[Truyện Tiếng Anh] Cowgirls Don't Cry

Cowgirls Don't Cry
Cowgirls Don't Cry Page 10



She was highly unnerved with the conversation. It was disconcerting to be praised for something she hadn’t yet done, when she knew it’d be a miracle if she made it through the next four hours, let alone the next four months.

“And now that I’ve made you uncomfortable, let’s talk about something else.” Ice rattled as Skylar fiddled with her tea glass. “Why didn’t you stick around for the bouquet toss last night at Keely’s wedding?”

“It would’ve been awkward since it was Luke’s family’s event. Plus, I’m not eager to get married again. Especially not after being blindsided with proof of my husband’s infidelity.” And she’d been doing so well keeping a lid on the whining. “Who caught the bouquet? Ramona West? I think she might’ve actually brought a catcher’s mitt.”

“No. Some family friend from down by Casper’s section of the ranch. She seemed to know Dalton.

I’ve never seen her before. Sorry, but I don’t remember her name.”

“That’s okay.” Jessie stood. “I should be going. I appreciate you taking time out of your day off to talk to me, Sky.”

“Like I said, anytime. Kade meant it too. Anything you need, just ask us. Not because I’m your boss but because you’re family.”

Chapter Four

Now that Brandt was waiting on his brothers to show up, he’d begun to have doubts. Maybe Tell and Dalton wouldn’t want to help out with Landon. God knew they were scarce as soon as the workday ended and they spent most Monday mornings sharing the down and dirty details of their wild weekends.

You ain’t exactly a saint. You’ve ripped it up plenty. Especially in the last ten months.

Landon’s face turned red, he grunted and the odor chased the air from Brandt’s living room. Sighing, Brandt grabbed a diaper and had just finished changing Landon when his brothers burst in.

Tell and Dalton stopped inside the door, noses wrinkled. “I don’t know what the hell you’ve been eatin’, bro, but it’s nasty…” Dalton’s voice trailed away when Landon scampered off the couch.

Before the little devil could make a break for the open door, Brandt snatched the back of his overalls.

“Whoa, not so fast there, partner.” To Tell, he said, “Would you please shut the damn door?”

“Ah. Sure.” Once the latch clicked, Brandt released Landon.

But the boy stopped, apparently scared by the two bigger men. Tell and Dalton topped Brandt’s five feet ten by a good four inches, and while he’d hated being the shortest of his brothers, he’d never considered their height imposing. But then again everything probably seemed enormous when you were only two feet tall.

They stared at one another in silence, but Dalton or Tell were focused solely on Landon.

Dalton cleared his throat. “Uh, Brandt, you wanna tell us what’s goin’ on? Why you’ve got a kid here that looks exactly like—”

“Luke,” Tell finished.

“No, I was gonna say like a mini-version of Brandt.”

Tell strode over and crouched in front of Landon. “Hey, buddy. You don’t gotta be scared.”

Landon blinked those McKay blue eyes at Tell and shrank against Brandt’s leg.

Brandt rubbed his hand over Landon’s head. “This is Landon. He’s Luke’s son.”

“For sure?” Tell asked.

“Yeah. Did the paternity test and everything.”

Dalton whistled. “I’ll be damned.”

“How long have you known about him?” This from Tell.

“A month.”

Both sets of his brothers’ eyes zoomed to him.

“Look. Samantha, Landon’s mother, contacted me. Fed me this story about her and Luke…which turned out to be completely true. But I didn’t believe her, not at first, which is why I insisted on a paternity test before I told you guys.”

“Jesus. You’ve worked with us every goddamn day for a freakin’ month and you couldn’t let us know this was goin’ on?”

Brandt held Dalton’s angry gaze. “No. First of all, it’s been a rough month anyway, with Dad bein’ a first class jackass about how bad we—I—****ed up by lettin’ the north pasture stay fallow this year. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up about Landon in case it was bull****. Second, because Samantha asked me not to.”

“I don’t think she gets a say in nothin’ since she’s kept Luke’s kid a secret from us,” Dalton shot back.

“Chill out, Dalton,” Tell said. He pinned Brandt with a hard look. “Start from the beginning.”

By the time he’d finished, Dalton had plopped in the easy chair and Tell had coaxed Landon into sitting on the floor with him.

“Well, Mom and Dad are gonna **** bricks.”

“Ya think? That’s why I need you guys to go over there with me when we break the news about their first grandchild.”

“Oh hell no. I ain’t gonna pretend I knew anything about this. You know how dad is, Brandt.”

“Which is exactly my point. We’ve gotta show him we’re united on this, on doin’ what’s best for Landon.”

“Given the fact Luke is dead, if this Samantha chick is goin’ to jail, then Dad will wanna sue for permanent guardianship,” Tell pointed out.

“I won’t allow that to happen. Before you argue that turnin’ Landon over to Mom and Dad is the best option, I’ll remind you this is a temporary situation. And if we show Samantha we want Landon to be part of our lives, without the threat of takin’ him away from her, the better it’ll be for everybody in the long run.” Brandt glanced down at Landon, surprised the rambunctious kid was sitting still.

“You so sure Samantha will want her kid back when she gets outta jail?”

No. Brandt wasn’t surprised his brothers had voiced the same question Jessie had. “I’ve got no choice but to believe it.”

Dalton and Tell traded a skeptical look before Tell spoke. “Fine. We’re with you on this. But how in the hell do you plan to baby-sit this kid for the next four months? We’ve got a ranch to run. I’ll remind you the workload has increased since Luke died and Dad ain’t doin’ diddly anymore.”

“It’d be really ****ty if you expect Mom to watch Landon all the time and then in four months just snatch him away from her like he didn’t exist,” Dalton added.

That option wasn’t any better for Jessie, either. “I know. Which is why I’m gonna suggest Mom watches him one weekday, and then the three of us could rotate and take over on the other weekday and I’d have him on weekends.”

Tell frowned. “And what about the three other days during the workweek?”

Brandt said, “Jessie has agreed to take Landon to Sky Blue daycare those three days,” and braced himself for their reaction.

“Jessie knows about this?”

“I told her last night after the wedding reception.”

Dalton launched himself out of the chair. “You’ve gotta be ****in’ kiddin’ me! You not only blabbed to Jessie about Luke’s bastard child, you asked her to help you take care of him?” He stomped closer and loomed over his older brother. “Is this your way of makin’ sure she hates you so you can stay the hell away from her for good?”

Tell didn’t jump to Brandt’s defense either. “I’m with Dalton on this. It’s goddamn selfish of you to expect anything from Jessie except a knee to the balls.”

“Yeah? Then how come Jessie agreed to help out?” Brandt demanded. “If I’m such a flaming ****ing asshole who doesn’t give a good goddamn about how she feels then why did she call Skylar and explain the situation? Why did she agree with me that it’d be better if I stayed overnight with her during the week instead of us dragging Landon back and forth between our places? Why did she—”

“I don’t know!” Dalton bellowed. “Was she drunk?”

“**** off, Dalton.”

Tell said, “Guys—”

“This is why we wanted you to stay away from Jessie, Brandt. You two keep hurting each other over and over and neither of you even realizes you’re doin’ it! Goddammit, do you know what it’s like for us to have to watch you both miserable—”

Landon started to wail, scared by the raised voices. Before Brandt could pick him up, Tell pulled the boy onto his lap. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re just a little freaked out by you and this whole situation. But we’re gonna do everything we can to make sure your needs are met above anyone else’s.”

No surprise Tell looked right at Brandt when he said the last part.

Tell said, “I don’t know if you’ve got some warped version of happily ever after floating in your head, bro, but even if you and Jessie do spend all this time together in close quarters taking care of Luke’s kid, you do know she ain’t gonna fall in love with you, right?”

Hurt, resentment, denial swelled...

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“Yeah, if I thought we could get part of our land parceled out to us and away from Dad’s control…”

Brandt snorted. “It’ll never happen. Dad’s gotta have something to lord over us.”

Dalton looked at both his brothers. “Think he’ll see Landon as something you’re tryin’ to lord over him?”

Brandt hadn’t considered that. God. He wasn’t like his father. Not everything he did was some sort of power play.

“We’d better get goin’, if we’re takin’ Landon over to Mom and Dad’s,” Tell said.

“The carseat is in my truck.” Brandt pushed to his feet. “Look, you guys can call me names, think I’m the biggest asshole on the planet, question my end game, but I’m askin’ that we at least pretend we’re on the same page in front of Dad.”

“Yeah, Dad will definitely home in on any weakness.”

“Do we let him know about Jessie helping out?”

“We have to. There’ll be hell to pay if he hears about it from someone else.”

“True.”

Brandt swung Landon into his arms. “Let’s get this over with.”

The meeting with his parents went about like Brandt expected. Rage on his father’s part, mostly directed at the woman who’d dared to keep Luke’s child a secret from his family. His mother cried a lot while she carted Landon around, enticing him to eat, then chasing him through the house. She looked happier than he’d seen her in years.

When Brandt relayed Landon’s childcare arrangements during the months he’d have guardianship, his father accused Jessie of trying to keep the boy from his real family out of spite. That was the last straw for the visit. Brandt pried Landon out of his mother’s arms amidst his father’s threats for legal action.

Dalton and Tell were quiet on the way back to Brandt’s place. They kept the boy entertained while Brandt loaded up Landon’s things and double-checked everything since he’d be gone for five days. After they agreed to meet at Dalton’s house to figure out the week’s work, Brandt made the forty-five minute drive to Jessie’s.

