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  Having the Cowboy’s Baby

  Rowdy Ranch

  Vicki Lewis Thompson

  HAVING THE COWBOY’S BABY

  Copyright © 2022 by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  ISBN: 978-1-63803-952-5

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Ocean Dance Press, PO Box 69901, Oro Valley AZ 85737

  Visit the author’s website: VickiLewisThompson.com

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Beau McLintock dug a starting line in the dead grass with the toe of his boot. “Ready to race, guys?”

  Slim, an all-black pot-bellied pig, trotted behind the line and dropped his haunches to the frozen ground. Pickens, his black and white little brother, squared up beside him and sat, quivering with eagerness. The race always topped off their late afternoon exercise routine, and Pickens loved it the most, even though he continued to lose.

  “Stay.” Beau added the hand signal out of habit. They didn’t need it. Those pigs were so damned smart. Smarter than any of the horses. Probably smarter than his mom’s collie, Sam. His mom would likely debate him on the subject, though.

  Slim and Pickens held their position as he walked to the far side of the fenced enclosure, the grass crackling under his boots. Today was almost warm, unseasonably so for the first week in February. Wouldn’t last. This was Montana, after all.

  Nobody was around, but Beau took the role of announcer, anyway. The pigs liked it better when he ramped up the drama. Curling his fist into a make-believe microphone, he injected tense anticipation into his voice. “And they’re in the starting gate. A hush falls over the crowd. Waiting for the bell… ding, they’re off!”

  The pigs galloped toward him, short legs pumping, looking like motorized duffle bags.

  “Slim takes the lead, but Pickens won’t be denied! He makes his move aaaand it’s Pickens in the lead! But Slim overtakes him! They’re neck-and-neck and it’s Pickens by a snout!” Laughing, he dug in his pocket and passed out treats as the pigs wagged their tails like crazy. “Good boys.” He crouched down to give them both head rubs.

  They flopped and rolled so he could scratch their bellies, too. “Pickens, you did it, son! Knew you could. Slim, you gotta bring your A-game next time. Your little brother is—”

  The distant purr of an engine grew louder. Sounded more like an SUV than a truck heading down the dirt road. His family drove trucks. What if it was…? Nah, couldn’t be.

  But it was. The flash of deep blue through the pines used to fill him with joy. He gulped.

  Against all odds, Jessica Hartmann was about to set foot on Rowdy Ranch property. On Christmas Eve, she’d vowed never to do that again. Folks must be ice-skating in hell.

  When he rose to his feet, Slim and Pickens scrambled up, tails wagging. Those pigs loved company almost as much as they loved racing.

  The engine stopped. A door opened. It closed with a normal thump instead of a loud crack. That was a good sign, right?

  He sucked in a breath. “I’m out back, Jess!”

  “Figured!” She came around the side of the cabin, her green wool coat buttoned up to her chin, her red hair tucked under a white stocking cap. She hadn’t slammed the car door, but judging from her tense expression, she wasn’t pleased to be here.

  “This is unexpected.” Heart in his throat, he walked quickly over to the mesh gate.

  “I’m sure it is.” Anxiety filled her green eyes. She shoved her hands into her coat pockets and hunched her shoulders. Yeah, not pleased at all.

  Slipping out of the enclosure a step ahead of the pigs, he latched the gate. Jess clearly wasn’t in a pig-petting mood. “What’s up?”

  “You’re not gonna believe this.”

  “I might.” Hard to breathe, this close to her. But passing out wasn’t an option, so he gave it his best shot. “Pickens just beat Slim in the big race. And you’re standing here. Surprises come in threes.”

  She frowned. “I thought it was bad luck that comes in threes.”

  “Surprises, too.”

  “Alrighty, then. Here’s number three. I’m pregnant.”

  He snorted in disbelief. “Leave the bad jokes to me, okay?”

  “I’m not joking.”

  His stomach bottomed out. No, it couldn’t be. He made mistakes, but not this kind. The timing, though…. Damn it, he’d used—

  “I know what you’re thinking, and I—”

  “I buy the best.” His ears buzzed. “I check the expiration dates. I—”

  “I believe you.” She glanced down, cleared her throat and looked up at him. “I might have the explanation.”

  “Super sperm?”

  She blinked. For a split second she looked as if she might laugh. Or cry. Then she took a quick breath. “Midnight.”

  “Your cat? What the—”

  “Over the weekend I deep-cleaned the house, trying to… come to grips with…” She made a vague gesture toward her flat stomach.

  His attention went straight there. A baby. Dear God.

  “Anyway, I found this.” She held up a condom packet with teeth marks on the wrapper.

  He fought dizziness. “I wouldn’t have used a chewed one.”

  “Are you sure you’d notice?”

