The Cowboy's Christmas Baby Read online

  “You know that guy?” Ronnie hitched her chin toward the horse barn, though Tanner had already disappeared inside.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  She wasn’t sure how much to say. Ronnie would remember Tanner and the scandal, certainly, being actively involved in the rodeo world. Jewel could hear the comments and see the shocked reaction.

  “Okay. I was concerned some strange man hanging around your daughter is what had you distracted during practice.”

  “He’s not some strange man.” Jewel swallowed. Did she have a right to out Tanner’s identity when he’d been clear that was his prerogative? “He works here. Plus,” she admitted reluctantly, “we’ve met.”

  Ronnie gave her a funny look. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.” Jewel swallowed and spoke more firmly. “Really.”

  “All right, then. Just make sure to leave whatever’s bothering you at home on Monday when you show up for your lesson.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Because if you can’t focus during practice, there’s no way you can make any kind of a barrel racing comeback.” With that, Ronnie returned to the arena where her next student waited.

  Monday. The day Jewel had just arranged with Tanner for his parents to meet Ava. What had she been thinking?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “AREN’T YOU JUST the sweetest thing in the whole wide world? I’m in love with you. I am, I am.”

  Jewel watched as Molly, head of guest relations and one of Emily’s two granddaughters, cooed to Ava and rocked her gently back and forth. Ava stared up at Molly as if mesmerized, perfectly content to be held by unfamiliar arms.

  Her daughter had been meeting all sorts of new people these last few days, Jewel mused. Perhaps she was becoming less wary and more comfortable. The thought that her little baby was changing and growing and gaining confidence triggered a pang of sadness that Jewel tried to push aside.

  Just this morning, Ava’s purple overalls had no longer fit. Jewel had instead dressed her in a Christmas sweatshirt and matching green corduroy pants that her mother had bought and insisted would be simply precious. She’d been right. Ava could easily be on the December page of a baby calendar, posing beside a dog wearing reindeer antlers. Which reminded Jewel, she should take some pictures of Ava. She’d been doing that two or three times each week without fail, her intention being to make a photo journal of her daughter’s first year.

  “These are gorgeous,” Emily said, scrolling through the wedding pictures on Jewel’s tablet and pausing on each one. The three women stood in the foyer at Sweetheart Ranch beside the antique desk that served as a registration counter.

  “Glad you think so.”

  Jewel had been a little nervous during her first professional paying gig on Saturday evening. Correction, a lot nervous. If she failed right at the start of her new job, she could forget staying the remainder of the month. Her parents were generous, but they couldn’t afford to pay her entire living expenses, as well as her barrel racing lessons and horse boarding.

  In addition to the Saturday weddings, Jewel had risen at four thirty yesterday morning in order to photograph a small, intimate sunrise ceremony on the veranda. Tracee had arrived at five thirty to watch Ava and, since the baby was still asleep, crashed in the recliner to doze. Jewel had then spent her entire Sunday afternoon transferring the photographs she’d taken during the morning wedding and the other one from Saturday onto her tablet and organizing them. She’d next transferred the photos onto thumb drives for the two sets of newlyweds who happened to both be honeymooning at Sweetheart Ranch. Lastly, she’d uploaded a few of the very best ones to her online portfolio, as her contract with the brides and grooms permitted.

  “We have the use of three images from each wedding,” Emily said and tilted the tablet for Molly and Jewel to see. “Which ones should I pick? Here are the Ochoas.”

  Molly twisted, moving Ava in order to view the tablet. “I love the one of them kissing in front of the window.”

  “That is nice,” Emily mused. “I like the one where they’re exchanging rings. She’s glowing and he looks like he just won the lottery.”

  “Well, in a way he did,” Molly said, her expression dreamy. She was entitled, thought Jewel. She was getting married in just over two weeks, on Christmas Eve, after a yearlong engagement to her fiancé, who’d proposed the previous Christmas Eve.

