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  Bargain for Baby

  Cowboys and Angels Book 10

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Unlimited Dreams

  Copyright © 2017 by Kirsten Osbourne

  Unlimited Dreams Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Erin Dameron Hill/ EDH Graphics

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Visit my website at www.kirstenandmorganna.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  What’s Next for Cowboys and Angels

  Also by Kirsten Osbourne

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Becky Brown sank down onto the single bed in her room in the boarding house where she’d lived since her parents had kicked her out six months before. She’d made one mistake—albeit a huge life-changing mistake—and they’d let her know it was unforgivable in their eyes.

  She patted her belly, wishing the baby would hurry and come before removing her shoes and rubbing her feet. Waiting tables when you were eight months pregnant wasn’t ideal, but there was no choice in the matter. Her fiancé had died the week before the wedding and left her pregnant. She knew she shouldn’t have anticipated the marriage vows, but it had only happened once! Of course, once was enough.

  She couldn’t regret the baby she had growing inside her. It was a living reminder of Cliff, a man she had loved with everything inside her. He’d been her sweetheart for years, and they’d finally set a wedding date. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of him the way she’d last seen him—laid out in his coffin. Her heart would never be the same again.

  Becky curled her feet under her, thankful she was able to reach her feet still. She knew many women weren’t able to when their pregnancy was as advanced as hers was. All the rubbing in the world wasn’t going to make them feel normal, but at least they felt a little better.

  She arched her back and stretched for a moment before reaching down to put her shoes right back on her feet. She received a discount on her room if she helped cook and serve supper every night, so that’s exactly what she did. As the only woman living there other than Mrs. Franklin, the owner, it put up an invisible barrier between her and the men as well.

  Leaving her room, Becky locked the door and headed downstairs to help cook and serve. She’d already put in eight hours waiting tables, but that wasn’t nearly enough if she wanted to be able to clothe and feed her baby. She had no idea who would watch the child when it arrived, but she had to figure something out. Being an unwed mother in the town of Creede, Colorado was not a position to be envied.

  She walked into the kitchen, wanting to fall on her knees and beg for the evening off, but she knew better. As kindly as Mrs. Franklin was, she would still expect Becky to do her share of the work. It was the arrangement they’d made that allowed Becky to live there at half-rent after all.

  When she reported to the kitchen, Mrs. Franklin was waiting for her, ready to give her assignments. “Set the table for eight tonight. We have a new boarder. Handsome young man who is here for the rebuilding of Creede.”

  Becky smirked at the idea that Mrs. Franklin felt the need to tell her the man was handsome. It wasn’t like anyone would look at her in her condition. “I’ll set the table for eight. Supper smells good.” Mrs. Franklin usually had the bulk of the meal ready by the time Becky came down to help. Sometimes she had her peel potatoes or make something small, but usually it was ready, and she just had to help serve and set the table.

  When she walked into the formal dining room, where they all ate supper every night, she saw a man who was a stranger to her. She smiled, not meeting his eyes. “Hello. I’m Becky.”

  “I’m Amos. Do you live here?”

  Becky nodded. “I’m the only female guest here. I help Mrs. Franklin with the meals and such.” She didn’t mention the discount it got her, because that was no one’s business but her own.

  “That’s nice.” Amos’s eyes fell to her stomach, and he frowned. She was a beautiful girl, and he’d hoped he could get to know her better. Someone had obviously beaten him to her. “Where’s your husband, ma’am?”

  She frowned, considering not answering truthfully for the first time since Cliff had died. “I’m not married. My fiancé died a week before our wedding was supposed to take place.” Cliff had been one of the miners, and she missed him daily, but he’d left her in a pretty pickle.

  “I see.” He studied her for a moment. “It can’t be easy to have a child on your own.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be,” Becky said, carefully putting the plates on the table and setting the silverware beside it. What she did at home was very similar to her job at the restaurant waiting tables. “I’ll have to find out, won’t I?”

  “You should marry. It would make your life easier.”

  She laughed, the sound of it harsh even to her own ears. “Who would want me in this condition? Soon I’ll have a child. No man wants a woman with a baby.”

  He studied her for a moment, his head tilted to one side. “I’m not sure you’re right about that, Miss . . .”

  “Brown. Becky Brown.”

  “I have a feeling you’re wrong. A beautiful young girl like you has her whole life ahead of her. I think there are plenty of men who would be thrilled to have you for a bride.”

  “Like you, for instance?” Becky wasn’t sure what made her so bold, but she was tired of being told her life wasn’t in ruins because she was pregnant. She knew better. Why, her own parents had kicked her out, and Cliff’s parents had wanted nothing to do with her.

