Montana Mistletoe Baby

They both started to eat, and for a few moments, Curtis thought the conversation might be over, but then his aunt said, “This town has been gossiping something fierce, and I wasn’t about to be part of that. Everyone has a theory on who the father is, and Barrie isn’t saying.”

“I noticed that. I asked her about it, and she pretty much told me to mind my own business.” He reached for the pitcher of milk and poured them each a glass.

Betty’s expression softened. “She’s not yours to worry over anymore, Curtis.”

“I know that.” He took another bite and glanced out the window again. Snow swirled against the glass.

“Do you?” Betty asked.

He sighed. “I’m not here for Barrie, Aunty. I’m here to take care of my business, help you out and be on my way.”

Betty didn’t answer, but she got that look on her face that said she thought she knew better.

“I told her that I’m selling the building,” he added.

“And how did that go down?” Betty asked.

“Not well, I have to admit.” Curtis sighed. “She says that Palmer will push her out of business.”

“And he will.”

Curtis put down his fork. What made everyone so certain? “Palmer isn’t the devil. Maybe he just wants a real estate investment. That isn’t unheard of.”

Betty shrugged. “She’s a better vet.”

“Is she?” Curtis had never seen Barrie in her professional capacity until today, and while he’d been impressed by her competence, he couldn’t judge much. Back when they’d been married, she’d wanted to go to school, but that hadn’t happened yet. Her life—everything she’d built for herself—had come together after he’d left town. It was slightly intimidating. She’d become a talented vet, and he’d become...too old to bull ride.

“Palmer has more experience, obviously,” Betty said, “but she’s got better instincts. Working together, they were a great team. On her own, Barrie has more potential. Palmer has already peaked in his career. She’s still climbing.”

“So you think he’s threatened,” Curtis concluded.

“If he’s smart, he is.”

An unbidden wave of pride rose up inside him. Barrie had always wanted to be a vet, and she’d not only achieved her dream, she was better than the established vet here in town, too. He’d always felt proud of Barrie when they were together. She was smarter than he was, in the book sense, at least. That had been frustrating when they’d argued, though. When she got mad, she got articulate. When he got mad, it all just balled up and he went out to ride until it untangled. Even their fighting hadn’t been compatible.

“So she’s doing well, then,” he said.

“Besides her mother passing away last winter,” his aunt said. “I told you about the funeral, right?”

“Yeah.” He sobered. Gwyneth Jones had never been his biggest fan, but she’d been a good woman, and he’d been sad to hear about her passing. This was a hard year for Barrie, and he hated to contribute to her difficulties, but he didn’t have a whole lot of choice.

“She’s done really well in her practice,” Betty went on. “She’s still single, though.”

“So are you,” he quipped. “We aren’t still judging people’s worth by their marital status, are we?”

“Of course not,” Betty said. “It’s not like I’m one to talk. But I’m more of the saintly single type,” she replied with a small smile. “It suits me.”

Curtis chuckled. “And Barrie isn’t?”

“She’s more like you,” Betty said, reaching past Curtis for a dinner roll. “Damaged.”

“Ouch.” Was that really how Betty saw him?

“You don’t count on me for flattery,” she replied, taking a bite. “You count on me for honesty.”

“Fine.” That was true. Betty had always been a rock in that sense. “So, we both know why I’m a wreck. Why is she?”

“In my humble opinion? It’s because of you.”

Curtis’s humor evaporated as his aunt’s words landed. “What do you mean?”

“She never did bounce back, dear.”

Barrie had always been tough, beautiful and definitely desired by the other guys in town. He’d tormented himself for years thinking about the cowboys who would have gladly moved in to fill the void he left behind. Over the last decade, he hadn’t called his aunt terribly often. When he did, and when he’d asked about Barrie, there was normally a boyfriend in the mix somewhere.

“I know she dated,” he countered. “You told me that much.”

“Oh, she dated,” Betty said with a nod. “She’s always been a beautiful girl. But she never did get anywhere near marriage again.”

