Page 35 of A Cowboy Holiday
“She tricked you?”
“Yeah, but it takes two to tango. I was angry at first, but she wasn’t joking about parenting on her own. She’d been raised by a single mom, and she didn’t need or want anyone in her life who wasn’t completely invested in her child. And let me tell you, Mel was a force to contend with. She wasn’t fuckin’ around. I saw her a few times during her pregnancy and once…I asked her to marry me and almost got my bell rung. She threw a paperweight at my head and told me to fuck off.”
I chuckled at the memory.
Tanner smiled. “Sounds like she was kind of amazing.”
“Yeah.” I pursed my lips as visions of my sweet friend hit me like a hammer. Mel in that low-cut top, serving shots to businessmen and college coeds. Mel in my truck, her long hair blowing out the window on a hot summer day. Mel with her head tipped toward the sun, laughing like a hyena. “I was so angry with her, you know. So fucking mad. She betrayed my trust and put me in a position that terrified me. Sheknewwhy I hadn’t wanted to be a husband or a father. Fuck, I hadn’t even wanted to be anyone’s boyfriend. She’d taken something I’d never wanted to give, and I was sure I’d never forgive her for it. But I was also torn, ’cause where I come from, you marry the girl, you have the kid, and you try your damnedest to make it work. I was pissed that she rejected my offer…and sort of relieved. We’d reached a truce eventually. Thank fuck. I don’t know what I would have done if…”
Tanner set a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. She was hit by a drunk driver who’d run a red light. They got her to the hospital, operated immediately, but her lung had been pierced and God knows what else.”
“Oh, shit.”
“They couldn’t save Mel. They saved the baby, though. And overnight, I became a father. Not just a name on a birth certificate, but the guy in charge of…everything. Mel’s mom helped with the infant stuff, and Kitty was a life-saver, too. But Mel’s mom passed away two years ago, and we we’re on our own again. I had no reason to stay in Vegas, and I had itchy feet. I was ready to move on. We lived in Colorado, which I loved, Seattle—too damn rainy, and Portland—same. Then I saw the want ad for a qualified vet for a small office in Santa Ynez. And you know the rest.”
I threw my arms wide as if suggesting I were an open book. False.
I never shared a smidge of my personal life. With anyone. I’d done some good things, had some crazy adventures, a great education, and hell, I had a kid with a former stripper. I could tell stories all night long—some of them so outrageous I wouldn’t believe them if I hadn’t been there.
But I guarded my privacy like a knight in rusted armor standing sentry at a crumbling castle. It usually took an act of God for me to let anyone in.
Somehow Tanner had slipped through my defenses and funny enough, I was okay with it. I trusted him, and it wasn’t as if I were ashamed of my past. It was just…complicated and a little messy. And at the end of the day, the only thing that mattered to me now was making sure my kid was safe, happy, and had everything she needed. If it meant I had to sacrifice here and there, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“Wow, I’m humbled,” Tanner said after a long silence.
I frowned. “Why?”
“You’ve lived a full life, and you strike me as the type of person who tries to do the noble thing. The right thing. You’re not as scary as you let everyone think, Axel.” He leaned close to smooth his fingers along the crease between my eyes. “Don’t scowl. I’ve got your number, and I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be.”
Tanner rolled his pretty eyes. “Well, I’m not. I admire you. It can’t be easy doing the heavy lifting on your own, and yet you’ve somehow managed to raise a confident, smart kid with a curious mind and a kind heart. Phoebe’s going to have a brilliant life, and that’s all you.”
I couldn’t fight the smile that twitched the corner of my lips.
“Thanks for saying so. She’s only five and we’ve got a ways to go, but she’s pretty special. She’s been a trooper, moving from place to place. I know she likes it here. Everything amazes her. The creek, the trees, the caterpillars…you name it, Phee can find something wonderful about it. Cracks me up, ’cause her mom wouldn’t have lasted a day in a glorified trailer. Especially when the thermostat dips below forty at night.” I snorted at the thought.
“You’ll be there for another two months?”
“Six weeks.” I wrinkled my nose. “I have a full-time job with benefits at a ranch and a place to call home for the duration. God knows, she could use the stability. Maybe we both could.”
Tanner’s expression contorted comically—creased forehead, gnawed lip, and narrowed eyes. “Listen, I’m going to offer you something, and I know you’re going to automatically say no, but…”
“But…what?” I prodded.
“Get your boots and jacket on. It’s better if I show you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Tanner unlocked the door to a small cottage at the end of a gravel pathway. The front yard looked outon the pasture where three horses grazed. I stepped into a bright foyer and followed him into a living room furnished with a gray sectional sofa, an armchair, and a coffee table. Photographs of idyllic farm life reminiscent of the art hanging in the office in the barns decorated the white paneled walls.
Tanner opened the striped curtains, spilling sunlight into the space. “What do you think?”
I gave a cursory glance. “Nice place.”
“Check this out.” He wandered into the adjoining kitchen. “Fully equipped, great appliances, and lots of natural light. And this way…we’ve got two bedrooms and one bathroom. It’s one of the smaller cottages, but it’s got central heating and air, and utilities are paid by the ranch. You’re welcome to move in with Phoebe free of charge till the end of the year.”
I didn’t say a word for a whole minute. I was shocked.