Read The Cowboy's Little Surprise Online

Authors: Barbara White Daille

The Cowboy's Little Surprise (13 page)

Directly after he’d kissed her, he had read her feelings the way he always had—as easily as he’d read the textbooks in the classes they had shared. Since their night at the bowling alley, he’d seen those feelings in her expression every time he looked her way. It made him glad they hadn’t had time alone again.

“You’ll be around Saturday night?” Jed asked. “I want you here for the chuckwagon.”

“I’ll be at Layne’s most of the day, doing some painting for her.” And a list of other chores.

A run-in with her ex had left her upset, and she’d gotten nothing done around the apartment the night before. The pregnancy was wearing her out, too. Instead of extra hours at SugarPie’s, she needed two weeks on a tropical island. But she wouldn’t accept that from him, either.

“Once I’m done in town,” he added, “I can come back here.”

“Good. Jane and Andi both plan to head out the morning after it.” Jed sounded sorrowful.

“Yeah, they said. It must’ve been nice to have them visit, since you hadn’t seen them in a while.”

Jed nodded. “I miss them every day I don’t see them. Don’t you feel the same about Layne and her boy?”

“It’s different for me.”

“The hell it is. Family’s family. What made you turn your back on your sister for all these years, Cole?”

“I didn’t turn my back. I’ve always taken care of Layne when she needed me.” When she was between husbands.

“Sending money home’s not the same as being here, where you belong.” His tone sounded accusing.

Maybe the old man hadn’t forgiven him, after all. And why should he? The boss didn’t owe him anything. In fact, just the opposite.

“And what about Tina?” Jed demanded.

He froze. After a moment, he forced himself to say evenly, “You know, Jed, since I’ve been back, I’m fairly sure you’ve been seeing to it that my path crosses with hers. I appreciate the thought. But you might as well save yourself the trouble. There’s not going to be anything between us.”

“Can’t say that, when you two already have the most important connection of all. Like I said, family’s family.”

“You mean Robbie.” It wasn’t a question; he could see the knowledge in Jed’s steady gaze. “Well, then, maybe you also know Tina never told me the truth.”

“That’s Tina’s way, too independent for her own good. The girl never told Paz or me, either, till this week.”

“So she said. I wasn’t sure I believed her.”

Jed glared at him. “Maybe that’s where you’re going off track, son.” He sighed. “Now, I intend to keep this conversation between us. And I hope you’ll give what I’m going to say some thought. You’ll never get anywhere if you don’t start taking some things on trust.”

That was exactly the problem.

But before Cole could respond, Jed stomped away.

Chapter Thirteen

Hearing Jed’s footsteps in the lobby, Tina pushed her notebook away from her on the desk and waited.

Her mind definitely wasn’t on her work or even in her office. Instead, her thoughts were with Jed, who had told her he had already begun missing her cousins, though they hadn’t even left yet. He also kept returning to her office to fill her in on Jane and Andi’s last-minute ideas for the renovations. She didn’t know which made her feel worse.

Her thoughts were with Cole, too, though they didn’t make her feel much better.

Jed entered the room and settled into the side chair at her desk. “You need to get away from this computer once in a while, girl. Folks will think I never let you leave the office. You’re joining us at the chuckwagon tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Of course. You know I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good.” He exhaled heavily. “It’s sure going to be quieter once the girls leave.”

“They do add a lot to the conversations,” she agreed, smiling.

“Good thing Cole’s going to be around, and bringing his nephew by, too. Robbie’s tickled to have someone else to play with.”

“Yes, he is.” Her son had almost become a different little boy now that he had a constant playmate—one that wasn’t a girl. “Rachel’s happy about Scott being here, too.”

Jed laughed. “Yeah. She especially likes having someone else to boss around. Gotta give Cole a hand, he’s doing a good job with all the kids, don’t you think?”

She nodded. Even she had to admit, he was diligent about minding Scott for his sister. He was also becoming more and more comfortable in caring for the kids. Beyond that, she could see how much he was beginning to care
about
them.

Then why did he keep insisting he didn’t want a family?

“Andi made a point of mentioning what a good job Cole was doing. And Jane had plenty of good things to say about him, too.”

“That’s great,” she said automatically, her thoughts again on the odd coincidence of Cole’s return to the ranch now, just when Andi and Jane had come to town again. Before, she hadn’t felt she could ask Jed about it. Now she wanted answers.

“I was wondering about this visit,” she said.

For a moment, Jed froze. Then he shrugged and settled back in his chair. “I thought it was high time I saw the girls again. I contacted them myself.” He sounded defensive—or maybe just hurt that his other granddaughters hadn’t taken the first step.

“I’m glad you did,” she assured him, “and I know they are, too.” She dragged the notebook closer and looked down at it. She was sorry now she had steered the conversation in this direction. Yet she still wanted to know. “I wasn’t talking about Andi and Jane. I meant Cole’s arrival.”

