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

Chapter Twenty

Loretta

L oretta’s paintbrush clattered to the floor as Georgie’s determined grunts caught her attention. Her little cowboy was rocking back and forth on his hands and knees, ready to conquer his own eight-second ride across the living room floor. Pride swelled in her chest, quickly followed by a familiar pang of loneliness. Taylor should be here for this.

“Come on, sweetie,” she cooed, pushing away the bitterness that threatened to taint this moment. “You can do it!”

Georgie’s face scrunched up in concentration, looking so much like Taylor that Loretta’s heart ached. She reached for her phone, ready to capture his first crawl on video. In a burst of energy, Georgie lunged forward. Loretta’s heart soared—and then plummeted as his head connected with the leg of the coffee table with a sickening thud.

Georgie’s wail pierced the air as Loretta scooped him up, her artist’s hands shaking as they came away sticky with blood from a gash on his forehead.

“It’s okay, baby,” she murmured, her voice steadier than she felt. “Mama’s got you.”

As she grabbed her keys and Georgie’s diaper bag, Loretta’s finger hovered over Taylor’s name in her contacts. She hesitated, remembering his excitement about today’s ride in Dallas. She didn’t want to distract him over this. Georgie was fine. He was going to be fine.

But there was a lot of blood.

In the car, Loretta’s mind raced. She’d been so focused on her art, on building a life here in Last Stand. Had she been neglecting Georgie? Should she have babyproofed better? The what-ifs threatened to overwhelm her.

But as she pulled into the ER parking lot, the facade cracked. Loretta realized she didn’t want to do this alone. She didn’t have to be the strong, independent woman all the time. Sometimes, it was okay to need someone.

With trembling fingers, she dialed Taylor’s number. “Taylor,” she said when it went to voice mail, her voice finally betraying her fear. “It’s Georgie. He hit his head trying to crawl. There’s blood, and we’re at the ER. I—I need you. Please call me back.”

As she hung up, Loretta felt a complex mix of relief and anxiety. She’d reached out, exposed her vulnerability. Now came the real test—would Taylor come through, or would he be another name on the list of people who’d let her down?

Cradling Georgie close, Loretta walked into the ER. The antiseptic smell burned her nostrils, a sharp contrast to the comforting scents of home and the sweet smell of baby shampoo that still lingered on Georgie’s hair.

“Your daddy’s coming,” she whispered, as much to reassure herself as Georgie. The words tasted of hope, fear, and a love so deep it still scared her sometimes.

She’d built walls around her heart, painted over the cracks left by past disappointments. But for Georgie—and for Taylor—she was willing to risk those walls coming down. All she could do now was wait, and hope that this time, someone would actually show up when she needed them most.

*

Taylor

Taylor wiped the sweat from his brow as he checked his phone, his heart skipping a beat when he saw a missed call and voicemail from Loretta. Frowning, he pressed play, holding the phone close to his ear to hear over the arena’s noise.

“Taylor,” Loretta’s voice trembled, fear evident in every word. “It’s Georgie. He hit his head trying to crawl. There’s blood, and we’re at the ER. I—I need you. Please call me back.”

The world around Taylor faded away—the bustle of the arena, the smell of leather and hay, the distant lowing of bulls. All he could focus on was Loretta’s frightened voice and the words “Georgie,” “blood,” and “ER.”

With shaking fingers, he dialed Loretta’s number. She picked up on the first ring.

“Taylor?” Her voice was tight with worry.

“Loretta, I just got your message. How’s Georgie? How bad is it?”

In the background, he could hear Georgie’s heart-wrenching wails. The sound made his stomach clench.

“He’s—” Loretta began, but was cut off. Taylor heard a muffled voice in the background. “The doctor’s here now. I have to go.”

“I’m on my way,” Taylor said quickly. “I’m leaving right now. I love you both.”

“Love you too,” Loretta replied hastily before the line went dead.

Taylor was moving before he even pocketed his phone, heading straight for his dad’s truck. He threw his gear in the back, not caring how it landed.

As he climbed into the driver’s seat, a hand caught his arm. It was Barney.

“Where you headed, son? You’re up soon.”

Taylor met his father’s eyes. “Georgie’s hurt. He’s in the ER. I’ve gotta go.”

Barney’s face paled. “How bad?”

“Head injury. There’s blood. I don’t know more.” Taylor’s voice cracked. “Dad, I need to be there.”

Barney nodded, squeezing Taylor’s shoulder. “Go. Everyone knows family comes first. I’ll sort things out here.”

As Taylor peeled out of the parking lot, his father’s words echoed in his mind. Family comes first. It wasn’t even a question, he realized. The ride, the season, the championship—none of it mattered compared to Georgie and Loretta.

The miles stretched endlessly before him. Taylor’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched against the fear and guilt gnawing at his insides. Georgie’s cries echoed in his ears, a haunting reminder of his absence.

“What the hell am I doing four hours away when my son needs me?” he muttered, hitting the steering wheel in frustration.

