from the bulk of the bustle and activity, and opened the gate. “Come on in. It’s okay.” He stood aside and motioned her into the stall, where a brown-and-white cow stood over a small brown calf.
Warmth filled her chest, along with nostalgia. She’d seen numerous newborn animals through the years on her parents’ farm, but the preciousness of new life never got old. “Oh, my goodness! She’s precious!”
“He. It’s a bull calf.”
“Oh, he, then. He’s adorable!” She cast a side glance to Josh, who was beaming with pride as if the baby were his.
“You can pat him if you want.”
She gave the mama cow a dubious look. “Really? It won’t upset mom?”
Josh grasped the straps of the mother’s halter and tugged, urging the bovine to step away. Then, stooping, he lifted the calf and brought it closer to Kate.
She lifted a hand to the curling fur on the cow’s head and melted inside. “Aren’t you the cutest thing?”
“Yeah, I am,” Josh said with an impish grin, “and the calf’s kinda cute, too.”
Kate snorted a chuckle. Then, when he laughed at her indelicate snort, she joined him in full-bellied gales. Even as she shared the moment of levity with him, she studied his handsome face, the spark of life in his startlingly blue eyes, and her heart flipped. She didn’t need a crystal ball to know the combination of his charm, good looks and ability to put her at ease were a lethal combination versus her ability to resist him. Today was only her first day in Colorado, and she was already in deep trouble.
When Josh and Kate returned to the welcome dinner, Dawn was seated at a long table with several people, including Josh’s twin.
Zane smiled as they approached. “There you two are. We were about to send a search party. People here are hungry and ready to eat.”
“I’m down with that.” Josh motioned to an empty chair. “Kate, shall we?”
“Come meet everyone, Kate,” Dawn called.
After she took her place, Josh helped her scoot her chair in, then sat across from her.
Josh motioned to the man to Zane’s right as he started around the table with introductions. “This is my father, Michael. And my sister, Piper. And her fiancé, Brady Summers, who’s another partner in McCall Adventures.”
She smiled, giving a wave of greeting to them all, and shook Brady’s hand when he offered his. Then Josh started down the other side of the table. “My mother, Melissa.” He skipped Dawn, moved on to a little boy with rumpled brown hair and barbecue sauce on his chin. “And...that little squirt is my nephew, Beelzebub.”
The boy frowned at him. “Connor!”
The adults laughed, and Josh held up a finger as if he’d just remembered. “Oh, that’s right. Connor.”
“Nice to meet you, Connor.” Kate winked at the little boy, who gave a shy wave back.
“And...” Josh scanned the other tables and people milling about. “Over by the grill, flipping burgers, is our jack-of-all-trades and foreman, Roy Summers.”
“He’s my grampa,” Connor added.
“So it really is all in the family,” she said, making a mental inventory of relationships and faces.
Josh removed his hat and hung it on the back of his chair. “It is.”
“I was just telling Zane about your ideas for the brochure,” Dawn said, lifting a glass of a fruity drink, “how we want to be sure to capture pictures of all aspects of the ranch and the adventures while we’re here.”
“Oh, right.” Kate nodded her agreement. “I brought a camera with me, professional-grade, to capture some shots. We’ll need permission to use images of any people in the photos, though.”
“We brought a waiver with us,” Dawn explained.
“Of course. Sounds great.” Zane passed a large plate of ribs, burgers and sliced beef down the table to Kate. “Dig in. This is all Double M beef. One hundred percent fresh, and the best Angus beef you’ll ever eat.”
Kate took the tray, but hesitated. Her stomach growled, affirming she was hungry. The last thing she’d eaten was the tiny packet of pretzels on the plane. But she thought of the sweet bull calf she’d just visited and balked. “I’m going to stick to the side dishes tonight, I think.”
Josh sent her a concerned look and lifted a pitcher of tea, filling her glass when she nodded that she’d like some, then his own. “Are you a vegetarian? We didn’t think to ask—”
“No,” she said, passing the tray of meats to him. “Just...thinking about my new little friend and...” She flashed a sheepish grin. “I grew up on a farm. I know where meat comes from. I just can’t go from fawning over the little baby to...eating his dad.”
Josh grunted and helped himself to a few ribs and a burger. “Trust me, this is not that little guy’s father. Papa is one of our best breeding bulls, and his life is safe as long as he keeps fathering prime offspring.” He set down the platter. “But I get your point, and I promise the rest of the dinner Helen made is pretty spectacular, too. Try this.” He handed her a pan of potato casserole. “She calls it potato supreme. I just call it delicious.”
“Helen?” Kate took the pan, savoring the scents of cheese and onion that wafted from the dish.
“Our cook. She used to be full-time, when we had more hands. Now she just does lunch for the family and hands along with special events like tonight.” Josh handed her another bowl, full of a mix of green vegetables.
“Can I have my pie now?” Connor said, drawing Kate’s attention.
“Finish your meat first, buddy,” said the guy introduced as Piper’s fiancé. She dug through her memory for the name. B... B...
“Aw, Brady!” Connor whined, flopping back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest with a pout.
Brady! That was it!
When she studied the boy and Brady closer, she saw the resemblance between them. While Dawn continued chatting up the plans for the travel brochure with Zane and Piper, Kate leaned toward Josh, whispering, “Connor is your nephew, you said? But he called your foreman his grampa. So that means Brady is...?”
Josh gave her a crooked grin and whispered back. “It’s complicated.”
She arched an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Well, not that complicated, but...” He rubbed a hand over his lips. “I’ll fill you in later.”
She leaned back in her seat, regarding Josh with a puzzled gaze. When she glanced toward the boy’s chair, she found it empty.
“Tell me
