Fortune's Secret Baby

Now if he could only get the little guy to calm down.

“You liked it when I talked to you last time we were in this situation.” Keeping his voice low, Cooper never stopped moving or talking. “Maybe that’ll work again? But what the heck do I say to someone whose only response is an attempt to break my eardrums?”

Three hours later … three million steps.

Okay, maybe not three million, but it had to be close.

Cooper figured he’d shared his entire life story with the kid, starting with stories of growing up with Ross, Flint and Frannie—the four of them against the world—as they struggled to keep things going despite living with their wayward mother.

He told him about the time he and Ross taught Frannie how to ride a bicycle without training wheels, and when he’d taken on a bully twice his size after the kid refused to stop messing with Flint. Stories of high school, his rodeo days and taking college classes at a variety of places around the country until he finally earned his degree in animal husbandry. He even included every joke he could remember that might be appropriate for little ears.

He’d only paused long enough to grab a few sips of tepid tap water, not wanting to get a mug of hot coffee anywhere near the baby. Man, what he wouldn’t give for a cup of joe ….

Anthony had moments of lesser crying, but he never really stopped and Cooper was getting worried. He reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. Pressing the “contacts” button, he saw Jeremy and Kirsten’s number listed first.

But he couldn’t make the call. He and Anthony needed to make it through together. On their own.

The baby wasn’t warm so he figured he wasn’t running a fever. He was just cranky and probably missing the familiar surroundings of his former home, but Cooper had never been the one to comfort him. Someone else was always there to take Anthony off his hands. Now, he was the only person his son could rely on, and he was determined to make it work.

“You’re aiming to break the crying record, aren’t ya?” Cooper whispered. “I don’t know where you get your energy.”

Another diaper change, more tries with the bottle, making use of the rocking chair next to the crib.

Nothing worked.

“How about some music? What’s that saying about music soothing the savage beast?” He looked around for a radio, but there were none in the cottage. “Well, I hope you like country, because I don’t know any baby songs.”

He started with the classics from Johnny Cash and worked his way up to Garth Brooks, making up words when the real ones wouldn’t come. He tried the bottle again during his rendition of “Friends in Low Places” and the baby latched on to it. When it was empty, Anthony kept fussing, so Cooper kept singing. Halfway through a favorite tune by Willie Nelson, he suddenly realized two things.

The sun was starting to rise over the horizon and Anthony was finally asleep.

He put the baby back in his crib—thankful for the blinds that kept the room dark—and crept out into the hallway. Grabbing a much-needed cup of coffee and the handheld baby monitor, he headed to the front porch. Fresh air was called for right about now.

He stared out over the land. The buildings and gentle rolling hills that made up Molly’s Pride were still dark against the sky that slowly lightened. The quiet of the morning was only punctured by the soft snores coming through the baby monitor.

Damn, maybe he wasn’t doing the right thing after all.

Yeah, they’d made it through the night, but what if he was wrong? What if Anthony cried for so long because he was sick and had only worn himself out?

Stretching his arms wide, Cooper worked out the kinks in his back while offering a silent prayer that this crazy parenting plan of his was the right thing to do.

“I’ll take anything you want to send me,” he said to the heavens, resting one shoulder against the porch landing. “Just give me a sign.”

Ignoring his coffee, he stared into the distance, watching as dark shadows gave way to the coming daylight, a slow and easy progression that never failed to lift his spirits. Then on the horizon a cloud of dust formed out of nowhere, coming straight at him at breakneck speed. The sound of pounding horse hooves filled the air.

The cloud moved closer, taking the shape of a horse and rider. He straightened the moment the chestnut-colored quarter horse, recognizable by its well-muscled body and powerful, rounded hindquarters, galloped in front of the cottage.

The rider was a woman. She rode without a saddle, crouched low on the horse’s back, at ease and in control, with only the reins of the bridle in her grip. Her white dress billowed behind her, molding her curves and displaying miles of long lean legs. Her hair carelessly whipped in the wind, mimicking the horse’s tail in length and dark color.

Well, I’ll be damned.

