Autumn's Hope (Cowboy Seasons) (8 page)

He
grabbed a fresh towel off the counter and dried himself, trying not to look in
the mirror again. He remembered the first time he saw himself after the
explosion. Everyone told him it wasn’t too bad. He finally got the okay to get
out of bed and to his horror he saw his reflection. That’s when he recognized
that he was just half a man.

He
was better off than some, worse than others. At least he didn’t have to endure Dear
John letters or have his mom cry over him. His girl called the hospital and
left a message. His folks were already dead. He had his land and the love of it
got him through. Sheer determination got him home to his horses and cattle.

He
remembered coming home for the first time. Women flocked around him until they
got a good look. He was a curiosity, a freak and they had their look and left but
there were a few people he’d known all his life that helped him get through the
hard times.

He’d
seen a lot of people die alone during the war. That was why he requested the
worst off horses. He wanted to be sure that they were not alone. He wasn’t so
good with people anymore but horses understood him.

Most
days he was grateful that he could sit a horse. Today wasn’t going to be like
that. Today he’d stew about Autumn and what could have been. He was happy for
her success but he wanted more from her. His heart squeezed painfully. They’d
never be more than friends.

He
threw the towel at the offending mirror and grabbed some clothes. He wasn’t
going to shave; he didn’t want to look at himself that long.

His
eyebrows furrowed. He heard a mournful cry. One of the horses needed him. Unfortunately,
that would keep his mind occupied.

Sure
enough, it was Gilley. He had a feeling when she arrived that she wouldn’t make
it like he’d hoped. He always hoped. He let himself into the stall and knelt
next to the downed horse. “I’m sorry old girl. I wish there was more I could
have done. We just didn’t get to you in time.”

Gilley
looked at him with her big, brown, trusting eyes. That trust hadn’t been there
a few days ago. She knew it was her time. Animals sensed things. She wasn’t in
pain, so Jonas sat in the straw next to her and waited for her time to come.

Jonas
wiped his brow with his shirt sleeve and grabbed his cell phone to answer it.
Holden was on his way.

A
half hour later Holden arrived with a sick mare. Her Parrot mouth was obvious.
Her teeth were so overgrown, Jonas bet she hadn’t had real food in months. Her
ribs and spine stuck out. “What’s her name?”

Holden
shook Jonas’ hand. “Page. I’ll get her teeth fixed, and if she’s meant to live
you’re the man to do it.”

Her
coat had seen better days and it wasn’t soft under Jonas’ hand. He stroked her
but she shied away. “Head shy. Where’d you find her? I have a feeling she’s
been beaten.”

“I
thought so too. Colt rescued her, along with two other horses. The owner was
long gone but there were five other bodies on the property. I just don’t
understand how people could be so cruel to animals.”

“Damn
shame. Are the other two going to be fine?”

“Eventually.
Hey, you’d better get down to the hospital. Autumn is there. Did you know she
was carrying?”

Jonas
felt the blood drain from his face. “What do you mean she’s at the hospital?”

“Summer
is with her. She had some slight bleeding last night. I have a feeling she’s
going to need bed rest. Now go, you look awful. I know you care about her.”

Jonas
nodded then raced to his truck. He gunned the engine and was off. The hospital
wasn’t too far away. He prayed that Autumn would be fine and he said a prayer
for her child. If it was bed rest, well she couldn’t go back to her place,
there were too many stairs. Summer would probably take her in.

He
hit the gas pedal harder and was at the hospital in no time. He parked his
truck and took a deep breath, his stomach was queasy. He’d spent too much time
in hospitals. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he strode toward the building.
Autumn was in there and he needed to be with her.

The
antiseptic smell overwhelmed him and it took everything he had to keep it
together. A nurse told him which room Autumn was in and he quickly headed in
that direction. He stopped outside the door and put a smile on his face. She
was probably worried enough and he wanted to be there for her.

Richard
sat on the edge of her bed. His brown hair uncombed. He must have been the one
that brought Autumn in and Summer sat in a chair next to the bed, holding
Autumn’s hand.

Jonas
stepped into the room and immediately his gaze locked with Autumn’s. Her
pinched expression tugged at his heart. He walked over to the bed and was
surprised when Richard got up and let him next to Autumn. “I just heard.”

“I’m
scared, Jonas.” Tears flowed down her cheeks.

He
quickly sat on the bed and drew her into his arms, hoping he was providing her
with enough comfort. Her hair hung down her back and it was like silk. He
rubbed her back until her sobs subsided.

She
pulled back and she gave him an apologetic smile. Her eyes and nose were red
and he offered her his bandana and as she accepted it, her hand brushed his. A shudder
went through him and he could tell by the wonder in her eyes that she felt it
too. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Are you all right? Is
the baby fine?

“Yes.
I have to be on bed rest for a couple weeks. I’ll be just fine.”

The
fear in her eyes convinced him that she was anything but fine. “Do you have
someone to take your place at the restaurant?”

“Actually,
I do. Shayna Lowery offered to step in for me. I’d been trying to hire her away
from The
Carlston
Diner and her answer had always
been no. She came by to see me this morning and offered to be the manager.”

“I
know Shayna. She’s a nice gal. What about where you’ll live?”

She
clenched and unclenched her bed sheet. “I have a home.”

“I
know you do, love. There are plenty of stairs for you to climb. Perhaps too
many.”

Summer
nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her. I would move one of the boys
to another room, but hell we have stairs too. I’ll figure something out though.”

“I
have plenty of room at my ranch and it’s all on one level. No stairs involved.”

The
room grew silent and everyone stared at him. He straightened his shoulders. “Why
the stares? I can take care of Autumn. I do know how to cook.”

