Happy New Year, Baby Fortune!

He chuckled and looked at the dance floor. “I’m not the best dancer in the world, but I can probably spin you around a few times without stepping on your feet. Do you want to dance?”

She blinked in surprise. Stacey couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced except with Piper. His invitation made her feel almost like a real human being, more than a mother. She smiled. “I’d like that very much.”

Stacey stepped into Colton’s arms, and they danced a Western-style waltz to the romantic tune. Of course she would never have romantic feelings for Colton, but she couldn’t help noticing his broad shoulders and how strong he felt. It was nice to be held, even if it was just as friends. Taking a deep breath, she caught the scent of his cologne and leather. Looking into his brown eyes, she thought she’d always liked the steadfast honesty in his gaze. Colton was Mr. Steady, all male and no nonsense. Looking closer, she observed, for the first time, though, that he had long eyelashes. She’d never noticed before. Maybe because she’d never been this close to him?

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

She felt a twinge of self-consciousness. “Nothing important.”

“Then why are you staring at me? Do I have some food on my face?”

Her lips twitched, and she told herself to get over her self-consciousness. After all, this was Colton. He might as well be one of her brothers. “If you must know, Mr. Nosy, I was thinking that you have the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen on a man. A lot of women would give their eyeteeth for your eyelashes.”

Surprise flashed through his eyes, and he laughed. It was a strong, masculine, happy sound that made her smile. “That’s a first.”

“No one else has ever told you that?” she asked and narrowed her eyes in disbelief. Although Colton wasn’t one to talk about his romantic life, and he certainly was no womanizer, she knew he’d spent time with more than a woman or two. “Can you honestly tell me no woman has ever complimented you on your long eyelashes?”

“Not that I can remember,” he said, which sounded as if he was hedging to Stacey. He shrugged. “The ladies usually give me other kinds of compliments,” he said in a low voice that bordered on sensual.

Surprise and something else rushed through Stacey. She had never thought of Colton in those terms, and she wasn’t now, she told herself. “What kinds of compliments?” she couldn’t resist asking.

“Oh, this and that.”

Another nonanswer, she thought, her curiosity piqued.

The song drew to a close, and the bandleader tapped on his microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have less than a minute left to this year. It’s time for the countdown.”

A server delivered horns and noisemakers and confetti pops. Stacey absently accepted a noisemaker and confetti pop and looked around for her baby. “I wonder if Piper is still with Mama Jeanne,” she murmured, then caught sight of her mother holding a noisemaker for the baby.

“...five...four...three...two...one,” the bandleader said. “Happy New Year!”

Stacey met Colton’s gaze while many couples kissed to welcome the New Year, and she felt a twist of self-consciousness. Maybe a hug would do.

Colton gave a shrug. “May as well join the crowd,” he said, and lowered his head and kissed her just beside her lips. Closer to her mouth than her cheek, the sensation of the kiss sent a ripple of electricity throughout her body.

What in the world? she thought, staring up at him as he met her gaze.

“Happy New Year, Stacey.”

Chapter Two

Colton couldn’t get Stacey Fortune Jones off his mind.

Even now as he was taking inventory in one of the feed sheds with his dad, he wasn’t paying full attention. He told himself it was because beneath Stacey’s sunny smile, he sensed a deep sadness. That bothered him, especially since he wondered if he could have prevented it. He remembered the day he’d told his friend Joe, Stacey’s ex, that Stacey was a special girl. If Joe didn’t want to lose her, then he’d better put a ring on it. The very next day Joe had proposed, and Stacey had gone full speed ahead with the wedding plans. The result had been a disaster and Colton still blamed himself. If only he’d kept his mouth shut. He’d known Stacey was crazy about Joe. Colton had thought Joe had just needed a little nudge. How wrong he’d been.

His father turned to him. “Did you input that last number I gave you?”

Colton bit the inside of his jaw. “Sorry. You mind repeating it?”

“What’s wrong with you?” his father asked. “You seem as if you’re a million miles away. Did you catch that virus that’s going around?”

Colton shook his head, thinking the only virus he had caught was the guilt virus. He’d been fighting that one for a while now, and it had only gotten worse when he’d seen Stacey at the wedding. “No. I was just thinking about that extension course I’m taking and if we’re going to want to spend the money on the improvements to the ranch that I’ve been learning about during my last lesson.”