Something stirred in him when he saw Jessie sitting on the front steps with Lexie by her side. The afternoon had warmed up from the bouts of snow flurries earlier in the day and the wind blew random strands of her reddish blonde hair across her appled cheeks. She looked young, fresh and wholesome.

Which made him feel guilty as sin for the direction of his impure thoughts.

Landon kicked his feet to be let out of his seat. Brandt set him on the ground and the kid took off toward Lexie with a squeal of delight. When the dog cowered beneath the deck, Brandt plucked a plastic ball from one of the bins of toys in the back of his truck and tossed it into the yard. Landon held the ball, dropped it, threw it, moving as fast as his legs could carry him.

“Looks like he’s got some pent-up energy,” Jessie remarked.

“I figure it’ll be good for him to run around, get some fresh air, maybe he’ll sleep better tonight, bein’s he’s in a strange place.”

She scooted over, making room for him to sit beside her.

“How did it go with Skylar?”

“She’s one hundred percent on board with it. Probably more so than I am.”

Brandt said nothing.

“Sorry. It’s just… God, it’s really freakin’ weird, okay? I’m sitting here watching Luke’s kid run around, and I had such a close connection to Luke, but I also feel like I didn’t know him at all. I look at the kid and I don’t know what I feel. It didn’t help Skylar started saying all these things about how I should be nominated for sainthood for opening my heart and home to Landon, and I couldn’t take it. I had to leave.

And then, your mom called about a half hour ago.”

“What’d she say?”

“That she was sorry about how everything played out after Luke died, but she had no say in the matter since she had nothing to do with the McKay Ranch.” Jessie turned her head to look at him; Brandt had no choice but to meet her gaze. “Joan cried, Brandt. She broke down and basically said she can’t imagine how hard this is for me, but at the same time she feels like she’s been given a miracle.”

Dammit. “If she said—”

“No. That’s it. She said she wouldn’t fight her husband when it came to ranch matters, but when it came to matters involving her sons, she’d fight that mean bastard tooth and nail.”

Brandt knew neither he nor his brothers would’ve grown up to be half the men they were if not for their mother. She gave them the love and affection their father wouldn’t, even if she had to hide that affection from her husband. “Mom said that?”

“Yeah. Said she’d do anything to help out, including taking Landon another day of the week to save you boys the hassle. She volunteered to drive here. Told me she’d lie to Casper if she had to, but she doubted he’d notice she was gone unless it was mealtime.”

“What did you say?”

“I reminded her the decision wasn’t up to me, that you’re Landon’s guardian, but we’d talk about it and you’d call her.”

“Is this a good idea, my mom takin’ care of Landon two days?”

Jessie sighed. “Yes, it’d be good for both of them. Besides, I’ve never had a problem with Joan. We weren’t best buddies, but I chalked it up to the fact she doesn’t have many female friends. Or your dad didn’t want us to be friends.”

Lexie had inched her way to the edge of the yard and seemed fascinated by Landon and his ball.

“I never understood why my dad was so mean to you, Jess. Well, besides the fact he’s an asshole and he pretty much acts like that toward everyone.”

She managed a wan smile. “Probably because Luke felt trapped and I’m the evil sorceress responsible for that entrapment. One time Luke told me Casper said…” Her mouth snapped shut. “****. Sorry. Never mind.”

“Tell me.”

“It serves no purpose, Brandt.”

“Wrong. Tell me.”

“Evidently Casper suggested I’d faked the pregnancy because I knew Luke would never marry someone like me without being forced into it.”

Brandt’s jaw tightened and he barely gritted out, “Luke just said this to you?”

“We’d had a fight and he’d been drinking and he said a buncha stuff that was just downright nasty.

The next morning he’d realized what he’d done, he hated himself for acting like his dad, and he apologized over and over. But it wasn’t like he could take any of it back. It wasn’t like he could pretend he’d just made it up, because we both knew it was true.”

He didn’t say a word. He couldn’t speak around the ball of rage clogging his throat.

Finally, Jessie put her hand on his arm. “Brandt? You okay?”

“No. It’s…I hate that I don’t realize what an assholish thing I’ve done until it’s too late.”

She frowned. “Like what?”

Like am I acting just like my dad? Forcing you into doing things my way and following my plan regarding Landon because I know your weak spots and know just how to exploit them?

Before he could give her a less honest, less painful answer, Landon face-planted and commenced to wailing. Brandt was off the steps in an instant, but he didn’t beat Jessie to Landon’s side.

She ****ed the boy on her hip and murmured, “You’re okay,” and brushed the dried grass from his hair.

Landon stared at Jessie and then squirmed toward Brandt.

“Think he’s hungry?”

“Maybe. Come to think of it, I’m hungry.”

“Your Uncle Brandt is always hungry so I know you won’t starve when he’s taking care of you.”

Brandt grinned. “As long as the kid likes meat, potatoes and veggies, we’ll get along fine.”

“What? No super spicy chicken wings? No cheesy nachos with jalapenos?”

“Nope. I gave most of that kinda stuff up.”

“Well, whatever you’ve been eating, keep it up. If I haven’t mentioned it, you look great.” Jessie headed for her house, leaving Brandt staring after her, dumbfounded.

A compliment? From Jessie? Out of the freakin’ blue?

What did she want?

Not everything is a power play. Maybe she was just being nice.

While Brandt unloaded the truck and set up the crib in the spare bedroom, Jessie cooked hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. Landon ate a pile of food and almost fell asleep in his high chair. Brandt probably would’ve just put the kid in his jammies and tucked him in bed, but Jessie suggested a bath.

Turned out Landon was a kid who didn’t enjoy baths. It was like wrestling a wet worm—an angry, screaming wet worm. Once he had Landon cleaned up, dried off, freshly diapered and wearing pajamas, Brandt was ready to nod off. But he prepared Landon’s bedtime bottle and settled in the recliner.

Landon made short work of the bottle and was out. Brandt placed him on...

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“God no.” Then Jessie didn’t say anything else.

Brandt didn’t relish spending the next four months waiting for Jessie to converse with him. He snagged the remote and turned the TV on, keeping the sound low, happy that Jessie still had satellite.

After catching up on the latest football games, he hunkered down to watch a western.

As soon as Jessie finished whatever she’d been doing at the table, she joined him on the couch. Might make him selfish, but Brandt wouldn’t mind if this was how the nights for the next four months played out.

Once the movie ended, Jessie stood. “You need anything before I turn in?”

“Nah.” He pointed at the baby monitor. “I’ve got it handled if Landon wakes up.”

“How early are you heading to the ranch tomorrow?”

“I figured I’d leave around six.”

“I get up at five thirty to feed the animals, so that oughta work out. Since it only takes fifteen minutes to get to Sky Blue, I don’t leave until six forty-five.”

“If it’d be easier, havin’ me stay until then—”

Jessie got a strange look on her face. “Don’t trust me alone with him?”

“For Christsake, Jess, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Of course I trust you with him or I wouldn’t’ve asked for your help.”

“That’s good to know.”

Say something.

“Goodnight, Brandt.”

“Night, Jessie.”

He stretched out on the couch and flipped through channels. Fighting a wave of sleepiness, he pulled his ball cap down over his forehead. He’d just rest his eyes for a minute.

Soft cries roused him. Groggy, he pushed up from the couch and fiddled with the volume on the baby monitor and heard the noise again.

Not Landon. Jessie.

Brandt tiptoed down the hallway to Jessie’s bedroom. Her door was open and he listened just outside the jamb. Sure enough, another soft sob echoed. Without thinking, Brandt entered her room.

She’d curled into a ball in the middle of her bed, resting her forehead to her knees. Her shoulders shook with each sob.

His heart fell straight to his toes. “Jessie.”

“Go away.”

“No. Let me help you.”

“Help me do what? Fall apart even more?”

He stared at the snarled hair shadowing her face.

Jessie slowly raised her head, burning him with a look of pure venom. “I hate you for doing this to me.”

His breath stalled.

“And when Landon is back with his mother? I never want to see your face again. Now get the hell out of my room.”

Suffocation and dizziness set in. Jessie’s image wavered and everything went black.

Brandt sat straight up, gasping for air. It took him a second to get his bearings. He was at Jessie’s house. Not slumped in her doorway but sprawled on the couch, TV droning in the background. Squinting at the clock, he realized only a half hour had passed since he’d closed his eyes.

Except it hadn’t felt like a bad dream; it felt more like a premonition.

Chapter Five

Jessie wished she’d taken Brandt up on his offer to come to Sky Blue and help with Landon on his first day because the kid was a holy terror.

The other kids scared him, so he cried and screamed, “No!”

The other adults scared him, so he cried and screamed, “No!”

At first Landon didn’t want anything to do with Jessie. Then he refused to let go of her leg. He clung to her, crying like his heart was breaking.

I know how you feel, kid.

Lunchtime was a disaster. She’d buckled Landon in the high chair while she readied the other kids’

lunches. He beat his hands on the tray, arched his back, and tried to throw himself out of the chair, all while screaming.

Spitting mad, his face was bright red and covered in a mix of tears, drool and snot. She wiped him up and let him out of the chair. The poor little boy didn’t know whether to run off or stick by her. When she walked to the refrigerator, he followed. She took a bottle from the top shelf and held it out to him. Landon snatched it out of her hands, like a wild animal afraid his meal would be stolen, and scampered off.

She glanced at the clock. Only five hours to go. Yay.

