The Cowboy's Baby

by Giovanna Reaves

  “What’s been going on with my ranch?”

  “It’s my ranch now, old man.” Kane smiled. He loved teasing his father.

  “Not ’til I’m dead and buried.” Preston’s dark blue eyes sparkled, despite his illness. “Talk to me, boy.”

  Kane sat down in the nearest chair and started telling his father what was happening around the ranch. The influx of guests and the new attraction he’d added in the past couple of months. At the end of each stay at the Black Meadow, there was a dance that was open to the public. They were charged a small fee for entrance, along with the first drink. Kane watched as his father’s eyes lit up the more he talked. Preston offered opinions here and there, and didn’t look away from Kane, even when his mother placed a bowl of soup in front of him.

  “How’s the coffee and bakery shop going?” Preston asked. “I liked the spot where you decided to build it, by the way. It’s about time you built something near the small pond where people can enjoy the scenery.”

  Kane nodded in agreement. He’d wanted to use the spot a long time ago but never knew what to put there. “It’s almost finished being built, but I haven’t been able to hire someone to run the shop.”

  “Didn’t you say that Denny and Bill’s son is a baker?” Julia asked.

  “Yeah, he mentioned he was, plus the hands can’t stop talking about the treats he’s made for them.”

  “Have you tasted anything he made?” his mama asked.

  “No,” he answered looking at his mother.

  “Why not?” she asked.

  Kane shrugged his shoulder. “Don’t know. I’ve just been so busy.” She grunted and he knew what she was thinking, but he wanted to hear it in her own words. “What, Mama? What are you thinking?

  “What?” he yelled before his brain could stop his mouth and his mother didn’t immediately reply to his first questions. His parents narrowed their eyes at him causing him to feel ashamed at his outburst. “I’m sorry.”

  Julia nodded and his father grunted. Kane was about to get another spoonful of soup but stopped when his mother spoke. “There must be something about the other man you like to cause you to act like that.”

  He looked at her scowling. “Hell no, he’s rude and has a chip on his shoulder.”

  “How many minutes did you spend with him?” Preston asked.

  “Not long.”

  “And you got that all in a few minutes?” his mother asked.

  “Do I need longer than that?”

  “You know, I remember when he got worked up like this that one time.” Preston chuckled. “Do you remember, dear?”

  “Ah, yes, the little boy with those knocked knees and big brown eyes,” his mother said.

  Kane groaned, wishing his parents didn’t talk about the things from the past. Like when he was a kid and didn’t know what the fuck he was doing.

  “Brady was his name, I think,” his father added. “The boy would follow you around and although you acted irritated, I could tell you liked him. When anybody would say he was your intended, you’d get upset and stomp around.”

  “Whatever happened to him?” Julia asked.

  “His parents moved away, and I never saw him again,” Kane added.

  “Oh, well, we knew you liked him. You thought Brady was rude as well,” his mother added.

  “I did not,” he mumbled.

  “In any case, I think you should get to know Denny and Bill’s son—”

  “Cole,” he said cutting off his mother. “Cole is his name.”

  “Well, Kane, I think you should get to know Cole and offer him the job of running the bakery and cafe. I like having you around and I bet Denny and Bill would like to have their boy with them too.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to happen, Mama. It looks as if he’s just passing through,” Kane told her.

  “Are you sure? Did you talk to him or did you grunt at everything he said?”

  Kane couldn’t answer, his mama knew him better than anyone. He was tempted to grunt but cleared his throat instead. “Like I said, I’ve been busy.”

  “Well, make some time to get to know the man before he leaves. You never know what you’re missing out on,” Julia said to him.

  Kane had the feeling there was more to that statement. Not wanting to hear it, he changed the subject and talked about other things going on with the ranch. At the end of lunch, he stayed and helped his mother clean up. During that time, he called Kevin and asked him to have Misty ready so that he could take his father out for a ride.

