Free Having the Rancher's Baby by Cathy McDavid Page B

family usually ate breakfast and dinner together, lunch was a fend-for-yourself affair, depending on what each of them had scheduled for the day.
    â€œOne or two?” Cole asked.
    He was in too good a mood to let anything or anyone spoil it, and had been that way since yesterday. His kiss with Vi was the reason. She may have tried afterward to pretend nothing happened, but something had happened. Something he was convinced she’d enjoyed as much as he had.
    â€œTwo.” Gabe poured himself a glass of ice water.
    Cole took two more tortillas from the warmer, slapped them on a plate and passed it to Gabe. He could add his own beans and condiments.
    Josh entered the kitchen from outside. “Hey, that looks good. Count me in.”
    â€œSince when did I become the cook?” Cole grumbled.
    â€œIt’s refried beans on a tortilla.” Josh pulled out the chair between his two brothers and sat. “How hard can it be?”
    Cole was sure Raquel had spent hours preparing the homemade tortillas and beans and assembling the fixings—shredded cheese, salsa, jalapeños and diced onions.
    He went to the pantry and found an open bag of corn chips, which he set in the middle of the table. His brothers attacked the food like starving animals, whereas he tried to show at least a modicum of decorum.
    It wasn’t often the three of them were alone in the house. At one time that would have created an awkward and unbearable situation. These days, they might not always agree, but they handled their disputes like adults rather than bickering children.
    â€œHow’s Violet?” Gabe asked between bites.
    Cole stopped, the burrito inches from his mouth. Did Gabe suspect anything? Had he seen Cole and Vi kissing?
    â€œFine. She worked all morning, then went home a while ago for the rest of the day.”
    â€œI saw her helping Leroy unloading supplies.”
    â€œYou did?” Cole frowned. “She’s supposed to be taking it easy. No lifting”
    â€œShe was. Taking it easy. Sort of.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œNothing heavy. Some sacks and cartons.”
    Cole decided to call Vi after lunch just to check on her. On second thought, he’d drop by instead.
    â€œYou two getting along okay?” Josh asked.
    Again Cole’s suspicions were roused, and he answered hesitantly. “Great.”
    â€œShe’s easy to work with.” Josh snatched the bag of corn chips and dumped a second large helping onto his paper plate, along with a heaping serving of salsa.
    Cole almost laughed. “Are you kidding? She’s a taskmaster and a perfectionist. Riding a bull is less work and less daunting.”
    â€œShe might make a rancher out of you yet,” Gabe mumbled between mouthfuls.
    Remarks like that, ones implying Cole would eventually settle down and stay at Dos Estrellas, usually filled him with the urge to hit the road and the next town, pausing only long enough to pack his bags. Instead, he sat where he was, wondering if the feeling washing over him was contentment. It had been so long...
    â€œI heard you and Joey fixed the leak in the pond.” Gabe bit into his second burrito.
    â€œJoey’s the one who came up with the idea.”
    â€œWhoever did, it’s working.”
    â€œLet’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Cole cautioned. It was true, the pond level had been holding since yesterday, but it was much too soon to consider the plug secure and the problem resolved.
    â€œThat was pretty clever, though. Borax, huh?”
    Cole shook his head. “I wouldn’t have thought of it.”
    They stayed sitting at the table even after their lunch was consumed. Cole studied his brothers while trying not to be obvious.
    What would their father think, seeing the three of them getting along and acting like, well, brothers? He’d probably smile and say that was his plan all along and the reason he’d left a third of Dos Estrellas