Vicki Lewis Thompson - 3 Cowboys & A Baby 03 by Boone's Bounty

Author:Boone's Bounty [Bounty, Boone's]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Three Cowboys And A Baby, Parenting, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Family & Relationships, Fatherhood, General
ISBN: 9780373258888
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2000-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

9

THE INSIDE of the ranch house was so cozy, Shelby sighed with delight. Matty took their coats and directed them to the bathroom down the hall. Then she and Gwen left to organize drinks for everyone, including wine for Shelby and lemonade for Josh.

On her way through the living room, Shelby took appreciative notice of everything. The furniture was the kind that could withstand dogs and children and big men wearing dusty jeans. A wing chair and an old rocker flanked a wear-polished leather sofa, and a sturdy wooden coffee table sat in front of it.

The house not only looked comfortable, it smelled that way, too—a homey combination of cedar crackling in the fireplace, chicken in the oven and sweet peas in a jug on the coffee table.

So this is what a real home feels like. Shelby contrasted it with her parents’ showplace in San Antonio. After growing up in a formal atmosphere, Shelby had known what she didn’t want. Seeing this rustic, comfortable room, she finally knew what she did want.

A light was on in a bedroom at the end of the hall, and Shelby heard a baby coo, followed by the low murmur of a woman’s voice. Shelby’s stomach rolled. Jessica.

She hustled Josh into the bathroom, flipped on the light and closed the door. Then she leaned against it and fought for breath. Suddenly this perfect house wasn’t so perfect anymore. She felt like crying. For a few precious minutes she’d imagined herself fitting into this world of Boone’s, and she’d loved the feeling. But if Jessica had arrived, that could only mean one thing. She was here to see Boone. And Boone would have no more time for Shelby.

“Shebby?” Josh stared up at her.

She gazed down at the little boy and quickly whipped her priorities into order. This whole trip wasn’t about her, it was about Josh. If Boone stopped paying attention to him because of Jessica and the baby, he’d be devastated. She’d have to be ready to compensate, as she always had.

“You look like you been runnin’,” Josh said.

“It’s the altitude,” she said, taking a deep breath.

“You gots a bad altitude?”

She couldn’t help smiling. “Altitude,” she said. “That means we’re up in the mountains, which is a higher altitude than down in San Antonio. There’s less oxygen up here, so that sometimes makes it a little harder to catch your breath.”

“What’s ox-gin?”

“Something in the air that helps you breathe. Come on, Josh, we’d better tend to business, here.” She walked over and put up the toilet seat.

“It’s wood, Shebby.”

“Oak. Yes, it is.” She started to help him pull down his sweats and underpants.

“I’ll do it.” He shoved her gently aside. “Boone showed me how to get my wee-wee out. Look. I don’t gots to take my pants off. They gots a hole. See?”

“I see. Good for you.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. How much longer would Boone be available to coach Josh in the art of being a boy? Maybe the end had already come.

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