Say Yes To The Cowboy

“I don’t know what I’m feeling, Tess.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m pretty disoriented right now.”

“That’s understandable.”

Rosie appeared in the doorway. “Dinner’s ready. But you don’t have to come right away if you need more time.”

“I do need some time.” Zeke glanced her way. “I wouldn’t be fit company right now, anyway. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take a rain check on dinner.”

“Your decision, but I made another rhubarb pie.”

“Thanks, Rosie. At least I know you’re not too mad at me for not returning Tess’s call.”

“I wasn’t mad, son. Just a little disappointed. If you feel the need to head on back, I’ll save some of the pie for another time.”

“That would be great.” Crossing the room in three long strides, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “And thanks for setting me straight on this deal.”

“You’re welcome.”

He turned back to Tess. “I’d like to ask a favor, if I may?”

“What’s that?”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stick around for another day or so. Give me a chance to get my bearings before you go back to Casper.”

“I don’t want to impose on your foster parents.”

“It’s not an imposition,” Rosie said. “Stay as long as you like.”

Zeke nodded. “Good, then. It’s settled. I’ll be back tomorrow. Ladies.” Touching the brim of his hat, he walked out the front door.

* * *

Zeke made the trip back to Matt’s ranch on autopilot. He couldn’t have said how he got there but, sure enough, there he was parked in front of the house. He sat in the truck for a while, unable to summon the energy to go inside.

Against all odds, he’d created a child, something he’d vowed never to do. Worse yet, the kid was a boy. He’d decided years ago that girls were more resilient. They bonded with each other in some mysterious way that strengthened them against disaster.

But a boy—specifically his boy—could end up battling demons alone. That had certainly been Zeke’s experience. And when this as-yet-unnamed boy figured out that his father had abandoned all parental responsibility? Guaranteed he’d have demons.

Eventually, Zeke climbed out of his truck, went into the house and stripped off his good shirt so he could do his exercises. And because he lost track of his repetitions, he ended up in more pain than usual. He bypassed his prescription pain medication in favor of a beer.

Sitting on the front porch on one of the folding chairs, he drank the beer and contemplated his options. He didn’t have a lot of them, and none were part of the life he’d imagined. But as the beer mellowed him out, he allowed his thoughts to dwell on Tess.

She was beautiful, way prettier than he’d remembered. He’d heard that pregnancy gave women a special glow. It might be true because she’d seemed lit from within. Her eagerness to have this baby was appealing. Hell, it was more than that. Her enthusiasm about bringing a new life into this world turned him on.

Yeah, there it was. The naked truth. Tess had been a great lover, and he had fond memories of their time in that Texas hotel room. But Tess as the mother of his child transformed her into a woman of irresistible appeal. If the attraction he’d felt back in April could be compared to a backyard fountain, this new emotion was more like Niagara Falls.

He wondered if his reaction was connected to some primitive urge to claim the female who’d successfully welcomed his bid for immortality. He hadn’t realized at the time how unlikely this mating had been. Knowing that he’d overcome the condom barrier plus her apparent infertility made him feel...okay, it made him feel like one heck of a stud.

But when he wasn’t mentally strutting around like the prize rooster in the henhouse, he was scared spit-less. He’d had reasons for avoiding fatherhood and none of them had changed just because he’d accidentally gotten a woman pregnant. He had skeletons in his closet, and Tess had every right to know what they were.

On the other hand, maybe he didn’t have to drag out those skeletons in the next twenty-four hours.

* * *

During dinner, Tess broke the news of her pregnancy to Rosie and Herb. That’s when she learned that Rosie considered the unborn baby her future grandchild.

“I realize that’s slightly unconventional.” She passed Tess a basket of warm yeast rolls. “But most of those boys call us Mom and Dad, so why not? Babies need grandparents to spoil them rotten.”

Tess laughed, charmed by the prospect of Rosie and Herb as her son’s grandparents. “I suppose they do. Mine treated me like a princess. I came along after they’d given up on having any, so I really did get spoiled. I’m sad that they’re gone now. They would have loved fussing over another baby.”

