And Then You Dance (Crested Butte Cowboys Series Book 2) by Heather A Buchman Page B

her, afraid to look away, afraid he’d miss something. Her look went from shock to…something he didn’t have words for. But when he looked at Willow, he hoped Renie was feeling the same thing he was. It was indescribable.
    Sophie Johnson couldn’t take her eyes off Billy. After he came back from South Dakota, her husband told her Billy was the baby’s father. He’d known it the minute he looked in the boy’s eyes. Willow was the spitting image of her daddy, including her pale blue eyes. Roxanne had big, brown eyes. Willow had his dimples too.
    “Here,” said Mrs. Johnson. “You hold your girl.”
    Billy hesitated, not sure what to do. Willow started kicking her legs, leaning toward him.
    “Hold tight Billy,” said Dottie, smiling through her tears. “She’s a squirmer…like you.”
    “Why don’t you have a seat son?” Earl Johnson motioned. “Your mama’s right. Willow’s a squirmer.”
    Billy could hear him, understood what he was saying, but he couldn’t move. He and Willow stared at each other, as though they were looking in a mirror. He was sure that any minute his heart was would burst right open. When he did look away, it was at Renie. He had no idea what the expression on her face meant.
     
    It was as though all the air left her body when Billy took the baby in his arms. And she watched him fall in love. In that moment, she realized she would never hold his heart the way she hoped she would. She’d dreamed of this day for the two of them, but in her dreams they were falling in love together with their baby. Not the baby Billy had with somebody else.
    What was she thinking coming with him? She wasn’t any part of the scene playing out in front of her. She was a bystander, and not an innocent one. She was a damaged bystander, witnessing the cause of the worst pain she could imagine.
    When Dottie rested her hand on Renie’s back, she flinched, as though the touch burned her.
    “Renie?” Billy was walking toward her, with the baby.
    “Billy—” Her voice caught in a sob. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”
    She felt the walls closing in on her. She couldn’t breathe. All she knew was she had to get away from this …Billy and his baby, as fast as she could.
    She turned and ran out of the hospital. She jumped into the cab parked outside the entrance. “Take me to the airport,” she said. “Hurry.” The cab sped away.
    She couldn’t bring herself to look back to see Billy, standing outside the door, baby in his arms.

Chapter 8
     
    Pooh was in the trailer, and Billy was almost ready to leave. He was waiting until Willow woke up and had breakfast before he did. There hadn’t been a day since he brought her home that he wasn’t there when she woke. He didn’t want today to be the first. He hoped instead it would be tomorrow. That would mean he would still be in Crested Butte, and if he were, it would mean Renie had agreed to see him. If she hadn’t, there’d be no reason for him to stay.
    He’d never wanted anything more in his life than he wanted Renie to talk to him again. He didn’t care if she didn’t love him anymore. He’d accept it, although he’d still love her for the rest of his life. It wouldn’t be fair for him to ask the same of her. She was young; she deserved to have all the fun someone her age should have. She shouldn’t be tied down, taking care of someone else’s baby.
    If he knew she was doing that, having fun, dating, staying out too late, laughing…the way he knew she loved to, he’d be happy.
    He never meant to break her heart. Never. He was as shocked as anyone to find out his one night stand had resulted in a baby. He still didn’t know how it had. He’d always been so careful. But now it didn’t matter. Willow was part of his life, the biggest part of it. And he wouldn’t trade her for anything. Not even Renie.
    — • —
    When Renie got out of the cab, Liv almost didn’t recognize her. She looked as though she’d been crying for hours and