The Cowboy's Promise

by Teresa Southwick

  “You’re right, Peter. I don’t believe you.”

  “Erica, please—”

  “Send the severance package to my attorney. You have her contact information.”

  “Seriously, Erica, I’m sincerely sorry about everything. It would mean a lot to me if you’d accept my apology.”

  There was a retort on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. It occurred to her that she didn’t care about this man. In fact, marrying him would have been a very big mistake. She should, in fact, be grateful to him for breaking things off. For being honest about not wanting children, although that turned out to be a lie, since he was expecting with the new wife. So, he just didn’t want children with her. But feeling gratitude for his actions was a work in progress.

  What she realized was that being angry over her termination was about fairness in business and a yearning for justice. But being angry on a personal level would mean she still had feelings for Peter, and that just wasn’t the case.

  This was a time for neutrality and generosity of spirit. “I accept your apology, Peter.”

  “Thank you. And I’ll contact your attorney as soon as we hang up.”

  “Okay. Goodbye, Peter.” She ended the call.

  She looked at Gabe, who was grinning from ear to ear. “I guess you got the general picture of what’s going on.”

  “The Barrons blinked. They want to pay you off. If you go to court, they’re going to take a beating financially and in the media.”

  “That’s the way I see it, too,” she said.

  Gabe hugged her. “You did great, sis. Way to keep your cool and tell him to go to hell, without actually saying it. Class act.”

  “Thank you.”

  She should have felt triumphant as her brother obviously did. But in reality, she felt deflated. Because there was only one person she wanted to share the news with. And she’d walked away from him. Ever since that night with Morgan she’d been wondering if she should have stayed to hear him out. Now it was too late.

  That thought made her burst into tears. She looked helplessly at her brother. “I’m sorry. Hormones.”

  “Is it?” Gabe gave her a challenging look. “You’ve been in a mood. Ever since the last time you saw Morgan.”

  “How do you know?” Before he could answer she said, “Mom.”

  “Something happened with him.”

  “I don’t want to discuss it.”

  “I don’t need a blow-by-blow,” Gabe said. “But there’s something I do know.”

  “What?”

  “You care about him. And he cares about you. Before you ask how I know that, it’s obvious. Why else would he volunteer to be your labor coach?” Gabe shrugged as if it was a no-brainer. “I could see it that first night you met him at DJ’s Deluxe. It’s why I got so ticked off. You had stars in your eyes, and he had that look a guy gets when he’s met a special woman. I don’t know him so I didn’t like it.”

  “Really?” She brushed the moisture from her cheeks. “But it wasn’t—”

  “Don’t try to rationalize. It’s a big brother thing. Plus, I wasn’t subtle,” he admitted. “But I was wrong. You two care about each other, and you need to talk to him.”

  That startled her. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

  “I deserve that.” He looked sheepish. “Shouldn’t a person be allowed to change his mind?”

  “Of course. I’m just wondering what changed yours.”

  “I talked to Morgan after the baby shower. I’m a pretty good judge of people and I believed him, that he cares about you,” he said. “And I trust your judgment.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You know your own mind and you’re smart. I love you, sis. And I just want you to be happy.”

  “Okay—” Emotion choked off her words.

  He pointed at her. “Don’t you dare cry. It drives guys crazy because we can’t fix it. So, just stop.”

  “I love you, too. And I’ll try—” Who was she trying to kid? There was no way that was going to happen. She burst into tears again, and he pulled her in for a hug.

  “It’s okay. Just talk to Morgan. Do as your big brother says, and everything will be all right.”

  She wanted to believe that. The problem was, she didn’t think Morgan would give her another chance. And she couldn’t blame him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Morgan glanced into the office in the big house where Neal Dalton was sitting at his desk, scrutinizing the ranch spreadsheets on his computer.

  The door was open but he knocked on it and said, “Dad, can I talk to you?”

  His father looked up, then removed his reading glasses and set them down on some file folders. “Have a seat.”

  Morgan closed the door, then walked over and sat in one of the chairs. After taking a big breath he said, “I screwed up with Erica.”

  “And you’re here because out of everyone you know I’ve had the most experience screwing up?”

  “Look, I’m not here to bust you about that—”

  “It was a joke. Guess I’ll have to work on my delivery.” The man sighed. “What did you do?”

  Morgan told him about kissing Erica. “Everything was fine and then I felt the baby move. It was awesome, Dad. But it hit me. There’s a real baby in there. That sounds so dumb, but it’s the honest to God truth.”

  “I get it. Believe me.”

  “That changed everything. It wasn’t just about the two of us. There’s another life involved, and I needed to take that into consideration before moving forward, before, you know—”

  “Yeah. So what did you do then?” his dad asked. “After you felt the baby?”

  “Nothing. I froze.”

  Neal looked puzzled. “I’m not seeing the problem, son.”

