The Cowboy’s Baby Read online

  “I still have to pretend we’re married.”

  “You are married—to me.” She lost her attitude. “But as I told you the baby will be my responsibility.”

  So she hadn’t changed her mind. He was to do nothing concerning the child. “We aren’t even living under the same roof.”

  “I never asked you to move out in the first place.”

  “You know why I did, Kira. We were headed for disaster.” He’d hated leaving, and if she’d asked him to stay just once, he would have in a heartbeat. Now, it was too late.

  She sighed. “Please, just listen to what Mrs. Fletcher has to say, that’s all I ask.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk with the woman. See what she has to say.”

  “Really?” Tears flooded her eyes. “Oh, Trace, thank you.”

  He raised a hand. “Don’t thank me, yet. I’ll agree to another home visit. Afterward we’ll see where we go from there. I can’t commit to anything more.”

  She nodded. “Does that mean you’re moving back to the house?”

  Before Trace could come up with an answer they were interrupted.

  “Well, look who’s wandered in off the range.”

  They both glanced up to see Jarrett McKane standing at their table. He was tall, athletic and good-looking. He knew it, too. Jarrett knew a lot of things, all you had to do was ask him.

  Trace straightened. He didn’t want his half brother here. Not now. “Hello, Jarrett.”

  “Trace.” His brother turned to Kira. “Hello, pretty sister-in-law.”

  Kira smiled. “Hi, Jarrett.”

  Grabbing a chair, he turned it around and straddled it. He glanced between the two of them. “You two look serious. There wouldn’t be trouble in paradise, would there? Kira, you just let me know if this guy isn’t treating you right and I’ll knock some sense into him.”

  Kira shifted in her seat as she continued to smile at her brother-in-law. “Everything is fine, Jarrett, but thanks for asking.”

  At their first meeting when Kira arrived in town, Jarrett had laid on his easy chair but it hadn’t taken her long to realize that Jarrett McKane was out for himself. He was attentive to his women though, but that was another problem, there were a lot of women.

  Both brothers were handsome, but Jarrett had been the school sports hero and a college graduate. Meanwhile Trace had stayed and worked on the ranch with his father, going to college locally.

  “Anytime.” He looked at Trace. “I need to talk to you about our arrangement. Could you come to my office?”

  “Later. Kira and I are talking right now.”

  “Seems like you could do that at home. Hell, you sleep in the same bed.” There was a wicked look in Jarrett’s eyes. “That’s right. It’s branding time so you sleep out with your calves.” He winked at Kira. “Makes for a lonely wife left at home.”

  “And sometimes I sleep out with the calves, too,” Kira said, worried things might come to blows.

  The brothers had never been close. Jarrett had been six years old when his mother died, and his father, John, remarried Claire, and a year later she had given birth to Trace. The distance had grown when their parents retired and moved to a warmer climate in Arizona. Now, both parents had passed away.

  “My brother’s a lucky man to have you. Although I tried my best, he won you fair and square.” He winked at Kira. “But it’s still a long way to go before the score is even, bro.”

  Later that afternoon, Trace rode toward the barn. After returning from town, he’d saddled up Thunder and went out to check the herd. He’d wasted the morning already when he needed to finish things before the roundup.

  He rotated his tired shoulders, felt his eyes burn, a sure sign that lack of sleep had taken a toll on him. And confronting his brother hadn’t exactly made his day. He’d wanted to spend more time with Kira, but they hadn’t managed that, either. So far, they’d talked very little of what was most important to him: their marriage.

  Trace climbed off his horse and walked him into the barn. The immaculately clean structure had been the result of too much time on his hands. Since moving to the bunkhouse, he’d tried to stay busy, and his already organized barn had gotten a complete sweep, with every piece of tack on the property being cleaned or polished.

  It had been his sleep time that suffered. Even his fatigue hadn’t helped him on those long nights. He walked his stallion into the stall, removed the saddle and carried it to the tack room. On his way out, he ran into his foreman, Cal.