He calmed down for about ten minutes while he cowered in the corner, watching with those big blue McKay eyes. When Jessie approached him and tried to take away his empty bottle, he returned to shrieking. And he added hitting, just to make things interesting.

For about three seconds Jessie considered setting him in a playpen and leaving him in one of the empty offices upstairs until he screamed himself to sleep.

Buck up and deal with it.

She crouched down in front of him. “No hitting, Landon. Ever. Do you understand me?”

He swatted at her and she grabbed his wrist. “No hitting.”

He wailed.

Since none of the other kids could nap through his screaming, Jessie let them take their blankets and pillows and watch a movie in the separate play room.

The main door to the daycare opened and Skylar walked in, cringing at Landon’s ear piercing shrieks.

She motioned Jessie aside.

Jessie blurted, “I’m sorry if he’s disturbing you, but I’ve tried everything and nothing is working.”

Skylar placed her hand on Jessie’s arm. “I’m not blaming you. It’ll probably take a couple of days for him to get used to this place and the other kids, so I’m going *****ggest we ease him into it. A few hours at a time this week, okay?”

Jessie knew that was the smart thing to do, but she still felt like she’d failed with him. “Okay.”

“Also, I know you’d intended to take Landon over to Joan’s tomorrow, but it’d be better if he got used to coming here all week. Take him to Joan’s or whatever at night, but he needs to get acclimated here first.”

“Agreed. I’ll call Brandt and have him pick Landon up right away, but it’ll probably be at least an hour before he can get here from the ranch.”

“No offense, Jess, but you should take Landon back to your place now. Have Brandt meet you there.”

Sky shot the still screaming kid a quick glance. “With a six pack and a bottle of aspirin.”

Jessie managed a smile. “Thanks. Who’s filling in for me for the rest of today?”

Two raps sounded on the glass part of the door and Kade sauntered in, wearing his usual workday clothes; jeans, boots, hat and flannel shirt.

Immediately Landon stopped wailing.

Jessie and Sky exchanged a what the hell? look and then looked at Kade.

Kade shrugged. “It’s probably the hat.” He crouched down, facing Landon, far enough away not to scare him. “You sure got a set of lungs on ya. And I thought Miz Eliza was loud.”

Landon raced to Kade and threw himself at the cowboy with a sob.

Logically, Jessie knew Landon went to Kade because he reminded him of Brandt. But emotionally, it made her feel like she was lacking a maternal instinct.

You’re not the boy’s mother. You shouldn’t have that instinct.

The last thing she needed was more self-doubt. She backed away to get their belongings and to call Brandt.

Kade was such a good guy he put on Landon’s coat. Then he carried Landon to her truck and buckled him in his car seat. Jessie braced herself for the frustrated cries to start again, but Landon was silent. He’d fallen asleep.

Thank God.

So Jessie drove. Past her house and into Moorcroft. She killed almost an hour, reluctant to rouse Landon. While she drove, she compiled a list of reasons why this wouldn’t work.

Her stepfather’s mantra echoed in her mind— winners never quit and quitters never win.

But this was different. This was a losing situation all around.

She saw Brandt climbing out of his truck when she pulled into her driveway. She motioned him over and rolled down the window.

He said, “What’s up?”

“Get in. Fast. Landon’s asleep and I don’t wanna wake the little beast up.”

“That bad, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

Brandt climbed in the passenger side. “Look, Jess, I’m sorry—”

She held up her hand. “I just want to enjoy the silence for a little while longer.”

He nodded and relaxed in the seat.

But Jessie could feel him looking at her. And for the first time, maybe ever, she didn’t mind.

After about ten minutes, Brandt asked, “What happened today?”

“Landon melted down. Completely. Skylar has suggested I only take him to daycare in the morning until he gets used to it. She even suggested we skip taking him to your mom this week until he’s more settled.” Her hands tightened on the wheel. “I’m gonna let you handle that with Joan. And I want you to make sure she knows I’m not trying to keep Landon away from her.”

“Hey, Jess, I’d never do that to you.”

She expected him to say “I’m not like Luke” but he didn’t.

Brandt stretched his arm along the back of the seat. “So if Landon’s only gonna be there part time this week, where do I come in?”

“You’ll have to...

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Silence filled the cab—not comfortable silence.

Brandt gently said, “Talk to me.”

“I don’t know if I can do this, Brandt.”

He paused a second. “Okay. I appreciate your honesty.”

“But?”

“But I don’t know if a few hours is enough to make a decision. Especially if all you’ve had with him are a few bad hours.”

“How long did it take you to decide to ask me to help you with Landon’s care?”

He mumbled something.

“Say what?”

“Three days. Three very long days when I second and third guessed this from every possible angle and…I still ain’t sure I did the right thing.”

That admission surprised her.

“Every one of my McKay cousins showed up this morning and that’s a rare thing, trust me.”

Jessie frowned. “Why? Is there something going on with the ranch?”

“There’s always something goin’ on, but I usually hear about it long after it’s happened. Dad ain’t real good about keepin’ me informed, which pisses me off because I’ve been doin’ every damn thing he’s ever asked and he still has all the control and never lets me forget it.” He inhaled. Exhaled. “Sorry. That’s twice I’ve gone off about it today. For once my cousins showing up didn’t have nothin’ to do with the ranch.

They came because of Landon. But mostly because of you.”

Her gut clenched. “Me? Why?”

“They asked why I didn’t come to them first and ask for help.”

No surprise the McKay’s circled the wagons around one of their own. “What’d you say?”

Brandt sighed, pushing his hat back to rub his forehead. “I didn’t know what to say. It pissed me off a little, to be honest. Because of the…family dynamic between my dad and his brothers, it’d make things ten times worse for everyone if I’d asked one of Uncle Carson’s, or Uncle Cal’s, or Uncle Charlie’s sons or daughters-in-law to help.”

She weighed aspects of this situation she hadn’t considered. “Is it a family pride thing?”

“Jess—”

“It’s not a nosy question. Maybe for the first time I understand why you involved me—because I’m neutral. The lesser of two evils. You knew your dad would prefer to have me, who he’s never liked, helping out with Landon, rather than taking his brothers’ or his nephews’ charity.” Another thing occurred to her.

“And you don’t want your McKay relatives knowing you don’t think your father would be a fit guardian for Landon, even temporarily.”

“But it’s more about how they view my mom and not my dad.”

Logical, sweet Brandt. Sparing his mother’s feelings. Figuring out every contingency before he made a single move. It used to drive Luke crazy, since Luke was the impulsive one.

And look what happened to him.

“Yeah. I’m a bastard.”

“No. You’re just a good guy who’s been put in a no win situation and you’re trying to make everyone happy.” Jessie had circled back to her house. She braked and turned into her driveway.

Brandt said nothing until after she’d parked. Then he faced her with such a look of misery her breath caught. “You’re wrong about me, Jessie. I’m not a good guy. I’m selfish. You were always my first choice.

Always. Even when I knew this would hurt you like nothin’ else, I still went ahead and demanded this of you anyway. And I have to live with knowing when this is done, you’ll probably hate me and I’ll deserve it.”

He jumped out and hefted a still sleeping Landon into his arms before she could formulate a response.

Three hours later, Jessie couldn’t believe the change in Landon. He played quietly with his toys on the floor, although he never ventured very far from Brandt. Happy as she was that he wasn’t screaming, she worried his adjustment at the daycare would take longer if was subjected to continual quiet instead of chaos. After she popped the casserole in the oven, she returned to the living room where Brandt was working on his laptop.

He glanced up and smiled.

Mercy. That smile of his could knock her for a loop.

Since when? Her practical side demanded.

Since always, her feminine side countered.

When she didn’t respond, that roguish smile died. “What?”

“Nothing. You just look so studious. I’m not used to it.”

Landon pushed to his feet and ran to Brandt, possessively wrapping his arm around Brandt’s thigh.

Jessie shook her head. “He’s really afraid I’m gonna take him away from you, isn’t he?”

“He’ll get used to you. I’m just the only familiar thing in his world right now.”

“How many times did you see him before his mother went to jail?”

He shrugged and continued looking at Landon. “I stopped by about twice a week. Sometimes Samantha needed a break from bein’ a single parent and I’d take him off her hands for a couple of hours.

Other times she just needed someone to talk to. Either way, I ended up hangin’ out with him.”

An unfamiliar, sharp pang arose. For the first time Jessie wondered if Brandt might’ve developed feelings for Landon’s mother.

“Jessie. Look at me.”

She met his gaze.

“You’re not doin’ anything wrong with him. Give him more than a day to get used to you.”

She was relieved Brandt hadn’t picked up on the real reason for her worry. Especially since she didn’t understand why it’d caused a spark of jealousy. “I’m going out to feed the horses and the llamas.”

“Do you need help?”

“Nah. I’m used to doing everything myself.”

A guilty look flashed in his eyes. “How are the llamas?”

“Lucy and Ethel are great. But they’d like male attention. They miss their mates. And their babies.”

Jessie hated selling her male llamas and Lucy and Ethel’s last babies. But they’d been raised specifically to work cattle and were easily bored and got into trouble if they didn’t have a herd to protect. A bored llama was a dangerous llama. Luckily Lucy and Ethel had half a dozen horses to run with, but they had escaped a few times, probably looking for intimate male companionship.

You’d like some intimate male companionship too.

What the hell was wrong with her today?

“Those baby llamas were awful cute,” Brandt said.

“Someday I’ll have babies, but not now. The timing is all wrong.”