  Jewel had been like that once, brimming with happiness and seeing love everywhere she looked. She’d been secretly fretting that photographing weddings would prove difficult for her, what with too many sad reminders of her almost marriage to Tanner. There’d been some sad reminders, for sure. But she’d steeled herself, doing what needed to be done in order to perform her job. With each wedding and reception, the ache inside her had diminished.

  “Look at the cake,” Emily exclaimed and then sighed. “It’s gorgeous. Bridget outdid herself.”

  Personally, Jewel had preferred the one from Friday’s wedding, with its elaborate staircase and miniature bride and groom standing at the top.

  Eventually, Emily and Molly made their photo selections. Jewel took back the tablet and emailed the pictures to Emily. When she was done, Emily raised the subject of Christmas decorations.

  “I hired a company this year since we’re going all out. The crew’s arriving Thursday morning at nine to start on the outside and should be done with everything inside and out by Friday at noon, including the parlor and the tree in the foyer. They’d better be done,” she added. “We have a wedding Friday evening.”

  “I think we can manage the inside ourselves,” Molly said. “We did last year, and it looked great.”

  Emily shook her head. “We have more weddings scheduled than last year, one of them being yours. I think we have enough on our plate. And I’m still of the opinion you should take the week before Christmas off from work.”

  “I’m taking the week after Christmas off for the honeymoon. And, frankly, I don’t know how you’re going to survive without me.”

  Molly had told Jewel earlier about her and her fiancé’s plans to stay at a quaint inn in Sedona, and Jewel very much approved. She and Tanner had driven through the scenic Arizona town a few years ago, and she’d fallen in love with the place.

  “We’ll figure out a way,” Emily said. “Nora can step in again. She did a great job last year helping out when Homer and I eloped and went on our honeymoon trip.”

  Molly continued rocking Ava, though the baby had long since fallen asleep. “I’ll spend the entire honeymoon worrying about how you and Bridget are faring without me.”

  “Good grief. You’d better not be thinking about us and instead be having the time of your life,” Emily replied.

  Besides Molly’s nuptials, two other weddings were also scheduled for Christmas Eve and two more on Christmas Day. A Canadian couple were having their nuptials on Boxing Day, and seven ceremonies were taking place between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. That wasn’t counting the other weddings between now and then. Sweetheart Ranch was indeed a busy place for the holidays.

  The phone on the registration desk rang. Molly pouted and handed off Ava to Jewel. “I hate giving her back, but duty calls.”

  “For me, too.”

  “You off to meet Tanner’s parents?” Emily asked as she and Jewel headed toward the parlor.

  “We are.”

  Jewel had told Emily as few details as she could get away with about her history with Tanner. The older woman had been sympathetic and understanding and not at all angry, much to Jewel’s relief. Like Jewel’s grandmother, Emily had expressed doubt that Tanner could have cheated. She believed him to be a genuinely nice person. Jewel didn’t dispute her. Emily only knew the Tanner who did favors for her whenever she asked.

  “Come to the kitchen first.” Emily put an arm around Jewel’s shoulders and guided her and Ava
along. “I have something for you to take to the lunch. Bridget tried a new recipe this morning.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “Nonsense. The leftovers will just go to waste.”

  In the kitchen, Emily removed a container from the refrigerator and presented it to Jewel. “Baked butternut squash. It’s delicious.”

  “I’m sure everyone will love it.” Jewel moved Ava to her shoulder in order to take the container.

  “If you don’t mind me saying, you look nervous.”

  “I am. Practically shaking.”

  “Do you like Tanner’s parents?”

  “Very much. His mom’s a doll.” His dad could be brusque and demanding, though never unkind. Jewel didn’t mention that.

  Bidding her employer goodbye, she returned to her quarters briefly for the diaper bag and a thumb drive she’d made for Tanner’s mom that held several dozen choice pictures of Ava from birth through to last week. She hoped it would serve as an icebreaker, if nothing else. Tensions were bound to be high.

  Tanner’s parents were already at Powell Ranch when she arrived. She parked her truck next to their luxury sedan outside of Tanner’s bunkhouse. She’d hardly set her feet on the ground when the door to the bunkhouse burst open and Tanner’s mom, Shirley, emerged, her face bright with excitement.