  “Hey, Trace. What’s up?”

  “You tell me, Cal,” he said. “How many men have you got for the roundup?”

  The forty-one-year-old foreman, Jonah Calhoun, took off his hat and scratched his gray-streaked brown hair. A single man, he’d worked for the McKane Ranch for years, and was also Trace’s friend. “Besides our two part-time hands, another half a dozen like you asked. I also ran into Joel and Hal Lewis at the feed store. They’re willing to come and help out, too, as long as we can give them a hand next month.”

  Trace nodded. “Can do. I’ll give them a call.”

  Together, they walked back to Thunder’s stall. Trace removed the horse’s bridle and blanket, then took the brush and began grooming him.

  Cal snapped his fingers. “Oh, I forgot, your brother stopped by earlier, looking for you.”

  Trace didn’t like Jarrett dogging him. “He found me at the diner.”

  Cal frowned. “I thought you went to see Kira.”

  Trace nodded. “We went for coffee.”

  The foreman smiled. “Good idea, take her to the place where you two met.”

  “I just wanted to talk to her. Alone.”

  The smile grew bigger. “Get anything settled?” Then he raised his hand. “Sorry, Trace, that’s none of my business. I’m just glad you two got together.”

  Trace continued to stroke the animal. “We were talking until Jarrett showed up.”

  The foreman’s eyes narrowed. “He seemed bent on seeing you. What’s he up to?”

  Cal knew as well as Trace that Jarrett never did anything unless it benefited him. “He probably wants to know when that last payment I owe him is coming.”

  The foreman frowned. He knew the conditions of the loan. “Are you late?”

  Trace shook his head. “No, but I’m not sure I can make the full amount on the final payment.” He could lose it all.

  “Would your brother give you more time? I mean, with the market the way it is.”

  “I doubt it. When has he ever done me a favor?”

  Five years ago, Jarrett couldn’t wait to sell off most of his share of the ranch, and offered Trace the first opportunity to buy it. Trace hadn’t hesitated, but things had been tight this past year, and the payment was due to Jarrett in thirty days.

  “I might have to sell the breeding bulls.”

  “No way. You need another year or two to build the herd. There’s some serious money in those guys. Rocky will sire some good stock.”

  Trace put down the brush. “But I can get ready cash for them. Joel Lewis is interested. And I can’t lose everything now.” His thoughts turned to Kira. He could lose more than the ranch.

  “You know Lewis is mostly talk. Look, Trace, I have some money saved I could loan you.”

  Trace was touched by the offer. “Thanks, Cal, I’m grateful for the offer, but it’s not a good idea to borrow from friends.”

  “Maybe I want to invest if Jarrett is threatening you. Not a full partnership, but just a percentage of the place.” Kind light-blue eyes studied Trace. “Well, maybe you can talk it over with Kira before you nix the idea.”

  Trace walked out of the stall. “She’s never shown much interest in the running of the ranch.”

  “Maybe she would this time.”

  Trace pushed his hat back and sighed. He didn’t want to add to their troubles. “She has enough on her mind.”

  Cal nodded. “If you say so. Well, I guess I better go put away the feed that was delivered.”
/>
  Trace stopped him. “Has Kira said something to you?”

  “No. She just always asks about things, and seems genuinely interested when I tell her.” The foreman shrugged. “But I can’t tell you how to talk to your wife, Trace.”

  He hadn’t been talking to Kira at all until she’d come to see him yesterday. And she wasn’t going to be his wife much longer. “Hell, I’ve been living in the bunkhouse for the past two months. I haven’t been doing such a great job of it myself.”

  “And you don’t need a lecture from me. But I think if there are problems with the missus, living out here and keeping things from her isn’t the best way for fixin’ things between you.”

  Cal was probably the only one who knew about their problems. “The adoption agency notified us. Kira wants me to move back to the house and pretend we’re a happy couple.”