“Of course they would! Sophie—that’s Damon and Phil’s daughter—is the light of my life. She’ll be a year by the time your little guy is born. That’s old enough for her to understand that she has a new baby cousin. I can’t wait to see them together. It’ll be adorable.”

“Yes, well...” Tess had allowed herself to get carried away by Rosie’s enthusiasm. “I’m not sure how often I’ll get over here. I’ll do my best but...”

“Oh.” Rosie shared a quick glance with Herb. “You’ll have to excuse me, Tess. I was so focused on the baby that I didn’t think about anything else. Zeke will be back on the circuit by then, not living next door. I shouldn’t make assumptions about how the two of you will work everything out. For all I know, you’re going to travel with him.”

She shuddered at the thought. “I plan to raise the baby on my own.”

Rosie gave a little gasp of surprise. “Does Zeke know?”

“I told him tonight.”

Herb frowned. “And what did he say?”

“Not much. But when we met he told me he didn’t want kids. In my opinion, a reluctant father is worse than no father at all.”

Herb’s frown deepened. “But Zeke has a financial obligation to his son.”

She met Herb’s worried gaze. “Legally, yes, but I’m relieving him of that. I’m financially capable of raising this child and, despite my right to child support, I couldn’t in good conscience take money from a man who won’t be participating in the process.”

Rosie and Herb greeted that statement with a long silence. Tess wished circumstances could be different for these two wonderful people. But this baby was a gift and she refused to let him become an obligation to anyone, least of all the man who’d unintentionally fathered him.

Finally, Rosie took a deep breath. “I can understand why you feel that way. But we’d love to be part of the process, so I hope you’ll bring that sweet baby over to see us now and then.”

“I will.” She reached over and squeezed Rosie’s arm. “I promise.”

After that, Rosie demonstrated her conversational skills, because the baby and Zeke weren’t mentioned again. Tess’s admiration for Rosie’s social abilities grew as they spent the rest of the meal discussing various teaching methods. They talked about the differences and similarities between Tess’s primary students and the teens that Rosie and Herb had worked with, both as foster parents and founders of Thunder Mountain Academy.

Immersed in her favorite subject, Tess lost track of time as they lingered over dessert. Rosie had made two pies: rhubarb and cherry. Herb was the only one eating the cherry pie as Tess and Rosie each enjoyed a generous slice of the rhubarb topped with vanilla ice cream. Judging from Rosie’s comment to Zeke before he left, he was a fan of this particular flavor, too. But Rosie never brought it up.

Tess helped with the dishes before bidding Rosie and Herb good-night. She was touched by their willingness to accept whatever plan she had for this baby. Her own parents weren’t likely to react the same way and she dreaded the confrontation when she told them. But she didn’t have to worry about that tonight.

After a satisfying meal with two people who made her feel at home, she was more than ready for a good night’s sleep. Her last thought was of Zeke’s full beard. In a way, it helped that he’d grown one because he looked so different from the man she’d tumbled into bed with back in April. She could more easily pretend he was a stranger, one she would never see again after tomorrow.

Chapter Three

Zeke woke at dawn. Early morning light filtered through the leaves of a tree outside the window and he enjoyed watching the patterns created on the west wall. Once Damon and Phil had installed new flooring in the two smaller bedrooms, he’d move into one of them. He’d be sorry to leave the master bedroom, though.

Climbing out of bed, he headed into the bathroom. He rummaged in his shaving kit for a pair of manicure scissors and clipped off most of his beard. Then he took a razor to what was left.

A hot shower relieved some of the tension in his neck and shoulders, but it came back the minute he dried off. He dressed in his nicest shirt and jeans, and polished his boots. His hat got a good brushing, too. He’d let it get dusty and that wouldn’t do for what he had in mind.

Damon and Phil would arrive in a couple of hours with little Sophie, but they’d have to manage the baby without his help. He wrote them a quick note explaining that he had an errand to run at Thunder Mountain and couldn’t be sure when he’d be back. If all went well, he might be gone all day.

Grabbing his keys, he locked up the house and walked out to his truck. It could use a wash, but he didn’t have the time. He used his hand to clean off the passenger seat before walking around to the driver’s side and sliding in behind the wheel.