“Well, we’ve already got these e-tablet gizmos. Part of me likes that you’re keeping us up to speed, but these e-tablets weren’t cheap.”

“Yes, I know,” Colton said, his lips twitching in amusement. “You sure like playing solitaire on yours when you’re not using it for work, don’t you?”

His father shot him a mock glare, then made a sound somewhere between a cough and a chuckle. “All right, you’ve made your point. Let’s get back to work, so you can take a break. You’re acting like you need it.”

“I don’t—”

“Then what’s the last number I gave you?” his father countered.

Colton frowned. “Okay, give me the number again,” he said, but he sure didn’t want a break. He needed to keep busy so he wouldn’t be thinking about how he had contributed to ruining Stacey’s life.

Despite his father’s encouragement to take a break after doing inventory, Colton drove his truck out to check some fences that had been questionable in the past. Although January wasn’t the busiest time for the ranch since the foals wouldn’t come until spring, there was still plenty to do. Keeping the mamas healthy, safe and fed meant he had to stay on top of the condition of the fences and the pastures.

Colton checked several stretches of fence and only found one weak area. He made a note of it and returned to the family ranch. He’d been born and raised in the sprawling ranch house. After he’d turned twenty-five, they’d added an extra wing so that he could have some privacy. The fact that his room was farther from the center of the house usually worked for him, but there were times he just wanted his own place. Someday soon he would broach the subject with his father. Colton had a lot of money in the bank and in investments, so he could easily fund the purchase of a new home, but building Colton’s home seemed like a matter of pride for Colton’s father, Frank. All too aware of ranch finances, Colton didn’t want to provide any extra strain. His father was still strong and healthy, but his back wasn’t the best. Colton wanted to ease his burdens, not make them worse.

As he climbed the steps to the porch, he thought of Stacey again and made a decision. He was going to try to find a way to help bring back her sunny disposition. There had to be a way. Passing by the den, he saw his sister Rachel watching a reality matchmaker show on television. Those kinds of shows drove him crazy. He couldn’t understand why Rachel watched them. The couples never ended up staying together. Obviously he didn’t understand the female psyche.

Colton shrugged. Maybe he should pick Rachel’s brain. Not only was she female, but she was also Stacey’s best friend. Perhaps she could give him a few ideas. He grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen, then returned to the den and sank onto a chair.

“How’s it going?” he asked when Rachel couldn’t seem to tear her attention from the television show.

“Pretty good,” she said, glancing at him. “I’m taking a little break from making lesson plans for student teaching. How about you?”

“Good,” he said. “It’s quiet. No trouble. Have you heard anything about Dad’s back?”

“Not lately,” she said. “I wish he would go to the doctor. I don’t see how he’s going to get better if he doesn’t try to do anything about it.”

“I try to keep him from doing things that might hurt him, but I can’t be by his side every minute,” he said.

“True,” she said. “He’s lucky you’re around as much as you are.” She shot him a playful smile. “Colton, the saint.”

“Yeah, right,” he said in a dark voice. “Listen, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s that?” she asked, glancing back at the television. “Mom told me to tell you there’s a potpie in the fridge if you want to heat it up for dinner.”

“I’m not asking about dinner. I want to know what women want,” he said.

She swiveled her head around to gape at him. “Well, that’s a loaded question.”

He lifted his shoulders. “Seems pretty straight-on to me. What do women want?”

Rachel laughed. “There’s no one perfect answer. It depends on the woman.” She looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. “Who do you have in mind?”

Colton resisted the urge to squirm under her inquisitive gaze. He’d rather die than admit he had Stacey on his mind. “Forget I said anything,” he said and started to rise.

“Now, wait just a minute. You asked me a question. The least you can do is give me a chance to try to give you some suggestions.” She looked at him suspiciously. “Although I can’t help wondering who you’re trying to please. And I don’t have to tell you that nothing stays secret in Horseback Hollow for long.”

“I know,” he said.

Rachel sighed in frustration. “Well, there are the die-hard regulars,” she said. “Roses and flowers.”

Colton shook his head. “Nothing that obvious.”

“Hmm,” Rachel said. “The truth is that what most women want is a man who listens.”

