The True Cowboy of Sunset Ridge (Gold Valley #14)(52)

“Is it difficult to take care of Lily?”

She shook her head. “No. Actually, it’s kind of... Healing. To care for her. Actually, it’s healing in a lot of ways.” She reached up and wiped a tear off of her cheek. “Jared called me.” He stopped the car in front of the ranch house.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I quite literally told him to do something anatomically impossible with himself. And I feel really good about it.”

“Well I’m glad to hear that.”

“I was afraid I would miss him.” She looked out the car window. “But I don’t. I really, really don’t.”

“Good for you.”

“I’m ready for dinner. I’m starving. The biggest problem with taking care of Lily is that I forget to eat during the day.”

“I never eat during the day.”

She looked at him, and her eyes dropped down to his midsection. Her admiration was open and frank, and it affected his body in a sharp, intense way. “Well, that explains a few things about you.”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“Well.” The air got thick.

Tension.

It was always swirling around them. And damned if part of him didn’t enjoy it. Because what he’d said to her the other night about buckle bunnies was true.

It had become a sure thing. And in some ways, a little bit boring. This... Well, this really did remind him of a different time of his life. One that was less complicated. Ironically. Because it was also about the most complicated time in his life he could remember. But it also reminded him a little bit of that innocent need you could feel for a woman. That sense of what if. Mallory Chance was a mystery that should be solved, and yet she also felt like an infinite one. It was the strangest damn thing, and he found that he kind of liked it.

It was amazing that in the middle of all this, he could like much of anything. But there were moments. Quiet moments in the middle of the swamp.

“Let’s go,” he said.

He got out of the car quickly, eager to put that moment behind them. He grabbed the diaper bag and hefted Lily out of her car seat, not that it was much of a heft. She was such a little peanut. He couldn’t see her mother or her father in her face. Mostly because she had that squishy little newborn look that was pretty much standard issue on them as far as he could tell. Though, she was an exceptionally cute standard issue in his opinion.

He shoved aside the heavy feeling that settled on his chest and fixed a smile on his face.

His family wasn’t used to seeing him in an intense mood. And hell, he wasn’t really used to being in one. It was just the last few months. It had been impossible to shift. And the whole situation had brought up a bunch of things that...

Yeah, everything was just kind of out there.

He hated that he couldn’t put on that smile anymore. That he couldn’t do what they expected of him.

Maybe they just expected this now.

The door burst open, and practically the entire family was shoved into the doorway, looking out.

“Hi,” he said.

Iris and Griffin in particular were staring.

He knew that Jake had more or less explained the situation to Ryder at least. But he had forgot to ask Mallory if she had talked to Griffin.

“This is Lily,” he said, indicating the baby. “She’s staying with me for a while. Mallory is helping.”

Mallory half waved. “Hi.”

Iris and Griffin exchanged glances that held clear and weighty words.

Great. So this was going to turn into an interrogation at some point. He was confident in that. Because when Griffin met his gaze, it was sharp and a little bit too intense.

And if he held the baby a little like a shield at that point, it wasn’t his fault. Everybody backed up when he walked into the room.

“Should we do rapid-fire Daniels questions?” he asked.

“So she’s Trent’s baby?” Ryder asked.

“Yes,” Colt said.

“And my sister is involved?” Griffin asked.

“Yes,” Mallory said. “Your sister is involved because she is an expert on babies. And she happened to be standing there when the baby was pushed into his arms.” She sighed. “Also, how can you not get involved with babies?”

“She’s beautiful,” Sammy said.

Pansy, still in her police uniform, took a step forward. “And everything is okay with her mother?”

“Pansy, I know this is a strange situation, but there’s really nothing... Look, before she goes back with Cheyenne we’ll make sure that everything’s okay,” Colt said. “I’m not going to let her go into an unsafe situation.”

“I know,” Pansy said. “It’s just that I like to make sure everything is aboveboard, and this is a little bit... Middle of the board.”

“It’s not.”

“He’s her godfather,” Mallory said. “We are going to have to get the baby set up with a pediatrician, though, and as we are not legal guardians, that is a little bit tricky.”

“That’s what I mean,” Pansy said. “It’s going to get complicated.”

“I’m not afraid of complicated,” Colt said. “Since when has our life ever been simple?”

“Fair point,” Rose said. “We don’t do simple. We only do convoluted and slightly dodgy. I’m referring to my marriage.” Her husband rolled his eyes and sighed audibly. She looked back at him and smiled broadly.