The Cowboy's Family Plan. Judy Duarte

      He’d sure feel a lot better if she were here with him now. He reached into the sack, removed one of the heat-resistant cups and took a seat near the children.

      So far, so good, he thought. But they’d be finished eating soon. Then what was he going to do with them?

      God only knew. In the meantime he tried to focus on the television screen, rather than the slow-moving clock on the wall.

      Hopefully, Selena would be back before word got out that he was completely out of his element when it came to dealing with kids.

      * * *

      At 9:47 that evening, Michael Allan Bedford entered the world, red-faced and squalling. Even at four pounds two ounces, the little guy seemed to be a fighter, which was a good sign that he’d have little trouble while in the new neonatal intensive care unit.

      Selena had assisted the delivery which had been fairly uneventful, then she’d followed Shannon’s gurney into the recovery room, where she took note of the grandmother’s name, address and phone number.

      “As soon as you’re taken to your room, you can give your mom a call,” she told Shannon. “But in the meantime, I’ll let her know that everything is okay—and that I’ll be taking the kids to her within the next hour or so.”

      “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me, for all you’re doing.” Shannon’s eyes filled with tears.

      “I’m glad I was there when you needed me,” Selena said.

      “Me, too. You’ve been a real godsend, Dr. Ramirez.”

      Selena had just done what most women or doctors would have done in her place. But she thanked Shannon just the same and said, “I’ll stop by to check on you tomorrow.”

      Then she went to find Alex and the kids.

      When she reached the doorway to the waiting room, she spotted little Kimberly stretched out on the small love seat in the corner, sound asleep. Tommy and Alex were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, a coloring book and crayons spread out before them.

      So Alex truly was daddy material. A smile stretched across her face, and she remained in the doorway for a moment longer, taking it all in.

      As if sensing her presence, Alex glanced up. His gaze immediately sought hers, seeking an answer to the question he hadn’t needed to ask.

      She nodded and offered him a weary smile, letting him know that the mother and baby were both doing fine.

      “Hey, Tommy,” Selena said, as she made her way into the room. “Your mom wanted me to tell you that your baby brother has been born.”

      “Cool.” The boy scrambled to his feet and hurried to Selena. “Can I see them?”

      “Not yet. Your mom will be in recovery for another hour or so, and the doctors are still examining the baby. But he looks good. They both do.”

      If all went well, the pediatrician might even release little Michael within the next week, although the jury was still out on that.

      She wondered if it would be difficult for Shannon to leave her newborn in the hospital of a strange town and go to her mother’s house, which was more than an hour away. Probably. Most new mothers wanted to keep their babies close. But there wasn’t anything Selena could do about that. Right now, she had a promise to keep—to see that the children were delivered to their grandmother.

      “I’m going to need that ride back to my car at the wellness center,” Selena told Alex. “I have to drive the kids to Oakville.”

      “Do you have an address?” he asked.

      “Yes, I do.”

      “Good. We can take my car. I’ll drop you off at the wellness center when we get back.”

      “You want to go with me?”

      He flashed a smile at her that lit up every raw spot in her heart, exposing every pain and disappointment she’d ever had—at least, in her own mind.

      Torn between the wisdom of traveling with him and the desire to have him come along for the ride, she asked, “Are you sure? You didn’t sign on for all of this.”

      “Neither did you. Besides, it’s getting late. There’s no reason for you to go all that way alone.” His gaze sought hers, creating a connection she could almost feel, she could almost...trust.

      She pondered his offer, but only for a moment. Why insist that she could handle the drive on her own when she had someone willing to go with her? And not just anyone, but a handsome cowboy who threatened to turn her heart every which way but loose.

      “Okay,” she said. “I’ll take you up on that.”

      “Good.”

      Was it? She certainly hoped so.

      “Tommy,” Alex said, “if you’ll put those crayons and coloring books back where we found them, I’ll pick up your sister and carry her to my truck.”

      “Will we all fit?” Selena asked.

      “It’s a dual-wheel Dodge with a king cab. So we’ll be fine, although we’ll need to transfer that car seat.”

      As Alex tenderly scooped a sleeping Kimberly up in his arms, triggering visions of home and heart and family, he said, “Let’s not keep Grandma waiting.”

      For the briefest of moments, Selena wondered what it would be like to have a family, but she brushed off the thought as quickly as it had sparked.

      The cowboy had a family plan already in place, and it didn’t include her.

      * * *

      In spite of the late hour and a minimal amount of cars on the road, the drive to Oakville took nearly two hours, so Alex and Selena would be pulling an all-nighter before getting back to Brighton Valley. But Alex didn’t mind. He liked having the pretty doctor ride shotgun with him, sharing her company as well as a smile or two.

      On the way to Oakville they hadn’t done much talking. When they did speak, they kept their voices down so they wouldn’t risk waking the children who slept in the backseat.

      Once they’d reached the small tract home on Blue Ridge Court, Ruth Morgan had welcomed them inside and showed them to the spare bedroom, where the coverlets on two twin beds had already been turned down, awaiting her grandchildren.

      After Alex had carried the kids from the car and they’d been tucked in, Ruth had thanked them again for making sure her daughter got to the hospital and for bringing the kids all the way to Oakville.

      “I would have jumped in the car and met you in Brighton Valley,” she said, “but I’m having some vision problems, and the doctor won’t allow me to drive at night.”

      “I’m glad we were there when Shannon needed us,” Selena said. “Maybe after you talk to her in the morning, the two of you can figure out a way to pick up her car. She’ll also need a ride home from the hospital in a couple of days. In fact, because she had surgery, she won’t be allowed to drive either—at least for a few weeks.”

      “I’ll call my church first thing in the morning,” Ruth said. “I’m sure I’ll find someone who can help out.”

      Alex was glad to know the woman had options. And because it appeared their job was through, he said, “We’d better hit the road.”

      “All right,” Ruth said. “But wait here for a moment. I fixed you a snack to take with you—oatmeal cookies. And I prepared a thermos of coffee. It’ll help keep you awake on the way home.”

      She’d been right. The caffeine and sweets had helped. So had a late-night radio station that played classic country music.

      By the time Alex spotted a sign that claimed Brighton Valley was twenty miles away, the sun had begun to rise, painting streaks of orange