The Cowboy's Surprise Baby

He cleared his throat. “I’m kinda feeling like the odd man out here. Did I misunderstand my directions?”

Alexis slid into the chair at the head of the table, and Griff seated himself at the foot. Alexis leaned her elbows against the polished oak, steepling her fingers under her chin. “No, you’re supposed to be here today. No confusion. But in answer to your question, you’re it, Cole, where the wranglers are concerned. Today, anyway. We sometimes meet with the whole wrangling crew, but most often our monthly Mission meetings are just Griff and me and the counselors. Oh—and occasionally the board of directors and any townsfolk who want to get involved. We’ve got some interesting programs developing here.”

“Okay,” he said, drawing out the word. His gaze clouded with confusion and he ran a hand across the stubble on his jaw.

“We’ve got only a few men working the ranch aspect of the ministry. The other guys have been wrangling for us for a while now, so they know what’s expected of them,” Griff explained. “We’ve asked you to join us today because—” he paused and shot a meaningful look at Tessa “—we were interrupted the other day before we could get to the heart of what we do here. And we thought you might like to have a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes here at the ranch. I have a lot of faith in you, Cole, and I’d like you to take a more active role in this ministry.”

Cole’s eyes widened to epic proportions. It was all Tessa could do not to chuckle. Not at him—despite everything that had passed between them, she couldn’t help but respect everything the man was trying to do to juggle his responsibilities as a father.

“I’m not sure what you mean. You’ve clearly got the wrong fellow. I’m not a ministry kind of guy,” he said, kicking up one side of his lips into the magnetic half smile that used to send a kaleidoscope of butterflies swirling through Tessa’s stomach. Now it was all she could do to swallow the tender outpouring of emotions that whirled through her.

“I’m familiar with all aspects of ranching and don’t mind hard work,” he continued. “You can put me wherever you need me, and I’ll come through for you. Just point me in the right direction.” It was what he didn’t say that hung in the air.

Tessa held her breath. Her heart swelled at the strength of purpose in Cole’s voice. His intensity and honor were part of what had so attracted her to him in the first place, even back when they’d been nothing more than a couple of immature high school students.

Now Cole wore his strength and potency like a cloak around him, his posture straight and his shoulders squared. Teenagers could use strong leadership in their lives. Cole would be good for this ministry. He just didn’t know it yet.

“Of course, you’ll be assisting the other wranglers with the daily chores around the ranch and taking care of the stock,” Alexis agreed. “That part of your job description will be right in your comfort zone. I’m sure you’ve noticed we have a variety of animals here at the ranch.”

Cole nodded briskly, but his expression remained guarded. Everyone in the room could hear the but that was about to follow, and Cole was no exception. Tessa watched a wave of tension roll over his shoulders and a scowl briefly line his face before he schooled it.

Alexis either didn’t notice the tautness in the air or had decided to slice through it with her words. “But though caring for the animals is one of the conditions of the job for the wranglers around here, Redemption Ranch isn’t exactly a working ranch, not in the typical sense of the word. The stock we keep here at the ranch is mostly for the teenagers to learn from and interact with.”

“Tessa told me a little bit about that.” The corner of his jaw ticked with strain. Tessa suspected he could guess what was coming next. He’d already been railroaded into working with her and the teenagers for the barbecue. Now he was about to find out he had even more responsibilities where the kids were concerned.

“I would have hit that subject in more detail the other day, except—” The end of Alexis’s sentence dropped into an uneasy silence.

The tension in the air was palpable as everyone waited for Alexis to finish her thought.

“There are—um—trail rides.” Alexis’s voice had risen sharply and came out as a bit of a squeak, and no wonder.

Cole was a true cowboy, and trail rides were...not so much. There was absolutely no comparison, a grown man tending to what he would consider a bunch of squawking adolescents, most of whom knew zero about horses and frankly had a negative mindset about life in general and horsemanship in particular. The city kids didn’t know anything about horses and really didn’t want to know, and it would be Cole’s assignment to ignore their attitudes and walk them around at a sluggish plod, their horses head to tail with the next.

Tessa couldn’t see how that would work out well for anybody. Cole was a man who craved excitement. He’d bucked bareback through high school rodeo and seen the world on board a naval cruiser. Even when he’d taken an afternoon job wrangling cattle in his youth, he’d had more than his fair share of moments when he would get to ride like the wind. The slow pace of trail rides would be like a death sentence to the active cowboy, and as for working with the teenagers, Tessa couldn’t imagine that to be high on his bucket list.

It was as if Alexis was trying to sandwich the unfamiliar and no doubt unwanted duty between those with which Cole was comfortable. Not that he’d be comfortable interacting with the teenagers in any regard, but she suspected teaching ranch life and how to care for the animals would be superior to leading trail rides, at least in Cole’s mind.

“We need you to ride along with us to make sure all the kids are following their safety rules.”

It took Cole a moment to respond. “Like a dude ranch, you mean?”

Tessa wasn’t overly surprised that he didn’t sound too enthused about the prospect.

“You want me to load the kids up on horses, lead them out on the trail and show them some of the property. Make them feel like real cowboys.” He shrugged. “All right. I guess I can do that,” he said with a conceding wave of his arm.

“Well...” Griff hedged.

Cole arched his left eyebrow. “There’s more?”

“Yeah, there’s more. We don’t run Redemption Ranch exactly like a dude ranch,” Griff said. “We’re hoping you’ll take up all the challenges inherent in your position. You’ll be interacting with the teenagers on trail rides—” He paused and cleared his throat. “And then some. Our hope is that you’ll find both challenge and pleasure showing the youth what ranch life is all about, helping them connect with God and the country.”

Cole’s gaze widened noticeably, but Griff continued, either unaware of the shift of tension in the room or choosing to ignore Cole’s obvious discomfort.

“We’re putting you in charge of overseeing their ranch discovery outings. You’ll be responsible for leading them in their interactions with the animals, teaching them the care and feeding of the stock, how to tack up a horse and other aspects of country living. It’s an interesting position that I think you’ll enjoy once you get used to the idea. I can guarantee it will be the most rewarding work you’ve ever done.”

Cole shook his head. Tessa couldn’t imagine how he felt right now. He was no doubt still overwhelmed in his new role as a single father, and now Alexis and Griff were throwing delinquent teenagers at him.

“Think of it as an art,” Alexis encouraged him. “Very few of these kids have been within arm’s length of a horse. You’ll be starting from scratch and can make true horsemen and women out of them.”

Cole’s brow furrowed, and he shoved his fingers through his hair, rubbing at the knots at the back of his skull. Tessa linked her fingers in her lap, trying not to remember the times she’d rubbed the knots from his neck when he was facing a tough test or a new challenge. He’d always been muscular, but years in the navy had defined the muscles in his shoulders and arms. Just for a moment, before reality reclaimed her, she ached to ease his tension, even after all these years and all that had transpired between them. She shook her head, nipping her misplaced wistfulness in the bud.

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