Colton frowned and shook his head. “That can’t be it.”

Rachel stared at him for a long moment. “I have an idea,” she said, picking up her cell phone and dialing.

“What are you doing?” he asked, but his sister wasn’t paying any attention to him.

“Stacey,” Rachel said, sliding Colton a sly glance. “My brother needs a consultation. Can you come over?”

Colton nearly croaked. “Stacey?” he echoed.

Rachel nodded. “Great,” she said into the phone. “See you in a few minutes.” She disconnected the call and smiled at Colton. “This is great. You’ll have advice from two women instead of just one.”

Oh, Lord, what had he gotten himself into? “I think I’ll heat up some of that potpie,” Colton said, hatching an escape plan.

“Don’t go too far. Stacey will be here soon,” Rachel said, then shot him a crafty glance. “And don’t take off for your bedroom. I know where to find you.”

Colton stifled a groan. This was why he needed his own place. He was too accessible. Colton heated the potpie and returned to the den, telling himself he would set a mental time limit of fifteen minutes for the insanity about to ensue. He scarfed down as much food as possible during the next few moments.

A knock sounded at the door, but Stacey didn’t wait for anyone to answer. She’d been bursting through that door as long as he could remember. “Hey, Rachel, I’m here,” she called as she made her way to the den. Dressed in a winter-white coat, she carried her baby on her hip with ease. Piper wore a red coat and cap, and her cheeks were flushed with good health. She stared curiously around the room with her big, green eyes.

“Give me that sweet baby,” Rachel said, rushing to reach for Piper.

Piper allowed herself to be taken from Stacey, but the baby watched to make sure her mama was in sight. Rachel unfastened the baby’s coat and took off her cap.

Stacey shrugged out of her own coat and glanced from Rachel to Colton. “What’s this about a consultation? Why on earth would Colton need a consultation from us?”

Rachel’s face lit with mischief. “Colton asked me what women really want. We need to brainstorm Colton’s love life.”

Stacey looked at Colton in confusion. “I always thought Colton got along as well as he wanted to in that department. I’ve heard from a few girls who—” She cleared her throat. “Well, they seemed to like him just fine.”

“Thank you, Stacey. I have gotten along just fine in that department, despite my sister’s opinion,” he said in a dry voice.

Rachel jiggled the baby on her hip. “Well, this one must be different if you’re asking me what women want,” Rachel said.

Colton checked his watch. Thirteen minutes to go. This was going to feel like an eternity.

“Who is this girl?” Stacey asked, curiously gazing at Colton.

“He won’t tell,” Rachel answered for him.

Colton figured his sister was good for something.

“Well, what kind of woman is she? Country or city?” Stacey asked.

“If she’s here, she’s only one kind,” Rachel said. “Country. We have no city to speak of.”

“Hmm,” Stacey said, and Colton again resisted the urge to squirm. “You could take her to dinner.”

“Out of town,” Rachel added. “People are so nosy here.”

“Flowers would be good,” Stacey said.

“He said flowers are too obvious,” Rachel said.

Stacey frowned. “Too obvious?” she echoed.

“What if I just wanted to cheer her up?” Colton asked. “What if I don’t necessarily want to date her?”

Rachel scowled. “Oh, that’s a totally different matter. You don’t want to be with her?”

Colton ground his teeth. “That’s not the priority.”

“So, you may want to be with her in the future?” Rachel asked.

“Let’s deal with the present,” he said in a grumbly voice.

“In that case—” Rachel said.

“Just visit her,” Stacey said firmly. “And let her talk, maybe about what’s been going on with her. Try and keep the conversation light. Nothing heavy.”

“Small talk,” Rachel said cheerfully.

Colton frowned. “What the hell is small talk besides weather?”

Both Stacey and Rachel laughed. “Nothing too deep,” Rachel said. “You can even talk about clothing.”

Colton scowled. “Clothing?” he echoed.

Stacey and Rachel exchanged an amused glance. “Work on it,” Rachel said. “Read the paper. There may be something there you can chit-chat about.”

“You could take her to get ice cream,” Stacey said.

“In the winter?” Colton asked.

“I love ice cream any time of year,” she confessed.

“If you really want to cheer up a woman, you could take a DVD of a chick flick and watch it with her,” Rachel added.

