The Cowboy's Little Surprise

by Barbara White Daille

  “Well,” he said, “first, I’ve got to give these great-grandkids of mine a big hug.”

  At Jed’s words, the boy hid behind his mother. Smiling, Andi reached up to place her daughter into Jed’s waiting hands. The sight of him cradling his infant great-granddaughter made Tina blink back tears. It seemed like only a few short months ago he’d held Robbie the same way.

  Jed took his seat, still holding the baby.

  Abuela came from the kitchen with a platter of her sugary sopaipillas. She hugged Andi and exclaimed over Andi’s children. Then, to Tina’s surprise, she gave Cole a warm welcome and a glowing smile.

  The unexpected brunch turned into a fiesta, a celebration for everyone except Tina, who struggled to ignore Cole.

  “I remember you.” Andi smiled at him. “You used to work for Grandpa, didn’t you?”

  “I did, back in high school.” Though he returned the smile, Tina could hear the strain in his voice. “And as of last week, I’m back to working here again. Looks like Jed just can’t get rid of me.”

  Neither could she.

  For some reason this family gathering seemed to have made him uncomfortable, which made her think of his remark about swearing off family. Maybe he hadn’t been joking about his feelings, after all. How much time had he spent with Layne and Scott, his own family, over the past few years?

  He hadn’t come back to town during that time, but she knew from things Sugar had said that Layne occasionally had gone to visit him. Did she miss her brother, the way Jed missed his sons and their families?

  In all these years, had Cole missed Layne and Scott?

  If he left Cowboy Creek again, would he ever think about Robbie?

  Tina didn’t add much to the conversation flowing around her. She usually stayed quiet in crowds. But as the minutes ticked away, she forced herself to follow the comments. Anything to keep from thinking of what would happen when she and Cole left the room.

  He had come here today determined to spend time with Robbie, and he would want to go look for her son.

  She didn’t need the narrow-eyed glances he shot at her from time to time to remind her of that. She also didn’t need him hovering near her elbow as if to keep her from disappearing.

  To tell the truth, she didn’t need him here at all.

  She felt grateful her cousins had chosen this week to come for a visit. Their conversation helped cover her silences. And without them here, Jed and Abuela would have made Cole the center of attention.

  When Jed had finished his last bite of dessert, he pushed his plate away and clasped hands with Andi and Jane, who sat on either side of him.

  “Now that you two have arrived,” he said, “I’m not letting you go very far. And I’ve got some mighty important plans to share with you about this hotel.”

  Her breath caught. First, Jed had stunned her by rehiring Cole. And now this. What plans?

  “You all have always known the Hitching Post is my pride,” he continued. “The weddings were my Mary’s joy, but I’ve let that side of things go for a long time. Not anymore. My dream is to get this place back to the way it was, with the catering business up and running.”

  She stared at him in astonishment. She had lived on this ranch since she’d been born, and Jed had always known how much she loved the hotel. Yet never once had he said a word to her about his dream.

  “That’s a wonderful idea, Grandpa,” Andi said. “Weddings are a booming business. I know people who would love to have a private ceremony at a ranch setting like this.”

  “The hotel’s got great character,” Jane agreed. “You ought to capitalize on the honeymoon angle, too.” She looked around, eyeing the bright glazed pottery on the table, the half-paneled walls, the ceiling crisscrossed by dark beams. “You’d have to update, make some renovations, but keep the Southwestern style.”

  Tina gripped her napkin with both hands. This was too much. Jed’s idea for attracting guests and increasing the hotel’s profits was wonderful. Lord only knew, they could use the revenue.

  But...renovations?

  They couldn’t afford to do anything much except paint and buy new linens. That would be fine with her. But structurally, there wasn’t a single thing about the hotel she would want to see changed.

  “A ‘Southwestern destination wedding,’” Jane murmured, making air quotes with one hand. Or maybe she imagined snapping a photo with one of the cameras she’d left on a side chair. Eyes narrowed, she nodded. “I can see it.”

