Fortune's Heart

They sat, ordered, and the server delivered their sodas. Stacey took a long, cool sip of her drink and closed her eyes. “Good,” she said.

“Simple pleasures are the best,” Colton said.

Stacey looked at Colton for a long moment and shrugged her shoulders. “So, talk to me about grown-up stuff.”

His eyes rounded. “Grown-up stuff?” he echoed.

“Yes,” she said. “Movies, politics, current events.”

“Well, politicians are as crooked as ever. There are blizzards and tsunamis. Wait till summer and there will be hurricanes, mudslides and fires.” He grimaced. “I hate to admit it, but I haven’t seen a movie lately. Rachel is watching the reality shows. I watch a lot of the History Channel,” he said.

“What about movies?” she asked. “Do you like James Bond?”

He nodded. “I did see the most recent one. Lots of action.”

“And lots of violence,” she said.

“Yeah, but the good guy wins.”

“That’s most important,” she said, and the server delivered their meals.

“That was fast,” she said.

“Burgers are what they are known for,” Colton said, and took a big bite out of his.

Stacey took a bite of her own and closed her eyes to savor a burger someone else had cooked for her. “Perfect amount of mustard and steak sauce,” she said. “But all I need is half.”

“You sure about that?” Colton teased, taking another big bite.

“I’m sure,” she said, and enjoyed several more bites of her burger. She ate a little more than half and stopped. “Oh, no. Now I’m full. How can I eat the fries? Let alone drink a beer?”

“You need to learn to pace yourself,” Colton said as he stared at his fries.

Stacey liked the wicked glint in his eyes that belied his practical advice. “Maybe I should fix some fences. Maybe that would help my appetite,” she said, unable to force herself to eat even one French fry.

“Relax. We can hit the bar in a few minutes. There’s no rush. Rest your belly,” he said.

Not the most romantic advice, but Stacey stretched and took a few deep breaths. “I may have to take lessons from you on pacing myself.”

“I’m available for hamburger-eating pacing lessons,” he said with a mischievous grin that made her stomach take an unexpected dip.

A few minutes later, Stacey gave up on her fries, and she and Colton walked to the connecting bar. Colton ordered a couple of beers, and Stacey took a sip. Country music was playing in the background. If she closed her eyes, she could almost time travel back to over a year ago when she and Joe had just gotten engaged. She’d been unbelievably happy. Her future had been so bright. She’d clearly been a big fool.

Stacey hiccupped. “Oh, my,” she said and hiccupped again.

“Drink too fast?” he asked.

“I didn’t think so,” she said, but hiccupped again. “It’s just been so long since I sat down and drank even half a beer.”

“Maybe you need one of those sweet mixed drinks,” he said. “I’m not sure the bartender here can do that for you.”

“It depends on whether he has vodka or not. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t keep cranberry juice on tap.”

Colton laughed. “You’re right about the cranberry juice. I see Greg Townsend over there. He’s the president of the local ranchers’ association. Do you mind if I have a word with him?”

“Please, go ahead,” she said. “Let me catch my breath.”

“I’ll just be a minute,” he said.

Stacey closed her eyes, took a breath and held it. She counted to ten. Memories of how foolish she’d been with Joe warred with her enjoyment of her evening with Colton.

“Can I buy you another beer?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.

Stacey opened her eyes to meet the gaze of a man she didn’t know. “Excuse me?” she said. He was tall and wore a Stetson. He also had a beard. She wasn’t a big fan of beards.

“Can I buy you another beer?” he repeated, extending his hand. “I’m Tom Garrison. I haven’t seen you around here before. I work at the Jergen’s ranch.”

“Oh, I know the Jergens,” she said and briefly shook his hand. “Well, I know Ella Mae.”

“And you are?” he asked.

“Stacey,” she said, suddenly noticing her hiccups had disappeared. “Stacey Jones. Stacey Fortune Jones,” she added, because the Fortune part was still very new to her.

“A pleasure to meet you, Stacey Fortune Jones,” he said. “I’m kinda new in town and a little lonely since it’s winter. Maybe you could show me around.”

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head and feeling uncomfortable. “I’m super busy. I have a little baby.” She figured that would put him off. Most men were afraid of babies who weren’t their own.

“I like babies,” he said. “I’m good with them.”