  “Jewel! Oh, honey. It’s so wonderful to see you.”

  She hurried over and enveloped Jewel in a warm hug. Okay, tensions weren’t going to be high, after all.

  “Hi, Shirley. Good to see you, too.” Jewel returned the hug.

  “How are you?” Shirley asked. “You look fantastic. Pretty as always.”

  “I admit, as ragged as I’m run most days, I don’t feel very pretty.” She brushed at a lock of hair falling in her face and wished she’d remembered to put on lipstick.

  “Nonsense. Motherhood suits you.”

  “Thank you. I love being a mother. Is Huck inside?”

  “Yes.” Shirley dismissed her husband with a wave. “You know men. They like to stay out of our way where babies are concerned.”

  Did they? Jewel’s dad wasn’t like that. Neither was Tanner.

  She opened the rear passenger door. Ava, asleep in her car seat, roused, wriggling her arms and making funny little sounds.

  Shirley peered inside the truck and let out a gasp of delight. “Would you look at her. She’s an angel.” The next instant, she covered her mouth with her hands and held in a sob. “I can’t believe it,” she said when she was finally able to speak.

  “Would you like to hold her?” Jewel surprised herself with the offer. She hadn’t been certain how she’d act with Tanner’s parents, but Shirley’s emotional response had strummed her heartstrings.

  Shirley’s eyes went wide. “Can I?”

  “I should warn you, she sometimes cries when unfamiliar people hold her. Though, she is getting better.”

  Jewel unbuckled Ava and handed her to Shirley, who took the baby as if she’d been entrusted with a precious treasure for safekeeping. The next moment, she burst into tears.

  “My beautiful little granddaughter.”

  Jewel felt her own eyes fill. Shirley had two other grandchildren, Tanner’s niece and nephew. Ava wasn’t her first. But with the other two, she’d been able to participate in her daughter-in-law’s pregnancies and be there at the babies’ births, along with seeing them often. She’d only just learned about Ava a few days ago. That probably warranted an emotional first meeting.

  Ava whimpered softly, perhaps agitated by Shirley’s tears. She didn’t start to wail, however, so Jewel decided to see how things progressed before taking her back.

  Grabbing the diaper bag, car seat/carrier and the container of butternut squash, she said, “Shall we go inside?”

  “She looks just like Tanner did at this age,” Shirley commented as they entered the bunkhouse.

  Jewel had thought the same thing herself. It wasn’t just the matching chin clefts; Ava also had her father’s expression when she smiled.

  Drawing on her courage, Jewel entered the bunkhouse behind Shirley. Though small and modestly furnished, it was surprisingly comfortable. A sleeping alcove was separated from the main sitting area and kitchenette by a partial wall. And the once-attractive furniture, while worn, was serviceable.

  The bunkhouse was also a far cry from the spacious and affluent home Tanner had been raised in and where his parents still lived. What did they think of their son residing here and of his job as a wrangler? Tanner didn’t seem to mind. He moved about with ease, unlike his dad whose furrowed brow telegraphed that he’d rather be anywhere else than here.

  Unless it was Jewel making Huck Bridwell uncomfortable. She supposed that was possible.

  “Huck,” Shirley said as she gingerly lowered herself and Ava onto the old sofa. “Come see your granddaughter. Isn’t she beautiful?”

  While Tanner relieved Jewel of her load and placed the food container in the refrigerator, his dad sat on the sofa next to his mom and inspected Ava as if she were a new appliance he was considering buying.

  “She’s cute,” he announced, making no attempt to touch or talk to her.

  Was he like that with his other two grandchildren? Jewel didn’t remember.

  Ava produced the unhappy frown she often did before starting to wail.

  “She might be hungry,” Jewel said. “She did just wake up.”

  “Are you hungry, little one?” Shirley lowered her face close to Ava’s. “Your daddy always wanted to eat when he woke up from a nap.”