On the way to Thunder Mountain, he had the same feeling in the pit of his stomach that he always got right before he stepped into the arena for a performance. So he followed the same technique and, several deep breaths later, he was calmer.

The academy kids were busy down at the barn taking care of morning chores when he pulled up in front of the house. He saw Cade and Herb with them, supervising. Cade looked up and waved. By now he probably knew the score. Herb would have filled him in.

Zeke lifted a hand in acknowledgment before mounting the steps to the porch. He rapped on the screen door and opened it while calling out a greeting. For anyone who’d lived at the ranch, that was all Rosie and Herb required. The door was nearly always open for their family.

Zeke had never let himself fully accept being a part of Herb and Rosie’s family. Counting on something to stay the same was a recipe for disappointment. While the other guys called Rosie and Herb “Mom and Dad,” he didn’t. They referred to the ranch as “home” but he hadn’t made the mistake of labeling it that way. Even so, he enjoyed the privilege of walking into the house whenever he wanted.

“In the kitchen!” Rosie responded.

He found her predictable breakfast routine a comfort, but he’d never taken that for granted, either. He could tell some of the other guys did.

When he walked into the kitchen, it was just Rosie and Sharon, the cook they’d hired to help fix meals for the academy students. She was a middle-aged lady with short brown hair and a great laugh. No Tess.

“Hey, Zeke.” Rosie turned from the stove to look at him. “Where’s your beard?”

“Shaved it off.” He glanced over at Sharon and touched the brim of his hat. “Howdy, ma’am.”

“Howdy, Zeke. I was growing partial to that beard.”

“It was starting to itch. Can I help you two with anything?”

Rosie handed him a bowl and a whisk. “You can scramble these eggs. Sharon and I have already delivered the food to the rec hall, so she’s ready to leave. Herb will be back from the barn shortly.”

“See you two later.” The cook grabbed her tote bag out of the storeroom.

“Bye, Sharon,” Rosie said. “Thanks!”

Zeke waited until she went out the front door. “Tess isn’t up yet?”

“Not yet.” Rosie eyed him. “You can start scrambling those eggs anytime now.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He set the bowl on the counter and started in on them. “She told you, right?”

“She did. And you’d better give me those eggs before you beat them to death.”

He handed over the bowl and Rosie poured the mixture into the frying pan. Bacon sizzled in another pan and country fries were cooking away in a third. Normally he’d be salivating for one of Rosie’s famous breakfasts, but he wasn’t even slightly hungry.

“Zeke, please don’t pace.”

“Sorry.” He hadn’t realized he was doing it.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“No, thank you, ma’am.”

“Well, I would, so please pour me a cup and sit down at the table. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He got her coffee, carried it to the table and took a seat.

She turned down the heat under each of the pans and covered them with lids. As she approached the table, Zeke stood and held her chair for her.

“Thank you.” She settled herself and wrapped both hands around her coffee mug. “I take it you have a plan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Judging from how spiffy you look, I can guess what it is, but I should probably warn you that—”

“Good morning.” Tess walked into the room wearing a soft blue button-up shirt and jeans.

Zeke leaped to his feet again and knocked over his chair. “Good morning.” He righted the chair and gazed at her. She looked incredible. Her hair shone like gold and her cheeks were flushed as if she might be as nervous about their situation as he was.

She stared at him. “What happened to your beard?”

“It itched, so I shaved it off.”

“Oh.”

“Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.” Herb walked into the kitchen. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m starving.” He took plates from a cupboard. “I vote we serve ourselves from the stove.”

Rosie stood. “That works. I’ll make us some toast. Zeke, you can get out the silverware and napkins. Tess, coffee mugs are in the cabinet nearest the window, first shelf. I have mine but we’ll need three more.”

Zeke had thought about lying and saying he’d had breakfast before he’d come over, but he was a lousy liar and Rosie wouldn’t believe him anyway. Nobody in his right mind ate breakfast beforehand if he had a chance to enjoy Rosie’s cooking. He filled his plate and sat with everyone else.

Herb picked up his coffee mug and paused with it halfway to his mouth. “Why did you shave off your beard, Zeke?”

“He said it itched.” Rosie gave Herb a glance that said plainly he shouldn’t pursue the matter.