Neither had he, for that matter. As a bull rider, women had come to him, and he hadn’t had to put a whole lot of effort into it. But he hadn’t gotten serious. He told himself it was because he’d been married before, and he wasn’t the romantic type anymore. Marriage was a whole lot harder than he’d anticipated. He’d done everything he could think of to make Barrie happy, and he still hadn’t been enough for her. He wasn’t a glutton for punishment, but he’d never imagined that she had ended up just as jaded as he had.

“I have to tell you, Curtis,” his aunt went on, “the gossip has been vicious about Barrie.”

“She isn’t the first person to have a child outside wedlock in this town,” he pointed out.

“No, she isn’t,” Betty confirmed. “But she won’t say who the father is, and people’s imaginations can come up with a whole lot more scandal than is probably the case.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“Some suggest she’s had an affair with a married guy around town. I know one woman who has an itemized list on why she’s confident that the mayor is the father. Others say she’s given up on finding love and went to a sperm clinic—” Betty paused. “Does it even matter? My point is that this isn’t an easy time for Barrie. And maybe you could...consider all of that.”

“When selling the building, you mean,” he clarified.

“Yes.”

“Aunty,” he said slowly. “If I’m going to buy that stud farm, then I’m on a timeline. I need to liquidate and come up with my half of the down payment by Christmas Eve, or the deal is off. I feel for Barrie—losing her mom, all of it—but we’ve been researching this business venture for two years now, and this sale is not only an excellent price, but it would be a future away from bull riding. This is no whim—it’s a plan.”

“I know that,” his aunt replied.

“So you can see that I don’t have a lot of options here,” he said. “Barrie has her practice. She’s built a life for herself. It’s been tough—I can see that—but she’s got a life put together. I have to do the same thing.”

Betty sighed. “I know. I just... Be as kind as possible, okay?”

“I’ll do my best.”

But what his aunt expected of him, he had no idea. None of this was his fault. If he didn’t invest in something soon, he wouldn’t be able to provide for anyone, let alone himself. If he didn’t sort out his own life, no one else was going to do it for him.

Except providing for someone else hadn’t even entered his mind until this moment...and along with the thought was an image of pregnant Barrie. He pushed it back—Barrie wasn’t his to worry about anymore. Besides, while she’d lost her mom, she had the whole town of Hope to back her up. The locals might enjoy some salacious gossip, but when it came right down to it, they took care of their own. He ate his last bite and rose to his feet.

“I’ve got more cattle to check on,” he said. “Thanks for dinner. Delicious as always.”

“Thanks for helping out,” Betty replied. “I mean that, Curtis. From the bottom of my heart.”

Curtis wiped his mouth with a napkin and deposited the plate in the kitchen sink. Shooting his aunt a grin, he headed for the door.

Barrie was independent. She’d fought him every day of their marriage and then proceeded to get her education and build a veterinary practice on her own. She was a force to be reckoned with, and while he understood his aunt’s concern about Barrie right now, he’d be smart to follow his carefully laid plans and start a life away from the circuit. That’s what Barrie had always wanted him to do, wasn’t it? And she’d been right. Better late than never.

He stepped into his boots and looked out at the ranch truck, snow accumulating over the hood in a smooth sheet. Snow was floating down in big fluffy flakes, and his mind was skipping ahead to the cattle. Curtis pushed his hat onto his head and trudged out into the cold.

Short days and long nights. This time of year brought the solstice, the shortest, coldest days before daylight started pushing back once more...

He glanced over his shoulder at the cheery glow of indoor lights shining through the windows. He was back in Hope for Christmas, and it wasn’t going to be a cheery homecoming. But he’d get through it and hold out for spring and new beginnings.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, Barrie awoke three minutes before her alarm went off...and her feet were already sore. Her Great Dane, Miley, stood at her bedside, soulful eyes fixed on her. She’d never had trouble with her feet before, but pregnancy seemed to be changing the rules on her, and she hated that. When she’d first found out that she was pregnant, she’d promised herself nothing needed to change until the baby actually arrived. Some women nested when they were pregnant, but Barrie was going to control that instinct. These last few months would allow her to build up her practice enough that after the baby came she could scale back to clinic hours only, cut out the after-hours emergency calls and still keep her business afloat. But her body seemed to have other ideas.