Brandt frowned.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

Jessie slipped on her coveralls, her ratty old Carhartt coat, her leather gloves, and her ridiculous looking, but very warm, Elmer Fudd hat. She tugged on the waterproof work boots, whistled for Lexie and was out the door.

I’m used to doing everything myself.

It wasn’t a shot at him, but Brandt still felt guilty. In the six months before Luke died, he’d passed a lot of his ranch responsibilities to Jessie. Jessie already had her hands full taking care of the horses, Luke expected she’d learn every aspect of being a ranch wife and worked her to the bone.

Which was why Brandt, Tell and Dalton had become so enraged when his father kicked Jessie out of the home she and Luke shared. After Jessie turned down Brandt’s offer to live in his house, which he owned free and clear, he’d scrambled to find Jessie a place where she could bring her horses and llamas. It pained him to think she’d still had to give up some of them up.

When he didn’t feel Landon clinging to his leg, he glanced at the boy standing by the door. The kid only cared about the dog, and running free outside as he chased the dog, so maybe fresh air would do him good. “Wanna go outside and see the llamas?”

Landon just stared at him.

“It’d be nice if you could talk. Or at least try to talk.”

But when Brandt grabbed his coat off the peg, Landon seemed to grasp Brandt’s intention. He didn’t fuss at all when Brandt bundled him up. But his winter wear options were sorely lacking and the kid needed snow boots and snow pants.

No snow covered the ground today, although it was cold and the wind blew like a bitch. He blocked the worst of the wind from Landon’s face as he carried him to the fence.

Jessie was in the pasture with the llamas. They were intent on whatever she was talking to them about, until they noticed Brandt and Landon.

Given the way Landon was scared of everything, it surprised him that the boy reached over the fence to touch the animals. “Whoa, buddy, wait a second. Let’s make sure it’s okay.” Brandt looked at Jessie.

She said, “As long as you hold him, it should be all right.” She spoke to the llamas in a lilting tone, and Brandt had a moment of jealousy. What would it be like to have Jessie murmuring to him like that?

Pure heaven.

Landon shrieked, “Goggie!” and Lexie bounded away, her doggie body language said, Ha ha, you can’t catch me now, sucker.

Brandt laughed. For some reason Brandt’s laughter...

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When Ethel gobbled the carrot chunk from Landon’s hand, he shrieked with happiness.

Both he and Jessie winced. “We’ve gotta find a better way for him to communicate.”

“Agreed. I’m almost finished.”

“With all the animals?”

“No, just the llamas. See? Here come the horses.”

The six horses trotted in from the pasture, tossing their manes, as if eating the hay Jessie had spread out was of no consequence. That if they truly wanted something better, they could’ve gotten it themselves.

Temperamental damn things. He preferred cows. They ate. They bred. They calved. They either went through the cycle again or went away. Simple.

You used to like horses. You used to want to implement a breeding program.

But it’d become just another thing Casper McKay had ridiculed and Brandt let that idea go.

Landon squirmed to be let down. Brandt crouched beside him next to the fence and gave him a play by play of what Jessie was doing. The kid actually seemed to be listening.

Maybe that’s because someone is taking the time to talk to him.

Samantha hadn’t been forthcoming about her parenting skills, probably because they were lacking.

As Brandt was about to hoist Landon onto his hip, the gate opened and Lexie tore out. Landon gave chase before Brandt could grab onto his hood and stop him. Damn. The kid was fast.

“Hey, wait a second. Come back here.”

“Let him run.”

He’d known the instant Jessie came up behind him, even before she spoke. It might’ve been the scent of her cherry Chapstick carried on the wind. Or it might’ve been the sound her coveralls made as she walked closer. A sound he’d heard a lot in the year they spent together doing chores. He faced her. “Need me to do anything?”

“No. Unless you wanna stay out here and watch Landon run his legs off while I shower.”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

She smiled. “I can wash my own back, but thanks for offering.”

Holy hell. That wasn’t what he’d been thinking at all. But now that she’d brought it up, Brandt couldn’t get the image of her wet, nekkid body out of his mind. Watching the water sluice over her curves through a cloud of steam surrounding her. Steam that hung heavy and damp with the sweet scent of her soap. Or with the musky aroma from her…

“Brandt?”

Dammit. He looked toward Landon to hide his blush. “The offer stands. Any time. However, I was thinkin’ along the lines of the longer I keep him out here, the earlier he’ll hit the hay tonight.”

“Good plan. Come in whenever you guys are ready.”

Brandt commended his willpower in not turning around and watching her hips sway as she headed to the house.

Snap out of it, man. This is the first day. If she catches you eyeballing her ass, she’ll kick yours right out the door.

True. But that pesky feeling of hope arose, that feeling he’d all but stomped out when she’d shot him down last year. Given months to reflect, he understood how lousy his timing had been.

Landon started to fall asleep during supper. While Brandt bathed him, Jessie washed the dishes. She’d changed into sweat pants after her shower, and when he returned to the living room after putting Landon down for the night, he had to stop and grip the back of the reclining chair.

How many nights had they spent just like this? Jessie sitting cross-legged on the couch, engrossed in her knitting. Him watching TV, or pretending to watch TV when it was far more interesting to covertly watch her.

They’d spent dozens of nights together. Revisiting those nights gave him the same sharp ache of want he’d felt back then.

Jessie looked up. Her gaze flicked over him and she smiled. “Nice jammies.”

Brandt glanced down at the camo fleece pants and camo tank top. Okay, maybe they didn’t match, but they didn’t look that bad. “Hey, at least I’m wearin’ jammies. Normally I sleep commando.”

“Must be a family thing. Luke did too.”

A perfectly natural comment, but for some reason it rubbed him wrong. He plopped right beside her.

He leaned over and peered at the twisted ball of yarn on her lap. “Whatcha makin’?”

She held up a brown blob. “A mess. It’s supposed to be a hat for my mom’s husband for Christmas. It sort of looks like a cowpie right now, huh?”

“Maybe. But it don’t smell like one.”

“You’re so sweet.”

Brandt held his breath, expecting her to say something about Luke being sweet, too, but she just sighed.

“You wanna watch X-Files reruns? This is pointless tonight.” She set aside her knitting. “I’m too wound up.”

“I’m sorry you had a rough morning. Think tomorrow will be easier?”

“I hope so. I don’t know if I can stand being the kid’s last choice for the next four months.” She expelled a soft, bitter laugh. “Although I should be used to it. Like father like son, right?”

That crack about Luke didn’t sit any better with Brandt than the first one did.

Jessie sighed again. “Sorry. I should probably haul my cranky self to bed.”

He reached for her hand. “Stay. Drink a beer with me. We’ll heckle the bizarre plot line and wonder why in the hell Mulder and Scully don’t just get it on already. Jesus. How long can they drag out the ***ual tension when it’s obvious the two of them belong together?”

She faced him and frowned. “It takes them a while, but they do end up together. We watched the last season, last year, remember?”

Not really. As usual, he’d been more interested in gawking at Jessie. “I must’ve forgot.”

“You forgot that Mulder and Scully drove off toward a happy future?”

“Yeah. It’s easier to believe in monsters because happily ever after doesn’t happen in real life.”

Jessie gave him a curious look before she tossed him the remote. “One episode. Then I’m going to bed.”

Landon’s behavior Tuesday at daycare was marginally better than Monday.

Landon’s behavior Wednesday at daycare was markedly better than Tuesday.

Landon’s behavior Thursday at daycare was good enough he stayed the entire day.

Brandt and Jessie had fallen into an easy evening routine—too easy. The three of them fed the animals together. They ate supper together. Brandt bathed Landon and tucked him in bed. Then he and Jessie watched TV together until one of them or both of them fell asleep. If she conked out first, he’d watch her like a ****ing perv, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Something about seeing her so unguarded in sleep reinforced the idea she was vulnerable and strengthened his resolve to protect her at all costs.

Even if he was the one most dangerous to her.

So when they were offered a break in the routine, Brandt grabbed it, telling Jessie his mother wanted to have Landon for an hour or so after supper. But first on their to-do list was outfitting Landon for winter weather.

As far as shopping went, Brandt didn’t mind the farm supply store. Tisdale’s carried everything essential to ranching and he usually ran into someone he knew. It hadn’t occurred to him that might not be a good thing until it happened.

He and Jessie were in the boot section of Tisdale’s, trying to figure out if rubber boots worn over shoes were a better choice than simple snow boots. Since neither he nor Jessie had shoe shopped for a toddler, getting Landon to sit still proved a major obstacle.

“No. Put those back. We don’t want anything with laces.”

Brandt held up the camouflage boots. “But they have drawstrings on the top. They’ll stay tied.”

Landon reached for them with a possessive grunt.

“See? He loves them. They’re hip. And manly.”

Jessie grumbled and let go of Landon for two seconds. The kid was off like an antelope.

“Dammit, Landon, get back here.” ****. He wasn’t supposed to swear. He snagged the boy by the waist and hung him upside down on the trip back to the boot department. Landon shrieked, the good kind of shrieks, but still, he was awful damn loud.

“Now sit on Jessie’s lap and be a good boy so we can get this over with, okay?”

Landon nodded and Brandt grinned. The kid was already getting better at communicating and it’d only been a few days.

“Brandt?”

He whirled around and looked into the beady eyes of Margene Hieb. Margene and her husband Larry lived up the road from his folks. They’d been friendly neighbors for years until their oldest daughter, Pandora, became the walking wounded due to Luke’s heartbreaking ways. Consequently, Margene took every opportunity to run her mouth off about anything less than flattering about the McKay family—and there always seemed to be plenty to talk about.

