The Cowboy's Surprise Baby

“I guess so,” Jack answered, not ready to clarify more.

He loved his brother, but talking had never been their strong suit, and it seemed strange to open up to him about the real history of his relationship with Amy and what this date could or could not mean. Heck, he wasn’t even really ready to think about all that, let alone talk about it.

Tom seemed to understand, because he didn’t ask anything more, and soon they were guiding little kids around the paddock, each one practicing squeezing their legs to make their horse go and pulling on the reins to stop. The two youngest children, identical twins, could hardly manage enough force to get the horse’s attention, but the docile creatures listened to them with the patience of loving parents.

Jack watched the twins with interest. Zach and Carter, Brock’s soon-to-be sons, had settled into Spring Valley comfortably and seemed more than ready to add Brock to their family. He’d seen the way their faces lit up around Amy’s brother. They loved him and from what Jack had seen, Brock clearly doted on them. Jack had always wanted a family, and it made his heart swell to think that a child didn’t need to be yours biologically in order to be family.

Like the McNeal clan. All four children were adopted, and their parents loved every one of them as much as any parent could. If a couple were unable to have children for some reason...

His mind balked as Jack realized he had drifted into territory he wasn’t remotely ready for. He had only seen Amy for a few minutes after ten years of complete silence from her—there was no way he should be thinking about them starting a family together. Heck, part of him was still dead sure dinner was a bad idea. The part that had never healed when she left the first time.

He wasn’t ready to get hurt like that again, and thoughts like those would only make it worse.

Still, he couldn’t help but watch the time tick by oh so slowly toward seven, and he did everything he could think of to speed it along.

He hadn’t been this antsy for a date in a very long time. About ten years, in fact.

Chapter Three (#uac13c720-904c-5b97-b5bb-e58143fc08d9)

Amy sat with Cassie, the two women shading their eyes against the afternoon light as they watched Brock play tag with the young twins, while the new cows lowed happily in the pen Brock had built over the past two months. If Amy hadn’t been so preoccupied with thoughts of her date in just a few hours, the antics of the three males would have been hilarious. As it was, though, she was hardly able to even hold a basic conversation with Cassie, let alone anything else.

After the third time Amy had to apologize for not hearing what Cassie had said, Cassie gave her an intense clinical stare. “Is everything okay, Amy? You’re almost as difficult to talk to as Brock was when he had a concussion. Did you hit your head recently? Who was the first President of the United States?”

Amy chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t have a concussion, Cassie. I’m just...preoccupied.”

“With what?” Cassie asked, her demeanor shifting from doctor to sister instantaneously.

Amy didn’t have any sisters—well, didn’t grow up with any, at least, she amended—so it felt odd to confide in Cassie like this, but she needed to talk to someone. Pop was a good listener but not one for advice and long conversations, and Ma would end up trying to play the ultimate matchmaker if she even got a whiff of an opportunity. Amy took a breath and spilled her thoughts to her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

“Do you know Jack Stuart?” she asked, knowing the answer.

“Sure,” Cassie said. “He was at the riding school with Tom today for the boys’ lesson. Zach said he is, and I quote, ‘a really cool rodeo cowboy.’”

Amy agreed with Zach’s assessment, but it didn’t even scratch the surface of everything there was to say about Jack.

“He’s also my high school sweetheart, my first boyfriend,” Amy added. “He’s taking me out tonight and I’m just a bit nervous. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other and so much has changed and Jack—” Amy cut off the torrent of words, not sure what she wanted to say.

Jack was special.

Jack could be a chance to start over.

Jack didn’t know who she was and what she’d done, and she wasn’t sure he’d still like her when he found out.

Cassie seemed to have filled in the blank her own way, because she hopped up and grabbed Amy’s hand, pulling her inside. “If you’ve got a date, we have much more important things to do than sit here watching three guys tumbling around the yard. Do you even have any nice clothes in that backpack of yours?”

