The Cowboy's Doorstep Baby - Sample

Chapter Three

Callum hung up the phone and sat at the kitchen table for a moment, trying to make sense of his thoughts. Avery hadn't answered her cell, so he'd left a voice mail giving her the time of the doctor's appointment. It would take a day or two to get the test in, so he hadn't been able to get an appointment until mid-morning on Friday. Avery probably wasn't going to be happy about that, but it was out of his hands.

If she could just understand his reasons for asking for it in the first place...

But she didn't nor would she. There was no sense bringing up the past when it couldn't be changed. He'd learned his lesson and was smart enough not to get caught in the same trap ever again.

Now he'd lost the better part of the day. He'd planned to put the cows in the west pasture until milking time and it hadn't happened. Then there was the load of hay he'd bought from the Diamond brothers over at Diamondback Ranch. It needed picking up.

Not to mention the fact that he ignored the house most of the time. He'd put on his last pair of jeans this morning and had thrown a load of laundry in the machine out of pure necessity. He knew the place looked bad. It hadn't taken Avery's turned up nose yesterday to tell him that.

He'd probably been foolish to buy this place. He should have taken a job instead of trying to run everything solo. It was just...the idea of taking orders any longer was so repulsive that he couldn't see himself doing it. And he'd chosen the farm because the most uncomplicated time in his life for as far back as he could remember had been working summers on his uncle's farm on the lower mainland. Nothing had been complicated when he'd been cutting hay or feeding calves or laughing—a lot—painting the barn.

It was the laughter he missed the most.

He knew everyone in Cadence Creek thought he was plumb crazy for wanting to raise dairy cows in the heart of beef country. Maybe he was. But for him the only real cow was a Holstein, and it made him happy. Five o'clock in the morning came early, but the time he spent in the milking parlor with the radio on was the best part of his day. Calm, quiet. Just him, the cows, and country music.

And when George Grant had decided to retire and sell off his quota, it had seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Callum pushed away from the table and took his plate to the sink. It was rounded with dirty dishes. God, what a disaster. He had to do something, especially if Avery Spencer came around again.

He picked up the phone and dialed the only person he'd trusted since moving to the area: Tyson Diamond. Ty and his brother Sam ran the biggest ranch around, but you'd never know it. Friendly, down to earth, and always ready to offer advice or a willing hand, the brothers had eased Callum's way as he'd taken over Grant's farm. And neither of them had asked too many questions, either.

Ty answered on the first ring. "Tyson Diamond."

"Ty, it's Callum."

"Hey, brother." Callum suppressed a smile; Ty had an easy-going way about him that his older brother Sam didn't and it showed, even in the simple greeting. There was a scuffling noise and then the sound cleared. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your advice. Or maybe your wife's advice."

"Clara? She's up at the house. I can get her to call you. What's it about?"

"I need a hand and thought she could recommend someone." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I need someone to help me clean out this pigsty. I can't afford anyone really expensive..."

Ty's laugh came over the line. "You're calling for a maid."

"Just temporarily. To help me get caught up."