“Morning, Miley,” she said, reaching from under her cozy comforter to give the massive dog an affectionate ear scratch. He’d started out as a regular-sized puppy with paws like dinner plates, and he’d grown past even ordinary Great Dane proportions. He was a huge, jowly, slate-gray lap dog—at least, that’s how he saw himself. He was a big baby, and absolutely worthless as a guard dog, but she loved him.

Barrie rolled out of bed and ran her hand over her belly. The baby stretched inside her. She didn’t know if she was having a boy or a girl yet. She’d tried to find out at her last ultrasound, but the baby’s legs were firmly crossed. She’d try to find out again—planning was key, and she didn’t have the luxury of sweet surprises.

She pulled her bathrobe around her body and cinched it above her belly. She was ever growing, and as she passed her full-length mirror before she padded out into the hallway, she caught a glimpse of a rounded, bed-headed stranger with a colt-sized dog trailing after her. There was no getting used to this, but she did enjoy it. She’d always wanted kids—the nonfurry kind—and while the timing wasn’t great, she was finally going to be a mother. It wasn’t quite how she’d imagined it happening... At least she’d get a chance at motherhood, and still being single at the age of thirty-seven, she’d started to give up hope.

Barrie lived in a single-level ranch house on the north end of Hope. She looked out her kitchen window at the pristine snow from last night’s storm. The neighbor kid she paid to shovel her driveway was already at it, metal scraping against asphalt. This morning, she had plans to organize her presentation for Hope’s 4-H club. She’d been invited to speak about a woman’s contribution to agriculture, and that was a subject Barrie was passionate about. Girls needed encouragement to step out and become leaders in ranching and animal care. If there was one thing Barrie knew, it was that a woman couldn’t wait for a man to define her future.

“You hungry, Miley?” She pulled down his food dish—which was really a medium-sized mixing bowl—took out the bag of dog food and filled the bowl to the top. Miley hopped up, paws on the counter, and snuffled his nose toward the bag.

“Miley!” she said reproachfully, and he dropped back down to the floor. He didn’t need his paws on the counter to see over it. When she put his bowl on the floor, he immediately dropped his face into it and started to gobble.

While Miley ate, she headed to the fridge to find her own breakfast. She felt just about as hungry as the dog. She grabbed a bag of bagels from the fridge and a tub of cream cheese. Then her cell phone rang, and she picked it up from the counter and punched the speaker button.

“Dr. Jones, veterinary medicine,” she said.

“Barrie?” She knew his voice right away, and she froze in the middle of cutting a bagel. Why did he have to sound like the same old Curtis? Her heart clenched, and she had to remind herself to exhale. Miley looked over at her, sensing her tension, no doubt.

“Curtis,” she said, resuming what she was doing and attempting to keep her voice casual. “Everything okay over there?”

“We have another sick cow.”

Bovine respiratory disease could spread quickly in the right conditions, and it could decimate a herd if left unchecked.

“A calf?” she asked.

“No, this is a full-grown heifer,” he replied. “It’s out in the south field. I saw it this morning on my rounds, and she’s too big to just tip into the bed of a pickup and bring back to the barn, so I was wondering what the best course of action is in this kind of situation.”

Barrie sank a butter knife into the cream cheese and began spreading it onto her bagel. This was going to be a breakfast to go.

“I’ll leave in about ten minutes,” she said. “I’ll go with you to see her in the field. We might be able to leave her where she is, depending on how sick she is.”

“Great.” He paused. “You sure this is okay? Not too early?”

Barrie rolled her eyes. She was pregnant, not an invalid. She hated the kid gloves men used with her now that she was expecting, but there didn’t seem to be any avoiding it. Perhaps this could turn into a nice little anecdote for her presentation to the 4-H girls.

“I’m a vet, Curtis,” she said wryly. “This is the job.”

“Of course.” His tone softened. “See you soon.”

Barrie hung up the phone and took a jaw-cracking bite of her bagel. “Eat up, Miley,” she said past a mouthful of food. “We’re leaving.”

Ten minutes later, Barrie was dressed, Miley had finished his breakfast and she had her own breakfast in a plastic container on the seat beside her. Her veterinary bag and other portable equipment were in the bed of the truck, and Miley was in the back seat, breathing dog breath over her shoulder. He was the worst back seat driver.

“Miley, give me some space,” she said, pushing his jowly face away from hers. “Miley!”

