The Cowboy's Little Surprise by Barbara White Daille

, DINNER at the Hitching Post was fast becoming the most uncomfortable meal she could ever remember.
    Shortly before they had sat down to eat, she had been finishing up some emails in her office. She had heard boot steps on the hardwood floor of the lobby and looked up to find Cole leaning against the door frame. After his day on the ranch, he had showered and dressed in nearly full cowboy attire, down to and including fringed chaps.
    As she looked him over and raised her brows, he had grinned. “Might as well give the crowd a thrill. I’d have worn spurs, too, if I didn’t think Paz would have my hide for it.”
    “Abuela wouldn’t be too happy if you scratched the furniture,” she had agreed.
    Now
she
wasn’t at all happy watching him charm everyone in the dining room.
    But he had always been Cole Slater, the playboy. The boy who had once had her under his spell. The boy whose magic had ultimately proved to be an act full of smoke and mirrors. A well-practiced act, like the one he was performing now.
    Yet, somehow he seemed different tonight. More relaxed. More genuine. More sincere than the boy she had known years ago.
    And definitely sexier than ever.
    Startled, she stared down at her plate. Where had that thought come from? And what had she done with all her common sense? One show of weakness in front of Cole could give him an advantage over her. Again.
    Almost against her will, she found herself looking in his direction. She sat and she watched and she worried as he played the role of cowpoke to the hilt. Or rather, to the shiny silver buckle on his belt. A buckle, he’d told their guests, he had won at a rodeo in Abilene. Then he’d proceeded to regale them with tales of his bull-riding days.
    The guests weren’t the only ones wide-eyed and plying him with questions.
    “Y-you killed a animal?” Robbie asked, his bottom lip quivering.
    “No,” Cole said immediately. “I just tested my skill against those bulls. Like this—here.” He took a dinner roll from the basket in front of him and tossed it underhand toward Robbie.
    Robbie grabbed the roll between his palms and grinned.
    Cole smiled back at him. “See how fast you caught that? Those bulls are fast, too. I wanted to see how long I could stay on ’em before they threw me off. It’s a lot different from riding a horse.”
    “Like Bingo?” Robbie asked.
    Bingo was the smallest pony in Jed’s stable. Before Tina could respond, Cole answered.
    “Yeah, like Bingo. He’s your horse, huh?”
    “Yep. He’s little, like me. But Scott’s littler. If Scott comes sometimes, I can ride Shadow. Right, Grandpa?”
    “Sure you can. You’re getting plenty big enough for Shadow. Now, you see?” Jed looked at the guests seated at two of the smaller tables. “If my little guy can handle himself on a horse, we’ll have y’all up in the saddle in no time.”
    Tina noticed he was careful not to let his gaze linger on the elder of the couples. When they had checked in and he had mentioned horseback riding, Mr. Dunbar had responded enthusiastically, but his wife had said nothing.
    Trust Jed to find a way of offering reassurances kindly, and without making an issue of it.
    Just as Cole had done with Robbie.
    She thought of her conversation in the kitchen that afternoon, of the question she had asked Abuela.
    Did you think Jed wouldn’t want to know the truth?
    From the minute Cole had met her son, she had watched his reactions. She had read the anger in his posture. Had heard the hurt in his tone. At this moment, she could see the wonder in his eyes.
    Every single emotion said he would have wanted to know about Robbie.

Chapter Eight
    After dinner ended, Cole asked Robbie about his ponies. When her son enthusiastically led him down the hall, with Trey toddling behind them, Tina found herself trailing along, too.
    To keep an eye on the boys,
she told herself. And of course, to visit with their guests.
    She and Jed always kept themselves accessible to those