Zeke appreciated the intervention on his behalf. He didn’t want his beard removal to become the main topic of conversation.

Herb shrugged. “I can see that could be an issue. So, Tess, the kids have cleared out of the pasture area if you’d like to head down there with me or Zeke and take a look at the horses.”

That would delay Zeke’s plan and the longer he delayed, the more likely he’d lose his nerve. “Actually, I—”

“I’d love to,” Tess said. “I wanted one so bad when I was a kid but my parents weren’t into horses. Since then I’ve taken lessons, although I can’t claim to be a seasoned rider.”

Zeke looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t know you ride.”

“A little. I’m taking a break from it until the baby’s born, just to be on the safe side.”

“Good.” He sighed in relief. “That’s good.” He’d been around horses all his life and loved them, but he didn’t like the idea of Tess riding one and chancing a fall.

“The advice on riding while pregnant is conflicting,” Herb said, “but since it’s not something you do on a daily basis, I think you’re smart to stop for the next few months.”

Tess nodded. “Thanks. But I’d love to visit your horses. How many do you have?”

“Six at the moment.” Herb ticked them off on his fingers. “Technically, Lucy and Linus, a palomino mare and her son, don’t belong to us. We’re boarding them.”

Tess smiled. “Love the names.”

“Then we have Cade’s big black horse, Hematite, and his fiancée Lexi’s mare, Serendipity, Serra for short. Finally there’s Navarre and Isabeau, my gelding and Rosie’s mare.”

“You named them after the characters in Ladyhawke?”

Now if only he could get Tess to respond with that kind of delight when he had his chance to talk to her. They were burning daylight and his special place looked its best in the morning before that rock heated up.

“Rosie named them,” Herb said “She made me watch the movie and, after I did, I agreed to the names. I don’t admit this to everyone, but we’re all friends here. I’m a sucker for a great romance.”

“And that’s why I married him.” Rosie gazed fondly at her husband. “He’s a stand-up guy, but underneath he’s a sentimental sweetie who doesn’t mind naming our horses after characters in a love story.”

Zeke noticed that Tess was a little misty-eyed. Maybe that was his cue. “Look, I know how much Tess is interested in seeing the horses, but I also wanted to show her the view from Lion’s Rest Rock. It’s at its best when the sun’s at an angle instead of beating straight down.”

“Lion’s Rest?” Tess gazed at him, her expression difficult to read. “Are you talking about mountain lions?”

“Technically, yes, but if we take the trail up there, I guarantee we won’t find one lounging on that flat rock. They’d hear us coming long before we arrived and vamoose.”

“But they do hang out there?”

“Sure, when no people are around.”

“That’s too bad. I’d love to catch a glimpse of one. I never have.”

All righty, then. He was quickly learning things about the mother of his child, information that could be valuable in the future. “Well, you never can tell. If we get a move on and walk very quietly up that trail, we might see one disappearing through the underbrush.”

He ignored Rosie when she lifted her eyes to the ceiling. So he was exaggerating a little. No one he knew had actually spotted a cougar on that rock. Rumor had it that they perched on it when no people were around because the rock gave them an excellent vantage point for spotting prey. It could be true.

But Lion’s Rest Rock was a famous make-out spot because the granite slab was the size of a king mattress, besides being smooth as a well-worn saddle. Zeke couldn’t speak for other guys, but he’d never made a conquest up there. His conscience was clear about sharing it with Tess.

Tess finished her coffee and picked up her empty plate. “I’m ready to go see this Lion’s Rest Rock, right after we clean up.”

“Leave the dishes,” Rosie said.

Zeke had never heard more beautiful words in his life. In another forty minutes that rock could be hot as a branding iron. He could get there in ten and lead Tess up the path in another ten. That gave him twenty minutes to execute his plan. It should be enough.

With anticipation vying with anxiety, he ushered Tess out the front door of the ranch house and handed her into the passenger seat of his truck. So far, so good.

“I can’t help thinking you have an ulterior motive,” she said as he put the truck in gear.

“Why’s that?” He didn’t dare look at her as he drove. She might see something in his eyes.

“Number one, you shaved off your beard. That had to take a couple of weeks to grow, so why shave it now unless it has something to do with me?”

