Page 28 of A Baby for the Texas Cowboy
“We’re her family now.” Axel didn’t hesitate, and relief washed through Anders.
He’d started a list on his phone of all the people he needed to contact and what he had to do to prepare for becoming a father. He wanted everything in place well before the baby came. He had a dangerous job. He was good but bad rides were part of the job.
He took out his phone and added making an appointment with the family lawyer. Would he have to adopt his own child? And then what? How could he parent if he was gone for half a week for much of the year?
He felt like he’d swallowed a bucket of ice.
His brother had quit the tour for him. Quit when he was on top. Left his dream and never once complained or threw it in his face.
“Axel, do you think…?” He could barely squeeze the words out. “When you left the tour how did you—?” He broke off, not sure what he really wanted to ask. He felt like he was sixteen again and learning that their father had died. He’d been unable to process it, but Axel had been there. Steady. Confident. Taking over. Letting him find his own feet.
“Let’s go set up the apartment. I’m picking Diego up from school to take him to go look at a horse.”
“Okay.” Anders didn’t know if he was relieved or ashamed. He’d wanted to talk to his brother about so many things—from their past and from now—but it was hard and likely would have embarrassed them both.
Axel walked to his truck, opened the door, took off his Stetson, and then turned back. “You got about six months, Anders. Give her time. Give yourself time.”
He got in, slammed the door, and started the engine. He rolled down the window and grinned. “If you can’t figure out how to win her over in that time, you don’t deserve to have her.”
Anders felt something in his chest ease.
“Don’t make me knock some sense back into you,” Axel growled. “Get back on your horse, cowboy. No quitters on my watch.”
“Not on mine either,” he echoed and swung himself into the cab of his truck and gunned the engine. Nothing like a competition to make this errand a bit of fun and get his balance back.
*
“This perk doesnot suck,” Tinsley said much later that the afternoon while she and Catalina lounged on comfortable recliners poolside at Ghost Hill’s main house. It had taken her more than a few minutes to pull herself together after her unaccustomed burst of honesty. She’d wanted to stay in charge. She’d wanted to push Anders away.
Mission accomplished. Only she felt no triumph.
Professionally, today had been fulfilling. She’d met the cellar crew, sampled quite a few wines from the barrel—spitting of course. Then Catalina had driven her through the massive vineyards on a Gator, telling her about the different blocks—the clones, varietals, soil, elevation. Tinsley had learned about wine from sommeliers, but Catalina’s enthusiasm was infectious.
It was just Tinsley’s personal life that seemed an irredeemable hot mess.
She began to feel like herself again—not just a woman with an unexpected and not at all welcome pregnancy.
Tinsley found herself excited to help build a wine and vineyard brand “from the roots up.” She no longer felt as if she was making an epic mistake, committing herself to two years. The work would be challenging, creative and consuming. And since it seemed Anders wanted to play a role in his child’s life, building a career in Last Stand made sense.
You’re getting way out in front of your horse.Two years was not a lifetime commitment. And it definitely wasn’t a promise to Anders. But even if she left Verflucht after two years, Texas was big and the economy vibrant. It wasn’t like she’d head back to the east coast ever.
“This house is like something out of a movie or one of those homes of the rich and famous shows. I still pinch myself every day when I come home.” Catalina looked around at the landscaped paver-style patio, the beautiful pool, the colorful ceramic pots with olive and fruit trees, the covered patio with the full outdoor kitchen, wagon-wheel drop-down chandeliers over the massive picnic table. There was even an outdoor fire pit with seating.
Tinsley had grown up in a house much grander—but utterly sterile. Her mom never would have permitted inflatable white swans to float on the water or towels to be strewn on a lounger.
“I always loved this house when I was a kid, although August has super-sized the main living room,” Catalina said dreamily, staring at the pool where the inflatable white swan floated lazily into the hot pink flamingo inflatable. Tinsley would have loved to have lounged on the pool toys and floated with the current created by the upper level hot tub water feature that flowed down a rock feature and into the partial lazy river that circled part of the pool.
“I think I spent more time here than at my own house. I always wished August’s mom was mine. She was so beautiful and kind. She taught me to cook.”
“That would have been hella awkward considering how things turned out for you and August,” Tinsley noted.
Catalina laughed.
“That should teach me not to rail against fate,” Catalina mused, resting one palm lovingly on her small baby bump. “I left Last Stand after my high school graduation and swore I’d never come back, but fate and a Wolf brother sure do mess with plans.” She sighed and smiled.
Tinsley was not so sanguine about fate, nor did she have any desire to lovingly cup her stomach, which was still flat—thank God. It was going to take time to come to terms with the changes in her body and her life, but she couldn’t imagine herself ever being one of those women.
Catalina wore a light blue bikini, and Tinsley had been trying not to stare at her slight baby bump since they had both come back hot and thirsty from the tour of the vineyard and winery. When would she start to show? When would she…yuck…have to buy maternity clothes?