  Amos frowned for a moment before nodding. “Yes, someone like me.”

  She said nothing else as she finished setting the table and turned back to go to the kitchen. As she started to leave, he said, “Meet me in the parlor later. I’d like to get to know you better.”

  “I have to help with the dishes after supper.”

  “After the dishes are done then.” Amos watched her scurry away as fast as her very pregnant body would take her. He smiled to himself. She was just the kind of woman his mama had always been on him to marry. Maybe he could be married to her before his mama arrived with someone he had no intention of marrying, and she would be content to leave him alone after that. It was worth a try.

  Becky got into the kitchen, her eyes wide with surprise. “Amos just asked me to meet him in the parlor after we finish the dishes so he can get to know me better.”

  Mrs. Franklin gave her a look that was pure glee. “I’m so glad there’s a man in this town with a brain in his head! You’re a beautiful young woman, even carrying that child. You should marry and have plenty more babies. Don’t bury yourself in the grave with Cliff. I don’t think he was ever good enough for you anyway.”

  Becky sighed heavily. Mrs. Franklin had said that to her many times. She’d never really liked Cliff. Becky had known he was the man she’d marry from the time she was nine years old and Cliff had picked her flowers. He’d been the only man she’d ever
loved. They’d anticipated their vows by two weeks . . . and he’d died a week later, leaving her a scarlet woman. “I’ll talk to him, but I’m sure he’s just playing games with me, Mrs. Franklin. A handsome man doesn’t have to marry a woman who’s already in the family way.”

  “Maybe not, but he might see the prize right before his eyes and know it’s what he should do.” Mrs. Franklin handed her a platter with roast beef on it. “Be a dear and put that on the table for me.”

  Becky was in and out of the kitchen six more times before supper, and she made sure she sat in the spot at the table that was closest to the kitchen so she could run for anything anyone needed throughout the meal. As soon as she was seated, Mrs. Franklin folded her hands over her belly and said grace. Her prayers were always fast, so her food wouldn’t get cold.

  For the next hour, the only sounds were of the men at the table eating and asking for more food. When everyone had eaten their fill, Becky was on her feet once again, clearing away the dishes and filling the kitchen sink with hot water that had been boiling on the stove. Thankfully Mrs. Franklin had a water pump right there in the kitchen, so water didn’t need to be brought in from the outside and then heated. It could be pumped right there and heated on the stove. It made things so much easier.

  Mrs. Franklin wiped off the table while Becky started washing the dishes, and then she dried the dishes. They had been working together this way for more than six months, so both of them knew what was expected of them. There was very little need for talk as they moved in harmony. “Are you going to allow Mr. Bowen to court you?”

  Becky shrugged. “I doubt he really wants to. I’m not sure what he was thinking when he asked me to meet him in the parlor. Maybe he needs a housekeeper or something once he moves on from here.”

  “I don’t think so. I saw the way he was watching you during supper. He’s very interested in you in the way a man is interested in a woman. He was not thinking of you as a potential housekeeper, I promise you that.”

  “I think you’ve lost your mind, Mrs. Franklin, but I love you anyway.” The woman had been a second mother to her since she’d found out she was expecting. She was thrilled to have her on her side. Becky washed the last pot and handed it to the older woman, drying her hands on a towel that was lying on the counter. “I’m going to go see what he really wants. Don’t you go getting your hopes up!”

  “Too late!” Mrs. Franklin replied, a fond smile on her lips.

  Becky smiled back, removing her apron and hanging it on the hook beside the door. “I’ll tell you all about it at breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow’s Saturday. Your day off.”

  “Yes, but I need to see Hannah tomorrow. She’s coming over to make sure I’m doing all right.” Hannah was the new nurse in town, and she had an attack rooster named Bob, who followed her everywhere.

  “Good. I’m glad she’s keeping an eye on you.” Mrs. Franklin patted Becky’s back as she left the kitchen.

  Becky took a deep breath outside the parlor before walking in to join Amos. He was sitting in an arm chair, so she took the spot on the sofa perpendicular to him. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Amos eyed her carefully. “Why aren’t you living with your parents?” That was the first thing he wanted to know because he didn’t want to step on any toes.

  “They asked me to leave as soon as they discovered I was expecting.” Becky kept her chin up as she said the words. She wasn’t pleased to be in her condition outside of marriage, but she’d loved Cliff, and she loved the child inside her with her whole heart.

  “I expected as much. What about your fiancé’s parents? Wouldn’t they help you?”

  She shook her head. “They always thought my family was too uppity for them. They’re a mining family, and my family owns a ranch outside town. Our families were never pleased that we were marrying to begin with.”

