Having The Cowboy's Baby

“When?”

“That first day you met me. When your dad stopped by and found out that the old foreman had retired and Granny chose me to replace him.”

“My dad hadn’t been happy to learn that Reuben Montoya had gone back to Mexico. And I was afraid he would do something...stupid.”

“Like what?”

“Chase after him, I guess. Or fire you before we had a chance to see if you could handle Reuben’s job.” She gave a little shrug. “I was only trying to change the subject and give him something else to think about. But I didn’t ‘work’ him the way you’re implying.”

“That wasn’t the only time. And you were good at it, too. But it won’t work on me.”

“That’s not fair, Ian. You make it sound like I’m a big flirt or a spoiled brat. And I’m neither.”

Not by nature, he supposed. But when you grew up with an ultrarich father who thought throwing money at his kids was the same as saying I love you, it was probably hard not to try to get your way on occasion.

“I’m not trying to offend you or stir you up. And I don’t want to thwart your chance at performing locally, but I’m not interested in playing guitar down at the Stagecoach Inn.”

“Do you get nervous playing for a crowd?”

“Nope.” Stage fright had never been an issue. “I just don’t want to.” That was the same reason he’d given Felicia Jamison, of country music fame, when he’d told her he was quitting the band. And she hadn’t taken it any easier then than Carly was now. But he didn’t figure he owed either of them any further explanation, although he probably should have given Felicia an earful.

Ten years ago, Felicia had been an up-and-coming singer when she’d hired Ian to be her lead guitarist. And the fit had been magical. Felicia could really rock the house with her voice, but it was Ian’s songwriting that had helped her soar in popularity.

Most of her fans might not have heard of Mac McAllister, but he’d still earned a name for himself within the country music industry.

So far, no one in Brighton Valley knew who he was. Felicia had the face people would recognize. Ian had only been a member of her band, but if he put himself out in the limelight again, the greater chance he had of someone recognizing him and word of where he was getting out. And he’d been dead serious when he’d told Felicia that he was retiring.

“Then I guess you can’t blame me if I try to change your mind,” Carly said.

Ian wasn’t sure how she intended to go about that, but the truth of the matter was, he still found Carly as sexy as hell. And while she’d made it clear that she didn’t want their fling to start up all over again, he wasn’t so sure he felt the same way.

* * *

Carly had never been one to take no for an answer—especially since she hadn’t been entirely honest with Ian. Not only had Earl Tellis asked her to perform on Saturday night, but she’d already made the commitment—for both her and a guitarist.

And since Ian could be rather stubborn, she had her work cut out for her. She also had a batch of chewy, chocolaty brownies with fudge frosting that were sure to impress the handsome cowboy. After all, hadn’t Granny said they made good bribes?

And that was exactly what Carly hoped to use them for this evening—a bribe to soften up Ian. So after dinner she put on a pretty yellow dress and slipped on her denim jacket and a pair of boots. Then she spent a little extra time on her makeup and hair before carrying a platter of brownies to his cabin.

Just like the night before, when she returned from the wedding, she found him sitting on his front porch, strumming his guitar. Only this time, he was playing a different tune, one that had a haunting melody, and singing the heart-stirring lyrics.

Not surprising, she thought it was just as memorable, just as good, as the one he’d written for his grandparents.

He stopped playing when she approached and cast her a heart-strumming smile instead.

“Was that another new song?” she asked, assuming it was and adjusting the platter in her arms.

“Yep.”

Ian didn’t realize how talented he was. Not only could he play and sing, but he had a way with lyrics, too. Most musicians would give up their birthrights to be able to write songs the way he could.

He set his guitar aside, next to where Cheyenne lay snoozing. “What do you have there? Did you bring dessert?”

Whoever said that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach must have been spot-on. She just hoped Granny’s brownies were as persuasive as the note on the recipe suggested they were.

Carly stepped up on the porch and lifted the foil covering from the platter. “This is my first attempt to make Granny’s blue-ribbon brownies. Tell me what you think.”

Ian reached for one of the frosted squares and took a bite. As he chewed, his eyes closed and his expression morphed into one of such pleasure that she didn’t need a verbal response. But when she got one, it was just what she’d expected.

“These are awesome, Carly. I had no idea you could bake like this.”

She hoped he didn’t get any ideas about her changing careers, because there was no way that would ever happen. “Thanks, but it was just a matter of following the directions on the recipe card. Granny was the baker in the family.”

“That’s for sure. A couple of days after I started working here, your great-grandmother asked me to have dinner with her.” He burst into a broad grin, his eyes glimmering. “Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh green beans. I’ll never forget that meal—or any of the others that followed. I would have done anything Granny asked me to do just to get another invitation to sit at her table.”

That’s the magic Carly hoped the brownies would work for her. She offered Ian a warm smile. “Granny loved cooking and baking for people.”

“She sure did. I really lucked out when I landed a job on the Leaning R. And not because I needed the work. I’d been homesick, so we kind of filled a need for each other.”

Guilt swirled up inside again, twisting Carly’s tummy into a knot. “I guess she was lonely after my brothers and I grew up and didn’t need her to look after us anymore.”

“She understood that kids should have a life of their own. But it was your father who seemed to abandon her. He got so caught up in his life and his business that she often felt neglected and forgotten.”

“I know. Granny said as much to me. His parents died in a small plane crash when he was a kid, and Granny raised him until his maternal grandfather insisted he attend college in California. That side of the family was very rich, and he was smitten by the glitz and glamour.”

“Granny didn’t hold that against him,” Ian said. “But she still thought he should have called to check on her or stopped in to visit more often than he did.”

Carly knew how the older woman felt. Heck, they all did. Charles Rayburn had been very generous with his money, but not with his time. And both of her brothers would agree.

“I hope I didn’t let Granny down,” she said.

“She never mentioned anything to me about you kids disappointing her.”

Carly studied the handsome cowboy who seemed to have become her great-grandma’s confidant at the end. “The two of you must have become pretty tight.”

He gave a shrug. “I grew up with my grandparents, too. When I got tired of roaming and doing my own thing, I wanted to move back home. But by that time, Granddad had already retired, sold the ranch and moved to Florida to live near my uncle and his family. So I had to find another place to fall back on. That’s when I met Granny. Three years ago. I was passing through Brighton Valley and stopped to have breakfast at Caroline’s Diner. Granny needed an extra hand, and I wanted a job. Things ended up working out well for both of us.”

“I guess it did. But there’s something I’ve always wondered and never asked. Why did you stay on, especially now that things are so up in the air? It would seem to me that you’d look for work on a ranch that’s more stable—and more successful.”

Ian studied the pretty blonde, her curls tumbling along her shoulders, her blue eyes bright, the lashes thick and lush without the need for mascara.

She brushed the strand of hair from her eyes. “Was the question so difficult that you have to think about your answer? Most foremen would have moved on, especially when no one seemed to care about the Leaning R like my great-grandma did.”

There was a lot Carly didn’t know about Ian, a lot he hadn’t shared. And he wasn’t sure how much he wanted her to know.

He hadn’t just been looking for work when he’d landed the job on the Leaning R, he’d been looking for a place to call home. And the elderly widow hadn’t just found a ranch hand and future foreman, she’d found the grandson she’d always hoped Charles would be.

The two had looked after each other until her death. And even when Rosabelle Rayburn was gone and the late Charles Rayburn had taken charge of her estate, Ian had continued to look after her best interests. It soon became clear that Charles hadn’t given a rip about the ranch, and if Ian hadn’t been there, who knew what would have happened to the Leaning R?