Christmas Baby for the Cowboy (Sweethearts of the Rodeo #4)

Chapter Five

Loretta

December, one month later

Last Stand, TX

T he soft strains of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons filled the cozy interior of Kelly’s portrait studio as Loretta focused intently on the canvas before her. Her brush moved with practiced precision, bringing to life the image of a young girl feeding chickens. The painting had been commissioned by the child’s parents from a photograph that Kelly had taken.

Behind the counter, safely ensconced in his pack and play, Georgie babbled happily to himself. Loretta glanced over, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched her son pull himself up to standing, his chubby hands gripping the edge of the playpen. At eight months old, he was becoming more active by the day, a constant source of joy and occasional exasperation.

“That’s my big boy,” Loretta cooed, setting down her brush for a moment. “Are you going to walk soon, sweetie?”

Georgie responded with a string of nonsensical syllables, his face lighting up at the sound of his mother’s voice. He fell back on his diaper-padded butt. Unperturbed, he reached for his favorite stacking rings toy, promptly shoving one of the colorful plastic circles into his mouth.

Loretta chuckled, turning back to her painting. The past month at the Three Sisters Ranch had been a whirlwind of adjustments and new experiences, but moments like this—peacefully working on her art while Georgie played nearby—made her feel like they were finally settling into a routine. She had already decided she was going to stay in Last Stand next year instead of going from rodeo to rodeo with Taylor. It was a conversation that she was dreading, so she was putting it off until the last minute—which gave her another two months of domesticated bliss.

The jingling of the studio’s bell pulled Loretta from her reverie. She looked up to see Kelly bustling in, a pitcher of sweet tea in one hand and her youngest, baby Roy, snuggled against her chest in a sling. Kelly’s older daughters, nine-year-old Alissa and three-year-old Pearl, trailed behind her.

“Thought you might need a little refreshment,” Kelly called out cheerfully.

Loretta set down her brush. “I was just thinking about taking a break.”

As Kelly poured them each a glass of tea, Alissa wandered over to peer at Loretta’s painting. “Wow, that looks just like the picture Mom took.”

“Thank you. I’m trying to capture the same feel as your mom’s photograph.”

Kelly joined them, admiring the work-in-progress. “It’s coming along beautifully. The Andersons are going to love it.”

A wave of satisfaction washed over her as she sipped her tea. This commissioned piece was just one of several she’d worked on since arriving at the ranch. It still amazed her how quickly word had spread about her paintings based on Kelly’s photographs.

“Oh, before I forget,” Kelly said, bouncing slightly as Roy fussed in his sling, “I wanted to ask if you and Taylor would like to come over to Janice’s retreat center tonight around seven? We’re decorating for Christmas, and I’ve got a few families coming in tomorrow for holiday portraits.”

“That sounds like fun. I’d love to help.”

“Great.” Kelly grinned. “Mom’s volunteered to babysit the little ones, so we can focus on getting everything set up and you and Taylor can have a date night.”

A flicker of doubt crossed Loretta’s mind. “I’m not sure about Taylor. He’s been working so hard with Nate and Esteban, moving the cattle. He might be too tired.”

Kelly waved off her concern. “Well, extend the invitation anyway. Sometimes a night out is just what you need after a long day of work.”

Loretta nodded. It would be nice to have a date night, just the two of them—and the Three Sisters Ranch crew. She could have a glass of wine, adult conversation. Heck, there might even be a charcuterie board to nibble on. But Taylor was going to be tired. Maybe, it would be a kindness just to let him catch up on his sleep.

“So,” Kelly said, leaning against the counter, “how was Thanksgiving? I meant to ask earlier, but things have been so busy around here.”

Loretta couldn’t help the rueful shake of her head. “Oh, it was interesting. It was nice having everyone together, but…” She trailed off, remembering the tension that had simmered beneath the surface of the family gathering.

Kelly’s eyebrow quirked up. “But?”

“Well, Taylor and his father Barney joined all of us at my parents’ house,” Loretta explained. “Which was convenient, if not a little crowded. Unfortunately, Taylor and I spent most of the time fielding different versions of ‘when are you two getting married?’ questions from every direction.”

Kelly winced sympathetically. “Sounds uncomfortable.”