“My beard grows really fast. It only took about nine days.”

“All right, but the timing is still suspicious. Yesterday afternoon you had a bushy beard. Then I tell you I’m pregnant and the next morning you appear with a close shave. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

“I got the impression you didn’t like it.” They reached the paved road and he accelerated.

“I didn’t dislike it. I just... What difference does it make, anyway? There’s no reason for you to try to please me. We’re ships who passed in the night.”

“We didn’t just pass. We moored in the same spot and produced a dingy.”

That gave her the giggles. “I shouldn’t have introduced a nautical reference. It makes no sense in Wyoming. We’re landlocked.”

“Okay, let’s compare ourselves to a couple of Conestoga wagons that ended up gathered around the same campfire and produced a little buckboard.”

Her laughter was now out of control. “Stop! Don’t be funny! This is a very serious situation we’re in.” But she couldn’t seem to keep a straight face.

And it was catching. Soon he was laughing right along with her. When he pulled over onto the side of the road next to the trail leading up to Lion’s Rest Rock, he was out of breath. Shutting off the engine, he glanced at her and grinned. “Enough. You’ll need both energy and lung power to walk up this trail.”

“Is it really that steep?”

“Not too bad, but I can guarantee you one thing. It’s more of a challenge while you’re laughing.”

“Okay. I’ll do my best to forget I’m having a little buckboard.”

He gazed at her. All that laughter had made her eyes sparkle like sapphires under a high-intensity lamp.

“I assume people hike this trail hoping to spot wildlife.”

“Some do, but that’s not really what the rock is known for.”

Understanding flashed in her eyes and her cheeks turned pink. “Zeke Rafferty, if you think you’re going to get me alone up there so we can do that, you have another think coming!”

“I don’t, I swear! That’s the furthest thing from my mind.” Not exactly true, but it was down the list a ways. It didn’t rank higher than number three and, considering how pretty she looked, he thought that was damned noble of him.

“So what is on your mind, then?”

“We need to talk, figure stuff out. The view from there is real nice. You can watch the morning shadows move down the mountains as the sun gets higher.”

“You seem to know this spot pretty well.”

“I do, but not for the reason you’re imagining. I used to come up here in the early morning so I could think about things when nobody else was around.”

“Come on, Zeke. A guy who looks like you must have had plenty of girlfriends in high school. I can’t believe you didn’t bring them here to make out.”

“You don’t have to believe me, but the fact is, I didn’t.” He opened his door. “It was too special.” He hopped down and walked around to her side, but she was already out.

She gazed up at him, her expression tender. “I do believe you. And you’re right about the beard. I like you better without it. Lead the way.”

He took off before he did something stupid and kissed her. As he climbed, he monitored his pace so he wouldn’t wear her out getting to the top.

“You can go faster. I’m in shape. I go for a run every morning.”

He turned around so abruptly they almost slammed into each other. “You run? Is that okay?”

“My doctor says it’s fine unless I notice any problems after a run. She’s in favor of women exercising throughout their pregnancy. It’s just the horseback riding she cautioned me about. And the bungee jumping.”

His stomach lurched. “Bungee jumping?” The mischievous twinkle in her eyes clued him in. “You’ve never bungee jumped in your life, have you?”

“Nope. Just teasing you.”

No kidding. Standing inches away from her, he was teased by a whole bunch of things—the scent of her shampoo, the curve of her cheek and the sound of her breath. He knew the pleasure her kiss could bring and he craved that pleasure again. But he’d promised that wasn’t why he’d brought her up there.

“We’d better get a move on.” He turned around and started back up the trail. “We want to get there before the sun hits that rock.”

Fortunately it was still shaded when they reached the end of the trail. He should have thought to bring a blanket for her to sit on, but then she might have questioned his honorable intentions.

She walked out onto the rock and sucked in a breath. “Gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me up here. Now I wish I’d brought a camera, or at least my phone.”

“We can come back another time.”

She turned toward him. “No, we can’t, Zeke. It’ll be better for all three of us if we make a clean break.”

“I don’t want a clean break.” He dropped to one knee. “I don’t have a ring to give you, but I’ll get one today. Tess Irwin, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”