He stepped off the porch, the morning dew soaking through his socks, and watched her ride to the top of a nearby hill. The horse slowed to a stop. The rider straightened and turned as if she felt him watching her.

A bright shaft of sunshine had him shielding his eyes. He stepped into the shadow near the porch railing, but when he dropped his hand, she was gone.

Whoa! Who was that beautiful lone rider?

Chapter Two

Cooper listened for the sound of galloping hooves, but heard nothing. The air was still and silent. Then a cool breeze washed over him and he blinked. Hard.

Had he been asleep? Was she a dream?

“Cooper?”

He spun around and found Isabella, JR’s wife, behind him.

“Are you all right?” she asked, moving closer. “You seem a little dazed.”

Rubbing at his eyes, Cooper shook off the vision of the lady in white and smiled. “Hey, Isabella. No, not dazed, just asleep on my feet, I guess.”

She nodded toward the baby monitor on the railing. “Rough first night?”

He shrugged. “We made it through. What are you doing out here so early?”

“Just taking a stroll and enjoying the coolness of the morning.” She tenderly rubbed her rounded abdomen. “Junior tends to be an early riser. Much like his daddy.”

“Well, let’s hope Anthony doesn’t take after either of them.” He glanced at his watch, surprised to see how much time had passed since he put his son to bed. “I just got the little guy to fall asleep an hour ago.”

As soon as Cooper spoke, a cooing noise came through the monitor.

“Geez, not again.”

“Oh, you must be exhausted. I can sit with Anthony if you want to grab a shower or get some sleep yourself.”

Cooper hesitated. He probably smelled like a mixture of formula, strained peas and baby powder. A shower would be great, but he wondered if it would get back to Jeremy and Kirsten if he took Isabella up on her offer.

“I’m not here to spy on you, Cooper.” Isabella’s soft words cut into his thoughts. “And no one is keeping score on your parenting skills. I’ll admit I headed this way because I figured the baby would have you up early. I just wanted to see how you two were doing.”

He believed the sincerity in her words. “Thanks. It sounds like he’s gone back to sleep, but a shower would be great.”

Once inside, Isabella waved off his apology for the condition of the kitchen and shooed him toward the back of the cottage.

After checking on once-again-sleeping Anthony, Cooper went into the bathroom in his room, stripped down and stood under the hot spray of the shower.

His mind wandered back to the horse and rider. Had he been hallucinating—who was that beautiful angel?

Tired of the bar scene and rarely in one place longer than a month or so over the last year, it’d been a while since Cooper had been in the company of an unattached lady. Not that his body had forgotten how to respond to the sight of incredible legs and curves to match.

But riding bareback across his cousin’s ranch?

He still wasn’t sure he hadn’t fallen asleep in those few surreal moments, and decided to discover if that vision on horseback had been a figment of his imagination.

Finishing up with a blast of cold water to chase away the final cobwebs, Cooper got out of the shower, dried off and pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He walked back into the living room and found Isabella engrossed in his parenting book. He thought about asking her about the mysterious woman, but what if she had only been a vision brought on by his exhaustion?

“Interesting stuff, huh?” he asked instead.

She smiled up at him. “Typical reading for a new dad?”

“Especially for one who’s only been at it a few weeks.” He paused for a moment and then asked, “Do you mind staying just a bit longer? It’s been over a week since I’ve visited Solo. I know JR has had one of the crew members exercising him, but I’d love to take him out for a quick run.”

“Sure, go ahead. I’m here as long as you need me.”

After making sure she had his cell phone number, Cooper pulled on his boots, grabbed his beat-up straw cowboy hat and headed toward the main barn. He stopped to look at the fresh tracks left in the soft earth by this morning’s rider.

So the lady did exist.

Once inside the barn, he took a deep breath, relishing the familiar smells of horses, leather and hay. It was a scent ingrained in his soul from the first time he’d visited Red Rock as a kid with his brothers and sister. Their mother had shipped them off to stay with her cousin, Ryan Fortune, and his wife, Lily, at the Fortune family homestead so she could travel across Europe with her latest boyfriend. Of all the places at the Double Crown Ranch, Cooper had loved the horse stables the best.