“It was, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Eventually, Barney started in on Taylor about sticking with bullfighting instead of bull riding. You can imagine how well that went over.”

“Oh no,” Kelly groaned. “Is that why he signed up with Trent for bull-riding lessons?”

“What?” Loretta did a double take. Taylor had not mentioned that little tidbit to her. Was that the reason why he was coming in late and so exhausted every night since they had gotten back from Paris, Texas?

This is how it begins , the gremlin in her brain said. Little lies turn into big ones. You should have insisted he go to Mexico. Now he’s resenting being stuck here.

Loretta reached for the mental mallet, but it refused to go away even after she whacked it a few times. Why hadn’t Taylor mentioned he was taking lessons with Trent? Sure, he had been coming back from work a few hours later each night. She had just assumed he had been hanging out with the other ranch hands.

I bet Mrs. Lawton thought Donny was just helping his students too. And maybe at first, he had been.

Sensing Loretta’s discomfort, Kelly deftly changed the subject. “Well, I’m glad you’re back. And not just because I missed your company. Business has really picked up since you started selling your paintings here.”

“I’m happy to contribute.” And to make the same money daily that she had been making weekly at the rodeo events. It just didn’t make sense for her to travel anymore. Especially since Dolly was helping her set up a website to reach more people who wanted Western and rodeo artwork. This collaboration with the Three Sisters Ranch was bringing her one step closer to her five-year plan of independence.

As the afternoon wore on, Kelly gathered up her children and the empty pitcher. “We should get going. See you tonight.”

“Looking forward to it.” Even if she had to go alone.

After Kelly left, Loretta spent another hour putting the finishing touches on her painting before deciding to call it a day. As she packed up her supplies and tidied the studio, her mind wandered to the conversation she needed to have with Taylor about the bull-riding lessons. They were supposed to be saving up for an apartment. Of course, every place they looked around here was looking for first and last month’s rent upfront, as well as a security deposit.

She didn’t have $3,600 in savings yet. And she needed some more stable income before she could comfortably afford to pay twelve hundred dollars a month, just for rent.

With Georgie securely strapped to her chest in a baby carrier, Loretta locked up the studio and set off down the well-worn path to their Winnebago. They’d been at the Three Sisters Ranch for a month now, and while she was grateful for the Campbells’ generosity, she knew they couldn’t stay in the Winnebago forever.

A mixture of comfort and restlessness washed over her as she entered the RV. It had been their home for a long time, through all their travels on the rodeo circuit. But now, with Georgie growing bigger every day and their lives becoming more settled, she yearned for something more permanent.

Inside, Loretta set Georgie up in his high chair with some toys before starting on dinner. As she began sautéing chicken breasts and preparing rice and peas, her mind wandered back yet again to last month when Taylor had shocked the hell out of her by saying he loved her.

The memory still sent a thrill through her, along with a twinge of uncertainty. She loved him too, of course. But at the time, she hadn’t been sure their relationship would survive him going to Mexico and South America for the rodeo circuit. And then, when plans changed and they decided to stay in Last Stand, she wasn’t sure how they’d handle living in one place together without the constant bustle of traveling from rodeo to rodeo. Would he get bored? Would he resent her and Georgie? Like Connor had?

But the past month had been surprisingly wonderful, despite the cramped quarters of the RV. They’d fallen into a comfortable routine, and Loretta had begun to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could make this work long-term.

But then Thanksgiving happened, and the tension between Taylor and his father had reared its ugly head once again. Loretta sighed, pulsing a little bit of chicken and peas in the small food processor to feed to Georgie. She hated that Barney could make Taylor so angry that he made bad decisions.

And lie to you , the little gremlin said.

“He’s not lying yet,” she told it. “Maybe he’s just been too tired and busy to tell me.”

Bullshit.

The sound of boots on the Winnebago’s steps pulled Loretta from her thoughts. Taylor’s tired but smiling face appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, crossing the small space to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Something smells good.”

Loretta leaned into his embrace for a moment, savoring the solid warmth of him. “Just some chicken and rice. Nothing fancy.”

Taylor moved to scoop Georgie out of his high chair, peppering the baby’s face with kisses as Georgie squealed in delight. “And how’s my little man? You been good for your mama today?”

