I have to live up to the title.”
Eden put her arm around his shoulders. “You’re going to make a great father. You’re a big kid yourself.”
“I feel as if I’ve aged ten years in five minutes.” He tried to get to his feet and realized his legs were shaky. This was harder than any fall he’d ever taken. He felt bruised, weak and disoriented.
Once on his feet, he said, “I’m going home tonight. I have to make arrangements for tomorrow. But you guys stay and party.”
“No way.” Eden hugged him. “We’re all going home. We’re family.”
Phoenix didn’t have any strength to argue. His mind was solely on his son and the days ahead. How would he handle this new development in his life? He wasn’t known for maturity.
They loaded up and headed out, Eden leading with her truck and trailer. Paxton drove and Phoenix made plane reservations on his phone. He got a flight to Denver at eleven in the morning. That didn’t give him much time to meet with Ms. Henshaw, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway, so he would be there early.
Ms. Henshaw’s text came through and he just stared at all the things that he needed to buy. Diapers. He had a weak stomach. How was he going to change diapers? This was a situation where he really had to cowboy up.
They didn’t talk much on the drive home. Phoenix’s thoughts were all turned inward. He wasn’t a worrier by nature, but worries jabbed at him like the fists of a prizefighter. Would he make a good father? He had to. It wasn’t a question. It was fact now.
He leaned back his head and tried to sleep. But all he could think about was that little boy who was crying for his great-grandma. A little boy who had been let down by a reckless, immature father. And an equally reckless, immature mother. Phoenix had to make up for all of that.
It was a three-hour drive, and Phoenix had never been so glad to see the ranch. In the wee hours of the morning, they drove up to the barn. After unloading her horse, Eden went toward her parents’ house, and Paxton and Phoenix walked toward the bunkhouse.
On the way, Phoenix kept thinking about the list on his phone. He needed to have those things here when he brought Jake home.
“I’m going into Temple to buy a baby bed.”
Paxton stopped on the porch of the bunkhouse, his eyebrows knotted together in confusion. “What? Where can you buy a bed at this time of the morning?”
“Walmart Supercenter. They’re open twenty-four hours.”
“Don’t you think you need to rest?”
“I won’t be able to sleep until I can bring Jake home where he belongs.”
Paxton sighed. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”
Phoenix shook his head. “I don’t need you to go with me. I can buy a bed all by myself. Just go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Phoenix...”
He looked at the brother he’d spent most of his life with and saw the concern and worry in his eyes. “I’m struggling. Okay.” He was as honest as he could be because he couldn’t be anything else at this point. “I have to be there for that little boy. Do you understand?”
Paxton nodded, and Phoenix headed for his truck. Shopping early in the morning meant there was hardly anyone in the store. Clerks were stocking shelves and a few people were strolling around. He found the baby section and stared at all the clothes and paraphernalia. Where were the baby beds? He found them on another aisle. Again he just stared. What kind did he need? Maybe he should’ve brought Paxton. At least the two of them could have figured out something. But this shouldn’t be difficult. A bed was a bed.
Or so he’d thought. They came with or without a mattress and in numerous colors from white to espresso to black. In different styles. His head began to spin. Clearly he needed help.
He turned to search for a clerk and ran into someone. “Oh, sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He caught the woman’s arm and just stared, unable to believe his eyes.
Rosemary McCray Wilcott stared right back at him with a look of shock that was echoed in his eyes.
What was she doing in Walmart at this time of the morning?
“Uh...”
Rosie was stunned, and she could neither speak a coherent word nor move. The last person she’d expected to run into in Walmart was Phoenix Rebel. It took a full thirty seconds for her to regain her cool. In that time she was very aware of the hand holding her elbow. The firm, callused fingers were gentle and comforting, and that threw her more than seeing him. She didn’t want to feel anything for this man. Very slowly she removed her elbow and licked her suddenly dry lips.
She’d come in the store only for a few minutes because she was out of Dixie’s treats. The dog would whine and whine until she got them. Also, Rosie had received some unsettling news and couldn’t sleep anyway. She rented ten acres with a barn and corral, where she parked her trailer. Mrs. Boyd, the owner, had called and said her daughter was moving back home and was thinking of building a house on the property. That meant Rosie would have to find another place to park her trailer and another home for Lady. Her lease was up at the first of the year so that gave her a few months, but she’d been hoping to buy the place herself one day. Now she had to change her plans.
Whenever she was in Walmart, she couldn’t resist strolling to the baby section. It was gut-wrenching, but cathartic in a way for her loss of her little girl. One day, maybe, she could stop reliving the painful memories.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” Phoenix asked.
His strong tones brought her back to the present and the embarrassing situation. “No.” She made to walk off because she had nothing else to say to him.
“Hey.”
Against her better judgment, she looked back. “Am I taking up too much space?”
“I deserve that.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a cockamamy grin, which she was sure worked wonders on the opposite sex. To her dismay it was working on her, too.
She’d never seen a more handsome cowboy than Phoenix, and she hated that she noticed. In tight Wranglers, boots and a plaid shirt, he was every girl’s dream. The strong, carved facial bones that showcased a perpetual smile only added to the masculine mix. As did the Stetson and the riot of dark hair that always peeped out from under it.
“I’m really sorry for being rude in Oklahoma. I was having a very bad day.”
The apology put a dent in her already shaky composure. Walk away. Walk away. The words kept running through her mind, but her feet wouldn’t move as she stared into his dark eyes. Dark, warm, smiling eyes.
“I’m looking for a baby bed, and I could really use some help. Are you up for the job?” He tilted his head slightly, and the teasing light in his eyes did a number on her control.
Again, against her better