Amy smiled as Cassie’s enthusiasm calmed some of her worries. “Nothing but travel clothes, jeans and a few summer dresses. Jack won’t care what I’m wearing but—”

“But you do, of course,” Cassie said before Amy could finish the sentence. “I’m a bit shorter than you, but I bet a few of my things will fit. Want to go shopping in my closet?”

Amy nodded, relieved she would have something to wear that hadn’t been tainted by her recent past. Amy cut that thought off before it could gain any more traction and followed Cassie. In a few minutes they were ankle-deep in discarded dresses. Each one had been pronounced too something for this date. Too conservative. Too risqué. Too formal. Too short.

Finally, Cassie clapped her hands in delight, and Amy had to agree. She was holding a knee-length dress in a shimmery navy blue with little cap sleeves that Amy loved. “Go try it on,” Cassie urged, and Amy took the dress into the bathroom.

When she stepped back out, Cassie’s squeal of happiness confirmed her thoughts: it was a beautiful dress.

“He’s going to fall in love with you the moment he sees you,” Cassie said dreamily.

The thought made her heart stutter. Did she want him to fall in love with her again? The thought sent a wave of fear through her, and she knew she wasn’t ready to talk about anything resembling love.

“What’s wrong, Amy? This isn’t about the dress, is it?” Cassie asked, putting her hand on Amy’s arm.

Amy sat on the bed, feeling sudden tears spring into her eyes. Cassie sat beside her. “You can tell me anything, Amy. Doctor-patient confidentiality,” she added with a smile.

“Are you a therapist?” Amy asked with a little laugh as she brushed a tear away.

“Not technically, but I can sure try, if that’s what you need.”

Amy sighed. “In Morocco, I met a man. Armand. He was—”

She searched for the right word while Cassie waited patiently. “He was incredibly charming,” Amy finally finished, though that didn’t really do justice to the pull he had over her.

“I gather it didn’t end well?” Cassie prompted quietly.

Amy laughed. “That’s the understatement of the century. He wasn’t who I thought he was. He was married, for one thing.”

Cassie pulled Amy into a hug, and Amy was grateful she didn’t have to explain any more about her relationship with Armand. The way he manipulated her feelings, the way he’d treated her after he’d known she was hooked. How difficult it had been to get back her independence and leave.

“Anyway, I got away from all that and came home. And now I’m going on this date and feel like a complete basket case for even agreeing to it after all that,” Amy said, trying to end the conversation and stop herself from becoming completely overwhelmed with still-fresh feelings at the same time.

Cassie gave her a look of concern. “You can still call off or postpone this date if it’s too much for you, you know. This dress will wait, and I’m sure Jack would understand.”

Amy only thought about that for a second before dismissing it. There was no way she was going to cancel this date. “I need this date, I think. It might help me get rid of Armand, but mostly...” She paused, struggling for words. “It’s Jack,” she finished, sure Cassie couldn’t understand everything he meant to her. Heck, she didn’t think she did, either.

“Well, if you’re going on a date tonight, we need to figure out something for shoes, because I don’t think mine will fit you,” Cassie declared, shaking her head.

Amy smiled, glad the conversation had turned to less serious topics. She looked at her feet and knew instinctively what shoes she wanted to wear with this dress. “Shoes I’ve got taken care of. Thanks so much for the help, Cassie. And for listening. I promise next time we’ll talk about fun things like your wedding instead of having a therapy session.”

Cassie shrugged and started picking up the discarded dresses. “It’s no problem. I mean, how can I ask you to be my bridesmaid if I’m not willing to be a shoulder to cry on once in a while? I’ll probably need you to return the favor as the big day approaches and the inevitable wedding disasters occur.”

Amy’s eyes widened in surprise. “You want me to be one of your bridesmaids?”

Cassie looked up. “Of course I want you to be a bridesmaid. I was hoping to have three. Emma from the bakery, my sister who lives in Minnesota and you. I really do want us to be sisters, Amy.”

Amy felt her eyes sting with tears again, but managed to hold them back. There had already been too much crying today.

“So, will you be my bridesmaid?” Cassie asked.

Amy nodded and the two women hugged.