Jed frowned. “What’s on your mind?”

“Did you know ahead of time that he was coming back to Cowboy Creek?”

“Nope. Hadn’t a clue. Nice that he’s back though, isn’t it?”

She hesitated, but he sat looking at her. She nodded.

“Now.” He slapped his palm on the desk. “Listen to this. I spent some time with the girls this morning, and they came up with a great idea about bringing in a chef.”

“A
chef
?”

“Yeah. Andi’s going to ask around, talk with some of the folks she knows, maybe find someone who’s looking to relocate. Sounds like a good idea to me. The girls said if we’re going to put this place on the map, we need to provide top-notch service.”

Before she could respond, she heard heavy footsteps on the lobby floor. A moment later, Cole appeared in the office doorway.

“Hey,” Jed said, “you two want to chat. Let me get out of the way.”

“You’re not—” she began.

He brushed her off with a wordless wave. She frowned.

Jed left the room, and Cole stepped inside.

“Got a minute?” he asked.

It didn’t seem to matter whether she did or not. He took a seat in the leather chair Jed had just vacated and stretched his long legs out in front of him. She would have to step over them to leave.

Speaking of which...

“I don’t suppose you’re here to check out?”

Now he frowned. “No. What gave you that idea?”

“Wishful thinking, maybe.”

“Very funny.” He shot a glance toward the empty doorway. “Did Jed say something?”

“No, nothing.” Not meeting his eyes, she riffled through the pages of her notebook.

“What’s wrong?”

He put his hand over hers. The spark of excitement she felt at his touch should have warned her to pull away. But she didn’t think of flashing red lights. She thought only of the many times she had imagined him here in the hotel, living with her and loving her and helping her create the family she’d always wanted.

“I know something’s bothering you,” he murmured. “Talk to me.”

She struggled to remind herself she couldn’t fall for this again, couldn’t let him turn his charms on her and get away with it. “Why?” she demanded.

He frowned. “I don’t know what I’ve done to get on your bad side. But I think we can change that.”

“Why would we want to?”

He laughed. “Dang, woman, you ask more questions than all the kids put together. Come on, we’ve barely had a chance to talk at all in the past couple of days. Admit it, you’ve missed me, haven’t you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“All right, then. How about I flatter you?”

His question sent a burst of pleasure through her. Somehow, she managed to say levelly, “How about you don’t? I wouldn’t want you wasting your breath.”

“All right, then,” he said again. “I won’t.” He leaned forward and touched his mouth to hers.

Now warmth spread all through her, followed by a rush of desire. She had curled her fingers in the fabric of his shirt, ready to draw him closer, when he smiled.

Once, that same slow smile had held the power to break her heart. So had he.

Now the warning lights flashed.

* * *

W
HEN
T
INA
SAT
BACK
against her chair and twined her fingers in her lap, Cole fought not to reach for her again. He slumped back in his own seat and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.

In the space of a heartbeat he’d gone from wanting to find out what had upset her to wanting a heck of a lot more. When he’d walked in here, that kiss sure hadn’t been in his plans.

Time to back off, to steady himself. To find some solid ground. “I interrupted your talk with Jed. It seemed like the conversation wasn’t going well.”

“It was fine.”

He smiled wryly. “It wouldn’t hurt to give me credit for
some
brains. Something’s up. And I don’t think it’s got to do with...what just happened here. You’d already looked upset when I came to the doorway.”

He had always loved Tina’s dark eyes. They looked even more beautiful when they gleamed as they did now. It wasn’t till she blinked hard and looked away that he saw she was fighting for composure.

“Hey,” he murmured. “Come on, you’ll feel better if you talk about it. Are you still worrying about the changes Jed’s making to the hotel?”

For a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer.

“It’s not just renovations now,” she said at last. “Andi and Jane are trying to convince him to hire a chef.”

“For the weddings? That makes sense.”

“Yes,” she said grudgingly. “I’d factored in hiring caterers for any events we book for the banquet room. But Jed’s not talking about parties and wedding receptions. He means hiring another chef in the kitchen. Which
doesn’t
make sense. No matter how popular the Hitching Post becomes, we’ve only got so many rooms. Abuela accommodates all the guests with help from just the kitchen staff. And from me, if they take time off unexpectedly. We would never have a need for two full-time cooks.”

“Then tell Jed. He’s a reasonable man.”

“I don’t know how reasonable he is, but this is the last straw.” She sighed. “The Hitching Post can’t afford all this.” She spoke so softly, he had to lean forward again to hear her. “More staff, yes, but not if we implement almost any of the upgrades Andi and Tina have suggested.”

“Then don’t do them. You said you didn’t want to see changes around here, anyway.”

Her eyes gleamed again.

He recalled their conversation that day in the sitting room. “This is more than just a hotel to you. You told me that. It’s your home.”

