Page 33 of Her Cowboy Baby Daddy
In the meantime, she wouldn’t be able to partake in the Farmer’s Market that week due to moving the cattle. She was allowed two no-shows per summer, with notice, so that the organizers could find a fill-in before she lost her spot and had to start the application process again.
If she got dumped, she’d roll with it. The ranch was her livelihood. The greenhouses and gardens were her side gig. And when she had her baby, she’d have to cut back her work schedule, and there was a good chance that she wouldn’t be indulging in gardening and such for a while. Time would tell on that matter, but the ranch supported her and got first priority.
Hayley ducked her head against the wind and headed to the barn. The hoes needed sharpening, and there was no time like the blustery present. She had just opened the man door when she heard an engine over the wind. Her heart jumped at the sight of Spence’s truck.
You’re not ready. Not even remotely ready.
But she didn’t need to tackle the matter just yet. She didn’t even need to do it today. She could make an appointment with him so that they could discuss the matter in a neutral environment.
She stood in the open doorway as Spence pulled to a stop, holding onto her hair to keep it from blowing around her face. He jumped out of his truck and headed toward her, following her into the barn, then shutting the door after himself.
“Some weather.”
“Probably different than where you were.”
“Nope. Thunderstorms every night.”
“How was the job?”
“Hot. Short. Lucrative.”
“Are you glad you took it?”
“It helped Millie get out of a bind, so yes. It kind of flummoxed her when I decided to come home for the summer.”
“You don’t actually work for them? I mean—”
“I’m a subcontractor. In theory, which allows me to pick my jobs. In reality, I never turn them down.”
“You like all the travel?”
She sounded like she was trying to reassure herself on the point, and Spence picked up on it, shooting her a frown as he said, “Freedom is good. I get edgy when I feel tied down.”
Hayley stayed silent, having learned during her invisible years that people often talk more, and she could therefore talk less, if they have time to think things through. She was about to conclude that Spence had nothing more to say when he gave a soft laugh.
“I guess it makes no sense, really. I had a great childhood. Parents were supportive. If they’d known everything I’d been up to, they might have had some things to say, but as long as the evidence didn’t hit them in the face, they let me go my own way.”
“I think Reed kept them on their toes.”
“And Em. Yes.” Spence rubbed his hands over the planes of his cheeks. “I don’t know, Hayley. I think your birth-order theory has merit, so I’ll go with it. Middle child syndrome.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
He gave her a startled look, making Hayley wish she’d eased into the matter more smoothly.
“Had one.”
“That was a personal question. Sorry.” It was also a question she needed an answer to. Not that a girlfriend would necessarily be a problem, but it would add another facet to a tricky situation.
“This isn’t a job interview, is it?”
She didn’t answer, and he gave her a questioning look. There was no easy way to approach this matter. She’d thought about scheduling an actual appointment with him in a neutral, yet private, location. This wasn’t an appointment, but they were alone in the barn, so...
She pushed back her hair. “Do you remember that pamphlet on my kitchen table the first time you came to my place?”
“I noticed the title.”
“I plan to have a baby.”
