Baby-Daddy Cowboy
The Buckskin Brotherhood
Vicki Lewis Thompson
BABY-DADDY COWBOY
Copyright © 2020 by Vicki Lewis Thompson
ISBN: 978-1-946759-86-3
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Ocean Dance Press, PO Box 69901, Oro Valley AZ 85737
Cover art by Sylvia Frost
Visit the author’s website: VickiLewisThompson.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
But Wait, There’s More!
Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson
About the Author
Chapter One
“It doesn’t get any better’n this, Jake.” CJ Andrews sliced up an onion and dumped it in a bowl before picking up a second one. “Beautiful summer day and your chuck-wagon stew for dinner. Thanks for making it.”
“My pleasure.” Cubed beef sizzled in the frying pan as Jake browned the meat.
“I was afraid you’d give up on the Friday night tradition.” Soon after Matt and Lucy’s wedding two months ago, Jake and Millie had paired up, further reducing the number of single men in the Buckskin Brotherhood.
“I was tempted to ditch you guys.” Jake grinned. “But I hate to see grown men cry.”
“I would’ve cried for sure. I wait all week for this night.”
“CJ, you seriously need to get a life.”
“Don’t I know it, bro.” He quartered the potatoes. “But for now, having you and Matt join the Brotherhood for dinner once a week is the highlight of my existence. When we’re all sitting around the table, it’s like you two never left.”
Jake laughed. “You see us every blessed day.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. I need our Friday night routine as much as anyone. Millie likes it, too. Gives her a chance to hang out with Kate and Lucy.”
CJ’s phone chimed. “See, I have a life. People call me.” He grabbed a towel and quickly dried his hands before tugging his phone from his pocket. “Probably Nick wanting to know if the stew’s ready.” He glanced at the screen and sucked in air.
“CJ?” Jake peered at him. “You okay?”
“It’s Isabel.” The one woman he’d never expected to hear from again. “’Scuse me.” He tapped the screen, put the phone to his ear and managed a jaunty greeting.
“Hey, CJ.” She sounded weird. Strained. Not like the bubbly Isabel Ricchetti who’d been one of the bridesmaids for Matt and Lucy’s wedding.
The last night of her stay, she’d invited him to share her bed and he’d accepted. One night of carefree sex. That was all he’d counted on and all she’d been willing to give.
“What’s wrong, Iz?”
“I’m pregnant.”
He gripped the phone as he fought for breath. “But... we used—”
“I know.”
“Are you sure?”
“Just got back from the doctor.”
He gulped. Think, man. Say something. “I want to see you.”
She let out a gusty sigh. “I was hoping you’d suggest that.”
He closed his eyes. He’d said the right thing. “We’ll talk, figure this out.” He dragged in a breath. “I’ll come there.” A last-minute ticket to Seattle would be pricey. Didn’t matter.
“No, let me come to you. I have frequent flier miles. And I’d like to talk with Lucy, too.”
“You’ve told her?”
“Not yet. I wanted to call you first. She’ll be next. Then my… folks.” Her voice quivered.
“Izzy, it’ll be okay. We’ll handle this together.”
She sniffed. “You’re a kind man, CJ. I knew that, but I… anyway, I’d better hang up before I get weepy. I’ll text you when I have a ticket. Bye.” The line went dead.
He stared at the phone. A baby. His baby. His gut clenched.
“I got the gist of that.” Jake’s voice penetrated the fog. “Sounds like she’s pregnant.”
CJ nodded, opened his mouth to comment and closed it again. He must have used all his words while talking with Isabel.
“Go grab yourself a cold one. I’ll finish this up.”
“No, I can—”
“Forget it. You’ll slice off your pinky. You need a bottle of hard cider and you need it now. Get one and have a seat at the table. Once the stew’s in the pot, I’ll join you.” He paused. “Don’t worry, bro. You’ve got this.”
“Not even close.”
“Get your cider.”
“Okay.” He tucked his phone in his pocket, headed for the fridge and opened the door. Jake was right about the cider. Wrapping his hand around a chilled bottle was a familiar sensation that steadied him. He twisted off the cap and took a long swallow of the tangy brew. Better.
“Stew done yet?” Nick’s voice boomed out as he came through the front door of the bunkhouse. “I’m starving.”
Another dose of normal. Nick ate like a horse and could probably bench-press one. The guy lifted weights a lot.
“You’re always starving!” Jake called back. “Stew will be ready when it’s ready.”
“What kind of answer is—” Nick broke off as he walked into the kitchen. “Whoa, CJ. Did somebody die?”
“Just the opposite.” CJ lifted his bottle in salute. “In seven months, somebody will be born.”
“Who?”
“My kid.”
Nick’s eyes widened. “No shit.” He nudged back his hat. “Isabel?”
“Yep.” CJ took another fortifying gulp of his cider.
“Anything I can do?”
“What do you know about pregnant ladies?”
“They have weird food cravings. Gertie at the sandwich shop told me that.”
Jake turned from the stove. “What a shock that your intel concerns food. Hey, since you’re here, how about washing up and then chopping some cabbage for coleslaw?”
“Sure, but CJ usually—”
“CJ’s not allowed to risk dismembering himself right now.”
“Oh. Got it.” Nick rolled back his sleeves and cleaned up at the sink. “I must say I’m surprised at this turn of events, CJ. I pegged you as a condom-wearing man.”
“I am. I did. Purchased that weekend.”
“Then maybe you slipped up on the withdraw.” Nick dried his hands and picked up the head
