powerful motivation—saving his son. And the truth— the truth gave him Will!
Will was the greatest gift Logan Grey would ever receive. Will offset the price of the lie tenfold. A thousandfold.
Filled with righteous, maternal certainty, Caroline reached into her purse, pulled out the photograph and handed it to Logan.
"Holy hell," he breathed.
Gazing over his shoulder, Holt said, "He's your spittin' image."
Cade took a look, then blew out a long whistle. "Boy looks exactly like you did when you were his age."
"A son." Logan raked his fingers through his hair, his expression stunned and bewildered. He stared at the photograph, his jade eyes wide with shock.
He believes me now. Caroline nodded. "Yes."
At that, Emma MacRae stood. "Let's take a walk, shall we? I think Lucky and Miss...Mrs....um.. .and Caroline deserve some privacy."
Caroline was grateful. After the women had stood up for her, lying to them didn't set well.
Logan poured himself another drink while the others exited the room. Kat Kimball looked as if she wanted to protest, but her husband ushered her from the drawing room while murmuring in her ear. Driscoll and Hollis-ter each slapped Logan's back in support on their way out the door.
When they were alone, Logan took a long sip of whiskey, then said, "He's what...fifteen?"
"Fourteen."
"Fourteen," he repeated. He sounded a bit fearful when he added, "I have a fourteen-year-old son."
"He has your green eyes." At that his gaze flew her to her face, and the quick flash of pleasure she spied in his eyes prompted her to add, "And your dark hair, your smile. I could never forget you, Logan Grey, because I see you every day in my son."
It was as true a statement as she'd made all night.
Logan blew out a heavy breath. "I can't quite wrap my mind around this. I never thought... Tell me about him."
Taking pity on him, she provided more detail than anyone other than a parent could possibly want. "He was only one week old when he smiled at me the first time. My friends told me that it was too soon, that it was only gas, but I didn't believe them. He got his first tooth at six months and began crawling at eight. He took his first steps in the aisle at the mercantile on his first birthday."
She spoke at length, and he listened raptly, asking occasional questions as she took him through the years until she told him about the Will of today. "He's a great kid. Everything a mother could hope for. He's smart and he's witty and he's kind. So kind. Oh, he's far from perfect—I can't tell you how many times he's late for supper—but it's his imperfections that make him all the more...well..."
"Perfect," Logan finished. At that point, he took his drink and walked to a window where he spent long minutes gazing outside without saying a word.
Caroline's nerves stretched so tight that when he finally spoke, she jumped.
"Let me make sure I have this straight. You claim you thought that we had a legal marriage, and yet you never bothered to inform me that I'd become a father?"
She refused to be battered by that argument. Suzanne used to scold her for not contacting Logan after she first saw his name in a newspaper when Will was eight. Caroline didn't care. "I was seventeen, destitute and alone with a baby on the way. At that point, I was busy trying to survive. Tracking you down was not a priority for me. After all, you left me and never looked back."
In her mind, with that single act he had forfeited any rights he might have where Will was concerned.
"I didn't know I needed to look back. I mailed an address to your father, a way to reach me if it proved necessary." His brow furrowed. "Why were you destitute and alone? Did you tell him we bedded down together? Did he kick you out when he found out about the baby?"
"No. He never knew. He died before I discovered I was expecting."
Logan blew out a hard breath, then slumped into a chair. "I never thought... Hell. I've always taken care with the women I've been with.
Will was the greatest gift Logan Grey would ever receive. Will offset the price of the lie tenfold. A thousandfold.
Filled with righteous, maternal certainty, Caroline reached into her purse, pulled out the photograph and handed it to Logan.
"Holy hell," he breathed.
Gazing over his shoulder, Holt said, "He's your spittin' image."
Cade took a look, then blew out a long whistle. "Boy looks exactly like you did when you were his age."
"A son." Logan raked his fingers through his hair, his expression stunned and bewildered. He stared at the photograph, his jade eyes wide with shock.
He believes me now. Caroline nodded. "Yes."
At that, Emma MacRae stood. "Let's take a walk, shall we? I think Lucky and Miss...Mrs....um.. .and Caroline deserve some privacy."
Caroline was grateful. After the women had stood up for her, lying to them didn't set well.
Logan poured himself another drink while the others exited the room. Kat Kimball looked as if she wanted to protest, but her husband ushered her from the drawing room while murmuring in her ear. Driscoll and Hollis-ter each slapped Logan's back in support on their way out the door.
When they were alone, Logan took a long sip of whiskey, then said, "He's what...fifteen?"
"Fourteen."
"Fourteen," he repeated. He sounded a bit fearful when he added, "I have a fourteen-year-old son."
"He has your green eyes." At that his gaze flew her to her face, and the quick flash of pleasure she spied in his eyes prompted her to add, "And your dark hair, your smile. I could never forget you, Logan Grey, because I see you every day in my son."
It was as true a statement as she'd made all night.
Logan blew out a heavy breath. "I can't quite wrap my mind around this. I never thought... Tell me about him."
Taking pity on him, she provided more detail than anyone other than a parent could possibly want. "He was only one week old when he smiled at me the first time. My friends told me that it was too soon, that it was only gas, but I didn't believe them. He got his first tooth at six months and began crawling at eight. He took his first steps in the aisle at the mercantile on his first birthday."
She spoke at length, and he listened raptly, asking occasional questions as she took him through the years until she told him about the Will of today. "He's a great kid. Everything a mother could hope for. He's smart and he's witty and he's kind. So kind. Oh, he's far from perfect—I can't tell you how many times he's late for supper—but it's his imperfections that make him all the more...well..."
"Perfect," Logan finished. At that point, he took his drink and walked to a window where he spent long minutes gazing outside without saying a word.
Caroline's nerves stretched so tight that when he finally spoke, she jumped.
"Let me make sure I have this straight. You claim you thought that we had a legal marriage, and yet you never bothered to inform me that I'd become a father?"
She refused to be battered by that argument. Suzanne used to scold her for not contacting Logan after she first saw his name in a newspaper when Will was eight. Caroline didn't care. "I was seventeen, destitute and alone with a baby on the way. At that point, I was busy trying to survive. Tracking you down was not a priority for me. After all, you left me and never looked back."
In her mind, with that single act he had forfeited any rights he might have where Will was concerned.
"I didn't know I needed to look back. I mailed an address to your father, a way to reach me if it proved necessary." His brow furrowed. "Why were you destitute and alone? Did you tell him we bedded down together? Did he kick you out when he found out about the baby?"
"No. He never knew. He died before I discovered I was expecting."
Logan blew out a hard breath, then slumped into a chair. "I never thought... Hell. I've always taken care with the women I've been with.
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