The Cowboy Daddy Hero (The Winchester Cowboys Series Book 1), page 1
The Cowboy Daddy Hero
The Winchester Cowboys, Volume 1
Janalyn Knight
Published by Janalyn Knight, 2024.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter One
Beau Winchester glanced over at the house next door as a beautiful brunette walked outside leading a young man with an awkward gait. He smiled at them, then bent down to turn on the front yard faucet, supporting his infant daughter’s head as he did so. He always carried Cat in a front pack while doing his morning chores, and he’d decided to turn on the sprinklers for the first time since moving into his new San Antonio home. From the look of things, watering was long overdue.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his neighbor helping the young man into the red SUV parked in her driveway. Then, to his surprise, she headed in his direction.
As she approached, the first thing he noticed was her striking blue eyes. He smiled and offered his hand as she stopped before him. “Hello. I’m Beau Winchester. My daughter and I just moved in.”
She shook his hand. “Dakota Ross. I wondered who’d bought this house. It’s great to meet you, neighbor.” She gestured over her shoulder. “That’s Johnathan in the car. I’m his foster mom. He lives with me full-time.”
Beau glanced at the young man again. He had a smile on his face as he sat quietly in the car. Cat was perched face-forward in the infant carrier on his chest, and Beau gestured to her. “This is Cat.” He hesitated. Should he explain more at this point?
Dakota caressed Cat’s cheek. “Aren’t you lovely? You sure have lots of pretty hair.” She ran her fingers through the fluffy, dark curls. “How old is she?”
That decided him. “Nine months. She was born prematurely. That’s why she’s kind of small for her age. But she’s outgrown most of the problems she had at birth, and she’s doing great now.”
Dakota glanced at him and then smiled at Cat again. “She’s a sweet baby. I’m sure you’re incredibly proud of her.”
“You know it. She’s already able to say a couple of words, and she’s been sitting up for a while now.”
“That’s exceptional for a preemie.”
He looked at his watch. “I’d like to talk more, but I’ve got a job interview coming up this morning, and I need to get Cat ready for her babysitter.”
“No problem. I have to take Johnathan to his day hab program too.” She smiled. “Hey, it was great meeting you, Beau. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
He watched her stride confidently back to her car, impressed with her easygoing personality. He looked forward to getting to know her better. Should he invite her over?
Johnathan appeared to have cerebral palsy. Was he only affected physically, or did he have a learning disability as well? If so, the young man might not be comfortable going into an unknown situation like Beau’s home. Maybe he should just wait and see if Dakota invited him to visit her. He smiled as he walked back into the house. He was getting ahead of himself. He’d barely met the woman, and he was already hoping for an invitation to see her again.
Later that evening, Dakota patted Johnathan on the shoulder and left his room. She’d just put on his favorite Disney movie, so he’d be happy for at least an hour.
The dinner dishes were done, and she wanted to call her best friend Jules. When she answered, Dakota said, “You’ll never guess what happened today.”
“Tell me,” Jules said. “I’m so bored right now I could scream.”
“I met my new neighbor this morning, and he’s gorgeous.”
“No kidding? What’s he look like?”
Dakota chuckled. Jules loved any hint of romance. “He’s a cowboy, and he’s got dark hair and dark-brown eyes. He’s tall and has this gorgeous body, Jules. I mean, he’s muscular, but he doesn’t bulge, you know? And he’s got this deep, sexy voice, but he doesn’t act like he thinks he’s handsome. He was easy to talk to when we met, and I really liked that about him.”
She paused, thinking. “Oh, but I haven’t told you the best part. He’s got a baby girl.”
“Wait. Why is that the best part?”
“Because he seems like such a good dad. Cat’s nine months old, and he had her in a baby carrier on his chest. It was the cutest thing. I can tell that he adores her. He said that she was born prematurely.” She chuckled. “Listen to me. I’m babbling. But I can’t tell you how impressed I was with him.”
“Was he wearing a wedding ring?”
“No. I checked that when he said he and his daughter had just moved in. I guess he’s a single dad.”
“The guy certainly sounds interesting—and very sexy.”
“You’ve got that right. He was turning on the sprinklers when I was heading out to take Johnathan to day hab.”
“Well, if I know you, you’ll get to know this hunk in no time. You’ve never met a stranger.”
“You’re right, I’ll figure something out. I spend way too much time alone here with Johnathan. I’ll talk to you later, Jules.”
Dakota went to the living-room window and peered out at Beau’s driveway. His truck was still there. He’d been home most of the afternoon. Had he made dinner yet? Would he be free for the evening? She chewed her bottom lip, shifting from one foot to the other. Then she peeked in on Johnathan again. He was happily watching his movie.
She strode next door and rapped on Beau’s front door. A moment later, he answered, holding Cat in his arms.
“Dakota, it’s great to see you. Come in.”
