Page 32 of When a Cowboy Falls Hard
“Montgomery doesn’t sound like a cowboy.”
“But he still is a cowboy, right?”
His face scrunched up. “Yeah, but….”
Clearly she’d confused him. “How about this. You keep calling him Mister Monty because that’s the name you like and I’ll keep calling him Montgomery because that’s the one I like.”
He turned to consult his idol. “Which one do you like?”
“Both.”
“You like Montgomery?”
“I didn’t when I was your age. I like it better now.”
Tex blew out a breath. “Well, I’m calling you Mister Monty, no matter what!”
“Alrighty, then. You have your special name for me and your mother has hers.” Amusement flickered in his blue eyes as he gazed at her. “I’m good with that.”
So charming. Did he have to be charming on top of everything else? How was she supposed to keep her distance from this man when all she could think of was kissing him? When she was constantly dreaming up ways they could be alone?
She’d considered sticking her lipstick in her pocket. Should have.
Chapter Eleven
Monty had hoped for a trouble-free birth and thankfully it had been exactly that. Speckles had passed the placenta with no issues and her foal was nursing like a champ.
The celebratory picnic in the barn featured dried-out meatloaf and cold baked potatoes, but nobody cared. They toasted the addition to “the herd” with beer for Graham and Zinnia, while he and Tex drank ginger ale. Everybody drank from the bottle like real cowboys according to Tex.
Zinnia and Graham cleared away the dishes while he and Tex held down the fort. When they came back, phone numbers were exchanged and they shared pictures and videos. No drama. Just how he liked it.
Then all hell broke loose when Zinnia announced it was Tex’s bedtime. He wanted to sleep in the barn and Zinnia wasn’t about to let him.
As the little boy dissolved into tears, Graham stayed out of it. Monty took his cue from Graham and ambled away. Except he had a solution, damn it.
Should he interfere? Yeah. He raised his voice so he could be heard over Tex’s wails. “Zinnia, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Can it wait until I put Tex to bed?” She hoisted him off the stool as he sobbed and begged her to let him stay.
“About that. I have a thought if you’d like to hear it.”
She gave him a sharp look. Clearly she didn’t appreciate his attempt to meddle in her parenting style.
Fair enough. He had no experience with childrearing. But he was a whiz at conflict resolution. He lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head toward the barn’s open doors.
Heaving a sigh, she set Tex back on his stool and met him just outside the barn door. “What?”
“He could sleep on my cot.”
“How would that help? I can’t leave him out here alone. I’m not willing to sleep in the barn and neither is Graham.”
“I’m planning to stay all night.”
“Why? Everything’s going fine.” Her breathing quickened. “Is there a problem? Is there something you haven’t?—”
“No, no. Easy.” He instinctively laid his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. But he immediately let go. That contact felt too damn good. “They’re both doing great.”
The panic in her eyes gave way to wariness. “Then what reason is there for you to stay?”