  A smile appeared on his friend’s face. “You don’t look very happy about it.”

  “All she wants is six months. After the adoption becomes final she’s going to leave.”

  Cal raised an eyebrow then he said, “I know it’s been rough. Kira’s gone through a lot and she wants a baby.”

  “So do I. And how can I just walk away from a child?”

  “Who says you have to? You can still be the kid’s father, Kira’s husband. Who’s to say you can’t get an extension on the six months?”

  So much had already passed between them, so much hurt. He didn’t know if they could go back to how it was before. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “If you’re not ready, then take it slow.”

  Trace never had been one who shared things, but Cal was as close as they came. He valued his opinion, and advice. “She wants me to stay in the house but not in the same room.”

  His friend smiled slowly. “Hey, it’s a start.”

  “Trace?”

  At the sound of Kira’s voice, he turned to find her standing in the barn entrance, holding a bag of groceries.

  “Kira.” He walked toward her and took the sack from her. “Is there a problem?” Great, is that all he could come up with?

  She glanced away shyly. “I had an easy afternoon at school and decided to cook supper.” She looked at Cal and smiled. “Hello, Jonah.”

  “Kira, it’s nice to see you.”

  “It’s nice to see you, too. I hope you’re ready for about thirty teenagers coming out.”

  “Are we ever ready?”

  Kira laughed. “I guess not, but it’s fun.”

  Trace found he was jealous of their easy banter. “Is there a reason you came to see me?”

  Kira looked at him. “I wanted to ask if you’d come to supper.” She turned back to Cal. “You’re welcome, too, Jonah.”

  The foreman blushed. “Thank you for the invitation, Kira, but it’s my bowling night.” He tipped his hat. “I should finish up my chores.” He leaned toward his friend and whispered, “Slow and easy.” Cal turned and walked out.

  “What did he say?” Kira asked.

  He shrugged. “Just something I need to remember.”

  An hour later when Trace stepped inside the house, the scent of apples and cinnamon teased his nose. Ordinarily he didn’t take time to look around; he’d grown up in this house, but today he was mindful of it all.

  A wide staircase led to a second floor where there were four large bedrooms. The living room was painted gray-green to offset the dark woodwork and floors. An overstuffed green sofa faced the used-brick fireplace.

  That was when he noticed them, Kira’s touches. An easy chair she’d bought for him right after they were married, saying he needed a place to relax. The large coffee table where the photo album of his childhood rested. More family pictures hung on the brightly painted walls. His family, not hers. He remembered her saying she lost her parents’ pictures while moving around in foster care. He’d never thought much about her being alone in her life. She’d always seemed so outgoing and everyone liked her.

  Trace moved quickly down the hall through the dining room, which was a sunny-gold color trimmed in oak wainscoting. The scent of lemon oil rose from the long, drop-leaf oak table and eight high-back chairs that had also belonged to his parents. He entered the kitchen, the one room that he and Kira had changed. And it had needed it. Everything had been out-of-date, from the appliances to the cupboards. Just a few months after their small wedding, the room had been gutted and everything was replaced.

  A bowl of red apples sat on the round maple table. Everything looked the same, but it wasn’t. He wanted desperately to push time back to when everything was perfect in his marriage.

  He found Kira at the counter, taking pieces of chicken from the skillet. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Hi.”

  He had trouble finding the words. “Hi. Am I too early?”

  “No. Just in time.”

  His gaze combed over her. He was starved for her. Denying himself the pleasure she could give him had been punishing. Today she had on one of her prim schoolteacher blouses, his favorite, a rose-pink one that brought out the color of her skin.

  He swallowed back the dryness in his throat. “How did school go today?”

  “Fine,” she said. “Everyone is complaining about finals.”

  He leaned against the counter. He’d missed talking with her. “I remember that age, it seemed to take an eternity to get to the end of school.”