She hesitated, dazzled by his gorgeous smile, then hurried to say, “If you’ve had dinner already, I wondered if you’d like to come over for a cup of coffee.”
He opened the door wider, and she followed him into the house. The living room was sparsely furnished, and unopened boxes were stacked against one wall.
“Excuse the house. I haven’t had much time to get organized.”
She smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I know what it’s like when you’re trying to get settled into a new place. And you have a baby to look after too.”
Cat babbled quietly in his arms. She was so adorable. “Do you think she’ll let me hold her?”
He held the baby out to her. “She’s usually pretty good about going to other people.”
Dakota took Cat into her arms and held her with her back against her chest.
“That’s her favorite way to be held,” Beau said. “I think she likes to look around.” He had a frown line between his brows, and Dakota wondered what that was about.
Then he smiled. “Now, to answer your question, yes, we’ve already eaten, and we’d love to come over.”
She handed Cat back to him. “That’s great! Just come over when you’re ready. I’ve got to get back to Johnathan.”
Johnathan was still engrossed in his movie when she returned. She set the kitchen table with mugs and cream and sugar, her eyes flickering towards the door in anticipation of Beau’s arrival.
A few minutes later, a knock sounded. She answered, and Beau walked in with Cat on his hip. He was carrying a diaper bag.
“We’re in the kitchen,” she told him. “Follow me.”
Beau took a seat at the table while she put a pod in the coffee maker. Cat sat on his lap and played with a teething toy.
When Dakota set the mug in front of him, he added cream to it. She smiled. That was the way she drank her coffee too.
He said, “I’m glad you invited me over tonight.” After a sip of coffee, he continued, “I considered inviting you over to my house so we could chat some more, but then I wasn’t sure if Johnathan would be up for something like that.”
She grinned. “Great minds think alike, huh?”
He smiled. “I guess so.”
“Johnathan’s pretty good at new things if I prepare him ahead of time, although part of his learning disability means he doesn’t like noisy places with big crowds. He’d be fine at your place, though, I’m sure.”
Beau captured Cat’s arm as it neared his mug. “So, do you have family in the area, Dakota?”
She nodded. “My parents live here in the city, and so does my older brother. He’s a doctor and works in the Medical Center area.” She took a swallow of coffee. “Where are you from?”
“I grew up on a cattle ranch in San Saba County. Are you familiar with that area?”
She thought for a moment. “Isn’t that north of Fredericksburg? More like north central Texas?”
“Yeah, that’s right. A lot of people are stumped when I tell them where I’m from.”
“So, what brought you to San Antonio? This is a big change from a cattle ranch.” She watched Cat bang the toy on the tabletop.
“I purposely bought a house in Northside Independent School District because they have extensive special education resources for Cat. Our tiny
“Special education...?” Her voice trailed away, confused.
He grabbed Cat’s hand before she could knock over his mug. “Cat’s visually impaired from being born prematurely. She was eligible for special services at birth, but her teacher and physical therapist weren’t able to come nearly often enough. The teacher for the visually impaired had to travel a long distance from a larger school district to see us, and the PT wasn’t accustomed to working with infants.”
He shrugged. “I realized that if I wanted Cat to have her special needs met, I’d have to move to an area where the best services were available. So that’s what I did.”
Dakota touched his hand. “I admire you for putting Cat’s needs above your own. I’m sure it was hard to give up your life on the ranch. Is it your family’s place?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My dad and two brothers are still there to work it. I applied for a job at a bank near here. I have a bachelor’s degree in the business side of ranching, so I think I have a good shot at getting it. That means I should be able to support myself here in San Antonio. It’s funny. I’ve never known any other life than ranching. This is all new for me.”
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but where’s Cat’s mother?” Caring for Cat was such a huge responsibility—and from the way Beau was talking, it seemed that he’d always shouldered it alone.
Beau looked down at his mug of coffee. “Cat was a twin and weighed less than two and a half pounds at birth. Her smaller sister, Cassandra, only lived a few days.” Beau’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment.
Then he looked at Dakota, and she saw the pain in his expression.
“Cat’s mom, Kara, went into a deep postpartum depression. She couldn’t deal with Cassandra’s loss or Cat’s ongoing difficulties. She began drinking heavily and completely withdrew from everyone. She refused to go to counseling—refused any help at all. When Cat was four months old, Kara’s sister came to town and helped her file for divorce, then moved her to Houston to live with her.”
Dakota bit her lip. This man had been through the wringer. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope your family’s been supportive of you.”
He nodded. “Incredibly. I don’t know what I would have done without them. My parents have been great with Cat. And my brothers were happy to step up their game on the ranch so that I could move here.”
He took a swallow of his coffee. “Enough of talking about me. Tell me about you.”
She smiled. “But you’re so interesting!”
He laughed. “Not really. Now, come on. Tell me about yourself.”
Just then, Johnathan walked in and grabbed the edge of the table to right himself. In a wavering voice, he said, “I’m ready for dessert, Dakota.”