He greeted Solo with a fresh carrot, but his friend seemed more excited about the prospect of taking his owner for a ride than the treat. He quivered with anticipation as Cooper saddled him. When they cleared the fenced corral, the buckskin stallion took off from the gentle trot to a high-speed gallop.

Moments later, they left the buildings behind and it was only a man, his horse and the wild open Texas countryside. Cooper slowed the animal and found himself searching the rolling hills and flatlands for any sign of the beauty in white he’d seen just over an hour ago.

Nothing.

Disappointed, he turned back. He needed time to give Solo a proper rubdown before returning to Anthony. Maybe later he would bring his son out to the barn to meet the horse. He liked the idea of someday teaching the boy how to ride.

He walked the horse back to the barn to allow him to cool down. Once inside, he gave his buddy a full brushing and started to put the supplies back when he heard—

Singing?

Light, feminine and slightly off-key. He followed the lyrical voice, until finally in the first stall, he found her.

His angel.

Only now her curves were covered by jeans and a simple white T-shirt with the name of the ranch, and well-used, low-heeled boots on her feet. She was a beauty, the natural kind, her long dark hair now pulled back in a high ponytail with loose strands brushing her forehead. An inner glow seemed to radiate from her as she sang softly to the chestnut horse—the same one he’d seen her riding this morning.

He opened his mouth, but his mind blanked on the usual flirting he’d perfected to an art form. Confused by the sudden loss of words, he leaned against the stall door and enjoyed the view.

She moved with purpose and a sureness of someone who’d been around horses all her life. Her touch was gentle, her focus completely on the animal she tended. Moving to the horse’s head, she met the animal’s broad flat forehead with her own and finished her tune with a gentle kiss.

And damn if a small part of Cooper’s heart didn’t fall head over boot heels for her. The feeling was so foreign, he couldn’t name it and refused to even try.

He gave his head a quick shake to dispel the crazy notion and crossed his arms over his chest. Thankful when his brain finally engaged, he said the first thing that came to his mind. “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”

Kelsey Hunt froze at the masculine voice. From where she stood she couldn’t see a face, only a pair of well-worn jeans and cowboy boots that looked as broken in as her own.

Had JR hired another stable hand? In the last year, her boss had turned Molly’s Pride into a bustling ranch with new help starting every week. Having come home to Red Rock and this job eight months ago, she was already considered an old hand.

Might as well set this Romeo straight.

“Sorry, cowboy, but the stall is freshly cleaned of manure. I won’t allow you to drop any more in here with pick-up lines like that.”

She offered a wink to her horse, Harley, and she could’ve sworn the mare winked right back. Having her heart broken not once, not twice, but three times in the last decade was enough to convince her that the no-strings-attached approach was the best. Her life was about the four-legged creatures she understood with a spooky clarity.

Men? Forget it.

“That bad, huh?”

His raspy chuckle caused a ripple through her insides so intense it actually made her knees weaken for a moment. She chalked up the reaction to her inability to get enough sleep the night before, a rarity for her as she worked hard and slept harder. For some reason, she’d spent hours tossing and turning, leading her to impulsively take a ride at dawn. In her nightgown, no less.

She walked to the end of her horse, smoothing her hand down the glossy coat as she went. Might as well look this guy in the eye and let him know they were coworkers and nothing more. “Believe it or not, I’ve heard … w-worse.”

She cleared her throat, blaming the catch in her voice on the dryness of fresh hay she’d just put out for Harley. That had to be it. It couldn’t be because of the intensity in the cowboy’s chocolate-brown eyes as he stared at her.

He wasn’t overly tall, just shy of six feet and he filled out his T-shirt nicely with wide shoulders and muscular arms that came from hard work. The straw Stetson had seen better days, but he wore it as naturally as if he’d been born in it. His faded jeans fit him like a second skin.

His gaze slowly traveled the length of her, too, but she didn’t feel annoyed as she often did by a man’s stare. Maybe because there wasn’t any unseemly suggestion in his eyes, just warm appreciation with a hint of—

Wariness? Now, that was odd for a flirty cowboy.

