Looking straight ahead, she rolled down her window as he approached.
“All right. We’ll do it your way.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Thank you.”
“I need some time to get my head on straight. Some space to process this.”
“I’ll give you all the time you want.”
“It’s not going to be that long. I just don’t want you to think I’m ghosting you if I don’t call you for a few days.”
“That’s not fucking fair.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess what I’m trying to say is, what’s your damned phone number?”
She took his phone and programmed it in.
Trent called her number.
When it rang, she raised her eyebrow at him. “Were you afraid I gave you a fake number?”
“No. Now you have my phone number again. I’m staying at the Bluebonnet Inn until after the rodeo, and then I’m moving out to the Three Sisters Ranch and living above the studio.”
“You’re going to live on the ranch?” She felt the world tilt a bit.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but there’s room upstairs for a modest apartment. You and Alissa will see me every day.”
Kelly nodded. “Okay.” This was going fast. Too fast. But she’d make it work.
“One other thing.”
“Just one?” she asked wearily.
“The more comfortable we are with each other, the better this is going to be for Alissa.”
“True.”
“So, we should go out. On dates. Get to know each other.”
She smirked. “Don’t you think it’s a little late to be courting me?”
“No, I don’t. I’m not sure how this is all going to end up, but I’d like to take the time with you that I should have, all those years ago. I’m not the same guy I was back then. I’ve changed in good ways, but also in some bad ways.” Trent ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not going to have a lot of free time until after the rodeo, but maybe we can go out for a few drinks after?”
“I’m going to be asleep by the time the rodeo gets out.” Kelly smiled. “I’ve changed in good and bad ways too.”
“Then the day after the rodeo.”
“I can do that,” she said.
“Good.” Trent leaned in through her window, surprising her with a quick kiss on her mouth.
It tingled and she blinked up at him in shock.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said and got back into his car and drove off.
It took her a few moments to realize she was staring off into space with a goofy smile on her face.
Chapter Six
Trent didn’t remember driving back to the Bluebonnet Inn. He didn’t remember knocking on Billy’s door. But when Billy opened the door, he had to physically restrain himself from punching the older man in the face.
“What’s gotten into you?” Billy asked, walking away from the door so Trent could come in.
“I just got back from the Sullivan ranch.”
Billy frowned and sat down on the bed. The television was playing PBR reruns. “Something go wrong at the ranch? We’ve got an iron-clad contract. You can do whatever you want on that land for three years. Then, if they don’t want to re-lease it to you, they have to compensate you for the improvements you’ve done on the place.”
“It’s not about the ranch. It’s about a five-year-old girl named Alissa.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Six years ago, I had an affair with Kelly Sullivan.”
Billy cursed. “You never told me that.”
“It’s none of your damn business who I sleep with. She got pregnant. And had the child alone. Our child. You told her I knew and didn’t want to be a father.”
“Do you know how many women have claimed you’re their baby daddy?”
“No, I damn well don’t.”
“Ten.”
“Ten?” Trent swayed and held on to the doorframe.
“You want to come in or do you want to have this out in front of everyone in Last Stand?”
Trent closed the door in a daze and then the floor reached up to meet him as his leg gave out.
“Shit! You all right?” Billy came over and lifted him the way he had been taught by the nurses.
“I’m fine.” Trent wanted to wave him off, but he literally didn’t have the strength. Billy helped him hobble over to the bed.
“I’ll get you some ice.”
Trent stared up at the ceiling, hating himself. Hating everything.
When Billy got back with the ice, he poured it into the ice bucket liner and tied it into a knot. After helping him out of his pants, Billy arranged the ice pack under his hip. He went back for another one. Once his leg and hip were iced up, Trent sighed. “I want you to contact every one of them.”
“Trent, you can’t concentrate on this right now.”
“I might have ten children.”
“You don’t.”
“I have at least one. Why wouldn’t there be others?”
“What makes you think this girl is yours?”
“Because her mother says so,” Trent said between his teeth.
“Mothers lie.”
“To what purpose?” Trent closed his eyes in frustration. “I’m not famous. I’ve got no money. Why would anyone lie that I’m the father of their baby?”
“Because you’re a good man. You’ve got a future planned out. And you would take care of them, at the cost of your own self.”
“I take responsibility for my actions. You’re the one who taught me that,” he said, glaring at him.
“Lord knows I tried my best, but you were a stubborn kid. What if they’re not your actions, though?”
“What if they are? I did sleep with a lot of women when I was younger and full of myself. Ten women doesn’t seem out of the question.” Trent never thought his wild days would have consequences, which only went to show what an idiot he’d been.
“And you think you hit the bull’s-eye each time? What are the odds of that?” Billy drawled.
“Do you still have the names of the women who claimed I was the father of their child?”
“No. Can you name ten women you might have impregnated?”
