The Doctor's Cowboy

by Trish Milburn

  As he headed away from the pens, he noticed Owen chatting up one of the barrel racers. Owen glanced over and caught sight of him.

  “Hey, look who’s back in town.”

  “You seen Chloe?”

  Owen smiled. “And I guess I know why. I saw her earlier sitting in the stands with a bunch of her friends.” Owen turned and pointed. “Right there on the end.”

  “Thanks.”

  As Wyatt started to walk away, Owen spoke again. “You be good to my sister. Just remember my brother and I have a big ranch, lots of space to hide a body.”

  Wyatt smiled as he looked back at Owen. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  When Wyatt reached the grandstand, however, he didn’t see Chloe anywhere.

  “You looking for Chloe?” He looked up to see a dark-haired woman sitting next to Chloe’s friend, India.

  “Yeah.”

  The woman used her thumb to point behind the bleacher area. “She said she wasn’t feeling well and went that way.”

  Concern propelled him toward the restroom area. But after a few minutes of waiting there without seeing her come out, he wondered if she’d gone home. When he reached the edge of the field where all the vehicles were parked, he saw her standing a couple of rows in with her face pointed toward the sky.

  “Chloe? You okay?” he asked as he approached her.

  She spun around then glanced behind him toward the arena, confusion creasing the area between her eyes. “You’re not riding?” She was trying to sound matter-of-fact, but he heard the note of hope, of tentative relief.

  He took a couple of slow steps toward her. “No. My doctor says I shouldn’t.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you listen to your doctor?”

  Another step and he was able to caress her cheek. “Since I fell in love with her.”

  Again, she directed her gaze toward the arena. He touched her chin and guided her attention back to him.

  “I’m not going to be riding bulls anymore.”

  “You’re not? But you said you love it.”

  “I do, but it’s time to step away. It just took me a while to accept that.”

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Well, right now I was thinking about kissing this pretty girl I know.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yep.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. And then he captured her mouth with his, kissing her the way he’d imagined in great detail for the past two weeks.

  Chloe eventually pulled away. “Not that I’m complaining, but you’re avoiding really answering my question.”

  “Am I?”

  She playfully punched him in the shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from him.

  “Okay, okay. How would you feel if I decided to make Blue Falls home?”

  Her eyes widened in a way that gave him hope that this conversation was going to turn out the way he’d imagined it.

  “I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”

  He smiled. “Good. Because you’re looking at the newest employee of Parrish Rodeo Company.”

  “That’s why you were back behind the pens, talking to Liam?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be taking care of the stock and eventually riding pickup in rodeos, just as soon as my pretty doctor clears me to work.”

  “That’s great!”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. We’re tied with the number of Scrabble wins. I have to have the chance to beat you and proclaim myself the champion.”

  “Board games? That’s really what you’re thinking about right now?”

  Chloe placed her hand flat over his heart. “No, but what I’m thinking isn’t appropriate for a parking lot only yards away from half of Blue Falls.”

  He lifted a brow. “That right? I might be persuaded to take you to a more appropriate place.”

  Chloe lifted onto her toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “I think that sounds like a very good idea.”

  They stood kissing for several moments before the need to be alone with her made Wyatt break the kiss. “I really want to sweep you off your feet right now.”

  “As your doctor, I strongly discourage that.”

  He ran his thumb over her soft lips. “Guess I’ll just have to save that for the day I carry you across the threshold.”

  Chloe froze and stared at him as if she couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly.

  “That’s right, Chloe Brody, I’m not going to rush you, but I plan to make you my wife someday.”

  A twitch at the edge of her mouth slowly built into a smile. “You know, Wyatt Kelley, I like your new life plan. I think it’s just what the doctor ordered.”

  And then she kissed him with so much passion that he thought he might end up right back in the hospital. Not that he would mind as long as he was guaranteed the prettiest doctor in all of Texas.

  Epilogue

  Chloe nearly choked on her barbecue as Wyatt told the story of the night he’d chased the fence cutters through her family’s pasture. Only this time, the recounting he was sharing with a group of their wedding guests included him threatening to lasso the culprits.

  “That story gets more crazy every time you tell it,” she said.

  Wyatt leaned close enough that she could smell his spicy aftershave. “Shh, you’re ruining the tale of my heroics.”

  She smiled. “Oh, pardon me. I thought it was enough that the guys were arrested.”

  “A little extra embellishment doesn’t hurt.” Her husband leaned closer and dropped a kiss on her lips.

  Her husband. There were moments when she still couldn’t believe that an hour ago, she and Wyatt had stood on the front porch of her family’s home and said “I do” to each other.

  “My eyes!”