He ignored her until she pointed and said, “Lie down, Miley.”

Miley heaved a sigh and folded himself into the seat, his nails scratching against the vinyl. Lying down back there was no easy feat for a dog Miley’s size.

“Good dog,” she said with a smile. “You’re my boy, aren’t you?”

Miley made a conversational growling noise. It was his way of giving a verbal reply without getting into trouble for barking in the vehicle, and Barrie put her attention into driving.

Betty Porter’s ranch was about forty minutes outside Hope. Barrie had done some work with Betty’s livestock in the past few years, but her most vivid memories of the place would always be from when she’d been married to Curtis. They used to go to Betty’s place for dinner sometimes, and it had always been so warm and cozy. Curtis used to slide a hand up her leg under the table, which had embarrassed Barrie to no end. It amused Curtis just as much when she’d blush and Betty would give her a quizzical look. Barrie pushed the memories away.

She’d been in love with the soft-hearted rebel in Curtis, but that rebellious streak also made living with him difficult. Curtis was better at sneaking out to see her than he was at coming home to see her. He’d been better at seducing than he was at supporting.

And he was back. Seeing him again stirred up a confusing cocktail of old feelings. She’d married a bull rider but hadn’t been successful in taming him. That was how wisdom was earned—through mistakes—but even if she hadn’t married him, she’d have lived to regret it. Curtis Porter was a no-win situation.

The miles and minutes clicked past as she ate her breakfast one-handed, and before too long, she came up on the side road that led to the Porter ranch. She signaled and turned, scanning the familiar landscape. This mile marker, the copse of trees at the edge of the first field...she knew this area like the back of her hand.

Dealing with her memories of Curtis was hard enough, but adding the real man into the mix seemed foolhardy, even now. Why couldn’t he have just stayed away? The timing was awful—she was already off balance with the baby coming and her mom’s recent death. If it weren’t for her pregnancy, she might have been able to deal with all of this more easily...maybe.

Miley started scrambling again as he tried to get up.

“Hold on, Miley,” she said as she turned in to the gravel drive. “Almost there.”

Barrie took Miley with her on veterinary calls quite often. Not only was he good company, but she felt safer with him at her side, too. Not every ranch was equally well run, and some of them housed some rather slimy employees who stepped just a little more carefully around her with a dog Miley’s size staring them down. He’d never been tested to see how far he’d go to protect his mistress, and that was probably for the best.

Barrie pulled to a stop next to the ranch house and turned off the engine. The front door opened almost immediately and Curtis came outside. He was already in a coat and boots. He’d always been a tall man, but he looked broader and bulkier now that he was firmly in his manhood. If only he’d aged a little less attractively...

“Alright, Miley,” she said quietly. “Let’s go.”

Barrie pushed open her door and hopped out, then opened the back door for Miley, who followed her. Curtis’s step hitched just once as his gaze landed on the dog, and she couldn’t help the smile that twitched at her lips at his reaction.

“You rode bulls,” she said wryly. “This big old baby shouldn’t be a problem.”

“He’s almost as tall, too...” Curtis put out a tentative hand, and Miley sniffed him.

“Meet Miley,” she said. “He’s my right-hand dog.”

“Hey...” Curtis let Miley sniff him again, then stroked the top of Miley’s gray head. “You’re a big fella.”

Miley rolled his eyes back in ecstasy and nuzzled closer to Curtis like the big baby he was. She heaved a sigh. When Miley looked back at her, the dog froze for a moment, his eyes locked on his mistress.

“You’re a traitor,” she said with a low laugh.

Miley, reassured that there was no actual danger, turned his attention to sniffing the ground and finding a place to pee.

“So, are you ready to head out to the field?” Curtis asked.

“Absolutely. Let me get my bag.” Barrie went around her truck and opened the back to get her supplies. Then she met him at the ranch truck they’d take out into the field.

“Is...he coming?” Curtis asked dubiously.

Betty opened the side door at that moment, and when she spotted Miley, her face crinkled into a smile.

“Oh, you handsome young man!” she exclaimed. “Come over here, Miley. Betty has some treats for her boy!”

Curtis shot his aunt a look of surprise and Barrie chuckled. “They’re already acquainted.”