Stacey began to feel just a teensy bit nervous. She searched the room for Colton. “Good for you, but, like I said, I’m super busy.”

“I don’t see a ring on your finger. That must mean you’re not taken,” he said, moving closer.

“Well,” she said, trying to shrink against her bar stool. She wished Colton would return. He would know how to take care of this pushy man. “Like I said, I’m extremely busy...”

“I could give you a good time,” he said. “Make you laugh. Maybe more...”

“Or not,” Colton said, suddenly appearing next to the pushy cowboy. “She’s with me.”

Stacey breathed a sigh of relief.

“She was sitting here all by herself when I saw her,” Tom said.

“For all of two and a half minutes. Go stalk someone else,” Colton said. “Trust me, she’s not your type.”

“She’s everybody’s type,” Tom grumbled, but walked away.

“Hmm,” Colton said. “Can’t leave you alone for even two minutes. There you go, seducing the new locals.”

“I didn’t seduce anyone,” she protested. “I was just trying to get rid of my hiccups.” She frowned. “I think my beer is flat.”

“You want another one?”

“No. I just want to go home,” she said and stood. “I’m glad you came back when you did. This was good enough for me. I won’t be wondering how the other half lives. I’d rather eat a meal I’ve prepared and watch a good TV show.” She met his gaze with a lopsided smile. “I’m getting old, aren’t I? An old mama.”

Colton shook his head. “Nah. You’re just growing up. And you’re the hot kind of mama, so keep up your guard.”

Chapter Four

Colton wasn’t sure his evening out with Stacey had been all that successful. She’d been quiet on the way home. He was bummed that he hadn’t been able to cheer her up more. He wondered if he’d made things worse. He focused on his work at the ranch during the next couple of days and avoided the inquiring glances from the rest of his family.

As he drove home after a long day outdoors, his cell phone rang. It was Stacey. He immediately picked up. “Hey. What’s up?”

“I’m trying to find Rachel,” Stacey said. “I need her help.”

“I’m just pulling into the drive. Let me see if I can find her and I’ll call you back,” he said.

Colton strode into the house and called for his sister. “Rachel,” he called. “Rachel.”

No answer. His parents didn’t even respond.

He looked through the house and called a few more times. Sighing, he stabbed out Stacey’s cell number. “Hey,” he said. “No sign of Rachel or my parents.”

“Darn,” Stacey said. “My parents have gone to a town meeting.”

“Oh, mine must have gone to the same meeting. This place is like a ghost house,” he said and chuckled. “I think my voice may be echoing off the walls.”

“Oh, bummer,” Stacey said.

He heard the despair in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Rachel was my last hope since my parents are out, and my sister Delaney isn’t feeling well.”

“Last hope for what?” he asked, pacing the hallway in his house.

“Well, you know my brother Toby took in three foster kids,” she said. “He called me tonight and said the youngest is feeling bad. He has no experience with sick kids, so he asked me to come over and I said I would. But I don’t want to expose Piper to anything. I don’t want her to get sick.”

“Yeah,” Colton said. “That’s rough.”

She sighed. “I hate to leave Toby hanging. Would you mind watching her for a little while so I could help him out?”

Colton froze. The idea of taking care of a baby terrified him. He could do a lot of things, but he had no experience with babies. But he couldn’t leave Stacey in such a bind, could he? Well, darn. He inhaled. “Okay, I’ll do it, but you need to give me lots of instructions. This isn’t like roping a calf.”

“She’ll be easy. I promise. I’ll write down lots of instructions and put them in the diaper bag,” Stacey said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“Yeah,” Colton said, and headed back to his car. It occurred to him that he would rather get stomped by a bull than take care of a baby.

He drove his truck the short distance to the Joneses’ ranch and pulled in front of the house. His family had celebrated with the Jones family many times. Their home was as familiar to him as his own.

But a baby wasn’t familiar to him at all.

Colton ground his teeth, then forced himself to present a better attitude. He could handle this. He’d handled far more difficult situations. Piper was just a six-month-old baby. How hard could it be, he asked himself, but he was sweating despite the freezing temperature outside.

He stomped up the porch steps and lifted his hand to knock on the door, but it swung open before his knuckles hit wood. Stacey looked up at him with a hopeful expression on her face as she held her baby on her hip. “She should go to sleep soon,” Stacey said. “She’s just a little worked up tonight.”