  Wyatt lifted his lips from hers in time for Chloe to see Owen covering his eyes as if seeing his big sister kiss a guy would burn out his corneas. She grabbed a roll from the basket in front of her and beaned him in the side of the head with it.

  Everyone laughed as Owen cried foul. When India’s little girl, Rose, started giggling and waving her hands with enthusiasm, that made everyone laugh even more. Even Skyler and Logan’s son, Ethan, only two months old, shared a big, toothless grin at the people around him.

  Chloe smiled at the little ones and resisted asking their mothers to hold one of them. That maternal instinct had grown even more since Wyatt had returned to Blue Falls with the intent to stay. She wanted to have his children, but she kept telling herself to take things one step at a time. Now she should be enjoying her time alone with Wyatt before bringing kids into the mix, and it would also give him time to adjust to his new life. At least that’s what she told herself until she spotted an adorable baby and that yearning inside her kicked into high gear.

  “So, has Verona started trying to match up these two yet?”

  “Good Lord,” Skyler said. “Don’t give her any ideas.”

  “I can see it now, baby matchmaking,” Elissa said quietly, scanning the crowd for her aunt. “It’s bad enough that she asks me about once a week if I’m pregnant yet.”

  Chloe caught sight of Verona talking with Greg Bozeman, who looked as if he wanted to make a beeline for his truck. “You know what might cure this?” She smiled. “We should totally set Verona up with someone.”

  Logan snorted. “That might be the best idea I’ve ever heard.”

  As the women started tossing out the names of eligible bachelors near Verona’s age, the guys vacated the table in favor of a trip to the iced tubs of beer. Well, they did until the band struck up the first tune. Then they gradually made their way back to claim dances with their wives. Chloe was about to go play with the babies that India and Skyler had put in a playpen when Wy
att pulled her into his arms.

  “I think it’s tradition for the groom to dance with the bride, isn’t it?”

  “That’s what I hear.”

  She felt as if her smile consumed her entire face as Wyatt spun her onto the makeshift dance floor. When he pulled her close, she knew she’d never had a happier moment in her life.

  “I think I know what to get you for a wedding present,” he said.

  “Wait, you haven’t gotten me anything yet?”

  “I was waiting to find the perfect gift.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  He stared at her with mock affront. “Well, I just won’t give you the perfect gift I just thought of.”

  She swatted him on the chest. “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m curious now. What is this perfect gift?”

  Wyatt turned his gaze to the left, drawing her attention that way, as well. Her breath caught as she realized the only thing within his line of vision was the playpen. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to Wyatt’s.

  “Really?”

  He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. “It’s obvious you want a baby.”

  “But what about you?”

  “I never thought about it much until I met you, but I like the idea of a little version of you toddling around.”

  “We can wait. I know we haven’t had much time with just us.”

  “We can have a baby and still manage time for just us.” He glanced over the gathering of her friends who were becoming his, as well. “I’d say we have a lot of babysitters at our disposal.”

  Wyatt paused as a mischievous grin stretched his mouth.

  “Oh, dear, I’m afraid to ask what you’re thinking.”

  He pulled her closer and spoke next to her ear. “I’m thinking I’m going to like trying to make that baby.”

  Warmth flooded Chloe’s body as she thought about that, as well. She leaned back so she could meet his gaze. “How soon can we get rid of these people?”

  Wyatt laughed and she knew she’d never get tired of hearing that sound, of seeing him smile, of feeling him hold her close. The cowboy in her arms was the perfect prescription for what her doctor’s heart needed, and she never planned to let that prescription expire.

  * * * * *

  Be sure to look for HER COWBOY GROOM, the next book in Trish Milburn’s BLUE FALLS, TEXAS series, available in May 2015 wherever books and ebooks are sold!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE BABY BONANZA by Jacqueline Diamond.

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  Chapter One

  It was the first time Zora could recall agreeing with Lucky Mendez about anything. Although their truce surely wouldn’t last long, she appreciated his good judgment this once.

  “No way are you letting that creep move into our house,” the male nurse told their landlady and housemate, Karen Wiggins. With his striking dark hair, muscular build and flamboyant tattoos, Lucky made an odd contrast to the pink streamers festooning their den.

  “Everybody hates Laird Maclaine,” Zora added as she arranged baby shower prizes on a side table. Being seven months pregnant with twins, she had to avoid any strenuous activity. In fact, as one of the shower’s honorees—along with two of their former housemates—she could have dodged setup duty, but she refused to take the easy way out.

  Ever.

  “He’s the only one who responded to the notice I posted on the bulletin board.” Atop a step stool, Karen tied a bunch of balloons to a hook. In shades of pink and purple, each balloon proclaimed: Baby!