“Margene.” Brandt peered over Margene’s shoulder. “Where’s Larry?”

“At home.” She sidestepped Brandt and stood in front of Jessie. “Oh my. It is true. I wasn’t sure, you know how rumors are, never know how they get started.”

Usually by people like you.

“He...

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Brandt looked back and forth between mother and daughter, mentally trying to slap a lid on his temper before his mouth opened and he said something he’d regret. But it didn’t work. “Did that crack about Luke’s character make you feel better, Pandora? You’re still bitter that Luke dumped you…what?

Ten years ago?”

“There is no time limit on the effects of infidelity, Brandt, as Jessie well knows,” Pandora sneered.

“But there is a time limit on my patience and you’ve reached it. Now get out of here before I tell Pastor Jones you both need a personal sermon on learning and practicing forgiveness.” Brandt looked over his shoulder. “I saw him around here someplace.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would happily relay everything you just said and then some.”

Huffing and whispering, they took off.

Brandt looked at Jessie. He started to say I’m sorry, but she shook her head.

“That’s the first, Brandt, but it won’t be the last.” She pointed to the boots, the pair of snow pants and the University of Wyoming tasseled hat. “We’re done.”

After they’d paid and loaded Landon in his carseat, Jessie said, “I should’ve driven into town because after that fun time, I’m ready to go home. And no offense, but I can’t stomach the thought of riding out to your folks’ house with you.”

“Okay. But my mom is expecting him—”

“Just take me to Dewey’s. I’ll grab something to eat while I’m waiting.”

He started to reach for her hand, but stopped himself. “I’ll keep it a short visit. But it’ll be at least an hour.”

“I can entertain myself, Brandt. I’ve gotten used to it in the last two years.”

He pulled up in front of the Sandstone Building and she bailed out with a mumbled, “Later.”

Landon was fairly good at his parents’ place, considering his mother insisted on holding him all the time. And from what Brandt had seen of Landon, he wasn’t the snuggliest kid. Brandt cut the visit short when his dad started in on him about prepping for calving season, which was still several months away.

Plus, he was anxious to get back to Jessie.

He texted her: You ready 2 go?

Her response was fast: Already gone. Walking home.

What the ****?

Panicked, Brandt called her. “Jess? What do you mean you’re walkin’ home?”

“I couldn’t stay in there another second. So I left. I figured you’d catch up with me.”

Do not yell at her. “Where are you?”

“By the Shell station.”

“Stay put. I mean it. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

It took him eight minutes to reach her.

Jessie climbed in his truck without a word. She didn’t turn around to check on Landon, who was asleep. She stared straight ahead. He was so freaked out about her ****ing walking when it was fifteen degrees out, that he didn’t say anything for fear of saying the wrong thing.

They’d gone about three miles in brutal silence, when she said, “Stop. I feel sick.”

He eased the truck to the shoulder and she practically jumped out. He gave her a minute before he cut the headlights and checked on her.

With no moon, city lights or sodium glow from the interstate, everything was pure black—the sky, the ground, the hillside on the left, the sweeping valley on the right. The cold bit into him with sharp teeth.

No, the chill in his bones was from something else entirely. Fear.

Jessie teetered on the edge of the road, arms wrapped herself, nearly lost in that dark void.

Brandt moved in behind her. Close enough if she needed him, far enough away to offer the illusion of space.

“Get back in the truck and leave me alone, Brandt.”

“Like hell. What happened?”

“The same thing that happened in Tisdale’s. Not once, but ten times. I had ten different people, people I barely know, come up to me and tell me how ****ing sorry they were for me. Sorry! For me. Like I’m some pathetic excuse of a woman that can’t keep a man or birth a child. They’re sorry that my husband ran around on me. They’re sorry that Landon exists. It was horrible.”

“Jess.” He set his hands on her shoulders.

She flinched and shook off his show of sympathy. “Don’t touch me. I’m so mad right now I just want to scream!”

Brandt could take it if she lashed out at him—physically or verbally. Instead of heeding her warning, he enfolded her in his arms, hugging her against his chest. Just as he suspected, she didn’t fight him at all.

A minute or so passed and he whispered, “Still wanna do it?”

“What? Scream?”

“There’s no one here but us. No one would hear but me and maybe a few mule deer.”

Her body tensed.

“Come on. Let it out.”

And she did. She screamed and screamed and it absolutely ripped his heart from his chest. Brandt closed his eyes and listened while she let that anger go. Let the frustration go. The hurt, she’d hang onto.

He held her until the screams tapered off into sobs. She ended up facing him, her face buried in his neck.

“Oh God, it hurts.”

“I know it does.”

“I loved him. I loved him like crazy, so how can I hate him so much now?”

“You hate the position he put you in, not him.”

She hiccupped. “This is so ****ed up. Here I am telling you that I loved your brother, but I hate him, and you’re trying to make me feel better about having those conflicting feelings, even when you can’t possibly understand because you loved him.”

“Yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hate some of the things Luke did, Jess.”

She tipped her head back and blinked away her tears. “Will this get easier?”

“The situation with Landon? I wish I could say yes, but I don’t know.”

“At least you didn’t bull**** me.”

“Honesty is always the best policy in my book.” Brandt smiled and pecked her on the forehead. “I’m here for you. Anything you need.”

Jessie shivered. “Thank you. We’d better get going.”

“Good. And after hearing those excellent screams, I’m suddenly in the mood for a horror flick.”

She actually laughed and shoved him. “Fine. But this time you’re making the popcorn.”

Chapter Six

Friday afternoon Brandt came into Sky Blue daycare to pick Landon up for the weekend. They’d already loaded Landon’s paltry amount of stuff in Brandt’s truck before they started their respective workdays, so the kid handoff was all that remained.

“Is there anything else?”

She snagged the last bottle out of the fridge and jammed it in the diaper bag. “No. That’s it.”

“We’ll get outta your hair then.” He hefted Landon onto his hip and slung the diaper bag over his shoulder.

“What are your plans?” she asked. How was it that Brandt looked masculine even carrying a quilted diaper bag printed with yellow duckies?

“Nothin’ big. Dalton suggested we test Landon’s rodeo skills on the back of a bull first thing in the morning. Tell thinks Landon is built more like a saddle bronc rider. While I’m leanin’ toward blowin’ off all them rough stock events and teachin’ him bulldoggin’. Naturally the afternoon will be devoted to getting Landon used to his very own dirt bike.”

Jessie laughed. “I’ll bet Landon would look cute in teeny tiny chaps and a little hat.” She reached down and snapped the bottom button on Landon’s coat. “Tell and Dalton are spending the night?”

“Yeah. Chores don’t stop because it’s the weekend. Thought we’d do the minimum tomorrow and take Landon with us.”

“Sounds like you guys will have fun.”

“What are your weekend plans?”

“Depends on the weather. Might work the horses. I’ll probably just stay home.” Like usual. She used to go out with Keely at least one Saturday night of the month, but after Keely and Jack got engaged, Cowgirls’ Night Out stopped.

“If you get bored or need anything, or just wanna hang out with us guys, call me, or just show up, okay?”

Brandt was so damn sweet. She couldn’t help reaching out and running her hand up his arm to let him know she appreciated his offer. “Okay.”

How did Brandt respond to her show of affection? By brushing his lips over her cheek. “See you Sunday night, Jess.”

About thirty seconds after Brandt exited the main door, Simone barreled into the empty daycare room.

“Omigod. How did I miss cowboy hottie again?”

“Gotta be quicker.”

All five feet eleven inches of Simone perched on a mini plastic chair. Long arms and longer legs akimbo, she resembled a praying mantis about to strike. “So, is cowboy hottie quick on the trigger too?”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t know.” But it wasn’t like she hadn’t been thinking about it.

Nonstop. In vivid detail.

...

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Since Simone had started at Sky Blue six months ago, she wasn’t aware of Jessie’s history with the McKays, Brandt in particular. Which hadn’t been all bad, because Simone saw her as Jessie, her work pal, her sometime barhopping buddy. Not as that-poor-young-widow-Jessie-and-isn’t-it-a-shame-her-husband-ran-around-on-her-all-the-time phrase the locals used to describe her. She shuddered to think what other description had been added since Landon’s appearance.

“That’s it? No shirt?”

“No shirt. And if you think he’s drool-worthy in Wranglers? You oughta see that perfect butt and those muscled legs in the flesh. Not to mention how awesomely buff his chest is. Totally lickable. I’ve known him for four years and I had no idea the man had pipes like that.” This was the fun part hanging with Simone; she could say whatever popped into her head and Simone didn’t judge her for it. Simone didn’t consider Jessie too sweet or too innocent looking to have such lewd thoughts or call bull**** on Jessie’s opinion.

Not that what she’d just said about Brandt McKay’s slamming body was bull****. It was all too real and all too close.

“I oughta slap some sense into you, Jessie girl.”

“Why?”

“Because to hear you talk about cowboy hottie, you’ve been paying very close attention to him a lot longer than you’ll admit to. Which means you want him.”

Duh. But she couldn’t have him.

Why not?

Because I fear he’s a package deal and he wants more than I’m willing to give him.

Two raps sounded on the door. She and Simone whirled around to see…Brandt McKay lounging in the doorway.

Holy freakin’ crap. Had he heard their raunchy girl talk, with him starring front and center?

