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Chapter One
Beau
Nursing a cup of black coffee, I picked a path through the crowded Magpie Street Farmer’s Market. Since it was Saturday, my boss looked the other way for a few hours in the morning, granting his ranch hands some personal time to do whatever we wanted. Grady McCall might be a stubborn, intimidating bastard, but he was a fair and good man, I’d give him that.
As I made my way through the Farmer’s Market, I searched for the booth my best friend would be running with his wife. A few feet ahead, I spotted the sign for Robinwood Acres. When I approached, I found Landon McClaren with his baby daughter sheltered snug and safe in the crook of his arm. His wife, Callie, was deep in conversation with a handful of customers as they discussed the array of produce from her greenhouse.
It made perfect sense that Landon would look after the baby, while Callie managed the customers. She loved talking to people, making connections in town, while Landon was more reserved, sticking to a handful of folks he knew well and trusted.
“Never thought I’d see the day when fatherhood suited you,” I said.
Landon turned to greet me. He cupped his daughter’s head in his palm, smoothing his thumb over her wispy hair.
“It helps that our little Cora-Jean takes after her mother,” he replied. “She has the patience of a saint.”
Cora-Jean yawned and waved her tiny fist until she latched onto Landon’s thumb with a tight grip. Then she gave a sleepy sigh and turned her face into his chest. A soft smile touched his lips. Named after her great-grandmother, Cora, and taking Callie’s middle name, it sounded like Cora-Jean had big shoes to fill in a long line of hardy homestead McClaren women.
It was amazing to witness the change that had come over Landon after he married Callie and they started living together. He went from sullen and aloof to a devoted husband and father who wouldn’t shut up about his gorgeous wife and sweet kid. After everything he’d been through, I was glad to see that he finally had a family of his own who taught him what it was like to be loved so unconditionally.
“Is this the part where you convince me I need to settle down like you did?” I asked.
Landon shook his head, enamored with the sight of his sleeping daughter. Even though she was several months old by now, he looked at Cora-Jean as if it was the first time he laid eyes on her.
“I know better than that, Beau. Wouldn’t waste my breath.”
I couldn’t deny the slight sting of that. On one hand, I was relieved that Landon didn’t try to change me, accepting the way I chose to live my life. On the other hand, I almost wished he would tell me how much having a wife and baby had changed his life for the better, and how much he wanted the same for me, too.
Then again, everyone in Ash Ridge knew I wasn’t the type to settle down. I was too much like my father that way—the same man who had packed up and left town when I was seven years old, abandoning me and my mother to fend for ourselves without a word of warning.
After Callie was finished with her customers and sent them on their way, she turned to me with a warm hug of acknowledgement.
“Hey, Beau. It’s good to see you. Are you here to offer your babysitting services?”
“Just dropped by to say hello. I have to be back at the ranch by noon. Besides, the only way I’ll get to hold that little nugget is by prying her out of Landon’s cold, dead hands. It’s never going to happen.”
“Everyone knows you’re a lady’s man,” Landon countered with an amused expression. “Can’t let someone with your reputation near my baby girl.”
“Don’t worry,” Callie said to me. “He’s like this at home, too. It kills him to put Cora-Jean down in her crib for the night. When she’s old enough to go to school, I’m sure the separation anxiety will be brutal.”
Landon kissed Cora-Jean’s forehead and brushed his knuckles against her round, soft cheek.
“Your mama and your uncle Beau are talking about us, little one,” he murmured. “I still have a few more years to convince them you can stay home with me instead of going to school. I’ll wear them down eventually.”
I smiled to myself. Callie nudged me with her elbow.
“You should take Landon back to the ranch with you for some farrier work. I swear he would be more than happy shutting himself away in the house and becoming a stay-at-home-dad, but he’s going to spoil Cora-Jean rotten if we don’t do something.”
“Let me give Grady a call and let him know. Our horses could use some TLC.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me, honey,” Landon said with an amused look in her direction.
“I’m simply making sure you get some grown-up time with other adults for a change.”
He gave a skeptical hum.
“Are you sure this doesn’t have anything to do with your accusation this morning? Claiming that I was hogging our daughter all to myself?”
“It was an observation. Not an accusation.”