  “We have a vacant room and the rent’s almost due,” she continued. “It’s either Laird, or I post on the internet and we fend off the loonies. Unless you guys can produce another candidate, fast.”

  Lucky hadn’t finished castigating the topic of the conversation. “One drink and Laird’s telling raunchy jokes. Two drinks and he’s leering at any lady who walks by.” His lip curled. “Three drinks and we call the police.”

  “For a staff psychologist, he doesn’t have a clue about how decent people act,” Zora threw in.

  “I don’t care for him, either, but there are bills to pay.” Karen, a financial counselor at Safe Harbor Medical Center, where they all worked, had inherited the five-bedroom home from her mother the previous December. Forced to take out a loan to repair the run-down property, she’d advertised for roommates. The arrangement had worked well despite the diverse personalities who’d signed on.

  So far, three of the women had become pregnant, but the other two had married and moved out, unlike Zora. There was little chance she would marry the father of her babies, because he was already married. He was also her ex-husband, with whom she’d foolishly and, just before finalizing their divorce, trustingly had sex in the belief that her on-again, off-again high school sweetheart still loved her.

  Zora rested her palm on her bulge, feeling the babies kick. How ironic that she’d gotten pregnant by accident at the worst possible time, after she and Andrew had tried for more than a year to conceive. They’d been on the point of seeking fertility treatments when she’d discovered he was cheating on her.

  “We have plenty of other colleagues,” Lucky persisted. “You guys are in a better position to meet them than me, since my office is out in the boonies.” Lucky worked in the medical office building adjacent to the hospital.

  “I’ve tried, but... Oh, yuck!” Karen broke off as a breeze through the rear screen door carried a fetid whiff of decomposing vegetation and fish from the estuary behind the property.

  Zora nearly gagged, too. Karen praised the marsh ad nauseum because it provided critical habitat for plants and small animals, as well as for California’s migratory birds. However, despite the cooling weather at the end of September, it stank. “Who left the door open?”

  “I must have forgotten to close it after I swept the patio.” Lucky shut the glass slider with a thump. “How about renting to that receptionist in your office?”

  “She declined.” Descending from the stool, Karen stood back to assess the position of the balloons. “She prefers to save money by living with her parents. Speaking of money, if we don’t find anyone by next month, I’ll have to divide the room rent among you guys and Rod.”

  Their fourth and newest housemate, anesthesiologist Rod Vintner, had gone to pick up the party cake. He’d also gone, in Zora’s opinion, to avoid anything approaching hard labor, although he had promised to clean up afterward.

  “We could use the spare room as a nursery.” Lucky cast a meaningful gaze at Zora’s large belly. “If someone would inform her ex-husband that he’s about to be a father and owes child support, she could afford the extra space.”

  “Don’t start on her,” Karen warned, saving Zora the trouble. “Go set up the chairs in the living room.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” With a salute, Lucky strolled off. Zora tried to ignore the muscles rippling beneath his T-shirt and the tight fit of his jeans. The man was a self-righteous pain in the neck, no matter how good he looked.

  Surprisingly, he hadn’t brought home any dates since they’d moved into the house last Februar
y. Or none that she’d observed, Zora amended. Since Lucky occupied the downstairs suite, he could easily slip someone in late and out early without the others noticing. Men did things like that.

  “You can stop staring at his butt now,” Karen said dryly.

  “I wasn’t!”

  “You can lie to anyone else, including yourself, but spare me.” The older woman—forty-two to Zora’s twenty-nine—tightened the ponytail holder around her hair, which she’d dyed black this month. “Was that the kitchen timer?”

  “I didn’t hear anything.” Zora adjusted a gift-wrapped box with a slot for envelopes. The front read: Nanny Fund. They planned to share the services of a specialist nanny among the three new moms and their collective total of six infants. Well, they did work at a hospital noted for its fertility treatments, although only one of the pregnancies had high-tech origins.

  The timer buzzed. “There!” Karen said with satisfaction. “I knew it would sound any second.”

  “You must be psychic.” Zora waddled behind her past a table displaying shower-themed paper plates and napkins.

  “I have a well-developed sense of when food is done. Call it experience.” In the kitchen, Karen snatched pot holders from a hook and opened the oven, filling the air with the scents of orange and lemon, almonds and balsamic vinegar.

  Karen set the tins of Mediterranean muffins on the stove to cool. “I’d better start on the finger sandwiches. Only two hours before the guests are due, and I have to dress.” She tied an apron over her blouse and long, casual skirt.

  “I’ll finish the vegetables.” From the refrigerator, Zora removed the containers of celery, carrots and jicama that she’d cut up earlier, along with sour cream to mix for the dip and peanut butter to fill some of the celery sticks. “Would you get the olives and an onion soup packet from the pantry? I’m too big to squeeze in there.”