Sherryl Woods - The Cowboy and the New Year's Baby

“But that’s what makes it so interesting,” Lizzy insisted. “For a man like Hardy not to flirt, for him to actually act all shy and tongue-tied around you, I think that’s very telling.”

“And I think you’ve been at the hospital too long without sleep,” Trish said. “You’re hallucinating.”

“We’ll see,” Lizzy said, undeterred.

“Afraid not. As soon as I’m back on my feet, the baby and I will be moving on. I’ll probably never see Hardy Jones again.”

Famous last words.

Not an hour after she’d made her very firm declaration to Lizzy, Jordan and Kelly Adams appeared. Trish wasn’t dumb enough not to realize that there was a connection, especially when they suggested she come and stay with them.

“We have lots of room, and you need to get some rest. Having a brand-new baby is exhausting. You’ll need help, at least for a while,” Kelly said. “Don’t even bother making excuses. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“It’s the least we can do for Bryce’s daughter,” Jordan added. “Your father…”

Before he could get the rest of the words out, Trish cut him off. “My father is not to know I’m here,” she said firmly. “I can’t come with you, unless you agree to that. If you feel you have to tell him, then I’ll just take the baby and move on.”

Kelly squeezed her hand and shot a warning look at her husband. “I’m sure you have your reasons, though I hope you’ll reconsider. I’m sure he must be worried sick about you. In the meantime, we want you here with us. Isn’t that right, Jordan?”

He looked uncomfortable with the promise, but he finally nodded. “It’s your decision.”

“By the way, how did you even know I was here?”

“Word travels fast in a small town,” Kelly Adams said. “It’s hard to get used to, if you’ve lived in the city most of your life.”

“And in this family, word spreads like wildfire,” Jordan added. “Never known a worse bunch of gossips. My father’s the worst.”

“Then you and Lizzy are related?” she asked, trying to reconcile the age difference.

“She’s my half sister,” he said. “We share the same impossibly nosy father. No doubt you’ll meet him. He’s chomping at the bit to get over here and get a look at you and the baby. With luck we’ll be able to keep him away until you move into the house, but don’t count on it. He’s not a patient man.”

“He’s also looking for a new project,” Kelly warned her.

Trish managed a wan smile. “I’ve heard about the matchmaking. Lizzy seems to have inherited the trait.”

“Yes, well, I don’t know about Lizzy, but he certainly does seem to have a flair for it,” she said. “He did well enough by us.”

Jordan frowned at her. “I’m the one who courted you, remember? My father had nothing to do with it.”

Kelly patted his hand. “You go right on thinking that, sweetheart.”

Trish was fascinated by the byplay between them. There was so much obvious affection, so much love. Her own parents were not especially demonstrative. She’d assumed it was that way between all couples after many years of marriage. Obviously, that was not the case with Jordan and Kelly Adams.

He was a handsome man, a polished businessman with his well-trimmed hair and his fancy suit. He carried off the look of success with flair. Kelly, however, looked as if she’d just hopped off a horse and grabbed a ride into town with him. They both had to be in their forties, but while Jordan had a touch of gray in his hair and a few lines on his tanned face, Kelly was as vibrant and lovely as a girl. No one would have taken a quick look at them and guessed them to be a match. But judging from the way Jordan gazed at her, he adored her. And Kelly couldn’t seem to keep her own gaze from straying to her husband every few seconds.

If only she could have fallen in love like that, Trish thought with a sigh. Instead, she’d fallen for a playboy with about as much substance as whipped cream.

Well, never again. Even if she stayed in the area for a few days or even a couple of weeks, she would do her best to avoid Hardy Jones. Rather than intriguing her, Lizzy’s recitation of Hardy’s attributes had solidified her determination to stay the heck away from him. And all of the hints that Harlan Adams might try to throw the two of them together were enough to make her skin crawl.

Realistically she couldn’t take off in the next day or two, but she wouldn’t hang around much longer than that. These people could plot and scheme and matchmake to their heart’s content, but she was immune.

More important, in no time at all she and Laura would be far away. Hardy Jones wouldn’t even be an issue once she’d found a new place to settle down. She’d been thinking New Mexico or Arizona, but Alaska was beginning to seem attractive. Or Maine. Any place that would put a few thousand miles between her and the growing number of people who seemed to think they knew just what she needed to make her life complete.

Hardy was constantly amazed at just how hot and sweaty a man could get when the temperature was barely above freezing. He and Harlan Patrick had been riding hard for most of the day, checking on the cattle to see how they’d done during the storm, making sure there was feed available, since most of the grazing land was still covered with a blanket of snow. All he wanted was a hot shower, a decent meal and sleep.

Instead, as he walked through the bunkhouse door, he was greeted by Harlan Adams.

“Hey, there, son, you’re just the man I’ve been looking for.”

In all the years he’d worked at White Pines, the owner had never sought him out before. Hardy regarded him warily. “Oh? Why is that?”

“Just wanted to add my congratulations to everybody else’s. You did a fine thing the other night, helping out a stranger. Couldn’t have been easy circumstances, but you kept your head and pulled through for her.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it, but the truth is, I just did what anyone would have done. I’m hardly anybody’s idea of a hero.”

“I doubt you’d get the new mama to agree to that.”

“Oh, she’s just grateful, that’s all.” He noticed that the old man showed no inclination to be on his way. “Is there something else?”

“Well, you could do me a favor, if you have the time.”

“Now?” Hardy asked, trying not to let his dismay show.

“Not right this second, but tonight. Like I said, only if you have the time. I know what a busy social life you have.”

Hardy searched for a hint of censure in his tone, but couldn’t find any. “The truth is I thought I’d skip going into town tonight. It’s been a long day.”

Harlan Adams beamed, clearly ignoring Hardy’s hint that he was exhausted. “Terrific. Then you have some time on your hands.”

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