  “Erica jumped to a conclusion. She took my reaction to mean that I didn’t want her because of the baby. But I just needed a minute to process.” He met his father’s gaze. “She walked out without giving me a chance to explain why I was hesitating.”

  “Okay.” The other man nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t think this is a screw-up. More a misunderstanding. When did it happen?”

  “A couple of days ago. I’ve tried calling her, but it goes straight to voice mail.” He lifted his hands, a gesture of pure frustration. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You have two choices, son. You can let her go—”

  “No,” Morgan said firmly. That response came straight from the gut, by way of his heart. “That’s not an option.”

  “You’re sure?” His dad studied him. “You haven’t known her very long.”

  “I’m absolutely sure. Don’t ask me why—”

  “Never crossed my mind,” the other man said. “With your mom I knew pretty much from the moment I met her that she was the one. Holt proposed to Amanda pretty fast. It might take us Dalton men a while to find the right woman, but when we do, we move to seal the deal right away. But—”

  “What?” Morgan asked sharply.

  “That means you’ll be a father right away. I know that gave you pause not so long ago. And you’re right. It’s not just you and her to consider. There’s another life involved. If you can’t accept that fully, best back off now. Otherwise there’s a lot of heartache down the road.”

  “I hear you, Dad. I can’t let her go.” He shrugged as if to say he just knew. “So, how do I get her back?”

  “You need to find a way to show her you’re all in. For her and the baby. A big gesture. When you figure that out, you drive over there and show her you really mean it.”

  A gesture. All in for her and the baby. Morgan’s mind was racing, then suddenly he had an idea and it was perfect.

  He met his father’s gaze, then stood and headed for the door. “Can you spare me for the rest of the day? I’ve got some stuff to do
.”

  “Of course. And Morgan?”

  He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned to look at his father. “Yeah?”

  “Good luck. If there’s anything else I can do, you only have to ask.”

  “No offense, Dad, but I hope I won’t need you.” Morgan smiled. If there was one positive thing to come out of this, it was getting back a relationship with his father. “Thanks, Dad.”

  After the talk, Morgan jumped in his truck and headed downtown. He needed to purchase two things, and the first one was easy, what with just buying the highest consumer rated and most expensive one on the market. The second item took longer. Part of the reason was him calling Erica’s cell every half hour to let her know he was picking her up for childbirth class later. And every half hour he got her voice mail. His guts were in a knot, and the uncertainty was killing him.

  It was early, but he couldn’t wait any longer to see her. He drove to the Ambling A and went up to the brightly lighted porch. He rang the bell, then nervously waited for someone to answer.

  When the door was opened, he was surprised to see Gabe Abernathy. In his mind he’d been running possible speeches to Erica and was unprepared to see anyone else. “What are you doing here?”

  “The better question is why are you here?”

  “I came to pick up Erica.” Morgan braced for hostilities. He planned to stand his ground even though he knew the Abernathys didn’t trust him. They were just going to have to suck it up and get used to him being around. Oddly enough, her brother didn’t look hostile.

  “Did she know you were coming to get her?” Gabe’s amusement disappeared.

  “We have class tonight. And I left messages that I’d be here.” Morgan glanced down for a moment. “Would you please let her know?”

  “I would be happy to except she left already.”

  The words felt like a punch to the gut, and Morgan hadn’t braced himself for that. “Where did she go?”

  “I heard her tell my mom that she was going to her class. Doesn’t she usually pick you up?”

  “Yeah.” But that was before.

  “Maybe there’s a miscommunication and she thought you were meeting her at the class.”

  “No. But we will be meeting.” Morgan touched his fingers to the brim of his Stetson. “Thanks, Gabe. Sorry to bother you.”

  “No problem. And, Morgan?”

  He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “For what it’s worth, I’m rooting for you, Coach.”

  “Thanks.”

  Morgan wouldn’t have thought anything could make him smile, but that did. It helped knowing her brother was on his side, and right this minute he was in no mood to question what had happened to make him change his mind. His focus was on making his case to the person who mattered most to him.

  He drove the now familiar route to the Women’s Health Center and realized this was the first time he’d come alone. He didn’t much like that and hoped it wasn’t a bad omen for the rest of his life. When he arrived at his destination, he went up and down the rows of cars until he found Erica’s. For a desperate man in need of some hope, he took the empty space beside her SUV as a good sign.

  He exited his vehicle, then opened the rear passenger door of his truck, removed the brand-new infant car seat and headed for the building’s lobby and the elevator.

  His heart was racing as he walked down the carpeted hallway and into the conference room. Carla was there at the lectern. The other three expectant couples sat at the U-shaped tables. When he walked in, all conversation ceased and everyone stared at him. He only had eyes for Erica.

  He walked over to her. “Hi. I’d have been here sooner but I stopped at your place to pick you up. Gabe said you’d already left.”

  Eyes wide as saucers, she nodded. “I didn’t think you wanted to do this with me anymore.”

  “You thought wrong.” He set the carrier on the table in front of her. “We’re going to need one of these for the baby.”

