.” Holt didn’t look the least bit worried. He’d loved her for a long time, and they were eager to be a family for his son.

  Morgan was teasing, but if he did have a thing for her, he’d fight it into submission. No way he’d be like his father and cross the boundaries of fidelity. But he had to ask, “How come you don’t think I could take her away from you?”

  “Because with women you’re all hat and no saddle. As soon as one gets seriously sweet on you, that’s it. You’re outta there.” Holt grinned. “You’re only interested when there’s no serious danger of making a commitment.”

  Morgan admitted, if only to himself, that his brother had a point. But he was a little envious of Holt’s happiness. “How did you guys know you were it for each other?”

  “That’s hard to put into words.” Holt thought for a moment. “The first time I laid eyes on Amanda, I knew she was something special.” He smiled down at her. “That was ten years ago. It didn’t work out then, but I never forgot her. And now she’s never getting rid of me.”

  “As if.” She moved closer and slid her arm around his waist. “To answer your question, Morgan, love is when you light up in the presence of one certain person. That someone you can’t wait to be with and never want to leave. It can sneak up on you gradually or hit you like a bolt of lightning. And you just know.”

  He doubted he’d find that, but out loud he teased, “That’s the best you can do?”

  She shook her head, exasperated. “You’re impossible.”

  “Thank you. I try.”

  “And succeed nicely,” Holt joked. “Seriously, Morgan, thanks for helping out with Robby today. He’s always pretty active but after being cooped up in school all day he’ll have a lot of energy to work off.”

  “Happy to help.” Morgan had a deep respect for his brother, raising his son alone for the last four years. The boy’s mother hadn’t wanted to be a mom but Holt handled fatherhood like a pro, better than anyone could have imagined. “How did you get to be such a good dad? God knows ours left a lot to be desired in the role model department.”