“Worked up,” he repeated, feeling more uneasy.

Stacey fluttered her hands. “Oh, it won’t last long,” she said. “She’ll get tired. Let me grab my coat, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

She thrust Piper into his hands. He stared at the baby, and she stared back at him. Mistrust brewed from his side, and he saw the same mistrust in the baby’s eyes. “What am I supposed to do with her?” he asked.

“Rock her, walk her. Feed her only if you’re desperate because she’s already been fed.” Stacey buttoned a peacoat and handed him a diaper bag. “This is my complete bag of tricks,” she said. “This will be a breeze. You’re going to surprise yourself. Trust me. Thank you so much,” she said, and rushed out the door.

Colton resisted the urge to renege. Barely. After Stacey was gone, he looked at Piper. She let out a little wail. Colton dived into the diaper bag, skipped everything and went straight for the bottle.

Piper sucked it down, then stared at him and gave a loud, powerful burp.

“Whoa,” Colton said, backing away from the sound. “How’d you do that?”

Piper squirmed and fussed.

Colton bobbed up and down. “Hey. Your tummy’s full. You should be better.”

Piper whined in response.

Colton grimaced. He had been hoping food would be the quick fix. It usually was for him. He patted her back and continued to walk. Piper whined and occasionally wailed. Colton had no idea how to please the baby.

Oh, wait. Maybe she had a messy diaper.

Eewww, he thought. He didn’t want to change a diaper. That was just too gross. But maybe that would turn the trick and the baby would stop fussing.

Groaning to himself, Colton went to the magic diaper bag and pulled out a diaper, a packet of wipes and a changing pad. “Okay. Okay,” he said to Piper as he set her down on the pad. “Give me a break. This is my first time.”

Piper stuck her fingers in her mouth and gazed up at him with inquisitive green eyes.

At least she wasn’t crying, he thought and lifted her gown. “Okey, doke. We can do this,” he said because some part of him remembered that he’d seen a few people talk to babies. It wasn’t as if they understood. Maybe they just liked the sound of a human voice.

Who knew?

He looked at the diaper, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which was the front and the back.

Piper began to squirm and make noises. They weren’t fussy, but they were getting close.

“I’m getting there,” he promised. “Just give me a little extra time.”

He pulled open the dry diaper, then carefully unfastened the baby’s dirty diaper. Colton glimpsed a hideous combination of green, yellow and brown.

“Oh, Piper. How could you?”

The baby squirmed and almost seemed to smile.

Heaven help him.

Colton pulled out a half dozen wipes and began rubbing her front and backside. Six wipes weren’t enough, so he pulled out some more and cleaned her a little more. Afterward, he tossed some baby powder on her and put on the disposable diaper.

Sweat was dripping from his forehead. “There. We did it.”

Piper began to fuss.

“Well, thanks for nothing,” he said, picking up her and the dirty diaper. He wondered if there was a special hazardous-waste disposal container in the house for the baby’s diapers. He didn’t see one, so he tossed it in the kitchen trash and felt sorry for the poor fool who lifted the lid to take out the garbage.

He jiggled Piper, but she was still fussy. He wondered if he shouldn’t have fed her. He cruised the hallways of the house. Piper never broke into a full cry, but he could tell she was right on the edge.

Desperate, he tried to sing. “Mamas, don’t let your babies—”

Piper wailed.

“Not a good choice,” he muttered and jiggled her even more. He walked and talked, since talking worked better than singing did. She calmed slightly, but he could tell she still wasn’t happy. This female was definitely difficult to please.

After thirty minutes, she was still fussy and Colton was growing desperate. He headed for the magic diaper bag and sat down to dig through it. Piper sobbed loudly in his ear as he searched the bag.

“Give me a break,” he said. “I’m trying.” He dug his way all the way to the bottom and grabbed hold of a bottle. Pulling it out, he stared at a bottle labeled, “Last resort”.

Colton was pretty sure he was at his last resort. He opened the bottle and found a wand. “Well, damn,” he said, and began to blow bubbles.

Piper immediately quieted and stared at the bubbles.

Colton continued to blow, and Piper began to laugh. It was the most magical sound he’d ever heard. He blew the bubbles, and she giggled. Her reaction was addictive.