“It’s not just that,” she said. “It’s Jed. You heard what he said when he announced his plans. This is what he wants. And I owe him too much not to help him achieve his dream.”

“Sometimes dreams don’t measure up against reality.”

She flushed and looked away. “Maybe they don’t.”

“Jed can always talk to his bank.”

She said nothing.

He frowned. “He won’t agree to a loan, will he?”

Again, she didn’t answer. She wouldn’t even look in his direction. He’d bet if he hadn’t stretched his legs out in front of him, blocking her way, she would have gotten up and walked out of the room.

Nodding slowly, he said, “That’s it. He won’t take out a loan. I remember once Jed said he hasn’t trusted bankers since his grandfather told him about losing his life’s savings in the Depression.”

“He keeps enough money in checking to take care of payroll and bills. But he’d never pay interest to a bank.”

“Then just explain to Andi and Jane they need to ease up on the spending.”

Her eyes flashed. “And what? Tell them they’re building their grandfather’s dreams on money he doesn’t have? Obviously, he doesn’t want them to know or he would have said something himself. And just because my job gives me inside knowledge, I can’t be the one to tell them.”

* * *

C
OLE
SPENT
MOST
of Saturday doing some painting at Layne’s apartment while she was at work. Andi and Jane had offered to watch Scott, and he had picked up the boy and dropped him off at the Hitching Post earlier that morning.

When Layne arrived home in midafternoon, he had just finished the last of the trim in the living room. “The paint’s already dry in Scott’s room. I did that one first and moved the furniture back into place already.”

She sank onto the couch and put her feet up. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to thank you for all this.” She touched her stomach. “I could name the baby after you.”

He laughed. “What if it’s a girl?”

“I’ll call her Colette. Or Colleen.”

“I think you’d better come up with something else, even for a boy. I’m one of a kind, you know.”

“That
is
true.”

Frowning, he set the paint tray on the plastic tarp and settled on the short step stool.

“What?”

He shrugged. “I’m helping you pick out your baby’s name. I didn’t get to do that for my own.”

“You missed out on a lot,” she said softly. “But you’re catching up now. How’s Robbie?”

“Good. He and Scott are like twins.”

“Scott’s so happy to have a new friend. I’m thrilled our kids are cousins. And how are you and Tina getting along?”

He picked up the paint tray and rose from the stool. “It’s complicated.”

“Most relationships are.”

“So is being a parent.”

“You’ve got that right. And when the kids are as little as our guys, it’s hard to get a handle on things. They grow so fast. They change so much. No two days—no two conversations—are the same. And speaking of conversations,” she said lightly, “don’t think I didn’t notice how you redirected this one.”

“I didn’t redirect. There’s not a lot going on with the two of us.”

“Just what I like. A man who doesn’t kiss and tell.”

He almost lost his grip on the paint tray. Hoping to cover his startled reaction, he leaned down to pick up the can of paint he had left beside the ladder.

When he finally looked at Layne again, he found her grinning at him.

“Not a lot going on, huh?”

“Nothing worth talking about yet.”


Yet?
That’s good. At least you’re staying open to possibilities.”

But I shouldn’t be.

Relieved to get out of the room, he carried the paint tray into the bathroom to clean the brushes.

He shouldn’t think about Tina, either, but he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

When he had kissed her that night after their date and then again in her office, he had made the mistake of looking into those dark eyes he had always felt drawn to. In them he read more than he wanted to know. He saw what he had realized as a teen all those years ago and what had made him want to back off, then and now.

She wanted a relationship. Something lasting. Something permanent.

All things he didn’t do.

* * *

B
Y
THE
TIME
Cole got back to Garland Ranch, Pete and the other wranglers had the campfire blazing. From the parking area, he could see smoke rising and hear the sound of faraway voices.

He thought of Tina’s voice and what she had said before he’d left her that afternoon. Long after their conversation had ended, her words seemed to echo inside his head.

I owe him too much not to help him achieve his dreams...

He owed the old man a huge debt, too.

He’d put into motion the one thing he could do that might help him finally write that debt off. Before he had left Layne’s, he’d called the friends he had talked with a while back about pooling some cash for a good investment. Those friends might be his answer to the question of how to help Jed. At the same time, he could solve Tina’s financial dilemma.

To tell the truth, he didn’t know which would give him the most satisfaction.

The kitchen door of the hotel swung open. Tina stepped onto the porch. A loaded serving tray rested on her upturned forearm. In her other hand, she clutched several paper sacks she seemed in danger of dropping.

He hurried across to the porch and vaulted the steps to take the sacks from her hand.

She exhaled heavily and leaned against the railing. “Thanks. Those were all more awkward to carry than I’d expected. Did you get much accomplished at Layne’s?”

“Making progress. She ought to be settled in soon.” He hefted the sacks. “Looks like I arrived in the nick of time.”

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