  “I see.” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, looking into her eyes. “I have a proposition for you—a bargain if you will.”

  Becky frowned at him. “What exactly are you proposing?”

  “I want you to marry me. The marriage will be in name only. My mother will be visiting next week, and I want to introduce her to my wife. I want her to think the baby is mine.” It was the only reason he could come up with to get her to marry him. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew she had to be a part of his life. And not just because of the strange man who’d been following him everywhere who no one else could see.

  “But . . . everyone in town knows better. They all know about Cliff.”

  He frowned at that. “The house I’m building is outside of town, and hopefully she won’t hear about that. I’ve got it almost finished. I was living in another boarding house here in town, but one of the men there was involved in some things I didn’t want to be around, so I came here.”

  “When will your house be finished?”

  “I plan to finish it Sunday evening. We could marry on Monday, and you could move in with me then. You’ll have a room to yourself, except when my mother is visiting. I’ll be a good father to your child. This is just to get my mother to leave me alone. If you ever fall in love in the future, I’ll grant you your freedom. No problem. If I ever fall in love, I’d expect the same courtesy, but there’s no worry about the child. It will be claimed by me, and I will always see to its well-being.”

  Becky sat back heavily, her mind racing. “So you want to marry on Monday? That’s so soon!”

  “I don’t think you have a whole lot of time to wait.” He looked at her stomach pointedly. “Besides, my mother arrives on Friday, and we’re going to have to spend some time getting to know one another before she arrives.”

  “What exactly are you getting out of this bargain?” she finally asked after mulling over the situation for a minute.

  “I will get a wife who will keep my home clean and fix my meals for me. You will get a name for your baby and not have to work every minute of every day for a living to take care of him. What do you say?” Amos watched her, sure she’d say yes. What woman in her position would turn him down? She needed him! And he needed her, though he didn’t quite know why yet.

  Becky sighed. “I’ll do it.”

  Amos grinned, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “Now we have to kiss to seal the bargain.”

  “I thought you didn’t plan to have a real marriage. Should you be touching me?”

  “I’m going to kiss you, Becky. Not make love to you on the sofa in Mrs. Franklin’s parlor!”

  Becky studied his face for just a moment, finally nodding at him. “All right.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, ignoring the feelings that ignited within him. “There. It’s settled. Have your things ready to move out on Monday morning.” He strode from the room, and Becky stood looking after him, her hand on her lips.

  His kiss . . . it was more potent than any Cliff had ever given her. What was she thinking, marrying this stranger?

  She sighed. She was thinking of the baby. Any kind of bargain would be worth it for the good of the baby.

  * * *

  Amos sat in his room late into the night, wondering why he’d felt the need to marry her. He could easily fend off his mother’s matchmaking as he’d done for years and years. Why did he think he needed to marry Becky? Oh, yes. She needed a husband, and he loved the idea of having a free housekeeper.

  “It’s more than that, and you know it.” The man in jeans and a blue plaid shirt was there in his room again. It didn’t even surprise him any longer. He’d been following him around since the day he’d set foot in Creede a year before.

  “Who are you?” Amos asked for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

  “I told you, who I am doesn’t matter. You need her in your life. You need her and that baby.”

  Amos frowned. He knew the man was right. As soon as he’d seen Becky standing there, he knew she had to be his. Why was the question. “I m
ade it happen. We’re getting married Monday morning.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” The man shook his head. “Treat her with care. She’s special.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” Amos responded.

  The man laughed and faded from sight. Amos thought once again about seeing the new town doctor for his hallucinations but decided against it. He’d heard asylums were unpleasant places to be.

  Becky was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his life. He knew he wasn’t making a mistake. He’d just have to convince his mother he was really in love with her. How hard could it be?

  * * *

  Becky met Mrs. Franklin in the kitchen early the following morning, still a little confused about exactly what had happened the night before.

  Mrs. Franklin looked at her expectantly. “Well? What did he want?”

  “He wants to make a bargain. He wants me to marry him, and take care of his home. In exchange, he’ll give the baby a name, and we’ll have a place to stay.” Becky didn’t mention his mother coming to town because that was Amos’s business, and she had no right to repeat it.

  “Are you going to do it?” Mrs. Franklin looked at her eagerly, her eyes almost begging Becky to give an affirmative answer.

  Becky nodded. “It will get me out of the tight spot I’m in. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to manage to raise this baby on my own. I have to work, and there would be no one to watch him. . . .”

  “You know I’d have done it!” Mrs. Franklin frowned at her.

  “I know. But you do so much already, I don’t think it would have been right to ask it of you.”

  “I don’t want you to marry him simply because you think you won’t have anyone to watch your baby. You will.”