Page 51 of The Cowboy and the Baby

Lily and Noelle went to bed later that night.

I seethed.

Livid, but unable to bash my hammer into the bathroom flooring and finish the demolition process Noelle had advanced today, I forced myself to the barn. I shoveled stalls, snow, whatever I could find. I worked until the froth eased out of me and exhaustion remained in its wake.

Abandoned by her family.

Chased by an untrusting woman with nothing else to hold onto.

I was not having it.

Not anymore.

A drawling voice stopped me dead as I replaced the pitchfork along the sidewall.

“Something wrong, hoss?”

Cody stood just inside the doorway, snow clumped along his boots. He tilted his head with a knowing eyebrow raise. I turned away and muttered, “Leave me alone,” as I headed down the aisle, checking each horse. Fresh hay filled the stalls. Water heaters kept the troughs open, and the barn settled without my hurricane ripping through it.

Cody chased after me.

“Didja get in a fight with Noelle?”

“What?” I reared back, glaring at him over my shoulder. “No! Why would you ask that?”

“Oh, no reason,” he said lightly, tucking one hand in his vest. “But also lots of reasons. It’s two in the morning. Why are you out here at two in the morning doing Wyatt’s job? Now you’ll have to find something for him to do tomorrow.”

“I know what he’s doing tomorrow.”

“Oh?”

“The damn bathroom.”

I pressed my lips together and held another curse word in. That’s another five dollars for the curse jar. Ten, including my slip in front of Noelle. At this rate, the knuckleheads would be able to cash it out and buy whatever concert tickets they wanted. Wyatt salivated over a new rock band with an upcoming event a few hours away.

Cody’s footfalls paused, started again.

“Okay, so now I think it’s the end of the world.”

I stopped so suddenly he almost slammed into my back. I whipped around, stared at him eye-to-eye.

“If you know I’m not in the house, and you ever see someone drive up here in a car that you don’t know, you get to the house before they can ring the doorbell, you hear me? Just stand on the porch if you have to. I don’t want Noelle to be facing anyone if she’s alone.”

Cody took it in stride, which was always the good thing about Cody. He rarely had questions. He just listened.

“Okay.”

“You stay near Noelle. If I’m not around and you’re concerned about anything, get me here. Got it?”

“Got it.”

His continued agreements soothed me. I’d been wracking my brain for ways to keep Noelle and Lily safe for hours. Plans populated into what-ifs and then scenarios that couldn’t possibly happen. I had to work hard to remind myself of what was real, versus what I created in my mind.

Silence petaled around us, and I didn’t realize it until too much time had passed. I’d been standing in the middle of the barn in a mental quagmire.

So much for being a put-together boss.

“Cade?”