Colton made a face. “If you say so,” he said.

“Well, you asked,” Rachel said with a bit of a testy tone. “Is this girl sick or just depressed? I know you said flowers are too obvious, but you could just happen to have some extra chocolates in your truck. Chocolate makes just about everything better.”

“Except labor pains,” Stacey said. “Chocolate doesn’t help with labor pains.”

Colton cleared his throat. He didn’t like the direction this conversation was headed in. “I think I’m done with my dinner now.”

“I’ll take your plate,” Rachel said. “You take Piper.”

Colton pulled back.

Stacey shot him a look of surprise. “Oh, for goodness’ sakes. You’re not afraid of a baby, are you?”

“Of course I’m not afraid,” he said, lying through his teeth. She was cute, but she was so little.

“Then, you can hold her,” Rachel said, pushing Piper into his arms. “She’s not radioactive.”

Colton held the baby away from his body, staring into her face. She squirmed in his hands.

“You need to hold her closer,” Stacey said. “She feels insecure in that position.”

“I’m not gonna drop her,” he said.

“I know that, but she doesn’t,” Stacey said.

He sat and gingerly set her on his lap, and she stopped wiggling.

Piper cooed at him, lifting her finger toward his face. She seemed to stare at his every feature. What amazing concentration she had. He inhaled and caught a whiff of sweet baby smell. Colton felt a strange sensation inside him, as if the baby was trying to communicate with him. She was a cute thing. He felt an odd protective feeling for the child even though Piper wasn’t his. It was as if he was suddenly driven to keep her safe. At the same time, he was terrified she was going to start screaming any minute.

“You look so nervous, Colton. I can take her,” Stacey said, lifting the baby from his arms.

Colton felt a huge sense of relief. At the same time, he wouldn’t mind breathing in Piper’s sweet scent again.

“So, did our advice help?” Stacey asked as she shifted Piper onto her hip.

Colton couldn’t stop his gaze from flowing down her curvy body, then up again. A flash of what her nude body might look like slid through his brain. Colton gulped. Stacey—his sister’s friend, the literal girl next door—was unbelievably sexy. Colton wondered if he was going insane.

“Isn’t she sweet?” Stacey asked.

Colton lifted his head in a round nod. “Sweet,” he said. But frightening, he thought, although he would never admit it in a million years. Colton was no baby expert, and he had no idea what to do with a tot like Piper. For that matter, he wasn’t sure what to do with all the forbidden thoughts he was having about Stacey.

* * *

Later that night when Stacey had finally put Piper to sleep, she headed for her own bed after she’d washed her face and brushed her teeth. She couldn’t shake the image of Colton holding Piper. The baby had taken to Colton almost immediately. He didn’t know it, but Stacey did. Colton had looked wary about Piper, but the baby had clearly found him fascinating. She’d stared into his face as if she’d wanted to memorize every feature.

Stacey had found herself watching him more than she ever had in the past. Crazy, she told herself and closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She counted backward from two hundred and finally fell asleep and into a vivid dream. Piper was crawling down the aisle of a chapel wearing her christening gown. Her sweet baby finally reached the altar, and Joe stood, with his back to Stacey.

“I do,” Joe said.

Her heart pounding, Stacey tried to scream, but no sound came from her mouth. She felt utterly helpless.

“Joe,” she whispered. “Joe...”

Stacey rushed toward the altar. “Joe,” she called.

Stacey watched Joe bend over to pick up Piper. Her heart melted. Joe was going to love Piper. Her baby was finally going to have a daddy. It seemed to take hours, but Stacey finally reached her groom and touched his shoulder.

He turned, but her groom wasn’t Joe.

It was Colton.

Alarm rushed through her.

Stacey awakened in a sweat. Joe? Colton? This couldn’t be. “Colton,” she whispered aloud and sat up in her bed. Why was she dreaming of Colton? Why was she even thinking of him? He was her neighbor, her best friend’s brother. Ridiculous, she told herself. Beyond ridiculous. She shook her head and tried to push away the image of the tall, sexy cowboy.

Stacey forced herself to relax. She’d learned to seek sleep when her baby slept. Taking several deep breaths, she told herself not to think about Colton. She shouldn’t think about his wide shoulders and his insanely curly, dark eyelashes. She shouldn’t think about his strong jaw and great muscles and dependability. He was the kind of man who would always stand beside a friend and support him or her.