She chuckled. “I’m sure you are, Johnathan, but it’s not dessert time yet. I’ll come get you when it’s time to eat, okay, honey?”
“Okay, Dakota.”
Before he could leave, she said, “Johnathan? This is Beau Winchester and his baby, Cat. They’re our new next-door neighbors.”
Johnathan worked his way around the table and offered his hand to Beau.
Beau smiled and shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Johnathan. I was just telling Dakota that I’d like for you and her to come visit me one evening. Would you like to do that? I’m thinking of making ice-cream sundaes.”
Johnathan gave Beau a big smile. “Yeah, I’ll come.”
“We’ll do that soon, then.”
Johnathan turned and made his way back toward his room.
Beau said, “Well, that young man certainly has nice manners.”
Dakota nodded. “I’m lucky to have such a special client. He’s been with me for years, and he’s just like family.”
Beau gestured out the bay window. “You have a beautiful backyard. But I’ve heard that San Antonio frequently has water restrictions. How do you keep all that alive when water’s rationed?”
“You’ll notice that grass is limited and what is there is drought-tolerant. The flower beds are filled with plants that require less water too. I planted the trees over ten years ago when I moved in, and they’re also low-water species. Overall, my yard doesn’t need nearly as much water as you’d imagine it would. It does just fine when we’re on restrictions.”
“Well, it’s gorgeous. I can tell it’s an important part of your home.”
“It really is. I love spending time out there, especially in the mornings and evenings when the temperatures are cooler.”
Cat began to fuss, and Beau took a bottle from the diaper bag, cradling her in his arms as he gave it to her. He said, “She’s getting tired. It’s nearing her bedtime.”
Dakota’s heart warmed as she watched Beau snuggling his daughter close to his chest. What a wonderful daddy he was. And such a special man. Everything she’d learned about him this evening proved that.
Beau looked up and caught her gazing at him. “I love giving her her bottle like this. The sweet look on her face goes straight to my heart.”
Dakota couldn’t take her eyes away as he gazed down at his daughter again. Yes, he was a special man—a hero, really, for being such an amazing father—and she was happy that he’d moved in next door.
Chapter Two
The next morning, Beau finished his second cup of coffee, then glanced at the dishes in the sink and sighed. He might as well put them in the dishwasher and get that chore out of the way. Housekeeping was something that he didn’t care for, but as a single parent, he didn’t have much choice in the matter.
He hoped that after he found a job, if it paid well enough, he’d be able to hire part-time help with household chores like laundry and dishes. Lord, he detested doing laundry. Folding it and putting it away was his personal idea of hell.
Once he was finished in the kitchen, he headed for the living room, where he cleaned up the toys strewn around the floor. He hoped to hear back from the bank soon with a job offer. The interview had gone well, and the loan officer who’d interviewed him had said that he met the qualifications.
He sat down in the recliner, enjoying the peace and quiet while he could. Cat would be waking up at any time, and she was always a bundle of energy in the mornings.
He’d really enjoyed his visit with Dakota last evening. But he’d been disappointed that he hadn’t had time to learn much about her. First Johnathan had come in, and then Cat had gotten fussy. While he’d fed Cat her bottle, Dakota had fired off questions about the ranch, and then it was time to go home and get Cat bathed and ready for bed. Now he was wondering if there was a reason Dakota didn’t want to talk about herself.
He was probably reading too much into it. She was a lively, interesting person, and he’d find out more about her the next time they met up. He hoped that would be later on in the day, after dinner. He planned on making a run to the store for the ice-cream-sundae ingredients. Now, while he was still unemployed, was a good time to socialize.
Dakota must be a wonderful person to have chosen the vocation she had—caring for a young man with a disability. It took someone with an innate kindness and lots of patience to be good at that kind of job, and Johnathan was obviously happy.
He decided to give Carson a call. Although his brother was nearly two years younger, they’d always been exceptionally close.
When Carson answered, Beau said, “Hey, brother, how’s your day going so far?”
“Beau! How’s it going down in the big city? And how’s Cat? My morning’s just fine, by the way. I’m out feeding the Hang-Tree pasture.”
“Cat’s doing great, and I’m still waiting to hear about that bank job. But, hey, I’ve met a really nice neighbor. She lives next door.”
“She? Tell me more.”
Beau chuckled at the sly interest in his brother’s voice. “She’s sweet, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous either,” he said. “She’s a foster mother to a young man with cerebral palsy named Johnathan. I really like her, even though I barely know her. She just seems so kind.”
“That’s awesome. I know it was hard moving away from home. I’m glad you’ve found someone nice in San Antonio. Have you settled into your house okay? Are you all unpacked?”
“Not really. I still have those boxes in every room but, dang, Cat’s a handful. It’s hard to find time to unpack with everything else going on. I’ve had two meetings at the school already.”