Summer
and Richard exchanged knowing smiles. Their smiles were so wide, Jonas wanted
to take back his offer. They looked like two old biddies who just succeeded at
matchmaking.

“I
think it’s a fine idea.” Summer stood and brushed Autumn’s hair away from her
face. “You’ll be fine there.”

Autumn
glanced at Summer and then at Richard. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to make
more work for you, Jonas.”

He
chuckled. “A little thing like you can’t make that much more work. I’ll show
you my horses.”

Richard
gaffed. “Is that a pick up line? Jonas we need to think up some new ones for
you.”

Jonas’
face heated. “I just, well I…”

“Thank
you, Jonas. I’d like to see your horses.”

Richard
laughed harder.

Autumn
frowned. “Richard, go and cook something please. You’re making me nervous.”

Richard
nodded. He stopped laughing but his eyes were full of merriment. “I’ll leave
you in Jonas’ capable hands. Don’t worry about a thing.”

“But
the restaurant.” Autumn protested.

“We’ll
be fine. I’ll call you every day with the details. I’m leaving now before you
think of any other excuses why you should be working.”

Summer
kissed Autumn’s forehead. “Richard, wait I’ll walk out with you.”

They
both shot out the door. Jonas was on to their ploy to get him and Autumn
together. They were well-meaning but misguided.

He
glanced down at Autumn’s drawn face. His mouth grew dry wondering what he
should say to ease her mind. “When did the doctor say you could get out of
here?” He didn’t like the circles under her eyes. She needed to rest.

“Anytime.
I’m waiting for the nurse to bring me some paperwork to sign.” She shifted in
the bed and then turned toward him. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can be
a pain at times and my hormones—”

Jonas
drew her in for a hug. He expected it to feel awkward, instead it felt as
though they’d known each other forever. Sure, he’d hugged her before to give
her comfort but this one felt different and he wasn’t willing to examine the
reason.

Autumn
gently pulled away. Her eyes widened and she pressed her palms to her now rosy
cheeks. “Wow.” Her voice was deeper, almost breathless. Taking a shaky breath
she smiled. “I don’t want to hear one complaint about me being a pain. You’ve
been warned.”

He
threw his head back and laughed a deep laugh. The type of laugh he used to have
before the Army. “I’ll hunt down the nurse.”

* * * *

They
had just started driving toward Jonas’ ranch and already Autumn couldn’t decide
whether to count her blessings or roll her eyes. He’d been a perfect gentleman
lifting her into the truck. He put her seatbelt on for her and now he was
driving like a little old lady.

Autumn
gave him a sidelong glance. He had a handsome face, nice cheekbones and a
strong jawline. Her gaze lingered on his lips, his masculine, yet gentle lips.
Her heart beat faster and she had to look away. There was something between
them but she had so much going on at the moment. She rubbed her belly and said
a quick prayer. She had only one thing to concentrate on and that was her baby.

“You
okay?” The worry in his voice touched her.

She
turned her head and gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just a bit worried but
that’s probably natural.”

Jonas
laid his hand over hers. “It’ll be fine.” The baby moved under their hands and
the expression of wonder on Jonas’ face astounded her.

“Pretty
amazing isn’t it?”

“Active
little guy.” Jonas turned his gaze to the road, a small smile played at his
lips.

“Yes,
she is.”

“You
know it’s a girl?”

“No,
I want to be surprised. It doesn’t matter as long as the baby is healthy.”

Jonas
turned onto a dirt road. “It’s a bit bumpy, hang on!”

He
wasn’t kidding, her teeth practically chattered. When the house came into view,
she gasped at its beauty. “Log cabin? Wow. What type of wood?”

He
parked the truck and sat up straighter in the driver’s seat. “Engelmann spruce.
I built a lot of it myself. The original house was falling apart and when I got
out of the Army I decided to rebuild it. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms,
a mud room, and wait until you see the kitchen.”

“Impressive,
love the light color of the wood and the porch is huge. I thought you said it
was one-story, those windows go from floor to ceiling.”

“It’s
a pitched roof with beams and rafters.”

The
pride in his voice was evident and he had every reason to be proud. She’d never
seen anything like it before. The house looked so natural with the scenic
mountains in the background. She loved Montana’s beauty.

Autumn
waited in the truck for Jonas to help her down. She had a feeling he’d have a
fit if she did it herself. He opened the door and held his strong arms out to
her. Before she knew it she’d been swept up against his hard chest and a tingle
pumped throughout her body. Her attraction to him had to stop, but how?

He
carried her up the three steps that led to the front railed porch, and then he
set her down to get the key out of his pocket. He opened the door and gestured
for her to enter first.

All
the planks of wood showed knot holes and the ceiling was high giving the house
a spacious vibe. The furniture was oversized and masculine, like Jonas. The
brown leather couch and chairs looked as though they’d swallow her up if she
sat in them. “It’s wonderful!”

He
practically glowed at her praise. “I put a lot of work into the place.”

“How
long did it take?”

“About
three years.”

“That’s
a long time but so worth it. Come look at the kitchen.”

“I’ve
seen it.” He chuckled.

“Of
course you have.” She grabbed his hands and pulled him along. The cabinets were
the same light color as the walls and there were plenty of them. She could
picture herself cooking in the spacious room. The counters were brown granite
and all the appliances were stainless steel. “You must cook a lot.”

Jonas’
shook his head. “Not really, I mostly use the microwave. Working the ranch
takes a lot of my time these days.”

“I’ll
cook.”

“No
can do. Let’s get you settled on the couch. Richard is going to bring your
things by in a bit and then I’ll show you your bedroom.”