  She smiled and started setting out the food. “The seniors are anxious to graduate, and get me out of their hair.”

  He knew that wasn’t true. They all loved her. The girls considered her a friend, and the boys were half in love with her. She was young, barely thirty-one, and attractive. They all gravitated to her. “And a lot are going to be heartbroken at saying goodbye to you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’ve always given your students a lot of attention.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “No, it just means you’re dedicated, and very good at what you do. Not to mention pretty.”

  Kira couldn’t believe she was blushing at her husband’s compliment. Trace had told her she was attractive before, but not for a long time. He hadn’t talked to her at all.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He shrugged. “I’m not saying anything that isn’t true.”

  “It’s still nice to hear,” she said. They looked at each other for a long time. Kira tried not to react, but it was impossible. Trace McKane was a handsome man. She’d thought that the first time she’d seen him. She’d been in town less than twenty-four hours before falling hopelessly in love. Something she’d never thought would happen, but the quiet rancher somehow convinced her to trust again. His slow hands and eager mouth coaxed her into giving herself to him, and they married within two months. From that first night of loving to now, she’d never regretted that decision.

  She turned and opened the refrigerator to get the milk. The cool air felt good against her heated face. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was acting. He was her husband, for God’s sake. No, Trace hadn’t been her husband for weeks. And sadly that wasn’t going to change.

  CHAPTER THREE

  AN HOUR later, Kira sat at the kitchen table and watched as Trace finished the last of his meal.

  He leaned back in the chair. “That was delicious, Kira.”

  She let out a breath, not realizing she’d been holding it. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  He gave a half smile. “Can’t deny I’ve always loved your fried chicken.”

  And she loved his praise. “I shouldn’t fix it. It isn’t exactly healthy, especially the gravy.”

  “Once in a while won’t hurt me.”

  It definitely hadn’t hurt his waistline, she thought, visualizing the six-pack abs hidden under his shirt. She nodded and started to get up. “Coffee?”

  He touched her hand to stop her and she felt a sudden jolt. “I’ll get it,” he said.

  Kira relented, but her hungry gaze followed Trace to th
e coffeemaker. He stood nearly six-feet-two-inches tall, and since she was nearly five-nine, she loved his height. Her attention moved over a Western shirt that outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. She loved that long, lean look, especially when he wore Wrangler jeans.

  And nothing else.

  Heat suddenly swarmed her body just as Trace turned around. He gave her a curious look, but remained silent as he walked back to the table. He set down the mugs and she noticed his hands. Memories flooded her head, as she recalled his firm, but gentle touches, how he stroked her, bringing her pleasure.

  He took a seat across from her. “I’m glad to see you’ve taken my advice and are on the decaf.”

  She sat up straighter. “I realized I need more sleep.”

  “We could all use a little more of that.” His gaze locked with hers. “Though I doubt I can blame my problem on the caffeine.”

  Kira swallowed hard. She wanted to explore his comment further, but couldn’t. They had another topic that needed attention. “I called Mrs. Fletcher at the agency,” she said in a rush.

  Trace didn’t look surprised. “I figured you would.” He set down his mug. “What did she have to say?”

  “She wants to come for another home visit the first of next week.”

  Trace took a sip of coffee, then asked, “What did you tell her?”

  “That I’d check with you, but Monday seemed okay for us.” Kira held her breath, waiting, praying that Trace would agree to this.

  “What are we going to say to her when she gets here?”

  She hesitated, feeling her heart pounding. “That we want a baby.”

  Trace met Kira’s anxious gaze. He could see how much she wanted this. There had been a lot of disappointment in the past two years for both of them. She’d gone through so much, both physically and emotionally, trying to get pregnant.

  His own excitement began to build. A family with Kira. Was it still possible?

  He wanted to make their marriage work, but her need for a child had become an obsession, leaving no room for them. By the time he moved out, she seemed relieved he was gone. Once she got her child would she turn her attention back to them? Either way he couldn’t deny her.