Grumpy Cowboy (Single Dad Collection)

“Yeah, darlin’,” my dad says, turning his eyes from me to the love of his life. When my mom makes it to his opposite bedside and leans down to touch her lips to his own, I know it’s my cue to give them some time to themselves.

“I’ll be back in a little bit, Dad. Gonna check on Joey and maybe get her some food, okay?”

Tex smiles at that and gives me a thumbs-up. “Hell yes. Feed my granddaughter, and then bring her in to see me. I wanna give her a hug and a kiss and let her know that I’m doin’ just fine.”

“I will.”

“She’s out in the hall with Leah,” my mom says helpfully. “Maybe you can feed both of them while you’re at it.”

Just like Tex, there’s a hint in her words I won’t touch on for now.

Instead, I bid both of my parents a salute and head for the hallway.

Destination: two very important girls.

July 4th, Sunday

Leah

Mindlessly, I stroke Joey’s soft hair as she sleeps in my lap. Her petite hands are tucked together under her cheek, and her breath comes out in steady, even waves.

I have to pee like a racehorse, but I wouldn’t dare move from this spot for anything—not even the very real possibility of bladder damage.

Something about her sweet cuddles is a soothing balm to the tattered edges of a long and restless night here at the hospital watching people I’ve come to care about struggle with the fear of a loved one’s health scare.

In need of a distraction from the growing urgency in my abdomen, I pick up my abandoned phone from the seat of the chair next to me and tap the screen to wake it up. Several messages are stacked recklessly atop one another on the home screen, the result of weeks and weeks of being incommunicado with the world outside of Shaw Springs Ranch.

There are several messages from my brother Sam, who is thankfully easygoing and smart enough not to freak out and call the police after not being able to get in touch with me while I’ve been on this job in the middle of nowhere. And an almost insanely lengthy chain from Carla and Taylor that they’ve had going since the last short exchange I started with them in the middle of a meadow.

I hold the phone up in front of my face so it’ll unlock, open the message app which boasts an ungodly sixty-three unread messages, and scroll down to click on Sam’s contact first. After scrolling back up to the beginning of his new messages, I start reading.

Sam: How goes it at your new home, home on the range? Tell me, is it really where the deer and the antelope play?

I smile at his ridiculousness and scroll down.

Sam: You know, I heard that too, sis. So glad to hear we’re on the same page.

Sam: I really enjoy these meaningful chats with you. We should have them more often.

Sam: WHAT? You want me to have your car? You’re giving it to me as a gift?! Seriously, Leah, that’s so generous of you.

Sam: I don’t know if anyone’s ever mentioned this to you before…but you’re really too chatty. You should tone down the messages a bit, it’s getting overwhelming.

Sam: Okay, but for real…you better text me as soon as your stupid phone works again. I want justification that I’m doing the right thing by not freaking out that you’re not answering me at ALL. And perhaps, also, a cookie. Thank you.

I make a mental note to call my brother and set things right just as soon as I don’t have a sleeping girl in my lap and some time to myself. Sam’s such a positive force in my life, and honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without him.

And if our roles were reversed, I’d be freaking the flip out like a lunatic by now.

Scrolling up through the message app, I stop on the group message with Carla and Taylor and click it open to read through what they’ve had to say.

It will probably be a lot less calm than Sam, but I can pretty much guarantee it’ll be just as colorful.

Carla: You know, I’m not sure I’m loving the whole knock and dash you did on us the other day, Lee. I mean, you tell us all about some hot, disgruntled cowboy and get our hopes up for little western-outfitted babies, and then you just DISAPPEAR? That’s damn near criminal.

Taylor: RIGHT? My sweat glands haven’t been the same since you dangled the hot guy carrot and took it away! I’m sweating right through my pajamas at night, dammit.

Carla: To be fair, Tay, you’ve been having night sweats for longer than Lee’s been gone. Remember last summer when we went to Vegas and we woke up so wet I thought we both peed the bed?