Judy Duarte - The Cowboy's Family Plan

“I’m going to need that ride back to my car at the wellness center,” Selena told Alex. “I have to drive the kids to Oakville.”

“Do you have an address?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. We can take my car. I’ll drop you off at the wellness center when we get back.”

“You want to go with me?”

He flashed a smile at her that lit up every raw spot in her heart, exposing every pain and disappointment she’d ever had—at least, in her own mind.

Torn between the wisdom of traveling with him and the desire to have him come along for the ride, she asked, “Are you sure? You didn’t sign on for all of this.”

“Neither did you. Besides, it’s getting late. There’s no reason for you to go all that way alone.” His gaze sought hers, creating a connection she could almost feel, she could almost...trust.

She pondered his offer, but only for a moment. Why insist that she could handle the drive on her own when she had someone willing to go with her? And not just anyone, but a handsome cowboy who threatened to turn her heart every which way but loose.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good.”

Was it? She certainly hoped so.

“Tommy,” Alex said, “if you’ll put those crayons and coloring books back where we found them, I’ll pick up your sister and carry her to my truck.”

“Will we all fit?” Selena asked.

“It’s a dual-wheel Dodge with a king cab. So we’ll be fine, although we’ll need to transfer that car seat.”

As Alex tenderly scooped a sleeping Kimberly up in his arms, triggering visions of home and heart and family, he said, “Let’s not keep Grandma waiting.”

For the briefest of moments, Selena wondered what it would be like to have a family, but she brushed off the thought as quickly as it had sparked.

The cowboy had a family plan already in place, and it didn’t include her.

* * *

In spite of the late hour and a minimal amount of cars on the road, the drive to Oakville took nearly two hours, so Alex and Selena would be pulling an all-nighter before getting back to Brighton Valley. But Alex didn’t mind. He liked having the pretty doctor ride shotgun with him, sharing her company as well as a smile or two.

On the way to Oakville they hadn’t done much talking. When they did speak, they kept their voices down so they wouldn’t risk waking the children who slept in the backseat.

Once they’d reached the small tract home on Blue Ridge Court, Ruth Morgan had welcomed them inside and showed them to the spare bedroom, where the coverlets on two twin beds had already been turned down, awaiting her grandchildren.

After Alex had carried the kids from the car and they’d been tucked in, Ruth had thanked them again for making sure her daughter got to the hospital and for bringing the kids all the way to Oakville.

“I would have jumped in the car and met you in Brighton Valley,” she said, “but I’m having some vision problems, and the doctor won’t allow me to drive at night.”

“I’m glad we were there when Shannon needed us,” Selena said. “Maybe after you talk to her in the morning, the two of you can figure out a way to pick up her car. She’ll also need a ride home from the hospital in a couple of days. In fact, because she had surgery, she won’t be allowed to drive either—at least for a few weeks.”

“I’ll call my church first thing in the morning,” Ruth said. “I’m sure I’ll find someone who can help out.”

Alex was glad to know the woman had options. And because it appeared their job was through, he said, “We’d better hit the road.”

“All right,” Ruth said. “But wait here for a moment. I fixed you a snack to take with you—oatmeal cookies. And I prepared a thermos of coffee. It’ll help keep you awake on the way home.”

She’d been right. The caffeine and sweets had helped. So had a late-night radio station that played classic country music.

By the time Alex spotted a sign that claimed Brighton Valley was twenty miles away, the sun had begun to rise, painting streaks of orange and purple in the east Texas sky.

“Do you have to work today?” Selena asked.

“There’s always work to be done on a ranch, but I might find time for a nap. We’ll see.” Alex shot a glance across the seat at his lovely passenger. “How about you?”

“I have patients coming in from nine to five, so a nap’s out of the question. But at least I’m not on call today. One of my associates is going to have hospital duty, so I can turn in early this evening and catch up on my sleep.”

It was becoming clear to Alex that Selena was a good doctor—and that she had a great bedside manner.

For a moment, his sleep-deprived mind veered far away from hospital beds and gowns and medicinal smells. Instead, he wondered just what kind of bedside attention a man like him might get from a woman like her, what kind of silky sleepwear she might choose, what kind of tempting perfume. But he shook off the inappropriate thoughts and scolded himself for getting so far off base.

“Mary used to think the world of Dr. Avery,” Alex said. “So I was a little disappointed to learn that he’d retired. I didn’t know him very well, but I’d hoped his replacement was just as good.”

Selena turned to him, her expression suggesting that she was waiting for his assessment of her.

He tossed her a smile. “I was impressed with you tonight, Selena. You’re going to make a fine replacement for Doc Avery.”

A slow smile stretched across her face, lighting her eyes. “Thank you.”

He returned his gaze to the road, although he wished he could keep his mind on track just as easily. But it was hard to do when he couldn’t help thinking that Selena was an amazing woman. She’d stepped right in to help a laboring woman who wasn’t her patient, when she could have called in paramedics. Then she’d stuck around after the surgery and had lost a night’s sleep to see that Tommy and Kimmie were delivered safely to their grandmother’s house.

As something warm and tingly spread through the cab of his truck, he reached for a safe topic to tackle. One that wouldn’t have him tripping all over himself to sing her praises.

“Where did you go to college?” he asked.

“Baylor University. How about you?” She pointed at the shirt he wore. “Is it safe to assume you’re a Texas A&M alum?”

“Yes, I am.”

“So the cowboy hat, jeans and boots you were wearing last Tuesday night was just a prop?” she asked.

“Not at all. I’m a cowboy through and through.”

“Oh, yeah?”

His dad, if he’d still been alive, would have had the same reaction. But then again, his uncle had been more an of influence on Alex.

“So you grew up on a ranch?” she asked.

“Actually, I spent the first ten years of my life in Dallas. I never even rode a horse until after I moved to Brighton Valley.”

“How did you end up there?”

“When my dad died unexpectedly of a heart attack, my mom sold the house in the city and moved in with her brother. She’d been raised in the country and wanted me to have the same experience.”

“So the city kid morphed into a rancher?”

“That’s pretty much how it happened. It didn’t take long either. My mother always said I’d been born with a cowboy’s heart. And she’s probably right. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I remained in Dallas. It seems as if I was meant to be a rancher.”

In fact, he hadn’t even wanted to leave the Rocking B to attend college, but the details of his father’s trust had not only provided for an education, but had pretty much locked him into one, whether he wanted one or not. So while his dad—if he’d still been alive—might have insisted he attend law school or get an MBA, Alex had chosen to go to Texas A&M, where he got a degree in animal science, something practical he could use back on his uncle’s ranch.