Wild Stallion by Delores Fossen Page A

consider it a good thing. He wanted her away from the estate, and that would happen as soon as he got the results of the DNA swabs he’d taken from her the day before. Then he would get Bailey on her way, if the results were what he wanted.
    And what Jackson wanted was proof that she wasn’t Caden’s biological mother.
    If she was, well, that was a kettle of fish he’d deal with later. One thing was for certain, no matter what the results were, he wasn’t just going to hand over the baby to her—or anyone else.
    Caden was his.
    “San Antonio PD wants to question Bailey again,” Sheriff Gentry explained. “You do know she hasn’t been cooperative with them since shortly after the hostage incident four months ago?”
    “Yes. Because she claims someone tried to kill her while she was in protective custody.”
    “Someone did try, just a day after the hostage situation ended. SAPD thinks the attempts were made by the now-dead gunmen, but they aren’t sure. No proof. Personally, it sounds as if she should be back in San Antonio, trying to work with the cops who are running that investigation. She doesn’t need to be out here in Copper Creek.”
    The sheriff obviously didn’t know that Bailey was looking into the matter of Caden’s DNA. Of course, that left Jackson with something he couldn’t explain.
    Knowing what Bailey thought about Caden, why had he let her stay?
    He mentally cursed. It was this damn camaraderie over the near-death experience they’d survived. Plus, the baby angle. He now understood all about a parent’s love for a child, and he could see that Bailey was desperate for answers about her lost baby.
    There was also the damn attraction. Jackson only hoped that it wasn’t playing into this. On most days he didn’t think below the belt, but for reasons he didn’t want to explore, that seemed to be happening with Bailey. But his camaraderie and stupid testosterone weren’t going to run wild here.
    “My plan is to have her gone as soon as possible,” Jackson assured Sheriff Gentry. As soon as he had those test results. “Let me know if you get anything else on the intruder or his killer.”
    The sheriff assured him that he would, and Jackson ended the call.
    Despite everything that was now weighing heavily on his mind, Jackson pushed it all aside and got down on the thick quilt that he kept on his office floor. It was Caden’s favorite spot, and when he placed the baby on his stomach, Caden immediately began to move his arms and legs, causing his denim overalls to slide against the quilt. Caden couldn’t crawl, but he seemed to love attempting it.
    The phone rang, but when he glanced at the caller ID he saw it was a client. A client who could wait. Jackson let it go to voicemail and continued his daddy time with Caden.
    It was amazing how much he loved his son. Amazing even more that he was already thinking of adding another addition to his family. Maybe a daughter. Heck, he might even give up his investment company and adopt a whole houseful of kids. His thirst to add more and more millions to his billion dollar portfolio just wasn’t there anymore.
    There was a knock at the door and Jackson decided to ignore it as well. But then it opened, and he had no choice but to look up from Caden.
    It was Bailey.
    Jackson silently cursed. He’d instructed his staff to tell him if Bailey left the guest quarters.
    He got to his feet, leaving Caden to play on the floor, and he did that not just because his son was having fun. Jackson also did it because his desk blocked Bailey from seeing the baby. That wasn’t being petty, he assured himself. It was simply sheltering Caden from a woman who could potentially be a threat.
    The intercom on his desk buzzed, and a moment later he heard his house manager’s voice. “I’m sorry, sir,” Steven Perez told him. “I just got the word that Miss Hodges is on the way to your office.”
    “She’s here,” Jackson let him know. “Instruct the staff to give me