  “Of course I’d notice.” He said it fast and loud, desperate for it to be true. Except that first night he’d knocked a couple off the nightstand, then later had to retrieve one for a second round. Had Midnight been in the room? Hell, a pride of lions could have been in the room. He stared at her. Swallowed.

  “You might need some time.”

  A baby. With a woman who was completely disgusted with him. “Time won’t help.”

  “It’s helped me. When I found out on Friday I was a total mess. But I’ve had the weekend to process this and today I’m… well, I’m here. I couldn’t face that prospect two days ago.”

  He took a ragged breath. “Did you do the test yourself?”

  “Yes. Then I went to Doc Bradley.”

  “So there’s no doubt.” The earth shifted beneath his feet.

  “None. It’s nobody’s fault, but—”

  “Is too. I’m pinning this on Midnight.” There it was again. A blink, a gleam in her eyes. Probably a trick of the light.

  Then she looked away. “Cats like things that crinkle.”

  Foiled by a black cat. And he’d thought they were friends.

  “I, um, called your mom today.” She faced him, chin lifted.

  “You told her?”

  “No. I asked if she could suggest a time when you’d be alone. She checked everybody’s schedule and recommended pig-training time. But she’ll want to know why I came to see you.”

  “I’ll tell her. It’s not like we can keep this a secret.”

  “Nope. But so far, you and Doc Bradley are the only ones with the info.”

  “You haven’t told your dad?”

  “You deserved to hear it first.”

  “Thank you.” That was one of many reasons he’d fallen for Jess. She was a straight shooter. Then she’d shot him straight through the heart.

  “You’re taking it better than I expected. I braced myself for a bunch of wisecracks. You only made two.”

  “I can do better. I just need more time with the material.”

  “See? You can’t resist. You can’t take anything seriously. Not even—”

  “Yes, I can. I just—”

  “Never mind. We’ve had this argument. I’m gonna leave before we have it again.” She turned and started back around the house.

  “Wait. We have things to discuss.”

  “Later, Beau.” She lengthened her stride. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Damn it, Jess.” He went after her. Stopped himself. She wasn’t ready to talk and neither was he. Turning back to the pig enclosure, he let himself in. The SUV’s motor roared to life. Gone. Just like on Christmas Eve. Except now… a baby.

  Slim and Pickens trotted over, looking for more treats. He pulled some out of his pocket, crouched down and handed them out. “Got a slight issue, guys.” An issue. Way to downplay it, dude. “Correction. My life just changed, and it’s never changing back.”

  A truck pulled up out front and a door opened and closed. He stood, grateful for whoever had stopped by. The pigs we
re great listeners, but he wanted advice. He exited the pen.

  Sky, the oldest of his siblings and the closest in age, came around the side of the cabin. “Was that Jess I passed on the road?”

  “That was Jess.” Beau damn near threw his arms around his big brother. He couldn’t have asked for a better advice giver than Sky.

  “Social call?”

  “Not hardly. She’s…” The word stuck in his throat. He forced it out. “Pregnant.”

  Sky jerked backward as if he’d been hit with a sack of grain. “No.”

  “Evidently I used a condom her cat had chewed on.”

  “What?”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but our first night together was a little… wild.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me, but—”

  “My condom supply ended up on the floor, and I used one without… I didn’t think to check whether—”

  “It had become a cat toy?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Incredible.” Sky nudged back his hat. “What’re you going to do?”

  “Besides drinking every beer in my fridge?”

  “Besides that.”

  “Gotta tell mom.”

  “I’d advise staying sober until after you tell her.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Sky smiled. “Ah, good, you’re back. You had me worried. For a minute, I thought I’d lost the crazy guy we all know and love.”

  “Not everyone loves that quality, bro.”

  Sky gazed at him. “Do you still love her?”

  “I don’t recall saying that I…” He avoided his brother’s know-it-all look. Then he sighed. “Yeah, I do. But it’s over.”

  “You sure?”

  “If you’d heard her on Christmas Eve, you wouldn’t have to ask the question. She is so done with me.”

  “Do you want to be a part of this kid’s life?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Alrighty, then. First we’ll tell mom and then—”

  “We?”

  “Sure. Penny texted me that she won’t be back from UM for at least another hour, so I stopped by to grab a beer and discuss what to get Angie for her birthday.”

  “Right. That’s coming up fast.”

  “Every Valentine’s Day. Can’t believe she’ll be twenty-four.”

  “And this year she’ll become an aunt.”

  Sky’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think of that. The rest of us will be uncles. Mom will be a grandma.”

  “How do you think she’ll react?”

  “Well, she loves babies.” Sky shrugged, “That’s in your favor.”

  “Yeah, but an accidental pregnancy? She’s not gonna be thrilled.”

