The Cowboy's Baby Bond Read Online Free Page A

thinking? He didn’t feel that at all. That was a runaway thought that had no place in his head. Except it remained.
    Big Sam patted Johnny’s back. “Son, you did the right thing.”
    That explained it. The boys had been raised to do what was right even if it cost them. Making sure Willow and Adam were safe fell into that category.
    They continued to the house, washed up at the stand outside, then entered. They trooped by Maisie, who waited at the doorway, each of them planting a kiss on her cheek.
    Willow had brushed her hair into a tidy roll, though Johnny thought maybe it suited her better escaping to hang about her face. Adam wore a new little shirt and pants.
    He let Maisie make the introductions.
    As soon as Adam spied Johnny among the newcomers, he held out his arms to him.
    Willow shifted him to her other side so he couldn’t see Johnny, but the baby squirmed around and reached for him.
    â€œI could hold him,” Johnny offered, hoping no one would hear a hint of eagerness in his voice. He’d discovered something very satisfying about holding a baby.
    â€œIf you don’t mind.”
    He took the child and grinned inwardly when the little guy buried his face against his shoulder as if expecting him to protect him from those other men. But as he sat next to Willow, Johnny could not meet Levi’s eyes across the table. Let him think what he would. This changed nothing.
    They passed the food and filled their plates.
    â€œI’ll feed him,” Willow said, and Johnny shifted the baby to her knee. She tried to persuade him to eat, but he turned away from the food. “Maybe when you’re feeling better.”
    At the worry in her voice, Johnny wished for a way to make life easier for her. That, however, was not his responsibility. It would be her husband’s if he were alive. Being as she was a widow, he supposed it was God’s job to look after the details of her life. Even though she said she figured God wasn’t doing a good job of it.
    As she did every evening, Maisie asked about their day, starting with Big Sam.
    â€œI dragged a cow out of a mud hole down on the flats. It looks like we’ll have to move the cows away from that area.”
    Maisie turned to Johnny next.
    â€œYou all know what I did. I brought Mrs. Reames and her son here.” He didn’t care to add to that. Not the disappointment of delaying his journey to the cabin nor the unexpected joy of holding young Adam.
    â€œWillow,” she whispered. “Please call me Willow.”
    Maisie asked Levi next.
    â€œI saw Tanner. He says everyone is well.”
    Maisie turned to Willow. “Tanner is the oldest of the Harding boys.” She got a distant look in her eyes. “I can’t believe he’s twenty-one and married. And now I have four grandchildren.”
    â€œMy brother married Susanne, who is raising her brother’s four orphaned children,” Johnny explained. “Now they’re a new family.” He’d never before thought how nice it sounded. Blame Adam for making him realize he might be missing something by shutting his heart and life to the possibility of experiencing the same kind of joy and belonging. But his experience taught him he could not expect to fare as well as his big brother had.
    Maisie sighed. “I can’t believe how time has flown. When I married your pa, you—” she looked at Johnny “—were eight and you—” she looked at Levi “—were seven. And now look at you. All grown up at twenty and nineteen.” She emitted another deep sigh.
    Levi chuckled. “But every minute of it has been fun, right?”
    Maisie’s face became wreathed in a smile. “It has indeed.” She turned to Willow. “My dear, tell us about your day. Where are you from and where are you headed?”
    Willow repeated the story she’d told Johnny, of being widowed three months ago and now expecting her