Barbara Daille - The Cowboy's Triple Surprise

But mostly, he suspected it had to do with needing to escape his thoughts of Shay. Like that had worked.

“Cole ought to be back tomorrow,” Jed said.

“Good. I’m looking forward to seeing him.” Heck, he needed the diversion. “He’s flying in from Denver?”

“Driving. He was making a couple of stops along the way.” Jed took another sip of coffee. “Paz and I were just talking about you before you walked in.”

“Me? What’s up?”

“With this reception going on, we’re all going to be tied up most of the evening. I’m afraid you’ll be on your own.”

“No problem. I’m sure I can find something—” or someone “—to keep me occupied.”

* * *

SHAY SLID THE decorated cake into the large freezer in the Big Dipper’s workroom. Their ice cream cakes were always in demand for birthdays and other celebrations. And though SugarPie’s bakery supplied the wedding and party cakes for the Hitching Post, the Dipper always took care of the hotel’s ice cream orders.

She didn’t want to think about the hotel or about the man she had last seen there yesterday. She touched her stomach. “I probably should have stayed to talk to him,” she murmured to her babies, “but the two of us were never alone.” She laughed softly. “And I don’t mean because you three were there with me.” She sobered again. The thought of having her conversation with Tyler in front of any of the Garlands had done her in, making her run at the first opportunity.

With a sigh, she closed the freezer door securely, then returned to the empty front room of the shop.

They did a booming business in the warmer months, good enough for her boss to pay her a decent wage all year round. Unfortunately, the job was only part-time. As she had told Layne, she needed her income from the Hitching Post, where they paid her an even better part-time rate.

As if the thought of Layne had summoned her, the door to the shop opened and she stepped inside.

“What brings you here?” Shay asked in surprise.

“A pint of chocolate-marshmallow swirl, for one thing.”

“You’re not pregnant again, are you?”

Layne laughed. “That’s what Jason asked. No, I’m not. But the craving was a good reason to get me over here.” She went to the small freezer off to one side of the room.

“Like you need a reason for ice cream.” Shay leaned against the counter instead of taking the high stool out from beneath it. She didn’t trust herself on the stool. After growing so much in the past few weeks, she was finding it harder to keep her balance even with her feet flat on the floor.

Layne set her container on the counter. After looking around the still-empty shop, she said, “I stopped in at the L-G to pick up a few groceries this afternoon and ran into Mo. We had quite a chat.”

The look of excitement on Layne’s face made Shay blink in surprise. “A chat about what?”

“Your hours.”

Again, Shay blinked. Her hours wouldn’t have given anyone reason to feel excited...unless Grandma had heard something from Jed about giving her more work time.

“Mo told me you were here tonight and not helping out at the Hitching Post.”

“Oh. That.” Usually, she waitressed at the receptions and parties.

“Yes, that. What did you think we talked about? What happened?”

“I don’t know for sure. Tina called earlier today and told me they wouldn’t need me for the reception. They’re probably worried I’ll go into labor in the middle of the dance floor.”

Layne laughed. “You know that’s not it.”

“Well, maybe not.” She shrugged. “She did say Jed wants me to come out to the Hitching Post tomorrow afternoon. I hope he’s planning to give me more hours.” Or a raise.

“I hope so, too, at least until it’s time for you to stay off your feet. Which is getting close, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you start, too. I saw Dr. Grayden Thursday morning. The babies are doing fine, and he said I’m still good to go with the date we’ve scheduled for my C-section. And he and my specialist in Santa Fe gave me their okay to continue working.”

“With no restrictions?”

“I just have to take things easy,” she admitted.

“We all realize that. So remember, if Jed doesn’t offer you as many extra hours as you’d like, it’s because everybody out at the ranch is concerned about you.”

“You could have fooled me,” Shay said as she rang up the purchase. “Jed might be, but Tina and Jane spent more time falling all over Tyler than they did watching out for me. I was glad they kept him occupied—and away from me.” They had kept him busy on the other side of the room, except for that short time he had stood next to her. She had continued working, had forced herself not to look up, yet she had been as aware of him as if he’d plopped himself down in the center of all the vases on the table in front of her.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do about talking to him?” Layne asked.

“Not yet.” Sighing, she scooped up the pile of pennies in the cash register drawer and let them trickle through her fingers. “I know you’re right. If I don’t tell him, someone else will. But I want to do it my way. In my own time.”

“Which still means not at all,” Layne said wryly. “Otherwise, you would have managed to talk to him at the ranch yesterday.”

Shay reached for the twenty-dollar bill Layne held out. “I couldn’t have, with everyone around.”

“That makes sense. With news like yours to share, you’re going to need some time alone with him.”

Her insides turned as cold as a tub of ice cream. It had nothing to do with the freezer case beside her and everything to do with the picture Layne’s words had formed in her mind. “At the rate things are going, it doesn’t seem likely that’s going to happen.”

But even as she said the words, she knew she was going to have to make it likely. No matter how she felt about Tyler, he was going to have to learn the truth. And she wanted to be the one to break the news to him.

The one to tell him he had gotten her pregnant, and she didn’t want him anywhere near her or her kids.

As she handed Layne the change, she saw, beyond her, a customer standing outside the glass-paned front door. She curled her fingers against her empty palm and swallowed a groan of frustration.

Tyler swung the door open. When he stepped into the shop, the temperature suddenly seemed to rise by a hundred degrees.

He nodded at her and removed his Stetson.

Layne looked toward the door. “Well, hi there. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it has.”

Layne said something else; Tyler replied. Shay saw their mouths moving, but panic seemed to have closed her ears.

“Well.” Layne turned and sent Shay a sympathetic glance as she reached for the sack with her ice cream. “I’d better get home before this melts,” she said brightly. In a lower voice, she said, “Good luck with your private chat.”

Not here. Not now. “You don’t have to go,” she protested just as Tyler opened the door again. For a moment, she held on to the hope he planned to leave. But he was only being polite for Layne.

Too bad he hadn’t been a gentleman for her.

She flushed, knowing she was at least half to blame for winding up...together with him. At least half to blame, if not much more, for believing in something that wasn’t meant to be.

He closed the door behind Layne and turned Shay’s way.

The room seemed to spin—not a symptom of pregnancy she had experienced before. She put her hands on the counter in front of her. “Don’t tell me they’ve sent you here from the Hitching Post for ice cream.” She fought to keep her voice steady. “I happen to know what’s on the menu for the reception tonight, and everything’s covered.”