Mary Leo – Aiming for the Cowboy (страница 8)

Not that he minded. It was the life he’d chosen. He merely needed his brothers and Dodge to trust him with his decisions, and to have his back whenever he needed them to.

Plus, he needed a good woman by his side, a woman like Helen, when she wasn’t trying to chase after that darn championship. Now that she was going to have a baby with some other dude, he had to rethink his feelings for her. He didn’t know why she agreed to dinner with him or why she wanted to talk to him, but he was sure as heck going to find out.

Helen was the kind of woman who did things on her own terms in her own time, so this baby was sure causing him a mountain of wonder.

“You’ve been struggling over this decision for two months now,” Travis countered. “Time is coming up short if we’re going to have this thing up and running for next year’s crops.”

They walked side by side across the open land. It was good and flat for a nice long stretch before it banked upward. The ground was covered in short wild grass, some rocks and stones. Nothing that couldn’t be cleared for a sizable building.

But Colt still wasn’t sure.

“It’s got to be right. I won’t spend everybody’s hard-earned money on something less than perfect. This new place has to last us a lot of years.”

They strolled along on the wild grass, Colt thinking he needed to wait and see what the surveyor he’d hired had to say about it.

Travis shook his head. “You think too much. Always have. It’s like you need to walk a mile to find a place to spit.”

“I’m cautious, is all.”

“You can’t see through a ladder.” Travis picked up a stone and flung it over the land, as if he was skipping it over water. The stone bounced a couple times before it landed. Colt never could do that, even on water.

“I’m getting the feeling you’re not talking about this piece of land.”

“Glad you caught up.”

Colt turned to his brother. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to tell you that Blake and me have been trying to find you a woman now for going on near six months. There’s been some mighty fine ladies willing to take on you and your rowdy boys, but none of them seem to pass the first date.”

“Lana Thomson wanted to send my boys to a boarding school.”

“Might do ’em some good.”

Colt picked up his speed. “Not sending my sons away. Our dad stuck by us when our mom passed, and I’m doing the same.”

Travis skipped another stone. This time it only served to aggravate Colt, making him wonder why he’d brought Travis on this land run in the first place.

“What about Helen? She’d be good with them boys of yours.”

“She’s out of the picture.”

“She won’t be once she wins that buckle. I imagine it’ll settle her right down.”

Colt was thinking Travis hadn’t heard the news about Helen’s condition. “There’s something else that’s going on with Helen.”

“I know all about her being in a family way. What I heard, she’s planning on raising that baby on her own. The baby’s daddy don’t want no part of it. Might be a good time for you to step in and make your case.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Lana Thompson.”

Colt laughed. “I’m surprised you’d even listen to her kind of talk.”

“I’m not saying I do and I’m not saying I don’t, but there’s gotta be something to it or why else would Helen be living with her folks over in Jackson instead of married to her man?”

“Only Helen can answer that.”

“Have you asked her?”

“I was busy shoring up my boys after the fair. Timing wasn’t right.”

“It all goes back to what I said. You think too much.”

“We have a date for Friday night. I’m taking her to Champaign Taste. We’ll talk then.”

Travis slung his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “What’s your plan?”

“Plan? Dinner’s my plan. She tells me what she wants to say then I drive her back to Milo’s. Anything more than that isn’t any of your business.”

“Maybe so, but if you’re feeling a little rusty, I can give you some pointers.”

“Getting pointers from you would be like getting pointers from a pup at his mama’s tit.”

Travis laughed. “Good one, big brother.”

“I thought so.”

* * *

“IS THAT WHAT you’re wearing?” Milo asked as Helen descended the stairs. She wore dark blue jeans, her tan Justin boots and a sky-blue Western maternity shirt. Her hair curled out of a black cowgirl hat.

“It’s just dinner in town with Colt. Nothing fancy, I’m sure.”

She’d stressed over what to wear ever since Colt had asked her on this impromptu date. She’d tried on everything in her suitcase. She’d even considered a long dress, but then thought it too fancy. Nothing seemed right so she stuck with her tried-and-true jeans and a shirt. She felt comfortable in jeans and a shirt, and tonight of all nights she wanted to be comfortable.

Milo stood next to his recliner, ready to attack it with his full-size body. It was his night off from Spud Drive-In, located on the outskirts of town, where he worked the concession stand a few nights a week during the summer. It got him out of the house and forced him to talk to his neighbors, which he sometimes didn’t like doing. Milo had no interest in a nine-to-five job due to an inheritance from his grandfather on his dad’s side, which made him “comfortable,” as he liked to say. On his free nights, he usually spent them catching up on his recorded shows.

“Did he say it wouldn’t be fancy?”

“No, but why should it be?”

“A man don’t ask you to dinner then take you for fast food. It usually means a tablecloth and a server. I’m just sayin’.” He shrugged.

“Fine! I’ll rethink my outfit.”

“Have you thought about what you’re gonna say?”

“Of course I have.”

She really hadn’t, but she didn’t want to get into it with Milo. He was a man of preparedness and believed you should always practice before you attempted anything that might be awkward, and that naturally included telling Colt about his baby.

“Try it out on me. I’m a good judge of these things.”

Helen crossed her arms over her chest and let out a frustrated sigh. “Colt, I’m pregnant with your baby.”

“And...”

“And nothing. That’s all I have.”

“It stinks.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Yeah, but you can ease him into it with small talk first.”

“For instance?” She shifted her weight to one hip and tapped her foot a few times.

“I don’t know... Tell him he looks good in his new hat.”

“What new hat?”

“The one he bought yesterday at Mad Hatter’s.”

“How do you know this?”

“It’s a small town.”

“Damn, it’s smaller than I thought. This is crazy. A guy can’t even buy a new hat without everybody knowing about it.”