“Well, who would have known?” he muttered under his breath. Maybe everyone should come armed with a bottle of bubbles. He blew bubbles past the time he was tired from it, and Piper finally rested her head on his shoulder. Colton wasn’t taking any chances, though, and he kept up his bubble blowing.

Finally, he glanced down and saw that Piper’s eyes were closed—half moons with dark eyelashes fanned against her creamy skin. She was one beautiful kid, he thought. The spitting image of Stacey. He gently strolled through the hallways again.

Weariness rolled through him. He’d been up before dawn and trying to work through a mile-long list of chores his father shouldn’t do. The sofa in the den beckoned him. He wondered if he could possibly sit down without waking Piper.

Colton decided to give it a shot. He slowly eased down onto the sofa. Piper squirmed, and he froze. Don’t wake up, he prayed. He waited, then leaned back, inch by inch. “We’re okay,” he whispered. “We’re both okay.”

Colton relaxed against the side of the sofa and slinked down. He rested his head backward and moved the baby onto his chest. “Don’t wake up.” He rubbed her back until he fell asleep.

* * *

“Stick out your tongue, Kylie,” Stacey said to her brother’s youngest foster child.

Redheaded Kylie reluctantly stuck out her tongue. Stacey saw no signs of strep. “I’m sorry you feel bad, sweetie,” she said.

“I can stick out my tongue,” Kylie’s older brother, Justin, said and fully extended his tongue from his mouth. The boy’s expression had a disturbing resemblance to a rock singer.

“Not necessary, but thanks, sweetie,” she said.

Stacey turned to her brother Toby. “Her temperature is normal, and her lymph nodes feel fine. I would give her some extra liquids and try to help her get some extra rest.” She rubbed Kylie’s arm. “Do you feel achy?” she asked.

Kylie shook her head. “No, but my head hurts.”

“I’m so sorry,” Stacey said. “I bet a cool washcloth would feel good. If she can’t sleep, she can take some children’s Tylenol. In the meantime, Kylie needs some rest, comfort and cuddling.”

“Does that mean I get to use the remote for the TV?” Kylie asked.

Stacey laughed. “I think you are definitely due the remote.”

“But I wanna see SpongeBob,” Justin said.

“You can see SpongeBob anytime,” Toby said, rubbing Justin’s head. “Let’s just pile on the couch and watch what Kylie wants to watch.”

Her brothers sighed but scrambled onto the couch. “I hope it’s not a princess movie,” Brian, the eleven-year-old, said.

“I want Monsters,” Kylie said.

“Again?” Brian said in disgust.

“Kylie gets to choose tonight. If you don’t like her choice, you can get ahead on your homework or read a book,” Toby said.

Stacey did a double take. She still couldn’t quite get used to seeing her bachelor brother turn into an instant dad by agreeing to take on these three kids. Then again, Toby had always had a generous heart, so she really shouldn’t be surprised. Stacey knew he’d met the kids when he’d volunteered at the Y. When he’d learned their mother had died at an early age and that their father wasn’t around, he’d tried to give them some extra encouragement. When their situation had gone from bad to worse and the aunt who’d been caring for them was forced into rehab, Toby had stepped forward to take them into his house by becoming a foster dad.

“Well, I’d better head back to the house. I couldn’t find anyone except Colton to take care of the baby while I was gone,” she said, packing up her little medical bag.

“Colton?” Toby echoed, giving a startled laugh. “You asked Colton Foster to take care of Piper?”

Stacey lifted her hands. “He was my only choice. Everyone else was busy, and I didn’t want to leave you in the lurch.”

Toby sighed. “Well, tell him I said thank you. I’ll feel better about Kylie now that you’ve checked her.”

“You still need to keep an eye on her. You should check her temperature and symptoms in the morning. It’s a shame the kids’ regular doctor is out of town,” she said. “I wish we had a clinic in Horseback Hollow. Maybe I could get a job there,” she said. “That’s wishful thinking,” she murmured, then looked up at her brother and squeezed his arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Toby said, but raked his hand through his hair. “This situation definitely has its ups and down. It all goes along smoothly for a few days, then it seems like we hit a big bump in the road.”

Stacey pulled on her coat and walked to the door. “Regrets?” she asked in a low voice.

Toby shook his head firmly. “I did the right thing, and they’re good kids. They make me laugh every day.”