She swallowed hard before she spoke. “It’s best if I make it clear right now. I don’t play where I sleep.”

That brought his attention back to her face. “Excuse me?”

“What I mean is, I don’t get involved with the people I work with. In my experience, mixing business with pleasure can be toxic, so it’s best to nip things in the bud right up front.”

“I’ll keep that in mind considering I don’t work here.” He pushed himself away from the stall door. “Cooper Fortune.”

Another Fortune? The town of Red Rock was crawling with them. He wasn’t one of JR’s brothers—those she knew by sight—so he must be a cousin. Is that why the name sounded so familiar?

“Wait, you belong to Solo.”

He grinned, his smile rising into one dimple. “That’s an interesting way of putting it. I prefer to think of him and me as buds, belonging to each other.”

She blushed. “I’m sorry. I just naturally pair up the human with their animal instead of the other way around. Professional habit.”

“And what profession is that?”

“Horse trainer. I’m in charge of the equine program here at Molly’s Pride. I’m Kelsey Hunt.”

He took a step forward but stopped short of entering the stall. One hand stretched outward. “It’s good to meet you, Kelsey.”

Because it would’ve been rude not to, she placed her hand in his. Calloused fingers spoke of hard work as much as his tanned, weathered skin spoke of a life lived outdoors. She tried to remember if JR had told her anything about the owner of the beautiful stallion they’d been housing for the last couple of weeks, but nothing came to mind.

“Are you in town for a visit, Mr. Fortune?”

He released her when she pulled away. “The name is Cooper and I’m here for more than a visit. I’m moving back to Red Rock. Permanently, I guess.”

She tucked Harley’s grooming brush and mane comb on a nearby shelf and grabbed her ball cap with the ranch’s logo. “You guess?”

“JR and his gang of brothers are my cousins. My brother, Ross, and sister, Frannie, live here, too.” He answered while backing up, allowing her to leave the stall and closed the door behind her. “And my son is here as well.”

He was married.

And here he was handing out pick-up lines. Geez, she felt like a loser. One would think with her history she would be able to spot a married man by now.

His slow drawl about “falling from heaven” had been a line if ever she heard one. She prayed he wasn’t another cowboy who figured whatever happened in the barn was okay as long as the little woman in the main house didn’t find out. She loved her job, but fighting off one of her boss’s rich relatives wasn’t part of her job description.

Tugging on the cap, she pulled her long ponytail through the back keyhole. It was time to start her workday. This cowboy didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave, even though he was checking his watch for a second time.

“Well, I should get to my office.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around the oversize facility. “This is some place you have here. I know JR refurbished the original barn, but this one’s brand-new, right?”

Kelsey could tell he was impressed and for some reason, that pleased her. She’d started here with two horses and a brand-new building JR gave her total control over. Her program now housed a dozen finely trained horses that sold for top dollar as well as the horses she’d rescued from neglect.

“Yes, it’s just under a year old.” She headed toward her office in the front corner of the barn, keeping distance between them as he walked with her. “So, are you and Mrs. Fortune staying here at Molly’s Pride?”

“Well, there’s plenty of Mrs. Fortunes running around Red Rock, but none belong to me.” He stopped at her door when she did, the power of his gaze commanded she look at him. “I’m not married.”

For a moment it looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. She grabbed the door handle and pushed with a bit too much force. “Oh, I assumed when said your son …”

Embarrassed, she let her voice trail off as she moved to her desk, oddly relieved to have the two feet of wood between her and this cowboy.

“Anthony and I have—well, we just found each other a couple of weeks ago.” He stood in the open doorway, again not invading her space, and punched at the frame with his fist. Not hard, but there was a hint of frustration behind the controlled action. “His mother and I haven’t been involved in over a year and I never knew she was pregnant.”

Meaning his son was only an infant. “But you’ve worked things out it seems, if you’re here.”

He shook his head. “She died in a car accident around New Year’s. My cousin has been taking care of my son until they found—until I found out about him and came home.”