  She stared at it for several seconds, then ran a finger over the small harness. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s easy to hook up,” he said. “Just takes seconds. An indicator goes from red to green when it’s installed correctly.” He couldn’t tell whether she liked it. “Unlike me, it’s idiot proof. But if you want something else, we can return it.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “It’s fantastic. The one I wanted. But I don’t understand. What does this mean? You keep saying ‘we,’ but—”

  It was time for part two of his screw-up redemption plan. “Erica, I have a million questions about how to be a good father, but zero doubts about you and me.”

  “But I thought the other night—You made it clear you didn’t want this.”

  He shook his head. “You assumed that and then walked out before we could talk about it.”

  “You’re not wrong.” Her hazel eyes were huge as she looked at him, then glanced at the others in the room who were watching this conversation unfold with undisguised curiosity. “But you want to talk about this now?”

  “Yes. I’ve waited too long already.” He sat in the chair beside hers. “I’m not bailing on you. Not walking away from you. Not now, not ever. I want to be a father to this baby.”

  “Really?” Her expression was hopeful, but she didn’t seem convinced he was all in.

  “Yes, really. I’ve had feelings for you since the first moment I saw you. I was falling for you before I even realized you were pregnant. Love at first sight.” He couldn’t believe he hadn’t put his feelings into words before now. And it was way past time. “I love you, Erica. I love the baby you’re carrying. And that makes it my baby, too. I want to be your husband, and I very much want to be his or her father.”

  “Morgan—” Her voice caught and she swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “That’s because I haven’t asked you anything yet.” He took the velvet jeweler’s box from the front pocket of his jeans. He opened it to reveal the ring he’d picked out at the jewelry store. Angelique, the jewelry designer, had assured him this was the one that would dazzle any woman. He needed the dazzle and a little razzle to convince Erica he was worth taking a chance on.

  So, he went down on one knee and said, “Will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me? Make a family with me? In case there’s any question, the only correct answer is yes.”

  “Oh, Morgan—”

  He waited for her to finish that statement, then couldn’t stand it. “Is that an ‘Oh, Morgan, I wish you hadn’t asked’? Or, ‘Oh, Morgan, that’s a big fat yes’?”

  “It’s an ‘Oh, Morgan, I love you so much’ followed by a heartfelt and unqualified ‘absolutely yes.’ Nothing would make me happier than to marry you and be a family.”

  “Thank you, God.” He stood and pulled her up and into his arms. The baby kicked just then, and the miracle of it took his breath away. This time there was no doubt or hesitation when he put his hand on her belly. He smiled into her eyes. “I believe our daughter approves.”

  “Oh? You think we’re having a girl?”

  “There are five boys in my family. Six with Robby. We’re definitely having a girl.”

  She smiled tenderly. “You are a remarkable man, Morgan Dalton. And I am the luckiest woman in the world. I love you so much.”

  “I love you more.”

  And he kissed her, trying to prove just how deeply he meant those words. When they finally came up for air, the expectant dads shook his hand and their wives were sniffling. All of them blamed hormones, but Carla was brushing tears off her cheeks, too, and she wasn’t pregnant. The fact of the matter was that everyone loved a happily ever after.

  Epilogue

  The first Saturday in November, Erica was in her childhood bedroom getting ready for her wedding. She and Morgan wa
nted to be married before the baby came. Her dream of marriage then baby was coming true after all, though not in the most traditional sense.

  Her dress was ivory silk with a lace bodice and long sleeves. The skirt was empire and fell over her tummy and gracefully to the floor. A simple lace veil trailed down her back, secured by a comb in her hair.

  Mel, her maid of honor, was fussing with it, making sure the material lay perfectly. She was wearing a lacy, tea-length royal blue dress with a flirty, flared skirt. When she straightened, they stood side by side and looked in the mirror together. And grinned.

  “You look beautiful,” her almost sister-in-law said.

  “Being completely happy does that to a girl.”

  “This whole bridal thing really suits you.”

  “When it’s right, it’s right.” She sighed. “With Morgan it was love at first sight. Somehow I knew I would love him forever and beyond.”

  Mel nodded. “I mean, how can you not be crazy about a guy who proposes with a very impressive diamond ring in one hand and an infant carrier in the other?”

  Erica laughed. “He’s very special and I’m a lucky girl.”

  Mel took her hands and squeezed them. “You so deserve the best, and Morgan is that for you.”

  There was a knock on the door just before her mother opened it. When she saw her daughter, her expression turned achingly tender as her eyes glistened with tears. “Oh, sweetie, you look so beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  “And you’re not the least bit nervous.”

  “No room for nerves. Not when I’m so full of happiness. I can’t wait to be Mrs. Morgan Dalton.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s get this show on the road. I came up here to let you know the car just arrived to take us to the church.” Her mother headed to the door. “Your father and Gabe are already there waiting for us.”

  “Mama, just real quick before we go—”