“Well, I admire you, Toby. Not many men would do what you’ve done,” she said. Three kids, all redheads with tons of energy.

“I think I’m getting a lot more out of this than I expected,” he said.

She gave her brother a big hug. “Call me anytime, and bring the kids over to visit Piper. When they’re well,” she quickly added.

“I’ll do that,” he said and opened the door. “Drive safely,” he instructed, protective as ever.

“Good night. Get that cool washcloth for Kylie. See if it helps,” she called over her shoulder and got into her car.

Stacey drove toward her house, growing more nervous with each increasing mile she covered. It wasn’t that Piper was a bad baby, but at times she could be demanding and very vocal. Stacey hoped the baby had calmed down enough to fall asleep. She supposed that if Colton had really needed anything, he would have called her. As she pulled in front of the house, the lights from inside welcomed her. She got out of the car, climbed the stairs and opened the door.

She paused for a long moment, listening for the sound of Piper. All she heard was quiet. Stacey breathed a sigh of relief. Piper must have fallen asleep. She was surprised the television wasn’t on. She would have expected Colton to turn on a ballgame once he’d put Piper in her crib.

Stepping into the den, she caught sight of Colton napping on the sofa with Piper asleep on his chest. Her heart swelled with emotion. If that wasn’t the sweetest sight she’d ever seen, she thought. Seeing her daughter being held by a good strong man reminded Stacey of everything Piper was missing on an everyday basis. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them at bay.

First things first, she thought. Get the baby to bed. She gingerly extracted Piper from Colton’s chest, praying the baby wouldn’t awaken. Then she tiptoed to the small nursery in the room next to hers and put Piper down in her crib. Piper gave a few wiggly moves, and Stacey held her breath. Then the baby sighed and went back to sleep.

Stacey returned to the den and touched Colton’s shoulder. He didn’t awaken. She gave him a gentle shake, then another. The man was dead to the world. He must be worn out, she thought. He’d probably put in a full day at the ranch, yet he’d still agreed to watch Piper for her.

A rush of sympathy flooded through her. Stacey had lived on a ranch long enough to know it involved hard backbreaking work and long hours. It wouldn’t hurt him to rest a little longer, she thought, and pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and put it over him.

Backing away, she pulled off her coat and hung it in the closet, then returned to the den. Sinking onto the chair across from the sofa, Stacey allowed herself the luxury of looking at Colton while he was unaware. She wondered why she’d never noticed how attractive he was before. Sure, she’d known him her entire life, but she wasn’t blind.

He was as strong as they came. Broad shoulders and she’d bet he might even have a six-pack. She blushed at the direction her mind was headed. He had a bit of stubble on his chin. His hard masculinity was at such odds with those eyelashes, she thought.

She wondered what it would be like to sleep with him and wake up with him. Would he be grouchy or sweet in the morning? She wondered what kind of lover he would be. She’d only had one, Joe. Their lovemaking sessions had often felt rushed to her, and although it wasn’t something she discussed, she’d never felt completely, well, satisfied after sex with Joe.

Stacey wondered if Colton was the kind of man to take his time with a woman. Although she hadn’t paid much attention, she’d heard of more than one woman he’d left more than happy after a night together. Lately, she was becoming much more curious about Colton. She kept reminding herself that he was interested in someone else, but that didn’t seem to take the edge off her...curiosity.

At that moment, she heard the front door open and her father talking to her mother. “That meeting went on forever,” he grumbled.

“Everyone has a right to speak their mind,” Jeanne said.

“Well, they could speak a little faster,” he said, and closed the door firmly behind him.

Stacey saw Colton jolt awake at the sound. He glanced around. “What the—” He broke off and shook his head.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hey,” he said, rising quickly.

“Listen, thank you for taking care of Piper,” she said, also getting to her feet.

“No problem,” he said, rubbing his face. “I guess I’ll head home—”

Her mother and father entered the den. “Well, hello there, Colton. It’s good to see you.”

“Colton agreed to watch Piper while I checked out Kylie for Toby. He said she wasn’t feeling well and their doctor is out of town, so he wanted me to come over and make sure she was okay. She just had a headache. I think Toby may be a little nervous fostering those three kids. Can’t say I blame him.”

“I’m glad Kylie is okay. It sure was nice of you to come over here and look after Piper,” Jeanne said.