the thought ringing inside her head.
No one here on the ranch knows you’re my child’s father.
Saying it aloud would make it more real—and make her feel somehow more vulnerable to any retaliation Cole might have planned.
“Yeah, I remember,” he said drily. “Nobody knows. Well, Jed and Paz are the only ones who count. Once you tell them, we can work around everybody else.”
He glanced toward the boys, then back at her. “There’s no point in arguing,” he said flatly. “I want to be a part of my son’s life. And once he gets used to having me around, I intend to tell him I’m his daddy.”
She flinched, still not able to handle hearing those words.
Somehow, she had half hoped he had changed his mind about Robbie, about working here, about staying in town to help his sister. When he hadn’t shown up this morning, she had hoped he had left Cowboy Creek again forever.
But no, here he was, just as adamant about spending time with Robbie as Robbie would be about having playtime with Scott.
Like father, like son.
Chapter Five
Cole finished his brunch platter in the dining room, where the only sound came from the boys playing with their toys.
He stared as Tina’s son...
his
son knelt in his chair and leaned forward to slide a plastic giraffe across the table. The kid looked so young, and nearly the same size as Scott. Short for his age, like Tina had been, and with hair almost as dark as hers. Those similarities wouldn’t have given him a clue that he’d fathered the child, but there was no missing the boy’s eyes, so unlike Tina’s bottomless dark brown ones. Eyes as blue as his own.
From the direction of the lobby, he heard voices, laughter, the sound of a door closing.
A few minutes later, Jed appeared in the wide doorway of the dining room. Jane, dressed all in black, stood on one side of him. On the other, a slim blonde woman in a brightly colored shirt and pants held a baby in one arm. Pressed next to her stood a boy who looked to be a few months younger than Scott.
Jed wrapped his arms around the women’s shoulders. “Look who I’ve got here. Cole, of course you saw Jane just a bit ago.” He hugged the dark-haired woman with the cameras. “But you might not recall meeting my other granddaughter. This is Andi and her kids.” He beamed at the trio.
Cole nodded and forced a smile but said nothing. Making polite conversation wasn’t high on his list right now. Much as he’d looked forward to some time this morning to reconnect with his old boss, he didn’t care to sit down to a meal with the man’s family. At least, not right this minute.
He hadn’t simmered down yet after that conversation with Tina. Obviously, she didn’t like having him around. But he wasn’t going anywhere.
Jed urged the women forward. “Cole, bring your coffee over to the big table and join us.”
Andi shuffled a few steps with her little boy holding her pants leg in a near-death grip.
Maybe the kid had picked up on the tension Cole could almost feel radiating from him. Not that he had anything against Jane and Andi. He remembered them both, all right, from when he’d worked for Jed. The two girls and their families had spent summer vacations and school holidays at Garland Ranch. It looked like they were continuing the tradition.
Jane had seemed relaxed enough when they’d talked earlier, but the blonde, Andi, seemed ill at ease. Or as if she had something troubling her.
Tina, who had just come back into the room, looked almost as distracted.
She
surely must have a lot on her mind.
What had she thought of his absence for the past few days, especially after the way he’d insisted on spending time with Robbie? She wouldn’t have missed him, that was for sure. More likely, she probably felt relieved not to have him around.
And she must dread the thought of breaking the news to their son.
For a second, he almost felt sorry for her. But then he thought again of how she’d deceived him.
“Well, come
No one here on the ranch knows you’re my child’s father.
Saying it aloud would make it more real—and make her feel somehow more vulnerable to any retaliation Cole might have planned.
“Yeah, I remember,” he said drily. “Nobody knows. Well, Jed and Paz are the only ones who count. Once you tell them, we can work around everybody else.”
He glanced toward the boys, then back at her. “There’s no point in arguing,” he said flatly. “I want to be a part of my son’s life. And once he gets used to having me around, I intend to tell him I’m his daddy.”
She flinched, still not able to handle hearing those words.
Somehow, she had half hoped he had changed his mind about Robbie, about working here, about staying in town to help his sister. When he hadn’t shown up this morning, she had hoped he had left Cowboy Creek again forever.
But no, here he was, just as adamant about spending time with Robbie as Robbie would be about having playtime with Scott.
Like father, like son.
Chapter Five
Cole finished his brunch platter in the dining room, where the only sound came from the boys playing with their toys.
He stared as Tina’s son...
his
son knelt in his chair and leaned forward to slide a plastic giraffe across the table. The kid looked so young, and nearly the same size as Scott. Short for his age, like Tina had been, and with hair almost as dark as hers. Those similarities wouldn’t have given him a clue that he’d fathered the child, but there was no missing the boy’s eyes, so unlike Tina’s bottomless dark brown ones. Eyes as blue as his own.
From the direction of the lobby, he heard voices, laughter, the sound of a door closing.
A few minutes later, Jed appeared in the wide doorway of the dining room. Jane, dressed all in black, stood on one side of him. On the other, a slim blonde woman in a brightly colored shirt and pants held a baby in one arm. Pressed next to her stood a boy who looked to be a few months younger than Scott.
Jed wrapped his arms around the women’s shoulders. “Look who I’ve got here. Cole, of course you saw Jane just a bit ago.” He hugged the dark-haired woman with the cameras. “But you might not recall meeting my other granddaughter. This is Andi and her kids.” He beamed at the trio.
Cole nodded and forced a smile but said nothing. Making polite conversation wasn’t high on his list right now. Much as he’d looked forward to some time this morning to reconnect with his old boss, he didn’t care to sit down to a meal with the man’s family. At least, not right this minute.
He hadn’t simmered down yet after that conversation with Tina. Obviously, she didn’t like having him around. But he wasn’t going anywhere.
Jed urged the women forward. “Cole, bring your coffee over to the big table and join us.”
Andi shuffled a few steps with her little boy holding her pants leg in a near-death grip.
Maybe the kid had picked up on the tension Cole could almost feel radiating from him. Not that he had anything against Jane and Andi. He remembered them both, all right, from when he’d worked for Jed. The two girls and their families had spent summer vacations and school holidays at Garland Ranch. It looked like they were continuing the tradition.
Jane had seemed relaxed enough when they’d talked earlier, but the blonde, Andi, seemed ill at ease. Or as if she had something troubling her.
Tina, who had just come back into the room, looked almost as distracted.
She
surely must have a lot on her mind.
What had she thought of his absence for the past few days, especially after the way he’d insisted on spending time with Robbie? She wouldn’t have missed him, that was for sure. More likely, she probably felt relieved not to have him around.
And she must dread the thought of breaking the news to their son.
For a second, he almost felt sorry for her. But then he thought again of how she’d deceived him.
“Well, come
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