  A few hours later, Kane stood outside the Bradfords’ cabin and was about to knock but stopped. He noticed the shaking of his hand. He looked at his hand as if he’d never seen it before. Why the hell was he shaking? Am I nervous? Kane chuckled at the thought. That’s definitely not it. He’d never been nervous about anything in his life. It wasn’t like he’d never had a meal with Denny and Bill before.

  Brushing off the feeling, he raised his hand again and knocked loudly. A few seconds later the door opened and Kane held back his gasp. Cole was standing in front of him wearing a white buttoned-down shirt and ripped blue jeans. But that wasn’t what he was wearing that caught Kane’s eyes. It was the bright smile on his face and the tinge of pink in his cheeks. He appeared to be glowing with happiness. It was more than he’d seen two days earlier when he met the man.

  “Kane, you made it,” Cole said.

  “Oh . . . yeah,” he said seeming at a loss for words for a second. He held up the bag in front of him. “My mama wanted me to bring this over to go with dinner. She made too much for lunch.” I’m babbling, why the fuck am I babbling?

  “What is it?” Cole asked stepping aside and opening the door wider for him to walk inside.

  “Asopao de pollo,” Kane answered.

  “Chicken and rice gumbo soup.” Cole’s eyes widened bright. “Wonderful, it would definitely add to tonight’s dinner.”

  He handed the bag to Cole in a daze when the other man extended a hand for the bag. He was somewhat impressed that Cole knew what asopao de pollo was in the first place. Coming out of his daze, Kane shook his head. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, the man’s a chef for crying out loud.

  “Have a seat, dinner will be ready in a bit,” Cole told him. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  Kane nodded and sat down. “A glass of water would be great.”

  “Coming up.”

  Kane noticed the difference in Cole from two days before, it was as if he was looking at a completely different person. Maybe all he needed was his dads to make him feel better. He looked around and noticed that there were two other people missing. “Where’re Denny and Bill?”

  “They’ll be along in a bit. They kind of um—that is to say—” Cole seemed nervous as he handed him the glass of water he’d asked for.

  “We took a nap and overslept,” Denny answered for him.

  “If that’s what you call all those moans I heard coming from your room,” Cole mumbled as he walked away.

  Kane snorted and started coughing when the water went down the wrong way.

  “Are you all right?” Denny asked as Kane picked up the napkin that was in front of him.

  “Yeah,” he said dabbing at the water that ran down his chin. He looked up at Cole who was smirking and the evil little bastard seemed to be having fun at his expense.

  “Glad you’re okay,” Denny said. “Bill will be down in a bit. But until then, I can tell you about our trip.”

  Kane didn’t say anything, and Denny went into detail about the trip and ideas for things they could add to meals at the restaurant. Kane didn’t mind listening to Denny’s ideas because they usually worked out for the better. Hiring Denny and Bill was one of the best decisions he ever made.

  “You were supposed to go on vacation, Denny, not take notes and report back to me,” Kane said interrupting his friend.

  “You obviously don’t know him well,” Cole snorted. “He doesn’t know how to rest.”

&nb
sp; “I do too,” Denny defended.

  “Name one time you actually went somewhere and didn’t take a notebook. I’m surprised Pop didn’t take it away from you.”

  “I tried, but he whined the entire time,” Bill said as he walked down the stairs.

  “I do not whine, I resent that, William Bradford.”

  “I love you, baby, but you whine when you don’t get your own way,” Bill said with a smile on his face that reminded him a bit of Cole.

  Denny narrowed his eyes at his husband. “For that, you’re sleeping on the couch.”

  “For how long?” Bill asked. He didn’t seem fazed by it at all.

  “Two days.”

  “Two hours then, because I know you. Since the minute we’ve been together that’s the longest you’ve been able to hold out.”

  Denny smiled. “You’re right, love. I can never sleep without you by my side.”

  “Gods you two are sickening,” Cole said from the other side of the room and Kane had to sort of agree. He didn’t mind seeing two people in love, but today he was on sweet, fluffy, and sugary overload between his parents and now Denny and Bill.

