Read Online The Cowboy and the New Year's Baby by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page A

mind. It’s not important. Did you two have a good visit?”
    “After he managed to do what I couldn’t, calm Laura down,” she conceded. “Apparently his skills with the ladies even extends to those only a couple of days old.”
    “That’s Hardy, all right. The kids around here tend to gravitate toward him. He’s extraordinarily patient with them,” she enthused. “Underneath that devil-may-care attitude, he’s a good, solid man.”
    Trish smiled at her. “You don’t have to sell him to me. He saved my life, more than likely, and brought Laura safely into the world. I’ll always be in his debt.” Her expression sobered. “But that’s all.”
    “Oh, of course,” Kelly said hurriedly, but without real conviction. “You just met. What more could there be?”
    “Exactly.”
    “So,” she began with obviously undeterred fascination, “what else did you two talk about?”
    Trish sighed as she recalled the primary topic of conversation. “He told me my father’s reported me missing.”
    Kelly’s eyes widened. “Oh, dear. I hadn’t heard that.”
    “Hardy said he heard it on the news. Don’t worry. I called my father and warned him to call off the bloodhounds. I’m pretty sure he will.”
    “Did you tell him where you were?”
    “And have him come charging over here tonight? Not a chance.”
    “Trish…”
    “Don’t even try. It has to be this way, at least for now. If that’s going to be a problem for you or Jordan, I can move on,” she said, reiterating her earlier offer to go, rather than involve them in a sticky situation. “I don’t want to put you in the middle of my battle.”
    “Believe me, we’re used to being caught up in squabbles around here. We can take it,” Kelly reassured her. “But we also believe, in the end, that family counts more than anything.”
    “I know. I doubt there’s anyone in Texas who doesn’t know just how tight-knit the Adamses are. My brothers and I are extremely close, too. I’d contact them if it wouldn’t just put them in the position of having to lie to our parents. I’m not going to get into everything, but I will say that the senior Delacourts are cut from very different cloth.”
    Kelly regarded her somberly. “If that’s true, then it’s a pity.”
    “Oh, it’s true enough.”
    “Then for the time being, just think of us as family. We’ll be right here for you until you’re completely back on your feet again.”
    “Thank you,” Trish said. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
    “It’s our privilege to have you here,” Kelly assured her with absolute sincerity, then grinned. “It doesn’t mean I’ll stop nagging you about openingthe lines of communication with your own family, though.”
    Trish laughed at the openly declared warning. “Fair enough.”
    When Kelly had gone off to finish getting dinner ready, Trish settled back against the chair’s soft cushions and let her eyes drift shut. She had to think about the future, had to plan her next move, but just for now she felt more at home and at ease than she had in months.
     
    “So, how was dinner last night?” Harlan Patrick asked when Hardy joined him to ride out in the morning.
    “I picked up a couple of burgers in town,” Hardy replied, keeping his gaze averted. He could just imagine the shocked expression on his friend’s face.
    “I thought you were going to eat over at Kelly’s,” he said, clearly puzzled.
    “Plans changed,” Hardy said succinctly.
    “Why is that?”
    “It seems the whole thing was a bit of a mix-up. The horse was fine. I took off. End of subject.” He climbed into the saddle and spurred his horse to a canter.
    Harlan Patrick scrambled to catch up. “What about…?” His voice trailed off.
    Hardy turned and regarded him with exaggerated curiosity. “What about what?”
    Harlan Patrick scowled. “You know perfectly well what I’m asking about.”
    “Do I?”
    “Trish and the baby, blast it. Did you see them?”
    “Hard