“Hey, cowboy hottie. We were just talking about—ow! Jessie, what the hell?”

She’d pelted Simone with a marker to shut her up. “Sorry. It must’ve slipped.” She ignored the wash of humiliation and focused on cowboy hottie. Dammit. Now Simone even had her calling him that.

“Brandt. I thought you left?”

“So I gathered,” he said dryly.

So he had heard them. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’. I realized I forgot Landon’s snow boots.”

“Oh. They’re in his cubby. I’ll grab them.”

“I know where his cubby is.” He crouched and pulled the boots from the bottom shelf. “I figured he might get a little muddy this weekend.”

“With all that rodeoin’ and wild McKay man time.”

He stared at her quizzically, which made her curious about which part of the conversation he’d overheard.

“What?” she asked, a little testily.

“Just wondering where you ladies were headed to tonight?”

Simone shrugged. “Wherever, whenever and whatever.”

“Which is Simone’s way of telling you she doesn’t have a freakin’ clue what we’re doing.”

“Well, wherever you end up, if you have a little too much liquid fun and need a ride, just call. I’d be happy to pick you up and take you home.”

She knew Brandt meant both of them, but he didn’t look at Simone even once. “Thanks, but—”

“We’ll keep it in mind,” Simone inserted smoothly. “It’s always good to have a man on standby.”

Brandt’s intense gaze never strayed from hers. “That’s something I’m very familiar with, isn’t it, Jessie? Bein’ on standby.”

Her mouth became desert dry and her tongue useless.

“Later, ladies.” And he was gone.

She sagged against the wall. Another reminder that everything had changed last night. Not only when he’d held her tightly and told her to scream her frustration into the wind and darkness. After returning to her house and tucking Landon in bed, they’d sat on the couch, heckling some stupid horror movie. At some point, she’d curled into him and had fallen asleep. Then she was in Brandt’s arms. He hadn’t done more than tenderly brush her hair from her face after depositing her on the bed fully clothed, but it’d felt intimate. It’d left her unsettled. Mostly because it’d left her wanting more of him.

“Earth to Jessie.”

Her gaze zoomed to Simone’s. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said we’re hitting the pizza and beer joint. And you’re gonna tell me everything about your past with the cowboy hottie.”

“Simone—”

“No arguing. And if you’re lucky, I won’t rail on you too hard for being a complete idiot.”

“Why am I an idiot?”

“For not snapping that man up. I swear I’ve never seen any man look so ready to lick a woman up one side and down the other as he was when he was eating you up with his eyes.”

“Or given his family history, he might chew me up and spit me out,” she shot back.

“Don’t be a fool. Pride and fear are best left in the past when it’s obvious he wants to be part of your future.”

Well, hell. How was she supposed to respond to that? Especially when she suspected Simone would retract that statement after she heard the sordid truth about the situation?

Jessie’s house was way too quiet. Sad, how quickly she’d gotten used to Brandt and Landon’s presence in the last five days—which would make it ten times harder when they were both gone for good.

Rather than dwell on what she couldn’t change, or spend a perfectly beautiful Saturday moping, she took action. She whipped up a spice cake with rum frosting. Then she loaded Lexie and the cake in the truck and drove to Sky Blue for a box of stuff she’d intended to donate to the women’s shelter.

How would Brandt take her unexpected appearance at his place? More importantly, what did it mean that she was making the first move?

After talking to Simone last night, Jessie was beginning to see Brandt in a different light. But she wasn’t sure what to do about it, or if Brandt would ever agree to her new con***ion. Or if she had the guts to actually broach the subject with him.

As soon as she’d parked at Brandt’s place, McKay men surrounded her truck.

Maybe they’d smelled food.

She started to open the door when Brandt elbowed Dalton aside to get there first. “Jess! Hey, I’m glad to see you.”

Damn he looked good. Relaxed. And honestly happy she’d showed up.

Dalton sniffed. “Is that…cake?”

“What are you? Part bloodhound?” Tell shoved him and grinned at her. “But please tell me it’s cake.”

“Yes, it’s cake. Spice cake.”

“What’s the occasion?” Brandt asked.

“It’s Saturday?”

“Good enough for me. I’ll put it inside so these two don’t eat it all.” He grabbed the pan and said, “Be right back,” as Dalton followed him inside.

She said, “Where’s Landon?” to Tell.

“There.” He pointed to a dirt mound. Landon sat in the midst of a pile of small shovels and Tonka trucks of every size and shape.

“Are those new?”

“Yeah, me’n Dalton were at the feed store so we got some boy toys for Landon.”

That was so cute, and heartening, they were taking an interest in their nephew.

“Besides, we all loved playin’ in the dirt. He’s a McKay. Figured he would too.”

“Yes, the true test of a McKay male is seeing how dirty he can get his damn clothes on a daily basis.”

Funny how she’d forgotten how filthy Luke’s clothes were after he finished up on the ranch. Funny how she’d forgotten how much of her life had been devoted to putting Luke’s needs first. Still, she couldn’t help but smile at the dirt-covered urchin lost in muddy playtime. “Landon looks like he’s having a ball.”

“He is now. But he was damn cranky when he woke up. I think he was missin’ you, Jess.”

She gave Tell a droll look. “Such a suck up. I already said you could have some cake.”

He laughed. “You’re just in time because we were about to play football. And I’m draftin’ you to my team because I don’t think Landon is gonna be much help in the tackling department.”

“You’re playing tackle football?”

“Flag football is for pussies.” Tell bumped her with his hip. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun. Right. It’s all fun and games until someone breaks an arm or gets a concussion.”

But Tell wasn’t listening to her. He waved to Dalton and Brandt as they ambled closer. “Guess who’s on my team, suckas?”

Dalton loomed over her. “If you think we’re goin’ easy on you since you’re a girl, Jessie—”

“You’d be exactly right,” Brandt said. “Because she is not playin’ football with us.”

What? Not that Jessie had a burning desire to chase around a pigskin, but who was Brandt to decide what she could and couldn’t do?

Tell said, “Oh ****. Now you did...

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As she waited for the next play, she realized it’d been ages since she’d goofed around outside with no real purpose. Likewise, Brandt, Tell and Dalton worked in the great outdoors every day, no matter what the weather did, so they tended to stay indoors when they finished for the day.

Maybe the sunshine and crisp air had brought out her melancholy. But it bolstered her spirits to see these three banding together outside of the hours they spent working on the ranch. It hadn’t always been that way, due to Casper’s tendency to pit his sons against each other, so at least one good thing had come out of Luke’s death.

“Stop chasin’ butterflies, Jess, and pay attention,” Tell shouted right before he threw her the ball.

She yelled, “Crap!” but somehow managed to catch the football. Then she took off.

Behind her came a loud oof as her teammate tackled one of his brothers, but she didn’t stop to see which one, because guaranteed, the other one was chasing her.

She’d almost reached the goal line—a stick jammed in a dirt pile—when she was brought down.

Hard. Hitting the ground on her side with a bone-jarring thud knocked the wind right out of her.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.

“Jess? God, I’m sorry.” Brandt rolled her on her back. “Are you okay?”

No air had entered her lungs yet. Her eyelids seemed glued shut.

“****.” Gentle hands swept the hair from her face. “Come on, sweetheart. Wake up.”

Footsteps stopped by her head.

“Jesus, Brandt. How ****ing hard did you hit her?”

“I—I didn’t think it was that hard.”

“Did you knock her unconscious?” Dalton asked.

“I don’t know. She hasn’t moved.”

Tell said, “Maybe you oughta give her mouth-to-mouth or something.”

Jessie gasped and her eyes flew open.

Brandt was in her face, blocking her view of anything but him. Panic darkened his eyes. Distress lined his forehead. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“You just knocked the wind out of me.”

“Just?” he repeated. “Where else are you hurt?”

“Nowhere.”

He didn’t believe her. He unzipped her coat and curled his hands around her ribs beneath her breasts.

“What about here? Does this hurt?”

She shook her head. She really wasn’t hurt, but having Brandt so concerned about her and putting those rough hands of his all over her? Well, there was the upside to getting tackled.

His palms slowly slid down her belly. “Here?”

Again, she shook her head.

His big hands slid further down to circle her hips. “Feel like anything is bruised or out of joint?”

“Not really.”

“Hey, bro, why don’t you just cut the **** and volunteer to kiss her all over and make it better,”

Dalton taunted, adding kissing noises.

Tell smacked him in the arm. “Shut it, asshole.”

Her gaze winged between Dalton and Tell, kneeling beside Brandt. “You saw me pass the goal line, right? That counted as a touchdown.”

“You didn’t pass the goal line,” Dalton scoffed. “See? You dropped the football well short of the goal.”

They all turned and looked at where Dalton was pointing, which was why they didn’t see Landon barreling toward them until he landed on Brandt’s back with a happy shriek.

Luckily Tell and Dalton pulled the boy free, but not before Brandt fell forward, blocking Jessie’s body with his.

Tell laughed. “Seems like someone wants to play football. Maybe you are good at tackling after all.

Come on, squirt.” He stood, tucking Landon under his arm like a football and Dalton gave chase—much to Landon’s delight.

“I’m glad to see you’re smilin’. You scared me.”

“I scared you? You’re the one who hit me like this was the last four seconds in the Superbowl.”

Brandt pushed to his feet and held out his hands. “Come on. Up you go.”

As soon as she was upright, she grabbed his biceps to steady herself, which brought them close. Very close.