  “You’re just jealous,” Denny said. He’d gotten up and was sitting in Bill’s lap.

  “Not jealous at all,” Cole said. “I’m glad you two are so in love with each other after so many years. It gives me hope that one day it could happen for me.”

  “Ryker doesn’t know what he’s lost,” Denny said and now Kane was interested. “You’re better off without him.”

  Who the fuck is Ryker? So, he is running from something. A broken relationship or maybe a broken heart.

  “Dad, let’s not talk about that,” Cole said. “We invited—well, you invited—Kane here for dinner.”

  “You’re right.” Bill kissed Denny quickly before the man got off his lap. Denny went into the kitchen with Cole following behind him.

  “So, what’s been going on since we’ve been gone?” Bill asked.

  “The same, nothing new.”

  “I got a long list of shit to fix, I’m going to be busy for the next few days,” Bill said.

  Kane nodded. “Thomas tried to fix as much as he could while you were gone. But he’s not as good as you are.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Bill said. “Did he tell you what he wanted to do?”

  “Yeah,” Kane answered.

  He was listening and paying attention to the conversation between him and Bill but his eyes kept wandering around the room. He found himself watching Cole’s every move. The way his face lit up with a smile at something Denny said. Or when he licked his sexy heart-shaped lips that he wanted to taste. Wait, what?

  “Kane, did you hear what I just said?”

  He snapped his head to the side remembering that he was talking with Bill. “Oh . . .” He was saved by the bell when Denny announced that dinner was ready. He jumped up quickly with a plan that he was going to eat dinner and find some willing ass to fuck before the night was over.

  Chapter Four

  Cole sat on the rock with his cheek resting on one of his bent knees. He was looking out at the small pond that was located on the other side of the farm. After dinner, Kane had left with the excuse that he needed to check on the horses. Cole had helped Denny and Bill clean up before they turned in for the night. They were still tired from their trip.

  But Cole suspected that his parents simply wanted to spend more time alone. He couldn’t blame them, they were not used to him being around. He sighed, thinking that although he hadn’t lied to his parents, he hadn’t told them the whole truth. He gave them the abbreviated version of needing to get away a bit because he found out that Ryker and Ezra were sleeping together.

  He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell them they were going to be grandparents, but Cole figured he’d be gone before he started showing any signs of pregnancy. Granted, he would still need to find a job, but he wasn’t hurting for money. He had his savings and the money he was stowing away to one day own his bakery and sweets store.

  He loved cooking, but baking was where he found his niche. Cole closed his eyes with a sigh, holding back his tears. He would have to put his dreams on hold, with a baby on the way it would be a while before he could open the bakery he wanted. He wasn’t giving up on his dreams, just redirecting his focus for a few years.

  I’m going to be a father. Shit, am I even ready for this?

  When the doctor had told him that he was pregnant, Cole thought the man was joking and started laughing. At the time, all he could think was more excuses for Ryker to beat the shit out of him. Once he realized that he was serious, he sat on the hospital bed in a frozen state and stayed like that for a couple of hours. Scared out of his fucking mind, not for himself but for the child he was carrying. He’d sorted through his things and he knew that he couldn’t stick around.

  Ryker would find a way to hurt him more and use the baby against him. Besides, what he had with Ryker was not conducive to bringing up a child. Cole wouldn’t subject his, or any child, to a home where one parent was being abused. Maybe it was a blessing that he found out he was pregnant while Ryker was out of town. It gave him the courage to get away. It hurt worse thinking that the one friend he trusted was sleeping with his lover behind his back.

  How long had it been going on? Did I even care?

  The questions swirled in his head. Even though he knew he shouldn’t give it any energy, he couldn’t help it. Was he so blind to everything that he didn’t notice?

  What else were they doing that I didn’t know about?

  “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself.”

  Cole jumped when he heard Kane’s voice.

  “Dammit, you need a fucking bell,” he mumbled, hoping to hide the fact the other man had startled him.