  “So can I,” said Jed, slapping his hand on the tabletop. “I want the Hitching Post made into a going concern again. But here’s the thing. With everything that’ll need to be done around this place, I can’t tackle it alone. I want all you girls to turn my dreams into reality.”

  Tina started. She couldn’t keep from feeling touched that Jed wanted her help to achieve his dreams.

  But the rest of his statement left her wary. If the last thing she wanted for the hotel was to see it changed, the next-to-last thing was having to coordinate those changes with her cousins. She had long ago seen the way they played with others: they didn’t.

  “All of us, Grandpa?” Jane asked, as if she had her own doubts about Jed’s idea.

  “Yep. You’re a photographer. You can pull together some photos that will put this place on the map. Tina’s got the financial know-how to deal with the upgrades. And we’ll get Andi helping with something, too.”

  Both women looked as astonished as she felt.

  Between Jed’s announcement and her cousins’ involvement and Cole’s sudden reappearance, her life had spun out of control.

  * * *

  AFTER SPENDING A while listening to the Garlands discuss Jed’s ideas for the hotel, Cole excused himself. “I’ll go join Scott and Robbie.”

  “Me go boys!” Andi’s son shouted.

  His mama looked at Cole. He hoped his nod of agreement appeared more enthusiastic than it felt. He didn’t begrudge taking the little one along, but he had enough to handle just getting to know the two older boys.

  “All right, Trey.” Andi lifted him down from his high chair. “You be good and play nice.”

  The kid didn’t look much younger than Scott, yet as he toddled along, he seemed uncertain on his feet. Since his nephew had been just as shaky when they’d met at the diner a few months ago for their Christmas dinner, Cole knew enough now to shorten his stride.

  What he didn’t know was what it would have been like to see his own son like a newborn calf trying out his legs. Taking his first steps. And maybe tumbling a time or two until he got the hang of things.

  Thanks to Tina, there were a lot of things he’d never know.

  The thought made him stop in his tracks.

  Beside him, Andi’s son stopped, too, and tugged on Cole’s jeans. “Me go?”

  “Yeah,” Cole said. “Don’t you worry, pardner. We’re going.” He wasn’t about to miss this chance to spend some time with Robbie, especially now he could be in a room without the boy’s mama watching like a hawk.

  He had seen her face when he’d stood to leave the dining room. It was clear she didn’t want him with his own kid without her there to supervise.

  The two boys had lined up the collection of plastic horses on the sitting room floor. Cole walked between the toys, watching where he set his heavy boots and keeping an eye out for anything in the kid’s path.

  They took seats on the floor, Trey crawling over to the boys and Cole leaning up against the couch. To his surprise, Jed entered the room holding Andi’s daughter. “I thought you and the girls were busy making plans.”

  “They’re talking drapes and comforters, so I left them to it. I’ll be on hand when they get into the more important stuff.” He took a seat in the low-slung chair near the couch. “Thought I’d keep you company for a bit.”

  Or had Tina sent his boss to take her hawk-eyed place?

  But no need for such a crazy notion. If he could believe what she’d said—that Jed and Paz didn’t
know about the boy—she could hardly have asked Jed to observe him with Robbie.

  Cole stretched his legs out, crossing his boots at the ankle. From this position, he could see the boys and Jed.

  As he sat watching the old man with the baby cradled in his big, gnarled hands, he had to swallow another wave of resentment at Tina.

  He had meant it when he’d told her there was no sense wasting any more time. Thinking of all he had missed of his son’s life, he looked at Jed with his great-granddaughter and shook his head.

  Obviously unaware of Cole’s train of thought, Jed caught his reaction and grinned. “Nothing like it.”

  For a second, he felt like spilling his guts to the man. But that wouldn’t help the situation. He remained silent about his newfound fatherhood and went into the role he hoped he could play. “Holding a newborn? No, thanks, I’ll pass. Keeping an eye on Scott’s more than enough for me.”

  “Not just the holding, but the having,” Jed said solemnly. “Knowing a part of Mary and me lives on in this little girl, there’s nothing like that feeling. Nothing like family.”