When Jessie looked into Brandt’s eyes, he wore the oddest expression. So when he touched her cheek, almost reverently, with a hoarse, “Christ, you’re so pretty,” she wondered if maybe he hadn’t hit his head at some point.

“You guys playin’ or what?” Dalton yelled.

She stepped back. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

“Good plan.”

“I’ll just go inside and cut the cake.”

“Sounds good.”

“And take some aspirin.”

“Good idea.”

But her feet wouldn’t budge. Neither would Brandt’s. They stared at one another and something just…clicked.

“Come on guys,” Tell shouted.

Brandt smiled before he turned and jogged to his brothers.

Grateful for the time to regroup, she sliced the cake and carried in the boxes from the daycare. By then the boys’d had enough football and were starving.

They demolished the cake in one sitting.

Brandt bathed a dirt-covered Landon, leaving her with Tell and Dalton, listening to their Saturday night plans.

“There’s a great band playin’ at Ziggy’s tonight,” Dalton suggested.

“Yeah, but it always gets so damn crowded on Saturday nights,” Tell said. “What else is goin’ on?”

“I heard Busby is havin’ a party at his place.”

Tell shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Remember his last party? Hell, most of those ‘hot’ girls he promised us were jailbait.”

“True.” Dalton repeatedly tossed a tennis ball into the air. “I wish we could go to that strip club in Wheatland. That’s always a good time.”

“Also true,” Tell said. He looked at Jessie. “Brandt said you were goin’ out on the town last night.

What did you end up doin’?”

“Simone and I went to the Pizza Barn for pizza and beer.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Tell rolled his eyes. “Brandt made it sound like you were goin’ out, getting wild and getting laid.”

“Brandt said that? About me?”

“Hell no, I didn’t say that,” Brandt retorted. “I said you had plans. That’s it.” He sat Landon on the couch next to Jessie.

“You are such a liar,” Dalton said. “I remember exactly—”

“Forget it. Let’s just go.” Tell grabbed his coat. “Thanks for the cake, Jess.”

“Yeah, it was good,” Dalton said.

Brandt frowned at his brothers. “You guys comin’ back here tonight?”

“No. Hopefully we’ll be getting wild and getting laid.” They sailed out the door.

Jessie watched Landon scramble off the couch and head to the boxes she’d brought in.

“What’re those?” Brandt asked.

“Some stuff we don’t use at Sky Blue I thought Landon might like.”

“Cool. Do you mind keepin’ an eye on him while I shower?”

Do you mind if I keep an eye on you while you shower?

“Jess?”

“Umm. Sure. No problem.”

Her mom called and they chatted about Thanksgiving plans since Jessie had promised to spend the holiday in Riverton. She watched Landon while she talked. He’d thrown the toys from both boxes all over the floor, but he’d stopped tossing things when he reached the stack of books. He’d stayed in one place and flipped through them slowly, mesmerized, as if he’d never seen a book before.

The truth hit her and she felt like she’d had the wind knocked out of her again. She studied Landon so closely she was barely aware when Brandt sat beside her.

“What’s wrong?”

She pointed at Landon, who hadn’t noticed Brandt entering the room either, which was a first.

Brandt whispered, “What? You’re surprised he’s bein’ good?”

“No. Look at him. It’s like he’s never seen a book before. I can’t believe…” She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest.

“Hey.” Brandt brought her face toward his. “Look at me.”

She opened her eyes, hating that once again Brandt would witness her tears. “What kind of mother doesn’t read to her child? Or at least give him books to look at himself? My God. Do you know how much my heart aches for him…” Her voice cracked. She tried to turn away, but Brandt pulled her into his arms.

“You’re changing that for him. See? Can you imagine how excited he’s gonna be when you sit down with him and read those books to him?”

Jessie’s pulse raced when she felt Brandt’s warm lips brush her forehead, above her eyebrow, her temple, her damp cheek.

“This is why I asked for your help. Because you’re cryin’ for a little boy who’s never had what another child would take for granted. And I know this heart of yours, Jessie. I suspect by next...

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“Gourmet meal?”

He grinned. “Spaghettios. And canned peaches for dessert.”

“Tempting, but I wouldn’t want to intrude.” She crouched down by Landon and straightened the seam on his footie pajamas. “So, I’ll leave the books here, but tomorrow night, I’m thinking we’ll start having story time before bed. Does that sound good?” When she smoothed his damp hair from his brow, he looked at her with those enormous blue eyes. Then he crawled closer and held his arms out for her to pick him up.

Definitely gonna break my heart, kid.

She planted a kiss on his sweet-smelling cheek before handing him to Brandt and going home.

Jessie was surprised to see Brandt’s truck pull in the next day around noon. She hung the bucket on the fence and walked to his rig as he finished carting Landon’s stuff into the house.

“What’s going on?”

“My mom’s cousin died yesterday. Of course, my dad has refused to take her to the funeral in Nebraska. And since she doesn’t want to go by herself—”

“You volunteered.”

He rubbed his gloved hand across his forehead, knocking his hat askew. “Yes. I’m sorry. I know I seem to be sayin’ that to you a lot lately, but short of takin’ Landon with me—”

“No. We’re trying to set a routine for him, so it’s best if he stays with me.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive. Plus it’s not like you have any other choices besides me.”

He frowned.

“How long will you be gone?”

“The funeral is Tuesday afternoon. We’ll leave right after and be home late Tuesday night, so Mom wants to go to the family memorial tonight. We’re takin’ off in about an hour.”

How was it that after only spending a week together she already knew she was going to miss him?

She reached up and fixed his hat, which pleased him, by the way his eyes softened.

“Jessie—”

“Brandt. It’s okay.” She skirted him and released Landon from his carseat, propping him on her hip.

She forced a smile and said, “Drive safe.”

Chapter Seven

Day two of Landon screaming was more than Jessie could take. She knew it wasn’t Brandt’s fault that he’d had to leave, but it was little comfort when she’d been up half the damn night with a cranky toddler.

All Landon wanted was to be held. But not held while she was sitting down. No, she’d paced the floor with him in her arms because constant movement was the only thing that soothed him. She’d begun *****spect he was cutting molars, the way he constantly gnawed on his blanket.

She’d had no choice but to bring him to work with her. The other kids in the daycare didn’t seem to mind that Landon clung to Jessie like a monkey and screeched like one if she set him down. Everyone would’ve been better off if she’d been able to stay home. But that wasn’t an option. How did single mothers handle all this by themselves? Juggling work and a sick kid?

Around noon Skylar came in to have lunch with her girls and she kept stealing glances at Landon.

What if Landon really was sick? And by bringing him here she’d somehow infected all the other kids? Flu and colds spread like wildfire in daycare. They took every precaution to prevent it, but kids’ immune systems weren’t fully developed. No matter how much bleach, hand sanitizer and Lysol they used, regardless of how many times hands were washed after runny noses were wiped, there was bound to be germs passed around.

So how was she supposed to know when it was something serious and not just the effects of teething or a cranky toddler?

She didn’t. Despite the fact she spent her days taking care of kids, this child health stuff was a mystery. Parents told her when their kid was sick. She rarely had to make that determination on her own, which made her feel even more helpless when she looked at Landon and couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the poor little boy.

After Skylar finished lunch, she took Jessie aside. “I thought we were through his adjustment phase.”

“I’m sorry. He started getting fussy Sunday night and I thought maybe it was because Brandt wasn’t around. But yesterday it got a little worse. He was fussier than normal. Last night after I took him home?

He was awful. Upset. Crying all the time. I think he’s teething. He hardly slept. I hardly slept.”

“Brandt didn’t get up and help you?”

“He wasn’t there. He had to take his mom to a funeral in Nebraska. He got back at three in the morning and he’s trying to play catch up at the ranch today. He’ll be around to help me tonight. If I survive that long.”

Skylar frowned and placed her hand on Landon’s forehead. He didn’t jerk away. “Have you taken his temp?”

“Not since this morning. It was around ninety-nine point four, which is not that far from normal.”

“He feels hot to me. How long has he been tugging on his ear like that?”

Jessie glanced down. Sure enough, Landon had a chunk of the blanket jammed in his mouth, but he also had his finger hooked just inside his ear. “I don’t know.” She looked at Skylar with utter confusion.

“Should I know?”

“Probably not. I doubt you could see it. I watched him from the lunch room and noticed it.” Skylar smoothed her hand over Landon’s hair. “It might be teething. It might be an ear infection. But I definitely think it’s worth a trip to the doctor to find out.”

Jessie must’ve appeared dazed because Skylar said, “Call Brandt. He’s been in contact with Landon’s mother, he’ll have the information on what doctor to take him to.”

Would they give him a shot? Take blood? How could she watch them poking him when he was already in so much misery?

“Out here in the wilds of Wyoming it’ll probably take the rest of the day, once you actually get an appointment at the clinic.”

“But I can’t be gone from here—”

“Jess. Go. I’ll handle the daycare.”

She stared at Skylar, feeling mountains of regret as well as gratitude. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Kids get sick. You know that. And while I’m on the subject…if Landon does have an ear infection, it wouldn’t be from something you’ve done or not done regarding his care. You know that, right?”

“I do now.” She set her chin on top of Landon’s head. The poor kid was burning up. “Thank you. Not only for being so understanding, but for the advice.”

“None of this parenting stuff comes naturally, no matter what anyone tells you. It’s live and learn.

And usually, the first baby ends up being the guinea pig. Poor Eliza, huh?” She smiled. “Go call Brandt.

Let me know what you find out from the doctor.”