“Uh…” Trent screwed his face up while he thought. “I’m sure I could. If I still had my old phone, I’d definitely be able to.” He wasn’t good with names or numbers, but he’d had pictures of girls on his phone so when they’d call him, their images would come up. Unfortunately, he’d never backed any of that shit up and when his phone was stolen, he’d lost everything. He’d had been such a little jerk. Trent scrubbed his face with the heel of his hand. “I know first names. Some of them.”
Billy shook his head. “You were never with anyone for more than a couple of nights, if that. You never mentioned any women to me. Besides, I raised you to use a rubber.”
“I did,” Trent groaned. “Mostly.”
“Mostly? Jesus.”
“The condom broke, but Kelly said she was on the pill.”
“Well, the women usually called after you won a big purse or had been in the national news. I didn’t take any of them seriously until the second or third call. Then I’d offer them some money to go away and keep their mouth shut.”
“How much money?”
“A thousand dollars.”
“A thousand dollars?” Trent’s head hurt almost as much as his hip. “You paid ten thousand dollars to women who said they were carrying my child?”
“Give or take. If they took the money, they weren’t really pregnant or it wasn’t your kid.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because a grand is chicken feed when faced with eighteen years of child support.”
“Why did you pay them if they were lying?”
“Because it’s cheaper to pay them off than worry about the bad press or legal fees.”
So many questions. So many lies. “Why didn’t you ever t
ell me?”
“You didn’t need to know about the liars and the fakes. You had your career to concentrate on. I know a scam when I see one. Some of them were repeat offenders.”
“What do you mean?” He felt sick and useless, but he accepted the two Tylenol tablets Billy gave him and managed not to spill water all the way down his front.
“I mean they named a few other bull riders as their baby daddies as well, not figuring out that all the managers talk.”
Trent was having a hard time wrapping his head around that. “All the women went away after you sent them a check?”
“Some came back for more. They wanted more money.”
“And some told you to shove it up your ass.”
“Not many did.”
“Kelly Sullivan did. I want to know who else.”
“When they tried to shake me down for more money or when they refused the money, I told them to send me a cheek swab from the baby and I’d get a DNA paternity test done. Guess what? No one ever did. Certainly not Kelly Sullivan.”
“Do you remember her calling?” Trent grimaced as he tried to get comfortable. The ice numbed the pain, but the cold was starting to sting.
“No. I don’t remember a Kelly Sullivan at all.”
“You should have told me about the ones who refused the money.”
“You didn’t need the distractions. You didn’t need to deal with the liars. That’s my job.”
“Kelly wasn’t lying,” Trent said.
“Then, have her send me a cheek swab from the kid and we’ll swab your cheek and send it off to the lab for DNA testing.”
“I believe her.”
“I don’t.”
“It’s not your business to believe it or not.” Trent reminded himself that Billy was his oldest friend and, misguided or not, he’d always had his best interests at heart. Right now, though, it was tough not to hate him. It was tough not to hate himself. He should have been there for Kelly. Alissa should know who her father is. Of course, right now, Trent wasn’t even sure who he was. He used to be a bull rider. He used to be a cocky kid who never turned down sex. What could he offer a daughter? He was just barely figuring things out for himself.
“It is if she’s your biological daughter. We need to prove that, to protect your rights as a father. And if she’s not your daughter, we need to protect your good name and your bank accounts. I’ll send away for a kit.”
“I’m not putting Alissa through that.”
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s not a blood test. She doesn’t even have to know what’s going on.”
“I said no.”
“I’ll handle it, if you want me to,” Billy said.
“You’re not going to do a damned thing. This could have all been solved five years ago.”
“Five years ago, you were fighting for your life in a hospital room.”
“Before that.”
“Before that, you were preparing for the biggest ride of your life.”
“This was more important. Kelly was more important. My daughter was more important.” Trent yelled himself hoarse.
Billy waited until he was through and then waited a bit more. “What if she’s not your daughter? What if Kelly Sullivan is lying?”
“Then why tell me? Why tell me now after all these years?”
“I don’t know. Because she sees you as a threat to her father’s ranch?”
“That’s a little convenient, don’t you think? I just happened to sleep with her five years ago, and she just happens to have a daughter the right age. You’re the one who found the ranch, not me.”
“Her father reached out to me.”
“He did?” Was it possible that Kelly told her father and Frank Sullivan decided to take matters into his own hands? His gut said no. From what he saw this morning, subtlety wasn’t in Frank’s nature.
Would Trent be any different as a father? He already felt ridiculously protective of the little girl. He couldn’t imagine reacting with any type of sense if some idiot was fool enough to hurt her. But then again, his own father never bothered with him. Unless, he never knew.
“Billy, I never knew my own father. It matters to me that no kid of mine ever has to feel that way. All I know about him is that he was a bullfighter.”
“So your mother said.”
“You don’t believe it?”