As Taylor continued to coo at Georgie, a tide of love for both of them swept over her. This was what she’d always wanted—a family, a partner who adored their child as much as she did. So what if there were a few little hiccups? That happened to everyone. It didn’t mean things were going south.

It did with Connor and Donny.

Shut up. She beat the little gremlin with the mallet until her head was pounding.

“I’m going to grab a quick shower before dinner,” Taylor said, passing Georgie back to Loretta. “Won’t be long.”

As the sound of running water filled the Winnebago, Loretta finished preparing dinner, her mind still swirling with thoughts of their future. She should tell him that she loved him too. But she should wait until January when he realized she wasn’t going with him on the rodeo circuit. That way, if he wanted to break up with her, he wouldn’t feel obligated to stay out of guilt or, worse, obligation.

She spooned some blended chicken and peas into a small bowl for Georgie, and encouraged him to try to use a spoon. It was a work in progress. He rarely made it to his mouth, but that was fine. As long as he tried.

Taylor emerged from the tiny bathroom just as Loretta was setting their plates on the table. His hair was damp, and he smelled of soap and shampoo. Loretta felt a familiar flutter in her stomach as he sat down across from her, their knees brushing in the confined space.

“So, how was your day?” Loretta asked, taking a bite of her chicken. “Did you get the cattle moved to the new pasture?”

Taylor nodded, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. “Yeah, we finally got them all settled in the Bushwacker pasture. Old man Sullivan named his pastures after famous bulls.”

“He’s a big fan of bull riding then?”

“Huge fan. He’s tickled pink that Trent’s his son-in-law.”

“What’s Trent like?” she asked. Now was the perfect time for him to tell her about taking bull-riding lessons.

But Taylor just shrugged and shoveled rice and peas into his mouth.

She should just ask him about it. But then again, what was there to know? He was spending his hard-earned money the way he wanted. She couldn’t complain that he wasn’t a good provider for Georgie. She shouldn’t have any say in how he spent his money. That was why it was up to her to keep saving for the apartment. It would be her apartment. Her name on the lease. Sure, she’d let Taylor stay with them—as long as they were still together.

She hoped they’d still be together.

“What about you?” Taylor asked, reaching over to wipe a big smear of food from Georgie’s face and chin. “How’s the painting coming along?”

“Really well. I think I’ll be able to finish it by the end of the week.” And even with the small cut that Kelly took out, Loretta would soon be close to her dream of having an apartment in Last Stand. “I hope they like it.”

“I’m sure they will,” Taylor said. “You’re talented. I always knew you’d do amazing things if you had the chance to really focus on your art.”

His words sent a wave of love through her. “Thank you,” she said softly. “It means a lot to hear you say that.”

A comfortable silence fell between them as they finished their meals. Loretta debated how to bring up Kelly’s invitation, not wanting to pressure Taylor if he was too tired. Finally, she decided that the direct approach was the best. If he said no, so be it. But that silly little voice in her heart hoped he would say yes.

“Kelly invited us to help decorate Janice’s retreat center tonight. She’s doing some holiday portraits there tomorrow. Her mom offered to babysit all the little ones, including Georgie.”

Taylor’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Tonight? What time?”

“Around seven,” Loretta replied. “But if you’re too tired, I can go by myself. I know you’ve had a long day.”

To her surprise, Taylor looked excited. “No, that sounds great, actually. Might be nice to do something festive, you know? Get in the Christmas spirit.”

Loretta couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to overdo it.”

Taylor reached across the table, taking her hand in his. “I’m sure. Besides, when was the last time we had a night out together?”

The warmth of his hand on hers sent a tingle up Loretta’s arm. “It has been a while.”

As they cleared the dishes and got Georgie ready for his evening bottle, Loretta was excited about their night. It wasn’t exactly a fancy date, but the prospect of spending time with Taylor, away from the confines of the Winnebago and the pressures of their daily routine, filled her with giddy anticipation.

Later, as they walked hand in hand toward Janice’s retreat center, Georgie safely in the care of Kelly’s mother Sarah, Loretta snuck glances at Taylor in the fading light. He looked relaxed, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“What?” he asked, catching her looking.

Loretta squeezed his hand. “Nothing. I’m just happy, I guess. This is nice.”

Taylor’s smile widened, and he pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, it is.”