For some reason it made Jessie feel better that Brandt exhibited the same initial panicked reaction she had. He called Dr. Monroe and set up an appointment, then called Jessie back, promising he’d meet her at the doctor’s office in Sundance after he cleaned up.

By the time she finished a couple things, got Landon loaded, and traveled the less than ideal road con***ions, she figured Brandt would beat her to the doctor’s office.

Sure enough, he jumped out of his truck the second he saw her. He didn’t look in the rear cab, at Landon. He cupped his hand over Jessie’s cheek. His eyes roamed her face. “Honey, no offense, but you look like hell.”

Jessie gave him equal scrutiny. “You don’t look one hundred percent rested yourself, Brandt.”

“I’m not.”

She sensed something else was bothering him. “What happened?”

“Funerals suck. I didn’t know my mom’s cousin, but she was really close to him at one time. It was weird, bein’ around those people, who are just as much my relatives as the McKays, and I know nothin’

about any of them.”

“Did it make you sad?”

“No. It made me aware.”

“Of?”

“What it might be like for Landon in the future with us.”

Jessie bit back the next question—how far Brandt would go to ensure Landon wouldn’t be a stranger in the McKay family.

Brandt’s thumb arced over her cheekbone, beneath her eye, in such a loving move she had no idea how she resisted the temptation to lean into his gentle touch. It’d been so long since she’d been touched. So very long.

“Jess—”

Landon cried out and the moment ended.

The three of them trooped into the doctor’s office. Which was completely full. Completely full of people she knew.

Great.

She held Landon on her lap while Brandt filled out the paperwork. Finally Brandt gave up on deciphering the Title IXX forms and agreed to pay cash for the visit, since Landon didn’t have health insurance.

Brandt tried to take Landon from her, to give her arms a break from constantly holding him, but Landon shrieked and wouldn’t let go of her.

This brought the attention of the whole room their way. Whatever buzz their appearance generated...

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“Keely McKay? We hung around for a while during dart league season last year.”

When the woman’s eyes took on a mean glint, Jessie realized this bar wench probably knew more about Luke’s nocturnal activities than she did. “No. You used to come in with your husband. Luke, right?

Although I’ll admit he came in by himself frequently.”

“Yeah, well, I doubt he’s been in recently since he’s dead.”

Brandt stilled next to her, shocked by her smartass response.

Jessie was sick of feigning ignorance about Luke’s blatant infidelity. Better to go on the offensive than to cower in the corner because she’d done that for years and she was finished with the timid routine.

But Francie kept digging for dirt. “So is this your son?” she asked sweetly.

“No. But he is Luke’s son. My dead husband’s secret love child, who I had no idea existed until recently. And yes, I am taking care of him while his mother cleans up her act in jail.”

Francie was dumbfounded, not only by Jessie’s tart response, but by the biting edge to her tone.

“Any more ridiculously invasive questions? No? Good. But you’re more than welcome to fling this really juicy piece of gossip around the bar tonight to get your fair share of free drinks.”

Dismissed, Francie stomped off.

A solid minute passed before Brandt drawled, “Have I mentioned how much I like your new ‘screw you’ attitude? I didn’t think you had it in you, Jess.”

His opinion meant more than she wanted to admit. “I didn’t think I had it in me either. I wouldn’t have done that a year ago. I wouldn’t have wanted to draw attention to myself.”

“You’ve definitely got my attention.”

“Really?”

“But then again, you’ve always had it.”

Jessie faced him. Her pulse spiked when she realized how close their heads were. She could make out every one of his absurdly long black eyelashes. She could see the imperceptible flecks of green in Brandt’s deep blue eyes. She noticed the bump in his nose where it’d been broken in his younger years. She could feel his every quick exhale teasing her lips. She wanted so badly to drop her gaze and leisurely take in the full measure of his mouth, but she didn’t dare. Because for some crazy, mixed-up reason, probably due to lack of sleep, she doubted she’d be satisfied with just a peek at his lips. She’d want a taste. A full taste.

“Jess?” he murmured.

“What’s happening between us?”

“I don’t know, but it’s twisting me in knots.”

“Me too.”

“But unless you wanna add more fuel to Francie’s fire, you’d better stop lookin’ at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want…well, mostly like you don’t hate me.”

“Brandt, I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. It’d be easier if I could. But I can’t. Not by a long shot.”

Whispering to him while staring into his eyes created an odd sort of intimacy.

When he didn’t say anything, just continued gazing at her with those compelling eyes, she felt that pull between them get stronger.

“Landon McKay?” the nurse said from the doorway.

Another untimely interruption, but Jessie didn’t dwell on it, nor did she bother seeing where all the curious looks were coming from in the waiting room. She stood, wincing when she shifted Landon to her left side. She thought she’d built up a strong set muscles from working with horses and hauling hay bales, but holding a toddler for hours on end used a whole different muscle group.

Brandt noticed. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been holding Landon nonstop since Sunday. My arms are sore. My back is sore.”

“I’m sorry. I wish—”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“Let me take him.” Landon was so exhausted he went into Brandt’s arms without fussing.

The wait for Doctor Monroe to appear was remarkably short. She bustled into the room. Frowned.

“Has the nurse been in yet for a height and weight check?”

“No.”

“Gotta do that first. Strip him down and Fiona will be right in.” Then she left.

Landon hated getting naked. So by the time they’d undressed him down to his diaper, he was screaming mad. He wouldn’t stand so the nurse could measure him. They ended up using the baby scale to weigh him. He was fighting Brandt at every turn, giving Jessie such pitiful eyes, that she had to look away.

Which made him madder yet.

Doctor Monroe bustled into the room. Brandt gave up and let Landon run to Jessie, screaming,

“Mama, mama, mama,” throwing himself at her.

Jessie froze. The tension in the room doubled. “That’s the first time he’s called me that.”

“I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before. To some extent, given the circumstances, the women in his life are interchangeable,” Doctor Monroe said.

“Like father like son,” slipped out before Jessie could stop it.

Doc Monroe ignored her, but she felt Brandt’s probing gaze.

Once Landon was seated on Jessie’s lap, he was fairly docile. He let the doctor poke and prod him, all the while she kept up a light chattering tone that soothed him. When the doc checked his ears, she sucked in a sharp breath. “Kid’s got an ear infection all right. Poor thing.” She rubbed his bare back before she rolled away to jot down notes. She addressed Brandt. “Did Landon’s mother tell you if he’s allergic to penicillin?”

“No clue.”

Doc Monroe looked at Jessie. “Was Luke allergic to penicillin? The allergy tends to have genetic properties.”

“No, far as I know Luke wasn’t allergic.”

“In that case, I suggest a shot of penicillin. Sometimes I treat this type of infection with amoxycillin but the shot works faster. Plus, you won’t have to mess with trying to get him to take his medicine, since he seems a little strong willed.”

“No surprise—he is a McKay,” Jessie muttered.

Doctor Monroe shut the file folder. She smiled at both of them, but it was strained. “Kids heal quickly. He’ll have to stick around for twenty minutes or so after the shot to see if he has an allergic reaction. If he’s not better after forty-eight hours, bring him in right away.”

“Will do.”

Jessie got the feeling that Doctor Monroe disapproved of this situation with Landon and she gave them both an odd look before she left the room.

“I see what you’re thinkin’,” Brandt said. “And yes, she argued with me about askin’ for your help with Landon.”

She frowned at him. “How did she know you intended to ask me?”

“I told her. I brought Landon in for a checkup after hours the week Samantha went to jail. She grilled me on how I planned to take care of him so I asked her opinion. She said I was self-serving and stormed out of the room after she signed off on the physical documentation for temporary guardianship.”

Doctor Monroe had performed the DC after Jessie’s miscarriage. She’d recommended the yearlong wait before they attempted another pregnancy, and by that time, she and Luke were having problems, so she’d stayed on the pill. But the doc knew how devastated Jessie had been about losing that baby. It gave her a rush of gratitude that the doctor knew losing another child, albeit not one from her womb, might cause her sorrow.

Would it? Or will you be glad to hand this boy back to his mother?

The nurse came in. “He gets this one in the butt, so you’ll need to take his diaper off.”

Brandt plucked Landon from Jessie’s lap, turned the kid over his knee as he pulled back the diaper tape, exposing Landon’s left buttock. He held the squirming boy firmly as the nurse swooped in with—holy crap—a really big needle and jabbed Landon’s tiny butt cheek.

Landon screamed bloody murder.

The nurse was fast. She pressed on a Spider-Man bandage on the spot and Brandt had the diaper refastened in a hurry.

Landon practically jumped into Jessie’s arms. Her stomach clenched, seeing him so scared. She slipped his clothes on, trying to calm him. When she looked up, Brandt had the oddest expression. “What?”

“Don’t get mad, okay? But you’re good with him. Better than I thought you’d be.”

Jessie didn’t snap off a smart comment, it’d serve no purpose. She hefted him up onto her hip. She winced.

“I’ll get him, Jessie.”

“I’m fine. I’ll wait here with him. Just pay the bill and I’ll meet you back at my house.”

Chapter Eight

“No, Mom. I understand you wanna see him, but he won’t be much fun with an ear infection. Okay.

I’ll ask her. Yes, I promise. Bye.”

Brandt tossed his cell on the seat and rubbed his eyes. Jesus, he was tired. It’d been a long couple of days. Traveling, a funeral, the guilt of leaving Jessie alone with Landon. He wanted to drink a couple of beers, watch TV and crash. But that probably wasn’t...