Six Weeks To Catch A Cowboy. Brenda Harlen

remarked.

      “I know she loves Dani,” he said. “And she’s been taking care of her since the accident, even moving into Emily’s place so that Dani could stay in familiar surroundings.”

      “But only temporarily.”

      He shrugged. “Her boyfriend is some rich international banker who likes to jet-set around Europe and she wants to be free to see the world with him.”

      Maybe the grandmother did love Dani, but it seemed to Kenzie that she loved her boyfriend—or at least the lifestyle he could provide—more. And without even having met the little girl, Kenzie ached for the child who’d lost the only parent she’d ever known and who would soon be facing even more changes and challenges.

      “Speaking of grandparents,” she said. “How did your parents respond to the big news?”

      Spencer sighed. “Well, it was awkward, that’s for sure.”

       “You didn’t tell us you were coming home tonight,” his mother said, but softened the admonishment with a kiss on his cheek.

       “I wasn’t sure myself,” he told her.

       “How’s the shoulder?” his dad asked.

       “It’s coming along,” he said, as if the words might lessen the current throbbing in the joint. “I’m hoping to start therapy this week.”

       “That’s good news,” Ben said.

       “Speaking of news,” Spencer said.

       “Please tell me you’re going to give up riding bulls and come home to work at Blake Mining,” Margaret implored.

       Since he couldn’t confirm her request—because even if he didn’t know how long he was going to stay in Haven, he did know that didn’t ever want to work at Blake Mining—he decide to ignore it.

       Instead, he took two chocolate cigars out of his pocket. They were wrapped in shiny pink foil with paper bands announcing, “It’s a Girl.” As he handed one to each of his parents, he said, “Congratulations, you have a granddaughter.”

       His father’s brows drew together; his mother’s eyes went wide.

       “Is this some kind of joke?” Ben wanted to know, obviously not amused.

       “It’s not a joke,” he assured them. “It’s happy news.”

       “For Christ’s sake, Spencer.” His father shook his head. “Of all the stupid, reckless—”

       Margaret reached up to put her hand on her husband’s arm, the gesture effectively halting his outburst. “Is it true...you have a baby?”

       “Well, she’s not actually a baby,” he said. “Dani will be four in a few weeks.”

       “Then why in hell are we only learning about her now?” his father demanded.

       “Because I only found out about her myself a few weeks ago,” he admitted.

      But he didn’t share any of those details with Kenzie now, opting to summarize the hour-long confrontation by simply saying: “My dad yelled, my mom cried, and then, when they’d both had some time for the news to sink in, they said that they’re looking forward to meeting Dani.”

      “I think I’m beginning to understand why there was so much tension in your body when you were on the table today,” she remarked.

      “Yeah, that’s part of it,” Spencer acknowledged.

      “Well, and your injury, obviously.”

      “That, too,” he agreed.

      * * *

      Spencer left a short while later, after thanking Kenzie again for dinner—and for listening to him. She still wasn’t sure why he’d come to her. It might have been as simple as he’d claimed: that he hadn’t kept in touch with any of his old friends and just wanted someone to talk to. Whatever the reason, she was glad he’d shown up at her door.

      She was also admittedly a little disappointed that he was already planning his return to the rodeo. When she’d heard about his injury, she hadn’t expected it would keep him sidelined for long. But finding out that he was a father—well, she would have thought that might have more of an impact.

      Of course, the change in his circumstances was fairly recent, and it was entirely possible he was still processing what it meant to be a father and how that status would impact every aspect of his life.

       But when I talked to him last week...he seemed to suggest that he was thinking about making a career change...

      Brielle’s words echoed in her mind, assuring her that Spencer was thinking about his future—and his daughter’s, too.

      And maybe, after some thinking, he would decide to stay.

      Not that it should matter to her one way or the other. Sure, she’d love to meet his daughter. And maybe, if he stuck around, Kenzie and Spencer might become friends. But she wasn’t going to start spinning fairy tales in her head about some kind of happily-ever-after with a guy who’d broken her heart once before.