  Jewel glanced around the bunkhouse in search of privacy.

  “You need something?” Tanner asked.

  “A place to... I need...” This was a little embarrassing. “I have to nurse Ava. She’s finicky and doesn’t do well when people are nearby.”

  “There’s a chair next to the bed. It’s out of view.”

  “Okay.” What a relief.

  He nodded at his parents. “Mom is thrilled.”

  “She’s good with Ava.”

  “She watches Daniel’s kids a lot. More since his surgery and rehabilitation.”

  Ava chose that moment to vocalize her demands at the top of her lungs. Jewel retrieved her from Shirley and disappeared into the sleeping area with the diaper bag. Twenty minutes later, when she was done feeding and changing Ava, she reappeared. During her absence, a stack of gift bags had been left in the middle of the floor.

  “We brought a few things for the baby,” Shirley pointed and smiled broadly.

  A few things? Jewel thought. There had to be six or seven bags.

  “Go on,” Shirley urged. “Open them.”

  Tanner pulled a chair over from the table for Jewel to sit in while she opened the gifts. Then he took charge of Ava, who stared at him with the same intense concentration as yesterday.

  Self-conscious, but not wanting to hurt Shirley’s feelings, Jewel tackled the gift bags one at a time. There were footed Christmas pajamas with Rudolph on the front, a stuffed pony that Shirley swore matched the one Tanner had as a baby, a music box with a dancing ballerina on top and several outfits.

  “Shirley, Huck, this is too much. Thank you,” Jewel gushed.

  “Nonsense. I got everything on sale.”

  Tanner gave Ava back to Jewel when she was done with the gifts. “I’m going put lunch on the table.”

  Shirley offered to help.

  “Let me,” Jewel said and stood. “You spend time with Ava. We have to leave right after lunch for work. I have a photography session.”

  She gave the baby to Shirley and joined Tanner in the kitchen. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said his cooking skills had improved during the last year. While Jewel was setting out the platter of sandwiches, the butternut squash and array of delicious-looking sides, he came to stand beside her.

 
; “Thank you.”

  “You did all the work,” she insisted.

  “No, I meant for giving me a daughter.”

  She stopped and turned toward him, her free hand floating to her heart. If the genuine tone in his voice wasn’t enough to convince her of his sincerity, the warmth in his eyes did it. She may not fully trust him. Yet. But no way could she keep lying to him. Not about this.

  “You’re right. I didn’t search for you as hard as I could have. As I should have.”

  “You were angry.”

  “Yeah, I was. And embarrassed that my fiancé was a cheater.”

  “I appreciate your honesty. And speaking of which...” He shifted his weight uncomfortably. “There’s something I need to tell you. It’s about what happened last year.”

  His troubled expression triggered a prickle of alarm. “What?”

  He didn’t get the chance to say because at that moment Huck Bridwell interrupted them. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

  “Sure.” Tanner produced a smile.

  Jewel started for the table, her curiosity piqued. And her worry.

  * * *

  TANNER SAT ON the sofa, Ava propped upright in the crook of his arm. She was far more interested in her new stuffed pony than him. Or not, for she abruptly released her grip and the pony tumbled to the floor, completely ignored for a full minute after that.

  He retrieved the toy and set it on the cushion next to him, catching bits and pieces of the two conversations simultaneously occurring. Beside him on the sofa, his dad conferred on his phone with a business associate about an upcoming meeting. In the kitchen, his mom and Jewel chatted amiably while they tidied and put away the leftovers.

  His mom had insisted on clearing the table, and Jewel had insisted on washing dishes. Tanner was okay with the arrangement as it gave him time to spend with his daughter.

  He still couldn’t believe it. How could a big lug like him have fathered such a pretty, delicate little girl? Tanner had always imagined himself a parent to boys, like his own father. Rough-and-tumble rascals whom he’d teach to ride and play sports and, when they were old enough, how to treat a lady right. While he hadn’t always seen eye to eye with his dad, he gave the man credit when it came to spending time with his children while they were growing up.