The realization that he’d missed Georgie’s first attempt at crawling left Taylor feeling more winded than any eight-second ride ever had. He’d been so focused on bull riding to provide for his family, that he was missing the most important moments.

“Some father I am,” he berated himself.

Every mile marker that passed was a reminder of the distance between him and his family. Taylor’s mind raced with worst-case scenarios. What if it was serious? What if Georgie needed surgery? What if…

He shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts. He needed to focus on getting there safely. Loretta and Georgie needed him in one piece.

As the Texas landscape flew by, Taylor thought about the consequences of his decision. He was probably blowing his chance at the championship, maybe even risking his spot on the circuit. But then he thought of Georgie’s little face, of Loretta’s voice trembling with fear, and he knew he’d make the same choice every time.

“Hold on, buddy,” he murmured, as if Georgie could hear him across the miles. “Daddy’s coming. I promise I’ll be there more. I’ll do better.” It was only four hours from Dallas to San Antonio. Maybe he could come home every night at that distance.

*

Loretta

Hours had passed, and Loretta’s hope was fading. The ER’s harsh fluorescent lights seemed to mock her, highlighting every doubt and fear. Georgie had finally fallen asleep in her arms, his little forehead bandaged, tear tracks still visible on his cheeks.

She glanced at the clock again. Four hours since she’d called Taylor. Four hours of waiting, wondering, hoping. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the moment she realized she truly was on her own.

Just as the thought crystalized, Taylor burst through the hospital’s door, disheveled and wild-eyed, his gaze frantically searching the room until it landed on her.

Gratitude flooded through Loretta, so intense it was almost painful. He’d come. He’d really come.

Taylor crossed the room in long strides, enveloping her and Georgie in a tight embrace. For a moment, Loretta allowed herself to melt into his warmth, to believe that everything would be okay.

“I’m so sorry,” Taylor said. “I should have been here.”

“You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

As Taylor gently stroked Georgie’s cheek, murmuring soothing words to their sleeping son, Loretta watched him. He had come when she needed him.

Dr. Johnson, a tall man with a reassuring smile, approached them with a clipboard in hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Keller?” he asked, his voice warm and confident.

“N…” Loretta started to say, but Taylor interrupted her.

“Yes,” he said.

Yeah, not exactly. But close enough.

“I’m Dr. Johnson. I’ve been looking after your son, Georgie.” The doctor’s gaze moved between them. “I have good news. All of his tests have come back clear. There’s no sign of concussion or any other complications.”

Loretta wanted to collapse into a chair and start sobbing out of sheer relief. Beside her, she heard Taylor’s deep exhalation.

“I know the amount of blood must have been frightening, but I want to reassure you that all head wounds tend to bleed a lot, even minor ones. Georgie will be just fine. We’ve cleaned and dressed the wound, and it should heal nicely.”

“So he’s okay?” Taylor asked, his voice shaky.

The doctor nodded, smiling. “He’s absolutely fine. You can take him home tonight. Just keep the wound clean and dry, and if you notice anything unusual, don’t hesitate to come back. But I don’t anticipate any problems.”

As Dr. Johnson left them with care instructions, Loretta felt a growing sense of guilt. She looked at Taylor, taking in the exhaustion etched on his face. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “I panicked and made you drive all this way for nothing.”

Taylor shook his head. “No, you did the right thing. I’m glad you called me. I needed to be here.”

Loretta leaned into him for a moment before pulling back. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. Why don’t I drive you back to Dallas tomorrow so you can rest? We can get a hotel room in case the crowds are too much for Georgie. Then we can all go back home together on Sunday.”

Taylor’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Are you sure Georgie will be up for that?”

“He’ll probably be a little cranky, but car rides usually put him to sleep.” Loretta looked down at their now sleeping son. “I think we’ll both feel better if you’re close by.” She hesitated. “Is that too needy?”

“No, I think it’s great.” Taylor studied her face for a long moment. “But I’ve got Barney’s truck. We’re not all going to fit on the way back.”

Loretta thought about it. “Georgie and I can stay with Dolly when you and Barney go to the next rodeo in Fort Worth. Maybe I can borrow the Winnebago from my parents again.”

“No.” He shook his head. “This is all too much last-minute scrambling. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just need a good night’s sleep and to hold you and my baby for a few hours.”

“I feel so bad I dragged you out here for nothing.”

“It wasn’t for nothing.” He gripped her arm. “I wanted to be here more than I wanted to be on a bull.”

More guilt weighed down on her. “I know, but the season has just started. We should have gone to your first rodeo. It’s a big drive,” she admitted. “But we should have been there.”

“It’s okay,” Taylor said. “You were focused on getting your paintings ready.”

“Yeah, but I should have been focused on you too. Please, let me make this right?”

“It’s already all right.” Taylor held up a hand to stop what she was going to say next. “I’d love for you guys to travel with me again. But maybe later on in the season when things settle down with your show and Georgie is feeling better.”

“Okay.” Loretta felt the tightness in her chest ease and she could breathe freely again. Walking, however, was a little more difficult. Her knees wobbled, but Taylor was there to support her. And she realized, he always would be.