A Baby on the Ranch by Stella Bagwell

Author:Stella Bagwell
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2004-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

More than an hour later, Katherine was clean and dressed in a fresh gown. Lonnie had also wiped the debris from the baby’s skin and hair and now the two adults were inspecting everything about the sleeping newborn.

“He looks just like you, Katherine,” Lonnie said in amazement.

Her face glowed as she looked down at her new son. “He does, sort of,” she agreed. “How much do you think he weighs?”

Lonnie thoughtfully scratched his head. “Oh, more than a sack of flour. I’d guess about seven pounds.”

“That big?”

Lonnie chuckled at her amazement. “A little earlier tonight you would have said he weighed twice that much.”

A pretty pink color flooded her cheeks, and Lonnie was relieved to see it. Earlier, right after the birth, she’d looked frighteningly pale.

“You know, I was expecting the labor pains to be bad. But no amount of planning could have gotten me ready for just how bad,” she said. “I wasn’t too good at giving birth. I’m sorry.”

Picking up the baby’s foot, he examined each perfect little toe. Everything about the newborn seemed like a miracle to him. Which every newborn was, he thought. But this one was even more wondrous and special to Lonnie because he’d helped bring it into the world. And most of all, it was Katherine’s child.

“What are you talking about?” he softly admonished. “You were a real trooper.”

Regret tugged down the corners of her full lips. “I screamed out. And I said some crazy things.”

Pulling his gaze from the baby, Lonnie’s guarded gaze traveled over her face. “You said if you died you wanted me to raise him,” he said wryly. “I guess that does seem a bit crazy to you now. I’m not exactly a father figure.”

Seemingly astonished that he should say such a thing, she stared at him, her lips parted. “I meant every word of that! And as far as I’m concerned, it still goes.”

Happiness flooded through him like a warm, welcome rain and in the back of his mind, he realized he was headed for deep trouble. He could see it coming like a dark cloud, boiling and roiling out of control. This was the wrong woman for him to be setting his heart on. She had her own life back in Fort Worth. Her own baby to bring up. She wouldn’t be interested in a county sheriff with far more guts than sense.

“I’m honored, Katherine. Real honored.” He tried to stop himself, but before he could, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her forehead. As he drew back from her, he murmured, “I hope you don’t mind me doing that.”

For long seconds her eyes studied his rugged features as though she wanted to remember them always and then she said, “The only thing I mind is that you didn’t give me a proper kiss. A woman should have one of those after she gives birth to a son, don’t you think?”

A real kiss? Suddenly his heart was hammering in his chest. “I think you’re right,” he whispered.

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