Billy looked away. “I’m not going to talk about your mother. She was your mother and she did the best she could. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
“What if my dad never knew she had me? What if my father has spent the rest of his life not knowing he had a son?” Was it possible to track the man down after all these years to check? What would he even say to him? It’s been thirty years, but I’m the son you never knew you had. Trent blew out a sigh. It was too late for him and his father. But it wasn’t too late for Alissa.
“So, this is about you now?”
“No,” he cried. “Wait. Yes, this is about me. Me and Kelly and Alissa.”
“Trent, if this girl is your daughter, I will be the first one to apologize and do the right thing. But if she’s not, you should get clear of the situation. I’ll put a restraining order on Kelly Sullivan if I have to.”
Trent shook his head. “No. You won’t have to.”
“I’ll get the tests. You get the cheek swab.”
“Fine. But after you get the tests, you’re out of it. Don’t talk to Kelly. Don’t talk to Alissa and for all that’s holy, don’t talk to Frank Sullivan about this. And I want to know about the women who didn’t take the money. I need to know if I have any more children I don’t know about out there.”
“Did the rubber break any other time?”
“No,” Trent said hotly.
“Did you ever forget to wear one?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t have any little ones running around.”
“I admit, it doesn’t seem likely. But I’m not going to be able to sleep until you give me their names and I can check things out for myself.”
“It’s not like I kept records,” Billy grumbled.
“Yes, you did. You keep records on everything. Let’s start with the ones you paid off. I want to be thorough.”
“You need to keep this on the down low or every buckle bunny with a kid about the right age will be clamoring for child support.”
“Find the names and I’ll take care of it.”
“No. I’ll hire an investigator. That way your name stays out of it.”
“I still want to see the names.”
“Don’t get distracted.”
“It’s too damn late. Finding out that I’m a father is pretty damned distracting.”
“You have a business to start. My business is making problems go away.”
“A child isn’t a problem. Not to me.”
“I know, son.” Billy sat down. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. But I’ve seen it happen too many times with other riders that I managed. I didn’t take them at all seriously.”
“But you will now?”
“I’ll consider it. I’ll make some calls and do some follow-up.”
“I want to know everything.”
“All right.” Billy got up, exasperated, and grabbed his laptop. He handed him the television remote. “I’m going to go downstairs for some peace and quiet. I’ll be back before the ice melts.”
“Thanks,” Trent said, grudgingly.
Billy’s face softened. “You’re too trusting. After the life you had, I can’t figure it out.”
“You’re too cynical,” Trent countered, shifting the ice bags to another painful area.
“You know why I’m so cynical?”
“Because you’re an ornery S.O.B.?”
“And the reason why is because people keep proving me right. I hope Kelly Sullivan isn’t pulling a fast one to save her family’s ranch from bankruptcy. But my gut tells me she is.”
Trent closed his eyes and shook his head. “Yo
u’re wrong.”
“Guard your heart until you prove it, then.”
That was the problem. Trent had a feeling he’d already fallen for both Kelly and Alissa.
Chapter Seven
A pillow landed on her face.
“Alissa, what have I told you about waking up Mommy?” Kelly muttered. She had hoped her parents would keep Alissa entertained so she could sleep past nine a.m. for the first time in five years.
The bed dipped as someone heavier than Alissa sat next to her and walloped Kelly again with a pillow.
“That’s it.” Grabbing her pillow, Kelly came up swinging. “Janice!” she said, not slowing the arc of the pillow. “When did you get in?” She landed a pillow strike upside her younger sister’s head.
Janice looked like an evil librarian, with her cat’s-eye glasses and short dark blonde hair. But she swung a pillow like Babe Ruth. Janice “the smart one” took pride in doing crossword puzzles with a pen and playing dirty, like ambushing her sleeping sister.
“I came in late last night.” Janice got off the bed and shook the pillow at her threateningly. “Dad forced Nate to come get me because he didn’t want me to take an Uber.”
Janice was freshly showered and smelled like her favorite lilac soap. She was wearing a wrinkle-free suit jacket and slacks with a red shell underneath it. Her hair looked recently cut short. It was curling a bit around her temples.
“You got a job interview?” Kelly said groggily.
“We have an interview.”
“We do?”
“With Kendrick Moore at the bank. He’s reviewing both of our loan applications today. Two birds, one stone. That type of thing.”
Kelly yawned so hard, her jaw cracked.
“Come on and get dressed. We have to meet him in a little over an hour.”
“Why so early?”
“I don’t know what you mean. I’ve been up since five.”
Kelly threw the pillow at her sister’s retreating back.
It was just like Janice to have arranged for a meeting with the bank on the morning after she arrived. After reluctantly rolling out of bed, Kelly shuffled into the bathroom to get ready. She had never applied for a loan before, but it couldn’t be too hard. The collateral thing was going to be a problem. She didn’t own anything, but she had a steady job and had never been late on her bills, so Kelly hoped it was just going to be a formality. After seeing Trent’s barn and studio, she was eager to have her area set up so she could start taking promotional shots.
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