Colton was also a man who was clearly interested in another woman at the moment. Why else would he have sought Rachel’s help about what women really want?

The reality of that made Stacey feel a little cranky, although, for the life of her, she couldn’t say why.

“Go to sleep,” she told herself. She would be so busy tomorrow with Piper that she would truly regret one minute of sleep she’d lose thinking about Colton.

* * *

The next day, just after Stacey put Piper down for her afternoon nap, she heard a knock at the front door. She knew that her mother had gone to a sewing circle meeting and her father was outside working, so she wanted to catch whoever was at the door before they awakened Piper. Heaven knew, Stacey cherished nap time.

She raced toward the front door and whisked it open. Colton stood on the front porch holding a pie. Surprise and pleasure rushed through her. “Well, hello to you. Come on inside.”

“I can’t stay long. My mother fixed a batch of apple pies, and she thought your family might enjoy one,” he said, following her.

“We certainly will. This will go great with the dinner I’m fixing tonight. Please, tell her I said thank you. Would you like some coffee?” she asked.

“No need,” he said. “I really can’t stay long. You’re fixing dinner, you say? Do I smell pot roast?”

“You do,” she said, and took the pie to the kitchen and quickly returned. “Since I’m not bringing home the bacon right now, I try to help around the house as much as possible. I fix dinner and clean while Piper naps. It’s the least I can do. I’m also thinking about doing some after-school tutoring in math and science. I can have kids come here and Piper’s not walking yet. I hear once the babies start walking, it’s a whole different ballgame.”

“I’m sure it is,” he said.

Stacey looked up at Colton and noticed his eyelashes again. When had he become sexy-looking? she wondered. Although she’d certainly always known Colton was male, she just hadn’t thought of him as a man. And she shouldn’t be thinking that way now either.

The silence stretched between them, and Stacey felt heat rush to her face. “Are you sure I can’t get you a cup of coffee? It’s the least I can do with you bringing over a pie.”

“Trust me. I didn’t bake that pie,” he said in a dry tone. “But I’ll take a cup if you’re insisting. I’ll be working outside, and it won’t hurt to get warmed up before I face the cold.”

“Just a moment,” she said, and returned to the kitchen to pour Colton’s coffee. As she reentered the den, she gave him the cup. “Any problems or just the regular endless chores?”

He nodded. “I need to do a little work on some fences. My dad’s back isn’t what it used to be, so I try to tackle anything that may cause him pain.”

“That’s nice of you,” she said. “He refuses to go to the doctor, doesn’t he?”

Colton nodded again. “He doesn’t believe in it. Says it’s a waste of time and money. The last time he went to the doctor, he nearly died from a burst appendix. And we almost had to beat him into going.”

“I remember when that happened,” Stacey said. “It was a long time ago. I’m sure someone has told him that there have been huge advances made in medical science.”

“All of us have told him that, but he’d rather eat nails than admit he’s hurting.”

“Maybe you can persuade him to go to the doctor if you take him out for lunch in Vicker’s Corners sometime,” she suggested.

“Possible,” he said. “Rachel might have better luck with him than I would. He has always let her get away with murder.”

Stacey laughed. “She would disagree and give you half a dozen examples of when she has gotten in trouble. But even I know he has been harder on you.”

“Yeah,” he said. “But I always felt as if I had good parents. I’m sure you feel the same way, too.”

“True,” she said. “My father can be a little remote sometimes, but he’s as solid as they come. After I had Piper, both my parents insisted I come back here to live with them.” A slice of guilt cut through her. “I just wish I could give Piper what I had growing up.” She felt the surprising threat of moisture in her eyes and blinked furiously. “It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Colton squeezed her arm. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. From where I sit, it looks as if you’re doing a dang good job. That baby is surrounded by people who love her. That’s more than a lot of kids can say.”

The tight feeling in her chest eased just a little from his words of encouragement. “Thanks. I have my share of doubts.”

“Well, stop your doubting. You’ve got a healthy baby, and she’s doing great,” he said. “Besides that, you’ve got a slice of Olive Foster’s famous apple pie in your future tonight.”