  “She might take it better than you think. I was an accident, and look how I turned out.”

  Beau grinned. “Trolling for compliments, bro?”

  “Got one?”

  He patted his coat pockets. “Thought I had one somewhere, but—”

  “Anyway, after we break the news to her, we’ll call a family meeting.”

  “Good idea. Then everybody gets the word at once.”

  “Plus we need help brainstorming.”

  “Brainstorming what? Jess holds all the cards.”

  “Not really. That baby’s as much yours as hers.”

  “Technically, but—”

  “If it’s true she doesn’t like you anymore, we need a plan.”

  Chapter Two

  Jess loved walking into the historic building that housed the Wagon Train Sentinel. An antique printing press stood on display in the lobby, testifying to the Sentinel’s proud tradition. It still had a faint ink smell.

  Framed editions of the newspaper with headlines like V-E Day! and Nixon Resigns! decorated the walls. A glass display cabinet held old press passes, a black Speed Graphic camera with flash attachment, and a tattered reporter’s notebook.

  Her mom and dad had bought the struggling weekly before she was born. They’d revived it, using her mom’s charm and business savvy to woo advertisers and her dad’s talent for sparkling prose to attract readers.

  She’d hung out here as a kid and had volunteered to cover high school sports her junior and senior year. Her primary motivation? Beau McLintock, the best athlete Wagon Train High ever had. The night she’d accidentally glimpsed him coming out of the locker room bare-chested and sweating had been the highlight of her brief sports writing career.

  The Sentinel had thrived under her parents’ management, and when her mom died five years ago, the paper had kept her dad going. It still would if she had anything to say about it.

  Last summer he’d been ready to sell to a conglomerate. After talking him out of that bonehead decision, she’d resigned as anchorwoman at a Philadelphia TV station and moved home to work with him. Best decision ever. They’d had a blast.

  She wasn’t about to let this surprise pregnancy muck up their cozy dynamic. At least she had precedence on her side. Her parents had brought her to the office when she’d been weeks old. Her baby album had pictures to prove it.

  Except she’d been planned, a joyful addition to the family. Instead of rejoicing when Doc Bradley had given her the news, she’d wanted to curse her rotten luck. Her dad would probably take it better than she had, but she didn’t look forward to telling him.

  As usual after closing time, he was alone in his office at the back typing madly on his computer. A self-taught typist, he used only his index fingers. And he could knock out a paragraph while she was still composing the opening sentence.

  He glanced up with a happy smile and shoved his reading glasses to the top of his head. “This one’s a winner, Jess. Kid saves dog a year ago, then today, dog saves kid. Can’t get any better’n that.”

  “Dogs and kids.” She returned his smile. “Terrific hook. It’ll get picked up.”

  “I do believe it will. Damn, I love sharing stuff like this with you. Probably haven’t thanked you enough for throwing in with me.”

  “Oh, yes, you have. Besides, I needed this as much as you did.”

  “Might be true. You have roses in your cheeks, as your mom used to say. Want to grab some dinner at the Fluffy Buffalo? I’ll be through here in ten or fifteen.”

  “Sounds good.” She left his office to give him space to put the finishing touches on a story that likely would go viral. He had the touch.

  Perched on the edge of her vintage oak desk in the dimly-lit outer office, she took a steadying breath. The furniture had been here forever — two desks like hers and a couple of gray metal filing cabinets. They were ready for filing cabinet heaven, but her dad wouldn’t hear of it. He rummaged through them now and then.

  So did Monica Fulton, the veteran reporter they’d had on staff for thirty years. The other desk used to be her mom’s. Joe Bianchi was the Sentinel’s ad manager now. Good guy. Her dad had hired a man partly because he couldn’t bear to see another woman sitting at that desk.

  Jess had taken the one reserved for a summer intern while they hunted down a fourth desk that would be a decent match for the others. Her dad couldn’t wait to bring in the next intern, who’d get the added benefit of her TV news experience. He was so proud of her.

  Why, oh why had this had to happen? The calm acceptance she’d managed to find somewhere along the road from Rowdy Ranch into town began to fade. She dragged in another breath.

  “It’s a wrap!” Her dad flicked off the light in his office and came out beaming. “Did I tell you I got pictures? I was coming back from lunch when Jimmy Holcomb, earbuds blasting, I’m sure, stepped in front of a delivery truck. His dog Shep grabbed him by the seat of his jeans and dragged him back. That truck never could have stopped.”

  “You got a picture of Shep doing that?”

  “Oh, hell, no. I was running and yelling like everyone else. But I got a great shot of Jimmy hugging that big ol’ dog and you could see the rip in the back of his jeans, too.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through the pictures. “Here you go.”