Baby on the Ranch

Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Suzanne Caldwell shoved against the spot in the door of the Old West Diner where the Waitress Wanted sign filled the glass. The scent of fresh apple pie greeted her, along with a rush of noise. Though there were no more than ten people at the counter and in the booths, the place was as rowdy as a party. Women wearing jeans and tank tops sat with men dressed in jeans, Tshirts and cowboy hats.She didnt get two steps into the room before the noise level began to drop. As if noticing the stranger, people stopped talking midsentence.She clutched her sixmonthold baby, Mitzi. There was nothing like walking into a roomful of staring strangers to make you realize how alone you were in the world. And she was definitely alone. Shed run out of gas about a mile out of Whiskey Springs, Texas, and, literally, had no one to call for help.No family. Her grandmother had died six months ago and her mom had died when Suzanne was six. Her dad, whoever he was, had never acknowledged her.Her mom and grandmother were both only children, so she had no aunts, no uncles, no cousins.And no friends. The wonderful sorority sisters whod vowed to be her ally for life had dumped her when she got pregnant by a popular university professor. It was her fault, theyd said, and had accused her of trying to ruin Bill Bakers career. As if. The guy had gone on a campaign to seduce her and had wormed his way into her life because of her grandmothers fortune. When Martha Caldwell made some major mistakes in money management and lost the bulk of her wealth, Professor Baker suddenly didnt want to see Suzanne anymore. And he most certainly wanted no part of their baby.So, yeah. She was alone. Alone. Broke. Desperate to make a home for herself and her baby. And shed left Atlanta bound for Whiskey Springs, hoping to find some help.But after walking the last mile on a hot June day, her heels ached in her black stiletto boots. Mitzi squirmed in her arms. Her heavy diaper bag was dislocating her shoulder. Still, she kept her head high as she made her way to the first empty booth. By the time she got there, the diner was dead silent.A waitress shuffled over. Help you?She cleared her throat. Id like a piece of the apple pie I can smell, a cup of coffee, a glass of milk and some pudding, please.What kind of pudding?She swallowed. Not one person had turned back to his or her coffee or food. They just stared as if she were a zombie or vampire or some other mythical creature theyd never seen before. What kind do you have?Vanilla or chocolate.Mitzi loves vanilla.Without so much as a word of acknowledgment, the waitress scurried away.Youre not from around here.Knowing the man could only be talking to her, she followed the voice and found herself staring into a pair of the shrewdest eyes shed ever seen. Cool, calculating, so black the pupils were almost invisible, his eyes never blinked, never wavered as they held her gaze.Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore.No, Im not from around here.Whats your business?None of yours. She turned away from the penetrating, unsettling eyes and shifted Mitzi on her lap.To her horror, the man walked over and plopped down on the bench seat across from hers. His full lips pulled upward into a devilish smile. His dark eyes danced with pleasure. Now, see. Thats not just a bad attitude. Its also wrong.She should have been scared to death. He was big. Not fat, but tall and broadshouldered. The kind of guy who could snap a little fivefootfive girl like her in two. But instead of fear, a very unladylike shiver of lust rippled down her spine.Everything that happens in Whiskey Springs is my business because this is my town.Not at all happy with herself for even having two seconds of attraction to an illmannered stranger, she said, Your town? What are you, the sheriff?He chuckled. The people at the counter and in the booths around them also laughed.No. Im Cade Andreas. I own this to