  Cole didn’t respond.

  “Got any plans for settling down yet?”

  “No.” Not yet. Not ever. He’d learned the hard way marriage wasn’t in the picture for him.

  “Ah, you’re young. You’ll change your mind.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “Then maybe some young lady will change it for you, the way my Mary did mine. Considering the handful of women we’ve got here in the hotel right now, you ought to find one to strike your fancy.”

  Cole laughed. “What are you trying to do, get your granddaughters married off?”

  “Might be.” The old man looked thoughtful. “I just wish—” He stared into space.

  After a few moments of watching him, Cole frowned. “What are you wishing for?”

  “Nothing we need to discuss.”

  The statement and his abrupt tone came as a surprise.

  “Being hardheaded doesn’t get a person very far,” Jed continued. “You’ll learn that sometime, sooner than later if you’re lucky.”

  “I’m not hardheaded. I just know my mind.”

  “Ha.” The older man sounded skeptical but didn’t elaborate. He rose from his seat with the baby in one arm. “Think I’ll head into the kitchen and give Paz a turn. She’ll want to hold this little girl, even if you don’t.”

  “As I told you, I’ve got enough to do watching Scott. Who knew a three-year-old could be such a handful.”

  Jed laughed. “Easy to see you weren’t around much during your nephew’s ‘terrible twos.’ Now, that’s an age for you. We had quite a time of it with Robbie.”

  “Did you?” Another of his son’s stages he had missed. “Guess you’ve had your hands full helping out with him since he was born.”

  “Me and Paz both,” Jed agreed.

  Cole waited, but the older man didn’t add anything. He had responded naturally enough to the comment, though.

  After Jed left, Cole sat watching the boys. Scott and Robbie had taken most of the horses, leaving only a couple for Andi’s son, Trey. As the oldest and owner of the toys, Robbie seemed to be in charge.

  “What are you doing?” Cole asked. His chest tightened, almost as if he’d held his breath. This was the first conversation he had initiated with his son.

  From now on, everything that happened would be a first for them.

  The boy eyed him without speaking, taking his time with a response. Taking his measure, Cole figured. Robbie didn’t seem fearful or wary. Living here in the hotel, he was probably used to having lots of folks around.

  Finally, he said, “We’re playing horses.”

  “And what’s that?” Cole pointed to two empty cardboard boxes standing on their sides.

  “That’s the corral. The ponies have to stay inside.”

  “Why?” Andi’s son demanded.

  “So they don’t run away.”

  “Why do they run away?” Scott asked.

  Robbie frowned. “I don’t know.” After a long pause, he turned to Cole. “Why?”

  The boy looked like Tina. Even more, his solemn expression made him think of her in their high-school biology class, where she always took things so seriously. She was especially strict while overseeing experiments that, if not for her, he would probably have messed up.

  He didn’t want to mess up now. “Well...maybe the ponies want to find other horses to play with. Or maybe they want to break free of the corral.”

  “Do you think that’s why they run away?” Robbie asked.

  “Could be. They like to be free.”

  That’s what he had wanted. To break free. Free from the constant tension he and Layne lived with while their dad was alive. From the sympathy of the folks—the clueless folks—in town once his dad had passed on. And, almost worst of all, from the never-ending reminders they’d hear from their mom, who just couldn’t let memories of the man die with him.

  “Then, no more corral.” Laughing, Robbie knocked over his carefully erected pair of boxes. His wide grin again reminded Cole of Tina and the very few times he’d seen her laugh aloud.

  Judging by Jed’s nonresponse a few minutes ago, she must have been telling the truth when she’d said no one on the ranch knew about Robbie’s daddy.

  Robbie’s daddy.

  She sure hadn’t liked him calling himself that.

  She had never wanted him to know the truth.

  Years ago, he would never have believed sweet Tina capable of such deception.

  He had known she’d been hung up on him all through school, but when he’d started asking girls out, he hadn’t looked her way. She was quiet. Reserved. And so serious about so many things he’d had no plans ever to get serious about. He still didn’t.