Immediately, Kelsey thought of her sister, whose husband had died in a construction accident two years ago. Lost for months, Jessica had finally emerged from her grief-induced haze to realize she was doing just fine raising their four young kids by herself, with a little help from Kelsey and Jessica’s parents.

Kelsey sank to her chair and waved at the matching one in front of her desk. The man did look like he needed to sit. “I’m so sorry. That must’ve been some phone call. I remember reading about that accident … or was it the one involving JR’s father that led to him being missing for months? He’s your uncle, right?”

Cooper dropped into the chair. “Yes, my mother’s brother. I guess there were two eventful accidents back in January. At least William’s has a better outcome now that he’s been found and is back home again.”

Home, but not whole. Everyone in town knew William Fortune remembered nothing of his previous life. He was back at the Double Crown Ranch with his fiancée, Lily, having gone missing on what was supposed to be their wedding day.

“Well, finding out you’re a father must be a happy thing for you.”

The cowboy nodded, but the slump of his shoulders revealed an invisible burden. “It’s taking some getting used to. I’ve never been around kids much and rarely one who can barely sit upright. I feel like I’ve stepped into a parallel universe with strange words like butt cream, binky and onesie.”

He suddenly offered her that lopsided grin again and nudged his hat farther on his brow. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about babies, would ya?”

There was such hope in his voice that she found herself suppressing a snort of laughter. “Ah, horse babies, cow babies, even ducklings and piglets are right up my alley. Human babies, no way. That’s more my sister’s speed.”

“So you’re not married? No kids?”

The closest she’d come to marriage was years ago when she found an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend’s dresser drawer. Foolishly she’d thought it was meant for her. It wasn’t. Every relationship she’d had since had taught her that falling in love meant saying goodbye. No, thanks. She hadn’t even had a date since moving back home.

“Nope, I must’ve been absent the day they were handing out the maternal gene. I have no interest in marriage or kids.” An idea suddenly came to her. She grabbed the photograph on her desk and flipped it around. “Now, my sister, Jessica, has the mothering gene down pat. I’ll have to introduce you two.”

His eyes went from her to the frame image of her sister surrounded by her four kids, all under the age of eight. It lingered there and Kelsey had to fight back the flame of jealousy that licked at her insides.

You aren’t interested, remember?

A ready-made family wasn’t what Kelsey was looking for. This cowboy certainly wasn’t what she was looking for.

Because she wasn’t looking.

“Are you trying to fix me up with your sister?” he finally asked, looking back at her with those deep brown eyes of his.

Kelsey swallowed hard against the sudden lump lodged in her throat and pushed the words out of her mouth. “You’d be perfect for each other.”

Chapter Three

Cooper wasn’t interested in Kelsey’s sister.

Still, he wasn’t sure if that’s where the pretty horse trainer was going with her insistence yesterday that he and Jessica should meet. Heck, he’d been in a brain fog thanks to a lack of sleep and finding out the beautiful woman he’d seen on horseback was real and working right here at Molly’s Pride.

A woman who’d quickly put him in his place, he thought with a smile as he watched Anthony snoozing on a quilt in the middle of the living room floor.

After returning from the barn yesterday and thanking Isabella again for watching his son, he’d decided getting some sleep was more important than cleaning the house. It hadn’t been as easy as he thought. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Kelsey’s long dark hair or her pretty smile.

She’d been so easy to talk to and hadn’t seemed upset about his clumsy attempt at a line. He’d checked out her ring finger, happy to find it empty. He was even happier about her “no dating coworkers” rule. At least that cut down on the competition.

Because he was definitely interested in Kelsey.

So he’d smiled at the “hooking up with her sister” remark and headed back to the cottage. The rest of the day had been relatively uneventful, not counting the handful of phone calls from his siblings and cousins that had interrupted his nap. Obviously, they were all checking up on him. Later, he and Anthony had joined JR and Isabella for dinner. It wasn’t hard to get JR to talk about his ranching operations, and Cooper soon learned his cousin thought the world of Kelsey Hunt and her horse-training skills.