  He was dressed in the same clothes he’d worn to dinner. A black button-down shirt with silver buttons, and black jeans with a silver square belt buckle. But instead of his regular baseball cap, he was wearing a black Stetson, looking every bit the cowboy that Cole had envisioned him to be.

  “What was that?” Kane asked.

  “Nothing.” He stood to his feet, dusting off his bottom. When he looked up he found the other man looking at him. “What, do I have dirt on my face or something?”

  “Nope,” Kane answered.

  “Then why are you staring at me like that?”

  “You’re a mouthy little thing, aren’t you.”

  Cole realized it wasn’t a question more of an observation. It was something that Ryker used to say before he’d feel the first hit.

  “I’m sorry,” he said before he could stop himself.

  “What are you sorry for?” Kane asked him, obviously confused.

  “I didn’t mean to . . .”

  “Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind your mouthiness. It’s one of your best qualities.”

  Cole blinked a few times. Was I just insulted, or was that a compliment?

  “That was a compliment, by the way. Your next words should be, ‘thank you.’”

  “Of all the nerve,” Cole said snapping out of his shock. “You are the most insulting man I’ve ever met.” Kane grunted in response. “I’m going to go to bed now because I don’t want the next thing I say to come off as a compliment. Good night, Mister Cartwright.”

  Cole went to step around Kane but he grabbed him by the arm nearest to him. He looked down at the hand holding him, it felt as if it was burning a hole through his clothes. His gaze trailed up to the taller man's face and they stared at each other. Cole’s breathing coming out in low shallow pants, as if he was expecting something more to happen between them.

  Their faces were only inches from each other and he didn’t know why he did it. Maybe he was horny and just needed a human touch. He closed the distance between them, connecting their lips. He moaned at the first contact. The hand that was holding his arm let him go and circled his waist, pulling him close.

  Shit, what am I doing? he asked himself, but he couldn’t
pull away. Kane Cartwright was kissing him as if he owned him in every way. He ignored the alarm bell going off in the back of his head.

  Kane pulled the warm body close to him. Cole Bradford felt good in his arms. Kane licked and sucked on Cole’s soft lips, loving the moans that echoed between them.

  It made his cock harder than it ever had before. He wanted to feel and touch every part of Cole’s body naked against his. He was about to deepen their kiss when he was easily pushed back.

  He opened his eyes and looked down, the other man seemed shocked at what had just happened between them. Kane was a bit shocked himself, he hadn’t planned on kissing the other man. But with the full moon illuminating his beauty, his quick temper, and the man’s enticing scent surrounding him, Kane felt lost for a second.

  “I—” they started together then stopped.

  Cole closed his eyes taking a deep breath then opened them again. “Good night.”

  Kane nodded and watched as he walked away. Cole’s words might have been calm but the way he practically ran from Kane, he knew the man wasn’t holding it together. He wasn’t doing so great himself, Kane couldn’t figure out what was going on with himself lately. In the past couple of days, he’d gone from wanting to strangle the man to kissing him.

  That kiss rocked his fucking world. Kane looked down and picked up his Stetson, dusting it off. He hadn’t planned on taking a walk after he’d seen to the horses, but he felt he needed to clear his head. He was mentally going over the events of his dinner with the Bradfords.

  When he realized he’d walked over to the small creek, he hadn’t expected to see Cole sitting there. He had a wonderful time at dinner that night; he liked the way the Bradfords teased and jabbed at each other. It was the way his family used to be before his father had his stroke. Sometimes things seemed as if they were getting back to normal and that his father was going to go back to the way things used to be, but Kane knew it would never be the same. Times and people changed, especially when death was involved.

  He licked his lips, tasting Cole’s lingering kiss. He ran a hand through his hair sighing. He knew why he’d been avoiding the man since he’d seen him a couple of days earlier. He was attracted to him but he couldn’t decide what he wanted to do about it. The kiss was great, but Kane wasn’t looking for a forever partner.