  He had liked her a lot back then. Sometimes he even dreamed about her. But he knew better than to let himself be tied down. Instead, he’d gone from girl to girl, never getting too involved, never putting his heart on the line. Until senior year.

  He’d let down his guard for one weekend, had lowered his defenses long enough to trust Tina. But not long enough to trust himself.

  The guards had gone up again, the defenses had been put back in place, and the next day in the cafeteria, he had turned down her invitation to the dance and walked away.

  Maybe he hadn’t done it nicely.

  All right, yeah, he’d been an ass. A typical, teenaged-male ass.

  That didn’t give her the right to cheat him of all these years with his son.

  Chapter Six

  Once Jed had left the unexpected business meeting in the dining room, Tina’s cousins did most of the talking. Her mind kept wandering to Cole and Robbie. If they were together, she wanted to be there, too.

  As soon as she could, she left Jane and Andi and made her way to the lobby.

  In the reception area, she saw Jed ambling down the hall toward her from the direction of the kitchen.

  Cole barreled through the sitting room doorway. A quick look past him showed all three boys playing happily with Robbie’s ponies. Nothing wrong there.

  Yet when she met Cole’s gaze, his narrowed eyes told her she wouldn’t like hearing whatever he had on his mind.

  Slipping into her professional role, she stepped behind the registration desk.

  By the time Jed joined them, Cole had gotten his expression under control and found a smile. “You know, Jed, I’ve rethought the idea about staying at Layne’s. Considering how early I need to report in here every day, I’ll only throw off her morning routine and probably interfere with Scott’s sleep schedule. I’d like to take a bed in the bunkhouse, after all.”

  She froze. She didn’t want him living so close to the hotel, having so much access to Robbie. When Jed shook his head, she could barely hold back her sigh of relief.

  “Nope. That won’t work,” he said. “We haven’t got a bed free in the bunkhouse right now.”

  She blinked in surprise. The
y had room for several more wranglers. Why Jed would refuse to put Cole up in the bunkhouse, she didn’t know, but she felt immensely grateful.

  Until he added, “But that’s no problem. We’ve got plenty of rooms right here.” He turned to her. “Tina, take care of the man, will you?”

  Her heart sank. “But...we’ve never had a ranch hand stay in the hotel.”

  “Then maybe it’s high time we did. You know the cowhands are one of the biggest draws on this ranch.” He grinned. “Imagine folks checking in and finding a real, live cowboy joining them for their meals. They’ll get a kick out of it.”

  “But...” She stopped.

  When she made financial recommendations for the ranch or the hotel, Jed always heard her out. But naturally, as he owned the properties, the final decisions rested with him.

  The look of smug satisfaction on Cole’s face said he realized she had no choice.

  Jed sauntered down the hall again.

  She raised her chin and glared at Cole.

  “Is there a problem?” He glanced around the vacant lobby. “It doesn’t look like you’re all booked up. In fact, from what I saw this morning and the other day, you could use some customers.”

  “Guests,” she corrected. “And you’re not serious.”

  “Why not?”

  “You don’t need to take a room.”

  “Oh, yes, I do. You heard what I said to Jed about messing up Layne’s schedule.”

  “And that was a load of bull.”

  “No, it wasn’t. Besides, remember what I told you about her short couch? A few nights sleeping on that were enough to convince me to move over here.”

  “You don’t need to do this,” she insisted, her voice strained. “I told you, you can see Robbie.”

  “Yeah, you did. But look at the odds. You kept my son a secret from me for all these years. You haven’t even told your own grandparents the truth. How can I trust you to keep your word?”

  “That’s ridiculous. I’m the trustworthy one standing here. I’m the one who doesn’t run from responsibility.”

  “Maybe so. But suppose you’d given me the news a long time ago. How do you know I wouldn’t have stayed in town?” He leaned over the counter, pressing his point home. “As of now, I’m staying right here in this hotel. If you won’t check me in, I know someone who will.”