Page 57 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

Cami touched Tara’s arm. “We all just want to help you and Lolly. No one should have to face what you’re facing alone, without any family or help. I know you’ve had a hard time. Starting today is a whole new beginning for the two of you. And truthfully, I’ve gotten pretty attached to her so you’re doing me a big favor by staying.”

“It’s like a miracle,” Tara murmured against Lolly’s soft hair. “It’s the last thing I expected would happen.”

That wordmiraclehad bounced around in Cami’s mind all too often in the last few days. Lolly’s sudden appearance had been like a little miracle in all their lives—stuck in the sameness of everyday, and she’d managed to nudge them all out of their little boxes and opened up new possibilities. Particularly for her and Gus. But whether that would end up being a blessing or a heartbreak remained to be seen.

She couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t change it. Maybe they were meant to be short timers. Andthatwas the story of her life.

*

On Saturday afternoon,Gus, Ella and Luke arrived at the round barn on the Hard Eight for Will and Izzy’s marriage. Gus was grateful they’d allowed him to bring Ella, who was dressed in a fancy little dress that would have made her mama cry. She looked so much like Lissa today, with her chestnut-colored hair curled and falling softly on her shoulders. Luke had put on his best sport coat, tie, and slacks and he looked… put together. Gus had gotten rid of his good black suit after Lissa’s funeral but had a dark navy suit that he kept for emergencies, like this wedding.

The renovated round barn was already filling with guests by the time they arrived, and a waiter stuck a glass of champagne in his and Luke’s hands as they walked in the door.

Luke grinned and cheers-ed him with a clink of his glass. “Impressive,” Luke said.

“You should’ve seen it last summer. It was nothing like this.”

Gus had to admit they’d done an amazing job with the place. What had started as an abandoned relic of the last century had turned into a beautiful venue, complete with a rustic, craftsman staircase to the barn’s loft that Izzy would come down. The place was dressed for Christmas, boasting evergreen trees with silver wedding bells and roses dotted around the room and boughs of spruce and red roses tied down the banister. He even spotted some mistletoe hanging from the huge, wrought-iron chandelier at the center of the barn.

Liam and Will had both worked hard on this place and it was well worth the effort. There was a small bandstand where a local band was playing some gentle lead-in music, and white cloth-covered tables formed a semicircle around the flower-covered arch and the slip-covered chair seating at the front of the room.

“There’s Amelia!” Ella said, pointing across the room at her friend from school. “Can I go say hi?”

“Sure. I’ll be right over here,” he said and watched her go skipping past the throng of grown-ups between them. He was grateful to see other kids here. This wasn’t going to be a formal affair at all. But family oriented. That was just the Hardesty way.

He took a gulp of champagne, scanning the room for Cami. She would be one of Izzy’s bridesmaids, he knew, so she’d probably be with the bride.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. The caller ID said Clarissa. His agent.

“Were you ever going to call me back?” she asked before he could even say hello.

“Of course,” he said, still scanning the crowd. “But at the moment, I’m at a wedding.”

“Hah. At leastsomeone’sgetting married. There’s still hope in the universe.”

Clarissa Mardor was radically single, and all her talk of marriage was just that. Talk. She was as single as he was and not likely to change.

“The Denver clinic is just wanting confirmation that you’re coming in ten days. They sensed a little uncertainty in your last call with them. I hope they weren’t right. This is a good gig, Gus. I negotiated top dollar for you. And Denver is a good place with lots of opportunities. I know I could find you two or three more there within a few months.”

He switched his phone to his other ear as Luke shot him a questioning look. “I know. It’s just been… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” she asked.

“There was this… baby and—”

“Whaat?”

“No, no, it’s not like that. But there’s been a lot going on here that I can’t really go into.”

Clarissa exhaled, her way of saying,Try. I’m not in the mood for ‘no.’

He bumped into someone and apologized silently. “Alden made me an offer to stay. Take over his practice. He wants to retire.”

Silence on the other end for a long beat. Finally, she cleared her throat. “And you said…”

“I haven’t said anything yet. That wasn’t the plan, but my daughter… she likes it here. And Luke is feeling like—”

“I don’t like pressuring you here, Gus, but let’s face it. What’s the future look like in Marietta, Montana? It’s a small town without a big future for a guy like you. I think Denver would be—”

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