“Looks like,” Curtis replied with a shake of his head.

Betty disappeared into the house, Miley joyfully bounding behind her. The screen door slammed shut, and Curtis faced her with one side of his mouth turned up in a smile.

“Lead the way,” she said, jutting her chin toward the rusty red Chevy. She wouldn’t be softened by him. At this point, she was immune to his charms. Besides, Curtis Porter was selling her out. He might not owe her a blasted thing anymore, especially when it came to that particular piece of property, but he still had the uncanny ability to turn her entire life upside down just by waltzing into town. And she hated that. His fingerprints were still on her life, and she couldn’t ever quite scrub them off.

So Curtis was back, and he was screwing her over, but in the meantime, he was a paying customer and Barrie couldn’t afford to be choosy.

Chapter Three

Curtis opened the passenger side door and held out his hand. Barrie stepped smoothly past him and awkwardly hoisted herself up into the seat without his aid. He shook his head. Just like old times.

“It’s a hand up,” he said with a wry smile, “nothing more.”

And he meant that. He wasn’t foolish enough to try something with her again. He already knew how that ended, and he was no longer a twenty-year-old pup looking to belong somewhere. The last fifteen years had solidified him, too. He’d learned about himself—his strengths and weaknesses, as well as what he wanted out of life: a job he could rely on, a place where he could make a difference and earn some respect. Just once, he wanted to be called Mister.

“I’m fine.” Barrie met his gaze with a cool smile of her own, and he adjusted his hat, then handed her the leather veterinary bag. She’d never really needed him for anything, and that had chafed.

Curtis slammed the door shut and headed around to the driver’s side. The south field was a fifteen-minute drive. Earlier he’d brought the cow some hay and a bucket of water and tossed a saddle blanket over its back to keep it warm until he could bring Barrie out there. He started the truck and cranked up the heat.

“That’s some dog you’ve got there,” he said as he turned onto the gravel road that led past the barn and down toward the pasture.

“Miley’s my baby,” she said, and he noticed her rub a hand over her belly out of the corner of his eye. He was still getting used to this—the pregnant Barrie. She looked softer this way, more vulnerable, but looks were obviously deceiving, at least as far as her feelings for him were concerned.

“Until you have this one, at least,” he said, nodding toward her belly.

“Miley will still be my baby,” she replied, then sighed. “But yes, it’ll be different. I honestly didn’t think I’d end up having kids, so I may have set Miley up with some grand expectations.”

“You always wanted kids, though,” he countered.

“I know, but sometimes life works out different than you planned,” she replied. “Exhibit number one, right here.” She patted her belly.

According to Aunt Betty, he’d been the reason she stayed single and childless, and he didn’t like that theory. So their marriage hadn’t lasted. The rest of her life’s choices couldn’t be blamed on him any more than her successes could be attributed to him. He stayed silent for a few beats.

“What?” she said.

“Betty kind of—” How much of this should he even tell her? “She said I’d done a real number on you.”

“You did,” she retorted. “But like I said, I’m fine.”

“So you don’t blame me for...anything?”

“Oh, I hold a grudge, Curtis.” She shot him a rueful smile. “But you’ll just have to live with that. Divorces come with grudges built in.”

Curtis nodded. “Alright. I guess I can accept that.”

Besides, from where he was sitting, her life hadn’t turned out so bad. And as for the kids—she was having a baby, wasn’t she?

“So, you’re done with bull riding, then?” she asked.

“Yeah.” She’d been right about the longevity of it. “It’s tough on a body. I can’t keep it up. Besides, it’s time to do something where I can grow old.”

“Like a stud farm,” she said.

“Yep. As half owner, I’ll be managing the place, not doing the physical labor.”

She nodded. “It’s smart. I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks.”

“Will you miss it—the bull riding, I mean?”

He rubbed his hand down his thigh toward his knee, which had started to ache with the cold. There was something about those eight seconds in the ring that grew him in ways Barrie had never understood. It was man against beast, skill against fury. He was proving himself in there—time after time—learning from mistakes and fine-tuning his game. He never felt more alive than when he was on the back of an enraged bull.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I will miss it. I do already. My heart hasn’t caught up with my age yet, I guess.”